Review: Rome by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi

I never thought I would be the kind of person to have a favorite music producer, but Danger Mouse is that kind of person. From Cee-Lo Green to The Black Keys, Danger Mouse brings out, new sides of the artists he works with, and I have yet to be disappointed with one of his projects.

And so Rome become my most anticipated album of the year, as it combines many things I like, Danger Mouse, Jack White, and Ennio Morricone into one slick package. The project is an extended tribute to Morricone, who is basically the Godfather of modern film scores, influencing not only Danger Mouse, but Hans Zimmer, Quentin Tarantino, Muse, and others. The album was recorded using vintage equipment and as well as featuring musicians who recorded spaghetti western soundtracks, it also features a reunited Cantori Moderni, the choir put together byAlessandro Alessandroni, featured in many of Morricone's scores.

In reviewing an album, movie, or book, I try to review not only my own opinion, but what the intent of the work seems to be and how that compares to the final project. Rome seems to be a work of preservation, collecting the original artists that made Morricone's distinct style possible for one last gig.

By that token, this is a very successful project, and the addition of the vocals of Jack White and Nora Jones adds a layer of distinctness all it's own. Some may see the individual tracks as not particularly interesting, but that makes sense given that this album is structured as a film score. It is really meant to back up a film, and serves it's purpose as such. This sometimes may leave it feeling lacking imagery, but I still really enjoy the music standalone.

Danger Mouse is a good fit for Morricone's style because both operate in layers of texture, and this does manage to live up to the hype as a spaghetti western as scored by him, as there are notes of his work with The Black Keys, Beck, and James Mercer that float through.

Must download: Two Against One

LCD Soundsystem London Sessions

I admit, I am late to the LCD Soundsystem vibe. I first encountered them only last year, when I was perusing the schedule for last year's Sasquatch Festival. I listened to "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" once and was hooked. To top it off, they gave one of the best and most energetic performances of the entire festival.

Unfortunately, due to limited funds (and an unwillingness to steal) I have not had time to pick up their albums yet. Needless to say, I was very excited when I heard about their London Sessions release. Although part of me wishes this was a proper live album because of how amazing they were with an audience, I still think there is something to be gained from the "live in studio" setting.

The release recalls the "John Peel sessions" that the legendary disc jockey put together during his 37 years from 1967 until his death in 2004. Originally devised to circumvent British labor restrictions and the EMI cartel, the Peel sessions were of up-and-coming artists in a "live in studio" setting, usually only one or two takes, and as a result, felt like a garage demo tape just as often as a polished, finished product.

What I like about the band is that they sound akin to modern day Blondie, but with a male vocalist. They feel like great mashup of new wave and the current indie sound, they really have their own unique vibe as they weave between genres.

Overall, this is a fun album, one that demands that the volume in the car be turned up for its entirety. What's also nice is that it seems to be different enough from the recorded versions to be worth checking out for those who have them already, but also functions as a good introduction to the band's catalogue. Standouts here for me are of course, "Daft Punk is Playing at My House," which has a funkier side to it than the studio version, as well as "Pow Pow," and "All My Friends." Check it out here.

Weezer Review: Lost With Hurley?

To say that Weezer is a band with baggage may be an understatement. However, unlike most high profile bands, this baggage comes not from internal strife or crazy hotel room antics. It comes from the fans.

Weezer's first two albums are masterpieces of popular music. As part of my Album of the Week series, I wrote that the Blue Album significantly "altered my musical awareness." That and all the other praise I heaped on it still rings true. Both it and Pinkerton are modern classics. They are rich and complex and rife with deep personal feelings. I wrote about some of that at the release of their previous album, called Raditude.

At this point, I think it is safe to say that Weezer will never record another Blue or Pinkerton. It's something that is not accepted by the old school fan base (I started listening o Weezer in 2000, before their third album, which I think makes me an old school Weezer fan), but I don't think that's who frontman Rivers Cuomo is making records for.

Whereas Weezer drew from many musical influences previously, ranging from Kiss to The Pixies and grunge, Hurley is the third Weezer album in a row with a very pronounced pop punk sound, not unlike vintage Blink-182, or All-American Rejects. While they make pretty good pop punk, in part because they add their own musical flare to it, I would welcome a return to the more diverse sounds on their pre-2006 albums.

All that aside, I am doing my best to review Hurley, named after Jorge Garcia's LOST character (or a clothing company?) without impossibly high standards. Overall, it's pretty good, and definitely better than the disastrous Red Album and Raditude.

It is definitely a middle age record. The general theme is nostalgia for fun times, when you could stay up until 3 AM and didn't have to worry about your kid at home. However, it remains mainly upbeat, and is a joy to listen to, as this is not an emotionally heavy album by any means. The lightness may be a detriment in the long run, as I can understand why Weezer are considering a tour featuring their first two albums. Not sure there are really any standout singles here. It feels a bit rushed in production, but at least modest aims lead to modestly respectable heights.

