BOOMBOXXX

The Amazing Spider-Man was indeed 'amazing'

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:02:00 -0400

So yesterday I had the privilege to attend a preview screening of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ in 3D at the Odeon, Leicester Square and my oh my was I extremely impressed with this movie.

As many of you may be feeling at the moment, my expectations for this movie were somewhat non-existent. I had not seen the trailer but knowing that there would be a new Spider-Man played by Andrew Garfield who, yes, is a fabulous actor based on his roles in ‘The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus’, ‘Never Let Me Go’ and fundamentally ‘The Social Network’, I just couldn’t help but crumble a little inside knowing that Tobey Maguire would no longer be the cute dorky Spider-Man who had graced our big screens for so long. What’s more, I honestly could not fathom how they could develop or even ‘improve’ Parker’s character by placing him in a high school ‘coming of age’ environment, where most if not all cliched stereotypes are born, bread and ‘buttered’*.

Nonetheless, after what was a seemingly ‘slow’ start to the movie which remained quite close to the establishment of Parker’s arachnid powers and catalyst for revenge in Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ back in 2002, ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ culminated on an absolute high.

Features of old favourites such as Uncle Ben and Aunt May accentuated the humanity of Spiderman whilst the undulating comic nature of the plot was emphasised throughout with several scenes dedicated purely to the notion of Peter Parker vs the World. A hilarious basketball scene between Parker and the classic high school bully, Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka) is definitely one to watch out for. I must say that the relationship and chemistry between Garfield and Emma Stone was incredible; I have loved Stone since her lead roles in ‘Easy A’ and ‘The Help’ so it was quite nice to see her back in her ‘comfort zone’ as an effortless Gwen Stacy.

Ultimately, Marc Webb’s (pun intended?) ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ has allowed for the audience to realise the fundamental connections between Parker and his parent’s disappearance, which was only vaguely mentioned in ‘Spider-Man’, as well as the significance of Dr Curt Connors as Richard Parker’s scientific partner. I am not usually a fan of 3D movies as I always feel that wearing the glasses provided takes away from the overall quality and colour depth of the original footage, yet the CGI in this movie was particularly well done during the fight/action scenes between ‘The Lizard’ and Spider-Man for which I have decided to rate this movie a 7.5 out of 10. From the tight spandex superhero suit Garfield pulled off ever so well to the comical and banterous escapades between Garfield and his victims (particularly the car thief scene) ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ had everyone in the audience hooked from start to finish.

By the way, make sure you stay until the very, very end (by this I mean past the main credits) as there is a glimpse of the new villain for the sequel to this movie

The Amazing Spiderman is released in UK movie theatres nationwide on 3rd July 2012

*Obviously, this was ignorance of the comic books and whole Spiderman fandom speaking

gonna try and make an effort to post more often from mid-June onwards

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:41:05 -0400

give me some ideas to come back with?

Song: Weights NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED“I know how it all...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:20:00 -0500

Song: Weights *NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED*
“I know how it all ends…”
Artist: Everything Everything
Song Rating: 10/10
Album: Man Alive (2010)

Never have I been so hooked to a song since listening to Foals’ Heavy Water as I have been by Everything Everything’s album finale Weights. The sheer excellence of this track has been rattling around in my mind for the past two weeks, and I just felt the need to share this with you all!

Granted, it has taken a while to appreciate Man Alive for what it is i.e. a quirky and experimentally ambitious debut album. At the time it appeared as such since personally the only song which seems to take any ‘conventional’ form upon the first listen was ‘Suffragette Suffragette’. Nonetheless, a year later after its release and having the privilege to see them live at Reading 2011 (which was amazing!!!!!), my decision to give the album another go was the best I have made in a while.

Weights is as lyrically captivating as it is instrumentally. The time signature, layering of the vocals and drum pattern is effortless while the the lyrics exude passion. A user on SongMeanings.net seemed to provide a religious interpretation of the lyrics based on St John’s account of what occurred at the end of the world in the Book of Revelations:

He’s not able to finish what he’s saying… the song actually ends chanting gloriously “I know how it all…” symbolising finally being overwhelmed perhaps with elation, perhaps by the way the world ends. Brilliant.

