Music Review: People And Things
Album cover for Jack's Mannequin, People And Things
Andrew McMahon hasn't recorded an album with his original band Something Corporate in nearly a decade but in that time has lessened his focus on their emo-rock style in favour of a much lighter rock sound of Jack's Mannequin.
With a centralized piano-rock song in the vein of Gavin DeGraw or perhaps a more upbeat Coldplay, Jack's Mannequin continues to fill that certain void between the arena rock and piano pop sounds, rather, fusing them together for a style that Jack's Mannequin can almost call its own. In each of the first two albums, this sound had found its niche but being it seven years since the release of Everything In Transit, the sound carries that sense of been-there, done-that.
That's not to say that People And Things is a step down from either of the previous two records. Though there seems to be nothing adventurous going on with the record as a whole, there's nothing disappointing either. Songs like Release Me can fit comfortably next to Swim and I'm Ready, while Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die) takes an uncertain, philosophical look at not knowing what the future brings ("hey hey hey, we're all gonna die someday") while relaying this realization and perspective as McMahon toured for the previous album, The Glass Passenger: "Through the lens of my Polaroid camera/The label looked proud/the New York shows sold out."
Jack's Mannequin is in a good place right now as a band. Their last two albums entered in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart so they have a solid fan-base, however, they haven't reached that status that allows them to be considered a household name. I would argue that with them, that's perhaps a good thing. The music that makes up this album hasn't been compromised with over-production. Even after three albums, Jack's Mannequin still has the natural sound that sets them apart from other pop/rock bands. Should they ever suddenly get a hit that places them at Train or OneRepublic-like popularity, the same stigma that many music fans might place on those aforementioned bands would be placed on Jack's Mannequin. As of right now, it's not so they can have their cake and eat it too.
People And Things offers the familiar sounds that Jack's Mannequin brought to the table with their first two releases. A good mix of lighter soft rock and upbeat piano rock, they continue to be dependable with their musical offerings. 
Tracklisting
1. My Racing Thoughts
2. Release Me
3. Television
4. Amy, I
5. Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die)
6. People, Running
7. Amelia Jean
8. Platform Fire
9. Hostage
10. Restless Dream
11. Casting Lines
What’s ten years to one person?
It's funny when I consider the things that I own now and then look at the things I only dreamed of when I was growing up. For example, an iPod. Something that can actually hold digital versions of every CD I own, plus thousands more songs that can be accessed in just seconds, holds playlists, can shuffle anything and everything and can be carried with me wherever I go without any additional trouble. Such a device when I was in my teens was unimaginable to me. I remember always wanting something that was portable that could play more than just a few CDs worth of music. I got a discman when I was 16 that I used for my last two years of high school so 45 minutes on a bus each way was filled with music but only whatever I felt like bringing with me that day. So if I wanted variety, I'd have to bring my CDs with my in addition to my discman.
When I was even younger, and more TV obsessed than I am now, I dreamed of having a TV screen in the car imbedded in the seat in front of me when I sat in the backseat. That would make those longer car rides slightly more reasonable being able to watch cartoons. Today, I have the option to bring my MacBook or iPhone with me to do that.
Even more modern things such as computer file organization and website development advancements that I have learned in recent years would have blown my mind and saved me many hours back at the end of the 90s and early 2000s. Even simply having a laptop would have been a big deal while I was in university (the first time) rather than relying on taking notes and ensuring I remained organized with my papers and notebooks.
What I do find odd is that while I can imagine my younger self not having these convenient technological devices but imagining their existence with my young mind, it's rather difficult to imagine a time before Facebook. Not that I'm personally relient on Facebook to get through my everyday life but as a means of minor socialization, keeping up to date with people that otherwise I would only see when running into them coincidentally on the street, it is something that has become imbedded in everyday life as both a way to keep up with acquaintances or to just read thoughts, ideas and perspectives of whoever we are "friends" with. But then I *do* think back to what it would have been like to have Facebook in high school.
