new + upcoming releases

February 2:

Toni Braxton – Pulse
Jamie Foxx – Body
K.D. Lang – Recollection
Lifehouse – Smoke and Mirrors
Disco Biscuits – Planet Anthem
Toro Y Moi – Causers Of This
Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe II
Zombieland - DVD
New York, I Love You - DVD
Love Happens - DVD
Mystic River (Blu-ray) - DVD
Walk the Line (Bllu-ray) - DVD
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Blu-ray) - DVD


February 9:

Canibus – Melatonin Magik
HIM – Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice
Massive Attack – Heligoland
Redman – Reggie Noble 9 _
Young Jeezy – Thug Motivation 103
Fear Factory – Mechanize
Watson Twins – Talking To You, Talking To Me
A Serious Man - DVD
Couples Retreat - DVD
The Stepfather - DVD
Bronson - DVD


February 15th:

Peter Gabriel – Scratch My Back
The Errors – Come Down With Me


February 16:

Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
The Game – The R.E.D. Album
Story of the Year – Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You
Field Music – Field Music (Measure)
Freeway – The Stimulus Package
Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain
Law Abiding Citizen - DVD
Coco Before Chanel - DVD


February 23:

Alkaline Trio – This Addiction
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh
Michelle Branch: Everything Comes and Goes
The Streets – Computers and Blues
Matt Damon is The Informant! (blu-ray) - DVD
The Box - DVD
Nurse Jackie - DVD
Motherhood - DVD

reviews

[CD] Transference - Spoon
Reviewed by Heather Phares

Given Spoon’s reputation for consistency, it’s not a surprise that Transference is good. However, it manages to be good in surprising ways. This time, the band’s quest to get to the heart of their songs led them to take matters into their own hands and produce this album themselves -- a first, which seems somewhat remarkable, considering the band’s tight control over their sound. The single “Got Nuffin” preceded Transference by six months, and its stripped-down rock was the first hint that this album might not continue Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’s meticulous production and pop songcraft. As marvelous as the precision of that album was, the rough edges here are refreshing. Transference’s title may refer to subconscious emotional shifts, but these are some of the most direct and uncompromising songs Spoon has written.

They have all the gritty promise of demos (in fact, many of these songs are basically demos), with a roomy sound that just underlines their urgency. Compared to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Gimme Fiction’s polish, the Who-esque “Trouble Comes Running” might as well have been recorded on a four-track, while “Goodnight Laura”’s intimacy and imperfections make it a braver and more vulnerable lullaby. Any veneers in Britt Daniel's writing have been stripped away along with the sonic gloss, revealing songs that are more emotional, and filled with more emotions: “Written in Reverse” is the fieriest Spoon song in years, all bashed pianos and snarled vocals comparing the odd happy moments in a dying relationship to high school poppers. “I Saw the Light” is pure, in-the-moment discovery with an expansive instrumental coda that’s just as impassioned as Daniel's vocals. While Spoon’s music is almost always economical, it’s rarely simple, and Transference throws their complex contrasts into high relief. They ask the big question “Is Love Forever?,” but the more the beat hammers down and the more Daniel repeats “are you quite certain, love?” the more elusive the answer seems. “Who Makes Your Money?,” on the other hand, cloaks another tough question in a sinuous groove and spacy keyboards. Spoon take a zigzag path with each album, and Transference often feels like an equal and opposite reaction to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’s immediacy. But just because the band’s pop side isn’t the focus here doesn’t mean that moments like “The Mystery Zone”’s insistent groove aren’t earworms in their own way. Even if these aren’t Spoon’s easiest songs, they still deliver the best things about the band -- smarts, wit, hooks -- without any difficulty.