Plausible interpretation - what do you think of it???

Overall, 10/10 for this song, just pure class from a top notch band. BRAVO!

Spector - Grey Shirt & Tie (by spector) Saw ‘em live...

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:03:37 -0500

Spector - Grey Shirt & Tie (by spector)

Saw ‘em live last August by chance, and have been amazed by how much progress they’ve made :)

did not realise how inactive this blog has beeeen. on the plus side, saw coldplay live (woo!) and on the downside, iPod is dead (RIP)

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:41:00 -0500

and we did wear elephant masks when paradise came on

and this blog will be active soon(ish(ish))

Oh the irony of today’s shufflé song (that being...

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:28:00 -0400

Oh the irony of today’s shufflé song (that being it’s a) a Sunday, and b) last night = a “heavy night” drinky drinky)

Song: Sunday
“I love you in the morning, when you’re still hungover”
Artist: Bloc Party
Song Rating: 3.5/5
Album: A Weekend In The City (2007)

Boisterous rockers, Bloc Party, are one of the most instrumentally talented bands to be discovered in years. It comes as no surprise that they have attracted such popularity, with their quirky riffs, bass lines and drumming patterns along with Kele’s memorable vocals in their debut album, Silent Alarm to a more chilled out mellow feel for music in A Weekend In The City.

Matt Tong, opens Sunday with a punchy drumming section, whilst the long drones of the accordion behind Okereke’s vocals, is immediately suggestive of a church-like environment, blatantly conflicting with the unholy nature of the lyrics. The song has been crafted in such a way that the discordant reality of the character’s “love” for one another, becomes much like what Kanye West would have imagined as a ”dark twisted fantasy“ (without the overt sexual reference, of course).

Their recent hiatus followed by rumours of the band splitting, which then resulted in speculation that it was all just a publicity stunt, has certainly kept their fans at the edge of their seats in the hopes for a a much anticipated new album release.

Either way, you gotta love a bit of Bloc Party, whatever the weather, whatever the mood.

Did you know…?
Kele Okereke is an studied English Literature at King’s College, London (well I got really excited by this since I am applying there this year… UCAS & personal statements kill me now AHHH!)

shufflé x

NEW JAMES BLAKE ALBUM WOOO!

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:48:23 -0400

today on shufflé (its been a while…) Song: Tell Me What To...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:56:00 -0400

today on shufflé (its been a while…)

Song: Tell Me What To Swallow
“Through the wall he through me
I knew he’d never hurt me”
Artist: Crystal Castles
Song Rating: 5/5
Album: Crystal Castles (2008)

Alice Glass’s haunting vocals, on the last song of an album by one of the most ambitious and exciting artists of the noughties Crystal Castles; ‘Tell Me What To Swallow’ provides an anti-climax for what is an ‘eargasmic’ chaotic album.

The chilling effect of this song is derived from the content in the lyrics, empty space, texture and layering of the vocals over the consistent chordal strums of the guitar. Clearly, this is about some form of paedophilia or incest (“Daddy watched me sleeping… The one who smells so pure”), it is quite striking that this beautiful, yet morbidly dark song has been placed in contrast with what the rest of the album had on offer.

All in all, “Tell Me What To Swallow” encapsulates the loss of innocence in such a horrific way, yet is captured effortlessly in under 2 and a half minutes.

blog resurrection & Reading Festival

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:01:44 -0400

which was bloody amaaaaaazinnnng, better line up than I initially thought!

this calls for new posts on this blog methinks, and more gigs to come :)

shufflégraph wednesday:Portrait of Mystery by Wazari Wazir How...

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:51:00 -0400

shufflégraph wednesday:
Portrait of Mystery by Wazari Wazir

How did I find this photograph? Was a bit of a long winded search, but it did start from a simple Google search of ‘portraiture photography’. Google is your friend, and don’t you forget that!

