Leisure

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

Leisure

Critical Voices: Wild Nothing, Nocturne

The multitude of bands emerging in the dream pop genre mirrors an unfortunate truth about dreams: some are memorable, and some are not. Fortunately for Virginia Tech graduate Jack Tatum, his project, Wild Nothing, achieves the former on its second full-length release, Nocturne.

By August 30, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: Poor Moon, Poor Moon

With the success of 2011’s Helplessness Blues, any Fleet Foxes side project could easily have resulted in a successful mimicry of the original band. Members Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott, however, refused to succumb to this temptation while writing as Poor Moon. With the spin-off group’s debut self-titled album, Wargo, Wescott, and brothers Ian and Peter Murray have created a remarkable, self-standing LP.

By August 30, 2012

Leisure

Plate of the Union: Never eating meat, like, ever

I used to get excluded from carnivorous cuisines at home—taco nights aren’t quite the fiesta when you don’t eat ground beef. But here at Georgetown, Leo’s desperately tries to win my affection. The cafeteria takes pride in its top spot on PETA’s list of vegetarian-friendly colleges, inviting even the strictest vegans to celebrate “Chicken” Finger Thursdays.

By August 30, 2012

Leisure

You’ve got Issues: At least you’re not in Darnall

Dear Emlyn, I’m a totally awesome freshman, and was expecting that I would be invited to all sorts of raging parties, right? Here’s the thing though– I don’t really know many people, and have yet to be invited to anything besides an ice cream social or two. It sucks. Am I doomed to wandering around Village A in a pack with 30 of my fellow freshmen?

By August 30, 2012

Leisure

YO! Sushi will take you, and your tastebuds, for a ride

If you’re stepping off a train at Union Station with an empty stomach and a light wallet, you’d be wise to avoid YO! Sushi. This isn’t because the food there is overpriced—it’s actually quite reasonable, with each dish sitting in a bowl brightly color-coded by price, and no single one costing more than $6. Rather, it’s because having fresh, colorful, tasty Japanese fare riding seductively on a conveyor belt across your field of vision might be a little more than your hungry willpower can handle.

By August 24, 2012

Leisure

Celeste and Jesse make eternity sound rather appealing

With any eternal vow, there comes the distinct possibility that “forever” may not have been quite as long as originally intended. For Celeste and Jesse, however, this depressing realization never rears its ugly head.

By August 24, 2012

Leisure

Barbara Kruger takes art to new heights at the Hirshhorn

From the first step onto the escalator descending into the Hirshhorn Gallery’s famed rotunda, Barbara Kruger’s newest exhibit, Belief + Doubt, nearly screams at visitors, but in a positive way, as if coaxing them to step back and take another look. With text beginning on the underside of the escalator, viewers are immediately thrown into Kruger’s world, where “Belief + Doubt = Sanity,” with 12-foot questions and phrases covering the gallery from floor to ceiling in this wraparound installation.

By August 24, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: Alanis Morrisette, Havoc and Bright Lights

With visceral and poetic hits like “Ironic” and “You Oughta Know,” Alanis Morissette has long been known for her autobiographical, emotionally charged lyrics. Havoc and Bright Lights, the 38-year-old Canadian songstress’s eighth studio album, is no exception. The LP is packed with material that draws inspiration from her recent marriage to Mario Treadway, better known from his Boston rapping career as MC Souleye, and her experience with motherhood.

By August 24, 2012

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Critical Voices: Oposom, Electric Hawaii

If you are a sucker for cutesy, Apple-product-commercial music, then Electric Hawaii, the new album from indie-pop outfit Opossom, will fit right into your oversized Beats headphones. Slightly fuzzy vocals, hoppy bass-lines, catchy choruses, dreamy guitars, and a paint-can full of synth give Opossom a classically hip New York City sound—ironic, given that they hail from New Zealand. Though Opossom is the brainchild of Kody Nielson, formally of Mint Chicks, Electric Hawaii boasts a signature, perfected feel that sounds more like the amalgamation of several artistic minds.

By August 24, 2012

Leisure

Idiot Box: TLC makes a Boo Boo

In 1972 the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in conjunction with NASA, founded a television network with the goal of using TV, which has long been thought to distract the brain from useful function, as a means of education. The network was later named The Learning Channel, or, for short, TLC.

