I don't have much time this week for anything other than work, so this update is just a quickie to tide you over.
5 X-mas Covers I'd like to see...
1. All I Want For Christmas - Nick Cave
Imagine if this tawdry Mariah Carey crap sounded like it was coming from a serial killer/rapist! What he really wants for xmas is your skin as a suit.
2. The Twelve Days of Christmas - William Shatner
I only want to hear this because with Kirk behind the song, it would probably go for about an hour.
3. Thank God It's Christmas - The Sex Pistols
Think of the irony in "God Save the Queen" and apply it to xmas.
4. Last Christmas - Alice Cooper
What can I say, I'm a sucker for a cheesey metal cover and Mr Cooper is the master.
5. Frosty the Snowman - Kanye West
Frosty, I'ma let you finish, but Rudolf is the best holiday icon ever!
Hat Guy - Sorry about the Kanye joke... I gotta get to work.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Best Acts You Never Heard 1: Beduoin Soundclash
Welcome to the first in a series of looking at bands that never really seem to have hit for some reason. The first BAYNH is a group that I, honestly, believe is one of the best bands performing today; Bedouin Soundclash. Bedouin Soundclash are one of those bands that are a bit hard to classify, there's elements of Punk, Rasta, Reggae, folk and Jamaican Dancehall in their music, making for a unique and varied sound. I know for sure that the band are influenced by Bad Brains (look them up) because they cover BB songs at their live gigs. Whilst the biggest talk about BSC seems to be in Punk circles, I'm still reluctant to classify them as a Rasta Punk group because of their heavy Reggae sound. Just listen:
In fact, aside from Punks and Rastas, the biggest fan base for BSC seems to be Hipsters. This is probably due to the mistaken notion people have that Reggae is classed as "World Music" (as opposed to being one of the most influential musical styles of the 20th Century). What really gets to me about BSC is how obscure they are. When people ask me to recommend a band they haven't heard, BSC is pretty much at the top of my list. With their chilled-out sound and thoughtful lyrics I figured that they would at least appeal to the kind of folk-leaning trendy TripleJ fans that vote shit like Angus and Julia Stone to the top of the charts. On that note, here's the overplayed love song to tempt you in:
Yeah, I'm not a fan of this one, but most of the fair-weather-fans love it. In fact, when I saw BSC live, even they didn't want to play 12:59. That said, there are many bands that have to suffer through one of their own bland generic hits at every gig for the rest of their lives. I can't think of an example right now, but I'm sure one will come to me. Anyway, Reggae, Punk and just a bit Roots and Folksy. Check out Bedouin Soundclash sometime when you want to chill out. I'll leave you with my favourite song of theirs:
Hat Guy - Less Reggae, more Punk, not making a 'root' joke.
In fact, aside from Punks and Rastas, the biggest fan base for BSC seems to be Hipsters. This is probably due to the mistaken notion people have that Reggae is classed as "World Music" (as opposed to being one of the most influential musical styles of the 20th Century). What really gets to me about BSC is how obscure they are. When people ask me to recommend a band they haven't heard, BSC is pretty much at the top of my list. With their chilled-out sound and thoughtful lyrics I figured that they would at least appeal to the kind of folk-leaning trendy TripleJ fans that vote shit like Angus and Julia Stone to the top of the charts. On that note, here's the overplayed love song to tempt you in:
Yeah, I'm not a fan of this one, but most of the fair-weather-fans love it. In fact, when I saw BSC live, even they didn't want to play 12:59. That said, there are many bands that have to suffer through one of their own bland generic hits at every gig for the rest of their lives. I can't think of an example right now, but I'm sure one will come to me. Anyway, Reggae, Punk and just a bit Roots and Folksy. Check out Bedouin Soundclash sometime when you want to chill out. I'll leave you with my favourite song of theirs:
Hat Guy - Less Reggae, more Punk, not making a 'root' joke.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Help Me! I hate...
Pop Music
More than one person has told me, in visceral detail, just how much they hate Pop Music. What I find amusing about this is that the same people, if pressed, will sing the praises of the Beatles as groundbreaking artists. For those not in the know, the Beatles' chord and song structures form the basis of pretty much every Pop song written since. So yeah, the Beatles are responsible (albeit indirectly) for Katy Perry, Boy Bands and Adam Ant.
Another fact about Pop music that people tend to forget is that it goes away. Many a teenager (including myself once) can be heard to remark about "Today's" music is inferior to that of decades gone by. This phenomenon can be put down, at least somewhat, to flashback radio stations and compilation CDs, that keep all of the good Pop music of a given decade in rotation whilst dropping the crap off the radar.
With this knowledge under your belt, is it fair to say you hate Pop music? "But the Beatles are classic, you can't compare them to Lady Gaga!" I hear you cry. Also, there's no real challenge in getting people to enjoy the fruits of the British Invasion or Motown. So I'm going to pick five Pop songs from the past five years to see if I can't turn you around on this.
1. Matt & Kim - Daylight (2009)
It seems I'm constantly propping up this song, but there's a good reason for this... It's fucking awesome. Matt & Kim never really hit in Australia, but their drum kit/Keyboard combo creates a catchy beat that I think displays the real potential of Pop music. If this sounds somewhat familiar, it was used for a Mars advertisement for a number of years.
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero (2009)
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have wavered between being Pop, Alternative, Punk and Grunge over the past decade, with varying success. After a couple of lackluster albums, they released It's Blitz! in 2009, demonstrating that they are a truly talented band worth paying attention to. The biggest (and perhaps best) song on the album was Zero, a frenzied dance track that is almost impossible to resist. Many label the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as "Alternative", but Zero is a Pop song inside and out.
3. Nothin' On You (Beautiful Girls) - B.O.B. feat. Bruno Mars (2010)
Regardless of your opinion on it, Hip Hop has ingratiated itself into Pop Music over the past decade, so it would be remiss of me to ignore the Hip Hop/Pop/Hip Pop style of song that tends to grace the Pop charts. Never mind that this is easily Bruno Mars' only palatable performance, or that B.O.B. is clearly the inheritor to Andre 3000, this song would be great without those outside influences propping it up. This is a true love song, the kind of which isn't really seen much these days. I just don't see how people could really hate on this... don't we all want to be loved?
4. Poker Face - Lady Gaga (2008)
I'm getting just a little bit sick of people hating on Lady Gaga. It's not like I'm a fan or anything, it's just not the kind of music I'm really into. However, when compared to the endless list of manufactured, auto-tuned, plastic Pop starlets, how can a Juliard-educated, piano prodigy who writes her own songs and refuses to be conventional not come off better? This clip is (in)famous for showing off Gaga's real talent and is well worth watching, especially if you claim to hate her.
5. Metric - Black Sheep (2008/2010)
This song, an Underground Pop hit from 2008, got a second life after being featured on the Scott Pilgrim Versus The World Soundtrack. Once again, this song can be considered more "Alternative", but I've included here because it does demonstrate the traditional Beatles-esque verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure. It's a Pop song through and through, and damn enjoyable one too.
There you have it, give Pop music another try, there's plenty of good stuff out there if you're prepared to look.
More than one person has told me, in visceral detail, just how much they hate Pop Music. What I find amusing about this is that the same people, if pressed, will sing the praises of the Beatles as groundbreaking artists. For those not in the know, the Beatles' chord and song structures form the basis of pretty much every Pop song written since. So yeah, the Beatles are responsible (albeit indirectly) for Katy Perry, Boy Bands and Adam Ant.
