REVIEW: Vedette, We Yes You No, Bag of Toys and KB & Carmen Tango!

REVIEW: Vedette, We Yes You No, Bag of Toys and KB & Carmen Tango!

From the laid back surfer to the unnerving experimentalist with a bit of tango thrown in for good measure…

Well, as MySpace is currently letting me on and actually letting the music sites play, I’ll get in some reviews while I can. I suppose when a site like MySpace suddenly ends up with over 134 million friend sites, things can get complicated, and downtimes and other errors are inevitable.

So today’s review is going to be a mishmash of things. It’s time to mellow out a bit with some surfer music but as a counterpoint to that, we’ll also look at some experimental stuff. I think we’ll start with the experimental, just because it’s probably the more difficult to judge.

With experimental, itself an open invitation to do whatever the hell you want (kind of like how ‘Alternative’ has become) you never know what you will get. Likely though, it won’t be something easy listening or danceable. It’s an important outlet though, for in experimental music, you will often see the new trends emerge. I don’t mean that experimental itself will go mainstream or skyrocket in popularity. Rather, it will influence other musicians in other genres and bits and pieces of it will inspire them to try new things—sometimes similar to the experimental roots and sometimes, as Monty Python fans know, ‘something completely different.’

So while I don’t necessarily listen to a lot of experimental, I try to appreciate the efforts these folks make and I definitely applaud them for their effects on the music scene in general.

Vedette is rather like that—not necessarily to my taste but interesting, very experimental and well…kind of unnerving, the more you listen to it. I like their song, An Orange Timepiece, the best, but I’m hard pressed to tell you why. The lyrics are hard to understand (on all the selections) but that isn’t it-and that could simply be the connection or the download. The music is complex, disjointed, moody, creepy, and just plain full of an odd cacophony of competing and blending rhythms and notes and sounds. It doesn’t seem to go anywhere and yet you’re aware of some sort of story being played out all the same. Chessmaniaque is also quite complex and while I felt totally creeped out listening to it, I still found myself listening. It’s almost as if my mind wouldn’t give up trying to find a meaning within the madness. I think I may have found the perfect music to play when reading A Clockwork Orange.

On the other hand, if you want a bit more structure to hang onto, but still stay within the wild and creepy ride of experimental, then give We Yes You No a listen. This group is out of the United Kingdom and consider themselves a blend of experimental, psychedelic and rock—meaning, again, we see an odd mix of sounds, blending and clashing, but on a subtler and much more traditionally controlled level and with pleasant vocals—British accents seem to have an edge sometimes. The lyrics are understandable and don’t make you question your sanity, but rather your philosophy instead, if you are so inclined, as with True False or Just Give it a Task. There is definitely a seventies psychedelic vibe to the music but with a driving rock beat that holds the musical variety and complexity together. Not quite as surrealistic as A Clockwork Orange read, more like The Man Who Fell To Earth (the movie with David Bowie.) Meaning—a bit easier on the nerves. Even so, I’m still not sure whether I Must Destroy is a love song or a cry for psychiatric help. Maybe it’s better if I don’t know. Definitely, it’s a bit of fun trying to figure it all out with this group.

But what if you aren’t into experimental? Or, you gave it a listen and now you’re afraid to leave the house and are pretty sure there’s something scary in the closet and it’s calling your name? Time to chill out with a margarita glass full of acoustic, surf music with just a splash of reggae. That’s Bag of Toys in a metaphorical nutshell. But before you think they are just a pale imitation of ‘you know who,’ cut them a little slack and realize that they have a sense of humor as well, inter-spliced among the drum beats, acoustic guitars and bouncy lyrics. California is such an example-that little, childlike twist near the end of “my state’s better than your state” just makes you smile indulgently. The musicality of Surf Song is just as complex (but still melodious) as the lyrics and the vocal delivery—meaning, all of it is clever, thoughtful, and filled with humor –about what? Surfing, what else? If you live in Northern California, take a look at their site for performance dates near you.

