Welcome to HNGN's weekly top picks, where we cull the best and brightest releases in music, fashion, beauty, tech and pop culture. Come back each week for more of-the-moment goodness. —Editing by Michael Lello.
[Want to be considered for Coveted? Send your product information, with photos, to m.bullerdick@hngn.com or send product samples to Michael Q. Bullerdick HNGN/33 Universal, 33 Whitehall Street - 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004.]
MUSIC
By Michael Lello
Dr. Dog: Live at a Flamingo Hotel (Anti-)
Philadelphia's Dr. Dog, one of the more consistently exciting concert attractions in rock, releases its first live album, "Live at a Flamingo Hotel," this week. Dr. Dog's psychedelic studio albums have rightly received critical acclaim, but the band's songs take on a more powerful character on the stage, with extended intros, sharp instrumentation and a high-energy approach to the concert performance.
Check out a video for "Shadow People" below:
Mark Ronson: Uptown Special (RCA Records)
Grammy-award winning producer Mark Ronson – he's taken trophies for his work on Amy Winehouse's song "Rehab" and album "Back To Black," as well as Bruno Mars' hit "Locked Out Of Heaven" – returns with his fourth album, which he says is inspired by his early days in New York City when he gravitated toward hip-hop, soul and r&b.
The album's first single, "Uptown Funk," features Mars; another key contributor to the release is Kevin Parker of Australia's Tame Impala, who lends lead vocals to three songs and contributes drums, guitars, synthesizers and backing vocals to other tracks.
Justin Townes Earle: Absent Fathers (Vagrant Records)
The follow-up to 2014's "Single Mothers," Justin Townes Earle's "Absent Fathers," like its predecessor, takes a page out of Earle's own life - his mother raised him alone after his father, Americana music standout Steve Earle, left them when Justin was only two. The younger Earle has an easy-rolling, pleasant voice that belies the heavy messages in his lyrics. Hear for yourself in the video for "Time Fools" below.
Panda Bear: Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper (Domino)
The Cold War-era film from 2012 garnered three Oscar nominations including one for its leading man Gary Oldman. He stars as a espionage veteran forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent working within MI6.
In addition to Oldman, the film boasted a strong British cast including Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, John Hurt and Toby Jones.
Netflix will have the film available for streaming on Jan. 16.
Check out our complete list of movies for titles streaming on Netflix this month and see below for more options on Amazon Prime and for purchase at iTunes.
Amazon Prime:
- Hit by Lightning (available Jan. 15)
(Editing by Michael Lello. Want to be considered for Coveted? Send your product information, with photos, to m.bullerdick@hngn.com or send product samples to Michael Q. Bullerdick HNGN/33 Universal, 33 Whitehall Street - 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004.)