St. Vincentâs eponymous album dazzles
Annie Clark began as an unknown singer-songwriter upon the release of her debut solo album, âMarry Me.â Better known by her stage name, St. Vincent, Clark could never have dreamed of the cult following she gained over the course of…
Schoolboy Q heralds return of hardcore hip-hop on âOxymoronâ
Boasting in the A$AP Rocky track âBrand New Guyâ that he was equal parts Biggie and Nas with a sprinkling of 50 Cent, West Coast rapper Schoolboy Q has a flair for the dramatic. Label mates on Top Dawg Entertainment…
âRobocopâ reboot filled with action, intrigue
Rebooting â80s movie franchises seems to be a fashionable thing to do in the film industry. These reboots are typically a mixed bag in terms of quality: some, like âDreddâ (which remade the original 1995 film âJudge Dreddâ starring Sylvester…
Weekly EP Revue: Ex-teeny bopper Alexz
From the beginning, former child star Alexz Johnson has pursued music. Known for early roles on CTVâs âInstant Starâ and Disney Channelâs âSo Weird,â Johnson has largely fallen away from the public spotlight. In 2010, she released her first full-length…
âTrue Detectiveâ mid-season recap
âTrue Detectiveâ is a miniseries about a murder thatâs indifferent to the actual crime. Rather than turn into a standard âwhodunitâ, the murder quickly fades to the background as the show immerses itself in its two main characters. This is…
Phantogram returns with darker, danceable beats on âVoicesâ
In 2007, Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel came together to create Charlie Everywhere. The name did not stick. However, the duoâs new name, Phantogram, has. With heavy electronic beats and creative direction, Phantogram has made a name for itself both…
Authentic chemistry, weak third act in Farrellâs âWinterâs Taleâ
âWinterâs Taleâ is a whimsical yet heartbreaking fairy tale about miracles and good against evil. The film stars Colin Farrell (âSaving Mr. Banksâ) as Peter Lake, a thief that breaks into a house and meets Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay,…
Broken Bells comeback album falls flat
Four years can feel like a decadesâ worth of time in the music world, something especially true for indie supergroup Broken Bells. When the duo, comprised of Shinsâ frontman James Mercer and mega-producer Brian Burton, or Danger Mouse, came together…
Clooney, company not so monumental
âThe Monuments Menâ is a badly paced, old man version of âSaving Private Ryan,â and not just because Matt Damon is in it either. Both of these World War II flicks are based around the question: âWhat is a manâs…
Bombay Bicycle Club reinvents its sound one more time
After years of exploring and constantly trying to redefine its sound with each successive album, English indie pop-rock quartet Bombay Bicycle Club has finally found its musical niche. The band has forgone the ho-hum guitar melodies and opted for samples…
