Top Picks: 狈别迟蹿濒颈虫鈥檚 'Out of Many, One,' the Slowly app, and more
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Refreshed sound
Many vocalists lose their speaking accents as soon as they begin to sing. Steve Mason is an exception. The songwriter鈥檚 soft Scottish singsong imbues his fourth solo album, , with endearing bonhomie. Mason has refreshed his sound with a brass section and gospel-influenced female backing vocalists. Rhythm and blues cadences rise and fall like carousel horses on 鈥淪tars Around My Heart.鈥� During 鈥淣o Clue,鈥� the vigorous volley of the verses is followed by the gentle drop shot of a crooning chorus. These melodies accent the soulfulness in Mason鈥檚 voice.
Immigrants鈥� journey
狈别迟蹿濒颈虫鈥檚 chronicles the lives of people living in the United States who are about to take the test to become citizens. The film switches back and forth between the subjects鈥� stories and their studies about American history.
Nature of belief
The movie , available on DVD and Blu-ray, delves into questions of belief and faith. It鈥檚 the tale of a journalist who investigates the story of a young woman, Anna (Galat茅a Bellugi), who claims to have seen the Virgin Mary. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer praised Bellugi鈥檚 performance, writing, 鈥淲e look into Anna鈥檚 brimming eyes and ... are at a loss to comprehend who she really is. Bellugi never gives the show away. We are left guessing until near the end.鈥� This movie is not rated.
Walk the walk
Guitarist Chris Shiflett, in a podcast titled Walking the Floor with Chris Shiflett, chats with his peers including Dawn Landes, Rhett Miller, and Cindy Wilson, about how they got started in music and their influences. There鈥檚 occasional foul language. It鈥檚 at .
Snail mail
Take social networking back to basics with , an app that riffs on the pen pal experience. When you sign up, you create an avatar and are matched with someone based on language and common interests. Letters are typed and 鈥渕ailed鈥� on the phone but, to simulate postal travel, the farther away your pen pal is, the longer it takes before the letter arrives. The app is free for iOS and Android.
