Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, director of the perceptive and unjustly maligned “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” is a young, thoughtful filmmaker with an inventive visual imagination and a very bright future ahead of him. That being said, something clearly went very, very wrong during the making of “The Current War.” A lifeless period drama about the rivalry between two of America’s greatest geniuses, Gomez-Rejon’s lavish third feature unfolds like a more historically accurate riff on “The Prestige,” albeit one lacking even a trace amount of magic (Nikola Tesla factors in, however, and Nicholas Hoult’s performance pays tribute to David Bowie).
The initial aim, however, may have been closer to “Hamilton.” First conceived as a stage musical by eventual screenwriter Michael Mitnick, “The Current War” tells the story of the race to light up the world. It begins, rather inexplicably, in December of 1880, after Thomas Alva Edison (a...
The initial aim, however, may have been closer to “Hamilton.” First conceived as a stage musical by eventual screenwriter Michael Mitnick, “The Current War” tells the story of the race to light up the world. It begins, rather inexplicably, in December of 1880, after Thomas Alva Edison (a...
- 9/10/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The Other Mozart Written by Sylvia Milo Directed by Isaac Byrne Presented by Little Matchstick Factory at The Players Theatre, NYC September 23-November 13, 2016 and January 6-9, 2017 Mozart is one of those artists who has attained single-name status. We don't feel the need to specify "Wolfgang Amadeus" when speaking of him because, really, what other Mozart could we mean? Sylvia Milo has an answer, and her The Other Mozart aims to shatter the perception that produces the question in the first place. This NY Innovative Theater award-winning play has toured internationally since its 2014 debut in New York City, including in Mozart's birthplace, Salzburg, and has returned to the city of its own birth for another run. Featuring both period music and compositions by newly Grammy-nominated Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen, The Other Mozart shines its light on Wolfgang's older sister, Maria Anna. Nicknamed Nannerl, she was also a musical prodigy and composer,...
- 11/7/2016
- by Leah Richards
- www.culturecatch.com
Godless wins Special Jury Prize and Best Actress.Scroll down for the full list of winners
Turkish director Mehmet Can Mertoğlu’s Album has won the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 12-20).
The comedy, which premiered in Critics’ Week at Cannes in May, follows a middle class Turkish couple who try to cover up the forgery of their family history.
The decision was made by a jury led by Palestinian director Elia Suleiman. The award comes with a prize of $18,000 (€16,000).
Album producer Yoel Meranda commented when receiving the award: “Many people here know that most of the stuff that helped this film get made happened in Sarajevo. It started in Sarajevo, and it’s amazing that we have completed this circle.”
Ralitza Petrova’s Godless was awarded two prizes: the Special Jury prize and Best Actress for lead Irena Ivanova.
The Bulgarian-French-Danish...
Turkish director Mehmet Can Mertoğlu’s Album has won the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Feature Film at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 12-20).
The comedy, which premiered in Critics’ Week at Cannes in May, follows a middle class Turkish couple who try to cover up the forgery of their family history.
The decision was made by a jury led by Palestinian director Elia Suleiman. The award comes with a prize of $18,000 (€16,000).
Album producer Yoel Meranda commented when receiving the award: “Many people here know that most of the stuff that helped this film get made happened in Sarajevo. It started in Sarajevo, and it’s amazing that we have completed this circle.”
Ralitza Petrova’s Godless was awarded two prizes: the Special Jury prize and Best Actress for lead Irena Ivanova.
The Bulgarian-French-Danish...
- 8/20/2016
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
A follow-up to our first article with the same concept; 10 Most Mismatched Enemies In Movie History.
An enemy is someone who brings the worst out in a character. They are driven to madness, jealously, hate, even unrequited love just at the mere thought of an enemy. Films circulate around the relationships of characters, often pitting one against another to make for a better story. Antonio Salieri’s unfounded hatred for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart makes for a wildly entertaining movie because we understand from both perspectives that they are each other’s equals just given two different paths of life. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy could have easily become friends in their first year of Hogwarts had the circumstances been different, but instead are destined to take sides on the forthcoming war whether either of them truly wish to accept their roles or not.
