Angélique Kidjo Makes the Record of Her Life
As a young girl growing up in the West African nation of Benin... read more
Found in: Music, FeaturesShout Out Louds: Work
Feel-good electro-pop from Sweden—can you believe it?! On its latest, Swedish pop quintet Shout Out Louds bring their uptempo, ’80s-nostalgic style to a collection of songs perfect for that jolt you need to kick off a long road trip. Lead singer Adam Olenius’ high-register vocals—which call to mind The Shins’ James Mercer—meld unexpectedly well with the pumping beats, making lovely use of background vocalist Bebban Stenborg, whose sweet-sounding responses on “Fall Hard” offset the forceful rhythms, and who harmonizes deftly with Olenius on the otherwise insubstantial “Throwing Stones."... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsMiles Kurosky: The Desert of Shallow Effects
Former Beulah frontman still a little weird, wonderful Miles Kurosky’s old band, Beulah, was always the one Elephant 6 act somewhat tethered to the earth—writing and delivering relatively straightforward love songs, even as its more mind-expanded peers sang dreamily of kings of carrot flowers and birds with candy-bar heads. The Desert of Shallow Effects is Kurosky’s first solo effort since dissolving Beulah five years ago, and, happily, his singular gift for melody-rich pop hasn’t deserted him.... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsRock the House: Taiwan Architects Design a House of Music
Nestled along the fringe of northern Taipei, a city of 2.6 million people cradled in a basin on the tip of Taiwan, is a peculiar structure... read more
Found in: Culture, FeaturesLiars: Sisterworld
Transient, experimental rockers continue to reward, evolve Geography has always defined Liars. The band—which formed in Los Angeles with a menacing Australian frontman named Angus Andrew—first received attention after relocating to New York. Liars would later make an album in New Jersey that was loosely based on German witchcraft, only to actually move to Berlin for their next album.... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsThe Notorious Alexander Hamilton: A Broadway Bard Tackles the Founding Father
On the night of May 12, 2009, actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda took the stage at the White House’s Evening of Poetry, Music and Spoken Word. Visibly nervous, Miranda introduced his performance to the Beltway celebrities in attendance, including President Obama and the First Family.... read more
Found in: Music, FeaturesAthlete: Black Swan
Ten catchy choruses, no original ideas Paired with a Grey’s Anatomy clip in which someone dies or falls in love, Athlete’s mid-tempo rock might pack a punch. But when alone, the sweeping choruses that swarm Athlete’s fourth record, Black Swan, shoot for the rafters without any substantial emotional anchor—the songs get lost in the clouds.... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsShooting Starlets: Three Soon-to-be Leading Ladies
Young actresses these days are more likely to get press for... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayA Prophet Review
A Prophet is the second significant modern crime film to come from Europe in the past two years... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsCarolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig
Musical adventurers reclaim important chapter of black Americana There’s a long tradition of African-Americans playing old-time music, from blues legends Blind Blake, the Reverend Gary Davis and Josh White to artists such as the Mississippi Mud Steppers and Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, whose early ragtime outfit, the Tennessee Chocolate Drops, has provided a lasting influence—and this modern-day act with its name. The Carolina Chocolate Drops formed in 2005 at the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, N.C., and since then the young trio has been determined to prove that “black folk were a huge part of the stringband tradition.”... read more
Found in: Music, Reviews
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