Another fact about Pop music that people tend to forget is that it goes away. Many a teenager (including myself once) can be heard to remark about "Today's" music is inferior to that of decades gone by. This phenomenon can be put down, at least somewhat, to flashback radio stations and compilation CDs, that keep all of the good Pop music of a given decade in rotation whilst dropping the crap off the radar.
With this knowledge under your belt, is it fair to say you hate Pop music? "But the Beatles are classic, you can't compare them to Lady Gaga!" I hear you cry. Also, there's no real challenge in getting people to enjoy the fruits of the British Invasion or Motown. So I'm going to pick five Pop songs from the past five years to see if I can't turn you around on this.
1. Matt & Kim - Daylight (2009)
It seems I'm constantly propping up this song, but there's a good reason for this... It's fucking awesome. Matt & Kim never really hit in Australia, but their drum kit/Keyboard combo creates a catchy beat that I think displays the real potential of Pop music. If this sounds somewhat familiar, it was used for a Mars advertisement for a number of years.
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero (2009)
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have wavered between being Pop, Alternative, Punk and Grunge over the past decade, with varying success. After a couple of lackluster albums, they released It's Blitz! in 2009, demonstrating that they are a truly talented band worth paying attention to. The biggest (and perhaps best) song on the album was Zero, a frenzied dance track that is almost impossible to resist. Many label the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as "Alternative", but Zero is a Pop song inside and out.
3. Nothin' On You (Beautiful Girls) - B.O.B. feat. Bruno Mars (2010)
Regardless of your opinion on it, Hip Hop has ingratiated itself into Pop Music over the past decade, so it would be remiss of me to ignore the Hip Hop/Pop/Hip Pop style of song that tends to grace the Pop charts. Never mind that this is easily Bruno Mars' only palatable performance, or that B.O.B. is clearly the inheritor to Andre 3000, this song would be great without those outside influences propping it up. This is a true love song, the kind of which isn't really seen much these days. I just don't see how people could really hate on this... don't we all want to be loved?
4. Poker Face - Lady Gaga (2008)
I'm getting just a little bit sick of people hating on Lady Gaga. It's not like I'm a fan or anything, it's just not the kind of music I'm really into. However, when compared to the endless list of manufactured, auto-tuned, plastic Pop starlets, how can a Juliard-educated, piano prodigy who writes her own songs and refuses to be conventional not come off better? This clip is (in)famous for showing off Gaga's real talent and is well worth watching, especially if you claim to hate her.
5. Metric - Black Sheep (2008/2010)
This song, an Underground Pop hit from 2008, got a second life after being featured on the Scott Pilgrim Versus The World Soundtrack. Once again, this song can be considered more "Alternative", but I've included here because it does demonstrate the traditional Beatles-esque verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure. It's a Pop song through and through, and damn enjoyable one too.
There you have it, give Pop music another try, there's plenty of good stuff out there if you're prepared to look.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
You got the Power! - Nerd Culture and Popular Music
Whilst working on the playlist for the Fellowship of Middle Earth Monash's annual Masquerade Ball, it occurred to me, not for the first time, that nerds only really seem to like Pop songs that have been on their favorite tv programmes and films. This can be evidenced with Stan Bush's "The Touch", from the 1980s Transformers animated film (read: 2 hour toy advertisement). This song has a cult following and is lauded by nerds the world over for its 80s hair guitar work and tight-pants vocals. Even I will admit an appreciation for "The Touch" in a "so bad it's good" capacity. This however, is only the tip of the iceberg. Thanks to the nerdy followings of programmes like Scrubs and Supernatural, the musical base of the average nerd is growing in strange directions.
Need a little background first? Ok. So we all retain an appreciation for the music we hear our parents playing when we're kids, for me it was The Who and Dire Straights. As we grow into surly teenagers we find music that we can identify with and use to annoy our parents (Yes, I own two Linkin Park albums). Typically you'll pick up things you hear on the radio (Smash Mouth) so you know some of the pop music of your youth. Nerds aren't big radio people (typically, I'm generalizing on purpose to save time), so they get their favorite music from film and television that they like. Basically, because seeing the Transformers movie when you were a kid made you almost wet yourself with excitement, so you attach that same emotion to the song when you hear it.
Because of the above, songs like "The Time Warp", "I'm Gonna Be" and the theme from Ghostbusters are on every nerd's iPod, along with Goth Metal and Electronica. This phenomenon is at its worst, mildly annoying; there are few songs I truly hate, and I can deal with listening to a not very good song repeatedly, knowing I can crank up the stereo on the drive home. The problem is that thanks to every nerd's secret power to make stuff survive ad infinitum, even the worst songs chosen to appear on a soundtrack are around forever. Supernatural and Scrubs at least tend to go for thematically appropriate music in most episodes, but there's always something to set your teeth on edge. From the just plain bad songs (Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'), to the annoying (anything from the Buffy musical) to the downright plagiarist (the Ghostbusters theme sounds almost exactly like Huey Lewis' "I Want a New Drug), nerd music has a lot to answer for.
So here's my solution; I'm going to go down to the video store and rent every nerd movie and tv show I can and record over the bad music with something good so that the next generation of nerds will love Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, The Smiths and Elivs rather than Stan Bush and Journey.
P.S. Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" is a masterpiece and has my approval to survive.
Need a little background first? Ok. So we all retain an appreciation for the music we hear our parents playing when we're kids, for me it was The Who and Dire Straights. As we grow into surly teenagers we find music that we can identify with and use to annoy our parents (Yes, I own two Linkin Park albums). Typically you'll pick up things you hear on the radio (Smash Mouth) so you know some of the pop music of your youth. Nerds aren't big radio people (typically, I'm generalizing on purpose to save time), so they get their favorite music from film and television that they like. Basically, because seeing the Transformers movie when you were a kid made you almost wet yourself with excitement, so you attach that same emotion to the song when you hear it.
Because of the above, songs like "The Time Warp", "I'm Gonna Be" and the theme from Ghostbusters are on every nerd's iPod, along with Goth Metal and Electronica. This phenomenon is at its worst, mildly annoying; there are few songs I truly hate, and I can deal with listening to a not very good song repeatedly, knowing I can crank up the stereo on the drive home. The problem is that thanks to every nerd's secret power to make stuff survive ad infinitum, even the worst songs chosen to appear on a soundtrack are around forever. Supernatural and Scrubs at least tend to go for thematically appropriate music in most episodes, but there's always something to set your teeth on edge. From the just plain bad songs (Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'), to the annoying (anything from the Buffy musical) to the downright plagiarist (the Ghostbusters theme sounds almost exactly like Huey Lewis' "I Want a New Drug), nerd music has a lot to answer for.
So here's my solution; I'm going to go down to the video store and rent every nerd movie and tv show I can and record over the bad music with something good so that the next generation of nerds will love Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, The Smiths and Elivs rather than Stan Bush and Journey.
P.S. Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" is a masterpiece and has my approval to survive.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Review Special: Top 10 Superhero Movie Fights
So, I wanted to do something a bit different and flex my film studies/comic book nerd credentials a bit and steal Empire's shtick. I should point out that the list below is by no means comprehensive; believe it or not, I've never actually seen Superman II or the David Hasselhoff Nick Fury film. However, I do feel that the list is fair, the spread of films is broad and so is the scope of the given scenes.
