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(07/26/12 12:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Aesop Rock’s sixth release, “Skelethon,” booms loudly in all its hodgepodge glory. Although five years was quite the wait, Ian Bavitz’s surreal and spellbinding lyrics make the wait well worth every last minute.The album’s production was basically handled solely by Aesop, which makes “Skelethon” that much more admirable. Kimya Dawson, one of Aesop’s protégées, makes an appearance on the cut “Crows 1” to add her own creepy tone. Every vocal sample and instrumental loop brings something fresh to the record’s sound. Aesop’s songs, somewhat scattered but rewarding, require patience from the listener. “Ruby ’81,” a song about a drowning girl saved by her beagle, fleshes out both the abstract and poignant qualities of Aesop’s music. He raps the lines, “The splash would mum the rocket ships/Ruby’s lungs were filling,” detailing this nail-biting incident in rhyme. It’s the rapper’s idiosyncratic sound and perspective that define this as an Aesop Rock classic.By Rachel Hanley
(07/11/12 11:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In their rhythmic and offbeat way, Dirty Projectors have constructed an album that oscillates between lyrically humorous and hip-shakingly groovy.Blaringly absurdist and experimental before and on “Swing Lo Magellan,” Dirty Projectors always gift the listener a musically varied track list. The layered vocals and scattered percussion peppered throughout most of the tracks give the record a harmonious quality. Yeah, harmonious is hardly a word associated with Dirty Projectors, but this album feels streamlined. Leader David Longstreth’s hums worm into your eardrums on opener “Offspring Are Blank” and never lets up.The song’s bass is fit for the Dirty South. The electric guitar rips the rest of the song open near the end. “Swing Lo Magellan” serves up more quantities of the first track’s goodness, but the song does a nice job of encapsulating what could and does happen on the rest of this amazing record.By Rachel Hanley
(04/26/12 3:36am)
WEEKEND previews this summer's big upcoming albums
(04/19/12 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>M. Ward dropped his newest album, “A Wasteland Companion,” earlier this week after a three-year dormancy period with his solo career. Ward might have spent most of that time collaborating with fellow musicians such as Bright Eyes and Zooey Deschanel, but the delay for his most recent solo production is certainly worth the wait. These folk tunes are a wonderful sort of fuzzy that enhances Ward’s lyricism and musicianship. “A Wasteland Companion” encapsulates a wide spectrum of styles from blues to classic folk to a sound that flirts with the idea of being poppy. The track “Sweetheart” drips a saccharine sweetness reminiscent of a 1950s pop-ballad with none other than Deschanel, his favorite female counterpart. The title song, “A Wasteland Companion,” feels like a track that would accompany a person through a desolate trek, with its hollow-stringed fade out. Some of these tracks just amble along with Ward’s dependable folk quality, which makes them a satisfactory listen all around.Ward’s release is the ideal fix for someone searching for some quality folk with definite breadth and range.
(04/05/12 1:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Don’t step on me ‘cause I’m a land-mine,” wails Cedric Bixler-Zavala on the opening track, “Whip Hand,” from the Mars Volta’s highly anticipated sixth album, “Noctourniquet.” As promised in the aforementioned quote, this album is explosive and packed with serious energy. Released on March 26, it has been promised to be the last of its kind by band members, which makes it an all-the-more-exciting listen.“Noctourniquet” has been in development for the past three years, beginning with its conception directly following the band’s last release, “Octahedron.” However, the members have proclaimed that after “Noctourniquet,” the creative and directive efforts of the band will undergo some transformations. Keeping this in mind, fans can look forward to a progressive Mars Volta, although that sounds a bit redundant, while soaking up this final, traditional production. Based on a mythical Greek fable, Hyacinthus, and a comic-book character, Solomon Grundy, the music coming from these guys’ instruments feels more ethereal than ever. Songs feel a bit more approachable here than on previous albums.Oscillating between synth-heavy and pop-snap percussion, these tracks provide noises that seem spacey. Bixler-Zavala’s voice is much more sacred than profane in these songs, which adds to the approachability of this album. If someone was interested in foraging a fondness for the group’s work, this would be an ideal stepping-stone.Still, the Mars Volta sounds like Mars Volta through and through on this more recent release.“Whip Hand” initiates the listener into a roaring and fuzzy kick in the pants, which aptly sets the pace for much of the album. However, some other songs, such as “Trinkets Pale of the Moon,” illustrate a haunting feeling that brings to mind lunar lullabies.With “Noctourniquet,” the Mars Volta offers a fantastic testament to its finesse and depth.
