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The Squid And The Whale

(dir. Noah Baumbach)

From the writer of Wes Anderson's modern classic The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou comes a much straighter take on 1980s tennis-playing New Yorkers than Anderson's own Royal Tennenbaums. Anderson also produces here, and the feel's pretty close - same great soundtrack (lots of Bert Jansch in this case); alienated families working out their dysfunction in memorised therapy speak; nicely judged take on the 1980s... all feels a bit like an update of the Salinger Glass family novels.

Jeff Daniels is a novelist turned college teacher whose career is on the wane. Laura Linney's his wife whose writing is just starting to take off. The film plays out the tension of their divorce, filtered through their two sons, who take sides under the strain of the day-on day-off joint custody arrangement. William Baldwin's a pretty smooth washed-up tennis pro-turned kids' coach; Anna Paquin a young writing student who moves into Daniels' new house.

The kids, Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline, are great, freaking out over ping pong matches or the pressure of trying to live up to a self-proclaimed genius dad. Peppered with great one-liners and some heart-breaking divorce moments, it's a classy, tightly structured take on a marriage that's beyond repair; funny, great acting, interesting shots.

23rd Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

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.

#Music
#Gig
#marmot

14th Jul 2006 - 4 comments - 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

#Music
#Gig
#CSF

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

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

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.

#Film
#chimpovich

7th Jul 2006 - 3 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

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

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

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

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

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

#Music
#Gig
#Dr.Chimp

28th Jun 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men's Chest

(dir. Gore Verbinski)

another enjoyable high seas romp for cap'n jack sparrow, keira knightley and orlando bloom. pirates of the caribbean: dead men's chest is basically one long action scene. it's relentlessly noisy, clocks in at what feels like a good 2 and a half hours, but still manages to be fun, in a proper all-round entertainment kind of way. it's not dark, or clever or twisty, just pretty unpretentious summer blockbuster fare.

the first one was a v pleasant surprise for me: as much as i love the whole aaaaaarrrr vibe of pirates, there haven't been too many great pirate films recently, so i wasn't holding out much hope for it being any good. even though it's probably my favourite disney ride. so here, i had quite high expectations, and they were mostly met. doesn't have that law of diminishing returns you get w most sequels as such, but it is more of the same, without adding too much new stuff to the mix.

in a way they're setting it up as a star wars style trilogy, yes, it's staaaaaaaarrrr wars:

first film that reinvents a genre and is surprisingly good? check

anti hero who loves his ship? han solo + millenium falcon = jack sparrow and the black pearl

second part that does more of the same, shows more cantina-style monsters and extends the mythology? check

unresolved father issues? check

love triangle featuring feisty princess, rogue don't give a shit buccanneer and a slightly wooden pretty boy who's quite handy w a sword? check

etc.

bill nighy's lots of fun as the squid-faced davy jones, there's some big monster action, sneaky pirating and general double-crossing, some fun triple-sword showdowns and more comedy sidekick moments from mackenzie "gareth in the office" crook. plus there's a bit right at the end. apparently. i left too soon… aaaarrrrrrggghhh

not a classic, but really good fun if you liked the first one. just a bit too long and noisy. part 2 is definitely happening, hope it's not too return of the jedi-like. and be great if they get keith richards to show up…

28th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Wedding Present

Koko, Camden

A great set from The Wedding Present tonight at Koko. Didn't get around to catching them when they were john peel's other favourite band, but karaoke cowgirl assures me they were just as good. Quite glad we didn't fall into the mosh pit this time around though, as it was in full flow from the get-go. No Interstate 5, which was what i was really holding out for, or Felicity, but excellent versions of Brassneck and Mars Sparkles Down On Me both made up for it. And no encore either, which I didn't quite believe until the lights went up and everyone started piling home.

#Music
#Gig
#chimp71

9th Jun 2006 - 5 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Stuart A. Staples

Bush Hall, London

In support of his latest album Leaving Songs, Tindersticks' Stuart A. Staples played this small show in London, as well as a few dates around Europe.

The show started off well, with my current favourite song Old Friends No. 1 setting the pace, before moving onto a healthy chunk of the new album and 2004's solo album Lucky Dog Recordings, such as Marseille Sunshine, Shame On You and Already Gone. Staples was backed by superb drumming, a keyboard, lead guitar (from Tindertsicks) and double bass - and when the band was at full steam they were superb, like rock and roll Mariachi's (check surveillance for a drumming clip).

Although Staples seemed a bit under the weather it seemed more likely to be hayfever or flu, rather than the whiskey. Where early Tindertsicks songs seemed drunk, troubled and biographical, his solo material seems more general and is presumably informed by more current experiences. Like Hal Hartley's lack of good movies since he was married, perhaps the happiness of later life has put the fire out. The raucous days of Whiskey & Water somehow seem likely to have been replaced by a self-imposed night on the study sofa after too much congnac.

Although he was determined to play only his solo stuff (apart from one Townes Van Zandt cover - Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls), you could tell that the crowd were hoping for the nostalgia of a few Tindersticks favourites. Where certain bands (e.g. Radiohead) seem to keep moving forward and enlisting new fans, other bands seem to retain the same dwindling set of loyal fans - who just grow old together. Where this can make for a fantastic loyal atmosphere at a concert (e.g. The Wedding Present), in some cases (Fugazi included) it can just mean that the energy has gone from the crowd, leaving a subdued performer - unsure of how things are going. As Staples himself commented "I have no idea if you are enjoying this or not."

Click here for more pictures.

#Music
#Gig
#CSF

8th Jun 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Brown Bunny

(dir. Vincent Gallo)

Motorbike racing loner Bud Clay (Vincent Gallo) travels across America for a race in Los Angeles, meeting several girls along the way - all the while looking a replacement for the love that he has lost, haunted by the memory of the last time he saw her.

Prior to seeing this film there were two forces governing my expectations:
1. The awesome trailer, laying Jackson C. Frank's song Milk And Honey over a split screen montage of an empty highway and an accident at a party.

2. The literal barrage of negative press following the screening at Cannes, and mostly regarding the edit of the film and the X-Rated sex scene with Gallo and Chloe Sevigny.

As Buffalo 66 had been so enjoyable I was at the very least intrigued to see what could have gone wrong with this alleged train crash of a movie. Things start of OK, with a slow sequence following Bud Clay as he competes in a race in New Hampshire. The shooting style seems like a mid 70's documentary, using grainy handheld footage. Clay then packs up his bike into his van, but before heading out on the open road he meets a young girl and convinces her to come to California with him. As she runs into her house to pick up a few things, Bud Clay changes his mind and drives away. Cue 20 minutes of Gallo driving. No dialogue. Repeat.

While Gallo is quite effective and watch-able, a lot of the interest is based upon some knowledge of his off screen personality - plus you are always waiting to see if nothing really does happen. The shooting shooting style is nice (and occasionally great), but you can't help but feel it's not quite how it should be. A long shot will focus on Gallo driving, while an out of focus landscape rolls past in the background. Except the foreground will be slightly out of focus too. The DVD was presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 (leaving black bars on the left and right), but then some shots of the film seemed like they had been spliced back into the film after some some time literally on the cutting room floor... to no apparent effect.

The hype around the movie is mainly due to it's explicit nature, but if Gallo really wanted to improve the film he could have started by chopping that entire scene out, as it really does provide no further exposition or depth to the characters. The scenes following the x-rated scene do make the film somewhat more worthwhile, making the viewer think back over what they have been watching and draw some kind of sense - but the trailer was just as effective as the movie, setting up the tragedy and creating the same emotional impact in a mere two minutes. The poster is great too.

#Film
#CSF

8th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Stuart A. Staples

Leaving Songs

Leaving Songs is the second solo album from Tindersticks front man Stuart A. Staples. Where 2005's Lucky Dog Recordings: 2003-2004 was a loose collection of songs written over some time and recorded at Staples' home studio, Leaving Songs is a collection of songs written over the last year and recorded at Mark Nevers' studio in Nashville, with Dave Boulter, Neil Fraser and drummer Thomas Belhom.... followed by a bit more recording back in the UK featuring Tindersticks' stalwart Terry Edwards and longtime collaborator, Gina Foster.