[DVD] Zombieland
Reviewed by Perri Nemiroff for cinemablend.com

I walked into Zombieland in a terrible mood and walked out a completely different person. No, I wasn’t turned into a zombie; I just walked out unreservedly delighted. Seriously, like twinkle-in-your-eye happy. Zombieland is filled with the horror genre’s standard overdose of blood and guts, but it’s also packing something else: humor. Add in a charming band of misfits and you end up with something disturbing, thrilling, hilarious and sweet, all at the same time. Whether you’re in a good mood, a bad one or indifferent, Zombieland is an incredibly fun film. Forget the twinkle in your eye; you know that dumb grin you get on your face when you’re really into a great movie? The one you hope you caught yourself making before anyone else notices? You’re going to be stuck with that grin long after Zombieland is over.

The film’s main protagonist is Columbus (Jesses Eisenberg), one of the few non-zombies left in the country thanks to a strict set of rules. The list includes the cardio rule, seatbelt wearing rule, and my personal favorite, the double tap. Nobody wants a zombie presumed dead to jump up and catch them off guard. Better be safe than sorry and put an extra bullet in that sucker’s head. On the other hand, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) has no rules. The only thing Tallahassee is concerned with is killing as many of those bloody-faced maniacs as possible and doing so in the most creative way he can think of. The two wind up crossing paths as Columbus makes his way to Columbus, Ohio to find his family and Tallahassee heads towards, well, you probably guessed it, Tallahassee, Florida.

Tallahassee’s obsession with a certain snack takes the guys into a supermarket where they find their female counterparts in a feeble situation. Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) aren’t as innocent as they seem, but the tension fades and the four decide to join forces and drive cross-country so Wichita can make good on her promise to take Little Rock to an amusement park in California.

Everything works in Zombieland. The casting, the screenwriting and the cinematography all meld perfectly creating a thoroughly enjoyable horror comedy hybrid. Harrelson’s Tallahassee may have a pathetic weakness, but he’s nothing short of awesome. He uninhibitedly stomps around onscreen bashing zombies into the ground and keeps you laughing as he does it. Harrelson’s over the top performance –but rightly so - is balanced by the subdued Eisenberg. You’d expect Eisenberg to be typecast similarly to Michael Cera, but there’s added warmth to Eisenberg that stops him from falling down the awkward-nice-guy hole. Eisenberg is no Channing Tatum but he’s a little stockier than Cera and handles a double-barreled shotgun pretty well. When it comes to the female department he’s also got a leg up on other nice guys; he’s awkward, but not so painfully that romance is ridiculous. Eisenberg and Harrelson are the shining stars of the film, but Breslin and Stone are in no way hiding in their shadows. There’s more to their characters than you’d expect. As a whole, the group has seamless chemistry and will instantly strike a chord.

Kudos to the cast, but the characters wouldn’t be as likeable if is wasn’t for the script. Co-writers and high school buddies Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have impeccable timing when it comes to wisecracks and know just the right moments to throw in some emotion to keep the characters benevolent. Ruben Fleischer does the dialogue justice. You get a taste of each character’s troubled past and even a hint of distress over the current zombie infestation, but never enough to slow the film down. You zip from scene to scene each of which is packed with vivid imagery and dazzling set designs. Not counting the remarkable climax scene, one part that’s particularly stunning takes place in a souvenir shop.

Another fantastic portion of the film involves a cameo. Even though I know you can Google your way to revealing the actor, try to keep it a mystery so you can get the full effect of the scene. It’s a cleverly crafted portion of the film that’s a sure crowd pleasure. Lastly, Zombieland The Movie Rule #1: Enjoy the film for what it is. Don’t go digging around Zombieland for realism. Some of the characters’ decisions are questionable and the whole zombie scenario is implausible, but this is a gem of a film that is immensely enjoyable for what it is.



[DVD] Motherhood
Reviewed by Perri Nemiroff for cinemablend.com

Everyone knows the idiom ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ I propose a new version, ‘Don’t judge a movie by its poster.’ For some reason, every time I look at the poster for Katherine Dieckmann’s Motherhood, I can’t help but to roll my eyes in disgust. The poster led me to believe the film would be a pity party for moms. Portions of the film certainly don that party hat, but overall Motherhood is charming and manages to turn the hackneyed concept of the used and abused mother into a fresh and pleasurable film.

