Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Flare - Brotherlover



“I'm your lover tonight"

The title may sound like some weird incestuous fantasy, but it's actually not. Sorry to those who are now disappointed. In fact, this song by Flare is actually a breezy pop track that sounds a bit like Suede meeting the Delays. It's also quite catchy and joyous, and will be perfect on a Spring time soundtrack. Flare are from Norway, where many other fantastic bands are from, but they sound very much like they could hail from the UK. It's the sound of pop meets indie, which apparently has also been described as "the missing link between the Darkness and Keane." Not so sure about that, but it's brilliant nonetheless.

mp3: Flare - Brotherlover
zshare: Flare - Brotherlover

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

The Darkness


Anjelia Chiappelli

Very Accomplished Actress, Model, Vocalist Anjelia Chiappelli
and Lovely Model Tammy Vander Wiele
with some creepy Creatures at the 2007 NY Comic Con Darkness booth.





Anjelia, Top NY- LA Model Natasha Kay, and Tammy (left to Right)

Ryan Wright, Very experienced industry model and makeup-artist.
She is well known for working alongside top photographers.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Pleasure - Pleasure 2
Release Date: February 12, 2007
Label: EMI Norway




Fred Ball, the Norwegian producer behind both Pleasure albums, clearly is in love with the eighties. Listening to Pleasure 2, his recently released electro/pop/rock/other release, is like jetting back to the coolest clubs of the decade… all neon lights, androgynous voices and cooing comedowns.

If you enjoyed the first Pleasure album, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t adore the sequel. It offers the same mix of pop, electronica, ballads and instrumentals, yet strengthens the quality of each. The electro numbers are catchier (see the fabulous Out Of Love and Uptown, both sweetly delivered by fellow Norwegian Heidrun Bjornsdottir), the ballads are more epic (the Bowie-esque Back To You, sung by ex-Suede frontman Brett Anderson, and the pretty Finest Thing) and there are even some surprises thrown in the mix. The soulful Silk Dream, especially, is an unexpected treat. A sort of electro/r&b number, it may be one of the shortest tracks on the album, but it definitely leaves its mark.

Throughout Pleasure 2, you’ll hear shades of the aforementioned Bowie, along with Prince, early Michael Jackson, girl pop and soft rock, blended together to form Ball’s unique dancefloor vision. More than most producer-helmed projects, Pleasure 2 is most definitely a pop album. Listening to it feels like you’re tuning into the coolest radio station around, one that both hipsters and casual pop fans can enjoy. A-

Key Tracks: Out Of Love, Uptown, Back To You
Overnight Lows - My Oh My



“Open your eyes, my oh my"

Like alienhits fave Lucky Soul, Overnight Lows plays a classic blend of pop and rock fronted by a charismatic blonde. My Oh My, my (oh my!) favorite track that I've heard from the band, has got beautiful, almost electronic verses which give way to a singalong, radio-friendly chorus. It is an amazing pop song, and exhibit A as to why this Californian foursome should be ruling the charts. In a way their music sounds like the kind of thing that was popular in the mid to late nineties... straightforward pop/rock delivered with a timeless punch. Warning: one listen and it will be glued to your brain.

mp3: Overnight Lows - My Oh My
zshare: Overnight Lows - My Oh My

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

My Review of Life On Mars 2x04: "Episode 12"

Written by Ashley Pharaoh
Directed by Richard Clark

Heather: “Maybe he can’t even hear me. You don’t need to hear my voice to know I’m always there. You’re my favourite nephew Sam and it breaks my heart to see you like this.”

Halfway through the second season, the writers have decided to take another look into Sam’s family. Last season we got see his parents at different occasions and now it’s time for Sam to start thinking about his Aunt Heather.

Aunts are usually brilliant and as a kid you can definitely get away with more with them than your parents. Heather’s clearly a significant person for Sam but oddly enough she’s peripheral to what’s really going on here.

With Sam being in a brooding mood, it’s not a great time for a killer to be on the loose. The death of a young woman had Gene remembering the deviant Terrence Finn who notably left a signature piece with his victims. When the same piece turns up on this body, Gene wonders if he caught the wrong fellow all those years ago.

For some reason (perhaps Sam’s influence?), Gene seems a little less brutal in his efforts to try and sort this case out. When Sam keeps sniffing the corpse, Gene even indulges Sam’s notions of trying to find a lead on the victim’s killer.

It also helps for Sam that a young girl named Denise happens to come flying out of a car in his direction. That’s enough to illicit any level of suspicion but when she darts off and is also wearing some distinct perfume, Sam realises that there’s a decent connection.

Just like his Aunt Heather, Denise is a Beavoir girl. These ladies just seem to be a 70’s version of Avon and given that the earlier body worked for the same company, Sam gets Denise in to get some answers. Denise naturally doesn’t want to help out until she realises that the dead woman was her best friend.

If the world of cosmetics doesn’t generate much appeal then the world of swinger parties just might. Denise’s friend Sandra was one of the toga waitresses of the place and the man who chucked Denise out of his car seemed to be rather possessive of Sandra. This also give Sam a chance to use policing methods he’s more accustomed to.

Of course Gene isn’t best pleased that Sam wants to bug Roger’s place of business but at least it gets results when they overhear Roger and his wife Carol discussing a troublesome woman. Still this is one of those episodes where Gene’s complaining about modern policing is both minimal and rather funny.

It’s also funny that it takes Gene quite a while to deduce the severity of Roger’s actions but Sam at least manages to get a plan into action as soon as him and Gene deal with a tense interview with Edith. With Denise now a missing person, it’s good to see a more sensitive side to Gene as well. In fact it might be one of the rare episodes where Sam and Gene seem to agree more than usual.

Sam’s plan however is just more surveillance but it works no less. Both him and Annie pose as a new couple and immediately manage to gain the trust of Roger and Carol within seconds. Then again, Annie is just a little too good at the old undercover routine that it’s Sam you end up worrying more for.

She’s flirtatious and friendly and is able to handle sleazy Roger with ease while maintaining a cordial stance with Carol. Sam on the other hand comes across as more frosty that it’s amazing that Roger didn’t smell a rat. Still his attempts to protect Annie are sweet even though she blatantly can take care of herself.

Also it’s because of her that some progress in the case is made. She decides to get herself and Sam invited to a swingers party. Sam even attempts to back out at one point and Annie has to put him in his place. Liz White is a good actress but this episode really saw her shine the most.

It was her we had to thank when things were looking bad for herself and Sam. Gene’s method of gate crashing the party with Sookie nearly blew their cover. However I did love Gene’s interruption – he was actually worried for Sam and Annie and was also on his witty best as well. That being said Annie was the quick thinker in this episode.

Sam made a good effort to pry on Carol’s insecurities about swinger parties to get some information but Carol seemed too determined not to help. Annie however whipped Roger into a literal frenzy and began to get some answers. I bet she had a lot of fun with that more than Roger.

Of course the ending was a bit mellow by comparison. It turned out that Carol was planning to do in Denise but once again, we can thank Annie for the day being saved. To think this episode had started with her getting bested by a petty thug and ended with her preventing another death.

