erykah badu made the best album of 2008

And Jess Harvell of Idolator will tell you why : Badu's self-dissection lacks the ego-engorged glibness of her college-spurning, casuall...

jarvis cocker: running the world

A perfect holiday song, don't ya think? After all, it was featured in Children of Men , which came out Christmas Day 2006. And, oh yeah,...

bedtime stories

Oh, Adam Sandler. Sometimes, you can be so funny, and then sometimes you can do stuff like Bedtime Stories -- what gives? My review is at T...

marley & me

Perhaps the nicest surprise of the holiday-movie season has been Marley & Me . I went in expecting just a cute-dog movie -- turns out it...

neko case: favorite

Fan-shot concert footage on YouTube is my last resort when I'm trying to find worthy tracks for this Friday Video feature, but it's ...

not hating seven pounds

If I get around to it, I'll write a review for Will Smith's new film, Seven Pounds , but in the meantime, I refer you all to David P...

yes man

In Yes Man , Jim Carrey plays a man who decides to say "yes" to everything that comes into his life. It's a decent comedy, but...

the raconteurs: old enough

The Raconteurs' second album, Consolers of the Lonely , got dismissed a little too quickly, in my judgment. It's a less immediate re...

the day the earth stood still

I love the original 1951 sci-fi film. As for this new version of The Day The Earth Stood Still with Keanu Reeves? Read on.

frost/nixon

In the latest Consumables , I review ... Frost/Nixon Doubt Wendy and Lucy Gran Torino Che Milk Changeling Australia Bolt ... so have at it.

dragon hunters

Cartoon Network junkies may remember the short-lived French animated show Dragon Hunters . The series has been turned into a film now -- but...

dark streets

The blues and jazz songs that populate the soundtrack to Dark Streets are lively. The movie itself is another matter entirely .

scott weiland speaks

I interviewed Scott Weiland for Kerrang . We discussed the Stone Temple Pilots reunion tour and his new solo album, "Happy" in Gal...

r.e.m.'s murmur

Murmur just received the deluxe reissue treatment. It makes an excellent holiday present for the R.E.M. fan in your life who doesn't own...

the los angeles film critics association speaks

LAFCA, of which I'm a member, voted for our annual awards this morning. The full list is here . I'll say more when I do my final, of...

richard and linda thompson: the end of the rainbow

OK, really, it's just a Richard Thompson song. (And if you haven't heard Elvis Costello's version, you should seek it out.) But ...

nobel son

Remember all those awful Tarantino ripoff movies of the 1990s? Well, Nobel Son is in keeping with those films -- it's a crime caper tha...

ac/dc: the last rock band

AC/DC are back on the road promoting their new album Black Ice . For the Phoenix New Times , I propose that these Aussies are the last true ...

tennessee ... starring mariah carey

Tennessee is a family drama and a road movie, but it will attract the most interest because Glitter star Mariah Carey plays a supporting rol...

pavement: cut your hair

One of my greatest regrets of the '90s? Only really getting into Pavement as the band's brilliant career was winding down.

slumdog millionaire

Today's Consumables column features Slumdog Millionaire , A Christmas Tale , Ballast , I've Loved You So Long , and Quantum of Sola...

guns n' roses: chinese democracy

I didn't think I would ever write these words: Here is my review of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy .

paul simon: you can call me al

Very '80s in many ways: The song has a slick, processed feel; the video is built around a jokey high-concept idea; and, good lord, those...

transporter 3

No one need question my affection for Jason Statham. But Transporter 3 isn't worthy of his talents. I review the film for Screen Inter...

revolutionary road

Director Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road is, to my mind , a better and more empathetic variation of American Beauty , the Oscar-winning s...

the new pornographers: myriad harbour

Last year's Challengers might not have been the finest album from the New Pornographers, but there were some great songs on it. Like thi...

ryan and sean's not so excellent adventure

What happens when two YouTube sensations get their own movie? Ryan and Sean's Not So Excellent Adventure . If you like jokes about poopi...

the beautiful truth

The Beautiful Truth is a preachy documentary about Dr. Max Gerson, who came up with the controversial Gerson Therapy in the 1920s that aimed...

defiance

Defiance , starring Daniel Craig and directed by Edward Zwick, is based on an interesting true story from World War II, a tale of three Jew...

magnetic fields: busby berkeley dreams

Is 69 Love Songs the greatest concept album of all time? It's either that or Dark Side of the Moon . This song goes out to all the peopl...

