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Animal Collective / Battles
Astoria, London
Mogwai covering Four Tet or Matt Sweeney backed by DJ Shadow - I can't quite think how to sum up Battles. For certain, they were utterly compelling and instantly distinctive. In fact I have never been so mesmerised by a support band. They had the ability to take their muscular riffs and take them to unexpected places whilst never becoming indulgent or anything less than immediate.
Then came Animal Collective, who confused and frustrated like no other: I guess that may have been the idea. On record they manage to sound both abstract and dizzying - yet always carried by the unerring ability to find melody and structure in even the most far reaching places. The lightness of touch that graces both Feels and Sung Tongs was somewhat lost live. Songs merged into an indistinguishable mire of noise and monotony - and only occasionally to any effect. Although the crowd seemed to bestow endless goodwill towards them there was a general air of perplexity. Only on the great 'Did You See the Words' did things finally fall into place.
But despite these frustrations, you can't help but admire Animal Collective. They are utterly unique, fearless and challenging. It just hard to know what to make of it all - they are undoubtedly a brilliant proposition on record and in lead singer David Portner they have a twisted Tim Buckley-like voice that can take a simple refrain and take it to extraordinary places.
Enjoyable? Hardly; Frustrating? Always.
14th Jul 2006 - 4 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 2.5 star reviewsWeezer Break Up
No, not the title of a new single. MTV are reporting that Weezer may be splitting up, following Rivers Cuomo's marriage and departure for Japan. Just sounds to me like his girl troubles are over for now and we'll see the usual hiatus between albums.
13th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Tapes 'n Tapes 'n Dates
August
Thursday 24th // Sheffield Plug
Friday 25th // Leeds Festival
Sunday 27th // Reading Festival
Wednesday 30th // London Dingwalls
Thursday 31st // Liverpool Evol Club
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Review: Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
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13th Jul 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Miami Vice Movie Review
It seems that there's hope for Miami Vice yet, even with numbnutts Jamie Foxx attached. Ain't It Cool have seen it and are reporting good things...
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Aint It Cool Review
Miami Vice Trailer
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13th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
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Yacht Rock
haven't checked out channel 101 for a while, just stumbled across this yacht rock show which looks pretty funny - doobie bros hanging out by the marina, writing some smooooooth tunes…
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12th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: Volume III
Harrowdown Hill, a great track from Thom Yorke's debatable solo effort The Eraser.
Click here to see all songs in this compilation so far.
12th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Computers On My Mind
As Judgement Day edges ever closer (wasn't it supposed to be in '97?), Arnie's image recognition system is finally under construction.
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Stop. Go back. Give me a hard copy right there.
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12th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Home exchange
Another of those ideas that is so simple its brilliant and leaves you feeling annoyed someone else did it first.
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12th Jul 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
We're Putting The Band Back Together
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Guttenberg in comeback shocker
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12th Jul 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Review from The Forum
Some new reviews online, plus more pictures from Friday's Clap Your Hands Say Yeah gig at The Forum in Kentish Town.
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Clap Your Hands Review: Live at The Forum
Sufjan Stevens Review: The Avalanche
Nathan Fake Review: Drowning In A Sea Of Love
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11th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
The Forum, Kentish Town, London
We've been loving the Clap Your Hands album this year, so were looking forward to this gig at The Forum (high on the favourite venues list). Support band The Boy Least Likely To... sucked, following the recent "branding+website+aren't-we-wacky, c'mon sing along=boy least likely to be bought by me" formula of quite a few UK bands. Once they were out of the way and most of the balloons had been popped the show really started. Clap Your Hands were kind of as expected (with the exception of the Scarecrow hat and actual country styles) - serious but not too serious, straight down to business and thoroughly holding the crowd's attention. They were soon onto the one of my favourites, In This Home On Ice - and the crowd were loving it. Almost every song seemed like your favourite, including several new songs - all sounding good. The band few us a few red herrings, starting songs with a bit of blues finger picking before rolling into Is This Love, or stretching things out. The sound didn't seem to do much to lift the muffled lyrics out of the music at first, but pretty soon everyone was picking out the zeitgeist (sub: please check my grammar) highlights, like sex, and drugs, and rock and rock and rock and rock and roll. Lead singer Alec Ounsworth didn't have much to say, but the couple of the other guys chipped in now and then with some banter and a couple of song introductions.
