Review wrap-up: Loads of stuff

The bridge of weeks connecting 2010 and 2011 has proven to be a bit busier than I expected. I’ve been able to take in a lot of "stuff"; I just haven’t had the time to review any of it.

As such, it’s now time for one of my world famous review wrap-ups wherein I gloss over several movies, games and CDs deserving of far more attention than I’m currently willing to provide. Here’s the quick rundown.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
(Video game) I’m a huge Castlevania fan, so even knowing LoS was going to be a re-launch of the series, it still took me a while to get used to the idea of everything being so different. Despite my fanboyish reservations, LoS succeeds as an action/adventure title with gorgeous graphics, a sweeping score and a crapload of content. While it borrows heavily from the God of War brand of combat, LoS surpasses that series in a lot of ways, creating a more complex, yet fluid means of destroying a wide variety of opponents. There’s loads of epic boss battles, an interesting story that sadly falls apart at the climax and it’s just plain fun to play. Don’t go in expecting the series you grew up with and you should be in for a 15-20-hour action rollercoaster.

More reviews after the break.

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Review wrap-up

I have once again fallen behind in reviews. Rather than flood the site with a bunch of posts that, let’s face it, would be far too long-winded (I love to hear myself type), I’ve decided to round everything up here and spare just a paragraph or two (or five) per item.

It’s a real mixed bag, as I’ve got a CD, a comic, a movie and a video game all here for your consideration. (Spoiler alert: They were all pretty fantastic.)

Mumford and Sons: Sigh no more
I heard the tune “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons on the radio a couple months ago and did my damndest to remember the name of the song and/or the artist, ultimately forgetting both. That happened twice more, causing me loads of frustration. I was near my computer the next time I heard the song and immediately logged on to just download the whole album and be done with it.

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Weezer: Hurley (Review)

This must be the year of redemption. Eminem regained his credibility with Recovery earlier this year, Korn put together a decent album a few months back and, following a string of mediocre offerings and last year’s abomination, Raditude, Weezer has also managed to make a triumphant return to form with their latest, Hurley.

Leave it to Weezer to name a CD after a character from Lost, going so far as to splash his mug across the album cover as well. It’s pretty much the awesomely nerdy, offbeat sort of thing you’d expect from the band.

Name and cover art aside, what matters here is the fact Rivers Cuomo and company have provided fans with what they have been waiting and hoping for: A solid album.

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Review wrap-up blowout special- Summer 2010

The end of summer brought with it oodles of entertainment. That meant less posts this past week, but hey, I got to catch up on lots of good stuff.

Inception
Unless I’m forgetting something, this was probably the most entertaining film I’ve seen all year. The cast is great and the story is imaginative. Some additional background and character development would have been nice, but I honestly believe these things were left out to make room for the intricate plot, which magically teeters on the edge of understanding and leaves you with plenty to think about, which is what’s important in a movie like this.

Despicable Me
Not as good as some of the Pixar classics (I hate to compare, but there it is), but manages to provide just enough cuteness and cleverness to make it a winner. Also, bravo for taking chances with some darker humor uncommon in such family fare.

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Review wrap-up: The Dead Weather, The Black Keys, Eminem

Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
If you enjoyed the first Dead Weather album, this one should make you very happy. The band has come together nicely and the tracks feel more like they belong together. If you enjoy your blues rocking with a shot of scotch and an unfiltered cigarette, this is the album to pick up.

Black Keys- Brothers
I’ve only just discovered the Black Keys thanks to a recommendation and I’m glad I did. These guys are phenomenal; mixing blues, jazz, rock and even a little electronic funk to create a unique sound that, while sometimes simplified, comes across super smoothe. Quickly becoming one of my favorite current bands.

Eminem- Recovery
Eminem is back and, while not “better than ever,” he’s definitely better than he’s been in a really long time. Encore was pretty rough, but even that was like listening to an angelic chorus when compared to the abysmal follow-up Relapse.

Rather than harp on the past, though, let’s look to the present. If you are a fan of the old Eminem, you should be pleased as punch with the massive 17 tracks Recovery has to offer, none of which are skits. He’s nixed the obnoxious accents from Relapse and even cut back on the comedy, but this is the best work he’s done in eight years.

While many of the beats fall a bit flat, half the album features hooks you’ll be hard-pressed not to get stuck in your head for days.