Want something more dramatic, you say? Try checking out KB and Carmen’s Tango site if you’ve got the bandwidth. Yes, they are tango dancers and teachers out of Cleveland, Ohio. Their site is filled with images of tango, slideshows and at least one YouTube video at last check—of them doing the tango, of course. The video isn’t optimum, but it does show the often deceptive yet intricate moves of the tango—beautiful to watch when done well. So if you just can’t get enough tango in your life, or just want to watch some cool dance for a few minutes, promenade your way over and give them a look—and if you're local to Cleveland, take a look at KB’s blog. Apparently, they give a free Holiday dance performance/show every year as well. Might be a fun adventure if you haven’t watched a dance performance before—or just fun in general if you have.

KB and Carmen Tango is at www.myspace.com/kbandcarmentango
Bag of Toys is at www.myspace.com/bagoftoysmusic
We Yes You No is at www.myspace.com/weyesyouno
Vedette is at www.myspace.com/vedettemusic

Take a look. Some you may like, some you may not, but it should definitely be an interesting experience and isn’t that what makes life fun?

Next week, a special review—an interview with CJ Tyson about dance/culture/lifestyle/fashion “new kid on the block” magazine, Movmnt.

This article may be copied in whole or in part, as long as fair use rules are observed, no parts are modified from the original and credit is given when quoted or reposted.

CG Anderson is a 10 year new media provocateur involved in media, art, technology and the online world. Also a writer, blogger and novelist. CG's comments are personal and opinionated and solely the responsibility of the author, so there. Don't like the opinions, disagree, agree, don't know? Great, make a comment—clean ones will be allowed, netiquette-challenged ones will be ignored!
MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/ahablogoliciousHelp me reach 1 million friends. Add yourself as my friend today and get your friends to do the same! Thank you so much! Together we can bring great artists to a wider audience!
Blog site: http://ahablogolicious.blogspot.com/
URL: http://home.myuw.net/cganders/

Christmas Carol: The Cat Owner's Christmas Carol

A good friend of mine has graciously agreed to let me post her wonderful, often hilarious and typically cat-oriented Christmas Carols. (She's a cat person, so cats often are the source of her humor and writing.)

I will be posting her carols now through December--there are several of them. Please do not copy or use her stuff without permission. And she would love to hear any feedback about her carols. (You can send any feedback to me, if you don't have Blogger permissions to comment this blog, at cganders1@yahoo.com.)

Here's the next one!
Enjoy!


The Cat Owner’s Christmas Carol
(to “The 12 Days of Christmas”)

On the day before Christmas, I found waiting for me…
Twelve candy-canes scattered,
Eleven presents opened,
Ten cookies nibbled,
Nine glass balls bouncing,
Eight knick-knacks shattered,
Seven light-strings dragging,
Six spills awaiting,
*** Five shredded gifts, ***
Four broken cups,
Three chewed cards,
Two lost tags,
And a kitten climbing in the Christmas tree.

Rachelle Coe

Christmas Carol: The Kitten's Christmas

A good friend of mine has graciously agreed to let me post her wonderful, often hilarious and typically cat-oriented Christmas Carols. (She's a cat person, so cats often are the source of her humor and writing.)

I will be posting her carols now through December--there are several of them.

Please do not copy or use her stuff without permission. And she would love to hear any feedback about her carols. (You can send any feedback to me, if you don't have Blogger permissions to comment this blog, at cganders1@yahoo.com.)

Enjoy!

The Kitten’s Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all were asleep,
when the closet eased open and out kitten leaped.
There she stopped and she stared with her eyes open wide,
at the changes that happened while she was inside.

For a tree stood there now, all surrounded with toys
Hung with garland and tinsel—such kittenish joys.
There were stockings with bells, and balls hung from string,
ribbons and wrapping, such wonderous things.

So she raced to the tree, standing tall by the stair,
with the lights and the ornaments all hanging there.
She paused and she gazed at glass balls shining brightly,
she reached out and touched one (but, really, quite lightly).

Then, quick, up the tree, to the star at the top,
but once she had got there she just couldn’t stop.
She dashed through the tree (which no more did stand straight),
sent the ornaments flying--and some fell to break.

But just as she aimed and got ready to leap,
she heard a strange sound… something dropped in a heap.
There he stood by the fire, a little old man,
and he smiled at the kitten and then waved his hand.