Scrolled down several pages and came across a striking black and white photograph, which linked to the owner’s Flickr page. With a bit more faffing about, I managed to extract some information about Wazir: he is a Malaysian Photojournalist working as a photographer for their government, and has his own established blog.

Wazir on Portrait of Mystery:

This guy like to keep his eyes shut, so I’ve to wait patiently for this guy to open his eyes, I need a strong deep eye contact to make this portrait look strong and have a mysterious feel to it

Now this is particularly interesting, as the subject’s eyes are THE most visually captivating and, to an extent, youthful aspect of this photograph, shaping the rest of the frame with an air of age, wisdom and perhaps an element of pain also. His facial expression appears quite gaunt; Wazari’s observation that the subject likes to keep his eyes closed, indicates that he may be lost in a world of his own, an escapist, whereby reality is no longer or never was a desirable place. The overall composition of this photograph is very simple, yet the use of black and white in this photograph is fundamental for highlighting:

a) the textures - wrinkles and details on the subjects skin are emphasised in monochrome and
b) the contrast between the subject’s beard colour, white (pure, hope) and the rest of the frame which is pretty much black, bleak and melancholic.

A very commendable piece of photography, and it is well worth having a browse through the rest of Wazir’s photostream on Flickr.

shufflé new release: Song: Changing the Rain“If only...

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:57:00 -0400

shufflé new release:

Song: Changing the Rain
“If only you’d get back in time
Open your eyes”
Artist: The Horrors
Song Rating: 4/5
Album: Skying (2011)

Well, well, well, who would have thought that The Horrors would have gone all “new wave” on us? Possibly an extension from their last album, Primary Colours, in terms of experimentation - even so, it is pretty damn good!

With the release of Skying last month in the UK and today in the US, Changing the Rain is a great opening track for the new album and is a complete makeover for the band, who have been largely associated with garage punk during their early years.

What makes this so great, is that it is hard to decipher where in the world their stylistic influences even came from! The jungle-themed measure in the first 15 seconds, lingers into a synthesised instrumental track, meshed with clashy guitars and a stable drum pattern, all to be reconciled with the vocals delivered by Faris Badwan, makes for the perfect summer soundtrack.

shufflé special Tottenham Riots: the public’s ruthless...

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 13:14:37 -0400

shufflé special

Tottenham Riots: the public’s ruthless response to the shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, a young man and father of three, by the police in an attempt to arrest him.

Is the scale and violence of the riot justifiable? Yes, to an extent as a bold political statement has been made against the horrendous crime against Duggan’s human rights. All eyes are now on the Metropolitan Police, who once again have failed to act in a responsible and respectable manner.

Remember the G20 protests in London, whereby the physical harassment of Ian Tomlinson by police officers, consequentially contributed to his death?

Photographs of the incident are incredible; who would have thought that there would be ‘burnin’ and lootin’ in London once again! Which swiftly leads us unto the song performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

The song itself is pretty self explanatory, and is purely chosen in support of free speech and my admiration for those who have taken the initiative to do so - however outlandish it may seem at first glance.

#nowplaying on shuffléArtist: Devendra Banhart Song: Angelika...

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:56:35 -0400

#nowplaying on shufflé
Artist: Devendra Banhart
Song: Angelika -
”If life’s for the living and death for the dead
And love’s in your heart and hate’s in your head”
Song Rating: 3.5/5

Why is this song on your iPod? : Can’t even remember how I found out about Devendra Banhart, probably from the NME website, really enjoyed ‘Last Song For B’ - his whole sound is quite similar to Sebastian Tellier and a little bit of Yeasayer’s earlier stuff.

Banhart fuses the Folk and Latin genres in ‘Angelika’ with an air of elegance and ease that is pleasing to the ears. The non-linear structure of the song does not seem fitting at first listen, but strangely suits Banhart’s apparent need to inject a range of musical styles into one song, which is clear throughout the album this song features on - What Will We Be (2009).