One thing I did overlook when anticipating this gig was my own rule of not seeing bands with less than three albums under their belt - and that's where these guys loose points. They were undoubtedly great performers, putting in amped up performances of nearly their entire album, many of which are already near classic songs.... however, take away the two skimpy ditties and the entire album clock in at barely 35 minutes. A not-enough-songs scenario ensued, with the band huddling between nearly every song to discuss how to proceed. They did everything you'd expect, and while the new songs were certainly good ("Satan Said Dance" in particular) they were still unknown, not bringing anything like the same crowd response as Details Of The War or The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth. A harsh critic may say it was like seeing Radiohead in support of Pablo Honey, where they were playing mystery songs of their forthcoming album second album. A more generous one may say it was like seeing Oasis just before Definitely Maybe.
The awesome Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood has always had the promise to be stretched out as a 10 minute Free Bird -style jam, and it looked briefly like that might close the set, however an enthusiastic stage diver managed to unplug Alec Ounsworth's guitar, bringing that dream to an somewhat abrupt conclusion.
The band came back on with a new song (or was it a cover?) and although the encore was padded out with the un-listenable Clap Your Hands even that song sounded good live, before Heavy Metal finished the set and upped it's position on the grid.
Looking forward to the "Sophomore Plus" world tour of London.
Click here for pictures.
www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com
11th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
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RIP Syd
longtime chimp 71 hero syd barrett has died at 60
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11th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Sufjan Stevens
The Avalanche
This was billed as a collection of out-takes and demos from the 2005's critically acclaimed Illinois album. Having announced his plan to make a record about each of the US states, Sufjan Stevens became the hardest working man in the music industry. Not only are there loads of states, but each album he makes is twice as long as your average record. So what does he do? He makes more albums in between. Like Illinois wasn't long enough that it has yielded enough extra's to make another album - and The Avalanche weighs in at 1.2 hours.
I was quite excited about this album as I am a big fan of Mr. Stevens but have to admit I am quite disappointed and for very baffling reasons. My main complaint, and this is where it becomes baffling, is that this record contains too many new songs and not enough rehashed old ones. I told you it was strange. What I mean by this is that in recent years Sufjan Stevens' sound, though brilliant, has become very polished involving a myriad of instruments and backing singers to create a very complex and layered sound. So what I wanted from this release was the same songs pared down to their bare essentials, his rough sketches before he drafted in the horn section. And the best moment on this record is when just that happens. There is a beautiful rendition of the best Illinois offering 'Chicago' early on, but then he goes on to include 2 more renditions of the same song and none of them are as good as the afore mentioned versions. By the end of the album you are quite bored of 'Chicago'.
I know I sound ungrateful and any other band that put out an album of new songs that were this good would get a glowing review, but with Sufjan Stevens I want less. He puts out so many great songs that he is in danger of saturating the market. This album is no exception. 'Saul Below' is a beautiful, melancholic gem and 'Pittsfield' is simply heartbreaking. Here Sufjan lets us into his troubled past through a dialogue with his less than perfect father. "I can talk back to you now, I know, from a few things that I learnt from this TV show." It's as if he is assuming the role of himself as a child but with the gift of hindsight. It is uplifting but in the saddest of ways. Only Sufjan can make my heart break like this, but he does it so often and it's becoming a problem, my broken heart needs to protect itself and is in danger of becoming immune. I had it playing at home as I was writing this review and my girlfriend said, "sometimes the stuff you listen to can be a bit wet." Of course I scoffed at this and told her she was wrong, but then secretly found myself agreeing with her. Sorry Sufjan but I just don't think the world needs this album.