The tree stood back upright, with garlands re-hung,
and those fast swinging ornaments stilled where they swung.
Then he stepped to the side and she saw something more.
For there! Right beside! ...was a bag on the floor!

She ran, quick, down the tree and she leaped ‘cross the room,
to hide there all quiet and small in the gloom.
And then as he turned once again to the tree,
she dashed to the bag and no more could be seen.

And as glass balls were rescued--which had tumbled down
the bag twitched and it tumbled, and rolled all around.
Then he turned to his bag, and he started to laugh,
as he righted the bag and he folded it back.

For there in his bag, tangled all ‘round with ribbon,
as she played with the gifts, was that small happy kitten.
He picked her up gently, set her down on a chair,
reached again to his bag--now safe, by the stair.

And from it he pulled, catnip balls and stuffed mice,
bright feathers, some cat-treats, and other things nice.
And then, just as fast as he first had appeared,
he stepped to the chimney, and just... disappeared.

So at last when the family came down on that morn,
what they saw were the presents--with wrapping untorn.
The stockings still hung and the tinsel shone bright,
with never a sign of what happened that night.

And the kitten just purred, and she never did tell,
That ‘twas Santa who’d saved the tree... just as it fell.
Now each Christmas Eve, she sits still in the night,
and looks at the Christmas tree, shining with lights.

She stays up and she waits, she knows Santa will come,
for it’s her home these days, that is last on his run.
And each Christmas Eve with old Santa she plays,
til at last he must leave, at the first light of day.

Then he leaps in his sleigh, and rides off out of sight,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Rachelle Coe

REVIEW: The Evergreen Effect, The Cheat and Perceptions. Maybe it’s time we all stopped worshipping meanness.

REVIEW: The Evergreen Effect, The Cheat and Perceptions. Maybe it’s time we all stopped worshipping meanness.

Two great bands and one wonderful short film and my personal experiences which lead me to the question: Don’t you ever get tired of paying attention to the Negative-Pushers?

I’ve been accused of doing a thinly disguised promo for a short film I mentioned in the last review. The person writing this untrue statement made it clear that they were an expert and absolutely positive of their facts. Must be nice to be sure you're always right. (If you can’t tell, I’m being very sarcastic. I've never had the luxury of being sure of myself, and I doubt that the person censuring me really feels that way either. That person was simply basing their criticism on, in my opinion, a more common tendency these days to rush to judgement of others and assume the worst. Mainly, it just got me to thinking about the whole situation.) The fact is that no, I don’t do thinly disguised promos, as this person was so certain of…unless you consider even TALKING about another’s work as a promo. Heaven forbid that we talk about the work of others and how we like it. Obviously, we are in someone’s pocket if we say something nice about someone else. (Yes, more sarcasm for the sarcastic-impaired.)

One of their criticisms (and why they were so sure it was an obvious promo) was the fact that I only did a general take on the site, just a few “vague” lines about it being pretty cool and worth a look. I didn’t write about it at length, tell them the plot, talk about its merits and demerits—in other words, do a full critical critique. One or two lines didn’t make it a review but a shameless promo, at least in their book. They were assuming that the whole review article would be about this movie, and apparently didn’t bother to read anything else—or even check out the site in question (or they would have known, as I’d already said, that I hadn’t seen the movie. They didn’t actually read what I said apparently that closely either.) I do often do short acknowledgments of other works. I don’t always do long, detailed reviews –especially if there isn’t a lot to work with. But does that mean that it’s just thinly disguised promotion—i.e. something bad since THAT really was this person’s intent?

It got me to thinking about how people now perceive that just saying something positive with a pointer to help someone out is considered “bad,” while tearing someone apart with criticism, even to the point these days of cruel attacks, is considered acceptable or even “good.”

Is my stand against doing negative reviews considered “bad?” It seems I get more people telling me (and flaming me) saying that…… than I get people telling me that they want to read more positive pointers and quick reviews. Does it somehow lack credibility if you don’t tear people apart to show that you were really doing an honest critique? What exactly is an honest critique? How honest are those guys on TV or the magazines/newspapers? They’re trying to sell newspapers and get ratings. Which sells more? Being controversial and mean, or being positive and supportive? Which does the public respond to more—and why therefore, would anyone, knowning that, ever consider what they are saying an “honest” critique?

