PopMatters

(Super)flat Pop (Feature)

2008-10-08T07:00:47Z

Despite sharing a preoccupation with pop culture and commercialism, Takashi Murakami is no Andy Warhol.

Manny Dread (Feature)

2008-10-08T07:00:35Z

Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox, unkempt and screwy as all hell, went up against the always clean-cut New York Yankees and bested them in a hair-versus-square contretemps.

Castanets: City of Refuge (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

City of Refuge is so quiet and tense with energy, so spare and spacious, that you may believe it capable of being a dozen different kinds of albums. But no matter what it is, it's brilliant.

Es: Sateenkaarisuudelma (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Fonal label head's solo project is, again, sparse and beautiful.

Infinite Livez vs. Stade: Morgan Freeman's Psychedelic Semen (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

If being musically adventurous, purposefully annoying, and mildly funny meant a great album, the second collaboration 'tween Switzerland's Stade and the UK's Stephen Henry would be a tour de force.

DJ /rupture: Uproot (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Uproot is a different animal entirely, a slithering, reptilian creature content to exist beneath the brush.

Sound Against Flame by Derek Beres (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Hey, did you hear what happened when the yogi, the atheist, the Rasta, and the Jesus freak walked into a bar?

Tweak Bird : Reservations (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Teak Bird is not what you might expect and that is a good thing.

Jeremy Messersmith: The Silver City (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

In a year when the Twin Cities took time to look back at their rock past, rock future paid a visit in the form of The Silver City.

Delta Spirit: Ode to Sunshine (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Every year there is one album that comes out of nowhere, kicks you in the ass, and demands your attention. For me, Delta Spirit’s Ode to Sunshine is just that album.

Sixpence None the Richer: The Dawn of Grace (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Whenever Sixpence None the Richer vocalist Leigh Nash sings, she does so with the joy of a small child opening presents on Christmas morning.

Ras Kass: Institutionalized Vol. II (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Ras might still be at the top of his game as an emcee, but on Institutionalized Vol. II, he is backed by some of the worst beats heard in years.

Words for the Dying (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

What could've been a fascinating fly-on-the-wall document of the creation of one of John Cale's lesser-known albums is trivialized due to the continual absence of proper context and forced drama.

Alfresco (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

The inconsistent early '80s British comedy sketch show, while not quite an embarrassment to all concerned, is of interest only to fans of the actors or '80s comedy completists.

Deerhoof: Offend Maggie (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Deerhoof is as strangely consistent as they are consistently strange. Offend Maggie continues an extraordinary winning streak that began with 2002's Reveille.

Staind (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

It's tempting to dismiss Staind as marketable one-dimensional depression, which is true, but that in itself is not a crippling flaw -- in this corner of the rock world, bands like Rage Against The Machine and A Perfect Circle have established themselves as perpetual sourpusses without making it this excruciating.

Infinite Undiscovery (Review)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

As much as Undiscovery's combat feels fresh, the plot feels like it was something taken from the Generic JRPG Plot discount rack.

DIY: Takahiko Iimura (Column)

2008-10-08T07:00:00Z

Takahiko Iimura read about the American underground film movement and began making experimental works based only on what he'd read. Soon he was a leading experimental filmmaker.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (Review)

2008-10-08T06:59:00Z

A vapid, starry-eyed novelization of the life and marriage of first lady Laura Bush.

The Toolbox Murders (1978) (Short Ends and Leader)

2008-10-08T05:07:08Z

Throughout the years, there have been certain movies where hype has played a more significant role in its popularity and notoriety than the actual film itself. One such area where this occurs...

It's Fright Time...Again! (Short Ends and Leader)

2008-10-08T04:19:29Z

If it's October, it's Fright Time here at SE&L. As we have the last two years, we will use the tenth month of the year to celebrate all things horror - the good, the bad, and the gory. In between our...

Guys with cats: "extra special" (Marginal Utility)

2008-10-07T21:17:24Z

I stopped getting the Sunday New York Times several months ago, mainly because having Sunday Styles in my apartment made me feel gross. The news is depressing enough and it's far too easy to...

