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Straight Outta Compton (review)

This provocative and incredible story of the rise of N.W.A. is worthy and well-made and signals the beginning of awards season. It’s that good. At 2 hours and 45 minutes it’s rich and dense as it follows the dramatic journey of Compton rappers N.W.A. as an expression of a politically and socially important time and

Ten Drum n’ Bass Tracks to Change Your Game

When it comes to EDM, there is one genre that is vastly under appreciated here in the States. Everyone knows about house music and it’s danceability, trap and down and dirty, take no prisoners approach, and of course, dubstep, with it’s screeching synths and wobbling basslines. But too few know about the Drum n’ Bass

Meru (review)

A must see for climbing buffs and anyone fascinated by the strength and resilience of the human body and spirit. “Meru” may be one of the best mountain climbing movies ever made. Although it appeals to a limited audience, the insights provided through personal interviews with climbers Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk, and

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (review)

Hoping the pounding 60’s soundtrack will jar the audience into enjoyment, this yarn evaporates into TV fluff. Guy Ritchie’s foray into the “James Bond” genre teeters on the edge of an unholy marriage of TV’s “Mission Impossible” and “Route 66” with leads of unidentifiable nationalities and two-dimensional haute couture. The confusion is not helped by

Hot Pursuit Blu-ray Review

Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara bring the laughs in the road comedy Hot Pursuit. Despite the familiar plot and several clichés, the film manages to keep you laughing thanks to the great chemistry of the two talented actresses. Directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal and The Guilt Trip) from a screenplay by David Feeney and

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Interview: Baby in Vain’s Andrea Thuesen

Last night, Echo Park’s tastemaking venue, The Echo, was graced with an excellent show from Danish trio Baby in Vain. The small venue saw three great sets, with two opening sets from Annie Girl & the Flight and a wild show from Kim & the Created but it was the Copenhagen group that stole the

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Watch: Shannon and the Clams ‘Point of Being Right’

With their forthcoming album, Gone By the Dawn, the nostalgia minded triumvirate Shannon and the Clams have released a new video for “Point of Being Right”, the second single, after the somber ballad, “Corvette,” is straight off the new record being released on September 11th. Gone By the Dawn is the group’s fourth studio release,

Review: Mac DeMarco ‘Another One’

  Mac DeMarco is an amazing example of how a local artist can make it big. Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, DeMarco started in a group called Makeout Videotape. He went to create music with them until 2012, when he put out his first solo release, Rock and Roll Night Club, between working a variety of

The Gunman Blu-ray Review

Although its pace is a bit slow at times, The Gunman benefits from stylized filming and great action sequences. The film’s plot is a tad familiar, but Sean Penn’s performance makes it worth taking the time to watch. Based Jean-Patrick Manchette’s novel The Prone Gunman, the film was directed by Pierre Morel (Taken and District

Kara Killmer Interview – Revolutionary Feminist in Beyond the Mask

Beyond the Mask is a Revolutionary War action thriller spanning England and the New World in the years leading up to the 1776 signing of the American Declaration of Independence. Through the politics of rebellion, classism, racism and religion, it paints a picture of the struggles that beset the British making inroads into the eastern