However, this list is a compilation of...
An enemy is someone who brings the worst out in a character. They are driven to madness, jealously, hate, even unrequited love just at the mere thought of an enemy. Films circulate around the relationships of characters, often pitting one against another to make for a better story. Antonio Salieri’s unfounded hatred for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart makes for a wildly entertaining movie because we understand from both perspectives that they are each other’s equals just given two different paths of life. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy could have easily become friends in their first year of Hogwarts had the circumstances been different, but instead are destined to take sides on the forthcoming war whether either of them truly wish to accept their roles or not.
However, this list is a compilation of...
- 6/28/2013
- by Riley Sailer
- Obsessed with Film
DVD Playhouse—March 2012
By Allen Gardner
J. Edgar (Warner Bros.) Director Clint Eastwood provides a rock-solid, albeit rather flat portrait of polarizing FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, covering his life from late teens to his death. Leonardo DiCaprio does an impressive turn as Hoover, never crossing the line into caricature, and creating a Hoover that is all too human, making for an all the more unsettling look at absolute power run amuck. Where the film stumbles is the love story at its core: Hoover’s relationship with longtime aide Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). In the hands of an openly-gay director like Gus Van Sant, this could have been a heartbreaking, tender story of forbidden (unrequited?) love, but Eastwood seems to tiptoe around their romance, with far too much delicacy and deference. The film works well when recreating the famous crimes and investigations which Hoover made his name on (the Lindbergh kidnapping,...
By Allen Gardner
J. Edgar (Warner Bros.) Director Clint Eastwood provides a rock-solid, albeit rather flat portrait of polarizing FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, covering his life from late teens to his death. Leonardo DiCaprio does an impressive turn as Hoover, never crossing the line into caricature, and creating a Hoover that is all too human, making for an all the more unsettling look at absolute power run amuck. Where the film stumbles is the love story at its core: Hoover’s relationship with longtime aide Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). In the hands of an openly-gay director like Gus Van Sant, this could have been a heartbreaking, tender story of forbidden (unrequited?) love, but Eastwood seems to tiptoe around their romance, with far too much delicacy and deference. The film works well when recreating the famous crimes and investigations which Hoover made his name on (the Lindbergh kidnapping,...
- 3/7/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
The subject of much historical curiosity, Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart is also an ideal tragic hero. The older sister to Wolfgang Amadeus, she traveled Europe in the mid-18th century alongside her brother and their supportive parents, playing the harpsichord to back up Wolfgang's violin. Evidence suggests she harbored ambitions of composing her own works, but society held her down: Once Nannerl reached marrying age, she was forced to abandon her ...
- 8/16/2011
- Indiewire
Justin Timberlake isn’t the first pop star to aspire to be a movie star. There was Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Madonna… and Mozart? In a rehearsal sketch that somehow did not make the broadcast of Saturday Night Live’s season finale, Timberlake dons a powdered wig to portray the classical composer, a former member of “ze Austrian Mouse Club” who wants to be taken seriously in other fields besides music. Call him a hipster, accuse him of fronting, but do not threaten to abandon him in order to hang with Wolfgang Amadeus Bieber! (Says Mozart of the teen sensation: “Why...
- 5/23/2011
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW.com - PopWatch
Not every "Saturday Night Live" sketch makes it to air, and the show is favoring Justin Timberlake fans with one that somehow didn't get past dress rehearsal. The sketch finds Timberlake as Mozart, announcing that he's putting his music career on hold to focus on acting. He also offers his succinct critique of his new rival, Wolfgang Amadeus Bieber. The show uses dress rehearsal to gauge, last-minute, what should stay and what should go. This one didn't make the cut, despite many good lines. At least the camera was running:...
