EssentialCharm KerenAnn, 101,BlueNote-EMI[3/22/11]I've beenfollowingKerenAnn'scareersince shelived in France, sung in French, and collaborated with musi-cian/producer Benjamin Biolay, who's since married (and col-laborated with) Chiara Mastroianni. That was a long time ago.[Image above from the album; click here for the single cover art.]When she first signed to Blue Note, Keren Ann, who divides hertime between New York and Tel Aviv, still sang a few songs inFrench, but her fourth effort for the label is an all-English affair.(Though I've also followed Biolay's career, I've enjoyed Ms. Zei-del's output better, since she has a greater facility with a

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HypnoticMoon Duo, Escape, WoodsistDark, buzzy, propul-sive, and minimal.-- Andy Beta, SF WeeklySan Francisco's Wooden Shjips came first, but Moon Duo (Er-ik "Ripley" Johnson and Sanae Yamada) has quickly acquired asimilar reputation for gloriously unhinged guitar work and hyp-notic motorik rhythms (yes, I overuse the word "hypnotic").Last year's mini-LP Escape follows up on 2009's Killing TimeEP on Sacred Bones, and features only four tracks, but they'replenty expansive (the release clocks in at 28:48 minutes).While the band doesn't eschew vocals, they downplay them; thosethat do materialize never compete with the oceanic instrumenta-tion--guitar, org

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TheOtherGirlsI don'twanna belike theother girls.-- VivianGirls, "TheOther Girls"Vivian Girls, Share the Joy, Polyvinyl Record Co. [4/12/11]Intentionally or otherwise, Brooklyn's Vivian Girls have alwayssounded like the Shangri-las for a new era: sweet vocals blendedwith volume, distortion, and spoken-word vignettes. They beganas ladies with attitude, driving rhythms, and a sense of unease.It was pop music, and it's still pop music, but sprinkled withthe gloom of goth-rock. They aren't predicting the end of theworld or even the end of love, but the trio favors minor keymelodies and harmonies that convey more sorrow than joy.When they sing, "It's all al

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Don'tDespairSonny& theSunsets, Hit afterHit, FatPossumRecords [4/12/11]Girls, don't despair, 'cause soon, I'll be there.--Sonny & the Sunsets, "Girls Beware"This album arrived out of the blue. I hadn't heard of Sonny & theSunsets before, other than as a mention from their publicist. Suc-cessor to Tomorrow Is Alright, Hit after Hit turns out to be apleasant surprise--something I wish I could say more often.Click here for "Reflections on Youth." If I had to select one term, I would say: party record. Theirsophomore effort isn't raucous, so much as celebratory. The SanFrancisco quartet, which includes Kelley Stoltz on drums, putstheir stamp

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Movie ofthe Month: Part 26I recentlyreviewedthe follow-ing DVD forVideo Lib-rarian, and thought the results were worth sharing.FISH TANK - The Criterion Collection [****](Andrea Arnold, UK, 2009, 122 mins.) Britain's Andrea Arnold won a best live-action Oscar for the2003 short film Wasp, but she takes her intimate technique to awhole new level with Fish Tank. Newcomer Katie Jarvis plays15-year-old Mia, who lives in the projects of Essex with her trash-talking sister and party-girl mother, Joanne (Ken Loach veteranKierston Waering). It isn't an easy life, but she finds release bydancing to hip-hop, which she hopes to do professionally.Around the time

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Pronounced ShiftTimes New Viking, Dancer Equired, Merge [4/26/11]I don't know why Times New Viking switched from Matadorto Merge, but they re-materialize on Dancer Equired minus afew rough edges. Since they're both fine labels, I can't say whetherthis marks a step up or down--guess it's more of a lateral move.The press notes aptly and affectionately describe the trio's pastmethodology as "pissy histrionics." Instead of an over-ampedgarage band, however, the Cleveland combo now resembles apeak-era Flying Nun act with a trickbag of jangle and chime.***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Click here for "Ever Falling in Love" and here for t

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MarchReviewsAmazon DVDs: Eastbound & Down - The Complete Second Season and Hot in Cleveland - Season One [two-disc set].Amazon Theatricals: Poetry (with Yun Jung-hee), Jane Eyre (with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender), Win Win (with Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan), A Somewhat Gentle Man (with Stellan Skarsgård), The Conspirator (with James McAvoy), and Happythankyoumoreplease (with writer/director Josh Radnor).SIFF: Eight notes for the program guide (links to come).Siffblog: The Woodmans, Aaron Katz's Cold Weather, anda revamped version of Shohei Imamura's Pornographers.Video Librarian: Alonzo Bodden - Who's Paying Attention?, Falco, Fish Tank -

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