Mikal Cronin: MCII
Mikal Cronin is a creature of his environment—sunny, foggy, fickle, evocative. read more
Deerhunter: Monomania
Don’t blink—no mere mid-career album, Monomania registers as an absolute impact event, a massive dirty blast marking the moment Deerhunter’s steady trajectory spins out of control. read more
Various Artists: Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby's newest film adaptation from Baz Luhrmann has pushed the soundtrack from executive producer Jay-Z as a focal point of the film’s marketing, certainly more than, say, Tobey Maguire’s role as Nick Carraway or even Carey Mulligan’s Daisy Buchanan. read more
The Source
We are nation obsessed with pop culture. The Internet has become the great equalizer; there are websites, forums and groups devoted to every imaginable interest, philosophy and lifestyle. The term “counterculture” is charmingly obsolete. We are the assimilators and the assimilated. In America’s pre-connected recent history—the 1960s and 1970s—this was not the case. Young people by the tens of thousands took Timothy Leary’s admonition to heart: tune in, turn on, drop out. Hundreds of social experiments in communal living cropped up along the California coast. Some terrified us (think Manson Family), some mystified us (think Krishna Consciousness), and some exploited... read more
A Questionable Shape by Bennett Sims
You can add Bennett Sims to the list of gifted literary writers working in—or subverting—the monster genre. read more
Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City
It’s been five years, three albums, an SNL appearance, countless festival performances and one lawsuit from an unwitting album-cover model since Vampire Weekend dropped its self-titled debut, and still the class thing remains the predominant talking point about the band. read more
Game of Thrones Review - "The Climb" (Episode 3.6)
I'm rattled. _Game of Thrones_ is in my head. read more
Mad Men Review: "For Immediate Release" (Episode 6.06)
There are some people who seem to lead absolutely charmed lives, for whom everything and anything just happens to work out. read more
Soul Sacrifice Review (Vita)
Poor execution undermines a great concept. read more
Love Is All You Need
After directing a series of intense dramas, including the Oscar-winning In a Better World, Susanne Bier turns her lens on a romantic comedy. While the setting (an Italian villa!), situation (a family wedding!) and soundtrack (“That’s Amore”!) of the blandly titled Love Is All You Need are clichéd staples of the genre, the Danish helmer and her frequent writing partner Anders Thomas Jensen bring both gravity and a light touch to an otherwise familiar narrative.... read more
Kiss Of the Damned
Vampires have always been associated with sex. From the sexual awakening of Lucy and Mina in Bram Stocker’s Dracula, to the homoeroticism in Interview with a Vampire, the genre has, in many ways, been more about the exploration of human desire than it has been about blood-sucking.... read more
Maron Review: "Internet Troll" (Episode 1.01)
IFC’s new show Maron opens the way you’d expect it to—with Marc Maron, stand-up, podcast host and possibly clinical narcissist...talking. read more
Community Review: "Heroic Origins" (Episode 4.12)
Let's get the gimmick for "Heroic Origins" out of the way first, as it's one of the least interesting parts of the episode. read more
Parks and Recreation Review: "Are You Better Off?" (Episode 5.22)
It's been an excellent season of Parks and Recreation, more varied than any that came before it, and despite a mounting episode count Parks doesn't even seem close to running out of steam. read more
Iron Man 3
Though Iron Man 3 is a better constructed film than its predecessor, ultimately it succeeds for the same reason the first two films did—Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. read more
Modern Family Review: "Career Day" (Episode 4.21)
Just four episodes left in the fourth season of Modern Family. It’s been a season of ups and downs, but with this episode it’s clear that the show has plateaued. read more
The Americans Review: "The Colonel" (Episode 1.13)
A good season finale is tricky to pull off. The episode must simultaneously satisfy viewers while leaving them wanting more. read more
MIND MGMT: Volume One by Matt Kindt
Writer & Artist: Matt Kindt Publisher: Dark Horse Release Date: April 23, 2013... read more
HTC One
For HTC, the One is a simplification of design and process. read more
New Girl Review: "Virgins" (Episode 2.23)
The more I watch New Girl, the more I come to the conclusion that it might be one of the best—if not THE best—sitcoms on television. read more
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