- 5/23/2011
- The Wrap
Viola player Paul Silverthorne is left puzzled and irritated by Douglas Gordon's film about a Mozart concert
I've played Mozart's K364 – the Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major for violin, viola and orchestra – many times, so I was keen to see this film installation by Douglas Gordon. Two enormous screens in the gallery each show a film: one is a performance of the K364 in Warsaw, and the other depicts the two Jewish soloists, Avri Levitan and Roi Shiloah, travelling to Poland from Berlin by train for the concert.
I suspect you're meant to watch the train film first, though on my visit it was difficult to tell: the projectors had broken down, and when they fixed them, the live concert came up first. It's a nice performance, and it's wonderful to see the viola player really caressing every note. But the camera-
work was very irritating. It's all in extreme close-up,...
I've played Mozart's K364 – the Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major for violin, viola and orchestra – many times, so I was keen to see this film installation by Douglas Gordon. Two enormous screens in the gallery each show a film: one is a performance of the K364 in Warsaw, and the other depicts the two Jewish soloists, Avri Levitan and Roi Shiloah, travelling to Poland from Berlin by train for the concert.
I suspect you're meant to watch the train film first, though on my visit it was difficult to tell: the projectors had broken down, and when they fixed them, the live concert came up first. It's a nice performance, and it's wonderful to see the viola player really caressing every note. But the camera-
work was very irritating. It's all in extreme close-up,...
- 3/14/2011
- by Laura Barnett
- The Guardian - Film News
We break down the highbrow inspirations behind 'Ye's short film.
By James Montgomery
Kanye West in his film "Runaway"
Photo: Def Jam
Now that you've finally seen Kanye West's ultra-arty "Runaway" film, you're probably wondering what it really means. We might not be able to tell you exactly what was going on in Kanye's brain when he made the film, but we can help you pick out some of the highbrow references within. And there are an awful lot of them.
We've done things like this in the past for big-ticket videos like Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and My Chemical Romance's "Na Na Na," but those were pop-culture cheat sheets." For "Runaway" — an ambitious film with equally ambitious influences — we've gone even deeper. What follows is our high-culture cheat sheet, an alphabetized, exhaustively researched list of all the painters, dance troupes and conceptual performance artists 'Ye references in the video.
By James Montgomery
Kanye West in his film "Runaway"
Photo: Def Jam
Now that you've finally seen Kanye West's ultra-arty "Runaway" film, you're probably wondering what it really means. We might not be able to tell you exactly what was going on in Kanye's brain when he made the film, but we can help you pick out some of the highbrow references within. And there are an awful lot of them.
We've done things like this in the past for big-ticket videos like Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and My Chemical Romance's "Na Na Na," but those were pop-culture cheat sheets." For "Runaway" — an ambitious film with equally ambitious influences — we've gone even deeper. What follows is our high-culture cheat sheet, an alphabetized, exhaustively researched list of all the painters, dance troupes and conceptual performance artists 'Ye references in the video.
- 10/25/2010
- MTV Movie News
We break down the highbrow inspirations behind 'Ye's short film.
By James Montgomery
Kanye West in his film "Runaway"
Photo: Def Jam
Now that you've finally seen Kanye West's ultra-arty "Runaway" film, you're probably wondering what it really means. We might not be able to tell you exactly what was going on in Kanye's brain when he made the film, but we can help you pick out some of the highbrow references within. And there are an awful lot of them.
We've done things like this in the past for big-ticket videos like Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and My Chemical Romance's "Na Na Na," but those were pop-culture cheat sheets." For "Runaway" — an ambitious film with equally ambitious influences — we've gone even deeper. What follows is our high-culture cheat sheet, an alphabetized, exhaustively researched list of all the painters, dance troupes and conceptual performance artists 'Ye references in the video.
