Reviews

Punch-Drunk Love – Nonesuch

After the steamy funk of Boogie Nights and the Aimee Mann tearjerkers of Magnolia, PT Anderson's new film basks in heady strings and wonky harmoniums, scored by regular collaborator Jon Brion. It's deliberately dizzying and disorientating, and not always pleasurable. But the borrowing of Nilsson's "He Needs Me" from Altman's Popeye, sung with sugary desire by Shelley Duvall, is inspired. Waiting to interview Anderson in a hotel lobby recently, I congratulated Emily Watson on her singing of this. It's the only thing I've ever said to Emily Watson.

Beezewax – Oh Tahoe

Radio-friendly Norwegian beat mavericks raised on R.E.M. and Teenage Fanclub

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme: Deluxe Edition

New digital version with no shortage of bonuses

Kid Loco – Another Late Night

Inveterate remixer (Pulp, St Etienne, Talvin Singh) chills out with some downtempo classics

Earl Scruggs – Classic Bluegrass Live

Cleveland County bluegrass legend and Foggy Mountain Boy wows Newport festival crowd, 1959-66

Street Hassle

Stylishly brutal thriller sees the bullets fly in the Brazilian ghetto

Back To The Future Trilogy Box Set

Time-travellers Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd shunt between the 1950s, the future and the old Wild West in a customised DeLorean sports car, trailing paradoxes in their wake as they attempt not to interfere with history. Zemeckis and Gale's lovingly crafted trilogy remains enormously enjoyable, and curiously now makes one feel nostalgic for the '80s.

Trading Places

Much-imitated life-swapping comedy from '83, back when John Landis was a hot name. Street chancer Eddie Murphy and stockbroker Dan Aykroyd switch places after a nature-versus-nurture debate, with Jamie Lee Curtis as Aykroyd's love interest. Doesn't aim to be anything other than broadly funny, and so largely succeeds, though it hasn't aged too cleverly.

Billy Bragg And Wilco—Man In The Sand

The two albums of Woody Guthrie songs recorded by Billy Bragg and Wilco and released as Mermaid Avenue (Volumes One and Two) are already alt. country classics. Kim Hopkins' documentary film follows Bragg around America in search of Woody. Archive footage of the great man is interwoven with Bragg performing some 20 songs, alongside guests including Natalie Merchant. Films about making albums seldom do the music justice. Man In The Sand breaks the pattern. DVD EXTRAS: Bonus audio tracks, discography.

Pop Will Eat Itself – Pwei Product: Pop Will Eat Itself Anthology 86-94

Comprehensive compendium from indie-rap-rock Midlanders
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