synecdoche, new york

Synecdoche, New York heads up the latest edition of Consumables , which includes reviews of W. , In Bruges , Taxi to the Dark Side , Moving...

elf power

While I try to find my copy of Creatures , which I still think is their best record, enjoy my write-up on Elf Power , who are touring Americ...

a quiet little marriage at afi

L.A. Weekly concludes its coverage of the AFI Film Festival with a roundup of reviews for films playing this upcoming weekend. My (positive)...

pray the devil back to hell

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is that rare thing -- an understated documentary about an inspiring subject, the 2003 nonviolent protest of Libe...

prop 8

Marc Lacter of LA Biz Observed puts its victory in perspective : Shameful. And what's truly stunning about the results - though not surp...

repo! the genetic opera

My hunch is that you will either love or hate Repo! The Genetic Opera . It's not for all tastes, but if you can envision yourself enjoyi...

neil young: downtown

Neil Young doesn't break picket lines and endorsed Obama way back in 2006 . Neil, this note's for you.

the economist goes for obama

Everybody and their mother does presidential endorsements, but The Economist 's pick was the one I was most anticipating. (To review, in...

afi film festival

L.A. Weekly , as always, does a great job covering the festival (which starts tonight) from every angle. Here's a rundown of reviews an...

rosemary's baby

Rosemary's Baby will be playing for a week at Film Forum in New York starting on Halloween. I recently watched it again -- I swear it&...

the other end of the line

The Other End of the Line stars Desperate Housewives hunk Jesse Metcalfe as a New York City ad executive who falls in love with the Indian ...

saw v

If you know nothing about the Saw franchise, Saw V is not the place to hop onboard. In fact, these sequels are becoming more and more geared...

rem: until the day is done

If your favorite R.E.M. album is Automatic for the People , then your favorite song off Accelerate is probably "Until the Day Is Done.&...

fringe: the cure

Fringe was starting to show some improvement. Then the show decided to do a "character" episode. The problem? The writers focused ...

noah and the whale

Noah & the Whale are an English group whose debut album, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down , is full of twee indie rock that's severa...

the best guns n' roses songs ever

What else am I supposed to do until Chinese Democracy arrives? Here's my list of GNR's Top 10 songs. (Sorry, no "Live and Let ...

please don't bother E at his house

In Geoff Boucher's great profile of Mark Oliver Everett (aka E of Eels) in today's Los Angeles Times came this upsetting tidbit: &q...

death cab for cutie: cath

I'm still undecided about Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs as a whole -- it's better than Plans , but not as great as Transat...

max payne

Max Payne hits theaters today -- it's pretty dreadful . Shoot 'Em Up is looking more and more like a classic each day.

filth and wisdom

Madonna's directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom , is very Madonna-y: overbearing, pretentious but also kinda loopy in a really endearing w...

plants and animals

Plants and Animals are a Montreal trio whose debut full-length album, Parc Avenue , came out earlier this year. As they tour the United Stat...

political advertisement VII at redcat

Political Advertisement VII is the latest edition of an anthology of presidential commercials put together by artists Antoni Muntadas and M...

fringe: power hungry

Last night's episode of Fringe made me think about REO Speedwagon, Battlestar Galactica , and Airplane! Is that a good thing or bad thin...

why the phillies are up 3-1 on the dodgers

The great baseball writer Ross Newhan says it's time to stop blaming Joe Torre for the Dodgers' problems against the Phillies. Inste...

morning light

The new Disney sports-competition documentary Morning Light asks the question: What's scarier -- the ongoing popularity of reality shows...

mastodon speaks

I interviewed Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor for Revolver . We discussed their upcoming record, whether it's a concept album, and how Bru...

happy-go-lucky

Happy-Go-Lucky is perhaps the most divisive movie of Mike Leigh's career. I know people who love it and those who absolutely cannot stan...

nirvana: scentless apprentice

Today is my buddy's birthday, so this one is for you, Will. Maybe someday this whole special will be available commercially?

the used

I spoke with Bert McCracken, frontman for the Used, to talk about their upcoming album and how Nirvana's In Utero inspired its creation...

good dick

Good Dick tries to reinvent the romantic-comedy wheel, pairing two misfits in an unlikely love story. It doesn't work entirely, but it&#...

the express

The Express will be comfort food for lots of guys who love sports movies, no matter how generic. Elsewhere in Consumables , I review Blindn...

daddy yankee in talento de barrio

Talento de Barrio features reggaeton star Daddy Yankee as a young crime boss who dreams of being a rapper. It's even more cliched than...

