Singles: March 2010

Kieran's singles column died so that this monthly singles round up could live. Here's a run through of some of my (Saam's) favourite singles released in the UK over March. Well, hopefully released in March anyway, release dates aren't very well publicised these days. Poor form.

Jukebox The Ghost - 'Good Day' (01/03)



It's really hard to not to mention the words "Ben" and "Folds" here. But that's not exactly a bad thing. This is joyously effervescent piano-pop. Makes me want to get up and go and bash on a piano somewhere. Fabulous, darling. Single of the month.

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - 'Get Better' (01/03)

Scroobius Pip's impassioned plea to the youth of today to "get better". Read what else I said about the single and have a listen to some of their other new stuff over here.

The Drums - 'Best Friend' (29/03)
[Video]

I think the backlash might have been and gone but I'm still enjoying The Drums. Breezy summery pop mixed with confusingly depressing lyrics - "you're my best friend, and then you died". I prefer this overly energetic live version though.

Plenty more singles after the jump.

Listen: Tokyo Police Club - Breakneck Speed

I was blown away the first time I heard Tokyo Police Club. At the time I thought they'd taken The Strokes sound and made it so much more visceral and compelling. And Canadian.

That initial lust was from 'Nature Of The Experiment', and would soon be followed by the brilliant EP, 'A Lesson In Crime' and then the ridiculously catchy 'Your English Is Good'. The world was at their feet. But then the debut album 'Elephant Shell' came along and I was pretty disappointed. It lacked the spark of their earlier stuff had and I felt they could do better. And new song 'Breakneck Speed' is proof of that.

BBC iPlayer: Fast Food Nation (2006)

[Watch] (until 00:49, 2nd April)

'Fast Food Nation'

Directed by: Richard Linklater
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Kris Kristofferson


Brief synopsis: "Don Henderson (Kinnear) - marketing executive at Mickey's Fast Food restaurant chain, home of 'The Big One' - has a problem. Contaminated meat is getting into the frozen patties of the company's best-selling burger. To find out why, he'll have to take a journey to the dark side of the All-American meal."

Listen: The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio

After 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' debuted on Lauren Laverne's BBC 6Music show yesterday and then a radio rip spread like Primula cheese spread (mainly as a result of my pal Rob's onethirtybpm piece), The National are now giving away some high quality mp3s of the song.


With the epic and brilliant 'Terrible Love' also being recently debuted, new album 'High Violet' is looking like it's going to shape up nicely in The National's already remarkable back catalogue.

Download the 192kbps version of 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' from my Soundcloud below but there's also a 320kbps version, complete with artwork, which you can download at highviolet.com.

The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio

'Bloodbuzz Ohio' will be out on 7" and download on May 3rd, followed by new album 'High Violet' on May 10th

Website // MySpace // Twitter

Trailer: Scott Pilgrim vs The World

YEAHHH BUDDDDDDDDDDDDY. Finally, finally, finally, the first 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' trailer has dropped. This is the Edgar Wright ('Spaced', 'Shaun Of The Dead', 'Hot Fuzz') adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's still uncompleted 'Scott Pilgrim' comic book series. We've had the confusingly brilliant photos (see below) and the not so epic teaser poster but this is what we've been waiting for.


Brief plot synopsis: "Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams…literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him..."

If you want it in super duper killer hi-def then head over to Apple to see it. Otherwise, enjoy the embed below.

There is too much to say here but the gist of it is typical Michael Cera film turns into crazed action, complete with pastiche Adam West-era 'Batman' style sound and visual effects updated for the 21st century. I feel some sound editing/mixing Oscar nominations await.

Plus some nice glimpses at the supporting cast including the lovely Anna Kendrick and supposed new Captain America Chris Evans. No, not the ginger one. And with Metric, Broken Social Scene and Beck adding to the soundtrack, there's a lot to be excited for.

'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' will be released on August 6th (UK) and Aug 13th (US)

Album Review: Laura Marling

Words: Kieran Toms

Laura Marling - 'I Speak Because I Can'


I made the mistake of reading lots of reviews of Laura Marling's new album before I listened to it or wrote my own review. This meant that I was aware that it was a “grower”. Armed with such knowledge, I perhaps naively thought that I could knowingly pass straight into appreciating it. I was wrong.

With my hopes built up by my love of the debut album, and by the praise lavished upon this one, my initial impression of this record was to be underwhelmed. It’s not an easy album to get to know. It’s so fragile and understated that you really need time and concentration to appreciate its subtleties. Perhaps not an easy thing to do, when there are tweets to tweet and emails to reply to. But it is clear a great deal of quiet contemplation has gone into this album – both lyrically and musically - and to fully appreciate it, you too need to sit down, and let surround you all the sadness and emotion contained within.

