I recently received an advance copy of Sweden's Shout Out Louds next album titled Work (out February 23rd). Work is the band's third album. It was recorded in Seattle and produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses).
Not too long ago the band has made the song "Walls" available as a FREE download. It sounded like a different direction for the band, but now they've released a video for "Fall Hard" (another new track) and this is exactly the kind of song that made me fall so hard (get it, fall hard, nevermind) for this band in the first place.
UK singer/songwriter (and former bare-knuckle boxer) Findlay Brown’s sophomore album Love Will Find You finds influence (much like fellow Englishman Richard Hawley) in classic crooners like Roy Orbison and Ricky Nelson.
Making his US debut on Verve Forecast Records and with the help of producer Bernard Butler (Suede), Brown opts for a more produced sound in the mold of Phil Spector-produced albums of the 60s. This album comes as quite a surprise; a welcome one for fans of finely constructed classic pop.
Just got this mix in my inbox from Mademoiselle Caro & Frank Garcia. It's filled with cool indie gems and off ramp dance cuts.
Here's the tracklisting:
First Half…. Monsters of Folk 'Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)' / Fleet Foxes 'Mykonos' / Young Marble Giants 'Eating Noddemix' / The xx 'VCR ' / Radiohead 'All I Need' / The Zombies 'Leave Me Be' / Echo & The Bunnymen 'Angels and Devils' ...
…And Second half. The Pixies 'Ana' / Day One 'I'm Doin' Fine' / David Bowie 'Speed of Light' / Wire 'The 15th' / Bush Tetras 'Can't Be Funky' / The Presets 'Girl and the Sea' / The Emperor Machine 'Repetition' / Tracey Thorn 'Grand Canyon' (Ada Remix) / Kalabrese 'Makelovedisco'
Just received a trailer for the latest film from Bong Joon-ho (The Host). The story revolves around a single mom to 27-year-old who is naïve and dependent on his mother. Walking home alone one night down a nearly empty city street, he encounters a young girl who he follows for a while before she disappears into a dark alley. The next morning, she is found dead in an abandoned building and he is accused of her murder. Thanks to an inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force, Do-joon’s case is quickly closed, but his mother refuses to let this be the end of the story and sets out to find the girl’s killer and prove her son’s innocence.
Aziz will be doing a Love and Haiti Comedy Benefit on this (Monday Jan. 25) at 9 p.m.at Largo in L.A. that will Feature Sarah Silverman and special guests (rumored to appear, among others, are Ed Helms and Ben Stiller)
The Spike Jonze thirty minute short feature film titled I'm Here is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. The short stars Andrew Garfield as a library assistant who goes through an ordinary life in LA until a chance meeting opens his eyes to the power of creativity and love.
No word yet on the official release date for this robot love story, but it looks great.
I've been listening to Australia's The Middle East's debut EP, titled The Recordings Of The Middle East alot lately.
The Recordings Of The Middle East was originally self released 2008 and in 2009 Spunk re-issued the mini album for the first time with new packaging and a new tracklisting. The band will play their first shows ever on American soil at this year's SXSW Music Festival in March (and also at Coachella).
Brooklyn Vegan wrote - "The band's songs are varied and stretch to cover a lot of popular indie sounds. Fans of Iron &Wine, Fleet Foxes, Nick Drake and Bon Iver take note."
In this thriller Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds) is a widower living in a misty Irish seaside town who is struggling to adjust to his new role as the sole caretaker of his two children. Still reeling from the death of his wife, he has been plagued by terrifying apparitions. When he meets Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), she tries to help Michael with the mystery of his nightmarish visions. However, she must contend with a jealous one-time lover (Aidan Quinn) as things get violent.
The Eclipse will premiere on VOD, Amazon and XBOX Live February 26th, 2010 and opens in theatres March 26th.
Just got this teaser for Rodrigo Cortes' Buried (making its world premiere at Sundance this Saturday).
The plot synopsis goes a little something like this:
A U.S. contractor working in Iraq awakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
There seems to be alot of buzz surrounding the film, mainly because everyone is curious if Ryan Reynolds can actually pull off acting in a coffin the entire movie.
Josh Rouse's New Album 'El Turista' (Yep Roc/March 9) is inspired by Legendary Cuban Cabaret Star Bola de Nieve. Listen to the album in it's entirety from the widget above.
Rouse sings a Cuban lullaby called "Duerme," an invitation to dream. The song, a bossa nova, is emblematic of the sun-kissed, romantic nature of the album, which blends Spanish, Cuban and Brazilian songs with Rouse originals sung in English and Spanish.
