New Music I Like: Brandee Younger - 'Brown Brown Baby'

Beautiful new one from the great jazz harpist.

Pop Pic: Robert Taylor

Pop Artifacts: Captain Marvel - Fawcett Characters 'Comic Hero Punch-Outs'

 



Watch 'Who’s The Most Irish with The Cast of Bad Sisters'

Happy feckin' St. Patty's Day.

New Pop Culture Books: Miles Davis, Ursula Le Guin, Mandalorian, Black Panther, More

Our picks this month. Click the links to order from Amazon. 

The myth of the ’60s depends on the 1950s being the “before times” of conformity, segregation, straightness—The Lonely Crowd and The Organization Man. This all carries some truth, but it does nothing to explain how, in 1959, America’s great indigenous art form, jazz, reached the height of its power and popularity, thanks to a number of Black geniuses so legendary they go by one name—Monk, Mingus, Rollins, Coltrane, and, above all, Miles. Nineteen fifty-nine saw Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, and more come together to record what is widely considered the greatest jazz album of all time, and certainly the bestselling: Kind of Blue.

3 Shades of Blue is James Kaplan’s magnificent account of the paths of the three giants to the mountaintop of 1959 and beyond. It’s a book about music, and business, and race, and heroin, and the towns that gave jazz its home, from New Orleans and New York to Kansas City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and LA. It’s an astonishing meditation on creativity and the strange hothouses that can produce its full flowering. It’s a book about the great forebears of this golden age, particularly Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and the disrupters, like Ornette Coleman, who would take the music down truly new paths. And it’s about why the world of jazz most people know is a museum to this never-replicated period.

But above all, 3 Shades of Blue is a book about three very different men—their struggles, their choices, their tragedies, their greatness. Bill Evans had a gruesome downward spiral; John Coltrane took the mystic’s path into a space far away from mainstream concerns. Miles had three or four sea changes in him before the end. The tapestry of their lives is, in Kaplan’s hands, an American odyssey with no direction home. It is also a masterpiece, a book about jazz that is as big as America.

You either were there or you wanted to be. A defining New York City institution co-founded by Norman Mailer, The Village Voice was the first newspaper to cover hip-hop, the avant-garde art scene, and Off-Broadway with gravitas. It reported on the AIDS crisis with urgency and seriousness when other papers dismissed it as a gay disease. In 1979, the Voice’s Wayne Barrett uncovered Donald Trump as a corrupt con artist before anyone else was paying attention. It invented new forms of criticism and storytelling and revolutionized journalism, spawning hundreds of copycats. 
 
With more than 200 interviews, including two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Colson Whitehead, cultural critic Greg Tate, gossip columnist Michael Musto, and feminist writers Vivian Gornick and Susan Brownmiller, former Voice writer Tricia Romano pays homage to the paper that saved NYC landmarks from destruction and exposed corrupt landlords and judges. With interviews featuring post-punk band, Blondie, sportscaster Bob Costas, and drummer Max Weinberg, of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, in this definitive oral history, Romano tells the story of journalism, New York City and American culture—and the most famous alt-weekly of all time.

Jim Gordon was the greatest rock drummer of all-time. Just ask the world-famous musicians who played with him—John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Frank Zappa, Steely Dan, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Joe Cocker, and many more. They knew him for his superior playing, extraordinary training and technique, preternatural intuition, perfect sense of time, and his “big fill”—the mathematically-precise clatter that exploded like detonating fireworks on his drum breaks. And as best-selling author and award-winning journalist Joel Selvin reveals, the story of Jim Gordon is the most brilliant, turbulent, and wrenching rock opera ever. 

This riveting narrative follows Gordon as the very chemicals in his brain that gifted him also destroyed him. His head crowded with a hellish gang of voices screaming at him, demanding obedience, Gordon descended from the absolute heights of the rock world—playing with the most famous musicians of his generation—to working with a Santa Monica dive-bar band for $30 a night. And then he committed the most shocking crime in rock history. 

With full cooperation from the late Gordon's family, and based on his trademark extensive, detailed research, Joel Selvin’s account is at once an epic journey through an artist’s monumental musical contributions, a rollicking history of rock drumming, and a terrifying downward spiral into unimaginable madness that Gordon fought a valiant but losing battle against. One of the great untold stories of rock is finally being told.

The Galactic Republic is in chaos following the Nihil’s shocking destruction of the gleaming space station Starlight Beacon. Capitalizing on their victory, the Nihil have erected a barrier called the Stormwall around a section of Republic space and claimed it for themselves. Within this Occlusion Zone, people live at the mercy of the Nihil—and the Nihil are not known for mercy.

Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, believing her Padawan, Imri Cantaros, to be among the casualties of Starlight Beacon, has retreated to a peaceful planet where she hopes to nurse her wounds and regain some sense of equilibrium. But her old friend Avon Starros has other plans. Avon knows that Imri is alive inside the Occlusion Zone—and she and Vernestra must be the ones to find him.

With the help of former frontier deputy Jordanna Sparkburn and the extremely untrustworthy Xylan Graf, Avon and Vernestra set out to breach the Stormwall and enter the Occlusion Zone in search of Imri. But within Nihil territory, danger lurks around every corner . . . as do terrifying creatures known as the Nameless.

An oversized, full-color hardcover art book collecting concept art and creator commentary from the next chapter in Cal Kestis’ thrilling saga.

Cal and his friends continue to evade the Empire’s clutches in the dark times following Order 66, but just as a hidden hope reveals itself, new dangers emerge and threaten to destroy everything that the young Jedi has fought to preserve.

Explore the creation of the newest Star Wars Jedi adventure with a tome that intimately chronicles the game’s development—from visionary design to inspirational artwork to stunning final renders. With heroes and villains both familiar and new, breathtaking locales, and incredible ships and weapons, The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor offers a unique look at the inner workings of a galaxy far, far away.

In the first biography of Billie Holiday in more than two decades, Paul Alexander—author of heralded lives of Sylvia Plath and J. D. Salinger—gives us an unconventional portrait of arguably America’s most eminent jazz singer. He shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life—with relevant flashbacks to provide context—to evoke and examine the persistent magnificence of Holiday’s artistry when it was supposed to have declined, in the wake of her drug abuse, relationships with violent men, and run-ins with the law.

During her lifetime and after her death, Billie Holiday was often depicted as a down-on-her-luck junkie severely lacking in self-esteem. Relying on interviews with people who knew her, and new material unearthed in private collections and institutional archives, Bitter Crop—a reference to the last two words of Strange Fruit, her moving song about lynching—limns Holiday as a powerful, ambitious woman who overcame her flaws to triumph as a vital figure of American popular music.

In the wake of T'Challa's death, Wakanda is left without a Black Panther. As world powers clamor to gain access to vibranium, a new enemy breaches Wakandan borders. Queen Ramonda must join forces with this new threat or potentially put her people at risk. Ultimately, Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, M'Baku and some unexpected heroes will have to overcome the grief of losing one of the world's greatest super heroes to repel this powerful adversary and take their places among the legendary heroes of Wakanda! 

Continuing their popular ART OF series of tie-in books, Marvel Studios presents another blockbuster achievement. Featuring exclusive concept artwork and in-depth interviews with the creative team, this deluxe volume provides insider details about the making of the highly anticipated film.

A glimpse into the creative power of music. Ever since the Beatles’ British Invasion, numerous rock bands and singers have created albums that still have many fans’ love and devotion today. Was it raw talent, or was there something below the surface that transformed these dreamers into Hollywood legends? Icons of Rock invites music lovers to discover the truth behind their favorite artists and how they created the best songs of all time. Investigating the psychology and chemistry behind artistic inspiration, you will find how much an unconscious influence can change not only one person’s life, but the entire world.

Rock legends share their inspirational tips for music success. Having experienced a life full of rock and roll, author Jenny Boyd explores the psychology of rock stars not just from a scientific point, but also from the musicians themselves. Inside, you’ll find rock and roll biographies full of what drove your favorite singers and bands into stardom. Featuring interviews and inspiring stories from Stevie Nicks, Ringo Starr, Keith Richards, and more, discover what makes a rock star and how you can find your own creative success by listening to your inner muse.

Prepare for an exciting look at the Mandalorians throughout Star Wars, from Jango and Boba Fett to Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze. This deluxe edition provides a behind-the-scenes exploration of popular Mandalorian characters from film, television, and more with revealing interview material from the creators of The Mandalorian, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, as well as actors Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin), Temuera Morrison (Jango/ older Boba Fett), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett from the prequel trilogy), and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett from the original trilogy). Also included are indispensable episode guides for The Book of Boba Fett and all three seasons of The Mandalorian.

Lavishly illustrated with concept art, photography, and more, this special edition is the ideal companion for fans who want to get to know the warriors of Mandalore.

In February 1968 and March 1976, the Who performed shows in the same venue, almost ten years apart: San Francisco’s Winterland. Generally considered as two marginal years in the Who’s career, they are only apparently so. These two years represent a screen grab of the band taken in its purest form: live, and harder than ever, right before and right after the huge success the Who struggled to live with in the years between. 

Winterland was the perfect setting to see the band live in the city that welcomed them as a second home, San Francisco. At the Who’s first Winterland show in February 1968, just a few hundred hippies turn up. In March 1976, the venue is crammed to capacity—5,000 tickets are sold. 

Still, as the Examiner noted, “The Who could have sold eight times as many,” since 43,000 requests for tickets were sent! This all-access look at those two shows is a glimpse of what it was like to see the Who at Bill Graham’s legendary concert venue, and features firsthand accounts and previously unpublished photos by fans at the shows, as well as details the band behind the scenes and onstage.

This two-volume set (Part 1 and Part B) covers the entire 70+ year history of MAD magazine.

Part 1 covers from when Max C. Gaines ventured into comic book publishing in the 1930s and eventually founded E.C. Comics. E.C. started out publishing titles for small children and Bible stories, but after an unfortunate accident, son William M. Gaines took over and created legendary comic book titles such as Tales from the Crypt and Weird Science. Bill Gaines hired Harvey Kurtzman who created Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat. Kurtzman wanted to increase his income, Gaines suggested adding a humor title and in 1952, MAD was born. In 1956, Kurtzman left and was replaced by former Crypt Editor, Al Feldstein. The story carries on through Feldstein’s 30-year tenure as the Editor of MAD.

The lawsuits, the hirings, the firings, the ghosts, the flatbugs, the spies, the FBI, the plants, the gooney birds and the celebrities are all contained here, along with many new and archival interviews with The Usual Gang of Idiots. It’s a story that’s UNCONDITIONALLY MAD!

This wondrous guide for the curious and the intrepid takes readers on a lushly photographed and lyrically written tour of eighteen of the world’s most captivating architectural mysteries. Delve into both the secretive places themselves and the eccentric and obsessive minds that created them. Visit a chamber of skulls high in the Swiss Alps, a Japanese temple full of traps, a Parisian apartment locked and untouched since World War II, a Prohibition-era speakeasy in Washington, DC, and a spooky “initiation” well in Portugal built by a secret society. How far down can you climb before losing your nerve?

Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett features storyboard art from the blockbuster hits Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Kong: Skull Island. It features a selection of the best sequences from these three films, along with full color stills reflecting the final shots in the film. 

Special “Unused Scenes” sections give you an unprecedented peek into the making of the films, revealing never before seen sequences. 

Presented in a deluxe 11.75” x 8.5” widescreen hardcover coffee table book of over 200 pages, plus featuring an introduction by Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard and afterword by Oscar-Nominated Production Designer Stefan Dechant, this collection is a must for movie buffs, film students, and all Kaiju aficionados. 

This 7th volume in the definitive Library of America edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s works presents 5 remarkable standalone novels that showcase her boundless creativity and literary range.

In the Locus Award–winning The Lathe of Heaven (1971), one of Le Guin’s most admired works of science fiction, George Orr begins have effective dreams: dreams that change reality itself. But when he turns to the sleep researcher William Haber for help, the doctor sees an opportunity to use Orr’s strange gift for his own ends.

A former Terran prison colony on the planet Victoria seems destined for revolution in The Eye of the Heron (1978), when the authoritarian leaders in the City try to assert control over the peaceful farmers who have been sent to live around them.

The Beginning Place (1980) is a parable-like story in which Hugh and Irena have both found their way to the Beginning Place, a gateway to another world. The two initially become enemies, but must learn to work together when the utopia they’ve found turns out to have a shadow.

The long out-of-print Searoad: Chronicles of Klatsand (1991) is a Winesburg, Ohio-like series of linked stories set in a small vacation town on the Oregon coast, where some of the characters have come for a weekend and some for longer, but all are pilgrims in the grip of inexpressible longings.

And Le Guin’s final, powerfully feminist novel, Lavinia (2008), reimagines Virgil's Aeneid from the perspective of a woman who, in poet's telling, never speaks a word.

Special features include an appendix presenting three essays by Le Guin related to the novels, previously unseen hand-drawn maps by author herself, helpful annotation, and a chronology of Le Guin's life and career.

Brought together here for the first time, these 5 remarkable standalone novels showcase a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning master at her very best.

Pop Culture Roundup: Guinness on Netflix, 'The Bear,' Teen Titans, More


ITEM!
Happy Early St. Patrick's Day! A Netflix series about the Guinness brewing family is on the way from "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight.

ITEM! Bananarama discuss not having heard Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" yet.

ITEM! Voice stars of an animated series based on the "Among Us" video game will include Randall Park, Ashley Johnson, Yvette Nicole Brown and Elijah Wood.

ITEM! "How to Get to Heaven from Belfast," a new series from "Derry Girls" creator Lisa McGee, is heading to Netflix.

ITEM! Seasons 3 and 4 of "The Bear" will be filmed back-to-back.

ITEM! A live-action Teen Titans film is in the works.

Watch the Trailer for 'This Town,' 1980s-Set British Drama from 'Peaky Blinders' Creator

Watch De La Soul Perform "Eye Know" on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"

Pop Pic: Holmes and Watson

Watch: "Doctor Who" Season 14 Launches in May


The season premieres May 10 in the U.S.