The Bands of Scott Pilgirm

As I'm sure many of you are aware, Pilgrimania is sweeping the nation (as I predicted), the latest manifestation of which is the star-studded soundtrack. The films will feature three main fictional bands, and obviously required three real bands to provide the tuneage. Meet these bands below:

1. BECK

A.K.A: Sex Bob-Omb
Where the Name Came From: Super Mario games, obviously. If you don't know what a Bob-omb is, you should probably gtfo.
The Real Band: Beck Hansen is an indie rock singer-songwriter, famed for his eclectic sound and the multitudinous instruments he can play. His unusual style has been compared to both Bob Dylan and Prince, which doesn't actually tell you a whole bunch about his sound, so you should probably just go listen to him.
The Fictional Band: Sex Bob-Omb is comprised of Scott Pilgrim on bass, Kim Pine on drums and Stephen Stills ('the talent') on vocals and guitar. In the books, rarely do their concerts go to plan, as they are often interrupted by epic death matches between Scott and Ramona's evil exes. If the film doesn't feature the gig they do in fancy dress, I'll be severely disappointed.

2. METRIC

A.K.A: The Clash at Demonhead
Where the Name Came From: A NES game of the same name
The Real Band: Indie rock darlings Metric have been pumping out solidly alright music since the late 90's. 'Live It Out' is a terrific album, but I wasn't personally smitten by 'Fantasies'. Oh, and the song they did for the Twilight soundtrack was the worst.
The Fictional Band: The Clash at the Demonhead are the most famous/ successful band, made up of Envy Adams (Scott's ex who by all accounts is a massive bitch) Todd Ingram (Envy's paramour, who has super vegan powers) and Lynette Guycott (who plays drums and has a bionic arm which can punch the highlights out of people's hair).

3. BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE

A.K.A: Crash and the Boys
Where the Name Came From: The video game 'Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge'
The Real Band: Broken Social Scene are a loose musical co-operative hailing from Toronto. Much like Metric, they formed in the late 90's and have a strong indie-rock vibe. Emily Haines (of Metric) is also a member of BSS, as well as other well-known names such as Feist, Sebastian Grainger (of DFA 1979) and Amy Millan (of Stars). They are also the masterminds behind 'Forgiveness Rock Record', one of my favourite albums of this year.
The Fictional Band: These dudes don't play instruments, they can manipulate soundwaves with their minds. After a bit of a mutiny, they change their name to 'The Boys and Crash'.

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City of Abacus

Did you do much on Thursday night? About 1,000 kids in Shoreditch definitely did- they attended the launch party for 'The City of Abacus', a new graphic novel that's set to take the world by storm.
Following in the footsteps of musician-turned-graphic-novelist Gerard Way, VV Brown is trying her hand at the medium- and with the help of writer David Allain and super-talented artist Emma Price, it seems she's not done too badly for herself.
Here's the lowdown- The City of Abacus is, in short, a dystopian landscape, where the nation's minds are wiped on a weekly basis by the evil Queen Virusos. But, to understand how this came to pass, Brown and co. take us back 25 years, charting Virusos' rise to royalty from just a lowly housemaid.
But what will really set this book apart is the fact that each edition is accompanied by a musical track, to provide an aural background to the action in each comic. This soundtrack will then be officially released as an album when each of the separate issues has been published, tying in with the release of the graphic novel.
If you want to find out more, there's an exhibtion runnng at The Book Club in Shoreditch, East London from May 7th - May 29th. Otherwise, check out the links below:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

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Eileen's 'Could-Go-Either-Way' Upcoming Film Pick: Kick-Ass

It's time for the second ever Eileen's 'Could-Go-Either-Way' Upcoming Film Pick! For those of you who didn't catch the last installment, here's the short and skinny:

'Could Go Either Way': (adjective):
1. A term used to described an object, situation or idea with an indefinite outcome; that is to say, the reception and consequences of such an object, situation or idea, could be really awesome or remarkably shitty.

