In the last few decades, gun violence has almost become the norm around the world, but particularly in the United States. New York based author and photographer Kathy Shorr traveled 100,000 miles around America photographing 101 survivors of shootings for SHOT: 101 Survivors of Gun Violence in America. The photographs include survivors of all different races, ethnicities, political views, high & low profile shootings, and range from 8-80 years old. Most of the survivors were photographed in the area they were shot. Esteemed photographer Max Kozloff has written the foreword and Miami based trauma surgeon Dr. Tanya L. Zakrison has written the afterword. (powerHouse Books)

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Under the moniker Sono Oto, musician Mark Henry Phillips brings us his groovy debut indie rock album, Inheritance. An accomplished composer, podcast producer and sound designer, Phillips has been the sound designer on such films as Oscar-nominated Cutie and the Boxer (2013) and has worked on radio shows such as NPR, Radiolab and All Things Considered. After learning his father was terminally ill, Phillips began writing the music for Inheritance in 2008.

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Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or Nominee Graduation made the most recent international film festival rounds, receiving praise along the way. The Romanian film centers around a young student Eliza (Maria-Victoria Dragus) on the verge of beginning university, when she is attacked just before taking final exams vital to her officially beginning her secondary education. Devastated that this may mean losing her chance on leaving their small town, Eliza’s father, played by Adrian Titieni, begins to find ways to ensure she will still have a chance at a different future for herself, but he begins to see the implications along the way. Cannes Best Director winner Cristian Mungiu has also won the Palme d’Or for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in 2007, however the Village Voice has called Graduation “…his best work yet.” (IFC Films/Sundance Selects)

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The Skeleton Twins director Craig Johnson returns with Wilson. Graphic novelist Daniel Clowes, also the writer of the screenplay, has always honed in on curmudgeons and misfits in his writing. The film centers around Wilson (Woody Harrelson), a neurotic and honest middle-aged man who is looking for a second chance at a fulfilling life. After finding out he has a teenage daughter, Wilson hilariously sets out to reunite with his estranged wife and bring the three of them together as a family. The film is rounded out by an exceptional supporting cast including Judy Greer, Laura Dern, and newcomer Isabella Amara. (Fox Searchlight)

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Indie thriller Other Madnesses brings to life the dark underbelly of New York City through the dreams of lonely tour guide, Ed Zimmer (James Moles). After realizing what his dreams are showing him, Writer and director Jeremy Carr of this true independent film developed and completed it over 8 years and was inspired by his life in New York City. The film, which was shot all over the streets of the city, has been described as a, “70’s inspired psychological thriller feels like a fever dream… a film that effectively gets under your skin” by The Hollywood Reporter. Since its film festival debut in March 2015, Other Madnesses has gone on to circulate to festivals all over the country and internationally – winning various awards, including Best Feature Film at The Cape Fear Independent Film Festival and Best Director at the West Side Film Festival in Los Angeles. (Gravitas)

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Best Director winner at Cannes Film Festival, Olivier Assayas, brings the highly anticipated mystery Personal Shopper. The film stars Kristen Stewart as Maureen: A personal shopper who has just lost her twin brother and is grieving in a job she ultimately hates. A ghost story develops throughout the film and in the fashion world it takes place in. This is the second film for Assayas and Stewart to collaborate on, following the drama Clouds of Sils Maria (2014). The film also stars German actor Lars Eidinger, another Olivier Assayas collaborator, and French actress Sigrid Bouaziz. (IFC FILMS)

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Dude York’s Sincerely opens with a blast—the massive opening chords of “Black Jack,” a squealing track that blends the swagger of glam with the heavy riffing and ringing hooks of arena rock. The Seattle-based trio—Peter Richards on guitar and vocals, Claire England on bass and vocals, and Andrew Hall on drums—is announcing itself with an album that couches its themes of anxiety and eroding mental health in rock tracks that amp up the sweetly melodic crunch of powerpop with massive distortion and bashed-to-heck drums. Sincerely is a loud, sweaty rebuke to those moments in life when it seems like nothing’s working, a testament to the power of friendship, staring problems directly in the face, and finding solace in art. Longtime Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill producer John Goodmanson and JR Slayer (aka The Blood Brothers’ Cody Votolato) helped Dude York craft a record that captured the energy of their live show while finding new ways to expand upon its ideas. (Hardly Art)

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Following last year’s exciting release Plays the Music of Twin Peaks, which paid homage to the popular show’s soundtrack, Xiu Xiu’s upcoming album Forget stands to be their most accessible record yet. The band, made up of Shayna Dunkelman, Angela Seo and Jamie Stewart, has been grinding away between their last and current albums. They released a track in collaboration with Mitski for an upcoming John Cameron Mitchell film, recorded an album with Merzbow and scored an experimental take of the opera, The Magic Flute, all while writing their new album. Forget is produced by Grammy-winning producer John Congleton, musician and producer Greg Saunier of Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu’s own Angela Seo. The band holds true to their version of experimental art pop and dreamy sounds, while incorporating themes of decline, disappearance and rebirth. Singer Jamie Stewart describes Forget’s title and theme as embracing “the duality of human frailty. It is a rebirth in blanked out renewal, but it also drowns and mutilates our attempt to hold on to what is dear.” (Polyvinyl)

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