Reviews Archives | Page 16 of 22

“Boulevard! A Hollywood Story” (Festival Review)

31Aug

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Events, Film, Reviews

“Boulevard! A Hollywood Story” (Festival Review)

When Gloria Swanson took on the role of Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard," it was the epitome of perfect casting. The iconic character, much like the woman who was playing her, had been a superstar in the world of silent film. The advent of "talkies" really ruined both of their careers, but Swanson would have the last laugh. https://youtu.be/_dY0SVxnHjQ The performance found her, yet again, in the good graces of Hollywood (at least temporarily) when she was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. The film was such a lifesaver for Swanson that she wanted to find a way to extend its power. She turned to Dickson Hughes and Richard Stapley, two young songwriters who just so happened to be lovers at a time when that had to be kept tightly un...

Dez Money Teases New Album With “Give Me All You’ve Got” Single Release

30Aug

By SimonNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Dez Money Teases New Album With “Give Me All You’ve Got” Single Release

Dez Money's evolution as a songwriter is on display with the release of his new single "Give Me All You've Got". It's the latest sample of material from his highly anticipated new album which is due later this year. Dez spent a lot of time on the road with his respected father, rocker Eddie Money before he passed. He toured both as a guitarist in the band and as the opening act. He can also be seen on the AXS TV series "Real Money", which chronicled the Money families life both at home and on tour. This next generation of Money talent is starting to step into its own. Dez's Take Me Down album debuted in 2015 followed by his sophomore album Blue in 2020. But now the focus turns to the new material. You'll recognize some of the instruments in the new video for "Give Me All You've Got...

My Morning Jacket Announces Release Of First New Studio Album In Six Years

29Aug

By SimonNo Comments

Music, Reviews, Uncategorized

My Morning Jacket Announces Release Of First New Studio Album In Six Years

As they say, good things come to those who wait. Fans of My Morning Jacket have been waiting six years for an album full of new material. And while we'll have to wait until October 22nd for the release of their self-titled LP, they've released a new single called "Regularly Scheduled Programming" to tide us over. The album will be My Morning Jacket's first since 2015's Grammy-nominated The Waterfall. The band had been in a holding pattern on indefinite hiatus. But, after four shows in the summer of 2019, including two big nights at the legendary Red Rocks amphitheater in Colorado, MMJ pledged to carry on. New Single Out Now In regards to the new single "Regularly Scheduled Programming", frontman Jim James hopes the album (and song) brings people joy and relief after being cooped...

Vocal Powerhouse Teddy Swims Drops New Single “Simple Things”

28Aug

By SimonNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Vocal Powerhouse Teddy Swims Drops New Single “Simple Things”

It's been a big year for talented vocalist Teddy Swims. His new single "Simple Things" is out now as he winds down a massive summer tour with Zac Brown Band. Swims dedicated his life to music at a young age and has seen the fruits of that effort come to light in recent years. In 2019 he began broadcasting covers from a bedroom studio and built a following of nearly two million fans on YouTube to go along with hundreds of millions of views. He's developed a signature style, incorporating elements of soul, R&B, and rock & roll with a hip-hop swagger onto his debut EP Unlearning. Teddy Swims In Rolling Stone Swims initially started getting the attention of major publications like American Songwriter, Billboard, and Rolling Stone who dubbed him an "artist to watch". ...

Hulu Premieres Outrageous New Comedy “Vacation Friends” (Review)

27Aug

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Hulu Premieres Outrageous New Comedy “Vacation Friends” (Review)

As distribution models continue to shift thanks to COVID, we are continuing to see major studio releases get shifted over to premiere online. That has been the case with Clay Tarver's outrageously raucous new film "Vacation Friends" as it shifted to Hulu where it premieres today. It's safe to assume that most people have met others while they were traveling who made the trip more enjoyable, but just because you connect away from home doesn't mean that they would become your close friends in the "real world." Lil Rel Howery ("Get Out") and Yvonne Orji ("Insecure") star as Marcus and Emily, a straightlaced couple from Chicago who head to Mexico for a five star getaway. Things go awry from the moment they arrive when a planned wedding proposal from Marcus is ruined by their guest s...

