“Western Noir” is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.
The western has proved itself a durable, influential way of talking about the human condition.
These films are fearless in thrusting us into worlds beyond our own.
Then and now, the best examples of this genre continue to evoke humanity’s eternal fear of social disruption.
The further one sifts through the decade’s offerings, the more surprising its highlights seem.
Some of our great new horror movies look to the past for assistance, others resonate with bleak nihilism for our future.
Like The Flaming Lips, Andrew Bird’s a musical existentialist: Lyrics of doubt and worry against a reassuring musical backdrop.
Auteurist artistry and genre craftsmanship remain vital filmmaking avenues throughout the decade.
Due to semi-popular demand, we’ve decided to post #101—250 of both our Best of the Aughts: Albums and Best of the Aughts: Singles lists.
There’s a lot of controversy about how closely, if at all, From a Basement on the Hill mirrors Elliott Smith’s intentions for its final form.
The splendidly odd Neko Case has the looks of a pin-up girl and the voice of an “American Idol” champion.
Last year, for reasons I don’t entirely understand, Gucci Mane suddenly become a rap critic favorite.
Mellow’s name was a lie: Perfect Colors, their second (and seemingly final) album proper, is breathlessly sarcastic.
That something vital to pop discourse might be lost if full-length albums disappear should give pause as we dive headfirst into the 21st century’s gangly, awkward teenage years.
After Moon Safari, Air were (at least briefly) mandatory entry-level indie listening.
RJD2 eventually went in some poorly-reviewed direction or other I didn’t follow; apparently things got a lot whiter and clumsier.
Textbook blog-hype band: first album praised beyond (but only a little beyond) its merits, automatically slammed by same for their follow-up.
Arguably, the aughts traveled through three or four distinct phases of journalistically notable indie rock trends
Hello, and welcome to my much-delayed project to annotate my top 100 songs of our not-so-dearly-departed decade.
The decade that began with the commercial single seemingly gasping its last dying breath ended with it being the dominating format.