Spring has arrived -- flowers and music in full bloom. Some of it only hints at what might be as summer approaches. Until then, here are few things I'm carting around in my wheelbarrow. Dig it.
"Spiderlegs" Danny Malone: Balloons (Dm)
Happy accident as I had no prior knowledge of Mr. Malone prior to listening to his new album, but no worries. Here's a wonderful folk-rock tune from this Austin-based singer/songwriter's second long-player. He recorded this set of confessional musings in a haunted 15th century castle in Denmark, each song in a different room. He calls his music "sexy, dirty, sad songs about the human condition." This remains my favorite track; and the video below is pretty bloody "sexy" too.
Alicia Keys at Prudential Center April 8, 2013, Newark, NJ
I'd never seen her live, and I don't why, but I'm damn happy I finally did. She is a major talent,...
"Spiderlegs" Danny Malone: Balloons (Dm)
Happy accident as I had no prior knowledge of Mr. Malone prior to listening to his new album, but no worries. Here's a wonderful folk-rock tune from this Austin-based singer/songwriter's second long-player. He recorded this set of confessional musings in a haunted 15th century castle in Denmark, each song in a different room. He calls his music "sexy, dirty, sad songs about the human condition." This remains my favorite track; and the video below is pretty bloody "sexy" too.
Alicia Keys at Prudential Center April 8, 2013, Newark, NJ
I'd never seen her live, and I don't why, but I'm damn happy I finally did. She is a major talent,...
- 5/2/2013
- by Dusty Wright
- www.culturecatch.com
Last night’s flashback-tastic New Girl episode, “Virgins,” was a treasure trove of music to set the mood — some songs more successfully than others — as the loftmates looked back on their first sexual encounters. Anchoring the eclectic mix (which ranged from Sublime to Boyz II Men and even figured in Lisa Loeb), Ellie Goulding’s “Anything Could Happen” kicked in during a fan-fulfilling scene between Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess (Zooey Deschanel).
It got us thinking of some of our favorite first-time anthems from shows of yore. Below, our ultimate Spotify playlist of coupling tracks!
Liner notes…
New Girl
The song: Ellie Goulding,...
It got us thinking of some of our favorite first-time anthems from shows of yore. Below, our ultimate Spotify playlist of coupling tracks!
Liner notes…
New Girl
The song: Ellie Goulding,...
- 5/1/2013
- by Lanford Beard
- EW.com - PopWatch
The National Hockey League playoffs are back!
Now, this could be very bad news for people who don't enjoy hearing the same old Gary Glitter riff belched through the loudspeakers of every NHL event ever, or people who loathe watching Nickelback besmirch Hockey Night In Canada broadcasts with that unfortunate cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)," but the return of the playoffs — this year featuring four Canadian teams: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks — needn't be a complete tragedy for music lovers.
The passionate emotions and the questionable "beards" that seem to come hand in hand with the playoffs have become genuine sources of inspiration to all sorts of artists from the most cutting edge of indie stars to the biggest of stadium acts.
Here are 12 of our favourite hockey songs — by everyone from Stompin' Tom and Tragically Hip to Kathleen Edwards...
Now, this could be very bad news for people who don't enjoy hearing the same old Gary Glitter riff belched through the loudspeakers of every NHL event ever, or people who loathe watching Nickelback besmirch Hockey Night In Canada broadcasts with that unfortunate cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)," but the return of the playoffs — this year featuring four Canadian teams: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks — needn't be a complete tragedy for music lovers.
The passionate emotions and the questionable "beards" that seem to come hand in hand with the playoffs have become genuine sources of inspiration to all sorts of artists from the most cutting edge of indie stars to the biggest of stadium acts.
Here are 12 of our favourite hockey songs — by everyone from Stompin' Tom and Tragically Hip to Kathleen Edwards...
- 4/29/2013
- by HuffPost Canada Music
- Huffington Post
Neon Neon have announced a second album. Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and Boom Bip release Praxis Makes Perfect on April 29 in the UK and April 30 in the Us. The album is available to pre-order now via Lex Records. Neon Neon's first album, 2008's Mercury-nominatedStainless Style, was a concept album based on the life of car designer John DeLorean. Praxis Makes Perfect is inspired by the life and times of left-wing political activist (more)...
- 1/24/2013
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
When considering your favourite Roosevelt, it’s usually going to come down to Theodore or Franklin, with poor Eleanor rarely even getting a look-in. As if it wasn’t hard enough to choose, what with Teddy’s exuberant existence as one part President, one part explorer, one part sheriff, one part war hero, one part general-prime-minister-of-manliness, or Frankie’s noteworthy accomplishments like steering America through the depression, getting on board with the Allies during World War 2 to give Hitler a spanking or generally being considered by scholars, and anyone, to be one of the top three American presidents of all time, or Ellie (Frankie’s wife) being generally considered the most badass first lady of all time with her outspoken views, disagreeing with her husband’s own policies and support of the Civil Rights Movement, there comes a fourth Roosevelt.
That was a wholly unnecessary introduction –overwrought, vainly humorous, rambling...
That was a wholly unnecessary introduction –overwrought, vainly humorous, rambling...
- 1/4/2013
- by Morgan Roberts
- Obsessed with Film
Hello again, it’s been a while.
I can only apologise for my absence, as I’m sure there’s been an empty space left in the usual music opinion based harassment you receive, but I’ve been on a bit of a big transitional period – I’ve moved far away and become a scumbag student again.
It’s been longer still though since I last forced multiple musicians on you with one of my ‘Things You Should Be Listening To’ features – an End of The Road festival special being the last. So, to mark my return to your lives I’ll be starting off with, as you’ve guessed from the title having clicked it open to read this, a ‘Things You Should Be Listening To’ feature. Better yet though, I’m being a lazy gobshite again and making it a special feature.
To mark the second ever Welsh Music Prize,...
I can only apologise for my absence, as I’m sure there’s been an empty space left in the usual music opinion based harassment you receive, but I’ve been on a bit of a big transitional period – I’ve moved far away and become a scumbag student again.
It’s been longer still though since I last forced multiple musicians on you with one of my ‘Things You Should Be Listening To’ features – an End of The Road festival special being the last. So, to mark my return to your lives I’ll be starting off with, as you’ve guessed from the title having clicked it open to read this, a ‘Things You Should Be Listening To’ feature. Better yet though, I’m being a lazy gobshite again and making it a special feature.
To mark the second ever Welsh Music Prize,...