oasis - dig out your soul

Oasis return with Dig Out Your Soul . It's another solid but unspectacular set from the Manchester group. But it does have its moments.

margot & the nuclear so and so’s

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's is an Indianapolis indie rock group that has just released two new albums, Not Animal (which was ap...

michael wilmington on blindness

My review of Blindness will be up on Monday in Consumables , but in the meantime let me just say Michael Wilmington is one of the few people...

oasis: don't look back in anger

I've been doing a lot of thinking about Oasis this week, as you might have noticed , so here's their saddest, best song, "Don&...

cypress hill gets its due from vh1

On Monday, VH1 will be airing its Hip-Hop Honors program celebrating, among others, Cypress Hill. For the channel's website, I provide ...

winona ryder and me

The Biography Channel will be premiering its Winona Ryder biography tonight. I haven't seen it, but I believe I'll be one of the tal...

smother

Poor Diane Keaton. For those of us who still love her, Smother is a truly poignant viewing experience. She's not bad in it, but, honestl...

fringe: the arrival

If you accept the fact that Fringe is just big dumb fun, I think you can enjoy it just fine. Last night's episode was a perfect example ...

st. louis rams fire scott linehan

Well, that wasn't unexpected . Last year's terrible season and an 0-4 start this year doomed him. I wonder if they'll bring back...

de la soul: a roller skating jam named saturdays

After a week of bad financial news, I need something light. So here's this great De La Soul track off of 1991's De La Soul Is Dead ,...

the best rock band cameos on the simpsons

The Simpsons has been on the air for 20 years now. To celebrate, I list my 11 favorite rock band appearances on the show. (Hint: I decided ...

freebird

Freebird is a British biker comedy that's surprisingly charming and funny. I say nice things about it at L.A. Weekly .

hank and mike

Did you think Bad Santa was hilarious? Did you wish someone would do a version of it with swearing, drinking Easter bunnies? Your wish is gr...

loudon wainwright III: recovery

Loudon Wainwright III looks back on his career on Recovery , a collection of remakes of his '70s material. In its modest, imperfect way,...

fringe: the ghost network

After kicking off with two so-so episodes, Fringe finally started to come to life last night -- and not a moment too soon. My recap is at Vu...

nights in rodanthe

Nights in Rodanthe will appeal to the tearjerking base, while alienating moderates and men. If you want an excuse to sniffle in a movie the...

plain white t's: big bad world

The “Hey There Delilah” pop-rockers return with Big Bad World . My review of the latest from the Plain White T's is up at Blender .

the replacements: remastered and reconsidered

The Replacements' Warner Bros. albums are being reissued today. History remembers those records as the era when Paul Westerberg imploded...

kanye west goes into a love lockdown

I liked the original version of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown," and I like the new version, too. I write about it in Consumables...

sonic youth: 100%

"100%," from my favorite Sonic Youth album, Dirty . Good lord, does this video capture the alternative-rock scene of the 1990s or ...

broken west: idolator and i agree

Big Gray over at Idolator loves the new album from the Broken West, Now or Heaven : If there is any justice in the world, The Broken West w...

fringe: the same old story

"The Same Old Story" was the name of last night's episode of Fringe -- it also could have been called "The One Where the...

Igor

Igor is a cute but forgettable animated movie for kids about a hunchback (voiced by John Cusack) who wants to show the world he's more t...

metallica: death magnetic

Metallica's new album, Death Magnetic , will remind older fans of some of the band's earliest records. For my money, it comes closes...

buckcherry: black butterfly

The L.A. bad boys of hard rock return with Black Butterfly . Is it just me, or are they mellowing?

matt damon on sarah palin

Right, it's a celebrity mouthing off about politics and voicing an opinion I share. But unlike some of the more snide snipes at Sarah Pa...

rappers turned actors: the list

Over at VH1.com , I assess the track record of 15 rappers who caught the acting bug. It's a mixed bag of blinding success stories and wh...

righteous kill

How many people still get excited about a movie starring Robert De Niro or Al Pacino? The faded icons are both in Righteous Kill , and the g...

could oliver stone give the election to mccain?

