REVIEW: The Avengers
I've been afraid for a while that summer movies were devolving into a series of increasingly empty excuses to showcase supermodels and explosions. However, The Avengers marks the return of the true summer blockbuster.
“Blindsided” — Bon Iver
Soothing, enchanting and with a rhythmic, sweet sadness, this throwback track from Bon Iver proves to be a solid driving-with-deep-thoughts tune.
“Master & A Hound” — Gregory Alan Isakov
This melancholy tune from Gregory Alan Isakov plays out like a bitter lullaby during those nights you can't seem to sleep and lay awake gazing out the window, searching for answers.
“Cathedrals” — Jump, Little Children
Formerly known as Jump, Little Children, Jump's last album came out in 2004, but the group's songs were a soundtrack for my teenager years and have stuck with me ever since. This particular song will make you feel feelings you didn't even know you had.
“Empathy” — Chasing Kings
If you are looking for someone who understands what it feels like to be chewed up and spit out again — and again — this is the song for you. It's catchy enough that it's not stuck in your head all day, but there for you when you need another friend.
“Search and Destroy” — Sanders Bohlke
Like a hypnotic lullaby, Bohlke gently croons (à la City And Colour's Dallas Green) over the melody as it picks up slowly, culminating in a driving but not intrusive tribal beat. Sometimes less really is more.
“Stuck” — Caro Emerald
This song was all over the radio when I was living in Southern Italy. One day as dusk was falling, a couple rode by on bicycles, and the guy was whistling this song. This tune will give you the same happy-go-lucky feeling that will follow you wherever you go.
“Sweet Louise” — The Belle Brigade
It's a summer day — sitting in the shade, running barefoot in the grass, climbing trees, going to drive-in movies, and driving with the windows rolled down — all in three minutes. But don't worry, it's not country.
“Secret Garden/S.C.” — Raised By Swans
Taking cues from similar-sounding ethereal predecessors like Sigur Rós or Explosions in the Sky, Canadian indie quartet Raised By Swans takes listeners on atmospheric introspection with haunting, slow-burn melodies and deliberately plucked guitars.
“You Picked Me” — A Fine Frenzy
A Fine Frenzy makes songs for every girl and every boy trying to understand girls (she should be a millionaire by now). In this song, she captures the intricacies of a female soul, helplessly and wonderfully in love.
REVIEW: The Hunger Games
Many people are going so far as to utter blasphemy: the movie might be better than the book. And with a winning performance from Jennifer Lawrence, strong supporting cast and nonstop suspense, it is.
How Expectations Cripple Madonna’s Reelection Campaign for Queen of Pop
Despite Madonna’s support of Obama, she seems to have not learned one of the most important lessons from his campaign: expectations can be your biggest enemy.
“The Only Place” — Best Coast
With the familiar fuzzed out guitar chords and surf pop vibe, frontwoman Bethany Cosentino tweeted that the track is a "love song to California." If you ned a reason to pack up and make a move to the West Coast, this just may be your clarion call.
