Album Review: Migos ‘Culture’
“‘Culture’ could already be described as a career-defining work, except Migos’ career is still being defined.”
Album Review: Jay Som ‘Turn Into’
“‘Turn Into’ is a throwback to the “guitar record”; this is a hook-driven, lushly layered experience; guitar tone as mood enhancer.”
Heartstrings: The Musical Presence of Martin Scorsese’s Films
“More than any of Scorsese’s own cameos, his music accompanies viewers as they watch, as if he were watching along with everybody else.”
Album Review: Childish Gambino ‘Awaken, My Love!’
“AML is giant leap forward, as the juvenile raps/punchlines of previous records are replaced with deep-felt yearning.”
Streamless – Off the Subscription Grid: ‘Heavy Metal Parking Lot’
“This is L-I-V-I-N in the moment at its best.”
Punk Celebrates Its 40th Birthday with a Night at the Movies
“Relying heavily on the sheer talent of its leading performers, and the loud boisterousness of the music that defined an era, Alex Cox’s ode to punk is pure Anarchy in the UK.”
The Aural Horrors of Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’
“Can hearing something be scarier than seeing something?”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Black Orpheus’ (Marcel Camus, 1959)
“‘Black Orpheus’ embraces sex as multiplicitous. This somehow makes the love more noble, because it is not confused with lust, and sex becomes a celebration rather than a symbol of it.”
Just Let it Flow: The Awkward Transitions of ‘Jimi: All Is by My Side’
“A Hendrix biopic can be tackled in a variety of ways, but a director should either commit to gonzo audio/visual techniques or simply let the performances take over.”
Reality Unleashed in Samuel Kishi’s ‘We Are Mari Pepa’ (2013)
“The more outlandish the dialogue becomes, the more Kishi highlights his tight screenwriting with co-scribe Sofía Gómez-Córdova.”