Farewell, REDEFINE. It’s Been Real. (2004-2016)
In the same way that my 13-year-old self once fretted over who might eventually receive my postcard collection when I passed away (morbid, I know), a younger adult me used to wonder what it might look like when this day came, and how I would be certain that it had come. But today — on...Read...
Beyond Beyond is Beyond Record Label Feature: Openings to Epiphany
Beyond Beyond Is Beyond is a record label that has become adept at curating artists for a very specific roster. These artists tend to not have the typical “Brooklyn” sound; what critics usually associate with Brooklyn tends be a trendy “indie” sound, BBiB eschews for a deeper dive into all things psychedelic rock. Born from...Read...
Eric Beltz Artist Interview: Frozen in Transcendence
Some artists are prolific, churning out project after project at a speed that leaves onlookers wondering about their superhuman pace. Some have a much slower process — painstaking in intricate detail — and Eric Beltz is one of the latter. A drawing teacher at University of Santa Barbara, Beltz is a master renderer, and his...Read...
Under The Sun Documentary Film Review (North Korea)
Oh, North Korea. The mechanics of filmmaking are lost upon you, are they not? You may have read about it — which is why you probably attempted to control the script of Under The Sun and escorted the filmmakers to a number of pre-determined filming locations — but what you probably failed to recognize is...Read...
Christopher Tignor Artist Interview: Living in Modern Tension
“I had a big manifesto of ‘no’s’ at the beginning, [of things] that I didn’t want to do.” As a composer, violinist, and multi-instrumentalist, Christopher Tignor has, since the early ’00s, led the New York City-based instrumental groups Slow Six and Wires.Under.Tension. Up until recently, however, he’d had little interest in playing solo, and figuring...Read...
Seiho – Collapse Album Review (Leaving Records)
On March 15, 2015, the Washington Post published a typically buzzworthy article titled, “Is the Internet Giving Us All ADHD?”. The article begins with the usual litany of start-of-days, most likely familiar to anyone who works at a desk or a computer, or spends a large amount of time e-mailing, chatting with friends, looking at...Read...
Marissa Nadler – Strangers Album Review (Sacred Bones Records)
Strangers, Marissa Nadler’s second record for Brooklyn-based Scared Bones and seventh overall, mixes elements both familiar and unfamiliar to create an uneven, but often rewarding listen. As with the best of her prior work, the songs that hit still retain the ability to steal your breath. And while many of the sounds and textures have...Read...
Northside Festival 2016 Live Show Review & Festival Recap
Eight years into its existence, Northside Festival is determinedly future-minded. Dividing itself into thirds, the NYC festival has two- and three-day stretches dedicated to “innovation” and “content”. The other third — four days worth of music between the East River and Bushwick, pulls in choice marquee names and established artists each year, but a large...Read...
SIFF 2016 – Seattle International Film Festival Film Reviews & Recap
Another year has come and gone for the Seattle International Film Festival, and this year, our top selections include a lot of black comedies and films that capture the power of human emotion, in all of its positive and negative facets. Here are some favorites from 2016. BURN BURN BURN (United Kingdom) Directed by...Read...
The High Sun (Zvizdan) Film Review (Croatia)
At the start of The High Sun, Jelena (Tihana Lazovic) and Ivan (Goran Markovic) sunbathe at a lakeshore, playing instruments and wrestling flirtatiously in the sunshine. The unfettered young couple seems like it has no worries in the world — and the last thing that one would expect is the reality of their situation: Jelena...Read...