The decision to include a Latin section, stems most probably from his Venezualan roots (stereotypical observation); the rough Google translation of the lyrics within this part, points towards the notion of ‘Angelika’ in severe harm, however a more accurate translation would be greatly appreciated!

Check out Devendra Banhart here: http://www.myspace.com/devendrabanhart

bombay bicycle clubbbb sound check @ underage!

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 05:44:31 -0400

bombay bicycle clubbbb sound check @ underage!

#nowplaying Up In The Clouds - Darwin Deez Why is this song on...

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:23:00 -0400

#nowplaying

Up In The Clouds - Darwin Deez

Why is this song on your iPod? After seeing this band at Underage Festival last year (which was brilliant), I thought I should check out the rest of their album, and voilà, here we are.

On listening to “Up In The Clouds” - Simple layering of the guitar and drum pattern, at the start of the song, and already we’re in for an “easy listen” - nothing too majorly complex, but enough to keep one entertained, as Darwin Smith’s vocals, begins to grace us with its presence. Hand claps, guitar picking and tambourines, are just a few elements of this piece that provides a summer, jovial feel to the song.

Favourite Line(s): Dizzy from lack of oxygen
or from the mood you put me in
Up in the cloudy stratosphere
gravity’s weaker when you’re near, my dear

Particularly liked this verse, as it overtly highlights the mood and emotions you apparently feel when in love: “gravity’s weaker when you’re near, my dear”. Frankly, this song overall lacks the instrumental variation needed to convey the “story” of the couple who were once “up in the clouds”, but are now grounded as they are no longer connected by the powerful force of love.

Song Rating: 3/5 - Catchy song, perhaps would have gone down better on my part with a bit more experimentation. Nonetheless, it is still worth the listen.

#nowplaying Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Lets Make Out To be...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:12:00 -0400

#nowplaying

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Lets Make Out

To be fair, I shouldnt actually be writing about this song, because I skipped about 10 songs until arriving at this one. Oh well. I know I definitely want to see this band live at Reading Festival this year, and if I don’t then I’ll eat my hand or something.

Why is this song on your iPod? I think the main reason why Does It Offend You, Yeah? is even on my iPod is because of Hadouken! period.

On listening to Let’s Make Out: Launching with tambourines, cow bells, synthesisers and throbbing vocals, “Lets Make Out” is an upbeat track, that instantaneously grabs my attention (and sure does wake me up). Escalating into madness, the constant repetition of the song title, becomes irritating, but hey, electro pop is more about the danceable track, commonly created on Fruityloops with the aid of other objects, as opposed to the innovation of the lyrics.

Descending into relative calm at the break, where the lyrics generally become a bit more creative(?), we’re left with the pulsing of the kick drum, bass and synths whilst the incantation* is uttered ever so forcefully by James Rushent.

As the song draws to a close, I imagine the crowd going wild at Reading (if this is played) moshing, crowd surfing, “dancing”, pushing - you name it!

The abrupt ending, I’m not so sure about; it has left me with the need to have just 20 seconds more of the final section, which seemed a lot more developed than the rest of the song. Well, that’s artistic choice for you!

Favourite Line(s)*: too many legs under the table.
too many reasons for trouble.
have I got a girlfriend and
does she get real mean?
yes she does, yes she does

This verse is repeated four times, until the song ends with ‘ahhhhh’ and some banter between band and producer. Perhaps why I love this part so much, is that it alludes to the idea of infidelity and one of the deadly sins, lust as an ultimate temptation which has been there between the pair of potential “lovers” all along. Yet the character that is faced with this dilemma of either remaining faithful, or crossing over to the dark side, which is emphasised throughout with the line “Let’s make out (Let me go)”, a clever way of portraying this.

Song Rating: 3.5/5 - Good track to listen to when you’re actually feeling alive, unlike I am at the moment due to a lack of caffeine in the system.

shufflégraph wednesday: Clau by Gosnia Janik Soooo, was just...

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:59:00 -0400

shufflégraph wednesday: Clau by Gosnia Janik

Soooo, was just casually having a browse on Flickr, as you do, and thought, why not look for some instagram shots. And lo and behold, that is what I have found.

As someone who genuinely holds an interest in photography, particularly portraiture, I was amazed to see how brilliantly captured and arranged this photograph is. The simplicity and youthfulness of this photograph is astounding, and for it to have been edited on the hit iPhone app, instagram amazes me even more. The child’s eyes are the most captivating, along with her shy but playful stance, enticing the viewer to want to know even more about her.

I suggest y’all have a look through this photo stream, as there are some seriously good shots in here. The washed out, vintage, film look seems to be en vogue recently in the photography world, so if you’re into that sort of thing, this is the photostream for you.

#nowplaying Next next next, on the shufflé playlist brought to...

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:11:00 -0400

#nowplaying

Next next next, on the shufflé playlist brought to you by the iPod-touch-that-can-only-play-music-via-shake-‘n’-shuffle

Foals - Olympic Airways (YES!)

Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize last year for their sophomore album, Total Life Forever, it is clear how technically far Foals has come since first releasing Antidotes in 2008, which Olympic Airways features on.

Why is this on your iPod? Oh how I love Foals. First heard Cassius back in 2008, and I knew I just had to listen to the rest of the album, Antidotes. So really, I am honoured to have this on my iPod, as I genuinely believe that the music created by Foals is simply genius.

On listening to “Olympic Airways”: Opening with discordant long notes, and the ever pulsing kick drum pounding in the background, the sounds all pleasantly merge together once Yannis Phillipakis vocally opens with “suns out we wait all day”, adding an ethereal, almost mystical presence to the song. Instrumentally, Foals are extremely talented at stringing together notes that sound perhaps really disjointed on their own, but collectively is pure bliss to listen to.

Gradually, the song builds up in drama and tension, ever escalating in loudness and uneasiness. Phillipakis’ vocals become drowned out by the instruments while the syncopated drum pattern and screechy guitars, swiftly dominates the song.

“Reappear” is repeated numerous times at the end, while the drums stop playing and we are left with the beautiful guitar sequence. All is calm, all is briiiight <- Christmas carol reference, 10 points to Gryffindor!

Favourite Line(s): “Let’s disappear till tomorrow”

The way this line is sung by Yannis, and repeated twice for emphasis, is just sonice - one of those pleasures you encounter, but can’t articulate the satisfaction you derive from it.

Speculation that the song is about waiting in Heathrow for a delayed flight, is merely a physical manifestation for what it actually means. Beneath this façade, there is obviously an emphasis on escapism and the idea of travelling beyond reality to a “higher” realm. How do I know this? I don’t, but the sparseness of the lyrics, contrasted with the near-chaotic instrumental arrangement highlights the conflict between two worlds that are unable to coexist together - reality and fantasy.

Song Rating: 4/5 - really like this song, “simple” yet insightful.

and on the shufflé playlist today… Dancing Shoes - Arctic...

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:45:00 -0400

and on the shufflé playlist today…

Dancing Shoes - Arctic Monkeys

Why is this song on your iPod? Well, I remember hearing their first single “I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor” back in 2005 on Top of The Pops (I was twelve okay?) and fell in love with the song. Then decided a couple of years later to actually fully listen to what I feel to be one of my favourite albums of all time (controversial) Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am Not. Hence why this song is on my iPod.

Listening: The opening phrases with the deep rhythmical drum pattern and bass line along with Alex Turner’s vocals, immediately entices my ears, and subconciously starts the automatic toe tapping. Again, the lyrics are extremely witty*, and the fast paced tempo of this song is just what you need to wake up on a Monday morning.

The Arctic Monkeys are pretty much known for their individualism and constant nuances of:

Sex - “She don’t do major cards, I doubt she does receipts, it’s all not quite legitimate” (When the Sun Goes Down)

Sex - “You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress” (Flourescent Adolescent)

and….. *drum roll*

Yes you guessed it:

Sex - “Dint ya see she were gorgeous, she was beyond belief” (Red Lights Indicates Doors Are Secured) - (this is more an objectification of women, rather than a sexual reference, but could be seen either way)

Only messing, but it is a theme that is lyrically emphasised a lot in their first two albums…

Favourite Line(s): “The only reason that you came
So what you scared for?”

Basically sums up the whole purpose of the song. It seems that it is from a male perspective, one of the “lads” on a night out in the club, looking to “pull”, but he obviously does not have the guts to do anything about it; a comment on modern society!

Song Rating: 4/5
Perhaps a bit generous, as it isn’t a song that is particularly striking to me,

*I support the Guardian on this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jun/27/arcticmonkeys.popandrock

and as I was writing this, just found out Alex Turner and Alexa Chung split up :(

Brand New - Jesus Christ Well this could be controversial. Why...

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:52:00 -0400

Brand New - Jesus Christ

Well this could be controversial.

Why is this song on your iPod? Last.fm, recommended this band, as according to their data, similar listeners of Taking Back Sunday seemed to enjoy their music.

Listening: I believe I have listened to this song before, but barely remember the lovely opening riffs that fill my ears at this moment in time, gradually layering up to eerily fit with the witty lyrics.

Clearly, the protagonist in this song is quite troubled and is seeking “Jesus” as a refuge to help sooth his woes. Reaching the climax of the song, I expect the thrashing sound of the crash and ride cymbals of the drums, while the guitars throb away thickly, strumming discordant patterns while the intensity of Jesse Lacey’s vocals peak.

Yet, this is only a fantasy I can only live out in my mind as the song resides into a mellow and steady melody, that surprisingly agitates me - obviously the disharmonious anticlimax demonstrates the melancholic scenario this character is faced with.

Favourite Line(s): Jesus Christ, I’m not scared to die
But I’m a little bit scared of what comes after
Do I get the gold chariot
Or do I float through the ceiling

It’s more a whole verse, but I just felt that this section of the song spoke volumes in terms of the sheer amount of people that I personally feel seek religion as a solace as one is uncertain of what lies beyond the grave. Is there life after death? Will we be judged based on our actions? Who knows, but the biblical connotations in this verse, are suggestive of the protagonists bemusement of the lucrative promises made in the Holy Bible to those who deserve to enter the gates of heaven.

Song Rating: 3.5/5
Enjoyed the song, would probably appeal highly to major fans, but that’s where bias comes to play.

BOOMBOXXX

The Amazing Spider-Man was indeed 'amazing'

gonna try and make an effort to post more often from mid-June onwards

Song: Weights *NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED*“I know how it all...

Spector - Grey Shirt & Tie (by spector) Saw ‘em live...

did not realise how inactive this blog has beeeen. on the plus side, saw coldplay live (woo!) and on the downside, iPod is dead (RIP)

Oh the irony of today’s shufflé song (that being...

shufflé x

NEW JAMES BLAKE ALBUM WOOO!

today on shufflé (its been a while…) Song: Tell Me What To...

blog resurrection & Reading Festival

shufflégraph wednesday:Portrait of Mystery by Wazari Wazir How...

shufflé new release: Song: Changing the Rain“If only...

shufflé special Tottenham Riots: the public’s ruthless...

#nowplaying on shuffléArtist: Devendra Banhart Song: Angelika...

bombay bicycle clubbbb sound check @ underage!

#nowplaying Up In The Clouds - Darwin Deez Why is this song on...

#nowplaying Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Lets Make Out To be...

shufflégraph wednesday: Clau by Gosnia Janik Soooo, was just...

#nowplaying Next next next, on the shufflé playlist brought to...

and on the shufflé playlist today… Dancing Shoes - Arctic...

Brand New - Jesus Christ Well this could be controversial. Why...

Song: Weights NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED“I know how it all...