Maybe it’s not that amazing but it shows just good of a copper Annie is and also highlights that she’s more than a love interest/unwilling confidant for Sam too. Even Sam was impressed with her quick thinking this week but with four episodes left, how much longer are they going to tease out this love arc?

Speaking of love, you got to feel for Chris. Okay so he is quite thick and while he should grow a backbone and tell Ray where to get off, I did like that in the end he was able to tell Sam what he really felt about his date. As for Ray, given his approach to women, I’m surprised the guy has ever actually gotten laid.

The Heather plot of the episode then caps things off intriguingly. Real life Heather in 1973 might not be a fan of her nephew but at least the fantasy one hates seeing Sam in pain. Katherine Kelly might be better known as Corrie’s loud mouth Becky but she did a good job here despite not having very much to do.

Also in “Episode 12”

I just realised we had three fairly big Corrie actresses in this episode with Katherine Kelly as Heather, Georgia Taylor as Denise and Eva Pope as Carol.

Chris: “Woman in her twenties found dead.”
Gene: “I didn’t think she was sunbathing.”

The only Hyde mention in this episode was from Annie. Sam did lay it on a bit too thick about how much he was appreciated in his old station.

Sam: “You’ve got lovely hands.”
Denise: “Are you sure you’re a copper?”

Ray (re surveillance):“You’re right boss. It works like a treat.”
Sam: “People are sick.”

Another thing that was laid thick in this episode was Sam’s luck with women. Gwen and Carol seemed attracted to him, Phyllis was civil with him and even Chris asked him for advice about women.

Gene (to Sam, re surveillance): “I don’t like it. Gene Hunt smashes doors down. He does not pick girly locks.”

Annie: “Can I be really forward?”
Roger: “Oh I love forward women.”
Carol: “Roger, behave.”

Sam and Annie pretended to be Tony and Cherie Blair, with Sam also being a virgin and looking for a soul mate and Annie nearly losing her dog.

Sam (re Sookie): “She’s a prostitute?”
Sookie: “I am here you know.”
Gene: “You didn’t think I was going to fetch my wife, did you?”

Carol: “Nothing more stupid than a man who thinks he knows everything.”
Gene (to Sam): “I think she means you.”

Standout music: “Coz I Luv You” by Slade and “Aladdin Sane” by David Bowie.

Wow, this is definitely one of the best episodes of the show. This was pretty dark if not exactly mystery advancing but it boasted some of the most entertaining moments in the series as well as some brilliant moments for Annie.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Boulevard - Only For You


“To turn our backs on suburban dreams"

Today I'm kicking off two weeks of some of the most consistently great pop music alienhits has presented you with in a while. And most of it, I can guarantee, you've never heard before. American band Boulevard starts us off today. The band's a dynamic mix of new wave and glam. Think alienhits favorites Bobby, Melody Club, Elkland and you'll have a bit of an idea of what you're going to hear. Mark my words on this one... these guys are going to be huge. This is a demo off their upcoming second album, and one of the better releases I've heard in awhile. Everything's here: the great melody, the amazing fashion and the percolating synths. It always amazes me when bands like this come from the States, because they seem to be so rare over here.

mp3: Boulevard - Only For You

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the debut album here.)

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Gary Coleman interviewed by Heavy News Personality Julie Alexandria


Gary Coleman interviewed by Heavy News personality
Julie Alexandria
, AKA Mic Girl

Heavy News a consumer media company that combines its own unique programming with those of its users to create an environment where you can control and even participate in your own media experience. Heavy empowers its audience to share, editorialize, and create their own content as well as provide access to its own library of programming.
For More information about heavy news visit heavy.com

Models Alexi and Jim

Stan Lee


The creator of many great comic books such as Spiderman.
Stan is know in the comic book world as Stan Lee but his real name is
Stanley Martin Lieber.
Everyone Stan meets is greeted with a warm handshake and friendly smile

Glam Rock Dance Fads That Never Were

Today's EP is full of irresistable glam rock songs from the 70's and early 80's that could have spawned bizarre dance fads in another dimension. Some of them actually intended to do this (the insanely ridiculous Motor Boat -who wants to dance like a boat?- and Interplanetary Twist), while others would have done well with some inane move (I'll let you use your imaginations) attached to them. Plus, I've got my favorite glam dance song on here (Sweet's amazingly fun cover of Peppermint Twist) and a song off of my favorite camp classic musical, The Apple. For those that have seen the movie, put on your BIM marks for this one!!

1. Sweet - Pepperment Twist
2. Jimmy Jukebox - Motor Boat
3. Abba - The King Kong Song
4. Screemer - Interplanetary Twist
5. Tim Curry - Charge It
6. The Apple Soundtrack - BIM

Gary Wayne Coleman


Gary Coleman known as Arnold Jackson in the TV sitcom "Different Strokes".

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Wonder Woman Visits 2nd Annual New York ComicCon

Hayden Panettiere


Hayden Panettiere "PEACE".

Plays Claire Bennet in the
NBC's Series, "Heroes".

Hayden, thanks for the Exclusive pictures!
Show staffing, Show Security and Hayden's
Management team seemed to be upset by
this.........................It was all worth it!

Power Girl Tawnya In front of The Cartoon truck

Nova Scotia

Aruba



It's Oscar Time!



In honor of the Oscars tomorrow, today I'm going to give my thoughts on the most heavily nominated pictures of the year, as well as films that should have been nominated. This is the first year that I've seen four of the five movies nominated for best picture (well, sorta... read on), so I feel like I can offer a somewhat valid opinion on film for once.

Also, I haven't forgotten that this is a music blog. At the bottom of the post you'll find a few of my favorite tracks from films.

First, the nominated pictures:

Little Miss Sunshine - The only film I actively rushed out to see upon its release, it doesn't scream Oscar-winner, but it's probably the movie that I enjoyed watching the most. The cast is excellent, and I'd love to see a comedy like this win the big award. I would be happy with this movie or....

Babel - Another great piece. The execution is a tad clunky and requires a lot of thought afterwards to connect everything together, but the movie's so gripping and emotional that it hardly matters. Definitely the most sprawling of the nominees, I was entranced by its use of cultural barriers and universality of, as the critics like to say, "the human condition." It's between this and LMS for me.

The Departed - Okay, so I honestly only watched this for about an hour. I could not get into it in the slightest. Now, I'm not one for crime dramas anyways, but I had to give The Departed a try as it seems to be the frontrunner in this race. I hope it doesn't win, though. To me, there is nothing special or interesting about it. In fact, the whole thing had me absolutely baffled as to why critics have loved it so much.

The Queen - I liked this movie a lot. It had a very different, almost documentary style to it. Still, I don't think the film itself merits a best picture win. The acting was great, though, and the subtle storytelling very interesting.

Letters From Iwo Jima - Haven't seen it, but it's not like it's going to win anyway. It's probably good, though!

The Should Have Beens:

Pan's Labyrinth - Definitely my favorite film of the year, this one just knocked everything out of me. Very powerful movie. I hope it wins in the foreign language category, though it deserves so much more. Nothing was as imaginative, haunting or visceral as this all year.

Dreamgirls - Not my favorite film of the year, but a hair above The Queen and definitely better than The Departed. I went into this movie expecting to dislike it, but it really stunned me. Jennifer Hudson's performance was definitely a huge part of this, but so was the flashy direction and wise casting.