(03/22/12 1:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We may be nearing the end of March Madness, but fortunately, March also marks the start of music festival season. So of course we had to bracket-ize 32 of the country’s biggest festivals between now and August to let you know which should be 2012’s best. Read our music festival guide for more information on each.ROUND ONESOUTH#1 Bonnaroo defeats #8 Old Settler's#4 Hangout defeats #5 Beale Street#3 Wakarusa defeats #6 Free Press Summer Fest#7 Forecastle defeats #2 Jazz & HeritageIt’s hard to believe that the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival could get upset in the first round, but Forecastle had just the lineup to pull it out. With headliners such as Wilco, Sleigh Bells and Girl Talk, it looks like Louisville, Ky., is now Upset City. — Jonathan StreetmanWEST#1 Coachella defeats #8 Treefort#5 Pickathon defeats #4 High SierraIn a battle of West Coast fests, Oregon’s Pickathon bested California’s High Sierra by boasting a rootsy lineup centered around performances by Neko Case, Dr. Dog and Heartless Bastards. High Sierra buried similar bands under flash-in-the-pan EDM acts, so Pickathon gets the edge. — Brad Sanders#3 Outside Lands defeats #6 Harmony#2 Sasquatch! defeats #7 Sunset StripEAST#8 Orion defeats #1 The BamboozleThe Metallica-curated Orion Music and More Festival might be in its inaugural year, but its wildly diverse bill — and the promise of full performances of “Ride the Lightning” and “The Black Album” — earned it some serious buzz. Meanwhile, The Bamboozle is putting Skrillex and Mac Miller at the same place at the same time. ’Nuff said. — Brad Sanders #4 Ultra defeats #5 Wanee#3 Gathering of the Vibes defeats #6 Camp Bisco#7 Governors Ball defeats #2 Mountain JamJazz and blues acts spread over a four-day period in Hunter, New York, can’t compete with Governors Ball’s lean two days of acts such as Beck, Fiona Apple and Passion Pit on Randall’s Island in New York — not to mention zero overlapping sets in that short and sweet weekend. — Mikel KjellMIDWEST#1 Summerfest defeats #8 North Coast#5 Electric Forest defeats #4 Summer CampAside from Electric Forest having evolved from the fabled Rothbury Festival, it boasts a more diverse lineup than Summer Camp. With names from Das Rascist to Thievery Corporation enhancing its breadth, Electric Forest strutted away the winner. — Rachel Hanley#3 Pitchfork defeats #6 All Good#2 Lollapalooza defeats #7 NelsonvilleSWEET SIXTEENSOUTH#1 Bonnaroo defeats #4 Hangout#7 Forecastle defeats #3 WakarusaAny lineup with a range from Flying Lotus to Real Estate will get our votes over usual suspects Pretty Lights, Umphrey’s and Slightly Stoopid; Forecastle, easily. — Steven ArroyoWEST#1 Coachella defeats #5 Pickathon#2 Sasquatch! defeats #3 Outside LandsEAST#8 Orion defeats #4 UltraIt’s kind of hard to imagine how awesome it would be see Metallica perform two of its seminal albums alongside Best Coast, Modest Mouse and Titus Andronicus in the middle of the summer. How can a three-day dance music festival with an inconvenient late-March time slot even attempt to compete with that? — Mikel Kjell#7 Governors Ball defeats #3 Gathering of the VibesThe annual Gathering of the Vibes Festival has been running for 17 years, but the two-year-old Governors Ball seemed to edge Vibes out with ease. Fortified with a wider range of music, Governors Ball has a distinct identity in a scene of summer music festivals typically dominated by hippie themes. — Rachel HanleyMIDWEST#1 Summerfest defeats #5 Electric Forest#2 Lollapalooza defeats #3 PitchforkELITE EIGHTSOUTH#1 Bonnaroo defeats #7 ForecastleWEST#1 Coachella defeats #2 Sasquatch!EAST#7 Governors Ball defeats #8 OrionMIDWEST#1 Summerfest defeats #2 LollapaloozaFINAL FOUR#1 Coachella defeats #1 Bonnaroo#7 Governors Ball defeats #1 SummerfestContinuing a remarkable Cinderella run, Governors Ball rode its immaculate roster to take down the #1 seed out of the Midwest, Summerfest, cementing its spot in the finals. They face Goliath-fest Coachella in a battle of the coasts next, but Passion