Jun 27, 2013

Møster! – Edvard Lygre Møster (2013)

The band “Møster” was formed when he was invited to the Kongsberg Jazzfestival in 2010, and marked Kjetil’s return to jazz after extensive tours of several years’ duration with the electro-rock band Datarock. The group’s musical idiom is energetic, rock-inspired and dark, and according to Kjetil his goal with the band is to place the artistic style and intensity of his hero Coltrane in a modern context.
Kjetil Møster was given free rein when putting his new band together, and all the musicians he chose have a personal relationship with much of the music of the 1960s and 70s, and are trying to convey these traditions to a new landscape.

Jun 24, 2013

Dirtmusic – Troubles (2013)

The previous album by Aussie rockers Chris Eckman (the Walkabouts) and Hugo Race (the Bad Seeds) was a brave fusion with Tuareg band Tamikrest. This follow-up, cut in a makeshift studio in Bamako, at first seems more of the same, its rock guitars riding African rhythms, heavy on shimmering atmosphere but light on structured songs. As guest singers arrive, it coalesces into something more. La Paix, an impassioned cry against the terrorist invasion of Mali, is voiced thrillingly by Aminata Traore, while Virginie Dembélé does likewise over the dub beats of Wa Nazu. The title cut, originally by reggae's Keith Hudson, adds a bluesy sting. Tough stuff.

Julian Cope – Revolutionary Suicide (2013)

Queens Of The Stone Age – …Like Clockwork (2013)

Lady for a Day (1933) , Frank Capra

 May Robson plays Apple Annie, a slatternly Broadway apple peddler. Annie has a curious setup whereby she is able to finagle other street merchants and beggars to pony up part of their weekly earnings to her--yet she never seems to spend any of the money on herself. This is because Annie has a daughter named Louise (Jean Parker), who has been supported in luxury all her life by her mother. Louise has no idea who Annie really is; so far as she knows, her mother is Mrs. E. Worthington Manville, a Manhattan society matron. When Louise sends Annie a letter telling her that she's become engaged to a young Spanish nobleman named Carlos (Barry Norton), Annie is aghast: once Louise brings her fiance to New York, the jig will be up. Coming to the rescue is high-rolling gambler Dave the Dude (Warren William), who considers Annie his good-luck charm.

The Secret Life of Words (2005) , Isabel Coixet

Writer-director Isabel Coixet's (My Life Without Me) beautifully wrought chamber drama The Secret Life of Words opens on Hanna (Sarah Polley), a laconic, backward and introverted girl in her early '30s, quietly drowning in her own isolation. Partially deaf from working an untold number of hours in a loud factory, Hanna must wear a hearing aid. When her supervisors -- deeply concerned about the four years that have lapsed in Hanna's life without a break -- force her to go on holiday for a month, she hesitantly takes off for a coastal village in the north of Ireland.

Jun 19, 2013

Hausu – Total (2013)

 ...You're living all over me...

The name Hausu primarily brings to mind the Japanese horror cult classic that marries kawaii whimsy with 70s B-movie visuals. The flick’s influence is deep — Flying Lotus rocked a t-shirt adorned with its iconic demon cat image while DJing for Earl Sweatshirt during SXSW and Toro Y Moi’s video for “How I Know” is inspired by the film. But here, Hausu is a Portland post-hardcore quartet set to release its debut full-length Total this summer. The band fits in with the burst and bloom that we’ve been coming into in the years since chillwave has subsided. “Leaning Mess” is filled with the kind of twinkling riffs that materialize into more lush and emotional harmonic guitars, satiating those who grew up or fell in love with music on a healthy dose of both Dischord and Sebadoh cassettes.

Morning Glory (1933), Lowell Sherman

Katharine Hepburn won her first Oscar for her portrayal of Eva Lovelace, a small-town community-theatre actress who comes to New York dreaming of theatrical stardom. She amuses producer Adolphe Menjou and playwright Douglas Fairbanks Jr. with her naively pretentious prattle, but neither man takes her too seriously. Both, however are attracted to Eva: Menjou has a brief affair with her, but she yearns for the more reserved Fairbanks. Partly out of sympathy, Fairbanks arranges for Eva to understudy the troublesome star (Mary Duncan) of Menjou's latest production.

