Leisure
Reviews and think pieces on music, movies, art, and theater.
Critical Voices: Dengue Fever
L.A.-based sextet Dengue Fever has the kind of back-story that’ll crinkle more than a few cynical noses: five white dudes from the United States travelled to Cambodia, fell in love with that country’s ‘60s psych-rock output, enlisted Cambodian pop singer Ch’hom Nimol and released a self-titled album comprised almost entirely of Cambodian pop-rock covers. Luckily, over the course of seven years the band has melded its diverse influences into a strikingly distinct Cambodian-pop-meets-Ethiopian-jazz aesthetic that in no way hints at the white-boy cultural misappropriation its back-story suggests.
It really is “All in the Timing”
Three days before Friday’s scheduled opening for Mask and Bauble’s “All in the Timing”, the mysterious process of assembling a theatrical production was underway in Poulton Hall. A girl walked by carrying a ladder and called to someone across the hall, “Oh, don’t worry, we found a bucket of chains.” The cast lounged around, putting on and taking off costumes, telling complicated stories about making out with the lights off. Tyler Spalding (SFS ‘08), the producer of this whole venture, wasn’t there yet, and it seemed he was the only one who knew what was going on.
One Fish Two Fish no more fish
One Fish Two Fish suffers from a severe case of culinary attention deficit disorder. The restaurant offers almost every type of Asian dish you could think of, from standard Chinese take-out fare, to udon, Singapore rice noodles, pho, bubble tea and sushi. While I was excited to find a place that served all of my favorite foods under one roof, I was apprehensive about the extreme levels of variety. Multitasking doesn’t usually yield the best results, and this restaurant is no exception.
No Country for Old Men
Joel and Ethan Coen’s brutally masterful new film, No Country for Old Men, is an unnerving piece of filmmaking as harsh and unforgiving as the parched Texas landscape where the story unfolds.
Lonely channels: surviving the writers’ strike
With the Writers Guild of America entering its fourth week on strike and no new episodes remaining of most scripted shows, networks are pulling out the big guns—namely, a bowtie clad Tucker Carlson. He’ll be the host of a new game show about trusting complete strangers to win cash. If that isn’t depressing enough, there’s no shortage of horrible ideas for unscripted shows to fill in the slots usually taken by 30 Rock or The Late Show: “My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad,” “Baby Borrowers,” and “When Woman Rule the World” (what, we don’t already?). To help cope with the onslaught of mediocrity that will rule the airwaves until the writers and networks get a contract signed, here’s some TV-on-DVD you may not have heard of:
Dylan biopic all there
I’m Not There is fantastic, in all senses of the word, exploring one of the most alluring stories in modern American history—the rise of Bob Dylan.
Post-punk isolation, insight
Post-punk outfit Joy Division has risen to near-legendary status in the twenty-seven years since lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide. It’s easy to view the band’s work through Curtis’ death, which often overshadows the music. Although it’s less a movie about Joy Division than a documentary of Ian Curtis’ short life, Control refuses to indulge in melodrama, forcing viewers to confront the abject tragedy of his suicide.
Art Brut talks to the kids!
English foursome Art Brut play stupidly fun rock and roll for the intelligent—but fun—music fan. The band’s 2005 debut Bang Bang Rock & Roll garnered critical praise at home and across the pond for its faux-metal guitar heroics and churning punk rhythms. This year’s It’s a Bit Complicated refines the debut’s pop formula while retaining its dry wit. The Voice spoke with lead singer Eddie Argos in anticipation of his band’s concert with the Hold Steady on November 20th at the 9:30 Club.