Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Children of Men

So Koz and I went to go see Children of Men this past weekend which, we both concluded, was a hands down fantastic film. We also saw Pan's Labrinyth, which, unfortunately was kind of a let down. We both had high hopes for Pan's Labrinyth, but we both felt that while it was a very good film, it just left us wanting more, and it unfortunately didn't live up to all the hype it had been receiving. But Children of Men was awesome! Seriously, you should go see this film as soon as humanly possible. Beautifully shot, engaging story, all in all, just a really, really good flick. While John Tavener's score certainly set the mood for the film, the "oldies" strewn throughout the movie were equally intrical to the overall feel of the film, given to the fact that they've stuck to mostly classic British rock in terms of both what we today would consider classic rock (i.e. The Rolling Stones) and music that would be considered "classic" in the year 2027 (i.e. The Libertines, Radiohead). Below are some of the songs from the movie, enjoy, and go see Children of Men. Seriously, I promise you you will not be disappointed (oh and for all of those modern sci-fi fans who were forever turned off by the nonsensical Matrix series, this is far from Keanu Reeves / Jesus Christ yelling "Whoa!" while dodging bullets in slow motion, this movie is a breathtaking realistic look at a dystopian future, with a pretty kick-ass soundtrack).

From the Children of Men trailer(s):
Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
Muse - Map of the Problematique

From the film:
King Crimson - The Court of the Crimson King
Franco Battiato - Ruby Tuesday
Jarvis Cocker - Running the World

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Artist Spotlight: The Klaxons

Okay, so I admit that I'm a bit late jumping on The Klaxons bandwagon, but you know what they say, better late than never you know? Anyway, I have to say that these guys are really really cool. Their brand of catchy riffs quipped with great hooks never ceases to amaze me. Let me say this, if you're not listening to them already, you should be. They hail from London, England, and have amassed a large underground following (you probably won't be able to use the term "underground" for long though). HMV describes The Klaxons sound as "acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk", and on their Myspace page they proudly proclaim themselves as "Screamo / Happy Hardcore / Pop". Along with Shitdisco, The Klaxons have been branded as part of the "New Rave" movement, what that means, exactly, I'm not entirely sure, so interpretation is up to you. Their unique brand of art-rock spliced with post-modernism rave music will undoubtedly titilate your earsdrums. I promise you that you will be shimmying in your seat in no time. Trust me when i say download all of these tracks, they all come to you with the seal of awesomeness approval.

The Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow
The Klaxons - Not Over Yet
The Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone (Crystal Castles Remix)
The Klaxons - Golden Skans (my personal favorite)

Now that you're done here, do yourself a favor and check out the incredibly exhaustive, intense, hands-on, best of '06 list on web at Good Weather for Airstrikes