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A Bigger Torrent
It looks like HD-DVD is now officially cracked by pirates, with a copy of Serenity being the first to turn up on a Bit-Torrent site.
18th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Future Bronx
The Bronx have a new video for their single Shitty Future. It's nothing revoultionary, but catches the dirty rockers in their live glory... a welcome relief from a million self-conscious Hoxton hair bands.
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17th Jan 2007 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Ship Ahoy!
Arch freedom-of-copyright-advocaters / thieving bit-torrent pirates The Pirate Bay are trying to circumvent tiresome copyright laws by setting up their own country. They are planning to buy Sealand, and set up their own laws which would allow Bit Torrent the same rights as every other human being (rar only).
Sealand was established in the 40s as a sea fort to fight off approaching Germans - and has itself been invaded a couple of times, by squatters and then the Bates family.
17th Jan 2007 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Search
IM(S)DB
Add an 'S' to IMDB and you get IMSDB - Internet Movie Script Data Base. Not as slick as its namesake, but you can read a load of scripts - often in earlier drafts...
16th Jan 2007 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Inspector McNulty Is Back...
Unfortunatly it's a risible case this time.
15th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Newsic Videos
The Partizan website has become a good place to check out music videos, and is much-improved since my last fly-by. As well as Michel Gondry and Gondry Jnr., they have Saam from Fear of Music (check out his Viral Insanity clip if you haven't seen it) and Ollie Evans clip for ex-Herbert singer Shingi's new band - The Noisettes.
Ramones wannabes The Horrors are shooting a new video with Partizan next week:
The Horrors are looking for fans to appear in the forthcoming music video for 'Gloves'.
The band are being filmed this Wednesday 17th January at a location in London SE2, and require an energetic and enthusiastic audience to perform to.
Please send your name, age, and contact mobile number, along with a recent photograph (and a note from your mum) to the following address: thehorrors@partizan.com
15th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
V2 gives the V sign
The eagerly awaited total collapse of the record industry may have begun, with Judgement Day coming in the form of V2's US arm firing all their staff and 'releasing' all their artists (including The White Stripes, Moby, Grandaddy) from their contracts.
Plus, Koopa did make it into the Top 40, debuting at number 31.
15th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Han Solo Spin Off
Several sites are reporting on The Daily Star's 'scoop' that Harrison Ford turned down a reputed $20 miilion paycheck to reprise the Han Solo role for a spin-off movie. Now that's certainly one thing that could have averted the prequel disaster that occured instead.
"George wanted Harrison to play Indy but cleverly sounded him out about playing Hans Solo instead. Harrison was horrified. After that he was delighted to be playing Indy again. He told George he just couldn't face being stuck in a spaceship with Chewbacca again."
- We could pay you two million now, plus eighteen when we reach Alderaan.
- $20 million, huh?
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12th Jan 2007 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
'Best' Selling Tracks
While the recent re-shuffle of the UK music charts system hasn't led to a repeat of The Beatles Top-5 sweep that it could have (arguably because the Fab Four are still not online), it has led to an unsigned band looking poised to enter the Top 40.
11th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Rubix Cubed
I'm not quite sure if any of this is clever or not...
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10th Jan 2007 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
One Laptop To Rule Them All
The One Laptop Per Child initiative are going to make their $100 laptop available for the public to buy ....on the condition that they buy two.
10th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Breeding
2007 is already looking like a good year. Wilco are nearly done with their new album, Clap Your Hands 2 is out in a couple of weeks, Arcade Fire 2 is nearly finished, The National should have a new album in May, Radiohead will surely deliver a new album, M. Ward has a new EP out soon (with Jim James guesting) ...and 4AD inform us that The Breeders have been recording new material. Not to mention some new bands.
9th Jan 2007 - 4 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Two New Videos
Two new music videos for your enjoyment:
The Blood Brothers: Set Fire To The Face On Fire (Windows Media) ...is like a low-budget version of Gondry's Steriogram video.