V For Vendetta - An early favorite of mine, I was sad that this wasn't nominated for anything, though I doubted it would be. The first time I saw this film, it moved me every bit as much as Babel did. I think the message is incredibly topical and the layering of the political and action-driven elements was flawlessly done.

And some tunes...

Flying (from Peter Pan 2003) - My favorite piece of music from my favorite film of all time. I'm not huge on instrumental pieces, but this is just too good not to love. Plus, it is extremely effective in the movie, which is itself extremely effective! You'll also recognize this from various trailers and commercials (somewhat unfortunately).

El Bosco - Nirvana - From another of my favorite children's movies, Millions, comes this stirring choral piece that ends the movie in a rather stunning fashion.

How Shall I See You Through My Tears (performed in Camp) - If you haven't seen Camp (about a summer musical theater camp) yet and you have even a passing interest in musicals and/or coming of age stories, rush out and find this movie. It's great, and the cast's haunting rendition of this song opens the movie brilliantly.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Danny - Tokyo



“Tokyo, you've got the rhythm in you"

The number one single in Sweden today belongs to Danny Saucedo with Tokyo. While I obviously wish it was The Ark, Tokyo is nonetheless a fantastic piece of club pop. Danny was a finalist in Sweden's Idol 2006, yet another singer that proves that even reality show contestants in Sweden produce better music than the ones in the US. The song itself is standard dance pop, with some killer verses and an inescapable melody. Watch for this one. It could make it out of Sweden as the Spring kicks in.

mp3: Danny - Tokyo
zshare: Danny - Tokyo

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the single here.)

My Review of Life On Mars 2x03: "Episode 11"

Written by Julie Rutterford
Directed by Richard Clark

Gene: “How do you think I spend my time here, Tyler?”
Sam: “Building a death star?”
Gene: “You what?”
Sam: “Nothing.”

If there are some things that have been predictable about Life On Mars, it’s that Sam and Gene will spend a good dose of each episode arguing like spoiled brats and that one of them will be proven right. Failing that you might get the occasional episode where they are both right to a degree.

This episode opens up with a bomb scare and sees the two of them at loggerheads from the get go. Gene’s convinced that it’s the IRA but Sam isn’t. Worse still is that Sam’s goading of Ray winds up seeing the sexist copper nearly blown to smithereens before the opening credits.

Eleven episodes into the series, it was about time that something would happen to Ray that would illicit some sympathy for him. Dean Andrews is a good actor but Ray’s been a mostly repugnant character and while Sam does indulge in the Martyr act a little too much, I always end up siding with him when him and Ray go head to head.

I even still side with him in this episode. While it was reckless of Sam to dare Ray to go near the car that blew up, it’s not like Sam knowingly tried to harm him. Even at the police station, Sam’s actions see him largely out of favour with his colleague. Annie even rejects his attempts to donate some cash to Ray’s kitty.

Gene also goes overboard into reminding Sam just how reckless his actions were. However for all the grilling he gives Sam, it’s still the two of them who visit Frank Miller’s yard when trying to see if any of the Irish workers were responsible for the explosion. The fact that dynamite has also been stolen from Miller is more than coincidental as well.

Sam is more or less adamant that the IRA isn’t responsible for the planned attacks. It’s less to do with sympathy and more to do with his own knowledge that no-one else in 1973 possesses. However given that Annie continues to dismiss Sam’s insider knowledge nearly every episode, wouldn’t it be better if he just kept it to himself?

Gene meanwhile is convinced that Patrick O’Brien is the bomber and has more than a good time in trying to prove this. Given that Patrick wasn’t at work the day after the dynamite was taken and seems to be politically active, Gene totally believes that it has to be him. Sam as per usual thinks differently.

However to stick with the tried and tested format, Gene spends his time beating the crap out of Patrick in order to get a confession and even though you could guess that Patrick is innocent, he does himself little favours by being hostile with Gene.

At one point the vitriol both men have for each other descends into even more extreme violence. Gene might not appreciate it, but Sam did him a favour by getting away from Patrick. Gene did come close to actually beating the man to death and that definitely would’ve been a wasted kill.

With more threats being made and Ray out of hospital, the tension does amp up. Sam does his best to be civilised and him and Ray even work together when chasing down a potential suspect. Unfortunately for them the would be suspect is unarmed and Ray inadvertently kills the man.

Usually if Ray does something like this, I would be less sympathetic to the character’s plight but it was different. Both Ray and Sam got separated and Sam wasn’t audible enough for Ray to follow his instructions. Gene also doesn’t make the situation any better either by constantly blaming Sam.

The intriguing part of the episode is having Sam go to a priest and confess all his professional angst. The reason why this is so good because it’s Patrick who he ends up disclosing information to. I think there’s a good chance that Sam was bluffing when he said he knew it was Patrick all along.

On the plus side by snooping around Miller’s yard again he was able to figure that it was Miller who’s been setting up all the bombs. Doubly funny that Annie went from dismissing Sam’s crackpot theories into actually helping Sam figure out where Miller was going to strike next on his list.

The last couple of minutes of the episode are fairly middle of the road though. Ray being held hostage by Miller and his fears of being killed are interesting. Sam did try to warn Gene that Ray was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and this scene proved that Sam was right with that.

However both Sam and Annie using the family card to get Miller to surrender was a bit maudlin. Okay it did work and there was good acting but it did feel a little too easy after the big set up. Then again it does go to further that not all bombers are evil to the core and there’s even a great scene where Patrick lays into Gene about his family woes.

Elsewhere Sam’s still getting cryptic phone calls about his progress. For now he seems to be doing well but is still nowhere near waking up. On top of that he also has to deal with that creepy Test Card Girl. Her first appearance this season and her joy for driving Sam around the bend still doesn’t seem to be sated.

Also in “Episode 11”

Speaking of the Test Card Girl, it looks like there’s a different actress playing the role this season.

Chris (re bomb): “I make it nearly 10.”
Ray: “I make it nearly 11.”
Annie: “I make it 11.03.”

Sam made some offhand comments about Lorraine Kelly and even Dana when Gene went on the Anti-Irish rant.

Gene: “Take your own advice – wake up and smell the cocoa. Let’s search this shithole and nail these Paddy bastards.”
Sam: “It’s coffee.”

Phyllis: “What if I need to go to the ladies, Guv?”
Gene: “Cross your legs.”

Annie got upset at the end of the episode when she thought Sam called her chunky. He was referring to the brand of Kit Kat bars of course.

Sam (re Patrick): “You’re condemning a man for Christ’s sake.”
Gene: “Because I know he’s guilty.”

Sam (re Ray): “Guv. He shouldn’t be here, he’s got PTSD.”
Gene: “The man’s a bloody hero and you’re accusing him of having the clap.”
Sam: “Post traumatic stress disorder. I’ve seen it before. He needs counselling, he needs to talk to someone.”
Gene: “He’s a policeman, not a fairy.”

Sam also mentioned the use of CCTV to Gene and then backtracked by mentioning Hyde. We still don’t know what Sam is supposed to be doing for them.