Laura Marling - Rambling Man Official Video

On this record, Marling is in a sort of state of fragile defiance, seemingly dwarfed by the overwhelming melancholy of life and love and everything, but able to rouse herself to fight back. As her first album proved, when armed with just her voice and a guitar, she can deliver beautifully restrained ripostes to life’s misfortunes.

But of course it would be wrong wish for or expect a repeat of her first album, and this isn’t one. It is bolder and more ambitious. Extra instrumentation and occasional backing vocals add new depths without losing her signature intimacy - the glimpses of piano on 'Hope In The Air' and the harmonious humming 'What He Wrote', being prime examples.

Marling’s voice has matured and developed too. It is breathtaking at times here. It tiptoes along quietly, reservedly, before darting out with startling daggers of emotion, hitting you right in the heart. She manages to sound wise and world-weary, yet still retain her youthful emotion.

So yes, it is definitely “a grower”. But whatever you think at first, stick with it, for it grows into something very special indeed.

Laura Marling - Hope In The Air (STREAM ONLY)

'I Speak Because I Can' came out on Monday. Stream for free/buy at we7.

Website // MySpace // Twitter

Surfacing: Disappearers

I'm not really enjoying the fact that 2010 seems to be the year of the "viral mystery" and a sense that a band's identity should be as secretive as possible. However, if the music's brilliant then those complaints seem less important. Lucky for Disappearers then that despite their relative secrecy, the one track they've put out to the world is an infectiously rich teaser.

'Everything Straight Lies' is a bit like Belle & Sebastian with Peter Hook's basslines. A bit. I might regret that line in the future. Anyway, as the track's sinister beginnings dissipate, vibrant boy-girl vocal interplay comes to the fore before a hearty lovelorn chorus that kicks off with the fantastic lyric of "'I wish for a million wishes', said a smart arse kid on the hill". Captivating stuff.

A nod to Abeano for getting on this last month. Time for your move Disappearers, make it another good one.

Disappearers - Everything Straight Lies

Website // MySpace

BBC iPlayer: No Distance Left To Run (2010)

[Watch] (until 00.34am, Sunday 22 March)

Oasis vs Blur. The Britpop "war" seems so long ago. And with Oasis recently self-imploding (arguably many, many years too late), there seems to have been only one winner by default. But Blur themselves have had a traumatic existence, particularly regarding the fractured relationship between guitarist Graham Coxon and frontman Damon Albarn. 'No Distance Left To Run' examines the Blur story closer.


"This full-length feature documentary follows Blur on the reunion trail in the summer of 2009 after a ten-year hiatus as they rediscover their music and the friendships that originally inspired the band when they came together at the dawn of the 90s."

Trailer Catch Up: Four Lions, Predators, Iron Man 2 etc

I post the occasional trailer but miss a lot out. Here's a catch up of some of the best....and some of the not so good. And no, I'm not going to link to the new Twilight trailer.

Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer

A brilliant pastiche of Oscar worthy films, executed in a sort of post-modern, reflective manner. Feel free to play "spot the film"....Rain Man, American Beauty, The Shawshank Redemption etc.

Four Lions

From the genius mind of Chris Morris (The Day Today, Brass Eye...and err Nathan Barley) comes a satirical take on a British terrorist cell. So many laugh out loud moments in the trailer culminating in a ridiculous in-car singalong to a track we all love to hate. Release: 7 May (UK)

Iron Man 2

We get to see a bit more of RDJ et al following up on their fun times from the first film. The plot this time seems to be RDJ and Don Cheadle in a tag team match against Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke, with some Scarlett Johansson on the side. It's all about the briefcase armour thing though. Release: 30 April (UK)

Predators

More Predators News & Previews

This trailer is hot off the cutting room. Time for another bunch of humans to get brutally murdered at the hands of Predators. But this time not on Earth. Yay? Release: July (Worldwide?)

The Karate Kid: Even though we've had enough shitty films in The Karate Kid lineage, the first trailer for this reimagining didn't look so bad. The new trailer brings back my reservations. To put it politely. Jackie Chan with facial hair is cool though.

Robin Hood: It's an obvious yet still necessary joke that this Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe offering is essentially Gladiator 2.

Legend Of The Guardians: Unlike many, I'm a fan of Zack Snyder's work. But a $100 million feature on CGI owls seems like a bad move.

A Nightmare On Elm Street: Jackie Earle Haley is one of the best actors around so it'll be interesting to see his interpretation of Freddy Kreuger in this remake of the iconic horror series. Not convinced yet.

Future X-Cops: Sci-fi meets action meets Oriental cinema meets incomprehensibility. Somewhat amazing. Read Christopher Stipp's intrigue over at /Film.