Searching for Spinoza (Re:Print)

2008-10-07T16:55:20Z

There’s a funny scene in P.G. Wodehouse’s classic Joy In The Morning, in which Bertie Wooster tries to find a copy of Spinoza in a bookshop. On asking the bookshop employee,...

Commercial paper (Marginal Utility)

2008-10-07T15:24:48Z

With the federal government announcing that it will intervene in the commercial-paper market -- the realm of short-term financing for businesses to maintain operations -- Justin Fox links to NYT's...

Featured Artists' Coalition & Weird Al- taking control (Crazed by the Music)

2008-10-07T12:45:28Z

Radiohead, Iron Maiden, Billy Bragg and Kate Nash wouldn't seem to have much in common except their Brit connection but they're banding together with Bryan Ferry, David Gilmore, the Verve and others...

Rachel Getting Married (Review)

2008-10-07T11:02:08Z

In Rachel Getting Married, Kym and Rachel's relationship is routinely rocky, abetted by what's unspoken by everyone else.

Is the "death of capitalism" also the death of consumerism? (Marginal Utility)

2008-10-07T07:56:17Z

For a long time it has seemed that our improving standards of living were somehow bound up with intensifed marketing and the expansion of consumerist practices -- as if frivolous consumption alone...

Plan 9 from Syracuse (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:58Z

Even the best laid, most complicated and fussed over schemes often go wildly astray.

They Were on a Break: An Interview With the Feelies (Feature)

2008-10-07T07:00:51Z

The Feelies, the most plaintive and modest of the 1980s indie-breakout bands, wrung total pastoral bliss from a North Haledon garage for over a decade. Glenn Mercer reflects on the close of the band's initial run and looks at the promise of its reunion.

Pleasureboaters: ¡Gross! (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

There is certainly no lack of temerity throughout the 12 tracks on the Pleasureboaters debut album.

Various Artists: Peace (for mom) (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

A unique memorial for a mother -- 34 tracks from Stars of the Lid, Jessica Bailiff, A Place to Bury Strangers, Sandro Perri, Antony and the Johnsons, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Fridge, Nudge, Matmos, Ida, Sybarite, and many others.

Her Space Holiday: XOXO, Panda and the New Kid Revival (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

The first in Her Space Holiday's new folk-pop direction, this album puts Marc Bianchi's songwriting talents on full display as he captivates your ear with toe-tapping, playful melodies.

Jeff Coffin: Mutopia (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

A wealth of groovy, progressive cuts steeped in atmosphere and heavy with guests.

Zach Hill: Astrological Straits (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

Hill finds the song form in free-form and stops stroking his ego and starts writing songs.

In the Land of Invisible Women by Qanta A. Ahmed (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

As Ahmed slowly develops friendships with Saudi women, she learns there is more going on behind their abbayahs than meets the eye.

Harold Budd & Clive Wright: A Song for Lost Blossoms (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

Lovely, impressive in its monolithic bulk, but for serious fans of the genre or composer only.

Patty Loveless: Sleepless Nights (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

These musical questions have been asked many times before, and they’ll continue to be asked until the end of time.

Pistolera: En Este Camino (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

I suppose you can call this a Mexican folk-rock album.

Crooked Fingers: Forfeit/Fortune (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

The overly produced Forfeit/Fortune has some gems, but sounds more distanced than it should, working against Bachmann's usual strength for intimacy.

The Donkeys (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

Polished by the California sun and worn smooth by ocean breezes, The Donkeys’ music captures the past and makes it sound shiny and new.

Oasis: Dig Out Your Soul (Review)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

It might not be what you'd call a 'return to form', but the Mancunians' seventh is a high point in a career all too short of them.

Bukowski: What Lies Beneath (Column)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

During the rare moments when Charles Bukowski's vulnerable side are shown, they manage to break through the "dirty old man" parody of himself that he had become.

ZA Critique: Ico (Moving Pixels)

2008-10-07T07:00:00Z

An in-depth analysis of Ico based on the ideas from the Zarathustran Analytics. Spoilers abound.

Iron Maiden and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (Review)

2008-10-07T06:59:55Z

If you like the metal, then knowing your "nawobbum" is an absolute must.

