I don’t write a lot of film reviews, partially because I write for a music website and partially because I’m not usually on top of new releases enough to prepare anything that is particularly timely or relevant. But I just had to sit down and write something about La La Land, simply because I can’t remember the last time I loved a move so wholeheartedly.
Music Forum: Members EOTY Lists 2016
Doombird, which features Kris Anaya (the former vocalist of Drive-Thru Records’ alumnus An Angle), has released their new album Past Lives.
Less Than Jake will release their new EP, Sound the Alarm, on February 3rd. The track listing and cover art can be found below and pre-orders are now up.
Chris Martin of Coldplay performed an impromptu version of Wham!’s “Last Christmas” at a homeless shelter in London. A video of the performance can be found below.
It’s the last Friday of the year and there’s just not much at all coming out this week. Brian Eno’s new album hits on Monday, but beside that … it’s pretty sparse. Basically, I’m using today as an excuse to check out things I may have missed throughout the year.
You can hit the quote bubble to access our forums and talk about what came out today, what albums you picked up (or decided to listen to instead), and to make mention of anything we may have missed.
My girlfriend picked me up one of these shirts from “Portland Gear” for Christmas. I’m digging the little P logo. Really comfortable shirt.
Our music forum has put together a cover album of Fall Out Boy songs.
The Republic of Wolves recently spoke with Sputnikmusic:
Those kinds of concepts have always been an integral part of our songwriting, since mythology, history, and religion are things that fascinate all of us on a personal level. I’ve personally spent years studying those sorts of topics, so they’re just the references I return to most. On a deeper level I think we all have a strong appreciation for lyrics that take a listener out of their present circumstances and paint a vivid picture of something foreign and mysterious, so that’s often what we’re trying to do. I think that helps to illustrate broader themes of alienation and confusion and fear, and creates this parallel artistic world where those types of feelings can be indulged and understood more fully. If we can create a colorful, distinctive, and memorable image for something that otherwise eludes definition, then that’s a cathartic process both for us as writers and (hopefully) for the listeners.
A new release from Less Than Jake titled Sound the Alarm is up for pre-order on Amazon. It looks like a February 3rd release date.
Scarlett Johansson was 2016’s top grossing actor. From MTV:
Of course, the actors who ranked among the Top 10 highest-grossing stars of 2016 weren’t necessarily the highest paid: Johansson didn’t even rank among the highest-paid actors, a list topped by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jackie Chan, and Matt Damon. In fact, only two women made that list: Jennifer Lawrence and Melissa McCarthy.
Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys will release a new solo album this spring.
Auerbach is holding a listening party for the musicians who played on his first solo album since 2009 (due in the spring). They include bassist Dave Roe (who for 22 years backed Johnny Cash), plus drummer Gene Christman and pianist Bobby Wood, both of whom played on hits by Dusty Springfield and Elvis Presley as part of Memphis’ American Sound Studios house band. “I learned so much from these guys,” Auerbach says, calling the album “a whole history of everything I love about music.”
Laura Snapes interviewed The xx for Pitchfork’s latest cover feature:
In the months between recording sessions, as his friends were working on their own projects, he became paranoid about their relationships, based on his own interpretations of texts and emails. “When you haven’t seen someone for a while, it’s so easy to project and make your own ideas about what’s going on,” he says. “I always feel like the two of them are a step in front of me in confidence and maturity. I worried that they were going in a slightly forward direction, and I wasn’t.”