Suck: While I'm not pointing you to the Twilight trailer, I am pointing you to this vampire rock comedy. It features cameos from Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop and Moby. Nuff said.

Tron Legacy: Click the link for what I already said.

EP Review: Screaming Maldini

Words: Kieran Toms

Screaming Maldini - 'And The Kookaburra Sings'

Screaming Maldini are a Sheffield six-piece formed partly out of former members of the Situationists (you may recall their rather good Daft Punk cover). Their myspace gives away some clues as to their sound: phrases like “soupcon of madness” and a long list of things they like including “choirs and trumpets” and “5/4 and 7/8 “ letting you know that their debut release will be far from mundane.


This EP is so full of fast-flowing ideas that at first it can be tough to get your head around them - songs seem twist away into some new fantastical trumpet or xylophone part almost for the sake of doing something different, and you occasionally fear that they have gone for quality rather than quantity of ideas. Happily though, further listens reap rewards, and the multitude of instruments generally starts to sound vital to the whole operation, rather than overly flamboyant.

The faster tracks have their merits, particularly 'The Extraordinary', which impresses with, among many other things, some excellent backing-vocal harmonies. However, my favourite track here is slightly more restrained 'The Albatross', incidentally the only female-vocal-led song on the EP. It simmers slowly, before finally coming to the boil in a kind of multiple instrument explosion that could easily sound overwrought but instead succeeds in a very uplifting fashion indeed.

This is certainly a striking collection of tracks, containing more ideas than some full-length albums. Whilst there might be a case for toning it down a little and cultivating some of their most wanton extravagance, within the context of an EP it, on the whole, works very well.

SCREAMING MALDINI - THE EXTRAORDINARY (MP3 DOWNLOAD)

Screaming Maldini - The Albatross (STREAM ONLY)

'And The Kookaburra' is out now on the perpetually amazing Alcopop label. Buy here.

MySpace // Twitter

Buried Treasures: Buffalo '66 (1998)

Buried Treasures is a column dedicated to things we feel have gone underappreciated, often both critically and commercially. We want to share these wonderful musical and cinematic moments with you.

Words: Paul Dean

Film: 'Buffalo ‘66' (1998)

Director: Vincent Gallo
Cast: Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Mickey Rourke, Angelica Houston

Trailer

I used to tell people that Buffalo ‘66 was my favourite film, though now I'm not so sure, but it will always remain the film that got me into film, just as I reached the cusp of adulthood. It was the first time that my (then tiny, still currently rather small) mind considered film something beyond entertainment; actual art. It opened me up to independent film, alternative styles of direction, elements of minimalism and even to black humour. Yeah, I had a sheltered life, but bear in mind I grew up in a commuter belt village whose name is actually a phrase used for unprocessed sewage: Blackwater.

I can't sell you that enlightenment experience I had, as that's my own, but I can try to sell you the rest. Buffalo ‘66 is the often melancholy tale of a whole lot of small-scale nothing. In a foolish scheme, newly-released convict Billy kidnaps practically the first girl he meets and takes her to his parents' house, forcing her to pretend she's his new wife and thus explain why his parents haven't seen him much lately. The plan is pretty rubbish and hampered by the fact that Billy desperately needs the toilet for most of the first act, yet this girl has so much sympathy for him she still tags along. Later on, various other mundane events grace Billy and his companion, all of which test his terribly short temper, or trigger his characteristic frustration and depression, particularly as his past is slowly revealed.


This is a rather minimalist, downbeat and often dark picture with and stark and moody appearance, thanks to it's being shot on reverse film stock, and at one point it even predates 'The Matrix'’s use of Bullet Time. It received strong reviews across the independent circuit and soon became a cult classic, not least because Lead Actor/Director/Writer/Producer/Composer Vincent Gallo is excellent as the tortured Billy, while the supporting cast includes Mickey Rourke, Anjelica Huston, Ben Gazzara, Rosanna Arquette and the guy from 'Airwolf', as well as Christina Ricci opposite Gallo.

I'd like you to give 'Buffalo ‘66' a try, though it may be an acquired taste. If I wanted to define that taste, I suppose I could say it's both bitter and very dry, with only the slightest hints of colour and sweetness, but then I'd start sounding like a right twerp. 'Buffalo ‘66' is the reason I care about films. I can't think of a better or simpler way to phrase it than that. I hope it does something for you, too.

'Buffalo ‘66' is out now on DVD (but not yet on Blu-ray).

New Noise: NewIslands

"New islands are islands which have literally just been created, whether by means of vulcanism, erosion, glacial retreat, or other mechanisms". NewIslands are also a five piece from the Midlands. You might even remember one of them from some band or another.