- 10/18/2012
- by Morgan Roberts
- Obsessed with Film
Alan McGee has suggested that legendary label Creation Records could return. The independent label was one of the biggest music success stories of the '90s, as was recently depicted in documentary Upside Down: The Creation Records Story. The label released seminal records from bands such as Oasis, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and the Super Furry Animals in the 25 years it was operational. Creation was dissolved in 1999, but now looks set for a comeback as McGee, who has been described as an "inspiring nutjob", has announced plans to return to the music business. In a statement to Louder Than War, the former (more)...
- 9/11/2012
- by By Paul Martinovic
- Digital Spy
Akira the Don has released a new single featuring Gruff Rhys. The singer-songwriter's track 'We Won't Be Broke Forever Baby' features Super Furry Animals and Neon Neon star Rhys and has been produced by Stephen Hague. "I'd bought a pile of vinyl from the charity shop, as I used to do habitually on Saturdays, and on the top of that pile was Dollar's Greatest Hits," Akira said on his blog of writing the verses for the chorus he had already. "As soon as I heard the first millisecond of 'Ring Ring' I knew I had found what I was looking for. I sampled the first few bars, changed (more)...
- 2/28/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Akira The Don is an interesting character, the cartoonist, rapper, producer, blogger and videographer has a lot going for him but unfortunately his second album ‘The Life Equation’ is lacking a cutting edge.
The first single We Won’t Be Broke Forever Baby features Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys and is the bets example of what an Akira The Don song is all about. There is a mixture of rapping, indie guitars and hip hop beats which on paper sounds brilliant but Akira just doesn’t seem to be able to combine all three to create something amazing.
Many of the tracks from the ten songs that make up the album never seem to take that extra step that is needed to take the song to the next level, with Babydoll and Video Highway being the biggest culprits.
The album isn’t that bad, but there...
Akira The Don is an interesting character, the cartoonist, rapper, producer, blogger and videographer has a lot going for him but unfortunately his second album ‘The Life Equation’ is lacking a cutting edge.
The first single We Won’t Be Broke Forever Baby features Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys and is the bets example of what an Akira The Don song is all about. There is a mixture of rapping, indie guitars and hip hop beats which on paper sounds brilliant but Akira just doesn’t seem to be able to combine all three to create something amazing.
Many of the tracks from the ten songs that make up the album never seem to take that extra step that is needed to take the song to the next level, with Babydoll and Video Highway being the biggest culprits.
The album isn’t that bad, but there...
- 2/27/2012
- by Jonathan Pritchard
- Obsessed with Film
For most holidays, you can find music that's generally of the celebratory sort. When it comes to Presidents' Day, however, the selection is more of a mixed bag. From the obscure references ("Whip It") to the general ("Presidents and Magistrates") to the more obvious ("James K. Polk"), the American president has been alternately lauded and pummeled in song. In putting together this playlist, more often we've found it's been the latter. Take a spin through our list of 13 presidential songs, one-by-one with selected lyrics/explanations, or in full below, and let us know what we missed in the comments.
They Might Be Giants, "James K. Polk"
In 1844, the Democrats were split/The three nominees for the presidential candidate/Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist/James Buchanan, a moderate/Louis Cass, a general and expansionist/From Nashville came a dark horse riding up/He was James K.
They Might Be Giants, "James K. Polk"
In 1844, the Democrats were split/The three nominees for the presidential candidate/Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist/James Buchanan, a moderate/Louis Cass, a general and expansionist/From Nashville came a dark horse riding up/He was James K.
- 2/20/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Public Image Ltd will perform a one-off gig in March to celebrate the tenth anniversary of BBC Radio 6 Music. John Lydon's band will be joined by Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, Anna Calvi and Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves Of Destiny for the event, to be held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre on March 16. Laura Marling will also perform at the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room alongside Lianne La Havas (more)...
- 2/13/2012
- by By Tom Eames
- Digital Spy
Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys and Laura Marling are among the first wave of artists confirmed for BBC Radio 6 Music's forthcoming tenth anniversary celebrations. The first announcement was made on Shaun Keaveny's breakfast show on Monday morning (February 6). Rhys will perform at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London's Southbank Centre on Friday, March 16, with Mercury Prize 2011 nominee Anna Calvi and Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny in support. Houghton told the station: "This is exciting for us, because we are genuinely huge fans of 6 Music. It was an atrocity when it almost slipped out of our hands... It really is there because of the music, not because of what sells records." (more)...
- 2/6/2012
- by By Kate Goodacre
- Digital Spy
Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys and Laura Marling are among the first wave of artists confirmed for BBC Radio 6Music's forthcoming 10th anniversary celebrations. The first announcement was made on Shaun Keaveny's breakfast show on Monday morning (February 6). Rhys will perform at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London's Southbank Centre on Friday, March 16, while Marling will play at the venue's Purcell Room on the same night. A number of emerging artists including Mercury Prize 2011 nominee Anna Calvi, BBC Sound of 2012 longlist nominee Lianne La Havas and Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny will also perform with Marling. Houghton told the station: "This is exciting for us, because we are (more)...
- 2/6/2012
- by By Kate Goodacre
- Digital Spy
Somewhere in the air above Wales there’s a sonic trap tuned to collect whatever errant strains of the psychedelic ’70s still tumble through the atmosphere. These are funneled into a still, and converted into the nectar that bands like Super Furry Animals and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci have been drunk on since the ’90s. But there’s a new face at the font—Cardiff’s Cate Le Bon, who sings like Nico over a score that could’ve been produced by Os Mutantes in their prime. Cyrk is her second LP, and it’s rife with blurting guitar, tweaky ...
- 1/17/2012
- avclub.com
You know I've never really been a big fan of the Olympics. I respect what they stand for and marvel at the prowess of each countries athletes, yet I can't help but be bored despite the spectacle of the event. Throw in some flesh hungry zombies? Okay, now you've gotten my full attention.
According to Screen Daily Cardiff-based Severn Screen (formerly Garage Light Films) is working with Warp Films (the company behind Donkey Punch and Hush) to make a zombie film based on the 2012 Olympics.
The Film Agency for Wales is backing the as-yet-untitled project with £150,000, and UK distributor Revolver is also co-financing. Chris Boyle will direct.
The film will shoot in Wales, where it will also be posted. A September shoot date is set, but the plot is being kept under wraps for now.
Strange Village, which includes two members of the Super Furry Animals, will compose the music.
According to Screen Daily Cardiff-based Severn Screen (formerly Garage Light Films) is working with Warp Films (the company behind Donkey Punch and Hush) to make a zombie film based on the 2012 Olympics.
The Film Agency for Wales is backing the as-yet-untitled project with £150,000, and UK distributor Revolver is also co-financing. Chris Boyle will direct.
The film will shoot in Wales, where it will also be posted. A September shoot date is set, but the plot is being kept under wraps for now.
Strange Village, which includes two members of the Super Furry Animals, will compose the music.
