While we wait patiently for a sequel, prequel or even TV series of the cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer, director David Wain has just given audiences the next best thing. The romantic (well, sort of) comedy (most definitely) They Came Together, comes from team that made Wet Hot American Summer; David Wain is back as director and so are Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Michael Ian Black and Christopher Meloni.
Joe Purdy may have only been around since 2001, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting out an astonishing 13 records in that time frame. His latest, Eagle Rock Fire, is more of the same from this Arkansas folk/country musician.
The Charleston, SC duo Shovels & Rope caused quite a frenzy among critics jumping over each other to praise their 2012 debut. I can only imagine the chorus of approval that will meet the even stronger Swimmin’ Time.
It’s been more than a decade since Midge Ure last offered a full album of new songs and the result is sure to please those who’ve been following the musician since the ‘80s. Fragile, coming in at 10 songs, is a delicate collection of synth-heavy songs that have not been swayed by recent fads in contemporary music; there is no forced reinvention, rather Ure sticks to his own brand New Wave…
Closing in on the final season of this gripping crime drama (the fifth and last season kicks off in September), the fourth season concludes with some of the best cliff hangers the show has ever had and makes up for a weak season three.
Legacy Records continues its massive project cleaning out every company vault and looking under every old rug for goodies and extras to tack onto their Elvis Presley re-releases. The latest, the massive eight CD, two DVD collection for Presley’s 1970 concert and documentary, That’s the Way It Is, is one of their best offerings date. But be warned, this is not for the casual Elvis fan. It should be noted…
Dennis Lehane is no stranger to Hollywood, having seen his books Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island all make their way from the bookshelf to movie screen. The Drop is different only in the time it has taken for it to hit theaters, coming out as a book and a movie at the same time.
It’s sometimes easy to forget just how controversial the genre of punk rock was years ago. Long before every mall in America flogged Ramones and Clash t-shirts and before 6-year old kids were sporting mohawks on the school bus, the Sex Pistols scandalized a conservative England and eventually the U.S., by going on a live TV Show and cursing at stuffy host Bill Grundy, essentially ending his career and launching…
Given the current state of realty TV, comprised of vapid celebrities and back stabbing nobodies who will step on anyone to grab their 15 minutes, this series based around the Boston hamburger joint, co-owned by Donnie and Mark Wahlberg and run by their chef brother is surprisingly sweet. This being realty TV in 2014, the entire series is written and staged like every other show masquerading as “realty” (hey, look…
The title comes from the famous SNL sketch where Star Trek’s William Shatner implores a group of Trekkies with the message: Get a Life! This documentary, based on Shatner’s book of the same title, is much more positive, with Captain Kirk and his camera crew following around a wide range of fans, from different backgrounds, to find out why Star Trek is such a defining piece of their life. Despite…
If you’re in your late 30s to mid-40s, reading this review and don’t cop to listening to a little Ratt or Bon Jovi in your teens; Slamming a Poison or Motley Crue cassette into your car’s tape deck, then you were either raised Amish or you’re very likely, completely full of shit. There is almost no way you could have been a teenager in the ‘80s and not spent a…
While the major labels are cashing in a second time on the iconic alt rock bands of the 1990s, thanks to the two and three decade anniversary re-releases of their albums, a slew of up and coming bands are launching careers, raised on the music of Nirvana, Soundgarden and the Riotgrrl groups of Washington State. Among the most promising of that lot is Athens-based duo Cancers.
The second album in six years by this collective, featuring a revolving cast of musicians, boasts members from Belly, Guided By Voices, Nada Surf and Letters to Cleo, among many others. The core of the group, though, still includes Dave Derby (Dambuilders/Lloyd Cole), Rainy Orteca, Sean Eden and Kevin March.
It’s been seven years since the ska punk band Mad Caddies last put out a studio album and the time off has certainly done nothing to dull the band’s sound. Arguably the band has never turned in a bad record, but Dirty Rice, is easily one of their best.
Though Bonnie Raitt was nearly 20 years into her career by the time she released Nick of Time, her 10th album, it was that record that really brought her Blues-infused rock to the masses. UMe has just re-released this seminal album on vinyl in honor of its 25th anniversary, remastered from the original analog tapes.
I will preface this review with an admission: I know very little about kickboxing. I don’t know about any of the athletes; I know nothing about how it’s scored; and I have little interest in watching it. Despite all of that, Mark Miller’s memoir is utterly fascinating. His story is raw and emotional enough to touch anyone with even a little interest in human resilience.
You thought your job today was hard? Imagine trying to write book about the highly influential, but notoriously litigious political punk band the Dead Kennedys – a group that seemingly thrives on trading insults at each other. That was the task faced by music journalist Alex Ogg and he managed to pull it off quite impressively with the absorbing Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, The Early Years.
For a duo, Eureka California make a hell of a lot of noise. The Athens indie rockers, comprised of drummer Marie Uhler and singer/guitarist Jake Ward, have just turned in their second full length in 18 months and far from sounding like a rushed out also ran, Crunch is a remarkably satisfying slice of unpretentious college rock.
There have been a slew of documentaries reliving the punk scene in the late ‘70s. There have even been a few focusing on the Southern California punk scene during that time period. But Clockwork Orange County is compelling enough to justify one more.
Former war correspondent and current surf writer Chas Smith is almost daring you not to like his writing. He’s arrogant, smug overly-opinionated, focuses too much on style over substance (how surfers dress and whether or not they’re attractive holds much more weight for Smith than something as obvious as… well, how they surf). But damn, the guy knows how to write a fascinating story.