X Ambassadors | Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles, CA) | August 4, 2015 | Photo Credit: Chad Elder | Like that old slogan for Virginia Slims, since their inception as a band in 2009, X Ambassadors have come a long way, baby. The upstate New York alternative pop/rockers and long time friends (and family) have never hidden their collective jones for […]

No Good | Ivy Levan | Rating: 8.1/11 | Ivy Levan is several things: Shockingly gorgeous, vocally ferocious, dramatically fierce, thoroughly in your face and perhaps a tad bit frightening. That last bit is in regards to the blunt force trauma that you may suffer at the hands of some of her raw and less than genteel lyrical stylings. That […]

Walt Disney Animation Studios: Short Films Collection | Rating: 7.9 / 11 | It’s hard to give a rating to a collection of works as some shine more brightly than others, but as a whole the Walt Disney Short Films Collection doesn’t entirely satisfy. While these twelve shorts do include a little something for everyone, that leaves plenty of room […]

Mr. Holmes | Directed By: Bill Condon | Rating: 8/11 | Being a fan of all things Sherlock, the plot of this movie was no foreign concept. However, the execution came as a shock. You see, in the world of Sherlock Holmes we know he retires to the English countryside to effectively become a beekeeper. But actually watching Sir Ian […]

Anderson East | Hotel Café (Los Angeles, CA) | June 25, 2015 | Sometimes entries on my music calendar can extend as far out as eight months: when a must-see show pops up on my radar, that puppy gets noted in order to block out and dissuade any other potential options. While not as far out as the eight month […]

Parentology | Author: Dalton Conley | Rating: 10/11 | Photo Credit: Stephen P. Hudner | With the ever-changing research on parenting, and what approach truly produces the most well-rounded, well-adjusted and successful adults, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Between books claiming attachment parenting is the only way, to philosophies that advocate for sleep training, to the eternal debate on when […]

Motopony | Welcome You | Rating: 8.5/11 | When listening to a record, sometimes it’s not a simple task to grasp the nature of the artist’s musical beast. Such as where the music is coming from let alone where it’s trying to go, message, intent, concept, blah, blah, blah. In truth, it’s not always necessary to “get” any or all […]