News

Coldplay update George Orwell’s Animal Farm in the video for “Trouble in Town,” off their double LP Everyday Life, released last fall.

The band brings the satirical classic to the drug-addled streets of New York, where the city is plagued with homelessness and crime under the regime of a pig dictator (undoubtedly a nod to Trump). The 2020 Democratic debates are mocked as pig politicians argue at podiums on a television screen, which soon escalates into a fight.

A reindeer huddles under a blanket, reading Orwell’s book. A cat...

Frightened Rabbit have announced details and a release date for their new album Pedestrian Verse. The follow-up to 2009's The Winter of Mixed Drinks will be the Scottish band's fourth studio record and first major label release, through Atlantic Records. Frontman Scott Hutchinson said of the new album: "The title is taken from a lyric in 'State Hospital'. I felt it was a nicely faceted title, with enough layered meaning to remain open to interpretation. Above all though, it was a gauntlet I threw down for myself. "If you call your album Pedestrian Verse, you can't settle for any old lyric. It forced me to better myself. In fact, I think we all stepped up on this album and I believe that our producer Leo Abrahams had a major role in that step. "He threw our music into areas we had not previously imagined. More than any (more)...

Sidekicks

By Jack D. Farraiolo

320 Pages, Amulet Books, $16.95

There’s been a lot of material produced about super-heroes for the very young, such as the popular Captain Underpants, and obviously for the young at heart of varying ages. But, there has been precious little prose about people with powers and abilities for the young adult reader so Jack D. Farraiolo’s Sidekicks is a welcome addition. In a world where costumed heroes and villains are commonplace, Phantom Justice is one the most revered crimefighters of all. For years now, he has been battling all manner of foe, aided by the colorfully-clad Bright Boy. The adolescent sidekick, though, is beginning the chafe at being stuck in a costume designed for a much younger boy. His world comes crashing down when, after rescuing a woman from the dreaded Rogue Warrior, his tight outfit reveals just how excited his latest mission has left him.