By James Montgomery
Kanye West in his film "Runaway"
Photo: Def Jam
Now that you've finally seen Kanye West's ultra-arty "Runaway" film, you're probably wondering what it really means. We might not be able to tell you exactly what was going on in Kanye's brain when he made the film, but we can help you pick out some of the highbrow references within. And there are an awful lot of them.
We've done things like this in the past for big-ticket videos like Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and My Chemical Romance's "Na Na Na," but those were pop-culture cheat sheets." For "Runaway" — an ambitious film with equally ambitious influences — we've gone even deeper. What follows is our high-culture cheat sheet, an alphabetized, exhaustively researched list of all the painters, dance troupes and conceptual performance artists 'Ye references in the video.
- 10/25/2010
- MTV Music News
It looks like the talented Coppola clan keeps getting bigger and bigger. Director Sofia Coppola (daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola) and husband Thomas Mars recently welcomed their second child, Cosima. Lil' Cosima, who was reportedly born in New York City, will join her big sister Romy, who is 3. Sofia and Thomas have been dating since 2005 and divide their time between Paris, France and the States. Thomas is currently on tour for his Grammy-winning album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoneix while Sofia is preparing for the release of her fourth film, Somewhere. Congratulations to the happy family!
- 6/27/2010
- by Celebuzz
- Celebuzz.com
Beyonce took home the most hardware with six wins to her credit, but Taylor Swift took home Album of the Year for "Fearless."
Here's the list of the winners in the major categories:
Record Of The Year
"Halo," Beyonce
"I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas
"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
Album Of The Year
"I Am...Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D.," The Black Eyed Peas
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Fearless," Taylor Swift
Song Of The Year
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga & RedOne
"Pretty Wings," Hod David & Musze
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," Thaddis Harrell, Beyonce Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart
"Use Somebody," Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon)
"You Belong With Me," Liz Rose & Taylor Swift
Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band...
Here's the list of the winners in the major categories:
Record Of The Year
"Halo," Beyonce
"I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas
"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
Album Of The Year
"I Am...Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D.," The Black Eyed Peas
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Fearless," Taylor Swift
Song Of The Year
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga & RedOne
"Pretty Wings," Hod David & Musze
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," Thaddis Harrell, Beyonce Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart
"Use Somebody," Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon)
"You Belong With Me," Liz Rose & Taylor Swift
Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band...
- 2/1/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
If you're going to announce the nominees for the 52 Annual Grammy Awards, do it in song. And that's just what CBS did Dec. 2.
The award show will be broadcast live on Jan. 31.
Here's the complete list of nominees:
Record Of The Year
"Halo," Beyonce
"I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas
"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
Album Of The Year
"I Am...Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D.," The Black Eyed Peas
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Fearless," Taylor Swift
Song Of The Year
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga & RedOne
"Pretty Wings," Hod David & Musze
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," Thaddis Harrell, Beyonce Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart
"Use Somebody," Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon)
"You Belong With Me," Liz Rose & Taylor Swift
Best...
The award show will be broadcast live on Jan. 31.
Here's the complete list of nominees:
Record Of The Year
"Halo," Beyonce
"I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas
"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
Album Of The Year
"I Am...Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D.," The Black Eyed Peas
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Fearless," Taylor Swift
Song Of The Year
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga & RedOne
"Pretty Wings," Hod David & Musze
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," Thaddis Harrell, Beyonce Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart
"Use Somebody," Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon)
"You Belong With Me," Liz Rose & Taylor Swift
Best...
- 12/3/2009
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The up-and-coming rapper and French pop band live up to their hype for New York show.
By James Montgomery
Kid Cudi at the Vma LIFEbeat Benefit Concert on Saturday
Photo: MTV News
New York — It was a benefit show, sponsored by a soft drink company, in a nonsmoking New York venue, but that didn't stop Kid Cudi from striding onto the stage Saturday (September 12) night, grabbing a smoke from someone in the front row, hitting it, then launching into a positively spacey set while an audience full of fired-up kids lost their collective minds (and a few T-shirts).
If only all benefits were this much fun.