Rouse, a Nebraska native, lives in Valencia, Spain with his wife, Paz Suay and their child. Describing the album's genesis, Rouse says, "I was just searching, looking for a new direction. A couple of years ago, my wife put this Bola de Nieve record on and I said, 'Wow, what is that?' Hearing that record was a breakthrough for me.'"
Both "Duerme" and another track, "Mesie Julian," are versions of songs made famous by the legendary Cuban singer/pianist Bola de Nieve, who, says Rouse, inspired the entire project.
I also received a download of the first single (Spinner's Free MP3 of the Day). Have a listen...
The highly anticipated third album from animated supergroup Gorillaz, titled Plastic Beach, will feature guests: Lou Reed, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Mark E. Smith, Gruff Rhys, Mick Jones & Paul Simonen. The first single "Stylo" features Bobby Womack and Mos Def. The album is set for a March 9th release.
Are you, like me, unable to make it to Park City for this year's Sundance Film Festival? Well wipe those tears, because now you can watch some of this year's Sundance selections at the same time festival-goers do, by way of a video-on-demand service called Sundance Selects.
You will be able to view three movies debuting simultaneously with their screening at the fest through Sundance Select's "Direct from the Sundance Film Festival" banner. The films are: Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross' new documentary about disaster capitalism, The Shock Doctrine; the latest indie from the Safdie brothers, Daddy Longlegs and also Daniel Grou's dark revenge thriller 7 Days (which is part of the fest's Park City at Midnight program). Each will be available on the VOD channel for 30 days.
Here's the trailer for Daddy Longlegs...
Here's the trailer for Seven Days (Les 7 jours du talion)...
For Charlotte Gainsbourg's follow-up album, titled IRM, she enlisted Beck to produce and co-write the album. You can stream IRM in its entirety at NPR, a week before its release (Jan. 26th).
Next week (Jan. 26th) Beach House will release their third full-length album titled Teen Dream. The duo seem to have weaned themselves off the lonely minimalism of their previous records for a far more expansive sound.
Stream Teen Dream in it's entirety courtesy of NPR
Mike Kinsella's latest contribution under the Owen moniker was recorded over the course of two years and enlists the expertise of multiple engineers like Tim Iseler (Wilco), Brian Deck (Iron & Wine), and Graeme Gibson (Califone), whereas previous releases were primarily recorded in a makeshift studio in the home of Kinsella's mother.
I didn't even realize this album came out back in Spetember? There seems to be little mention of it, he seems to be one of the most prolific singer/songwriters around today that doesn't get alot of reviews.
He re-recorded this outstanding song that was previously only available on a split disc. Have a listen...
Merge Records will release Sweden's Shout Out Louds next album titled Work on February 23rd. Work is the band's third album. It was recorded in Seattle and produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses).
Not too long ago the band has made the song "Walls" available as a FREE download. It sounded like a different direction for the band, but now they've released a video for "Fall Hard" (another new track) and this is exactly the kind of song that made me fall so hard (get it, fall hard, nevermind) for this band in the first place.
The official full-length trailer for Roman Polanski's new thriller The Ghost Writer (based on the Robert Harris novel) starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Hutton, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams has just gone online. Put aside your feelings towards Polanski and enjoy this trailer because it looks like it will be a great film.
Summit Entertainment will bring The Ghost Writer to limited theaters on February 19th.
Seattle musician Rocky Votolato will be taking to the road this spring for a full US tour in support of his latest effort, True Devotion (out February 23rd on Barsuk Records.) Anyone who pre-orders the record before the release date will get immediate exclusive digital access to the album plus a bonus 7" single with two non-album tracks (while supplies last). The bonus 7″ single includes the two non-album tracks “Rushing To The Ending” (with James Bowman of Against Me! on guitar) and “Connections”, both featuring label-mate David Bazan on drums. You will also be entered automatically to win a private house show performance by Votolato.
Based on the 1979 popular anime series that was broadcast in the States under the name Star Blazers, Space Battleship Yamato is about a band of humans who construct a spaceship to battle a race of aliens who are destroying Earth.
There’s a Japanese teaser trailer that will either look really cool or really lame, depending on who you are. The live action makes me a bit nervous for the film, but also the fact that it stars J-pop singer Takuya Kimura. The film will release in Japan December 2010, no word yet when or if it will get a stateside release.
Formerly known as Final Fantasy, Owen Pallett returns with his first album under his given name.