But what makes a good Superhero fight? To understand this, we need to look at classic fight scenes from comics; Batman versus Superman in The Dark Knight Returns, Quicksilver in any part of The Ultimates 2 or Spiderman versus the Green Goblin in "The Day Gwen Stacy Died". What all these have in common is the real "wow" factor that comes with superhuman foes belting the crap out of each other. In a martial arts film, a "good" fight scene is on that is technically competent from the standpoint of someone examining the fight with a trained expert's eye. The Superhero genre bucks this convention, deliberately giving the audience a fight impossible to replicate in the real world. Though it may sound like an action film in this respect, the gaudy nature of the superhero creates a different experience, as will be demonstrated below.
I know as I write this that there will be at least one complaint about this list; the lack of a DC Animated Universe film. It's not that the films are bad (Justice League: New Frontier is probably the only good Justice League film that will ever be made), it's just that they lack a truly "wow" worthy fight scene. Batman versus the Red Hood is a fun fight, but there's nothing to it that cannot be found in Police Story or The Game of Death.
Also, as the next two years will see the release of Thor, Green Lantern, The First Avenger: Captain America, The Avengers, X-Men: First Class and the next Nolan Batman sequel as well as reboots of the Spiderman and Fantastic Four franchises. If I'm still doing this in 2013, I'll update this list, but for now, it'll have to do. So onwards, true believers!
Top 10 Superhero Movie Fights
10. Gordon vs The Joker (The Dark Knight - 2008)
The only inclusion of Nolan's take on Batman, it may surprise you to see this so low on the countdown, but there's a simple reason behind this; The Dark Knight, although an excellent film, is not a superhero film. What? Yes. The Dark Knight is a crime film and this is evidenced by the fact that the best fight scene in the film isn't about how awesome Batman is, but how awesome Jim Gordon is. Also more of a car chase, when Dent is offered as bait to capture the Joker, the fight is carried by Gordon all the way. Think of this as the Batman equivalent to Yoda breaking out the lightsabre in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, you always suspected he was a badass, this is just conformation. From "I hope you got some moves pal" to "We got ya", Jim Gordon romps this in and shows us what he's really capable of.
9. Spiderman vs Doctor Octopus (Spiderman 2 - 2004)
Specifically the one on the train, in-between when the pair lands on the tracks and when Doc Ock smugly utters "You have a train to catch". Perhaps a little CG heavy, but having two of Marvel's most iconic characters duke it out on the side of a train makes for one hell of a fight. Bouncing around, over, under and through the train during the battle, this scene perfectly captures the feel of a Spiderman comic. Pity this franchise blew so hard, there's a few more good fights in the trilogy, this is just the best one.
8. Matt vs Elektra (Daredevil - 2003)
Not the tragic lovers' battle in the third act of the film, but the (literally) violent flirtation between the characters in the playground at the beginning of their romantic arc. If you're wondering how on Earth I could rate anything from this film higher than anything from The Dark Knight, stop reading now, there's worse to come. Hey, bad films can have good moments in them and here's proof. This fight is fun, well choreographed and adds to the plot, which puts it a cut above most on-screen fights already. If you're still not convinced, Youtube this and watch it without the context of Daredevil to drag it down. Note to Christopher Nolan: this is what the Batman/Catwoman arc should resemble.
7. The Punisher vs The Russian (The Punisher - 2004)
Never mind that The Punisher was unfairly ignored by the public, or badly edited to remove most of the plot, or made on a budget that would have the BBC drama department making fun of them (obscure joke, I know), the film is the best translation of Marvel's Skull-shirted vigilante to the big screen that has ever been made. The proof of the pudding is in the scene where Frank and a mysterious assailant, known only as "The Russian" go toe-to-toe while "La Donne Mobile" plays loudly in the background. This scene is darkly hilarious, combining the brutality of a barroom brawl with the comic timing of vaudeville. Thomas Jane's acting really shines here as well, the looks on his face as he scrambles away from grenades, has his guns destroyed and gets his head slammed in a fridge door are both funny and nauseating. This fight also features the only stunt Jane was not allowed to do, getting thrown through a plaster wall, and when The Russian picks him up off the hallway floor, there is a hasty cut as the crew patch up Jane's actually bloody nose. Excelsior!
6 Blade vs Nomak (Blade II - 2002)
What? Another kinda-crummy hero romp? Yeah. Ok, so the Blade series is lackluster at best, but this brawl is fantastic. Blade is clearly a trained fighter and his choreography matches this, whilst Nomak is a brawler relying on his superior strength and agility to win the day. If there's one thing Del Toro can direct, it's two big guys wailing on each other in a visually pleasing way. Highlights of this fight include the world's biggest "People's Elbow", a bone crunching arm-regeneration and Blade keeping his sunglasses on in a display that would make David Caruso jealous. As with Daredevil, watch this again without the rest of the film to colour it. Actually, that comment is unfair to Kris Kristofferson, who makes the best of these terrible films with some great one-liners.
5. Nightcrawler vs The Secret Service (X2 - 2003)
The dramatic opening of X2 sees Kurt Wagner using his teleport ability to circumvent Whitehouse security and threaten the life of the American President. Whilst this scene is cool, and arguably one of the best in the X-Men Film Franchise, it's not getting any higher than this because the fight is too one-sided. Nightcrawler (rightly) makes mincemeat (figuratively) out of the Secret Service, whilst this is great to watch, it's really more of an effects sequence in the end.
4. Dash vs Syndrome Goons (The Incredibles - 2004)
Brad Bird and Pixar's Superhero pastiche/tribute masterpiece is, in my opinion, the best Superhero film produced to date. To explain this would take up as much space as the whole of this review, so I'll just enter this scene into evidence. In escaping Syndrome's goons, young Dash truly gets to experiment with his powers for the first time, running on water and outmanuvering flying blade thingys with a child's delight in a wonderfully presented scene. I'm going to go watch this again.
3. BPRD vs The Golden Army (Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - 2008)
It's a shame that there haven't been many good Hero Team films, but this (almost) climatic battle between Hellboy and his BPRD team against an army of "industrable" clockwork robots demonstrates how a team of heroes can have a fight where they all get to do something and don't break out of character (I'm looking at you Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer). The Hellboy films are underrated gems and this fight demonstrates what I mentioned above, that being Del Toro's keen eye for an action sequence. "Industrable my ass."
2. Hulk vs Blonsky (The Incredible Hulk - 2008)
Much maligned, but rarely actually watched, the Hulk reboot featuring Edward Norton does a pretty good job of telling a Hulk story on the big screen. The drawcard fight in this film is the Hulk/Abomination 32 minute brawl at the end of the film, but the real gem is much earlier. Hopped up on Super Soldier Serum and Gamma radiation, Emil Blosky (still in Tim Roth form) goes toe to toe with the Hulk and holds his ground for a few minutes. This fight is fluid, dynamic and a lot of fun, exactly what Superhero movie fights should be.
1. Iron Man and War Machine vs Hammerroids (Iron Man 2 - 2010)
Aww yeah! If two guys in high-tech battle armour blasting away at a horde of robots whist cracking one-liners isn't your idea of fun, then what are you doing watching superhero films? Tony and Rhody cut loose on out of control robots with enough explosions to make Micheal Bay need to change pants. Maybe it lacks the visual poetry of Bruce Lee versus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in The Game of Death, this scene culminates the expectations of film-goers everywhere who want to see Iron Man kick butt in a visually interesting way. Citizen Kane this is not, but it's damn good for what it is.
