Alain Souchon, Régine, Dave…

Cette semaine, c’est chaud chaud chaud niveau programmation.

Ou pas.

Trigz est de retour, donc ça se fête avec du lourd.

Au menu pour la semaine :

- Sing Sang Song, tout droit sorti du dernier album Love 2 du groupe français Air, parce que j’ai pas cessé de leur casser les oreilles (et les yeux!) avec mes chansons françaises pendant ces deux semaines. Pour ceux qui ne les connaîtraient pas, Alone in Kyoto est à retenir !

- My Zombie’s A Body For You des beaux et talentueux Dead Man’s Bones. Ryan Gosling, l’un des acteurs des plus doués de sa génération nous donne des frissons de gaieté avec ce titre ou pleins de petits enfants chantent et c’est mignon. Mignon oui, mais bien foutu. Et pour ceux qui souhaiteraient en savoir un peu plus sur ce groupe, j’ai fait un petit article dessus il n’y a pas plus tard qu’hier.

- These Are The Days, du  défunt groupe Lift To Experience. Un album, un chef-d’œuvre. The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads est une véritable expérience à faire vivre à vos oreilles. M’enfin bon, j’en dis pas plus, je reviendrais très probablement dessus.

Read the arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan about which movies they believe are the best sports movie of all-time, and the must-buy for those seeking gifts for a sports fan on Black Friday and beyond!

This feel-good story came out in the fall of 2000 and was a big blockbuster at the box office. It stars Denzel Washington as head coach Herman Boone and co-stars Will Patton as coach Bill Yoast. It should also be noted that future stars Kate Bosworth and Ryan Gosling had small roles in this movie. Based on a true story, it takes place in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971 after the integration of an all-white high school and an all-black high school.

During my sophomore year in college my roommates and I watched this movie throughout the month of August to satisfy our craving and need for football. Being so close to high school at that time, we could all relate to the football aspect of the story.

It is quite amazing to see this team grow, from watching the players bond at camp to seeing the problems continue to exist back in the real world of high school. One of the star player’s girlfriends did not approve of his friendship with his black teammate. The white coach’s job has been taken by a black coach. Heck, it has a coach’s daughter who is very passionate about the game of football (why can’t Loyal Homer meet one of those girls?). It has the typical high school drama. It has hard hitting football. It has a great soundtrack. It has everything a guy could want in a sports movie.

For me it showcases one of my favorite pastimes… high school football. I am on the record saying I absolutely love high school football. This film showcases the growing pains and camaraderie of the players as they chase the state championship that they eventually win. T.C. Williams High actually finishes the year ranked second in the nation, behind a team from Valdosta, Georgia, which was featured on The Sports Debates a couple of months ago.

I will agree that Hollywood definitely spruces up the story of what actually happened. If you have seen the movie, you know that the Titans score a touchdown at the end to win the championship. In reality, that is not the case as they win the state championship 27-0, holding their opponent to minus five total yards, which is quite impressive. Despite the literary license, I still love this movie and certainly hope that a special someone gets it for me today!

Left, NP. Right, Kim Raver.

Left, Joseph Fiennes (The Tudors). Middle, Jim Halpert (The Office), Right, NH.

Left, AH. Right, Audrey Hepburn.

Left, Liv Tyler. Right, AB.

Left, AA. Right, Kristen Kreuk (Smallville)

I know. Freakish.

*All pictures used with permission.

