Arts

Arts

Drake shows evolution on ‘Nothing Was the Same’

September 29

Kanye West’s third studio release, “Graduation” (2007), was a declaration that he had finally grown up. In the last piece of his “College Dropout” trio, West finally shed his insolence and frustration to stake his claim as the most influential rapper alive. This album marked a turning point, a point where West no longer felt the need to rap about every anxious thought and instead was confident in his place at the top of the rap game.

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Arts

'Glee' premiere has high points, fails to produce momentum

September 29

There must be some statute of limitations on how many times a television show can be renewed for another season with only the quality of its first to serve as justification for doing so. Unfortunately, "Glee" seems to be immune to that particular brand of logic. In fact, the show seems to be immune to most brands of logic - logical dialogue, logical plot points and logical character development, just to name a few. And despite a few shining moments, last Thursday's season five premiere of "Glee" was no exception to that pattern.

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Arts

'Don Jon' displays complex characters in witty, relatable film

September 26

“My body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church, my boys, my girls and my porn.” This is the mantra of one strong, handsome Jersey boy who has no trouble attracting “10s” on the dance floor. This is a guy who gets hard from the sound of a MacBook booting up in anticipation of watching porn. This is the life of Jon Martello, better known as Don Jon.

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Arts

Concert Review | Boston Symphony Orchestra opens season with powerful show

September 23

As of last Saturday, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is officially back in town for its 132nd season, and, hopefully, this will be their last year without a musical director. Since James Levine resigned in 2011 for health reasons, the BSO has been lacking leadership. However, audiences are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of 34-year-old Andris Nelsons, the youngest musical director to be appointed to the BSO in over 100 years, who will begin his contract in the 2014-2015 season. The opening night concert seemed to reflect this excitement for fresh, young energy on the horizon, with Augustin Hadelich taking the helm on the violin solo in the Brahms “Double Concerto.”

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Arts

TV Review | Romantic hype fizzles in 'New Girl' season opener

September 23

“Friends don’t let friends do friends,” reads the promotional tagline for the third season of Fox’s comedy “New Girl.” This witty little one-liner essentially sets up the entire framework for the next 20-plus episodes: can two once-platonic roommates suddenly and seamlessly step into a romantic relationship? Apparently, not without hitting a few (awkward) bumps in the road.

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Arts

New Holy Ghost! album features pop hits

September 22

Holy Ghost!'s sophomore album, "Dynamics," begins with "Okay," a song that is definitely reminiscent of the Brooklyn duo's self-titled debut. Right from the start, the band, consisting of members Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel, demonstrates the direction their new album is going to take by using prominent '80s-esque drum sounds and melodies.

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Arts

Adaptation of 'The Jungle Book' excites audience stays true to original

September 22

The opening scene of Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of "The Jungle Book" at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company features a small boy in an armchair, by himself, reading. The lighting is soft and blue and the scene is quiet, except for the small chime of classical Indian instruments in the background. A tall figure, dressed in what appears to be Victorian-era clothes mixed with ornaments and peacock feathers, lights up the scene. The peacock takes the boy by the hand and leads him through a door.

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Arts

The Mindy Project' returns with fresh batch of humor

September 22

The funniest OB/GYN in the business is back and ready for another hilarious and heartfelt season. After traveling with her minister boyfriend to construct a hospital in Haiti during the first season finale of "The Mindy Project" (2012-present), Mindy Lahiri, played by Mindy Kaling, is quickly sent back to New York to undergo a relatively minor gallbladder surgery. Sporting a rocking new pixie cut, she wakes up in a hospital bed with her nurse, Morgan (Ike Barinholtz), and fellow doctors Danny Castellano (Chris Messina) and Jeremy Reed (Ed Weeks) at her side.

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Arts

Youth Lagoon enchants crowd with dreamy set

September 19

When 24-year-old Trevor Powers took the stage at Cambridge's The Sinclair on Tuesday night - his trademark curls draped haphazardly across his face - it was apparent how far he's come in just two years. Powers, who performs under the stage name Youth Lagoon, first broke into the music scene in 2011 with his debut album "The Year of Hibernation," an exercise in introspective, lo-fi dream-pop.

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Arts

Art Gallery exhibition demonstrates disparity between digitized and non-digitized nations

September 19

"Cuban Virtualities," an exhibition curated by Liz Munsell and RewellAltunaga at the Tufts University Art Gallery, explores technology in Cuba through new media art. While the Cuban Revolution of 1959 brought many positive reforms to the island nation, Cuba has yet to experience the digital revolution. The exhibition conveys this by providing real-life examples of Internet interaction in Cuba, as well as by contrasting Cuba with the highly digitized United States.

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Arts

Combat Paper' exhibit showcases veterans' art as expressive outlet

September 18

After a decade marked by two prolonged wars in Afghanistan and Iraq involving thousands of U.S. Armed Forces members, mental health issues among veterans have become an increasing problem — even though this topic is rarely at the forefront of public conversation. When returning from service, military veterans can experience a host of mental health issues, including survivor’s guilt or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder , which seriously impact their ability to reintegrate into society. The scope of this issue is evident in veteran suicide rates, which a 2012 report from the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated to be around 22 veterans a day in 2010. While there are a variety of therapies that have been utilized to help remedy these issues, the Tufts chapter of Alliance Linking Leaders in Education and the Services has partnered with the Tufts Art Gallery to display a somewhat unconventional therapy: artwork.

