Salute to Gabriel Teodros
Furthering his break from the archetypal rapper, his unabashed reflections on his insecurities impacted me deeply. Hip-Hop is driven by bravado, even in the conscientious circles. Teodros rejects this tone and instead offers a soberly candid voice void of self-aggrandizing pretenses.
Louder Than Bombs
“Louder Than Bombs” deals in the currency of depression and confusion. A crumbling family dynamic is a devastating topic, there’s no question, but just because a subject is inherently sad doesn’t necessarily make it moving.
Grizzlyshark #1
Notice I didn’t say mutant sharks, hybrid sharks, alien sharks, or any other possible title that could be used to explain how or why these creatures are where they are. How do they breathe? How do they move? How are they suited to this environment? Sorry, this isn’t that kind of book.
Criterion Critique: The Great Dictator
Instead of iterating what’s been said enough, in honor of election season, I’d like to draw parallels to today, attesting to The Great Dictator’s timelessness. Americans have been quick to afford political candidates their opinions, but are often exaggerated in their criticisms. Expedient attacks by comparison to Hitler are commonplace, vilifying whatever politician is against your predilection. If not Hitler, the Anti-Christ. In fairness, the Trumpster isn’t a genocidal maniac, and I doubt Hilary’s questionable sincerity is enough to usher in the apocalypse. But let’s check just to be safe.
The Drones: Feelin Kinda Free
It seems to be an unfortunate reality that, even after a good decade and a half of releasing material, too few ears in the US have had the pleasure of witnessing the sounds of the Aussie group, The Drones.
Interview w/ The Traditional
With their latest record, How To Live Without Blood, The Traditional – Anthony Musior, Michael Bienias, Jon Coric – create a mosaic of geography, regret, sincerity, and resilience.
10 Expressly Great Indie Films
Sure, it’s great to shovel M&M’s to superhero movies, but you need some weirdness, too.
12 Criminally Overlooked Movies
Plug in your Roku, Apple TV, queue up the Netflix or Amazon Prime account and search these movies out. All twelve are worth your time.
Take Me to the River
Abandoned, gutted cars are left to rot among tufts of tall grass. Old barns, complete with curled paint, jut out from the ground, stretching to the hot sky.
Silversun Pickups @ The Observatory
After Joywave finished their carbonated and buoyant set, Silversun Pickets mounted an immediate assault. Wasting few moments, lead singer Brian Aubert christened the microphone with his powerful – and yet hushed – delivery.
