Book Review : The Bible

Take the time to read this, it is in my opinion extremely well written comedy, and an article that rather than bashes religion manages to offend neither side of faith - religious or not - and still elicit a good laugh.

READ IT HERE

:)

Kashiwa Daisuke - April #07

This remix record of Kashiwa Daisuke's first LP April #02 is simply breathtaking. The record opens with a solo piano extracted from the song April #02 just as all these pieces are. You can pick each part of the 27 minute original in these remixes but they are also very distinctly detached from the original track. The whole thing is a standout but my absolute favourite track, and possibly fave track of all time is the Jean Michel remix which incorporates a sparse arrangement formt he beginning before the extreme lowends take hold and form the song into an onslaught of glitch and heavy beats - brilliant.

Christina Courtin - Christina Courtin

Classically trained violinist turned singer-songwriter Christina Courtin last month released her first album featuring a myriad of guest appearances on a wide range of instruments. Produced by Greg Cohen this album shifts forms constantly channeling a chameleon vibe throughout its course.

Courtin draws inspiration - well rather influence from Ani Difranco in the more folky tracks and simultaneously drifts away from the classic singer-songwriter mould delving into spacious arrangements, quirky pop tinges and soft unspoken balladry easily.

You can purchase digitally from Nonesuch records and find out more about Christina Courtin here!

Parov Stelar - Coco

"With his unmistakable sound-mix of Jazz- and Swing samples and electronic music, Parov Stelar has secured his own unique position in the world of music. His upcoming fourth album “Coco” is eagerly awaited. The double CD starts off where his successful LP’s “Rough Cuts”, “Seven And Storm” and “Shine” ended. On the other hand he is consequently developing his established jazzy sound, by adding new stylistic elements to his tunes. Also his dancefloor-productions, that up to now have only been published as singles, find a debut to a greater extent on his album. They meet with Stelar’s melancholic-melodious trademark-sound, which is well known from his earlier albums, but now is also spiced up with Hip-Hop beats and synth-pads. Parov Stelar manages to build bridges between his own worlds of sound with these extensive LP as well he as he does with listening- and dance-music in general. An electrifying album to fall for. The two CDs are originally thought of as one with tracks that can be danced to and one with tracks just for listening. Nevertheless the line between those two approaches becomes blurred in Parov Stelar’s newest compositions. The album makes your feet tap more and more with every track. The musician himself sees the whole thing as a “book for musical readers” which is classically defined in introduction, middle part and end. Because of downloading hit numbers on downloading platforms the “listening in” to albums and thereby reflecting on less prominent tracks, is lost. Parov Stelar sets “Coco” as a statement against this habit. Apart from two cooperation-tracks with the saxophone-player from his live-band, Max The Sax, Stelar has cooperated with six singers from different genres. This again gives “Coco” a characteristic, one and only feeling"

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Get Excited...

New Blog Addition

Just posting to draw your attention to the Blog "The Noise Is..."

You can find it Here and in my blogroll!

Peace

Lamar Holley - Confessions of a College Student

Pop instills fear in me, it's the kind of music that i often turn down because of my pre-determined judgements of the whole genre - this could be because I wasn't exposed to The Beatles as a child or have not grown up on catchy hooks and melodies of The Beach Boys. Fortunately Lamar Holley has reinstated my faith in Pop music.

Confessions of a College Student presents the listener with an interesting foray of powerpop gems surrounding the life and times of a College student - falling in love, falling out of love and expereiencing all that College has to offer. I'd understand if the phrase 'Pop Musical' where to make you cringe inside but the music is so well crafted that it does not ooze of gummy bear niceness so much as it touches the heart and begs to be spun a second and third time round.


Biology introduces the story of a student encountering college for the first time, awash in a gaze of people all attending a biology class the students' eye is caught by a girl, and so sets the theme of the album. Madame Shamrock centrepoints the album with its splendourous vocal harmonies and Pretend That She's Ugly invites a comedic yet joyful way to approach the students' dillema.