All of that comes secondary, though, to the lyrics. He apologizes quite a bit for the past decade of shenanigans and boasts a bit more than I like to listen to, but if that’s what it takes to get his confidence up and wipe the slate clean, so be it.

Eminem has once again established himself as one of (if not the) best wordsmiths working in music. He says a lot in these 17 tracks, reveals a lot about himself, and promises more is on the way.

Recovery is a perfect title for this album because, after a decade of dealing with drugs and then getting clean again, he’s let the world know he’s back in top form and ready to say what’s on his mind. I, for one, am more than happy to listen.

Review: Flogging Molly- Live at the Greek Theatre

I'm usually not too keen on live albums. I know it's the wrong way of thinking about it, but I usually feel like I'm paying for an inferior version of songs I already own. When a live album is as good as this recent package offered by Flogging Molly, however, I'll gladly shell out some extra cash.

The thing that sets FM apart from many bands is that their live show carries with it an energy you just can't get on a studio album. Maybe that's not fair. I think a better wording would be that the feel of their live shows somehow translates better to disc.

I don't know if it's Irish magic or the pints of Guinness flowing through band members' veins, but for whatever the reason, it's less an echo-filled collection of “the same old stuff” with fans cheering between numbers and more a revitalization of favorites new and old.

The Greek Theatre release has been masterfully mixed, bringing all the most important sounds to the foreground and making for a terrific sound. Front man Dave King provides some fun banter and, drawing on the energy from the crowd, the whole thing simply makes you feel like you are actually at the show. With a few acoustic numbers thrown in for good measure and a new spin on a few classics, it's easy to recommend this album. I'd go so far as to say several songs actually sound better than their studio counterparts.

This is all well and good, but what pushes Live at the Greek Theatre over the top as a must-own for fans is the fact this two-disc set containing 22 songs also comes with an HD recording of the actual show. Shot with several cameras and lovingly produced, fans can now see their favorite Irish-punk-rock-folk-etc. band in concert whenever they like. Even better is the fact the entire package goes for just ten bucks. That's less than most standard albums these days and, honestly, it's well worth twice that price.

Review: Gorillaz- Plastic Beach

Damon Albarn and his make believe band of misfits, the Gorillaz, are back for a third outing in Plastic Beach and, while the least radio friendly of the batch, we end up with another collection of fantastic ditties blending hip-hop, funk, techno, rock and one of the most random assortments of collaborators known to man.

Following the orchestral intro, Snoop Dogg bids you “Welcome to the Plastic Beach” in his laid back, gangsta drawl. One of the less exciting tracks, “Welcome” may have worked better appearing elsewhere on the album.

As is, things don’t really get rolling for me until track four, the brilliant “Rhinestone Eyes.” What follows is a series of twelve tracks, all of high quality, coming together to make a bright, summery contrast to Gorillaz’s second, darker album, Demon Days. Like a trip to an actual beach, this Plastic variety is a relaxing concoction.

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Best of 2009!

It feels like I’ve taken in a lot of entertainment over the past 365 days. Despite that fact, I had some real trouble coming up with a few of these “best of 2009” selections.

In the end, I just sat down and wrote down the first thing that came to mind when asking myself, “what (fill in the blank) did I enjoy most this year?”

Keep in mind staticEchoes.com has an editorial staff of exactly one person and, as such, I still missed out on loads of games, movies, etc. this year From what I did get around to, though, the results follow.

Game
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves- This one, at least, was a no-brainer for me. Three months later and I still find myself returning to the single and multi-player modes of this gaming gem. Uncharted 2 had a fantastic story, top-notch gameplay and enough going on onscreen to warrant multiple playthroughs just to catch everything. Games don’t get much better than this.
Honorable mention- Demon’s Souls

Television Show-
Battlestar Galactica- Season 4.5 came to a close in early 2009, but this year marked the beginning, middle and end of the journey for yours truly. I finally invested in the entire series in boxset form and consider every penny money well spent. Season 4.5 was one of the best of all with a conclusion that literally left me weeping like a small child. Every episode of the series was of the highest quality, making BSG one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It’s that damn good.
Honorable mention- True Blood