For me, things started to tail off for the Tindersticks with Simple Pleasure. The songs became less urgent and relevant, presumably due to the maturing years and situations of the band. Leaving Songs starts off on a different note, with Staples strong baritone voice accompanied only by an acoustic guitar on Old Friends No. 1. However, as the song progresses one by one another guitar joins in, followed by strings, a hammond organ - and before you know it you are back in the classic Tindersticks territory of a song like Drunk Tank. This is no complaint, in fact this song has everything that for me has been missing in Tindersticks' more recent albums. It seems like a moment from a western, where the apparently heartless gun-for-hire cowboys come back to save the town from bad guys.

The song builds up such a fantastic layered atmosphere, that it sets the bar for the album almost as high as it can be, and unfortunately it is moment that isn't topped. The Path, Which Way The Wind and The Road Is Long are weak, methodical affairs, that have lyrics that are less than revolutionary, mostly seeming to be about moving on, making decisions and so on zzzzzz. The duets on the other hand (with Maria McKee and Lhasa de Sela) sound like they are trying to re-create the good-old-days of songs like Traveling Light, but not quite making the grade.

Things pick up a bit with Already Gone and This Old Town, creating the kind of run-down-seaside-town-crossed-with-a-spaghetti-western atmosphere I'm always looking for. While Old Friends No. 1 is currently nudging at the top for title of "my current favourite song" I'm afraid the album as a whole doesn't come close to Tindersticks at their best.

6th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Zappa Plays Zappa

Manchester Apollo

finally getting to hear zappa's music live is a pretty special thing if you've grown up with it, and I assumed it wasn't going to be possible after the great man smoked his last cigarette. wasn't quite sure what to expect with this dweezil zappa-fronted band - mawkish nostalgia? natalie cole plays nat king cole style weirdness? slightly embarrassing outing from someone who can't actually play as well as frank?

the set starts with some live footage of zappa and the mothers from the 1973 live at the roxy set - montana and another one i hadn't heard before (there's always the odd fifty albums or so to catch up with in the zappa archives)... then as frank retunes his guitar, dweezil and the band walk out, and kick into a storming version of hungry freaks, daddy followed by help i'm a rock - tracks i really thought i'd never hear live.

things just kept getting better from there - great sound, the band have been seriously drilled by dweezil (who's also nailed the style of frank's solos - inca roads was truly awesome - not a note-for-note transcription, but like he's absorbed the sensibility of the zappa tone and is channeling him on that trademark SG) - he's got them to the point that zappa had with his bands where he can direct them to change time signature, feel, who's soloing etc etc with a hand signal - jumping from bass to sax mid-bar - really impressive musicianship, but also highly entertaining (yes, humour DOES belong in music when the jokes are this good). having napoleon murphy brock who sang on loads of the 70s classics made it even more authentic - he's the voice of that great era, and is a real performer, as well as a great sax player.

the only downer came when the power on dweezil's mega guitar rig disappeared. rather than throwing a strop about it, he kept the audience in the loop, looked visibly disappointed and apologised profusely - you could tell he just wanted to put on the best show possible for his dad's fans, and the fact that the ability to switch from one cool sound to another was going to throw him off his game. the band launched into pound for a brown which they hadn't tried before, but eventually they had to power down the whole venue to sort it out.

bar time.

this could have been a drag, but the fact that they then came back with steve vai for some extra insanity on the solos front made it all ok. having someone who can literally do anything on a guitar is sometimes too much, but in this context, where the rest of the band are up to the challenge of making zappa's avant garde rock work, it's what you want. squeezing crazy notes out of his signature ibanez jem guitars, he's a joy to watch, freaking out, noodling at 100 miles an hour, then trading licks with dweezil in a real guitar-fest showdown. actually prefer dweezil's solos, but it's pretty cool to see someone going that far out. as chimp north points out, vai's the devil to dweezil's ralph macchio in crossroads.

the time lost meant that we missed out some other highlights that they had planned like city of tiny lights which we would have loved to see. also no terry bozio who has been playing trying to grow a chin, i'm so cute etc from the sheik yerbouti era.

but we did get to see them trying something they hadn't before - the screen dropped down, to let frank back on stage, filmed in a nutty 80s jumpsuit - soloing with dweezil's band playing. bit elvis, but still cool.

giving it 4.5 due to the lost time etc, but we're not holding it against them. if you love zappa, this band are kiling ugly radio.

other trivia facts from chimp north:

he's playing an SG because that's what he thinks of when he thinks of frank playing and it gets him in the frank zone
they're not frank's actual guitars though - didn't want to risk losing them on tour
they're in talks with gibson to produce a signature zappa model.

ps pic from manchester coming soon…

#Music
#Gig
#chimp71

2nd Jun 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The National

Koko, Camden

"The English are waiting and I don't know what to do." Sings Matt Berninger of The National at Koko last night. This line seemed all too true for the charismatic lead singer who looked visibly stunned and overwhelmed at the rapturous applause that greeted him and his band. While cracking open a bottle of champagne he admitted, "this is the first time we have played to this many people who have just come to see us." I too was quite surprised at the frenzied response to every song and the general hysteria that resided in the hall that night. And it was well deserved.

Opening with the glorious Secret Meeting and just about playing every song they know, as well as a few new ones, this soon evolved into a truly stunning and memorable gig. It's such a treat these days to see a front man with a personality, who is genuinely reacting to the passion and emotion of the songs - rather than assuming an act. On songs such as Daughters Of The Soho Riots, Berninger whispers into the mic as if he was holding his lover, his hands gently yet firmly clasping the neck whilst he pours his heart out as if they were the only two in the room. In between verses and songs he would pace around nervously, biting his nails like a troubled man waiting outside his lovers door, rehearsing the devastating words he is about to utter. After screeching the repeated mantra 'My mind's not right' on Abel, Beringer looked genuinely shaken at the power of his own voice.

As is often the case at great gigs, the crowd is treated to revamped and reworked versions of familiar favourites. The achingly beautiful Wasp Nest smouldered like the cigarette permanently burning between Berninger's clasped fingers, then gradually rose to a mighty crescendo that morphed into the awesome Murder Me Rachel. The highlight of the set, and the moment that brought this gig into four-star territory, was the mighty Mr November. If much of the night saw Berringer straining to keep his emotions under wraps, this was the point where he lost the fight. Clearly feeding off the crowds unified and deafening chant of "I'm the new blue blood, I'm the great white hope," the front man gave it all he had, screaming over and over "I wont fuck us over, I'm Mr. November." Fantastic. And all this while being flanked by two twin hobbits from Lost's Driveshaft.

Click here for more pictures, and here for a review of November 2005's gig at ULU.

1st Jun 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Takeovers

Turn To Red

If you thought John Frusciante was prolific (releasing 6 records in six months), think again. Robert Pollard has just released 3 records in one week... and that's just his most recent stuff. As Guided By Voices, he was pretty much kicking out a record a year, alongside literally dozens of solo/side-projects - many under the banner of the Fading Captain series. Check out the excellent GBV Database for a thorough discography, as well as an exclusive collection of rarities to download.

With the demise of GBV in 2004, these releases have taken a more central stage, and with three at once you could never complain of non-proliferation.

The Takeovers is a collaboration with former GBV bassist Chris Slusarenko, with other guests such as Dan Peters from Mudhoney. On paper it is possibly the most conventional of the three new records. The record starts with news-headline-style spoken word track, bringing a sense of impending doom to the proceedings. It also starts the album off with a focus that is rarely seen from Pollard. Insane/Cool It is a lo-fi rocker, but from First Spill Is Free onwards the tone of much of the album is almost concept-like, with a sense of 'the end of the party', and the come-down (of America...?).