11th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
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Nathan Fake
Drowning In A Sea Of Love
This is a surprisingly beautiful release from the Reading based artist Nathan Fake, on the Border Community label. I say surprising because I really haven't been buying this type of music for a while as the market got so saturated with it. Drowning... is a blissed out, synth-electronica album not unlike something you may find on the fabulous German label Morr Music. It's warm electronica with soul. It's dedicated to creating soundscapes and moods rather than minimal bleep, glitch displays. He manages this by slowly building the structure with simple beats awash with ever increasing layers of synthesizers, cymbals and the occasional sample. The first track, 'Stops' is the highlight. The beats trickle down like water over the top of a slightly unnerving sample of breathing. A delicate beat fades in and the melody begins and sparkles with such vulnerability it could almost collapse. It is like someone has fitted an iPod to your head while you are deep sea diving and all you can hear are these tiny drops of beats and your own breath.
While no song quite tops the opener it is a very satisfactory experience, changing mood often from meditative to almost dancy-electro-pop. Fake isn't pushing any boundaries here and is walking in some very well trodden footsteps but is certainly doing them proud and filling them well.
11th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 3 star reviewsRocky Balboa Trailer: Get Back In The Ring
I never even saw 5, so I'm not vouching for this - but as cj says, the music always gets you going.
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11th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
allez le zz
yup, managed to back another loozzer last night, ah well. this makes up for it a bit. really want to know what that dude said to him though - "i dare you to headbutt me, cheese-eater!"
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10th Jul 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
eat the document
thanks to dr chimp for pointing out these clips from the legendary lost Dylan film Eat The Document
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ballad of a thin man
like a rolling stone
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9th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Online Fopping
To conicide with the opening of their new megastore on Tottenham Court Road, Fopp have souped up their website to add online ordering.
Now you can snap up The Rakes over-enthusiastically released debut album for £3 - from the comfort of your own home.
7th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Awesome! I Fucking Shot That
(dir. Nathanial Hornblower)
The masters of re-invention, re-invent the concert movie. For anyone who's avoided pre-release hype and marketing, here's the deal: October 2004, the Beastie Boys are up to play Madison Sq Garden for the first time, so to mark this event they arm 50 fans with Hi-8 cameras and one proviso: just keep rolling. The result? True to Beastie Boy form down the years, what starts off as a crazy idea ends up (with the occasional patchy moment) a triumph and leaves you thinking 'Why did no-one do that earlier?' The filming takes some getting used to. It is a load of shaky hand-held cameras after all, so the first five or ten minutes are spent getting your Sea-legs so to speak. But it soon settles down and hits its stride, editor MCA weaving in more and more visual effects as the show progresses (witness an edited Mike D slow-dancing with a fan on a tropical beach) and after a while you know you're witnessing the next best thing to getting a ticket to the Beasties show. Not just the performance, but all the sights and sounds associated with any gig; the demented fans who know every line, the guy queuing to get a beer, the blaggers trying to get backstage, Ben Stiller with a cap on backwards.
The show itself absolutely rocks. You definitely get the feeling they put in the extra few miles for both the film recording and finally playing 'The Garden'. The set-list comprises a pretty definitive 'best-of...' from a career into its third decade. Highlights? Time To Get Ill with with human beatboxing from Doug E. Fresh and entire the audience participating got the goose bumps pumping. I forgot how good Gratitude was and it's great to see Keyboard Money Mark back doing handstands on his organ for finale Sabotage. Overall, Mixmaster Mike's beats are immense and varied enough to give old favourites a remix feel, it's worth getting to the cinema and its more capable sound system for the tunes alone.
Basically, the 10,000 strong crowd (and Ben Stiller) can't be wrong. Highly recommended for fans of both live shows and innovation. Essential viewing for Beasties fans.
