CD
Mylo Xyloto
Don´t worry, Coldplay’s latest, Mylo Xyloto, isn’t some kind of high-concept Mr. Roboto remake. There’s not much concept here other than Chris Martin’s usual empathies — MX leaves his fans to ponder chaos swirling and scarecrow dreams. He had this kind of psychoanalytical vibe going on X&Y, but with more hope. I still think X&Y and A Rush of Blood are the band’s best, but “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” pumps up the healing power of music, and “Princess of China” adds a little Rihanna, which is always good.
COMIC
Tintin
With Steven Spielberg bringing Tintin to the big screen, I checked out the three comics that make up the film — The Crab With the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham’s Treasure. Dating from the 1940s, they show their age — kinda corny, a little non- PC — but there’s a ton of charm. The Belgian creator of Tintin, Hergé, has a feel for slapstick, and his exotic villains — pirates on the high seas, Berbers in North Africa — make him a Spielberg soulmate. In fact, when a French reviewer claimed that Raiders of the Lost Ark was one big ode to Tintin, Spielberg picked up the comic — and, in 1983, bought the film rights.
BOOK
I Want My MTV
Yeah, I was an early-adopter of MTV. The mini-movies fit my short attention span perfectly. Now I can read about how important it all was, you know, culturally, in the massive I Want My MTV. The authors interviewed more than 400 musicians, suits and directors and just run their quotes by chapter. You can open to any page and learn, say, the backstory of ZZ Top’s famous hot rod, or what those little people were really up to in Van Halen’s “Pretty Woman” video. It gets old to keep hearing about how “outlaw” it all was, but if you lived it, you’ll enjoy this one.