Things would be so much different. Because I can remember a time when they didn't exist, I'm definitely appreciative of these time-saving and useful(-in-their-own-way) devices because I know how helpful they truly are but at the same time, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to grow up with these things already. Would I be able to appreciate them the same knowing what it's like to have to carry CDs and a discman (or cassettes and a walkman), have to sit through a car ride counting the trees and poles until I get home and having to manually sift through text files looking for something specific while having to write out old HTML character-by-character with limitations based on what most modems can handle. I can only imagine what conveniences will exist in ten years from now. No really, I can imagine because if there's something I wish existed now, it most likely will soon.
Public speaking
Last year I conducted an interview for one of my classes. One of my questions was asking what advice to give to anyone entering her field of work and she immediately answered that everyone should take a public speaking course. Most areas of work can benefit from learning how to speak in public and what it can do for self-esteem and confidence.
I'm taking a public speaking class as part of my program. It's required but after hearing the logic in that interview, I think it's something I might have done anyway because I feel that, as great as I can be at a lot of things (toot toot [that's my own horn, by the way] ), public speaking is one weakness that I can't seem to shake off.
I picture myself giving these extravagant speeches that involve an incredible visual, me moving my arms appropriately and ending with an erupting applause but when I get in front of a small-to-large crowd, I lose all hope of that. I do feel like I am fine with saying what needs to be said but my biggest weakness is "um".
This week, I gave my first assigned speech in the class. The speech itself was only to be between one and two minutes long and was meant to be an introduction to the class. The topic of the speech - me. We had to come up with a few main points about ourselves, including minimum criteria consisting of life plans, a quote to live by and things we liked.
Normally, I love to talk about myself...but only in written form. Take this blog, for example. It's all from my perspective, obviously, although I don't write about myself *that* much as I don't think it's interesting as a reader but I can definitely be self-indulgent when the opportunity presents itself. One of my dreams is to publish a book of short stories about me - non-fiction. I've been gathering them as I remember them. My main obstacle is that I don't know anything about publishing a book and there's no actual audience for such a book written by someone like me (yet).
When it comes to talking about myself orally, I don't really like it. I don't like the idea of monopolizing someone's time by talking about myself. I've never been one to divulge information about myself for the sake of telling something unless I've been asked or it's such a funny story I have to tell someone. I don't like bragging and I don't like complaining (on actual serious things - I do like to complain for the sake of complaining on small insignificant minuscule matters). So when I had to come up with things to talk about for one and a half minutes, I was stuck.
On one hand, I could tell a story or go into detail about a few specific things but the time limit was short and there were criteria that had to be met as far as content was concerned. So no room for details. I figured I would start with where I was from, when I moved to Halifax, why I moved here and the schools I attended. After that, I had to figure out specific things that made me "want to get out of bed in the morning." I like writing, reading, traveling. Those were a few of the things I listed with no detail. What are my life goals and where do I see myself in ten years? I gave an answer but I didn't answer the question because I still don't know. What lessons do I live by? I stumbled over this answer even though I knew what I wanted to say, I didn't know how to say it. Fairness and perspective. Life isn't fair but I personally make it my mission to try to be as fair as I can no matter the situation, and I believe everyone should be willing to learn perspective and see things from other people's points of view.
So this blog has ended up being a story about myself and why I don't like to talk about myself. If my book idea doesn't pan out, I'll just write my first-hand experiences in this blog in hopes my readers will find them entertaining. But as of now, I am saving them in case something happens that allows me to develop an audience to read my stories in published form.
Danger! Danger! Prepare to shut down!
With social networking, blogging and online shopping, among other things, leading our way into the future, the very entity of the internet is considered to be in danger as many people found out yesterday during a protest of two bills that were introduced late last year that would allow the American Government to have more control over American-based websites and domains that were found to have any sort of copyrighted material and links to copyrighted material. It also seems that banner ads allowing the illegal purchase of prescription drugs from outside of the country is another main motivator for these bills.