Alright funny heading, but Ryan Gosling really is a great actor and now a great musician. I am sure the majority of you don’t remember YTV’s Breaker High anyway… So we all know that Disney own’s and runs almost the entire world, even Communist China has a Disney World… think it’s a coincidence… I think not. Also why do you think that Britney Spears is still in our lives almost every day even though she really does nothing of any importance anymore, or really ever did. It’s all part of their master plan… Ok I’m getting off topic here, we will cover Disney’s world domination another time. How did I get here again oh yeah Dead Man’s Bones and Ryan Gosling, well Ryan used to be a Mickey Mouse Club Member, for those of you that didn’t know. By the looks of the video I posted below (do yourself a favor and fast forward to 1:45 into the video) Ryan almost became part of one of Disney’s boy band/killer assassins groups, like fellow member JT. I think the only reason he was saved from this fate is because he’s Canadian, we are harder to brainwash. I’m sure it’s true, look it up, Google it, I’m too lazy. So luckily he escaped the grasps of Disney World because even though he did take part in such embarrassing projects as “Breaker High“, “Young Hercules“, and “The Mickey Mouse Club” he has taken a turn for the better and has taken part in such projects as “The Believer“, “Half Nelson“, and “Lars and the Real Girl” and now “Dead Man’s Bones“. The debut self titled album is the brain child of Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields and was released on  October 6, 2009, just in time for a couple pre-Halloween performances. Which is fitting considering the ghoulish feel to Dead Man’s Bones’ music. After listening to the album the first time I felt like Glen Danzig, Dracula, and The Big Bopper had a love child together. I’m not sure if that will make any sense to any of you but that’s what went through my head. Musically the album is very striped down with simplistic riffs and heavy drum beats on the tom tom drums, but has a much grander feeling to it with the help of a full choir. The music has an up beat feel to it much like that of music from a simpler time… the 50’s, but with a very dark overtone. I can not say how much this all appeals to the my personal music tastes. I really was not expecting to be blown away by Ryan Gosling’s first album, but I honestly was. The whole album is strong all the way through but the stand outs for me were ” Pa Pa Power”, “Dead Man’s Bones”, “Lose Your Soul”, “My Body is a Zombie for You”, and “In the Room Where You Sleep”, which is almost the entire album… you get the idea. I recently saw the band at Venue and was thoroughly impressed. The set design and costume design was very fitting with the music. The show stopper came in the form of one of the grade 11 student choir members. Jane Agyeman blew everyone away when performing her solo part in the cover of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”. The sell out crowd went nuts as it was one of those moments where you hear someone sing and it sends chills down your spine. I think even the band was taken aback. My only complaint of the whole night was that Ryan’s fame took away from the performance, as you had to listen to groupie girls that were not there for the music, talk about how hot Ryan was during the sets and then yell various intelligent things at him between songs such as “We love you Ryan” and “Take off your shirt”. I did not allow this to get to me though and enjoyed every minute of the show as Ryan and Zach and the choir of Carson Graham secondary all proved themselves to be great performers.  Please take the time to watch some of the videos below, you will not be disappointed.

J-14 interviewed Stephanie to get the latest Hills dish before the show’s season finale in a couple weeks.  She seems okay with Kristin despite the fact that Steph claims she has multiple sides to her, but Brody on the other hand is a different story.  They’re still not cool.  Stephanie also added a little Twilight spill for you Twihearts, and reveals her celebrity crush.

J-14: Has it been weird for you to not have Lauren Conrad there?
Stephanie Pratt: It’s really lame.  Audrina [Patridge], Lo [Bosworth], and I all miss her the same amount. We all talk about it when we go to beach houses in Malibu and parties. We were all really good friends — she’s Lo’s best friend is gone — so it’s sad. We still hang out — we have each other on BBM.

J-14: How have you adjusted to Kristin Cavallari being there?
Stephanie: I’ve seen two different sides of her. It’s really hard trusting someone who you don’t know. I’m a sensitive person in general — even seeing strangers upset makes me sad! I’m trying to work on not being affected by everything that goes on. Everyone’s [been] trying to give Kristin a chance, and we’re all having a lot of fun hanging out in Malibu. You try to make new friends and keep the old ones, but right now the dynamic on the show is that people are having to make a choice, so there’s a lot of tension.

J-14: Is it weird to have Kristin and Brody Jenner filming together again?
Stephanie: It’s not really. I’ve known Brody forever. He was best friends with my brother when him and Kristin started dating five years ago — that was so long ago! They really just seem like friends. She was the first girlfriend that Brody was settled with — they were in a committed relationship. Brody and I don’t really get along. I like to stay clear of him. I completely took Audrina’s side with the whole Hawaii thing.

J-14: How do you feel knowing that some of the things happening in your real life aren’t shown on TV?
Stephanie: The only thing that bothers me is that no ones ever seen the other side of [my brother] Spencer. But no, we’ve never, ever seen a script! It’s always fun to watch other reality shows and be like, ‘I don’t believe that’s how any of them are,’ but for us pretty much everything is what it is, just edited down.

J-14: Are you Team Jacob or Team Edward?
Stephanie: Edward! I was reading Twilght shouting out loud, ‘I hate you Jacob!’ I was so mad at him! On my BBM, my status would be, ‘Jacob leave her alone!’

J-14: Do you have a celeb crush?
Stephanie: Ryan Gosling!

Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields of Dead Man’s Bones create the “magic of life after death” with the help of the L.A. Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir

Video for “In the room where you sleep” off their debut self-titled album Dead Man’s Bones :

The Notebook (dir. Nick Cassavetes, 2004) *****

reviewed by Natasha Bullen

Tales of romance usually fall into two categories – epically sensationalist or simply downright pathetic. Then director Nick Cassavetes comes along and creates an absolutely beautiful account of a love divided by class in 1940s South Carolina. The film begins in a modern nursing home with an elderly man reading a story to an aged woman. Cassavetes relocates us into the past with the characters, landing us in the midst of a carnival – so begins the story of The Notebook.

Rachel McAdams delivers a flawless performance as seventeen year old Allie Hamilton, a highly privileged heiress with her life all planned out for her. That is, until she meets Noah (Ryan Gosling), an extremely ordinary country boy who quite literally sweeps her off her feet. With such an unlikely attraction, you would think the film would struggle from start to finish, creating a romance never really plausible. Yet the chemistry between McAdams and Gosling is electric and this is what makes the film work so magnificently. Their volatile relationship is unmatchable, fights are always followed by making up. Then the summer ends. Allie’s parents forbid her from seeing Noah again. Allie must go to college in New York. Noah belongs in the country. Noah sees this, so the couple fight and this time actually break up. Their lives separated, there is one question burning in everyone’s mind – is it over?

If this film does not bring you to tears you have no heart. It’s that simple.

(This review was originally published with a score of 4/5. The score has been revised to 5/5 at Natasha’s request. – ed.)

This Friday I heard a cool song on my favourite radio station MotorFM. It is the band of Ryan Gosling, the famous actor, who embodies Noah in the movie “The notebook” (“Wie ein einziger Tag”), based on the novel of Nicholas Sparks. In that movie he has already attracted my attention, since I have appreciated him as a very talented actor and artist. He played in other movies like “United states of Leland”, “Fracture” beside Anthony Hopkins or “Lars and the real girl”, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Although “The notebook” was the typically Hollywood cliché love story, more likely you see him as a dark and tense character. He uses to play all what’s far away from the mainstream. Therefore, it is not surprising to see him in that strange independent band called “Dead man’s bones”. It is hard to characterize that kind of music, it would be the perfect soundtrack for Halloween. The Rolling Stone describes his music as  a “demon spawn of the Misfits, Bauhaus and the Zombies”.

Indeed, he has an affinity for monsters and ghosts, which he shared with his friend Zach Shields, that’s why they began working on a monster love story for the stage. Although no stringed instruments appear on the album at all, — the track “In the room where you sleep” truly rocks, which I thought is impossible without guitars.

For me, a children choir always scares me in a way, which was surely Ryan Gosling’s intention. And with the keyboard, — in this case a piano, it creates the perfect scary atmosphere. I should have posted that on Halloween, what a pity!

dreizehn: lars und die frauen

seit adams äpfel habe ich ja meine vorliebe für schwedische filme entdeckt und so musste ich nicht lange überlegen, als ich den tipp von hape42 bekam. gleich auf die leihliste und 2 tage später war er da.

heute: lars und die frauen (twentieth century fox, 2007)

regisseur: craig gillespie

hauptdarsteller: ryan gosling, patricia clarkson, emily mortimer, paul schneider

inhalt: lars ist ein ziemlich schüchterner zeitgenosse, der in der garage seines ehemaligen elternhauses lebt. im haus selbst wohnen sein bruder und dessen frau, die ein kind erwartet. lars lebt sehr zurückgezogen, geht seiner arbeit in einem großraumbüro nach und ist bei seinen kollegen trotz oder wegen seiner merkwürdigen art sehr beliebt und wird von allen gemocht. eine neue kollegin wirft ihn ein wenig aus der bahn. denn eines tages stellt er seinem bruder und seiner schwägerin eine aus dem internet bestellte puppe in lebensgröße, die eigentlich für andere zwecke gedacht ist, als seine freundin vor. seine familie ist schockiert und wird am nächsten morgen bei einer ärztin vorstellig, die ihnen rät lars und seine freundin zu integrieren. die integration fördert so einiges zu tage, wärmt aber vor allem das herz…

bewertung: die wahrnehmung dieses films fällt durchaus unterschiedlich aus. ich habe meine beiden kolleginnen nämlich genötigt ebenfalls diesen film anzuschauen und er wirkte je nach situation lustig oder traurig. ich selbst fand ihn einfach nur schön. schön schräg, schön traurig, schön liebenswert und absolut sehenswert. ryan gosling spielt seine rolle richtig gut und man fühlt mit lars, aber auch mit seinen freunden und der familie. das ende rührt mitunter zu tränen und hinterlässt eine ganz große portion optimismus.

fazit: absolut sehenswert, durchaus ein kandidat für die heimische videothek.

