InDigest Picks (best new releases this week)

Books:
The Original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley [Vintage]
+ Working from one of the earliest surviving drafts of the novel, Charles E. Robinson has constructed two versions of Frankenstein. One being an "original" manuscript, the unadulterated story by Shelley; the second being the Frankenstein as we know it now - the version heavily edited by Percy Shelley. For the first time you can see the difference that the editing made and what Mary Shelley's original intentions were.

Fine Just the Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3 by Annie Proulx [Scribner]
+ In her new collection of short stories Proulx returns to the land of some of her most famous stories. The National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winning author's "Brokeback Mountain" (the first collection) and "Bad Dirt" (second) are some of the great stories that have arrived in the first two volumes of Wyoming Stories.

Comics/Graphic Novels:
Kick Ass #7 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. [Icon]
+ Kick Ass has already found it's way to legendary status. With a film already in the works and the series just 7 issues in, Kick Ass may be one of the biggest successes of recent years. Millar and Romita's story of the kid who decided he was going to be a superhero keeps getting better with each issue, and this issue promises to see some of the climax of this ongoing series.

Dark Reign: The List - Avengers #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Marko Djurdjevic [Marvel]
+ What can I say? I'm a sucker for Marvel's Dark Reign world. I put it on par with the Civil War series and, at least right now, it feels as though this fall's "The List" chapter of Dark Reign is going to be the apex of Norman Osbourne's Reign.

Music:
Circulatory System - Signal Morning[Rounder]
+ Featuring former members of Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel (including Jeff Magnum) Circulatory System is a sort of all-star group of low key musicians. Unlike many groups that might lure you in with promises of members of some of your favorite bands, this doesn't sound like a new group trying to imitate Olivia Tremor Control or NMH.

BLK JKS - After Robots[Secretly Canadian]
+ There has been a lot of hype around the first LP from South African based Blk Jks. Their Mystery EP was a huge success and After Robots does not disappoint. See them live when you get the chance. Also not disappointing.

In Theaters
9 (Shane Acker) [Focus Features]
+ Based on the Academy Award winning short film, 9 is an animated film about a few rag dolls who try to stop the the end of humanity in a post-apocalyptic world. This film is awesome; there is good reason why Tim Burton and Timur Bekmembetov jumped on board to produce the feature length adaptation of this short.

DVD:
Silent Light(Carlos Reygadas) [Vivendi Entertainment]
+ Silent Light is an incredible mediation on life and the choices that make us individuals. Shot on location in a remote Mennonite community in Mexico, Reygadas makes a glacial and visually striking masterpiece. If you haven't seen a Reygadas film yet you need to see this. Reygadas is quite easily one of the most interesting filmmakers working in the world today.

The Human Condition(Masaki Kobiyashi) [Criterion]
+ Kobiyashi's epic masterpiece (it runs for 574 minutes) is a true triumph of cinema. It's a lyrical portrait of the Japanese mentality following the war, through a story of a young man who moves from working in a labor camp, to becoming a solider, to finding himself as a Soviet POW. Starring samurai film legend Tatsuya Nakadai this film is must-see. It's on par with the epic Berlin Alexanderplatz from Fassbinder.

Also available from Criterion this week: Homicide (David Mamet) & That Hamilton Woman (Alexander Korda)

The Score: Best Free Downloads This Week

1. Has to be the taper bootleg of Nine Inch Nails at Terminal 5 this past week, in what is supposedly the final NIN show ever. It's a damn good set. Peter Murphy of Bauhaus joins Reznor on stage and to end the set, and possibly the life of NIN, they cover Pere Ubu's "The Final Solution." Pretty awesome. RIP NIN.

2. South African masterminds Blk Jks did a Daytrotter session last week with a few previews of what you can expect to hear on their debut LP After Robots. It's easy to expect great things after their high-energy debut splash Mystery EP. The Daytrotter session gives some credence to my suspicions that After Robots is going to be great.

3. The Rural Alberta Advantage did a special session at Luxury Wafers, performing some slightly stripped down versions of tracks from their great new disc Hometowns. The band have endlessly been compared to Neutral Milk Hotel, a somewhat just comparison as vocalist Nils Edenloff bears some striking similarities to Jeff Magnum's nasal belt. Yet, TRAA have something special in their orchestrations, a reserved quietude, that make each song epic and enjoyable in their own way.

4. Empty's Tapes posted a recording of Vampire Hands performing at The Turf Club in St. Paul for their "Hannah in the Mansion" CD Release Show. The recording isn't crystal clear, but Vampire Hands are so great that it doesn't even bother me.

5. This past week The Antlers had a CD release event in NYC at The Mercury Lounge to celebrate the re-release of their great new disc Hospice, which was just re-released through Frenchkiss Records. Download this, then buy Hospice, and thank me later.