With Late Of The Pier now on hiatus, it's down to bands like Egyptian Hip Hop and NewIslands to fill the gap, although NewIslands are certainly more serene than the aforementioned bands. What NewIslands lack in hyperactivity, they make up for with their eerily atmospheric synth pop. Space ballads? Maybe. More likely, I just threw two words together. It's called journalism, guys.

NewIslands released their debut single 'Out Of Time' today, and I've embedded the video above. After watching the video, I'm thinking perhaps "kaleidoscopic" is a good way to describe 'Out Of Time'.

The single's been remixed about a gazillion times and while I'm not much of a fan of remixes, I've got the Is Tropical remix of 'Out Of Time' to share with you. For a couple of non-remixes/demos, check out the NewIslands SoundCloud account.

NewIslands - Out Of Time (Is Tropical Remix)  by  fadedglamourblog

'Out Of Time' is out today, downloadable on iTunes, Amazon etc.

MySpace // Twitter // Blog

Album Review: Gorillaz

Words: Kieran Toms

Gorillaz - 'Plastic Beach'


My first reaction to this album was to be wowed by its stellar line up. Then I remembered a quote by Mark E Smith, who features himself on 'Plastic Beach', about the Sven-era England team:

“A team of superstars is like a supergroup. It's like picking the best guitarist in Britain, the best drummer and the best singer, and expecting them to produce something that isn't prog-rock mush.”

And with the list of collaborators, and the whole cartoon character charade surrounding it all, you could in normal circumstances be forgiven for fearing this album would end up a load of self-indulgent nonsense.

Of course nothing surrounding Gorillaz could be described as "normal", and besides, they’ve made it work before. 'Plastic Beach' is indeed ambitious: not only does it open with a grand orchestral intro, but the first song also starts with a minute of instrumental opulence from the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

But when an album is as finely crafted as this, you think, why not go over the top? You realise the whole cartoon character business is just escapism, removing the band from the any mundane worries about "authenticity" that might plague other bands – 2D, Murdoc and the rest of the band don’t need to worry about fans or press or blogs. The dedicated and complete immersion of all involved into this alternative world mean that you too can let yourself go, and simply enjoy the record for what it is.

Stylo (Feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack)

Gorillaz | MySpace Music Videos

Albarn knows what he’s doing - the songs are well written, almost under-written it seems at times - some tracks seem on first listen to be almost structure-less, only for further plays to reveal hidden layers and depth. Gorillaz make excellent use of the guests – they never seem superfluous - with Bobby Womack (as on 'Stylo' and 'Cloud Of Unknowing') and Lou Reed’s ('Some Kind Of Nature') contributions particularly impressing. And despite the presence of luscious strings, laser-like synths and monstrous beats, there are moments, particularly on the tracks without guests, when this album actually becomes understated.

'Plastic Beach' isn’t perfect. At sixteen tracks it could perhaps be trimmed a little, and it’s lacking in much emotional depth – which is perhaps inconsequential, this being pop album after all - but it does mean that 'Plastic Beach' never quite took my breath away. But it is nonetheless a mightily impressive achievement, and more importantly, a great deal of fun to listen to.

Gorillaz-Plastic-Beach-Album-Mix by fadedglamourblog

'Plastic Beach' is out now. Stream/buy at we7.

Film Review: The Crazies (2010)

Words: Alicia McBride

'The Crazies' (2010)

Director: Breck Eisner
Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Andersen, Danielle Panabaker

Following the highly successful remake of George Romero’s 'Dawn Of The Dead' I was expecting big things from this remake of 'The Crazies', yet the overall feel of them film is uneven. The story follows the sheriff (Olyphant) of a small town in Iowa who has to deal with his neighbours developing a predilection for gruesome murders and bleeding from facial orifices. The town is evacuated and anyone running a temperature is assumed to be crazy and separated. Of course, "shit gets real" when the sheriff’s pregnant wife (Mitchell) is taken and they must try to escape the crazies, the evacuation team and the town itself.

There are moments of the film that are genuinely tense and terrifying – lots of "crazies" appearing in the background, slightly out of focus, like 'The Strangers' – but unfortunately the atmosphere is not sustained. A standout scene involves one of the old style car washes that you drive on to and then the car is guided through all manner of soap and big buffers. Like any good horror film, the terror here comes from the knowledge that something’s "gonna get ya" but you have no idea what it looks like or where it’s coming from. Scenes like this simply heighten the overall disappointment of the film, as they display the craft that Eisner can employ when he chooses to. The film is not bad, just a little clunky in some places.

You need to decide if it’s worth sitting through the more boring parts of 'The Crazies' for some horrifically entertaining deaths and true moments of suspense.

'The Crazies' is out in cinemas now.

