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)

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

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

Travis Scott - Rodeo (2015)

Why should one listen to Travis Scott? Lyrically, he's pretty lackluster. But the production is fantastic- Exhibit A: the Days Before Rodeo mixtape. Rodeo, the debut album, makes for a fine Exhibit B. Rodeo has some of the best and most-unique sounding tracks I've heard this year.

We begin with T.I.'s voice as our narrator telling a story of sorts, a la Common on Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon. Opener "Pornography" doesn't really stand too well on its own, but it's a solid opener. "Oh My Dis Side" and "3500" are both bangers, but also a little lengthy. It's not until "90210" where Rodeo really takes off though. It's a mish-mash of influences, but it's fantastic. I was reminded of Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak, Drake's "Marvin's Room", and Scott's own "Don't Play".

Beasts of No Nation (2015) dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga

Who's the best new director to emerge from the past decade? Ask me today, and I'd say Cary Joji Fukunaga. I've heard great things about his debut Sin Nombre and his Jane Eyre adaptation, but I can testify that the first season of True Detective was masterfully made, many thanks to Fukunaga.

The Martian (2015) dir. Ridley Scott

There's a lot to like about The Martian, and it's certainly tremendous that it all works. The ensemble, led by Matt Damon, is enormous, Ridley Scott has stunk so much in recent years, and the playful style of the source could possibly fail to translate well on-screen. But fortunately it works.

Drake - So Far Gone (2009)

There's no doubt that Drake is one of the hottest artists in the business right now. "Hotline Bling", a fantastic track that feels a bit like a throwaway, is charting at #2 on the Hot 100, right behind Drake  The Weeknd's "The Hills". Not only is Drake himself present, but he's influential too.

2009's So Far Gone is Drake's latest free mixtape, because honestly, because even though I love this year's If You're Reading This It's Too Late and the Future collab What a Time to Be Alive, one should not have to pay for mixtapes. Hell, those two don't count.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

"Where's the cardboard sleeve for this Wilco CD?" -Fletcher (Adam Horovitz) While We're Young

What more can be said about Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? It's certainly one of the defining indie-rock albums of the decade preceding. It's one of those rare, elusive albums that earned a 10 score from Pitchfork, which hardly doles out perfect ratings. Is it great? Oh baby it is.

Dogtooth (2009) dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Yorgos Lanthimos is an acclaimed Greek filmmaker, who most recently directed The Lobster, which, by many accounts, is very good and very weird. Many share the same sentiments about his 2009 breakout, Dogtooth, too. However, I will admit that it's very weird, I can't admit to it being very good.

Beach House - Take Care (2010)

This is Beach House at its finest. I think anyone's first Beach House album is destined to be their favorite (there's a lack of variety between their albums, I think). Anyways, this is my favorite Beach House album, by a large margin too. Teen Dream sounds wistful, psychedelic, and beautiful. Standout tracks include "Silver Soul" (which was sampled on Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees"), "Used to Be", "Better Times", and "Take Care".

9/10

Fargo (2014) - Season 1

What's more amazing: that True Detective Season 2 would be a steaming turd, or that an anthology series based off Fargo, one of the most respected movies ever, would turn out to be just as good as its source? If you asked me this question in March of last year, after TD's first season wrapped up, and before Noah Hawley's Fargo would premiere on FX, I would definitely pick the second option. There's no way this should work. But it does. And the world is a better place for it.

The Game - The Documentary (2005)

Since the first disc of The Game's hotly anticipated The Documentary 2 is releasing tomorrow, I felt it necessary I give The Game a serious listen. After all, he was fantastic on Dr. Dre's Compton.

The Documentary totally seemed right up my alley. The Game's debut record was made in collaboration with the hottest artists at the time (50, Kanye), and was mostly produced by Dr. Dre. There's so much collaboration in this album. In fact, excessive collaboration is what makes The Documentary so likable, but also might be its crux.

The Edge of Heaven (2007) dir. Fatih Akin

By watching Fatih Akin's (I swore his name was "Faith") The Edge of Heaven, I satisfied some major cinematic blindspots: cinema of Turkey and Akin's movies himself. I was not disappointed when I heard The Cut was received poorly in Venice last year because I knew nothing of Akin and his movies. But to me, now, Akin can do no wrong. This is probably the best Turkish film I've seen too. The Edge of Heaven is a smarter and more concise film than Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Once Upon a Time in Anatolia and Winter Sleep.