- 8/9/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
A bike fest on the Belfast Waterfront, the Turner Prize exhibition at the Baltic, a film festival on Jersey and hip-hop at Sadler's Wells – here's our pick of cultural events in the coming months
August
Comedy
Camden Fringe London
With an eye for the experimental and the strange, this festival spreads out over venues across the borough, with theatre, stand-up, improv and shadow puppets from the likes of comediennes Morris & Vyse and puppet company Pangolin's Teatime.
1-28 August, camdenfringe.com, tickets from £5
Theatre and dance
Five Truths at the V&A, London
Multi-screen installation brings together five interpretations of Ophelia's madness in Hamlet. Five Truths explores the differences in approach of five of the most influential European theatre directors, including Bertold Brecht and Peter Brook, and how they might have imagined the scene, in a film created by National Theatre associate director Katie Mitchell.
• Until 29 August, vam.ac.uk, admission free
Peter Hall Company,...
August
Comedy
Camden Fringe London
With an eye for the experimental and the strange, this festival spreads out over venues across the borough, with theatre, stand-up, improv and shadow puppets from the likes of comediennes Morris & Vyse and puppet company Pangolin's Teatime.
1-28 August, camdenfringe.com, tickets from £5
Theatre and dance
Five Truths at the V&A, London
Multi-screen installation brings together five interpretations of Ophelia's madness in Hamlet. Five Truths explores the differences in approach of five of the most influential European theatre directors, including Bertold Brecht and Peter Brook, and how they might have imagined the scene, in a film created by National Theatre associate director Katie Mitchell.
• Until 29 August, vam.ac.uk, admission free
Peter Hall Company,...
- 8/5/2011
- by Dale Berning
- The Guardian - Film News
Rhys Ifans, known for his portrayal of character Jed Parry in Enduring Love (Daniel Craig’s stalker) who will appear as Dr. Curt Connors The Lizard in the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man has been also cast in a new James Bond film, in an unknown role.
A source close to Telegraph’s Richard Eden, said:
Ifans will appear in the film, as well as Javier Bardem, who will play the baddie… Much of the filming will take place in South Africa.”
Bond producers also have yet to make the official announcement for Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes that have recently been rumored to have roles in the iconic movie. Bardem is anticipated to play the villain, while Harris is said to be taking on the role of Miss Moneypenny and Fiennes is seen to be a second villain.
It was confirmed that screenwriter Patrick Marber (Closer) came on...
A source close to Telegraph’s Richard Eden, said:
Ifans will appear in the film, as well as Javier Bardem, who will play the baddie… Much of the filming will take place in South Africa.”
Bond producers also have yet to make the official announcement for Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes that have recently been rumored to have roles in the iconic movie. Bardem is anticipated to play the villain, while Harris is said to be taking on the role of Miss Moneypenny and Fiennes is seen to be a second villain.
It was confirmed that screenwriter Patrick Marber (Closer) came on...
- 7/19/2011
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
Arguably best known as the man responsible for the Channel 4 faux-'80s sci-fi parody "Garth Marenghi's Dark Place" and as the shouting nerd Moss in "The It Crowd," you've likely seen British comedian Richard Ayoade's work behind the camera, yet been completely unaware. The Arctic Monkeys have recruited his talent for a triple-threat of songs ("Fluorescent Adolescent," "Crying Lightning," "Cornerstone"), not to mention they commissioned him to direct their live show "At The Apollo"; indie-pop staples Super Furry Animals put him to work for "Run Away" which starred Bff Matt Berry; and hipster approved group "Vampire Weekend" hired Ayoade to…...
- 6/2/2011
- The Playlist
Welsh odd-pop whiz Gruff Rhys is notoriously difficult to pin down stylistically, and usually that works for him. Strapped to a sturdy band or collaborator like Super Furry Animals or Neon Neon, his roving eye for left-field electronics, breezy tropicalia, playful psych-rock, and freaky folk is a valuable asset. But left to his own devices, Rhys risks never seeing any one idea to fruition, a reality that plagues Hotel Shampoo. The record opens on a promising note: “Shark Ridden Waters” is a heavy slab of vintage psychedelia, complete with the telltale autumnal tones, deep bass-lines, and swooning “oohs” of Rhys ...
- 5/3/2011
- avclub.com
Director: Danny O'Connor In my humble opinion, Creation Records is one of the most important record labels in the history of British rock music (alongside the likes of Rough Trade and Factory). Founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green and Joe Foster, Creation's premiere release was the "'73 in '83" single by The Legend! for which Creation acquired a £1,000 bank loan to fund. Creation went on to release albums by countless seminal bands of the British indie scene, including: Oasis, My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Pastels, Television Personalities, Primal Scream, The Loft, Super Furry Animals, Teenage Fanclub, Saint Etienne, The Boo Radleys, 3 Colours Red, Ride, Swervedriver, Slowdive, BMX Bandits, The House of Love, The Weather Prophets, Felt, The Telescopes, The Jazz Butcher, Momus, Sugar, and Teenage Filmstars. Creation's roster forever redefined music and -- according to Danny O'Connor's Upside Down: The Creation Records Story --...
- 4/23/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
On Nightingale, Erland And The Carnival succeed in integrating a variety of musical styles into a distinctly old-world vibe. But in the execution of an interesting concept, something falls a little short. Everything about Nightingale seems forced: the variety for variety’s sake (including stabs at folk, psychedelia, ambient, and garage-punk), the bizarre recording location (inside a ship moored on the Thames), and the blustery swagger. Erland’s take on prog-pop never feels as mischievous as The Dandy Warhols, or as blissfully carefree as Super Furry Animals. The group approaches its music with gusto, but only Erland And The Carnival ...
- 4/5/2011
- avclub.com
Despite the absence of several notable characters, this documentary gives an interesting glimpse into the history of Creation Records
There's one great stroke of genius to Upside Down, Danny O'Connor's chronicle of the birth, glory years and demise of mouthy mogul Alan McGee's iconic record label. It's the lack of a voiceover: O'Connor eschews traditional narration in favour of nuggets of rock'n'roll wisdom, spoken by ageing Irish DJ, music guru and McGee's Death Disco co-conspirator Bp Fallon ("purple-browed beep" in T Rex's Telegram Sam). Fallon is shot in monochrome and beamed onto a grainy 50s TV set – a move that ensures the film stays in tune with the vibe of the bands Creation championed: amongst others Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, The Pastels, The Jazz Butcher, Felt, Ride, Super Furry Animals, and most lucratively, Oasis.
The main players tell the story themselves in interviews spliced with archive footage...
