Leisure

Reviews and think pieces on music, movies, art, and theater.

Leisure

CV: The Shins, Heartworms

The Shins have never been a band to take risks. After accomplishing the impossible by striking a remarkably original, balanced, and mature sound on their first record, growth seemed both... Read more

By March 17, 2017

Leisure

Monkeying Around: Don’t Go Bananas for Kong: Skull Island

“Is that a monkey?” As several Vietnam-era helicopters fly over the eponymous island, a 100-foot tall silhouette appears against the backdrop of a setting sun. One of the characters in... Read more

By March 17, 2017

Leisure

Shadows Highlights Poetic Whitewash of 50s Jazz

In Greenwich Village circa 1955, as the foreshadowed fog of the 1960s began to roll in, New York was addicted to improvisation. The Bebop Jazz Movement was on fire, with... Read more

By March 16, 2017

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Concert Preview: Tennis, March 19, 9:30 Club

Whimsical, beachy, and retro, Tennis encapsulates a sound like no other. The duo consisting of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, married and hailing from Denver, CO, released their first album,... Read more

By March 14, 2017

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DC Fashion Week Promotes Diversity and Sustainability

Nestled in between New York and Milan fashion weeks lies DC Fashion Week (DCFW), the quirky and blossoming little sister of its iconic counterparts. DCFW celebrates its location in the... Read more

By March 14, 2017

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Concert Review: Panic! At the Disco, MGM National Harbor, March 3

Panic! At the Disco played to a large crowd at the MGM National Harbor Stage on Friday, March 3 to promote their latest album, Death of a Bachelor. After openings... Read more

By March 14, 2017

Leisure

CV: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Flying Microtonal Banana

After the emergence of psychedelic rock from the counterculture music scene of the early 1960s, the genre has gone under-appreciated by mass audiences, appealing only to a niche group of... Read more

By March 13, 2017

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CV: Thundercat, Drunk

In his latest solo project, Thundercat wraps his disregard for traditional songwriting conventions in a bubbly, well-polished exterior. Drunk, jazz bassist’s third studio album, is a comprehensive investigation of his... Read more

By March 13, 2017

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Land of Mine: a Poignant Look at Unrecognized Victims of War

When wars end, reparations are made. Wrongs are, on paper, made right. By the end of World War II, Denmark, which had served as one of the war’s battlegrounds, had... Read more

By March 12, 2017

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Steve Alderton Captures the Blurred Emotions of Memory

Memoryscapes – Blurry Lines III is the third and final installment of a series of increasingly abstracted landscapes—but at first glance, these paintings don’t look like landscapes at all. Rather... Read more

By March 3, 2017

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Logan Isn’t Afraid to Break New Ground

Logan, the newest X-Men movie from director James Mangold, delivers the best send off to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine that fans could have hoped for. It’s no secret that Fox’s X-Men... Read more

By March 3, 2017

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CV: Dams of the West, Youngish American

Vampire Weekend’s side projects have been tried and tested, with notable successes including Rostam Batmanglij’s duo with Ra Ra Riot’s lead singer, Discovery, and Ezra Koenig’s L’Homme Run. VW drummer... Read more

By March 2, 2017

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CV: The Orwells, Terrible Human Beings

At first glance, Terrible Human Beings, The Orwells’ latest album, has all the makings of a cult classic. The title is shameless, the cover art screams 90’s alternative with its... Read more

By March 1, 2017

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CV: Future, FUTURE

In his latest project, Future is focused on identity. After retreating from social media and laboring day and night on his latest album, FUTURE, Future has delivered a mixed bag... Read more

By March 1, 2017

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ImprovFest Charms with Wit and Talent

Last week’s ImprovFest featured 7 schools and spanned the course of 2 nights. On Friday, the schools that performed included George Mason University, George Washington University, and Georgetown’s two teams,... Read more

By February 25, 2017

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Natural Simplicity: Metallics at the Touchstone Gallery

At first glance, Mary D. Ott’s metallic paintings seem to be characterized by their lack of complexity; her aptly titled piece “Gold on Black” refers to a dark canvas interrupted... Read more

By February 24, 2017

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A United Kingdom: Not a Failure, But Hardly a Success

Biographical films are tough as they tell the story of usually unknown real-life heroes that rose to the occasion and defied the system. Therefore, on one hand, filmmakers feel pressured... Read more

By February 23, 2017

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The Lego Batman Movie Builds a Better Batman

The Lego system has served as a building block for many people’s childhoods. With Legos, children and adults can create while limited only by the bricks in hand and the... Read more

By February 22, 2017

Leisure

CV: Wyclef Jean, J’ouvert

After an almost four year hiatus, Wyclef Jean has returned with the release of his new EP, J’ouvert. The former Fugees frontman demonstrates that despite years of musical absence, he... Read more

By February 22, 2017

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Don’t See Fifty Shades Darker With Your Mother

The release of the long-awaited sequel to the box office hit Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker is sparking excitement among a large range of viewers. From teenagers to... Read more

By February 22, 2017