Yes, on Saturday, less than 24 hours before the kickoff of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Cudi and French pop aesthetes Phoenix brought the party to Terminal 5 for the Pepsi-sponsored Night of Refreshing Music, which benefitted LIFEbeat, the music industry's AIDS education and prevention organization.
By James Montgomery
Kid Cudi at the Vma LIFEbeat Benefit Concert on Saturday
Photo: MTV News
New York — It was a benefit show, sponsored by a soft drink company, in a nonsmoking New York venue, but that didn't stop Kid Cudi from striding onto the stage Saturday (September 12) night, grabbing a smoke from someone in the front row, hitting it, then launching into a positively spacey set while an audience full of fired-up kids lost their collective minds (and a few T-shirts).
If only all benefits were this much fun.
Yes, on Saturday, less than 24 hours before the kickoff of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Cudi and French pop aesthetes Phoenix brought the party to Terminal 5 for the Pepsi-sponsored Night of Refreshing Music, which benefitted LIFEbeat, the music industry's AIDS education and prevention organization.
- 9/13/2009
- MTV Music News
Just in time for the VMAs, we introduce you to some under-the-radar clips, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery
Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing"
Photo: Capitol
Despite what you might think, there are actually great music videos out there. And two of them are nominated for Video of the Year at the VMAs: Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (which is about as close as an "iconic" clip as we have these days) and Kanye West's stylized, minimal "Love Lockdown." The other three in the category — Eminem's "We Made You," Britney's "Womanizer" and Gaga's "Poker Face" — are certainly among the biggest, and they should rightfully be lauded for that. But, in my estimation, they're hardly the best, either.
That might explain why pretty much everyone I talk to is hard-pressed to name a music video that's moved them in any particular way over the past year: People...
By James Montgomery
Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing"
Photo: Capitol
Despite what you might think, there are actually great music videos out there. And two of them are nominated for Video of the Year at the VMAs: Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (which is about as close as an "iconic" clip as we have these days) and Kanye West's stylized, minimal "Love Lockdown." The other three in the category — Eminem's "We Made You," Britney's "Womanizer" and Gaga's "Poker Face" — are certainly among the biggest, and they should rightfully be lauded for that. But, in my estimation, they're hardly the best, either.
That might explain why pretty much everyone I talk to is hard-pressed to name a music video that's moved them in any particular way over the past year: People...
- 9/9/2009
- MTV Music News
Just in time for the VMAs, we introduce you to some under-the-radar clips, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery
Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing"
Photo: Capitol
Despite what you might think, there are actually great music videos out there. And two of them are nominated for Video of the Year at the VMAs: Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (which is about as close as an "iconic" clip as we have these days) and Kanye West's stylized, minimal "Love Lockdown." The other three in the category — Eminem's "We Made You," Britney's "Womanizer" and Gaga's "Poker Face" — are certainly among the biggest, and they should rightfully be lauded for that. But, in my estimation, they're hardly the best, either.
That might explain why pretty much everyone I talk to is hard-pressed to name a music video that's moved them in any particular way over the past year: People...
By James Montgomery
Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing"
Photo: Capitol
Despite what you might think, there are actually great music videos out there. And two of them are nominated for Video of the Year at the VMAs: Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (which is about as close as an "iconic" clip as we have these days) and Kanye West's stylized, minimal "Love Lockdown." The other three in the category — Eminem's "We Made You," Britney's "Womanizer" and Gaga's "Poker Face" — are certainly among the biggest, and they should rightfully be lauded for that. But, in my estimation, they're hardly the best, either.
That might explain why pretty much everyone I talk to is hard-pressed to name a music video that's moved them in any particular way over the past year: People...