And I've got a corker for you this week.
Might I present:

Kick-Ass



What the Hell is it, and why Should I Care?
Kick-Ass is set be the comic-book based vigilante movie of 2010. Our young hero, Dave Livewski, takes fanboy-dom to all new levels of craziness by deciding to become a 'superhero' -of course, although he's referred to as 'superhero' in the trailer, I use the term reluctantly, as the dude as no actual superpowers or superhuman capabilities. In fact, he has no real experience or training as a vigilante. Therein lies the fun.

Hell Yes:
1. What makes this film different is it tries to add cheap, teen laughs to the mix- for example, when Dave (a.k.a Kick-Ass) turns up to school covers in bruises, people assume he's a gay prostitute. Crude infantile humour AND superhero goodness straight from the pages of a graphic novel? I'm in Heaven!
2. The support cast includes Clark Duke and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. That's pretty much my fantasy geek sandwich right there.
3. The visuals in the trailer have a sharp, colourful slant on NYC, that screams 'Spiderman'- you really can't fault them.

Hell No:
1. Didn't we already try this mix with 'Superhero Movie'? Please, please don't put me through that again.
2. Will any superhero really come close to 'Watchmen'? I honestly don't think so.
3. The trailer featured Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' 'Bad Reputation'- an awesome track, but the most generic and overused 'Kick-Ass Chick' theme tune of all time. Why not The Donnas, or Pat Benetar?

So, which will it be: blockbuster or bollocks? Only time will tell...

MP3: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- Bad Reputation

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Autumn At the Sinema

It's Autumn- the season for trampling through fallen leaves, starting to wrap up warm, and potentially considering starting the dreaded Christmas shopping. But in my world, it means a few different things:

1. I Will Unaccountably Start Listening to Every AvenueI can't help it- as soon as the leaves start falling, my favorite wemo-pop band start calling. I actually went as far as deleting them off my iPod last spring, but I caved and put 'em straight back on about a week ago. There's something so autumnal about it. Have a listen, and see for yourselves:


2. Fingerless GlovesEvery fashionable person seems to hate them, but I just can't get enough. Particularly those fingerless gloves that have detachable mittens- I have three pairs. Plus, they keep my hands snuggly too.

3. Chai TeaOoh, I love a good cuppa, and Chai is no exception. However, please don't buy your Chai from Starbucks- want you're after is a subtle blend of spices, and what you get from Starbucks is a mouthful of cinnamon. My favorite is Drink Me Chai, which you can get here.

4. Long, Hot BathsNothing warms up after a long day in the freezing cold better than a nice, long bath. I'm also very partial to Body Shop bath stuff- it always leaves my skin feeling soft, and smelling lovely. I also love Lush Bath Bombs (above), but some of them do smell a little peculiar.

5. Graphic NovelsNot graphic in the way you're thinking, sicko. But seriously- graphic novels are my ultimate autumnal weakness. Next three on my reading list: Blankets by Craig Thompson, Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories by Gilbert Hernandez and Wonton Soup by James Stokoe.

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Bytes From Cyberspace: The Superhero Edition

I don't really know whether or not it's come to your attention yet, but I'm a bit of a comic book geek. I'm not world's most hardcore fangirl, but I am partial to a good illustrated tale once in a while. So, it makes me giddy with joy to introduce: Bytes from Cyberspace- The Superhero Edition!

1. Strange TalesIt's less than a month until the release of Strange Tales, a new series from Marvel featuring all of your favorite Marvel characters as you've never seem them before. Compiled by some of the finest indie and alternative graphic novelists, including Paul Pope, Peter Bagge and Dash Shaw. Some have referred to it as 'apex of human artistic achievement'- admittedly, that's a quote from the editor, John Barber, but it looks awesome nonetheless.

2. The T-Shirts That'll Bring Me One Step Closer to Rorschach
If you've read/watched Watchmen, you might understand why I want Rorschach. Admittedly, he's a fictional character whose unhinged personality and unwavering sense of right and wrong ultimately land him in the crapper, but there's something about him. Although he's described as 'fantastically ugly', under that thermal mask, he could be anyone- and that's kind of cool.
Step in American Apparel's new Thermocromatic T-shirts. Although Rorschach's mask is supposedly the product of trapping a viscous, heat-sensing sensing between two thin layers of material, thermochromatic T-shirts will just have to do for now. So, go buy one, put it over your face and fulfill my every fantasy.
Disclaimer: If you approach my with a T-shirt on your head for real, I fully maintain my rights to smack you in the kisser.