OK, let's back that up a bit, as I'm reading way too much into it. Although the news-headline-style voice comes up again later, the message is not carried through with much clarity, and the album quickly looses focus. Sweet Jelly and The Public Dance are highlights, with the instrumental The Public Dance in particular capturing the down beat vibe mentioned earlier, sounding like a club band playing to a near empty room at 3am in the morning.

With a bit more focus the record could have been classic, but unfortunately nothing quite comes close to the boni-fide classics contained on every single GBV record, and it is quickly superseded by the other two new releases.

...continue to Psycho And The Birds.

28th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Psycho And The Birds

All That Is Holy

Although it is the most lo-fi and rough edged of three new albums from GBV's Robert Pollard, All That Is Holy has some of the most promising moments. Recorded with long time collaborator Todd Tobias, the album was apparently done as home recordings by Pollard - who then sent on the demos to Tobias 'to dress them up'. That 'dressing up' is not particularly reflected in the sound, and in the age of the home computer there seems less and less need for the 8-track sound Pollard has long been enchanted by. The playing is distinctly amateur - sounding like a far from finished demo - but the songs are often inspiring and never dull.

The Killers is a unfinished rocker, which still sets the pace for the upbeat album. The 2 minute Father Is Good is a rough diamond capable of sitting on any great Guided By Voices album. The middle of the album is where it is at it's strongest, with a briefly coherent sequence of Alabama Sunrise, Jesus The Clockwork and Disturbed.... but ultimately things tail off again, and the album doesn't finish that strongly.

The demo sound is hard work, and occasionally grueling. Stick with it however, as the album contains some great material.

...continue to Keene Brothers.

28th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Keene Brothers

Blues And Boogie Shoes

Billed as 'pure pop magic', The Keene Brothers is a collaboration between GBV's Robert Pollard and one-time Matador alumni Tommy Keene. Although not exactly 'pop,' Blues And Boogie Shoes is far and away the most solid and cohesive of these three new records.

Death Of The Party and Island Of Lost Lucys are classic mid-90's-style Guided By Voices. The album has far fewer of the throw-away tracks of the other two new albums, and Keene's polished guitar work adds a layer of sonic quality and sophistication to Pollard's often rough-and-ready recording style - particularly on instrumental tracks like The Camouflaged Friend.

THe album occasionally treads the line a bit to close to FM radio A.O.R., but Pollard's eclectic lyrics always pull things back from soft-rock meltdown.

This Time Do You Feel It? is a masterpiece, borrowing heavily from Pinball Wizard (perhaps Pollard's most overt tribute to heros The Who). The song is followed by A Blue Shadow, another great Pollard song, which brings the album to a worthy close.

So, as usual, 41 new songs from the over-active mind of Robert Pollard has yielded a number of classic tracks, easily distilled down. In the case of these three albums however, those gems are often unpolished rocks.

28th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Once In A Lifetime

(dir. Paul Crowder, John Dower)

…the extraordinary story of the New York Cosmos

Once In A Lifetime is a tightly shot documentary tracing the story of how the Warner Bros execs tried to sell "soccer" to the States by packing a team full of 80s galacticos - Pele got on board first (after intervention from Henry Kissinger), then Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto etc etc.

Great soundtrack, Matt Dillon narrating, Mick Jagger, Warhol and Robert Redford hanging out in the changing rooms, a Cosmos table waiting for them at Studio 54, and the resistance of US TV to this "upstart" non-baseball sport make for an entertaining pre-World Cup experience. Good goals too…

28th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

United Sounds of ATP

Camber Sands Holiday Centre, Sussex

Before going to the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival (at Pontin's Holiday Camp) I wasn't sure what to expect - and leaving a few days later I'm still not sure what I made of it all. Staying in a chalet as opposed to a tent had it's obvious benefits, especially as the rain was fairly relentless the entire weekend - making those swimming trunks I packed optimistic at best. But the constant grey skies and rundown look to the place gave it an Apocalypse Now feel - a surrealness not lightened by having to negotiate 'Funland' to get to the bar (my funland). The winner of ATP however, is that it truly is all about the music. Each headlining act allowed to choose their favourite bands to play bill - so the opportunities to discover something new were high.

Day 1
So heading to stage 2 (downstairs) on the Friday and lifted by the news that Guinness was coming in at a reasonable £2.70 a pint, The Magik Markers were a good place to kick things off. I'd read a bit about this Hungarian/American three piece and was definitely loving the fact they only played two songs in their 40 minute set (I preferred track 1) allowing me to catch up with mates, whilst dipping in and out of their (at-times) fairly rocking jam sessions. I was told however, that Dead Meadow upstairs (stage 1 of 2) were awesome, with a particularly excellent drummer -a vital ingredient for any self-respecting rock band. So upstairs we went -happy with the fact you could walk to a fairly good spec in the crowd relatively hassle free. Broken Social Scene were excellent -the surprise package of the weekend. I'd heard the name, but didn't really know their sound - they reminded me a bit of Mercury Rev - how they would allow a euphoric brass section to creep up and get you grinning by the end of each song. Also, it's the sign of a great band when you are thinking 'There's no way they can top that tune' then halfway through the next you've already forgotten the previous one (if you know what I mean). We were also treated to an early glimpse of Friday's curator J. Mascis - with long grey hair, shades and adidas shell suit. The man is a hero. He came out for a bit of a guitar duel with Broken Social Scene. Odds were stacked heavily against BSS though, as J's guitar sounded like it was turned up to 14, drowning out allcomers. Still, that whetted the appetite for Dinosaur Jr. later. Next up, indie stalwarts Teenage Fanclub. Although they opened up with personal favourite 'Mudhoney' I thought I'd go and check out The Brian Jonestown Massacre instead. Shouldn't have bothered. I liked their music in Dig!, but they were a bit boring really. I guess I was as guilty as many others, down there for the 'Car Crash' effect - waiting to see if Anton Newcombe was going to crack and kick anyone in the head (he didn't). I was told that Teenage Fanclub were great though - fair play to those lads.

A drum kit flanked by 10 Marshall Stacks; Dinosaur Jr made their intentions clear from the off. They were extremely loud, but equally awesome. What happened to Lou Barlow? From nerdy Sebadoh boy, to some sort of pumped up uber-bassist - he easily promoted himself to Lead Bass in my fantasy super group. A fairly healthy split between Lou's and J's songs - with all the 'hits' in there, they are certainly a band I'd make every effort to see whenever they are in town. A blinding set to round off day one.

Day 2
The day started with a hair of the dog in the pub at twelve and ended 17 hours later being kicked out of the ATP disco. As a result, my memories of Saturday's bands are sketchy at best. The Fiery Furnaces were pretty good. Spoon reminded me of Wilco, but didn't really do enough to lift me out of my stuper. Main act Sleater Kinney were really good though (I think). They certainly rocked the house, with some powerful drumming being a prominent recollection. Worth checking out more of their stuff to plug those holes. Highlight of the day though has to be R Kelly's bizarre Hip-Hopera 'Trapped in the Closet' - showing on the ATP TV Channel (each headliner also gets to create a days schedule of TV). A 40 minute epic with R. Kelly lending his golden tones to the story of various dudes getting caught with each other's girlfriends and threatening to blow everyone away and shit. Was it for real? Who knows - but he did rhyme Bridget with Midget (the midget in question, was uncovered hiding in a cupboard by a policeman returning home early to his wife - bizarre indeed, but try and check it out).