Whereas some bands take orchestral elements and add them to traditional pop or rock, Pallett focuses on the orchestration first. My instant favorite is the violin plunking second track “Keep the Dog Quiet” with the first line 'My body is a cage', referencing Arcade Fire’s song of the same name. Pallett helped write string arrangements for Arcade Fire’s albums, and even toured with them, so that's no accident.
I got this teaser trailer in my inbox for the forthcoming film Gunless, which is a play on a western that makes fun of Americans.
The teaser doesn't show much, but the plot summary goes like this: A hardened American gunslinger is thwarted in his attempts to mount a showdown in a friendly town up in Canada where no one seems to understand or appreciate the brutal code of the American Wild West.
The film opens in Canadian theaters in March. No US distributor yet, but when we know more so will you.
Broken Bells (aka Dangermouse and The Shins frontman James Mercer) is set to drop a full length album March 9th. A few tracks have recently surfaced online. Give 'em a listen right now!
Listen to the first single "High Road" from Hillydiily
It's been years since Badly Drawn Boy has released new material, but now a new single (“Is There Nothing We Can Do?”) has surfaced and I just can't stop myself from listening to it over and over!
The song is off the forthcoming album Music Inspired by The Motion Picture The Fattest Man in Britain.
Listen to "Is There Nothing We Can Do?" (do it, do it now) Right Here
Earlier this week Stereogum premiered two new Frightened Rabbit tunes. With songs like "Nothing Like You" and (the previously mentioned) "Swim Until You Can't See Land" (both off their forthcoming album The Winter Of Mixed Drinks) it's becoming clear that these guys are getting better at creating catchy upbeat tunes. "Learned Your Name" is the b-side to "Nothing Like You". Look for The Winter Of Mixed Drinks to release March 1st.
FatCat Records sent over a brand new Frightened Rabbit single ‘Swim Until You Can’t See Land’ (official release November 16th) from the band’s forthcoming and as yet untitled album last week! Now here's the video too!
Here's a great new video (directed by Thom Glunt Jr.) for RJD2's "Let There Be Horns", off his forthcoming album The Colossus (out Jan. 19th). Keep your eyes peeled for an RJD2 cameo at the end.
Previously mentioned...
Producer/musician/singer extraordinaire RJD2 recently released three deluxe reissues of his groundbreaking albums originally released on Definitive Jux Records. 2002’s Deadringer, 2003’s The Horror and 2004’s Since We Last Spoke (lauded as one of Spin Magazine’s Top 40 Albums of the Year), are now all in stores with two previously unreleased bonus tracks per album.
Competing at The Oscars for best foreign language film (from Spain) is Fernando Trueba's The Dancer and the Thief.
The adaptation of Antonio Skarmeta's novel is a romantic tragedy, set in post-dictatorship Chile. The story follows two men, a seasoned safe-cracker and a feisty 20-year-old in trouble with the law, as they pursue the women they love while plotting a daring heist. *You can rent this one from Netflix.
I got this little embedded player featuring a couple of new tracks from singer/songwriter Joe Pug's forthcoming album titled Messenger (out Feb. 19th) in my inbox and I just can't stop listening to the second track "Unsophisticated Heart".
Last year The Knife (and Fever Ray) vocalist Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson premiered the Charles Darwin-inspired electro opera called Tomorrow, In A Year, which features new music from The Knife.
Now a studio version of the opera will be available in album form digitally on February 2nd and a CD version on March 9th. Tomorrow, In A Year is currently in Greece, then moving on to Sweden, then Budapest, finishing up in Germany.
Check it...
Sign up on the mailing list and get the new song "Colouring Of Pigeons" (or you can just stream) from The Knife's official site
The Hotrats, a band consisting of two members of British rock group Supergrass. This side project is a collection of cover songs the two have put together for a new album.
Their first single is 'Damaged Goods' (Gang Of Four cover). The flip-side is a cover of the Beastie Boys' 'Fight For Your Right'.
The horror comedy Tucker & Dale vs Evil will be screening at The 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The comedy twists the usual college-kids-go-camping-and-get-killed story, in favor of a kids-only-think-two-peaceful-hillbillies-are-vicious-killers (when they're really not). It doesn't sound that great on paper, but judging from the unofficial trailer it looks like it will be pretty darn funny.
Vampire Weekend are streaming their highly anticipated sophomore album Contra, in it's entirety, on their MySpace. Beginning tomorrow NPR will also be streaming the album, which will officially release on January 12th.
Eli Roth (otherwise known as "Bear Jew" in Inglorious Basterds) directed the short snipper flick "Nation's Pride", a film-within-the-film that stars Frederick Zoller (German actor Daniel Brühl) as a sharp-shooter whose skills are depicted and lionized in the film for furthering Nazi doctrine.