For me, the best tracks are "Ruling Me," which sounds like a lost track from the Green Album (2001), and "Trainwrecks," which also echos the same feeling. "Where's My Sex?" is quirky and cute, especially when considering it's based on Rivers' daughter mispronouncing 'socks.' "Time Flies" is sure to be the most underrated song on the album, and it may end up being my favorite. Or maybe that is just my mood right now. Time will tell.

Listen to it here.

Vikings + Comics!

Brian Wood's Northlanders brings together two of my normally disparate interests: Vikings and Comic Books. The series tells fictional stories set against the historical background of the Viking Age. It has been published by Vertigo monthly since February 2008, although I discovered it only this summer, when issue #29's beautiful cover caught my eye while perusing at Captain Blue Hen (still my favorite comic book shop).

After reading the issue, I decided to go and pick up the first collection, titled Sven The Returned. One thing that makes this series different from many other monthly comic books is that each arc (so far) is self-contained, just sharing a common milieu. A nice byproduct of this structure is the ease of jumping into the series without worrying about having to read thirty issues to really understand what is going on. The first collection puts together the first eight issues, the longest story the series has done so far. It tells the tale of Sven, an exiled northman serving as part of the Varangian Guard, in the Byzantine Empire. Upon hearing of his father's death, he travels back home to the Orkney Islands, to reclaim his inheritance and title.

Sven's story is pretty cut and dry, and follows tropes that have been told countless times. This doesn't mean that it's a bad story, and I found it enjoyable. I freely admit that the draw here for me is Vikings, and I found the story's allusion to history and culture rich enough to give it a Viking feel. The writing lacked a little in fully exploring what is supposed to be the central conceit of the series, which is Vikings done as crime fiction. The nature of Sven's story doesn't give too much room for it, so I hope that is explored more in later volumes.

The art for this collection is by Davide Gianfelice, and Italian artist, and I believe this is his first major US work. He captures the characters well, and the dark background behind the panels is something I'm surprised we don't see more often. It's a little 300-esque in that there is a lot of rich detail...until the swords start slicing off body parts. I actually like this because it makes the action feel faster and gives it a velocity that contrasts it with the slower scenes. Dave McCraig is truly an all-star colorist, and really makes Gianfelice's work shine through. No wonder he won the inaugural Joe Shuster award for Best Colorist in 2008.

Overall, if the idea of Vikings is appealing to you at all, you would probably enjoy this comic, although it is definitely geared toward older readers, with language, sex, and bloody violence aplenty. And at 9.99 for 200 pages of comics, this collection is a fantastic value. Check it out at your local bookstore or comic shop, or even download the first issue for free here.

Book Review: Boneshaker

I want to start by saying that Boneshaker is a very fun novel, and a delight to read. It is the literary equivalent of a Saturday matinee, which isn't a problem so far as reading it goes. I enjoyed the novel from start to finish, and I look forward to Cherie Priest's expansion of this alternate timeline--a better path than a sequel, and a tactic I wish more people would learn. Sometimes I feel like character stories are dragged out because of sales success, but that's a post for another day. Overall, it's a genuinely fun romp through a rather exciting (and somewhat original) alternate history scenario...with steampunk technology and zombies. So please don't take the following remarks as me saying I didn't like or enjoy the book.

Boneshaker, Priest's "breakthrough" novel, as the back cover suggests, is interesting in part because it was written specifically with the intent to provide the genre of steampunk with a "magnum opus." Taking this into consideration, I thought it might be helpful to consider is as such. First some background. "Steampunk," for those not familiar with the term, is a subgenre of cyberpunk, a branch of science fiction which usually explores changes in society due to information technology, cybernetics, and/or artificial intelligence.

Steampunk tends to follow the same idea except that the technologies are developed nearer to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, and sometimes more specifically to the Victorian Era. It is also used to describe a design aesthetic based on this idea. Steampunk by its nature is also a form of alternate history, and Boneshaker is no exception, with the technology making the Civil War, or Great Rebellion, last into the 1880s.

However, I'm not sure it satisfies the criteria of exploring the change in society. Sure, some things are different, given the nature of the premise, but I don't think Boneshaker gets deep enough into how the particulars of these character's lives, or even society as a whole is changed by the technology that exists. Yes, airships mean sky pirates and the aforementioned lengthening of the Civil War, but nothing else seems to be altered by anything that isn't a consequence of this or the Klondike Gold Rush shifted earlier.