7th Jul 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 4 star reviewsFilm4 Somerset House Screenings
This year's outdoor film screenings at Somerset House have been announced:
10 Aug North by Northwest
11 Aug School of Rock & Nacho Libre
12 Aug The Shining
13 Aug The Outsiders
15 Aug The Night of the Hunter
16 Aug Howl's Moving Castle
17 Aug Brazil
18 Aug Starship Troopers & Aliens
19 Aug The Big Lebowski
7th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Tapes 'n Tapes
The Loon
Every now and then comes a band who seem to be exactly what you are looking for. For the last couple of weeks, that band has been Tapes 'n Tapes (cool name too).
Coming from Minneapolis, (home of Husker Du AND Prince - both who might well have added a pinch of salt to their influences) Tapes 'n Tapes recorded a home-produced 4 track demo before The Loon and were snapped up by XL after a bidding frenzy following theis year's SXSW festival. "Nine packed-out, fun-filled gigs in four days" - and I imagine they looked like the melon-farming lounge band in Repoman for the most part of it.
Sounding like they must have listened to all my favourite records shortly before making this one, Tapes 'n Tapes bring a lot of classic elements to the party (Minutemen, Pixies, Talking heads, er... Gypsy Kings), but always keep it sounding modern (Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, Constantines). Insistor grabbed early pole position with it's jangling Mexican guitars and seemingly ever-accelerating drums, but it's by no means the only high point of the album.
Though the playing is nothing special, the mathematical construction of the songs is tight, conscise, immediate and catchy without ever sounding conventional. Shuffling ryhthms and emotional vocals add a layer of personality to the records tracks. Just Drums is a great opener, and The Iliad is a Greek Epic, in a mini 2 minute package. As things move on the tracks become slightly less frantic. Manitoba and the excellent Omaha in particular are slightly more ambitious in scope - spelling good things for future records.
Although things are maybe slightly flatter on what would be the B-Side, it's never boring and I'm pretty sure that's just a matter of time until more gems surface and then I find it hard to believe that Insistor was the best. This is the record I'd want to make if I formed a band, so The Loon has already bagged it's place in my best-of-2006 list.
Read our interview with Tapes 'n Tapes here.
7th Jul 2006 - 7 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 4 star reviews
Fire Eye'd Boy Single
Football squad-sized Canadian band Broken Social Scene have got a new Spike Jonez-esque video out for their single Fire Eyed Boy, which is out on July 17th.
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Windows Media Video
Quicktime Video
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7th Jul 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
The Wedding Present
Search For Paradise
Quick on the heel's of 2005's comeback album Take Fountain comes this compilation disc from The Wedding Present. Pulling together the A and B-sides from a mere three singles racks up a total of 14 tracks and a DVD of the accompanying videos.
In an age when B-Sides seem to be rare (I'm talking about Interpol, Kings of Leon, The Strokes here... c'mon, a 2-part single with one new track?) it's refreshing to see a band still kicking out singles with 3 or 4 tracks on, especially when only the odd one is a remix or live version. The awesome Interstate 5 is is cut down to a single mix compared to the epic album version, but rather than working like the castrated single mix of I Am The Resurection, it's actually beefed up by an extra guitar, seeming more immediate. Some of the B-sides are more like Cinerama than the re-born Weddoes, and the remix of I'm Further North Than You merely adds to my unwarranted annoyance with that track (I know the album version ends in a rock-out, but it just makes my skin crawl). The frantic rock of Ringway To Seatac is followed by two more developed tracks - the creepy piano coda of break-up track Shivers, and the pumped up American Tan.
They're weren't even on the singles, but for good measure there's an acoustic version of each single. Even without amps these guys still rock. If you liked last year's angry return from The Wedding Present, then this makes an excellent companion disc. If you don't have that, then you don't have Interstate 5 - and you're missing out.