Motherhood covers a day in the life of Eliza Welsh (Uma Thurman). She lives in two apartments with her husband Avery (Anthony Edward) and two young children Lucas and Clara. Yes, I said two apartments. The rent is stabilized and when it comes to children, the more space you have the better. Even with the double digs Eliza has a hard time taking care of the family and tending to her blog “The Bjorn Identity,” a website dedicated the woes of mommyhood.

The one thing that’s making this particul
ar day more hectic than others is her daughter’s 6th birthday party. You know how it is when you’re a kid; every birthday requires the utmost attention and most importantly, a party that provides the perfect goodie bag at the end. Not only does Eliza have to take care of her everyday chores including moving the car before the street sweeper rolls through and picking up the groceries, she also stumbles upon a contest asking for wannabe parenting writers to submit a 500-word answer to the question “What Does Motherhood Mean to Me?” The winner gets her own column! The only problem? Her entry must be submitted by midnight.

I walked into Motherhood expecting the bottom of the barrel for no other reason except my disapproval of the film’s poster. Something about it just screams cliché and suggests that if you see this movie, you’re going to be beaten over the head with motherhood disparities until you decide to get a puppy instead of having a kid. Yes, Motherhood beats you senseless with tiresome troubles of having children, but the realism behind them justifies their use.

The film opens with a shot of a list Eliza makes of things she must do during the day. It contains the usual daunting errands, but also reminds her to do what some would consider mindless tasks like getting dressed. For a minute I though she’d be like the forgetful Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates. Nope, she just has a lot on her plate. You really didn’t even need to see her list. Not only does Eliza’s fashion mimic her constantly manic life but so does her face. She’s busy and wants everyone to know it. At times it’s justified, but sometimes you’ll want to jump through the screen, shake her and tell her to take a deep breath. I know Eliza is exhausted, but constantly expressing her fatigue grows old fast.

Don’t worry, growing bored of her frazzled nature won’t leave you bored with the film. Motherhood maintains a steady pace and has a number of hilariously endearing scenarios. At first things like irritable moms in the playground seem cliché, but when you do a double take, you recall situations that help you relate. In one of the film’s most endearing moments Eliza is blocking traffic for a very understandable reason, trying to save her parking spot. What starts as an argument between her and one of the drivers she’s clogged up in her desperation turns into an instance in which a stranger recognizes the fact that she’s just having a rough day. How many times have you jut wanted a perfect stranger to sympathize with your situation? I’ve got one too many to count.

Motherhood has two primary downfalls. The lesser of the two is Thurman. She’s a fine actress, but something about Eliza isn’t quite convincing. I sympathized with her situation more than the character. Her relationship with her husband doesn’t strike a chord either. I guess their lack of chemistry has its reasons, but a moment of reconciliation isn’t as heartwarming as I believe it is intended to be. As always, the kids are adorable and can do no wrong and Minnie Driver is great as Eliza’s sassy friend Sheila who puts Eliza in her place when necessary. It’s too bad more of the film isn’t dedicated to her character.

The movie isn’t for everyone. It relies on the viewer’s willingness to empathize with Eliza’s plight. If you’re like a guy Eliza encounters in the film purporting that motherhood distress is no different than any other childless person’s troubles, Motherhood might not be for you. On the other hand, if you’re a parent yourself or have tremendous respect for moms and dads around the world, Motherhood will provide you with a sweet and charming theatergoing experience.


[DVD] Inglourious Bastards
Reviewed by Katey Rich

Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino’s Crash. Neither the sweeping war movie nor the action film its title and its marketing suggests, Basterds is more of a talky drama about a variety of coincidentally connected characters living separate lives which just happen to have a lot of Swastikas in them. Sure Tarantino occasionally indulges in the gory brutality that is his trademark, but only when one of his characters stops talking long enough to take a breath. They don’t take many breaths. That’s fortunate since brilliant babbling distracts from the movie’s lack of narrative. When his ciphers are dishing you’re too busy reveling in the intense exchange of threats, ideas, and ruminations to notice that the film abandoned most of its cast half an hour ago for no particular reason.

