Songs for your iPod

(Candidates for most underrated song of 2010)

A Pure Accident - Badly Drawn Boy

...

What if it isn't out there? - The Silver Seas

...

I Don't Feel It Anymore - William Fitzsimmons Feat. Brooke Fraser (George Raquet Remix)

I Don't Feel It Anymore (Feat. Brooke Fraser) (George Raquet Remix) by Naim Edge


Listeners, any thoughts?

Favorite award show moments

Winning for The Wrestler, he was quite the comedian that night! Have you seen the speech before? What did you think?

Songs for your iPod

Who would have thought I would get into rap & hip-hop in 2011, go figure. I'll go back to my normal ways next weekend, promise.


The Vent - Big K.R.I.T



...

Became - Atmosphere



...

Growing Pains – Grieves

(Boogie Man is also pretty good from the same album)

Grieves - Growing Pains by vinarkate

...

Anymore - Blue Belt

Blue Belt - Anymore by Doing Good

Listeners, any thoughts on this week's music?

Favourite trailers blogathon

I've not been hearing very good things about the film, the trailer for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) impressed me. A U2 song has seldom been so powerfully used. Readers, any thoughts?

Top 10 films from 2011

(Updated December 2012)

1.)
Another Year

(My number one film of the year! Top notch directing, acting, dialogue, and most importantly real emotions you can relate to. May lack a traditional beginning middle and end, but our real lives are not formulaic)

2.)
The Tree of Life

(Conceivable that Tree of Life could go down as a masterpiece that will still be watched in a 100 years time. I loved the breathtaking visuals, use of classical music, and how Malick could make me think about my childhood. To each viewer it has its own meaning, as my review indicates)

3.)
Barney's Version

(A film I still find myself thinking about, even though I saw it months ago. I've heard people call the film uneven. The strength of the story for me is the Barney character (Paul Giamatti), his vulnerability, and his emotional rollercoaster of a life is what drew me in)

4.)
Oslo, August 31st

(Listen out for the soundtrack, I liked it a a lot. The first person angle makes us feel very close to the 30something Norwegian young guy and his troubles. Even though he finds it easy to pick up girls, he is lost. Contains a message of how our generation maybe has too much freedom. Certain scenes were very powerful and imaginative. Director Joachim Trier has his own unique voice, which Reprise (2006) is also proof of. )

5.)
Happythankyoumoreplease

(Can put a smile on your face. A light, entertaining and funny indie. Heartwarming maybe because the characters are vulnerable. The soundtrack is good, too.)

6.)
Archipelago

(The dialogue is very assured and gives the story a lot of realism, sort of slow-paced Mike Leigh. Lingers in the mind. Director Joanna Hogg sure is underrated, having said that her films are not for everyone. Hogg's Unrelated (2008) made my list of best older films viewed in 2011.)

7.)
We Need to Talk About Kevin

(Tilda Swinton plays a mother challenged with raising her creepy son, Kevin. I'm very keen to review Lynne Ramsey's film, as I was left with a lot to think about after the credits had rolled. For me, was heartbreaking to watch, but impossible to forget. Not a film I’d revisit a lot, because I remember the story so vividly.

8.)
In A Better World

(I don't think its Susanne Bier's masterpiece, After the Wedding (2006) is better in my estimation, but she did win the best foreign language film oscar in 2011. Questions what is strength and what is weakness among the two boys. It’s about the choice between revenge and pacifism. On the one hand, how dominating and oppressing can lead to power, and on the other hand how doing nothing can make you look like a wimp, but at least you are not hurting anyone)

9.)
Inside Job (documentary)

(An informative and critical look at the reasons behind the financial crisis. Won Oscar for best documentary)

10.)
Miss Representation (documentary)

"in a world of a million channels like we have today, people try to do more and more shocking things to break through the clutter, and often times they resort to violent images, or sexually offensive images, or demeaning images, because they know it will get attention. The problem is kids are exposed to that, with very little, or no mediation"

"Turning a human being into a thing, that is almost always the first step to justifying violence against that person"

"If we spent the tenth of the time thinking about our weight, I think we would solve the worlds problems in a matter of months."

11.)
The Art of Getting By

(Possibly THE most underrated film of the year. Takes you back to being a rebellious teenager, likeable personalities and fun to watch.)

