Rather than slogging through a lake of reviews to find something you’re just going to put down after 10 minutes, Cult of Mac has once again waded through the iTunes store to compile a list of the best new albums, books and movies to come out this week.
Enjoy!
Albums
Marc Demarco – Salad Days
Listening to Mac Demarco’s third solo album Salad Days is a trip to a laid-back 90s guitar-pop. Demarco’s voice dips up and down over tracks with growing maturity that, coupled with subtle production, makes Salad Days the best carefree jam of 2014 to date.
iTunes – $9.99
Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else
Cloud Nothings might be the best rock band you never heard of. Hailing from Cleveland, the indie-rock trio pushed out their fourth studio album this week, Here and Nowhere Else, that is pumped full of grisly rock singalongs that are thrilling, conflicted and caustic in all the best ways.
iTunes – $7.99
Pure X – Angel
Austin’s Pure X debuted the their second album less than a year ago but they’re already back with a third in the form of Angel. Its dreamlike acoustic guitar riffs are paired with tempos that create a mood reminiscent of the Eagles or Fleetwood Mac, even though the album artwork looks like something you’d buy from a mall t-shirt kiosk.
iTunes – $14.99
Books
Flashboys
by Michael Lewis
If you enjoyed the celebration of vanity and wealth in Wolf of Wall Street, you’ll probably dig Michael Lewis’ new book Flash Boys. The characters are less-cliche than your average Wall Street types which makes the stories more interesting as they discover a new way to make mountains of cash – high-frequency trading. The book made big news this week when a footnote about one of these firms, Virtu, delayed its much-anticipated IPO.
iTunes – $14.99
Long Mile Home
by Scott Hellman & Jenna Russell
In the same vein as 102 Minutes and Columbine, Long Mile Home is the definitive book about the Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt for the Tsarnaev brothers, straight from the Boston Globe reporters closest to the scene. It covers the expected ground detailing the horrors of the bombings but also serves as a testament to the resourcefulness and resilience of the Boston community.
iTunes – $14.99
Frog Music
by Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue’s first book, Room secured her reputation as a bestseller, but rather than staying with familiar territory, her second book is a dark murder mystery set in San Francisco in the year 1876. Frog Music mixes literary eloquences with vigorous plotting that really shows Donoghue’s range and talent as writer.
iTunes – $10.99
Movies
August: Osage County
Based on the Tony-award winning play of the same name, August: Osage County is both dark and hilarious thanks to an incredible cast of strong women who step into the roles of the dysfunctional Weston family. Meryl Streep is pitted against Julia Roberts after losing her husband, but others like Juliette Lewis, Abigail Breslin and Margo Martindale add divergent paths of drama for the family in crisis.
iTunes – $14.99
Mistaken For Strangers
Mistaken for Strangers is about two out-of-orbit siblings hell bent on finding harmony with one another. It pits Matt Berninger, frontman of the almost-famous band The National against his slacker brother Tom, an aspiring filmmaker. Mayhem ensues when Tom is hired to film the band’s breakout tour but eschews his duties in hopes of using the band’s fame to springboard his own troubled career.
iTunes – $14.99
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Ben Stiller’s latest film sees the comedian jump into the sensible shoes of Walter Mitty, a shy film developer for Life magazine who also has a tendency to slip in and out of daydreams. When his job, and that of his co-worker/crush are endangered, Walter sets out on an extraordinary journey of his own. Some of the gentle humor from the 1947 Danny Kaye classic survives, though greatly enhanced with a giant dose of modern CGI effects.
iTunes – $14.99