But what makes a good Superhero fight? To understand this, we need to look at classic fight scenes from comics; Batman versus Superman in The Dark Knight Returns, Quicksilver in any part of The Ultimates 2 or Spiderman versus the Green Goblin in "The Day Gwen Stacy Died". What all these have in common is the real "wow" factor that comes with superhuman foes belting the crap out of each other. In a martial arts film, a "good" fight scene is on that is technically competent from the standpoint of someone examining the fight with a trained expert's eye. The Superhero genre bucks this convention, deliberately giving the audience a fight impossible to replicate in the real world. Though it may sound like an action film in this respect, the gaudy nature of the superhero creates a different experience, as will be demonstrated below.
I know as I write this that there will be at least one complaint about this list; the lack of a DC Animated Universe film. It's not that the films are bad (Justice League: New Frontier is probably the only good Justice League film that will ever be made), it's just that they lack a truly "wow" worthy fight scene. Batman versus the Red Hood is a fun fight, but there's nothing to it that cannot be found in Police Story or The Game of Death.
Also, as the next two years will see the release of Thor, Green Lantern, The First Avenger: Captain America, The Avengers, X-Men: First Class and the next Nolan Batman sequel as well as reboots of the Spiderman and Fantastic Four franchises. If I'm still doing this in 2013, I'll update this list, but for now, it'll have to do. So onwards, true believers!
Top 10 Superhero Movie Fights
10. Gordon vs The Joker (The Dark Knight - 2008)
The only inclusion of Nolan's take on Batman, it may surprise you to see this so low on the countdown, but there's a simple reason behind this; The Dark Knight, although an excellent film, is not a superhero film. What? Yes. The Dark Knight is a crime film and this is evidenced by the fact that the best fight scene in the film isn't about how awesome Batman is, but how awesome Jim Gordon is. Also more of a car chase, when Dent is offered as bait to capture the Joker, the fight is carried by Gordon all the way. Think of this as the Batman equivalent to Yoda breaking out the lightsabre in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, you always suspected he was a badass, this is just conformation. From "I hope you got some moves pal" to "We got ya", Jim Gordon romps this in and shows us what he's really capable of.
9. Spiderman vs Doctor Octopus (Spiderman 2 - 2004)
Specifically the one on the train, in-between when the pair lands on the tracks and when Doc Ock smugly utters "You have a train to catch". Perhaps a little CG heavy, but having two of Marvel's most iconic characters duke it out on the side of a train makes for one hell of a fight. Bouncing around, over, under and through the train during the battle, this scene perfectly captures the feel of a Spiderman comic. Pity this franchise blew so hard, there's a few more good fights in the trilogy, this is just the best one.
8. Matt vs Elektra (Daredevil - 2003)
Not the tragic lovers' battle in the third act of the film, but the (literally) violent flirtation between the characters in the playground at the beginning of their romantic arc. If you're wondering how on Earth I could rate anything from this film higher than anything from The Dark Knight, stop reading now, there's worse to come. Hey, bad films can have good moments in them and here's proof. This fight is fun, well choreographed and adds to the plot, which puts it a cut above most on-screen fights already. If you're still not convinced, Youtube this and watch it without the context of Daredevil to drag it down. Note to Christopher Nolan: this is what the Batman/Catwoman arc should resemble.
7. The Punisher vs The Russian (The Punisher - 2004)
Never mind that The Punisher was unfairly ignored by the public, or badly edited to remove most of the plot, or made on a budget that would have the BBC drama department making fun of them (obscure joke, I know), the film is the best translation of Marvel's Skull-shirted vigilante to the big screen that has ever been made. The proof of the pudding is in the scene where Frank and a mysterious assailant, known only as "The Russian" go toe-to-toe while "La Donne Mobile" plays loudly in the background. This scene is darkly hilarious, combining the brutality of a barroom brawl with the comic timing of vaudeville. Thomas Jane's acting really shines here as well, the looks on his face as he scrambles away from grenades, has his guns destroyed and gets his head slammed in a fridge door are both funny and nauseating. This fight also features the only stunt Jane was not allowed to do, getting thrown through a plaster wall, and when The Russian picks him up off the hallway floor, there is a hasty cut as the crew patch up Jane's actually bloody nose. Excelsior!
6 Blade vs Nomak (Blade II - 2002)
What? Another kinda-crummy hero romp? Yeah. Ok, so the Blade series is lackluster at best, but this brawl is fantastic. Blade is clearly a trained fighter and his choreography matches this, whilst Nomak is a brawler relying on his superior strength and agility to win the day. If there's one thing Del Toro can direct, it's two big guys wailing on each other in a visually pleasing way. Highlights of this fight include the world's biggest "People's Elbow", a bone crunching arm-regeneration and Blade keeping his sunglasses on in a display that would make David Caruso jealous. As with Daredevil, watch this again without the rest of the film to colour it. Actually, that comment is unfair to Kris Kristofferson, who makes the best of these terrible films with some great one-liners.
5. Nightcrawler vs The Secret Service (X2 - 2003)
The dramatic opening of X2 sees Kurt Wagner using his teleport ability to circumvent Whitehouse security and threaten the life of the American President. Whilst this scene is cool, and arguably one of the best in the X-Men Film Franchise, it's not getting any higher than this because the fight is too one-sided. Nightcrawler (rightly) makes mincemeat (figuratively) out of the Secret Service, whilst this is great to watch, it's really more of an effects sequence in the end.
4. Dash vs Syndrome Goons (The Incredibles - 2004)
Brad Bird and Pixar's Superhero pastiche/tribute masterpiece is, in my opinion, the best Superhero film produced to date. To explain this would take up as much space as the whole of this review, so I'll just enter this scene into evidence. In escaping Syndrome's goons, young Dash truly gets to experiment with his powers for the first time, running on water and outmanuvering flying blade thingys with a child's delight in a wonderfully presented scene. I'm going to go watch this again.
3. BPRD vs The Golden Army (Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - 2008)
It's a shame that there haven't been many good Hero Team films, but this (almost) climatic battle between Hellboy and his BPRD team against an army of "industrable" clockwork robots demonstrates how a team of heroes can have a fight where they all get to do something and don't break out of character (I'm looking at you Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer). The Hellboy films are underrated gems and this fight demonstrates what I mentioned above, that being Del Toro's keen eye for an action sequence. "Industrable my ass."
2. Hulk vs Blonsky (The Incredible Hulk - 2008)
Much maligned, but rarely actually watched, the Hulk reboot featuring Edward Norton does a pretty good job of telling a Hulk story on the big screen. The drawcard fight in this film is the Hulk/Abomination 32 minute brawl at the end of the film, but the real gem is much earlier. Hopped up on Super Soldier Serum and Gamma radiation, Emil Blosky (still in Tim Roth form) goes toe to toe with the Hulk and holds his ground for a few minutes. This fight is fluid, dynamic and a lot of fun, exactly what Superhero movie fights should be.
1. Iron Man and War Machine vs Hammerroids (Iron Man 2 - 2010)
Aww yeah! If two guys in high-tech battle armour blasting away at a horde of robots whist cracking one-liners isn't your idea of fun, then what are you doing watching superhero films? Tony and Rhody cut loose on out of control robots with enough explosions to make Micheal Bay need to change pants. Maybe it lacks the visual poetry of Bruce Lee versus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in The Game of Death, this scene culminates the expectations of film-goers everywhere who want to see Iron Man kick butt in a visually interesting way. Citizen Kane this is not, but it's damn good for what it is.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Gaslight Anthem/Social Distortion 02/03/2011
On Wednesday night I went with my usual concert-buddy to see The Gaslight Anthem and Social Distortion at the Palace. I was really excited about this gig as TGA are one of my favorite bands at the moment and I like Social Distortion as well.