12.)
The Trip

(The impressions these guys do of celebrities are hilarious)

13.)
The Skin I Live in

(Pedro Almodóvars latest was not what I was expecting at all. A disturbing and suspenseful thriller, which is also a character study if you want it to be)

14.)
X-Men: First Class

(Good prequels are few and far between, The Godfather Part 2 probably wins as the best. X-Men: First Class was divided into three sections, action to start with, character study in the middle, and finally action once again. The best Hollywood popcorn blockbuster of 2011 for me)

15.)
Young Adult

(Great performance by Charlize Theron as a troubled 37-year-old author struggling to find her place in the adult world. She returns home to try and hook up with her old boyfriend. Great script by Diablo Cody who wrote Juno. For me, Jason Reitman maintains his perfect record of never having made a bad film.)

16.)
Sarah's Key

(WW2 drama. The themes are to do with what should be kept a secret and what should not, and how we are a product of our history. Definitely the best French film I've seen in a long time)

17.)
Certified Copy

(Look at it as a Before Sunset for adults. I struggled to understand what the director wanted to say, and the relationship was not as warm-hearted as I would have hoped for, but the films strength is the magnificent script and dialogue. Juliette Binoche won the Best Actress prize in Cannes for her performance)

18.)
The Kid With A Bike

(Simple and heart-warming story about a young boy in search of his father, the boy meets various people on his journey. Directed by award-winning Belgian Dardenne duo, thanks to bonjour trisesse for the recommendation)

19.)
The Way

(Beautiful cinematography. About a father going to Europe, and heading on pilgrimage named El Camino, he meets some colourful oddballs on his path)

20.)
A Separation

(Favorite to bag the foreign language film Academy Award in February. Gives a depiction of life in contemporary Iran. Worked well as a suspenseful crime story, but I didn’t think its a film where I fell in love with the characters (but I don’t think the director was trying for this). Having said that, I would probably watch it again, to take another look at the important scenes of the accident.)

21.)
Newlyweds

(Edward Burns' scripts in recent times for me have become increasingly uninspiring, the dialogue and characters in his latest indie felt fresher and more personal)

22.)
Limitless

(Better than expected. An interesting "what if" premise. Does it make you a better person by accessing 100% of your brain, and is this the future of medication? What would happen if we all took a pill. If we are all at the top of our game and felt no pain, what would the world look like? Perhaps a warning for future generations)

23.)
50/50

(A rare mix of drama and comedy. Somehow works making a comedy about cancer. I liked it, not sure I loved it. The Seth Rogen character annoyed me, but I guess his unappealing attitude made the Joseph Gordon-Levitt character seem more likeable to the audience. I’m surprised really they were friends, being so different. )

24.)
Reagan (documentary)

(A doc that looks at his time as president during the 80s, both the positive and negative, and how Ronald Reagan is perceived today)

25.)
Bobby Fischer Against the World (documentary)

(He was the best chess player in the world for a while. Its difficult to make chess exciting for an hour and a half, but I think they managed it largely due to Fischer’s unusual personality. Lets face it, if the guy had been normal, would there have been a documentary? I did not know much about him, there probably wasn't much new brought to the table for those who do remember Fischer.)

26.)
Drive

(I'm probably out on my own in the blogosphere ranking Drive so low, I loved the music and atmosphere. But aside from Ryan Gosling, the rest of the characters were one-dimensional. I also find it unsettling that so many people have turned a blind eye to the extreme violence)

27.)
Source Code

(Didn't like it quite as much as Moon. Still, a solid follow-up that was entertaining from start to finish, and kept me on the edge of my seat)

28.)
Happy, Happy

(Not a film I instantly thought, YES! great film. But the more I discuss the story with others, the more depth the film reveals. A film I sense I ought to review to get my opinions sorted out. It was submitted as Norway's entry for the 2012 Oscars, and won World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for drama at the 2011 Sundance film festival)

29.)
The High Cost of Living

(An underrated and overlooked indie movie. I doubt whether many people have this film on their year-end lists, or have even seen it. I only heard about it by accident. The characters really stayed with me, is kind of a sequel to The Last Kiss)

30.)
Martha Marcy May Marlene

(Probably was a bit overhyped, so expectations were sky-high. The film has a lot of tension that slowly builds. Making a serious film about a cult seemed to be an original idea that I hadn't seen done before, and while the dark story is tough to love, it held my attention)

Honourable mentions:
Warrior
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Shame
The Ides of March
Win Win
Margin Call
Like Crazy
Cold Weather
Midnight in Paris
Terri
Life In A Day (documentary)
The People vs. George Lucas (documentary)
The Music Never Stopped
The Descendants
The Artist
Melancholia
The Rum Diary
Carnage
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Contagion


*Yet to see:
*Warhorse
*Salt of Life


Readers, what do you think of my list above?

