I am the King of the Echo People

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I haven't blogged in a while to review anything, but after seeing the Christopher Wallace biopic Notorious, I had to weigh in.  Usually, a movie opening in January is the kiss of death, with few exceptions (like Cloverfield).  But after seeing the trailer for Notorious, my curiosity was peaked as to how they would deal with the whole B.I.G/Puffy/Tupac story, as it's one of the greatest and most tragic tales in music history.  First of all, the casting was excellent, the actors playing Wallace, Faith Evans, Lil Kim & Tupac were totally believable, with only the character of Puff Daddy seeming a little cartoonish and over the top.  Next, the cinematography was excellent.  Never before have I seen the grittiness and harsh winters of New York shot so expressively, largely due to the blown out contrast, which fit the mood perfectly.  Besides the acting and picture, the music was also extremely well done.  Composed by famed musician and film composer Danny Elfman, the emotional resonance needed for such a tragic tale was in perfect sync to the on-screen action, reaching a fevered pitch toward the sad conclusion, I even saw several girls leaving the theater with tears in their eyes.  Perhaps what I liked best about the film, besides its portrayal of Wallace as a caring but flawed human being, was the length to which he really tried to squash the whole East Coast/West Coast rivalry, ultimately to his death.  Overall, an extremely well constructed musical biopic, and probably the best hip hop film since Hustle & Flow.  If you were a fan of Biggie or Tupac, or just the atmosphere of the 90s in general, do yourself a favor and see this film.

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Boom Bip was discovered by a newly formed sub-label of Warp Records called Lex.  Lex was to be a British hip hop label that took a different approach to the cliched genre.  Their initial signing was Boom Bip, whose first solo album, Seed To Sun, built on his previous work with MC DoseOne, while encompassing a more electronic sound similar to the other Warp artists.  After his second album for the label, he began to take a different approach with his sound, experimenting with genres such as house and disco, while still pushing boundaries.  After months of teasers, his collaboration with vocalist Gruff Rhys, known as Neon Neon has been released.  Stainless Style is a total flashback to the 80s.  Full of thumping synth rock, classic hip hop, and even a little electro, it takes the freshest sounds of the decade and combines them into a fun record perfect for a house party, or late night drive.  Several experimental MCs, including Spank Rock, make appearances and add credibility to what might have come off as a silly retro record.  Think Men At Work meets Afrika Bambaata with Rakim on the mic.

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I've been a fan of FSOL for about 15 years now, so I look forward to every release they create.  Around 2002, they created a skizm among their fans by releasing a psychedelic rock album, their first in 5 years, to a mostly electronic music fanbase.  What ensued was a debate about whether the band had lost its way that continues to this day.  What they had really done was split their sound in half, the electronic sound of their past would be retained by The Future Sound of London, while their more experimental psychedelic retro-sounding rock imprint was assumed by one of their alter-egos, The Amorphous Androgynous.  While seen as a brilliant move by their more open-minded fans, electronic purists sounded the death of one of its true innovators.  Cut to 2008.  After releasing a new electronic EP, A Gigantic Globular Burst of Antistatic for an art installation, the duo has returned to the Amorphous Androgynous moniker to release yet another blend of psychedelic goodness, The Peppermint Tree & The Seeds of Superconsciousness.  This album is a collection of tracks recorded during the sessions for their last 2 albums, while retainig the flow of a coherent album.  All I can say is approach this release with an open mind.  It is definitely funkier than 2005's Alice in Ultraland, and in my opinion, fresher as a result.  When this group releases their next true FSOL album, watch out.

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I rented this on the recommendation of Chris Gore from filmthreat.com as he said it was a great offbeat comedy from New Zealand.  Once I heard it stars Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords, I was sold.  Going in, I wasn't too sure if Jemaine had enough chemistry on his own to carry a film, but he is a true comedic genius.  Think of this as a down under version of Napoleon Dynamite.  Although neither the plot nor the approach are the same, people with that certain sense of humor will appreciate this film.  Jemaine & Loren Horsley play the two biggest losers in New Zealand.  She is the least popular employee at a fast food joint, and he's a super suave Members Only-wearing sales geek at the local video game shack.  There must be a 20 year fashion time warp there, as most of the guys in the movie sport hilarious mullets.  Anyway, the two meet up and what ensues is an oddball romance featuring every freak in the country.  There are too many classic moments to name, but my favorite is "I'm too complex!"  If you like indie comedies, don't miss this one.  Eagle Lord out.