When we got there, Feeder where on stage. I hadn't heard anything about Feeder since high school and here they were warming up for a couple of awesome punk bands. They were ok. I've never been a real fan of Feeder and that's not likely to change, but they didn't bring the venue down or ruin the night.
Then The Gaslight anthem came on. Before I continue I'd like to point out that TGA were the warm-up act for Social Distortion and the warm-up act is almost never better than the headliners. As the majority of the people in the crowd were there to see Social Distortion, there really wasn't enough energy in the room for TGA to build on. That said, The Gaslight Anthem were fantastic. TGA played songs from all of their albums and Brian Fallon did his best to work the crowd, but he had his work cut out for him.
Social Distortion were also great, they had a bigger crowd and knew how to work them. Even though I wasn't really there to see them, I enjoyed their whole set.
I got a TGA shirt, so the night evened out ok.
It wasn't the best gig I've ever been to, but not the worst either, I'm hoping TGA do a headlining tour next year.
I saw taillights last night, in a dream about my first wife... Hat Guy
When we got there, Feeder where on stage. I hadn't heard anything about Feeder since high school and here they were warming up for a couple of awesome punk bands. They were ok. I've never been a real fan of Feeder and that's not likely to change, but they didn't bring the venue down or ruin the night.
Then The Gaslight anthem came on. Before I continue I'd like to point out that TGA were the warm-up act for Social Distortion and the warm-up act is almost never better than the headliners. As the majority of the people in the crowd were there to see Social Distortion, there really wasn't enough energy in the room for TGA to build on. That said, The Gaslight Anthem were fantastic. TGA played songs from all of their albums and Brian Fallon did his best to work the crowd, but he had his work cut out for him.
Social Distortion were also great, they had a bigger crowd and knew how to work them. Even though I wasn't really there to see them, I enjoyed their whole set.
I got a TGA shirt, so the night evened out ok.
It wasn't the best gig I've ever been to, but not the worst either, I'm hoping TGA do a headlining tour next year.
I saw taillights last night, in a dream about my first wife... Hat Guy
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Album Review - The National, High Violet - Part II
Track 5 - Afraid of Everyone
Oh wow, evidently there was a child involved in the protagonist's relationship on this album. This has gone from failed romance to broken family, depressing. However, a faster drum tempo and more upbeat tone in the vocals actually make Afraid of Everyone less maudlin than most tracks on High Violet. There's a great hint of determination in the face of overwhelming odds that really speaks to me here, and the ending bridge has some great guitar work without the use of The National's well-worn fuzzbox.
Track 6 - Bloodbuzz Ohio
Is this the new Love Will Tear Us Apart? Hopefully there won't be a badly sped-up radio edit that gets piped into the "trendy" sections of Myer, but yes, this is a contender for a classic song. I've already reviewed this, so I won't dwell too long, but in the vein of this album having a concurrent theme, this is the part when you're getting over your ex and flirting inappropriately with someone new.
Track 7 - Lemonworld
Now the older single man is hitting on naive young women whilst drunk at a party said young women are hosting. This is, for me, the worst song on the album. The protagonist is being a buffoon and the lyrics are confusing an nonsensical. Yeah, I've been drunk and slurred bad lines at girls, but I've also had my wisdom teeth out, I don't need to hear songs about either. However, Lemonworld, even as a bad song for this album, would be a good song on many other albums. If Gaga or Katie Perry put out something like this, I would be amazed and thrilled.
Track 8 - Runaway
Yay! The protagonist has found new love and is refusing to back down from his feelings. Stick in there and fight for her dammit! There is an emotional and subtle horn section on this track that makes it rival Bloodbuzz Ohio for my affection. Runaway is touching, soulful and one of the best new love songs I have heard in years. The celebratory tone to this song is tempered with a wonderful melancholy that reminds me of Nebraska-era Springsteen and honestly evokes a lot of emotion in me.
Track 9 - Conversation 16
I'm really not sure to make of Conversation 16. Aside from the obvious lack of Conversations one through fifteen, the song appears to start with traveling to LA and then leaving LA because it sucks. No argument here, I've been to LA, there's nothing there but the film industry, it's boring. Then Conversation 16 goes into a kind of Hannibal Lecter tribute; "I was afraid I'd eat your brains 'cause I'm evil", from here we alternate between leaving LA and excerpts from Hannibal. Is the song any good despite the confusing lyrics? Hell yes. The music is great, the vocals are haunting and evocative and the rhythm line is possibly the best one The National have written to date.
Track 10 - England
Aside from some Coldplay-style piano work, England maintains the standard of the rest of High Violet. Honestly I'm kind of running out of this to say about The National. Yes, all of their songs sound vaguely similar; but awesome sounding like other awesome is not really a problem. I can't understand what message The National are trying to get across, but I don't care, it's all outstanding.
Track 11 - Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
I'm guessing that by this point, The National have given up all pretense of writing anything clear or concise. This seems to be reuniting of the couple from the start of the album, but lines like "I'll explain everything to the geeks" just muddy the issue. However, like Conversation 16 and Runaway, VCG is stunning and features some apparent Boss influence. You know what? Why are you even still reading this? Go buy this album. If you like New Order, Joy Division, early REM or Nebraska Springsteen, you need to pick up High Violet by The National.
Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
Oh wow, evidently there was a child involved in the protagonist's relationship on this album. This has gone from failed romance to broken family, depressing. However, a faster drum tempo and more upbeat tone in the vocals actually make Afraid of Everyone less maudlin than most tracks on High Violet. There's a great hint of determination in the face of overwhelming odds that really speaks to me here, and the ending bridge has some great guitar work without the use of The National's well-worn fuzzbox.
Track 6 - Bloodbuzz Ohio
Is this the new Love Will Tear Us Apart? Hopefully there won't be a badly sped-up radio edit that gets piped into the "trendy" sections of Myer, but yes, this is a contender for a classic song. I've already reviewed this, so I won't dwell too long, but in the vein of this album having a concurrent theme, this is the part when you're getting over your ex and flirting inappropriately with someone new.
Track 7 - Lemonworld
Now the older single man is hitting on naive young women whilst drunk at a party said young women are hosting. This is, for me, the worst song on the album. The protagonist is being a buffoon and the lyrics are confusing an nonsensical. Yeah, I've been drunk and slurred bad lines at girls, but I've also had my wisdom teeth out, I don't need to hear songs about either. However, Lemonworld, even as a bad song for this album, would be a good song on many other albums. If Gaga or Katie Perry put out something like this, I would be amazed and thrilled.
Track 8 - Runaway
Yay! The protagonist has found new love and is refusing to back down from his feelings. Stick in there and fight for her dammit! There is an emotional and subtle horn section on this track that makes it rival Bloodbuzz Ohio for my affection. Runaway is touching, soulful and one of the best new love songs I have heard in years. The celebratory tone to this song is tempered with a wonderful melancholy that reminds me of Nebraska-era Springsteen and honestly evokes a lot of emotion in me.