SOPA and PIPA. Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act. Both of these were met with high opposition from a large and important part of the internet yesterday. Wikipedia, Google, Tumblr, etc, with either blackouts of the sites entirely or messages of warning requesting support from readers and browsers to speak out against these bills, which are to be discussed again in February.
In doing some quick reading about these two bills, I was met with a lot of information. Most of which was governmental containing legal jargon and requiring some knowledge on how the American government works when it comes to bills. Something that might be more common knowledge than I think but is a bit beyond me for now. Most of what is involved with these bills I admit I don't actually understand just yet. But it seems that even despite the support of Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Association of America, NBCUniversal, Viacom, and many others that rely on copyright protection, most of the general public and even President Obama are against the bills.
What would the passing of these bills mean for us? As a non-American (or Canadian), I picture American-based internet to be similar to Chinese-based internet except rather than censoring political and social content, the censorship would be on copyrighted content. Such content would include harmless copyrighted content that would include even what is found on this very site. And because my blog is a doman with a .net suffix, it would be blocked or shut down. If I hosted my site on wordpress.com (another opposer to the two bills), WordPress could be shut down. Even without going through the usual cease and disist, take-down-the-content and other communication attempts between the copyright owner and website owner. Action would be more immediate. Since most sites operate on a .net, .com or .org domain, they apply to the proposed laws.
I personally support copyrighted works being used correctly. I prefer to buy my music, movies and books and I understand the effects that digital piracy can have on everyone involved in the process. It's a trickle down process where those at the bottom of the ladder are the ones to be effected first. Think Music World, Sam the Record Man, Blockbuster, Virgin Records (music store), various bookstores, etc. But a site like mine, for example, will occasionally use photos found on google that are likely not public domain. Links to music videos on YouTube that may or may not be approved by the songwriters and/or record labels. Even karaoke recordings of songs put on YouTube, I believe, would no longer be allowed. Even though I make no money off of my site, and the creators likely lose nothing off of what gets used on here, this site could be one of many to be shut down.
So it's a tricky situation. To protect the major players of recorded works, the American government would have the ability to silence anyone that gets in their way even if no actually losses are found. Protect copyrighted works vs. protect free speech. Is there a middle ground? Is it a case of those in the industry of creating copyrighted works not being able to keep up with the fast-moving technology? Is it a case of amending outdated laws that haven't yet taken into account this fast-moving technology?
I will be trying to educate myself on the background of this a bit more in the coming weeks and months as I keep my fingers crossed that this law doesn't pass and if it does, that it's not as dramatic as I'm imagining it to be. And in the meantime, I think I need to work on better citing anything that isn't my own. For example, 95% of the movie posters and album covers I use come from Wikipedia.
The Queen has spoken
And so it begins. Madonna has spoken.
Madonna on ABC this week
Of course I'm referring to her recent interview in which she finally responds (somewhat) to the question regarding her opinion on Lady GaGa. Her thoughts on the song Born This Way, which many have said is a replica of Madonna's own Express Yourself: "it feels... reductive," when asked whether that's a good thing she smirks, sips from a tea cup and says "look it up."
Enough to ignite the internet, blogs and message boards about what such an answer could mean. Of course, many news publications and online sources use this opportunity to possibly make a mountain out of a molehill by headlining that Madonna has taken aim at Lady GaGa. She tells Newsweek, "I thought, this is a wonderful way to redo my song."
In Madonna's defence, she isn't the one bringing up Lady GaGa in her interviews. But it's obvious that it's the question everybody wants to know - what her thoughts really are. Questions with answers that must have been thought up if not well rehearsed before the interviews began to cover every possible angle and scenario. Madonna, who has been said to have been heavily inspired by Marilyn Monroe, has offered up compliments by saying she's talented and is flattered by her influence on GaGa.
But what does she really think? Perhaps Madonna is using this opportunity to build free press around her upcoming new album and single release, which she will unveil at the world's biggest televised event - the Super Bowl. Immediately after the live performance, Gimme All Your Luvin' (or Give Me All Your Love - title yet to be officially confirmed) will be released to radio and likely iTunes. In addition to this performance, she'll be on tonight's Golden Globes presenting an award and possibly accepting one as well for her new song Masterpiece, which is nominated. The song is a return to her mid-90s more mellow style of song.