Critique at its base is opinion and nothing more. The only honest critique you can really give is to give your honest opinion—and not expect much of anything in return, though even then, you expect something, else you wouldn’t be bothering with the workload of listening to hundreds of bands via their pages and looking at hundreds of sites over the course of a month (my average is about 30-60 a week—bands, artists, sites all mixed up together.)

(Another reason it’s so frustrating to me that my MySpace ability to send messages or make friend requests is still broken—there are so many bands and groups and people out there that I’d like to send a message to or request as a friend. And I can’t…I can only hope that they find me. The wonders and perils of technology, I guess. It let’s me find you but doesn’t let me talk to you.)

I’ve always tried to emphasize that it’s just my opinion and nothing more when you get down to brass tacks. You need to be true to yourself and not let me or anyone else tell you what to think or what to like.

Yet why do so many (and I do mean MANY) persist in listening only to the negative, while ignoring all the positive messages? I do the same thing. I get much more upset than I should at a negative message—even when I received twenty positive ones. Down deep, I know it shouldn’t get to me. I know I should ignore it. I know that not everyone will like what I have to say and I know that some people just like to tear others down to make themselves feel better, more superior—and that this is just self-delusion since it only proves how little they are when they need to belittle others. Yet, I still get upset and focus on the negative. Why?

It’s sad and maddening that this is the world we now find ourselves living in—a world where the negative comments we hear around us are the ones we pay attention to, so much so that we are afraid of saying something against the negativity. We have created a culture where being mean and negative is worshipped rather than condemned. Look at how negative political campaigns have become. I was watching the results in my own state and the press was interviewing the loser in a race. He was saying how “at least he ran a clean, positive campaign about the issues” and other such rot. I saw his commercials. He was slinging mud and innuendo and even arrogant, ugly Americanisms in every one. Does he really believe that he ran a clean, positive issue driven campaign? Is that how skewed his perspectives have become that that is what he thinks of as clean? Or positive?

Or is he so arrogant that he thinks that the public will buy it as clean and positive?

Maybe he’s right. Perhaps too many people are buying that kind of unabashed, base, vile self-serving promotion as the “norm” and “natural” way now. Look at how often we trash people that are nice and glorify even worship people who are saying and acting like horrible scum. Look at the incredibly mean-spirited things that American Idol Judge Simon Cowell says (and no, he doesn’t always say horrible cruel things, but he certainly doesn’t try to think about others feelings either.) What happened when the show premiered? Lots of people hated him but look how many suddenly LOVED him and WORSHIPPED him and wanted to have him as their boyfriend. They justified their and his actions by saying that he was just being truthful, and he was telling it like it was.

No, he wasn’t. He was being cruel and vindictive and whether he’s really like that in real life or not doesn’t matter—he does it to get attention and expects (knows) that people will listen to the negative, foul-spewing commentators over the ones that try to be intelligent and thoughtful and kind. He knows it sells and people will listen to him if he says nasty things about others. Howard Stern knows that, too—he doesn’t just say four-letter words and spew hate to cause shock, he also spews cruelty. (And then he tries to say “but I’m really a nice person in real life…that’s my public persona.” I say “tough,” this is your real personality. This is what you show us. It must come from somewhere real within you or you wouldn’t be able to show this public side so easily or so convincingly. You like debasing people to make yourself feel better.) People like that know it will get them attention and that it really is them inside, else they wouldn’t do it. Else, they wouldn’t be able to hurt other people, other careers, other’s hopes like that. It sells and foolishly we watch and give them the ratings and the attention they crave. (Then again, me trashing them is doing the same thing, isn't it? I'm making assumptions about who they are by what they say--that's a given, we all do that, but even so, I shouldn't trash them just because they trash others. It just breeds more of the same. sigh. You just can't win, can you? Either way I go on this, I lose.)

The network knows it, too, and probably encourages it. Every other network tries to copy it—look at all the mean spirited shows on television now and in the movies. They are there because we put up with them, just as we put up with mudslinging, selfish, corrupt politicians. We created this monster.

