If It's Too Loud...

I fully expected It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley  to be a total tearjerker. Jeff Buckley's 1997 tragic death by accidental drowning at the age of thirty deeply affected me, and when I break out Grace every so often, the feeling of loss overwhelms me. When the film showed the MTV News report of his death, it brought me right back to watching that live at a girlfriend's house. And while I did tear up from time to time (as early as the first three minutes of the film), director Amy Berg avoids her film being too depressing by focusing on his music, and not his death. It's such a simple thing to do, but impossibly effective. While so much media telling the story of Buckley focuses on his tragic death, Berg only devotes maybe ten minutes of her nearly two hour documentary on his passing. Instead, It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley is a celebration of his life and career as told by his friends, colleagues, and family. One of the strengths of the film is the live performance foot...

A solid week on a whole. Album of the Week : Artist : Aurora Album : All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend Quick Description : Gorgeous, addictive Nordic synthpop. Why You Should Listen : Straddles the line near-perfectly on traditional pop and strange synthpop. Overall Thoughts : I first learned of Aurora via "Running With the Wolves," and this has been a long-awaited full-length from her for me. I'm liking where the style is going, here - it's very accessible, but doesn't try to push the pop angle too too much. It means that it doesn't work 100% of the time, but when it does, it's memorable. This won't be for everyone, but those who love pop music will find a lot to love here. And she's only 19?! Recommendation : Best release of the week, so it's worth a spin. Artist : Lucius Album : Good Grief Quick Description : Second album by the throwback band. Why You Should Listen : Lucius likes to ape certain musical eras, and they ...