Album Review: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Words: Simon Opie

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - 'Beat The Devil's Tattoo'


What a difference a drummer makes – especially if she's a girl. As Janet Weiss arriving from Sleater-Kinney improved Stephen Malkmus' band, The Jicks, so Leah Shapiro, of the Raveonettes, has wrought a mighty transformation of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Grounding the new album in a terrific, rumbling groove, she allows the songs to breathe, always adding just the right presence on what is the BRMC's best album since their eponymous debut.

Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes supply the familiar shimmering guitars and plaintive vocals and the range of songs encompasses everything from all-out rock to the alt-country twist previously featured on third album 'Howl'. But underneath is a rock-steady beat which is both solid and perfect. The album is supposed to have taken longer to put together than recent BRMC efforts and the songs benefit from an attention to detail and form. Opener, impressive title track 'Beat the Devil's Tattoo' sets the tone – dark and sticky – and there are plenty of highlights to follow from the heartfelt and lyrical 'The Toll' to the extended rock-out of 'Half-State'.

Anyone can play guitar, as the song goes, but not everyone can make six studio albums and deliver their sixth as thoughtful and creative as this album. BRMC have proved they are very much still a force to be reckoned with and their mix of old hands and a new recruit is a potent one. Live shows should be a treat.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Conscience Killer by fadedglamourblog(stream only)

'Beat The Devil's Tattoo' is out now. Download 'Conscience Killer' from the album here. Stream the album at we7.

Website // MySpace

Trailer: Tron Legacy

Just a quick post to point out that the new Tron Legacy trailer that I went to see in IMAX 3D several days ago is now online. Featuring Daft Punk, light cycles and some attractive laydeez.

Walt Disney are really marketing the hell out of this film, with various images that I can't be bothered to link to, snazzy billboards and even Tron monorail (Tronorail?) at Disneyworld. THEY JUST MADE MONORAIL EVEN COOLER THAN IT NORMALLY IS.


'Tron Legacy' is out in December 2010.

Album Review: Frightened Rabbit

Words: Saam Das

Frightened Rabbit - 'The Winter Of Mixed Drinks'

I've been inspired by the weird new MGMT song (stream/download over at Pitchfork) to do a bit of an unconventional review of Frightened Rabbit's third LP, 'The Winter Of Mixed Drinks'.


So here's ten things you need to know about the new album:

1) Album opener 'Things' begins in an similar manner to 'I Feel Better' off their astounding last album, 'The Midnight Organ Fight'.
2) Which makes you think that this could well be taking that sound on then topping it.
3) Not quite. But it's still good. Just not quite as intensely emotional.
4) It's an album of consistency, a "grower".
5) But there are a couple of stand out tracks.
6) Lead single 'Swim Until You Can't See Land' is by far the highlight. Inspirational.
7) But recent single 'Nothing Like You' is Frightened Rabbit's most accessible single, three minutes of unrelenting pop.
8) ...even though it has an awful central lyric ("she was not the cure for cancer"). Poor form, guys.
9) Speaking of poor form, why is there an interlude in the middle of the album?!
10) Despite the niggles, this is a good album from a GREAT band.

If you haven't checked out Frightened Rabbit yet, I urge you do so. And in fact, to encourage you, here's some goodies. To start with a couple of tracks from a Marc Riley session from last November. Streaming only, I'm afraid. Also, please lend your support to BBC 6Music here, as it may be axed in spite of its unique and diverse provision of music.

Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land (BBC 6Music Session) by fadedglamourblog

Frightened Rabbit - Nothing Like You (BBC 6Music Session) by fadedglamourblog

Then there's also this tasty cover of 'The Twist' from the last album, by Jacob Ruefer. Jacob's also laid the track over some Fred Astaire and Ginger footage, which is lovely but unfortunately he's disabled embedding so you'll just have to YouTube it, I'm afraid. Other than that, good work Jacob. Stream/download below.

JACOB RUEFER - THE TWIST (FRIGHTENED RABBIT COVER)

'The Winter Of Mixed Drinks' was released on March 1st in the UK and is out today in the US/Canada.

Website // MySpace // Twitter

Oscars: 2010 Analysis

Words: Saam Das // Paul Dean // Alicia McBride

The 82nd annual Academy Awards (or Oscars to us plebs) are done and dusted. It was all about Cameron vs Bigelow (vs Predator) and there was one decisive winner in that battle. A relatively surprise free Oscars, as you can tell from my successful predictions below but I decided to get Alicia and Paul to wade in with their thoughts anyway. No comments on best or worst dressed and red carpet fun (un)fortunately.

BEST PICTURE
Winner: The Hurt Locker
Prediction: Avatar

Saam: Billed as a David and Goliath story and ultimately proving to be just that, the highest grossing film of all time lost to the lowest grossing Best Picture winner ever.

