Overrated / Underrated, Part 1: ‘Nashville,’ smooth disco and more
While best wishes go to Mumford & Sons bassist Ted Dwane as he recovers from brain surgery, the fallout from the band’s canceled tour reverberated in unsettling ways. With Mumford out of commission, their headlining slot at Tennessee’s Bonnaroo festival went to blandly carefree folk singer Jack Johnson. With a new album due in September, Johnson’s return will be big news for laid-back surfer bros and island vacation marketers, but everyone else should probably know better. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
Though released back in the Mesozoic era in typical hip-hop terms, this 1994 album from the cult Brooklyn trio of Ishmael “Butterfly†Butler, Craig “Doodlebug†Irving and Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca†Vieira sounds timeless. Recently given a lush, vinyl-only reissue, “Blowout Comb†mixes sharp lyrics, head-bobbing beats and intricately crafted samples of Roy Ayers, Grant Green and Shuggie Otis into a record that finds the natural through-line that connects jazz with hip-hop. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
An emerging star on the jazz scene, drummer Kendrick Scott has performed with a wealth of top-flight players, including a longtime stint with trumpeter Terence Blanchard. Scott’s latest album with his band Oracle, “Conviction,†mines a broad set of influences in a way reminiscent of Blanchard, with songs by Sufjan Stevens and Herbie Hancock alongside taut originals, including the knotty “Cycling Through Reality.†(Scott plays the Blue Whale in Little Tokyo on June 21-22). (Rick Diamond / Getty Images)
Less a movie and more of an expensive wink toward a franchise’s roots punctuated by a judicious use of explosions, the latest installment of J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the venerable sci-fi series doesn’t deliver the bubbly summer thrills of the first time around. Strangely devoid of tension or surprises despite a decent villainous turn by Benedict Cumberbatch, the best thing about this movie is it will be forgotten in three months. (Zade Rosenthal / AP)
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Come on, Harry. You turned up on the once-proud singing competition to remind contestants that the words of the pop songbook matter and that mimicry isn’t enough to be a singer. Now you’re in talks to join the show as a judge? Sure, your TV career’s cooled since “Will & Grace,†but once you see something’s crazy, you don’t join the asylum. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Maybe L.A.’s greatest new tradition, Ciclavia reclaims our streets for non-motorized transport in a way that forces us to engage with our city and each other in a more intimate way. But the recent, traffic-clogged route from downtown to the ocean indicates that the event may have outgrown its original intent. We have no trouble expanding freeways for more cars, let’s widen future Ciclavia routes -- or maybe reserve some streets for bikes full time. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Few artists in recent years have earned as much critical derision than dubstep star Skrillex, but this new project from the floppy-haired DJ and fellow EDM star Boys Noize was one of the most crowded sets at the two-weekend Coachella festival. You can hear the dark echo of the electronic music forefathers of Wax Trax records in Dog Blood’s manic mix, and the contrast with Coachella’s feel-good vibes wasn’t just welcome, it was necessary. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
How did a French electronic duo with a prediliction for robot masks become pop music’s Godot? Rumors of a surprise appearance at the Coachella festival overshadowed both weekends, and new single “Get Lucky†got the most single-day spins ever on Spotify. While the song is a fizzy disco flashback (thanks to Chic’s Nile Rodgers), new album “Random Access Memories†can’t live up to this level of hype. Remember Daft Punk’s “Tron 2.0†soundtrack? (Dan Steinberg / AP)
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As this year’s Coachella closes, it’s indicative of its underwhelming lineup that the most talked-about surprise involved this R&B singer joining the French band Phoenix. And though that collision may have been fun, does anyone know why Kelly is also appearing at Bonnaroo and the hipster-curated Pitchfork Festival? Remember his 2008 child pornography trial? And if not, how long until Chris Brown gets his indie rock festival comeback? 2015? (Christopher Polk / Getty Images for Coachella)
Remember 2009? There were fewer songs more irresistible than this French band’s “Lisztomania,†with the possible exception of “1901,†which is just as catchy and, at least until the choruses hit, pretty much the same song. After Phoenix’s “Saturday Night Live†appearance last week to tease its new album, “Bankrupt!,†it’s clear these musicians do their airy, stylishly catchy pop trick pretty well ¿ but it’s all they do. How did this band get a headlining slot at Coachella? (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)
