Northern Drive (Matinee). Review by Aaron Shaul.

Dreamer Ben Stiller works in a museum where the exhibits come to life at night and raise havoc. Then he gets the girl. Carl F Gauze digs this piece of cinematic fluff.

An Asthmatic Kitty Compilation (Asthmatic Kitty). Review by Aaron Shaul.

Sing Song EP (Branches). Review by Jen Cray.

After reading this new collection of Andersen’s classic yet slightly twisted tales, Chris Catania will never look at the Little Mermaid the same way again.

Mine is Not a Holy War (Cordless). Review by Carl F Gauze.

Brendan Harney , drummer with left-of-center Massachusetts band Wheat , tells Andrew Ellis why the band is happy making music independently again.

Make History (Frenchkiss). Review by Jen Cray.

If That Is What Is Being Thought… (Status Quo). Review by Carl F Gauze.

What does a literary critic want from a literary critic? Eric J. Iannelli finds the answer in Reading Writing, the first English translation of nonagenarian Julien Gracq’s unique musings on the republic of letters.

Feathers (Matador). Review by Aaron Shaul.

What’s it like to be a human iPod? Kyrby Raine tracked down a troupe of rising stars in Boston that believes in the infinite possibilities of rock and roll.

Can a Cold War-era spy find love in the 21st Century? The box office returns for Casino Royale say YES. If you want an idea why James Bond is still such a cultural force, the essays in this volume give you a lot to think about. Bob Pomeroy tells you about the good and the not so good from the Bond debates.

Andrew Ellis chats with singer-songwriter Peter Bradley Adams about his journey from classical musician and composer to the mainstream.

The Social, in Orlando, has been frequently offering two-night residencies to bands that can easily sell out the small venue. Booking the bill with big talent and odd packaging, these shows are usually a hot ticket and always memorable. For a holiday treat in December, Bouncing Souls were the band in big letters with hefty support from The Street Dogs , Whole Wheat Bread and World/Inferno Friendship Society. Jen Cray was there for the mayhem on night #2.

Chris Catania , like Rock En Espanol’s author, Ernesto Lechner, was slow to warm up to the emerging sounds of the Latin alt-rock movement, but both now agree that the bands profiled in these pages hint strongly at the future of popular music.

A struggling thrift shop owner turns to a loan shark after her boyfriend embezzles her money, but reunites with her annoying preteen daughter.

Sleep Inside This Wheel (I Eat). Review by Aaron Shaul.

The Best is Yet to Come (Skipping Stones). Review by Aaron Shaul.

James Brown passed away on Christmas Day. Or did he? James Mann ponders the Godfather of Soul.