The Playlist: April

The Playlist: April

So much good music! No time to chat about it! Look down, listen up, and go outside because the weather (here in New York, at least) has been nonstop delightful for weeks! Go, go, live!

Andy Dixon — YOLO (And It Never Comes or It Seems to But It Doesn't Really)

It seems like Andy Dixon (aka Secret Mommy) has been on fire lately, with what certainly feels like more art ...

Indie Game Spotlight: <em>NoNoSparks Genesis</em>

Indie Game Spotlight: NoNoSparks Genesis

Nonograms are a niche form of logic puzzle that, remarkably, still haven't found the sort of widespread mainstream embrace that sudoku and kenken puzzles have. We say "remarkably" because, as those who've been exposed to nonograms are well aware, nonograms are awesome. The majority of gamers who've grown smitten with these graphic-logic puzzles know them but slightly more informal name: Picross — combining the concepts of "pictures" with "crossword" puzzles and ...

Trailer Review: You Say You Want Some Action Movie Clichés?

Trailer Review: You Say You Want Some Action Movie Clichés?

The problem with revamps is that they are invariably compared to their earlier incarnations, which is, to a degree, unfair to the vision of the new project and the creative people involved. So, for the sake of objectivity, let's forget all about Total Recall, the 1990 Paul Verhoeven blockbuster that convinced audiences worldwide that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a respectable degree of talent beyond flexing his muscles for the camera. While we're ...

First Impressions: Image’s Nouveau Science-Fiction

First Impressions: Image’s Nouveau Science-Fiction

Image Comics is currently in the midst of a year-long celebration of the publisher's twentieth anniversary. Founded by seven artists sick of the rigid structure and lack of creative control of their properties at Marvel and DC, Image has seen a number of success stories over the years that have allowed their creators significantly greater celebrity exposure than they would with the same properties elsewhere, from the early notoriety of ...

Carnet de Voyage: <em>Journey</em>

Carnet de Voyage: Journey

thatgamecompany have rapidly driven to the forefront of the games-as-art movement. Jenova Chen and company produced impressive and unique PC games in the form of Cloud and fl0w before being picked up by Sony for a three-game exclusive contract for the Playstation 3, a mutually-beneficial relationship that will likely someday be seen as one of the great cornerstone moments in the history of indie games. The first two games—an ...

Record Review: The Magnetic Fields’ <em>Love at the Bottom of the Sea</em>

Record Review: The Magnetic Fields’ Love at the Bottom of the Sea

There are several entire generations of snarky hipster snobs who can identify the exact moment they became aware of the Magnetic Fields—and, by association, songsmith Stephin Merritt. Some were drawn to the instrumentals used throughout Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Some were wooed by the dark humor of the musical accompaniment for Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books. More often than not, though, it's some ...

 
 
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