3. Andre Jordan
I love Andre Jordan's amusing doodles- they're witty, insightful and humorous- what more could you want from your postcard? I love 'The Mask', above- but I'm scared of the actual Mask (y'know, the character portrayed by Jimy Carrey)? Yeh, I had nightmares for weeks after seeing that film. I was, like, four at the time, by the way.

4. Superhero- Jane's AddictionMy favorite superhero-related song. Check it out below:

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July: A Memoir

Just a little recap of my favorite things from the past month (in case you were on some sort of crazy space mission and completely missed it all). Enjoy!

Film of the Month: WatchmenThe wait for me was finally over this month as 'Watchmen' came to DVD- as an unyieldingly loyal fan of the graphic novel, I had high expectations- and I wasn't disappointed.
I'll be the first to admit that 'Watchmen' must've been a bitch to make. The hefty novel, chocful of interweaving stories, vast and insightful character development, and a level of detail that many accomplished writers fall short of, a 'Watchmen' film was a vast undertaking for anyone. Many have dreamed of having the cinematic prowess to pull off such a stunt- and Zack Snyder (director of 300) did an admirable job of making a visual feast out of this complex story.
What many aren't told about 'Watchmen' is that it's not a superhero tale in the truest sense- only one character, Dr. Manhattan has superhuman abilities. The rest of the group are everyday citizens who take to the streets in ridiculous costumes to dish out their own brand of gruesome, unforgiving justice. More than any other superhero story, Watchmen is involving and in places very realistic- not only are the psychological profiles of every single crime fighter examined in depth, but also the ethical and political implications of their actions. Is it right for them to play God, to wade into situations and punish those who they deem guilty? If you had the chance to achieve world peace by beating and butchering people, would you do it?
Despite my admiration for the films plot and characterisation, I do have one gripe. Aside from one major plot point, the script sticks almost religiously to the book. Of course, there are certain things that are omitted (otherwise the film would be a day or so long), >but there's nothing particularly new or exciting for fans of the book. Despite the novel's acclaim, it still would've be appreciated if there were certain twists or turns that deviated away a little. Every alteration I noticed was more than welcome- making the characters a little more badass, for instance, I thought added to the visual dynamic of the film, and gave it a little more immediacy for today's audiences. I did enjoy the film immensely- it just felt like I'd watched the movie before. I like a little more originality in my page to screen adaptions.

Album of the Month: 'Lungs', Florence and the MachineI know I had a mini-rant about it here, but I do actually like this album. However, with such awesome demos behind her, I just felt this had the potential to be a much stronger, more resonant album- one of the best of the year rather than just best of the month.
I suppose the main shortcoming of this album is the fact it's too polished and refined. When Florence Welch first came to our attention, it was because she had a quirky voice, a ferocious edge to her sound and songs rich in fantastical and gothic imagery. What we sought after hearing her early work was an album as soon as possible- an album of variance, untapped skill and vast imagination.
What we have instead is a case of too little too late. Like an artist who spends too many hours poring over a picture and ends up doing more harm than good, the album feels overdone. Rather than release an album off the back of 'Kiss With a Fist''s success- an album of feisty and raw as her demos- she's bided her time, strived too hard for perfection; tried to force a clean-cut and polished act that she's not ready for yet. We could've had an album that was far from perfect, but that showcased her spirit and sound, but time and slight over-production means we get too many songs that sound alike.
As I said before, it's a good album- but it had the potential to be brilliant.

