Tag: Damien Chazelle

Music by ToriJan 19, 20158:30 AM

“Fading West” brings fresh energy and experimentation to Switchfoot’s catalog while retaining their familiar sound. It’s an energetic, inspiring album that works well with the accompanying film of the same name. It’s rounded out with the EP, “The Edge of the Earth” which contains unreleased songs from the film.

“Morning Phase” is Beck’s best album in years. The album creates a deep, introspective mood through thoughtful lyrics and beautiful instrumentation. This album has a similar feel to 2002’s “Sea Change.”

In typical Sloan fashion, “Commonwealth” gives each of the band’s four members a chance to shine with his own set of songs. While this could prove messy for most bands, “Commonwealth” showcases each member’s different songwriting and musical styles to create a well-rounded album without becoming incoherent.

Recorded in eight different U.S. cities, “Sonic Highways” is a great concept album from the Foo Fighters. I feel the album is best appreciated alongside its accompanying HBO mini-series of the same title, as the show provides context for many of the lyrics. This album is more about the Foo Fighters’ journey and the people they met along the way, and Sonic Highways reflects that. The entire album is full of heart.

“Vagabond” has very moving, thought-provoking lyrics that capture the spirit of an individual on a journey through life, relationships, and discovery of what’s truly important in life, and what one can do without.

“Whoop Dee Doo” is the band’s first album in ten years. The Muffs are back and just as good as ever. Kim’s vocals have slightly deepened with age, but she’s still got her trademark scream and youthful energy. It’s a solid album, and even though it doesn’t break a lot of new ground, it’s a satisfying addition to the band’s catalog, especially for longtime fans.

Favorite Albums & Movies of 2014

Before I look at some of this year’s upcoming releases, I want to revisit the music and movies that made my 2014. Since ranking favorites is a moderate form of torture for a music/film enthusiast, […]

Writing by ToriJan 31, 201312:46 PM

“Whiplash,” “Jonah” Shine in Shorts Program 1

Shorts Program 1 consisted of five short films: Whiplash, Jonah, K.I.T., A Story for the Modlins, and Scrubber. In the interest of brevity, I’m going to focus on the two shorts that stood out the […]

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