I'm in no way familiar or a fan of the Pop world, however Lamar Holley's Confessions of a College Student rekindles my love for well crafted, melodic and seemingly simple yet intricate songs begging for a second listen and enticing you into the writer's world.

You can purchase Confessions of a College Student by Lamar Holley at these very convenient locations...

CDBaby
ITunes

Harry Potter Vs Transformers Review

What could be more different? One film perusing the story of a boy wizard encountering sorcery and magic of grand proportions and the other a bombastic cum ambitious tale of robot wars unfolding beneath our very own eyes - well in fact there are more similarites than differences although the execution of each film seperates them quite distinctly.

We'll have to set a few things straight before i dive into the review, some precursors if you will - as a casual filmgoer i am both virgin to the cinematics of both pictures, and subsequently been unexposed to preceeding literature of either fashion. In this case my knowledge of Harry Potter's umbrelic storyline and Transformers epinomous debut binds me to a certain objective wall, and in the wake of my position i feel it neccesary to deconstruct these films on entertainment value solely. But I wont. In fact what the hell am i talking about ill go on...

Essentially what you get with Transformers (2) is a beaten up storyline with essentially a few gloriously hot girls to carry home the bacon, and yes they are hot, but they certainly do not carry the story anywhere with the climax taking upward of an hour to unfold and more rusty metal than you could poke a stick at id much rather prefer to go to a spare parts car yard and throw around some scrap metal, but hey, talking robots are cool right? But not my cup of tea.

So how does Harry Potter fair? Well, to be honest it relies less on gimmicks and moreso and its fantastical wonderings of magic - and unlike Transformers failing to hook me into fighting robots Potter and Co aptly manage to catch my eye with dazzling effects and thought out post-production imagery. The wizardry was melded with slapstick humour, even borrowing ideas from absurdist forerunners such as Samuel Beckett with it's various "Waiting for Godot-esque" dialogue that carries on between Potter and Weasley - quite amusing to say the least. Unfortunately the film carried the same achiles heal as Transformers only in reverse - in that it's beginning almost dabbled in various plots and did not build sufficiently to it's climax (although much better executed than Transformers' dispirate attempts at acting with robots)...im sorry i just don't get it.

The curmudgeon of ideas does sort itself out in Harry Potter and provides for an entertaining film, while Transformers seems to go absolutely nowhere for too long...hell... even the girls in Harry Potter could match those in Transformers...

Sargeant House Ideals

Long time no post. I know. Ive been taken by a few things in my life as of late but now i bring you a post by Sargeant House rep Cathy Pellow, outlining her and echoing others' views of the music industry juggernaut of today and i find her words fitting to post here, enjoy:

Taken from the Sargeant House Blog (find in bloglist)

"I’m going to quote a guy named Skwerl who writes for a music site we like very much called Antiquiet. This quote comes from a review he did of a band we also like very much called Portugal the Man, who along with RX Bandits are in the same situation. They are both hard working, honest, integrity-filled artists that have incredible records coming out on July 21st and who should both be in the Top 10 on Billboard the week they come out but sadly, most likely won’t. Let’s change this.

“While the 'evil' music industry can be left for dead, some of today’s best bands could be at the top of the charts if more people still applied at least some level of sanctity to the act of purchasing a record and showed their support with a ten dollar bill. One could take this scenario one step further and envision a NEW MOVEMENT, if it could just be proven that there’s substantial commercial demand for product of true quality." - Skwerl

Imagine if the mediocrity on the radio airwaves were to be replaced with great music? It could be, but it’s really up to us, because in the end it’s "follow the money” that makes stores stock records, venues book bands, radio play songs, etc. So, let’s spend our money on quality and no longer accept these iPod playing / fake, auto-tune, lip-syncing band scenarios.