As I said, this only tarnishes my enjoyment slightly, and only because I don't think the author quite hit her admirable goal. I look forward on picking up the novella in this series, Clementine, as well as the next novel, Dreadnought, which comes out at the end of September.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire has always seem predestined for greatness, ordained even. They were never "The Next…Radiohead, Springsteen, R.E.M., U2," or anyone else. Arcade Fire is Arcade Fire. There is no question in my mind that they deserve the many accolades piled upon them. They have a unique sound, certainly, and at times they resemble a chamber group impersonating a rock band.

The Suburbs continues Arcade Fire's general sound, organic and flowing, weaving many textures together in a span of seconds. It is an extremely dense record. At the time of this writing, I am on my third listening, and it still sounds completely fresh and new, like I'm hearing it for the first time. It uses a building array of sounds, a mixture always appropriate to underline Win Butler's singing. I find myself gradually increasing the volume while listening, my ears grasping for more and more depth. And I never hit bottom.

The lyrics are what really drive the album, which is a deep mediation on Where Are We Living, How Are We Living There, And What Does It All Mean? An alternative for the album's title could have been Sprawl. This album is not about the concrete sprawl of the suburbs, but also of hipster culture, and perhaps more importantly, the economy and society at large.

Thematically, it is about the mundane, not unlike much Springsteen's output--chiefly The River. And like The River, it does not mix in Born to Run-style escapism to the plight of our young protagonists. The Funeral was about personal loss, of love and friendship, and Neon Bible was about how authority figures were out to screw you. The Suburbs adds the fact that were you live is boring, generic, and self-righteously important (or self-importantly righteous?). But all of Arcade Fire's output does contain the flipside of Bulter's despair: Regine Chassagne's optimism: we're all in this together, and together, we can get through it.

This is a record that requires patience. I'm reminded that this is why I find Depeche Mode and Joy Division hard to crack. I can certainly understand why Arcade Fire might feel somewhat gated to some. I find that Arcade Fire's advantage to me is merely contemporary. There is a lot of brilliance to be had here if you're willing to--and strong enough--to wallow in Butler's curmudgeon crossed outlook to get to the community message.

"Now our lives are changing fast."

Robin Hood & Expectations

Warning: This review contains minor spoilers!

Last Friday night I saw an excellent film, Robin Hood. The cast was great, the story well-told, and the production design and cinematography excellent. However, this same film has a mere 45% on Rotten Tomatoes. The main thing generating the negative reviews, I think, is that this simply isn't the Robin Hood movie those reviewers wanted to see. 

Roger Ebert, for one, writes that this film  "is a high-tech and well made violent action picture using the name of Robin Hood for no better reason than that it’s an established brand not protected by copyright." Mr. Ebert was apparently expecting a swashbuckling, tight-wearing, quippy archer from the glen. Not a problem by my standards, I watched Men in Tights the night before I went to the theater to watch Ridley Scott's version. I understood going in that this was a Batman Begins or Casino Royale style reimagining, taking a fantasy character like Batman or Bond, and placing him a more realistic operating world. I thought that was quite clear from the marketing. 

And here's my retort to the thought that Robin Hood should remain typecast as Errol Flynn: There is room for this character to exist in various interpretations all at the same time, not unlike the aforementioned Batman and Bond. I watched the BBC Robin Hood series a couple times and enjoy it, and I think that is also quite different from the other versions of the character. I don't think we need another Errol Flynn Robin Hood. I'm quite glad we got this version.

Another brief note: I don't think version is as "gloomy" as people are saying. I thought there was actually a fair bit of comic relief. I will also say Robin's speech had a tear in my eye. 

I think what enjoyed most, beyond just the sheer gorgeousness of the film (I need a Blu Ray player for this one!) was placing Robin Hood in a full historical context. Sure it glosses over things and mucks with the timeline a bit, but this is a two hour movie and not a 1200 page novel. And a damn fine movie it is. I'm sure part of this bias is my love for anything medieval, but I think if you're inclined to see this movie, and go in with an open mind, you'll find something to love. 

Man, I hope we get a sequel. And bring on the Director's Cut! 

Related: The journey this film took from "Nottingham."

Music Review: Vampire Weekend - Contra

"Here comes the feeling you thought you'd forgotten." - "Horchata"

Vampire Weekend's sophomore album, Contra, establishes as a fantastic winter album by not being one. Some albums are great for the dark of winter because they make you want to stay home by the fire with hot cocoa and a good book. What makes Contra so great for winter is that it reminds you that fun can be had during winter too. Maybe this will change as time goes on and I hear it in different seasons, but right now this album reminds me of driving on a early winter's morning, as the dim sun rises over a snow covered golf course. Beautiful and a little bit preppy. 

