Bonus
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I’ll talk briefly about another great movie I saw while on my trip away from my island home. One I was very excited about as it’s director Jared Hess is yet to disappoint. The film Gentleman Broncos was recently released overseas and like both of Hess’s previous films (Napoleon Dynamite & Nacho Libre) it may take a little while for most moviegoers to warm to its odd sense of humor as it’s not everyones cup of tea.
The 4 of us that went along were the only people in the cinema on that Monday afternoon. We all found Gentleman Broncos completely hilarious and at times found ourselves asking “what?” but only in a good way.
His previous movies had fantastic music to accompany them and Gentleman Broncos has been given the same treatment. Jared Hess has a great sense of the music that should be played in his films and has so far used everything from breaks and 80’s pop to funk and spanish music. Nacho Libre for example included 3 original and exclusive laid back acoustic Beck compositions.
Gentleman Broncos’s excellent opening titles feature it’s credits as titles of fantasy si-fi fiction paperbacks and is shown with this great track “In The Year 2525” as performed by Zager & Evans which is the original version from 1969.
Gentleman Broncos is yet to get a release date anywhere else but the US which is disappointing as it’s an A grade comedy that deserves a lot more credit then it has so far received. It doesn’t yet have a soundtrack but if I remember correctly it also took Nacho Libre time to have it’s own, also very deserving.
Much like the films of Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino, you can always count on the soundtrack of a Jared Hess film to be a mixtape as fresh and entertaining as any other, unfortunately his films are too few and far between.
Song: In The Year 2525
Artist: Zager & Evans
Single: In The Year 2525 (1969)
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On a recent holiday I had the privilege of watching the new Spike Jonze film “Where The WIld Things Are” much before its planned release in my home country. I had seen the trailer and was very excited by it. It had a very original vision and the Arcade Fire song accompanying the visuals gave it a very moving feel of anxiousness and sadness followed by excited happiness. Feelings that Arcade Fire’s music is very good at provoking.
I did hold my reservations though as I had read articles of the problems that the film had experienced during filming. Reports of poor reception from those who attended preview screening (including children being frightened by the large hairy wild things) long before a planned release and even budget problems.
When the amazing trailer was released the credits showed it was Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s who would be writing the films music. This made things more exciting still. I purposely didn’t listen to the soundtrack before seeing the film as I find this can ruin a particular aspect of the first viewing of any film.
I had seen 2 apposing reviews for the film yet read that it was the highest grossing film for that weekend. There was plenty of hype about it around the city.
Where The Wild Things Are is an amazing film and Karen O’s soundtrack is also something really special and beautiful. I was more then just entertained the entire time and the same feelings the trailer brought out were still there but amplified.
Credited to “Karen O and The Kids” a lot of backing vocals do appear to be performed by kids. Band mates Nick Zinner and Brian Chase also contributed as well as a few other well know artists. Along with these original composition being the only music used in the entire film, a beautiful cover of Daniel Johnson’s “Worried Shoes” is also included.
Karen O’s music complements Where The Wild Things Are perfectly. Without the pictures these songs standalone as something meaningful and very real.
Song: Heads Up
Artist: Karen O and The Kids
Soundtrack: Where The Wild Things Are (2009)
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I’d heard of Kasabian through the radio but wouldn’t have been able to put a song to the name. They’ve put out a couple of annoying songs over the last few years including “Shoot The Runner” and “Club Foot”.
To our benefit though they got a whole lot better and released this great track “Where Did All The Love Go?” which is the second single form their new album. The track it self reminds me of a particular part of Primal Scream and Pink Floyd if they were to have a baby together. Although that kinda sounds like it would be a massive pile of crap, it’s not.
The album itself is altogether only about as good as it’s title, but there are about 3 or 4 others that match it well with a heavy beat and dance feel to it. These include “Swarfiga”, “Fast Fuse” and “Fire”.
Whatever, this is a great song by itself.
Song: Where Did All The Love Go?
Artist: Kasabian
Album: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009)
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GFC got you down? Saving those pennies for that new Hi-Fi? Natural born tight ars? Boy ‘o’ boy have I got great news for you:
Free new music (the best type of new music) is now available from those energetic Nashville kids Turbo Fruites in the form of a 3 track ep with cover.
These studio recordings of songs previously playing through their intersites make up the second ep since their brilliant debut self-titled album.
The main line up since the albums release has changed but remaining member Jonas Stein has relaxed his guitar overdrive this time for a bit of hand clapping fun to start with but brings it home with the trade mark TURBO energy with one for the ladies to round things up.
I was keeping an eye on everything this guy did since he started the now disbanded “Be Your Own Pet”. None of it has disappointed.
Get your free (or paid) copy riiiiiigggggghhhhhhhtttttttttttt here
Song: Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain
Artist: Turbo Fruits
EP: Echo Kid (2009)
If I could just stick with this film clip roll that I’m on, I would like to bring to your attention Blur’s video masterpiece for the most excellent track “Music Is My Radar”. One of my most favorite aspects besides the overall look and simplicity of the stage involved, is the focus on the behind the scenes glimpses of this fictional talk show.
The song alone is so great and doesn’t need a companion film clip to make it any better, but lucky for us it did and it’s a really good one.
Song: Music Is My Radar
Artist: Blur
Compilation: Blur: The Best Of (2000)
“ Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos a all time.
I agree
Good old I Heart Hiroshima are back with more crime, violence and cop shooting with the new track from their new album. These guys always deliver and the great thing is that when you go and see them they basically turn everything up and symmetrically shoot straight shattering sound spikes simultaneously shocking spine the cerebral cortex.
Can’t wait for a) their next live show & b) this new album. YEE-HAW!
BONUS TIP: Click HD you 20th century fogey’s! This is the year 2000 for god sakes.
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Song: Trouble
Artist: Lindsey Buckingham
Album: Law And Order (1980)
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Here’s something I’m looking forward to… The Flaming Lips are going to be releasing their new album “Embryonic” on October 13 which will be their first double album. They’ve had a great run of albums recently but are apparently toning it down a little in the production department with this one, with lead singer Wayne Coyne commenting that this album will be “less polished” then the last few.
This first single from the album has been floating around for a little while and it’s a real winner. Great opening beat to get you under their spell before flying you around another of their great dream soundscapes.
It’s almost like dreaming awake.
BONUS VIDEO: Check out the great on stage visuals they have when they do it live
Song: Silver Trembling Hands
Artist: The Flaming Lips
Taken From: Songs From The Future Album Embryonic (2009)