Favorite award show moments

A new blogathon idea has been cooking in my mind, what for me are funny and memorable moments from award shows? I'll start off with The Golden Globes 2012. Johnny Depp should do more comedy!
Readers, what was your favourite moment at last weekend's Golden Globes ?




The tv-series that Ricky mentions at the Globes is amusing too:

Favourite trailers blogathon

Don't be fooled. I've never seen such a bad movie with such a great trailer. I don't know whether to praise the makers of the trailer, or call them manipulative. What do you think?

I Melt with You Trailer (2011) (Mood Piece)

Songs for your iPod

Masterpiece - Madonna

(My favourite song from the Golden Globes, and it won!)



...

Human Condition - Joan As Police Woman

(In my opinion her music has universal appeal, for example listen to another recent song Flash, she should have a bigger following)




...

Only When I Dream - Roxette

(They may be too far gone into the pop trash category for purists, Roxette have faded into obscurity since their heyday. The chorus is a bit annoying, enjoyed the rest of the song from 2011 album Charm School, an influence could be Leonard Cohen's First We Take Manhattan)



What did you think of the songs? Share your views in the comment box below

Songs for your iPod

Vanity Is Forever by Geoffrey O'Connor is for the casual music fan an unnoticed album from 2011, an LP that has slowly but surely grown on me, and I keep returning to it for more. There's an aura about his vocals and lyrics, and the sunglasses obviously add to the mystery reminiscent of the late Roy Orbison. I'm told O'Connor opened for Jens Lekman on his tour. For me, among the very best obscure albums of 2011.


So Sorry - Geoffrey O'Connor
So Sorry by Geoffrey O'Connor

...

Like They Say It Does - Geoffrey O'Connor

Whatever Leads Me To You - Geoffrey O'Connor


New 2012 track:

Now And Then - Geoffrey O'Connor

Listeners, any thoughts on the tunes or the singer?

Favourite trailers blogathon

Could be perceived as slightly schmaltzy and sentimental, but the trailer and anime movie really work I think due to the peaceful images and haunting voice-overs. Here's a link to my review of 5 centimeters per second (2007)





Readers, what did you think of the trailer?

Anticipated Albums 2012/2013/2014

So what new music am I looking forward to for 2012? Here are some album selections:

10th of January:

If - Bill Ryder-Jones

...

12th of January:

The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit

...

31st of January:

Old Ideas - Leonard Cohen

...

31st of January:

Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

...

7th of February:

Le Voyage Dans La Lune - Air

...


7th of February:

Tramp - Sharon Van Etten

...

7th of February:

Paralytic Stalks - Of Montreal

...

14th of February:

Underrated Silence - Ulrich Schnauss and Mark Peters

...

14th of February:

Roses – The Cranberries

...

20th of February:

I Thought I Was an Alien - Soko

...

21st of February:

Visions - Grimes

...

21st of February:

Maraqopa - Damien Jurado

...

28th of February:

Ghostory – School of Seven Bells

...

28th of February:

The Slideshow Effect - Memoryhouse

...



March 2012:

Port of Morrow – The Shins

...

27th of March:

Rhine Gold - Choir of Young Believers

...