- 9/9/2009
- MTV Music News
Lily Allen, Mos Def and Kelly Clarkson make the mid-year list, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery
MTV News Picks For Best Albums of the Year (So Far)
Photo: MTV News
The actual midway point of 2009 occurred on July 2, one week after the death of arguably the greatest entertainer of our generation. It was a pretty somber way to cap off the first 182.5 days of the year and, obviously, pretty much everyone's attention was turned to eulogizing the King of Pop (myself included ... twice over).
One piece I had intended on writing was my annual mid-year "Best Of" list, taking a look at my favorite albums released so far. And, well, here it is. There's lots of ground to cover, and I used a lot of words to do it (more than 2,000?! Jeez ... ), so let's get right to it. Here are my picks — some honorable mentions and a...
By James Montgomery
MTV News Picks For Best Albums of the Year (So Far)
Photo: MTV News
The actual midway point of 2009 occurred on July 2, one week after the death of arguably the greatest entertainer of our generation. It was a pretty somber way to cap off the first 182.5 days of the year and, obviously, pretty much everyone's attention was turned to eulogizing the King of Pop (myself included ... twice over).
One piece I had intended on writing was my annual mid-year "Best Of" list, taking a look at my favorite albums released so far. And, well, here it is. There's lots of ground to cover, and I used a lot of words to do it (more than 2,000?! Jeez ... ), so let's get right to it. Here are my picks — some honorable mentions and a...
- 7/15/2009
- MTV Music News
Lily Allen, Mos Def and Kelly Clarkson make the mid-year list, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery
MTV News Picks For Best Albums of the Year (So Far)
Photo: MTV News
The actual midway point of 2009 occurred on July 2, one week after the death of arguably the greatest entertainer of our generation. It was a pretty somber way to cap off the first 182.5 days of the year and, obviously, pretty much everyone's attention was turned to eulogizing the King of Pop (myself included ... twice over).
One piece I had intended on writing was my annual mid-year "Best Of" list, taking a look at my favorite albums released so far. And, well, here it is. There's lots of ground to cover, and I used a lot of words to do it (more than 2,000?! Jeez ... ), so let's get right to it. Here are my picks — some honorable mentions and a...
By James Montgomery
MTV News Picks For Best Albums of the Year (So Far)
Photo: MTV News
The actual midway point of 2009 occurred on July 2, one week after the death of arguably the greatest entertainer of our generation. It was a pretty somber way to cap off the first 182.5 days of the year and, obviously, pretty much everyone's attention was turned to eulogizing the King of Pop (myself included ... twice over).
One piece I had intended on writing was my annual mid-year "Best Of" list, taking a look at my favorite albums released so far. And, well, here it is. There's lots of ground to cover, and I used a lot of words to do it (more than 2,000?! Jeez ... ), so let's get right to it. Here are my picks — some honorable mentions and a...
- 7/15/2009
- MTV Music News
Timed to publish in conjunction with the Lincoln Center's national broadcast of the Mostly Mozart Festival on August 12th, The Mostly Mozart Guide To Mozart (Wiley, August 2009, Isbn: 978-0-470-19530-7, $22.95 / Cloth) by Carl Vigeland will be the first reference guide of its kind that is designed for both passionate and part-time fans of the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus.
- 6/25/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
Green Day land at #2, while indie faves Grizzly Bear surprise with #8 debut.
By Gil Kaufman
Eminem's <i>Relapse</i>
Photo: Interscope Records
Eminem asked the crowd at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night if they missed him, and clearly they did, because his comeback album, Relapse, will top the Billboard album charts for a second week in a row next week, thanks to 211,000 more units moved. After debuting at #1, Slim Shady held onto the top spot despite a 65 percent drop in sales and is on pace to cross 1 million copies within the next two weeks, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.
Way in the distance at #2 are Green Day, whose 21st Century Breakdown held onto that spot with 76,000 in sales after a 54 percent drop-off in business, putting the veteran Bay Area punk trio on pace for sales of 500,000 by next week.
While more than half of the top 10 positions on...
