March downloads

iTunes: The Alley. Denver’s curious Eastern European energized combo DeVotchKa first earned national prominence with their attention-grabbing soundtrack for Little Miss Sunshine, and the band has continued scoring indie movies like The Joneses and I Love You Phillip Morris, but it hasn’t synthesized their sound into one resounding piece like this lead track from new album 100 Lovers. “The Alley” is all brooding melancholy and swelling strings that prove unique can be beautiful, and in this case, grand.

YouTube: Comic-Con 2010: Battle: Los Angeles. The Baton Rouge-filmed alien invasion thriller finally arrives in theaters this month. Last summer Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and the filmmakers fielded questions from an eager crowd at San Diego’s Comic-Con. They reveal a few teasers but not the fate of Spanish Town, a neighborhood under heavy attack in the film’s trailer. For that answer you’ll have to check out the film on March 11, or read about it in this month’s issue.