Among the many artistic and political accomplishments of Ava DuVernay’s Selma is the full embodiment of grassroots activism. After generations of society’s dismantling of the breadth of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s political and ethical contributions down to a single sound bite (that is routinely misappropriated), DuVernay has done King and the world a favor by […]
Photos of secluded beaches, colorful fishing boats and turquoise waves hang on the walls of Second Street Gallery, which has been temporarily overrun with harbor themes: a white ship-shaped structure from which dozens of folded origami boats dangle and twirl, a wash of sand and seashells across the gallery floor, a navy blue wall bearing […]
It’s a new year but many of us are still catching up on the 2014 books littering critic’s lists. There are plenty to choose from, with dozens of new titles published each week of the year. Two weeks into 2015, though, there are already contenders for the best of 2015 lining shelves and vying for […]
Over two years after taking home a million dollar grand prize on “America’s Got Talent,” classic crooner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. continues to wow national audiences with his smooth Sinatra covers. While he’s not quick to forget his West Virginia roots, the once penniless car washer has catapulted to fame with interpretations of Old Blue […]
Oceaán The Grip EP/B3SCI Records Genre labels are inherently shortsighted, but if you absolutely have to use one for Oliver Cean a.k.a. Oceaán’s, second EP, The Grip, then try dubhoptronica. Angelic synths and hip-hop beats marry together seamlessly on the closing track, “At Your Feet,” while “Veritas” combines wobbly rhythms with beats and what appear […]
Guitarist Chris Forsyth constructs massive anthemic rock jams that prompt comparison to the masters of his genre. In 2014, Forsyth’s The Solar Motel Band released Intensity Ghost, bringing new accolades and critical praise including this from NPR’s Lars Gotrich: “With the Solar Motel Band he seeks the endless jam at the intersection of television and […]
Paul Handler is difficult to shoehorn. Despite possessing uncommon creativity, he subscribes to no single genre in his pursuits. It is rare, if not impossible, to find work that is attributed solely to his particular genius. Rather, Handler’s name has been made through his behind-the-scenes work in support of artistic co-conspirator Mara Sprafkin—until recently. In […]
Verona gentleman Petruchio attempts to turn headstrong Katherina into an obedient bride in Shakespeare’s ultimate battle of the sexes, The Taming of the Shrew. The American Shakespeare Company goes beyond the main comedy with the Bard’s Induction, creating a play within a play as drunken tinker Christopher Sly is duped into believing himself a nobleman […]
When a movie is as challenging and divisive as Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice, the two reviews to be wary of are the dismissal on grounds of incoherence, and overwhelming praise, full of heady analysis that is itself incoherent. Both approaches make use of the passive voice—“impossible to understand” instead of […]
The (now Philly-based) group Left & Right spent its formative years on the streets of Charlottesville, where all four members worked as city transit bus drivers and shared road stories after work. Those long days in the driver’s seat might explain the band’s affinity for the high energy, grunge addled tunes that it calls “working […]