Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The trailer for the newest film in the C.S. Lewis Narnia series is out.

While this looks like a better adaptation then the last attempt with Prince Caspian. Hopefully with Disney backing out and 20th Century Fox taking over we will see films that adhere more to what C.S. Lewis wrote. There was so much added and subtracted from Prince Caspian that I find it hard to say that what we saw on the screen in anyway, other than name, was C.S.Lewis' Prince Caspian. I can only hope that Fox has learned from Disney's mistakes and kept closer to the book that people know and love.

Sherlock and Ritchie make for an interasting ride

For those of us who love the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle this film is not that Holmes. This Holmes is a man who is one that lacks the mystery of Doyle’s Holmes, this Holmes is a buddy film between him and Watson.

This film takes the attributes of Holmes, his observation, his ability to navigate London blindfolded, and his pension for the violin and tobacco, and places them in the new Holmes. As one who loves the stories of Doyle and understanding that this film is a re-imagining of Sherlock, I would have loved to see more of Doyle’s Holmes and less of Guy’s Holmes.

The story telling during this film was wonderful. The way that Guy Ritchie used Holmes’ observation during fighting and investigation was wonderful. While the story was elaborate and not Holmeian at all this film was pretty good, just make sure you don’t make the mistake of thinking this is going to be Holmes in all his glory. Overall a good fun film, which has a fresh approach to Sherlock and his merry band of crime fighters.

Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott are at it again

The newest project from Ridley Scott is an attempt to capturer the wonder and mystery of the legend Robin Hood.

The legend of Robin Hood has been on of the elusive stories to make it in the film world. It has everything you would expect a big blockbuster film to have action, romance, and a nasty villain. Yet I have never been satisfied with any of the films about such a noble character. Is this one of those un-filmable stories?

Lets see if a stare studded cast and a good director can remedy the bane that Robin Hood seems to be on Hollywood.

Check out the trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/robinhood/
Film website: http://www.robinhoodthemovie.com/

Armisitice, Finally Something New From MUTEMATH

We were introduced to Armistice, MUTEMATH’s new album in August and let me say it was worth the wait. After many years of touring and recording MUTEMATH’s sophomore release finally came together. 

“We didn’t want our sophomore record to sound like a bunch of first record b-sides,” Paul Meany, frontman for MUTEMATH, said, “the recorded was sounding like that, we were trying to find that genuine inspiration that caused the first recorded to be recorded.”

“We finished our recorded like five times” Meany said “every time we thought we had finished it we would go and eat at Wolfgang Pucks.” 

Armistice was inspired by music that is almost the anti-thesis of MUTEMATH. Songs from Meany and company are normally very complex with a huge number of tracks.

“Inspiration came from very striped down music, lots of acoustic singer songwriter stuff like bob Dylan, James Taylor and Crosby, Stills and Nash…. really calm things and being challenged by that,” Meany said, “We wanted to find our own way in uncovering that sort of musical phenomena.”

Live shows are where it is at with MUTEMATH. They put on a show—well just skip to the bottom for the glowing review on their live shows—but what is their favorite song to play live?

 “Burden the last song on the [new] recorded and the last song written for the record it has really come into it own live and has a nice framework and freedom in that song. We take our time with that song,” Meany said. 

If anyone wants to see a show that changes your life and cause you to question your measuring stick for every other live show, see MUTEMATH.  They allow you into their world and cause you to experience the music instead of just listen to it. A MUTEMATH show is definitely worth any price.    

The following are recommendations from Paul Meany for a good time:

James Brown—“Best recordings performer/writer”

Eleanor Rigby by Ray Charles— “Every human needs to encounter this song once in your life time you will have ea better day for it.”

The Foals —“Good rock band that melds genres that you wouldn’t think would work.”

The Murder City Devils; One for the books

Every once in a while you come across that band that changes your life. Life change can be a good thing or a bad thing. Up until now most of my life changing experiences have been good. Last year I saw MuteMath perform in Portland and it changed the way I looked at live shows and music in general. This time it happened at Sasquatch with Spencer Moody of Murder City Devils.

I have grown up listening to many bands that profess to have a hatred for authority, but never have I seen it so forcefully expressed as with the Murder City Devils.

First lets get this out of the way: Moody was sauced, plastered and pretty well pissed when he came on-stage. This by itself would have made for an interesting show as he was stumbling around falling over monitors and almost hitting people with his microphone stand.

The commentary on humanity in between songs was what really hits you. If I were to take all the comments and synthesize them it would be something like this: high school jocks and former jocks
all need to go fuck themselves
and the only people who matter are those freaks, geeks and homosexuals. He also made out with most of the males on stage and one in the audience.

Moody also has a hatred for the media and all those that are in authoritative positions. When the media were allowed in to take some photos he spent a good portion of the time trying to disrupt their attempts to take pictures of him.

This bad boy and hate the world style of live show is one that has seemed to die off in recent years. You don't see many bands coming to their live shows drunk and pissed out of their minds any more. It was a blast from the past to see this form the Murder City Devils and one that I can say left a profound impression on me and right now I can't say if it is a good thing or a bad thing. While he was offensive and insensitive he did attempt to point out the double standard that many people have.

The fans of the Murder City Devils treat Moody like a mad prophet. They flock to him and he blesses them like little children. He tells them to take nothing from nobody and stick it to the man. And that is what makes the Murder City Devils one of those bands that leaves a mark on you and changes the way you see music, whether you want that or not.

The Passing of Warp Tour, May you rest in peace

Warp tour­­—a time of punk rawk and rebellion has been transformed into teenybopper hell by the horrible people of the Vans shoe company. What started as a tour for those that spiked their hair into ridiculous mohawks, wear skinny black jeans and leather coats in 200 degree weather has been polluted with the addition of bands such as Millionaires and BrokeNCYDE.  

I popped my warp tour cherry this year and made the trek with a friend to the gorgeous gorge with hopes of hearing some good music that I knew and finding some new music to blow my mind. But what emerged was a longing for the old days were hardcore and punk bands played good music not the music of the untalented, rejects known as BrokeNCYDE. These don’t know what they are individuals ruined what was to be a celebration of all things rebellious. The screaming masses of young girls through themselves at the band while the real fans stood around and wished a huge meteor would crash down upon them ending not only there set but the world.    

This shift from a tour that was a celebration of punk rawk and all things hardcore into a bubble gum pop tour is a warning of things to come. As warp tour has sold out and is slowly swallowed whole by bands like the afore mentioned Millionaires and BrokeNCYDE it spells doom for those of us who just want some good old fashioned punches to the face. Gone will be the days of circle pits and crowd surfers and instead we will get the sign waving, high pitched squealing and swooning 15 year-olds as they think they are at a punk show (no punk show includes a keytar).  I will mourn for the passing of warp tour, the last hope for an untainted punk rawk/hardcore tour has sold out.