Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is a constant tug-of-war between comic genius and lowbrow stupidity, often at the same time. … read more
Film Review: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Review: Adrianne Lenker – songs
Adrianne Lenker = Elliott Smith + Angel Olsen + Mimicking Birds … read more
Review: Butcher Brown – #KingButch
Butcher Brown = The James Hunter Six + Olympians + Blue Lab Beats … read more
Review: J. Pavone String Ensemble – Lost and Found
J. Pavone String Ensemble = Yoshi Wada + Morton Feldman … read more
Film Review: Happiest Season
Happiest Season is both a great Christmas classic and a ten-best-of-the-year candidate, which is rare indeed. … read more
Reviews: The Precious Lo’s – Self-Titled
The Precious Lo’s have established themselves as Circle Research, a DJ/production unit from Toronto. I can understand a pair of DJs wanting to try their hand at songwriting. My head naturally bobs to their down-tempo funk beats, but it’s the vocals that make me feel like I’m listening to the robot from Short Circuit trying his hand at R&B. … read more
Film Review: 2 Hearts
To call 2 Hearts the worst film of the year feels like elevating it to a level of legitimacy that the film just doesn’t deserve. … read more
Reviews: Peacebreakers – Everyday Battle
Here are some Boston HC rippers who’ve finally committed these songs to wax. PBs get a pass for not monkeying the formula too much (ripsnorting HC punk with no filler) and for irking PC flag-wavers with songs like “Foreign Exchange.” Sonically? Negative Approach is the best reference point I can come up with … … read more
Reviews: Piss Piss Piss – Never Herd of Ambeix
On the title track of Never Herd of Ambeix, Portland’s Piss Piss Piss call out punk elitism, purposefully misspelling and mispronouncing the progenitors of crust punk. Acceptance is not an uncommon sentiment in punk, but a dressing down of the genre’s litmus test ethos is interesting. … read more
Reviews: Red Death – Demo 2014
This DC punk/thrash extravaganza features current/former members of Zoom, Intent, Protestor and Coke Bust. This demo takes gravelly cues from Discharge, the “bandana thrash” bands of the early millennium and even DC coremen of yore … … read more
Reviews: The Rich Hands – Out of My Head
This angst-filled power-pop coupled with bubblegum rock n’ roll is catchy and energetic. Bringing on memories of when pop was good, they reintroduce lyrical simplicity, while brandishing the snotty teenager attitude of a rock n’ roller. … read more
Reviews: Rodrigo Amarante – Cavalo
The feel of this album is enchanting and ethereal. Portrayed through several songs being sung in Portuguese, it is also present in the richness and vibrancy of Amarante’s songwriting. … read more
