Danny McBride sends a love letter to the South with 'The Righteous Gemstones'
McBride, a Georgia native, has seen how Hollywood traffics in stereotypes about the American South. His HBO show satirizes televangelists without making religious people the butt of the joke.
'Dragonfish' Offers A Noir Vision Of An 'American Dream Gone Rancid'
The debut novel by Vu Tran is a crime drama involving a white cop, his Vietnamese-born ex-wife and her new husband, a violent crime boss. Maureen Corrigan calls Dragonfish a "haunting literary novel."
Daniel Romano's Eccentric 'Countrypolitan' Sound Blends Sincerity And Irony
Canadian musician Daniel Romano specializes in country music that's a throwback to a bygone era. Rock critic Ken Tucker calls his new album, If I've Only One Time Askin', a "moving collection."
Jon Stewart, Faking It and Making It
As host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, Jon Stewart is a funny man with a serious message. Originally broadcast July 22, 2005.
For Key And Peele, Biracial Roots Bestow Special Comedic 'Power'
Comics Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele satirize people of all races on their Comedy Central sketch show. Originally broadcast Nov. 20, 2013.
'The End of the Tour' Offers A Hint Of David Foster Wallace's Inner Struggle
A new film revisits a five-day interview that took place between writer David Foster Wallace and a reporter for Rolling Stone in 1996. Critic David Edelstein calls it a "very good movie."
Ashley Monroe's 'Blade' Blends Country Sentiment And Delicate Phrasings
Rock critic Ken Tucker says the third studio album from country star Ashley Monroe "is a collection of deceptively pretty songs that cohere as a strong, serious piece of work."
'Buzzin' The Blues' Revisits The Declarative Harmonica Style Of Slim Harpo
Born in Baton Rouge in 1924, the blues musician known as Slim Harpo influenced rock bands like the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and Pink Floyd. Rock Historian Ed Ward shares Harpo's story.
'Call Me Lucky': A Documentary Of Friendship, Childhood Abuse And Survival
Barry Crimmins mentored Bobcat Goldthwait when they were up-and-coming comics in the '80s. A film directed by Goldthwait details their relationship — and the sexual abuse Crimmins suffered as a child.
New Release Features Jazz Flutist Sam Most's 'Breathy, Punchy Sound'
From the Attic of My Mind is a batch of reissues drawn from the old Xanadu catalog of Sam Most recordings. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the late flutist makes "every note in a fast phrase pop out."