January: A Memoir

The first month of the year has been and gone, which is a bit bleak since I've basically done nothing. If you, like me, have been a bit of a cultural hermit this month, here is our concise round-up, giving you all of the best bits of January without all the snow and coldness and misery. This way, you can get up to date with all of the latest stuff, and your friends will never have to know you spent the entire month in your room, watching Tarantino movies and progressively becoming wider- or what that just me? Anyway, moving on...

TV Show of The Month: Glee

Glee, for us British, has only just hit our screens, but has already caused quite a stir with the public. And apparently that's not just with us, after only 11 episodes airing on American TV is managed to scoop a Golden Globe. Get them! So whats the hype? Glee is a musical spectacular set around a normal high school glee club who are desperately trying to hold it together to get to sectionals and eventually nationals. It has your stereotypical 'musical drama' crazed fangirl, played by Lea Michelle, who was in the original cast of 'Spring Awakening', so me and Eileen already loved her. It has the gay kid, shown rocking out to Beyonce's 'Single Ladies', the black girl with a voice as big as heaven and the sporadically placed 'other nerds with good voices'. Enter the 'cool kids', Flynn and his cheerleading girlfriend, and you've got a club worth listening too. Throw in a sarcastically evil cheerleading coach, a germ-fearing guidance councilor and a stupidly gorgeous spanish teacher to run it all and by god, you have a hit! Definitely worth a watch.

-Chloe

Film of the Month: Up in the AirNominated for five academy awards, 'Up in the Air' tells the tale of Ryan Bingham (as played by the ever-so-handsome George Clooney)- a man hired to fire people, who can fit his entire life in a suitcase- and completely loves his emotionally-stunted existence.
That is, until a plucky young upstart in his company (Anna Kendrick, the chick from Twilight) threatens his way of life. The relationship that pans out between them reveals them both to be pretty damn childish- Bingham shuns all connection and responsibility, and Kendrick's character lives in a much more idealised and naive world.
I guess what makes this film different is that after this journey of self-discovery, the end is still bittersweet. The lesson here is not 'Open up your heart, and you WILL find love!', it's 'Win or lose, you have to play the game'- and I for one quite like that.

-Eileen

Album of the Month: 'Heartland' by Owen PallettSet in the fantasy world of Spectrum, Heartland is a tale of an ultra violent farmer, Lewis, and his struggle to come to terms with his creator and main deity of the land, our very own Owen Pallett. An ambitious project, but nevertheless, despite the mythologies and stories Pallett has created, he never loses sight of the single most important feature: the music. A lot denser than He Poos Clouds, Pallett has maintained his personal charm whilst at the same time adding electronics and orchestras to create something that sounds, for want of a better word, epic.
Read full review here>>>

-Charles

Fashion Designer of the Month: Hayden-Harnett
It's the age-old conundrum- you want to look sophisticated, but also capable of fun. Regal, yet playful. Basically, not a slut, but not boring.
Step in Hayden-Harnett. They primarily make (awesome) handbags, so they bring a completely different perspective to the table. You can expect patchwork, metallics, and detailing to make you dribble, but all finished off with a certain undeniable decorum.
The collection (including the Pandora Dress and the Cambria Patchwork Silk Skirt, above) may set you back a bit, but come on- it's totally worth it.

-Eileen

Posts of the Month
A few of the cool things that have been going on here At the Sinema:

At the Sinema's Best of 2009- They said it couldn't be done. They were wrong. The ATS writers have managed to cram all the juicy bits of 2009 into one epic post. Check it out- you won't be disappointed.

What Does the Nation Listen To?- Chloe wrestles with that unknown beast- the UK singles chart. Not for the faint-hearted.

Should I Listen to Last.Fm?- Millions use Last.Fm, but how useful is it, actually? We find out.

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5 Fashions: Kooky Stocking Fillers

Just when it seemed that I might have to abandon '5 Fashions' (because, let's face it, we'll all be hiberating in trackies and wooly jumpers for the next month or so)- I had a brainwave. I'll use 5 Fashions as an otulet for my surplus amount of quirky gift suggestions! Because, really, there's nothing more a la mode than being generous at Christmas time.

