Pages tagged “issue 34”

The New York Times Crosswords

By Brian Howe on 11:31 AM on September 11, 2007

When I was younger and even more pretentious, I loved crossword puzzles... read more

Found in: Games, Reviews

Odin Sphere

By Mitch Krpata on 11:15 AM on September 11, 2007

It’s a neat twist on the classic side-scrolling brawler—particularly as it presents unorthodox combat tactics—but the circular motif is far from a gimmick... read more

Found in: Games, Reviews

Chow, Darling

By Gus Mastrapa on 4:07 PM on September 10, 2007

The journey of flOw from web-based flash game to PlayStation is indie gaming’s equivalent of getting picked up at Sundance... read more

Found in: Games, Reviews

Songs Without Words

By Anne Trubek on 12:00 AM on August 31, 2007

Women on the brink
In Songs Without Words, Packer follows the mold of her... read more

Found in: Books, Reviews

The Shotgun Rule

By Ed Lynskey on 12:00 AM on August 29, 2007

Ready. Aim. Noir.
Charlie Huston's first standalone neo-noir offers the same visceral, gritty and comical impulses found in his popular Henry Thompson trilogy... read more

Found in: Books, Reviews

Xavier Rudd: White Moth

By Jesse Jarnow on 12:00 AM on August 28, 2007

Here comes Rhymin' Rudd When Paul Simon filtered reggae's vibe into 1973's "Was A Sunny Day," he swapped the genre's aphoristic politics for pure lilt. He also probably didn't count on generations of imitators. Australian surfer dude/multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd takes this approach and adds the politics back in. Sort of. "My respect to the ones in the forest, standing up for our old trees," he sings on White Moth's opening track "Better People" in a bit of rhetoric that recalls Ali G, before delving into the faux-Rasta accents of "Twist" ("some people going twist up together, help to feel better,"... read more

Found in: Music, Reviews

Matthew Dear: Asa Breed

By Brian Howe on 12:00 AM on August 28, 2007

Moody, variegated and deeply human record from techno chameleon Those who still believe (against all evidence) that electronic music is cold, inhuman and homogenous would do well to discover the many modes of Matthew Dear. These contrasts don't just occur between his various aliases (Audion, Jabberjaw and False), but within the confines of this record, on which Dear's droll personality is writ large. There are a couple of constants on Asa Breed. One is Dear's voice, somewhere between Bela Lugosi and Ian Curtis (the latter, particularly, on "Deserter," where death-prom synths, raining chimes and Dear's lugubrious vocals are a spot-on... read more

Found in: Music, Reviews

Poison'd!

By David Mead on 12:00 AM on August 28, 2007

Y'all seriously rock After 23 years, Poison has finally made the record its fans have always wanted. Literally. Via its MySpace page, the band asked its fans which cover songs they might like to hear. The fans spoke and, just like that, Poison'd! was born. It makes perfect sense; none of the bands associated with the '80s hair-metal scene, especially Poison, ever harbored much artistic ambition. The genre was pure theater, delivered to its fans via MTV and glitzy arena shows awash in watery beer and flashed boobies. Keeping the dream alive, Poison'd loses the "Unskinny Bop," the "Talk Dirty... read more

Found in: Music, Reviews