With rugged drums and subterranean production W.A.R. (We are Renegades), the third solo release from critically acclaimed rapper Pharoahe Monch is a rap album that unfortunately won’t top the pop charts but in every place where hip-hop is a serious topic of discussion around the world, “We are Renegades” will top the list. While the beats are jeep-friendly, the lyrics bend more towards provoking thought than they do provoking the shaking of hips, which tends to keep the pop crowd at bay. However, for lovers of lyricism, bar for bar few lyricists in Hip-Hop from any period can compare to Pharoahe Monch. On this release he pairs his wit, politics and multisyllabic rhymes with crisp production and notable guest appearances.
Radiohead King of Limbs
Taking a different approach as promised after “Hail the Thief”, Radiohead’s newest work and eighth studio album, “The King of Limbs” finds the band in a wonderful groove of ambient evening harmonies, accompanied by rumbling drums, seemingly moody bass notes and sly guitar riffs. Collectively the quirky melodies rub as you would a lamp to find a genie. Part journey to Sham-bala and part Cannabis Cup the various sounds may take several listens for some, while others may instantly find rhythm and groove. The King of Limbs is a nice extension to the already critically acclaimed works of Radiohead.
Homefront
Not all games can have John Milius, the mind behind Red Dawn and one of the scribes responsible for the landmark film Apocalypse Now write the story, but not all games are Homefront. In the aptly timed and compelling FPS, you experience Homefront as a member of the American Resistance fighting Korean occupation of a somehow fallen United States in a post-peak oil world.
Black Swan
Black Swan is the film where Natalie Portman portrays a woman whose personality slices up more ways than a guest in Norman Bates’ shower. With Darren Aronofsky at the helm, and the help of a stellar supporting cast, her portrayal of a mentally fractured ballerina in Black Swan is nothing short of phenomenal. Her subsequent winning of practically every award she received nominations for regarding this role, including the 2011 Academy Award for Best Actress proves it. After Black Swan, you may reconsider how you look at both ballet and Natalie Portman.
Onward by Howard Schultz
It is not everyday you get a to ask a billionaire a question. Today, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, will give a webcast that includes a Q&A session, effectively launching a 14-city book tour for his new work, “Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul”.
Schultz’s first work, “Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time” told how he built Starbucks from a fledgling coffee shop to an international business success story. The new book “Onward” follows Starbucks and Shultz after he returned to his duties as CEO in 2008 after stepping down in 2000.
You can consider this a sequel to the previous work, but it is safe to read if you missed the first. With Onward, you get more stories, managerial insights, business strategies, leadership principles and more. But the gold of Onward is learning the personal philosophy of the billion-dollar CEO as he gives it to you first hand. Webcast | Question page
Adele 21
Adele 21 is the follow up to Adele 19, the 2008 debut from Adele Laurie Blue Adkins that produced the single “Chasing Pavements” and aligned the singer-songwriter with the 21st Century wave of British soul. With the big voice, almost timeless sound, and a cover of a Bob Dylan song, who could disageee. Fast forward to 2011 and you have the Adele follow up album, 21. Unlike Adele’s previous work, 19 features a load of superstar producers and contributors ranging from Mark Ronson, One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder and even Rick Rubin. As a result, the sound on Adele 21 is bigger, and has more bang, with polished songs like “Rolling in the Deep” leading the way. Made to expand her reach artistically Adele 21 serves as a good transition that will old fans will enjoy and new listeners will find quite refreshing.
Terminator 2 Judgment Day Skynet Blu-Ray Edition
Terminator 2: Judgement Day is the reason production studios nearly 20 years later are looking to cash in on the epic saga of the Terminator with TV spin offs such as the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Schwarzenegger returns in the Terminator sequel but this time to protect a pubescent John Connor, the hero of the future. Linda Hamilton plays the badass Sarah Connor and she takes the foundation Sigourney Weaver laid in the Aliens franchise and runs with it superbly.
However, when Terminator 2 Judgment Day was released all of the attention focused on the new terminator played by Robert Patrick, the T-1000. And it is definitely for a reason, liquid metal, morphing technology and more.
I Am Number Four
The short is save your money. The long is as follows. I have personally been on a movie hiatus and the fleck of memory I had regarding I am Number 4 seemed like it would be as least as good as Jumper. Boy was I wrong. The potential was there however for a palatable action-slash-romance-slash-drama targeted clearly to teens, tweens and that precarious subset of adult women who live and die routinely through movies about teenagers in high school. At the very least I thought it would be digestible to adults.
Instead what I unfortunately ended up viewing in exchange of hard earned coin was a mid 90’s movie made for TV time shifted to our present year and stretched haphazardly onto the big screen as if it was a favor to somebody’s kid. I would not even recommend this as a, “bored coming from the grocery store so let’s rent a movie from Blockbuster night.” I did get to see another trailer for Thor however and it is surprisingly growing on me as a potential calculated time sink of enjoyment for 2011.
Additional bonus for the unexpected trailer for Real Steel. Which appears to be a movie about life sized Rock’em Sock’em robots developed by an MIT dropout who really wanted to show what he could do with Microsoft Kinect after a case of Red Bull and a few pops of adderall. Looks like it will be good.
Win by Frank Luntz
The author of “Words that Work” and the follow up “What Americans Really Want” is back with a new effort to help you thoroughly understand the importance of having masterful communication skills in the business aspect of your life.
Along the way Dr. Luntz expands upon the underlying theme found in his previous work and in the works of masters before him. That theme essentially is, “Those who choose to master the ability to communicate and get others to receive and believe their ideas achieve success and become top performers in their chosen field, whatever it may be.”
Luntz unloads tons of examples, and stories of and from celebrities of sports, entertainment and business, to validate his ideas and to drive the point home. In addition, there are several lessons drawn from nine principles Luntz outlines in “Win” for you to put use in daily life to help you achieve your goals and ultimately win. – Win by Frank Luntz
The Sims Medieval
Clearly, this is not Age of Empires or Assassins Creed, but Sims Medieval sets to take adventurous game players back to the times of wizards, knights and damsels in distress. Built on the Sims 3 Engine, Sims Medieval will expand the popular Sims franchise in a new direction. More than just a Sims game skinned in chainmaille armor, Sims Medieval features kingdom building, character quests and according to a senior game producer will be more dangerous for your Sims. The new dangers are due in part to plagues that sweep the land, revolts by angry townspeople and of course occasional duels to the death. Sounds fun.