22nd of May

All Of Us, Together - Teen Daze

Other 2012 album releases:
Young Man in America - Anais Mitchell (February 28th, 2012)
One Second of Love - Nite Jewel(March 3rd)
Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen (March 6th)
Kill for Love - Chromatics (March 26th)
A Wasteland Companion - M. Ward (April 10th)
This Machine - Dandy Warhols (April 24th)
The Body Wins - Sarah Jaffe (April 24th)
Little Broken Hearts - Norah Jones (May 1st)
Prophet - Ramona Falls (May 1st)
Strangeland - Keane (May 8th)
Bloom - Beach House (May 15th)
The Only Place - Best Coast (May 15th)
Gallery - Craft Spells (May 15th)
Not Your Kind of People - Garbage (May 22th)
Title TBA - Niki & The Dove (May 22nd)
In My Mind I Am Free - Blue Foundation (May 22nd)
The Absence - Melody Gardot (May 29th)
Valtari - Sigur Rós (May 29th)
Sister - Marissa Nadler (May 29th)
Here - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (May 29th)
We Saw from the Cheap Seats - Regina Spektor (May 29th)
Americana - Neil Young & Crazy Horse (June 5th)
Boys Don't Cry - Rumer (June 5th)
Temper Trap - The Temper Trap (June 5th)
There's No Leaving Now - The Tallest Man On Earth (June 11th)
Synthetica - Metric (June 12th)
Lucifer - Peaking Lights (June 19th)
In Our Heads - Hot Chip (June 19th)
Amanda Mair - Amanda Mair (June 19th)
The Hound Chronicles / Hot Garden Stomp - The Mountain Goats (June 26)
Fiona Apple (late June 2012)
One Lovely Day - Citizen Cope (July 17th)
Shrines - Purity Ring (July 24th )
Confess - Twin Shadow (July)
Good Morning to the Night - Elton John & Pnau (July 17)
Gossamer - Passion Pit (July 24th)
Underwater - Joshua Radin (July 31st)
Just Tell Me That You Want Me - Tribute To Fleetwood Mac - Various Artists (August 14)
Mature Themes - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (August 21st)
Four - Bloc Party (August 21st)
Nocturne - Wild Nothing (August 28th)
Havoc And Bright Lights - Alanis Morissette (August 28th)
The Salesman and the Shark - Sean Rowe (August 28th)
Privateering - Mark Knopfler (September 3rd)
Sun - Cat Power (September 4th)
I Know What Love Isn't - Jens Lekman (Sept 4th)
Tempest - Bob Dylan (Sept 11th)
Love This Giant - David Byrne & St. Vincent (September 11)
Coexist - The xx (September 11)
Observator - Raveonettes (September 11)
Away From The World - Dave Matthews Band (September 11)
Falling - Seapony (September 11)
The Spirit Indestructible - Nelly Furtado (September 11)
Elysium - Pet Shop Boys (Sept 18th)
Charmer - Aimee Mann (Sept 18th)
Mirage Rock - Band of Horses (September 18)
Runner - The Sea and Cake (September 18)
Battle Born - The Killers (Sept 25th)
Push and Shove - No Doubt (September 25)
Sundark and Riverlight - Patrick Wolf (September 25)
Transcendental Youth - The Mountain Goats (October 2)
Glad Rag Doll - Diana Krall (October 2)
The 2nd Law - Muse (October 2)
Other Worlds - Taken by Trees (October 2)
Sounds That Can't Be Made - Marillion (October 2)
Now for Plan A - The Tragically Hip (October 2)
Gold Dust - Tori Amos (October 2)
Halcyon - Ellie Goulding (October 8th)
Close-Up 4: Songs Of Family - Suzanne Vega (October 9)
Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood - John Cale (October 9th)
Diluvia - Freelance Whales (October 9)
The Haunted Man - Bat for Lashes (October 23rd)
Free Dimensional - Diamond Rings (October 23)
Tinsel And Lights - Tracey Thorn (October 30)
Psychedelic Pill - Neil Young & Crazy Horse (October 30)
Music from Another Dimension! - Aerosmith (November 6)
Smalhans - Lindstrom (November 6)
Free The Universe - Major Lazer (November 6)
The Inner Mansions - Teen Daze (November 6)
Born To Die - Lana Del Rey (The Paradise Edition) (Nov 12th)
LUX - Brian Eno (November 13)
Grace/Confusion - Memory Tapes (December 4)






2013:
Lost Sirens - New Order (January 14)
Fade - Yo La Tengo (January 15)
Awayland – Villagers (January 22)
Anything In Return - Toro y Moi (January 22)
Heartthrob - Tegan and Sara (January 29)


Wonderful, Glorious - Eels (February 5)
Holy Fire - Foals (February 12)
Push The Sky Away - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (February 19)
Songs for Imaginative People - Darwin Deez (February 19 )
Outrun - Kavinsky (February 25)
The Raven That Used To Sing (And Other Stories) - Steven Wilson (February 26)


