When one thinks of B-movie icon Roger Corman's disciples, big names spring to mind: Coppola and Scorsese come first, followed by genre directors like Jack Hill. One name that's not so immediate is Monte Hellman, but for cinéastes, it's nearly as important. Hellman's films are often concerned with obsession, ambiguity, and genre in a manner that manages to be simultaneously intriguing, fairly abstract and avant-garde. ...

Wiretree Bouldin Austin's Kevin Peroni has been writing songs under the moniker of Wiretree since 2005, when he released his first EP. The latest album, Bouldin, is a nine song testament to American chords, everything that was good about real folk music, bridging the gap between The La's and late '70s George Harrison with ease. Peroni's vocals are at times extremely Elliott Smith-ish, but that's not a bad thing. The songs are reminiscent of......

The weather's been turning your face into Crisco. Gas prices are exorbitant. Truly, there is no better time than the present to sit inside a cool, darkened theater and watch James Taylor (famous '70s male chanteuse!) and Dennis Wilson (the less-famous Beach Boy!) chase Warren Oates (not the dude from Hall & Oates!) across dusty stretches of highway at 140 mph in life-sized Hot Wheels. In Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), Taylor and Wilson portray......

FRIDAY [12] Some of you have asked that we publish the Weekend IST List on Thursdays, in order to better help you plan your goings-on. We're happy to oblige. Starting today, we'll be including Friday-Sunday listings both on Thursday and Fridays. --Ed. Note music • Yacht Rock Party with DJ Starsign -- Chicago, Steely Dan, America, Air Supply, Toto, Boz Scaggs, Loggins and Messina, Carole King, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Doobie Brothers, Seals and......

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador) As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album.......