Digital Journal — Get the quick and dirty from Digital Journal‘s FourPlay section! Take a look at hot websites, cool music, good DVDs and the best in video games. Digital Journal showcases the Sites, Sounds, DVDs and Games of today and tomorrow!
SITES
SOUNDS
Matisyahu, Youth, (Sony BMG)
Reggae from an Orthodox Jew in Crown Heights? As crazy as it sounds, Matisyahu is the real deal when it comes to chill beats, Marley-esque hooks and spiritual lyrics that will make every listener jones for a trip to the Holy Land. The album’s titled track is one of the catchiest, while “What I’m Fighting For” infuses revolution into every verse. The beatboxing is also quite Hasid-sick.
Various Artists, Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads, (BBE/Rapster)
If you can’t get enough Radiohead, then Exit Music is your long-lost treasure.
A wild range of musicians cover Radiohead tracks, sometimes going electronic (like RJD2 on “Airbag”) and sometimes going three-piece jazz (like The Bad Plus on “Karma Police”). The best remixes sound nothing like the originals, giving ‘head haters a reason to buy this album without feeling hypocritical.
DVD
Debbie Does Dallas: Uncovered
(Docurama) 96 minutes
The 1970s enjoyed many cult classics but in the porn realm, Debbie Does Dallas became a seminal turning point (pun intended). This documentary tries to answer all the five Ws surrounding the skin flick, most importantly, “What happened to the film’s star, Bambi Woods?” Part mystery and part sneak peek into porn acting, the doc explores all the weirdness that is having sex in front of a camera. Not for family viewing.
Hawaii, Oslo
(Mongrel Media) 125 minutes
Think of this Norwegian drama as Crash meets Run Lola Run. Several troubled people cross each other’s paths without knowing it, their lives connected to a tragic car accident. There’s something here for everyone: rebellious kids, heroic psychics, smooth-talking bank robbers and suicidal cat lovers. You’re going to have to see the flick to find out how this motley crew comes together.
GAME
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth II, (PC)
A sequel to 2004’s original, this real-time strategy game spans Tolkien’s fantasy world to allow the hobbit in all of us to play out expansive war scenarios. The goal is to conquer all of Middle-earth, province by province, orc by orc. Play as elves, men or dwarves, and command dragons and eagles to swoop down on the enemy. You can also create your own hero, but that mode isn’t as impressive as it could be.
2006 FIFA World Cup, (Xbox 360)
In light of June’s World Cup turning mild-mannered soccer fans into frothing goal junkies, EA’s title comes at a perfect time. It also delivers the goods with impressive results: the AI difficulty is upped several notches, so dancing around opponents takes real skill; enhanced player animation adds fluidity to movement; and a quirky soundtrack features worldly tunes from Israel, Sweden, England, Australia and more. But where’s the option to start a hooligan-fuelled riot?
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