June: A Memoir

Ok kiddies, I'm back after a week's break (however, there's been no rest for the wicked- I've been busy all damn week), and thought I'd kick off with a new feature; 'Month: A Memoir' is a section in whcih I will discuss my faovrite things about the previous month (in case for some reason you just slept straight through the month), and round up what you've missed if you're new to the blog. Enjoy!

Album of the Month: 'Old Crows/ Young Cardinals', Alexisonfire

I really, really like this album. It's a diverse and dynamic showcase of all that Alexisonfire has to offer- raging guitars, poignant lyrics, and of course Dallas Green (who I've previously expressed alot of admiration for).
My main gripes with this album are that I felt this album had less power and less convincing vocals than some their previous albums (particularly Watch Out!), but still- definitely worth a listen.
Alexisonfire have been written off as 'just another screamo bad' in the past- a genre I'm not particularly a fan of- but I feel Alexisonfire are a band with alot of talent, and should be appreciated as such, regardless of whatever stereotypes they do or don't adhere to. Give them a try- seriously, you'll be surprised.

Film of the Month: The HangoverIf you haven't watched this legitimately hilarious comedy yet, believe the hype and go see it- if you don't you'll be missing out. Obviously, comedy is a subjective art- what splits someone's sides will leave another person cold- but if you want to see an outlandish, slightly immature comedy with what seems like genuine camaraderie between the cast and an actual plot (no matter how unbelievable), you should check this film out. Not convinced? Read my full review here.


Book of the Month: 'Nights at the Circus' by Angela CarterI'm quite a slow reader, so I don't have time to keep up with current releases, so I'll just use this as a slot to mention any books I read, regardless of release date. Angela Carter has often been acclaimed for her strange and twisted novels- but, if you're not quite ready to be plunged into Carter's insane world of twisted fairytales, mythical beings, and very kinky sex, a good starting point would be 'Nights at the Circus', which tells the tale of Jack Walser, a jaded journalist who slowly falls in love with 'the toast of Europe's capitals', winged aerialiste Sophie Fevvers. What begins as investigative journalism (trying to uncover whether or not Fevver's alleged wings are fake) soon turns into an adventure across the world to follow the woman he loves. As well as having a beguiling story line with meticulously detailed settings, and an array of quirky characters, Carter's sheer intelligence shines through- barely a page goes by without the appearance of a literary allusion. Her conceits are also brilliant- the contrast between the settings- the opulent Siberian hotel in contrast to the impoverished of Clown Alley- have parallels with Fevvers- a penniless Cockney girl thrust into stardom due to her wings. It all adds up to a grand and thoroughly-imagined novel, reeking of burlesque, and well worth a read.


My Favorite Posts of This Month
A quick recap of my personal highlights of 'At the Sinema' during June.

Green-a-Rama! Particularly fitting with the Alexisonfire review above, my personal favorite article of the month (and the most time-consuming article) is 'Green-a-rama!'- a 3-part guide on how to dress like Dallas Green- singer for Alexisonfire, the genius behind City and Colour, and now a fashion icon. You can also listen to some of his work at the end of the article.

Fanboy's Guide to Upcoming Movies- A little guide I did, detailing some upcoming comic/ cult films that I am looking forward to. I saw 'Transformers 2' on a date the other day, and was a tad disappointed, admittedly- I felt it didn't have as much of a coherent plot as its predecessor, and was less intelligent all round. Ho hum.

5 Pointless But Oh-So-Funny Sites- The title says it all, really- five sites that will kill boredom, and maybe make you laugh. If you liked 'FMyLife', check out 'MyLifeIsAverage'- it's like FML, but for people whose lives are actually ok. But don't look at MLIA beofre FML, otherwise it's just not funny.