Sam: “I’m not walking away. I need time to think.”
Gene: “You haven’t got the time to piss about thinking.”

Patrick (to Sam): “If it’s any consolation my instincts about you were never wrong. I knew you were a complete Nutjob when I saw you but at least you might be a Nutjob on my side for once.”

We learned that Patrick’s grandfather came from Connemara. Gene also made some comments about an Indian family moving into the same area.

Annie (re women leaders): “Maybe we'd be better off if a woman did run the country. She couldn't make a worse job of it than the fellas have done.”
Sam: “I have a feeling you might regret saying that one day.”

Standout music: “The Big Spell” by Audience and “When The City Sleeps” by Barclay James Harvest”.

For an episode themed on the IRA, it’s refreshing to discover that it isn’t entirely filled with stereotypes beyond Gene’s less than receptive attitude towards the Irish. It’s not the best episode the show has produced but it’s solid no less.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
Release Date: February 26, 2007 (UK)
Label: Universal



It appears that a bit of a mini cult has sprung up around Patrick Wolf. And, why not? Listening to his unique brand of cabaret/folk/rock, you get the impression that each track has its own elusive legend behind it. Delivered by a red haired pixy with a startling croon, even when the songs embrace the standards of pop, they simultaneously twist them in fantastic ways.

The Magic Position is Wolf's bid for stardom and, subsequently, it's easily his most accessible release to date. One need only listen to the stomping title track, which practically drips with pop polish, to realize this. Meanwhile, Accident & Emergency dives deeper into straight ahead synth pop than ever before, and Get Lost ups the tempo and offers a dazzling pop melody. Best of all is the moody Bluebells. Over a bed of fireworks and ominous guitar, the track's a slow building melodrama with a gorgeous melody. Elsewhere, Wolf doesn't stray too far from the gypsy folk he's known for. Magpie and Stars are the most successful of these efforts, the former an excellent autumnal duet with Marianne Faithfull.

In fact, the record is remarkably consistent. Even a handful of pointless interludes don't interrupt the majestic sound that The Magic Position presents. Although the album's cover depicts the sprightly Wolf posed dramatically on a colorful carousel, you're just as likely to find him crouching in some derelict, gothic castle out in the country somewhere. It's this duality that makes the record successful, and marks Wolf as a genuine star in the making. He may be a cult artist now, but The Magic Position should see that cult begin to grow. A-

Key Tracks: Bluebells, The Magic Position, Accident & Emergency

Bobby Conn - Love Let Me Down

“I know love won't let me down"

Searching for a picture to use for Conn's feature was so fun. The guy's completely old-school glam, a fact his look obviously attests to. As far as glam goes, I'd compare him to a group like Cockney Rebel. In some ways his music is very classic pop/rock, yet there's a hint of cabaret and showtunes involved as well. Love Let Me Down is off of Conn's recently released new album King For A Day, and is one of his more immediate songs. The chorus is pure giddy nostalgia, while the rest of the track recalls a more subdued Mika. About halfway through, Love really hits its stride, adding some brass and choral elements. Bowie would be proud.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

THEATRICAL PRODUCING


The gold standard for training producers to work Broadway, off-Broadway and at other theatrical venues is the CTI course.


CTI = The Commercial Theater Institute.

They run an annual 3-day seminar, which I attended last year, that is a superb introduction to the business of theater. They also have an even more intensive 14 week program, for which the 3-day institute is the appropriate prerequisite. Everyone interested in commercial theater either has, or should, attend this program.

The scheduled dates for this year's program are Friday-Sunday, May 4-6.

For more information, check their website at CommercialTheaterInstitute.com.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Dragonette - Competition



“Goodness I like this, being your mistress"

Canada's Dragonette is a band that I'm sure most of you are already familiar with. But, they're one of those groups that, although I knew they were good, I just didn't quite get into as fast as many other bloggers. I have been following them since the beginning when they had two free tracks on their website (that'd be I Get Around and Shock Box, both excellent). Now that I've finally "gotten around" to hearing more from the band, though, I am absolutely hooked. True Believer and Competition absolutely sold me with their pop genius. Competition, especially, should be absolutely massive if there's any justice in the world. Today I'm posting the new mix of this song, which amps up the synths and still retains the slinkiness of the EP version.

mp3: Dragonette - Competition
zshare: Dragonette - Competition

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the EP here.)

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Pleasure - Uptown



“Uptown is where I belong"

Fred Ball's Pleasure 2 album was released last week and, while basically picking up from where he left off with the last one, it's still a fantastic mix of eighties pop and glam-infused ballads. Uptown, sung by frequent collaborator Heidrun Bjornsdottir is among the catchiest of the electro dance tracks. It nearly rivals Out Of Love for pure giddiness. It's a shame the the album's so hard to get your hands on outside of Scandinavia. This kind of neon pop is perfect for the encroaching Spring/Summer.

mp3: Pleasure - Uptown
zshare: Pleasure - Uptown

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

Monday, February 19, 2007

Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted



“Singing a hymn to the great unwanted"

Things seem to be back on track for alienthits approved UK band Lucky Soul. Gearing up for their upcoming album, they've made the title track available to the public and, while definitely bearing a different mood than Lips Are Unhappy, it's nonetheless a classy, gorgeous pop song. The track becomes more irresistable as it progresses and things continue to build, but it's really the pounding chorus that stands out, becoming stronger each time you hear it. Somewhere between the Pipettes and Johnny Boy, the band offers a sound that's an absolute breath of fresh air right now. They were number three on my list of new acts to watch in 2007 (I believe I'm already two for two on Mika and Alphabeat), and I can't wait to hear what they do next.

mp3: Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted
zshare: Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the singles here.)

Saturday, February 17, 2007

#1 Hits will be back on Monday

For the first time in months, I'm taking a well deserved break this weekend. Trust me, if you knew how stressful non-blog world life has been the past month or so, you'd agree with me! So, it's over the mountains and through the woods to my best friend's house I go!

Meanwhile, I pick Magnus (brilliant song!) and Sebastian to advance in Melodifestivalen this week, for those who care!

Friday, February 16, 2007

The Mo - Dancing Like A Heathen



“I was dancing like a heathen, running with the city rats"

On this last day of the #1 Hits birthday week, I'm going to give you all one last chance to pick up the brilliant Night At The Zoo by The Mo. There's one rule when listening to the following track: play it loud. The pounding chorus proves more transcendent than any church service that I've ever been to, and ten times more entertaining. I guarantee that you'll be hypnotized. How a band manages to pack this much brilliance into three and a half minutes is beyond me. Oh yeah... and about the album. Heathen is not even one of the top three songs on it. That should be enough to convince you...

mp3: The Mo - Dancing Like A Heathen
zshare: The Mo - Dancing Like A Heathen

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Michal -All Alone With Your Gueule



“All alone with your gueule"

I usually try to stick with music sung in English on this blog (only because it's easier for me to sing along), but this French (well, 98% French) track is too perfect not to post. Doesn't matter if you don't understand a word of it... it's so fantastically catchy. The sound is new-wave inspired glam pop (isn't that basically a given by now on #1 Hits?) and it's a sterling example of the genre. Plus, it's got the clever gueule/girl thing going on. I don't know if gueule is actually a word, though. Anybody who speaks French care to share?

