Posted on Sun, Sep. 14, 2008

Artist of the Week

Okkervil River — Okkervil River is a band poised for greatness. Its latest record, "The Stand Ins," may very well be the album to take it there. All of songwriter Will Sheff's characters once again come to life on "The Stand Ins," with a collection of relatively unlikable characters who become a fixture in your psyche, thanks to Sheff's ability to find the humanity in their stories. Let's hope Sheff's writing has prepared him for the pitfalls that befall his characters. These choices could very well end up being his own.

Performance of the Week

Guillermo Arri Arriaga — The director's spectacular directorial debut, "The Burning Plain," more than satisfied my need for nourishing cinematic sustenance at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. "The Burning Plain" tells several distinct, convergent stories that are elliptically interconnected and are told with a singular energy and dynamism that has come to be associated with Arriaga. He's also carved an unexpected niche as one of the premier go-to screenwriters who is continually exploring unique female characters and women's themes in a touching, intelligent way.

Listen/band

Calexico: "Carried to Dust" — While you may know what to expect from Calexico -- gorgeous, desolate, studio atmosphere dressed up with gorgeous melody, generous swathes of Latin guitar, and bossa-nova rhythms -- don't miss "Carried to Dust." You'll want to hear the surf's-up melody/countermelody of "House of Valparaiso," the slow-boiled West Coast pop of "Red Blooms." The rock aesthetic of "Garden Ruin" largely put aside, this band has returned to what it does best, and at its best, it is hard to top.

Watch/Film

"Flow: For Love of Water" — How many people who run the faucet as they brush their teeth realize that they are wasting the equivalent of a whole South African town's weekly supply of water? According to one estimate, there are more than 1.2 billion people on this planet without access to potable water. We learn in Irena Salina's film that there may be more oil in the ground than this life-giving liquid to go around, and at the rate we consume, the concept of privatization of our water resources will become more or less a given.

Read

"The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme Court" (nonfiction) — That the evangelical Christian leader Rick Warren recently interviewed the U.S. presidential candidates on national television is proof enough of Frederick S. Lane's chilling thesis. While this is not the only type of issue that Lane points out in his well-researched book, it serves as a timely example of just how influential the evangelical Christian movement (which Warren's church is) has become over the past 40 years in America. With that in mind, one should read this book.

Play/video game

"Soul Calibur IV" — Platforms: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PlayStation 3 (Video Game); "Soul Calibur IV" is a highly polished, very fun and extremely accessible fighter game that almost anyone can enjoy. The single- player modes are better than most, the online multiplayer is phenomenal, and the character creator is the best diversion a gamer could ask for, developing backstories and creating dizzying ties between its characters. www.popmatters.com