Top Picks: Dido's 'Still on My Mind,' PBS's 'Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People,' and more
The film 'Burning' is available on DVD and Blu-ray, producer Andrew Huang makes enjoyable, interesting music using fireworks, shaving supplies, and Legos, and more top picks.
Stripped-down music
You鈥檇 be forgiven for thinking that Dido鈥檚 first album in six years was recorded in a cathedral. Her lovely voice seems to flutter up in the rafters of a vast space, and you can hear her quick intake of breath before each line. It鈥檚 a relief to hear pop music that eschews the distorted warble of auto-tune. is a stripped-down record. Yet the day-glo beat of 鈥淢ad Love鈥� could be a dance-floor hit, and the songs 鈥淗urricanes鈥� and 鈥淕ive You Up鈥� rival Dido鈥檚 earlier classics 鈥淗ere with Me鈥� and 鈥淲hite Flag.鈥澨�
Boating aid
If it鈥檚 warm enough where you are to head out on the water, check out the , which is free for iOS and Android (and is titled Boating HD Marine & Lakes app for Android). The app has charts, data on tides, and navigational tools.
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Pulitzer past
A new episode of PBS鈥檚 鈥淎merican Masters鈥� explores the life of Joseph Pulitzer, just in time for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners. The program examines the impact of Pulitzer鈥檚 newspapers on American history as well as the publisher鈥檚 early life. airs April 12 at 9 p.m.
Unusual music tools
Is it possible to make enjoyable, interesting music using fireworks, shaving supplies, or Legos? According to producer Andrew Huang鈥檚 YouTube channel, the answer is a resounding yes. There, Mr. Huang (who has worked on more than听40 albums) demonstrates how to transform the soft dripping of household pipes into a soothing beat or turn recordings of winds on Mars into a melody. He also offers more conventional music advice, including tutorials and walk-throughs for various synthesizers and production software. Find it at .
Knowing film
The film , which stars Yoo Ah-in, Jeon Jong-seo, and Steven Yeun, is available on DVD and Blu-ray. The film by Lee Chang-dong tells the story of a delivery boy whose childhood acquaintance disappears soon after returning from a trip with a mysterious, wealthy love interest. 鈥淭his is a very knowing movie about the ultimate unknowability of people,鈥� Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes of the film.