Director Raoul Peck Hits the Marx (FILM REVIEW)
The early, revolutionary days of Karl Marx are explored in a fascinating new film.
‘Half Magic’ Sets Great Intentions Even if They Ultimately Fail (FILM REVIEW)
Heather Graham’s directorial debut is far from the movie it could have been.
‘Annihilation’ Is An Ambitious Film That Collapses Under Its Own Self-Importance (FILM REVIEW)
Director Alex Garland produces another ambitious sci-fi epic that fails to live up to its own potential.
The Jerry Garcia Band Shines In Hawaiian Form on ‘GarciaLive Volume 10: 5/20 Hilo Civic Auditorium’
[rating=8.00] The Grateful Dead’s biographer and one-time publicist Dennis McNally has a deceptively brilliant style of writing, so in his essay accompanying GarciaLive Volume 10, he fully captures both the practical and ineffable virtues of this sublime double-CD set. This author, historian and music publicist is, at heart, like any music lover who can clearly […]
SONG PREMIERE: Minor Characters Craft Indie Rock Travelogue With “NOLA”
Minor Characters is a rock band in the truest sense. As lifelong Chicagoans, the men in Minor Characters carry with them that very American blend of wistful angst and ever striving hope. After their last record, the full length Voir Dire released in 2014, they collectively experienced more of the former. “Getting that out was […]
Belly Return With New LP ‘Dove’ – First New LP In 23 Years
On May 4, Belly return with DOVE, their first full length album release in 23 years. The album was recorded and produced and recorded by band member Tom Gorman alongside longtime friend of the group Paul Q. Kolderie (Hole, Throwing Muses, Radiohead). Today, the band shared “Shiny One,” the first single to be released from […]
Caroline Rose Blooms With Quirky and Catchy Modern Pop On ‘Loner’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
[rating=7.00] Caroline Rose boasts a quirky kind of persona. Where once she would have been branded as New Wave, now her sound fits firmly in the echelons of modern pop. Her new album Loner suggests she’s not as withdrawn as the title suggests; expressive, outgoing and obviously engaging, she casts a bold persona that’s flush […]
Screaming Females’ ‘All At Once’ Is Sprawling, Satisfying and Precise (Album Review)
[rating=8.00] By their seventh album, most bands are winding down into a comfort zone that will largely appeal to the core base of fans they developed earlier on in their career. Screaming Females buck this trend with their latest LP, All At Once, by deftly forging their most striking identity yet. All At Once […]
John Mayall Brings Disciplined Improvisation On ‘Three From The Road’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
[rating=7.00] Its cover photo of the band radiating all the easygoing informality of a family get-together, Three From The Road is replete with the kind of easygoing exchanges of ideas that can abound at such events. And the expressive yet disciplined improvisation of John Mayall and his bandmates takes a variety of forms throughout the […]
Patrick Coman Delivers Eclectic Mix on “Tree of Life” (ALBUM REVIEW)
[rating=8.00] This is a rather pleasant surprise, never having heard of Patrick Coman. Yet, when the producer credits denoted guitarist Peter Parcek and drummer Marco Giovino, Coman’s Tree of Life certainly seemed worthy of a listen. It’s an eclectic mix of roots and blues material that did not disappoint. Parcek also plays lead guitar and […]