Zwei gern auf diesem Blog gesehene Menschen zusammen in einem Foto. Und in einem Film.

Gefunden auf Everybody I shot is dead

Esse blog foi criado para falar sobre moda e afins. Então, não posso deixar de considerar música como um grande “afim” da moda.  Minha dica é o projeto musical do  ator canadense Ryan Gosling que, entre uma pausa de um filme e outro,  se arriscou em 2005 no Dead Man’s Bones com seu amigo e também ator, Zack Shield. A banda é uma graça e acabou de lançar seu primeiro disco homônimo em outubro passado.

Ryan Gosling who? É um dos jovens atores promissores  de Hollywood. Foi  indicado, em 2007, ao Oscar de melhor ator pelo filme Half Nelson. Namorou a atriz Rachel McAdams que estrelou com ele o filme The Notebook. Quando criança, fez parte do Clube do Mickey cantando ao lado de Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake e Christina Aguilera.

Por quê escutar? Foi fácil me apaixonar pelo Dead Man’s Bones, porque além da sonoridade dark-folck-indie-rock mixar Arcade Fire/Beirut com Nick Cave as letras criam fofamente uma atmosfera ‘monster-ghost-love-story’. As apresentações são teatrais com direito a cenário de cemitério nem um pouco bizarro.  Ao vivo, a banda ainda tem a companhia de um coral de crianças vestidas de fantasminhas. O fato é que além de mandar bem na parte musical, o duo também acerta no figurino, como se  as roupas completassem o som. Ryan e Zack tocam elegantemente trabalhados em calças e coletes de alfaiataria.

1. .PRETTY KISSES.

A la Ryan Gosling & Rachel Mcadams and Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg and Carrie and Big

2. .BUYING FLOWERS.

3. .LITTLE BLUE DRESSES.

This LBD is a Summer Finn of (500) Days of Summer staple.

4. .MIXING SILVER & GOLD.

5. .RANDOM THINGS.

6. .NATALIE PORTMAN’S FACE.

7. .FALLING BACK IN LOVE WITH OLD FAVORITE MUSIC.

Such as Dispatch.

8. .BALLOON RACES THAT ARE PRETTY.

9. .ADORABLY-DRESSED BOYS.

10. .QUESTIONS.

Peace,

Sources: bear, longlivethequeen, fashionunder100.net, people.com, bleubird vintage, nj.com

I wish that I had more time to invest in my love for music.  I feel super hectic these days and can’t seem to find the time to just sit down, relax, and listen.  So I signed up for eMusic yesterday, a website that gives you a certain amount of credits to download music each month.  It is like the Netflix of music.  I quickly learned that a lot of music that I am into simply isn’t available.  Bummer.  I totally support my local record store but I thought this could be a fun, quick fix for trying out new music…legally.    But it is a funny little website.  I can download the old M. Ward CD’s but not the newest one (which is fine because I already own it but I was just searching and fucking around to see what I could get).  I could get Bjork but non of the newer stuff just her live shows.  WTF?  So it is going to be a work in progress.

I also bought tickets to the Pablove Benefit Concert at the Avalon only to realize that I have a wedding to go to the same day.  I was uber excited to see Band of Horses, Sea Wolf, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Tom Morello…and many more but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.  I’ve never sold my tickets online but it seems like it is a must now.  Bummer, it was for a good cause too–raising money to fight child cancer.  Any suggestions for getting these tickets off my hands???

I think I need to set a music schedule for myself since I am so enveloped in my daily life.  Maybe something where I set aside an hour to myself to update myself.  I mean, how am to keep all of you up to date when I can’t even get myself on track??  Hahaha.  It is sad when one has to put her passion aside in order to get shit done.  But do not fret my pet.  I am on this and will keep the blog alive. 

As for music that I have grooving to… it is a bit random if I do say so myself…

I went to Fingerprints and picked up these:  Sufjan Stevens The BQE, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Up From Below (which I discovered randomly on David Letterman and on YouTube), and Dead Man’s Bones S/T.

