Nebraska ???? “Nebraska” is a melancholic portrait of a family and its aging, stubborn patriarch on a journey of discovery.
It was 1997 when Dave Hellerreporter’s notes, Dave Bjorkback and Dave Cantwell joined together as Drug Yacht to play four shows across North Carolina.
Hiss Golden Messenger Bad Debt ???1/2 Folk The last couple of albums by Hiss Golden Messenger have been premium examples of the band’s prominence in the regional folk music world. Now comes a reissue of Bad Debt, an album once lost five years ago that fits right along with the rest of its discography.
Young the Giant Mind Over Matter ???1/2 Rock On its sophomore album, Mind Over Matter, Young the Giant begins to drop its indie-pop aesthetic from its self-titled debut for a polished rock sound.
Puppetry artist and local band craft a new reality together Telling a story can happen in a myriad of different ways. For Bombadil, storytelling usually involves creating a unique world through quirky yet contemplative musical narratives, where two lovers are both cats or somebody is coming to terms with a lonely caterpillar inside of them.
Hospitality Trouble ??? Pop rock Hospitality started off the new year with its sophomore album, Trouble. The Brooklyn-bred trio does a good job producing 10 very different tracks, most of which can be loosely categorized into three themes.
Billie Joe and Norah Foreverly ???1/2 Country Billie Joe Armstrong, the frontman for garage rock band Green Dayand Norah Jones, a solo artist with a raspy voice and a talent for the piano, are an unlikely pair. The two artists cover the Everly Brothers’1958 folk album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us on Foreverly.
Black Dirt Oak Wawayanda Patent ???? Free folk Wawayanda Patent is difficult to classify. There is clear influence from around the world, from India to Egypt to all across the United States. Sometimes the album sounds like traditional folk, sometimes it’s intensely electronic.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit ??1/2 A handsome, new leading man dons the Jack Ryan persona in the latest adaptation of the character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy. Chris Pine tackles geopolitics and terror threats in “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.”
Ride Along ??1/2 There is definitely a need for speed in “Ride Along”. The movies drags its way through theaters for almost 99 minutes with a few shining moments.
Her ???? Taking place in the near future, “Her” is a love story between a man and his computer. All at once moving, yet uncomfortable to watch, Spike Jonze’s film is a satiric play on the modern day dependence on technology.
“Inside Llewyn Davis” soundtrack refreshes folk music for some wary listeners. Truth be told, prior to my first viewing of “Inside Llewyn Davis,” I wasn’t too big on folk music. Sure, the annals of Bob Dylan’s entire discography can be found on my portable hard drive and I often revisit Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning in times of doleful introspection, but my relationship with the genre had begun to turn sour.
With his latest project, Ivan Howard has flipped the script. Fittingly reflected in his newfound moniker Howard Ivans, Howard’s first solo release is a change of pace in comparison with his previous work fronting pop rock outfit The Rosebuds.
This week, Dive profiles the new project from Rosebuds frontman Ivan Howard. Under the moniker Howard Ivans, the songwriter released a seven-inch single through Richmond, Va. upstart label Spacebomb Records. Below, we’ve included a selection of some of the great music this burgeoning label has to offer.
The Punk Singer ???? Set to the rowdy music of female-fronted punk rock bands, “The Punk Singer” is a great coming out story of a woman who is considered an influential figure in music. Although the movie is all about Kathleen Hanna, frontwoman of Bikini Kill, “The Punk Singer” manages to capture the feel of an underground feminist punk rock movement through the eyes of one of its chief founders.
Lone Survivor ??? “Lone Survivor” takes audiences’ breath away as they take an emotional roller coaster. The film reminds Americans of what the military is doing in a dramatically fashioned way.
Philomena ???? As someone who tends to find based-on-true-story films formulaic, I was pleasantly surprised at how subtly complex “Philomena”. With clever humor, tight writing and phenomenal acting, director Stephen Frears creates a dynamic film that will have audiences invested in the journey.
August: Osage County ???1/2 “August: Osage County” is a star-studded character study that is packed with drama, biting dialogue and strong performances. After a family death, the Weston family pours into one crowded Oklahoma. They’re disastrously intertwined, with each member bringing unique problems to the mix
Aa VoyAager ???? Electronic Rock It’s hard to place where Aa’s latest endeavor, VoyAager, switches from noisy to inventive. By combining pounding drum beats and an array of visceral sounds, Aa (pronounced “Big A Little a”) creates a cathartic electronic wonderland.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Wig Out At Jagbags ???? Rock Stephen Malkmus is known for his entertainingly bizarre lyrics and catchy guitar riffs that create a specific, laid-back California sound that should be forever on repeat. The former Pavement frontman defined early indie rock and has kept his original free sound with his band the Jicks on their latest record, Wig Out At Jagbags.
