Oct 4th, 2009 · Vanderslice is a songwriter's songwriter. His music, a beautifully finessed mix of acoustic instruments, analog drum machines and digital textures, is invariably thoughtful, carefully crafted and affecting. He's prolific, too: Vanderslice has released an album nearly every year this decade, and his latest (Romanian Names) is his most inspired so far. See him perform acoustic versions of his newest songs in this Tiny Desk Concert.
Apr 13th, 2009 · Amid all the tributes to the great composer surrounding the 250th anniversary of his death, critic Ted Libbey introduces a recording of Handel's Water Music that flows with force and finesse.
Oct 23rd, 2008 · In his Swedish vampire fable, director Tomas Alfredson constructs a biting narrative without going overboard on the blood. For all its finesse, though, the movie's still essentially a genre exercise.
Nov 26th, 2007 · It sounds almost like a violin, but not quite. The erhu is a traditional Chinese two-string instrument, played with a bow. Virtuoso soloist Ma XiaoHui demonstrates how to finesse music out of it.