I went into The Edge of Heaven totally blind and you should too. There are two main plots that converge quite beautifully in the third act. However, the first two acts at times do feel dreadfully aimless. But it pays off, trust me. (what credibility do I have, though???)

The Edge of Heaven is a lovely entry in current world cinema. It's a mature film not only about religious conflict, but human desires and humanity in general. Akin's never heavy-handed; he never lets politics dictate his story. He lets it speak for itself. That is marvelous.

8/10

Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness (2015)

I love this. Before, Julia Holter is a name that would not have rung a bell. But her album, Have You in My Wilderness is one of this year's standouts.

It's thoughtful. Right from opener "Feel You", you can tell this album is different. The compostions are complex. It's like nothing I've heard before. Holter swoons and croons her way through vague, personal stories. "Silhoutte" is dynamic, and the back-to-back of "How Long" and "Lucette Stranded on the Island" work especially well together.

Jamie xx - In Colour (2015)

If you ask anyone who had heard the track "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" what their song of the summer was, they would say that was it. I know it was mine.

Jamie xx's In Colour is certainly one of the best albums of 2015. It's classified as Dance/Electronic music, but it's much more than that. Often I find music of that genre to be frantic and thrown-together. There's not much her lyrically, but this isn't Aesop Rock. Right from the first track, "Gosh", a voice announces "...Keeping the vibe alive!" and Jamie xx does.

What makes In Colour great is its minimalist sound. No track is quite alike - if you had to stick a color to each track, you'd have yourself a rainbow. Of course my favorite tracks would include the Young Thug / Popcaan featuring "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)", but I also have to give special recognition to the steel-drum heavy "Obvs", and probably the closer "Girl". In Colour is almost entirely instrumental, but it speaks volumes.

9/10

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959)

I have no idea how to review this type of thing. Do I even do reviews? Hell, what do I know. Anyway, here's the lowdown on this: Miles Davis' 1959 record, Kind of Blue is kind of great. It's only five tracks long, but it feels like one massive track of sweet, sweet sounds. I have no idea how to review jazz, really. But it sounds great. More on this some other time, maybe.

10/10

Sicario (2015) dir. Denis Villeneuve

One of the best movies of 2012 was Kathryn Bigelow's epic and brutal Zero Dark Thirty, which was massive in scope and short in hand-holding. So, if like me, you happened to dig ZDT, you're in luck. Denis Villeneuve's latest, Sicario, offers many of the same pleasures.

Sicario (Spanish for "hitman") follows Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an FBI woman that volunteers for a Department of Defense task force looking to bring down men responsible for violence on the US side of the border. But Sicario is not really about Macer. We follow her, but it's really about the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro).

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest (2010)

I love Halcyon Digest, but I'm not sure why. I tried reading Pitchfork's review, and though it was effusive in praise, but it offered little insight in what made Digest great.

Halcyon Digest's greatest asset is mood. It's sometimes ambient, and sometimes foot-tappingly playful. The album cover is dark and a little creepy, but Digest is quite accessible. It's almost poppy, but that's not a bad thing.

Of course some songs are stronger than others, but that's to be expected. Standouts were  "Revival", which sounded a lot like an upbeat track that Yellow House-era Grizzly Bear would have released, and the epic "Desire Lines".

Still, I can't pin down what makes Halcyon Digest so good, and what makes it fall short of a 10. I do feel I could've done without "Fountain Stairs", and maybe opener "Earthquake" could've been trimmed a bit, but Halcyon Digest is superb, unique rock.

9/10

Bad Timing (1980) dir. Nicolas Roeg

Moral of the story: don't fuck with crazy. But who's the crazy one?

It's funny that Art Garfunkel's most famous performances have been in films that tackled sex with alarming frankness. Bad Timing, by Nicolas Roeg, is a beast of a movie. After all, this is from the guy who did Don't Look Now, a masterpiece with one of cinema's most iconic sex scenes.