By Gil Kaufman
Eminem's <i>Relapse</i>
Photo: Interscope Records
Eminem asked the crowd at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night if they missed him, and clearly they did, because his comeback album, Relapse, will top the Billboard album charts for a second week in a row next week, thanks to 211,000 more units moved. After debuting at #1, Slim Shady held onto the top spot despite a 65 percent drop in sales and is on pace to cross 1 million copies within the next two weeks, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.
Way in the distance at #2 are Green Day, whose 21st Century Breakdown held onto that spot with 76,000 in sales after a 54 percent drop-off in business, putting the veteran Bay Area punk trio on pace for sales of 500,000 by next week.
While more than half of the top 10 positions on...
- 6/3/2009
- MTV Music News
French pop group gets edgy
The title of Phoenix’s latest album obviously references composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the song title “Lisztomania” describes the old-school Beatlemania that surrounded 19th-century Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt. But don’t judge this record by its name—the Parisian pop group’s music is decidedly un-classical. Following up 2006's It's Never Been Like That, Phoenix has veered ever so slightly from catchy to chaotic, and it works. Thomas Mars sings with the urgency of Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes, and his band plays with a Killers-like accessibility. The mostly uptempo Wolfgang slows down midway with instrumental “Love Like A Sunset Part I,” which is half mood-setter, half mood-killer—its climax isn’t so climactic. The album's lyrics don’t always make sense (still pondering this one from “Lisztomania”: “Romantic not disgusting yet / Darling I’m down and lonely / When with the...
The title of Phoenix’s latest album obviously references composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the song title “Lisztomania” describes the old-school Beatlemania that surrounded 19th-century Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt. But don’t judge this record by its name—the Parisian pop group’s music is decidedly un-classical. Following up 2006's It's Never Been Like That, Phoenix has veered ever so slightly from catchy to chaotic, and it works. Thomas Mars sings with the urgency of Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes, and his band plays with a Killers-like accessibility. The mostly uptempo Wolfgang slows down midway with instrumental “Love Like A Sunset Part I,” which is half mood-setter, half mood-killer—its climax isn’t so climactic. The album's lyrics don’t always make sense (still pondering this one from “Lisztomania”: “Romantic not disgusting yet / Darling I’m down and lonely / When with the...
- 5/27/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
Punk veterans pull off #1 bow despite a short week in stores.
By Gil Kaufman
Green Day's <i>21st Century Breakdown</i>
Photo: Reprise Records
A full week? Green Day don't need no stinkin' week! Despite releasing 21st Century Breakdown three days later than the usual Tuesday drop, the punk veterans will still manage to snag the top stop on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week with nearly 215,000 in sales. That put the trio's latest pop punk opera way ahead of the week's second-place album, the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, which will hold tight to the #2 spot on sales of 68,000, according to numbers released from Nielsen SoundScan.
The only other debut in the top 10 came from veteran rhymer Cam'ron, whose Crime Pays slides in at #3, thanks to 43,000 in sales. Crime is just ahead of Fame, the unstoppable Lady Gaga juggernaut that moves up two spots to #4 with sales of 41,000. Gaga's album just passed the 850,000 mark,...
By Gil Kaufman
Green Day's <i>21st Century Breakdown</i>
Photo: Reprise Records
A full week? Green Day don't need no stinkin' week! Despite releasing 21st Century Breakdown three days later than the usual Tuesday drop, the punk veterans will still manage to snag the top stop on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week with nearly 215,000 in sales. That put the trio's latest pop punk opera way ahead of the week's second-place album, the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, which will hold tight to the #2 spot on sales of 68,000, according to numbers released from Nielsen SoundScan.
The only other debut in the top 10 came from veteran rhymer Cam'ron, whose Crime Pays slides in at #3, thanks to 43,000 in sales. Crime is just ahead of Fame, the unstoppable Lady Gaga juggernaut that moves up two spots to #4 with sales of 41,000. Gaga's album just passed the 850,000 mark,...
- 5/20/2009
- MTV Music News
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