Day 3
With the rain still coming down and the hangover a large one Sunday was always going to be about re-grouping. So, finding a spot on the back wall to nurse some beers was the order of the day (although this is obviously much more pleasant on a sunny last day of an outdoors festival, as opposed to an airtight bingo hall after a three day rock festival). To be fair to the bands, it was going to take something special to rouse me from that position. Aussie band The Drones had a good stab with their better than average pub-rock. The Decemberists were clearly a crowd favourite, reminding me a bit The Levellers, Placebo and the Polyphonic Spree - but not at all as bad as that sounds. They did manage to get the whole crowd to sit down for a quiet number (no problems for me) then getting them back up for a rousing finale. The lead singer of 70's style rock Dungen also played a flute. Then the highlight of the weekend, The Black Keys. Two songs in and I was up off my ass and into the crowd. The drum and guitar two piece played heavy blues and once again made me wonder what all the fuss is with the White Stripes. Following them was going to be extremely tough and so it proved for biggest disappointments The Shins. The band I was most looking forward to seeing, as I'm a great fan of both their albums, were let down by a number of circumstances. Following Black Keys, early sound troubles, being shy and too quiet. They almost lifted it a couple of times but not enough. Maybe I hit a wall, but I never thought I'd be walking out of The Shins early. That was that - some serious drinking and some damn fine bands. The music-first policy is clearly a winner, could do with a bit of sunshine though.

Probably worth a 4, but the rain and my own laziness in not checking out other bands knocks it down a half.

Top 5
1. The Black Keys
2. Dinosaur Jr.
3. Broken Social Scene
4. R. Kelley
5. The Chappelle Show

Bottom 5
1. Rain
2. Hangover
3. Eating too many crisps
4. The smell of the main room Sunday night
5. The disappointing Shins.

#Music
#Gig
#chimpovich

26th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

X-Men 3: The Last Stand

(dir. Brett Ratner)

When a scientist disovers a "cure" for mutancy, the government thinks it's a good thing. Understandably, the X-Men aren't too thrilled. Neither are Magneto and his gang. Everyone fights.

Very disappointing way to round up this trilogy. Loved the first two, thought they were one of the best comics-to-films translations - smart, well-shot, focused films with something to say. This one takes most of the same characters, adds in a few new ones (Beast, Angel, Callisto), then reimagines the whole thing as an 80s TV movie. Cheesy storyline, lame dialogue, pointless stunts and lots of messy explosions - nothing comes close to the fluidity of the X2 opening action with Nightcrawler for example (and he's wisely chosen not to show up).

Jean Grey returns to stand around a lot as Phoenix while everyone wonders, ooh, is she bad or good? The army don't seem to be that bothered about the mutants anymore so they're not in it much. Halle Berry's Storm seems to have developed a Wonder Woman-like ability to spin around quite fast. The big action scene, in which Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge over to Alcatraz could have been one of those "wow" moments, until you think: hang on, what's the point of doing when you've got lots of dudes in your evil gang who could just fly you over?

Frasier as Beast is quite fun, but it's an underwritten role; Hugh Jackman's Wolverine gets less to do here as well. A flashback scene with Magneto and Xavier meeting a young Jean Grey is quite good, and features the obligatory Stan Lee cameo. There's also a cameo from Shohreh "Beyrooooz!" Aghdashloo (aka Dina Araz from 24 day four).

There's a really dumb extra scene after some dull credits if you feel like dragging it out for even longer - yes, they're leaving it "open-ended" so it might not really be the Last Stand after all.

Overall verdict? suX

26th May 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

(dir. Andrew Adamson)

Phone call from Hollywood Powersuit to prospective director of The Chronicles of Narnia…

‘.....we’re all going nuts here over the massive success of Jackson’s Rings Trilogy. Adapting much-loved children’s books and turning them into fantastical action movies is the shit du jour. So, how do you feel about the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?’

‘What? The CS Lewis classic about 4 children evacuated from WW2 London; sent to live in a big stately home they stumble through a Wardrobe and into the magical world of Narnia, where animals talk. Unwittingly, they become drawn into a war between good and evil. That could be a really good film.’

‘Exactly. So we want something similar to LOTR, but working with a far smaller budget.’

‘Oh. So who’ve we got to play the children? Some gifted child stars? An Elijah Wood type figure?’

‘Afraid not. Just a bunch of kids straight out of drama school, all of whom are extremely posh and extremely punch able.’

‘Really. But you must have some stars involved’

‘Well Tilda Swinton is down to play the Ice-Queen. Only, if you ask nothing of her, allowing her to coast through the film with the odd look of embarrassment. You can also have a really good cameo from Jim Broadbent.’

‘Great’

‘But only if you use him for less than 5minutes.’

‘Oh. And for voice-overs?’

‘Well the highly skilled Liam Neeson is on-board, so skilled in fact that he can make Aslan, the Mighty Lion King, seem more irritating than heroic.’

‘We must have some money for CGI.’

‘There’s a bit of cash for a couple of scenes. You’ll have to make do with fairly cheap looking sets and costumes for the rest. Can you bring it all in close to the two hour mark as well’

‘But won’t trying to squeeze all that into 2 hours, mean we leap from one ‘action’ scene to the next, without developing character or building tension.’

‘Maybe, but little children will love it.’

‘Shouldn’t we just not bother, save the money and not fuck up Pullman’s Dark materials Trilogy?’

‘Are you still there?’

#Film
#chimpovich

25th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Time Of The Wolf (Le Temps Du Loup)

(dir. Michael Haneke)

This is a powerful film which not only lingered in my thoughts for days, but which gave me, and those who saw it with me, vivid nightmares. Although the story of people trying to survive in the aftermath of a disaster is nothing new, Haneke's bleak vision of an imploding society packs not only a punch but also a long, increasingly unbearable squeeze. The cinematography lends a stunning realism: night shots really look like night, the fog shots are eerily beautiful - these all conspire brilliantly to drag you further into the nightmare. Rhythmically, Haneke is masterful, and the acting - especially by Isabelle Huppert - is excellent. From start to its hair-raising, Tarkovsky-esque finish, Temps du Loup is something of a miracle, capturing our disparate natures down to the core.

#Film
#ThePrawn

22nd May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Broken Family Band

Cold Water Songs

I only recently discovered this band with their latest release Balls so am now working my way back through their discography. I have arrived at this 2003 release to find the standard still high. From the outset it pours water on my theory that a lot of modern rock’s lyrics wouldn’t stand up once the music is removed. On ‘(I Don't Have The Time To) Mess Around’ we get the classic line, “There’s a dog sleeping in my bed, if I tickle his balls he gives me sweet head.” Genius. This album has all the trademarks of their subsequent works, self-loathing and relationships that have ended on less than amorous terms. The stand out track would be the beautiful ‘Devil In The Details.’ The hatred in this album is more down played than the others and this song embodies that, presenting such a sad disappointment one feels when discovering the deep-rooted faults of someone you used to love. The majority of the album is very much in the country vein and is generally more sedate than their more recent releases, except for the raucous ‘Don’t Leave That Woman Unattended’ which explains just why this guy gets himself into so many disastrous relationships.

This is a very consistent bunch making good quality music spanning many genres (well, two) and I intend to work my way through the lot.

22nd May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Grandaddy

Just Like The Fambly Cat

I don't know what it is about this band but their strange tales of childlike melancholia told with such charm and unrivalled innocence do something beautiful to me and I am so upset to hear that this will be the last little gem they will be offering the world. This fact considered, it is hard to listen to this without getting all sad and retrospective. This feeling is laid on thick from the first track; 'What Happened..' is a simple yet effective opener comprising of various children asking the question “What happened to the family cat?” This summons up all the emotions necessary to make this album work for you, a sense of regret, loss and a childhood long passed. However we are soon firmly shaken out of this self-pity by ‘Jeez Louise’ and we remember all the good times we had with this band. It is impossible to listen to this album and not interpret Jason Lytle’s lyrics as explanations for the break-up. ‘Rear View Mirror’ hints at the frustration of a journey spent forever looking back and once you get over the initial disappointment that this is not a cover of the Pearl Jam classic of the same name it soon becomes the standout track on the album. ‘Elevate Myself’ is a fantastic casio-drumbeat manifesto on exactly why Lytle is doing what he’s doing. Among his wants and don’t want’s he claims “I don’t wanna be a part of all the quality that falls apart these days.”

