AltWeeklies Wire
With Neon Indian, 21-Year-Old Alan Palomo Makes Roots-Pop for the Internet Agenew
Psychic Chasms explores a landscape of romantic loss and betrayal rendered as authentically as any acoustic pop ballad. Still, the sonic diversity of that landscape stretches, mashes and digs beyond the known universe.
Tucson Weekly |
Linda Ray |
11-18-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Neon Indian, Psychic Chasms
The Generationals Like to Play Up the Oldnew
For the Generationals, reaching back in time to weave threads of different musical traditions together into their own new and exciting entity is exactly how the Crescent City has always functioned.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
11-18-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Con Law, Generationals
John Cusack and Amazing Special Effects Make '2012' a Guilty Pleasurenew
Even though the ending made me gag, and I considered throwing my remaining sweet tea at the screen, I have to give the movie a slight recommendation.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
11-18-2009 |
Reviews
'Pirate Radio' Sinks Due to Flat Characters and Abundant Movie Clichesnew
On the upside, Pirate Radio is beautifully shot. It's loaded with the kind of cinematic trickery that was popular back in the '60s. So if you were tripping on five hits of acid, and your heightened consciousness was somehow filtering out all the dialogue, it would be a pretty good movie.
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
11-18-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Pirate Radio, Richard Curtis
The Melvins' Remix Record 'Chicken Switch' Breaks Every Rulenew
Chicken Switch is ideal for Día de los Muertos with highlights such as Merzbow's "SNOW REM REM IBVZ," which starts out sounding like a midnight game of goblin croquet and ends up hissing in the manner of an Atari 2600 console dropped from a tall building then plugged into a broken Zenith.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
11-11-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Chicken Switch, Melvins
Headlights Combines Electronica, Chamber-Folk and Drone-Popnew
Wildlife feels spacious, with an emphasis on concise melodies and building momentum.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
11-11-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Headlights, Wildlife
'Keep in Mind Frankenstein' Has a Pastoral Soundnew
Not one to offer up much in the way of new tricks, Grand Archives' Mat Brooke instead maintains a remarkable level of quality control on the band's new album.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
11-11-2009 |
Reviews
Thao Nguyen's Third Record with Her Two Bandmates is Better and Fasternew
It's been almost two years since the release of We Brave Bee Stings and All, and their new record, Know Better Learn Faster, burns even more brightly.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
11-11-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Disregard the Crappy Marketing Campaign; 'A Christmas Carol' is an Enchanting Movienew
This is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, with a little 3-D whiz-bang thrown in for good measure. When the frantic sequences are squished together in a short preview trailer, they are just annoying. Within the film, effectively spread apart, the sequences become exhilarating.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
11-11-2009 |
Reviews
'An Education' is a Coming-of-Age Romance with an Effectively Creepy Feelnew
My biggest problem with horror movies is that I do like scary movies, and I just don't find horror films to be very scary. But An Education is terrifying. It's the most effectively frightening film I've seen since that Larry King/Tom DeLay sex video was accidentally shown on Oprah.
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
11-11-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: An Education, Lone Scherfig
Barbara Kingsolver Makes a Misstep as She Tries to Make Her Point in 'The Lacuna'new
Kingsolver has created a reserved, unassuming character in Harrison Shepherd. He's so unassuming, in fact, that he becomes a cipher. Kingsolver's trademark nuanced characterization is not well-served by this collaged point of view.
Tucson Weekly |
Christine Wald-Hopkins |
11-11-2009 |
Fiction
One Helicopter Crew Looks Back on an Unforgettable Rescuenew
With the Afghan war back in the headlines, and none of the news good, the rescue led by the Air Force's 305th Rescue Squadron provides a glimpse into one story that began horribly and ended well, thanks to the ordinary Americans who made it happen.
Tucson Weekly |
Leo W. Banks |
11-11-2009 |
War
Price Tags: The Elephant in the Room in Health Carenew
Selling stuff to patients is like supplying the Pentagon: Welcome to the wonderful land of the surreal markup. When you're sick or in pain, you do not shop for bargains -- which is the main reason that the free-market model is a catastrophe for health care.
Tucson Weekly |
Renee Downing |
11-11-2009 |
Science
Monsters of Folk Offers a Master Class in Supergroup-ismnew
Instead of sounding like a lumpy blend of styles, Monsters of Folk sounds like an album from a new band with four familiar members.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
11-04-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Monsters of Folk
Mark Knopfler's Latest Solo Album is a Working-Class Paeannew
Knopfler's sixth solo effort is his best in terms of his material, yet it's his weakest fret-board effort.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
11-04-2009 |
Reviews