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Being an enthusiastic Wii owner since day 1, it's been hard to find quality Mature rated games on the platform.  The remake of Resident Evil 4 is the stellar example of how even an old game aimed at mature gamers can wildly succeed in both critical acclaim and sales on the console.  Then came No More Heroes.  Developed by cult game designer Suda 51, creator of the GameCube classic Killer 7, NMH takes the same cel-shaded approach and opens up the gameplay to the "sandbox" style of game design.  You star as Travis Touchdown, an otaku obsessed with all things nerdy, and are basically given your own lightsaber and told to advance up the chain of the world's top assassins by wiping them out, one-by-one.  The gameplay boils down to earning cash to enter the next mission, riding around town on your sweet Akira-style cycle, and then obviously facing said assassins in showdowns that are truly insane.  What I like best about the game is the original use of the controllers, and the innovative ways in which they are incorporated into the game.  At one point during the first mission, you hear your cellphone ringing, only to pick up the Wiimote, hold it to your ear, and hear a mysterious female voice whipsering to you.  At that point, I knew I was in for something special.  Whether this game succeeds in the US is anyone's guess, but gamers looking for more than first party Nintendo titles should really give it a look, you won't be disappointed.

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The buzz surrounding this movie has been deafening ever since the teaser was shown before Transformers last Summer.  All we knew about it was it was produced by J.J. Abrams of Lost fame, and that it took place in New York City.  Well, I got to see it this weekend, and all I can say is "wow".  This is a monster movie for the 21st Century.  Shot on a digicam, the entire film is POV of several young friends caught in the middle of a real-life disaster.  Their going away party soon turns into the biggest nightmare since 9/11.  What I liked most about it was that the characters were in the dark just as much as the audience.  Whereas every Godzilla movie ever made is shown from the same point of view of some scientist who wants to know: where it came from, what it wants, and how to communicate with it.  This movie is from the view of the little guy on the street who only knows: this thing is trying to kill everyone, and let's get the fuck out of here!  One of the greatest accomplishments in this film, besides the amazing CG FX, are the extremely long takes they pull off.  Some scenes last 15 to 20 minutes, involving numerous actors and extras, army vehicles, amazing backgrounds, all while the actors are hitting their marks, remembering their lines, and pulling off believable terror.  Some have complained of motion sickness due to the camerawork, so I would suggest sitting in the rear of the theater if you want an unobstructed view and minimal camera shakes.  Overall, this was an excellent and original monster movie that kept you guessing as to what would happen next, and who would survive, if anyone.

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I have never been a big fan of The Flaming Lips, having first been exposed to their wall of noise back in the 80s when I first got into underground music.  However, one of my friends is a diehard fan, and when I recently went to visit him, he put on this DVD, and my mind was changed forever.  A Flaming Lips concert is a religious experience for some fans, on par with the culture that surrounded Grateful Dead or Phish shows; people follow them worldwide, dress up, bring "refreshments" and every conceivable thing in-between.  So, onto the DVD.  From the opening moments of Wayne & company descending in the mothership, to his crowd frolic in the "space bubble" you know this is going to be a show like no other.  Besides massive amounts of confetti, balloons, crazy lights, not to mention all kinds of costumed and superhero sidekicks, the band actually outshines the visuals with their extremely tight lineup.  I couldn't believe their drummer's chops, as he anchors what is one of the most solid rhythm sections in any touring rock band these days.  Covering material mostly from their last 3 albums, old and new songs alike are given new life for their live incarnations.  Although they don't tour as often as much as most fans would like, they still manage to keep their ticket price at $15, even after 25 years of earning their rep as elder statesmen of the alternative music scene.  If you get the chance, go see them.  You will be changed forever. 

Note: the DVD also includes the concert in MP3 format, along with wallpapers, IM icons, ringtones, song remixer and bonus video clips.

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I have been waiting to see this film ever since I heard Richard Kelly, director of Donnie Darko, was making his second film.  After a disastrous screening at Cannes, Kelly hooked up with Sony Pictures to recut & trim the film, while adding additional visual effects.  Then the trailer hit.  Holy crap, no one had any idea of the scope Kelly was approaching with this epic.  Featuring a cast of celebrity cameos, the film centers on Dwayne Johnson's character, an amalgam of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is caught up in a political scandal.  In this verion of the 21st Century, 9/11 was followed by a nuclear attack in Texas on July 4th, 2005, driving the government insane and leading to a big brother police state the likes of which we haven't seen since Brazil.  Featuring a vast array of characters and storylines, Kelly uses a multimedia approach to bombard the audience with visuals, sounds, dialogue, and music all at the same time.  It's like watching every cable news channel at once.  The multiple layers of this film require a second viewing, just to take in everything on screen.  I won't try to explain the plot to you, but by casting against type here, veteran actors we've seen a million times in the same comedic roles take on new identities here, even with 4 members of Saturday Night Live in the cast.  Adding his neo-gothic touch to the atmosphere, Kelly gives the same emo feel to "today's" America, encapsulating paranoia, terrorist threats, police brutality, militantism, and even the acceptance of porn into mainstream culture.  It is a mindfuck to be sure, but with an underlying message.  The ending may throw you for a loop, but watch it again and you might realize what is about to happen.  A true masterpiece of the 21st Century.

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I miss the old days of horror movies, and by old days I means the 1980s.  Since then, horror has become homogenized family entertainment, with most sudios cutting releases to get a PG-13 rating at the expense of gore, intensity and storyline, not to mention the days of obligatory nudity are long gone.  Luckily, movies like 30 Days of Night come along.  Based on the graphic novel, this story brings the first hint of originality to the vampire film I've seen in almost a decade (the last time being the first Blade film).  Setting the story in Alaska, Eastern European vampires descend on a mining town just before the night claims them for a month duirng Winter.  What follows is a gory, visceral and morose process of picking off the townspeople one by one, while a group of survivors tries to weather the massacre.  The story centers on the friction between the town's Sherriff, and it's Fire Marshall (a married couple separated and headed for divorce).  Over the course of the month, they come to realize they still love each other, although a bit late to really mean anything.  I really liked the look of the vampires, they were presented almost as animals, hunting in a pack, grunting, and feeding on whatever came their way, while also using logic and strategy to corner their prey.  The ending was probably one of the best for a vampire movie since Bram Stoker's Dracula.  I won't give it away, but it definitely pulls on your heartstrings, while giving you hope for humanity's future.

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I first heard of Custom Blue through my admiration for Mark Pritchard (one half of Global Communication), as he was producing several tracks for this upcoming band.  Their first album combined electronics with chilled melodic rock in a way I had never heard before.  It soon became one of my most played albums while working at a record store, and was in heavy rotation in my car as well.  Whenever I played it in-store people would come up and ask "is that Coldplay?" as Alex Pilkington's voice is similar to Chris Martin's vocals, but I think he has a much more dynamic range.  After following the band for several years, and even acquiring an unreleased EP from them, they were dropped from their record label because of sluggish sales, even though they were acclaimed by critics.  Cut to five years later, the band has produced other artists, done remixes, as well as DJ'ed for various events, and has finally finished a new album.  Although unsigned, that hasn't stopped them from pursuing their vision.  Gone are the electronics from their first album All Follow Everyone, replaced by a much more stripped-down acoustic sound.  This truly sounds like two guys recording in their basement, and performing songs of genuine emotion without the flashy production of fellow bands like Coldplay or Radiohead.  The songs come across as a mix of folk and chillout, while retaining their trademark vocals.  I highly recommend writing this band, as they will send you a free copy of the album, just look up their myspace page.