Initially I was quite disappointed with 2003’s ‘Sumday’ feeling it lacked the quirky elements I so enjoyed in ‘The Software Slump.’ I soon revised this opinion as the beauty took hold and although a lot of the songs on ‘…Fambly Cat’ would fit comfortably on ‘Sumday’ it does go some way to bridge the gap. It’s a pretty up and down affair in general, with Little feeling sorry for himself one minute then, as in the glorious semi-instrumental ‘Skateboarding Saves Me Twice,’ telling us that everything will be just fine.

I cant help listening to the last track ‘This Is How It Always Starts’ without thinking of those terrible compilation moments that Gary Lineker shows us as England inevitably and unjustly exit the World Cup. The songs they pick (usually REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’) guide us through the highs and lows of a great yet ultimately tragic journey and you could imagine a similar compilation of Grandaddy’s best moments set to this beautiful and soaring finale marking the end to a truly wonderful journey. And this album as a whole could be those highlights. On ‘Elevate Myself’ Little states “ I’d rather make an honest sound, watch it fly around and be on my way.” And that’s exactly what he has done. His sound will continue to fly and I wish him good luck.

22nd May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Radiohead

Hammersmith Apollo, London

OK, what you are about to read is a totally 100% biased, one-sided opinion masquerading as fact but I don't care. This was a perfect gig. All morning I have tried my hardest to pick holes in it and find some kind of fault but I'm afraid I concede, simply perfect. Whenever people ask me what was the best gig you have ever been to I get nervous because I feel my answer should be some seminal moment in music history, like "Sex Pistols at St. Martins" or the "Stone Roses at Spike Island", when all that really ever came to mind was "MC Hammer, Wembley Arena supported by the mighty Snap". But now I have an answer to be proud of.

I suppose the only slightly less-than-perfect point was that they opened with a new song Videotape that Thom Yorke plays on the piano so no one can actually see him until the second song. But that was National Anthem and the show was under way. This was followed by 2+2=5 which is when the crowd really found their legs or lost them depending on where you were standing. I had heard that this tour was going to be an opportunity for the band to air some new songs and some of the lesser played ones. This was true but they still managed to treat us to such classics as Karma Police. This is what I would refer to as 'A Platoon Moment' where I assume a Willam Defoe, hands-in-the-air-euphoric stance only this time not being gunned down by the Viet Cong. This pose was invented for this band and for this moment. It was nothing less than spectacular.

Three of the most impressive moments were the opening tracks to 3 of their best albums. Everything In It's Right Place, Airbag and best of all Planet Telex. Here the band arranged a supped up version of such magnitude that it was almost unrecognisable and sounded like something off Kid A or Amnesiac. The set list didn't seem to be set in stone either and after repeated crowd requests for OK Computer's epic Let Down they finally obliged. Maybe it isn't a song that is often played as half way through the second verse Thom seemed to forget the words and backed away from the mic looking confused. The crowd soon came to his aid and rose with a crescendo of straining voices bringing a grateful smile to the front man. What was also very evident is that we are in for a treat judging by some of the new stuff that was played. Arpeggi being a particular highlight, a slow building number that evolves into a power house finale making full use of Ed O'Brien's impressive backing vocals which are fast becoming Radiohead's secret weapon.

So two encores later and a string of classics having delighted and exhausted the worshipping crowd we are eased down from the clouds gently with Everything In It's Right Place, which saw Yorke come to the front of the crowd and dance along with us with a big smile on his face. I will end this review by apologising again for my rather over emotional sentiments but I am not of sound mind. If you want an over technical and slightly cynical opinion go read Pitchfork but as for me, if I was Sam Becket from Quantum Leap, I could definitely 'leap' now.

19th May 2006 - 6 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Da Vinci Code Movie

(dir. Ron Howard)

Vite! Ou est la Mona Lisa? Ah oui, it's over 'ere! Zere must be another clue 'ere, non?

Tom Hanks runs around Paris with Audrey Tatou looking for medieval clues, with Jean "Leon" Reno and kerrrazy albino monk Paul Bettany on his tail. Gandalf helps them out a bit with some Biblical history and a quick Photoshop guide to the Last Supper. He's also got a private jet which totally comes in handy at the last minute. Phew. Doctor Octopus is one of the secret society head honchos.

Other escapes involve some doves showing up to scare off some gun-wielding baddies with their powerful symoblism; using the old "chuck the tracking device out the window" trick; and er, shutting a van door. (if anyone can explain what actually happens in this scene, i'd really like to know...)

At one point Tom Hanks utters the immortal line "Get me to a library!" But Audrey manages to find a kid on a bus who's actually figured out how to make his 3G phone work. This is possibly the most unbelievable scene.

It's competent, trashy, stupid fun, packed with some hilarious lines, corny plot "twists" and the odd noisy shock. And it saves you the trouble of reading the book. Be great if it flopped, but it won't.

17th May 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Election

(dir. Johnny To)

Slow-boiling Hong Kong thriller about two candidates competing to be the new head of a triad society. Simon Yam's the more businesslike of the two; Tony Leung Ka Fai's the flashy gangster prepared to split the crime family up if the "uncles" won't put him in charge.

Unusually for a Hong Kong triad thriller, Johnny To concentrates on the political behind-the-scenes arguments rather than the bloodthirsty shootouts - they're still there, but this is a much more talky affair than you might expect.

With the two splitting the family, the old boys decide to retrieve the triad's symbolic dragon head totem from its hiding place over the border in China - whoever's got it is in charge.

Some great scenes where the cops have chucked everyone in jail together, and told them to sort out the dispute, a cold twist towards the end (setting up the sequel) and a nice sense of style make up for some of the scenes where you're not quite sure who's trying to run over who on who's behalf. It's also apparently the first time actual triad rituals have been shown on film. Bit like the masons, with more joss stick and less stupid trouser action. Great theme music too.

Johnny To's likely to be the next HK director to break through in the west - films like Running On Karma and PTU have been big hits in Asia - Election won Best Film at the HK Film Awards this year, and the sequel's already out and doing well in HK.

16th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Brick

(dir. Rian Johnson)

Following the mysterious disappearance and murder of ex-girlfriend Em (Emily De Ravin), high school detective Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) delves deep into the dirty underworld of a San Clemente high school to solve the crime. With help from a snitchy sidekick, a femme fatale and a mysterious drug lord (Lukas Haas) the case turns up many twists and turns in the style of a 40's film noir.

While taking the easy option would have made this a winking, nodding smart-ass movie (or even worse Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid), the technique of taking most of the plot-style from an imaginary Bogart movie is what really gives this movie legs. There's very little irony, meaning when you are reminded of the unusual situation "You're finished in this school!" it usually brings a laugh.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is good in the main role, making a surprisingly non-weakling high school loner, who can hold his own. Lukas Haas on the other hand shows a vulnerable side to the apparently ruthless drug-lord 'Kingpin'.

I'm not quite sure what a viewer who wasn't trained in the art of film noir would make of this, as it might not stand up without that little titbit of PR. The script is a little hard to follow in places, and the movie does possibly rely a little to much on the dialogue for exposition. The film has excellent photography, bringing a surprising film noir film to colourful, day time, high-school Southern California. Winning the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, this is a very promising first feature from director Rian Johnson - who graduated from USC in 1996. There's hope for us old folks yet.

#Film
#CSF

15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Electric Soft Parade

The Human Body EP

The Electric Soft Parade were filed in my mind alongside Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Cooper Temple Clause for some reason - which was not a good spot. I think a 2003 Q Compilation / Rant may be to blame.