The latter CD was recommended to me by an employee of Fingerprints.  It is kinda creepy and yet incredibly enjoyable. Although there are a LOT of people in the…group (for lack of a better word)…overall its concept was brought to fruition by Ryan Gosling (YES! The actor) and Zach Shields.  The cd is very D.I.Y.  The pair met because when Gosling was dating Rachel McAdams, Zach was (and still is–I think) dating her sister.  From what I understood the two bonded over their love for creepy, Halloween-y type shit and decided to create a production…however, it was only the music that stuck.  Thus, Dead Man’s Bones was created with the help of The Silverlake Conservatory of Music’s Children’s Choir.  The two came up with a list of rules so that the music could remain raw and true.  For example, no more that three recordings of the same song, no click track, and the instruments had to be played by them (and Tim Anderson of Ima Robot).  Both ended up learning, playing, and recording instruments that they had never learned before.  Also the intergration of children into their music is interesting.  There is something about their youth that brings the album to life.  I think this is something that Shields and Gosling recognized.  Children really latch onto new things and try their best to succeed.  Surprisingly, their parents didn’t mind the darkness of the music and the lyrics.  On the last day of meeting with the children’s choir the song “In the Room Where You Sleep” was recorded.  Gosling was on the piano and vocals, whereas Shields was playing drums.  The children are in Halloween costumes, standing on risers singing the chorus.  From here the track was recorded, the video was made, and finally after it was all done, they had a wrap party that included a bounce house.  Rad.

Love it or hate it, it is pretty interesting.  There is something catchy and raw that holds my attention.  Definitely not my typical music.  Props to the actor gone musician.  Not too shabby.  Not too shabby at all.

Es cierto, quien escribe no tiene más remedio que confesarlo: uno, que, como en todo lo demás, cuando ama, ama en exceso (lo que vulgarmente se llama “hasta las trancas”), no es en cambio de puertas para fuera un tipo especialmente romántico. Al menos no hasta que se pone (o se ponía) a ello con algo de esfuerzo. Quizá, a lo Bogart (ya quisiera uno ser como Bogart… en eso), tras su espíritu cenizo, su sarcasmo sin descanso y su cinismo abierto las veinticuatro horas, se oculta un sentimental (como le decía Claude Rains en Casablanca). Pero romántico, en términos almibarados, lo que comúnmente conocemos como “moñas”, lo que se dice romántico, uno no es. Así que volvemos a ir contracorriente en esta sección al recoger la apología de la moñez que supone El diario de Noa, azucaradas dos horas de mermelada de grosella dirigidas por Nick Cassavetes (ilustre apellido mancillado en esta ocasión) en 2004 y que para un amplio espectro de público se ha colocado junto a Ghost o Dirty Dancing (puaj, me crujen los dedos al escribir este título) como una de las referencias habituales a la hora de rescatar algún producto digno dentro de ese endemoniado género de pastiches sentimentaloides que ha dado en llamarse “comedia romántica” y que tantos pestiños incluye, entre los cuales, para este enfant terrible de la cosa del cuore, figura ésta en un puesto de honor.

Vaya por delante que se trata de una película no especialmente mal filmada sino que, al contrario, como toda cinta a caballo entre épocas distintas, supone un notable esfuerzo de producción y ambientación, sobre todo a la hora de componer los distintos escenarios que contiene la historia, desde un pueblecito de los años treinta y cuarenta hasta las breves escenas que tienen la guerra como marco, en la que Cassavetes no se mueve mal, consiguiendo una factura visual y técnica sin alardes pero eficaz. El problema, como tantas veces, no es la forma, sino el fondo, empezando por la previsibilidad del guión. Construida como una acumulación de flashbacks o una retrospectiva fragmentada, la película usurpa en buena parte la estética y la atmósfera del cine mal llamado independiente para contarnos una historia a partir del relato que Duke (James Garner), un anciano que vive en una residencia, lee continuamente y siempre que hay ocasión a Allie (Gena Rowlands), otra residente que arrastra acuciantes problemas de memoria. La historia, claro, trata de dos jóvenes que se conocen durante los años treinta y que viven un amor que es la pera: Noah (Ryan Gosling, otro actor de una sola cara) y, atención, Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams). Los mocetes se encuentran en un verano en Carolina del Norte y se encandilan a pesar de que son de extracciones sociales muy opuestas, ella de familia bien y él hijo de un peón (Sam Sephard). Y, cómo no, la cosa empieza con azúcar: el chico se queda tan prendado de la chica que, habiendo subido ésta a la noria de una feria con otro mozo, el joven Noah trepa hasta arriba y amenaza con arrojarse desde lo alto si ella no acepta salir con él. La chica lo toma por un lunático pero, en el fondo halagada y empezando a segregar sustancias corporales varias, por supuesto, acepta.