1. The Indie Rock Colouring Book, Yellow Bird Project, $10 Ever wondered how colouring books could be made any more awesome? By allowing you too 'Wiggle yourself through the intricate Broken Social Scene maze, color Bon Iver's enchanted water supply, or slide down the psychedelic playground of MGMT', of course! Yes- it's a colouring book with activities inspired by indie-rock musicians. And yes, it's freakin' awesome. My particular favorite feature is 'Draw Rilo Kiley's current hairstyles!'- endless hours of fun right there.
MP3: Rilo Kiley- Portions for Foxes

2. Bacon Bandages, Perpetual Kid, $3.99 I have a little saying- 'everything's better with bacon'- and now, even your minor cuts and grazes can bask in the glory of my favorite pork-related food product! As mouthwatering as they are sterile, each tin contains 15 plasters.

3. Lego Wallet, Color By Numbers, £20.00 It seems you can get everything lego-fied these days; and wallets are no exception. Each hand-made wallet features white, yellow, black, lime, brown, oprnage, blue, green and red bricks.

4. Origami Sticky Notes, Perpetual Kid, $3.99 I'd love to know who comes up with the product ideas featured on perpetualkid.com. How do we plasters more exciting? Make them look like bacon. How do we sex up post-it notes? Have printed instructions on them, so you can transform them into beautiful origami creations once they've served their purpose. Whoever comes up with these knick-knacks is quite clearly a genius, and it's probably of great benefit to mankind that they're fighting for good and not evil.

5. Stacked Paperback Wallpaper, Anthropologie, £127.59Ok, so this would only be considered a 'stocking filler' by people who heat their house by burning hundred pound notes, but it's simply too awesome to ignore. If having endless amounts of bookcases isn't enough to prove your bookishness, then Tracey Kendall has the answer- this handy wallpaper, featuring a print of stacks of books. Inspired!

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Playlist 6: Day and Night, Pt. II- Night

So, when we decided on the theme for our first group playlist, we came up with 'Day and Night'- seems oddly appropriate with the clocks going back last month, afterall. But what we found when we actually came to choosing our songs was that we simply had to many songs to choose from. So, we've split our playlist into two- you can listen to the first half here. So, may I present to you:

Playlist 6.5: NightThe shadowy underbelly of this month's playlist

Tri's Picks:
1. ARCADE FIRE- Wake Up
2. THE POSTAL SERVICE- The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
3. PASSION PIT- Sleepyhead
4. IMOGEN HEAP- Goodnight and Go
5. TEGAN AND SARA- Night Watch

Eileen's Picks:
6. GRAMMATICS- Shadow Committee
7. TILLY AND THE WALL- Rainbows in the Dark
8. PEARL JAM- All Night
9. DOLLY MIXTURE- Whistling in the Dark
10. MUSE- Darkshines
11. THE PUPPINI SISTERS- Soho Nights
12. KAY HANLEY- Cellars by Starlight
13. YEAH YEAH YEAHS- Date With the Night

Chloe's Picks:
14. LAURA MARLING- Night Terror
15. THE DYKEENIES- Feels Like Sleep
16. BAT FOR LASHES- Moon and Moon
17. TURIN BRAKES- Dark on Fire

Charles's Picks:
18. 65DAYSOFSTATIC- Drove Through Ghosts to Get Here
19. BJORK- All is Love
20. MEANWHILE, BACK IN COMMUNIST RUSSIA...- Anatomies
21. SIGUR ROS- Hún Jörð
22. MONO- The Battle to Heaven

You can now listen to the whole playlist on the nifty little i-Pod below. Enjoy!