Comic Book

Hotwire- Picking a favorite comic from the year was especially tough for two reasons. 1) Due to their size, I’m able to get through more comics in a year than anything else, making recalling many of them a real chore. 2) Despite the number of comics I got around to, many still sit on the backlog stack just waiting for my attention. Some of those, I’m sure, are absolutely fantastic. In the end, Hotwire-the story of a digitally enhanced super detective cutie who hunts down ghosts-got top honors for the simple fact, no matter what the backlog looked like, I always stuck Hotwire on top. I enjoyed the story so much, I refused to wait any longer than absolutely necessary to continue it.
Honorable Mention- The Boys

Album
Tom Waits: Glitter and Doom Live- I know I just reviewed this album a month or so ago, but I can’t seem to keep it out of my CD player for very long. My favorite musician of all time, I have yet to see Mr. Waits live in concert. Glitter and Doom, at least, gave me the opportunity to pretend I was actually there. Beautifully flawed, I can’t stop listening.
Honorable mention- Them Crooked Vultures

Review: Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures, comprised of Queens of the Stone Age lead singer and guitarist Josh Homme, Foo Fighters lead singer/guitarist (turned drummer for TCV) Dave Grohl and Led Zepplin bassist John Paul Jones, recently dropped their first offering in disc form and, with three powerhouses such as these guys making all the noise, you should already know you’re in for a wild ride.

With musicians coming from three of the genre’s all-time best bands, the album, not surprisingly, borrows from all three sounds. Homme, Grohl and Jones all bring their own brand of dirty rock to the table and the result is something pretty special.

With Homme on the mic, it’s hard not to feel like you’re listening to a new QOTSA offering, but that’s not a bad thing in my book.

More like a well rehearsed jam session, TCV features 13 tracks of driving drums, grungy riffs and throaty bass lines any fan of smoky barroom rock should find easy to love.

There’s a little less gusto than I would have expected but otherwise, from “No one loves me and neither do I” to “Spinning in Daffodils,” there’s little not to like in this musical experiment.

What impresses me is the fact the album literally feels like a bunch of rock legends got together in a garage one day and bounced some ideas around until they came up with a collection of songs to call their own. It’s a solid sound that’s decently polished while still managing to hold on to plenty of “rough” around the edges.

What impresses me even more (and this is a credit to the talent on board) is how these three musicians can, on a whim, pull together a batch of ditties that so effortlessly puts the vast majority of what you hear on the radio these days to utter shame.

Review: Tom Waits- Glitter and Doom Live

I am greatly saddened when I think about the fact I missed out on Tom Waits’ 2008 Glitter and Doom tour. Why the show has not been released on DVD I’ll never understand but at least those of us who were unable to attend can now hear what all the fuss was about thanks to the CD release of Glitter and Doom Live.

This two disc set features 17 tracks pulled from Waits’ most recent trek across the U.S. and Europe as well as a thirty minute compilation of the man’s rants and musings between songs known as “Tom’s Tales.”

I popped in Tom’s Tales at the beginning of a five hour Thanksgiving holiday drive to see the family and, half an hour later, I regretted the fact the gravely fabulist would not be keeping me company the full way across the state of Arizona.

So, he’s got the narrative right, but how’s the music?

We’re talking about Tom Waits here. While his gruff versus are a bit hard to understand at times and a couple songs didn’t exactly wow, I consider it a real treat to hear such raw versions of some of my favorite tunes.

From a chop-shop version of Singapore to a wicked retelling of my favorite Waits spoken word bit “Live Circus,” all the way to the emotional Falling Down and romantically sweeping I’ll Shoot the Moon, Glitter and Doom is a top notch collection of rag-tag beats and off-tempo belting that will effortlessly put a smile on your face.

Newcomers be warned: If you are unfamiliar with the man’s work, this is not the place to get started. (See Rain Dogs, Mule Variations or Bone Machine for a proper introduction.) For those who have been listening to the howling madman of music for a while, though, Glitter and Doom is exactly what you hoped it would be- Tom Waits in his purest, most unrefined glory.

Review: Weezer- Raditude

I'm a man of two minds when it comes to Weezer's latest release, Raditude. On the one hand, four tracks are pretty dang good. On the other hand, the remaining six are pretty dang terrible.