Keep an eye out for Quentin Tarantino's head being blown off!
Kick-Ass (based on the comic of the same name) is about a teenage boy that decides to become a real-life superhero after being inspired by the heroes of comic books. Along the way he meets a crime fighting 12 year old girl named Hit Girl. The Red Band Trailer that recently popped up online highlights Hit Girl's ruthless talent. Look for Kick Ass in select theaters April 16th.
Every year it seems that I miss seeing more and more films, but here is a list of my favorite films that I did manage to see..
The Hurt Locker
This thriller follows a United States Army bomb squad team during the Iraq War. View the trailer here or right here...
A Christmas Tale
This French dramedy from Arnaud Desplechin tells the story of a family with strained relationships.
View the trailer here or right here...
(500) Days of Summer
This one is a romantic comedy, but as the tag line for the film states 'It is not a love story'. View the trailer here or right here...
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
This classic handmade stop-motion animated film from Wes Anderson is based on the Roald Dahl children's novel about a sly fox with a penchant for stealing chickens. View the trailer here or right here...
Pirate Radio
Pirate radio expertly captures the spirit of the sixties as a story follows a group of dj's illegally broadcasting tunes. View the trailer here or right here...
Zombieland
This comedy follows survivors of a zombie apocalypse, as they take an extended road trip in an attempt to find a sanctuary. View the trailer here or right here...
Paranormal Activity
This independent horror film centers on a young couple who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. The movie is presented using "found footage" from the camera set up by the couple to capture what is haunting them. View the trailer here or right here...
Precious
This film follows an illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. View the trailer here right here...
Sin Nombre
This film follows a Honduran teenager with an opportunity to realize her dream of a life in the U.S. as she has an encounter with a gang member on the run, which lead to some unexpected events.
This Pixar film centers around a grumpy old man and an overeager wilderness explorer that form an unlikely bond. View the trailer here or right here...
The Watchmen
This film is set in an alternate 1985 where the murder of a former superhero sends vigilante Rorschach into his own investigation, uncovering something that could completely change the course of history as we know it. View the traier here or right here...
Capitalism: A Love Story
This is a shocking documentary film by Michael Moore that centers on the financial crisis of 2007–2009 . View the trailer here or right here..
Let The Right One In
This is a Swedish romantic horror (based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist) that tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire child in a suburb of Stockholm. View the trailer here or right here...
Ponyo
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the plot to this animated feature centers on a goldfish named Ponyo who befriends a five-year-old human boy, and wants to become a human girl. View the trailer here or right here...
Inglorious Basterds
Tarantino's film follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. View the trailer here or right here..
Coraline
This stop-motion film was adapted from the fantasy/horror novel by Neil Gaiman. It has been compared to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
This black-and-white film from Shane Meadows (This is England) follows two teenage boys adrift in an adult world, as they form an unlikely friendship and the girl they both fancy.
After a death, the family gathers to divide the estate and trade memories. French writer/director Olivier Assayas crafts a near perfect blend of humor and heartbreak, .View the trailer here or right here...
The Cove
This documentary uses state-of-the-art equipment, as a group of activists infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose horrifying events that happen there. View the trailer here or right here...
Extract
Mike Judge (Office Space, Idiocracy) Joel (Jason Bateman) is about to sell his flavor extract factory when a freak accident sets in motion a series of events . View the trailer here or right here...
Everlasting Moments
This Swedish drama from Jan Troell follows the working class Maria Larsson through ups and downs, which include an abusive, alcoholic husband. View the trailer here.
Moon
This science fiction/psychological thriller stars Sam Rockwell as a solitary lunar employee who experiences a personal crisis as the end of his three-year stint nears.View the trailer here or right here...
The Brothers Bloom
This is Rian Johnson's story about two brothers who are the best con men in the world. View the trailer here or right here...
British quartet Mumford & Sons have been creating a buzz in the UK, after a trio of EP's, for their clever brand of folk rock. Their debut album Sigh No More has recently been released stateside and the album should be gracing many 'albums of the year' lists...I know it will be on mine!
So, since I signed on to to attend the Sundance Film Festival (that I sadly cannot attend), I have been receiving emails about films that will be screened. This is one such film...
This British psychological thriller Exam (from Stuart Hazeldine) premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival this past June has been getting a strong word of mouth. In the film eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection for an unspecified high-powered job. That's all we really know for certain, but the trailer looks incredible.