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Kill Bill in 1 Minute

Have you ever wished you had an encyclopaedic knowledge of films? That you could quote or summarise the plotline of any movie, at any time? There is a pretty speedy way to top-up your film knowledge:
Cheat.
These days, there are a wealth of YouTube videos that will give you film spoilers, but if you want a short, educational film that capture the very essence of the movie, the 'One Minute, One Take' films are you. They don't just tell you the ending of the film, oh no- they tell you the entire plot. Not only that, but they're pretty darn funny.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here's Kill Bill Parts 1 and 2 in One Minute, in One Take:

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RSC Review: Twelfth Night

On October 30th, Chloe was a very lucky girl- a very lucky girl indeed. That day, I travelled to Stratford-Upon-Avon (the birthplace of Shakespeare), and got to watch a production of the classic Jacobean comedy 'Twelfth Night', performed by The Royal Shakespeare Company. Although I had watched productions of Shakespeare previously- and performed in some myself- I was a RSC virgin, so I was extremely excited. For those who don't know 'Twelfth Night' or 'What You Will', the basic story is this: twins Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked in the strange, exotic land of Illyria, both thinking that the other has died. In order to get places in this new country, Viola dresses in a cunning disguise, posing as a man called Cesario, becoming servant and peer to the Duke Orsino. Orsino, who utters the famous line "if music be the food of love, then play on", is madly in love with Olivia, a beautiful yet frightfully morbid woman, to the point of obsession. Then it all gets very confusing as each character falls in love with each other. Oh and it involves a rather fetching pair of yellow stockings.

This particular production featured Richard Wilson, an acting veteran most famous for his role as Victor Meldrew in 'One Foot In The Grave'. For those who have no idea what that is, shall I utter his infamous catchphrase: "I DON'T BLOODY BELIEVE IT!". Whilst getting an ill-favoured reception from cut-throat theatre critics who would probably have slammed Shakespeare himself, I believe Wilson's performance was absolutely superb. He played Malvolio- the solemn, sneering servant of Olivia, who is tricked into wearing yellow stockings. To see a RADA trained, respectable actor like Richard Wilson running around the stage in a pair of egg yolk coloured stockings with a demonic smile... well, let's just say it's a sight I shall never forget.

As for the rest of the cast they acted brilliantly. Nancy Carroll played Viola and whilst playing perhaps the most feminine male I have ever seen, her performance was both entertaining and inspiring. However, the actor who made the biggest impression on me was Miltos Yerolemou who played Fester, the lovable, yet sneaky jester. It was he who had me in fits of laughter from start to finish. It always amazes me how a play written in Shakespearian prose and first performed hundreds of years ago can still make people laugh. Clearly humor is timeless. Over all, the play is definitely worth a watch, whether your a theatre buff or not. 'Twelfth Night' is not one of Shakespeare's darker, morbid plays like 'Hamlet' or 'Macbeth' or 'Othello' (which three of our writers get to see next month!), its light hearted and funny and easier to follow if you haven't studied Shakespeare.

For more information go to the RSC website here, the play runs till 21st November and there are still seats available.

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5 Films To See This Winter

For many, Christmas is a time for family. For others, it's a time for presents. For some (like us), it's a time for coming in out of the cold, and spending all of our time in the nice, warm cinema. Seriously, what could be more festive?

If you want to follow our shining example, (and you do), you should check out Chloe's film picks:

The Men Who Stare At Goats
This quirky comedy sees reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) following agent Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), as he is reactivated for his next big mission: getting to the bottom of the disappearance of Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), the founder of this program. The twist? Cassady is a psychic soldier, who has been taught to walk through walls, read enemies thoughts and even kill a goat by simply staring at it. They end up at a psychic training facility led by Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) and Wilton finds himself playing piggy in the middle between Django’s New Earth Army and Hooper’s super soldiers. How do they make this stuff up? Well, they don’t, ‘The Men Who Stare At Goats’ is based on a true story… oh dear. This is set to hit the screens November 6th.

Where The Wild Things Are
The book that defined so many childhoods finally hits the screens. Maurice Sendak’s legendry book about imagination, adventure and fantasy tells the story of Max in his infamous wolf costume. Max is sent to bed without supper by his mother after being naughty. From his childish (yet absolutely brilliant) imagination a wild forest and roaring ocean grow where he meets ‘The Wild Things’, which, after an initial sense of scariness, turn out to be not so fearsome after all. With a killer soundtrack including a rerecording of Wake Up by Arcade Fire, which I love, this is truly a movie which will go down in history. The movie is already out in the US but hits the screens over this side of the pond on December 11th.