*EDIT: Okay, so gueule means mouth. Kinda throws out my whole girl theory.

mp3: Michal - All Alone With Your Gueule
zshare: Michal - All Alone With Your Gueule

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

My Review of Life On Mars 2x02: "Episode 10"

Written by Chris Chibnall
Directed by S.J. Clarkson

Sam: “I’ve seen it a dozen times. Look, half of CID will be alcoholics by the time Maggie Thatcher becomes Prime Minister.”
Woolf: “If Margaret Thatcher ever becomes Prime Minister, I’ll have been doing something a lot stronger than whisky.”

Corruption within the police is something that every cop shows, some a lot better than other. It only makes sense that the already corrupt policing of 1973 would go one further by shattering some of the beliefs in characters like Sam and Gene about their profession.

Harry Woolf was introduced in the last episode as Gene’s mentor. He’s one of the very few people that someone like Gene would aspire to as a cop and also one of the very few people that Gene would happily break bones in defending as well. So because of that, there must be something very dirty about this Harry. Okay terrible pun but you get the point.

The episode opened with Sam, Chris and Ray collecting Dickie Fingers and before we even got to the opening credits, a few armed men made sure that the three of them were minus a criminal. We could suggest bad luck or a combination of Chris’ crappy driving skills but conspiracy is the more likely option.

Sam himself even thinks that there was nothing coincidental with Dickie’s abduction and soon enough, he’s unsuccessfully trying to get various contacts to squeal on where the petty crook is being stashed. Only Gene is able to come up with some better solutions.

The first is hauling in Arnold Malone, one of the biggest nemeses of Harry but it’s a good call. Aside from the cat and mouse antics between Harry and Malone, the latter does give Sam and Gene heads up on a particular robbery. Sam’s naturally suspicious of Malone’s sudden co-operation and to be honest, how could anyone not be?

Predictably enough the robbery goes off and Gene has everyone prepared in advance. There’s a really fun moment however where he curses himself when both Annie and Phyllis are openly hostile with the robbers in question but it’s not much of a shock to learn that one of the robbers happens to be Dickie as well.

Like many of the petty crooks on this show, while Dickie is probably not the worst human in existence, he’s still downright unlikeable and when he demands alone time with Sam, a part of me assumed he wanted to use Sam’s more empathetic nature for his own benefit.

That feeling only intensified when he told Sam that it was Harry responsible for springing him out of jail and for the series of robberies. I like that Sam didn’t instantly believe Dickie because I actually wanted Dickie to be lying. I like Harry as a character so I didn’t want him to be corrupt.

More importantly is that Sam didn’t keep this to himself. He talked about it with Annie and even she tried to get him to consider that Dickie could be lying. Sam not believing that Dickie was felt typical for him but at least he told Gene about what the petty crook had told him.

Gene’s response was delightful. Okay so it’s looking at this point that Dickie is telling the truth but I still didn’t mind Gene using his own methods to test that theory. Then Sam had to challenge Harry about the accusations made against him. The fact that Harry seemingly supported the idea of Sam taking these accusations into account was a clever move.

It should’ve been enough to make Sam doubt himself and when it didn’t work, Harry sort of used Gene to put Sam in line. Even locking Sam in the boot of a car wasn’t enough of a deterrent for him. Once again Sam knew he was right about Harry and Gene also didn’t want to believe him.

It was when Gene and Sam confronted Malone that the truth really began to sink in. Rarely do we get any scenes where true sympathy can be conveyed for Gene, despite the series succeeding in making him more than a brute. However seeing a part of Gene’s belief system shattered is quite devastating to watch.

Harry was probably one of the few people genuinely left in his profession that wasn’t tarred with some form of scandal or compromise. Annie herself even gave Sam a rundown of the man’s strengths and legacies. Of course it also meant that Sam was right, which makes you wonder is Gene going to just trust Sam on something?

The confrontation between the three of them is beautifully written. Harry’s motivations for trying to frame Malone are plausible. Every day we see less than savoury characters more financially solvent than those who struggle to make ends meat so the desire to get one less scumbag off the street regardless of means is believable.

Another thorny issue in this episode comes in the arrival of black police officer Glen Fletcher. Not much tends to make me uncomfortable but watching morons like Ray making racist remarks is up there. Worse still was witnessing Glen making similarly disparaging comments about himself. I don’t think I’ve ever been more disgusted by anything else than I was with that scene.

Sam spent a good time during this episode trying to get Glen to stand up for himself. I can understand why Glen would prefer to stay in the background and while he did say and do things in this episode that frustrated me as a viewer, I’m glad that Sam’s words did actually make a difference towards the end of the episode.

As for the Hyde material, it seems that Sam is at Gene’ precinct in an undercover capacity. Except that Sam isn’t aware of this and is equally confused when told by Hyde not to call them again. I do like this angle to Sam’s ongoing saga and hopefully there will be a satisfying payoff to everything here.

Also in “Episode 10”

As much Ray’s racist remarks disgusted, I didn’t mind him and Chris teasing Dickie about sheep. Sam even privately laughed about it.

Chris: “I can’t do five years. I’m not that strong.”
Sam: “Chris, you don’t even have a life.”

I think this might have been the first episode in the series without Nelson. I did miss him seeing as him and Sam get great scenes together.

Dillis: “Ain’t talking in front of your pansy.”
Gene (to Sam): “I think she means you.”

Woolf (re Sam): “He knows his onions this lad.”
Gene: “Oh he’s a right little smartarse.”

So two people in this episode actually thought that Sam was gay. Aside from one gangster, we haven’t exactly been awash with gay characters.

Annie: “Thanks for being so sympathetic sir. Just hope you don’t end up in my firing line.”
Gene (to Sam): “Did she just threaten to shoot me?”

Glen: “Why should I fight all the battles?”
Sam: “Because if you don’t, who will?”

We learned in this episode that it was Glen who was Sam’s mentor in the future. Without Sam’s intervention, I wonder what motivated Glen into becoming more proactive.

Gene: “Talk me out of it. Tell me it’s untrue.”
Woolf: “I can’t. I made you too good.”

Woolf: “How many villains have I put away? Does that not earn me something?”
Gene: “No.”

Sam saw an ad about Glen’s death in 2006 presumably.

Woolf: “Don’t remember me like this.”
Gene: “I’ll call you an ambulance, Guv.”

Standout music: “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John stood out the most for me.

Another in a series of thematic episodes for the successful and one that continues to get better on repeated watching. Chris Chibnall packs in a great character driven script with brilliant performances from all concerned.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

In addition to being Valentines Day, today is special at #1 Hits because it's the blog's one year anniversary! If you would have asked me one year ago whether this site would still be up and running today, I would have probably said no. But, the success of my tiny project has definitely surprised me. I first started #1 Hits because I realized that there was a whole world of music out there that none of the people I knew (except for the ones I had directly influenced) even realized existed. Last year alone, I'd say a fair 80-90% of the music I listened to and loved was from overseas. I love sharing my discoveries with you all and hope that you've found a band that you can be passionate about through this site.

