Podcast: ‘Loving You: The Untold Sondheim’
Anyone who loves the works of the late American songster Stephen Sondheim ought to listen to “Loving You: The Untold Sondheim,” a new podcast co-hosted by two of the late composer’s close friends, Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones, who offer a deep and intimate look into Sondheim’s life and creative process. Did you know that Sondheim was such a movie buff that he could quote random lines from obscure films off the top of his head? Or that it was almost he, instead of Andrew Lloyd Webber, who was going to musicalize “Sunset Boulevard”? Neither did I. At times, the podcast veers into sentimentality, particularly in interviews with such dear Sondheim friends as Julie Andrews, James Lapine and Jonathan Tunick. (Sondheim would’ve admonished that.) Even so, I can’t think of a better way to honour his legacy than through this podcast. — Joshua Chong
Docuseries: ‘Homicide: New York’
Producer Dick Wolf has been churning out TV procedurals for decades now, but he’s just as talented at creating riveting true-crime content. His “Homicide” series (Netflix) highlights wild murders, wacky cop characters and fascinating city minutiae. The New York instalment is back with a new season, including a barnburner of a first episode about an after-party gone horribly wrong, complete with blood-sniffing dogs and a cocky con man. — Briony Smith
Book: ‘Track Changes’
With this book from Friesen Press, subtitled “The Origin Story of Canadian Music on the Internet (1990-2010),” Cam Gordon, a former Canada communications chief for Twitter, offers a lively, informative mix of reportage and remembrance about the days when nascent technologies transformed how we listened, stayed informed and expressed our fandom. With chapters on long-gone message boards, mailing lists and e-commerce sites, he illuminates how far we’ve come, but also how much we’ve lost. — Doug Brod
Music: Ribbon Skirt, ‘Pensacola’
Anishinaabe musician Tashiina Buswa and guitarist Billy Riley of Montreal indie rockers Ribbon Skirt — formerly known as Love Language — re-emerged on the scene with the single “Cellophane,” which introduced the band’s new inky disposition, further showcased on Ribbon Skirt’s first album, “Bite Down.” Their latest EP, “Pensacola,” released just six months later, features more of Buswa’s poignant lyricism while moving the shoegaze lever into high gear. In just four songs, “Pensacola” hints at a delicious Deftones-ian reimagination on the horizon. — Savannah Ridley
