writhaus

4 stars
Written 02/14/07

If you’re expecting a Gorillaz-like project from Damon Albarn, don’t come here. The debut from the most recent band he’s fronting is produced by Gnarls Barkley’s Danger Mouse and features Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) on vocals and keyboards, Paul Simonon (The Clash) on bass, Simon Tong (The Verve) on guitar, and afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen on drums. The album is a melancholy and dreamlike offering. You will not put it on during a party.

The band officially has no name, but the industry generally has referred to them as the title of their album. The Good, the Bad & the Queen is mostly quiet and ghostly. Albarn calls it “scary, sad but optimistic.” The “optimistic” comes during the title track that closes the album. It’s as if they’ve saved all the volume until the end, with great effect.

The whole album, though, offers great musical depth, mostly in the form of Albarn’s pianos, organs, and keyboards. The active, yet minimalist bass of Simonon is often Clash-like. There’s a bit of rock, a bit of reggae, and a bit of a lot of other things. The band plays with surprising chemistry given the members’ different backgrounds. This is an album that gets better each time you hear it. It seems Albarn can do no wrong.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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3 stars
Written 02/12/07

Fall Out Boy continues to lead the way in the pop-punk/emo genre. And they know it. “Make us the poster boys of your scene, but we are not making an acceptance speech.” Infinity on High is on the sugary side musically, but that’s no big surprise because it’s a pop-punk record. If you listen to it, you will get a song stuck in your head. It’s unavoidable.

The record is anchored by the first single, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” The song itself is an interesting commentary on the pop-punk/emo scene. Most people either love it or hate it. It’s undeniably catchy, and I think it’s a great song.

Infinity on High breaks little to no ground as far as being innovative, but Fall Out Boy has put together a solid selection of songs here dealing with fame, sex, teen angst, and the music industry. It’s worth a listen.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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4.5 stars
Written 02/08/07

With A Weekend in the City, Bloc Party proves their debut gem, Silent Alarm, was no fluke. Weekend brilliantly weaves tales of disconnect, discouragement, boredom, drug use, frustrations in love, racism, and being sentimental between loops of great post-punk melodies. A more mature Bloc Party has emerged with more musical depth and much more lyrical depth.

Though you may have to read many of the lyrics to understand what singer Kele Okereke is saying under his heavy British accent, you won’t be disappointed. Inspired by the plight of his 20-something friends who aren’t rock stars and the deteriorating state of London, Okereke wrote great lyrics. “Hunting for Witches” was motivated by the terrorist attacks in London on July 7, 2005. It opens musically with a feeling of disconnect, and the lyrics follow: “All reasonable thought is being drowned out by the non-stop baying for blood.”

The song with perhaps the biggest chance of becoming a smash hit, “I Still Remember,” curiously is buried in the album at track nine. It’s brilliant, though, because that’s where it fits musically and lyrically. Bloc Party made an album here; they did not make a series of songs. Of course, “I Still Remember” won’t be a hit in this country, except with alternative music fans. But in an age where Nickelback is getting awards for their work in the field of rock music, it’s a crime Bloc Party isn’t on the radar.

Another interesting note about the record is the apparent homosexual content in the lyrics. “I Still Remember” includes the lyrics “we left our trousers by the canal and our fingers they almost touched. You should have asked me for it. How could I say no? … I kept your tie.” Regardless of your sexual preference, however, you’ll enjoy the song.

A Weekend in the City has solidified Bloc Party as one of the best indie bands out there. Luckily there’s no sign of them slowing down. We should hear a lot more of these guys.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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Few people possess the wit of someone like Douglas Adams. Writing satires disguised as science fiction, Adams’ books are loved the world over. Adams also never met a media form he didn’t love, converting Hitchhiker’s to radio, TV, and computer game formats before it made the long trek to the silver screen. These permutations were always different, but they are all beloved by their fans. It was with some controversy that the film was released in 2005.

They all start similarly, with Arthur Dent waking to discover his home is about to be destroyed to make way for a bypass. He doesn’t feel any better when he finds out the Earth is being demolished to make way for a similar bypass, either. The film finds its own way afterwards, though, mixing in a quest to find out the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything; the quest for an actual question when the answer to life, the universe, and everything is unsatisfactory; and a quest for a particular weapon for the loser of the last President of the Universe election.

If you are confused by the previous paragraph, don’t panic. As with all the prior versions, the film is an entity unto itself…parts are dropped, expanded on, and added as needed. If this is your first experience with Adams’ work, you will be entertained. If you have been reading for decades, then there are enough different bits to keep you up guessing.

The cast all steps up to the occasion. Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, and hip-hopper Mos Def all devour their roles. The aliens, created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, are as amazing and imaginative as one would hope. Marvin the Robot is brought to life by Warwick Davis, and Alan Rickman brings a great sense of depression to every scene he is in.

I am reviewing this film from Disney’s recent Blu-ray release. The transfer is a step beyond what was seen on the standard DVD. Grain is apparent often, but it is in line with what one expects from the filmmaking process. Audio is a step up, as well, making the initial musical number a delight.

Have no reservations in regard to the film. It is as enjoyable as Douglas Adams would have hoped, especially if you keep in mind how the story evolves in each medium for which it is adapted.

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3.5 stars
Written 02/05/07

The Shins established themselves as college rock giants with 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow. The highly anticipated follow-up, Wincing the Night Away, is a solid album, but it’s not a masterpiece by any means. Whenever a band releases a masterpiece, which Chutes certainly was, the next record certainly will be held against it, however unfair that may be. It’s human nature.