I've followed Weezer since the beginning but, unlike many fans of the nerdy rockers, I don't let that fact cloud my judgment when taking in their new stuff. I'm a big fan of bands who evolve their sound and boldly break into new territory. Such efforts are risky, as they can cause a band to lose touch with their pre-existing fans, but it shows creative courage when someone is willing to do it.

I think each new album should be judged on its own merit (You won't hear me say "it's no Pinkerton," in this case.), but that doesn't mean I have to turn my brain off and forget about the quality a group is capable of. If something new doesn't work, no biggie. If something new is quite simply a collection of teen-ready, radio friendly, formulaic poop, though, I'll be the first to let you know.

Unfortunately, Raditude falls into that second category. While Cuomo and the boys prove they are still the masters of the hook (most present on this album are the three-headed, multi-pronged bastards you simply can't get away from), a catchy chorus and beat we can sing along to simply can't overshadow an otherwise terrible song.

Raditude is a sugar overdose through the majority of the album with several tunes (In the Mall? Really?) ready to be plugged into a Disney Channel commercial.

The theme of the album, too, is a problem for me. Cuomo is a grown-ass man dealing with grown-ass problems, yet the subject matter here shoots backwards in time to an era pre-dating even the Blue Album. It's as if he sat down and decided to tell the tale of several high school kids and their childish relationship struggles, partying hard and chilling with their bros. Along with this collection of pre-pubescent shenanigans we have the abysmal "Love is the Answer," quite possibly the worst song the band has ever put to tape.

Still, there are a couple shining moments thrown in to break up the mess and confuse the ever-loving hell out of you as to how Weezer could get it so right on a few ditties and so very wrong on the rest.

The first single, "If you're wondering if I want you to," is a pretty good number and the closing "I don't want to let you go," is one of the few genuine songs on offer here. "Can't stop partying" is actually a rather fantastic club tune where Cuomo finally realizes his dream of becoming a rapper and "Put me back together" would feel right at home on any of the band's earlier albums wherein Cuomo unflinchingly bares his soul to the world.

If you have iTunes, grab those tracks. Otherwise, Raditude is a pretty sound failure.

Review: Muse- The Resistance

I’ll begin by saying The Resistance is possibly Muse’s weakest offering to date. Fortunately for my ears, Muse’s least impressive album is still mostly a joy to listen to, and that should speak very highly for the band.

Other than track three, Undisclosed Desires, The Resistance is an album I have no trouble putting in the ole CD player, pressing play, and keeping my hand away from the skip button throughout.

The first single, Uprising, packs the most energy and the most punch of the lot. There are a few particularly nice songs, especially the three-part finale, but nothing here will become your “new favorite.”

Ditching a bit of the rock for a backing provided by orchestra, Muse’s sound evolves nicely in The Resistance. The only downside here is that the softer sound results in less “umph” for the album as a whole. Muse does both melody and rock very well, but I would have preferred a couple more tracks driven by bass, drums and their trademark guitar riffs to even out the sweeping, moody tunes that dominate the album.

Lyrically, this is also the weakest offering from Muse but, for the most part, Matthew Bellamy sings the silliness to pitch-perfect effect. And, honestly, who really listens to Muse for the lyrics anyway? You listen for the sound, and the sound is plenty nice this time around.

I think I was hoping for a bit too much from this fifth studio offering but, this far into their career, it’s nice to see the band trying new things when it would be far easier to simply parody what has worked so well in the past.

With The Resistance, it can’t be denied that Muse still knows how to entertain.

Music review round-up: Killswitch Engage and The Dead Weather

Killswitch Engage: Self titled- The boys of Killswitch Engage have had a pretty busy decade, producing four albums in the past eight years or so. For a heavy metal band, that's pretty fantastic.

What we have in their latest self titled offering is the perfect example of a three-star album. There's not a single bad track anywhere on the list, nor is there anything particularly memorable. In truth, you could take the tracks from all of Killswitch's most recent albums, shuffle them up and rearrange them into "new" albums, and you would never know the difference.

I'm sure this sounds like I'm complaining, but other than the fact I would like to see the band blow my mind with something revolutionary, they are easily one of the most consistent groups in the genre, or music as a whole for that matter.

Standout tracks include "A light in a darkened world," "Lost" and "This is goodbye."

The drums are heavy and driving, the guitar solos almost soar, and lead vocalist Howard Jones never ceases to impress me with his powerful howls and equally powerful melodies.