In honor of the anniversary, I'm posting today the very first song I ever posted on this blog. Swedish band The Mo defines the kind of music that I want #1 Hits to represent. Their music is truly some of the best in the world and is utterly unknown to those outside of Scandinavia. Well, you have no excuse any longer.

Just listen to The Right World, perhaps my favorite song of all time. It is perfect... an absolute pop masterpiece. The first time I heard it I was completely entranced. It sounded like something that should be on my radio, yet like nothing I had ever heard in America. It has everything I love about pop music: a killer riff, an undeniable, anthematic melody, a charismatic singer... and that special extra something. I still get chills everytime I hear it.

The Right World is taken from The Mo's second (and sadly, final) album, Night At The Zoo. Frontman Nicko now plays with Melody Club and will be releasing a solo album later this year. For now, in the hopes that you will pick this album up immediately, I'll offer a track by track review.

1. Man Dressed Animals - With a carnival kind of atmosphere, this catchy rock song introduces the album's theme... that there is an animal inside of everybody.

2. Bring Me A Spotlight - With a catchy guitar riff that reminds me of a kazoo, this mid-tempo rock track has got a killer chorus.

3. Howl In The Jungle - The first absolute masterpiece on the album. We're talking about an essential pop melody here with a singalong chorus. Nicko's voice is amazing on this track.

4. The Right World - Best song ever.

5. Beneath My Moon - A jazzy, slow number that is very eighties Billy Joel in delivery. The weakest track here, but still an absolute hit.

6. Rats On The Radio - In true Mo form, this is a very self referential track. It borrows parts of the melody to Little Drummer Boy but ends up sounding very different. A fist in the air kind of track.

7. Ghosts Of Love - A cheesy, 80's power rock track with a shout along chorus. Anything that opens with a foghorn has got to work.

8. Nostalgia Locomotive - The band's duet with Kris Le Mans, and their biggest hit. This is simply a gorgeous ballad with amazing drum work. Better than Angels, I'm serious.

9. Dancing Like A Heathen - The brilliant title says it all, doesn't it? This is a stunning piano laced power pop tune wit hone of the catchiest choruses ever.

10. All The Time (What's That About) - A beautiful, african sounding closer. Very eighties and very summery.

In short, a perfect album and one that I believe everyone should own. If you've liked what I've recommended before, this is going to be your new favorite record.

Buy It (in North America)

Buy It (in Europe)

Videos:

The Right World

Nostalgia Locomotive

Howl In The Jungle

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

CBS NEWS ON FOOD SAFETY


According to a
report on CBS news, today (specifically, on "The Evening News with Katie Couric"), there are "75 million Americans with food-borne illnesses each year". That's a lot. (Is it really an accurate number? -- see below**!)

CBS, quoting
Dick Durban (the second ranking Senate Democrat), points the blame in part on too many agencies being responsible for food safety. The CBS report suggests that there are so many agencies, each responsible for different elements of food safety, that some aspects of safety fall through the cracks.

In one somewhat dubious assertion, they suggest that too large a percentage of money is going to unnecessary protection of meat. Citing Mike Taylor, a former food safety official, they say that because most food safety money — 80 percent — goes to the USDA, which visually inspects meat in slaughterhouses, it leaves insufficient budget to protect the millions of Americans who actually get sick from the invisible germs in produce.

It seems more likely that the current money allocated for meat safety is well spent (to the extent that people are not getting sick from meat), and that it's not the percentage allocation of money that goes to meat safety which is the problem -- we probably need every cent and more -- it's the lack of additional money to protect produce and other foods that needs to be addressed.

It's the opposite of the situation in the old joke:

A man has dinner for the first time at a friend's house. Every ten minutes the man claps his hands three times.

"What are you doing?" the man says.

"This keeps the elephants away," says the friend.

"What??? There are no elephants around here."

"See," the friend says. "it's working!"

In this case, the 80% may really BE keeping the "elephants" (sickness from bad meat) away.

Senator Durbin is introducing a bill to create a single agency to oversee food safety. That should help. But, unless it is also creating a larger pool of resources dedicated to food safety, it may only be addressing a part of the problem. (75 million is a lot of sick people!)



**Is it really an accurate number? Yes:

According to the CDC:

How many cases of foodborne disease are there in the United States?

An estimated 76 million cases of foodborne disease occur each year in the United States. The great majority of these cases are mild and cause symptoms for only a day or two. Some cases are more serious, and CDC estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to foodborne diseases each year. The most severe cases tend to occur in the very old, the very young, those who have an illness already that reduces their immune system function, and in healthy people exposed to a very high dose of an organism.
Bosson - You



“You make all my dreams come true"

Bosson is a popular Swedish pop singer with terminally bad hair. In fact, if his voice wasn't so spot-on perfect, the image thing would probably be a problem. He simply doesn't look like a pop star. Putting that aside, though, You is a soaring track with incredible vocals (especially on the chorus). Bosson's been around for awhile, but this track is one of his more recent, debuting in 2006. It is undoubtedly over the top pop fluff, but it is also high quality. Very Eurovision, in fact.

mp3: Bosson - You
zshare: Bosson - You

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

ROME -- SEASON 2



Rome
, on HBO, continues to be an exceptionally interesting dramatic study of the inside personal politics, intrigue and conspiracy behind events we only know from the outside... the gross historical record.

Most of the historical information we know consists of facts and dates. (We'll call that level one.) Better information (call it level two) includes personalities, murders, elections, victories and defeats. Rome goes beyond that (to what I'll call level three) dramatizing the details of personal relationships, the big and small acts, ambitions, intentions and even mistakes that drive the events of level two.

The amount of brutality, hypocrisy, and even evil that is attributed to the leaders of Rome is truly staggering. Yet the portrayal is even-handed, distributing vice (and some virtue) to characters on all sides of every dispute, highlighting the complexity of every confrontation.

My only reservation about the show is that the aura of reality and brutality exuded by the show, though perfectly served by the fine acting, still makes one wonder whether such thuggery should not be portrayed by sounds and language that were accurate to the time, rather than the elegant British of the fine cast.

Season 1 concentrated on the run-up to the assassination of Julius Caesar -- the part of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar that we all remember. Season 2 describes the aftermath, the wars that followed -- the last acts of Shakespeare's play that we often forget.

AOL - 76 HI-TECH BUSINESS ISSUES


I found this
article from AOL / Entrepreneur very interesting. It's a summary of 76 different hi-tech issues that a business should be aware of.

I don't agree with everything in the article, and even some things I agree with do not apply to every business. Other things (like biometric identity checks) are premature for most businesses and won't be relevant for years.

Still, it's a very interesting, quite comprehensive summary of issues to be conscious of. And some things are good advice and do apply. Other things may need to be applied differently -- in particular businesses -- from the suggestions, but do need to be considered.

