PopMatters

Flash #119: 'Pray for the Dawn': Through Layers Of History (Graphically Speaking)

2009-07-14T17:48:36Z

Artist Paul Ryan elegantly articulates various Flash-genre with the visual metaphor of layers.

Afro-Punk Festival: Saul Williams and Janelle Monae: 6 July 2009 - Brooklyn Academy of Music (Notes from the Road)

2009-07-14T16:00:24Z

Words and Pictures by Thomas Hauner

Auto-Tune the News #6 (video) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-14T12:30:26Z

The latest marriage of the news with catchy music, comedy, and Autotune technology.

Surround Sound: Could It Be Magic? (Short Ends and Leader)

2009-07-14T12:20:26Z

In this installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, SkyRiders, and The Interior

Games for Girls (Moving Pixels)

2009-07-14T12:00:00Z

Just a little link aggregating.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Review)

2009-07-14T11:30:32Z

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, complicated teenaged sexual desires are the counterpart to the sacrificial love oft touted by Dumbledore.

POV: The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court (Review)

2009-07-14T10:35:39Z

As The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court observes, the ICC means to bring justice to populations long aggrieved and only rarely acknowledged.

African Writers Series, Founding Editor: Chinua Achebe (Re:Print)

2009-07-14T10:15:57Z

Messing around in a secondhand bookshop some time ago I came across a series of thin paperbacks with orange and black covers. Opening one of them I saw this heading: African Writers...

Tank Girl One and Tank Girl Two (Review)

2009-07-14T10:09:59Z

There’s something about Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin’s Tank Girl re-printed collections that feels like a time capsule.

A Brain Wider Than the Sky by Andrew Levy (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:37Z

Levy succeeds in capturing something most migraineurs would find impossible to attempt: what it feels like to be in the maelstrom, the actual throes of migraine.

Jesus' Son (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:29Z

This is more a collection of well-observed moments and vignettes than a conventionally plotted chronicle.

Don't Quit Your Day Job -- If You Have One (Column)

2009-07-14T06:00:27Z

Koko Taylor imitator Ladykat drives the city bus that I occasionally ride – at least that, I hope, gives her health insurance.

Grizzly Bear: 1 June 2009 - Washington, DC (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:17Z

Those who criticize the perceived overuse of studio trickery would be surprised to find that the live performance captures much of the record’s sonic atmosphere.

"The World Will Know": Shohreh for Soraya (Feature)

2009-07-14T06:00:08Z

Iranian expatriate and acclaimed actress Shohreh Aghdashloo talks to PopMatters about The Stoning of Soraya M., the role of women in Iran and ongoing importance of her political activism, especially in the wake of recent events.

Broken Records: Until the Earth Begins to Part (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:00Z

Until The Earth Begins to Part opens up new possibilities for this orchestral Scottish band.

Various Artists: Legends of Benin (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:00Z

At the heart of Legends of Benin lies the spiral, the curve, the unfinished circle that leads to its replica.

Claude VonStroke: Fabric 46 (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:00Z

VonStroke brings da' funk and then some on this mix, which caps a wildly successful four years.

Birds of Avalon: Uncanny Valley (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:00Z

The second full-length album from Birds of Avalon combines punk attitude with lo-fi recording techniques and a dash of psychedelia. The result is unfortunately nowhere near as interesting as it sounds.

Pomegranates: Everybody Come Outside (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:00Z

Cincinnati indie quartet Pomegranates offer an innocuous sophomore concept album.

Oneida: Rated O (Review)

2009-07-14T06:00:00Z

Over the course of three fuzzed-out discs, there's one solid Oneida album to be found in here; you just have to wade through some indulgent, excessive, and flat-out boring instrumental passages to get to it.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Review)

2009-07-14T05:59:46Z

There is something intrinsically wrong with a narrative that tells its audience to value things over thoughts.

Not Becoming My Mother by Ruth Reichl (Review)

2009-07-14T05:59:12Z

The painful story of Miriam Reichl provides a good introduction for young people who don’t understand what the feminist movement was all about.

Disco's Not Dead (Sound Affects)

2009-07-13T17:37:00Z

In praise of disco on the anniversary of the notorious disco demolition day.

Hellblazer #160: '...Freezes Over' part three: The Wink (Graphically Speaking)

2009-07-13T17:34:01Z

In the penultimate installment of ...Freezes Over , Hellblazer John Constantine escapes the paranoia of a snowed-in diner only to find the claustrophobia is nothing more than a construction of his own mind.

The Best and Worst Movie Sequels Ever (trailers) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-13T17:00:36Z

Can you remember the last time you went out to a nice dinner? I'll bet you went to one of your favorite restaurants. When money is tight, people generally opt for the familiar, rather than experiment...

