Sep 29, 2014 By Frank Valish TORRES

In 2013, Mackenzie Scott (aka Torres) released her debut album. Torres was a fantastic introduction to a talented artist, a singer/songwriter adept at both the furious and the calm, the soul-baring and the storytelling, the dark and the light.

Sep 26, 2014 By Christopher Prudhomme Web Exclusive

Who better to give us all tips on new music than accomplished musicians themselves. For this new series we have asked more established artists one simple request: tell us who your new favorite band is. For this My Favorite New Band Christopher Prudhomme of San Francisco-based duo Painted Palms tells us about a former tour mate/opening act, Saint Pepsi (aka Ryan DeRobertis).

Sep 26, 2014 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

After two decades of screenwriting – and watching and learning from Nic Refn on the set of Drive in 2011 – Amini has made his debut as a director. His first feature is an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1964 thriller, The Two Faces of January. In the film, Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) is a scam artist on the lam in Greece with his younger wife, Colette (Kirsten Dunst.) They cross paths with another American abroad: smalltime crook Rydal (Oscar Isaac), who they form a quick friendship with. When Chester accidentally kills a private investigator sent to capture him, Rydal becomes an accomplice and the three flee to the Greek islands to avoid authorities.

Sep 25, 2014 By Mike Hilleary Issue #51 - September/October 2014 - alt-J

Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci would make an excellent case study in contrast. It’s not just the fact that the musical comedy duo otherwise known as Garfunkel and Oates differ from one another in looks and personality—Lindhome being tall, blonde, and talkative while Micucci is small, brunette, and admittedly shy—the L.A.-based duo have made an unlikely name for themselves delivering foul-mouthed and bitingly honest songs that guise themselves under girlishly sweet melodies.

Sep 24, 2014 By Laura Studarus Issue #50 - June/July 2014 - Future Islands

Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring is in a good mood. He punctuates his sentences with laughter, and even across an occasionally static phone connection (Herring is driving a rented tour van from Florida to Maryland before the band embarks on the next leg of shows) you can almost hear his wide grin.

Sep 23, 2014 By Laura Studarus Issue #50 - June/July 2014 - Future Islands

It’s the night after Future Islands’ network television debut on The Late Show, and David Letterman is trying not to laugh. “Let’s dance!” he declares, after a joke about a candy store falls flat. The shot cuts to footage from the band’s performance, featuring frontman Samuel T. Herring’s theatrical, sidestepping dance moves.

Sep 22, 2014 By Austin Trunick Issue #51 - September/October 2014 - alt-J

Fox’s Gotham takes an approach to the Batman mythos that’s unique outside of comics: it doesn’t feature Batman at all. The new television series takes place many years before the Caped Crusader watched over Gotham and focuses on the mythical city itself; on the young hero and villains that fans will recognize as Gotham’s future power players.

Sep 19, 2014 By Frank Valish Web Exclusive

After playing in various bands throughout their youth, Angus James and his brother Oliver (Ollie) began writing songs over the Christmas holiday in 2012. When the first two songs they had written, “Nowhere” and “Don’t Hang Around,” were discovered by British blog Crack in the Road, Angus (guitar/vocals/keys) and Oliver (guitar/vocals) recruited their other brother Thom (drums), as well as Isaac Jones (bass) and George Abram (a non-musical fifth member of the band who assists in writing and does the band’s artwork) and started a proper band.

Sep 19, 2014 By Austin Trunick Issue #51 - September/October 2014 - alt-J

For nearly 40 years, Terry Gilliam has been the archetypal cult filmmaker. Starting out as an animator and member of British comedy troupe Monty Python, he moved into filmmaking on their classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which he co-directed with Terry Jones.