The Princess and The Frog
Finally, Disney takes a step back to what it does best—princesses. It’s directed by the same men (John Musker and Ron Clements) who brought us ‘Basil The Great Mouse Detective’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Aladdin’ ‘Treasure Planet’ and ‘Hercules’, which are movies that basically made my childhood. It takes the classic story of ‘The Princess and the Frog’ and turns it on its head; a prince called Naveen is transformed into a frog by the evil magician Dr Faciler, and he can only turn back to his human form with a kiss from a princess. Unfortunately, he gets Tiana to kiss him, a woman he mistakes to be of the same regal status as him, she is not and soon she finds herself as Naveen’s froggy friend! Both of them then must start an epic quest to find the voodoo priestess Mama Odie, befriending a musically talented crocodile and a firefly with a love for romance on the way. This opens in the US on 11th December and finds it way over the pond (see what i did there...) early 2010.

The Lovely Bones
Perhaps one of my favourite books of all time, I am really anticipating this film debut. The movie is about Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) a girl who in 1973 is raped and murdered by her next-door neighbour. She finds herself in a heaven-like place where whatever she wants appears in front of her: everything except for being with her family, or winning them some piece of mind who have no idea who has murdered their daughter. She watches as the killer, George Harvey (Stanley Tucci) plans his next kill and how her family and friends deal with their profound loss. It also stars Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg and Susan Sarandon. It hits worldwide cinemas on 11th December.

It’s Complicated
A heartfelt comedy about divorce starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Jane, Streep’s character is an independent divorced bakery owner who has finally managed to develop a good relationship with ex-husband Jake (Baldwin), who has remarried the young and attractive Agness. However things get a little complicated when Jane and Alex rekindle old feelings and Jane finds herself ‘the other woman’. Add Steve Martin’s character Adam, who is remodelling Janes kitchen (o-eer) and you have everything you need to make a rom com perfect for the holiday season. Its also made by the people who brought us 'Something's Gotta Give' and 'The Holiday' which in my opinion are possibly the best romcom's ever made.

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Playlist 6: Day and Night, Pt. I- Day

So, when we decided on the theme for our first group playlist, we came up with 'Day and Night'- seems oddly appropriate with the clocks going back a couple of days ago, afterall. But what we found when we actually came to choosing our songs was that we simply had to many songs to choose from. So, we've split our playlist into two- you'll get the second half around halfway through the month. So, may I present to you:

Playlist 6: Day
The sunnier, more carefree half of this month's playlist

Eileen's Picks:
1. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE- Dog Days Are Over
2. NEKO CASE- Magpie to the Morning
3. THE KINKS- Sunny Afternoon
4. THE HUSH SOUND- Crawling Towards the Sun
5. DREDG- Long Days and Vague Clues
6. THE BEATLES- Daytripper
7. VELVET UNDERGROUND- Sunday Morning
8. THE APPLES IN STEREO- The Afternoon

Chloe's Picks:
9. RUMBLE STRIPS- Alarm Clock
10. HEARTSREVOLUTION- Dance Til Dawn
11. LITTLE ONES- Morning Tide
12. OASIS- Morning Glory
13. ZERO 7- Morning Song

Tri's Picks:
14. ADELE- Daydreamer
15. BLOC PARTY- Sunday
16. ANNA NALICK- Wreck of the Day
17. ATHLETE- Yesterday Threw Everything At Me
18. STRAYS DON'T SLEEP- For Blue Skies

Charles's Picks:
19. JONI MITCHELL- Morning Morgantown
20. POMEGRANATES- Everybody, Come Outside!
21. BELLE AND SEBASTIAN- Another Sunny Day
22. CAMERA OBSCURA- Honey in the Sun
23. ELBOW- One Day Like This

You can now listen to the whole playlist on the nifty little i-Pod below. Enjoy!

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5 Fashions: Spring and Summer 2010

Each Autumn, the fashion conscious flock to the world's most celebrated cities to catch a glimpse of the future of the fashion world. Come Spring of the next year, every shop and boutique alike will be stocking up on garments that we saw shimmy down the runway during fashion week.
So, with that in mind, here are my 5 picks from London Fashion Week, and how you can make them work for you.