By August 24, 2012

Leisure

Haute Mess: Make fetch happen this fall

As you begin to unpack your bags and settle back into the swing of things at the start of a new year, it is important not only to ready yourself for the upcoming semester, but also to find that star-studded look that will give you the confidence for any close-up. With the end of summer looming and the first day of fall on the brink, your look will transition from a bright, vibrant getup to a softer, darker look perfect for a cool, autumn day. But there’s no need to break the bank searching for that perfect runway look. Instead, take these “five essentials” as crucial items for your everyday wardrobe that will carry you from those hot summer days to cool autumn nights.

By August 24, 2012

Leisure

GU alums’ film reaches cult status

The premise of Sound of My Voice, the Sundance breakout from Georgetown alumni filmmakers Zal Batmanglij (COL ’02) and Brit Marling (COL ’05), sounds eerily similar to that of a “B”-grade horror movie—the premise of a mysterious female cult leader who claims to be from the future and takes blood transfusions from her followers hardly makes a film approachable. The artful combination of psychological elements and a sci-fi background, however, makes Sound of My Voice a surprising discovery that gracefully treads the line between cerebral indie and suspenseful thriller.

By April 26, 2012

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Nostalgia sets in for senior art majors at Spagnuolo

“There are not a lot of outlets for art on campus, and so I think it is hard sometimes to recognize that Georgetown is not all about Business or International Politics,” senior studio art major Nicole Thomas said. “But there is another side to Georgetown.” And starting this week, that side is on full display.

By April 26, 2012

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Five-Year Engagement will have Segel fans saying, “I do.”

In his latest film, Jason Segel is back to give audiences a peek at what lies beneath his clothing—though, thankfully, not quite to the degree of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. In The Five-Year Engagement, the recent release from director Nicholas Stoller and the prolific producer Judd Apatow, Segel’s signature humor and the film’s raunchy writing transform a movie whose title could very easily be mistaken for your run-of-the-mill rom-com into a genuinely funny, ballsy comedy that is exactly what we would expect from that trio.

By April 26, 2012

Leisure

This is the sweetlife

For the second year in a row, the Sweetlife Festival is taking Merriweather Post Pavilion by eco-friendly storm. The festival, which takes place this Saturday, once again promises an enticing combination of delicious organic food, live music, and all things green. But for its sophomore year, everything about this “party with a purpose” is bigger, from the lineup to the impressive list of partners supporting this sustainable celebration.

By April 26, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: Jack White Blunderbluss

With Blunderbluss, his first solo release, Jack White decided to bring it all back home. Moody yet serene, the album conjures images of The Who, which will probably appeal to die-hard fans of The Black Keys, and though the sound is sometimes smoky, it will not leave you coughing. Instead, guitar rock mogul White has released an album that can be appreciated by devout followers of his namesake band, as well as a newer, unfamiliar crowd.

By April 26, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: Kip Moore, Up All Night

While it was once said that nothing could quite describe feelings of love and heartbreak like a country song, the largely unimpressive country releases streaming out of Nashville this year would seem to suggest otherwise. But this blatant disregard for lyrical quality paired with poor attempts at instrumental virtuosity may finally have been overcome by the songwriter-turned-singer Kip Moore. Up All Night, Moore’s debut album, introduces a much-needed believability to his lyrics and vocals, which allows the LP to shine above today’s cookie-cutter country.

By April 26, 2012

Leisure

Plate of the union: The tea party manifesto

“But still, how can you call yourself a true tea lover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt.” Challenge accepted, Mr. Orwell.

By April 26, 2012

Leisure

You’ve got issues: Take it with a grain of salt

Dear Emlyn, I’m obsessed with movies, and there are a LOT that I want to watch with my girlfriend. But we only have three weeks left in the semester! She probably does not care to see all of them, but HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ONES SHE DOES CARE TO SEE?! I mean, I can’t ask her directly, that’s weird. On top of this, we have to wait until the fall to watch the next season of Breaking Bad, and that’s just a tragedy. Fix my problems. —Swaggy Swate

By April 26, 2012

Leisure

Julien Isaacs throws some glitter and makes it rain

In the basement of a Burleith apartment, the floor of Julien Isaacs’s (SFS ’12) art studio is covered in an inch of glitter. These are the remnants of his latest work of glitter-based iconic images, from a glitter sphinx statue outside his apartment to a glitter painting of Madonna. From this explosion of sparkles, Isaacs has taken Georgetown and the D.C. art community, by storm. Divine Chaos, his exhibit at the Adams Morgan coffeehouse Tryst, is running until May 31 after a sold-out opening night on April 5.

By April 18, 2012