There's one great stroke of genius to Upside Down, Danny O'Connor's chronicle of the birth, glory years and demise of mouthy mogul Alan McGee's iconic record label. It's the lack of a voiceover: O'Connor eschews traditional narration in favour of nuggets of rock'n'roll wisdom, spoken by ageing Irish DJ, music guru and McGee's Death Disco co-conspirator Bp Fallon ("purple-browed beep" in T Rex's Telegram Sam). Fallon is shot in monochrome and beamed onto a grainy 50s TV set – a move that ensures the film stays in tune with the vibe of the bands Creation championed: amongst others Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, The Pastels, The Jazz Butcher, Felt, Ride, Super Furry Animals, and most lucratively, Oasis.
The main players tell the story themselves in interviews spliced with archive footage...
- 3/18/2011
- by Giles Anderton
- The Guardian - Film News
Austin, TX - Billy Bob Thorton’s, The King of Luck, documentary on Willie Nelson, will screen Saturday, March 19 for the Closing Night at the SXSW Film Festival.
The World Premiere film explores Willie Nelson “the man, the songwriter, the friend, the father, legendary performer and champion of the family farmer.”
Also announced today, a work-in-progress version of the Judd Apatow produced ‘Bridesmaids,’ will screen. The film is directed by Paul Feig, and stars Kristin Wig and Annie Mumolo.
Rainn Wilson’s short film, The Blitzen Trapper Massacre, will be having it’s World Premiere as well, Umshini Wam, a short film from Harmony Korine featuring South African act Die Antwoord, and Hit So Hard, P. David Ebersole’s documentary on Hole drummer Patty Schemel, among others will screen.
Read more announced titles below.
Press Release
SXSW Film Announces 2011 Closing Night & Additional Titles
Thornton’s The King of Luck, Work...
The World Premiere film explores Willie Nelson “the man, the songwriter, the friend, the father, legendary performer and champion of the family farmer.”
Also announced today, a work-in-progress version of the Judd Apatow produced ‘Bridesmaids,’ will screen. The film is directed by Paul Feig, and stars Kristin Wig and Annie Mumolo.
Rainn Wilson’s short film, The Blitzen Trapper Massacre, will be having it’s World Premiere as well, Umshini Wam, a short film from Harmony Korine featuring South African act Die Antwoord, and Hit So Hard, P. David Ebersole’s documentary on Hole drummer Patty Schemel, among others will screen.
Read more announced titles below.
Press Release
SXSW Film Announces 2011 Closing Night & Additional Titles
Thornton’s The King of Luck, Work...
- 3/3/2011
- by Albert Art
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival announced that Billy Bob Thornton’s “The King of Luck,” a documentary about Willie Nelson, will be thus year’s Closing Night Film, screening on Saturday, March 19.
In addition, SXSW announced more features and shorts for the 2011 event, including a work-in-progress screening of Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids,” starring (and co-written by) Kristen Wiig and produced by Judd Apatow; “Umshini Wam,” a short film from Harmony Korine featuring South African act Die Antwoord; and “Hit So Hard,” P. David Ebersole’s documentary on Hole drummer Patty Schemel, among others.
HollywoodNews.com will be reporting from this year’s SXSW, which runs March 11-19, in Austin, Texas. For details on the complete film and conference lineup, visit www.sxsw.com/film.
Additional Films in the 2011 SXSW Film Festival include:
Headliners
“The King of Luck”
Director: Billy Bob Thornton...
Hollywoodnews.com: The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival announced that Billy Bob Thornton’s “The King of Luck,” a documentary about Willie Nelson, will be thus year’s Closing Night Film, screening on Saturday, March 19.
In addition, SXSW announced more features and shorts for the 2011 event, including a work-in-progress screening of Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids,” starring (and co-written by) Kristen Wiig and produced by Judd Apatow; “Umshini Wam,” a short film from Harmony Korine featuring South African act Die Antwoord; and “Hit So Hard,” P. David Ebersole’s documentary on Hole drummer Patty Schemel, among others.
HollywoodNews.com will be reporting from this year’s SXSW, which runs March 11-19, in Austin, Texas. For details on the complete film and conference lineup, visit www.sxsw.com/film.
Additional Films in the 2011 SXSW Film Festival include:
Headliners
“The King of Luck”
Director: Billy Bob Thornton...
- 3/2/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
Attention Austin-ites: some last minute additions were just announced for the South by Southwest 2011 Film Festival lineup. They include the Closing Night Film, "The King of Luck," a documentary about musician Willie Nelson and, judging from the publicity photo, old timey Western streets, directed by actor (and musician) Billy Bob Thornton. SXSW also added a bunch of cool special events, including a work-in-progress screening of the upcoming comedy "Bridesmaids," which has an insane creative pedigree. It's directed by "Freaks and Geeks" creator Paul Feig, produced by Judd Apatow, co-written and starring Kristen Wiig, with a cast that also includes Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne. No word on who will be in attendance on that yet, but it should be a fun event (two years ago, Sam Raimi brought his "Drag Me to Hell" while it was still a work-in-progress for a raucous screening that's become the stuff of Internet legend...
- 3/2/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
A versatile Welsh artist whose conceptual art has a humanising sense of wit
A quick survey of Bethan Huws's work suggests that she's an artist who is hard to keep up with. Over the past couple of decades, her work has included architectural interventions (adding floors to otherwise empty galleries), films, sculptures, performances and watercolours – conceptual art with a humanising wit.
In 1993 she produced the Artangel performance and film Singing to the Sea, where The Bistritsa Babi, a choir of Bulgarian grandmothers, improvised an eerie song in tune with the wind and the crash of waves on a Northumberland beach. And for her delightful Table of Feathers from 2007, she coated a tabletop with erect quills: as if flights of fancy were pouring from the sky and our only hope of capturing them was the written word. She is known for her quirky text works, stencilling on walls or using old-fashioned black noticeboards with movable letters.
A quick survey of Bethan Huws's work suggests that she's an artist who is hard to keep up with. Over the past couple of decades, her work has included architectural interventions (adding floors to otherwise empty galleries), films, sculptures, performances and watercolours – conceptual art with a humanising wit.
In 1993 she produced the Artangel performance and film Singing to the Sea, where The Bistritsa Babi, a choir of Bulgarian grandmothers, improvised an eerie song in tune with the wind and the crash of waves on a Northumberland beach. And for her delightful Table of Feathers from 2007, she coated a tabletop with erect quills: as if flights of fancy were pouring from the sky and our only hope of capturing them was the written word. She is known for her quirky text works, stencilling on walls or using old-fashioned black noticeboards with movable letters.
- 3/2/2011
- by Skye Sherwin
- The Guardian - Film News
Gruff Rhys has announced that his next solo album, Hotel Shampoo, will be dropping in North America on May 3, followed by a string of U.S. tour dates starting later that month. The Super Furry Animals frontman will be on the road in Europe until March 19, but starts the North American leg of the tour in Brooklyn, N.Y. on May 18....