Contra doesn't possess the same punchy character as their debut, but it is certainly good in its own right, and I've only come to like it more the more I've listened to it. Perhaps more importantly, it accomplishes the goal of a sophomore album: it sounds enough like the first one to be well received by fans, but also not just a direct repeat of previous material. In fact, the album starts in a place musically close to the first album, but pushes further and further away as the album progresses. 

The synths are more prominent here, and definitely listening to Discovery's LP from band member Rostam Batmanglij was good preparation for listening to this album. This is especially true of "California English" and "Diplomat's Son," two electronic heavy romps, the later of which includes a sample from MIA. 

Everyone has commented on how Vampire Weekend songs are littered with highbrow references, but I don't think that's what matters. It's really the fact that these cultural ornaments are weaved seamlessly into lush melodies with a texture not unlike chunky peanut butter. Its an album that feels like a Wes Anderson movie: deliberately scripted, well executed, and done up in Futura. 

Also check out Pitchfork's review here. 

Raditude and the Disappointing Happiness of Rivers Cuomo

There may be no band in the history of popular music more controversial among its own fans than Weezer. Most of Weezer's fans are my age or older, discovering Weezer in the wake of their 2001 album or from their first album in 1994. Among these fans and most music critics, Weezer's debut album and 1996's Pinkerton are the high points of their career. 

One of the reason for the success of early Weezer is that geeks finally had a band they could identify with. Weezer spoke to people who were outsiders in high school as peers, on their level, and in a way they understood. This trend continued into 2002's Maladroit, which while good, showed Cuomo's limits as a person on the outside. 

You see, what made Pinkerton such a later success (and the most influential album of the past 15 years) is Cuomo's heartfelt and personal lyrics. He perfectly captured the feelings of being an outsider, not being able to get the girl, loneliness, not being cool, etc. 

Flash forward to 2005's Make Believe, and "Beverly Hills." Something hand changed. Rivers Cuomo got happy. Basically, from the fans' perspective, this is a disaster. I quite like Make Believe, and I actually think it's better than Maladroit. However, last year's Red Album was an absolute disaster. Some of the songs were fun, but it was like cereal with too many marshmallows. So sweet and sacchrine, you get sick before you finish the bowl. 

And that brings us to Raditude. It is so obvious that Cuomo is a great pop song writer, and he really enjoys writing songs. However, he is only good writing in a pseudo-autobiographical manner. Given that Cuomo is married with children and seems to be really freakin' happy about it. 

Raditude is meant to be an ironic party album. The album you pop in when all your friends are drunk...ironically. It's meant for older hipsters who want to love pop but are too cool for it. Basically, if you're cool enough to listen to Weezer and can survive Miley Cyrus, this might be the greatest albums of all time. 

Moreso than their previous effort, the songs are catchy, if shallow-seeming, and the band has a much more cohesive sound. "(If Your Wandering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is my favorite song on the album, and the best song they've done in four years. Also, "The Girl Got Hot," is an excellent high school revenge fantasy when you consider that Cuomo is the girl in question. 

None of this can explain the embarrassment I feel over even listening to "Can't Stop Partying," which seems to be destined to be the new "Fight For Your Right." Expect most people to miss the point. 

Overall, I actually really enjoyed the album, but as a long time Weezer fan, I almost hate myself for liking it at all. 

Movie Review: The Informant!

*This review is 100% USDA certified Spoiler-free!

I enjoy being "dragged" to movies (because I enjoy it, there usually isn't much resistance) because I often see movies I wouldn't otherwise, and sometimes it really works out. The Informant! is a perfect example. Ocean's aside, I usually give Steven Soderbergh films a wide berth. 

Yesterday I was "dragged" to see The Informant!, starring Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre, an executive at Archer Daniels Midland, a bunch of TV actors (ranging from sitcoms to Star Trek), and Biff Tannen from Back to the Future. The cast is certainly eclectic, but along with Damon's ability to lose himself in the role helps to reinforce the idea that none of these people are particularly extraordinary, but the situation they find themselves in is a fantastic one to be sure.

A rare comedy based on a true story, and perhaps even rarer, a comedy based on white collar crime (the only other one being Office Space, though I find Boiler Room to be pretty funny) and rarer still, a discussion of price fixing outside the economic classroom. 

As the audience gets pulled further and further into Whitacre's deception (and layers thereof), one can't help but feel sorry for the man, and Soderbergh is deft at making no one in the movie seem like a particularly bad guy, and using an unreliable narrator to the fullest effect. 

This is a guy who believes he's a spy, and the voice-over insights into Whitacre's mind (polar bears have black noses) and the music used both effectively serve to help the audience understand the protagonists' mind set. 

In short, this movie reminds me of what would have happened if the Cohen Brothers had directed Catch Me If You Can. It's smart even if the characters aren't, and it makes the protagonist sympathetic but not overly so. 

Highly recommended. 

Also, there is a book, and This American Life did a show about Whitacre.