Desde ese momento, salpicada por continuas vueltas a la residencia en la que la pareja de ancianos comenta la historia, la narración se construye sobre todos los tópicos habidos y por haber sobre lo cursi, tanto en los diálogos como en las situaciones, para mostrarnos el gran amor que viven estos muchachotes: comparten algodón de azúcar, pasean de la mano, contemplan puestas de sol en el campo y, tras haberse mojado con un repentino chaparrón veraniego en mitad del campo se dedican a fornicar, de modo muy romántico, eso sí, en una habitación iluminada con velas de la que el día de mañana ha de ser la casa de sus sueños… Pero claro, los papás de la nena, como el chaval no tiene dónde caerse muerto, lo toman como algo pasajero y no aceptan que, cuando la cosa se pone chunga y la niñata pijotera consentida se empeña en continuar con su novio, su hija se comprometa con semejante mangurrián. Así que, de manera igualmente tópica, la cosa deriva en el drama de un amor imposible por oposición paterna, correo postal inteceptado y Segunda Guerra Mundial incluidos, y en cómo los chicos se separan para reencontrarse años después, cuando él es un tipo de éxito y ella está comprometida con otro (otro tópico), un hijo de papá forrado y de futuro económico asegurado. El drama oscila pues entre ese amor renacido y las comodidades materiales de un matrimonio económicamente próspero entre gente guapa (más tópicos, es la guerra…), y claro, el triunfo del amor es inevitable: no hace falta ser un hacha para que, a través de la coincidencia de nombres mal disimulada averigüemos quién es la pareja de ancianos de la residencia y por qué él le cuenta a ella una vez tras otra la historia.

Además de esta sorpresa que de tan telegrafiada resulta de lo más previsible, es precisamente la tremenda cursilería la que arruina el ingenio que todo esto pudiera tener, sobre todo el juego entre los ancianos desmemoriados y su interés en una historia que presuntamente trata de dos jóvenes desconocidos (y, con perdón, un poco gilipollas). Bien contada pero sin mordiente, sin garra, fuerza ni pasión, la película no deja de ser un drama ajeno en el que el espectador entrará o no según su propio grado de azucaramiento, en el que cuesta encontrar humor, ironía, inteligencia, brillantez en los diálogos u originalidad en las situaciones y en la que sobran clichés y pasteleo. Tanta glucosa se atraganta tanto que uno casi llega a desear que tanto amor se vaya por el sumidero, y el único condimento que podría salvar este monumento al tedio gelatinado, la mala baba, brilla por su ausencia. Será que uno no es un romántico o que la vida no le ha dejado serlo…

Acusados: todos
Atenuantes: la dirección artística
Agravantes: azúcar, mermelada, miel, gelatina, merengue y todos los dulces que el lector sea capaz de imaginar
Sentencia: culpables
Condena: supositorios de sal a tutiplén

1. Florence and the Machine is a new-ish British indie-band headed by singer Florence Walsh. Albeit young, Florence has a very mature set of pipes. The album is, well, its good. If you can’t stand Adele or Duffy, you may not like Florence and the Machine, but if English soulstrises help you get your jollys off then this is for you.

The Sound: Slightly overproduced with strong and loud drum leads. But Florence’s strong voice is quite the match for this upfront style of music, with many catchy but unusual hooks and chorus’s that make you want to play the song over and over and over. The songs are arranged very maturely, and I am trying to do my best not to describe this as a pop album, it isn’t. Most notable is Candi Stanton’s “You’ve got the Love” which seems like the best way to end an album and it really is.

Overall this album is good, its really good. I just can’t wait to see what she does next.

2. Vampire Weekend is back. Their new single off of an upcoming album set for release in January is called Horchata, it goes down just as smooth as the drink. Horchata delivers traditional VW style in the form of a new song. Its not groundbreaking, its not a new direction, but it builds on what they started back with their debut. But what has changed is that VW is no longer singing about cruel professors, idealism, grammar, or spring breaks on Cape Cod. They have graduated and what what they do next is sure to be interesting. The new album Contra is sure to be full of surprises.

Bands to Check Out

The So So Glo’s: Brooklyn based band of four brothers who bring their own brand of punk rock and roll that their website claims “they believe in”

The Song: Throw Your Hands Up

Dead Man’s Bones: Finally an actor with some musical credibility, Ryan Gosling and friend Zach Shields band, released on their own label Werewolf Heart, with a group of kids from the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir have put out a creepy lovable album.

The Song: Pa Pa Power

Dead Man’s Bones / Ryan Gosling and Zach Sheilds. So, I came across this duo and I like the videos I have found of theirs a lot. And no, it’s not any more than 65% because of The Notebook. From what I’ve read, this is a concept album they made with supernatural, paranormal, and death themes and it’s just unexpected to see the influences they draw from as they have fun with those themes. I was entertained, what can I say.

Musically, I found this product description from Amazon:
Dead Man s Bones began recording, and quickly decided that the songs needed the special creepiness and longing of massed children s voices to complete the sound L.A. s Silverlake Conservatory Childrens Choir was brought in to the studio, and Dead Man s Bones, the album, was born. Some of their songs reflect the music they listened to a little bit of doo-wop, and artists such as the Shangri-Las, The Shags, Company Flow, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Bobby Vinton, Joy Division, The Andrew Sisters and Daniel Johnston, to name a few. In addition, the artistic aesthetic of old Universal horror films, vaudeville music-hall numbers, and silent-screen melodramas infest the music.

WORD

platitude [plat-i-tood, -tyood] n. 1. a flat, dull, or trite remark, esp. one uttered as if it were fresh or profound 2. the quality or state of being flat, dull, or trite: the platitude of most political oratory

BIRTHDAY

Bartomoleo Bandinelli (1493), Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815), Auguste Rodin (1840), Karl Marx (1897), Jo Stafford (1917), Kim Hunter (1922), Charles Manson (1934), Mills Lane (1936), Booker T. Jones (1944), Al Michaels (1944), Neil Young (1945), Megan Mullally (1958), Sammy Sosa (1968), Tonya Harding (1970), Tevin Campbell (1976), Ryan Gosling (1980), Anne Hathaway (1982)

STANDPOINT

One things that bugs the shit out of me is when someone, after finding I lean toward the indie rock persuasion in terms of music listening, will classify me as a “music snob.”

The reason it irks me is because it’s simply not true. Well, not completely true anyhow. There’s truth to the idea I look down my nose at artists like Pink, Britney Spears and Kanye West. But it’s only because I think that those artists (and about a million more) really concentrate on finding new ways to suck. And not just at music. At life, as well.

However, if you like those artists and want to listen to them, feel free. Yu can turn them on and dance around your living room and scream the moronic lyrics at the top of your lungs for all I care.

You see, because while I have discerning musical tastes, I am all for you listening to whatever makes you happy. Even if that same music makes me uncontrollably sad. Listen to what you like. It’s your choice.

The problem I have is when someone like you tries to engage me in some sort of debate about musis, lecturing me on the finer, more subtle points of music. Here’s where I gotta stop you.

As I stated before, listen to what you like. But, please, for both our benefit make no attempts to persuade me one way or another about the musical merits of the new Green Day album or how I don’t really understand what Taylor Swift is really singing about. I do. I get it. And, as you’ve made a conscious decision to like that kind of thing, I’ve chosen to go the exact opposite way with my listening pleasure.

So when you call me a “music snob,” you should not be too surprised when the next 30,000 words that come out of my mouth are directed squarely at you, your intellgence and your lack of depth.

Because, really, what’s the difference between you accusing me of being too deep to understand the simplicity of simple music, and me accusing you of being too much of a simpleton to understand the simplicity of great music?

Guess that clears that up. Glad we had this talk.

QUOTATION

What is the feeling when you’re driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? It’s the too huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies. → Jack Kerouac

TUNE

Seems like a ton of bands are doing the return-to-rock thing. (See Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket) Usually, I dislike these trends. Furthermore, I hate being told what to like by anyone. But, being the music geek I am, forcing myself to listen to everything I possibly can (within limits) is something I just need to do. And, sometimes, I stumble upon a band that, despite myself, I kind of really dig. Like Alberta Cross, the NYC-based via London band that just released its debut album, Broken Side of Time. Check out “ATX.”

GALLIMAUFRY

→ THR.com has published a list of the top male TV earners. Tops? Simon Cowell at $75 million a year. No surprise there. Number 10 was a bit of a surprise, though. David Caruso at $9 million per year. All you hammy actors out there have some hope. (Personally, I love watching Caruso in CSI:Miami.)

→ I posted this on Facebook yesterday but I had to share it again here. This is one of the most ridiculous commercials I’ve ever seen. And up here in Phoenixville PA, it’s on like non-stop. It’s for KIA of West Chester and it’s almost making me want to got there and pretend I want to buy a car. Just to see if these dudes are equally hopped-up off camera. My favorite part is when the one dude, Anthony, gets cut off in the middle of the catch phrase, “THAT’S CRAAAZY!” Indeed.

