Songbird
Dec
17
Margot At the Wedding: imdb / trailer
Pip here again, and I’ve finally seen a film I wanted to see since I saw the trailer a while back…
So Noah has made some really good films in the past, and/or had his fingers directly in the film making pie so to speak. He’s also made a… well not so good one, but we won’t hold that against him! He’s now heavily involved in Wes Anderson’s projects, which I believe is a good pairing. After seeing The Squid and The Whale, and now Margot, I really do have some very serious concerns about Noah’s mental health and relationships with his family.
When I saw The Squid…, I was really moved by the story and the characters. I had someone to root for. I had someone to hate, yet secretly like. The parents were disasters, the children weren’t much better off and everything coalesced together in a sort of self-serving family dynamic that not only felt sincere, but real. In a previous outing, my favorite of his directing work to date, Mr. Jealousy (rent of ‘flix it), everyone again was messed up emotionally, but I really loved each of the characters and wanted to see the end of each of the arcs that were masterfully tied together. And then there’s Margot At the Wedding… and the best words I’ve heard that describe it are: too much.
Everyone is trying just a little too hard, from the writing, to the acting, to the characters themselves in their little world. All the characters are just a little too messed up. All the themes he’s used just a few too many times. This leads me to my main concern. The family this person grew up in had to be… interesting. Take his last two films as a case study in textbook somethingaphilia. Especially considering in both of those films characters are shown quoting their life in their written work to a literal ‘T’. Too. Much. I honestly didn’t hate this film, but I’m not sure if I liked it or not. I don’t think I’d give it the chance with a second viewing to see if maybe I didn’t see it from the right point of view, which has helped a few times in the past.
By the end of the film I was just sick of the two main characters and I was left completely dissatisfied. Nothing was gained, nothing was lost, nothing was learned. Mere moments strike out amongst the mishmash as real gems, showing off just what this talent can do. It leaves a viewer and fan more disappointed, and walking away from the credits shaking their head with a sigh.
Dec
16
Have you ever been?
By Pip | Music Mix Up | 6 Comments
Here is a little something we were shown at a friend’s house that we found quite amusing. Not safe for most situations. Be sure to check out his other postings, they are equally hilarious.
Dec
12
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
By Rachel | Album Picks | 8 Comments
Oh my, oh my Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings have more soul in one of their little pinky fingers then I do in my entire body. But listening to their new album 100 Days, 100 Nights certainly makes me want to get on my knees and thank the sweet lord for blessing me with the music of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings.
Their new album is filled with some of the greatest R&B Soul I have heard in a long time, not since Ray Charles and the entire album is that good. Timeless.
mp3: 100 Days, 100 Nights
mp3: Something’s Changed
100 Days, 100 Nights 2007 (Daptone Records)
Dec
6
Band Of Horses In Commercials?
By Rachel | Album Picks, Music Mix Up | 22 Comments
WTF? I don’t know how I feel about companies corrupting the music I listen to! I am sorry. Call me a snob! Call me possessive! I just find it a little unsettling to hear music like The Funereal by the Band Of Horses playing in a commercial advertising a Ford Edge “Crossover” vehicle…What the fuck does “crossover” mean anyway?! It still looks like a gas guzzling SUV to me. Sorry I am not ranting to offend anyone here…I am just saying I don’t really get it. Couldn’t they use an Angels & Airwaves song? I know, I know, I am sorry but I was bound to offend someone tonight. I guess I am feisty from working on a paper all day.
And I just want to add I am not the only one who has some anger about this subject, check it.
Speaking of the Band Of Horses their new album, Cease To Begin I can’t say I am all that impressed with. I mean I was anticipating it’s release but I just can’t seem to get that excited about the album. I was bummed to say the least but there are a couple of diamonds in the rough so to speak, so I thought I would share my favs.
mp3: Is There A Ghost
mp3: No One’s Gonna Love You
Band Of Horses on myspace
Cease To Begin 2007 (Sub Pop)
Dec
5
That Time Of Year
By Rachel | News & Info. | Leave a Comment
Sorry folks it is just that time of year…Where you wake up and all of a sudden it is the new year! Currently I am working on a paper that is due tomorrow evening and well that is taking up a lot of my time because I have procrastinated as usual. So check back tomorrow night when this paper is done and out of my life. Cheers!
Dec
2
Paste Music Sampler Pick #1
By Rachel | Music Mix Up | 5 Comments
Pip helped with this new feature, thanks Pip! I decided to start a new feature where I pick a favorite song from my monthly Paste Music Sampler. Sound like fun? I hope so. This months pick comes from Music Sampler #38 and my pick is by the lovely UK indie pop rock darling Kate Nash. Her new EP, Foundations is available now in the US and look for her new CD single Pumpkin Soup coming soon.
As for me I have an interview tomorrow so do wish me a bit of luck and I will let you all know how it goes. :)
mp3: Foundations (clean version)
Kate Nash on myspace
Foundations EP 2007 (Geffen Records)
Buy it Here
Nov
27
No Country For Me Either
By Pip | Film Box | 4 Comments
A Coen Bros. Picture
Pip here, and I got me another review, boy howdie I do!
What a cold and menacing film this is, and it’s a welcome home to a pair of my favorite filmmakers. I say welcome home because they’ve strayed from the ranch a bit. Not to say that they can only do one kind of film, because I think they could probably do any kind of film, but this film and those that are somewhat similar in their catalogue of perfection are what they call Decidedly Coen. There’s just something about them… something… strange.
This sinister mother licker ain’t for the faint of heart. In fact I was about plumb tuckered out by the end, my back was tensed up more than the time I green-broke my first horse. Many have written about the villain, the likes of which we have never seen… well maybe Jaws. Many have written about what happens at the climax and how disappointing or spot-on it was. I’m going to write about none of that, mind you. I’m just going to put out a general word of warning.