So, no, I don’t do thinly disguised promos—implying that I’m trying to pull something off on the public. I see a group or a person and I like their work. I publish that. My agenda is that I want them noticed, just as I hope people will notice me—and not because I’m being cruel or mean-spirited. Not because my self-esteem is so low that I need to hurt and condemn others so that everyone will think I’m superior.

I’ve met way too many people like that—not just in the arts but in every walk of life, especially in tech positions and especially on the Internet. Politicians and Media still reign supreme as the place where the most insecure and afraid (and therefore willing to do anything to be seen as superior) still reside, but it's always the same across the board with these types.

They tend to be arrogant and come off as know-it-alls and they also tend to put down other people at every opportunity, laughing and acting like they are being funny by being condescending and mean. Then they will look at you, looking at them aghast, and claim that you are the freak, if you “take it too seriously” or “c’mon, it’s just a joke…don’t make any big issue of it.” Or “where’s your sense of humor…everybody does it.”

Maybe that’s the problem—too many people have bought into that and join in now. I don’t want a world where everybody does it. I also don’t want a world where the people that disagree with these lowlife losers are too afraid to speak up and tell them to shut up. They’re afraid because they think that “everybody does it” and that they’ll be the one to be attacked next because they just “take it too seriously.” It’s too easy to attack other people, either in the comfort of anonymous cyberspace or in your office or even your home. Do you have supportive friends and family and coworkers? Or have you chosen to surround yourself with leaches and losers and hatemongers?

My biggest wish is that people start speaking up against this type of behavior and tell these negative-pushers to be quiet—that their “bullying, I’m superior” tactics aren’t going to work anymore. I wish it for cyberspace and I wish it for real life. I want people to seek out and find new things and people to talk positively about—and not just people on PBS! I want people to be Reviewers rather than Critics (as in criticizers, thinking that’s what Critics do…the best don’t criticize, at least not destructively, they review and make you think. But do they get attention these days? Perhaps not.)

For all of you out there that agree with me, that you want there to be less bullying and negative tactics and flaming, please try to be brave and stand up and start talking. I know it’s scary and tough to put yourself out there—but I’m hoping and believing that there are more of us out there than them—speaking up and out is the only way to fight these people. They’re bullies, plain and simple. If we don’t want being a bully to become the norm forever, as it’s been gradually becoming, then we have to start shouting back. Shouting to the bullies and the bully-promoters. Telling them, that we don’t want them spewing their hate messages around us anymore, nor on the television, nor on film, nor in politics (as much as that’s possible…but it used be the case…or at least in better check than it is today.)

So think about that when you read about the groups and people that I write about. Think about how brave they are for putting themselves and their work out there, knowing that there are too TOO many bullies out here just waiting to say nasty things about them and try to tear down any inner confidence they have. Are you countering that negativity at all? Are you sending out positive messages to them and to me or even to your friends? What kind of message are you sending out? And I don’t care what your profession is or whether you think it matters what you think. I care about what you think. So do others. You don’t have to be an artist or a musician or a publisher or an agent or a record company. You don’t have to be a Network BigWig or a Politician. You don’t have to be an Internet God or even an Internet Troll. Your age doesn’t matter, nor does your skin color, nor your sex, nor your ethnic background, nor your income—you and just you matter, what and who you are inside. What you THINK and FEEL matters here—nothing else. Stop letting others try to change that—make you feel bad about yourself or tell you how you should look, be, think and what should you like, hate and do. Or are YOU the one trying to make others feel bad about themselves? Even unconsciously?

What you SAY matters. Your message matters and affects so many other people, including people you will never meet. You can hurt or you can help—that choice is always up to you, just as how you choose to react when someone tries to hurt you is also up to you, as well.

So what kind of message are you sending? What kind of effect are you having on the world? And what are you going to do about it?

Which brings me to some stand-up artists that do risk censure by putting themselves out there. This first group even emailed me and asked me to come to their show. They deprecated their message by symbolically shrugging and calling it a little “shameless self-promotion.” I responded positively. It wasn’t arrogant, it wasn’t condescending. They weren’t demanding that I see them or saying that they would deign to let me interview them. (I rarely do interviews by the way. It takes a special case for me to do that.) They simply recognized that they needed to self promote themselves and were asking if I would look them over.