- 3/2/2011
- Pastemagazine.com
With the year wrapping up the time has come to cast an eye back on the year that was 2010 and try to sum up what has come and gone. As always when doing these things I'm a little bit surprised how things have shaken down in the final lists. A few notes before we get rolling.
First, as should always be kept in mind, this lists are purely subjective and should be treated as such. They're not meant to be an objective statement of quality of lack thereof, merely a reflection of my own tastes and viewing habits.
Second, I haven't seen everything yet. The absence of films like True Grit and Bedevilled means only that I haven't seen them yet. There are a few other prominent ones out there that I haven't seen as well.
Third, as I went through my viewing year it quickly became apparent that 2010 was...
First, as should always be kept in mind, this lists are purely subjective and should be treated as such. They're not meant to be an objective statement of quality of lack thereof, merely a reflection of my own tastes and viewing habits.
Second, I haven't seen everything yet. The absence of films like True Grit and Bedevilled means only that I haven't seen them yet. There are a few other prominent ones out there that I haven't seen as well.
Third, as I went through my viewing year it quickly became apparent that 2010 was...
- 12/20/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders has joined fellow indie artists such as The Libertines’ Carl Barat, Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys and Babyshambles’ Drew McConnell to form a charity supergroup.
The Bottletop Band will donate all of the profits from their debut album, Dream Service, to education and employment projects around the world. The album will be released in April, 2011.
Read more...
The Bottletop Band will donate all of the profits from their debut album, Dream Service, to education and employment projects around the world. The album will be released in April, 2011.
Read more...
- 12/14/2010
- Look to the Stars
The end of 2010 is almost upon us, which is why MTV News is rounding up the Top Songs of 2010. We had over two dozen MTV News staffers submit their own personal lists of their 25 favorite songs, and from those lists we derived a master list whose top 10 will be slowly rolling out over the course of this week. Check out one of the 25 lists below, with an argument or two for the greatness of some of the under-appreciated tunes of the year.
By Rya Backer
1. "Omg," Usher
This is just the best song ever, and I want to listen to it on loop for the rest of my life so I can always be in a constant state of joy.
2. "In a House With No Mirrors (You Never Get Old)," Gruff Rhys
I really like the story behind this song. Gruff Rhys (lead singer of Wales' Super Furry Animals) went to find his uncle,...
By Rya Backer
1. "Omg," Usher
This is just the best song ever, and I want to listen to it on loop for the rest of my life so I can always be in a constant state of joy.
2. "In a House With No Mirrors (You Never Get Old)," Gruff Rhys
I really like the story behind this song. Gruff Rhys (lead singer of Wales' Super Furry Animals) went to find his uncle,...
- 12/8/2010
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
City Lights, The Circus
DVD & Blu-ray, Park Circus
Like the other recent remasters of Charlie Chaplin classics (Modern Times, The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator) these Blu-ray/DVD dual format releases have a picture quality far steadier and clearer than we're used to seeing from films of the silent era. So much so that at times they almost look like modern recreations. However, there's no mistaking Chaplin's split-second timing and grace. Chaplin was more than just a performer – he also wrote, produced and directed his movies. He was even his own studio boss and distributor so he could do whatever he pleased, and this pair of old-fashioned silents went on to be among his biggest box office hits. His films were made through improvisation – a process that's apparent in The Circus where the Tramp hides out in a big top, and then joins the troupe of performers. It runs through gags at a furious rate,...
DVD & Blu-ray, Park Circus
Like the other recent remasters of Charlie Chaplin classics (Modern Times, The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator) these Blu-ray/DVD dual format releases have a picture quality far steadier and clearer than we're used to seeing from films of the silent era. So much so that at times they almost look like modern recreations. However, there's no mistaking Chaplin's split-second timing and grace. Chaplin was more than just a performer – he also wrote, produced and directed his movies. He was even his own studio boss and distributor so he could do whatever he pleased, and this pair of old-fashioned silents went on to be among his biggest box office hits. His films were made through improvisation – a process that's apparent in The Circus where the Tramp hides out in a big top, and then joins the troupe of performers. It runs through gags at a furious rate,...
- 11/6/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Gruff Rhys has quipped that he was planning to record an album of piano ballads. The Super Furry Animals frontman told BBC 6 Music that he changed the direction of his third solo studio effort, the follow-up to 2007's Candylion. Rhys said of the record: "There's no dominant concept I'm happy to say. It's just a straight-up album of confessional piano ballads. I thought I was getting on a bit - the time had come to get a suit and record an album of piano ballads - except it always goes wrong. "So that was the plan, and then I went to the studio and things turned out slightly (more)...
- 11/3/2010
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
The lanky, Welsh actor with a rock and roll past has been chosen as the villain in the forthcoming Spider-Man reboot but the filmmakers are choosing to keep a little mystery surrounding just who Rhys Ifans will play.
Sony Pictures announced Monday that the 43-year-old, mostly known as a cheeky, oddball character actor from movies like the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant rom-com Notting Hill and for briefly being a member of the Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals, will co-star as the baddie in the superhero pic due in theatres July 3, 2012.
The studio's announcement went on to explain that the "filmmakers prefer to not reveal which character Ifans will be playing."
Ifans joins director Marc Webb's franchise re-imagining alongside Brit Andrew Garfield, who will play the webbed one, and Easy A's Emma Stone who takes on the part of Gwen Stacy, the object of Peter Parker's affection.
Sony Pictures announced Monday that the 43-year-old, mostly known as a cheeky, oddball character actor from movies like the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant rom-com Notting Hill and for briefly being a member of the Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals, will co-star as the baddie in the superhero pic due in theatres July 3, 2012.
The studio's announcement went on to explain that the "filmmakers prefer to not reveal which character Ifans will be playing."
Ifans joins director Marc Webb's franchise re-imagining alongside Brit Andrew Garfield, who will play the webbed one, and Easy A's Emma Stone who takes on the part of Gwen Stacy, the object of Peter Parker's affection.
- 10/11/2010
- by Andrea Miller
- Cineplex
He has been a serial scene-stealer in other people's films. Now Rhys Ifans has the part of his life: the notorious drug-dealer Howard Marks
It's two hours until the Welsh premiere of Mr Nice. That's a bigger deal than it might sound. For Rhys Ifans, anyway. "I am fucking spooked out for the first time ever," he says. "Before, I've just gone in like the cavalry, saving famous people's arses. Here, I'm the main man. I feel a huge responsibility for the film. And I could get fucking skinned alive. It's in Cardiff, and every hooligan I know is coming tonight and if they don't like me they'll fucking beat me up. They won't even tell me it's shit, they'll just kick my head in."