Invisible Man (1952) by Ralph Ellison

Maybe somewhat ironically, Invisible Man has been one elusive book to me. It was only last year did I learn that there was another Invisible Man besides H.G. Wells sci-fi lore. This one, by black author Ralph Ellison, is an exploration into American racism in 1920's New York.

Our man is black and unnamed, and seemingly loony when we first meet him. He has a story to tell though, and we go along for the ride because we've got nothing better to do (or have heard so much great stuff about the book). What follows is twisted fiction, impossibly surreal, and episodic almost. The first chapter is incredible, as it describes the sweat and blood from an animalistic battle royale where blacks are pitted against blacks for entertainment sake. This chapter, and the final hundred so pages, are riveting.

Travis Scott - Days Before Rodeo (2014)

I have so much to thank Kanye West for. Somehow, his release Yeezus was what got me interested and excited by music. It made me realize that albums were more than haphazard song compilations, instead they could be something rich and cohesive, even if they have lyrics like "I be speakin' swagheli".

Part of what made Yeezus such a sonic departure was the no-name producer/rapper Travis Scott. He's a credited producer on three of Yeezus' tracks, and to say he has parallels to the former Blueprint/College Dropout era West wouldn't be incorrect. Like West, Scott's a producer and rapper with a sound of his own. He's also got a mischievous streak.

Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late (2015)

Simply put, If You're Reading This It's Too Late was bound to be iconic. Even the dang cover is iconic, from its plainness to its chicken-scratch handwriting that looks like a suicide note from the Chick-Fil-A cow. But most of all, If You're Reading This It's Too Late validated Drake's status as rap's superstar. Only he can really get away with releasing a mixtape with a price tag (and do it twice in one year).

There's serious debate on whether or not This is a mixtape or not. If it is, it's certainly one of the most polished and well-done mixtapes I've listened to. If not, it's a worthy entry in Drake's album output. Even the wikipedia article for the project can't decide whether or not it's a mixtape.

Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience (2013)

The most notable thing about Timberlake's one-two punch of albums is that they have a combined length of two hours and twenty four minutes. Even in separate halves, they are both seventy minutes or so. It's hard enough for a movie to justify a time longer than two hours, and even harder for an album. Is Timberlake justified to make music this epic in length?

Really, Timberlake can do whatever he wants. But The 20/20 Experience takes a hit because of how massive it is. Not only are the albums long, but the songs are too. Many of them are at least five minutes in length, but many of them reach to eight, nine minutes or more. The opener of part one, "Pusher Love Girl" is eight minutes, but doesn't feel as much like one song as it does multiple. This idea of songs composed of multiple different parts is continuous between both projects.

ScHoolboy Q - Oxymoron (2014)

ScHoolboy Q is an artist I haven't paid much attention to. He's not a socially conscious rapper like fellow Top Dawg Kendrick Lamar, nor does he have the husky aggression of Jay Rock. Q's kind a of booty rapper. He's the type of artist that moms use as evidence for why rap isn't music. And that's okay.

Oxymoron is ScHoolboy Q's major label debut, and it could have easily ridden the good kid m.A.A.d city hype had it not been delayed a long time. But as it stands, Oxymoron is a solid album. It's not cohesive and cinematic like good kid m.A.A.d city, but Oxymoron hits the target it's gunning for. It's chock full of bangers, from "Los Awesome", "Collard Greens" to "Man of the Year".

Besides the intense walk through memory lane "Hoover Street", Oxymoron isn't important or substantial. The broad themes are sex and drugs, and though there is quite a bit to be desired, Oxymoron is fire. The features are all pretty good, especially Jay Rock and Tyler, The Creator. The latter I haven't given much a care for, but he fits in perfectly on "The Purge". Highlight tracks are the frantic "Los Awesome", the bilingual "Collard Greens", and "Hoover Street".

7.5/10

Big Grams - s/t (2015)

Outkast is certainly one of hip-hop's great duos, arguably the greatest there ever was. But whenever Outkast is discussed, it feels like André 3000 comes up more than Big Boi. Three-stacks is certainly the more artistic and flamboyant of the two, but I (and a growing number of others) believe Big Boi, aka Daddy Fat Sax is a better rapper. Not many have a voice for the genre like Big Boi. He can spit fast, and make it seem cool and easy.

