Crank One of the great things about the How Did This Get Made podcast is that on occasion they discuss a movie so great and underrated that it changes the game for you. For me, Crank was definitely one of those movies. Having dismissed it as a ridiculous cashgrab at first (like the stupid Hurricane Heist or Geostorm movies), I’ve since come to appreciate it as an incredibly punk rock effort. After watching Crank I was forced to...

DK40 (3CD)(Manifesto Records)Every fan knows that punk rock has had a fantastic relationship and tradition with bootleg records, and that tradition has now broken into the mainstream as well. Now in the twenty-first century, bands like The Doors, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Pearl Jam as well as artists like Jeff Tweedy, Neil Young and Lars Frederiksen have released a stream of great sounding like recordings under the “bootleg” moniker to the expressed joy and appreciation of fans, and have...

Exhalationby Ted Chiang I’m sure I’m not the only one who had their mind completely blown by the movie Arrival. Being a sci-fi lover I was completely delighted by how little of it was about explosions and instead focused on communication and the life stream. A story like that deserves credit solely for how unique it is. Well, it turns out that unique story came from the mind of Ted Chiang. Exhalation is his latest collection of short stories, which...

The VVitch I knew when I first watched the Witch that I was watching something special. A feeling similar to when I watched Mandy. There’s something to the feel and mood of the Witch that just immediately latches onto you. So often do we fall victim to the hyperbolic praise of movies that we forget that it’s what WE think that matters. It reminds me of the buzz surrounding Hereditary. It was already being lauded as the scariest...

WHO: Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi WHAT: What We Do in the Shadows WHY: I think most people were equal parts surprised and excited when it was announced that the cult movie was going to be turned into a TV show. But it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the outcome was so great considering it’s such a comedic powerhouse. In addition to Clement and Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows features such talented writers as Tom Scharpling and Stefani Robinson....

Empowered and Sistah Spooky’s High School Hellby Adam Warren, Carla McNeil, Jenn Lee Adam Warren is someone who’s easily underrated in the comic book world. In addition to that he’s also underappreciated. His contribution to the Dirty Pair franchise was funny, innovative, looked great, and somehow just kept getting better. And it’s this same unique sensibility that Warren was able to bring to Gen13. In a run that included so many ups and downs, Warren’s issues were consistent high points...

WHO: Tim Robinson WHAT: I Think You Should Leave WHY: I know we’re supposed to be in a comedy bubble that just won’t pop, but the lack of good sketch comedy that it’s brought is alarming. Maybe the last mainstream subversive sketch comedy show was Key and Peele and their presence is sorely missed. Lucky for us, Tim Robinson’s new show I Think You Should Leave fills that hole. Robinson’s presence on SNL went unnoticed and unappreciated and like most...

Marx in the Age of Digital Capitalismby Christian Fuchs (Editor), Vincent Mosco (Editor) I have to stop reading books that sound like they’re impossible to read. Because, most of the time, it turns out they ARE impossible to read. I guess, I keep hoping that the authors or editor would find a way to present complex ideas in a way that’s easy for the reader to understand. Not so with Marx in the Age of Digital Capitalism. I’m just surprised...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the A Broken Heart is an Open Heart LP/2CD set by Louise Lemon. As intellectually evasive as music genre names have the capacity to be (dig into music history, and you’ll realize how silly sub-genre names get – take post-hardcore or “screamo” for just two examples), there’s no question that Death Gospel (or Doom Gospel – depending upon the press release that one reads) chanteuse Louise Lemon has hit upon something truly...

The MonsieursSelftitled Worship the mighty Monsieurs! Here in Boston it’s hard to find a harder rocking trio of musicians who are cooler than the Monsieurs. They are just one of these bands that should be appreciated by the masses but at the same time are reserved for those who “get it.” And if you don’t get the Monsieurs, then you need to reconsider your priorities, sir. For the uninitiated, the Monsieurs play a dirty and uninhibited form of garage rock...