They didn't, in fact. Whatever they made of Bernard Rose's rompish biopic of dope mogul Howard Marks, any threat to its star was mild,...
It's two hours until the Welsh premiere of Mr Nice. That's a bigger deal than it might sound. For Rhys Ifans, anyway. "I am fucking spooked out for the first time ever," he says. "Before, I've just gone in like the cavalry, saving famous people's arses. Here, I'm the main man. I feel a huge responsibility for the film. And I could get fucking skinned alive. It's in Cardiff, and every hooligan I know is coming tonight and if they don't like me they'll fucking beat me up. They won't even tell me it's shit, they'll just kick my head in."
They didn't, in fact. Whatever they made of Bernard Rose's rompish biopic of dope mogul Howard Marks, any threat to its star was mild,...
- 10/5/2010
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Welsh actor Rhys Ifans used music to mend his broken heart following his split from Sienna Miller - by founding a new rock band.
The Notting Hill star was devastated when Miller ended their year-long relationship in 2008, and he returned to his native Wales to recover.
And the former Super Furry Animals musician bounced back from the break-up by throwing himself into music with new band The Peth.
Ifans tells Britain's The Times, "To come home and be with the people I love most in the world is better than lying on any couch. I highly recommend if an A-list superstar dumps you, just join a rock 'n' roll band."
But Ifans admits he's baffled by his resulting reputation as a womaniser after his romance with Miller - insisting he's a loser when it comes to being a Lothario.
He adds, "Even though I've had my moments of drink and drugs excess that have gone on for far too long, when I gave the Lothario bit a little run, it was hopeless. You spend all night getting to like this girl, and then you're supposed to move on, avoid her and her calls. I just couldn't do it. I'm too soft."...
The Notting Hill star was devastated when Miller ended their year-long relationship in 2008, and he returned to his native Wales to recover.
And the former Super Furry Animals musician bounced back from the break-up by throwing himself into music with new band The Peth.
Ifans tells Britain's The Times, "To come home and be with the people I love most in the world is better than lying on any couch. I highly recommend if an A-list superstar dumps you, just join a rock 'n' roll band."
But Ifans admits he's baffled by his resulting reputation as a womaniser after his romance with Miller - insisting he's a loser when it comes to being a Lothario.
He adds, "Even though I've had my moments of drink and drugs excess that have gone on for far too long, when I gave the Lothario bit a little run, it was hopeless. You spend all night getting to like this girl, and then you're supposed to move on, avoid her and her calls. I just couldn't do it. I'm too soft."...
- 9/28/2010
- WENN
Earlier this year I had the extreme pleasure of programming Dylan Goch and Gruff Rhys' film Separado! as part of the film program at Canadian Music Week, the first time the film had been shown outside of the UK. The hook for the vent was obvious - Rhys being the front man for Welsh rock act Super Furry Animals - but being a fan of the band is in no way whatsoever a requirement for enjoying this cinematic oddity.
A film that utterly defies categorization beyond the fact that it's a documentary, Separado! follows Rhys on an odyssey through South America while blending concert footage with a bit of a road movie aesthetic with a dash of social and family history thrown in. Rhys is an odd man in a totally charming way and this film is the same. It was by far my favorite of the titles at...
A film that utterly defies categorization beyond the fact that it's a documentary, Separado! follows Rhys on an odyssey through South America while blending concert footage with a bit of a road movie aesthetic with a dash of social and family history thrown in. Rhys is an odd man in a totally charming way and this film is the same. It was by far my favorite of the titles at...
- 8/2/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Eccentrically charming documentary by Super Furry Animals singer Gruff Rhys. He goes to Argentina on the trail of a 1960s singer who sang Welsh ballads in the style of an Argentinian cowboy. By Steve Rose
Someone ought to give Gruff Rhys a travel show. The Super Furry Animals singer is gentle, sincere and modestly eccentric, and those qualities all rub off on this charming outsider travelogue. He's like a cross between Michael Palin, Bruce Chatwin and Donovan. The subject of Rhys's quest here is René Griffiths, an obscure 1960s pop star who sang Welsh ballads in the style of an Argentinian cowboy. When Rhys discovers Griffiths is a distant uncle, last seen farming llama-like beasts in Patagonia, he heads off to track him down, not by jumping on a plane, but by donning a red crash helmet and "teleporting" from place to place – one of several mildly psychedelic touches that...
Someone ought to give Gruff Rhys a travel show. The Super Furry Animals singer is gentle, sincere and modestly eccentric, and those qualities all rub off on this charming outsider travelogue. He's like a cross between Michael Palin, Bruce Chatwin and Donovan. The subject of Rhys's quest here is René Griffiths, an obscure 1960s pop star who sang Welsh ballads in the style of an Argentinian cowboy. When Rhys discovers Griffiths is a distant uncle, last seen farming llama-like beasts in Patagonia, he heads off to track him down, not by jumping on a plane, but by donning a red crash helmet and "teleporting" from place to place – one of several mildly psychedelic touches that...
- 7/29/2010
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Michel Gondry
Sony Pictures got the online masses talking when they released the first trailer from the upcoming Seth Rogen/Michel Gondry flick, The Green Hornet based on the 1960s television series starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee. To say the trailer was polarizing would be an understatement. People either loved it or they hated it and if online forums were any indication there were far more haters than people who loved it.
Typical was this post from the colorfully named Leadbelly Schoenberg on IMDb: Just saw the trailer, and man, if the film manages to capture just one-tenth of the wretchedness in that, we will truly be baring witness to a new era in Hollywood. For no longer will people be talking about John Travolta and Battlefield Earth or Michael Cimino and Heaven's Gate. Michael Gondry and Seth Rogen will have eclipsed them all with this piece of mind-numbing trash.
Sony Pictures got the online masses talking when they released the first trailer from the upcoming Seth Rogen/Michel Gondry flick, The Green Hornet based on the 1960s television series starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee. To say the trailer was polarizing would be an understatement. People either loved it or they hated it and if online forums were any indication there were far more haters than people who loved it.
Typical was this post from the colorfully named Leadbelly Schoenberg on IMDb: Just saw the trailer, and man, if the film manages to capture just one-tenth of the wretchedness in that, we will truly be baring witness to a new era in Hollywood. For no longer will people be talking about John Travolta and Battlefield Earth or Michael Cimino and Heaven's Gate. Michael Gondry and Seth Rogen will have eclipsed them all with this piece of mind-numbing trash.
- 6/28/2010
- by Bill Cody
- Rope of Silicon
Separado! .... Odyssey to a Parallel Universe…..