Fionn Regan: Be Good Or Be Gone (Quicktime) ...a simple idea, done well by Si and Ad from Academy films.
Make that three:
Clinic: If I Could Read Your Mind (Quicktime).
8th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
MP Free-for-all
Things are hotting up in the world of online music distribution. There's plenty of talk of MP3 re-emerging as the format of choice, with DRM systems being dropped - and the possibilty of watermarked MP3's, which could be tracked to provide accounting figures and royalty payments for artists.
It may seem crazy, but with the success of eMusic (currently second biggest online seller, even though no major labels are onboard) the model seems to work. The industry is seemingly unhappy about iTunes' dominance - and this could just crack it, making downloaded files playable on all varieties of player, bringing costs down and profits up due to boosts in sales...
As a side-note, Rope a Dope records are going 100% digital, much like Rykodisc going 100% CD in the olden days.
We now make money on every single project from record one. We don't have to deal with returns and reserves, we can sign and release a new band in a matter of weeks.
8th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Beeches on the DC
One of Chimpovich's Beeches tracks has been picked up for the DC Baby Records compilation "Baby I'm Yours". Buy and listen below.
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8th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Devil and Daniel Johnston
Chimpovich's top tip from 2006, The Devil and Daniel Johnston is on More 4 this Wednesday... don't miss it.
8th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
No Noodles
Momofuku Ando, the Godfather of instant ramen has died, aged 96.
7th Jan 2007 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
BoobTube
Following their failure to comply with a Brazilian court order and remove steamy videos of Ronaldo's ex-wife from their site, YouTube has been shut down in Brazil at a national level...
I'm not quite sure whose rights are being protected here, but it sounds serious.
7th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Blue Origin
Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos has been putting his money where his mouth is and flexing some philanthropic muscle with his space tourism project Blue Origin.
The retro looking sub-orbital spaceship had a successful test flight in November, lifing vertically to 285ft, before gracefully coming back down for a smooth landing. Check out their website for some impressive videos.
4th Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Snow Business
After a slow start the snow is starting to fall (heavliy) in Canada... and (thankfully) in Europe, which was looking like a black-ice hell. I've got ants in my pants to hit the slopes soon.
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3rd Jan 2007 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
RJD2
Following the demise of DJ Shadow, it sounds like the space might now be filled by RJD2. Moving away from the more electronic sounds of his previous albums, for this new one 'he plays all the instruments himself on an album that takes in blue-eyed soul, folk and pop'. He's also moved away from his previous label (Def Jux) and jumped ship to XL.
There's a new mp3 available on the Stereogum site, and you can hear more of the new stuff on his myspace.
2nd Jan 2007 - Add Comment - Tweet
Genius!
After 2 Turkey dinners, 460 miles of driving and a new all time Little Chef low I'm back in the Big Smoke. Some good news to kick off with comes from the reliably entertaining Val Kilmer, recently seen reliably entertaining us in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
He's talking sequels for 80's classic Real Genius, a great film which is surprisingly only a year older than Top Gun - and which incidentaly featured a small role for the Lord of Dogtown, Stacy Peralta.
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27th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Endless Highway: Music of The Band
Long before My Morning Jacket were the new boys in town, The Band were bringing country tinged Rock to the masses, notably with possible-best-album ever The Band.
Several of the new kids in town (including MMJ doing Makes No Difference) are now on the Robbie Robertson sanctioned tribute album Endless Highway: Music of The Band
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22nd Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Schlock Tarantino
Like 'em or loathe 'em, crazy buddies Tarantino and Rodriguez have a new movie on the way, and it's literally a double bill. Two full-length movies for the price of one, and if like smug, smartass clever fake-rubbish you might like it.
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22nd Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Transformers Trailer
I never really got the whole Transformers thing when I was a kid... I was more Star Wars/Lego/Action Man. They're robots, but they pretend to be trucks.
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21st Dec 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
The Best of 2006
The votes are in - with CSF, C71 CJ, BC, HHG, chimpovich and marmot all filing Best-of-2006 lists.