Lady GaGa and Madonna on SNL (October 2009)
But these major public appearances are being overshadowed thanks to the GaGa connection. And with the current somewhat backlash against Lady GaGa at the moment, Madonna couldn't be in a better position. There's more hype for the new album, titled M.D.N.A. - due out in March, then there was for her last record Hard Candy. It seems the world is suddenly interested in Madonna again as if it were 1992 and just like some might say Lady GaGa has Madonna to thank, it seems things are coming full circle. In a setting where it's Lady GaGa vs. Madonna, Madonna is now the favourite.
Think back to when the entertainment world was rooting for Britney Spears to succeed - she did. Now my thoughts are, they want Madonna to succeed. And she almost certainly will. With the only exception being that if this new single completely sucks. And that's not completely impossible. The Queen's last album really lacked the umph that a Madonna record usually has. With the production credits going to the producers of the moment The Neptunes and Timbaland, it sounded not unlike every other hip-hop-flavoured pop hit released the year prior to Hard Candy, proving that even Madonna can have weaker and unoriginal moments. But with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. famously on board for this new single, it's also entirely possible that these next few months could be the biggest for Madonna in over a decade. And in some ways, she might have Lady GaGa to thank for that.
Movie Review: Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie poster
I don't really know what the criteria tends to be for films that end up being cult classics but I feel like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo could end up being one of those. Director David Fincher doesn't hold back with Rooney Mara, who stars as Lisbeth, a punk-styled girl with multiple facial piercings, body tattoos, an agressive anti-social history but is a professional computer hacker who is hired to do extensive background checks. As far as I remember, I don't think someone with this type of image has ever been portrayed in a lead role like this and taken seriously.
One of Lisbeth's jobs is to check the history of Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) on behalf of Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) who is looking to hire Blomkvist to write the family memoirs while also investigating the disappearance of his niece Harriot. In a strange twist, Mikael hires Lisbeth as his assistant after learning of her abilities.
While much of the film is centred around Blomkvist's investigation of the history of Vanger's strange family surroundings, little is known about him other than what is periodically revealed by Lisbeth, who knows nearly everything. Lisbeth's character, on the other hand, has a lot of development and emphasis placed on the type of person she is based on what we see in the movie provided in little snippets throughout. While it also doesn't go too much into the past, what is revealed about both of them is enough to justify what we are to know about their present situations.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is nearly two hours and forty minutes long but despite its length, it's a film that uses every second wisely. While not a fast-paced film, there are very few moments of filler or otherwise insignificant scenes that don't contribute to the overall story. The chemistry between Mara and everyone she interacts with is fantastic, putting emphasis on the great casting done for each of the roles. The graphic scenes between Lisbeth and Nils Bjurman (Yorick van Wageningen) don't hold back on the intensity as it further adds to just what kind of person Lisbeth has to be. Mara is easily the strongest point of this movie and the growth her character shows by the end is spot on.
While Daniel Craig seems to be one of the biggest names in Hollywood right now, despite having been filming for nearly two decades, this role only helps catapult him further. Despite the recognition factor, he owns the role of Mikael. However this film is clearly focused on Rooney Mara's character. The soundtrack, provided by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, is made to suit Lisbeth. Industrial, dark and heavy but not intrusive. It doesn't have the stand-alone quality that the soundtrack to The Social Network had, Reznor and Ross' previous collaboration with Fincher, but it compliments the film very well adding almost sinister undertones. Meanwhile, the amazing introduction shots are accompanied by the cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song with vocals provided by Karen O, further adding to the badass factor of the film and providing that one distinctive song that can always be associated with the movie - and vice versa. 
Megamixes
The first megamix I remember hearing and loving was the GHV2 Megamix put out around the time Madonna's GHV2 was released in 2001. It was mostly a mix of a lot of her 90s hits put into a 5-minute recording. Since then I've heard from pretty awesome ones for Roxette, the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Janet Jackson. Pretty much anyone with a decent discography of hits made up of upbeat songs or songs that can be remixed can have a pretty good mashup done. Each year, DJ Earworm makes a mix made up of the Top 25 songs of the year that is typically pretty good.
