Top Picks: David Gilmour's 'Rattle That Lock,' the game 'Her Story,' and more
PBS's program 'Walt Disney' looks at the life of the innovative creator, the podcast 'Switched On Pop' argues that great chart-toppers have plenty of musical and lyrical nuance, and more top picks.
PBS's program 'Walt Disney' looks at the life of the innovative creator, the podcast 'Switched On Pop' argues that great chart-toppers have plenty of musical and lyrical nuance, and more top picks.
Post-Pink
David Gilmour unshackles himself from Pink Floyd鈥檚 stylistic conventions on his fourth solo album, Rattle That Lock. Highlights abound. 鈥淚n Any Tongue,鈥� a protest against drone warfare, climaxes with an anguished guitar solo. The trampoline riff of 鈥淭oday鈥� joyfully bounces between disco and funk. On 鈥淎 Boat Lies Waiting,鈥� the vocal harmonies of David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Gilmour soar with the synchronicity of aerobatic jets.聽
Culture clash
Indian Summers, a new series on PBS, centers on an elite, ruling British expatriate community in India in 1932. Culture clash inevitably results as two interdependent groups figure out how to relate to each other as calls for independence rumble through the country. 鈥淚ndian Summers鈥� debuts Sept. 27 and airs Sundays at 9 p.m.
Crime puzzle
Fans of TV crime procedurals should try out the innovative game Her Story. Players get access to a fictional police database full of interviews caught on tape, but the footage has been sliced up into little segments. Amateur sleuths need to comb through the video archive and piece together the clues to reveal the details of the crime. It鈥檚 available for Mac, PC, iPad, and iPhone at www.herstorygame.com.聽
Mickey鈥檚 maker
From Mickey Mouse to Cinderella, 鈥淭he Little Mermaid鈥� to 鈥淔rozen,鈥� Disney is a multibillion-dollar franchise, television network, and worldwide cultural presence. And it all comes back to one man: Walt Disney. A two-night PBS special looks at his life and work, including the creation of such early films as 鈥淪now White and the Seven Dwarfs鈥� and the building of Disneyland. Walt Disney premi猫res Sept. 14 and 15 at 9 p.m. and will be out on DVD Sept. 15.
Pop analysis
It鈥檚 easy to dismiss pop songs as sweet confections with little substance. But Switched On Pop argues that great chart-toppers have plenty of musical and lyrical nuance. Twice a month, the podcast dissects songs, revealing the similarities between Taylor Swift and Beethoven, the politics behind Mark Ronson鈥檚 鈥淯ptown Funk,鈥� and the reason country star Kacey Musgraves is considered transgressive. Start with Episode 10 on Swift鈥檚 鈥淏lank Space.鈥� It鈥檚 available at www.switchedonpop.com.