Category: Reviews

BLOODLINE and Flat Characters

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'Adamo4 Comments

Netflix’s original series Bloodline finally crossed my radar a few weeks ago when my sister was in town. I ended up watching about 4 episodes of the first season with her as she prepared for the release of season 2.

I re-watched season 1 in its entirety after she left, because I can’t just leave a story unfinished – that’s ludicrous! I’ve now started season 2, and I’m not sure if I’m going to finish it. Spoiler Alert – I’m going to discuss season 1’s events freely, but I’ll leave out season 2 since I’m only on episode 3 or 4.

Continue reading “BLOODLINE and Flat Characters” →

Book Review: LIONHEART, by Sharon Kay Penman

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'Adamo4 Comments
Lionheart, Sharon Kay Penman - http://www.amazon.com/Lionheart-Novel-Sharon-Kay-Penman/dp/0345517563
Lionheart, Sharon Kay Penman – http://www.amazon.com/Lionheart-Novel-Sharon-Kay-Penman/dp/0345517563

Medieval British History is my wheelhouse. I’m not an expert by any means, but learning about the English royalty is actually what first sparked my academic interest in history during high school. Who was the Black Prince and how did he get such an awesome moniker? How accurate were the popular tales about Richard I’s crusade? I just wanted to learn more, and I did throughout college.

Popular History

One oft-lamented aspect of the field of history by academics is the prevalence of popular history, particularly in film, television, and non/fiction. Popular history tends to take a wide, mass-appeal approach to the telling of history. The argument against these forms of history is that they are often more focused on a gripping narrative than on actual historical accuracy or objectivity. This is undeniable in many such works. Continue reading “Book Review: LIONHEART, by Sharon Kay Penman” →

THE MARTIAN, the Oscar’s, and Rational Thought

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment
Image of Mars, http://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/?ImageID=6453
Image of Mars, http://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/?ImageID=6453

I watched The Martian last night for the first time. After reading the book by Andy Weir a couple months ago, I was excited to see what Hollywood would do with such a detail-rich and well-researched story. They glossed over most of the super-scientific information (understandably so) to get to the heart of the human interest story of an astronaut lost on Mars, and the NASA scientists and astronauts trying to bring him home. Continue reading “THE MARTIAN, the Oscar’s, and Rational Thought” →

A Deep Bluegrass Dive with Kidnap Alice

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

Our music reviews seek to trace the narratives that weave between songs and albums. Check out our Rhythmic Fiction tag for other stories told through music.

I had never really sat down and listened to bluegrass before I was in grad school. I had heard it, of course, but I did not appreciate it until I saw it performed live, by a band from England no less: Kidnap Alice. Continue reading “A Deep Bluegrass Dive with Kidnap Alice” →

Gut Reaction: THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir

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I just finished reading Andy Weir’s The Martian. Overall, I enjoyed this compelling story. The story follows Mark Watney, an astronaut left on Mars after his crew had to abort their mission, assuming he was dead, and with no other options. Continue reading “Gut Reaction: THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir” →

Quick Rip: I have found my musical home, and it is called Folk Metal

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_the_Light_of_the_Northern_Star
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_the_Light_of_the_Northern_Star

I’ve been on a metal kick recently. I have never been terribly familiar with metal as a musical genre. The only metal band I could reasonably describe myself as a fan of is System of a Down. A while ago, I had been interested in finding other music like System of a Down, but I quickly learned that S.O.A.D. is entirely unique in their own right. Continue reading “Quick Rip: I have found my musical home, and it is called Folk Metal” →

Lingering on Hop Along’s Ragged Precision

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments

Our music reviews seek to trace the narratives that weave between songs and albums. Check out our Rhythmic Fiction tag for other stories told through music.

I stumbled upon a small rock band from Philly by total accident. One of Hop Along’s newest songs came up on auto-play in a video I had been listening to. The streaming service started playing a Hop Along song right I was about to close the window. Upon hearing a distorted guitar effect, I decided to give this unknown song a listen. A few hours later, I had ordered two copies of Hop Along’s newest album, Painted Shut, for myself and a friend. (The friend had asked me to burn the CD for him, but I prefer to give my money to smaller bands than rip their music. They’ve earned it.)

This is not the first time I have found new music by happy accident, and damn, with the streak I’m on, I hope it’s not the last.

Continue reading “Lingering on Hop Along’s Ragged Precision” →

Quick Rip: Dead Sara Rocks Me to Goosebumps

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'Adamo1 Comment

I have “discovered” yet another band who has been rocking out for years without my knowledge. It’s like a piece of my soul has been wandering aimlessly, and has just now been returned to its proper place in the ever-growing anthology of musical moments-in-time of my life. Why does this keep happening to me?! Continue reading “Quick Rip: Dead Sara Rocks Me to Goosebumps” →

Weathering the Storm: Of Monsters and Men’s Second Album and Musical Growth

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Our music reviews seek to trace the narratives that weave between songs and albums. Check out our Rhythmic Fiction tag for other stories told through music.

A few months ago, I retrospectively plotted the narrative of Of Monsters and Men’s first album, My Head is an Animal, in the hopes that binging on their music would sate my appetite for more until their second album was released.

Thankfully, their second album has arrived, and I now have tickets to see Of Monsters and Men live (again) in September.

Continue reading “Weathering the Storm: Of Monsters and Men’s Second Album and Musical Growth” →

Bad Girl’s World: Halestorm’s Unequivocally Hard Rock

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'Adamo1 Comment

Halestorm’s May 2, 2015 show at Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore was cancelled due to the anticipated protests, and the state of emergency then still in effect in the city. I was supposed to go, but I was relieved when the show was postponed to September 26. The rioting and the presence of the National Guard was weighing too heavily on the city and my mind to see myself truly enjoying what would have been a positively energetic concert.

I have seen Halestorm live twice already, and I knew I wanted to see them again. Their on-stage energy and enthusiasm is genuine and infectious. Continue reading “Bad Girl’s World: Halestorm’s Unequivocally Hard Rock” →