Halloween Hit: Repo! - Chase The Morning

"It's too late for me"

Repo! The Genetic Opera is one bonkers movie musical. It's certainly not for everybody and it really is a schlocky, though ambitiously so, film. None of the songs really make as much sense out of the context of the story, but the package as a whole is a great choice for this time of year. One of the film's biggest coups was getting Sarah Brightman to take on the role of sightless opera singer Blind Mag. Not everyone involved with the project had an amazing singing voice (ie: Paris Hilton), so Sarah's songs are obviously some of the best. Chase The Morning features some of her beautiful operatic vocals in the hook, surrounded by ambient techno-goth speak-singing. If it sounds weird, that's because it is.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Bigbang - Monster

"I love you, baby I'm not a monster"

I told myself that I wouldn't let this blog be overrun by K-pop, but I just have to post this track because it's become an intense obsession for me over the past few weeks. For those who don't know, Bigbang and pretty much the most successful group in South Korea (and, honestly, they're big around the world). Initially, they sounded and were styled like pretty much every other boy band, but with this most recent album they've really evolved artistically and experimented with many different genres. Monster is the single from the reissued version of the album and, beyond its amazingly cinematic video, it's an absolute stunner. It's amazing how you can get the point of a song with only a couple of lyrics in your native language. The music really tells the story here, along with the gorgeous rapped/sung vocals. The chorus is truly one of the best of the year. I wish we had male acts like this in the States--ones who aren't afraid of being highly stylized and totally embracing avant garde fashion. As wonderful as Gangnam Style is, this is the type of K-pop I would love to see cross over internationally.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Girls Aloud - Something New

"We're the leaders of the pack"

Any pop blogger worth their salt will tell you that Girls Aloud were (are) one of the most explosive, creative and enduring acts in modern pop music. They'll forever be tied to production team Xenomania and luckily have turned again to them for their comeback after several years away. It wasn't until I heard this song that I realized how much I'd missed the group. There really isn't anybody else out their like them. Nobody else could've gotten away with a track so cheesy-weird or meandering in melody and made it sound so good. On first listen, I thought parts of Something New were a little overdone and cringeworthy (I'm talking about you, intro), but then I realized that this track includes everything I've loved about the girls throughout their career. It's ballsy and brash and crammed with ideas, so much so that you've gotta give it a few listens before you realize how wonderfully it all connects.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their greatest hits here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Movie Review: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

To be fair, I’ve been looking forward to this movie for awhile now. I first read the book years ago. I can’t remember if I was still in high school or had just started college, but it doesn’t matter. It’s lingered with me ever since. Then came the news of the casting, and it was literally like they came to my house and asked me who I wanted to see in the film adaptation. Logan Lerman. Emma Watson. Ezra Miller. I can’t think of three young actors that I admire and appreciate more. I’ve followed Lerman since his days in the underrated Jack & Bobby, Watson since (like everyone else) the first Harry Potter installment, and Miller since City Island, though to be honest that was only a few years ago. If the Oscars actually considered “teen” coming-of-age films (they never will), they’d be hard pressed to find better acting in the genre this year.

If Stand By Me is the perfect movie about childhood friendship (and I believe it is), The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is definitely in contention for the perfect movie about post-adolescent friendship. It’s rare to find a film about teens not dedicated to who-is-dating-who these days, and Perks definitely touches some of those familiar tropes, but goes deeper with a darker, more realistic and relatable aesthetic. By the end of the film, I left both devastated and inspired--a bittersweet, complicated jumble that’s all but impossible to find in today’s movies.

If you’re a coming-of-age nut like me, do yourself a favor and seek this movie out. It’s not the most commercial or glossy production in theaters right now, but has incredible heart and a great sense of humor about itself, despite being one of the darker films I’ve seen recently. If nothing else, see it for the actors. They’re incredible. A

QUICK VERDICT: Must Go

Donkeyboy - Silver Moon (Bassflow Remake)

"This must be another fairytale"

Throughout the months, I've shamefully forgotten how much I love the newest Donkeyboy album. It came out so early in the year that it seems like ages ago, but it definitely remains one of the best pop releases of 2012. This track, a remix by one of my favorite producers (production teams?) Bassflow, reignites interest in not only this single, but the album overall. It doesn't change Silver Moon too drastically from what it was originally, but adds enough oomph to make it shine as a more club-ready version. Here's to Bassflow producing the next album!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.