With A History of Violence, David Cronenberg moved into the mainstream film community. With Cronenberg’s latest film, Eastern Promises, he has finally cemented himself as not just a b-movie horror director but as a true genius of cinema. Eastern Promises is both an atypical mafia movie and an atypical Cronenberg film: zero gunplay, little in… Continue reading Cronenbergís Promise is kept
Month: September 2007
The boys are back in town
By Darren Young
Boys Night Out are taking a step back and getting to know the men in the mirror better. Following some intensive touring and a couple changes in the band lineup, the group recently released a self-titled follow-up to 2005’s Trainwreck. The record by name alone has garnered the band plenty of attention, leaving many fans… Continue reading The boys are back in town
Spun: Two Hours Traffic
By David Crosby
If fun pop-rock was a meat product, Two Hours Traffic would be the best butchers on the block. The sound is clean and there’s a certain peppy, almost manic, beat to the record that guarantees the hipsters will shake around like zombies and the pop aficianados will shake their booties. The vocals seem to have… Continue reading Spun: Two Hours Traffic
Spun: Kanye West
By Jeff Clemens
On his third album, Kanye has done what many of us should do and graduated. After producing his first two stellar albums, Kanye has come back with his best effort to date. This album gives the man with the biggest ego in music a reason to gloat. The bragging is not just because he’s produced… Continue reading Spun: Kanye West
Spun: Esmaye
By Ryan Pike
Too often, female singer/songwriters fall into the trap of having a tremendous voice and no clue how to construct an album. As a result, they’re praised for having tremendous pipes and then immediately forgotten. Newcomer Esmaye attempts to combat this common folly by constructing Elements in Me with four parts, each tailored to an element.… Continue reading Spun: Esmaye
Spun: The Starting Line
Casting a shadow over the latest disc from Pennsylvanian pop-punkers The Starting Line is their much-publicized departure from Geffen and defection to Virgin Records. After Geffen outright refused to promote 2005’s Based On A True Story, the group managed to opt out of their contract and found a new home that was willing to support… Continue reading Spun: The Starting Line
Spun: Hot Hot Heat
By Ryan Pike
Way back in 2002, Victoria’s Hot Hot Heat burst onto the scene with an energetic— sometimes clumsily so—debut album called Make Up the Breakdown. The pop quartet boasted fun, danceable singles that lacked in production flourishes but made up for in panache. The group’s big-label debut, 2005’s Elevator, traded some of the group’s awkward charm… Continue reading Spun: Hot Hot Heat
Spun: Wintersleep
In the age of digital manipulation and pitch perfect pre-manufactured pop, it’s almost impossible to find an album as emotionally evocative as Welcome to the Night Sky. Musically, the album is reminiscent of a night spent alone, staring at the midnight starry sky—and like those nights, Welcome to the Night Sky is a quiet and… Continue reading Spun: Wintersleep
Spun: 50 Cent
By Kyle Francis
When most of us were young children, we learned bragging about something was wrong—that challenging the smarter kids in class to a game of trivia would be a bad idea. Apparently 50 Cent didn’t learn this lesson or he’s forgotten despite his numerous bullet wounds. On his latest album, 50 Cent challenged rapper Kanye West… Continue reading Spun: 50 Cent
Spun: Yellowcard
Fans of shitty, derivative pop-punk rejoice! Yellowcard has put out another album! Boring and unimaginative, as always, Yellowcard’s welcome in the music scene is wearing dangerously thin. Unfortunately, it’s the sappy type of music to cry alone in the basement to-so it’s going to sell copious amounts of copies. Yellowcard’s formula has always been pretty… Continue reading Spun: Yellowcard