6th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 3 star reviewsanother friday night bopp
The Wolfgang Bopp presents Fury of the Headteachers + Redcarsgofaster + Wolf Gang DJs playing out twisted rock n roll, retro grooves and bleak disco…
Date: Friday 7th July. Doors: 8pm – 12.15am (bands finish 11pmish). Price: £3 Venue: The Montague Arms, 289 Queens Road, New Cross, SE15 2PA; Nearest Tube: New Cross Gate. Nearest BR: Queens Rd, Peckham
6th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Thom Yorke
The Eraser
Earlier this year the Radiohead drought we had all been experiencing was finally over as they announced a massive tour and speculation about a new album was up and running. The shows were dazzling and many new songs were showcased, but talk of a new album was soon silenced when we were told not to expect anything until next year. Then, on their message board, Thom Yorke floated the certainty of a forthcoming collection of things he had been working on with past producer Nigel Goodrich and tongues were wagging furiously once more. He was quick to forbid any mention of the word 'solo' when talking about 'The Eraser' and stressed it was a collection of laptop ditties he had been working on for years and didn't spell the end for Radiohead.
And so here we have it, Thom Yorke's not-solo, solo record. And what a puzzling little thing it is too. I wasn't expecting to be treated to glorious, euphoric, acoustic gems from the master of guitar song writing, I knew it was a laptop affair and so I think I expected The Gloaming, the wonderful beat/click excursion on Hail To The Thief. As it turns out we get none of the above. Instead 'The Eraser' is a collection of 9 very minimal, stark and unforgiving experiments. I must admit to having a hard time with this album at first. I was so excited about it's release and had formed expectations. After the first few listens I thought it was shallow, thin, lazy and lacked not just the grandeur but the immediacy and urgency of Radiohead's recent stuff. None of Radiohead's albums are perfect and they always manage to include a song that goes nowhere and lets the side down (a Frank Lampard if you will.) 'The Eraser' seemed full of such songs and appeared to have been released far too soon and needed a lot more work. But then I started to think of it as more of an artist's sketch book, a place and opportunity where the artist can experiment with style and content and not be burdened with the need to finish or resolve any ideas, a place where he can touch on more personal themes and opinions as if these creations were private and never meant for exposure. I then started to see it differently and although it is far from perfect it has something that Radiohead can never produce.
The title track starts the proceedings off on a rather low-key manner with a soft beat skittering around a repeated piano cord. Yorke's vocals are equally as soft and seem to float over the ever more layered backing arrangement. The lyrics take on the Morrissey like structure of 'The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear,' there is a slight pause then the song drifts back in with a beautiful subtlety that is often seen throughout this album. Analyse is one of the more successful, beat driven songs that follows with Yorke reflecting on the role we play in this life stating, "it gets you down/you're just playing a part."
The Clock has all the makings of the kind of material I had expected from this album, starting off with Yorke's now trademark beatboxing, for want of a better word, the sort of noises and grunts he makes over the beat as he is getting himself into the zone. A rolling bassline and a beat that threatens to build progressively caries us away with the doom-ridden vocals of 'Time is running out for us.' and yet takes us nowhere and builds to nothing. This is quite often the case for many of the songs and on the first few listens is very annoying. As soon as he has established the melody and promised you so much the tempo is sustained and then ends.
The closest this album comes to a single is Black Swan, which is to be used on the new Richard Linklater animation A Scanner Darkly. I am surprised at this choice as it is one of the weakest songs. A rather unimaginative beat accompanies the repeated vocal "this is fucked up." Unfortunately this heralds the low part of the album with the turkey 'Skip Divided' bumbling along with monotonous mumblings labouring over empty beats and terrible lyrics. "I'm a dog, I'm a dog, I'm your lap dog/ I just need my number and location."
The quality is resumed however with the beautiful Atoms For Peace. This song has a slightly different feel to it than the rest of the album. I would hesitate to be so shallow and say that it hints at a more positive outlook but the Boards Of Canada type woolly beats and fuzz that accompany the uncharacteristically sweet vocals create a strange kind of nostalgia and almost lullaby feel.