Star Trek meets Buena Vista Social Club in this psychedelic western musical as Welsh pop legend Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) takes us on a pan continental road trip in search of his long lost Patagonian uncle, the poncho wearing guitarist Rene Griffiths.
In 1880, following a controversial horse race that led to an unresolved death, Gruff Rhys' family split as Dafydd Jones took his young family to join the burgeoning Welsh community in Patagonia, South America. There was to be no contact between the families for almost a century when in 1974 Rene Griffiths arrived in Wales with his Latin infused Welsh love songs and became an over night sensation.
Director Dylan Goch follows Gruff Rhys on a tour that takes in the theatres, nightclubs and desert teahouses of Wales, Brazil and the Argentine Andes as he discovers what became of his family, the...
Star Trek meets Buena Vista Social Club in this psychedelic western musical as Welsh pop legend Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) takes us on a pan continental road trip in search of his long lost Patagonian uncle, the poncho wearing guitarist Rene Griffiths.
In 1880, following a controversial horse race that led to an unresolved death, Gruff Rhys' family split as Dafydd Jones took his young family to join the burgeoning Welsh community in Patagonia, South America. There was to be no contact between the families for almost a century when in 1974 Rene Griffiths arrived in Wales with his Latin infused Welsh love songs and became an over night sensation.
Director Dylan Goch follows Gruff Rhys on a tour that takes in the theatres, nightclubs and desert teahouses of Wales, Brazil and the Argentine Andes as he discovers what became of his family, the...
- 6/4/2010
- by noreply@blogger.com (Flicks News)
- FlicksNews.net
Damon Albarn wants to recruit Velvet Underground rocker Lou Reed to join him on the Glastonbury stage this summer. The Blur frontman is set to headline the famed U.K. festival with his band Gorillaz after U2 pulled out of the slot due to singer Bono's back surgery.
He's hoping to pull off his most impressive Gorillaz set to date - by drafting in some of the artists who appeared on their latest album, including Reed, to sing at Glastonbury. Albarn says, "I just hope we can convince Lou Reed and he grasps that it's a real privilege to get the chance to do it. Then we'd have a complete house and that really would be amazing."
Gorillaz's "Plastic Beach", released in March, also features appearances from rappers Snoop Dogg, Kano and Mos Def, Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, soul legend Bobby Womack, and The Clash rocker Mick Jones.
He's hoping to pull off his most impressive Gorillaz set to date - by drafting in some of the artists who appeared on their latest album, including Reed, to sing at Glastonbury. Albarn says, "I just hope we can convince Lou Reed and he grasps that it's a real privilege to get the chance to do it. Then we'd have a complete house and that really would be amazing."
Gorillaz's "Plastic Beach", released in March, also features appearances from rappers Snoop Dogg, Kano and Mos Def, Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, soul legend Bobby Womack, and The Clash rocker Mick Jones.
- 5/28/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Damon Albarn and crew bring their live show to his hometown.
By James Montgomery
Gorillaz's Damon Albarn performs at London's Roundhouse on Thursday
Photo: MTV
There was a British orchestra dressed up as Russian sailors. A New York City rapper made up to look like Abraham Lincoln. Members of the Clash wearing captain's hats. Swedish and Japanese singers performing barefoot. A high-stepping brass ensemble from Chicago. What can we say? When Gorillaz put on a show, they really put on a show.
On Friday (April 30), Damon Albarn unleashed his animated all-stars on a sold-out crowd at London's Roundhouse theater (a performance streamed live on MTV.com) and he spared no expense, filling the stage with a seven-piece string section (the Sinfonia ViVA), a blaring army of horns (Chicago's Hypnotic Brass Ensemble), a massive backing band (that included former Clash-men Mick Jones and Paul Simonon) and more than a few special...
By James Montgomery
Gorillaz's Damon Albarn performs at London's Roundhouse on Thursday
Photo: MTV
There was a British orchestra dressed up as Russian sailors. A New York City rapper made up to look like Abraham Lincoln. Members of the Clash wearing captain's hats. Swedish and Japanese singers performing barefoot. A high-stepping brass ensemble from Chicago. What can we say? When Gorillaz put on a show, they really put on a show.
On Friday (April 30), Damon Albarn unleashed his animated all-stars on a sold-out crowd at London's Roundhouse theater (a performance streamed live on MTV.com) and he spared no expense, filling the stage with a seven-piece string section (the Sinfonia ViVA), a blaring army of horns (Chicago's Hypnotic Brass Ensemble), a massive backing band (that included former Clash-men Mick Jones and Paul Simonon) and more than a few special...
- 4/30/2010
- MTV Music News
Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys met Tony Da Gatorra (pictured above), a Brazilian TV repairman, while in South America making a road trip movie called Seperado!. Though the two men didn’t speak the same language, they began rehearsing together for a live show in Sao Paulo. “We spent five days rehearsing a set of songs to play live at the venue—our only shared language was music itself so there was no small talk, just intense concentration on the music,” Rhys recently told Spinner. “On the final day, as the rehearsals had been so productive, we hooked up some recording...
- 4/5/2010
- Pastemagazine.com
It is the late 1800s: two hooded horseback riders square off in a race across the Welsh countryside. The incident concludes in both tragedy and suspicion, and, in part, incites the surviving rider to emigrate from Wales to Patagonia, Argentina, where, to this day, a Welsh community continues to thrive. Over a hundred years later, a red-cloaked guitarist uses a magical Power Ranger helmet to teleport to Argentina in search of the rider's descendents, the most elusive and sought after of which is Rene Griffiths, a folk singer who, in the 1970s, combined Welsh lyrics with a South American sound. So begins the sometimes silly, often surreal, but consistently endearing Separado! Need I mention that this is a documentary?
The Power Ranger is actually Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals (I suspect that his powers of teleportation have been exaggerated for the film) and the film is something of a...
The Power Ranger is actually Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals (I suspect that his powers of teleportation have been exaggerated for the film) and the film is something of a...
- 3/16/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Here's a little of what you can expect from the latest offering from Damon Albarn and crew.
By James Montgomery
Gorillaz
Photo: Emi Music / Jamie Hewlett
Much like Lazarus, Superman and, uh, Sayid from "Lost," Gorillaz are back from the dead with their first new album in nearly five years, a post-apocalyptic parable called Plastic Beach.
Of course, not everyone in the band bit the bullet at the end of the promotional cycle for their last album, 2005's massive Demon Days — just guitarist Noodle, who perished at the conclusion of the band's "El Mañana" video (she's since returned in cyborg form), but there was a definite sense that things were winding down in 'Rillaz land, with co-creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett even telling MTV News that the group was "retiring ... we're going to do it hip-hop style, like Jay-z."
But, much like Jigga, that retirement didn't stick, and the...