The great STV over at Defamer has made some predictions about the forthcoming fall movie season. This one seems the most likely... W. (10/...

young people f***ing

This sex comedy would be more accurately called Attractive White People Nattering On . My review is at L.A. Weekly .

fringe

Fringe premiered last night. What did I think of it? You can find all the answers over at Vulture .

no way, no how, no mccain

Andrew Sullivan encapsulates why I support Obama over McCain: When he knew that George W. Bush's war in Iraq was a fiasco and catastroph...

no end in sight: now on youtube

If you never caught No End in Sight , now it's gotten that much easier: The film is available in its entirety on YouTube. I say a few wo...

trouble the water

Trouble the Water leads my biweekly Consumables column , but its equal is the also-wonderful Shotgun Stories , which I finally caught up wi...

towelhead

Towelhead , the button-pushing coming-of-age comedy-drama written and directed by Alan Ball, is neither as awful as its harshest critics cla...

bangkok dangerous

Nicolas Cage bonds with an elephant. And that's one of the highlights of Bangkok Dangerous .

matthew sweet: i've been waiting

Matthew Sweet has been on my mind lately as I listen to his new album, Sunshine Lies , which I'll be reviewing in Monday's Consumabl...

ed guthman, 89

I went to USC for the film school, but once I got there, I became interested in the university's highly regarded journalism program as w...

randy newman: a few words in defense of our country

This isn't top-notch Randy Newman -- it's not quite as cutting as his very best satirical songs -- but it'll do for the long wee...

death note comes to los angeles

Death Note , a fun Japanese thriller based on a popular manga of the same name, may be for the fan-boys, but, hey, we've all got a littl...

vicky cristina barcelona: my take

I heap all kinds of praise on Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona in my Consumables column . Also, reviews of Transsiberian , The Ex...

obama picks biden

Lots of good analysis this morning of why Barack Obama went with Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate, but this from the intrepid Andrew Tane...

kanye west: champion

Remember, everyone: Puppets are always funny. And the song's good too... dig that Steely Dan sample. UPDATE (Sept. 10, 2008): You can no...

one last comment about obama and mccain at saddleback

In case you assumed all conservatives thought McCain whipped Obama last Saturday at Rick Warren's presidential forum, this blog post sh...

my religulous review: bill maher goes gunning for god

Religulous , the satirical film from comedian Bill Maher and Borat director Larry Charles, is often very funny in its condemnation of organi...

death race is pretty fun

Much to my pleasant surprise, I found Death Race to be a perfectly enjoyable way to round out the summer movie season. Oh sure, it's ins...

nixon: the movie

Nixon , Oliver Stone's underrated 1995 biopic of the disgraced president, returns to DVD. My review is up at Vulture .

staind: the illusion of progress

Staind were huge back in 2001 thanks to their monster ballad "It's Been Awhile." Not surprisingly, their latest album, The Ill...

traitor: don cheadle in syriana territory

Traitor is a political thriller that tries to be more sensitive in its depiction of Islamist terrorists than your average Hollywood fare. B...

woody allen on vicky cristina barcelona

Cities move me. That’s why I don’t think I could make a film in a place that would appear boring to me, or unromantic. If I’m making a film ...

vicky cristina barcelona is terrific

And David Denby will explain why.

radiohead: house of cards

Right, you've already seen this. But in case you haven't, you really should. And if you've only seen it once, why not see it again?

enough of mccain

A reader of Andrew Sullivan's fantastic blog has had enough with the recent turn in sympathy toward John McCain: McCain wants to win the...

one day as a lion

If you haven't heard One Day as a Lion yet, and you're a fan of Zack de La Rocha's vocal stylings from Rage Against the Machine...

henry poole is here

Luke Wilson stars as the despondent titular atheist of Henry Poole Is Here . It's an affecting performance in a low-key way, but the mov...

randy newman's so-so new album

I love Randy Newman, but even he can make a mediocre record on occasion. Harps and Angels , his latest, has plenty of nice touches, but it&#...

star wars: the clone wars

The animated Clone Wars film, which hits theaters August 15, in some ways improves on the debilitating problems of the mediocre prequels. B...

the shins: pink bullets

This might be the saddest video ever. If it's not, I'd love to hear your alternate picks.

pete seeger: the power of song

The Power of Song , the great documentary about folk singer Pete Seeger, comes to DVD today. I give it the brief once-over at Vulture .

trapt - only through the pain

Only Through the Pain is the third album from the rock band Trapt. How is it? About the same as their last two.

the airborne toxic event

This L.A. indie rock band made a big noise last year when their first song, "Sometime Around Midnight," started getting a ton of a...

andrew sullivan is back from vacation

God, have I missed him.

the hold steady: the swish

In honor of the great Hold Steady show I attended this week, here's "The Swish" from their first album, Almost Killed Me . The...