Alicia: This was always a two-horse race, although it was assumed that Avatar had the lead. I am surprised The Hurt Locker took the award in the end but glad, definitely more substance than Avatar, which has a truly awful script.

Paul: To be honest, I don't really have anything to say here as I think this is a tautology. The Hurt Locker *IS* the Best Picture. This is hardly news.


BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow

A: Not only a triumph for Bigelow but for all woman kind! I’m not going to go off on a feminist rant but it is nice to see a female director getting recognition. Kind of wanted Tarantino to get it though.

P: Okay, I have an inherent bias here for a couple of reasons: I've always thought Bigelow was underrated and my undergraduate dissertation was on feminism and gender equality. It takes 82 years for a woman to win Best Director, whilst only a handful have ever been nominated anyway? That's hardly fair. Oh yeah, it's an amazing film too.

S: Plus, she's really attractive.....wait, I mean...and it's International Women's Day - co-incidence? You decide. Also, it makes no sense to have ten Best Picture nominations when you have five Best Director noms.


BEST ACTOR
Winner: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Prediction: Jeff Bridges

S: Seemingly more of a reward for a fruitful career than truly a reward for his acting performance in Crazy Heart, "The Dude" was nonetheless a popular choice.

A: I don’t know if it’s British loyalty or that I have recently developed a crush on Colin Firth but I was hoping he would get it. Plus his performance was incredible. I haven’t seen Crazy Heart so I don’t really feel it’s fair to comment on how deserved the award was.

P: From all the buzz I was reading beforehand, plus the previous awards Bridges won, I think this was a given. Firth didn't make enough of an impact outside of Britain to really challenge, whilst nobody else seemed to have the strength of support that Bridges did. I'm not sure he was the best nominee, but he was the most visible.


BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Prediction: Sandra Bullock

A: Unfair to comment on a film I haven't seen but top marks for the acceptance speech and the good grace to accept an Oscar and Razzie in the same weekend with equal dignity and humour. She’s a super laydee. I do wish it had gone to Gabourey Sidibe though, she’s just fab and so lovable and completely at odds with the character Precious, which makes her performance even better.

S: Another example of the Academy's reluctance to give one of the big awards to a newcomer. I like Sandra Bullock though and genuinely believe she has charm and screen presence.

P: Last night I went to bed in the very midst of the witching hour. I thought I heard strange noises outside, but I took no notice. After fitful, Kafkaesque dreams, I have woken in some strange and twisted alternate reality where Sandra Bullock has an Oscar. Is there any way back?


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Prediction: Christoph Waltz

S: Disappointingly, this was Inglourious Basterds' only win of the night but it was much deserved. If only for Waltz's skill in maintaining his smarmy performance in three different languages.

A: HELL YES! Backed Waltz from the start and couldn’t be happier about this. Inglourious Basterds was probably my favourite film of 2009 and his was the standout performance. So deserved.

P: Basterds was going to win for something or other. Writing seemed more likely to me, but I guess the world is an unpredictable place, which probably explains all the strange places I find myself waking up in. Naked.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Mo'Nique (Precious)
Prediction: Mo'Nique

A: Everyone said she was going to get it and she did, therefore it’s slightly boring in its predictability but, again, well-deserved. Especially as she was playing against type and she was outstanding.

P: For God's sake, why is the title ("PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE") of this film so long? Why is Mo'Nique's name so short *AND ALSO* in possession of an apostrophe? Honestly, what kind of a person has an apostrophe in their name?

S: I hear it's an Irish thing. An expected win but at least Mo'Nique brought a sense of refreshing novelty to the Awards with her unshaven legs and an unconventional approach to the post-Oscar press conference.


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret In Their Eyes)
Prediction: Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon)

P: I wanted either A Prophet or The White Ribbon to win as I feel they're a little more unusual and interesting, but all of the films in this category were strong contenders and, to be frank, also good enough to stand in many of the other Oscar categories that they're inevitably overlooked for, simply because they're foreign.

S: To call this a leftfield win would be an insult to understatements all over the world. Good news for Argentinian cinema though.

A: Wow, this was a genuine surprise, which was nice in such a staid year. I thought ‘he White Ribbon had it in the bag and if not then definitely A Prophet but no!


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: Up
Prediction: Up

A: Hurrah! There hasn’t been a children’s film that has come even close to rivalling it this year so it’s no surprise it won. I remember being impressed by the emotional scope of the film when I first saw it and how affecting and enjoyable it is for adults – quite an achievement.

S: Third successive Animated Feature award for Pixar. Even with five films in the category this year, it seemed almost certain for glory.