Like a virtual fruit machine, some of the big winners are visually obvious, but if you're too lazy to read the whole lot here's a breakdown of the most touted results:
FILM
Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed, Capote, Casino Royale, Borat, Pan's Labyrinth, Awesome... I Shot That and Hidden all got 2 nods.
Capote (3 nods)
The Departed ( 4 nods and 2 frowns)
Biggest Turkey:
Miami Vice
MUSIC
Runners up:
Cat Power - The Greatest (2 nods)
Joanna Newsom - Ys (2 nods)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (2 nods)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 92 nods)
Winners:
Tapes 'n' Tapes - The Loon (3 nods)
Band of Horses - Everything All The Time (3 nods)
So there you have it. An inconclusive round-up of what's cool and what's fool for 2006.
20th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Best of 2006
CSF
For me this has been one of the best years for music in a long time. A handful of new bands have emerged with debut albums that have set the tone for a promising career, and this is the first time I have struggled to narrow down the list of favourites... rather than struggle to fill it. Accomplished debuts from The Early Years and The Longcut just missed out on a place, as well as albums from returning artists like Yo La Tengo, Yeah Yeah Yeah's and M. Ward finally making it clear to me what all the fuss is about. And Pearl Jam had a new album and put on the show of a lifetime in London.
My top albums, reduced to as few as possible and in a vague ascending order:
6. Tapes 'n' Tapes - The Loon
With the awesome single leading the charge (see below) this self-released debut from the Minneapolis band has all the right ingredients, and as one inspired hack wrote "This is the record I'd want to make if I formed a band". It's certainly not perfect, and although it never lulls it doesn't quite flow in a couple of places... but for a debut album it's awesome.
5. Oxford Collapse - Remember the Night Parties
These guys were a shot from the blue and if this was a November/December list they'd probably take the gold medal. Again it's a slightly uneven start, but by the midway point I'm totally hooked. Pure garage band fun.
4. The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
I've been so generally underwhelmed by The Strokes that it took a hooky copy of this mid year to even provoke me to try before I buy... but I take it all back. Far more adventurous that Room On Fire and an easy equal to Is This It?
3. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
The ups and downs or the tone of an album has been on my mind recently and this is possibly the one album in this list that gets it right. Mellow start, build up, high point around the middle, wind down, strong finish. A definite band to watch.
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
I was already thinking the worst when this album arrived, and the double track listing took a look to break down. It's biggest flaw is the length and pacing - as track by track there's hardly a dud on here. Easily their best album, with some absolute classic tracks. Their next one will surely get it just right...
1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
You can argue that it's a 2005 release, but since it took off 12 months ago this infectious debut has never faltered and never lulled on rotation. You can't listen to track one - which is surely a negative - but it's like a non-stop rollercoaster ride with your friend who's one drink a way from plastered, with a finale that should never stop.
Singles
Midlake - Head Home. Great rolling vibe that is slightly lacking on the album as a whole.
Tapes 'n Tapes - Insistor. I thought it might dull, but it's still the note-perfect highlight off The Loon.
Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh). For a track that momentarily sounds like it's heading into funky monk territory, this is possibly RHCP's greatest. The constant build up and the amazing final chorus are inbelievebale. Just when you can't take any more you can almost hear Frusciante plugging in an extra guitar.
Films
Brick - a great Sundance debut
The Departed - flawed but thoroughly entertaining
Little Miss Sunshine - touching, with non-stop laughs
Awesome - awesome. Resurrecting the near zombie that is the concert movie.
Biggest Let Down:
Miami Vice
TV:
Wire
Entourage
Live:
PJ Astoria
PJ Dublin
MMJ Astoria
20th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 5 star reviewsBright Eyes Line Up New Album
Conor Oberst and producer Mike Mogis have spent much of 2006 in the studio working on the follow up to 2005's breakthrough Bright Eyes albums "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning" and "Digital Ash In A Digital Urn". Recording in such exotic locales as New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, OR and Lincoln, NE, the Bright Eyes line-up for the new record includes full-timers Conor, Mike and Nate Walcott. The album sessions include guest performances from M.Ward, Gillian Welch and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. Titled "Cassadaga", the album is due for release in the UK on 9th April 2007.
