Top Picks: Jess Williamson's 'Cosmic Wink,' 'Black Panther' on DVD and Blu-ray, and more
The movie 'Loveless' centers on divorcing couple Zhenya (Maryana Spivak) and Boris (Aleksey Rozin), whose son, Alyosha (Matvey Novikov), goes missing, take a look back when Tony Awards host Josh Groban starred in “Chess in Concert” in 2008 and impressively performed the song 'Anthem,' and more top picks.
Psych-folk standouts
In our ongoing quest to present worthy new music, we direct your ears to the subgenre “psych folk” – specifically, two intriguing new releases by adherents Jess Williamson and RF Shannon. Williamson’s captivating album Cosmic Wink is a potent and haunting rumination on love and its aftereffects. RF Shannon’s Trickster Blues is the sound of a shimmering desert mirage, a solitary, widescreen drive in search of an epic spaghetti western.
Russia study
The movie Loveless centers on divorcing couple Zhenya (Maryana Spivak) and Boris (Aleksey Rozin), whose son, Alyosha (Matvey Novikov), goes missing. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer notes that the disappearance of Alyosha “also represents the loss of something spiritually significant in modern Russia” and calls a harrowing family scene “the most powerful moment in any movie I’ve seen this year.” “Loveless” is available on DVD and Blu-ray June 12.
Host in the spotlight
The Tony Awards, which take place on June 10, will be hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles. Take a look back when Groban starred in “Chess in Concert” in 2008 and impressively performed the song “Anthem.” See his performance at http://bit.ly/
grobanchess.
Spyglass guidance
Don’t let Spyglass’s old-fashioned name fool you. For an outdoor enthusiast, the app can serve many modern functions, including utilizing augmented reality to show directions over a map, getting GPS data, and sharing coordinates. The app is free for Android and $5.99 for iOS.
Socially relevant superhero
Superhero Black Panther gets his own film in Black Panther, now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Chadwick Boseman portrays monarch T’Challa, whose kingdom, Wakanda, and its technological innovations are in danger of being discovered by the outside world. Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright costar. “Like ‘Get Out,’ it’s a genre film jampacked with social relevancy,” Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes.