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Icon music review: There’s a lot here to like if not completely love

The Chicks' “Gaslighter” is a powerful anthem full of hope and strong vocals
Posted by Fred Steiner on Thursday, July 30, 2020

Gaslighter-The Chicks
Reviewed by Craig Hoffman

Gaslighter is the eighth studio album by American country music group The Chicks. It was released on July 17, 2020, by Columbia Records. It is the first work issued by the group since their name change from the Dixie Chicks.

The band changed their name to The Chicks after the group received criticism for being tacitly connected to American slavery.  “We were literally teenagers when we picked that stupid name,” said founding group member Martie Maguire, talking about when the Dixie Chicks name was selected back in 1989.

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Icon movie review: Palm Springs enters like a breath of fresh air

Clocking at 90 minutes, it is a fun romp that might make you think a little. If nothing else, it’s possibly the best direct-to-video movie we could have hoped for in quarantine
Posted by Fred Steiner on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Around the world, people have been practicing varying levels of social distancing since March. Movie theaters closed in mid-March and in some cases have reopened slowly, but with a dearth of new films to offer customers. Major studio releases, particularly TENET, have been pushed back, or in limited cases movies like TROLLS: WORLD TOUR were released directly to Video-on-Demand (VOD).

The summer movie season has seen a drought of good new movies.

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Music review: The Album (Teyana Taylor album)- Teyana Taylor

American singer Teyana Taylor debuted her new album in June.
Posted by Fred Steiner on Wednesday, July 22, 2020

The Album (Teyana Taylor album)- Teyana Taylor
American singer Teyana Taylor debuted her new album in June. 
Reviewed by Craig Hoffman
She stars in the VH1 reality television show Teyana and Iman, with her husband, NBA player Iman Shumpert. Taylor got an early start in the music business at age 15 as the choreographer on Beyoncé’s popular single, “Ring the Alarm.”

She is credited on this current work as a producer along with several others, including Timbaland and Kayne West. 

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Book review: Read this book and never look at a tree in the same old way again

This Pulitzer Prize winning novel will plant seeds long after it's over
Posted by Fred Steiner on Monday, July 20, 2020

Review by Robert McCool
Richard Powers' (Gain, The Goldbug Variations) 11th novel is titled “The Overstory”, ISBN 978393635522, and it displays his powerful storytelling in  his best effort to date.

Barbara Kingsolver (The Poison Bible; Unsheltered,a Novel) has called the book, “Monumental.... A gigantic fable of genuine truths.”

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Movie review: Almost Famous

When the credits roll it might make you want to take a stroll down your own memory lane for a time that made you laugh, cry, and taught you a lot about life
Posted by Fred Steiner on Saturday, July 11, 2020

Almost Famous
Will: So Russell, what do you love about music?
Russell: To begin with… everything.

ALMOST FAMOUS is the coming-of-age story of William Miller (PATRICK FUGIT), a 15-year old aspiring music journalist who goes on tour to cover an up-and-coming band for Rolling Stone magazine (note: Rolling Stone doesn’t know he’s 15). The film turns 20 years old this year, which is as good an excuse as any to pack up and hit the road with Stillwater.

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Music review: Pick Me Up Off The Floor - Norah Jones

The album is a testament to the creativity, style and musicianship
Posted by Fred Steiner on Thursday, July 9, 2020

Pick Me Up Off The Floor - Norah Jones
Reviewer: Craig Hoffman

American singer and songwriter Norah Jones is out with Pick Me Up Off The Floor. It’s her eighth album. Jones has won multiple music awards in her career including nine Grammys for her previous work. It is hard to believe that she has been pumping out amazing music for more than twenty years.

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