"We're really wanting to be experimental with this one. Sort of folky and trippy and hopefully a little more cosmic," says Conor. For a taste of what could be in store fans can download a new song "Endless Entertainment", taken from the album recording sessions, at www.thisisbrighteyes.com
Conor Oberst recently penned a deal with Polydor in the UK to release Bright Eyes records worldwide excluding N. America where Conor and co. remain on their hometown label Saddle Creek records in Omaha, Nebraska.
A single, "Four Winds" will be released prior to the album on 2nd April.
20th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Best of 2006
3 lists from our reviewers are up in the reviews.... more later today, plus the overall results.
20th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: Volume III
It's been a long time coming, but work has wrapped up on Song of the Day: Volume III, with the final track - Push It To Monday by The Diableros.
Best of 2006 lists coming soon - after a brief conference at tonight's AGM. 6.30pm, usual venue.
18th Dec 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Life Without TV
Wired cuts the cable and puts broadband TV to the test.
18th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
10 Dangerous Toys
Radar Magazine has a nice run-down of 10 toys to avoid this Christmas. The U-238 Atomic Energy Lab gets my vote.
18th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Make Your Own HDTV
Engadget have agood article on how to build your own HD projector from a washing up bottle and some double-sided tape. It sounds like fun, and I've always had a soft spot for TVs made of wood.
If that all sounds like too much trouble, US company Lumenlab have done the hard work for you and made a low cost projector that relies on a $30 bulb.
15th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Arctic Monkeys Sell Out
Unbelieviably, the Arctic Monkeys' 50,000 seat show at Lancashire County Cricket Ground sold out in 15 minutes ...and they have now added a second date. I'm feeling out of touch with this scene.
15th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Better than Babyshambles
Arctic Monkeys are showing no laziness in their quest for world domination, unlike lacidazical Pete Doherty. With a second album already slated for early next year they have just announced a gig at the 50,000 capacity Lancashire County Cricket Ground, Manchester on Saturday 28th July 2007...
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12th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Bad Apple
It seems that not everyone is a Mac-loving geek. Especially those hippie types.
12th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Halliwell's
Halliwell's Film Guide has always set the benchmark for good and bad cinema, and Leslie Halliwell's ruthless style is what we try to emulate when writing up our own reviews.
The book is surprisingly absent on the internet - and although a comprehensive website would thrash IMDB's relatively wimpy brown-nosing (A Clockwork Orange - 8.4!!?) it would quickly make the book obselete.
www.lesliehalliwell.com is a good resource though, with some biography about Leslie himself, favourite reviews, modern reviews, a list of some of the promoted and demoted four star films and a comparison of old vs new versions of the guide.
12th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
FreeMix
There's a couple of Thom Yorke remixes online over at Radiohead's blog. Not bad if you liked The Eraser.
12th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Bobby
If you've been wondering what Emilio Estevez has been up to since production of Men At Work II fell through, you might be surprised to see that he has writen and directed the star-studded Bobby Kennedy biopic Bobby. Looks quite good actually.
10th Dec 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Spy Stallone
Ain't It Cool have had an ongoing Q&A with Sylvester Stallone over the last week. He comes across well, covering all topics from Rambo IV, his ratings order of the Rocky films and even his goalkeeping attemps in Escape to Victory.
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Spy on Stallone here
Onion Review
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8th Dec 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Water On Mars?
Coincidentally timed to coincide with the recently announced Moon base, it seems now that there is evidence of water on Mars. Now. Not in the past.
Put the kettle on. Well be there some time after 2020.
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6th Dec 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Zoolander
(dir.Ben Stiller)
Paramount
I watched Zoolander last night after being constantly told how much I'd love it. It was shit. No redeeming features. If there was an option for zero stars it would get it. What's the dealio yo?
6th Dec 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 1 star reviews