Grammy winner in 2009 for Best New Artist, we’ve been waiting for an awfully long time for Adele’s new album, 21, to drop.
For those of you who have found the wait excruciating, we present a video of Adele performing at Liverpool’s Cavern Club on January 5th.
Update: Adele’s sophomore release, 21 — already available in Great Britain, where it’s topping the charts and earning rave reviews from the critics — is set for release in North America on Tuesday, February 22nd. Can’t wait!
Sundance Independent Film Festival 2011 Kicks Off
The 2011 Sundance Film Festival kicks off today, showcasing 117 independent feature films chosen from the more than 3,800 submissions.
As is the case each year, the indie films emerging from the Sundance Festival will become the highlight of most cinéaste’s film year. At the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, certain 2011 Oscar nominee Winter’s Bone won the Grand Jury prize for writer-director Debra Granik, as well as a Best Actress nod for newcomer (and breakout star) Jennifer Lawrence. Director Derek Cianfrance’s relationship drama Blue Valentine, currently playing around town, also won plaudits and a distribution deal at 2010’s Sundance Festival.
Lisa Cholodenko’s dysfunctional-family tale The Kids Are All Right was another award-winner at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival which will emerge as a certain Oscar nominee next week, most likely for Best Actress hopeful, and odds-on favourite, Annette Bening, with a probable Best Original Screenplay going to Kids‘ co-writers Stuart Blumberg and Ms. Cholodenko.
In the coming week, we’ll keep you apprised of the Sundance films the critics love, taking a break only this coming Tuesday morning for the announcement of the 2011 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar nominations announcement. We’ll see you back here soon and often.
Oscar Nominations Approach: True Grit Costume Featurette
Katie Costello, A New Break-Out Indie Music Artist
Was surfing around the ‘Net, and ran across the fair-skinned, blue eyed Katie Costello whose new indie album Lamplight is garnering much praise.
Variously described as quirky, retro and melodic in her approach to her craft, and sometimes compared to Laura Jansen (who we love) and Regina Spektor we think, upon an initial listen, that Ms. Costello is an utter original.
From what we’ve been able to glean from her Facebook page, Ms. Costello hails from Hermosa Beach, California, currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, has not signed with a record label (don’t you just love the Internet for exposing you to new artists?), and will release Lamplight February 22nd.
Everyday, we’re bombarded with new music, and it’s difficult to choose the wheat from the chaff. VanRamblings believes Ms. Costello’s music to be hearty, sustaining, infectious and entirely enchanting. Thus, we present the video below, and two SoundCloud tracks, for your listening enjoyment.