Top Picks: Sufjan Stevens' album 'Carrie & Lowell,' 'Selma' on DVD, and more
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The year pop became art
In 1965, radio was broadcasting breakthroughs in music at an unprecedented clip, and the whole world thrilled to the new sounds. Andrew Grant Jackson’s book 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music sets the scene: The Rolling Stones enthralled with “Satisfaction,” Dylan rocked and awed with “Like a Rolling Stone,” the Byrds soared with “Mr. Tambourine Man,” the Beatles took a leap with “Day Tripper,” and Motown put soul on the map.
U-Boat mystery
Undersea explorer Bob Ballard investigates the wreck of a German submarine a few miles off the coast of New Orleans in Nazi Attack on America, a NOVA/National Geographic special. U-166 was part of Operation Drumbeat, which targeted East Coast cities, sinking scores of unsuspecting cargo ships. Watch as Ballard and his team probe the wreck to unravel the mystery of how U-166 ended up on the ocean floor. It premières May 6 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS.
Family shadows
A child abandoned by his mother in a video store when he was 4 years old has grown up to write about how that fateful day shaped his life. Sufjan Stevens’s Carrie & Lowell (named for his absent mother and very present stepfather) is a heart-wrenching gem, a collection of generous and forgiving songs so intimately confessional that only the sheer beauty of their presentation transforms this into an uplifting listening experience.
Golden tones
Time to lay a little love on our old friend Kenny G, still blowing smooth and lovely on that golden saxophone. His 14th album, Brazilian Nights, is a true labor of love for the well-traveled musician, and its swaying tropical rhythms will help you forget that long winter and warm you all over. Though he is no Stan Getz, Kenny G sounds as comfortable here as a well-worn pair of flip-flops.
Historical drama
David Oyelowo stars as Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, a historical drama depicting the march from Selma, Ala., to the state capital of Montgomery to secure voting rights for blacks during the civil rights movement in America. Oyelowo more than succeeds in the formidable challenge of portraying a legendary figure in a way that does justice to King without eclipsing his humanity. It’s available May 5 on DVD and Blu-ray.
