A Return to The Cool (Album review of Tim Easton’s, Not Cool) by Owen M.S. Coughlin, Jr. In the world of music and art as a whole, there is, for whatever reason, a tendency to try to put artists into a certain kind of box, based on the perceived genre under which their work falls. It’s sort of like, “well these guys rock hard but they are very emo,…
On Friday, August 2nd, doom metal pioneers Pentragram ripped through a set of the classics at Emo’s East in Austin,Texas. I expected the crowd to be bigger but the show seemed poorly promoted in the city. On the upside, attendance wasn’t too bad and those who came out had a blast. The moment wild man singer, Bobby Liebling, took stage, the crowd roared. He grinned and posed, loving every minute.…
It’s been about six years since The Blow Monkeys – once one of the brightest spots on the 80’s New Wave movement – reunited and the band has certainly been making up for lost time. Feels Like a New Morning marks the band’s fourth release since getting back on the bike and while they have certainly settled into a much more mellow vibe, they have likely aged right alongside their…
There are some critically-lauded TV shows that just leave you scratching your head at their appeal (Hemlock Grove? The Killing?). The Good Wife is not one of them. With refreshingly creative characters and impressive writing, it’s pretty easy to see why The Good Wife continues to be a favorite outlet for many. Part legal drama and part political series, the show is a mirror of our current and past…
Cherie Curry’s updated 2010 memoir Neon Angel was a compelling, sometimes traumatic look at her childhood and her time with the influential all-girl teen rock band The Runaways. But it was just that, her take on the band. Queens of Noise is an even-handed look at the band, and those surrounding them, specifically the group’s manager and brainchild (depending on who you ask) Kim Fowley. Written by journalism professor…
The Great Gatsby has made it to the silver screen a number of times since it was released to bookstores in 1925. The 2013 iteration of the tale was directed by Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Australia) and stars Tobey Maguire (Nick Carraway), Amitabh Bachchan (Meyer Wolfsheim), and Leonardo Dicaprio (Jay Gatsby). This set comes with four distinct versions of the film: Blu-Ray 3D, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Ultraviolet formats.…
Pale ales have been largely passed over with the popularity of India pale ales, but Oskar Blues’ Dale’s Pale Ale looks to establish a renaissance for the style. Whether in cans or on tap, the Dale’s Pale Ale has more of a backbone than competing efforts. I feel that it is the vigor and spirit that makes for an inimitable beer. The initial pour provides individuals with a fairly thick,…
Bones of the Buddha is an hour-long feature under the Secrets of the Dead nomen that probes the mystery of Kapilavastu, a Shakya settlement described to be where Gautama Buddha spent eir formative years. This hour-long documentary delves deep into the mystery of the land. This documentary argues that Willie Peppe, an estate manager, had found the previously lost settlement of Buddha’s family. The house is now in Thailand,…
A lot of the charm from Lena Dunham’s much-talked about Millennials in the City series has started to wear off by season two. The show about kids trying to make it in New York, thanks to hand out from mom and dad, is as much about self-absorption as it is about finding one’s path in life. A bulk of this season focuses on Dunham’s character Hannah…
Carr’s music is one of a kind, and Skitszo allows new listeners the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Carr’s output up to this point. Consisting of tracks from four digital EPs (released after 2010’s Sex Sells Stay Tooned), Skitszo immediately hits listeners with Who Do You Think You Are. This RedOne-touched track has ample hooks and the edge necessary to keep listeners on the edges of their seats. Never Gonna…
AMC’s often overlooked middle child, the historical fiction Hell on Wheels, may not garner near the amount of attention of peers like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Mad Men, but this second season shows a series getting more comfortable with itself. Set in the mid-1800’s along the still under construction Transcontinental Railroad, former Confederate officer Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) continues to deal with corrupt politicians, a crew of dangerous…
Ok, let’s get this out of the way upfront. Yes, the production values on the cable TV disaster mini-series are low. Not Sharknado low, but not blockbuster level either; and yes, the story itself is a bit histrionic: A government experiment to harness energy from the sun backfires and threatens to destroy earth! But once you decide to recalibrate expectations and dial down the snark, this Doomsday miniseries (I can…
The Acoustic Research Bluetooth Portable Wireless Speakers are a tremendous addition to any audiophile’s collection. Available in a wide array of colors (black, blue, white, green, pink, yellow, and red), the ARS60s are eminently portable and easy to set up. The battery utilized by the speakers is a beast and ensure that one will have tunes from a MP3 player or smartphone for up to 10 hours. Further boosts in…
The Gatekeepers is a fair and balanced look into the relations that Israel has towards regional states and Palestinian forces. Israel’s position on defense and past decisions are explained by those that commissioned them – the film utilizes interviews with six former directors of the Israeli security service, Shin Bet. Taking special care to focus on the efforts of the agency from 1988 to 2010, The Gatekeepers…
For those that are not familiar with Robert Williams, ey was a prolific artist that contributed greatly to a variety of art genres. Whether it was the time that Williams spent with R. Crumb (The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers) or Guns ‘n’ Roses (created the front cover art for “Appetite For Destruction”), Williams’ art was one of a kind. The role ey occupied in the overall direction and focus of…
Aftershock falls into the natural disaster genre, and unites famous actors (Eli Roth, Andrea Osvart of Transporter: the Series) with up and coming ones (Lorenza Izzo, Patricio Strahovsky). The movie is set in Chile, where a band of friends have their vacation interrupted with a society-shattering earthquake. In the chaos that ensues, humans are pushed to their breaking point. The trappings of order are destroyed as inhabitants attempt to make…
The Suicide Machines bring another twist with this new album, slowing down the tempo, but they still keep the sense of good-naturedness with the single “Sometimes I don’t mind”, which is a paean to a dog. A psuedo-Ramones track is thrown in with “Permanent Holiday”, from the topic of the song (Rebelling and Running Away) to the Ramonish pitch of Jason Navarro,.All and all this CD shows the Machines…
Aerosmith are an American institution, but possess a worldly attitude, especially towards charity. This means that Aerosmith conducted this concert to provide relief to the sufferers of the tsunami and resulting meltdown at Fukushima. The video quality of this performance is stellar, with the DVD release achieving clarity that is comparable to a HD broadcast. The soundboard-like quality of the music makes this into a must-have for Aerosmith fans.…
There have been some strong contenders to the dominance of Saturday Night Live. SCTV was able to fight the valiant fight in the 80s, while Kids in the Hall and MadTV provided a different option for the 90s. Fridays was the first of these shows, and showcased the work of a slew of comedians before much of America would become familiar. The show aired from 1980 to 1982 and…
The video quality of the episodes are stellar, ensuring that viewers will be able to enjoy each of the episodes as if they were the original theatrical airing. The Arts and Crafts DVD includes Porride art, Art school, and Rocco’s playmate. Rocco’s playmate will inspire creativity as Elmo makes a playmate for Zoe’s pet rock. Taken together, the episodes on Arts and Crafts Playdate will inspire viewers to take up…