Track 9 - Conversation 16
I'm really not sure to make of Conversation 16. Aside from the obvious lack of Conversations one through fifteen, the song appears to start with traveling to LA and then leaving LA because it sucks. No argument here, I've been to LA, there's nothing there but the film industry, it's boring. Then Conversation 16 goes into a kind of Hannibal Lecter tribute; "I was afraid I'd eat your brains 'cause I'm evil", from here we alternate between leaving LA and excerpts from Hannibal. Is the song any good despite the confusing lyrics? Hell yes. The music is great, the vocals are haunting and evocative and the rhythm line is possibly the best one The National have written to date.
Track 10 - England
Aside from some Coldplay-style piano work, England maintains the standard of the rest of High Violet. Honestly I'm kind of running out of this to say about The National. Yes, all of their songs sound vaguely similar; but awesome sounding like other awesome is not really a problem. I can't understand what message The National are trying to get across, but I don't care, it's all outstanding.
Track 11 - Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
I'm guessing that by this point, The National have given up all pretense of writing anything clear or concise. This seems to be reuniting of the couple from the start of the album, but lines like "I'll explain everything to the geeks" just muddy the issue. However, like Conversation 16 and Runaway, VCG is stunning and features some apparent Boss influence. You know what? Why are you even still reading this? Go buy this album. If you like New Order, Joy Division, early REM or Nebraska Springsteen, you need to pick up High Violet by The National.
Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Album Review - The National, High Violet - Part I
For those who don't know The National, they're an American band on the fast track to becoming this generation's Joy Division. How this turns out for them... well, time will tell. Control is not a film that needs a spiritual remake so soon. Bloodbuzz Ohio, the hit single from High Violet was one of my favorite songs to come out in 2010; so I bought the album and checked out what else The National had to offer. So here it is, High Violet, Track-by-Track.
Track 1 - Terrible Love
Terrible love and I'm walking with spiders? Clearly the lyricist of The National was an Art Student at some stage, this is the kind of lyric I expect in an early REM song, the kind with a wonky video of an art instillation. This kind of vague but evocative lyrical poetry is pretty much standard for the National as we'll see throughout the album. Once you can get over the non-literal wording and listen between the lines, this is a beautifully sad song about the end of a relationship. The protagonist is walking away from a person he loves because the love is no longer returned; the love he feels is now a "terrible love". The song builds into a complex crescendo with The National's beautiful piano work and guitars with the fuzzbox cranked up to 11. Having been dumped by someone I loved, I really feel the lyric "It takes an ocean not to break", this song is stunning. Still not sure about the spiders though.
Track 2 - Sorrow
Depression can be a touchy subject for a song, but the hopeful tone in the lyrics of Sorrow manage to prevent it from being something to drink yourself to death to. In some ways a follow-up to the previous track, Sorrow repeats the phrase "I don't want to get over you", and tries to illicit sympathy for its loss. I'm typically not a fan of being sorry for yourself and that makes Sorrow on of the weaker tracks on High Violet for me, but as a follow-on from Terrible Love, it works fine.
Track 3 - Anyone's Ghost
I have a feeling that The National are taking us through the stages of grief caused by an ended relationship. If that's the case, Anyone's Ghost is the anger song. Before I go on a little about me; I'm an angry guy. I don't hide my anger from people and I crank up the Punk Rock to get my blood pumping, I get a kick about being angry. As Johnny Rotten said, "Anger is an energy". The National clearly don't how how to be angry at someone. Continuing the broken relationship theme, the protagonist is remembering the betrayal that I assume ended the aforementioned romance. Mildly annoyed by this, he resolves not to follow the person around like a ghost, even though he "don't want anyone else". I have to admit that thematically, The National are losing me at this point, but everything else about the song is still at a very high standard.
Track 4 - Little Faith
I have to say, fuzzbox guitar and piano is not a combination I would have thought of, but The National do some nice work with it. Little Faith is the "I need to get the hell out and blow off steam" part of a breakup. What? You don't get that feeling? I sure as hell do. But this being The National, getting out and cutting loose is a somewhat maudlin exercise, true release being unattainable and the entire attempt simply being a practical experiment in impotent self-esteem. Not that the song's not well composed, I'm just having trouble getting into it.
Track 1 - Terrible Love
Terrible love and I'm walking with spiders? Clearly the lyricist of The National was an Art Student at some stage, this is the kind of lyric I expect in an early REM song, the kind with a wonky video of an art instillation. This kind of vague but evocative lyrical poetry is pretty much standard for the National as we'll see throughout the album. Once you can get over the non-literal wording and listen between the lines, this is a beautifully sad song about the end of a relationship. The protagonist is walking away from a person he loves because the love is no longer returned; the love he feels is now a "terrible love". The song builds into a complex crescendo with The National's beautiful piano work and guitars with the fuzzbox cranked up to 11. Having been dumped by someone I loved, I really feel the lyric "It takes an ocean not to break", this song is stunning. Still not sure about the spiders though.
Track 2 - Sorrow
Depression can be a touchy subject for a song, but the hopeful tone in the lyrics of Sorrow manage to prevent it from being something to drink yourself to death to. In some ways a follow-up to the previous track, Sorrow repeats the phrase "I don't want to get over you", and tries to illicit sympathy for its loss. I'm typically not a fan of being sorry for yourself and that makes Sorrow on of the weaker tracks on High Violet for me, but as a follow-on from Terrible Love, it works fine.
Track 3 - Anyone's Ghost
I have a feeling that The National are taking us through the stages of grief caused by an ended relationship. If that's the case, Anyone's Ghost is the anger song. Before I go on a little about me; I'm an angry guy. I don't hide my anger from people and I crank up the Punk Rock to get my blood pumping, I get a kick about being angry. As Johnny Rotten said, "Anger is an energy". The National clearly don't how how to be angry at someone. Continuing the broken relationship theme, the protagonist is remembering the betrayal that I assume ended the aforementioned romance. Mildly annoyed by this, he resolves not to follow the person around like a ghost, even though he "don't want anyone else". I have to admit that thematically, The National are losing me at this point, but everything else about the song is still at a very high standard.
Track 4 - Little Faith
I have to say, fuzzbox guitar and piano is not a combination I would have thought of, but The National do some nice work with it. Little Faith is the "I need to get the hell out and blow off steam" part of a breakup. What? You don't get that feeling? I sure as hell do. But this being The National, getting out and cutting loose is a somewhat maudlin exercise, true release being unattainable and the entire attempt simply being a practical experiment in impotent self-esteem. Not that the song's not well composed, I'm just having trouble getting into it.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Mashups, or How I learned to stop worrying and hate Glee
I've just had the misfortune to witness an episode of Glee.
Ok, back from vomiting.
Now, I'll admit that I'm not Glee's intended audience; I'm not a teenage girl, I listen to music that's not on Video Hits and I'm not an overly camp gay man. Seriously though, the programme is a steaming pile of crap. I'm not saying that the kids can't sing, a couple can even without autotune, and there's the occasional joke that makes me chuckle. The problem is the music. Don't Stop Believin' wasn't that great when it was a hit for Journey, it didn't need to be resurrected for a generation that buys Ke$ha albums.
Autotune and well choreographed dance routines (yes, I'll admit this much) are no substitute for actual talent or failure to hold a note. Yes I'm talking to you modern pop artists and every single contestant on Australian/American/Pop Idol! If you can't hold a note, get off the stage, don't warble random crap until there's something in your range again. The cast of Glee have managed to butcher a range of popular songs, even stuff like Alicia Keys, that I don't enjoy myself, I'm still offended by how they're handled.
