Let Me Go Home February 4, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Muzak.Tags: Alex Ebert, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Ima Robot
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Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have been around since 2007, but only last summer released their debut album Up From Below.
I’ve only just discovered them, thanks to a tip-off from my sister. Since then, I’ve become slightly obsessed with their song Home. They sound a little bit like a mix between Jefferson Airplane and a less manic Polyphonic Spree, although this group are made up of slightly less members – thirteen to be exact (if we’re counting three ‘additional members’).
And Edward Sharpe isn’t actually part of the group – he’s actually a fictional “messianic figure” who “was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind, but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love.” That’s according to the group’s founder Alex Ebert, who does double duty as lead singer of Ima Robot.
While you digest all that, have a listen to Home below. There’s even a great talky bit about three minutes in – but I’ll let you hear it for yourself.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home (download)
[MP3 hosted at Factory Made Future, Image via iTunes]
She’s with the Band February 3, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Lit, Televisual.Tags: HBO, I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie, pamela des barres, zooey deschanel
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Another day, another piece of Zooey Deschanel news. Alongside her successful music and film careers, Zooey’s finally sticking her finger into the television pie (unless we’re counting guest appearances on Bones and Tin Man) by signing up to star in and executive produce HBO’s new comedy pilot, I’m with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie.
The show is based on the book of the same name, a 1987 memoir by notorious groupie Pamela Des Barres. Some of her story was already told in the film Almost Famous, which incidentally was one of Zooey’s first film appearances.
It’s a half-hour comedy, so I’m not expecting anything along the lines of The Sopranos or Six Feet Under here. But HBO’s needed something in the comedy department to fill the void left by Sex and the City. I don’t see this as being the worthiest of replacements, but with Zooey on board I can’t help but be optimistic.
For a taste of what to expect, here’s the book’s blurb:
The stylish, exuberant, and remarkably sweet confession of one of the most famous groupies of the 1960s and 70s is back in print in this new edition that includes an afterword on the author’s last 15 years of adventures. As soon as she graduated from high school, Pamela Des Barres headed for the Sunset Strip, where she knocked on rock stars’ backstage doors and immersed herself in the drugs, danger, and ecstasy of the freewheeling 1960s. Over the next 10 years she had affairs with Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, Waylon Jennings, Chris Hillman, Noel Redding, and Jim Morrison, among others. She traveled with Led Zeppelin; lived in sin with Don Johnson; turned down a date with Elvis Presley; and was close friends with Robert Plant, Gram Parsons, Ray Davies, and Frank Zappa. As a member of the GTO’s, a girl group masterminded by Frank Zappa, she was in the thick of the most revolutionary renaissance in the history of modern popular music. Warm, witty, and sexy, this kiss-and-tell–all stands out as the perfect chronicle of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most thrilling eras.
[Blurb via Good Reads]
[Image: Girls Aren't Funny]
Hollywood Infected Your Vain February 3, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Cinematics, Trashion.Tags: abbie cornish, amanda seyfried, Anna Kendrick, annie liebovitz, Carey Mulligan, Emma Stone, Evan Rachel Wood, hollywood issue, Kristen Stewart, Mia Wasikowska, Rebecca Hall, vanity fair
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Vanity Fair have unveiled their annual Hollywood photoshoot, featuring nine of the film industry’s brightest up and coming female stars (click above for larger version).
The talent selected, from left to right: Abbie Cornish (Bright Star, Candy), Kristen Stewart (Twilight, The Runaways), Carey Mulligan (An Education, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, Jennifer’s Body), Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Frost/Nixon), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Defiance), Emma Stone (Superbad, Zombieland), Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler, Across the Universe) and Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air, Twilight).
The girls were photographed by Annie Liebovitz (no surprises there), who has been doing the annual shoot for the past sixteen years.
The editorial has been criticised for being all-white, which is certainly true. Forgive me for saying it, but I don’t think it would do Precious‘s Gabourey Sidibe any good to be plonked in the middle of the fold-out amongst nine other thin white girls.
Even in the magazine’s first Hollywood cover, in 1995, there was one non-white face in the form of Angela Bassett. And everyone had a lot less on.