No Country For Old Men is adapted from a book, beautifully written though it may be, and suffers and benefits from this fact. As all adaptations do in the end. I always like to look beyond the fact that it was adapted and just sit on the film by itself. I’ll take the book on the same measure. For those that don’t know of (as in have read) the book, for those that do not absolutely love the Coen’s past work (except for Ladykillers… we shall, for sake of argument, pretend that film does not exist and while we’re at it Intolerable Cruelty… funny and witty it was, but it was no Coen Bros. film), for those that do not love stories on the independent (read: not predictable) side, then I simply recommend steering clear of this film.
I do this from time to time and I suppose this is why I’m not a professional critic (that and I don’t know what deadline means). Some films most people either just wouldn’t like, aren’t ready for, would be offended by, et al, and there’s nothing wrong with that. This doesn’t make me superior, in fact it simply labels me as a dork extraordinaire. If you answered “but I do!” to any of the exceptions I placed before my warning, then please do see this film at your earliest convenience. If you don’t love it to pieces, as I do, then you’ll at least walk away with an appreciation for what you witnessed, which is one of the greatest films I’ve seen in a long while, to hell with all those that were jolted out of the ending.
Nov
26
Rock Band
By Rachel | Music Mix Up | 12 Comments
Glad to hear everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving here in the States, I am sad it is all over.
But as for my fine feathered gamer friends Rock Band has finally arrived and man is it fun to play! You have a choice to play either drums, guitar, bass/rhythm or you can sing! I have to say that the drums are freaking hard to play but they are fun, a lot of fun. The singing is another story… On an Easy level of difficulty you can pull it off but even for someone who has had some singing experience it can be difficult to get the right pitch on a Medium difficulty level. Either way no matter what I must say they have out done themselves with this game, no matter what your age or gender this is a blast to play with family and friends.
Check out the set list in no particular order:
- “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” – Jet
- “Ballroom Blitz” – Sweet
- “Black Hole Sun” – Soundgarden
- “Blitzkrieg Bop” – Ramones
- “Celebrity Skin” – Hole
- “Cherub Rock” – Smashing Pumpkins
- “Creep” – Radiohead
- “Dani California” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
- “Dead on Arrival” – Fall Out Boy
- “Detroit Rock City” – Kiss
- “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” – Blue Öyster Cult
- “The Electric Version” – The New Pornographers
- “Enter Sandman” – Metallica
- “Epic” – Faith No More
- “Flirtin’ with Disaster” – Molly Hatchet
- “Foreplay/Long Time” – Boston
- “Gimme Shelter” – The Rolling Stones
- “Go with the Flow” – Queens of the Stone Age
- “Green Grass and High Tides” – The Outlaws
- “The Hand That Feeds” – Nine Inch Nails
- “Here It Goes Again” – OK Go
- “Highway Star” – Deep Purple
- “I Think I’m Paranoid” – Garbage
- “In Bloom” – Nirvana
- “Learn to Fly” – Foo Fighters
- “Main Offender” – The Hives
- “Maps” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- “Mississippi Queen” – Mountain
- “Next to You” – The Police
- “Orange Crush” – R.E.M.
- “Paranoid” – Black Sabbath
- “Reptilia” – The Strokes
- “Run to the Hills” – Iron Maiden
- “Sabotage” – Beastie Boys
- “Say It Ain’t So” – Weezer
- “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – The Clash
- “Suffragette City” – David Bowie
- “Tom Sawyer” – Rush
- “Train Kept A-Rollin” – Aerosmith
- “Vasoline” – Stone Temple Pilots
- “Wanted Dead or Alive” – Bon Jovi
- “Wave of Mutilation” – Pixies
- “Welcome Home” – Coheed and Cambria
- “When You Were Young” – The Killers
- “Won’t Get Fooled Again” – The Who
And now a couple of my favorite songs from Rock Band, Maps is so much fun to sing and Here I Go Again is such a blast to play on the drums even if I do suck. ENJOY! :-P
mp3: Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Fever To Tell 2003 (Interscope Records) Get It
mp3: Here I Go Again – OK Go
Oh No 2005 (Capitol) Get It
Nov
21
Thanksgiving
By Rachel | News & Info. | 8 Comments
Hey everyone just wanted you to know that I am a little busy getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner at my mom’s house and I have also been preoccupied playing Rock Band but later on this evening I will have a new Rock Band post for you so check back later. Right now I am gearing up to have an all day bake fest: I am making 2 cheese cakes and 1 pumpkin pie. Yummy! :)
Nov
16
All Time Favorite #18
By Rachel | All Time Favorite | 8 Comments
Yeah! I know it has been far too long since I posted my last All Time Favorite but I thought now is a better time than ever to resurrect this feature.
Stranger Than Fiction really surprised me, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The chemistry between Will Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal was electric and at the same time sweet and innocent. And I could definitely relate to the rebellious nature of Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s character. If you have yet to see this film I highly recommend checking it out, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
And not only is this a cute and funny flick it also has a kick ass soundtrack, which makes this film my All Time Favorite #17.
mp3: The Book I Write – Spoon
mp3: Bottles and Bones (Shade and Sympathy) – Califone
Stranger Than Fiction Soundtrack 2006
Album available HERE
Disclaimer
Music found on this blog is for sampling only. If you like what you hear then support the artist. Buy their music, attend a show and spread the word. If you own the rights to any of the music featured here and you would like me to remove it contact me and I will remove the link immediately.
Click the
tag to listen, right click the song title to save. If you find that an mp3 is not playing chances are it has expired.
Contact
Rachel - Music, FilmAggregator Love
