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 Nicholas Parco.
[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
Marilyn Manson: The Pale Emperor (Loma Vista Recordings)
Marilyn Manson's shock-rock shtick is still intact, but on "The Pale Emperor," his ninth studio album, he strips away much of the musical artifice, exposing the songs at their core. What's revealed is, for the most part, tuneful guitar rock in the grunge vein. Case in point: the layered, ominous and melodic earworm "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge."
Hear for yourself below.
The Decemberists: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (Capitol)
Literary-minded lyricist and frontman Colin Meloy and company are back with "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World," The Decemberists' seventh album. The Portland, Ore., indie-folk outfit hasn't lost its knack for English major phrase-turning, but there's a certain directness and simplicity at work here, too.
Check out a lyric video for "A Beginning Song" below.
Fall Out Boy: American Beauty/American Psycho (Island/ Virgin EMI)
Pop-punk/emo superstars Fall Out Boy are now two albums deep into a comeback, following up 2013's "Save Rock and Roll" with this week's similarly high-minded title "American Beauty/American Psycho." As expected, it's chock full of radio and arena-ready anthems, like the title track. Check it out below.
Sleater-Kinney: No Cities to Love (Sub Pop)
As Sleater-Kinney, Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss were one of the key players in the "riot grrrl" feminist punk movement. Following a decade-long hiatus, the trio is back with "No Cities to Love." Taut and rambunctious, the album finds a band that seems to be recharged by its break – which has included Brownstein's co-starring role alongside Fred Armisen in the IFC comedy series "Portlandia."
FASHION & BEAUTY
By Oulimata Ba
Gerard Cosmetics
The film creates its own origin story for the Dracula instead of adapting the classic Bram Stoker novel and its character Count Dracula. Instead, Luke Evans stars as the ruler of Transylvania, known as Vlad Tepes.
Reluctantly, Vlad must seek the terrible power that turns him into a vampire monster, but it will give him the ability to defeat an army of Turks and keep his family and kingdom safe.
Universal Pictures plans to tie the film into a planned Universal Monsters franchise, which will include Frankenstein, The Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein and a reboot of "The Mummy."
iTunes will have the film available for purchase on Feb. 3.
Dear White People
The satirical film highlights four black students attending an Ivy League school. Controversy arises when white students throw a black-face party. Overall, the movie explores racial identity in a world claiming to be post-racial.
Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson and Kyle Gallner star in the 2014 film.
iTunes has the film available for purchase.
Check out our complete list of movies available for streaming on Netflix this month and see below for more options on Amazon Prime and for purchase at iTunes.
Amazon Prime:
• Repentance (available Jan. 25)
• Gloria (available Jan. 27)
iTunes:
• 23 Blast
• The Best of Me
• The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
• Drumline: A New Beat
• The Green Prince
• King of Herrings
• Life's a Breeze
• Manny
• Mount Joy
• Song One
• Water & Power
• White Bird in a Blizzard
• Wolves
[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.]
