Brent Birnbaum turns overstimulation into visual art

Brent Birnbaum’s “ …And Justice for Mall Of America” at Second Street Gallery suggests we leave our crack tennies and other cultural misnomers at the door. Bombarding the viewer with hundreds of potent cultural images, his searing and clever installation of contemporary Americana announces the territory of the deal.

ARTS Pick: Love Canon

The party pours in to the Jefferson on Thanksgiving Eve when Love Canon gets cookin.’ The band is celebrating the new release of Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Mixtape, and revelers can burn the dinner rolls early with hot harmonizin’, mandolin shreddin’, banjo rollin’, speed pickin’ interpretations of ZZ Top, Loverboy and other early ’80s MTV staples.

ARTS Pick: Ashley Florence at Community

Ashley Florence’s show almost acts a patchwork quilt: the separate photographs stand as works in their own right, but lend to each other when viewed in succession. They form a sort of portrait of the artist as seen through her own lens, in addition to actual self-portraits that are part of the show.

ARTS Pick: Chance

Mistaken identity, misplaced romance, and missing laundry—these three commonplace topics typify the daily existence of the college student. UVA graduate Jason Averett’s new comedy, Chance, aims to harness the overlooked drama of an ordinary student’s day and depict it on stage, with all its relatable humor intact.

Film review: Skyfall

Let’s face it: A James Bond movie is good for what it is, and Bond is good at what he does. Namely, he kills a lot of people, saves countries (his own and a few others), beds women, drinks vodka martinis. He allows us to escape for a couple hours. No more, no less.

Album reviews: A Fine Frenzy, Anberlin and Angel Snow

Alison Sudol, a.k.a. A Fine Frenzy, has one of the most heavenly voices in all of alternative folk rock, and she puts it to good use on her third release, Pines. A concept album about a pine tree being given a chance to create a life of its own choosing, Pines takes you on a mesmerizing musical journey.

ARTS Pick: Angel Olsen

Music critics have deemed Angel Olsen’s voice “blood-curdling” for a reason. Sliding from nearly spoken word to the theatricality of cabaret in an instant, her range makes a chilling impact on each song she records.

ARTS Pick: Rick Ross

Big man of the rap game and Maybach Music Group founder, Rick Ross (Rick Ro$$ or Ricky Rozay, to the overly-colloquial), brings a Cerberus act rounded out by fellow Maybach artists Wale and Meek Mill to town.

ARTS Pick: Lyle Lovett

One of the most consistent names in the Americana genre, Lyle Lovett hasn’t slowed down since his 1986 country debut. With 13 albums and an impressive filmography under his belt, he’s never allowed his style to grow stale.