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Reviews


A&E

The Last Five Years flops

The latest movie-musical to hit theaters is Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years,” starring “Pitch Perfect” star Anna Kendrick and renowned Broadway star, Jeremy Jordan.


A&E

Big Sean’s latest LP is massive standout

Big Sean’s latest studio album comes at a pivotal point in the rap music industry. Drake recently surprise released an album and Kendrick Lamar is making waves with new music, while newcomers like Rae Sremmurd and O.T.


A&E

“Sponge Out of Water” stuns fans

Everyone’s favorite yellow sponge from Bikini Bottom is back in “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.” This film, directed by Paul Tibbitt, is essentially an extended “SpongeBob” episode that transports the audience to an altered state of consciousness.


A&E

“50 Shades of Grey,” uncountable shades of terrible

Forget the fact that “50 Shades of Grey” is an awful piece of filmmaking and that I almost left within the first ten minutes. Forget that its script is laughable, its actors’ chemistry unbearably dull, and that its supposed sexiness is about as sexy as an itchy wool turtleneck.


A&E

Surprise release from Drake delivers respectable results

Last Thursday, Drake pulled a Beyoncé, tweeting a link to a project entitled “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.” It arrived with no singles, no marketing campaign and minimal immediate fanfare. This isn’t to say the LP-cum-mixtape went under the radar – that’s been unthinkable for Drake for half a decade now – but it’s certainly a far cry from the Canadian artist’s past releases. The difference goes beyond release style, however.


A&E

Zoso performs at The Jefferson, almost mistaken for a Led Zeppelin show

Led Zeppelin is easily one of the most iconic bands in the history of rock ‘n roll. Not only are all four members considered among the best musicians of all time, but they successfully combined their talents to create a unique style of blues-influenced hard rock Tribute band and perennial Jefferson Theater visitor Zoso, named after Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page’s identifying symbol, replicated the atmosphere of a 1970s Led Zeppelin show.


A&E

Main Street Annex’s wild pre-Valentine’s showcase

Set inside Main Street Annex’s cozy, blacklight-illuminated venue, “Unlucky in Love” combined the themes of Valentine’s Day and Friday the 13th to offer a unique showcase of four bands: Dude ‘n B----, Paul Waggener and the Howling Grimness, The Upper Deckers, and headliner Drunk Luke and the Broken Bottles. The show kicked off with Jenny Rhubright and David Lee Archer performing in an alternative country duo they refer to as Dude ‘n B----, accompanied by two musicians from the upcoming Howling Grimness band.


A&E

Fifty Shades of Disappointment

Despite an attempt to reflect the edginess promised to fans in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the movie’s media campaign fell short of producing an enticing soundtrack.


A&E

History comes alive in “Sons of Liberty”

The year is 1765 and American colonists are growing weary of British oppression — no one more so than the charismatic Samuel Adams (Ben Barnes). Adams incurs the wrath of the British for failing to pay his taxes and unwittingly encouraging the townspeople to destroy the governor’s house.


A&E

Lupe Fiasco returns with new lease on his career

Conscious rap star Lupe Fiasco’s last two albums have left a lot to be desired. While 2011’s “Lasers” was commercially successful, it was not a product of the super-lyrical Lupe that used to be the subject of ire from the likes of the not-so-lyrical Soulja Boy.


Puzzles
Hoos Spelling

Latest Podcast

On this episode of On Record, we sit down with Vera Abbate, director of the Summer Language Institute. Abbate discusses how the program builds fluency, confidence and community through intensive study and practice.