Shields, the fourth album from the Brooklyn quartet Grizzly Bear, certainly isn’t the guarded album its title may indicate. Dive Verdict: 4 of 5 stars
Fresh-faced and full of ideas, The Human Eyes explore its subtle musical talent in its debut album Guiding Eyes For The Blind. Dive Verdict: 4 of 5 stars
If Igor Stravinsky were to compose “The Rite of Spring” on a space shuttle in the next millennium, it might sound something like the music that Flying Lotus creates. Dive Verdict: 4 of 5 stars
There’s a specific and sharp kind of frustration felt when confronted with this disheartening realization: the great parts of the movie were shown in the previews. Listening to Kanye West presents Cruel Summer, by G.O.O.D Music, I empathize. Deeply. Dive Verdict: 3 of 5 stars
Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” You’ll know what he means if you see this film. Dive Verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars
Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg costar in this animated flick, but don’t expect a repeat of “That’s My Boy”—this film’s actually good for a laugh. Dive Verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars
The latest attempt to resurrect a cappella comes in the form of the new film “Pitch Perfect,” which invites audience members to get “pitch slapped.” Whether or not that’s a good thing has yet to be seen. Dive Verdict: 2.5 of 5 stars
“Looper” will go down in thriller history as a revolutionary movie in the realm of time travel. The film is a brilliant, new marker in a concept that has been so well explored. It takes place in the future where the concept of manipulating time has been invented, but is considered illegal. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a kempt junkie who works as a looper for a group that conducts its work further in the future. Dive Verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars
Killing Them Softly Filmmaker Andrew Dominik has yet to disappoint in delivering mannered crime dramas that also know how to have fun. Having fully realized his signature aesthetic in making “Chopper” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” Dominik promises another gritty thrill ride in “Killing Them Softly.”
Blake Mills never intended for his solo projects to take him anywhere, but his 2010 album Break Mirrors has somewhat slowly but surely changed those plans. Already well-known as a producer and studio musician, Mills decided to see where his record would take him for a while. He recently talked to Diversions Editor Allison Hussey about what his music means to him.
The cello tends to be relegated to chamber music and orchestral pieces, but Ben Sollee uses it to craft delightful folk- and pop-tinged tunes. On top of his full-time music career, Sollee also champions environmental sustainability, often touring by bicycle and campaigning against mountaintop removal coal mining in his home state of Kentucky. He talked to Diversions editor Allison Hussey about his innovative new idea in his latest round of touring and his newest record, Half Made Man.
Our brains have this habit of quilting dreams from the fabrics of our lives. Paul Thomas Anderson, a filmmaker by trade, does it for a living. To an arguably greater extent than any other director, he carefully chooses his threads, the way they cross each other, governing patterns, scattering enigmas — ever limiting the number of ways you can pull them apart. You can actually feel the purpose behind each of his stitches, much the same way you can with bedtime imaginations. Dive verdict: 5 of 5 stars
Triangle MC Rapsody, born Marlanna Evans, took the national stage last month with the release of her debut solo LP, The Idea of Beautiful, providing a voice for North Carolina hip-hop and a counterpoint to the popular conception of female rap stars.
Rapsody’s debut album The Idea of Beautiful is a perfect display of genderless musical talent. “The Cards” samples a snippet of Jay-Z’s “Justify My Thug” saying, “I just play the hand I’m dealt.” In it, Rapsody advocates using her gender to her advantage as it comes to the hip-hop community. However, this project seems to do exactly the opposite. Dive verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars
On its newest album Battle Born, The Killers cranks up the synthesizers and takes listeners back to the 1980s, complete with inciting anthems and rock ballads. It’s been four years since the band’s last release, but Battle Born sounds like a continuation of the previous studio albums. Dive verdict: 3 of 5 stars
Hailing from the humid, Southern-saturated counterculture of Charleston, the four-piece band Elim Bolt has produced a richly layered debut work of admirable sonic depth with the Nude South EP. Dive verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars
alf Made Man, the latest release from multifarious singer-songwriter Ben Sollee, is an album constructed with much promise. Known for his collaborations with My Morning Jacket front man Jim James, Sollee employs spacious orchestral arrangements to embellish his tried and true folk rock song formulas. Dive verdict: 2.5 of 5 stars
A perfect ode to the close of the season, “Dredd” is visually compelling, darkly humorous and gratifyingly violent. Though about as deep as a shower puddle, this 98-minute roller coaster of unfiltered brutality has everything one would come to expect from a summer action flick. Dive verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars
As Carrboro prepares for its 15th annual Carrboro Music Festival on Sept. 30, the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department is offering a week of “Music on the Streets,” beginning on Sept. 24.
Some Army is a relatively new band making waves in the Triangle music scene. Featuring members of notable local acts such as The Honored Guests and Aminal, the band plays a sophisticated brand of rootsy indie pop. Coming off a recent performance at Raleigh’s Hopscotch Music Festival and the release of their debut self-titled EP, Some Army is currently on a brief tour of the Southeast. Diversions writer Chris Powers talked with Russell Baggett and Elysse Thebner of the band in advance of their EP release show this Saturday at Local 506 with T0W3RS and Gray Young.