Though we haven't really seen much music from André 3000 in the past decade, Big Boi has stayed busy. His two solo albums, though not smash hits, are universally well-liked. This EP, Big Grams, is not a solo effort, though. It's a collaboration between Big Boi and electronica duo Phantogram, and it marks Big Boi's first collaborative release since Outkast's Idlewild.

Ryan Adams - 1989 (2015) / Taylor Swift - 1989 (2014)

Okay, it's already September 23rd of 2015, and I still have yet to listen to Taylor Swift's pop smash 1989. I've heard the singles "Shake It Off" and the "Bad Blood" remix featuring Kendrick Lamar, but I somehow have avoided the other eleven tracks... until today. I realized I was in a pretty good position to compare Swift's album, and Ryan Adams' cover version, which was released two days ago. I listened to Adams' first, so most of my thoughts on Swift's album will be compared to the cover version.

Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon (2015)

When making Honeymoon, I feel like the hardest part for Lana Del Rey was deciding the track order. She makes sultry singing sound easy with her smokey voice. But how the heck did she decide what order to put her songs in? Really, a lot of them do sound the same.

Honeymoon is incredibly easy listening. If you're looking to be challenged, check Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, because you won't be finding anything difficult here. Highlight tracks are all of them, or none of them. It depends if you are a Lana fan or not.

Just like with Future in What a Time to Be Alive, Rey isn't gonna convert any haters with Honeymoon. But I bet her fanbase is pleased and rightly so. The sun-dappled high spirits of Lana's lifestyle are ever present, making Honeymoon a sweet swan song to a summer gone by.

Many of the songs follow a pop formula, so it does get a little tiring, but Lana is doing Lana, and I'm pretty sure she knows what her fanbase wants. This is probably good kissing music.

7/10

Black Mass (2015) dir. Scott Cooper

Johnny Depp is a very talented actor. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who would disagree with that statement. But, it has been hard to stand by Depp's side as in the 2010's, he's been delving deeper into the makeup and weirdness and avoiding all things challenging. But forget Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter or the iconic Jack Sparrow. Depp is weird as hell and still coated in makeup for Scott Cooper's Whitey Bulger pic Black Mass, but you can see he's challenging himself. It's great.

Okay, it's not all great. Scott Cooper is a competent director of actors, and everything looks good onscreen, but it's hard to enjoy Black Mass when it feels like everything onscreen has been done before. Even the "family recipe" scene from the first trailer feels like it's trying to be the "funny how" scene from GoodFellas. Black Mass doesn't even touch GoodFellas or The Godfathers, but for what it is, it's a decently good watch.

Drake / Future - What a Time to Be Alive (2015)

"Moon pie... what a time to be alive!" -Jasper Beardley, The Simpsons

This is exactly how I feel. September 20th, 2015, will not be a landmark day in rap history in the way September 11th (2001: The Blueprint; 2007: Graduation v. Curtis) is. I am not even sure if Drake and Future's new collaborative mixtape, What a Time to Be Alive, will be talked about or even remembered clearly a year from now. But boy am I glad that it's here.

Beasts of No Nation (2005) by Uzodinma Iweala

As for the mediums I spend the most time with, movies has got to be it. Sure, the extended storytelling of television has its perks, and music is great when my eyes are sore. Books, however, are the weird medium. They're the ones I feel I neglect the most. I wish I read more instead of watching a seemingly endless amount of movies.

This year I told myself I would read more, and I have. I am in the back half of Ellison's seminal Invisible Man, and nearly finished with Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge. Recently, I read Beasts of No Nation, by Uzodinma Iweala (try saying that three times fast), yes, because of the Fukunaga movie that's coming on Netflix next month. However, Iweala's book is fantastic in it's own right, regardless of film association.

Jay Rock - 90059 (2015)

It's been nearly ten months since Jay Rock released the outstanding single "Parental Advisory" on soundcloud. Since then, I've been waiting patiently and anxiously for Rock's album, which has been a long time coming. In 2011, he released the poppy Follow Me Home, which featured the decently popular "All My Life (In the Ghetto)". Though it's fun to hear Rock and Lil Wayne exchange bars in the song's second half, there's something about Rock's aggression and conviction bubbling under that deserves something bigger.