Aug 11th, 2008 · The fast-paced, playful pop songs from the Arizona-based band What Laura Says are utterly infectious, full of quirky vocals and banged out piano chords. Lyrically, the record walks a line between comedic sarcasm and poignancy. But What Laura Says takes the pop formula one step further, injecting thick, full band instrumentation and a slew of retro sounds, from psychedelia to folk and bluegrass. The result is a very catchy record that keeps things light without losing any sort of musical integrity.
Keywords: music · songs · Laura · bluegrass · folk · instrumentation · retro · comedian · quirky · Formula · Integrity · Arizona
Aug 7th, 2008 · Isabel Coixet's film follows a refined formula — acclaimed actors, source material by Philip Roth, a classy soundtrack. But the gentility of tone masks, when it might contrast, a brute of a protagonist.
Keywords: actor · soundtrack · Formula · Philip Roth · protagonist · Classy · gentility · brute · Tasteful Elegy · Isabel Coixet
Jul 17th, 2008 · John Meeks has been playing and recording for 15 years, but his new Three Song Demo is the pre-release EP to his first full-length album, due out this Fall. It isn't as if Meeks has spent more than a decade trying to come up with some complex musical formula. In fact, what is so compelling about Meeks' music is his simple, straightforward approach. The three acoustic, country-twinged songs are free of artifice, aren't overly produced or orchestrated, and sound effortless.
Keywords: country · music · John · songs · acoustic · album · orchestral · Formula · meek · EP · Artifice · emThree
Jul 8th, 2008 · Guitarist Manuel Barrueco invoked the "something old, something new" formula for his concert with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, juxtaposing an 18th-century Vivaldi concerto with a new piece by Roberto Sierra.
Keywords: concert · concerto · centuries · guitarist · Formula · juxtaposes · manuel · barrueco · Vivaldi · Guitarist Manuel Barrueco · Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra · Roberto Sierra
Jun 5th, 2008 · DreamWorks' animated romp proves charming, if studiously formulaic. The simple story is aimed squarely at tots, but the digitizers have referenced Eastern visual styles — from delicate Chinese screens to flashy Japanese anime — to enliven the look for adults.
Keywords: China · eastern · Japan · animated · delicate · adult · heroes · Formula · kung · fu · digital · DreamWorks
Jun 4th, 2008 · Argentina probably isn't the first place you think of for groundbreaking electro-pop music, but for the past several years it's been turning out a number of stunning recordings from some of the genre's most inventive artists. The brother-sister duo Isol and Zypce (that's ee-SOLE and ZIP-see) is about to release one of the year's more curious CDs: a spectacular headphone album, with a richly layered world of blips and clicks, called Sima.
Keywords: world · artists · CD · music · duo · album · genre · groundbreaking · Curious · Formula · para · spectacular
Apr 14th, 2008 · Crushed by a breakup with his famous girlfriend, Peter heads for Hawaii to mend his heart, only to discover his ex is there with a new beau in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. With the aid of a beautiful hotel employee and many drinks with little umbrellas, Peter works to rejoin the land of the sane and living in a film that while formulaic, is nevertheless funny.
Keywords: Hotel · employees · famous · discovering · beautiful · girlfriend · Hawaii · Formula · sarah · marshal · breakup · umbrella
Apr 10th, 2008 · Light-activated bleaching techniques such as BriteSmile and Zoom are marketed as "breakthroughs" in the science of teeth whitening. But are they any more effective than less expensive bleaching gels or over-the-counter white strips? Dentists weigh in.
Keywords: science · breakthrough · Dentists · expensive · Formula · BriteSmile
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