Behind the scenes at the 2010 shoot, below.
[Images: Vanity Fair, Oh No They Didn't!]
She & Him pump up the Volume February 2, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Muzak.Tags: (500) days of summer, m. ward, she & him, zooey deschanel
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The first single from She & Him’s (Zooey Deschanel being She, and M. Ward being Him) sophomore album, Volume Two, has been released online for free (how nice of them!) and thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint.
Nothing about In the Sun indicates a massive shift from the sunny, folksy upbeat tracks of Volume One, but it’s catchy and has a bit of a group singalong bit in the chorus which is always alright with me.
The summery sounds of this song may not match the weather outside right now, but between this and my copy of (500) Days of Summer, June doesn’t seem entirely out of reach.
Volume Two is released on 23rd March in the US, and 5th April in the UK
She & Him – In the Sun (download)
Come out of your cave walking on your hands January 29, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Muzak.Tags: mumford & sons, sigh no more, the cave
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Mumford & Sons have released the video for their latest single, The Cave (out 28th February), from their debut album Sigh No More.
The video features the band giving their instruments and such to what look like a lost Indian marching band, and then jetting off on motorbikes around the Indian countryside. Next thing you know, everyone’s having a great big lipsync to the song. And it’s great.
Every time I pick a favourite off the band’s album, it changes the next week. For the moment though, The Cave is definitely it. Check out the video below.
There’s a wand waiting for ME? January 29, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Cinematics, Lit.Tags: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Harry Potter, Michael Gambon, Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Tom Felton, Universal Studios
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If I wasn’t already excited enough about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, set to launch this spring at Universal Studios Orlando, I certainly am now.
The theme park’s marketing team have wisely recruited the film franchise’s cast members to talk up Ollivander’s Wand Shop (see below), which will be situated in Hogsmeade Village (not Diagon Alley like in the books…)
It’s a bit gimmicky to hear Emma Watson tell us our “wand is waiting for us”, and Michael Gambon is clearly taking the piss for the entire thing, but nonetheless, colour me excited.
Thierry Coup, Universal Creative’s vice president of creative development and head of the project, explains the wand selection process:
“The questions that will be asked from the wand keeper to the wizard are very individual, very tailored to each person based on their birth date and other questions which will determine the kind of wood and kind of narrow down the choices of wands.
One of [the effects could be], as you’re asked to wave the wand, [if it's not the right one], may be wilting flowers. As you’re asked to water the flowers actually is the reverse effect may happen. Lightening, thunder, we have a whole series of effects. We want enough variety so everyone gets a very unique, individual experience.”
Although there’s no official launch date for the park yet, I’m keeping a close eye on flights to Florida so I can be first in line for my custom wand.
[via MTV.com]
Filling the Gilmore Girls void January 17, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Televisual.Tags: gilmore girls, kerr smith, Life Unexpected, shiri appleby
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It’s been a long hard road since Gilmore Girls bit the dust back in 2007, but The CW, the US network behind Gilmore Girls is in some way making up for that loss by giving us Life Unexpected.
From the official site:
After spending her life bouncing from one foster family to another, 15-year-old Lux has decided to become an emancipated minor. Her journey through the legal maze leads Lux to her biological father, 30-something Nate “Baze” Bazile, who lives like an aging frat-boy and is astonished to learn he has a daughter. Lux is equally astonished to learn that her mother is Cate Cassidy, a star on local radio, along with her boyfriend, Ryan Thomas. When a judge grants temporary custody of Lux to Baze and Cate, they agree to make a belated attempt to give Lux the family she deserves.
From the trailer at least, it looks like it lacks some of the snarky witticism that Gilmore Girls did so well, but if we’re looking for the pure mother-daughter banter element, that looks like it could be here in droves.
Shiri Appleby, best known for playing Roswell‘s Liz, has finally made her way back to the small screen in her role as Lux’s mother Cate. Kerr Smith, Dawson’s Creek‘s Jack is also part of the cast as Cate’s boyfriend Ryan.
Looks like this one could go either way. It looks dangerously close to going into schmaltzy 7th Heaven territory at any moment, but I’ll at least give it the first episode to make my judgement.
