AltWeeklies Wire
Muddy Waters: The N.E.C.'s 'Is'new
The group’s latest EP plunges headlong into dark, psychedelic murk. The semantics of a word like "progressive" need to be handled delicately when it comes to the band, which is defined by an ever-constant push to better itself. But progress for the N.E.C. is a process of refinement.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: The N.E.C., Is
A History Lesson, Courtesy of The Dimesnew
The Dimes' second album contains 12 jangly pop songs about early American history. Harbour tackles subjects like the Great Boston Fire of 1872, Susan B. Anthony, Winslow Homer and Beantown's Charles Street Jail... which is now a luxury hotel.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
PBR Poetry: Chickens and Pigs' 'See Through Soul'new
See Through Soul by the group Chickens and Pigs balances introspective moments with “aw shucks” inflections.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Decade in Review: Look How Far We Have (and Haven't) Comenew
Oh, 2000. How quaint you were. How innocent. How oblivious to such ills as tornados tearing up downtown Atlanta, drought drying up Lake Lanier, and rains causing creeks and rivers to rage, destroying homes, roads, businesses and lives.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Various |
01-12-2010 |
Commentary
Robert Downey Jr. Summons a Fightin’ Good Sherlock Holmesnew
Robert Downey Jr.'s scruffy, comedically nimble turn goes a long way to redeem the half-coherent storytelling and occasionally elephantine production. The game's afoot, even though it's not so fresh.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Sherlock Holmes, Guy Ritchie
Despite Forceful Colin Firth, 'A Single Man' Oversimplifies Grieving Processnew
Most actors build their careers on expressing emotions. Colin Firth has become a star based on the artful suppression of feelings, wittily conveying that stiff-upper-lip struggle to contain impulses that eventually escape against his roles' better judgment.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: A Single Man, Tom Ford
'Broken Embraces' Turns Cameras on Visionary Filmmakersnew
Two new films about filmmaking put plenty of talent on display – and share Penélope Cruz at her most attractive – without fully engaging their audiences. Pedro Almodóvar's melodrama Broken Embraces turns out to be a little too personal, while Rob Marshall's musical head-trip Nine may not be personal enough.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Broken Embraces, Pedro Almodóvar
'Nine' Turns Camera on Visionary Filmmakersnew
New films about filmmaking put plenty of talent on display without fully engaging their audiences.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Nine, Rob Marshall
Atlanta Airport Bond Deal Raises Questions, Sparks Investigationnew
C.T. Martin says he’s fighting to get Grigsby & Associates and Rice Financial Products, two out-of-state and minority-owned bond underwriters, a bigger chunk of the airport bond deal because minority companies have historically been shut out of Wall Street paydays.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Scott Henry, Thomas Wheatley |
01-12-2010 |
Business & Labor
Deep Impact: The Dutchess & the Duke's 'Sunset/Sunrise'new
Sunset/Sunrise reaches deeper than The Duchess & the Duke's raw-nerve, indie-folk-strumming ‘08 debut.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
DJ DiBiase & Singh Slim: 'So Far So Gucci'new
Seeing as Gucci is known for tailoring his flows to his original beats, he sounds disjointed on such tracks as "Every Freaky Girl in the World" and "Running Closer," although their slower tempos make it easier to understand his words.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Animal Collective: Same Song and Dancenew
Animal Collective’s vibrant, psychedelic pop experiments have settled into the proverbial ass-groove in the couch
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Fall Be Kind, Animal Collective
New From Manu Chao, the Modern-Day Populist Troubadournew
Filmed in a packed bullring in the southern French city of Bayonne, deep in Basque country near the Spanish border, this live double-album and DVD captures the essence of the former Mano Negra frontman's colorful career as an artist.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Alejandro Leal |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Baionarena, Manu Chao
'The Maid' Movingly Explores Domestic Disturbancesnew
In the Chilean drama The Maid, an upper-middle class family treats the title character like part of the family, but comparable to the way that the appendix is part of the body. Like a vestigial organ, a servant can be removed if she starts causing trouble.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Sebastian Silva, The Maid
'Avatar' Immerses Audiences in an Alien Ecosystemnew
Director James Cameron's long-awaited Avatar depicts an alien race with a fondness for bows and arrows, but keeps the 3-D jutting clichés under control. Even when bloody arrowheads stick out at your face, Cameron ensures the stunts don't distract from his otherworldly story.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Avatar, James Cameron