1. MONOCHROME
It's almost a given- monochrome is a timeless look that crops up time and time again on the catwalks, each with a slightly different take. This year, apart from being much more playful (such as being paired by quirky sunglasses at Giles Deacon, above), monochrome is also alot more casual- there's a lot less of the two-tone block colour affairs from last year, and the tailoring is alot less fussy. The 'Monochrome Maude' dress for Emily and Finn, above, is bang on the money, with a simple, fluid outline and a block print- a key trend from last summer that's set to continue.

2. PASTEL
The main focus of this year's London Fashion Week was romantic, playful pieces in a palette straight from the candy shop. Pastels were particularly big at Christopher Kane (above), who also branched out into translucent fabrics- another big hitter, but maybe a little daring. The delicate and beautiful pearl-coloured 'Tiers in Heaven' Dress, above, with three layers of scalloped, opalescent fabric really embodies the delicate playfulness we saw on the catwalk.

3. LITTLE WHITE DRESSES
You may be more acquainted with Little Black Dresses, but all the big fashion houses have been tapping into this much softer take on a wardrobe staple. Most are simple, often with some black detailing (inkeeping with the monochrome theme), such as those seen at Issa. This bandeau dress by Rise at Dorothy Perkins, above, is classically cut and a complete steal at £40.00.

4. ORANGE
There were some more tropical and vibrant shades amidst the ice-cream coloured pastels, and orange in particular reared its ugly head at several shows, including Erdem Moralioglu, above. If you really must try this trend out for yourself, stick to burnt or dusky shades of orange, rather than a full-on vibrant shade. The shift dress from DKNY is playful and flirty, and just about inconspicuous enough to keep you from looking like a satsuma.

5. BIG SHOULDERS
The 1980's sprung up everywhere from Giles Deacon to Burberry Prorsum (above), with power-dressing shoulder pads and a touch of rock and roll being the order of the day. Don't start raiding the wardrobe for 80's throwbacks just yet, though- more often than not, it was a subtle suggestion of 80's fashion than the full-on Bananarama. To best capture this look, your safest bet is following another seasonal trend, and adding shoulders. The Rebecca Taylor dress above takes elements of the pastels, metallics and 1980's shoulders, and combines them into one gorgeous garment.

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Art of Rock

If you, like me, love exploring the connection between music and art, 'Art of Rock' (which is currently at the StolenSpace Gallery, London) is not to be missed. Each piece from the exhibition was inspired by a track from Green Day's latest offering, '21st Century Breakdown'- admittedly, not my favorite Green Day album, but a pretty awesome concept for an art show nonetheless.
Featuring art from Ron English, Will Barras, Christian Guémy (who's the dude behind '!Viva La Gloria!', above) and Chris Stain, amongst others, the show will be running until the 1st of November. Find out more here >>>

MP3: Green Day- Viva La Gloria

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Review: Eastpak Antidote Tour

I. GHOST OF A THOUSANDI'd love to grace you with a review that sung the praises of this band, and whole-heartedly agreed with Kerrang (who gave them 5 K's on their live performance). Unfortunately, I can't.

Firstly, because I got horribly lost on the mean streets of Birmingham, and missed a large portion of their performance. Luckily, one of the Street Team found me and escorted me and some other kids to the O2 Arena- post-hardcore fans aren't great with directions, it seems.
Secondly, what I saw sounded reasonable- the band attacked the stage with a suitable amount of gusto, and the sound they made was pleasing, if a little shambolic in places. But that's as far as it went- they haven't quite found that fine line between unbridled rage and musical finesse. I do have high hopes for their future, mind.

II. FOUR YEAR STRONGAs this motley crew of big, beardy types descend upon the stage, you think you know what to expect. Screaming (lots of it), raging guitar solos and lyrics that can go from nought to riot in sixty seconds. Well, you'd be wrong.
Four Year Strong have a strange yet enchanting blend of pop punk and hardcore that you'd never expect from such hairy chunks of masculinity. And from the general nods of approval emanating form the slightly nonplussed audience, it was a sound they were working. This is definitely a band I'll be checking out again soon.

