Best of 2013: Singer/Songwriter Willie Nile

Richard Thompson, Electric
James Maddock, Another Life
The Waterboys, Appointment With Mr. Yeats
Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale, Buddy and Jim
The Wallflowers, Glad All Over
Garland Jeffreys, Guts For Love
Del-Lords, Elvis Club
Tegan & Sara, Closer Remixed
Patricia Vonne, Rattle My Cage
Israel Nash, Rain Plans
The Bongos, Numbers With Wings/Beat Hotel

Willie Nile’s latest album, American Ride, was released June 25 from Loud & Proud Records.

Best Music Of 2013: Jeffery X Martin

This is the year I rediscovered electronic music, and not in a Skrillex sort of way, but more like how I felt when I heard Kraftwerk for the first time. Some music veterans came back in new iterations and released some of the best music of their careers. Then, a guy you’ve never heard of recorded an album based on a movie and I felt my brain explode.

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Music Review: Melvins, Tres Cabrones

By Less Lee Moore

Unless you’re a hardcore Melvins fan, you probably didn’t realize that not only have they been around since the ’80s, they’re also one of the more insanely prolific bands of the last few decades, with dozens of albums (including live albums), EPs, and singles, not to mention their many appearances on various compilation and tribute albums, plus near-constant touring. They not only put to bed that tired old chestnut about bands from the ’80s being terrible, they proceed to stay up all night afterwards, getting shit done.

Tres Cabrones, which loosely translates to “Three Fuckers,” is their latest album, but a cohesive long-player it is not. It’s an assemblage of songs previously released on vinyl singles and EPs, a couple of new tracks, and covers of traditional folk songs (yes). If that sounds like a bit of a mess to you, you’d be right, but it’s still quite good. The album does have one unifying thread that also pushes it into “must hear” territory. All the songs include King Buzzo, Dale Crover, and original drummer Mike Dillard (with Crover on bass).

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Arrow: Fighting Crime the Bill Gates Way

By LabSplice

A few weeks ago, in search of a television show I could marathon that didn’t require too much brainpower, I decided to give Arrow a chance. The CW show is the sexy retelling of The Green Arrow, a character from the DC comic universe who fights crime with only his wits, a bow and arrow, and a multibillion dollar corporation that was bequeathed to him by his late father. It looked like a soap opera with action sequences. It looked dumb as hell.

It looked perfect.

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Waxing Nostalgic: The Best Holiday Songs of the 1980s (and one from the 1970s)

By Jeffery X Martin

Just for a moment, let’s pretend there’s no such thing as the War on Christmas (grow up, people; there’s no such thing as a War on Christmas). No politics, no rigamarole, just happy people, coming together to celebrate . . . I don’t know . . . winter? Can we all live with that? Here’s some music from the 1980s that will help you joyously celebrate whatever Solstice-oriented birthday party of cultures and Temple dedications that you and your family deem fit. Or maybe don’t celebrate anything. I ain’t your momma.

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Blu-Ray Review: Streets Of Fire

By Brad Henderson

I believe Streets Of Fire is a film that has to grow on you. I don’t mean that in a negative way but unless you like complete cheese, you may just think Streets Of Fire is at most, OK. My best friend introduced me to this movie for the first time a couple years ago. I enjoyed the film but it didn’t hit me hard like I thought it would. I didn’t yearn to watch it again although the music did stay with me. This past year I saw the film for a second time at the theater with some hardcore fans in the beauty of 35mm. Then it hit me. Seeing this film presented to me in that format made me feel differently.

So when I heard Second Sight Films was putting out a Blu-Ray my interest was piqued and I got excited . . . really excited.

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Blu-Ray Review: The Wolverine

By Less Lee Moore

Although Batman, Superman, and even Spider-Man get a lot of attention, it’s worth noting that Hugh Jackman has now portrayed Wolverine six times on the big screen. Unlike Supes and Spidey, Logan didn’t ask for his powers and unlike Bruce Wayne, he doesn’t necessarily want to vanquish the bad guys. This makes Wolverine one of the more compelling and consistent characters in cinematic superhero history. The Wolverine explores why.

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Best of 2013: Writer/Director David Barras (Electric Man)

Let me start by saying that this list is not exhaustive. These are choices made from the films I’ve seen this year. I have a few catch-up films to watch like Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, which from what I hear (I’m a fan), would probably have made the list, had I seen it. So, of the films I’ve seen and in no particular order, here are my faves from the past 12 months.

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Best Of 2013: Danny R. Phillips

This is the best/worst time of the year for me. I love year-end lists but I hate compiling them. It is a masochist thing for me: I stress on it, torture myself, then as soon as it is done, I want to change it. I’m never satisfied. For the record, all included here may or not be from 2013. My list contains things I’ve re-discovered throughout the year. It happens. Enough of the bullshit: here it is in no particular order (with exceptions for favorites).

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Blu-Ray Review: Paradise

By Brad Henderson

Diablo Cody hit it big a few years ago with Juno and everyone and their mother flocked over to her fan club. I watched Juno and admit I enjoyed it, but it was so filled with pop culture one-liners that it became boring. People said it was fresh and new but to me it was someone just trying way too hard. After that, Cody wrote Jennifer’s Body, which I was a fan of because of the silliness and how the film actually presented itself. Of course, people didn’t like this one and it was easily dismissed by critics. Cody wrote another “hit” called Young Adult which was just OK by me and many others.

Recently a new film called Paradise has surfaced that Cody wrote and directed. This is actually her directorial debut and the project she decided to helm first. First off, let me say this film feels like a total passion project for Diablo Cody. I could be wrong, of course, but Paradise falls flat and is so boring it doesn’t feel right.

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