If you like Killswitch Engage or melodic metalcore, this is a solid par for the course.

The Dead Weather: Horehound- At some point in the near future, I completely expect Jack White to slip into an exhaustion coma. The dude who brought you The White Stripes and The Racontours is at it again, this time with the supergroup The Dead Weather; comprised of lead singer Alisson Mosshart (The Kills), guitarist Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), bassist Jack Lawrence (The Racontours) and, of course, drummer and backup vocalist Jack White.

Surprisingly, all three of White's projects have a distinct enough sound to warrant their existence and The Dead Weather are violently battling for a top spot on my list.

If the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are dirty rock, then The Dead Weather are dirty blues. The music is great, songs often dance in an out of tempo, creating a bit of complexity, and Mosshart has just the right amount of gravel in her voice to create a dark, smokey jazz club atmosphere you might have a hard time wanting to leave.

When the group's first single "Hang you from the heavens" hit the radio, I was a little hesitant to jump on board. Single number two, "Treat me like your mother," though, convinced me to give the album a shot. This, along with "60 feet tall," "So far from your weapon" and "Will there be enough water" are my top picks on an album I can happily listen to, from start to finish, over and over again.

Review round-up: inFamous, Gran Torino, Street Sweeper Social Club

Gran Torino- I finally got around to checking out Clint Eastwood’s latest offering and man have I been missing out. My one gripe with the movie is that practically everyone in it can’t act for $#!+.

Seriously, there are some awkward scenes here where I’m fairly sure Eastwood, donning his director’s cap and speaking in that gravely tone, told the actors “I want you to explore your characters in this scene. No script. Just give me some honest to goodness, real life drama, damn you.” They failed miserably, but the good news is that Eastwood is so awesome as a racist half-crazed ex-soldier you really don’t care how wretched everyone else is.

Shot well and mostly great writing. Dirty Harry scores again.

Street Sweeper Social Club- What happens when you form a super-band featuring Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and The Coup’s Boots Riley? The answer is “not very much.”

Morello does some nice guitar and bass work, but it’s all standard fare. Riley’s lyrics are pretty tight (Flow-wise. I’m not being hip here), but sometimes he tries to cram too many words into a single sentence. Other than a few standout tracks, “100 Little Curses” and “Promenade” come to mind, there’s not much worth revisiting here.

I was hoping for something meaty and revolutionary and, sadly, SSSC delivers neither.

inFamous- This game deserves a full post, but I’m lazy and you probably don’t want to read much more anyway. I’m doing this for both of us...You're welcome.

Following the story of a bike messenger named Cole, inFamous is a living story of a man coping with great power and a city struggling to survive after a tragic event wipes out thousands and leaves those still living cut off from the outside world.

Other than side missions needing a bit more variety, inFamous is absolutely fantastic. The world is large and breathing, the story is comic book awesomeness and the powers you earn come at a great pace and, by the end, leave you feeling like a real-life hero (or villain.) The controls are intuitive and the platforming is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. You’ll have a blast climbing, grinding and flying around literally everything in the city.

The dual karma moments give you the chance to save the city or watch it burn and, while some “serious” moments come off as laughable, the different powers granted to the good and evil sides are diverse enough to warrant at least two playthroughs. When the game clocks in at about 15 hours, that’s quite a bit of electric bang for your buck.

More so than anything, inFamous is an absolute blast to play. Minus a few bugs inherent in such a big, open game, you’ll marvel at the amount of polish that went into creating one of the best action games to come out this generation.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Dirty rock with sass and class

Often called the YYYs by those much cooler than myself, I was once again late to the awesome-party when it comes to listening to these guys. Since I liked every song I had heard from the group on the ole’ radio, it seemed only natural that I finally dip my toe in and check out a full album.

Luckily, I’m gifted with wicked friends who are willing to make legal backups of their own CDs for me to look after for them. So instead of just one album, I was bombarded by all three of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ offerings at once.

As I was told to expect, the debut Fever to Tell had the best all-around music. The sound was gritty, the lyrics were spunky, punky and sharp and the experience was one of solid rock.

Show Your Bones was a nice middle ground with some poppier hits mixed in with the gruff tunes reminiscent of Fever.

