If you were a cinephile or an aspiring filmmaker in 1994, the influence of Pulp Fiction was impossible to ignore—especially if you were a 13-year-old boy. Throughout that year, Tarantino’s sophomore effort became more or less gospel in the worlds of independent film and popular culture, which were fast becoming synonymous in the mid-’90s. This endlessly […]
If you were a cinephile or an aspiring filmmaker in 1994, the influence of Pulp Fiction was impossible to ignore—especially if you were a 13-year-old boy. Throughout that year, Tarantino’s sophomore effort became more or less gospel in the worlds of independent film and popular culture, which were fast becoming synonymous in the mid-’90s. This endlessly […]
Known to fans as M4, MarchFourth re-imagines a traditional marching band through world music influences and big top visual spectacles. Electric bass, diverse percussion, and brassy horns mingle with Eastern European gypsy, samba, funk, Afrobeat, jazz, and rock. Meanwhile, Cirque du Soleil-style dancers and acrobats perform stilt routines, play with fire, and toggle hula hoops […]
Mark Wahlberg is a bad actor. There are movies when he’s passable (Date Night; Ted), but most of the time he’s inexplicably praised (his wretchedly unbelievable performance in The Departed) or he makes bad movies worse (The Happening; Broken City; The Lovely Bones; I Heart Huckabees). It’s particularly distressing that he’s no better than usual […]
When she’s not teaching composition at UMass Amherst, Sadie Dupuis moonlights as the lead singer for rock troupe Speedy Ortiz. Originated as Dupuis’ passion project, Speedy Ortiz’s composed garage rock is flighty, while anchored in distorted, klaxon guitars. The punk angst is softened by punchy, cryptic songwriting that captures themes of unrequited relationships and self-deprecation in […]
Hard rock never lost its appeal for fans of the Maryland-based band Clutch. Even after scaling back the long jams on its tenth studio album, Earth Rocker, the fret-shredding foursome still reigns as an unapologetic homage to the founders of heavy metal. Trading on clever lyrics emitted with a growl and pushing the limit on […]
Local artists, speakers, and writers compete at the Big Blue Door Grand Slam by telling true stories on the theme of schemes and dreams. Previous jam winners and runners-up will call on memory to riff on ideas like escaping summer camp, planning cons, and eternal love. Audience members vote for their favorite story and the […]
When I first met Emma Davis, she came to my studio with her friend who was studying guitar with me. My student said that I should hear her sing, so she grabbed his guitar and sang “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show. Not too much easily impresses me, but her version of that song […]
When the Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers held its first match in the back room of the Blue Moon Diner in February of 2008, few dreamed it would become a nationwide movement. CLAW began as an all-women’s arm wrestling competition, initiated by Jennifer Tidwell and Jodie Plaisance, in which the stereotype of women as weak is […]
Calling this So-Cal quintet a novice band undercuts a confident sound that is anything but unsure of itself. Formed in 2012, Bad Suns has quickly established itself among today’s indie-rock up-and-coming. The group’s statement on “Salt” recalls the careening music of the 80’s alternative scene—drooping vocals and chugging rhythmic patterns that paint shades of Depeche […]
The title of singer Cate Le Bon’s latest release, Mug Museum, conveys a simple whimsy, along with the special offer of a handcrafted mug accessory, but fans know of the brooding complexity that lies beneath its quirky exterior. Often compared to the dark folk songstress Nico, Le Bon’s music is moody, captivating, and infused with […]