the mummy: tomb of the dragon emperor review

The buzz has been very bad for the new Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser and (in the Rachel Weisz role) Maria Bello. Well, I saw it, and Tomb ...

photo op

In case anyone out there wonders what I look like, here's a picture of me from my About.com page.

the bronx speaks, and i marvel at slipknot

In the new issue of Kerrang , I interview Joby Ford of the critically acclaimed punk band the Bronx. If that's not enough for you, I al...

the dark knight: my take

Most concede that The Dark Knight is quite good, but just how good is it? I weigh in over at my Consumables column . And if you're sick ...

john prine and iris dement: in spite of ourselves

"In Spite of Ourselves" is the title track from John Prine's 1999 comeback album, a collection of country covers. This song (a...

step brothers review

Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay have been on a hot streak since Anchorman and Talladega Nights , but with their latest, Step Brothers ,...

ebert looks back on his life in the balcony

As you've probably heard, Ebert and Roeper is no more. For me, after Gene Siskel died, there was simply no way to carry on -- there was...

electoral college: the time-wasting game

If you haven't seen this on 270towin.com, you really need to: It's a computer simulation that plays out all the different electoral...

asian stories (book 3)

Asian Stories (Book 3) is getting a brief L.A. theatrical run, presumably thanks to the fact that its star, James Kyson Lee, plays Ando on H...

buckcherry and norma jean speak to me, separately

I have two features in the new issue of Revolver . I interviewed Buckcherry about their forthcoming album, Black Butterfly , and I profiled ...

david bowie: live in santa monica 36 years ago

Live Santa Monica '72 is the finally officially released live album from David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust period. I have a brief w...

brideshead revisited

The new adaptation of Brideshead Revisited starring Emma Thompson and Matthew Goode looks great and has several good performances, but its u...

the band: it makes no difference

It's Friday, it's been a long week, let's enjoy a little of "It Makes No Difference" from The Last Waltz . Deal?

ebert remembers la dolca vita

Roger Ebert writes very well about a few classic movies -- not only that, he keeps revisiting them over time, and writing more about them as...

beck: modern guilt

My review of Beck's Modern Guilt is up at Metro Times . What can I say? On the whole, I've really liked his recent stuff, and the ne...

hancock is underrated, wanted is terribly, terribly overrated

So says I in my latest Consumables column for The Simon. Also included are reviews of Garden Party , R.E.M.'s Accelerate and Erykah Bad...

meet dave: a surprisingly not-bad eddie murphy film

Meet Dave is a perfectly respectable kids' movie, and Eddie Murphy is genuinely funny for the first time in a long while. But don't ...

contempt: i remain unmoved

There are few cinematic classics that leave me so divided as Godard's Contempt . It's one of those films where I enjoy its lovely-wo...

the stone angel

The Stone Angel , a tearjerker adaptation of the Margaret Laurence novel, would have benefited from a harder-edged approach, but nonetheless...

my new gig at about.com

In early June, I was selected to be the Rock Music guide at About.com . Organizing a site from scratch, under the direction of the great peo...

pixar's short films

They're available online now -- even the new one, Presto , which plays in front of Wall-E . Let the productive time-wasting begin.

kenneth turan on criticism

Kenneth Turan, film critic of the Los Angeles Times , writes today about the nature of being "right" in one's opinions. It'...

george carlin proposed to this guy's wife

This is terrific .

wall-e made me very happy

My review of Wall-E is up at The Simon as part of Consumables . Also in this edition: reviews of The Visitor , Aimee Mann's @#%&*! S...

ranking the pixar films

Vulture doesn't include Wall-E in its list as it ranks Pixar's eight other films. The bottom of the bunch, not surprisingly, is Ca...

top 10 protest songs of the 21st century

The staff of Under the Radar , which includes yours truly, selected the top 10 protest songs since 2000. You can find the results (and the r...

the palm beach story: reconsidered

Putting the finishing touches on its month-long Preston Sturges retrospective , Cinefamily will be screening The Palm Beach Story on Friday...

no age

Nouns is the full-length debut of the Los Angeles noise rock group No Age. It's one of my favorite records of the year so far.

jerry seinfeld on george carlin

It takes one comedian to describe another comedian's genius, and that's why Jerry Seinfeld's appreciation of George Carlin in t...

jason patric and samantha morton in expired

Expired is an intriguing romantic-comedy about two people who aren't right for each other at all: a piggish parking official and his pun...

battlestar galactica: revelations

The final episode before the mid-season hiatus was a damn good one. Now we have to wait until 2009 for more Battlestar . Dang it. My recap i...