To most, though, I would recommend the more recent and self titled offering Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Full of radio-friendly dance numbers, it also sports a nice collection of slower, more thoughtful ditties to help listeners gauge whether or not they are ready for the backlog.

Though if you like what you’ve heard on the radio for the past few years, such as myself, you should be in for a treat no matter which route you take.

There's no need to make comparisons to other bands since vocalist Karen Orzolek is nothing like what you've heard before.

The sound is solid and often complex, which can be a a bit of a workout for your ears the first time through. If you stick with it, though, there will be a moment where everything sort of clicks into place. Further listens will bring goofy grins and new discoveries as each song pulls back the layers for further exploration.

Call it punk. Call it alternative. Call it artsy. Call it whatever you want. The simple fact is that it's great rock music. Period.

Review warp-up: Eminem, Green Day, Up, Drag Me to Hell

For those on the fence, still trying to decide which electronic entertainment to consume, here's the latest batch of reviews in the world of movies and music.

Eminem: Relapse- Em' has been gone four years now, battling a drug addiction and keeping a low profile. While this time in exile has given the troubled rapper something new to talk about, I find myself almost longing for the days every single song had to do with his ex-wife, Kim, or his abusive mother. I guess you could call the drug problem a theme in Eminem's latest offering, Relapse. If that's the case, violence, misogyny and homophobia are also themes. The problem is, this no longer feels edgy. Instead, it comes off as a kid who used to be popular for coloring outside the lines desperately waving his arms around in need of attention. If you can get past the B.S., though, the album is okay. Not great, but I hated it less after further listens. The formula is bland (Chorus-chorus-verse-repeat) and the beats are mostly unoriginal, but songs like "We made you" and "Beautiful" help to wash away some of the monotony.

Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown- Green Day reinvented itself with American Idiot and continues to do so with 21st Century Breakdown. The lyrics ooze with punk ideals and clever jabs at society, government and the digital generation, but the sound is something more akin to classic American rock. It's an interesting mix and I for one dig it. This rock opera follows Christian and Gloria on a trek though middle America as they struggle to find their place in this world as the last remaining rebels of the "class of zero." The inclusion of a story tying the massive list of tracks together works well and the songs all flow together nicely, but while the music is mostly good, nothing here (save "21 guns") blew my mind. If you're an old school Green Day fan who hated American Idiot, this will make you hate them even more. If you enjoyed the change of pace from Idiot, however, you should feel likewise about this latest offering.

Drag Me to Hell- Sam Raimi's latest horror romp is easy to describe: gut-bustingly hilarious and stomach turningly grotesque movie awesomeness. It's basically Evil Dead for a new generation. It has all the slapstick horror and sweeping shots you would expect from a Raimi film, but it's more cohesive and has a story that probably took more than thirty minutes to write. Alison Lohman is glorious in her role as a cursed loan officer, reminiscent of the great Bruce Campbell in her reactions to the multi-colored $#!+ plowing into the proverbial fan. It's a very physical role and she handles it well, giving all the right subtleties at all the right moments and even underacts the role a bit, similar to what you would see in B movies of old. If you're tired of what passes for horror films these days and want to see something refreshingly familiar yet altogether new, drag yourself to a theater and get ready for a wonderful treat. As the credits started to roll, I actually forgave Raimi for Spider-Man 3. THAT'S how good it is.

Up- I'm not sure how they keep doing it, but Pixar has struck gold yet again with Up. The story is grand and fantastic, the cast is small but adequate, the music is sweeping and the writing is 100 percent top shelf. Grumpy old Carl Fredricksen is probably the creative team's best character yet; human and complex. Within ten minutes of watching the film, you know exactly who he is and what drives him. A quick montage with brilliant musical accompaniment manages character development most films can't muster in a full runtime. While the basic story is simple- Carl wants to get his house to Paradise Falls in South America and does so with the use of thousands of balloons- there are so many layers present you'll be wowed by the number of interconnecting plot points and references to moments you had nearly forgotten about. Up is a triumph highlighting Pixar at the top of its abilities and should be considered an early contestant for Movie of the Year. I loved it.

Flight of the Conchords: Live!

So, because of an odd twist of fate and one friend’s awesome relative, I got the chance to take in the Flight of the Conchords live show this past week. (Your jealousy is delicious.)

To those living in the, like, three cities left on the tour, you’re in for a treat.

