Precious' Lee Daniels and Slumdog's Christian Colson Go to Selma
Lee Daniels’ new movie, Precious, has garnered riotous praise and deafening Oscar buzz. Now, it’s time for Daniels to try his hand at another buzz-worthy, socially conscious project.... read more
Watch the Trailer for The Decemberists Video Album, Here Comes the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized
The Decemberists has set a date for the online premiere of its “full-length video album,” titled Here Comes the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized.... read more
Community Review: "Environmental Science" (Episode 1.10)
It seems like Community is becoming simultaneously less and more formulaic as the series goes on, which is an interesting phenomenon. If anything, it seems like episodes are ripping through sit-com clichés at a faster than believable pace, each episode more reliant than the last upon tired old stories that we’ve been watching on TV since we were born. The episode’s structures are impeccably fitted to a traditional three-act structure and it’s hard not to predict where the entire episode is headed after merely what appears in its cold open.... read more
Jason Lee Develops Adult Swim Show, Directs Beatles Movie, Stars in TNT Pilot
Jason Lee has been busy since NBC’s cancellation of his show My Name is Earl last spring.... read more
The Master's Sputum: Unfinished Nabokov Novel Now Open to Examination
In 1962, prodded by an interviewer to share a glimpse of a first draft, novelist Vladimir Nabokov replied, “Only ambitious non-entities and hearty mediocrities exhibit their rough drafts. It is like passing around samples of one’s sputum.” Now, more than 30 years after his death, we have an opportunity—against Nabokov’s expressed wishes—to examine such a sample.... read more
Aaron Sorkin Returns to TV, But Will He Triumph Again?
Aaron Sorkin, famed writer and creator of The West Wing, is returning to television with a new series.... read more
Watch Jason Segel Hilariously Perform Onstage With The Swell Season
We probably should’ve seen this one coming, honestly. The Swell Season: earnest, beautiful folk rock made by two former lovers. Jason Segel: lovably oafish dude who got totally naked in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. And they’ve all been in movies! Three peas in a pod, right?... read more
Sugarland: Gold and Green
All I want for Christmas is a cohesive record As with Sugarland’s previous studio efforts, lead singer Jennifer Nettles suffers from a vocal identity crisis on the duo’s new holiday-themed Gold and Green. Does she want to be a saccharine adult-contemporary crooner (“Gold and Green”), a wailing gospel beacon (“Coming Home”) or the twangy country girl next door (“Nuttin’ For Christmas”)? Here, such shifts seem contrived, robbing Nettles of any relatable authenticity. What little sincerity the set has comes from Kristian Bush singing lead on “Maybe Baby (New Year’s Day)” and “Holly Jolly Christmas.” Unfortunately, the latter is all but... read more
Film Friday: Claire Denis' 35 Shots of Rum and White Material
A quiet movie called 35 Shots of Rum is traveling around the country, a film of uncommon grace, and I mention this because I’d like to see it again myself whenever I have the chance. I’m waiting for it to come to my town; maybe you’re doing the same. World-class filmmaker Claire Denis made the movie last year, and anyone who’s been keeping score knows that I’m one of her unabashed fans. Name the date, and I’ll be there.... read more
Catching Up With... David Rawlings
Although the records are released under Gillian Welch’s name, she and David Rawlings are essentially... read more
R.E.M. Working on New Album, Michael Stipe Working on Beard
A couple days ago, R.E.M released two short videos filmed by a covert/hirsute Michael Stipe. Haphazardly focusing the camera on the occasional electric guitar or amplifier, Stipe meanders through the rooms where his band is recording its 15th studio record. According to Pop Candy, Grammy Award-winning Jacknife Lee is producing the new album, still in its early stages. Not many other details are known at the moment, but you can watch Stipe’s Blair Witchy cinematography below:... read more
Jonathan Richman to Celebrate Turkeys on Saturday
Just because turkeys are traditionally killed and eaten for Thanksgiving doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the holiday as well. This is America, after all—a land of equal opportunities for man and bird alike.... read more
Watch Vampire Weekend's "Cousins" Video
Vampire Weekend’s Contra may not drop until Jan. 12, but we’ve got tons of goodies to hold us over until then. Along with first single “Horchata,” today the video for “Cousins” hit the good old reliable interwebs. This second single is out now digitally, and will hit stores on a 7" vinyl Dec. 15. "Cousins"’ video is a dizzying trip back and forth in an city alleyway, with the VW lads showing the same playful spirit that drives their music. Directed by Garth Jennings (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and produced Hammer and Tongs (Jennings and creative partner Nick Goldsmith),... read more
Ears We Trust: Robert Earl Keen
In this long-running feature, music-industry tastemakers tell us what they’re listening to and loving. Today’s columnist: Texas singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keen.... read more
EMI Becomes First Record Label to Provide Hulu-Exclusive Videos
EMI has struck a deal with Hulu to become its first record-label partner, and is set to distribute music videos and concert footage exclusively through the video-sharing site.... read more
Without Venue, Jelly Pool Parties Could Dry Up
Brooklyn’s 5-year-strong Jelly Pool Parties have been providing free, awesome music to thousands each summer, with acts like Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk and Simian Mobile Disco playing no-cost shows. The concert series was originally held at the McCarren Park Pool, but then moved to the East River State Park in the summer of 2009 to accommodate bigger bands and bigger crowds. But according to the New York State Parks Department and the Open Space Alliance, the park may not be available for Jelly 2010.... read more
NBC Launches United Plates of America, Hands Out Restaurant Chain
NBC is calling on Top Chef production company Magical Elves to start up yet another cooking competition series, this one not so run-of-the-mill, boasting the same bullet-sweating competitions as well as a pungent flavor of capitalism. The winner of this contest will be awarded not one eatery of his or her own variety, but an entire restaurant chain.... read more
Salute Your Shorts: The Golden Age of Television
Salute Your Shorts is a weekly column that looks at short films, music videos, commercials or any other short form visual media that generally gets ignored.The title of the Criterion Collection’s The Golden Age of Television can seem like quite a misnomer. For my money, the greatest age for television is right now, and to anyone who’d dispute this, I’d just send a link to Paste's list of the top 20 shows of the decade. We could’ve easily continued the list to 50 without breaking a sweat. Hell, if you include some more idiosyncratic favorites, there are more than 100 shows... read more
Colum McCann, Dave Eggers Win Big at 60th Annual National Book Awards
Last night, at a black-tie ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, the National Book Awards winners were announced for seven different literary categories. Satirist Andy Borowitz, who runs fake news website The Borowitz Report, emceed the event.... read more
Bonnaroo 2010 Dates Announced, Holiday Payment Plan Offered
Even though this darn global warming business makes even mid-November feel like summertime, truth is it’s been almost six months since this year’s Bonnaroo took over Tennessee. Which, of course, means it’s prime time to look ahead to Bonnaroo 2010, which will go down June 10-13 next year. But before the music-festival season hits, the winter festival season will; this year, the good folks at Bonnaroo have wrapped both into a neat little package—starting Nov. 27, the fest is offering discount holiday-rate tickets online.... read more
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 50 Best Albums of the Decade…
The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
The 20 Best Live Acts of the…
Kim Taylor - Days Like this
Gregory Alan Isakov - The Moon Song
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
Fanfarlo - I’m A Pilot
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Stay Zombie…
David Bazan - Hard To Be
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
