Music Review: Kevin Jenkins, Til The Story’s Told

By Melissa Bratcher

To attempt to pigeonhole Kevin Jenkins would be a mistake. On Til The Story’s Told, Jenkins’s sophomore effort, there are hints of soul, Americana, face-ripping funk, and gospel. His diverse influences come together to make songs that have depth and range, that sound both familiar and quite unusual.

Continue reading ‘Music Review: Kevin Jenkins, Til The Story’s Told‘

Counting Down The Hours To True Detective Season Two

By Tyler Hodg

With the second season of HBO’s True Detective nearly upon us—June 21 to be exact—unanswered questions about the show continue to accumulate. Little information about the plot and characters portrayed by Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, and Rachel McAdams has been revealed, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing; ambiguity can preempt expectations one might have, as there isn’t much there on which to base opinions. The latest trailer for the upcoming season gives a decent visual of what’s in store—and it’s safe to say that it we are all in for a pretty sweet treat.

Continue reading ‘Counting Down The Hours To True Detective Season Two’

The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal Joins Daredevil As The Punisher

By Tim Murr

For fans of the Netflix hit series Daredevil, the news is very good. A second season has already been announced. Since then, the rumor mills have been churning about who the antagonist might be. Fans’ wish lists of villains are long, but Bullseye and The Punisher have been high on almost everyone ‘s list.

Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal Joins Daredevil As The Punisher’

Dusty Rhodes: Farewell to the American Dream

By Jeffery X Martin

“If you don’t have an ego and you don’t have a goal, you ain’t worth a damn.”
—Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes had an ego the size of Pangaea and when people called him The American Dream, it wasn’t just some wrestling hyperbole nickname. The man lived the American Dream. He embodied it. And while it’s cute and ever so arch to talk about his passing as “the death of the American Dream,” in a lot of ways that’s absolutely accurate.

Continue reading ‘Dusty Rhodes: Farewell to the American Dream’

Legendary Actor Christopher Lee Passes Away At 93

By Tim Murr

The man who hunted Nazis in WWII and played some of the greatest villains in cinematic history has passed away. Christopher Lee was an intelligent, charming man. He was knighted. He was a descendant of Charlemagne. He recorded two metal albums when he was in his ‘80s and ‘90s. He was an amazing talent to say the absolute least.

Continue reading ‘Legendary Actor Christopher Lee Passes Away At 93’

Blu-Ray Review: Spring

By Less Lee Moore

I detest romantic comedies. They are often decidedly unromantic and terribly unfunny. Throw drama into the mix and it’s even worse: concocted conflicts and clichéd characters. Horror comedies are a more palatable but often hit or miss. Combining all four genres seems like a bad idea. Somehow Spring manages to do that and still be terrific. It’s the best romantic comedy/drama horror movie you’ve seen yet.

Continue reading ‘Blu-Ray Review: Spring‘

Music Review: Swans, Filth (Deluxe Edition)

By Jeffery X Martin

Since Michael Gira’s band, Swans, has come back onto the scene, they’ve garnered more critical acclaim than ever, and new fans are running alongside the bandwagon, flailing arms up in the air, and hoping to swing aboard. Now that Swans debut album Filth has been remastered and re-released as a special three-disc set, this is a perfect opportunity for new fans to climb on up and get acquainted with the old stuff.

Continue reading ‘Music Review: Swans, Filth (Deluxe Edition)‘

Music Review: Himmel, A Long Cold Winter

By Jeffery X Martin

Luca Bluefire is the mastermind behind the dreampop project Himmel. Their debut album, A Long Cold Winter, is a fascinating mixture of New Wave nostalgia and modern psychedelia and even when it becomes overly derivative, it’s still worth a listen.

Continue reading ‘Music Review: Himmel, A Long Cold Winter‘

Music Review: Mastodon, Crack The Skye (Vinyl Reissue)

By Tyler Hodg

Six years after the release of Mastodon’s Crack the Skye, the band has re-issued their landmark album as part of a new vinyl series. Crack The Skye is pretty unanimously loved by fans of the band, as well as those who love the (somewhat broad) genre of metal. What is specifically extraordinary about Mastodon and this album in particular is that you don’t have to enjoy the band’s heavy style to respect them, because their talents as songwriters and musicians are just too obvious to overlook. Crack the Skye is the epitome of well-crafted music, is arguably the best work the band might ever do, so this limited edition re-issue is definitely something worth highlighting.

Continue reading ‘Music Review: Mastodon, Crack The Skye (Vinyl Reissue)’

Music Review: Uncle Lucius, The Light

By Melissa Bratcher

Guitarist Mike Carpenter of Uncle Lucius calls his band “Southern rock for the thinking man” and that’s quite correct. There’s a rich vein of social consciousness running through The Light, with thought-provoking lyrics on each track. Lest that make you shy away from The Light, don’t; those lyrics are enveloped in some excellent tunes, played by a band that doesn’t shy away from kicking ass.

Continue reading ‘Music Review: Uncle Lucius, The Light‘