This airy feeling is literally washed away as we move on to And It Rained All Night. The now familiar curtain of doom once again descends and the sinister synth washes are slapped on thick. Yorke is clearly getting accustomed to his new instrument and as he layers samples, twitches, and booming bass to create the nervous apprehension that precedes an approaching wave. Here we see Yorke's environmental concerns and fears and are reminded of Stanley Donwood's woodcut cover image that depicts King Canute trying to hold back a giant wave. This is one thing that I was glad to see in these songs. Although they are much simpler in construction than any Radiohead song they can be interpreted in many different ways. The have very obvious political messages and yet can be seen on a much smaller scale to be about more personal fears and emotions to do with love and relationships, a theme we have not seen much of since The Bends.
Harrowdown Hill is probably the high point of this album and yet the lowest point in terms of mood. On this song Yorke has manages to create one of the saddest and heart wrenching songs of his career. It is sung from the point of view of someone who has clearly died in suspicious and tragic circumstances and with a deep sense of regret he speaks his parting words to those he is leaving behind. This feeling is overwhelming and only amplified when we find out that the song is in fact about the tragic suicide of government scientist Dr. David Kelly. Harrowdown Hill is the Oxfordshire woods where his body was found in 2003 and with the lyrics "You will be dispensed with when you become inconvenient," Yorke is, for the first time, not mincing his words. This all contributes to the general and important point to note, that this is not a Radiohead album and the sooner you understand this the sooner you start to get it and enjoy it. This took me some time and for a while was very disappointed with what I was hearing. Harrowdown Hill is a prime example of a far more direct approach to what Thom has to say. It's as if his band has become too big to really spell it out and he is using this opportunity to let us know what he thinks. It doesn't always work but when it does, as on Harrowdown Hill, it is electrifying. Thom Yorke's work has flaws but that is what makes it so compelling - and this is no exception.
6th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 3.5 star reviewsBlack Hellc0ck
From the Black Hellcock mailing list:
Please spend 5 mins by going to the NME website and voting for Black Hellc0ck. You need to log in (which will take 2 mins) and then vote vote vote (a further 1 min - so actually the whole enterprise will only take 3 minutes). Feel free to deface the page with your sarky comments. Then get your work colleagues to do it. Just make us famous, then you won't have to come to any more gigs yourselves.
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6th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Uncontainable 1.5 at the NFT
There's a mini festival at the NFT this weekend, with documentaries, short films and live performances including 'Danielson: A Family Movie' with Sufjan Stevens, "Dave Markey vs. Sonic Youth" (?), plus films & live performance based around Tapestry Goes West in the NFT Bar.
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5th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Sheena Is A Parasite
Prior to not making a feature film, part-time director Chris Cunningham has found time in his schedule to make a new video for jnr-Ramones-look-a-like band The Horrors. The video will hit the airwaves on July 24th apparantly.
5th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Superman Returns... in 3D
caught the imax print of Superman Returns last night, pretty enjoyable, especially with the 20 minutes that they've reworked into 3D. think you need to sit a bit further up than i did to really make it work, but 3D's always a good thing in my book. full review here
5th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Superman Returns
(dir. Bryan Singer)
Been wondering what Bryan Singer's version of the man in tights was going to be like - especially after being thoroughly baffled by the mess that is X-Men 3 (which he was supposed to be doing before this came up).
First up, Superman Returns is a pretty family-friendly summer romp. The music is there from the 1978 version, as is the Marlon Brando "hello, my son" voiceover, which all makes it seem like a remake more than a new version. Even though it's always difficult to hold both the Superman and Star Wars themes in your mind at the same time (ie they're basically the same song, thanks John Williams), it's still pretty rousing stuff that gets you in the mood for watching some dude fly around.