“MR. SOUL!” Now Streaming on HBO Max (Review)

24Aug

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Music, Reviews

“MR. SOUL!” Now Streaming on HBO Max (Review)

I hope that, by now, you have taken some time to sit down and watch Questlove's magnificent documentary "Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" on Hulu. If you enjoyed that film as much as I did, you're also going to want to add Melissa Haizlip's monumental "MR. SOUL!" to your watchlist. It's great to see that the film is continuing to find an audience. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018 and made the festival circuit throughout 2019. And, as happened to so many other films, it got derailed a bit by COVID and ended up having a proper release delayed until late last year. Haizlip turns a spotlight on a slice of American music and cultural history that many may be unaware of - a revolutionary public television series hosted by her uncle. ...

A Bandcamp Friday Exclusive: Just Connor’s “Platinum Angels” Pre-Release Was A Gift.

23Aug

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Interviews, Music, Reviews

A Bandcamp Friday Exclusive: Just Connor’s “Platinum Angels” Pre-Release Was A Gift.

Barely a month after his last single, the genre-defining wave producer Just Connor is at it again with his latest single, “Platinum Angels”, an upbeat, atmospheric track that’ll make your heart race. Trust me when I say this song is something you need to listen to right now. Check it out: Platinum Angels by Just Connor "Platinum Angels" was first made available as a special pre-release for August’s Bandcamp Friday. It will be available on streaming platforms later this summer. This track will get you up and out of your seat with its electrifying synths, addictive melodies and classic JC beats—all perfectly layered together at a pace that will make you MOVE. It is four minutes of pure bliss. Hearing it is a transformative experience. Defining a Genre & ...

Introducing The Highly Anticipated Release “something to live for” From Rising Star Ethan Jewell

22Aug

By KaylaNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Introducing The Highly Anticipated Release “something to live for” From Rising Star Ethan Jewell

Whether we believe it or not, we are not alone in our struggles. Life can get so busy, so confusing. We get lost in figuring out who we are and what we want to accomplish. The moments in which we do not know the answers to our own questions can be some of the hardest to live through. The point is that we live through them and we grow through them by connecting with others and with ourselves, by listening and supporting others' art, and by creating our own. We give to the world what we would like to receive back, and this is how we get through the unknown. Ethan Jewell is a remarkable and unique artist that shares his deepest thoughts with the world in hopes that those listening can feel safe doing the same. Based in Texas, with two albums, 20 million TikTok likes, and a non-traditional ...

Are You Ready to Catch ‘The Feels’? KID BRUNSWICK’s Newest Music Video is Here.

20Aug

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Are You Ready to Catch ‘The Feels’? KID BRUNSWICK’s Newest Music Video is Here.

After weeks of coyly teasing fans with behind-the-scenes sneak peeks on social media, KID BRUNSWICK released the music video for “The Feel” today. Quirky and fun, the video is pure satire and provides commentary on modern dating culture without taking itself too seriously. Check it out– https://youtu.be/u7i4LLA6agc Over the course of the video, you see the rise and fall of a relationship in four minutes – all based on unspoken impressions and impulses. It ends just as quickly as it starts. While it’s a direct reference to reality shows like The Bachelorette and Love Island, the chaos depicted can be directly applied to the “regular” dating scene as well. “Ever since I was young, I was intrinsically unhappy with who I was. I didn't understand why I felt that wa...

Udo Kier Gives An Unforgettable Performance in “Swan Song” (Review)

20Aug

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Udo Kier Gives An Unforgettable Performance in “Swan Song” (Review)

Todd Stephens wrote, produced, and directed this new drama starring legendary German actor Udo Kier that had its world premiere earlier this year at the virtual edition of the SXSW festival. Older members of the LGBTQ+ community are not often given a chance to tell their stories or see themselves represented in popular culture, so it's a real treat to see Kier absolutely eat up every inch of the screen as Pat Pitsenbarger, an aging gay man who is miserably spending his final days trapped in a nursing home facility in Sandusky, Ohio. In a tale that is thankfully not as common now, we learn that Pat's long term partner David had passed away in the 90s due to complications from AIDS. At that time, before queer people could get married, many couples did not have legal protections. He l...