Charlie Sheen Roast

Those who pay attention to Comedy Central’s Roasts may notice that the roasters largely spend the majority of the show attacking the other roasters. While Monday night’s roast of Charlie Sheen was more of the same, it also felt like…

Sit down, shut up, ‘Drive’ around

A nameless wheelman (Ryan Gosling, “Crazy Stupid Love”) is hired by two criminals to drive the getaway car in a warehouse robbery in the opening scene of “Drive,” the brilliant, spellbinding crime noir from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (“Bronson,”)…

Leave these ‘Dogs’ alone

Film remakes have always been something of a mixed bag in terms of quality. Some, such as John Carpenter’s 1982 remake of “The Thing,” are done so well that they become more notable than the original film itself. Others, such…

‘Sweeter’ than past albums

Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw’s fifth studio album, “Sweeter,” has a very clear objective: to invade the Billboard Hot 100. In 2004, DeGraw reached third on the U.S. Pop 100 charts with “I Don’t Want to Be.” Additional singles “Chariot” and “Follow…

Remnants of an Existential Meltdown 9-23-2011

‘Relax’ with some hip-hop

The usual response upon hearing Das Racist for the first time is one of bewilderment. The Brooklyn-based alterative hip-hop group consists of Himanshu “Heems” Suri, Victor “Kool A.D.” Vazquez, and hype man Ashok Kondabolu, who crafted a career out of…

Saves the Day three-part album complete with ‘Daybreak’

After a long break, Saves the Day finally released its latest album, “Daybreak,” on September 13. The pop-punk band formed in 1994 and has steadily released albums throughout the years. Its members include lead vocalist/guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali,…

Arthur Flowers brings musical powers

Writer, performer and artist Arthur Flowers also seems like something of a mystic. Combining all of those roles into one, his writing puts oral tradition onto the page, and reads as if an old African myth-making poet was there speaking…

Severed #1

There are things in this world that just give you an eerie feeling. Something in the pit of your stomach that tells you something isn’t right. That there may be something out there waiting to strike at any moment. This…

‘Staind’

Rock music fans may remember Staind for their 2001 release “Break The Cycle” which produced the mega-hit “It’s Been A While.” Two subsequent album releases saw minor success, but the following two were not as praised as such. 2008’s “Illusion…