The plot, such as it is, is that Superman's been off somewhere for five years. And now he's back. Just in time to save Lois Lane from dying in a space shuttle-related plane crash. Pretty 80s scenario.
Even though he looks like he's just got out of college, Clark Kent is such an ace reporter that he's able to get his job back after also being away for five years "finding himself". Which is handy. Lois Lane's now got a kid, and she's living with Cyclops, who isn't too thrilled when her big blue ex shows up to whisk her off her feet, fly her to the moon etc. Kate Bosworth isn't as feisty as Margot Kidder, which is a shame, as you'd expect Lois to be more go-getting in 2006 than 1978.
Brandon Routh looks like they've cloned Christopher Reeve, with some weird dna that makes him come out really smooth, like a waxwork human. He's quite good at the Clark goofiness, and does all the flying stuff pretty well, but he doesn't really seem that bothered by having been on an existential quest for the last five years that didn't really work out.
Kevin Spacey camps it up as Luthor, with Parker Posey lounging in the background with his henchmen, including one whose job seems to involve videotaping everything they're getting up to.
Overall, it's pretty enjoyable, and really works in the imax version I saw - you also get 20 minutes reworked in 3D which is fun - although the flashing 3D glasses that come onto the screen do break things up a bit, and make it seem much more like a ride. Which it is. Could have done a lot more with the "man of feel" stuff that they seemed to be going for, but it's not a flop; more a competent action comic that follows all the blockbuster conventions. Doesn't hit the satisfying intensity of Batman Begins, but it's way better than X3 or the not-very-Fantastic Four.
5th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
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100 Bullets
really enjoying 100 Bullets at the moment, kind of like a cross between the sopranos, oz and sin city with an ancient conspiracy thrown in for good measure
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4th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Peeping Tom
Peeping Tom
When you read any review or press release about this album you will get the same line time after time. "This is Mike Patton's long awaited album heralding a return to his mainstream form." Well that may be so, but I am glad I wasn't holding my breath for the past 5 years. You know when you rediscover an album you used to like from your reckless heavy metal days, then while listening to it the nostalgia wears off and you realise why you stopped liking that stuff in the first place - you grew up. Peeping Tom is a similar listening experience. It sounds immature and dated, despite the guest list - which includes such visionaries as Anticon's Dose One and Odd Nosdam, plus hip hop legends Kool Keith and Dan The Automator.
I was a big fan of Faith No More and although my favourite album was "Introduce Yourself," with Chuck Moseley on vocals before Patton took over I am still so disappointed with this offering. If I had to pick some highlights then I would say 'Mojo' is one of the stronger songs although I am so bored of people like Rahzel the human beatbox, making weird sounds with your mouth, big deal, Jones from Police Academy soon killed off that little party trick. The only reason I would pick out 'Sucker' as another highlight is because it features Starbucks very own yawn-tastic Norah Jones saying Mother Fucker. Not really a good reason to like a song I know - but hey, I like Mr. Patton and am clutching at straws here.
4th Jul 2006 - 9 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 1 star reviewsFre eMusic
There's a free download sampler for the upcoming Pitchfork Music Festival over at eMusic. It's a good line up, with 24 tracks, featuring Spoon, Tapes 'n Tapes, Mission of Burma etc...
4th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Ladyfuzz Video
Fear of Music alumni Lady Fuzz have got a new video for their track Oh Marie over at their website. It's not a cover of the Louis Prima classic, but the 7" does feature a cover of Tom Waits' I Never Talk To Strangers, recorded with Absentee.
4th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
don on bob
don delillo talking dylan in this month's believer
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4th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: Volume III
Insistor, by Tapes 'n Tapes, from their album The Loon. We're loving this in the office. Review soon.
3rd Jul 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
new TVOTR
TV On The Radio's new album Return To Cookie Mountain is out today…
3rd Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Southland Tales
It seems that potentially over-rated director Richard Kelly's new film Southland Tales was mauled by various critics following it's Cannes screening, with it now struggling to get guaranteed distribution.
