1. Ryan Adams
My number one on this week’s Top Five New Releases was the latest release from Ryan Adams, self-titled and overflowing with songs just waiting to be slipped into a playlist. I’m obsessing over the song Kim currently (which subsequently made it on to this week’s Saturday Playlist). Ryan’s playing in Santa Barbara soon, the closest to Los Angeles show on the roster (so far), and I’m quite tempted to make it a road trip and overnight stay in order to see him play live again.
See my review of Ryan Adams self-titled here.
Kim (live on the Tonight Show)
2. Boyhood
I saw Boyhood twice in the theater during the first two weeks of its release, and I’ve been thinking about seeing it again before it leaves. The movie overwhelmed me with awe and amazement, and it has lingered in my heart and mind since that first viewing. Patricia Arquette’s role really struck me and hit home, and though the film ends with her seeming so let down I feel that she was on the cusp of a new chapter in her life, that the sorrow was needed to mourn and move on, and that there was hope in those final moments for her, not just for what we see with Mason before the credits start to roll.
“Packing the car” Boyhood clip
If you get a chance to see it in the theater you really should. Here’s the trailer…
I have to admit that at first I was not sure I enjoyed the experience of watching The Leftovers, and I was even more unsure that I liked it at all, but the show got to me and had me thinking about it for days and days after each episode aired. By the end of the first season last weekend I had been not just won over, but became something close to an enthusiastic fan who has listened to podcasts, read online reviews and essays, and gotten into extensive conversations about what we were shown, and what the future may hold, for Kevin Garvey, Nora Durst, Pastor Matt, Holy Wayne’s offspring and the whole Guilty Remnant. Justin Theroux is just incredible in this show.
Kevin’s eulogy from the final episode, The Prodigal Son Returns
Piano theme by Max Richter gives me chills
4. Nightmares! by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
I am already in the Halloween mood, anxiously awaiting Autumn and October, so much so that I’ve already started gearing up plans for a spooky month here at lyriquediscorde. To start getting in the mood I picked up the new spooky story, Nightmares!, by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller (I was lucky to find the last copy on the shelf that was 20% off yesterday). I started chapter one this morning with a big cup of coffee (the illustrations are great!).
Nightmares! book trailer
5. Rotten Tomatoes Podcast – The Leftovers Recaps
I currently have a hellish commute back-and-forth to work and home during the week which I try to remedy, or at least survive, by varying between playlists, audio books, and podcasts. Rotten Tomatoes recaps of The Leftovers were a recent obsession of mine, one I turned towards to fuel my desire to keep talking about the show after the show was over. I have quite a few “after the show” podcasts I truly enjoy, and this has definitely been one of them.
Have a favorite podcast that you love and listen to? Please share/recommend in the comments.
Around our house we do a “Family Game Night” a few times a month (we used to do them weekly, but schedules get crazy). For those nights we have been collecting various board games over the past three years, many that we have discovered through Wil Wheaton’s YouTube series TableTop. Ticket to Ride is my favorite of our board game collection, a game of strategy and luck wherein you complete routes across the United States per tickets you select at the start of the game.
Ticket to Ride on TableTop with Wil Wheaton, Colin Ferguson, Anne Wheaton and Amy Dallen
(Learn to play, too!)
A new comic love of mine is American Vampire, a title my husband introduced to me. Part horror series, part American history (with a twist), the pilot issue (can I call it a pilot?) is in two-parts, the second part written by Stephen King. Pearl Jones is my favorite character so far, a 1920’s aspiring actress who is attacked by a group of vampires at a Hollywood Party and left for dead until the oldest “unliving” American vampire “saves” her.
American Vampire Trailer
I am so excited for this movie! I love Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, and I also love stories like this, about family and bonds that are sometimes complicated and unconventional, but vital and beautiful, too. I see that its already limited release so I might try to see it this week.
9. Cover Me (live) :: Juliana Hatfield
I have a thing for Bruce Springsteen covers. I often like covers of his music better than the original recordings, I must admit. There is a series of videos called Hangin’ Out on E-Street where I found this one by one of my favorite musicians (Juliana) covering one of my favorite Bruce songs (Cover Me).
10. After Hours: Why Disney Aladdin is Secretly Horrifying
via Cracked After Hours and courtesy of my husband
lyriquediscorde 
New Ryan Adams non-stop! I just started to list my favorite tracks so far and it was just every song in order, although sometimes I skip ” My Wrecking Ball” and go to “Stay With Me” and “Feels Like Fire”.
I read a review that basically called this “another Ryan Adams record” and gave it a low score. That sounds to me like 1. Shit taste in music 2. The reviewer was unfamiliar with Adams because they also called him consistent and I’d say he’s all over the place in general, especially looking at his discography 3. This album is very conceptual and complete, inspired sounding, a stand out for him from the entire last decade.
This whole list is goodness! I like or want all these things!
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To me, Ryan’s album is so different than anything he’s done before. It has this 80’s rock feel to it at times, and is very conceptual – I agree – and has this album as a whole feel to it, where it begs to be listened to from start-to-finish. Sometimes I loathe reviewers. I LOVE the album.
I’m glad you love it, too.
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No it is! I feel like this one is a huge accomplishment, stuff I’ve wanted to get from him, he really hit the mark. I think this album is like THE ALBUM almost…it’s incredible & yes to the ’80s. I saw somebody’s comment on twitter that it has a “90s feel” which I don’t get from it at all.
Anyway, Adams inconsistency over the years isn’t a bad thing, he doesn’t fit into one genre, he’s just a rock and roller and I like that but I’d never in a million years describe his music as consistent. It’s from the AV Club review if you want to check it out.
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I love his inconsistency, he’s always a surprise. This album just yes…YES…it is THE ALBUM, I agree. Is he playing anywhere near you?
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Toronto and it’s just about sold out. Last I checked there were literally 5 scattered seats left for sale on Ticketmaster.
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You should still GO! Have you seen him live?
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Nope & unlikely I can go!
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I just looked there is ONE seat left! but no can do. You can tell me all about it if you go see him on this tour;)
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