Pit, Modest Mouse and the now-defunct LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Pat Mahoney nearly took the Ball all the way. — Jonathan StreetmanTHE WINNER#1 Coachella defeats #7 Governors BallSo many things about Governors Ball impressed us here — among them, a gorgeous location on Randall’s Island in New York, an offer of no overlapping sets and a diverse and near-spotless lineup. Unfortunately for the Governor, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival offers most of those things, too, and it’s offering them twice. Its unfathomably lucky attendees will enjoy an unbeatable lineup of more than 100 artists, from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to Radiohead, playing two consecutive weekends in scenic Indio, Calif. Governors Ball might just prove itself as the country’s best-kept secret of music festivals, but Coachella was probably going all the way from the start. — Steven Arroyo
(10/27/11 1:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Do not miss the sophomore release from Real Estate. I repeat, do not let this gem of an album pass you by. The sunny “Days” is designed to ward off dreary weather. Beyond this warmth provided by the tunes themselves remains the true mastery of the album as a whole.The strumming of the guitars in the track “It’s Real” lends a surf-pop ambiance. This Rickenbacker sound is pronounced on every cut throughout the whole album. The seven-and-a-half-minute “All The Same” stays true to the refreshing style of the disc. “Days” is reminiscent of the reverb pop of the carefree 1960s era. It is genuinely enjoyable, and listening to it in its entirety is a pleasure.
(10/05/11 9:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Climax. If there is one word that could be used to encapsulate the beauty of Youth Lagoon’s debut album, that would be it. “The Year of Hibernation” is Trevor Powers’ attempt to capture the ear of a patient listener. His electric vocals are fragile and his instruments are simple. It’s the tension adding up to the crescendo of auditory rhythm that ensnares the listener. On the last song of the album, “17,” it took until 2:22, two-thirds of the way through it, for me to grasp the depth of the music creeping into my ears. In this tantalizing moment, the clap-clap electronic percussive beat dropped into the track, and suddenly I knew. It was a moment of musical epiphany. This guy knows what he’s doing up in his bedroom in Boise, Idaho, I’m certain of that. In poetry, this realization of “muse” is occasionally identified as “duende”. (Look it up.)Sometimes it takes the beauty of a simply arranged piece of music to remind a listener that, although melt-your-face-off solos and Neil Peart-esque drumming are wonderful aspects of contemporary music, it’s rewarding to appreciate simplicity. Youth Lagoon illustrates that emotion on a masterful level.
(09/29/11 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Megafaun recorded its self-titled fourth album, “Megafaun,” with the intent of returning to its roots, which must be a diverse mixture of ethereal tones and chill melodies. Not having oodles of exposure to the band, I chose to explore new terrain with this album. And I must say, my curiosity has been rewarded. The tracks on the album are all exceptionally creative in their composition. The entirely instrumental “Isadora” pulls inspiration from a surprising combination of Western and Latin textures. An array of horns mingled with banjo on this cut surprised me, like finding a $5 bill in the laundry. I didn’t expect it, but it made my day. “Real Slow” conjures wonderful Grateful Dead/Widespread Panic-style vibe. It’s delightful. Because of the variety of tunes on this album, it would almost be possible to forget this psych-folk band is indeed folk, except for the intermittent tracks like “Get Right” and “Kill the Horns.” These folksy tracks provide a touchstone throughout the experimental realm of “Megafaun.” Possessing both depth and accessibility, “Megafaun” deserves thorough listening. These guys benefit well with their root-reaching endeavor.