Forro in the Dark - Light a Candle (new album / MP3) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-13T15:46:32Z

Forro in the Dark Light a Candle (Nat Geo Music) Releasing: 29 September 2009 The Brazilian New Yorkers return with a new record this fall, the songs having been honed during their...

"The era of frugality" redux redux (Marginal Utility)

2009-07-13T15:35:32Z

I'm generally skeptical about proclamations of the "new frugality," because I'm not convinced that we know what to do with ourselves if we are not shopping. Consumerism, as an end in itself, has...

Flame & Citron dir. Ole Christian Madsen (trailer) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-13T15:00:18Z

An excellent little hybrid of noir, thriller, and war-time espionage, Flame & Citron follows two hit men's journey through Nazi-occupied Denmark. Viva le resistance! Drawing many a comparison...

Our Lady Peace - Burn Burn (new release / video) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-13T14:56:40Z

Our Lady Peace Burn Burn (Sony/Warner) Releasing: 21 July 2009 (US) SONG LIST 1. All You Did Was Save My Life 2. Dreamland 3. Monkey Brains 4. The End Is Where We Begin 5....

Sacha Baron Cohen: The Joke's on YOU! (Short Ends and Leader)

2009-07-13T14:45:30Z

Cohen is funny because he offers up ideas that are tired, obvious, and completely calculated, and then gets those recently born suckers that PT Barnum loved to mention to buy into it freely and openly. He's not laughing with you. He's laughing at you!

Lily Allen - "22" (video) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-13T13:38:56Z

Lily Allen has just released her latest video. "22" attacks the misogyny inherent in the assumption that a woman's life is over once she's past the full flower of...

Beatle Books: From Genesis to Revolution (Re:Print)

2009-07-13T13:00:39Z

Let’s face it, some 40 years after John, Paul, George and Ringo went their separate ways, it seems that that there is little that is known about the Beatles that isn’t already known, to...

Free Energy - "Dream City" (stream) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-13T10:55:15Z

Despite being on DFA, despite having a logo that looks like some kind of pseudo-Eg-Banger rip-off, and despite having a name that makes them sound like a bedroom house music project from Sweden, Free...

Teddy: In His Own Words (Review)

2009-07-13T10:40:51Z

Teddy: In His Own Words illustrates Kennedy's dogged devotion to "public service," even as his narration avoids digging too deeply into causes and effects.

Jóhann Jóhannsson and ACME: 25 June 2009 (Notes from the Road)

2009-07-13T10:15:29Z

Words and Pictures by Sachyn Mital

The Adventure of English (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:32Z

This series is restless, supremely inventive, and endlessly entertaining – just like the language it explores

Petersburg by Andrei Bely (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:31Z

Although not without playful satire, this masterpiece is a very pessimistic portrait of personal and societal evisceration.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 26 May 2009 - Chicago (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:28Z

Just another night out for rock’s reigning queen…

Judas Priest: A Touch of Evil Live (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:05Z

If you needed further proof that Judas Priest is still a great live band, here it is.

Catalogs: Disposable but Indispensable (Column)

2009-07-13T06:00:04Z

Practically its own highly succinct form of literature, I’ll take a good catalog over a bad magazine any day.

Sonny Landreth: Levee Town (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:00Z

Trying to describe Landreth’s sound with words is like trying to explain the wonders of a sunset to a blind person. All one can do is explain how it makes a person feel.

Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard: 'Em Are I (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:00Z

The neurotic insecurity we've previously seen Lewis lay bare remains intact, but on 'Em Are I is tempered by green shoots of positivity.

A-Trak: Fabriclive.45 (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:00Z

Just wait a few seconds and the next thing you know, you'll be off in another part of A-Trak's multi-colored dance factory, with this Willy Wonka leading your ears through a maddeningly diverse array of traps, puzzles, and exciting aural detours.

The Church: Untitled #23 (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:00Z

23rd time's a charm. This is vintage Church -- patiently wrought, mildly hallucinatory musicscapes.

Miss Kittin & the Hacker: Two (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:00Z

Nearly a decade after debuting at the height of electroclash, Miss Kittin and the Hacker team up again for something more lush but no less engaging.

Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 1: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal (Review)

2009-07-13T06:00:00Z

There’s an undeniable charm to the world of Monkey Island that draws you in despite a few obtuse puzzles.

The Pogues and Irish Cultural Continuity (Feature)

2009-07-13T06:00:00Z

Shane MacGowan's awareness and adaptation of trends in the literary world, along with the narrative quality and structural experimentation of his work, should cement his status as both a musical and literary figure.

Gregg Kowalsky: Tape Chants (Capsule Reviews)

2009-07-13T05:59:49Z

Play this thing loud, let it surround you, and you'll get the full effect of Kowalsky's organic, singular sound.

Tokyo! (Review)

2009-07-13T05:59:43Z

A people so lost in their own hermetic insularity that human connections seem alien and almost dangerous.