The Seventh Seal of Smug (Feature)

2008-10-07T06:59:30Z

If hipsters really are the harbingers of cultural end-times, then what sort of apocalypse have they wrought?

Phantasm (1979) (Short Ends and Leader)

2008-10-07T03:05:06Z

It arrived during the final phases of classic '70s horror, an era that had seen The Exorcist, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Halloween reestablish the genre's credibility as a...

Stanley backs Obama, Gawker chokes & Music Think Tank (Crazed by the Music)

2008-10-06T23:37:38Z

With the economy in such a mess, it's hard to concentrate on music news but a couple of things to note. In what has to be the most passed-around link I've seen in a while, bluegrass legend Ralph...

The Necessary Revolution (Re:Print)

2008-10-06T21:09:54Z

Currently I'm about halfway through a book that ranks fairly high on the environmentally conscious scale. It's printed on paper made from 100% recycled paper, and certified chlorine-free. The text...

Hot Chip – 28 September 2008: Chicago, Metro (Notes from the Road)

2008-10-06T20:20:42Z

Words and Pictures by Rory O'Connor.

The consolations of branding (Marginal Utility)

2008-10-06T14:47:37Z

PSFK linked to this essay from Design Week by Ben Terrett about creating "unproduct," which seems to mean consumer goods that are more idea than substance. A concept I have been thinking a lot...

TWiG 2008-10-06: LucasArts Branches Out (Moving Pixels)

2008-10-06T12:14:05Z

New releases for the week of 2008-10-06...

How Ohio Pulled It Off (Review)

2008-10-06T10:43:18Z

The style of argument in How Ohio Pulled It Off is methodical and dramatically shaped through a focus on then Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.

Iron Man (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:27Z

Every explosion and punch-line lives and dies by Downey's performance, but he proves more than up to the task, making the ride all the more enjoyable.

Lukestar: Lake Toba (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

The Norwegian band's second album has turned out to be one of the year's biggest surprises.

Khia: Nasti Muzik (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

If there's an album that can mark a new era for women in hip-hop, this isn't the one.

Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far) (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

International relations get another moment in the spotlight when Barry mentions that in December 2006 the five permanent members of the UN Security Council include the US, the UK, Russia, China, and Google.

Kelleigh McKenzie: Chances (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

As a finalist in this year's Mountain Stage NewSong contest, McKenzie's star may very well be on the rise.

Jonezetta Cruel to be Young (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

With Cruel to be Young,Jonezetta has birthed the bastard child of Sufjan Stevens and Interpol.

Everlast: Love.War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

It may seem like a long shot. But with the economy in shambles, the presidential election hinging on metaphors about lipstick and pigs, and people angrier than they have been in decades, maybe what the world needs now is more Whitey Ford.

Ninja Gun: Restless Rubes (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

With a name like Ninja Gun, you'd expect a pop-punk band or hipster indie rockers. What you get is actually a very good hybrid of alt-country and power-pop.

Bel Air: Pole to Pole (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

Pole to Pole features twangy and intimate arrangements for what some call "dream country."

Antony & the Johnsons: Another World (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

Another World follows the depression and lament of I Am a Bird Now with a statement of hope.

John Prine + Josh Ritter (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

After a prolonged introductory applause John Prine leaned into the microphone and said, “This is my first time here. I think I’ll stay awhile.” He did.

Jay Reatard: Matador Singles '08 (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

Unless Phil Spector is at your soundboard, you have no business writing "Danny Says".

Lambchop: OH (ohio) (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

This might be the best country record of 2008. Or maybe it's the best soul record of 2008. Or the best folk record. Who knows? Lambchop has never cared much for genres.

Facebreaker (Review)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

The AI fighters are unrelenting in their quest to turn your face into a smashed melon.

Answers and Answers: The Roxanne and Annie Sagas (Column)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters' saucy provocations of the 1950s caused a stir that would resonate with responses throughout the formative years of rock 'n' roll.

Uncool Rising: Why It's OK to Listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival (Feature)

2008-10-06T07:00:00Z

Why is Creedence Clearwater Revival -- staple of classic-rock radio and formidable singles band -- the epitome of uncool in the eyes of some music separatists?