→ The dude who started the Twitter account @shitmydadsays has signed a TV deal with CBS, after signing a book deal recently. Congrats, brother. I love it when stuff like that happens. My favorite tweet of his so far? “Son, no one gives a shit about all the things your cell phone does. You didn’t invent it, you just bought it. Anybody can do that.”

ryan gosling’s dead man’s bones debut, self-titled album is surprisingly good!  i’ve listened to it a couple times finally and am really into it!  check this video out and go here to visit dead man’s bones’ official website!

OUTs

• El botellazo contra Morrissey. Un respeto a la diva, por favor.
• La chapa que nos están dando con Amenabar y su Ágora. De verdad, ¿a quién le hace felaciones este hombre? Que nos pase el contacto para hacer campaña de promoción de music4girls, por favor.
• Wino se ha hecho ahora una yonqui de la surgery… Lo que le faltaba.
• El cierre de Soitu.es y lo que representa para el peridismo digital. Muy mal, fatal…
• Que el In-Edit, como todo lo bueno, se acabe tan pronto. Algunas pestañas ya se pegaban a los ojos de ver tanto documental, pero también se echa de menos desde ya la cultura musical que profesa.
• Que no tengamos el don de la ubicuidad y no podamos ir a todos los conciertos que nos gustaría.
• El efecto 2012… todavía quedan tres años y ya nos están saturando (y por favor, que nadie le produzca más películas fatalíticas a Roland Emmerich…)
• Ni rastro de Wintercase 2009…
• Que se haya desvelado que el ejército estadounidense utiliza la música como medio de tortura. Eso sí: el hecho de que utilicen a Christina Aguilera es un IN como una casa.
• Que Jesse Eisenberg quiera ser un clon de Michael Cera. Mira, Jesse: dignidad, tio, que Michael Cera sólo hay uno.

INs

• Alec Baldwin. Por si no lo habíamos dicho hasta ahora, somos megafans del ex de Kim Bassinger. Blame it on Tina Fey and 30 Rock. Muy a favor de su voz cavernosa, sus carnes no prietas y sus no actuaciones hilarantes.
• Que podamos disfrutar en Barcelona de un festival como el In-Edit.
• Que Britney saque nuevo recopilatorio… Cualquier motivo para hablar de La Brinni es bien recibido en esta casa (pero es que además el single, que se llama 3, se sale).
• Que Lady GaGa reconozca públicamente, por fin, que ella quería ser la nueva Brinni (publicando su primer disco donde salen canciones calcadas al new Britney style).
• El regreso de Róisín Murphy, en plan diva de after cool y embarazada: cuanto más haya de ella en este mundo, mejor.
• La multitud de (buenos) conciertos que nos asolan con el frío: Soulsavers, Micachu & The Shapes, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Dawn Landes…
• La invasión de listas de mejor de la década. Deporte nacional: juntar a los colegas, comprar la Rockdelux y sentarse en una mesa con birras para ponerse a criticar por criticar.
• Blackie Books. La editorial literaria de la temporada, sin duda. ¿Alguien duda que Los Simpson y la filosofía va a ser el regalo de las Navidades?
• Ryan Gosling. Ya sea por Dead Man’s Bones, porque es un actorazo o porque los de music4girls le poníamos un piso en la playa para hacerle visitas los fines de semana…
• Farmville. El rosa es el nuevo rojo… y Farmville es el nuevo Pet Society en Facebook.

DEAD MAN’S BONES

Listen to this incredible band! Listen! Listen! Listen!

Dead Man’s Bones is the musical project of actor Ryan Gosling and his friend Zach Shields. In case you are thinking ‘oh, ANOTHER actor making an album’: don’t think that! It’s a brilliant record full of dark pop songs accompanied by the Silverlake Conservatory Childrens’ Choir. A childrens’ choir singing on a spookily dark pop album? Massive YES! Yes! Yes! Yes! Read more on Pitchfork.

I can’t believe I never listened to this band until now. I was in Rough Trade yesterday before the Cymbals Eat Guitars show, and they were playing this amazing music. I had to go to the counter and ask what it is. It’s brilliant. Wonderfully dark and beautiful, seek it out! I am particularly in love with My Body’s A Zombie For You. The choir is magnificent! So atmospheric and spectacular. Gosling’s voice is deep and strong, and works excellently in conjunction with the choir. The crashing cymbals, the sing a long chorus… amazing. The album is self titled and you should listen to it. It’s on Spotify. 

Hope you love it.