Monday, February 12, 2007

We Are The Fury - Now You Know



“Oh my god I think you've got it"

If you like Hot Hot Heat (and really, why wouldn't you?) you should love We Are the Fury. The band plays the same kind of jerky dance rock with perhaps a bit more of a glam edge to it. Actually, some of the tracks on the band's full length debut wouldn't be completely out of place on My Chemical Romance's new glam inspired album. Now You Know could have easily been yet another emo-punk track trying to be glamorous, but the piano and thomping beat allow it to be a bit more. Plus, the band's got some of the best album covers around. Click here to see the cover to their album Venus and see what I'm talking about.

mp3: We Are The Fury - Now You Know
zshare: We Are The Fury - Now You Know

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Modern Day Glam Rock

In honor of The Ark's well deserved win at Melodifestivalen yesterday with the glamtastic The Worrying Kind, I've decided that today's EP will be devoted to modern day glam rock, one of my absolute favorite genres and one that has seen a huge revival in the past few years. From the stomping riffs of the Fratellis and Captain Murphy and the spacey thump of Goldfrapp and Rachel Stevens, here's a compilation that will surely get you moving.

*mp3s will be up for a very short time

1. Living Things - Bom Bom Bom
2. The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
3. Captain Murphy - I Belong To The Girls
4. Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
5. Switches - Hide
6. Chesterwhite & His Orchestra - Moonage Daydream
7. Rachel Stevens - Some Girls
8. Pepper's Ghost - Heavy Body Bag

The Ark - The Worrying Kind (Live at Melodifestivalen)

Here it is, folks... the performance that should claim victory at Eurovision this year. The Ark is the best band in the world, I won't even open it for debate! I love the costume, the choreography and the attitude. And, of course the song is just crazy.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

GOOGLE MARS


Google Earth is well known, often used by TV shows as well as googlers eager to see their own house from space.


Less well known is that Google has already created Google Mars (mars.google.com)! It opens with a topographic vista of Mars' super-mountains, and allows you to roam around, clicking on hyperlinks to identify the surface features.

Click on about Google Mars for more information about the images.
Video Premiere: The Killers - Read My Mind

Definitely my favorite video from tha band so far, there's something so magical about this clip. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the group's gotten back on track and decided to release a song that should save Sam's Town from relative failure. This has hit written all over it.

Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High
Release Date: February 6, 2007
Label: Island




I hate Fall Out Boy. I think it's fair to preface this review by getting that out of the way. I hate singer Patrick Stump's whiny vocals, I hate the group's annoying long "clever" song titles, and I hate the fact that in America, this supposed rock band is taking a place at the top of the charts that could be filled by so many others. With all of this being said, the grade that I'm about to give the group's newest album Infinity On High, is something of a small miracle.

The sole reason for my sudden semi circle turnaround with this band is experimentation. Wisely, the boys realized that their trendy brand of emo rock wasn't likely to garner them many more hits when the American public finally decide to move on to a new preferred genre. So, they enlisted hip hop collaborators and produced some tracks, like the winning single This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arm Race, that coat the group's stylings in a layer of urban beats and theatrical pop/rock songwriting. Suddenly, Stump's whine is replaced by a surprisingly effective and charismatic croon and the songs are lifted to a completely different level than before. Even the song titles are less annoying. Tracks like Take Over, The Break’s Over and I'm Like a Lawyer With the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You) wander closely to a harder edged Maroon 5, and are all the better for it. Then, there's Golden (easily the best ballad the band's ever produced) and I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers, which borrow touches from classic rock and rock opera. Who expected that?

This new, welcome energy is sustained throughout a half to three quarters of the record. The rest, like You're Crashing, But You're No Wave and Thriller, sounds just like old style Fallout Boy. The legions of FOB supporters will surely eat it up. I do not. Still, I never thought this band would surprise me the way they have with Infinity On High. One step further, and I might have to consider myself a fan. B

Key Tracks: This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race, I'm Like a Lawyer With the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You), I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers
Young Love - Too Young To Fight It
Release Date: January 30, 2007
Label: Island



Young Love is the new project from former punk front man Dan Keyes. And, it represents perhaps the epitome of the emo-dance genre. In fact, it could probably be replaced with recent albums by Cobra Starship and Panic At The Disco without anybody noticing (my recommendation: go with Cobra Starship). Like those releases, Young Love's provided us with a couple of great singles, one or two carefully placed surprises, and a heap of unremarkable filler.

Let's start with the high points. Both Discotech and (to an even greater degree) Find A New Way clearly tent pole the record. They're sterling examples of the emo-dance sound, all pulsing synths and tortured white boy yelps. More interesting, though, are Tragedy and Tell Me, the album's high points. Both are pulsing, somewhat experimental pop songs. And, they instantly sound more timeless than anything else on the record. Less successful are the title track and Take It Or Leave It, songs that aren't catchy or interesting enough to make a mark despite their punchy production. It's places like these that the album becomes quite disposable. It almost feels like the entire package should come printed with an expiration date.

Still, the emo-dance genre, although already tiresome, is at its core a fun, non-threatening entity. If you're looking to dance, you could do worse than this. The key is, you could also do so, so much better. Young Love urges his listeners to "find a new way to dance," yet throughout too much of Too Young To Fight It, all he's doing is giving us more of the same. B-

Key Tracks: Find A New Way, Tell Me, Tragedy

Friday, February 9, 2007

Melodifestivalen, The Ark Have Arrived!



The Ark's Melodifestivalen (and ultimately Eurovision) bid was premiered today, and it's yet another example of what an amazing pop song sounds like. The Worrying Kind borrows heavily from seventies glam, more so probably than any of the band's other songs. It's got a real classic sound to it, like you can almost hear several older songs within it. A bit of Bowie and Bolin here, a bit of Abba there. It's also the kid of track that gets better with each listen. And, hopefully, we'll be hearing it a lot as the group takes it all the way to Eurovision! The band will be performing it as well for the first time tomorrow.

The Ark - The Worrying Kind (web rip)

Plus, check out the band's Melodifestivalen blog here (in Swedish).
Video Premiere: Scissor Sisters - She's My Man

Upon my first viewing of this video, all I could say was... what the hell?? VERY strange video, but oddly captivating. The Ark and Scissor Sisters in one day? It's like heaven!

Lisa Miskovsky - Acceptable Losses

“And I'll tear it apart and I'll burn it all down 'cause I have to"

Lisa Miskovsky is a singer/songwriter from Sweden who writes semi-acoustic pop songs with some interesting global influences. she's been pretty successful in Sweden, first with Mary, which was alright, then with Sweet Misery, which I loved, and soon with Acceptable Losses, my favorite song from her so far. At first it may not sound like much, and is definitely a departure from the kind of music I usually post, but it's got a real perfect pop melody that gives it real staying power. Couple that with one hell of a chorus, and you've got a hit, no matter what the genre!

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here.)

Thursday, February 8, 2007

ROBOSAPIENS -- SUPERMAN DIED TOO YOUNG


As part of its
Future Week, The Science Channel showed a film about recent developments in manipulating physical objects by thinking.

The video was unusually informative about how the process works:

A fairly simple tap of electrical activity in the brain -- gathering electrical signals from, in some cases, as little as 16 different points around the scalp -- provides enough information to correlate specific changes in these signals to specific thoughts by the subject. A computer monitoring the brain waves then creates a physical action -- for example, moving a robot arm, selecting a letter, making a sound, or controlling a computer to play Pong -- when it recognizes the corresponding signal.

Even more remarkable is that when the subject sees or hears the results of their thoughts, they can adjust their thoughts to move the object more precisely. And they don't even have to be human to do that: a chimpanzee can manipulate its thoughts well enough to move a robot arm to grab food and put the food in its mouth. (Who says apes/monkeys can't use tools?)

