Sep 24, 2009 TV Web Exclusive

There's more than a fine line between Lost and Heroes, there's a friggin' gulf. But despite its many faults, Heroes is the only sci-fi show in five years that's managed to replicate any level of Lost's success. And so, in an attempt to maintain the viewership they'll lose once Lost ends next spring, ABC has once again churned out another sci-fi serial, this time revolving around the mystery behind the entire world's population blacking out for just over two minutes and flashing forward to six months in the future. More

Sep 24, 2009 Music Web Exclusive

...And the Horse You Rode In On, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir’s new album (their second for Bloodshot), is full of literate, darkly hilarious surprises. From the truly brilliant first line “I hope that you catch syphilis and die alone” to the closing track’s “Now when I catch wind of your successes/I wish I were dead,” the recordings are peppered with sharp, bitter little barbs that will hook listeners and help anyone put their past failed relationships into perspective. More

Sep 23, 2009 Comic Books Web Exclusive

I'm not sure if we really needed yet another "definitive" account of Superman's origin. It seems like ol' Golden Boy's narrative is pretty much canonical by now. Sure, writer/fanboy darling Geoff Johns (Infinite Crisis) and capable Action Comics illustrator Gary Frank (Superman: New Krypton) make a good point: from Superman: Birthright, to Man of Steel and New Krypton, Clark Kent's origin has received a multitude of retcons. Despite this, the core narrative elements are there and wholly understood. More

Sep 23, 2009 Music Web Exclusive

On 2008's Furr, Blitzen Trapper focused its wild eclecticism, settling on a stylized take on '70s country rock. "Black River Killer" is the perfect example, with finger-picked guitar and murder-ballad lyrics (make that multiple-murder). Here, it's paired with six tunes that already graced a tour CD, recorded during the Furr sessions. More

Sep 22, 2009 Live

Kurt Cobain once remarked caustically that he would only wear a tie-dyed t-shirt if it were made with "the urine of Phil Collins and the blood of Jerry Garcia." Perhaps he was rolling over in his grave when Sufjan Stevens and his band opened the main stage of ATP day 2 decked out in oversized tie-dyes. Delivering a set comprised of 2004's Seven Swans from start to finish, Stevens announced that, "this is a set for your hangovers." More

Sep 21, 2009 Music Web Exclusive

Judee Sill released only two LPs, 1971's Judee Sill and 1973's Heart Food, before tragically dying of a heroin and cocaine overdose in 1979. She didn't live long enough to see her music become popular among Laurel Canyon-referencing indies such as Fleet Foxes and Department of Eagles. American Dust's lovingly compiled Crayon Angel features gorgeous and tolerable Sill covers from Daniel Rossen (Department of Eagles, Grizzly Bear), Beth Orton, Bill Callahan, Final Fantasy, Marissa Nadler, and Ron Sexsmith. More

Sep 21, 2009 Music Web Exclusive

During the 2000s, The Pastels cultured a lasting connection with the avant-garde pop community of Japan. Thus, the Scottish duo's long-gestating collaboration with the Tokyo pop duo, Tenniscoats is somewhat predictable. Saya and Ueno Takashi play their instruments like they're pattering rain on a grassy knoll or butterflies hovering above flowers. More

Sep 18, 2009 Cinema Web Exclusive

Writer-director Jane Campion's Bright Star is a sensory experience, an exquisitely photographed period romance that forsakes sweeping camera movements and swelling orchestral score for the quiet immediacy of the moments that occur when love takes root. More

Sep 18, 2009 TV Web Exclusive

The glass is still half empty when HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm returns for its seventh season Sunday night, but Larry David just might be adding more water. Although he's always sneered at NBC's offers for a Seinfeld reunion, David realizes if he agrees he can swoon his actress ex with the part of George Costanza's ex-wife. That setup seems classic, especially with who's involved. More