Top Picks: Hinds' album 'Leave Me Alone,' the documentary 'Take Me To the River,' and more
Black swan
Watch as Misty Copeland dances her way to center stage as the first African-American principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre. Director Nelson George’s A Ballerina’s Tale chronicles Copeland’s struggles as a young black dancer and her prodigious rise in the company among ballet’s elite, culminating in her landmark lead roles in Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” and “Swan Lake.” The documentary airs on PBS’s “Independent Lens” Feb. 8 at 10 p.m.
Drive-through comedy
British funnyman James Corden’s “The Late Late Show” (CBS) may come on past your bedtime, but thanks to YouTube, you can get caught up on his hilarious and wildly entertaining Carpool Karaoke skits, in which he invites the likes of Rod Stewart, boy band One Direction, and Stevie Wonder to ride with him to work and sing along with the radio. The latest passenger is megastar Adele, and the fun that ensues is off the charts. Check it out at www.youtube.com/user/TheLateLateShow.
Buzz band
Bursting out of Madrid with their youthful hearts on their sleeves comes Hinds, an all-female quartet who sound like a garage band on fire. On their debut album, “Leave Me Alone,” their whimsical lyrics about teenage crushes and bad boys sputter out as if they’re making them up as they go. The two lead vocalists sometimes sing overlapping lyrics simultaneously, striving to outshout each other. Needless to say, you’ve never heard anything like Hinds.
Memphis blues
The musical legacy of the Mississippi Delta has influenced artists around the world since Memphis, Tenn., became both home of the blues and the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll. But what if contemporary performers jammed with legendary old guards? The spirited documentary Take Me To the River explores that and more by filming creative sessions with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Terrence Howard, Mavis Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, and Bobby “Blue” Bland. It’s available on DVD and Blu-ray from Shout! Factory Feb. 5.
American history
Former President James Garfield is one of the US leaders often listed as being part of the “era of forgettable presidents.” PBS’s Murder of a President recounts the mood of a country still healing from the Civil War and the remarkable turn of events that surrounded his assassination in 1881. The docudrama airs Feb. 2 at 9 p.m.
