The Ithacan

Accuracy • Independence • Integrity

This groundbreaking musical, from composer Tom Kitt and lyricist Brian Yorkey, explores the hidden issues within the seemingly normal life of the Goodman family.

The past few years have been rife with uncertainty for Bloc Party fans. While the British alternative collective was on hiatus, rumors of a break-up began to circulate. But all is right in the Bloc Party camp as they return with their fourth studio album, the unimaginatively titled “Four.”

Though Joe Jonas’ schoolboy good looks made him one of the most popular members of the Jonas Brothers trio, his solo debut hides his boy band image with dubstep beats, mature lyrics and a guest appearance by rapper Lil’ Wayne.

Releasing at least one album a year in the last decade alone, Ryan Adams has created a collection of works with multiple genres including rock, folk, alternative and country. His latest work, “Ashes & Fires,” recalls his 2000 solo debut, “Heartbreaker,” and features the most consistent sound of his career.

Three years after the release of its last album in 2008, La Dispute returns with a newfound post-hardcore sound.

In his new release, director Matthijs van Heijningen attempts to transform John Carpenter’s 1982 psychological terror film, “The Thing,” into a modern thriller, but only manages to create a sometimes-amusing, predictable monster flick.

Feist, a Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter, took the United States by storm with her 2007 release, “The Reminder.” Four years later, she returns with a fifth solo album that trades her upbeat, spacey sound for a more serious style.

“In the Company of Dancers,” the latest production at the Kitchen Theatre, is a complex theatrical performance that combines narrative and motion, but fails to accurately portray the life of a woman with one simple goal — to dance.

After spending almost four months in treatment for emotional and physical distress, Demi Lovato is back with an album that turns personal hardship into soulful gold.

Girls, a folksy San Francisco duo, wowed the indie scene with their catchy throwbacks to 1950s rock ’n’ roll on their debut LP, “Album,” in 2009. Two years later, they have returned with a full-length sophomore effort that proves the first time around wasn’t just luck.

Miranda July’s latest film, “The Future,” is an impressionistic and underdeveloped romantic drama that fails to convey a substantial message.

Echoing cross-genre films such as Adam Sandler’s “Click” and “Funny People,” which borders the line between comedy and drama, director Jonathan Levine’s new dark comedy “50/50” is a creative and effective mix of tragedy and humor.