It plays out like a series of vignettes in which different archetypes are forced to deal with the Nazi occupation in different ways. For some its survival, for others its revenge. Ok ultimately it’s all about revenge, but this is not the story of a group of hard-bitten, bloodthirsty Jewish-American soldiers sent behind enemy lines to wreak havoc on every Nazi in sight. Aside from the occasional scalping, we never see any of that. Yes Brad Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, a part-Apache American soldier leading a group of Nazi killers called the Basterds, and yes they terrorize occupied territory by slaughtering SS officers. It all happens off camera. The Basterds only show up when they have something to say or when Tarantino needs a warm body to stand between someone else and a gun fight. They are one minor component in a movie filled with different, mostly unrelated characters whose lives may or may not become intertwined for a big fiery finale which is meant to, even if it sort of makes a mess of it, bring the whole thing together.

Still there’s revenge. Separate characters living separate lives stand around and talk about how they’re going to get it or how they’ve gotten it. Raine and his men take the direct approach, killing Nazis and carving swastikas in the heads of the ones they leave alive. Or there’s Shoshanna, a Jewish girl hiding in plain sight at a Paris movie theater playing German propaganda films, and letting her Nazi hate simmer as she lives and relives every horrible injustice she’s suffered.

If there’s a main character in this story it’s Col. Hans Landa, nicknamed “The Jew Hunter”. He’s a villain of the slick talking, smiling, unusually friendly variety. Darth Vader may be scary, but there’s nothing more sinister than a man who guzzles a glass of milk and presents a toothy grin before, in the most reasonable manner possible, ordering you dead. This particular smiling bad guy has been appointed by Hitler to hunt down Jews left hiding in occupied France and he’s very good at his job. Landa is not simply a Nazi officer, he’s more of a detective, a Nazi Sherlock Holmes with all the observational powers and persuasive abilities of the world’s greatest investigator, minus any vestige of humanity.

Nazi Sherlock Holmes makes for one hell of a villain and as played by Austrian Christoph Waltz, Landa is by far the best thing about Basterds. Walts slips out Taratino’s heavily stylized, brilliantly written patter with a German accent and all the sinister subtlety of Satan given physical form. He steals every scene he’s in with his creepy, all-knowing charm. If you see Inglourious Basterds for no other reason, see it for him.

What Basterds lacks isn’t great writing or even acting. What it’s missing is a balance between dialogue and story. There’s not one, unified narrative here. Rather it’s a bunch of short scenes held together mostly through snappy dialogue. It feels as if Tarantino came up with this strange, fever-dream ending in which the power of cinema is used to conjure up a Jewish devil to send Hitler back to hell, and then came up with this amazing opening in which we meet an iconic Nazi villain… and then had no real way to connect them together. Instead Quentin as both writer and director, seems to believe that if everyone keeps talking, he can justify anything. It’s kind of like watching him interviewed. Enjoyable, engrossing sounds come out of his mouth, but sometimes he’s not really saying much.
See Basterds for Tarantino’s brilliant dialogue of for Waltz’s genius performance, or for Mike Myers bizarre, heavily prostheticed cameo as a British general. See it to watch a film critic, for once, play the hero or to buy into Tarantino’s bizarre fantasy in which Hitler is defeated by the one-two combination of talking and French cinema. Just don’t see it for the gunfights or the battles, or the action scenes being shoved down your throat by the movie’s marketing. They don’t exist. If you’re looking for Kill Bill 3 go elsewhere. Inglourious Basterds is a flawed premise turned into a flawed story full of characters so unique and vibrant, delivering dialogue so intense and captivating, that it’s worth putting up with what’s missing.


[DVD] Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Reviewed by Katey Rich

Let's just get this out of the way: there will never be a great film based on a Harry Potter book. The series by J.K. Rowling is too dense with characters, packed with references, suffused with a bookishness that no amount of CGI can replicate. Once we realize this, and accept that the increasingly enjoyable series of Harry Potter movies will never reach the rousing heights of the source material, going into the latest wizarding adventure gets a lot more pleasant.

And Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, despite a few narrative threads and character arcs left dangling in the transfer, is by far one of the best of the series, and absolutely the funniest and most human. The last film that will be set largely at Hogwarts, Half-Blood Prince leaves room for its characters and the world they inhabit to breathe, returning to things like Quidditch and Christmas parties and the "frivolous" things that make Rowling's writing such a joy. Aided by some stellar supporting players, including the tremendous Jim Broadbent as bombastic new professor Horace Slughorn, the film earns big laughs where earlier films felt more morose than magical. It's not a light film by any means, but Half-Blood Prince feels less hellbent on plot development, and therefore a lot more fun.

Returning to Hogwarts for his sixth year, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, blank and serviceable) is convinced, as ever, that nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton, aging marvelously) is up to no good. But this time he's right-- Malfoy has been given a mysterious directive from Voldemort himself, and Professor Snape (Alan Rickman, delicious) has vowed to help him. As Malfoy completes a mysterious task in a hidden corner of the castle, Harry and Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) delve into memories of Voldemort's past, hoping to discover the key to destroying him for good.

On the other hand, there are equally important things to consider, like Hermione's (Emma Watson) growing feelings for the dopey Ron (Rupert Grint, turning into a stellar comedian), who has gotten caught up in a lovey-dovey relationship with Lavender Brown (a hilarious Jessie Cave). Harry, for his part, can't stop staring at Ron's little sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright). Evanna Lynch is also back as the wondrous space cadet Luna Lovegood, and Freddie Stroma is funny as the egomaniacal Cormac McLaggen, a challenger for Ron's spot on the Quidditch team and for Hermione's affections.

Employing a dark and stormy color palette that's effective if not particularly interesting, director David Yates makes his best choices in transitioning from scene to scene. In one corner of the castle, Ron kisses Lavender; in another, Malfoy stalks up a set of stairs on his uncertain mission. Taking place almost entirely within Hogwarts, the film possesses a nice claustrophobia, as you imagine an actual boarding school full of wizards might feel. It's a good chance to say goodbye to the old place
The book boasted very little action, and a new scene is stupidly added midway through the movie as a replacement for a climactic final battle that is cut entirely. But the book's best and most terrifying scene, in which Harry and Dumbledore explore a cave that holds one of Voldemort's treasures, is executed perfectly. Dumbledore has previously always been an aloof and benevolent figure, beloved but distant, but when he and Harry embark on their multiple adventures, he becomes much more like a partner. It's yet another step on Harry's road toward adulthood, and for all the ways his acting falters elsewhere, Radcliffe handles the transition deftly.

Packed as it is with Quidditch and Christmas parties and the occasional dark magic, Half-Blood Prince does manage to drag in parts, mostly the serious ones in which plot development apparently requires long pauses to become clear. But the comic scenes are so light and enjoyable in contrast that the pace keeps up despite itself. For the most part all the cuts made from the book are good ones, trimming the fat and such, but the presence of characters like Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) at the end no longer makes any sense with the final battle missing. For all the brilliance Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves show in condensing the story, the film, like all the others, arrives at an ending that feels less earned than inevitable.

As a Potter fan it's easy to nitpick-- Snape's final scene is a letdown, Ginny is turned into a total snore-- but that's not the point of the films. It's a chance to marvel at the visuals of Hogwarts, seeing Professor Slughorn turn into an armchair and Hermione attack Ron with a flock of birds. The fact that there's a heart behind all the digital wizardry is a testament to how far the series has come, and how well Yates knows the world that, in the end, he will have helped create as much as Rowling. We'd love Harry's newest adventure no matter what, but thankfully, this one earns our devotion.

current staff picks


Colin :
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Deftones – White Pony
Stereophonics – Just Enough Education to Perform
DVD: Airplane!