The first ten minutes are now available on Facebook, and the show launches in the US next Monday. Check out the extended trailer below.
[Image: The CW]
Return of the Nash January 16, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Muzak.Tags: Do-Wah-Do, Kate Nash, Made of Bricks
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After enjoying considerable success from her first album Made of Bricks, things were looking good for Kate Nash. Then, she disappeared. For what feels like an eternity but was actually only approximately 22 months since she last released a single. Actually, that is practically an eternity in music terms.
Suddenly however, it seems that her as-yet-untitled second album will finally see a release in the coming months.
In the interim apparently, according to an interview with Paste Magazine, Kate has been “Being a person. Getting a flat. Buying a bunny rabbit. Passing my driving test.”
Ah, the classic post-successful-first-album-bunny-rabbit-purchase. Happens to them all. She’s also started up a side-project called The Receeders, who apparently only have about four songs to their name at this stage.
It’s not exactly clear what the second album will sound like, or indeed how similar it will be to her colourful piano-laced debut. This time round, she says she’s drawing influences from ’60s girl groups and ‘riot grrrl punk’:
“Being a woman was important to me on this album, so I wanted to be inspired by women,” she said. “I wanted to mix The Supremes and Bikini Kill.”
I’ve only heard a ropey YouTube version of the planned lead single Do-Wah-Do, which you can also avail of at the bottom of the post, and from the sounds of it it’s certainly not going to alienate her old fans. There’s something kind of newish sounding to it though, but it’s not clear how experimental she’s going to get with her sound on the rest of the record.
Other songs slated for the album have the working titles Paris, Kiss That Girl, I Hate Seagulls and Don’t You Wanna Share The Guilt.
No release date has been announced, but it’s certainly happening.
Kings of Menswear? January 15, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Muzak, Trashion.Tags: kings of leon, kolxs2a, menswear, surface to air
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Kings of Leon, known internationally for making above average rock music, have taken their first foray into the fashion world by launching their own menswear line, KOLxS2A, facilitated by Parisian boutique Surface to Air.
There aren’t many celebrity menswear lines out there, at least not to the overblown extent that female celebrities do special lines, so the Kings of Leon project piqued my interest when I first heard about it. So they may not exactly be fashion icons, but at least it would be something interesting.
Sadly, it’s not really. At all. From the clumsy title of the collection to its pieces, including one fairly ugly t-shirt and two meh plaid shirts, it’s all downhill from there. And it’s not even reasonably priced to add insult to injury. £209 for a guitar strap? £739 for a leather jacket? Think I’ll pass.
What’s worse is the fact that a lot of their devoted fans are likely to be turned off the band for ‘selling out’ and releasing an overpriced and not all-that-great clothing line. Bad move.
The collection is “coming soon” to Surface to Air stores in Paris, Sao Paulo, online and selected stores worldwide.
Click ‘more‘ below to see pictures of the line.
Head, shoulders, knees and…ass January 13, 2010
Posted by Patrick in Muzak, Webshite.Tags: Fernanda Viégas, fleshmap, hip hop, Martin Wattenberg
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When you really think about it, human body parts are mentioned a whole lot in songs. It’s no surprise really that the word ‘ass’ is a common term in the hip-hop genre, or that Gospel music often mentions hands. But what body parts are alternative musicians and metal bands regularly working into their lyrics?
That’s where Fleshmap comes in. Based on a study of a sample of 10,000 songs, ranging from popular artists to the more obscure, the people behind Fleshmap, Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg, have created visual representations categorised by genre of how often specific body parts are mentioned.
From even a cursory glance at the graphs, the most startling thing is how much hip hop artists like to talk about body parts, from their favourite word ‘ass’, used in 23.64% of the chosen songs, right down to ‘prick’, used in 0.09%.
And that’s just the ‘Listen’ part of the site. In the ‘Touch‘ section, by surveying thousands of men and women, the team have devised a map of both a male and female body, highlighting the areas we like to be touched in. Print one off for future reference perhaps?
[Image: Fleshmap]
Patrick and Paula
Patrick
Paula