The evening opened with Arj Barker, Dave on the show, doing a standup routine about why he doesn’t want kids and how maybe, just maybe, global warming is the sun’s fault and not the Earth’s. Funny stuff.

Once Bret and Jemaine walked out on stage, though, I couldn’t stop grinning.

Their songs are as hilarious as ever and even modified a bit, their witty banter was side splitting and, even when they screwed up a verse or were thrown off track by the audience, they used their magical comedy powers to take a lemon and turn it into liquid gold.

Sadly, Albi and Robots didn’t make an appearance, but that’s hard to complain about when you’ve just sat through about two hours of comedic bliss.

Other highlights included the guys having a roadie bring out jackets just so they could put them on and take them off for a drunken heckler who wanted them to “take it off,” then they even treated the audience to a FOTC-ized version of Freebird and about a third of When Dove’s Cry. It was at the one-third mark when Jemaine decided performing covers all night would just be silly.

More impressive than the songs was the duo’s ability to ad-lib and play off of each other no matter which direction the act was going. It felt like 50 percent of the show was literally off the top of their head and 100 percent of the show was awesome, so it works.

Flight of the Conchords may be New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo accapella-rap-funk-comedy duo, but they’ll always be number three in my heart.

Review wrap-up: MGMT, Silversun Pickups, Notorious, Wolverine and Star Trek

I've once again fallen behind on my reviews, so you lovely readers will be spared a kabillion-word rant about each item and instead have the opportunity to enjoy shorter snippets (since there's no way I'm going to try to shell out five full reviews in one go. That's just silly, and a lot of work. I am both non-silly and lazy, so this works out for the best).

MGMT- Oracular Spectacular: If you were to throw David Bowie, the Bee Gees, a disco ball and a laser machine into a blender and hold down the button a few seconds, you'd have both a delicious treat and something sounding a lot like MGMT. The band's latest offering, Oracular Spectacular, dances merrily between genres with a healthy backbone of club beats and synthesizer holding all the tracks together. The album goes from nightclub anthem to southern rock to something sounding like an LSD trip and, somehow, it works...For the most part. MGMT is a fun experiment with sound and the majority of the tracks are worth a listen. Weekend Wars, Time to Pretend and Kids, though, are borderline brilliant.

Silversun Pickups- Swoon: A lot of people compare SSPU to the Smashing Pumpkins and, frankly, I just don't see it. That being said, Silversun is a great little underground group finally making its way into the limelight on the heels of multiple hit singles like the most recent, Panic Switch. If you like what you've heard on the radio, you can't go wrong here. That's also my only gripe with Swoon. Several of the songs sound a bit too similar. Other than that, the sound is great, the lyrics are interesting and the hooks are pretty killer. You'll be singing along in no time.

Notorious: I'm starting to think every successful musician had a rough childhood, knocked up their girlfriend when they were still too young, made bad decisions, paid for those decisions, fixed their life, reverted back to their old ways, paid for their sins once again, fixed their life again, got married, cheated, had another kid, then died. This seems to be the plot for every movie about a musician out there. Just an observation. Thankfully for Notorious, the elements tying that story together are interesting enough to warrant a watch. My only real complaint was that it was hard to feel much sympathy for Biggie. Unlike most rags to riches stories, he seemed to close a lot of doors on himself for the sake of making life harder. He had opportunities and ignored them and the film doesn't do a very good job of making me understand why. The impact of his music, however, cannot be denied. And the circumstances surrounding his untimely death are intriguing. These elements make Notorious worth a lazy weekend rental. Still, there wasn't much "new" here.

Wolverine: I can describe X-Men Origins- Wolverine in exactly one word..."Meh." Wolverine, the character, is a feral beast with a tarnished heart of gold and adamantium claws capable of ripping just about anything to shreds. That's the movie I wish I could have seen. Unfortunately, though the movie focuses heavily on Logan needing to "unleash the animal within," nothing he does ever seems to move remotely close to those heights of animosity. There's little in the line of violence without drastically pulled punches, and that upset me. The acting is surprisingly good, but there are too many characters present to give any of them enough time to be explored. Reynold's Deadpool, for instance, is spot-on and hilarious. Unfortunately, you get to enjoy him for all of five minutes. The story is good enough to carry you through the hour-and-a-half runtime, and it's nowhere near as bad as X-Men 3, but for a real fan of the character, I wasn't impressed.