Casting The Rock always has a certain whiff of danger. I can't wait for Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run.
3rd Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
free film4
FilmFour is becoming film4 and launching on freeview (and sky etc) 9pm, Sunday 23rd July, with Lost In Translation
3rd Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Vive Les Bleus!
England's defeat last night was made vaguely more bearable by France beating Brazil. Paris went crazy, as every car started tooting their horn.... even though anyone in a car was clearly not interested enough to be actually watching the game. Check surveillance for a few more pictures and some video.
Meanwhile, back at the fashion show we've just been chatting to Brix Smith.
2nd Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Paris Fashion: Weak
This season's work/holiday out in Paris has been upset by England's defeat at the hands of Portugal, thanks to dumbass Rooney's inflated ego. Our laptop based Freeview software put in a worthy performance however, attracting many visitors to our stand at the fashion show.
It's also exposed us to the overlooked american classic The Sentinel (starring 24's Alan York as a cop with psychic powers) - effortlessly resurrected by France's appaling TV policy.
2nd Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Free Mara!
Mara Caryle's playing a free gig at the NFT on Saturday 8th July at 6.30pm...
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2nd Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Beastie Boys Movie Screenings
"THE GREATEST CONCERT MOVIE OF ALL TIME
On 9th October 2004, the Beastie Boys handed out 50 cameras to audience members at their sold-out performance in New York's Madison Square Garden.
These 50 different passionate perspectives, shot from the point of view of the audience,
take the viewer deep inside the world of a live Beastie Boys show, capturing the experience of a live musical performance like no film has ever done.
ONE NIGHT ONLY DIGITAL SCREENING AT CINEMAS NATIONWIDE THIS MONDAY JULY 3RD
- CURZON SOHO
- RITZY BRIXTON
- SHEFFIELD SHOWROOM
- EDINBURGH FILMHOUSE
- MANCHESTER CORNERHOUSE"
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1st Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
be brazilian
well, on the off chance that engerland don't make it through again this time, why not be brazilian with this handy brazil name generator?
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30th Jun 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: Volume III
On Parade from the album The Power Out, by Brighton's Electralane. Loving these ladies at the moment.
29th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Bob Dylan
Cardiff
I'm not quite sure why you would, if playing just two UK dates in 2006, choose Cardiff and Bournemouth, but there's little point in trying to figure out how Bob Dylan's mind works. Last night's Cardiff show was a competent, solid, but slightly predictable affair that left me longing for the spontaneous magic of the 2003 Hammersmith show to which Chimp71 was kind enough to take me. In fact, when one of the highlights of the evening is spotting Paul Morley in the queue, you know that you've witnessed one of those dreaded 'average' Dylan shows. There were some lovely moments – 'Ballad of a Thin Man' and 'Cold Irons Bound' were delivered with real verve, and the beautiful arrangement of 'Girl of the North Country' that he does these days is always a joy to hear – but many of the songs ('Positively 4th Street', 'Absolutely Sweet Marie', and 'Watching the River Flow', for instance) were decidedly lacklustre. What really depressed me, though, was the predictability of the set list, which was far too close for my liking to the one wheeled out for last week's Irish shows. If you look at the running order of last night's gig against that of Sunday's Cork show, for instance, you'll see that the first three and the last five songs are exactly the same (and in the same order, too). When you've got a back catalogue as extensive as Dylan's, this is unforgivable (and it's the reason that I haven't been to see Van Morrison for about four years). There's a new album, Modern Times, coming in August, though, and it's five years since the last one appeared, so perhaps before long times will be a-changing for the better.
Full set list:
Maggie's Farm
She Belongs to Me
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Positively 4th Street
Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
Love Sick
Watching the River Flow
Ballad of a Thin Man
Absolutely Sweet Marie
Girl of the North Country
Cold Irons Bound
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Summer Days
28th Jun 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
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