Tag: spectrum review

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I pitched it with loads of words this week at Spectrum Culture. First off, I contributed a review of the new Smith Westerns album, an effort I’ve been sitting on for a while because of a shifting release date. I wish the extra time had helped me like the album more, but it wound up being one of those reviews where I really wanted to write, “Pretty dull, huh?” and move on. Too bad, as I liked their previous album quite a bit. Things were a little better for me on the film side, which is my main home on … Continue reading Spectrum Check

Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

The holiday led to slightly shortened week at Spectrum Culture, but I got a few words up. First off, I contributes a new film review, covering a documentary about the process behind being dubbed a Master Sommerlier. As usual, any time my interest drifts towards win, I have one person to thank. I also contributed to our list of the best albums of the year, so far, a practice that has apparently become a requirement for all review sites. As this little corner of the web regularly attests, I’ve no problem making lists, but I do think the midpoint tallies … Continue reading Spectrum Check

MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I’ve had a couple jumbled weeks with Spectrum Culture with some odd happenstances causing different pieces to get moved around in different ways. I was supposed to have more this week, but it turned out the only full-length piece of mine that went up was a review of the new solo effort by the drummer of the band Real Estate. It was all music for me–and apparently all solo projects week too–as my contribution to the Monthly Mixtape feature entailed writing on a track from the top-notch new Eleanor Friedberger album. Of course I had to write about the song … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

In a rare occurrence, I didn’t have anything new go up at Spectrum Culture this week. But I am charged with figuring out which 2013 album release I think is worth inclusion on our list of the best of the year so far. By far the strongest album I’ve reviewed for the site–and still probably my choice for the year’s top release–is Yo La Tengo’s Fade. I’d like to see it included (and it had a low enough profile that I’m afraid it will be forgotten if I don’t tackle it), but I’m always reluctant to write on something that … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

The Memorial Day holiday made for a truncated week at Spectrum Culture, but a convergence of minor issues meant that I had the rare instance of two different new movie reviews go up. First, I wrote on Hannah Arendt, about a writer and intellectual who covered the Adolf Eichmann trial for The New Yorker. Keeping with the heavy subject matter, I reviewed Shadow Dancer, centered on the The Troubles in Ireland, its own sort of period piece, taking place in the mid-nineties. Probably the most notable aspect of this film is the director, James Marsh. He won the Best Documentary … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

My writing week with Spectrum Culture started with a look backward. Our Revisit series cycles through all the music writers, and my turn came up. I always have an extremely difficult time figuring out what to write on for this feature, usually defaulting to an album I know inside out. This time, that meant a few words on my favorite Billy Bragg album. For the film reviews, I wrote on new horror movie, directed by Katie Asleton and written by her husband, Mark Duplass. I thought it was solid, though I should note that the person in our household with … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

So while I spend my morning wishing some rain away, I’ll share the pieces I contributed to Spectrum Culture this week. I was present in both the film and movie sections, including a review of the sophomore effort by Little Boots. I’ll admit — as I essentially do right in the text of the review — that I sometimes feel a little out of my depth when writing on more electronica-based releases, but I must admit that I’m fairly pleased with the way in which I described the song “Every Night I Say a Prayer.” On the film side, I … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I spent much of this week in recovery, in a sort of spiritual and mental hangover over the insanely busy stretch of work that preceded it. So I’m a little worried that my contributions to Spectrum Culture were a touch discombobulated. On the music side, I wrote a piece on the new album from Montreal’s No Joy. It sounded pretty good to me, but I did struggle in the writing process to find the hook of the review. It’s definitely one of those times when I wanted to write, “It’s pretty good,” and be done with it. The chatting-with-buddies version … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

This week has been a blur for me, thanks to a stupefying number of hours at work. If questioned without any external references, I’d have no idea what I wrote for Spectrum Culture. Luckily, I can scroll through the site and find out. Of course, I may have already forgotten about The Numbers Station by now under just about any circumstances. I presume this may be the film that sets John Cusack to considering nabbing himself a short-season cable series. On the music side, I reviewed the new album from the Black Angels. It’s fine, but I found very little … Continue reading Spectrum Check