MUSIC
1. Nate Leavitt & the Elevation Someone Send A Signal
I was privileged to hear Nate play a couple songs from this solo for Ep4 of the Department of Tangents Podcast. Leavitt is a great Americana songwriter. There is plenty of twang and heart on this EP, his second solo release after a couple of decades playing guitar for other people. And there are more delicate moments, too. “I Can Breathe Again” is a devastating track, starting spare with piano voice and building by layers to the bracing finish with Leavitt tearing into that title phrase. A stunner. You can hear the EP versions of three of six tracks on Nate’s BandCamp site.


2. Guided By Voices Please Be Honest
Robert Pollard just released a solo album, Of Course You Are, on March 4. Now comes new Guided By Voices, with Pollard playing all of the instruments. Seven weeks is plenty enough time between new releases, right? Stream the album on Consequence of Sound.
3. The Loom Here In the Deadlights
The Loom are a patient lot. The vocals on “I Am Not Young,” the second single from Here In the Deadlights, don’t even kick in until around 1:14, a time when many modern pop songs would be almost half over. Their sound, on first listen, has elements of The National’s relaxed but insistent rock but with a more wide-open, sweeping guitar sound.

HOROR ON BLU-RAY
1. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: Collector’s Edition
The original still holds up as one of the most terrifying horror movies you’ll ever see. The sequel, however, has a bit more comic relief, thanks in large part to Dennis Hopper’s zany enthusiasm. It shows even when he’s not speaking. This is a two-disc set featuring deleted scenes and a lot of interview and behind-the-scenes footage, plus a six-part documentary with the screenwriters, actors, and make-up artists.