P: I think there were some other films in this category. Can you remember what they were? I can't.


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: The Hurt Locker
Prediction: Inglourious Basterds

P: For me, this was the closest category of them all and I really had no idea which way it might swing. I figured it would go to one of the more humorous nominees, so I'm a little surprised.

A: Personally I wanted it to go to A Serious Man - what a funny, clever, insightful film. And if not, then Inglourious Basterds for being so damn cool and entertaining. I feel that The Hurt Locker rams its message (war is bad, we get it) with no subtlety whatsoever. I wonder if given the political climate it seemed a good choice to back. Hmmm.

S: I crossed everything for the Academy to reward Tarantino's excellent screenplay but alas, they awarded Mark Boal for his work towards The Hurt Locker, despite the screenplay being its weakest component. I didn't feel it was overt with its message though.


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Precious
Prediction: Up In The Air

A: I am glad Precious got something beyond Mo’nique’s performance. I haven’t read the book so I couldn’t say how good an adaptation it was but the film was so engaging and moving so it must have been brought to life well.

S: I really thought Up In The Air had this sewn up but was secretly hoping for In The Loop. In the end, Geoffrey Fletcher's screenplay won out. *shrugs shoulders*

P: I think the impact this film has had pretty much guaranteed it a win in this category. I'm a tiny little bit disappointed that In the Loop didn't win, but I guess 100-odd minutes of Caledonian cursing has a rather more limited appeal outside of the UK.

+++

'Avatar' would go onto win three technical awards but then so would 'The Hurt Locker'. OH SNAP. I'm not sure how 'Avatar' lost the sound effects awards though, as they constructed some kind of super new sound stage technologies but anyway. With the other categories, it was pretty much expected and I'm still hurting over the snub for Clint Mansell's 'Moon' soundtrack....

Overall, it was nice to see a strong showing for science fiction films (and 'Star Trek' even managed to win the award for Best Make Up) although I am somewhat glad 'Avatar' didn't become the first science fiction Best Picture. There is some disappointment for 'Inglourious Basterds' and 'Up In The Air', both of which could have been decent Best Picture shouts but ultimately, it was all about 'The Hurt Locker'.

Full list of winners and nominees here.

Film Review: In The Loop (2009)

Words: Paul Dean



When I first tapped out a short review of this film, I wrote that it was my hope the IMDB's "memorable quotes" for 'In The Loop' would simply reprint the entire dialogue. In truth, I expected it to be a moderate success and largely pass the non-British markets by.

Who overseas had seen 'The Thick Of It'? How many people would be put off by the films constant and explosive expletives, or hold no interest for the political plot or for the British system of government? I was nothing less than delighted when, instead, I heard it had secured an Oscar nomination for its writing after meeting with strong and sustained critical praise, all of which is deserved. It was without doubt my film of 2009.

Conceptually identical to 'The Thick Of It', albeit with a number of different characters, 'In The Loop' is largely about political confusion, mismanagement and incompetence, all of which is chased down or hushed up by the whirling tornado of abuse that is Malcom Tucker. Tucker is something of a Whitehall sheepdog, marshalling and organising civil servants and ministers, though in this analogy he is without doubt a rottweiler rather than a collie.

A great deal of the humour comes from his relentless reorganisation of the same stock swear words into ever more elaborate and ingenious personal insults. On the surface of it, 'In The Loop' might seem largely like a comedy of insults, but to believe so is to miss the bigger picture. While Tucker's dialogue may be so sharp that it's positively cutting, it works so well because of how it's interleaved with the ever-growing dalliances, disorganisation and delusion of those he berates and bullies.

All Tucker's rage and remonstration is thanks to a couple of ill-considered soundbites that threaten grow into an international incident, with both the stakes and the swearing gradually building, and most of the film is the constant juxtaposition of the devious and the foolish, of intelligence and idiocy, with no obvious clues as to who or what will win out. You can't help but be alternately chuckling and squirming.

It's very tempting simply to quote 'In The Loop' over and over, if not for fun, then at least to try to illustrate the fantastic quality of its writing. However, I'm going to exercise all the restraint I have and let you discover your own favourite Tuckerisms. I strongly urge you to be "in the loop" this weekend, otherwise I really think you're missing out.

'In The Loop' is on BBC2 at 22.00 on Sunday and is also out now on DVD/Blu-Ray.

Album Review: Blood Red Shoes

Words: Jon Sidwell

Blood Red Shoes – 'Fire Like This'


Blood Red Shoes return in 2010 with their "sophomore" record 'Fire Like This' through V2. It's been a long two year wait for fans of the Brighton based duo since their debut effort 'Box Of Secrets' came out, however with the amount of time the band spend on the road that's hardly surprising - there's 33 dates for their current European tour. Whilst 'Box Of Secrets' gained Blood Red Shoes a core set of fans, it was only mildly received by critics and did little to further their mainstream position. There is therefore a fair amount riding on this second album, for a band who many (well, me at least) thought were one of the most exciting UK rock bands to emerge in the last decade.

