Arts

Arts

José González's haunting but tired third album fails to show growth for artist

By Nika Korchok | March 2

With his third solo album, “Vestiges and Claws,” out Feb. 17, José González sings like a ghost who is haunting himself. The first strains of the album are as familiar as going home. The autumnal chimes and soft-spoken yearning will comfort listeners looking for the same achingly cold lyrics paired with his crackling ember voice that set González apart in his previous albums, “Veneer” (2003) and “In Our Nature” (2007). What listeners may not find is the artist finding new territory, sticking instead to a tried-and-true formula that is exquisite, but, given the time between his previous album and this one, a little underwhelming.

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Arts

Screaming Females greets The Great Scott with wild stage presence, huge sound

By Anjali Nair | March 2

On a typical Thursday night, The Great Scott -- a music venue in Allston, Mass. --  is overflowing with post-college punks looking to see their favorite underground acts tear up the stage and, in the true spirit of rock 'n’ roll, break every noise code violation possible. On Feb. 26, the Allston ...

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Arts

'The Night Shift' disappoints with subpar characterization and plot development

By Sabrina Chishti | March 1

"The Night Shift"(2014-present) is NBC’s lackluster shot at a medical drama. Set in a hospital in San Antonio, Texas, the show is a mix of comedy and drama, but it is heavier on the dramatic elements. The first season of "The Night Shift" had a weak start, with subpar characterization ...

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Arts

'Lady of the Camellias' stuns with beautiful sets, emotive performances

By Jennifer Straitz | March 1

The Spring 2015 season of the Boston Ballet opened with a beautiful rendition of “Lady of the Camellias” (John Neumeier's ballet version premiered in 1979), a devastatingly sad, yet beautifully told, story of forbidden love. The story starts in the apartment of Marguerite, a courtesan played ...

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Arts

'I Love You, Honeybear' catapults Father John Misty to indie-folk fame

By Greta Jochem | February 26

Defying narrow genre categorization, Father John Misty’s music is a quirky mixture of experimental rock and folk with psychedelic and electronic moments. The artist's sophomore album, “I Love You, Honeybear,” released on Feb. 10, is the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2012 debut, “Fear ...

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Arts

TASA C-Show showcases South Asian culture through dance, fashion

By Anjali Nair | February 25

Last weekend, Cohen Auditorium bubbled with the lively sounds of Bollywood music and the distant, but mouth-watering aroma of hot samosas. The annual Culture Show, organized by the Tufts Association of South Asians (TASA), took place on Feb. 20 and 21, drawing sizable crowds of families, friends and ...

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Arts

Top 10 things to do with all this f--king snow

By Jessica Mow | February 25

Well, folks, Boston has broken its record! The Pats may have won the Superbowl again (which was awesome), but that’s not what I’m talking about. This February, Boston broke its record for snowiest and coldest winter month ever. Although we love to play in the snow -- making snow angels (or angles, ...

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Arts

Imagine Dragons lacks imagination on disappointing sophomore attempt

By Nika Korchok | February 25

Imagine Dragons have never really been a band to stand out. Even when they shot to fame after “It’s Time” (2012) was featured on the twee-indie masterpiece “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”(2012), they never managed to distinguish themselves as the least wallflowery of the wallflower bands in their composite grouping of genres (alt-rock, indie rock, stadium rock) -- categories that require constant showing-off to stay on fans' radars.

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Arts

Noor Mediterranean Grill builds business and reputation

By Jennifer Straitz | February 25

On a recent chilly Tuesday night around 10 p.m., the phone was ringing off the hook at Noor Mediterranean Grill; the non-stop noise coming from the telephone served as a testament to the strong reputation the restaurant has built since its opening just over a year ago. The restaurant has been so successful, ...

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Arts

SWUG, we're going down swinging

By Nikki Blank | February 25

Dear SWUG,You walk into Dewick and everything sucks. Now what?A Very Hangry SWUGerpillar.Dear A Very Hangry SWUGerpillar,SWUGs have a love/hate relationship with Dewick, established circa 2011. Back when we sat on the relevancy throne, Dewick was our kingdom. We’d spend hours occupying a prime circle ...

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Arts

What's up this weekend

By Nika Korchok | February 25

Looking to make your weekend artsy? Check out these events!

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Columns

MIT's mechanical sculptures

By Emily Gruzdowich | February 24

Levers switch, gears churn and bolts slide. The mechanical clicks of Arthur Ganson’s unique creations fill the exhibition space. Differing from the eerie stillness of a typical museum setting, the MIT Museum is infused with an atmosphere of kinetic activity. I found myself entranced by the feats of ...

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Arts

History Channel’s 'Vikings' begins third season with battles, character development

By Grace Segers | February 24

The third season of the television show “Vikings” (2013 - present) premiered on the History Channel on Feb. 19 with an episode full of medieval intrigue and breathtaking battle sequences. The Irish-Canadian show focuses on the exploits of famed Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel). While “Vikings” is similar in essence and tone to “Game of Thrones” (2011 - present) largely due to the two shows' similar medieval settings and filming location of Ireland, the former is far less complex and overwrought than the latter. This simplicity in theme is actually an advantage, as it allows characters to be more strongly developed and the plotlines to remain clear.

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Arts

The CW produces quality sci-fi show in 'The 100'

By Merilla Michael | February 24

TV Shows on the CW are often fairly one-dimensional, despite regularly boasting storylines fueled by teen angst and turbulent love triangles. Granted, that doesn't prevent millions of viewers from tuning in every week. Once in a while, the CW is able to break away from this stereotype and create ...

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Theater

'Is He Dead?' amuses audience with hilarity, wit

By adamhotaling | February 24

Over the past two weekends, the Tufts Department of Drama and Dance put on the David Ives adaptation of Mark Twain's play "Is He Dead?" in the Balch Arena Theater. As the title's inquisitive nature would suggest, the production kept the audience guessing, allowing an engagement between ...

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Arts

Hot Tub Time Machine II superior to original

By Lauren Samuel | February 24

Though it may be hard to believe, "Hot Tub Time Machine II" (2015) is not easy to write off. Unlike Steve Pink’s original "Hot Tub Time Machine," the 2010 pick of the year for those who love crude humor, "Hot Tube Time Machine II," though even goofier, is creative and ...

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Columns

The Witch of Coös: Part II

By Daniel Bottino | February 23

What do you have buried in your basement? During my childhood, my basement always represented a mixture of the known and unknown elements of my life, the familiar and the scary. It was where I played ping pong with my dad most evenings, and where I could play with my Legos and building blocks. But that ...

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Arts

Life Alive Cafe creates cozy, hippie atmosphere

By Miller Schulman | February 23

While in line, the fur coat-clad women discussed one of Life Alive’s mantras -- “To share love, joy, beauty and pleasure; to help people tap into infinite vitality” -- painted above wheatgrass plants in window boxes.

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Arts

Meju offers new delicious cuisine, faces growing pains

By Josh Podolsky | February 23

Meju, a new Korean restaurant in Davis Square that opened late last month, oozes trendiness, almost to a fault. The design motifs chosen seem to be “trendy” and “supersized” -- but certainly not “authentic” -- as practically everything about the place, except the portions, is pumped up ...

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Arts

'Jupiter Ascending' astounds with awful goodness

By Grace Segers | February 22

To be honest, there’s no real way to rate or describe “Jupiter Ascending” (2015), the latest film written and directed by the Wachowski siblings. Perhaps most famous for the film “The Matrix” (1999), Lana and Andy Wachowski have now created the most overwrought, dazzling and entertaining ...

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