Meghan:
Isobele Campbell – Milkwhite Sheets
The Beatles – Abbey Road
Her Space Holiday – The Young Machines
DVD: Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life

Rich :
Franz Liszt – Piano Concerto No. 1
The Beatles – Rubber Soul
Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clientele
DVD: Stripes

Adrian :
Tori Amos – Boys for Pele
Tricky
The Notorious Betty Page Soundtrack
DVD: Pan’s Labyrinth

Joshua:
Horse The Band – A Natural Death
David Hillyard and The Rocksteady Secen – Playtime
Punk-O-Rama Volume 1
DVD: Memento

Marcy:
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Adele – 19
John Legend – Evolver
DVD: Iris

Mon, Feb. 1:
Mariah Carey – Tower Theatre

Tue, Feb. 2:
Tyler James – North Star Bar

Wed, Feb. 3:
Anti Flag – TBA
Phil Vassar – TBA
Scary Kids Scaring Kids – Theater of Living Arts

Thurs, Feb. 4:
Dan Dyer – World Café Live
Galactic – TBA
Greg Laswell – Tin Angel
Minus The Bear – Crocodile Rock
Tea Leaf Green – TLA

Fri, Feb. 5:
Alberta Cross – North Star Bar
Anti Flag – Starland Ballroom
Motion City Soundtrack – Crocodile Rock
Yes – Penn’s Peak
Virginia Coalition – World Café Live

Sat, Feb. 6:
Josh Rouse – World Café Live

Sun, Feb. 7:
Alberta Cross - The Khyber

Tue, Feb. 9:
Dave Davies – TBA
John Doyle – World Café Live

Wed, Feb 10:
Angie Stone – Keswick Theater
Cheap Seats – Trocadero
Leela James – Keswick Theater

Thurs, Feb 11:
Eric Church – Trocadero
Ingrid Michaelson – World Café Live
Mean Creek – TBA
Mutlu – World Café Live
Trey Anastasio – TBA

Fri, Feb. 12:
Chevelle – TBA
John Wesley – Sellersville Theater 1894
Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter - Trocadero
Murder City Devils – TLA
Pat McGee – Tin Angel
Red Rooster – Puck

Sat, Feb. 13:
3rd rail – Khyber
Garrison Starr – Tin Angel
Megadeth – Susquehanna Bank Center
Slayer – Susquehanna Bank Center

Sun, Feb. 14:
Atreyu – TBA
Lotus – Sherman Theater
Selena Gomez – Tower Theater
Used - TBA

Mon, Feb. 15:
Bob Weir and Phil Lesh – Stabler Arena

Tue, Feb. 16:
Tegan and Sara – Tower Theatre

Wed, Feb. 17:
Dave Alvin – Sellersville Theater 1894
Redbird – Tin Angel
Diana Jones – Tin Angel
New Found Glory – Electric Factory

Thurs, Feb. 18:
Citizen Cope – TLA
Hot 8 Brass Band – Keswick Theater
Julian Velard – Tin Angel
Mos Def – Trocadero

Fri, Feb. 19:
Citizen Cope – TLA
Codename – North Star Bar
John Prine – Merriam Theatre
Pissed Jeans – Khyber

Sat, Feb. 20:
Air Supply – The Community Theatre at Mayo Center of the Performing Arts
Antlers – Trocadero
Editors – Trocadero
Funkadelic – Keswick Theater
Saves the Day – Electric Factory

Sun, Feb. 21:
John Mayer – Wachovia Center
Lady Antebellum – Sovereign Center
Tim McGraw – Sovereign Center

Mon, Feb. 22:
Bob Weir and Phil Lesh – University of Delaware

Tue, Feb. 23:
Arlo Guthrie – TBA
English Beat – TBA
Fishbone – World Café Live
Verve Pipe – World Café Live

Wed, Feb. 24:
Bela Fleck – Grand Opera House
Trevor Hall – Tin Angel

Thurs, Feb. 25:
North Mississipi Allstars – World Café Live
Roseanne Cash – Scottish Rite Auditorium

Fri, Feb. 26:
Flogging Molly – Electric Factory
Glimmer Twins – The Devon Theater
Mumbles – World Café Live

Sat, Feb. 27:
Howie Day – World Café Live
Serena Ryder – World Café Live

Sat, Feb. 28:
Big D – Trocadero