Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review
(Multi-Platform)
Step into the conspiracy.... read more
Found in: Games, ReviewsJohn Doe: Keeper
John Doe’s punk days might be long behind him, but there’s only so much mellowing out that he’s capable of. He might not be mired in drugs and desperation like he was when he sang for L.A. punks X, but he makes adult life and grown-up relations sound like worthy struggles on Keeper. Even when he’s embracing open-chord strumming, sighing steel guitar and pledges of dedication that bring to mind Jackson Browne on opener “Don’t Forget How Much I Love You,” he still sings it with the gusto he once used to sneer at LA scenesters.... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsJuliana Hatfield: There's Always Another Girl
For Juliana Hatfield fans, the release of There’s Always Another Girl should feel like an accomplishment. The songwriter’s been in a near-daily conversation with them about the album’s recording process through her PledgeMusic website and raised money by selling unique items and experiences on the site. Things fans could “pledge” for through the site ranged from a personal Skype session with the singer to the downright-weird “certified” lock of hair. These die-hards got the VIP treatment right up until the album’s completion, hearing There’s Always Another Girl a month early, and now Hatfield will see what the rest of the... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsJacuzzi Boys: Glazin'
If any old photo is worth a thousand words, the promo shots accompanying Jacuzzi Boys’ sophomore album, Glazin’, are worth double. One depicts the Miami trio— drummer Diego Monasterios in a ball-cap, and pouty frontman Gabriel Alcala in a letter jacket—leaning against an air-hockey table. Another—the most telling of the set—features the band against a yearbook photographer’s gray-sheet backdrop. Monasterios sprawls out in front of his bandmates, grinning and flashing a peace sign; Alcala pouts and flexes a bicep; bassist Danny Gonzalez adopts a more serious, arms-crossed pose than his bandmates. These aren’t the tough-guy postures or grimy mugs of... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsTrauma Review
(PC)
From the psycho-sexual phantasmagoria of the Silent Hill series to the nightmarescapes of Sanitarium to countless amnesiac protagonists unraveling the riddles of identity, videogames have a long tradition of creating compelling narratives out of psychological damage and healing. It is a shame that Trauma is not part of that storied (ahem) institution.... read more
Found in: Games, ReviewsToy Soldiers: Cold War Review
(XBLA)
As gimmick records go, the 2000 album Gizmodgery by Matt Mahaffey’s band Self is one of the best. Every song was recorded exclusively with toy instruments, such as you’d find on the shelves of your local Toys“R”Us. You’d think that conceit would be a recipe for disaster for any rock musician worth his salt, a one-way ticket to Weird Al territory. But Mahaffey’s knack for catchy hooks, funky harmonies, and effects wizardry make Gizmodgery stand on its own as a rock album, not merely as a novelty. It transcends its gimmick.... read more
Found in: Games, ReviewsFrom Dust Review
(XBLA)
Get down and dirty with your divine-self.... read more
Found in: Games, ReviewsLuke Temple: Don't Act Like You Don't Care
Don’t Act Like You Don’t Care, Brooklyn songwriter Luke Temple’s third full-length solo album, arrives at an odd time in his career. His second album with psych-pop darlings Here We Go Magic—the colorful, highly polished Pigeons—was released just last year, elevating his typically lo-fi bedroom recording technique to a series of exciting full-band destinations. Don’t Act Like You Don’t Care is a step in the completely opposite direction, downplaying the electricity of his band in favor of nine mostly stripped-down, acoustic meditations—recorded partially on a four-track and utilizing guest players only as occasional window-dressing.... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsMister Heavenly: Out of Love
Indie-Rock Supergroups: Sometimes they work (see: psychedelic goof-offs GAYNGS); sometimes they underwhelm (see: high-brow romantics Swan Lake); sometimes—more like rarely—they change music forever (see: Broken Social Scene).... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsInsanely Twisted Shadow Planet Review
(XBLA)
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet wants you to feel small. Isolated. Sometimes the camera pulls back to shrink the size of your ship onscreen, just to underscore how alone you are.... read more
Found in: Games, Reviews
