Jinsei, the new animated film from Japan, is so deadpan it becomes tedious. Stilted movement and repeated camera shots - usually with one central figure staring lifelessly in center frame - do not help things, either. My @spectrumculture.bsky.social review.

Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me fits neatly and easily into Kurt Vile’s catalog, another comfortable guitar rock record played loose and breezy.

We break down Kings of Convenience: Riot on an Empty Street track by track

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Which would you rather hear - the new Bleachers or the new Strokes? You can only pick one.

Another contender for Worst Movie of the Year....

A trippy, eccentric sci-fi film, more thought-provoking than entertaining, that eschews easy tropes to deliver upon its urgent message as clearly as possible. My review of Signal One for @spectrumculture.bsky.social.

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Our weekly Sonic Youth series continues! For the Sonic Youth fans who never wanted a hit, who always preferred the band at both their bleakest and most experimental, Bad Moon Rising might be their best.

WE RECOMMEND: Ed O’Brien: Blue Morpho The spiritual beacon of Radiohead is the latest in a long line of songwriters to use their art to face the void.

WE RECOMMEND: Boards of Canada: Inferno

WE RECOMMEND: Marisa Anderson: The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music: Vol. 1

WE RECOMMEND: Iceage: For Love of Grace & the Hereafter

You've heard of the Amish coming-of-age period known as Rumspringa, but how do you feel about Rom-comspringa? I wrote about PLUS ONE AT AN AMISH WEDDING @spectrumculture.bsky.social spectrumculture.com/2026/06/03/f...

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We invite you to rediscover this very strange band that wants to "fuck with your dreams."

As with many of the great Palestinian films of the last few years, With Hasan in Gaza is able to capture the frustration and hopelessness that many have felt in the region for decades, if not their entire lives.

I reviewed the Bladee album at @spectrumculture.bsky.social. 'If a common observation about Bladee is that he transcends genres, Sulfur Surfer supports that argument with its fantastical, metaphysical yearning that cannot be bound to conventional hip-hop or rap.' spectrumculture.com/2026/06/02/b...

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Good album! But worst cover of the year?

Hey baby goths. Do you know His Name is Alive? If not, check out these reissues.

In the latest of my ongoing series where I have a pulse on the discourse, I wrote about David Lean's The Passionate Friends. It is more modern/innovative than you might expect, and you can watch it on Criterion Channel as part of its "Yearning" collection. My @spectrumculture.bsky.social essay.

#nowspinning #dreampop #musicsky #vinyl His Name is Alive — ‘Mouth by Mouth’ I love the first two albums, but this is where Warren Defever really came into his own.

One wishes there was something a touch more substantial in Milagros Mumenthaler’s latest film, but seeing something as bold as The Currents can be a rare pleasure.

I Built You a Tower is one of the most personally exposed records Death Cab have made, but its impact will depend on the listener’s patience for sadness that no longer feels young.

Today’s vibe: I still maintain this album is rad. Their last great one.

What do the Beatles, IKEA, and generational trauma have in common? The latest provocation from Anders Thomas Jensen is hilarious, and incredibly bleak. My @spectrumculture.bsky.social review of THE LAST VIKING spectrumculture.com/2026/05/31/t...

Keep or ditch?

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Both Alex Murdaugh and this book are out now....

WE RECOMMEND: Isaiah Rashad: IT’S BEEN AWFUL IT’S BEEN AWFUL stands as a courageous, deeply human act of survival—proof that even when the armor is completely stripped away, Isaiah Rashad remains one of the most compelling and necessary voices in modern hip-hop.

With a mixture of humor and poignancy, The Boys of Dungeon Lane works as a series of sketches, of half-remembered incidents elaborated on with the help of either unlocked memories or imagination, whichever works better in the moment.

Is Maya Hawke a better actor or musician?

We have openings for writers to review music, film and/or books. Sadly, not paid. Still awesome. DM us for more info.

Early contender for worst movie of the year:

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer turns 20 this year. I wrote about its legacy, and how it's a macabre entry in the "separate art from artist" debate. After all this time, I still find it astonishing it was made in the first place. My @spectrumculture.bsky.social essay.

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WE RECOMMEND: Stay Alive: by Ian Buruma

On 1985’s Hell Awaits, Slayer transcended their influences to become the most ferocious of thrash metal’s big four. For its 40th birthday it’s been smartened up and paired with a superb contemporary live performance, reopening once again the debate of which is the greatest thrash album of the ‘80s.

WE RECOMMEND: Jeff Parker/ETA IVtet: Happy Today

It's pronounced Kroog.

I reviewed the three recent Drake albums at @spectrumculture.bsky.social. ‘Three albums fail to capitalize on the attention aimed Drake's way after Kendrick Lamar bested him, creating the impression that the Drake character is content to live on streams alone.’ spectrumculture.com/2026/05/25/d...

What's better? A handful of Drake albums or a handful of crap?

Look Who's Talking Mao! Our trip through Michelangelo Antonioni's oeuvre hits a weird one. spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/o...

Will you love I Love Boosters? spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/i...

We'll take alla that ya got! spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/f...

We have openings for writers to review music, film and/or music. Sadly, not paid. Still awesome. DM for more info.

"By seeing the worst that can happen, perhaps we can be inspired to help prevent it," Eloquent and engaged review of Post-Catastrophe Film in @spectrumculture.bsky.social by @mightylyng.bsky.social 📽️📚💙 #FilmSky #BookSky @intellectbooks.bsky.social spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/p...

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