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Style Magazine

Then & Now

Feb 28, 2012 09:56AM ● By Style

ALBUMS

THEN:

Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever Explosions In The Sky

If there was ever music that sounded like a sunset, thunderstorm, or a shaft of golden light through the clouds after the rain…Explosions in the Sky have written it. This Austin quartet works entirely in instrumentals, and their songs – often described as “post-rock” – are simply put, as big as the Texas skyline.

NOW:

Animal JoyShearwater

Although Animal Joy is the sixth album from Austin’s indie quintet Shearwater, Jonathan Meiburg’s voice remains completely unmistakable. From a bold roar to an angelic whisper, his vocals paint the details into the wonderfully rich and evocative music that backs him. Shearwater is, in short, a gorgeous sonic experience.

 

BOOKS

THEN:

Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder

East Berlin might seem a distant memory to those of us who lived outside of its confines, or learned about it through history books and newspaper stories. Anna Funder’s remarkable book illustrates through firsthand stories the ways East Berlin still exists in Germany’s psyche, and the strangely fascinating and often frightening “other-ness” of living and surviving “behind the Wall.”

NOW:

All That I Am by Anna Funder

All That I Am – the debut novel from author of 2004’s prize-winning nonfiction Stasiland – is based on the true story of three German anti-Nazi activists who risked their lives to inform the British government of Hitler’s impending threat to Europe’s safety. Richly woven in an unforgettable tale of love, ambition, courage and desire, Funder’s debut is impossible to put down in every sense. 

 

DVDs

THEN:

Thief

Michael Mann’s 1981 neo-noir film is genius. James Caan plays Frank, the jewel thief trying to balance family life and crime. This is a “one last hit” story, and we all know those rarely go as planned - Thief is no exception. Caan scorches, and Mann delivers. Don’t sleep on this one!

NOW:

Drive

Your male anti-hero has arrived, in the form of Ryan Gosling and his satin cobra jacket. Director Nicolas Winding Refn gives us a love letter to ’80s Michael Mann in the form of a tense, albeit violent, thriller. With a supporting cast that includes Albert Brooks as a sadistic villain, Bryan Cranston and Christina Hendricks, Drive is an instant classic.