(09/08/11 12:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I will never be the girl to blaspheme the Red Hot Chili Peppers. My love affair with “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” began almost ten years ago, and to this day, the album remains a relentlessly funktastical iPod favorite. The guys’ newest production, “I’m With You,” certainly isn’t the gritty product of the 20-somethings who once pranced around stage with socks on their pale white chili peppers. They’ve matured. However, instead of sobbing about the stability they gradually traded their socks in for, I want to praise them for their standardized success.Josh Klinghoffer, Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Chad Smith all nail this album with their impeccably resounding Chili Pepper sound. It’s evident that these guys did not set out to produce a cerebellum-shattering, genre-splitting disc, and that is fine. I think they’ve discovered their groovy niche in a sonic space that incubates their expected noise, and I like that about them. Kiedis’ spontaneous vowel spewing on “Ethiopia” authenticates the bands ever-present loony spunk after more than twenty years of music making. Prattle on, Peppers.
(09/07/11 11:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Beirut’s “The Rip Tide” sounds much more docile than the title would lead one to believe. It embodies a lazy current of indie pop rock that ebbs and flows in the listeners’ ears throughout this release. Zach Condon’s gloomy vocals roll like cigarette smoke into a vapid autumn sky, while a shy accordion dilutes under rapid percussion.The first cut, “A Candle’s Fire,” is meshed together with a “happy to be frumpy” trumpet and that signature accordion. This glows as one of the more memorable songs on the album, along with the title track and the harmonically pleasant “The Peacock.” “The Rip Tide” certainly takes the slowest and saddest route out of the track list. It’s the overt melancholy that makes it pretty. Beirut’s tones insinuate sweater-and-scarf-wearing tendencies. Maybe the tunes are a tad morose, but they make the listener feel comfortable with this notion.
(07/29/11 11:07pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Foster the People has been rocking hipsters, tweenies and PTA members straight off their poolside loungers since the band’s first single, “Pumped Up Kicks,” hit the airwaves. The entire album of “Torches” is as addicting as the single in an almost guilty fashion. However, this reviewer is perfectly fine with being decadently satisfied. Growing up with the Beach Boys, it’s difficult not to draw a correlation between the two Cali pop-rock bands, although decades separate them. With their vocal harmonies and contagious riffs, this L.A. based group practically teleports the sun drenched beaches of California straight to the listeners on every cut. The preliminary track, “Helena Beat,” serves the listener a heaping dollop of synth noise crafted to get the listener on their feet. Once that task has been accomplished, the arguable summer anthem, “Pumped Up Kicks,” shimmies into the listeners’ ears. The happy-go-lucky whistling laced over a perfectly syncopated snare will have the listener percolating in seconds. These peppy vibrations are heard from the beginning song, all the way up through the last track “Warrant.” Perhaps the album comes off a bit shallow, but that’s the fantastic thing about the summer time: no worries. Grab a Sierra Nevada, iPod speakers and go blast “Torches” by the most readily available pool.
(07/29/11 10:51pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Portugal. The Man simply astounds me with the consistent volume of material they produce. Constantly touring on top of creating quality music production is no easy feat. But Portugal stays true to their habit of success in its release, “In the Mountain In the Cloud.” Experimentation isn’t the group’s goal on this album. The sound echoes much of what was recorded on their previous two albums with catchy cool vocals and electrified noise, synchronized in the guitar and keyboard. “All Your Light (Times Like These)” is one of the more unique tracks, comprised of deep vocal sections on the chorus and a chugging percussive beat, which is finally broken by a jarring psychedelic instrumental. Another noteworthy track, “Sleep Forever,” is defined by subtle guitar strumming and relaxed signing. This album is vintage Portugal. The Man: chill electric tones with a hippie flair. This album begs for a listen while cruising the hilly Bloomington landscape en route to Lake Monroe.