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Arts

New Arctic Monkeys album delivers diverse set of rock songs

September 17

As the saying goes, you can't please everyone, but it seems like on their new album Arctic Monkeys does just that. On "AM," the band's most recent release, the Arctic Monkeys have reached a whole new level of musical maturity, finding just the right balance between delivering hits and continuing to push the boundaries of various genres. Everyone from hip-hop fans to old school metal buffs will find themselves nodding along to this record, which debuted in the United States on Sept. 6.

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Arts

New comedy 'Trophy Wife' gets strong start

September 17

Each fall, as networks roll out their new shows and returning hits, a batch of comedies premieres - often to embarrassingly low ratings and critical lambasting. For every "Modern Family" (2009-present) and "Big Bang Theory" (2007-present), there's an equally reviled sitcom that is pulled from the airwaves and quickly forgotten. Who remembers "Cavemen" (2007-2008), the truly terrible show based on GEICO's cavemen commercials? What about last year's offensive and controversial mid-season replacement "Work It" (2012)? As the fall television season gets off to its official start this week, similarly appalling comedies are likely to make appearances - luckily for audiences, "Trophy Wife" (2013) isn't one of them.

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Arts

Toronto Film Festival features Oscar contenders

September 16

The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival wrapped up this past Sunday, concluding the first chapter in this year’s awards season race. The Academy Awards themselves aren’t until March 2014, but that doesn’t stop rabid speculation from building months in advance of the ceremony. The TIFF provides the perfect arena for premature Oscar prognosticating; the festival screens numerous highly anticipated films to audiences (and critics), whose reactions can set the tone for the rest of the awards season. Last year, Ben Affleck’s “Argo” (2012) opened at Toronto to rave reviews and significant Oscar buzz — and February found Affleck on the stage of the Dolby Theatre thanking the Academy for his film’s Best Picture win. It’s a critical jumping-off point for films hoping to make similarly positive impressions on these early audiences.

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Arts

The Weeknd sometimes struggles on 'Kiss Land'

September 16

When young artists surrounded by a great deal of hype see success, they will often stick to their original style for as long as possible. Even after his fifth album, The Weeknd’s music still includes his trademark sensual singing and electronic-inspired beats. His new album, “Kiss Land,” is an enjoyable display of this brand — a relaxed listen despite its anxious vocals. Although The Weeknd’s lyrics have recently begun to edge towards ridiculous, “Kiss Land” remains a solid play and a pleasant 55 minutes of his signature sound.

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Arts

The League' delivers mediocre episodes

September 15

"The League" (2009-present) has just started its fifth season on a new network, the FX-owned FXX. Unfortunately, it appears that though the network has changed, the series has not. After a somewhat stale fourth season, "The League" is in need of a shakeup. Many of the jokes are getting old and the dynamic between the characters has barely changed over the last four years. Yet the show still has extremely funny moments (especially amusing to new viewers) that give "The League" hope - maybe, just maybe, the show will be able to return to its once outstanding form.

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Arts

Concert Review: Alt-J showcases musical prowess and energy in live show

September 15

Despite the fact that Alt-J, or ?, is new to the music scene, the band's breakout was remarkable due to its unconventional genre, originality and unique sound. The newly emerging British alternative art-rock band Alt-J has already attained considerable success merely months after the release of its first album. After playing at several high-profile music festivals this year, including Lollapalooza and Reading and Leeds, Alt-J began an intense U.S. tour. Passing through various cities across the country, the band finally made it to Boston, playing a concert at the Bank of America Pavilion on Sept. 13.

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Arts

Theater Review: 'The Libertine' goes too far

September 15

"Equal parts gritty, funny, sexy, dark and moving," according to the Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company website, the Boston premiere of "The Libertine" (1994) certainly sets out to accomplish a lot. Produced in collaboration with New York-based theater company Playhouse Creatures and the Bridge Repertory of Boston (new to the local theater scene), "The Libertine" is the first production of the Bridge Rep's first full season. Perhaps the added pressure of being the new kid on the block helps explain the very high expectations surrounding "The Libertine" - and maybe even a few of its bungles. Regardless, "The Libertine" can in no way be called a modest production.

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Arts

Okkervil River's new album maps singer's childhood

September 12

Music — good music — is almost always personal. More often than not, songs seek inspiration from memories, and records are rooted in real life experiences. It is this autobiographical element that attracts audiences time and time again; for listeners, authenticity is compelling.

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Arts

HBO's 'The Newsroom' is entertaining despite flaws

September 12

For some inexplicable reason, “The Newsroom” has been a lightning rod for criticism and mockery since its premiere in June 2012. That could be due to the main name associated with the series: “Newsroom” is the creation of Academy Award and Emmy-winning writer Aaron Sorkin of “The West Wing” (1999-2006) fame, which certainly gave the series a level of hype above that of a typical HBO show. Although the show — which will wrap up its second season on Sunday, with a third nearly confirmed — is nowhere close to perfect television, it definitely isn’t as awful as many reviewers and bloggers make it out to be. Structural flaws and script issues aside, “The Newsroom” remains an enjoyable, if at-times frustrating, show that has only continued to improve over time.

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