They were taking a huge risk. What if I were one of those types that likes to tear people apart as a way to show that I’m a worthy critic? Luckily, I’m not. If I don’t like a group, I simply assume that the group is not to my taste. I don’t assume that they are bad and as a result I don’t write about them. That’s what I mean about not doing negative reviews. If I do write about you, then I like you. More than that, it means I heard or saw something in you that touched me, sometimes compelled me, to write about you and your work.

In The Evergreen Effect’s case, I had no qualms about reviewing them. Unfortunately, I missed their recent show this past weekend at Pyramid Brewery (Seattle, WA, USA) but I do mean “unfortunately.” The weather here has been unnerving and I was just too tired to fight my way through the hydroplaning and the winds to get there. (I’ve slid off an embankment before in bad weather, so my paranoia tends to be a bit high in bad weather. And so no, I’m not that brave in bad weather, especially when you add city traffic, crazy drivers who don’t know enough to be cautious and blacker than black night on top of it.)

So I missed the show and I do admit I have a soft spot for local area bands, the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast & Western Territories (since I include Canada always in the West coast!) There is a lot of raw talent up here among the evergreens! So I regret that I missed my chance to see them this time round, especially since there are so many bands that aren’t local that I would dearly love to see in person but know how unlikely it will be. Still, if you’re local, they have other gigs coming up as well. Hopefully, the weather won’t scare you as much as it does me!

Happily, they have four tracks on their MySpace site, four fun tracks, I might add. I’m not exactly sure how to classify them. They list themselves as acoustic, funk and rock. I’d almost put them into the folk rock category, myself, but in a totally positive way, yet at other times, I can hear traces of funk and definite rock vibes throughout their music. The lyrics are simple yet honest and sometimes hint at deeper emotional and human relationship depths. The musicality is right on target and blends perfectly with the lyrics and Chase’s wonderful tonality and rawness (at times.) He has a great voice, and knows how to use it to best effect—and he knows how to feel the music and deliver the lyrics in an honest, compelling manner. The emotional impact is there but always with a bit of humor and lightness—fun, if you will—to the overall effect, especially in the lyrics. It’s an acoustic sound but yet, it also seems to feel like a rock band, full of the power and demanding beats that you’d expect to find in a bigger, louder orchestration.

My favorites of the four offerings was Young and Stupid. I loved the playful lyrics and was totally taken by surprise by the mid-song twist, followed by a building power that completely enraptures you and holds you until the finish. The introspective yet powerful Cold Flame and the almost folk-like On the Right Track were close seconds. This group says one of its influences was Creedence Clearwater, one of my all time favorite bands. I can feel it in them. They do have a vintage rock feel but with a driving energy and enthusiasm that feels very young and upbeat. I think they are a band to watch and some intrepid label should sign them up fast before the bigger players discover them.

Yet down in LA, The Cheat has already been discovered by many and has an Indie label to prove it. This alternative/rock band may give Panic at the Disco some competition to worry about. The lyrics are disturbingly funny and eerie. They make you think and look over your shoulder at the same time. The lead vocals are powerful and strong, compelling and demanding. You have to listen. The musicality is complex and almost overwhelming at times. There is depth upon depth and layer hidden behind layer. Questions are asked and probed within the lyrics and within the composition with a juxtaposition between singer and song, beat and counter beat. Their range is impressive as are the many flavors of the vocals. In most cases, the harmonies are just that, harmonies. Only in the biting social commentary-focused Sooner or Later did those harmonies have a truly uncomfortable jarring feeling—perhaps that was intentional, especially since even with that, I loved Sooner or Later, but it was hard to pick a favorite given the three choices. The chaotic, cheeky, mocking Diet Coke at the Gap and the heart-wrenching vocals and lyrics of Not So Bad were just as compelling, each with its own distinctive features yet still fitting together perfectly as a compilation should. No Cheat here—well, worth a visit and a listen.