Joseph Arthur – The Ballad Of Boogie Christ (2013)


Jun 18, 2013

Lonely Are the Brave (David Miller, 1962)

Although it never quite escapes the pitfalls of pretension, this film was Kirk Douglas's bid for the affections of the art house crowd, and it remains one of his best efforts. The star plays unreconstructed "rugged individual" Jack Burns, who rides throughout the modern west knocking down man-made fences. Visiting his equally rebellious friend Paul Bondi (Michael Kane), Burns deliberately gets himself thrown in jail to be nearer his pal. Frustrated that Bondi doesn't want to join Burns on the road, Burns breaks out of jail, thereby becoming a fugitive. His trail is dogged by Sheriff Johnson (Walter Matthau), a frustrated frontiersman who secretly admires the freewheeling Burns.

Champion (Mark Robson, 1949)

Midge Kelly, hitchhiking west with lame brother Connie, is hustled unprepared into a pro boxing match. Though he's severely beaten, manager Tommy Haley finds him promising. Arrived in California, Midge and Connie find nothing but a menial job from which Midge gets relief by seducing Emma, a lovely young waitress. One shotgun marriage later, ambitious Midge falls back on the only option he knows: boxing. Seduced by cheering crowds, money, and a succession of blondes, Midge becomes more and more of a hero in public...and a heel in private.

Jun 13, 2013

Colleen – The Weighing of the Heart (2013)

... Album of the month...
It’s hard to believe that it has taken ten years of releases for Cécile Schott to find her voice. That’s not to speak ill of her earlier run of records; her debut Everyone Alive Wants Answers was a joy, and her later instrument-heavy experiments were always crucial, but on The Weighing of the Heart we hear Schott’s actual vocals for the first time. It’s similarly difficult to believe that unlike so many others in her position, Schott manages to resist the temptation to embellish her words with reverb, autotune or overdrive. If The Weighing of the Heart shows one thing above all else, it’s Schott’s evolution and courage as an artist.

Jun 11, 2013

Filth (2013)

Irvine Welsh (novel)



Teddy Bear (Mads Matthiesen, 2012)

The 38-year-old bodybuilder Dennis would really like to find true love. He has never had a girlfriend and lives alone with his mother in a suburb of Copenhagen. When his uncle marries a girl from Thailand, Dennis decides to try his own luck on a trip to Pattaya, as it seems that love is easier to find in Thailand. He knows that his mother would never accept another woman in his life, so he lies and tells her that he is going to Germany. Dennis has never been out traveling before and the hectic Pattaya is a huge cultural shock for him. The intrusive Thai girls give big bruises to Dennis' naive picture of what love should be like, and he is about to lose hope when he unexpectedly meets the Thai woman Toi.

Dark Horse (Todd Solondz, 2011)

Thirty-something guy with arrested development falls for thirty-something girl with arrested development, but moving out of his junior high school bedroom proves too much. Tragedy ensues. Writer and director Todd Solondz examines the irretrievability of youth and the mercilessness of time passing in Dark Horse, a melancholy and idiosyncratic comedy starring Justin Bartha, Selma Blair, Mia Farrow, Jordan Gelber, Donna Murphy, Christopher Walken, Zachary Booth and Aasif Mandvi

The Day of the Jackal (Fred Zinnemann, 1973)

It is the early 60s in France. The remaining survivors of the aborted French Foreign Legion have made repeated attempts to kill DeGaulle. The result is that he is the most closely guarded man in the world. As a desperate act, they hire The Jackal, the code name for a hired killer who agrees to kill French President De Gaulle for half a million dollars. We watch his preparations which are so thorough we wonder how he could possibly fail even as we watch the French police attempt to pick up his trail. The situation is historically accurate. There were many such attempts and the film closely follows the plot of the book.

Jun 10, 2013

Sigur Rós – Kveikur (2013)

Case Studies – This Is Another Life (2013)

Case Studies is the musical project of Jesse Lortz, a prolific Seattle based artist. His lyrics wax and wane with truth and bare tales from his life. Melodies surface as lines hummed in the in-between times. These easy melodies coat the heavy subject matter of suicide, heartbreak, grief and regret. As with his previous project, The Dutchess and the Duke, listening to Case Studies feels like taking part in an exploration of sentimental landscapes. They appear and fade like dark light lingering on the horizon. The meandering verse journeys to seek comfort in loneliness and vulnerability. Through the twisted subconscious, dawn breaks, breathing its light on both the joyous and dismal occasions that mark life’s milestones, each song a continuation of his story, each song a probing examination of motivation and consequences.