I've since done some vague research, and the fact that Brakes is a side project from these guys and British Sea Power's ex-keyboardist is of mixed surprise. British Sea Power are dissapointing, Brakes are great. This EP goes some way to reposition Electric Soft Parade somewhere in between, with a great opening sound for the track A Beating Heart. Thumping drums build up nicely with mathematical sound, semi-mysterious lyrics and a nice keyboard. They can certainly play a nice bassy groove, and would probably have a good live sound... must remember to bother to see them sometime. Maybe they could support Brakes. The Captain and Kick In The Teeth also stand out, but no track quite hits the right finale... mainly as they tend to leave the rock behind and take a short cut to noodle town.

The songs all have a tendency to veer a bit to close to 70's Genesis or 10CC in places, but with a bit of self-control and a stripped down production they could certainly surprise me. In the current climate of major labels wanting 70's modish sounds from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, there's certainly some space for 70's prog sounds from the likes of these guys. Although as Jello Biafra says "I like short songs."

15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The View

The View E.P.

Following in the footsteps of several recent cheeky scallies comes this EP from Dundee band The View. Comin' Down is a raucous rock n' roll song, along the lines of early Who, or Touch Me by The Doors... Face For The Radio is a nice acoustic number, and there's definitely lots of promise in these guys - with an easy going attitude and seemingly casual sound.

They just signed to to James Endecott's 1965 Records, so are currently holed up in a studio with the producer of the first Oasis record - Owen Morris. And they're playing at Brixton favourite The Windmill on June 3rd.

15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Morrissey

London Palladium

Due in part to my near death experience during the last Morrissey gig at Alexandra Palace two weeks ago I felt a bit cheated and wanted to see him properly in a smaller, more intimate and civilised environment. The Palladium fits this description perfectly and was a specific request by the man himself as a venue to perform the last 3 shows of his tour.

It all started off so well. Our seats were in the Royal Circle and we had a perfect view. As is customary on this tour a version of You'll Never Walk Alone is played at top volume to signal the imminent start to the proceedings. Hands were already in the air and I could barely contain my excitement. As expected, the reception was rapturous and the show kicked off in style. A few songs later came the riff heavy How Soon Is Now, which was greeted with utter delight and simply rocked. Morrissey seemed to be really enjoying himself - indulging in plenty of banter about how Radio 1 refuse to play his single and that The Palladium felt like home to him as he played here 20 years ago. However, it soon became evident that he was experiencing some difficulty with his earpiece and started to not finish songs, saying how terrible the sound was - despite us telling him it sounded fine. At one point he even asked the crowd "please someone, say something encouraging." The sound problems really seemed to be rocking his confidence and it soon appeared like he was just going through the motions and wanted to get off the stage as soon as possible. As a result he decided not to come back on for the encore and the disgruntled crowd booed as they left the venue.

Despite the great start and an excitement that is rarely found at live performances I left with a deep feeling of disappointment. The sound problems were clearly not his fault and were a cause of some distress to him but I would have thought a performer of his magnitude and experience could overcome this and not give the audience the impression that he was bored and we weren't doing enough to entertain him. After what I thought was a fantastic version of Life Is A Pigsty he asked us why we were clapping. I thought the sound was fine. Vocals are often an element that can get lost at rock gigs but his voice is always so clear and this was no exception. The crowd's excitement was killed by the obvious look of frustration and anguish coming from the man we had paid a lot of money to see. I guess he can just chalk it up as a bad day at work, but for the two fans I spoke to in the pub afterwards who had paid £190 per ticket it was a disaster. I haven't given it a rock bottom rating as the first 45 minutes were awesome and the venue was fantastic. I also have a new favourite track; Ganglord. This B-side to the new single is a classic in waiting.

15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Them / Themselves

Them

This is underground hip hop at it’s finest. One of the strongest offerings on the ever expanding and boundary breaking Anticon label, Them is Doseone of cLOUDDEAD fame and the mighty Jel on the beats. This is a faultless combination and one that has been tried and tested many times, the most recent being Subtle’s awesome album A New White.

Anticon was started by Sole (Tim Holland) and Pedestrian (James Brandon Best) in 1998 and was born out of a love of poetry and the more traditional side of Hip Hop. Since then these lonesome travellers have stopped for any hitchhiking art school dropout or beatnik poet they deemed suitable for the Anticon belief system. Two of the first to join were Jel (Jeffrey Logan) and Dose (Adam Drucker.) Their first collaboration was on the 1998 self titled album Deep Puddle Dynamics. This was basically every one from the early days of this label and this is how they intended to proceed, with every one contributing to eachothers work. And so they did and have fast become one of the most prolific producers of challenging and inspired poetry driven Hip Hop around today.

I can't think of a single release not worth a listen and this semi-self-titled album released from 2000 is one of the strongest. It nods towards the more traditional hip hop more than most of the labels' albums, by this I mean it has beats. But they are intelligent and deep, organic beats that never over do it. Dose's vocals are as always pure, surreal and totally screwed-up genius. In one of the strongest tracks Death O A Thespian, Dose admits, "I don’t believe in Zeus but I’m scared stiff of clowns," and if you hadn’t seen him his voice would conjure up similar disturbing clown related images or even gnarled, jaded pixies that lurk in dark nightmarish places muttering incomprehensible words of wisdom. The clown theme is continued in another fantastic example of this partnership, Another Part Of The Clown.

The final track ends with the words, "You know when energy is flowing, teach yourself to write and let Them buy the album." This seems to be the exact thing this bunch of modern-day visionaries did, and my gratitude pours forth.

12th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

cLOUDDEAD

In 2001 artsts Doseone, Odd Nosdam and Why? Put out an album that would truly erase any label or genre they and their collective had been previously assigned. cLOUDDEAD's self titled debut is a collection of 10" singles comprised of six different movements each featuring a guest vocalist. This probably sounds pretentious and it so easily could be but the group navigate the rocky ground between up-your-arse, self indulgent, clap-trap and pure genius with expert ease and always remain on the right side. It is impossible to pick out tracks as the whole thing is one big murky bog of samples, atmospheric beats and textures that see Dose and Why? emerge every now and then with vocals that defy imagination and conjure up worlds only visited in dreams or nightmares.

It is so hard to describe this piece of work. There are no comparisons that can be made. It is one of the purest things I have ever heard. More than any other album from the Anticon collective this epitomises the ethos of this group, and that is one of limitless expression and the constant commitment to genre defying art. They have never topped this album for me, but have come exhilaratingly close many times. Genius.

12th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Buck 65

Secret House Against The World

Buck 65 could read a shopping list or even my last rights and I would love it, so I guess I am not the best person to write a review of his music. I think this is his eleventh album (I lost count ages ago) and it sees a real departure from the previous works. He is known for his hobo like musings about life, love, shoe-shine and just about anything -and all this over self-crafted beats and soundscapes. But here we see a new musical injection that at first jars, as it is not what we expect from Buck, but then we realise that the very thing we love about this guy is his freedom from any genre, collective or type and we are right back loving him again.

There are some sublime moments of real beauty here and most of them come with the new inclusion of a female voice that sits so pretty next to the Waits style growl of Buck. We first see this new combo on ‘The Suffering Machine, ‘ a gentle, acoustic led song full of heart wrenching sadness about a lost soul ambling aimlessly from place to place with no friends and waiting for the “Black angel,” to carry him down. On his web site, Buck reviews his own albums. He says that this album has what was missing all along and that is melody, female voice and lushness Well this song has all of that. I never thought a hip hop song could bring tears to my eyes but The Floor does just that. You listen with open mouth as he tells the story of his abusive father coming home and throwing "the goldfish to the cat on the kitchen floor" while his beaten and down trodden mother just smiled "the saddest smile I’ve ever seen in my life."

Buck has grown up with this album. It is about serious stuff and though it has all the profound musings that we have come to expect, the musical composition adds weight to the words and it’s truly moving. Buck gives it three out of five on his site but I will see that and raise it.

12th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Science Of Sleep

(dir. Michel Gondry)

Probably the only film where you could say Gael Garcia Bernal sleepwalks through his role without dissing the performance.