(05/20/11 8:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Tyler, The Creator’s video “Yonkers” hit Youtube in early February, the single dropped many jaws. For those familiar with Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All’s rap collective, listening to Tyler’s album “Goblin” may have instigated less winces than for those who had their OFWGKTA’s cherries popped by the video. Tyler’s bone-chilling depiction of his suicide fleshed out what was to be expected off of his solo album. “Goblin,” Tyler’s second solo album, was completely self-produced. Aside from the tracks in which he collaborates with other members of the OFWGKTA posse, the album is entirely Tyler’s creation. Implementing basic Macbook production software, he composed an album drawing influences from a place where electronica and metallic rhythm dwell in harmony with hip-hop. On the instrumental track “AU79,” subtle beats pulse over cosmic wheezes, and a similar ambient bounce can be heard on “Analog” featuring Hodgy Beats. These airier tracks are crucial to the execution of Goblin as a cohesive work. The song “Sandwitches” is hammered out by synths and booming drums, while the lyrics encapsulate authoritarian outrage. It succeeds in being verifiably wrathful, whereas many of the album’s songs fall short of being genuine. “Radicals”, “Fish”, and “Transylvania” are all nauseatingly contrived accounts of violence. The teenage angst coating these lyrics comes off like a Warhead or just sour candy for kids.Here’s a kid with finesse potentially akin to Eminem or Nas, and the vocabulary of a Merriam-Webster, he just needs to polish his real voice. “Yonkers” stands out because of its confessional-style intensity, “Analog” for its smooth beat and dreamy lyricism and “Her” for its puppy-love storyline. The young rapper clearly has a lot of ammunition up his sleeve, he just needs to make his audience believe it.
(05/13/11 6:24pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After three years of anticipation, Bon Iver is finally gracing us with his sophomore self-titled album.Justin Vernon has tantalized his fans with a few teasers since “For Emma, Forever Ago,” was released, well, forever ago. But these morsels have merely been palate cleansers between meals. The album is slated for release June 21, a date that cannot come soon enough for salivating fans. Recorded in another unorthodox environment, “For Emma” was birthed in a solitary Wisconsin cabin. This new album found its roots in a veterinary clinic renovated by Vernon and his brother. A change in scenario typically indicates a movement in sound, and this record follows suit. According to jagjaguwar.com, Vernon has amassed a vaster collection of instruments and musicians on it. Aside from vintage Bon Iver players like classically trained drummer Sean Carey listen for new layers of saxophone, courtesy of Colin Stenson, and horns by C.J. Camerieri. Prepare to swab your ears with various string and horn noises never before experienced on Iver tracks.The tale of Vernon’s progression as a musician has always been intriguing. From cuts with Kanye West to St. Vincent, to sing along performances and the reception of Pitchfork’s 29th Best Album of the 2000’s award, Bon Iver’s assured gold-standard will supply good summer tunes.It won’t even matter if it still sounds like icy January on the album.
(04/27/11 10:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gorillaz’s follow-up album, “The Fall,” released in the shadow of its acclaimed “Plastic Beach,” had many listeners wondering what the group could possibly dish up after such an explosive release. Debuted for online streaming in December, this piece doesn’t bank at all on commercial reception, which explains its lagged hard-copy release. This album is more of an electronic diary used throughout the group’s American tour rather than a bejeweled streamlined production. It’s difficult not to compare the extravaganza of noise on the “Plastic Beach” album with the spooky and ethereal sounds on “The Fall,” but honestly, there’s no need to contrast. The Gorillaz have never attempted to be anything other than exactly what the group produces, which is both a mishmash of polar opposites and harmonious syncopations. Recorded exclusively on iPads while traversing the American countryside, this album sails in its own creative vein, which is why it sounds so great. The simplicity of these elements has birthed an electronic soundscape that seems to meld inspiration from the natural world almost perfectly with the implemented digital instruments. Many of the tracks harbor subtle melodies, like “Aspen Forest,” an instrumental track narrated by stinging chord plucks, and “Revolving Doors,” which is laced with melancholy vocals. The sublime “Amarillo” hypnotizes with its soft thudding and washy ambiance and even breaks your heart in the process. A little more upbeat than the others, “The Snake in Dallas” shakes with Parliament Funkadelic-type sound. The entire mood of the album is far from the hyped-up tone of many of the group’s previous releases, but maybe that’s why this one is so entrancing. Without all the studio acts and instrumentation, maybe the listener scoots a little closer to the brains behind the elaborate technological beast that is Gorillaz.