Protest Singer & To Everything There is a Season (Review)

2009-07-13T05:59:17Z

Two recent books survey Seeger’s journey and grapple with the musician’s political and musical ideology.

Occidental Brothers Dance Band International: Odo Sanbra (Capsule Reviews)

2009-07-13T05:58:47Z

Brain or no brain, you'll find this stew of rock, jazz, and traditional African music a tasty, fun, and very danceable treat.

Jeniferever: Spring Tides (Capsule Reviews)

2009-07-13T05:57:26Z

What should be gently captivating winds up being something of a chore.

Woolfy Vs. Projections: The Astral Projections of Starlight (Capsule Reviews)

2009-07-13T05:56:27Z

There's nothing very bad about Woolfy Vs. Projections's The Astral Projections of Starlight, but there isn't anything very good about it, either.

Consumption display; or, against sharing (Marginal Utility)

2009-07-13T02:26:54Z

Matt Yglesias makes a point about cultural display in response to this James Wolcott essay, which explores the ways in which it is threatened by technology. Wolcott believes that rather than show our...

The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer (PDF) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-12T19:47:54Z

The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer (Doubleday) Hardcover, 416 pages, $27.50 Released: 23 June 2009 (US) "The State of Jones is a true story about the South during the Civil War --...

Starlight Mints - Change Remains (new album / MP3) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-12T18:31:14Z

Starlight Mints Change Remains (Barsuk) Releasing: 21 July 2009 (US/UK) SONG LIST 01 Coffins ‘R’ Us 02 Natural 03 Paralyzed 04 Zoomba 05 Black Champagne 06 Power Bleed 07...

Free is just another word for nothing left to pay artists? (Crazed by the Music)

2009-07-12T17:18:25Z

Right now, my favorite two articles are Chris Ruen's "The Myth of DIY" (Tiny Mixtapes) and Glenn Peoples' "Analysis: Everything Is Wrong With Free Moby MP3 Story" (Billboard)....

Morning Light: A True-Life Documentary (2009) (Short Ends and Leader)

2009-07-12T15:16:32Z

Amazing feats of human athleticism, no matter the category, always seem to inspire. Whether it's a time-tested pro making one last attempt at twilight career redemption, or a spunky band of newcomers...

PopMatters' Inaugural 'Directors Spotlight Series' Begins with Pedro Almodovar! (Calls for Papers)

2009-07-12T12:58:27Z

Pitch Deadline: 24 July 2009 Final Deadline: 24 August 2009 Contact: Matt Mazur Email: mazur AT popmatters.com With this week-long special feature, we are excited to provide a platform for...

Entourage: Season Six Premiere (Review)

2009-07-12T12:10:56Z

Vince is simply too old, too handsome, and too successful to still be coming of age.

Explorer: Inside Death Row (Review)

2009-07-12T12:05:09Z

Inside Death Row's case against the death penalty is made repeatedly in images rather than explicit language.

Seeing is Believing (they say) (Peripatetic Postcards)

2009-07-12T06:59:16Z

I mentioned in my last post "Hell, I have a great shot of a bird sitting alone in a rice field when my train stopped on the tracks just outside of Narita station. It’s an amazingly good shot ....

I Saw You - Comics, Craigslist, and the Internet (Graphically Speaking)

2009-07-12T06:00:00Z

In early 1995, Craig Newmark, a newcomer to San Francisco began sending out a weekly newsletter of mostly techie events and opportunities (jobs, apartments, lectures, etc.) to friends of his. Now...

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) (Short Ends and Leader)

2009-07-12T01:00:28Z

What does it say about today's modern woman that fashion has taken the place of feminism. Is the battle for equality and professional recognition really over when the more mature members of the...

Conspicuous conservation (Marginal Utility)

2009-07-11T19:12:01Z

You can't fix climate change by yourself. This is a simple truth. It's too big for individual action; it's the sort of problem that gives the lie to the idea of individualism über alles --...

LeBron Being LeBron (Sources Say)

2009-07-11T13:24:26Z

Two bits of news reminded me of a story I wrote last summer for PopMatters. In the first, CBS Sports reported that, after Xavier's Jordan Crawford threw down an ostensibly hellacious dunk on LeBron...

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (new album / MP3 / video) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-11T13:15:15Z

The Avett Brothers I and Love and You (Columbia/American) Release date: 11 August 2009 SONG LIST 1. I and Love and You 2. January Wedding 3. Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of...

Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall (new album / MP3 / video) (Mixed Media)

2009-07-11T13:05:40Z

Jay Reatard Watch Me Fall (Matador) Releasing: 18 August 2009 (US) / 17 August 2009 (UK) SONG LIST 01 It Ain't Gonna Save Me 02 Before I Was Caught 03 Man of Steel 04 Can't Do It Anymore 05...