Youth (2015) dir. Paolo Sorrentino

Following up The Great Beauty, writer/director Paolo Sorrentino gives up Fellini for something pretty different. (Michael Caine looks like a Tony Servillo stand-in, though.) I, for the life of me, cannot decide if it is a masterpiece or a disaster-piece.

Consider the title, Youth. In a film dominated by the elderly, Youth somehow finds a style that works for it. It's wise, funny, and sometimes mournful. It's the movie's greatest strength.

Michael Caine is dazzling as Fred Ballinger, a retired orchestra composer and conductor spending a holiday at a Swiss spa. With him is Harvey Keitel as legendary film writer/director Mick Boyle, working on his "testament" after a string of flops.

The Poisonwood Bible (1998) by Barbara Kingsolver

This is epic. By putting "bible" in the title, two things are immediately made known: there will be religion, and there will be scope. Kingsolver's book provides both.

The Poisonwood Bible follows the Price family from Georgia to Congo in 1959, amidst a swelling government overthrow. But it's not so much about the change in government as the change in the Price family. The story is told through the point of view of the family's four girls (Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May), and mother Orleanna. There are trials and tribulations to follow, many of them ripe with metaphor and allegory.

The Poisonwood Bible, though quite long, is rich and satisfying. There's certainly a lot to talk about throughout and after reading. It's lovely really to see the growth of the characters throughout time, especially near the book's final third, which spans decades.

The book's biggest fault is it's heavy-handedness, which isn't too surprising considering the title, begging comparison to the Holy Book. However, Kingsolver has a way with words, and does a wonderful job utilizing various first person point-of-views in telling a fictional story that feels not only like truth, but reality.

9/10

The Avalanches - Since I Left You (2000) / DJ Shadow - Endtroducing... (1996)

In 1985, composer John Oswald coined the term "plunderphonics" in an article titled Plunderphonics, or Audio Piracy as a Compositional Prerogative. Audio piracy is used not as an insult, though, but as truth. Yes, plunderphonic music is sample-heavy and brings nothing new to the table. But it's not unoriginal. The genre at its best marries unique sounds into something fresh.

Recently I listened to what many consider as two of the best albums in the plunderphonics subgenre: The Avalanches' 2000 debut Since I Left You and DJ Shadow's iconic Endtroducing.... Both are outstanding albums. Both artists are skilled at using previously used songs and audio recordings to convey a theme. Often both albums are frantic, moody, and beautiful.

Honestly though I don't know what to say. I liked both of them quite a bit (preferences toward Since I Left You, but that opinion could change), but I don't know why I liked them as much as I did. Does it sound good? Yea. The production on both are stellar, and are testaments to originality. Good artists copy, great artists steal, and both DJ Shadow and The Avalanches are great artists.

Since I Left You - 9.5/10

Endtroducing... - 9/10

The Game - The Documentary 2 (2015) / The Documentary 2.5 (2015)

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LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (2010)

It's too much for me. Today I listened to this and Joanna Newsom's Ys. It was music to my ears, for sure.

I wonder if I got a different listening experience from This is Happening compared to most. Happening stands as LCD Soundsystem's farewell album, but as someone who hasn't really given them much of a listen, Happening didn't have that bitter-sweetness attached to it.

But I could tell that Happening was emotionally charged. It's a dance album first, and a goodbye second. Lyrically, James Murphy and co. aren't very complex, but they say a lot with simple words. I love the opening to "I Can Change" for example.

Tell me a line make it easy for me/
Open your arms/
Dance with me until I feel all right/

Juxtapose this desperation with the active, pulsating beats, and you've got great music. This is Happening works as something to dance to, but there's also a thoughtful, mature side. Not many artists can get away with seven, eight minute long tracks, but LCD Soundsystem pulls it off in stride. Surprisingly, This is Happening never gets repetitive. With every passing minute, it only gets better.

9.5/10

Joanna Newsom - Ys (2006)

On Friday, indie Joanna Newsom will release her fourth album, titled Divers. She's certainly in my good books due to her collaborations with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, but after listening to Ys, how high does she rank in those books now?

Very, very high. Ys is incredible. Clocking in at a little under an hour, the album only has five songs, the longest one near sixteen minutes. Yet all five songs are marvels of storytelling. No artist I've heard sounds quite like Newsom. Somehow, her shrill voice is refreshing. Her harp never sounds like anything less than magnificent too... even with bare instrumentation, Ys sounds massive and masterful. I think what might make Ys so great is the songwriting, which is simply transporting.

Say "yes" to Ys. It's certainly too soon for me to say for sure that it's perfect, but it's a masterpiece.

9.5/10

Over the Garden Wall (2014) (miniseries)

It's not often I find myself watching cartoons (though I do love Rebecca Sugar's Steven Universe, also on Cartoon Network), but I stumbled across Garden Wall last week via a reddit recommendation, which said to watch the series "this week". I however forgot to, but then remembered the week after.

Over the Garden Wall is proof that episodic storytelling can be both short and sweet without it feeling cinematic necessary. Patrick McHale's story of two lost brothers in a mysterious wood is emotional, mature, funny, and adorable, often all at once. Visually, Garden Wall is splendid. The overall arc of the story doesn't entirely work when spread over ten twelve minute episodes, but each episode proves entertaining in its own right.

Some odd reason, the show's villainous beast reminded me of True Detective's first season. Is that weird?

8/10

The Way to Rainy Mountain (1969) by N. Scott Momaday

I had to read this book for my literature class (not like that's a bad thing). Momaday's chronicle of the Kiowa tribe is a unique experience, and deservedly a cornerstone in Native American literature. The unique mix of myth, true history, and memoir makes the brief book massive in scope, yet intimate. I'm not quite sure how it all works, but it's a rewarding read, for sure.

9/10

Beach House - Depression Cherry (2015) / Thank Your Lucky Stars (2015)

The music industry is so fricken weird these days. Who would've thought that in 2015, we would get not one, but two Beach House albums? Thanks Beyoncé for starting this surprise album drop trend, I guess. Really though, it's hard to be upset about this though. Two albums by one of the most distinct and quality indie bands working today has never hurt anyone (except maybe my feelings, cuz Beach House does that to ya).

Deerhunter - Fading Frontier (2015)

The more I think about it, Deerhunter's highly acclaimed Halcyon Digest doesn't always feel inspired. But that doesn't mean it's bad, in fact, it still remains as quite an excellent record. "Desire Lines"? You know I still play it. There's something magical and eerie about Halcyon Digest that makes it unforgettable.

And considering that Fading Frontier is Deerhunter's latest record, I should expect something good, right? Fading Frontier is quite good, but its greatest sin is that it's very forgettable. Clocking in at a brief thirty-six minutes, Frontier unfortunately has no standout tracks to speak of. The music all sounds fine, but once the record stops, there's only a feeling of "that's it?"

Unfortunately, that is it. Fading Frontier sounds like something that's been done before, and done better. Frontier lacks Digest's gravitas, the pull that makes Digest an arresting listen. I hope Deerhunter's next record is something less safe and more inspired than this.

6/10