Most horror movies achieve their scares by jolting the viewer. They grab them by the collar and shake them about with a blood-curdling scream or a quick explosion of strings from the soundtrack. But nobody screams in Let The Right One In, an atypical horror movie that possesses the skill and discipline to engage its audience, not with jump scares and orchestral swells, but with chilling, unrelenting quiet.
Archive for the 'A' Category
High Time, as it opens with tribal rhythms and arithmetic chanting, will likely prompt listeners to think “Oh, another release from Thrill Jockey,” or “This is really freakin’ cool.”
Is there no limit to Jenny Lewis’ charms?
As front woman of indie-rock stalwarts Rilo Kiley, Lewis infused album after album with her distinctive persona, and in 2006 she and the Watson Twins released Rabbit Fur Coat, a terrific collection of songs that favored Americana-tinged fairy tales over the takeoffs and landings of her usual rock and roll. Now, we finally have Acid Tongue, the first officially solo album from Ms. Lewis, and it’s one of her greatest achievements to date.
2008, Single Screen Records
The debut record from power-pop band The Powerchords has been a long time coming.
The band released their demo back in 2005, a seven song EP of finely crafted songs that immediately brought them to the forefront of San Diego’s music scene. But despite a rabid following and a reputation for excellent, charming live performances, the subsequent years saw only one Powerchords release—the Unattached Strings/Dream Girl 7-inch. Now, at long last, we have …Think I’m Gonna, a proper fourteen song collection of propellant punk and pop that will satisfy old fans and recruit new ones.
If The Gleam II is an attempt to reinforce The Avett Brothers’ cred as their popularity grows, it should do the trick.
The Dark Knight is 150 minutes of intensity—a well-done action film that, unlike Batman Begins, focuses less on character and more on the ca-razee Joker (played by a nearly scenery-chewing Heath Ledger) and Batman’s quest to stop him.
2008, Wilcassettes
Alan Wilkis‘ obvious range of influences translates into a kind of unexpected and accessible pop music that is consistently entertaining, with enough variety to avoid sounding derivative.
Thankfully, he doesn’t slow down long enough to become self conscious.
2007, Self-Released, TBD Records, XL Recordings
Alright, so the dust has finally cleared from the hype surrounding In Rainbows, Radiohead’s groundbreaking new album.
Although it was more than excellent that the innovative release method used by the (at the time unsigned) band dealt the first of (hopefully) many blows to the (hopefully) dying record industry, the unorthodox method pretty much overshadowed In Rainbows‘ actual music, and will probably do the same for future generations. If you’re reading this site, chances are you’re already aware of what exactly Radiohead did differently with the release of this album, so we’ll focus on the music.
The main problem may be that pleased readers will struggle to fill the void after turning the last page. That, and the fact that some of the Provincetown locals are a little too weird to be believable. Fortunately, this beautiful book centers mostly around people more down to earth, Toby Maytree and his wife Lou.
Annie Dillard’s latest pretty much follows Toby and Lou from their late-twenties to death. It’s part love story and part meditation, and it’s truly a joy when Toby and Lou see life through Dillard’s perceptive eyes. Somehow, Dillard’s poetic prose is at once sparse and vibrant, and more accessible than ever. Dillard hasn’t lost her occasional tendency to go overboard, but there is little else to criticize.
Anyone whose joy of literature isn’t rekindled, fanned, or ignited by The Maytrees should probably seek help.
A-
The overall tone of this album is negative (what do you expect from Interpol?), but other than that, it’s near impossible to find anything negative to say about it.
This is easily my favorite Iron & Wine album to date. No question. Unlike Sam Beam’s previous effort, Our Endless Numbered Days, every single song is completely solid, and no less than four are absolutely stellar. No question, I enjoy Beam’s past work a good deal. But, in my opinion, previous Iron & Wine albums have been inconsistent and hit-or-miss.
With only 10 songs and a running time of less than 40 minutes, the real strength of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga lies in its balance of concise efficiency and just-right production.
2007, Kranky
With this EP, Deerhunter accommodates fans put off by Cryptogram’s decidedly freaked-out sound, without alienating the hopheads and experimentalists who reveled in their full length’s woozy washes and white noise symphonies.
2007, Illegal Art
I can see Gregg Gillis, late at night, hunched over his laptop, sweat trickling down his brow in the unhealthy LCD glow, as he rips apart other artists’ works, and re-stitches the parts into a hellaciously funky monster that simply demands dance, all night.
