Leisure

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

Leisure

Tusk on point, a bona fide mindbender

Have you ever wondered if “man is indeed a walrus at heart?” Director Kevin Smith explores this existential dilemma in his latest film, Tusk, complete with Justin Long sparring with... Read more

By September 11, 2014

Leisure

New Latin American eatery Tico boasts small plates, big flavors

At first glance, chef Michael Schlow’s new restaurant Tico might be mistaken for a recording studio. When designing this new gem of an eatery at the heart of U St.,... Read more

By September 11, 2014

Leisure

Idiot Box: Zuck it, Silicon Valley is the new Wall Street

Let me get something out of the way: I am not a techie. Though my parents marvel at my ability to perform such Herculean tasks as shutting down a computer... Read more

By September 11, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: Tennis, Ritual In Repeat

With the sun still shining and term papers nowhere in sight, Tennis’s third studio album, Ritual in Repeat, is the perfect soundtrack to lazy Sundays on Copley Lawn. Ritual in... Read more

By September 11, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: Meek Mill, Dreams Worth More Than Money

In an environment as superficial and generic as the popular music scene has become, it is refreshing to find artists who don’t care how others perceive them. In his new... Read more

By September 11, 2014

Leisure

Voltaggio’s boxed lunches infuse suburbia with hipster pretense

Walk in, and a metal bucket might fall on your head. Walk out, and you are engulfed by the hypnotic hum of the American shopping experience. This is Lunchbox, restaurateur... Read more

By September 4, 2014

Leisure

‘Bountiful Waters’ coy, fluid exhibition

The traditional Japanese landscape evokes both strength and elegance, the resolute and the graceful. These dueling feelings were omnipresent throughout my time at the Smithsonian’s new exhibition “Bountiful Waters,” exploring... Read more

By September 4, 2014

Leisure

Delightful Duplass rekindles second chances in The One I Love

A disturbingly surreal weekend getaway serves as a young married couple’s attempt to rekindle their passion in The One I Love.  Sent by a marriage counselor to spend three days... Read more

By September 4, 2014

Leisure

Under the Covers: Somewhere over the rainbow, the color gray is the warmest of all

When we look at our lives in hindsight, we tend to see the events as having fallen into place, like puzzle pieces naturally forming their way into the bigger picture—except... Read more

By September 4, 2014

Leisure

Reel Talk: Is the Bechdel Test enough to save the female lead?

The film industry, like the majority of industries, has a female problem. That’s probably not the first time you’ve heard that, but people have started to try to objectively assess... Read more

By September 4, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Kooks, Listen

Fans of previous Kooks albums, beware––this record is not the vintage, 60s-meets-90s British rock that would be welcome in a dingy London nightclub in either decade. Lacking their usual unified... Read more

By September 4, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: Sinkane, Mean Love

Sinkane’s second LP release, Mean Love, is a jungle of dense, atmospheric instrumentals and smooth vocals. Sinkane, the solo project of Ahmed Gallab of Caribou and of Montreal, draws influences... Read more

By September 4, 2014

Leisure

Farm fresh fixtures fill local markets with delights dorms desire

Here at the Voice we know how satisfying it is to get your hands around a pair of firm, juicy tomatoes––organic, of course! If in the midst of your frantic... Read more

By August 28, 2014

Leisure

Speculative forms: creates conjecture

Each of us looks at the world through our own filter, constructed by our own thoughts and emotions. It matters that you are the one in front of the art—that... Read more

By August 28, 2014

Leisure

DC’s The Partisan transcends divides, celebrates co-op diversity

In my opinion, every man should have a mancave at some point in his life––womancaves are essential too, of course. I’m talking burnished wood, exposed brick, excellent scotch and rye... Read more

By August 28, 2014

Leisure

Breeches & Bodice: Normcore: making suburban dads chic and Birkenstocks haute couture since 2014

Now that we’re all back on the Hilltop, please take my advice: those Birkenstocks aren’t doing you any favors. They’re ugly, comfortable, and —dare I say it— painfully hip. But,... Read more

By August 28, 2014

Leisure

Idiot Box: Broad City leads pave way for female-driven comedy

It’s impossible to tell whether the creators of the Comedy Central series Broad City drew any inspiration from Tyga’s classic 2012 single “Rack City” in a brainstorming session, but it’s... Read more

By August 28, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Wytches, Annabelle Dream Reader

“I am here but lost in the light,” The Wytches frontman, Kristian Bell, croons in their new release Annabel Dream Reader. The album is, indeed, lost in its stormy sea... Read more

By August 28, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Gaslight Anthem, Get Hurt

On the New Jersey punk rock band’s fifth LP, frontman Brian Fallon lost sight of the road beyond his dashboard and steered the Gaslight-mobile straight into Heartbreak Hotel. This is... Read more

By August 28, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Days of Abandon

The progression of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart’s third LP, Days of Abandon, teeters between pop and rock. The majority of this newest release sees the NYC native... Read more

By April 24, 2014