By James Montgomery
Gorillaz
Photo: Emi Music / Jamie Hewlett
Much like Lazarus, Superman and, uh, Sayid from "Lost," Gorillaz are back from the dead with their first new album in nearly five years, a post-apocalyptic parable called Plastic Beach.
Of course, not everyone in the band bit the bullet at the end of the promotional cycle for their last album, 2005's massive Demon Days — just guitarist Noodle, who perished at the conclusion of the band's "El Mañana" video (she's since returned in cyborg form), but there was a definite sense that things were winding down in 'Rillaz land, with co-creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett even telling MTV News that the group was "retiring ... we're going to do it hip-hop style, like Jay-z."
But, much like Jigga, that retirement didn't stick, and the...
- 3/9/2010
- MTV Music News
Here's a little of what you can expect from the latest offering from Damon Albarn and crew.
By James Montgomery
Gorillaz
Photo: Emi Music / Jamie Hewlett
Much like Lazarus, Superman and, uh, Sayid from "Lost," Gorillaz are back from the dead with their first new album in nearly five years, a post-apocalyptic parable called Plastic Beach.
Of course, not everyone in the band bit the bullet at the end of the promotional cycle for their last album, 2005's massive Demon Days — just guitarist Noodle, who perished at the conclusion of the band's "El Mañana" video (she's since returned in cyborg form), but there was a definite sense that things were winding down in 'Rillaz land, with co-creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett even telling MTV News that the group was "retiring ... we're going to do it hip-hop style, like Jay-z."
But, much like Jigga, that retirement didn't stick, and the...
By James Montgomery
Gorillaz
Photo: Emi Music / Jamie Hewlett
Much like Lazarus, Superman and, uh, Sayid from "Lost," Gorillaz are back from the dead with their first new album in nearly five years, a post-apocalyptic parable called Plastic Beach.
Of course, not everyone in the band bit the bullet at the end of the promotional cycle for their last album, 2005's massive Demon Days — just guitarist Noodle, who perished at the conclusion of the band's "El Mañana" video (she's since returned in cyborg form), but there was a definite sense that things were winding down in 'Rillaz land, with co-creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett even telling MTV News that the group was "retiring ... we're going to do it hip-hop style, like Jay-z."
But, much like Jigga, that retirement didn't stick, and the...
- 3/9/2010
- MTV Music News
My column for this month is a special edition in honour of the upcoming Canadian Music Week: a five-day festival showcasing great Canadian music acts as well as conferences, lectures, award shows and films. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I want to show you which events will make you lean forward, flail your arms and smile.
Canadian Music Week (and Fest – the music portion) requires that you purchase passes to attend events (obviously). You can purchase weekly or daily passes. For more pass information, go here. However, if you want to go to just one concert, individual tickets can be purchased here.
Cmw runs March 10-14, with events during the days and concerts/films in the evenings.
This is the first part in a trio of articles in preparation for Cmw. Today, I’ll tell you which films I think are worth seeing.
On March 12:
Streets of Fire,...
Canadian Music Week (and Fest – the music portion) requires that you purchase passes to attend events (obviously). You can purchase weekly or daily passes. For more pass information, go here. However, if you want to go to just one concert, individual tickets can be purchased here.
Cmw runs March 10-14, with events during the days and concerts/films in the evenings.
This is the first part in a trio of articles in preparation for Cmw. Today, I’ll tell you which films I think are worth seeing.
On March 12:
Streets of Fire,...
- 3/5/2010
- by Jessica
- DorkShelf.com
Gorillaz have announced details of their upcoming third LP Plastic Beach, which is due for release on March 8. The animated band's creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett told NME that the album is now complete and will feature collaborations with the likes of Lou Reed, Mos Def, Mark E Smith, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, De La Soul and Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys. The Clash duo Mick Jones and Paul Simonon will also feature on the record's title track. "Leeching is the wrong word now, isn't it?" said bassist Murdoc Niccals of the record's guest appearances. "It's not like I've drawn blood or anything. No, I think the word 'coerced' sings the deal a little better. Although, yes, the coercion did come via chloroform and rohypnol." Plastic Beach's (more)...
- 1/20/2010
- by By Oli Simpson
- Digital Spy
To celebrate a decade of gathering and organizing a vast ocean of music reviews, Metacritic has released its top artists and albums from 2000-2009 based on a hefty round-up of criticism from various publications. They’ve named Spoon, now on the verge of their seventh release, Transference, as #1 artist of the decade, followed by Sigur Rós and Super Furry Animals....
- 12/17/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
The American rockers’ 2001 debut LP topped a list compiled by British music magazine NME made up of votes from record producers, label bosses and musicians, including members of Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys who both rank highly. Troubled rocker Pete Doherty saw three of his albums make the list, with his former band The Libertines coming in second place with their debut effort ‘Up The Bracket’. The group’s second, and final, self-titled release was placed at number 24, while his other band Babyshambles saw their debut record ‘Down In Albion’ achieve 35th place. NME Editor Krissi Murison said: "This is the definitive word on the greatest albums of the ‘00s – as voted for by everyone who helped make music brilliant this decade." Veteran rockers Primal Scream came in third place with ‘Xtrmntr’, while Arctic Monkeys’ debut album ‘Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not’ was fourth and...
- 11/18/2009
- by Kavy
- Gossipvita
Welshman and Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys has been on a quest to trace his family in Patagonia – and he's made it into a film
In Bala, Wales, in 1882, a farmer named Dafydd Jones challenged his cousin to a race on horseback. Jones rigged the race, giving his cousin his own horse in the knowledge that it would turn for his house rather than reach the finish line. Unfortunately, his cousin fell and was killed. Jones is thought to have escaped the wrath of his family by fleeing to South America. This, in a roundabout way, contributed to the creation of a thriving Welsh community in Patagonia, the development of the understandably obscure genre of Welsh-Argentine pop music – and a debut feature film by Gruff Rhys, who is not only the lead singer of Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals, but is also related to the disgraced Dafydd Jones.
A...
In Bala, Wales, in 1882, a farmer named Dafydd Jones challenged his cousin to a race on horseback. Jones rigged the race, giving his cousin his own horse in the knowledge that it would turn for his house rather than reach the finish line. Unfortunately, his cousin fell and was killed. Jones is thought to have escaped the wrath of his family by fleeing to South America. This, in a roundabout way, contributed to the creation of a thriving Welsh community in Patagonia, the development of the understandably obscure genre of Welsh-Argentine pop music – and a debut feature film by Gruff Rhys, who is not only the lead singer of Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals, but is also related to the disgraced Dafydd Jones.
A...
- 11/11/2009
- by Will Hodgkinson
- The Guardian - Film News
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