The Shins’ third album, Wincing offers enough of the soaring melodies and bright and jangly guitar riffs to keep fans of their earlier music happy, but the record in general is much more experimental. In “Sealegs,” the Albuquerque, N.M., band experiments with prog rock of all things. “Red Rabbits” sounds Hawaiian. The vocals are filtered at times. Most of the different music styles work well. The exception is the haunting, yet boring song “Black Wave.”

The lyrics are obtuse for the most part. The album’s first single, “Phantom Limb,” is the highlight of the album melodically, but the lyrics are confusing. It still is the best song on the album. The overall feel the lyrics give can be described as sad and defeatist. “I felt like I could just fly but nothing happened every time I tried.” “There is a numbness in your heart and it’s growing.” The lyrics may resonate with just-out-of-college kids going through quarter-life crises discovering for the first time they may not attain their dreams.

You cannot help but feel enlightened and academic when you listen to The Shins’ music. You can put them on when your mom’s in the car, but they somehow retain a cool edge. So many times bands try to rewrite their masterpieces and fail. The Shins escaped that, and Wincing shows the band is willing to develop and experiment, while maintaining their trademark sound.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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The ’80s were an interesting time. It was a decade stamped indelibly by both Ronald Reagan and MTV. It was a golden age in film for the ribald comedy and the action movie. What other decade could hold so many genre classics by the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Of interest this time is Stallone’s First Blood, directed by Ted Kotcheff and based on the novel by David Morrell. We all know the story by now: John Rambo is haunted by Vietnam and what he was trained to do there during the war. His grasp on the world has been cracking and finally snaps with the treatment he receives from the law enforcement personnel of Hope, Wash.’s, sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy).

Teasle sees Rambo walking into town and realizes there might be a problem, so he promptly escorts him out of town. Rambo only wanted a warm meal, though, so he turns around to find one. Teasle arrests him, his men abuse him, and Rambo slips back into Vietnam mode.

While the sequels diminished the series, this first film has a lot going for it. Its subject of the treatment of Vietnam vets is very relevant. It also touches on things now clichéd such as flashbacks of soldiers’ experiences.

Performances are solid among the leads. Dennehy always plays a good villain, and the part of John Rambo plays to Stallone’s strengths as an underdog. Richard Crenna is also quite good as Rambo’s Vietnam-era commander.

Like most good action movies, First Blood doesn’t wear out its welcome with a smartly paced 97 minutes. I viewed the movie on HD DVD from Studio Canal, and while the source material probably could be better, I was pleased with the extra detail afforded in the transfer. First Blood might one day look better, but for now it’s perfectly acceptable.

Even if you only know First Blood by its reputation, you owe it to yourself to see it. With a new movie, John Rambo, in development, you might as well reacquaint yourself with the best film in the series.

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For the better part of eight years, I worked as a photojournalist. As a free thinker, I have seen internally the problems brought on by profit-driven corporations owning media outlets. The first television station I worked for had really nice equipment — equipment that was really out of place at a station its size. That station was run under a corporate banner, but essentially it was owned by one man. The next station was owned by the Hearst Corporation via their Hearst-Argyle subsidiary. At that station, videotape decks never had their tops screwed down because you never knew when one would break down at an inopportune time. It is from this background I approached Good Night, and Good Luck.

Good Night, and Good Luck tells the story of Edward Murrow’s public battle with Senator Joseph McCarthy’s hunt for communists. Murrow had a forum in his show on CBS, and he used it to do something good in the country. The political points made in the film are rather profound. Murrow’s stand was that Americans should be free to believe what they want, even if it goes against the majority. That’s the sort of thinking this country was built upon but is sorely lacking today.

David Strathairn portrays Murrow as a serious man but one thoughtful as to the repercussions of his actions. He knows he is poking a stick at a hornets nest, but he is more afraid not to. I could feel the knots form in his stomach a few times during the course of the film. Strathairn knocks it out of the park with this performance.

Interestingly, Joseph McCarthy is portrayed by himself from relevant historical footage of the time. I found this method very rewarding, as seeing McCarthy speak his words himself gave them more gravity. With an actor, you might wonder, too, whether they changed what was spoken for dramatic effect. As it stands, the movie has a great debate feel to it — the sort of feel you get when talking to your friends about their positions on issues that you disagree with.

At just over an hour and a half, George Clooney delivers an exceptionally lean film. The brisk pace allows the story to be told without allowing you to grow tired of its message. The black-and-white color palette helps evoke the ’50s setting. I viewed Warner’s HD DVD. The transfer did the film great justice, giving everything a nice level of high definition “pop.”

As we move further into the 21st century, I recommend everyone familiarize him or herself with the Murrow/McCarthy feud. This film is an excellent place to start.

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What is writhaus.com?

Writhaus.com is a site dedicated to covering what post-collegiate people care about. We love movies, television, and music as much as you do. We also struggle with our political identies and what role religion should play in our lives. As time passes, we will present articles on all the above topics.

Who are you to write about such things?

Our staff has more than a decade of journalistic experience in the real world. We’ve covered a lot of things, and in the process, we realized we really enjoy talking with people and finding out what they think about things. Expect us to take our interview subjects’ opinions just as seriously as we take our own.

Why are there mostly only reviews right now?

When the site was started, half of us were unemployed. Unemployment grants one thing above all others: time to work on side projects. We launched a hair earlier than expected, mostly because we had content lying around, and we thought, “Why not go ahead and post it?” As if by magic, after the postings started, one of us found employment and ended up working more than 100 hours in a two-week period. That slowed our momentum. Half of us also are tutoring kids in English Language Arts. That takes a bite out of our free time (although it is incredibly rewarding helping kids read and comprehend better), too. We aren’t making excuses, though. Content of more substance is on the horizon. Have no fear.

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