Star Trek: The newest Star Trek, however, is badass. I've never really been a fan of the franchise, but much like the newest Bond films, I've been made into a believer. I watched a good bit of the classic series, so it was refreshing to see such a faithful adaptation mixed with a big bag full of new tricks. You wouldn't think the farcical humor of the old show would translate well into a high-budget, action packed roller coaster ride of a re-imagining, but it works very well. The characters are lovingly re-created by the new cast and the story is excellent. So good, in fact, I'm ready for a regular television show adaptation. I can't stand the thought of waiting several years to see where the new crew goes next. I highly recommend Star Trek to anyone looking to get their full money's worth at the theater. It's two-plus hours of top-notch entertainment that I couldn't get enough of.

Eagles of Death Metal rock/love live

I got to take in Eagles of Death Metal live recently and decided (was threatened at knife-point) to do a lil blog on my experience.

The show opened with The Living Things and I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing more of these guys in the near future. They've got the whole classic rock meets modern rock a la The Hives, The Raconteurs, etc. down with a lead singer who looks suspiciously like Jimmy Fallon with longer hair.

EoDM impressed the hell out of me, though. First off, lead singer Jesse "Boots Electric" Hughes decided to walk out in the drizzling rain and talk up the line of fans while we waited to be let into the venue. After an hour and a half of making sweet musical love to the audience (and possibly some physical love), the guy hung around to sign autographs, take pictures and just chill with the boys and girls who came out to see he and the band rock.

My buddy liveblogged the whole thing on his twitter page (twitter.com/jeffthejeff) but, since I'm still against all things tweeted (and Tyler Perry), I can't tell you how good a representation of the show it actually is. I heard it was pretty hilarious, though.

Aside from drunk folk slapping my friends, trying to start fights with each other or holding a buddy of mine's hand for a solid (and very uncomfortable) minute when he was going for a simple shake, I've decided everyone pretty much owes it to themselves to go see Eagles of Death Metal live.

In short, possibly some of the most fun you'll have in a crowded bar ever.

P.S. Bassist Brian "Big Hands" O'Connor has the most appropriate nickname ever. The dude's got catcher's mitts at the end of his arms.

Eagles of Death Metal- Heart On

I was sitting in a pub a couple weeks ago...Okay, so it wasn't really a pub. It was more like an eclecto-bar. There were about five motifs going on, P.O.D. was pumping through the speakers, the waitress was a bit too friendly and creepy, the food was pretty bad and, for a bar this size, they only had like six beers on tap. But I digress.

Anyway, there I was, minding my own business in this bar-pub, trying to flag down our waitress when Pepper (I never call her by the same name twice on this blog due to pending legal issues) slides a burned CD across the table and says, "Echo;" she calls me Echo in real life; "Echo, if you don't review this CD on your blog, I'm going to cut you."

Turns out I was being given a copy of Eagles of Death Metal's latest album "Heart on."

Being a burned CD, I have no idea what the names of the songs are nor do I wish to look them up. Yes, I'm being that lazy. Instead, I'll just give you a few broad statements concerning the album and let you head on over to Peppered Thought to get a more detailed review from the lady herself. I know what you're thinking: If she was going to review it herself, why threaten Echo with bodily harm if he didn't do likewise? This is a gal who fights the air, people. The. Air. It's best not to ask questions...

..

.

Moving on.

As for me, I quite liked the sound. In this age of over-produced, remixed, refined, re-refined and re-re-refined music, it's nice to hear something that genuinely sounds like a couple guys got together in a studio and recorded each song in a single take. This hollow, raw sound is present on each track, giving the listener a more intimate experience.

Something between the Rolling Stones and the Doobie Brothers, Eagles of Death Metal nail the classic rock sound with nods to genre greats while still managing to come off sounding mostly original. Can a relatively new group be called classic rock? Discuss that amongst yourselves.

Anyway, pop "Heart On" in the car CD player (where my copy has been for nearly two weeks now), roll down the windows and get ready to feel like your cruising through the 70s. This is, of course, a good thing. Eagles of Death Metal make the old sound new again and, cruising through an ocean full of so many nearly identical rockfish, it's refreshing to sink a hook into something different every now and again.