Men Without Hats are turning in their career-graves.
What? No, I don't give a shit about Rocky Horror. Glee can autotune-rap it for all I care.
But a far worse crime committed by the makers of Glee is their overuse of mashups. I'm not sure weather young people love bad mashups before Glee did one or because they did, but it's still a terrifying trend. As mentioned above, I've just seen an episode of Glee and had the misfortune to see a Thriller/Heads Will Roll mashup. Why? The two songs have nothing in common! One is MJ's crowning MTV pop video achievement and the other is a Yeah Yeah Yeahs b-side club anthem. Yes, they're both great to dance to, but that's it. Well done Glee, you've ruined two great songs by great artists so that you can sell crap CDs to kids who don't know better.
You want a good mashup? Look up Love Will Freak Us Apart. Two songs with a similar theme blended together perfectly to create something awesome. That's how you do a freaking mashup! When you use someone's work in your own, the idea is to do something new with it, not just combing two things you like in any way you see fit.
Actual review soon - Hat Guy
Ok, back from vomiting.
Now, I'll admit that I'm not Glee's intended audience; I'm not a teenage girl, I listen to music that's not on Video Hits and I'm not an overly camp gay man. Seriously though, the programme is a steaming pile of crap. I'm not saying that the kids can't sing, a couple can even without autotune, and there's the occasional joke that makes me chuckle. The problem is the music. Don't Stop Believin' wasn't that great when it was a hit for Journey, it didn't need to be resurrected for a generation that buys Ke$ha albums.
Autotune and well choreographed dance routines (yes, I'll admit this much) are no substitute for actual talent or failure to hold a note. Yes I'm talking to you modern pop artists and every single contestant on Australian/American/Pop Idol! If you can't hold a note, get off the stage, don't warble random crap until there's something in your range again. The cast of Glee have managed to butcher a range of popular songs, even stuff like Alicia Keys, that I don't enjoy myself, I'm still offended by how they're handled.
Men Without Hats are turning in their career-graves.
What? No, I don't give a shit about Rocky Horror. Glee can autotune-rap it for all I care.
But a far worse crime committed by the makers of Glee is their overuse of mashups. I'm not sure weather young people love bad mashups before Glee did one or because they did, but it's still a terrifying trend. As mentioned above, I've just seen an episode of Glee and had the misfortune to see a Thriller/Heads Will Roll mashup. Why? The two songs have nothing in common! One is MJ's crowning MTV pop video achievement and the other is a Yeah Yeah Yeahs b-side club anthem. Yes, they're both great to dance to, but that's it. Well done Glee, you've ruined two great songs by great artists so that you can sell crap CDs to kids who don't know better.
You want a good mashup? Look up Love Will Freak Us Apart. Two songs with a similar theme blended together perfectly to create something awesome. That's how you do a freaking mashup! When you use someone's work in your own, the idea is to do something new with it, not just combing two things you like in any way you see fit.
Actual review soon - Hat Guy
Top 10 in 2010 Music - Facespace Port
Back again with another list. This one took a bit longer because I had to go and do some searching for songs I'd missed last year. As hard as it is to believe, 2010 was an even worse year for music than 2009; Triple J's Hottest 100 in '09 at least featured Them Crooked Vultures, Pheonix and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 2010 didn't even fare that well. I bought 4 albums last year and two were soundtracks, after this I'll be getting 3 more, but still not a great year. 2011 is looking pretty good so far, but we'll have to wait and see.
I'm not going to bother posting youtube links, just copy/paste and find them yourself.
(Song - Artist)
10. The Opposite of Adults - Chitty Bang
Now, I haven't just put a hip hop song on the list to grab me some street cred. The Opposite of Adults is on this list because it's a hip hop song I actually like. Except for Matisyahu and the Beastie Boys there's been really no rap/hip hop I've liked since the first wave died out in the early 1990s. Here is a song with the rap artist apologizing to his mother for not having a real job, no guns, bitches or bling in sight and a sample that actually sounds better than the original. If you think you don't like hip hop, check this out.
9. London Calling - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
This cover was actually performed at a concert in Hyde Park in 2009, but as the DVD was released in 2010, it's going here. During a massive concert at one of London's most iconic venues, the Boss opened with a classic Clash number, he didn't know all the words or all the chords, but it still sounded fantastic. London Calling is not my favorite Clash song, but with the entire E Street Band belting it out, it takes on a new life. The Boss. The Clash. In Hyde Park. This is what Stadium Rock was meant to sound like. If you're a fan of live music, go pick up Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band London Calling - Live in Hyde Park on DVD.
8. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
Somber, melancholy and beautiful, Bloodbuzz Ohio is a perfect example of how a good pop song doesn't need to be a dance anthem. I don't know much about The National, but after hearing this I'm going to check them out a bit more. In terms of sound, Bloodbuzz Ohio reminds me of early R.E.M. or The Smiths, pop rhythms with a downbeat feel and subtle vocals. Also there's a fair bit of Joy Division there, think Love Will Tear Us Apart before it was all over pop radio. If the rest of the album is even half this good, it's worth a look.
7. Crossroads - Cyndi Lauper
Apparently, Cyndi Lauper has done a blues album. I don't know how I missed this, but I am pissed. I've copped stick in the past for admitting I like Cyndi Lauper, but seriously, what's not to like? Compare a current pop singer, anyone you like; songs written by computer, voice auto-tuned beyond recognition and tits out for the whole world to see. Now take Cyndi; wrote most of her own songs, an octave range that an Opera singer would be proud of and stuck to her own sense of fashion. Here she does a Blues staple, Crossroads (aka Crossroad Blues), it's a great take on the song, her voice being pretty far removed from the typical, gravely Blues sound. Given her talents and success, it's also not unreasonable to imagine that she really did sell her soul to the devil for music.
6. Cyanide - Bad religion
After touring themselves almost to death in 2008/09, the BR guys crashed at one of their houses for a week and kicked out an album. Sounds like something Bruce Springsteen would do (and indeed has done), but no, one of the oldest and most respected Punk acts has pulled a Segar Session. A common, and often fair, complaint about BR is that all of their songs sound the same, although the last two, New Maps of Hell and Against the Grain have had an increasingly post-produced sound. Cyanide gets away from this, it sounds more like something from The Empire Strikes First with a bit of a country (no, seriously) sensibility. That's right, BR has done a Pop Punk love song with some country riffs, and hey, it sounds great. Hopefully this marks the point that BR actively tried to find a new sound.
5. Mercy Street - Fever Ray
I like The Knife, but I've had trouble really getting into Fever Ray's solo stuff, this Peter Gabriel cover changes that. Haunting, but not creepy like The Knife, this is a great twist on a classic pop number. Maybe not enough enticement to buy the whole album, but a great single from a great vocalist. If you don't know The Knife, check this out first and go from there.
4. TRON Legacy (End Titles) - Daft Punk
Everybody's talking about Derezzed, but the real gem on this debut soundtrack from French Electro geniuses Daft Punk is TRON Legacy. The song builds through a complex electronic introduction before blending in a crescendo with classic strings and horns. Daft Punk have grown up and found their calling, I would be shocked if this is the last soundtrack we get from them, everything about it is perfectly tied in with the film. The end title theme is epic, sweeping and smooth as a light cycle, it may not be a hit single like Derezzed, but as a piece of musical composition, it is by far the superior song.