The implications are spectacular for people with paralysis. Christopher Reeve would likely have been able to restore his mobility, using mechanical body parts, when this technology is further refined. The implications are also frightening (but I won't spell that out here). The film is fascinating!
Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire



“I reach out to you tonight"

Australian synth poppers Cut Copy are coming back with a new album and Hearts On Fire is the first single to be released from it. It's one of the band's best songs to date, though I wish that it was a little less repetitive because it sounds like it has the potential to be even better. But, repetitiveness (repetivity? Is that even a word? If not, it should be.) is really a hallmark of this band. Still, the song reminds me a bit of Daft Punk's Face To Face in some parts, which is totally a compliment. I could see this track becoming a big hit going into the spring. It just has that sunny, early-evening feeling to it.

mp3: Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire
zshare: Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the group's first album here.)

FRENCH FILMS AT LINCOLN CENTER


The lineup of film series from different countries -- at Lincoln Center recently -- has been extraordinary, and now there's a new series featuring French Films, beginning later in February.

Here are the details, direct from the Film Society of Lincoln Center:

Rendez-Vous with French Cinema is presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Unifrance USA. Running Feb. 28 to Mar. 11 at Lincoln Center ’s Alice Tully Hall and Walter Reade Theater and at the IFC Center , the 12th edition of the popular annual series will present the American debuts of 16 French films, welcoming a distinguished list of directors and actors to New York City to introduce their works.

Filmmaker Olivier Dahan’s La Vie en Rose will open the showcase on Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall. The film, which will also open Berlin’s prestigious film festival Feb. 8, stars Marion Cotillard in the endearing rags-to-riches story of French chanteuse Edith Piaf, one of France’s most famous stage performers. Cotillard and Dahan are both expected to appear.

Gérard Depardieu as Marcel Cerdan and Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf in
La Vie en Rose / La Môme

Photo Credit: Bruno Calvo

Closing this year’s Rendez-Vous series is Francis Veber’s sophisticated comedy of manners, The Valet. Featuring Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas, Alice Taglioni and comedian Gad Elmaleh as a pair of mismatched couples, the film will be shown Mar. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Walter Reade Theater, with encore screenings Mar. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the Walter Reade and at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m. at the IFC Center. Veber will be present.



Alice Taglioni as Elena and Gad Elmaleh as François Pignon in
The Valet / La Doublure

Photo Credit: Dominique Le Strat © Gaumont - EFVE Films - TF1 Films Production - Kairos
/ courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics Inc. All Rights Reserved







Isild Le Besco (center) as Jeanne in
The Untouchable / L’Intouchable
Photo Credit: Pyramide International

Other filmmakers and actors expected to attend Rendez-Vous 2007 include writing/directing team Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr, Zabou Breitman, Guillaume Canet, Catherine Corsini, Denis Dercourt, Bruno Dumont, Xavier Giannoli, Patrick Grandperret, Benoît Jacquot, Eric Lartigau, Isild Le Besco, Philippe Lioret and Sandrine Veysset.



Tickets for Rendez-Vous with French Cinema go on sale Feb. 12 and are available at both the Walter Reade Theater and IFC Center, as well as online at
www.filmlinc.com and www.ifccenter.com.

Tickets for Walter Reade Theater screenings are $12 for the general public, $8 for Film Society members and students and $8 for seniors at weekday screenings before 6 p.m.

Tickets for IFC Center screenings are $12 for the general public and $8 for members and seniors all day.

For more information, call the Film Society at (212) 875-5600 or the IFC Center at (212) 924-7771.

The IFC Center is located at 323 Sixth Ave. at West 3rd Street.

The Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street close to Amsterdam Avenue. Due to construction work taking place around Alice Tully Hall, the only access to the Walter Reade Theater is via the West 65th Street escalator and stairs to the upper level.


Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2007
Public Screening Schedule


Alice Tully Hall,
1941 Broadway at 65th Street and Columbus Avenue


Wednesday, Feb. 28
8:00 pm La Vie en Rose



Walter Reade Theater,
165 West 65th St. close to Amsterdam Avenue

Thursday, Mar. 1
1:00 pm The Singer
3:45 pm Dans Paris
6:15 pm The Singer
9:00 pm Dans Paris

Friday, Mar. 2
1:00 pm The Page Turner
3:15 pm Tell No One
6:15 pm The Page Turner
8:30 pm Countdown & Humbert Balsan: Rebel Producer

Saturday, Mar. 3
1:30 pm The Singer
4:00 pm The Man of My Life
6:45 pm Tell No One
9:30 pm Ambitious

Sunday, Mar. 4
1:30 pm Tell No One
4:15 pm Ambitious
6:30 pm Flanders
9:00 pm The Page Turner

Monday, Mar. 5
1:30 pm The Man of My Life
3:45 pm Flanders
6:15 pm The Man of My Life
9:00 pm Flanders

Tuesday, Mar. 6
1:00 pm Ambitious
3:15 pm Countdown & Humbert Balsan: Rebel Producer
6:15 pm Dans Paris
8:45 pm Countdown & Humbert Balsan: Rebel Producer

Wednesday, Mar. 7
1:30 pm One to Another
4:00 pm Blame It on Fidel
6:30 pm One to Another
9:00 pm Blame It on Fidel

Thursday, Mar. 8
2:00 pm The Untouchable
4:15 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine
6:30 pm The Untouchable
9:00 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine


Friday, Mar. 9
1:30 pm Murderers
4:00 pm I Do!
6:30 pm Murderers
9:10 pm I Do!

Saturday, Mar. 10
1:30 pm The Untouchable
4:00 pm One to Another
6:30 pm The Valet
9:00 pm Blame It on Fidel

Sunday, Mar. 11
1:30 pm The Valet
4:00 pm I Do!
6:30 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine
8:45 pm Murderers


IFC Center, (IFC = Independent Film Channel)
323 Sixth Ave. at West 3rd Street

Friday, Mar. 2
6:45 pm The Singer
9:30 pm The Singer

Saturday, Mar. 3
12:00 noon Countdown
2:00 pm Dans Paris
4:00 pm The Page Turner
6:00 pm Flanders
8:15 pm The Page Turner
10:15 pm Dans Paris

Sunday, Mar. 4
2:45 pm Countdown
4:45 pm The Man of My Life
7:15 pm Blame It on Fidel
9:15 pm The Man of My Life

Monday, Mar. 5
7:00 pm Ambitious
9:30 pm Ambitious

Tuesday, Mar. 6
7:00 pm Flanders
9:30 pm Blame It on Fidel

Wednesday, Mar. 7
7:00 pm The Untouchable
9:15 pm The Untouchable

Thursday, Mar. 8
7:00 pm One to Another
9:30 pm One to Another

Friday, Mar. 9
7:00 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine
9:15 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine

Saturday, Mar. 10
2:30 pm I Do!
4:45 pm Murderers
7:15 pm I Do!
9:30 pm Murderers

Sunday, Mar. 11
2:45 pm Tell No One
5:15 pm The Valet
7:15 pm The Valet
9:30 pm Tell No One