The album begins with 'Don't Ask', a track which pretty sums Blood Red Shoes up as a band. Laura-Mary Carter plays her guitar with stark attitude and grit, emphatically backed up by Steven Ansell, who must be one of the most talented drummers around. The tempo is fast, with both members adding vocals to keep things interesting, which is important for a band that only have two instruments. The album continues in a similar vein until 'When We Wake', a much slower and melodic song that emphasises Laura-Mary Carter's voice. A particularly bold song to place so early on in the record. Album closer 'Colours Fade' is my favourite track from 'Fire Like This', led (almost commanded) by Ansell's drums, and really giving off the attitude that Blood Red Shoes are back and looking to make a bigger impression this time round, not only with new fans but with the critics too.

Colours Fade by bloodredshoes

'Fire Like This' is out now. Streamable in full at Soundcloud.

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Oscars: 2010 Predictions

Nick from VoucherCodes got in touch a couple of weeks back to see whether I wanted to chance my arm at predicting the 2010 Oscars, which occur this Sunday. I'm always a bit wary of awards like the Oscars and often feel like they don't celebrate the films that I would like them to celebrate. Having said that, they do produce wonderful moments like Philippe Petit's acceptance speech (see embed) for 'Man On Wire'.

And seeing as I usually take on the Mercury Music Prize, I thought I might as well join in here as well. So here's my 2010 Oscar predictions.

Best Picture: Avatar
Other nominees - The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man , Up, Up in the Air

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Other nominees - James Cameron (Avatar), Lee Daniels (Precious), Jason Reitman (Up In The Air), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Other nominees - George Clooney (Up In The Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Other nominees - Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Other nominees - Matt Damon (Invictus), Woody Harrelson (The Messenger), Christopher Plummer (The Last Station), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique (Precious)
Other nominees - Penelope Cruz (Nine), Vera Farmiga (Up In The Air), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart), Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air)

Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds
Other nominees - The Messenger, A Serious Man, Up

Best Adapted Screenplay: Up In The Air
Other nominees - District 9, An Education, In The Loop, Precious

Best Animated Feature: Up
Other nominees - Coraline, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Princess And The Frog, The Secret Of Kells

Best Foreign Language Film: Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon)
Other nominees - Ajami, El Secreto De Sus Ojos, La Teta Asus Tada, Un Prophete

Best Documentary Feature: The Cove

Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Best Sound Editing: Avatar

Best Sound Mixing: Avatar

Best Original Song: The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)

Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria

I got a bit lazy toward the end in not producing the other nominees. Then again, I am that confident that I've nailed the winners in all those categories. Or more likely, I'm knackered from my bout of man flu.

Anyway, those are the nominations that I think will win, not necessarily my favourites. If you agree or disagree then I'd welcome your thoughts in the comments. Otherwise, we'll just have to find out on Sunday won't we?

If you're a blogger, then you can win £250 in Amazon vouchers by predicting the Oscars correctly, more details and other people's entries can be found here.

New Noise: Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip

While people are rightfully spaffing themselves over the new amazing OK Go video (arguably even better than that treadmill vid) and are suitably intrigued at the more serene direction Foals have taken, I'm going to blog about something else.

Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip have a new single out this week, called 'Get Better', which continues the brilliance of debut album 'Angles'. Combining Pip's ever-so-clever observational lyricism and Le Sac's bouncy electro vibes, we have another gem on our hands. An impassioned plea to the youth of today to "get better". Admittedly, 'Get Better' is inherently moralising which can come off as patronising but it's tough to take Scroobius Pip as anything other than earnest. "Whether you have or you have not wealth, the system might fail you but don't fail yourself".

dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Get Better by Sunday Best

The duo have also put up a couple of tracks from the forthcoming album on Soundcloud, which I've embedded below. 'Snob' and 'Stake A Claim' display some iffy production but constrast 'Get Better' with their fire. The stronger track 'Stake A Claim' is a political monster which has Pip espousing how he will stand up to government, while 'Snob' discusses the notion that music shouldn't be culturally restricted to certain audiences ("Stop being a snob with your music, it made to be heard, anyone can use it").

Snob by lesacvspip

Stake A Claim by lesacvspip

I feel bad for fobbing you off with streams, you can pop over to Soundcloud and download the Villa Vocal Mix of 'Get Better'.

'Get Better' is out now. New album 'The Logic Of Chance' is out on March 15th in the UK.

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