3. Threshold - Sex Bomb-om (Beck Hansen)
For those that have seen Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, this song appears in the battle of the bands between Sex Bomb-om and the Katanagi Twins. Indie Darling and Futurama guest star Beck was a great choice to compose the songs for the fake band featured in the film and he knocked out a couple of frenzied punk numbers for Micheal Cera to shred a bass to. Threshold is the best song that Sex Bomb-om play hands down, good beat, crazy lyrics and a solid rhythm line make it really stand out.
2. Orphans - The Gaslight Anthem
TGA have gone more Springsteen and less punk on their latest album, but they still sound awesome. Orphans is the hardest rocking song on American Slang, with some beautiful lyric work like "we were diamond Sinatras, like something I saw in a dream" and TGA's signature guitar work. If you're not in to TGA yet, American Slang is probably their most accessible album, start there and work backwards to The '59 Sound and Sink or Swim. Easily the best band you're not listening to yet.
1. March On - Devo
Are we not men? In a world dominated by crap artists mining 80s electro for inspiration, Devo comes back on the scene to show them all how it's really done. March On is as good as Beautiful World or Freedom of Choice, the synth is used properly (a rarity these days) and that drum work is an actual drummer, not a machine. The album Something For Everybody is a fantastic parody of manufactured pop music; Devo showing off their Punk credentials for the whole world to see. If you need a solid pop album, go get Something For Everybody, probably the best thing I've heard all 2010.
I'm not going to bother posting youtube links, just copy/paste and find them yourself.
(Song - Artist)
10. The Opposite of Adults - Chitty Bang
Now, I haven't just put a hip hop song on the list to grab me some street cred. The Opposite of Adults is on this list because it's a hip hop song I actually like. Except for Matisyahu and the Beastie Boys there's been really no rap/hip hop I've liked since the first wave died out in the early 1990s. Here is a song with the rap artist apologizing to his mother for not having a real job, no guns, bitches or bling in sight and a sample that actually sounds better than the original. If you think you don't like hip hop, check this out.
9. London Calling - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
This cover was actually performed at a concert in Hyde Park in 2009, but as the DVD was released in 2010, it's going here. During a massive concert at one of London's most iconic venues, the Boss opened with a classic Clash number, he didn't know all the words or all the chords, but it still sounded fantastic. London Calling is not my favorite Clash song, but with the entire E Street Band belting it out, it takes on a new life. The Boss. The Clash. In Hyde Park. This is what Stadium Rock was meant to sound like. If you're a fan of live music, go pick up Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band London Calling - Live in Hyde Park on DVD.
8. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
Somber, melancholy and beautiful, Bloodbuzz Ohio is a perfect example of how a good pop song doesn't need to be a dance anthem. I don't know much about The National, but after hearing this I'm going to check them out a bit more. In terms of sound, Bloodbuzz Ohio reminds me of early R.E.M. or The Smiths, pop rhythms with a downbeat feel and subtle vocals. Also there's a fair bit of Joy Division there, think Love Will Tear Us Apart before it was all over pop radio. If the rest of the album is even half this good, it's worth a look.
7. Crossroads - Cyndi Lauper
Apparently, Cyndi Lauper has done a blues album. I don't know how I missed this, but I am pissed. I've copped stick in the past for admitting I like Cyndi Lauper, but seriously, what's not to like? Compare a current pop singer, anyone you like; songs written by computer, voice auto-tuned beyond recognition and tits out for the whole world to see. Now take Cyndi; wrote most of her own songs, an octave range that an Opera singer would be proud of and stuck to her own sense of fashion. Here she does a Blues staple, Crossroads (aka Crossroad Blues), it's a great take on the song, her voice being pretty far removed from the typical, gravely Blues sound. Given her talents and success, it's also not unreasonable to imagine that she really did sell her soul to the devil for music.
6. Cyanide - Bad religion
After touring themselves almost to death in 2008/09, the BR guys crashed at one of their houses for a week and kicked out an album. Sounds like something Bruce Springsteen would do (and indeed has done), but no, one of the oldest and most respected Punk acts has pulled a Segar Session. A common, and often fair, complaint about BR is that all of their songs sound the same, although the last two, New Maps of Hell and Against the Grain have had an increasingly post-produced sound. Cyanide gets away from this, it sounds more like something from The Empire Strikes First with a bit of a country (no, seriously) sensibility. That's right, BR has done a Pop Punk love song with some country riffs, and hey, it sounds great. Hopefully this marks the point that BR actively tried to find a new sound.
5. Mercy Street - Fever Ray
I like The Knife, but I've had trouble really getting into Fever Ray's solo stuff, this Peter Gabriel cover changes that. Haunting, but not creepy like The Knife, this is a great twist on a classic pop number. Maybe not enough enticement to buy the whole album, but a great single from a great vocalist. If you don't know The Knife, check this out first and go from there.
4. TRON Legacy (End Titles) - Daft Punk
Everybody's talking about Derezzed, but the real gem on this debut soundtrack from French Electro geniuses Daft Punk is TRON Legacy. The song builds through a complex electronic introduction before blending in a crescendo with classic strings and horns. Daft Punk have grown up and found their calling, I would be shocked if this is the last soundtrack we get from them, everything about it is perfectly tied in with the film. The end title theme is epic, sweeping and smooth as a light cycle, it may not be a hit single like Derezzed, but as a piece of musical composition, it is by far the superior song.
3. Threshold - Sex Bomb-om (Beck Hansen)
For those that have seen Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, this song appears in the battle of the bands between Sex Bomb-om and the Katanagi Twins. Indie Darling and Futurama guest star Beck was a great choice to compose the songs for the fake band featured in the film and he knocked out a couple of frenzied punk numbers for Micheal Cera to shred a bass to. Threshold is the best song that Sex Bomb-om play hands down, good beat, crazy lyrics and a solid rhythm line make it really stand out.
2. Orphans - The Gaslight Anthem
TGA have gone more Springsteen and less punk on their latest album, but they still sound awesome. Orphans is the hardest rocking song on American Slang, with some beautiful lyric work like "we were diamond Sinatras, like something I saw in a dream" and TGA's signature guitar work. If you're not in to TGA yet, American Slang is probably their most accessible album, start there and work backwards to The '59 Sound and Sink or Swim. Easily the best band you're not listening to yet.
1. March On - Devo
Are we not men? In a world dominated by crap artists mining 80s electro for inspiration, Devo comes back on the scene to show them all how it's really done. March On is as good as Beautiful World or Freedom of Choice, the synth is used properly (a rarity these days) and that drum work is an actual drummer, not a machine. The album Something For Everybody is a fantastic parody of manufactured pop music; Devo showing off their Punk credentials for the whole world to see. If you need a solid pop album, go get Something For Everybody, probably the best thing I've heard all 2010.
Statement of Intent
Sic vis pacis parabellum... Frank Castle is dead...
Well, maybe not, but I've been thinking about doing this for a few days, and tonight presented itself as a good time to start. Basically, I need to do more writing; I've tried to keep a writer's journal, but it made me feel too much like some wanker writing in Starbucks. So instead, here's something I can write about that I enjoy and may be able to keep my enthusiasm up for.
I'm looking at at least one post a week on whatever catches my interest; music, TV, film, but mostly music.
I'll bring some reviews I've had up on facespace over to start with, but I refuse to be lazy and let them count as a weekly update.
Excelsior! - Hat Guy
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