III. ANTI-FLAGAppearances were once again deceptive with Anti-Flag- for such weedy looking dudes, they sure are furious about something.
You always know what you're going to get with Anti-Flag- angry, political tracks- and with tracks such as 'Turncoat' and 'The Press Corpse', they didn't disappoint in that respect. The music itself has alot to be desired- nothing spectacular, nothing amiss- but what I found most off-putting was their rapport with the crowd. They stressed- between every single bloody song- how they were all about peace and love, and how they would remember this night for the rest of their lives, and how stupid the government was, and how they wanted everyone to go in the circle pit. Seriously, give it a rest.
They did get a bunch of people on stage, which I thought was quite nice of them, but I know there were those who'd argue they'd paid to see Anti-Flag, not to see some kids get up on stage and sing Anti-Flag. Matter of taste, I suppose.
Reference must of course be made to their drummer, who is up there with the scariest dudes to ever have lived- he just looks so demented. He has that crazy look in his eyes- the look that says 'I've definitely worn a straight jacket at some point in my life'. Yikes.

IV. ALEXISONFIREThe main event- and I wasn't disappointed.
I was a little confused when they only set up three stands- I thought there were five guys in Alexisonfire? Of course, my naïveté was soon put right- the fourth guy up front, bassist Chris Steele, had no stand, due to the fact he couldn't stand still for more than two seconds. He bounded around stage in a state of insanity for the entire performance, in a whirlwind of his own sweat and saliva. He went absolutely mental, and so did the crowd- I must admit I was happily dragged into the furore, pulling shapes like I was demented- even being slammed into the railings by a tidal wave of Dallas Green fan girls didn't dull my appetite for frenzy.
This pandemonium was matched by the rest of band, who not only managed to command the stage with manic prowess, but also deliver soaring, clear vocals, and guitar playing to a standard I have yet to see matched in a live performance.

All in all, pretty damn awesome. I you're considering going to this concert, you should definitely pick up a ticket: you won't regret it.

MP3: Alexisonfire- This Could be Anywhere in the World

Photo of Alexisonfire courtesy of martybell on deviantART

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Remix Wednesday: You've Got the Love

This week, I bring you an offering from two acts I've already expressed some love for on the blog- Florence and the Machine, and The XX. Both of them have got consistently high reviews- even if one blogger *ahem, me* thought that the former's album was a wee bit too polished, the original 'You've Got the Love' was certainly a gem. Of course, the currently omnipresent XX have taken it, messed it up a wee bit, and come out with something pretty damn good.

Check it out, kids:

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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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September: A Memoir

I understand my updates have been a wee bit infrequent this month, but here's what's been going on in the wonderful world of Eileen (that's me) this September:

Film of the Month- 500 Days of SummerWhen it comes to the rom-com film industry, the rules of the game are changing. Everything's getting a little more 'indie'- the tick list back in the days was a cute guy, a cute girl, a 'cute meet' and a predictable ending. These days, it's all about geek-chic guys n' gals striking up funny and witty conversations and going on a string of unconventional dates, to a backdrop of whatever music is 'in' (think Feist and Vampire Weekend).

But what seems to have stayed the same is the predictable ending- unless, of course, you're watching 500 Days of Summer.
You've got all of the usual features of a geek-chic rom-com, but with a few commitment-phobes, wise-cracking younger sisters and gratuitous karaoke scenes thrown in- as well as a bittersweet ending you probably won't see coming.
500 Days of Summer won't break any boundaries- it's still cutesie and indie to the core. It's just taking a familiar genre, giving a few extra perks, and trying to gently nudge it in a different direction.

Album of the Month- 'The Resistance' by MuseWith a band like Muse, I really don't want to say anything overly critical, for fear of having abuse hurled at me by their fans.
Lucky I don't have a critical word to say, really.
'The Resistance' is everything we've come to expect from Muse- dramatic, ambitious, experimental- and oh so much more. They appear to got a giant music blender, shoved in a massive dollop of futuristic electronica, a largely unnecessary amount of anthemic riffs, a sprinkling of Orwell references, a spoonful of recycled riffs (mostly from 'Origin of Symmetry', my favorite Muse album), a fair quantity of Queen, and a little bit of Bellamy magic, to taste.
What we have here is bags of ambition, a more modern sound, but a record that in places tries to hard to achieve those big hitters Muse has so often composed before. Not their best work ever, but definitely signs of musical progression there.

