On Songs & Albums Songlights: Urgent Springsteen. Fierce new tracks from Little Simz and Kae Tempest. The return of Wednesday. And a night with Allison Russell. This week, a lot of new music plays as desperate appeals for conscience, for action, for justice as it seems the last pillars of American democracy are being smashed by hate-driven fascists.
Tim Robinson By My Lights: A May 19 Surprise Package Tim Robinson's new comedy Friendship; Bruce Springsteen preaches truth about America's implosion; a surprise live album from one of my favorite bands; and more during the busiest weeks of the year.
On Songs & Albums Songlights: More Adrianne Lenker; Sault; Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson; Tomita; and a talk with newcomer Anna Byrde. Plus: Lucius! Suzanne Vega! Songs for April 27–May 10: Check back for new specials I'm adding to the menu.
Isaiah Saxon First impressions of The Legend of Ochi What mash-up of movies will you find in this odd, surprising fantasy? Is it Gremlins meets Into the West? E.T. meets The Neverending Story? Princess Mononoke meets The Secret of Roan Inish?
J.J. Abrams 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) From the archives at LookingCloser.org, here's my original 2016 review of a thriller that I saw on a memorably surprising night as I celebrated my completion of my MFA in creative writing.
Amos Lee Songlights: Adrianne Lenker; Florist; Valerie June; Terry Scott Taylor; Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds; Johnny Cash; and more Songs that are lighting my weeks: Aprill 6–April 19, 2025.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl First impressions of On Becoming a Guinea Fowl The new film from Rungano Nyoni, director of "I Am Not a Witch," is an early but strong contender for my favorite film of 2025.
Wet Leg Songlights: Wet Leg; Lucy Dacus; Alison Russell and Annie Lennox; Djo Songs that are lighting my week: Sunday, March 30–April 5, 2025.
Michael Fassbender Don't miss a chance to open Soderbergh's Black Bag of tricks In his best work since the peak of the Oceans trilogy — maybe since 1998's Out of Sight — Steven Soderbergh surprises us with one of the year's best films.
Bruce Cockburn Songlights: Bruce Cockburn; My Morning Jacket; Tamino and Mitski; Halsey; Goat; Elbow; and more. Songs that lit my week: Sunday, March 23–29, 2025.
Documentaries No Other Land: these filmmakers are risking their lives so you will watch their movie This Oscar-winning documentary should be seen and discussed by every American, as we are supplying the resources for cruelty and erasing whole communities.
Mark Pritchard Songlights: Tune-Yards; Suzanne Vega; Lucius; Bon Iver; Mark Pritchard & Thom Yorke; U2; Sinéad O'Connor Songs that lit my week: Sunday, March 16–22, 2025.
Favorite Recordings Favorite Recordings of 2024: Part Six — The Top Ten I'm grateful for those who support this journal, and I'm grateful for the artists who made these ten records in 2024. Here, I sing the praises of the music that gave me strength and got me through.
Academy Awards Overstreet's Favorite Films of 2024 — The Top Twelve Gradually, I'm posting my list tonight. Because it sounded like fun. Who knows if anyone will be monitoring this while the Oscar show unfolds...
The Brutalist First impressions of The Brutalist Brady Corbet's extravagant epic, which follows a Holocaust survivor who flees to the U.S only to find himself "tolerated" and exploited by a perversely abusive patron, is ambitious and frustrating.
Surprise Packages By My Lights: a January 25 surprise package These are days for playing "Gimme Some Truth." Also: The Criterion Closet, The Tuskegee Airmen, Mel Gibson, Nickel Boys, Hard Truths, and an invitation to write with me.
Favorite Recordings Favorite Recordings of 2024: Part Two — Honorable Mentions (veterans and legends; big-deal divas who don't really need more attention, and divas who deserve to be very big deals)
Give Me Some Light On January 20, 2025, I celebrate the inspired Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the great President Jimmy Carter
Anna Byrde Favorite Recordings of 2024: Part One — Honorable Mentions (Instrumental, New Discoveries)
Poetry By My Lights: a super-sized surprise package for the 2nd week of January Typos. Seitz on Anderson. World Party. Favorite writers share lists of favorites. Strong voices on Conclave, Homestead. Good poems. My latest moviegoing. A personal update. And freewriting.
Surprise Packages By My Lights: a surprise package for the first week of 2025 A new year: new ambitions, new sights and sounds, new prayers... and new writing!
