Album Reviews

Ellen Allien
Dust

Jul 26, 2010 Web Exclusive

Bpitch label founder, fashionista, and techno maven Ellen Allien doesn't set out to prove herself to anyone on her fifth LP, Dust. The applicability of the title can be heard during the chiming opener, "Our Utopie." There's a well-worn timbre to the samples and guitars used here, as if each element reacts with the environment immediately surrounding itself.

Classic Interviews

Lucky Soul
In the Studio Report

Jun 29, 2009 Web Exclusive

Lucky Soul is currently in the studio finalizing its sophomore album, which has yet to be titled. Two years since the release of its '60s girl group and Motown soul inflected debut, The Great Unwanted, the British band is prepared to move things in a slightly different direction, adding some different flavors to its anachronistic sound, which will hopefully distance the band from the retro label with which it was tagged as a result of its last album. Songwriter and guitarist Andrew Laidlaw corresponded with Under the Radar via email in between trips to Sweden where he was recording with Stockholm Strings to give a little taste of what we will be in for come the fall.

Comic Book Reviews

Superman 701
DC Comics

Jul 19, 2010 Web Exclusive

And so the new era of Superman begins not with a bang, and not with a whimper, but a series of whimpers. Yes, this is the "Superman walks across the country" storyline, finally here for us to read, not just scoff at based on the premise. Honestly, it's better than I thought it would be. That, unfortunately, is not saying much.

Book Reviews


Jason Hartley: Advanced Genius Theory: Are They Out of Their Minds or Ahead of Their Time

Jun 15, 2010 Web Exclusive

As a music critic, I don't find Jason Hartley's Advanced Genius Theory intimidating or insulting. I need to get that out of the way, because that seems to be one of the primary defenses of the theory.

Video Game Reviews

Iron Man 2 PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/Wii
Sega

May 22, 2010 Web Exclusive

The Iron Man 2 video game had a really good chance at being better than the film of the same name. Unfortunately, the developers did not hold to their promise to make this game better than the lackluster video game tie-in from the last movie. It doesn't hurt as badly this time since the new movie isn't nearly as good as the original one in the first place.

Interviews

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Jul 28, 2010

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is most certainly worth fighting over. The actress had a breakthrough year in 2007, appearing as John McClane's daughter-in-distress in Live Free or Die Hard and starring in Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse segment Death Proof. It was the latter performance that caught the attention of director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). In Wright's upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the anticipated film adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's acclaimed graphic novel series, Winstead plays Ramona Flowers, a girl with a lot of baggage when it comes to dating— seven exes that the story's titular hero must fight against to win her heart. On a break from shooting scenes for the upcoming prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 horror classic The Thing, Winstead spoke with Under the Radar about screaming and scary movies, evil exes, and what it's like to work with Michael Cera and Edgar Wright.

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Pleased to meet you

Fanfarlo

Feb 19, 2010 Web Exclusive

Simon Balthazar, frontman of the orchestral pop group Fanfarlo, grew up surrounded by instruments. And although he learned how to play the piano, guitar, drums and mandolin early on, it wasn't until he was about 17 that he figured out a way to effectively use them: first to play other people's songs, then to write his own

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Galleries

Comic-Con Day Four - July 25, 2010
July 25th, 2010


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Live reviews

She & Him and The Bird and the Bee at the Hollywood Bowl

Jul 21, 2010 By Chris Tinkham

The middle act of a triple bill featuring male/female songwriting duos, She & Him barreled through 18 songs in less than an hour at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night. The concert, presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, was sponsored by KCRW as part of its World Festival program at the Bowl.

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Blog

Alternate Universe Band Names Contest Answers and Winners

Jun 04, 2010 By Laura Studarus

By now, you’ve had plenty of time to delve into the void and unearth your fair share of alternate universe band names. Did you guess all ours? To refresh your memory, Under the Radar staffers fearlessly entered a parallel universe (and dusted off our reference books) to retrieve our favorite bands' alternate names. Check out the original post here. Check out the answers and winners to our contest.

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