Fashion Designer of the Month- Roksanda Ilincic

Tall, sweeping frocks in soft colours, but with a distinctly structured look- what more could you want? From fashion school to fashion star in a few short years, Roksanda combines a punk-rock feel with the classic lines for a collection that's unique and mindblowing.
I would also like to point out how awesome the scruffy-ponytails Dior were rockin' for Spring/Summer 2010 were:
Posts of the Month:
10 Film Love Interests Who Aren't Utterly Loathsome: Tired of vapid, two-dimensional love interests in films? Want to see some legitimate characters, as well as some romance? Well, look no further- I have a list of 10 Romantic Supporting Actors who might tickle your fancy.

10 Songs of the Week- The Cure, The Beatles, Neko Case, Alexisonfire- my ten songs on heavy rotation during September. Bit of a mixed bag, so hopefully something for everyone.

Missed Connections- Gosh, I'm in an amorous mood this month! The Autumn does strange things to me. Art to celebrate the amorous glances and missed chances we all experience.

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10 Songs of the Week

I'm getting worse and worse for posting, though not through choice. I've only been back at college for a week, and I'm already bogged down with essays and reading lists and all sorts. I guess this is sort of one of those years where I have to work, lest I risk messing up my future.
Ho hum, enough with the negative stuff- how have you all been? All slowly getting back into the swing of things after the holidays, I suspect. I'm having a bit of a musical week, by which I'm meaning to shitloads of music, not that I'm rockin' out to the Sound of Music, or anything. So, I thought it would be nice to share with you what's goin' on musically with me as of late:

THE WHO, 'BABA O' RILEY'
'Who's Next' has easily one of the best album covers of all time, and is one of the best albums of all time as well. Baba O'Riley is very, very high up on my list of ultimate tracks to play air guitar to alone in my bedroom. The Who also provide all of the theme tunes for CSI, and I do love a good bit of CSI.

MARIANA'S TRENCH, 'ACADIA' I just remembered the guitar solo on 'Acadia' reminds me of 'Baba O' Riley', for some strange reason. I still don't think 'Masterpiece Theatre' is a patch on 'Fix Me', but they're still seem like a pretty cool bunch of dudes, so ho hum.

ALEXISONFIRE, ANYTHING, EVERYTHING, JUST GIVE ME ALEXISONFIRE QUICK!
(BUT MAINLY 'THIS COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD')
I'm going to see them in concert in October! Win! I also like to imagine what would happen if Alexisonfire and Marianas Trench got into some Canadian-rock-band-battle-to-the-death. Alexisonfire would easily win- it would be a bit of a massacre, actually. Any member of Alexisonfire could snap the rather effeminate Josh Ramsay (lead singer of MT) like a twig. No offence to Josh- he just seems like he'd benefit from a good square meal.

CITY AND COLOUR, 'AS MUCH AS I EVER COULD'
My Alexisonfire binge just sort of merged into a City and Colour binge. I think I gravely underestimated 'As Much As I Ever Could' in particular.

THE CURE, 'JUST LIKE HEAVEN'
Ooh, I love The Cure. It is a pity that all decent bands from England have been and gone, though. Our music scene is a little lacking in comparison at the moment.

NEKO CASE, 'PRISON GIRLS'
'Middle Cyclone', the album this song is from is easily my favorite of the albums that I reviewed on Song by Song. All of the songs are also alot of fun to sing along to, particularly 'People Got a Lotta Nerve'- on the count of three, 'I'm a man-man-man, man-man-man-eater!'

THE BEATLES, 'PAPERBACK WRITER'
You may notice an old-English-band theme to my current musical taste. I don't know, maybe I'm going to patriotic. For some reason, there's this massive taboo about people listening to '1'- what, just because it's basically a compilation of their famous songs, I'm not allowed to listen to it?

BAT FOR LASHES, 'MOON AND MOON'
Since viewing her performance at the Mercury Prize Awards, I can't stop listening to her. Her strangely hypnotic voice gets me every time.

AS CITIES BURN, 'PETTY'
Still my album of the year thus far. Truly stunning. Enough said.

JOY DIVISION, 'LOVE WILL TEAR US APART'
A truly immense song. Have you watched 'Control', the biopic about them? That too is immense, and so visually beautiful. Go buy it, now.

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