Gondry's on similar turf to Eternal Sunshine here, going for an all-out assault on dream logic, framing a romance (of sorts) between arty neighbours Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg around Bernal's lifelong inability to distinguish dreams from reality. A subtle playfulness lets the film get away with an elevated level of whimsy here, with stop motion animation used to great effect to play out the REM moments.

A Mexican who's moved to Paris to be with his mother after his father's death, Bernal gets stuck in an office where they make calendars. There the rituals of dealing with boredom soon match the dreams he stages from the cardboard-filled TV studio in his mind. The dialogue skips freely between English, French and a little Spanish to great effect, really giving a sense of lives lived on an international level.

Great music throughout (including a cute rewriting of the Velvets' After Hours), fluid direction and a story that justifies the extended dream logic - this is a confident, charming, modern fromage-free romance that manages to be both cute and occasionally moving. Funny too - Bernal's inventions like the One Second Time Machine or the 3D Glasses For Real Life really come in handy.

11th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Sunset Rubdown

Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Jagjaguwar

Whoever said the best music is being made in Canada is such a bore. We have all known that for ages, and here is some more evidence. Sunset Rubdown is a spin off group, fronted by Wolf Parade’s keyboardist and vocalist Spencer Krug and it's a little gem of an album. Krug’s distinctive voice makes this very comparable to Wolf Parade, but it’s a much more low-fi and immediate affair. Having said this the band manages to create such epic masterpieces out of next to nothing. Sparse, stripped down songs like Us Ones In Between plod along with such delicate beauty, and the contrast of seemingly cheapskate instruments overlaid with some of the most profoundly sad and insightful lyrics I have heard in a long time is powerful to say the least. Creatures great and small are a common theme on this album, lyrics like “I have heard of creatures who eat their babies/I wonder if they stop to think about the taste” are then reversed to say “Oh baby mother me before you eat me.” The Empty Threats Of Little Lord is another gem that echoes this sentiment, where “If I ever hurt you it will be in self-defence,” and “If you ever come at me I’ll hurt you,” are seen in a different more pathetic light when considering the songs title. Again, they follow such a delicate structure that it almost threatens to collapse under its own frail melancholy.

The lyrics to each song could be read as a book of poems and would still retain their impact and profundity when removed from the music. They create an almost dream like landscape of wild creatures and lovers that live forever. On the epic seven minute long The Men Are Called Horsemen, Krug structures the whole song around the horse metaphor stating “If I was a horse I’d have bricks in my mane, If I was a horse I’d throw up the reins." But then continues on to claim “But I am no horse and you are no angel.” Another seven-minute masterpiece brings this unexpected delight to a close with the title track Shut Up I’m Dreaming, which is what I would advise you tell people if they talk over this album. It is worth dedicating time to this.

Recently, I saw a poll of the best lyrics in modern pop music. I think the winner was a Morrissey lyric, and it got me thinking about the content of a lot of the songs that structure my life. To my surprise I found that though they were songs of undeniable genius, very few of the lyrics really stood up to scrutiny once taken away from the music. This isn’t always necessary but it’s great when you come across some that do. I strongly recommend looking these songs up and reading them as poetry, you won’t be sorry.

10th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Archie Bronson Outfit

Derdang, Derdang

These days a record label is not complete until it has a David Byrne inspired vocalist on their books. Rough Trade got theirs with The Arcade Fire, Wichita with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and now Domino have found theirs. Hailing from the West Country, Archie Bronson Outfit are not something you would want to listen to if you were of a nervous disposition, or in the least bit on edge. This is not a criticism, it’s just a pretty stressful experience listening to Derdang Derdang, the groups second album. They have managed to create a real sense of urgency that except for the final track is pretty much unrelenting. The whole album can be summed up in the stand out track Dart For My Sweetheart. On the whole, I frown upon songs that use counting, or days of the week as their structure - but this one is an exception. It starts “One is a gun with a dart for my sweetheart,” and continues up to twelve. All this over methodical, driving and jangling guitar and drums. Arp, the drummer and lyricist says, “There’s a nursery rhyme feel to the lyric, the counting stuff.” His kids ain't getting no sleep tonight.

The band claim this album was written and recorded in a very short space of time while they were all living together - and this comes as no surprise to me. It has a captivating sense of immediacy and the ever building tempo in each song threatens an approaching explosion, but rarely gives in. The tension comes from a combination of repetitive guitar rhythms, screeching free jazz saxophone and distinctive, paranoia filled vocals - delivered with such energy and force you have to either switch off or sit up and take notice. On Dead Funny he orders us, “don’t worry just get your head down.” Sound advice I think.

10th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Neil Young

Living With War

According to Pitchfork this is Neil Young's "rawest release of new material since at least Ragged Glory, maybe even Rust Never Sleeps... " According to me it's about as immediate as his last 10 years of plod. It plods along and has the same plodding pace as his last 'Decade' of work, except this time it has some overtly political lyrics.

There's no doubting that this is protest music of the most literal order, but where his 60's protests like Ohio or Southern Man were relevant and emotional, the plodding Shock and Awe, Lookin' For A Leader or Let's Impeach The President have nothing like the weight, and certainly not the political commentary of an angry album like Radiohead's Hail To The Thief

I wish he'd get on with re-releasing his missing old stuff, rather than forever moving 'forward'....although judging by by 2004's 'Greatest Hits' even that could be a mis-fire.

5th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Raconteurs

Broken Boy Soldiers

Broken Boy Soldiers sees Jack White team up with fellow Detroit buddy Brendan Benson and finally get a chance to play with the boys. And don’t those boys have some fun. Following typical ‘side project’ form, the agenda is a lot lighter here compared to the Led Zeppelin’s lofty direction. Level is another highlight with suitably grimy and screeching guitar action.

As you may notice, all the highlights picked out above feature White on lead vocals. I feel the album loses its immediacy when Brendan Benson steps up. His songs follow a well-trodden Beatles/Harrison path and lack the grit that White brings to the mix. When these two vocalists are put side by side it is all too evident how unique and powerful White’s voice really is. The best Benson songs are when Jack is backing him up. Intimate Secretary, is a prime example of this. The jury is out on this track as it has very questionable lyrics. “I’ve got a rabbit who likes to hop, I’ve got a girl who likes to shop, I’ve got a pen but I lost the top,’ You could be forgiven for mistaking this for an extract from Wayne Rooney’s secret diary ...although he’s the one doing the hopping now.

4th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Stadium Arcadium

While Blood Sugar Sex Magic had some (I'd say 3) great songs, it's funky-monk overtones make it sound dated, recorded as John Frusciante say's "back when we were assholes". The Dave Navarro version of the band obviously sucked, but after Frusciante kicked his drug habit and crawled back to the Red Hot Chili Peppers things really started to take off. Californication had some great tracks, but was quickly overshadowed by version 2.0 - By The Way. Frusciante had found his sound, releasing the awesome solo albums To Record Only Water For Ten Days and Shadows Collide With People and clearly shaping the direction of the revitalised Chili Peppers. After another 6(!) solo albums from Frusciante last year - all peppered with great tracks - the promise of a new full-spec double RHCP album was good.

Things kick off well with single Dani California. Using all the best elements of the RHCP signature sound - catchy, stripped down, funky bass, roaring guitar solo - it sets the pace.... and the rest of the album carries on from there. All the same. Every song is good, most contain a bit of all of their styles and all are in the 3-5 minutes / 3.5-4.5 star range - and that is where the problem lies. While the album is apparently 'based' on the planets (Disc 1 Jupiter, Disc 2 Mars) there is no obvious theme or progression over the album and not much difference between the two discs. It becomes totally homogenized and just seems like a collection of 28 randomly sequenced good songs.