Book of the Month: 'Carrie' by Stephen KingI'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. Carrie is a novel many have heard of (y'know, the one where the girl gets covered in pig's blood at her prom) but not many have read. When you do read it, one of the main things that strikes you is not King's ability to spook and scare, but how talented he is at created pathos. You sympathise with a Carrie- a girl degraded, abused and bullied by her contemporaries and her mother for her entire life. But, at the same time, you sympathise more with the town of Chamberlain, who are slaughtered by Carrie who snaps after years of mental, verbal and physical abuse. At the end of the day, it was two loathsome teenagers that tipped the pig's blood on her- and for their heartless 'pranks', a whole town has to die.
I many ways, this level of tragedy puts 'Carrie' in line with many high-school-massacre novels. But, of course, what makes it different is the fact that Carrie doesn't go into her school with a gun- she kills the entire town with her formidable telekinetic abilities. Through snippets from scientific journals, government studies and eye-witness accounts, King builds up a picture of that fateful night through the eyes of many- employing these different perspectives throughout the novel also shows King's prowess and versatility as an author. A marvellous novel- sad, superhuman and utterly involving on every level.

Posts of the Month
3 Degrees of Separation: A new series I started this month. Basically, I aim to link three bands by cover versions of songs. For instance, in the first installment, I linked Yes to Ruby Weapon- Grizzly Bear did a cover of Yes's 'Owner of a Lonely Heart', and Ruby Weapon did a cover of Grizzly Bear's 'Two Weeks'. I think it's a good way to unearth some decent cover versions, and also to honour some lesser known bands (Ruby Weapon, Dappled Cities) and giants of the industry (Yes, The Who) within the same breath.

Eileen's 'Could-Go-Either-Way' Film Picks: In which I commit the sin of judging films before I see them. I pick two films that could be either a triumph or a trainwreck, and ask you to judge for yourself how the movies are going to end up.

What We Missed Out On At...- A little series I'm running about what I've missed out at all of the year's hottest festivals. I have only myself to blame for being stuck at home- if I stopped spending all of my money on books, CDs and DVDs, I too could be lounging around in meadows and listening to awesome bands.

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The Fanboy's Rough Guide to Upcoming Movies

The title says it all, really- I don't claim to be an expert on all sci-fi/comic-based/'fanboy' movies, but here is my selection of five upcoming films that might appeal to fans of the genre:

Fanboys
I know it's already out in the USA, but Fanboys is coming to most of Europe in the coming months, and I for one am quite excited- I've been following the progress of this film since it was optioned (which is usually a tale of heartbreak, in which the film never gets finished- see Revenge of the Nerds remake). Most reviews claim Fanboys is generally quite fun, but not the best film you'll ever see- nevertheless, it's been raking in at the box office, due to die-hard Star Wars fans.




Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
If you haven't read the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley yet, you should. They're the sort of graphic novels that appeal to all- even those who are reluctant to explore the entire graphic novel genre. My main gripe thus far is the casting of Michael 'I-always-play-myself' Cera as Scott Pilgrim- undoubtedly, he's very funny playing himself in Superbad, but whether or not this will work with an established character such as Scott Pilgrim remains to be seen.




Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
To be honest, there's not much to say- if you haven't seen Transformers yet, go watch it. It's epic. Once you've done that, start getting excited about Transformers 2, in which the Decepticons return, revive Megatron, and are are out for revenge. Fingers crossed it's as good as its prequel.







Avengers
A distant prospect, admittedly (although writer Zach Penn says 'it's definitely going to happen'), but more details are leaking through about Marvel's latest movie venture; most recently, the inclusion of The Hulk and Iron Man. Details are also emerging about the upcoming 'Iron Man 2', although the whole prospect of an Iron Man sequel is slightly less exciting.






Machete?!?!
If you've watched Grindhouse (or just Planet Terror), you'll know Machete was a spoof film trailer put on Grindhouse about a Mexican assassin. Originally, they were going to make the feature as an extra for the Planet Terror double-disc special edition (which was a little lacking), but have now decided to make it into a full film. Seriously. As if Rodriguez's schedule wasn't packed enough with Nervecrackers, The Jetsons and the potential of Sin City 2. Also, Rodriguez killed his own son off and smeared his nieces in entrails in Planet Terror- I wonder if he'll be killing any more of his relatives in his upcoming films? Read More......