(M) Blood and Oil: The Middle East in World War I Grade: B-
Boy, this documentary was dry. I had to watch it for work and fell asleep about halfway through (the beer probably didn’t help). The most striking part of the film was toward the end, at the conclusion of WWI, when Europe divides up the region, motivated by a greed for oil, and how it parallels today’s conflicts. In the end, the narrator concludes that the desire to occupy a region without taking into account its history and culture destabilized the region, leading to fractious factions and violence that continues today.

(A) Ys (Joanna Newsom, 2006) Grade: A-
Pronounced yeesh, this five-song sophomore album is more of the Newsom that people either love (me) or hate (New Wave and most of my friends). Yes, her voice can be high and screechy, but it’s also enchanting. And she has a way with lyrics. Simply loveleee... Newsom and her harp are performing at the El Rey Nov. 30 and shouldn’t be missed. Oh, unless you hate her.