Finally, a quick nod to another movie and with the risk of me being told I’m doing a thinly veiled promotion once more. Perceptions is a film out of Canada that I have seen., I think. I’ve seen the short version posted on the film’s myspace site--which may be the entire film, I'm not sure--it seems complete. So I'm going to assume that it is the entire film--a short film up on their site. It’s dance oriented, which I like. I like dance movies—from The Company to Center Stage to Step Up and even High School Musical. So in this case, I just give the film’s particulars—shamelessly copied from their site.

Synopsis: A woman is thrust into an alternative reality during a drug induced high where she is dancing in a world of her own. The woman’s perceptions are shaken as her two realities collide. As the intensity heightens and her confusion escalates, she is forced to choose between her two loves.
Written, Directed & Produced by Karen Nielsen
Starring Heather Dotto, Joel Sturrock, Stephen Agisilaou
Choreographer Josh Beamish (Move: The Company)
Director of Photography Tony Mirza
Editor Jim Norman
Original Music 'Steel to Sky' Kubilay Uner

Vote for Perceptions (Audience Choice Award) Now by emailing vote@cinematiccd.com with the subject Perceptions (and nothing else) or visit http://www.cinematiccd.com/voteperceptions/ to vote! (Before November 26 to count!)

There, how’s that for shameless promotion, just not self-promotion, since I don’t have anything to do with the movie? If you want to see the 5 minute short and have the bandwidth to view films over the Internet, then you can go to their myspace site. In all honesty, the film is a beautiful piece of work (and short enough so it is possible to view it as a download.) The evocative, fluid, sometimes disturbing contemporary dance sequence is the counterpoint to the harsh reality of a young woman’s ugly and ultimately tragic drug overdose. The music is haunting and evocative as well—images of opium dens dance in your head even as the lithe bodies of the dancers pay homage to a torn young woman’s confused perspectives and heartbreaking choices.

Worth seeing—even if I do get accused again of a thinly disguised promotion because of my liking it.

The Evergreen Effect can be found at http://www.myspace.com/laddehlinger and http://www.evergreeneffect.com/

The Cheat can be found at www.myspace.com/thecheatband

Perceptions, (The Movie) can be found at www.myspace.com/perceptionsthemovie

Check them out. If you liked the review, you’ll probably love the bands or movie. If you hated the review, then who knows, maybe you still will anyway. Point being—check them out and make up your own mind.

This article may be copied in whole or in part, as long as fair use rules are observed, no parts are modified from the original and credit is given when quoted or reposted.

CG Anderson is a 10 year new media provocateur involved in media, art, technology and the online world. Also a writer, blogger and novelist. CG's comments are personal and opinionated and solely the responsibility of the author, so there. Don't like the opinions, disagree, agree, don't know? Great, make a comment—clean ones will be allowed, netiquette-challenged ones will be ignored!

MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/ahablogoliciousHelp me reach 1 million friends. Add yourself as my friend today and get your friends to do the same! Thank you so much! Together we can bring great artists to a wider audience!
Blog site: http://ahablogolicious.blogspot.com/
URL: http://home.myuw.net/cganders/

REVIEW: Flatland, Joe Meek, FEFF, Three Second Delay and Young Sham.

REVIEW: Flatland, Joe Meek, FEFF, Three Second Delay and Young Sham.

Innovators who bring us new perspectives, new movies, a blend of music whether it be rock and metal, or rap and lyrical, but all bring passion, purpose and good entertainment.

Innovation is always a catch-22. Yes, you want it, but how do you get it without just imitating what has gone before and looking tired or cheesy? True innovation, in my opinion, comes about naturally. If you are passionate about what you do and passionate about life, you naturally find yourself drawn to new experiences and creative endeavors. Curiosity may be the true hallmark of innovation, whether it’s in the scientific fields or the artistic ones. It isn’t imitation. It isn’t just doing something to evoke a reaction (good or bad.) You know that last type, those who do and say things just for shock value—it’s tired and worn and no one really remembers them beyond that initial surprise. No, innovation comes from a deep desire to create something new and special—to create something uniquely you with your voice and your thoughts and expressing your needs and views. If you’re lucky, it will resonate with the rest of us as well.

So here’s some innovators whose curiosity, intensity and passion come clearly through the noise—at least to me they do.

