Top Picks: Natalie Prass's self-titled album, the movie 'The Tale of Princess Kaguya,' and more
Baroque soul
The first thing you notice about the self-titled album by singer is the sound: strings, horns, a stately piano, even a cascading harp, all framing a tiny but expressive voice. It鈥檚 a majestic record, yet intimate and personal 鈥� full of ache and regret 鈥� a kind of baroque soul music. This is a stunning and stirring debut from an intriguing new artist.
Race relations
In 1944, sociologist Gunnar Myrdal released a study about race in the United States titled 鈥淎n American Dilemma.鈥� The study would later be referenced in Brown v. Board of Education. In the documentary , director Llewellyn Smith investigates where America stands today in terms of race relations 鈥� and it鈥檚 probably not as advanced as many of us would like to believe. It premi猫res on 鈥淚ndependent Lens鈥� on PBS Feb. 23 at 10 p.m.聽
Japanese anime
, directed by Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata, centers on the Japanese folk tale of a baby princess who is discovered inside a bamboo shoot by a peasant. The movie is a near-masterpiece and is lyrical and heartbreaking in ways that most live-action movies never approach. 鈥淭he Tale of Princess Kaguya鈥� is available on DVD and Blu-ray Feb 17.
Deep blue roots
American folk and blues musician Huddie 鈥�Lead Belly鈥� Ledbetter inspired generations of musicians, from The Weavers to the Grateful Dead, from Van Morrison to The Beach Boys and even Nirvana. Yet few people know of his journey from an impoverished Southern childhood and brushes with the law to becoming a 12-string guitarist who played alongside Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His story premi猫res on the Smithsonian Channel Feb. 23 at 8 p.m.聽
Swede sounds
If you鈥檙e going to call your band The Amazing you鈥檇 better live up to the billing. So how does the Swedish quintet fare on , its third album of psychedelic folk-rock? Amazingly well!聽 Whenever Christoffer Gunrup and Anna J盲riven sing in unison, their voices entwine like a hug at an airport. The heat-haze guitar jams of 鈥淧icture You鈥� and 鈥淔ryshusfunk鈥� create a mirage of California circa the summer of 鈥�67.聽