Torture Me is not one of the best, but it stands out for merely being a bit more punky. Strip My Mind threatens to be like a Frusciante solo track - but ends up being not as brave and falling back into line. Even the bass-funk workout tracks pull their socks up to be not nearly as bad as some of the 90's era stuff. The excellent Desecretion Smile and Animal Bar have so far floated to the top of the pile, although I'm sure more will grow on me if I give it time. 28 tracks is a lot of time though, and in the age of CD a double album is more like 120 minutes than The White Album's 90. The lyrics also take the score down a notch, as the band have never been that deep, and that doesn't change here. There's plenty of lyrics of the horny-coyotes-prowling-around-michigan variety.

Time will tell whether this becomes a sprawling masterpiece or self-indulgant monolith, but for a band who should have been at the peak of their powers it currently seems that they are on more of a plateau.

UPDATE: As of August 9th '06 I'm updating this to a 4. It's 80% genius, and the finale of Snow (Hey Oh) and Frusciante's scream at the end of Wet Sand are worth the price alone. It's only losing points for the length and lack of sequence, but is undoubtedly the closest thing to their masterpiece (to date).

4th May 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Mission Impossible III

(dir. JJ Abrams)

Ethan Hunt's back in action, and yes, this time it's personal…

Put aside all the Tom Cruise celebratology crapola and this is a pretty proficient sequel. Lots of noisy action, a fairly decent plot (though nothing especially new), some ok lines and more rounded roles for the non-Tom members of the cast - it's a pretty fun summer action blowout.

For once they've remembered that he's supposed to be part of a team, so you get Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhy Myers and Maggie Q out in the field with him; Laurence Fishburne doing the "what's he up to now?" bits back at HQ; and an entertaining cameo from Simon Pegg as the tech boffin (very similar to the Marshall role in JJ Abrams' first TV hit Alias). This time IMF are all trying to take down convincing bad dude Philip Seymour Hoffman (could have done with more from him - he chows down on every scene he's in with relish).

Abrams has put a lot in that works here - a good macguffin in the "rabbit's foot" that PSH's after, the odd witty line, some "how are they going to get out of that?" moments and lots of costume changes - but having loved the first few series of Alias, and still enjoying Lost, I could have done with a little more out-there stuff from him than having Hunt make the classic spy mistake of getting serious with his girlfriend and then having to deal with "trust issues" when his work keeps sending him away. Kind of feels like JJ's reigned it in a bit for the studios. That said, it's not boring or confusing (which M:i II was for me), so hopefully he'll get to make something a bit less generic after this one rakes in all the bucks it's sure to rake.

Giving it 3 as it delivers more than you'd expect if you thought it was going to suck, but less if you thought it was going to be great.

3rd May 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Morrissey

Alexandra Palace, London

I think I could see Morrissey live every time he is in town, it is such an experience. Musically it is impeccable, but half the enjoyment comes from watching the type of fans he attracts and the effect he has on them. His music has the ability to reduce hardened middle-aged men to the mushy, teary-eyed romantics and it is fascinating to watch. Queuing up outside Alexandra Palace last night you’d be hard pushed to guess the band we were all waiting to see. It was a veritable melting pot of misfits, mods, Goths, England fans, dweebs, dickheads and righteous dudes. Beer guts were proudly displayed and back pockets adorned with wilting daffodils (Gladiola’s obviously not in season just yet), a sight to behold indeed.

After waiting at the front of the massing crowd through two support acts (one being Domino’s Sons And Daughters which were very good), the time had arrived and the lights dimmed. Amid deafening “Morrissey!” chants that would put the crowd at Stamford Bridge to shame the excitement was awesome. On walks the man himself and with the words “For what you are about to receive I am truly sorry.” The band explode with The First Of The Gang To Die. This was particularly ironic as my girlfriend very nearly was. The crowd erupted and surged back and forward with such pressure from the back and sides we struggled to keep our feet. So after waiting at the front for 3 hours it took less than 1 song for us to be at the back of the hall.

But without fearing for your life you are able to appreciate the show a bit more. And what a show it was. The man is notoriously private and sedate for the press, so it really feels like a privilege and an honour to see him so animated and vocal when in front of his fans. As usual the set list was mainly comprised of his new material but he did treat us to Girlfriend In A Coma and the show highlight How Soon Is Now? The super-extended rendition of this Smiths classic was greeted with absolute euphoria and a sea of worshipping hands in the air, stuff to make your spine tingle. The other highlight was Life Is A Pigsty which, in my opinion, is the best track off the new album. It was also interesting to notice how the songs off 2004’s You Are The Quarry, especially the encore of Irish Blood English Heart, are treated by the fans as classic Morrissey now.

The combination of such a legendary personality and a truly fantastic backing band (who strangely resembled Jonathan Ross’ ‘Four Poofs And A Piano’) made this performance truly live up to one of Morrissey’s opening statements “Welcome to the lost art of live music.” I can’t give it a perfect score because my girlfriend nearly died.

2nd May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

King Kong

(dir. Peter Jackson)

The biggest chimp of the all, revamped by the LOTR crew.

For some reason it's taken a while to get round to this super-ape outing here at chimp HQ, so it's nice to finally open up the DVD (although there's 2 bullshit ads included as part of the "extras" on my R3 copy).

Like what Peter Jackson's done over his career, and there's some nice touches to his monster/gore past which I wasn't expecting in the Skull Island bits (been so long since I saw the original that the plot was basically new to me).

Jack Black's money-making movie director works well in the first half, although you do get the impression that Jackson sympathises with his blagging skills and general enthusiasm for getting a film made, which does seem to jar a bit with the second half in New York, with Black then the evil maestro putting on Kong's Broadway debut.

Naomi Watts does the most with her scream and faint routine, and gets the compassion for Kong over without saying too much. It's much more of a human getting on with a wild animal relationship than some inter-species romance. She's like a friendly zoologist with juggling skills that he's stumbled across. You feel like Kong's pretty lonely on the island without any other giant apes around, and that Naomi's better company than the local savages who seem more interested in keeping in chucking him the occasional sacrifice from behind a wall. Adrien Brody's ok, but a bit sidelined towards the end.

The Kong animation/acting from Andy "Gollum" Serkis (who's also the ship's cook) is pretty cool, wasn't expecting so much dinosaur bashing which seemed like Jackson having fun with some Godzilla-style showdowns, and the crew of the Venture are at least pretty wowed when they first come across all these huge mythical beasts running around. All the whooping natives stuff is a bit odd, not quite sure where they're going with that.

Enjoyed it overall, but it did feel a touch overlong for what's essentially a pretty simple B movie plot - although holding off on Kong's entrance works, and all the on-board scenes build up to Skull Island's sighting.

Could have been a much more intense, wham-bam experience at 20 minutes shorter: just because it's a really big monkey doesn't mean it has to be a really big epic… but hey, it's a big monkey smashing up New York and punching out dinosaurs - that's always going to go down well here.

30th Apr 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Where The Buffalo Roam

(dir. Art Linson)

"I hate to advocate weird chemicals, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone... but they've always worked for me."

Rambling attempt to convert the "legend" of Hunter S Thomson into a lightweight Bill Murray comedy. Nothing approaching the hallucinogenic quality of Terry Gilliam's later Fear And Loathing ...but Murray fans should find something to enjoy here. It's loose in a way that mid 1970s and early 1980s films were, and modern films aren't - floating from one episodic wacky incident to another: watching his attorney try to start a banana republic, interviewing Nixon on the 1972 campaign trail (in the loos), shooting his telex machine etc.

Murray handles the mumbling dialogue well - lots of laconic one-liners for him to reel off - but even though he's chomping down on booze and drugs for the entire film you never really see him go either up or down, which makes the tone a little flat. Bruno Kirby plays his stressed out editor waiting for copy to mysteriously appear when Hunter's decided he's done (and not before), and Neil Young did the soundtrack - nice version of Home On The Range in the opening credits ("where the deer and the antelope play" etc), and he gets a little cameo too.

Overall, not essential, but a pretty affectionate attempt - worth catching if you're a fan of the late Gonzo genius, or Murray, and you're in the mood for an imperfect culty outing that moseys along, taking its time.

30th Apr 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet