Life is too short for boring stuff......

18 February 2011

Sanso-Xtro - Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain

(My Rating: 3.5/5)

”Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain” is Sanso-Xtro’s second album from her new label, Digitalis since her debut "Sentimentalist" released in 2005 at Type label. According to her web site, Sanso-Xtro is Melissa Sanso Agate from Adelaide, Australia…..a drummer who makes a kind of synthesized-alien-folk music with synthesizers, guitars & various other bits and pieces……

Sanso-Xtro described her music as synthesized alien folk. I will think her debut is more on ‘folk’ side with more intimate gentle typical electro acoustic stuffs while this new album is more on ‘alien’ side with more odd cold electro sound exploration that something like the light-weight version of Oval……sometimes the haunting synth sound and her ghostly voice reminds me the psyche-folk stuffs from Fonal’s Islaja…and also sometimes her drummer background brings some cool free rock drumming jam…….overall speaking, it’s quite a strange electro-acoustic album with many elements mixing together that makes it quite an unique one, but a bit not coherent enough….. nevertheless, the cover art is nice!!

16 February 2011

Depeche Mode - Tour of the Universe: Barcelona 20/21.11.09 (DVD)

(My Rating: 3.5/5)

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As a long years’ fan, I still have the feeling of excitement every time to have Depeche Mode’s new release (though normally without too much expectation) and the feeling of relief to have their new live DVD seeing Dave and Martin are still in good shape (though Andrew Fletcher normally has a big belly). Same in this time, I eagerly choose a more relaxing last Friday night having a can of Boddingtons Pub Ale refusing my friend’s Friday night hang-out drinking to using my old-model projector to watch this live DVD in a big screen to celebrate something like a virtual version of reunion concert with Depeche Mode…..

The packing of DVD is still made in heavyweight manner as same as their previous few DVD releases that ensures the first impression pleasure of their fan like me. Nevertheless, the picture resolution (so seems I have to buy a blu-ray player soon) and directing/photography are down side which could not really capture the whole atmosphere of the show…….I was also surprised the band’s performance, stage set-up and run down is very similar to their last tour/ live DVD “Touring the Angel” with the same extended stage with Dave & Martin solo singing together as final ultimate song and those trademarked all-hand-swinging “Behind the Wheel”, “enjoy the Silence” early stuffs….

All in all, as a long years’ fan, everything’s never-minding but just to ENJOY THE TIME TOGETHER WITH THE BAND (EVEN IN VIRTUALLY) while such opportunity of 'reunion' is lasted…..

15 February 2011

Surface of Atlantic - A Frame Per Season

(My Rating: 3.5/5)

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I know this band since I recently notice many recommendations and praises on this band in comparison to those post rock super bands Sigur Ros, Mogwai, etc. ‘A Frame Per Season’ is second album from Surface of Atlantic since this Canadian band’s debut 'Ephemeral As We Speak' in 2007.

After the first listen, my feeling is not in connection to Sigur Ros or Mogwai, but it reminds me the recent Spokes album…..the two bands are not the same or similar music style, but they share the same approach that they play indie pop rock stuffs with post rock sugar-coating .........but who knows it would cater for both indie pop and post rock fans that feel like times listening Keane and times listening Sigur Ros or neither of them will like it….. Nevertheless, it is a solid, easy listening and good album indeed!!

14 February 2011

Somewhere 迷失某地

(My Rating: 4/5)

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I like Sofia Coppola’s previous movies, but I didn’t have too much expectation on this one before heading to Broadway Cinematheque to see it as I have just heard too many negative comments about this movie in last couple of weeks….too boring, too slow, too much elongated scenes, seeing audiences’ early leave, bababa…….

‘Somewhere’ is a new drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. The story talks about the emptiness of life on Johnny Marco, a famous actor played by Stephen Dorff, who has long stay in the Chateau Marmont, a well-known Hollywood retreat with only money, fame, professional success, sensuality and his relationship as well as happy days with his lovely daughter.

After the movie moving on and on, I think I get to the same mood with Sofia Coppola and really like this movie…..yes, the script honestly is a down side with single layer uninteresting story line (to most common people like me except those celebrities under the same situation of emptiness)…..but in terms of directing technique (of course for those her familiar art film genre only), cinematic language and aesthetic sense, she seemingly become a masterful level now that is even better than ‘Lost in Translation’. Those minimal touches in long shot and silence of many scenes provide a most stunning contrast on how the empty/hollow life he’s been on his own and how the humanly-warm meaningful life when he’s been with his lovely daughter……so it’s good reflection when audiences feeling bored when they watch the boring life Johnny is living in, but they should stay, feel and immerse in the mood of director’s sophisticated heart rather than early leave of the cinema…..’Somewhere’ confirms Sofia Coppola to be a director of different class capable to be legendary!!!

9 February 2011

Jon Mueller - The Whole

(My Rating: 3.5/5)

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I don’t have too much knowledge on Jon Mueller and was aware this album due to his label, Type Records, and Boomkat that are the sources I always pay attention to…… according to some his bio information, Jon Mueller has been an active avant-drummer and percussionist since the mid-80s. His approach focuses on a physical dialog between situation and material by utilizing bombastic minimalism, dense interplay, or electroacoustic practices. He has been featured on numerous recordings and has performed throughout the U.S., Japan, and Europe.

‘The Whole’ is his first album from Type Records which is one of my favourite music label that their releases whatever in genre of dark ambient, modern composition, drone, etc. are able to be blended with the rare beauty and subtlety..….It is an album full of minimal and simplicity percussion experiments play by instruments like snare, cymbals, tom, dulcimer…..and with exploration to acoustic folk, tribal drumming, dark doom atmosphere in a simple, well-arranged manner…..provides listeners a huge space for ambient-floating thinking and meditation!!!

8 February 2011

The Kids Are All Right 非單親關係

(My Rating: 3.5.5)

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50-50 want to watch this movie previously after seeing some positive and negative critic reviews and at last watched this one on the Chinese new year eve at Broadway Cinematheque due to plenty of seats available in that festive night….

‘The Kids Are All Right’ is quite a good comedy with a very new and interesting story about a lesbian family with their almost-adult kids looking for their unknown father who donates his sperm for their mothers many years ago…..you can still feel that Hollywood styled production that you might not feel cool, but you can imagine such relationship will be interesting and funny……in fact, the movie is turned out to be warm, intimate, funny and meaningful and also provides room for audiences to think about such lesbian or gay family situation in the postmodern world we are living in!! A good movie worthy to watch!!!……one thing worth to mention is that Annette Bening安妮貝寧 has had a magnificant performance in this movie as you can see she put a lot of effort to play well the role of a lesbian with ‘father-character’ that is just so impressive!!

The film was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and Annette Bening was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The film also got Nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including a Nomination for Best Picture, at the 83rd Academy Awards.

Spokes - Everyone I Ever Met

(My Rating: 3.5/5)
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If you are a football fan, I wonder how you will see on Torres’ recent surprise transfer from Liverpool to Chelsea. Another Judas for Liverpool fan or an exciting hopeful for Chelsea fan? It’s always hard to conclude as everything’s 2-sided……I think it’s a bit similar case for Spokes on this new album…..

Spokes are an alt-indie band based in Manchester, UK, brought together in 2006 in Preston. In 2007 they recorded their debut EP People Like People Like You and Everyone I Ever Met is their follow-up album with whole different story to their audiences……..

To make sure I don’t get things wrong, I decide to listen their debut EP People Like People Like You once more before I write on their new album…….the outcome is yes, I didn’t mix up anything, they play the typical post rock music in their debut EP, something like the early post rock stuffs of Explosions In The Sky with those long running subtle sad epic quiet-loud-quiet-loud structured post rock songs that you must have heard before if you like post rock music…..That’s why I was very surprised when I have first listening on this new album, just like everyone surprises on Torres’ recent transfer to Chelsea…...Spokes have completely changed the face of their music this time from a bunch of post rockers to an indie pop band……although the new album is still having their post-rock leaning guitar riff, eye-catching classical violin play, emotional choral vocals like their debut EP, songs are arranged to more pop structured, more short, more vocal based, more easy accessible, more sugar-coated mellow this time…....remind me of Broken Records or Arcade Fire…..

To be fair I will say it is a good indie pop album…….but if you ask “Is it good or bad for the band with changes like that?”….. I think only god knows the answer when a band abandon their originality and go straight to main stream for commercial success or whatever they think worthy.......good luck then!!

2 February 2011

The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

(My Rating: 3/5)
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The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (hammond organ, accordion, melodica, piano, keyboards), Nate Query (bass guitar, string bass), and John Moen (drums, backing vocals, melodica). The King Is Dead is their sixth full-length album since their debut EP, 5 Songs, released in 2001 and also the band's third record from big label, Capitol Records.

For me, The Decemberists is so kitsch, but I like the band as they are literately being kitsch act and wholeheartedly play their warm, intimate, melodic, playful kitsch indie pop music for minority fan base with same innocent heart. Kitsch may not be always a negative stuff, at least for The Decemberists, it makes them unique and standout from others….. Their third album, Picaresque, is still my beloved record. However, since they change to big label Capitol, for me, everything of The Decemberists is not the same…I’m not blaming big music label, but bands like The Decemberists are such a fresh air when they are being indie and will become real kitsch when they are in big label due to too much market calculation and the will to being bold…..so, their last two albums from Capitol are real disaster for me especially last one The Hazards of Love. I just keep pressing to jump over the album’s songs in my IPOD….

So, I have a bit nameless fear on this new album. I see a funny comment from Tiny Mix Tapes as that “Putting on The King Is Dead, the new album by The Decemberists, is like walking into your favorite bar on a Tuesday evening and discovering that the management has decided to make it Irish night.“ Would it be same again? Bold and empty? The answer is Yes and also No. After pressing ‘Play’ button of my CD player, my feeling is ‘Wow, same again?!’ The first half of the album is still their recent big-label bold-structured empty-inside songs with new theme of country rock leaning this time. Honestly, I don’t like it. But after first half, the vibe of songs is suddenly steering back to their early years’ style…..intimate, faithful, gentle, little acoustic folk ballads in second half……a little consolation for a fan like me, but be frank couldn’t save the whole album at all!!! Quite a below-par album for The Decemberists!!

31 January 2011

Boredoms 77 Boa Drum (DVD)

(My Rating: 3/5)

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On July 7th, 2007 at 7:07 PM, Japanese group Boredoms, orchestrated a performance by 77 drummers at the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, NY. The drummers included Andrew W.K., Brian Chippendale from Lightning Bolt, Lizzi Bougatsos from Gang Gang Dance, and many other leading lights of avant garde rock. The performance is recorded as this documentary movie DVD.

This 80 plus minutes documentary in fact is quite boring stuffs. Although there were some great drummers from legendary No Neck Blue Band, Gang Gang Damce, Lighting Bolt, etc. and also Bordoms of course to be part of the show, they were only eventually becoming some stars in a galaxy. You will never notice them anyway in the show. As also the performance was so organized, well-prepared and structured, there would be no individuality for each drummer, even amongst those big names…..at last, the show is just becoming something like a secondary school music society’s student show fair if you are not an indie fan and by chance walk through the Brooklyn Bridge and see the performance….even worse is that directing and editing of the show is also not too cool while picture resolution is not good enough…..makes this a really flat and boring film watching experience!!

The Necks - Silverwater

(My Rating: 4/5)
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After wait and wait, I finally get this The Necks latest album which was originally released in 2009. After the very first listen, I am just stunned in a blissfully pleasant way and the wait is all deserved…..

The Necks are experimental jazz trio from Sydney, Australia, comprising Chris Abrahams on piano and Hammond organ, Tony Buck on drums, percussion and electric guitar and Lloyd Swanton on bass guitar and double bass.The band was formed in 80s and has been featuring 15 albums since then. “Silverwater” is the latest album since their 2007 release of “Townsville”

Compared to rather so-so Townsville, Silverwater is obviously back to their peak form.….there’s only one long piece of 67 minutes music, but you will not feel bored and the ever-changing music will bring you to the music world of The Necks from the initially more static meditative and minimal xylophone-like percussion and organ-synth……..to the mid-way of free rock free jazz jam……..and reach the end of more slow quitar drone, improv session…….You will only feel being sucked into The Neck’s highly-textured ever-changing, evolving and progressing music…….just like the cover art of something like water and ameba with the form keep changing, flowing…..really awesome stuffs!!!

28 January 2011

Ultralyd - Inertiadrome

(My Rating: 4.3/5)
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Ultralyd is Kjetil Møster (The Core) on sax, Anders Hana (MoHa!) on guitar, Kjetil D. Brandsdal (Noxagt) on bass and Morten J. Olsen (MoHa!) on drums and vibraphone. This is their forth album since the band was formed in 2004 and the second album in so-cool Rune Grammofon label since their debut Conditions For A Piece Of Music.

For me, Ultralyd is one of coolest bands in Rune Grammofon amongst other exciting units like Moha, Supersilent, Elephant 9, etc. Their avant rock music are full of cool and exciting mixture of experimental industrial noise, progressive rock, electronica, post punk, improvisation. Their last debut is more introvert approach to explore the sound of dark deep black hole, and this new one is more open and out-going for more stylish and accessible approach…...reminds me of Sonic Youth or mature version of Moha…….this time is even blended with some kraut rock element that makes this album is just so rich too excellent!! ……must be one of best albums of 2010 if I listen it a bit earlier….

27 January 2011

CocoRosie, Live in HITEC Hong Kong, 21 January 2011

knowing them playing freak folk stuffs, but can't imagine the sisters play live in such a freaky way.......like watch a freak show with elder sister as innocent angel and younger sister as freaky monster kid......together with the excellent jazzy keyboard player and cool beatboxer, the show was really awesome and mind-blowing!! you can see how freaky and magnificent they were in the below videos:

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24 January 2011

Goldmund - Famous Places

(My Rating: 4/5)
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Famous Places must be included in my list of 2010 best albums if I listen this album earlier…..

Goldmund aka Keith Kenniff is a Portland-based ambient indie electronic artist who also works under the moniker, Helios. While Helios produces more acoustic electronic ambient works, Goldmund focuses more on solo piano stuffs…..I like “Famous Places” even more than his previous solo piano works as each of 15 beautiful solo piano works, that represents a specific place, are not only having his unique elegant, contemporary and thoughtful vibe of modern composition works as past, but also being more mature, brighter and presentable this time compared to his previous more hazy subtle pieces…..the recording way is also very gorgeously intimate as you can hear some interesting close recording of pedal pressing and string hitting sound, something like prepared piano works….a really gorgeous album!!

15 January 2011

Drivan - Disko

(Rating: 3.7/5)
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Drivan is a new band by the multi-talented Kim Hiorthøy, who is well-known with his background as graphic designer for album cover art of the great Rune Grammofon and Smalltown Supersound and a cool electronica musician, consisting of Kim, Lisa Ostberg and Louise Peterhoff of Sweden, and Kristiina Viiala of Finland. The group met in Stockholm in the fall of 2007 while working together on a multi-faceted dance piece by choreographer and performance artist Gunilla Heilborn, entitled The Potato Country according to the band's web site.

If you have heard Kim Hiorthøy’s previous albums, you know how good he is to produce groovy, organic, neat, loop-leaning cool electronica music with hip-hop rhythm and acoustic folk influence…..listening his music something like a cool fashionable people relaxingly walking on Sunday main street with both hands rested in trouser’s pockets and whistling his favourite melodies…….with a new band and new members, honestly, the music is still his trademark electronica sound and vibe, seems only with adding a female vocal with personality something like Stereolab's vocal and cool electric guitar riffs….make the album more rich, accessible and poppy!!

R.I.P Trish Keenan of Broadcast

Warp Records has announced that Trish Keenan, singer for the British electronic pop duo Broadcast, has died from complications of pneumonia.....what a pity to hear such sad news for such a young and talented people.....

6 January 2011

Benoit Pioulard - Lasted

(Rating: 3.7/5)
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I still remember I described Benoit Pioulard’s electro-acoustic folk music in his major indie label Kranky’s debut “Precis” in 2006 something as “like driving on a quiet highway with heavy rain in the night and you can see everything outside is so hazy and unclear through widescreen, but you do still feel comfortable, relaxed and warm in the car compartment…...”.

After the rather subdue and less well-known 2^nd album “Temper” in 2008, Portland based singer songwriter Benoit Pioulard aka Thomas Meluch comes back with this new album with refined and matured music of his own style…..still those contemporary acoustic guitar chord flicking folk integrated with electronic ambient sound/noise layer plus his deep off-tone soft voice…….what a dream-like hazy soundscape it is!!

5 January 2011

Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP

(Rating: 4/5)
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It’s misleading to call it as EP while the album is in fact 58 mins in length….it’s also misleading to make people thinking that it would be some more inferior unreleased stuffs while this album was released in a close period with the more well-known “The Age of Adz” in 2010 (al least for me is as I just bought it recently due to its discounted price)…..Conversely, this one is a very long play album and this one is an album with music superior than “The Age of Adz”….More importantly, this album is the one to convince his fans including me that the Michigan singer-songwriter is still having so much to create and offer after the previous too-exceptional albums “Michigan”, “Seven Swans” and “Illinois” as well as the not-so-successful experimental minimal electronic concept album “The BQE” with theme regarding New York City's Brooklyn-Queens Expressway". ”All Delighted People” surprises me is that Sufjan Stevens has successfully evolved his famous intimate, warm-hearted social-activist-like and thoughtful poetry lo-fi acoustic folk/indie pop ballet music to another more mature level!! An excellent album!!

Norwegian Wood 挪威的森林

(Rating: 3.7/5)
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It’s always hard to make a great movie from a great novel like the sort of classical novel - Norwegian Woods….Vietnamese director, Ahn Hung Tran 陳英雄, is taking this huge challenge this time and the result is fortunately not bad though not a great one!! With the art house abstract & stream of consciousness意識流 approach (sometime plays quite like a theater drama during their dialogue), cool music score from Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead with few Can classic Krautrock songs and stylish & moody photography from Lee Ping Bin 李屏賓, you can imagine the movie is going to be eye catching. Nevertheless, I just think the director just made the movie too heavy and self-contained within a thematic boundary resulting the missing of that most valuable and explosive youthful restlessness 躁動 (that we all longing for) in love and sex curiosity in the no-regret twenty-something's age!!

I have bought the soundtrack CD also as the music score is very cool indeed!!

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4 January 2011

Best Albums 2010

Not too many exceptional albums this year, but there are still some good stuffs worth to mention.....

Cripped Black Phoenix - I, Vigilante
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