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Abigail Breslin and her fellow young actors are quite good in this touching live-action adaptation of the popular American Girl franchise. T...

get smart

Steve Carell is a decent Maxwell Smart, but the big-screen version of Get Smart is only so-so. My review is at Screen International .

my thoughts on jack black

The Biography Channel interviewed me as part of an hour-long special on Jack Black. I haven't seen the episode yet, so I have no idea ho...

megadeth bring the thrash

In the new Kerrang! , I go behind the scenes of Gigantour, the annual metal festival put together by Megadeth's Dave Mustaine. This year...

battlestar galactica: the hub

At a wedding this weekend, I had several conversations with Battlestar fans, and the consensus was that this final season has thus far been...

perez hilton speaks

Perez Hilton, the love-him-or-hate-him celebrity gossip king, sits down to talk about his annoying personal habits and the musicians he'...

you don't mess with the zohan

Adam Sandler returns with You Don't Mess With the Zohan . If you love gags about hummus and sex-crazed men who talk in funny accents, th...

war and peace: the epic movie

Starting Friday, LACMA will be showing the seven-hour version of War and Peace , the 1968 winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Is...

miss conception

Heather Graham survives the embarrassing debacle that is Miss Conception , but this romantic comedy is a must-miss. For all the gory details...

jamie lidell gets his groove on

Jim is the name of British soul singer Jamie Lidell's new album. The man does funk-lite right: My review appears at the Metro Times .

weezer have a new album

This is the third time the band has named one of its albums Weezer . (Before this, there was The Blue Album and The Green Album .) My review...

battlestar galactica: sine que non

Friday's episode of Battlestar had a lot of totally nutty things going on involving pregnant Cylons and dead cats. Thankfully, Bill Adam...

when did you last see your father?

Director Anand Tucker's When Did You Last See Your Father? , based on the memoir of poet Blake Morrison, sports a terrific lead performa...

r.e.m.'s mike mills speaks

Not to me, sadly. But the Chicago Tribune 's Mark Caro got R.E.M.'s bassist to talk about the band's writing process and why he...

short order

The fluffy romantic comedy Short Order is recommended to fans of Amelie , old-school Hollywood musicals, the culinary arts and, most importa...

battlestar galactica: guess what's coming to dinner

Lots of surprises and lots of small little storytelling annoyances came together in Friday's episode of Battlestar Galactica . My recap ...

a thought from woody allen to end our week

From an interview in today's Hollywood Reporter ... Gregg Goldstein: Since death has been such a theme in your work, how do you feel ab...

roger ebert on david mamet

One of the filmmakers Roger Ebert assesses better than just about any other critic is David Mamet. Ebert's review of Mamet's underva...

when good bands rise from the ashes of other good bands

When a popular band breaks up, you expect its individual members to go off and do mediocre side projects and cruddy solo albums that never l...

brooks melchior speaks

Sports by Brooks is a Los Angeles-based sports site that features gossip, news, humor and, oh yes, many pictures of beautiful women. For L....

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer

Three very good performances, including one from "it" girl America Ferrera, are almost enough to recommend How the Garcia Girls Sp...

destroyer's dan bejar speaks

Trouble in Dreams is the fine new album from Destroyer, a Vancouver band lead by Dan Bejar. (He also contributes songs to the New Pornograph...

grand theft auto iv: overrated?

I read a lot of film, music, and book reviews. But I don't read many video-game reviews, although a large reason for that is because I d...

robert christgau discusses the b-52's, aging

With the nationwide push to cut older music and film critics, it's important to remember that people who were born before, say, 1965, mi...

battlestar galactica: faith

If Battlestar Galactica wasn't set in outer space, an episode like "Faith" would earn it a ton of Emmy nominations -- it was a...

here's all you need to know about speed racer

"This toxic admixture of computer-generated frenzy and live-action torpor succeeds in being, almost simultaneously, genuinely painful -...

radiohead: from the basement

Well, this is a pleasant surprise: To promote In Rainbows , Radiohead went into a London studio to perform a series of songs that were later...

the whigs and what made milwaukee famous

Two great indie-rock bands performing on the same bill: So why does that make me so darn nervous? My piece is up at the Phoenix New Times .

lyrics born

Everywhere at Once is the new album from Bay Area hip-hop artist Lyrics Born. He takes on Homeland Security and relationships, but not at t...

obama wins north carolina

I'm on deadline right now, so I can't focus on tonight's primary results as much as I'd like, but this made me happy. (Here...