Last year, I made one for Lady GaGa made up of songs from The Fame and The Fame Monster that, oddly enough, I have since found linked on various mp3-trading websites and stuff. It's gotten nearly a thousand views on YouTube which isn't really anything to write home about but it's fun to get the occasional compliment on it. I really enjoy doing music mixing and stuff and while I know the mixes I come up with aren't half as good as ones on the internet, they're still fun to do. About a year ago, I made one for Pink as well that I never got around to uploading so I figure I can do it now. Made up of some of her bigger hits, it's called The Fucking Max Megamix.
The Fucking Max Megamix (Pink)
The Max Monster Megamix (Lady GaGa)
Music Review: Voyageur
Album cover for Voyageur by Kathleen Edwards
Voyageur acts as Kathleen Edwards' "divorce album". Following the theme of breaking up and moving on, she captures the emotions with bitter ease. This record is a vast change from her last one, 2008's Asking For Flowers, which contained her stabs at some political and social themes that are completely void on Voyageur. What also isn't present is the sassiness that she offered on each of her previous three records, most notably what made up Westby from Failer (2003). While Kathleen seems musically subdued, she is more personal and open on this record than she's ever been before.
The first single Change The Sheets is Kathleen in familiar territory but rather than relying on the usual punchiness of songs like The Cheapest Key and Back To Me, it is Kathleen meets The Fall-era Norah Jones. A very fresh sound for her. And speaking of Norah Jones, the smooth jazz turned adult-alternative-rock singer/songwriter makes a guest appearance on the album's notable closing track For The Record where Kathleen simply exclaims "for the record I only wanted to sing songs."
Sidecar, the most upbeat track on the album, also serves as a discrepancy on a record of breakup songs except for the undertones of it perhaps being her denial song. A final grasp of hope and the desire to stay together by wishing "you and I will be sidecars/there to chase down the hard stuff." But the second verse she is calling out "wait up wait up/you let me show you all of the monsters I was holding on to." The following song, Pink Champagne, she is once again accepting as she reveals "I don't want to feel this way". Should the right strings be pulled, Sidecar might be her first major radio hit since Back To Me made waves in 2005. If she so desired. The potential is there in the connections as the album is co-produced by Justin Vernon, the frontman for current new Grammy favourite Bon Iver.
For those familiar with Kathleen before, this album serves as a sober reminder that while she can write killer songs with killer melodies, she is still a songwriter and has that duty to express her own experiences as they arise. Voyageur isn't as drastic a step away from her discography as The Baroness was from Sarah Slean's, for example, but like that album, this one lays out the hurt and disappointment from the relationship in plain view without relying on lyrical tricks and musical abilities that can be distracting when expressing a message is the main priority. The simplistic route is the most effective.
Consistency is key on Voyageur which helps to make it an early contender for the year's best and her most even record since Failer, if not ever, but there's also the desire that Kathleen hasn't fully given up on her clever cheekiness and backroads balladry that made her one of Canada's most dependable musicians. 
Tracklisting
1. Empty Threat
2. Chameleon/Comedien
3. A Soft Place To Land
4. Change The Sheets
5. House Full Of Empty Rooms
6. Mint
7. Sidecar
8. Pink Champagne
9. Going To Hell
10. For The Record
Movie Review: The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin - Secret of the Unicorn
Being a fan of mystery books and movies, the Adventures of Tintin was sure to be a pleaser. Using the technology of motion capturing for this film, it is director Steven Spielberg's first animated picture telling the story of a young journalist looking to solve the mystery of the Unicorn.
Tintin is a popular European comic book series that has gone largely unnoticed in North America. While a fairly simple character with basic character development, the film brings back someone that has been absent for most of the last few decades. This film is based off of three of the original comic books written in the 40s and a second instalment is already in the works also to be based off of books from the original comic series, playing off of many of the aspects of the original series and comics such as the inclusion of the bumbling Thompson and Thompson police officers who always provide some comic relief.
