Top Picks: The BBC podcast 'Soul Music,' the Fairfield Four album 'Still Rockin' My Soul,' and more
A cappella soul
A gospel quartet formed in 1921 is nominated for a Grammy this year. The Fairfield Four may have changed members several times since then, but their heralded new album is 鈥� and ours. Sung entirely a cappella, the collection features gospel chestnuts such as 鈥淩ock My Soul,鈥� 鈥淛esus Gave Me Water,鈥� and the rousing 鈥淐hildren Go Where I Send Thee.鈥� The latter features guest star Lee Ann Womack, who gets into the spirit, and then some!
Arts archive
The BBC offers an eclectic podcast that explores 鈥減ieces of music with a powerful emotional impact鈥� called Soul Music. New 30-minute podcasts are only added sporadically, but there is a wealth of archives to discover, such as the harrowing stories behind 鈥淪trange Fruit,鈥� made famous by Billie Holiday, and the many settings of the much-loved 23rd Psalm. The podcast is available at .
Hitmaker
Singer-songwriter Carole King was behind some of the most famous songs of all time. The new 鈥淎merican Masters鈥� program looks at her career from writing classic songs for Aretha Franklin and The Shirelles to creating her massive hit album 鈥淭apestry.鈥� The program airs on PBS on Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. Check local listings.聽
Oscar watch
As Oscars night approaches, catch up on , starring nominees Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet, available on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 16. Under the direction of Danny Boyle, the movie is brainy, high-speed entertainment. The academy may have overlooked , but Johnny Depp (pictured) as James 鈥淲hitey鈥� Bulger holds the screen as pure malevolence, and costar Joel Edgerton shines, too. It鈥檚 out on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 16.聽聽
Black history
Were the motivations and aims of the militant Black Panthers movement of the mid-1960s misunderstood? The new documentary examines the formation of the black armed citizens鈥� patrols that sought to monitor the behavior of police officers and challenge police brutality in the African-American community. It will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 16 and will air that evening at 9 p.m. on PBS. Check local listings.聽
