Sound + Vision
New additions to Sound + Vision
Popular Groups / Male Vocal / Female Vocal / Classical / Jazz / Blues / Country / Easy Listening / World Music / Experimental / Folk / Brass Band / Compilations / Stage Musical / Film and TV Soundtrack
Beth Jeans Houghton - Yours Truly - Cellophane Nose
As its whimsical title suggests, Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose finds Beth Jeans Houghton living up to the playful potential of her EP and demos. Several of these songs -- Sweet Tooth Bird, Night Swimmer, Dodecahedron -- have been around for a while, but their mix of folk, pop, and rock still sounds unique, due in large part to Houghton’s lilting, airy voice. Much like her labelmate Polly Scattergood, Houghton is a will-o'-the-wisp, breezing from song to song and sound to sound with lighthearted grace.
Field Music - Plumb
Plumb, the fourth full-length outing from the Sunderland based pop trio, crams 15 tightly wound, cleverly arranged, and impossible to ignore pop gems into just 35 minutes, peppered with influences as diverse as Leonard Bernstein, Kraftwerk, and XTC.
Lambchop - Mr. M
Lambchop's first studio project since Vic Chesnutt's passing, 2012's Mr. M, is dedicated to Kurt Wagner's friend and collaborator, and though the songs don't deal explicitly with Chesnutt, there's a sense of sorrow in these songs that's deeper than what we've come to expect from Lambchop, infused with an air of reflection and regret that's impossible to miss. Mr. M is an album that concerns itself with loss, but the beauty and gentle force of these songs speak to the joys and responsibilities of being alive, and the album is more than simply a fitting tribute to a fallen comrade, it's one of the most affecting works to date from a brilliant, one-of-a-kind band.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops - Leaving Eden
The Carolina Chocolate Drops update their vintage string band sound a bit with New Orleans-based cellist Leyla McCalla and beatbox specialist Adam Matta for 2012's Leaving Eden, which was produced by Buddy Miller.
Tindersticks - The Something Rain
The Something Rain, Tindersticks' ninth album, stubbornly holds fast to the group's branded, nocturnal avant-pop, one that holds within it everything from subtly textured electronics and touches of jazz to cabaret, chanson, and melancholy indie pop. Vocalist Stuart Staples, signature dulcet baritone is as haunting as ever: it shivers almost constantly atop a mix that contains everything from carefully layered keyboards, bowed bass and cellos to spidery guitars, vibes, minimal drum kits, reeds, and loops. The Something Rain's grace, elegance, and beauty are enhanced throughout by its subtle but certain spirit of chance.
New Releases / Comedy / Drama / Sci-fi / Cult / Thriller / World Cinema / TV / War and Western / Family and Children’s / Special Interest and Documentaries / Bollywood / Manga / Romance
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12)
Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in Guy Ritchie's second adaptation of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle detective novels. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) pronounces suicide as the cause of death. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been murdered - and is soon untangling an international web of intrigue, in which all threads appear to lead to criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris).
The Descendants (15)
Comedy drama from director Alexander Payne starring George Clooney as a lawyer forced to rethink his approach to life after his wife is hospitalised following a serious accident. As trustee for a large estate, Matt King (Clooney) has had a fairly easy life to date. Living in the tropical island of Hawaii, with his financial future secure, King has grown complacent to an extent that is only brought home to him when a boating accident sends his wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie), into a coma. Left in sole charge of the daughters he has largely neglected, Scottie (Amara Miller) and Alex (Shailene Woodley), Matt is called to face his responsibilities as an adult. However, when he discovers that Elizabeth had been having an affair in the months leading up to the accident, a test of his newfound emotional maturity is presented. Matt sets out to confront Elizabeth's lover and to find out the truth underlying the affair. The film won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Bombay Beach (E)
Documentary about the lives of three men in the impoverished Californian desert town of Bombay Beach. The town is located on the shores of the Salton Sea, a man-made sea deep in the desert originally designed as a salubrious art deco holiday destination for rich Californians, but now little more than a pool full of dead fish surrounded by rusting abandoned buildings. Israeli filmmaker Alma Har'el draws on her music video background (the soundtrack is provided by Beirut and Bob Dylan) to weave together an evocative portrait of the town and three of its residents: bi-polar youth Benny Parrish, former oil worker Red Forgy and aspiring football player CeeJay Thompson.
The Artist (PG)
Michel Hazanavicius writes and directs this modern-day silent film comedy recounting the demise of the silent film industry in the late 1920s. Jean Dujardin takes on the role of George Valentin, one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era. George seems to have the perfect life: he loves his work, enjoys adoration from fans and falls in love with a beautiful young starlet, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), after working with her on a movie. When studio boss Zimmer (John Goodman) warns him that the future of film making lies in 'talkies', George is dismissive of the threat. However, as films with audible dialogue begin to take off - with Peppy the undoubted star of the new medium - George struggles to keep pace with a changing world. The film was nominated for ten Oscars at the 2012 Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Dujardin)
