Andy & Rob Talk Sufjan Stevens
In our second installment of “Andy & Rob Talk…”, Cinema Spartan editor Rob Patrick and assistant editor Andy Ferguson dive into the oeuvre of celebrated musician, Sufjan Stevens. Here is the transcript.
The Ten Best Albums of 2016
There’s no question that we’re living in an uncertain, tension-filled time, and the importance of art has never been greater. Thankfully, one of the few positive takeaways from a year filled with gloom was the monumentally terrific outpouring of excellent music.
10 Best Tracks of ’16
The expansive plethora of impressive music we’ve been given this year is an almost impossible thing to take in while it’s happening. Even the most dedicated, avid listener of current records should find themselves overwhelmed with their backed-up queue, but overwhelmed in the best possible way.
The 10 Best EPs of ’16
Artists across all genres delivered a plethora of powerful, insightful, confrontational tunes throughout all twelve squares in the calendar, and there was no shortage of important entries in the EP department.
Pick Six: Highlight Guest Appearances in ’16
Make no mistake about it: Blood Orange’s Freetown Sound is a colossal beast of an R&B/Pop record, and the commanding lead vocals by Lorely Rodriguez (Empress Of) on “Best To You” are so pristine and flawless that it’s hard to imagine a more ideal contender for best guest appearance of 2016.
Recordlection: I See A Darkness
“I See A Darkness” paints a bleak palette at its surface, yet for all of the ominous landscapes on display, there is a never ending sense of an appreciation/value for life itself.
The Radio Dept.: Running Out of Love
The always intriguing Swedish outfit, led by Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson, has somehow managed to make each one of their four LP’s sound completely of their own carving and image, despite never including any sort of alterations in sound and instrumental lineup.
Notable Debut LPs of 2016
No year is left without at least a handful of promising-to-excellent first LPs from artists, but like most everything else in 2016, there just seems to an exciting wealth of great material at our disposal.
Pick Six: Essential Songs Exclusively From Film Soundtracks
Throughout the history of cinema, there have been countless moments where the power of music has elevated specific scenes – and sometimes even entire films themselves – to change our overall appreciation of them.
Angel Olsen: My Woman
There are artists that you simply cannot put a single label on when describing their sound, and if you thought Angel Olsen didn’t deserve to be listed under this category before, then witness the stunning palette of her third LP, My Woman.