(04/06/11 10:25pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Skipping back onto the scene, Peter Bjorn and John have released their third album, “Gimme Some,” and it throbs with energy. Laden with toe-tapping rhythm and peppy vocals, these three guys have crafted an album easily employed for spring and summer playlists. The cowbell-driven beat of “Second Chance” with its catchy “ooh-ing” basically nominates it for the most memorable song on the record. “Breaker, Breaker” shreds along at breakneck speed threaded by friendly vocals. This album oozes cordiality. However, it is this saccharine sweetness that makes its 37-minute span almost annoying by the end. Listeners seeking a mild-mannered record will be enamored with this one’s accessibility. On the other hand, for those searching for depth, this album could be good for just one listen.
(03/09/11 11:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the foreboding statement, “Everything’s moving all the time, let’s just not hope today,” Aron Ralston jokingly prophesies his own fate. The fiercely tenacious adventurer, played by James Franco, encounters life and death while trapped under a massive boulder for 127 hours. Shot in jarring cinematography by director Danny Boyle, the harsh Utah landscape aptly sets Ralston’s harrowing predicament. It’s not often that a person in a maddeningly desperate scenario can chronicle one’s own spiraling descent, but that’s precisely what makes this film so enthralling. It’s the desire for Sunkist, beer and unreturned phone calls that fleshes out Ralston’s humility. This film illustrates a man at the mercy of nature, which is a force commonly misconstrued as conquerable. Ralston’s struggles to break free from not only the boulder but also from the isolated shell in which he previously existed exemplify perseverance and the thirst for human contact. When watching this one-man performance, keep a glass of water on deck. It sure gets hot at the bottom of his canyon.
(02/02/11 11:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>John Lennon’s life has never seemed more hip or traumatic than in “Nowhere Boy,” the cinematic depiction of his early Liverpool years. Chronicling his angst-filled teenage adolescence, this movie provides a microscopic lens into Lennon’s inner family turmoil. Anyone familiar with Beatles history or the events that plagued Lennon as a teen will instantly sympathize with the themes of this film. Not exactly a feel-good film, this piece directed by Sam Taylor-Wood epitomizes the bloody British blues experienced by Limeys of the era. However, the materialization of the group charts everything from Lennon’s creation of his first band, The Quarrymen, to the preliminary encounter between Lennon and the innocently squeezable Paul McCartney. “Nowhere Boy” is an interesting film for any fan of the Beatles, rock history or that colorful ’60s style.