The first thing noticeable about the animation is how incredibly real it looks. Other than the main characters, much of the scenery, backdrop and passers-by look very real and all it takes is a glimpse of Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell), Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) or to a lesser extent Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig) to be reminded that this is 3D animation. Much of the movie takes place on the open sea and later in the dessert and finally in a fictional port on the Moroccan coast in northern Africa.
The storyline is an expected mystery but one that still requires to keep up because there are twists and turns, even if the end result is predictable. With Tintin, it's not a case of where he ends up but how he gets there. A true adventure story well told. Playing up on a lot of what would go into a standard cartoon episode but extended out to a full feature film. If this movie is your first encounter with Tintin, it might be enough to make you want to dig deeper into his other adventures. If you're like me and you have had some exposure to Tintin in the past, this movie will reignite that interest and make me want to read more. Not the greatest story ever told but takes the best of a classic character, a classic genre and creates an instant classic movie. Can't wait for the next one!
Music Review: Talk That Talk
Album cover for Talk That Talk by Rihanna
Rihanna and camp know how to make a hit. Ever since her first album came out in 2005, Rihanna has put out a new record every year since with the exception of 2008 when instead it was a re-release of Good Girl Gone Bad (retitled: Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded) which contained the new hits Take A Bow and Disturbia. December 2011 saw the release of her sixth record Talk That Talk.
With Talk That Talk, she continues her upward trend of improving upon herself. Immediately with one listen, this record is sonically superior to last year's Loud (read my review here), with more uptempo tracks and a varied selection of songs. Of course, having the list of producers she had for this record are the reason for this sound. Only two tracks from super-hitmaker Dr. Luke to make room for a few from Stargate and of course the man behind the smash We Found Love, Calvin Harris. Whatever happens, this album was made to produce hits and that's what's going to happen.
We Found Love opened Rihanna to a new sound featuring house and dance influences that is en route to becoming her biggest hit to date. The entire album follows suit to the progression of We Found Love. Strong start to a very promising recording but once it takes off, it doesn't really go anywhere beyond that. Not quite disappointing but you feel set up, wanting more but not getting anywhere.
Songs like Cockiness (Love It) takes a page from Katy Perry's Peacock with its not-at-all-subtle sexual innuendo but it is undeniably the hottest song on the album. Produced by Bangladesh, the guy behind some of the grittiest hip hop hits in the last decade including What's Your Fantasy (Ludacris), A Milli (Lil'Wayne) and Did It On'Em (Nicki Minaj), Cockiness is Rihanna finally oozing personality and owning this song rather than singing facelessly, which nearly all of her prior songs have been - very little personality. And Birthday Cake brings her back for seconds, even at just one minute eighteen seconds.
Much of Talk The Talk is sitting at the forefront of the coming year of music based on what 2011 brought. You Da One continues with pop's current obsession with dub-step, leading the way for what might be the next era in mainstream music as electro-pop and dance takes its final breaths for this era while songs like Where Have You Been and Roc Me Out are safe bets for hit-status should the music landscape change direction. Even the title track is reminiscent of Nicole Scherzinger's Right There from last year, should radio suddenly decide that's more of what they want. All bases are covered and Rihanna is going to have another great year.
Talk That Talk definitely has more hits than forgettable tracks and that's sure to keep Rihanna going for the next twelve or so months until the next album. Even if the album itself continues on the Rihanna trend of not turning into a blockbuster hit (she has yet to have a #1 album), the songs themselves will continue to define pop music for another year (We Found Love is her 11th #1 single).
Tracklisting
1. You Da One
2. Where Have You Been
3. We Found Love [featuring Calvin Harris]
4. Talk That Talk [featuring Jay-Z]
5. Cockiness (Love It)
6. Birthday Cake
7. We All Want Love
8. Drunk On Love
9. Roc Me Out
10. Watch N' Learn
11. Farewell
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