I’m asking you all to help us make a dent. Let’s put these albums made by real musicians with integrity in their proper place at the top. This is a David and Goliath moment for all of us. We are hoping that RX Bandits new album Mandala, which we made available a week early via AmazonMP3 for only $2.99, is inexpensive enough to be able to contribute to our quest to show it can be done – good music can and must prevail! So besides this being an album we think is beautiful, creative, progressive and a work of art, and even if you don’t agree with us on RX Bandits, well then step away from that and think of the bigger picture –it is time for the music lovers' voices to be heard, it is up to you to help bands and labels like us who support and play non-traditional , non-commercial music to become the winners.

The state of the music industry feels to me like the state of the nation at the time of the last election. What did people do? Instead of complaining, we got off the couch and VOTED for the first time. Voted to change this country's course – we need to do the same – we need to rally to elect real musicians & great music to the office of #1 on Billboard. I’m not here to beg for money, I’m here to beg for music to be recognized, for real artists to be acknowledged. I hope that everyone that wants change in the music industry and on their radio dials will buy, or should I say contribute $2.99 toward a cause much bigger than one band's record. We couldn’t be happier to have teamed with Amazon to be able to offer the RX Bandits album Mandala, for a price less than a cup of designer coffee, because we want everyone to hear it. We want no one to have the often-valid excuse of “I don’t have the money." So, I hope you’ll vote, I hope you’ll contribute – I hope you will listen, It’s up to all of us that claim to love independent music. It really is.

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Please buy albums by great bands. If not the new RX Bandits album then, please make a gesture today and purchase a hard working, true band's album today – let’s change things.

Much respect to you all, except the haters

from the little label that is trying to push boulders up that hill.

The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death

The Dear Hunter story so far....a Boy is born to a woman who moves away from the city life to the lake and the river, is brought up and forms a close bond with her. The mother dies and the boy goes back to the city to discover his mother's previous life, in doing so falls in love with a prostitute who breaks his heart causing him to flee and join the army...and so begins Act III of the six part tale of The Dear Hunter. Mr Crescenzo the man behind the musings claims that the story is a romanticized version of his own life, so it is deeply personal which translates to the music he writes and the lyrics he pens and while some (very few) label his ambitions as pretentious, his humble persona (i've met him in person) would suggest otherwise.

Act III is astonishing to say the least, set amidst World War One the main character (known only as the Boy) fights not only the battles of war but battles within himself as he comes ot terms with Ms. Leading. The concept is drenched in drama and set in a world like no other, as is the music. Fans of genre bending will love this but it does not verge on the pretentious metre one bit, as the music adequetly reflects the era of which the story is set. Cresecenzo writes chronologically well with the delicate and refined 20's feel of sweeping strings permeating a good portion of tunes on this record - not overbearing but enough to set the scene of the moment - and god is it done well. Saved beckons with sweeping string arrangements and wonderous vocal harmonies while Mustard Gas turns the epic meter to 11 with a full blown orchestration, gang vocals, and guitar driven frenzy.

While Casey and Co set the scene perfectly well they also accomodate for the darker things of war, the four part series of tracks early in the album represent the evils of battle - The Tank signifies destruction in an aural assault of ominous strings, powerful vocal delivery and frenetic drumming; The Poison Woman offers a ragtime affair of bluesy jostling while closing with probably one of the most memorable moments of the record (there are many btw) involving a sax singalong climax; The Thief conveys greed with its rolling almost Radiohead-esque bassline sprawl as it bends it's way into the aforementioned Mustard Gas.

Not unfamiliar with balladry the band shwocases it's softer side throughout this aggresive album in Saved incorporating sweeping string arrangements, pulsing rhythmic drums and layered harmonious vocals, and in What It Means To Be Alone we are treated to a pop masterpiece chopping and changing all throughout. The Dear Hunter command attention in He Said He Had A Story rollicking around behind a marching band of horns that just ooze sexiness in the breakdown.

I'd go on and on about every solid song on this record but i'd be writing forever, i will highlight the albums final three tracks which incorporate everything from dramatic ballroom romanticism to ultimate guiatr heroics from the one and only Erick Serna, and i'll leave the review at that, as you really have to let the album do the talking for itself...

Buy the album via links in their myspace - here