(01/20/11 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Whether the title “Western” evokes a sense of nostalgia or a grimace on one’s face, this genre of entertainment is an indisputably influential one. Starting in 1903 and continuing into the present day, the Western has contributed immensely to American pop culture. Here are a few of the more memorable and timeless movies.Silent Era“The Great Train Robbery” (1903) Believe it or not, this black-and-white silent film was the first narrative cinematic experience ever created. This prototypical classic details the standard outlaws vs. the sheriff pursuit throughout its eleven minute duration. This movie rode in on the coattails of other Western-based entertainment including the dime novel and, of course, “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.” Interestingly enough, this Western was shot on location in New Jersey of all places. Not so rustic, eh?“The Iron Horse” (1924)As one of John Ford’s earliest and rarest films (technically he’s uncredited), this silent epic charts the construction of the transcontinental railroad that connected East to West. This Western was typical of the genre in the silent era, the kind of film that celebrated American achievement (a boldly stapled-in shot of Abraham Lincoln’s statue bust closes the patriotic film) and touted film itself as an expression of an art form and a historical document.John Ford Era“Stagecoach” (1939)Westerns were never the same after John Ford made “Stagecoach,” arguably one of the most influential films ever made. With John Wayne in the lead role, it redefined the hero as less than fully noble. But more importantly, it changed kinetic action scenes entirely. There’s a famous chase between a group of Native Americans and the stagecoach Wayne is trying to protect that is a marvel of black-and-white cinematography.“High Noon” (1952) In Fred Zinnemann’s black-and-white classic of the American West, two great strides were made for the genre. First, Tex Ritter’s beautiful, tragic rendition of “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’” was the first true Western theme song, a concept that composers like Ennio Morricone would run with in the 1960s. Second, its sheriff hero (Gary Cooper) isn’t greeted with support from the townspeople he hopes to enlist in a posse to help arrest a group of bandits coming to town on the noon train. Instead, they react with indifference, and he’s forced to gun down the criminals alone. He leaves the town silently and somberly, the entire Western genre uprooted behind him.Golden Era“The Searchers” (1956) John Ford stormed back to the Western genre in 1956 with this feature starring John Wayne that shone a harsh, honest light on the racism inherent in the frontier experience. When Wayne’s young niece is kidnapped by Comanche Indians, he undertakes an obsessive quest to find her that eventually spans over a decade. When he does find her, he decides she’s become so assimilated with the Comanche that he should just kill her. Of course, he eventually relents, but even the ostensibly sunny closing shot after her happy reunion with her family is tinged with pathos: There’s no place for Wayne in the family, so it’s back to the frontier he goes.“The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962) This John Ford studded classic starring John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart entails the vintage 1960s Western ambiance that one would fully expect. The plot concerns itself with outlaws who live outside the fumbling arms of the law, a machismo gunslinger who keeps the town in one piece and an educated city boy who just wants to bring law and order to the rough-and-tumble town. Chock full of saloon scenes, standoffs and resonate one-liners, this film pushes the viewer to ask, “Why isn’t every man as righteous as John freakin’ Ford?”Revisionist Era“The Wild Bunch” (1969)Sam Peckinpah released “The Wild Bunch” to some of the most polarizing reception of all time in 1969. That’s because the film was, and is, one of the most violent ever made. The film follows a ruthless bunch of bank robbers whose last big score goes horribly wrong. It’s a coldly suggestive film about the nature of fate, all punctuated by an explosively violent gun battle against the entire Mexican army that goes on for about 15 minutes in the film’s finale.“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969)In an era marked by exceptionally dark, violent Westerns, this film by George Roy Hill (which eventually lent part of its title to star Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival) put the lawless world of frontier robbery in a much more lighthearted context, and even adapted some of the Summer of Love’s feel-good vibes to a frontier vista. It will forever be remembered for its anachronistic employment of “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” and the witty banter between leads Redford and Paul Newman. It endures because it embodied a free, drug-laced era, even when the rest of its genre tried to ignore those truths.Modern Era“Unforgiven” (1992) As the star of some of the most instantly recognizable Westerns ever made, it only makes sense that Clint Eastwood’s masterpiece as a director would come in a bold redefinition of the genre. Recipient of four Oscars, “Unforgiven” is likely the most inspired, important Western made post-“Searchers.” Eastwood turns the myth of the Western hero inside out at point-blank range through the barrel of a shotgun. The relative dearth of Westerns made since then can probably be at least partly attributed to a reluctance to try to follow this film.“True Grit” (2010) This Coen brothers remake augments the slovenliness of a Western marshall played by Jeff Bridges, who sets out on a mission to find a killer. This film may be a bit more true to the real “grit” of what the Wild West actually entailed for pioneers and the like. The standard American Western is not dead with this revitilization of the tradition. Given a 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this film breathes some life into a film commonly thought of as “old hat.” Way to go, Bros.