Girl Who Got Away - Dido ( March 4)
Beast in Its Tracks - Josh Ritter (March 5)
Welcome Oblivion - How To Destroy Angels (March 5)
Sound City - Real to Reel (March 8)
Graffiti on the Train - Stereophonics (March 12)
The Deserters - Rachel Zeffira (March 12)
The Next Day - David Bowie ( March 12)
Muchacho – Phosphorescent (March 19)
Bloodsports - Suede (March 19)
Delta Machine - Depeche Mode (March 25)
Comedown Machine - The Strokes (March 26)
Don’t Get Too Grand - Donovan Woods (EP) (March 26)

The Terror - The Flaming Lips (April 1)
The Music Is You: A Tribute To John Denver ( April 2)
For Now I am Winter - Oluf Arnolds (April 2)
Shaking the Habitual - The Knife (April 8)
Wakin' on a Pretty Daze - Kurt Vile (April 9)
Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time – Steve Mason (April 9)
Stories Don’t End - Dawes (April 9)
Free the Universe - Major Lazer (April 15)
True Romance - Charli XCX (April 15)
Mosquito - Yeah Yeah Yeah’s (April 16)
The Terror - The Flaming Lips (April 16)
Ghost On Ghost - Iron & Wine ( April 16)
Alone Aboard the Ark - The Leisure Society (April 16)
Bankrupt! - Phoenix (April 23)
Ultramarine - Young Galaxy (April 23)
A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart – Bill Ryder Jones (April 23)


Heart of Nowhere - Noah and the Whale (May 6)
Volume 3 - She & Him (May 7)
Monomania - Deerhunter (May 7)
Strange Pleasures - Still Corners (May 7)
Limits Of Desire - Small Black (May 14)
Pale Green Ghosts – John Grant (May 14)
Second Hand Rapture - MS MR (May 14)
Modern Vampires Of The City - Vampire Weekend ( May 14)
The Conversation - Texas (May 20)
Random Access Memories - Daft Punk (May 21)
Trouble Will Find Me - The National (May 20)
Once I Was An Eagle - Laura Marling (May 27)
Brass Tactics - David Byrne & St Vincent (free EP) (May 28)

Immunity - Jon Hopkins (June 3)
Desire Lines - Camera Obscura (June 4)
Personal Record - Eleanor Friedberger (June 4)
The Bling Ring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (June 11)
The Ballad of Boogie Christ - Joseph Arthur (June 11)
Tomorrow's Harvest - Boards Of Canada (June 11)

The Travels - Molly Nilsson (July 8)
Me Moan - Daughn Gibson (July 9)
Only God Forgives: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Cliff Martinez (July 16)
The Big Dream - David Lynch (July 16)
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (July 23)
Songs Cycled - Van Dyke Parks (July 23)

Moderat: Moderat II (August 2)
Paracosm - Washed Out (August 13)
Loud City Song - Julia Holter (August 20)
Permanent Signal - Porcelain Raft (August 20)
Hesitation Marks - Nine Inch Nails (September 3)
Tales of Us - Goldfrapp (September 10)
AM - Arctic Monkeys (September 10)
Dynamics - Holy Ghost! (September 10)
Feels Like Home - Sheryl Crow (September 10)
Dream River - Bill Callahan (September 17)
In Rolling Waves - The Naked and Famous (September 17)
At Home - Keep Shelly In Athens (September 17)
And I'll Scratch Yours (cover album of Peter Gabriel songs) (September 23)
Seasons Of Your Day - Mazzy Star (September 24)
Aventine - Agnes Obel (September 30)
Glacier - Teen Daze (October 1)
R Plus Seven - Oneohtrix Point Never (October 1)
Innocents – Moby (October 1)
Lightning Bolt - Pearl Jam (October 15)
Outside - CFCF (October 22)
[Title TBA] - The Arcade Fire (October 29)



2014:
Warpaint - Warpaint (January 21)
Brothers and Sisters Of The Eternal Son - Damien Jurado (January 21)

(Last updated 6 November 2013)




What new music are you most excited about for spring 2012? What did I miss? Any thoughts on the albums above? Share your views in the comments!