Every comic’s mission is to amuse and, if they’re really good, to make us think. As a stand-up, Oswalt’s long done both on TV (“King of Queens,†“Justifiedâ€) and film (“Ratatouille,†“Young Adultâ€). But right after the horrific blasts at the Boston Marathon, Oswalt did much more in an essay that lighted up social media, reminding us of humanity’s goodness just when we needed it most. Seriously ¿ thanks, Patton. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Joining José James as part of a very good year for fans of soulful jazz (or jazz-inflected soul), this L.A.-born, Brooklyn-based vocalist is a rising star. A track from his most recent album, “Be Good,†earned a Grammy nomination in the R&B category last year, and upcoming appearances at the Monterey and Playboy jazz festivals should lift his profile even further. Listen to “On My Way to Harlem†for a sample of his rich, striking sound. (Mike Nelson / EPA)
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Remember when this marathon musical smorgasbord and meet-up was about new artists as opposed to career-relaunching concerts and high-profile branding opportunities? Like the musical equivalent of Sundance in Utah, SXSW has become a big-money shadow of its former self. But don’t worry, all you lucky insiders who caught uber-exclusive shows with Green Day, Justin Timberlake and Prince -- we’re still impressed. (John Sciulli / Getty Images for Samsung)
: There’s a curious — and suspicious — bit of instant time travel at work in this song, which uses a mix of reverb, fuzzy guitar and a nasal, raspy vocal hook to create a diabolically addictive, bite-sized hybrid of early ‘60s Dylan and Hamburg-era Beatles. We’re not sure what hypnotic sort of chemistry this 19-year-old (!) is employing in the U.K., but he should know that with great power comes great responsibility. (Scott Gries / Invision for MTV)
The star of the money-printing “Oz the Great and Powerful,†“Black Swan†and innumerable teenage dreams caused a collective swoon across the Internet after having a relaxed, playful moment with a flummoxed junket interviewer. Sweet as this clip may be, what does it say about our standards of celebrity behavior when this kind of thing is enough to win her some kind of virtual humanitarian prize? (John Shearer, Invision / AP)
Already one of the most addicting, sumptuously shot dramas on TV, this
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Can you see the clock ticking, all you Beliebers? Though it’s been years since this pop star has leapt into our hearts, he’s 18 and we’re awfully close to 9:59 on Bieber’s allotted 10 minutes of fame. His petulant response to being snubbed by the Grammys revealed how far removed from reality this pop star has ventured, and he’ll be relegated to a musical time capsule faster than you can say
FX’s much-hyped ‘80s spy series “The Americans†showed a few flaws in its early going, but one inarguable decision was to open with an intense, action film-styled sequence backed by this classic. Somewhat derided in its day for the decadent (and brilliant) choice to include the USC marching band as part of its single mix, “Tusk†and its insistent drum patter are creepy, vaguely paranoid and close to perfect. (Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)
Nothing against
Tapped for a recent interview on Marc Maron’s “WTF†podcast, this veteran actor stands alone in being able to tackle goofy comedy, heavy drama and even a comic franchise with uncommon skill. “Night Shift,†“Mr. Mom†and “Beetlejuice†remain classics, and although
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With another reunion tour on the horizon, this band becomes more difficult to appreciate the longer it endures. The group’s glossy take on country rock can indeed sound both peaceful and easy in moderation, but the relentless self-mythologizing that began with the absurd cowboy get-ups of “Desperado†and continues in a two-part documentary that premiered at
It’s turned Comic-Con into Hollywood’s promotional playground and birthed unfortunate new words like “adorkable.†Now, as we band together to show just how quirkily nonconformist we are, let’s recognize that when plastic-framed glasses are on nearly every face and superhero and/or fantasy movies are the biggest hits, it’s not an underserved subculture anymore. Congratulations, everyone -- you fit in. (Patrick T. Fallo /, Los Angeles Times)
One of top talents in contemporary jazz guitar, Rosenwinkel sounds as virtuosic as ever on this 2012 double album. But for all his fleet-fingered acrobatics and sometimes-divisive vocal harmonies, Rosenwinkel is braced every step of the way by a band that includes keyboard phenom Aaron Parks and drummer Justin Faulkner, who boasts a taut mix of grace and drive. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
