Welcome to HNGN's biweekly top picks, where we cull the best and brightest releases in music, fashion, beauty, tech and pop culture. Come back every other week for more of-the-moment goodness. - Editing by Michael Lello.
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MUSIC
By Michael Lello
David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock (Columbia/Sony)
While David Gilmour's pronouncement that last year's "The Endless River" would be Pink Floyd's final album disappointed many fans, the guitarist and singer thankfully still has some music left in him. On "Rattle That Lock," his fourth solo affair, Gilmour as usual evokes the lush atmospherics of Floyd (check out the breathtaking instrumental "Beauty"), but he takes less circuitous routes to get there.
His novelist wife Polly Samson wrote the lyrics, and David Crosby and Graham Nash contributed stunning backing vocals to "A Boat Lies Waiting."
Lana Del Rey: Honeymoon (Interscope)
Chanteuse Lana Del Rey has managed to enchant and polarize with her unique musical stylings – who else cites both Frank Sinatra and Eminem as influences? – as well as her throwback image. Del Rey has compared her fourth album, "Honeymoon," to her first two major releases ("Born To Die" and the EP "Paradise"); hear (and see) for yourself in the video for the ethereal "High By The Beach" below.
Keith Richards: Crosseyed Heart (Republic)
Age and chemistry be damned – the indomitable Keith Richards keeps chugging along, and his recent output has been strong. "Life," his 2010 memoirs, is a remarkable autobiography, and last week he put out his first solo album in 23 years, "Crosseyed Heart." It's pure Richards, bluesy and ragged. Check out the lyric video for "Trouble" below.
Metric: Pagans In Vegas (Metric)
Canadian indie synth-rockers Metric consistently create compelling, innovative and fun music. That continues on "Pagans In Vegas," the sixth studio record from Emily Haines and company, the group's first since 2012's standout effort "Synthetica." Check out the jittery, futuristic-sounding "Cascades," below.
MOVIES
By Cal Setar
Black Mass (Warner Bros.)
James "Whitey" Bulger is one of the most infamous figures in recent American crime history. A notorious mobster who operated in South Boston in the 1970s, Bulger was contacted by FBI agents, who were seeking to form an alliance aimed at eliminating the Italian mob. A union was formed between Bulger and federal agent John Connolly that would eventually allow Bulger to consolidate power and become one of the most menacing gangsters in Boston history.
The Intern (Warner Bros.)
Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway star in this comedy romp that centers on a 70-year-old widower who becomes an intern for his much younger boss, who is being crushed by the pressure of the fast-paced business world. Together the pair grow and learn about the important things in life.
The Green Inferno (Universal Pictures)
Avert your eyes. Director Eli Roth is back with yet another horrific film of violence and gore. A New York student and a young activist travel to South America in the hopes of saving the Amazon. When their plane crashes and they become stranded in the Peruvian jungle, things take a sinister and grotesque turn. The pair and their group are taken captive by a tribe of cannibals and one-by-one sacrificed to hungry gods.
Hotel Transylvania 2 (Sony Pictures Animation)
The Drac pack is back. Hotel owner Dracula (Adam Sandler) has finally eased up on his monsters-only guest policy, but all is not as well as it seems. He is concerned that his half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn't showing enough – or any – signs of being a vampire. So when Mavis (Selena Gomez) goes to visit her non-monster in-laws with Johnny (Andy Samberg), Dracula enlists friends Frank (Kevin James), Murray (Keegan-Michael Key), Wayne (Steve Buscemi) and Griffin (David Spade) to help him put little Dennis through vampire training camp.
FASHION & BEAUTY
By Gina Masilotti
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette ($54)
The Huawei Watch has joined the smart wearable craze with circular design and a scratch-resistant body. Made of sapphire crystal and stainless steel, the watch comes with a 1.4-inch AMOLED display and works with iOS 8.2 and Android 4.3 gadgets. Users will receive notifications and alerts for calls and texts, and the device also comes with a heart rate monitor and sensors for fitness tracking while running, walking and doing other exercises. Other features include pre-installed watch faces and bands that can be easily swapped to your choosing. The Hauwei Watch is available now at online retailers, and prices vary from $350 to $800 depending on the band and steel color.
Polk Omni S6 Play-Fi
Polk has released a new speaker for its Omni Play-Fi range called the Omni S6, which aims to fill your entire living room with sound. Features include 4-inch full-range drivers and dual 0.75-inch tweeters, which are part of a system controlled by a four-channel, 100-watt amplifier. The S6's stereo pairing lets users spread out the sound in a room by linking up two of the speakers over a Wi-Fi connection. Users will also be able to control multi-room speakers from several different vendors with a single app, such as Polk, Paradigm, Anthem, Martin Logan and Definitive Technology. Consumers can get Polk's Omni S6 now at Amazon, Best Buy, Crutchfield and Polk's website for $350.