Jun 6, 2013

The Dodos – Carrier (2013)

Rogue Wave – Nightingale Floors (2013)

James Skelly & The Intenders (2013)

The Star (1952), Stuart Heisler

An actress who once knew the heights of fame is forced to confronts the depths of defeat in this show business drama. Margaret Elliot (Bette Davis) was once one of Hollywood's great stars, but as she edges into her 50's, both her career and her life have reached an unfortunate crossroads. Margaret hasn't worked for several years, her marriage has fallen apart, her former husband has custody of her daughter Gretchen (Natalie Wood), and she's running short of money. Margaret's agent Harry Stone (Warner Anderson) can't get her a part, and isn't willing to lend her the money to pay her bills. When they learn that Margaret is all but penniless, her sister (Fay Baker) and brother-in-law (David Alpert) turn their back on her, and Margaret's landlady (Katherine Warren) is threatening to evict her.

Boomerang! (1947) , Elia Kazan

Boomerang, directed by Elia Kazan, is a chilling film noir, the true story about the murder of a priest, the subsequent arrest and trial of a jobless drifter, and the efforts of young state's attorney Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) to uncover the truth. Closely based on the actual 1924 murder of Fr. Hubert Dahme in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the film was directed by the young Elia Kazan in a highly effective, semi-documentary style. Kazan shot most of the film on location, using high-contrast cinematography and an extremely mobile camera to create a palpable sense of urgency. The screenplay, expertly crafted by Richard Murphy received an Academy Award nomination.

Rollin Hunt – The Phoney (2013)

Rollin Hunt has a pretty impressive CV. Originally from Chicago, the Los Angeles-based production designer has worked on projects like this ad for the NBA and the independent film Wolves From Another Kingdom. Not to be outdone by his visual side, Hunt’s bombed-out lo-fi recordings have also inspired early Ariel Pink-like devotion, leading to a tribute album by equally obscure bands in 2008. Four years later, the multimedia artist seems to be moving away from the doo-wop swing of his earlier releases with the dark, hazy “Beautiful Park” off his forthcoming debut full-length, The Phoney.

Jun 4, 2013

The Pastels - Check My Heart (Official Video)

one early spring Saturday in Glasgow...

Vår

Vår
No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers (Sacred Bones,2013)

















Vår is the project of four best friends from Copenhagen. Each member of the band is involved in several other Danish bands and all four members are also accomplished visual artists. What began as the extremely lo-fi two-piece of Elias Rønnenfelt and Loke Rahbek recording on 4-track has evolved into an experimental noise/industrial/techno pop quartet. On this album Vår utilize everything from acoustic guitar, power electronics, bass, trumpet, multi-tracked vocals, and various percussive instruments, to broken glass & sheet metal samples. No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers is a remarkable debut, an emotional roller coaster of sorts which at times is profoundly uplifting, at times decidedly morose but remains unfailingly moving throughout.

Foxygen - No Destruction


Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "From The Sun"


The Strokes - Welcome to Japan


Jun 3, 2013

Mood Rings



Atlanta-based Mood Rings...
“Pathos y Lagrimas” is the lead single from their debut album VPI Harmony, available on June 25 on Mexican Summer.

Standish/Carlyon – Deleted Scenes (2013)

... Sivo, sumorno nebo ...
Deleted Scenes is the debut album by futurist dub pop duo Standish/Carlyon, comprising bassist/vocalist Conrad Standish and guitarist Tom Carlyon, both formerly of noir rock group Devastations.
Deleted Scenes continues the process begun on the final Devastations album Yes, U, moving away from full-band arrangements towards submerged electronic rhythms and late-night altered states. The atmosphere throughout is one of surreal chic. In rich baritone or impressive falsetto, Standish intones dark, absurdist lyrics over the band’s shimmering take on dub, a sensual, ultramodern gloss disturbed by deep vibrations.