The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Clint, Tammy Faye and 'The Nowhere Inn'

Last episode, I liked all three movies. This week? A very different story. 

You can hear our reviews of Cry Macho, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and The Nowhere Inn down below.

The Movies About Rock Stars That Make Being a Rock Star Sound Awful

For MEL, I did a quick rundown of films that take a dim view of the lives of musicians, either fictional or real. Folks, being a rock star is hard, as this list demonstrates.

Sleater-Kinney - "Hurry on Home"

When Janet Weiss announced she was leaving Sleater-Kinney, saying, "The band is heading in a new direction and it is time for me to move on," I immediately wondered if she wasn't entirely down with the sound of the group's forthcoming record, The Center Won't Hold. The first two songs off the album definitely are a different S-K than we've heard before, which I partly contribute to St. Vincent, who's working as their producer for the first time. Weiss has been the group's drummer since 1997's Dig Me Out, so it's big news. Still, I have to say: "Hurry on Home" rocks.

2015 Pazz & Jop Poll Predictions

I'm still mortified by how poorly I did predicting last year's Pazz & Jop Top 10. (I really didn't think Black Messiah's complicated musical landscapes would have had sufficient time to sink in with enough voters to carry the day.) Nonetheless, I feel more confident in this year's guesses, mostly because I don't think No. 1 is in doubt at all....

1. Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
2. Courtney Barnett, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
3. Grimes, Art Angels
4. Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell 
5. Father John Misty, I Love You, Honeybear
6. Jamie xx, In Colour
7. Sleater-Kinney, No Cities to Love
8. Tame Impala, Currents 
9. Adele, 25
10. Carly Rae Jepsen, Emotion 

Other albums I considered for the Top 10: Vulnicura, Summertime '06 and The Epic. We'll know how well I did when The Village Voice releases the poll results on Wednesday. I'm expecting To Pimp a Butterfly to win by a large margin. As for the singles poll, I'm torn between Drake's "Hotline Bling" or Adele's "Hello," but my gut says "Hotline Bling."

(Update: The results are out now and, yes, I nailed the top album and top single. I got eight of the Top 10 albums correct, overestimating Tame Impala's and Adele's chances and not giving enough credence to Vince Staples and Kamasi Washington. Overall, I'm surprised by the relatively soft showing of Ms. Adkins: 25 was a paltry No. 35, while "Hello" tied for No. 9. My ballot is here.)

Sleater-Kinney - "The Fox"

On Tuesday, Sleater-Kinney release their first album in 10 years with No Cities to Love. Here's "The Fox," the volcanic opening track from their last disc, The Woods.