Young Sham: He’s a hip hop rapper with a wonderfully light style and fun sense of timing, samples and beats. He has a smooth, easy voice that makes for an equally smooth delivery in the more lyrical hip hop tunes like the more romantically inclined Anytime. His more rap endeavors include interesting samples and beats, all mixed up with a flair for entertainment. The only downside I personally felt was that I often couldn’t understand the words, they were too often on my player being drowned out by the music. I certainly sensed that there were deeper issues involved with the lyrics, as is something I personally favor with street poetry, that need for social change and social expression, but because I couldn’t necessarily understand all the words, I feel like I might have missed some of the subtler points of the artist’s efforts. Still, Hula Hoop is a bouncy tune full of life and vigor, Anytime is a lyrical gift to romance, Hear It Comin hints at something deeper and more philosophical and GUnit Freestyle is raw, forceful rap in the traditional style but with unexpected samples giving it a slightly unexpected musicality.

FEFF is a metal/rock band out of New York City. (See, I told you I’d get to some metal bands!) Powerful chords and drums abound in this metal upon metal band, but as aggressive and forceful as the music is (and should be with metal) the lyrics are clear, concise and purposeful. The musicality is professional and demonstrates virtuosity and obvious talented skill. Return to Grey could easily become the anthem of a new generation, or even an older generation. Its message is as applicable today as it would have been in the sixties, seventies and in every decade, for that matter. My only regret is that MySpace suddenly freaked on me, as has been happening on the network to many of us, and the music stopped working. Still, it’s saying something when it only took one song to sell me on this band—and that the band was a metal band on top of that. These guys are definitely in the mix.

Joe Meek Movie: The site includes a teaser of the new indie movie about sixties record producer Joe Meek, whose life and death was full of controversy, conspiracy, violence and ultimately dramatic innovation. The movie is a feature length documentary about the life and career of Britain’s first independent record producer. If you’re a musician or a music lover, then part of the reason you have the music you love today is because of innovators like Joe Meek and the talents, the HUGE legends in fact, that he helped on the road to fame before his own strange death. Take a peek at the teaser on the site and if you get a chance, go and watch the movie when it gets released.

Three Second Delay is destined for more than three seconds of fame, I think. Haunting, moody, powerful, lyrical and compelling—from the first strangled, straining electrified note, this group commands you to stop and take notice. Most of all, they pull you in to their world, never releasing you until the last note has drifted slowly away. The vocals are deep, mesmerizing and emotionally draining while the rock roots of the music are evident and strong yet eerily fascinating. Each complements the other in tonality, emotional expression, technique and innovation. Disappear is my favorite with its fascinating and unnerving opening and Leony Paredes’ deeply evocative vocals, but I liked all the offerings from this group. Someone sign them quick before the big labels discover them and change them into just another rock band.

Flatland: A 3D animated feature-length adaptation of the scifi novel by Edwin Abbot. If you understand the reference to Flatland, then imagine it as a movie. Hard to imagine? Yes, kind of mindblowing. Still, someone out there is finally giving it a whirl. Intrigued? Go see the trailer on his site. “Oh, it’s just a little war…” When the three dimensional and the two dimensional meet—pretty cool.

Flatland can be found at www.myspace.com/laddehlinger
Three Second Delay can be found at www.myspace.com/3secdelay
Joe Meek Movie can be found at www.myspace.com/meekmovie
FEFF can be found at www.myspace.com/feffband
Young Sham can be found at www.myspace.com/youngsham

Check them out. They deserve some attention.

This article may be copied in whole or in part, as long as fair use rules are observed, no parts are modified from the original and credit is given when quoted or reposted.

CG Anderson is a 10 year new media provocateur involved in media, art, technology and the online world. Also a writer, blogger and novelist. CG's comments are personal and opinionated and solely the responsibility of the author, so there. Don't like the opinions, disagree, agree, don't know? Great, make a comment—clean ones will be allowed, netiquette-challenged ones will be ignored!

MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/ahablogolicious Help me reach 1 million friends. Add yourself as my friend today and get your friends to do the same! Thank you so much! Together we can bring great artists to a wider audience!
Blog site: http://ahablogolicious.blogspot.com/
URL: http://home.myuw.net/cganders/