Bloc Party, Does it Offend You Yeah?, and Friendly Fires at the Mayan 7/29/08

I saw Bloc Party for the 3rd time last night.  It was fun, but perhaps not worth the $40 I paid for the tickets.  Tickets are too expensive to be seeing the same band 3 times, after the same album.  With that aside, it was a good show.

Friendly Fires started off the night with boundless energy and surprisingly catchy synth-laden dance rock.  The highlights of their set were "Jump in the Pool" and whatever song they played before it (it gave me goosebumps).  I asked them what it was on their myspace and they told me it was called "White Diamonds," but the studio recording doesn't sound nearly as good as the live song did.  They put on a good show though.

Next up, the "it" band of the summer: Does, It Offend You, Yeah?.  I don't really like them much so wasn't expecting much, but I was still let down.  The songs were boring and none of the members had much stage presence.  Even "We Are Rockstars" didn't sound very good.

Bloc Party proceeded to take the stage and thoroughly tear it up.  When I saw singer Kele Okereke in his Barack Obama t-shirt I wondered if he would wear it in Chicago for Lollapalooza.  He did.  After performing the new single "Mercury" (sounded pretty cool considering I don't like it that much) Kele welcomed this one guy on stage.  The dude proposed to a girl and she said yes.  Everyone clapped.  I knew that "This Modern Love" was coming next, and it did, sounding great.  My favorite moment of the night was during the encore.  The stand-in bass player went over to the synth-board and I expected them to play "Flux."  He started playing a song that sounded like Flux, but was different.  I thought, "Oh no.  The new guy is messing up the song!"  But instead they played a short cover of Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" that went into Flux.  When "Flux" kicked in my jaw dropped.  It was such a dynamic moment of a great show.

I can't wait for Bloc Party's new album and I hope it's better than "Mercury."

Jesse McCartney "Departure"

A friend of mine asked me if I had heard the new Jesse McCartney CD.  I thought he was trying to be funny, but he told me to put my presuppositions aside and give it a chance.  I did.  It was so worth it.

"Departure" is probably my greatest guilty pleasure.  It's so good that it makes me feel ashamed to feel guilty about it.  Compared to "Beautiful Soul" (the only one of Jesse's previous songs that I've heard, "Departure" seems like an attempt at a more grown-up record (a departure from his more child-friendly music).  I still find it very easy to imagine most of this on Radio Disney, though.  "How Do You Sleep?" would sound perfectly at home on a High School Musical soundtrack, except that it's way catchier than anything I've heard in those movies and it has the d-word in it.

"Makeup" is the one dull spot in the record.  Despite it's cool urban feel it doesn't compare to the rest of the album.  I had a similar opinions of "Rock You" and "Freaky" after my first listens, but they kind of grew on me.  They're actually fun songs.  The rest of the album is so stellar, though, that being "fun" doesn't seem like enough.

Jesse's voice sounds very sharp on "Departure" and he succeeds in capturing the emotions of each song in his vocals (listen to "Runnin'" for example).  All the vocal success kind of overshadows the fact that Jesse is an extremely capable songwriter.  He cowrote "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis and actually recorded an even better version of the song himself.  "Departure" is a really special album, that deserves a listen for everyone.  I don't expect everyone to like it as much as I do, but some of you that don't expect to, will.

I finally finished rereading the His Dark Materials series (my favorite books during my junior high years). I wanted to reread them ever since the film adaptation of the first book of the series, "The Golden Compass," came out in last Winter. I went to see it on open night (by myself) because I was so excited to see the story that captivated my 12 year-old mind brought to life on the big screen (and no one else would go with me). I thought the film was average. I loved the casting (except Ian McKellen as Iorek was a little weird). I loved the way the daemons were brought to life. I didn't fall in love with the battle scenes though. Chris Weitz was chosen to write and direct the film. He directed one of my all-time favorites, About a Boy, but has never done anything close to a fantasy epic. I think that really showed during the movie. But I think another reason that the movie wasn't spectacular is because The Golden Compass is the weakest of the three books.

The Golden Compass took me about 4 months to finish (probably because I just watched the movie so nothing in it was new too me), but I finished the Subtle Knife (book number 2) in about a week. The Subtle Knife is the least epic of all the books, but easily my favorite. It introduces Will, a hero to accompany the heroine Lyra and it's the interaction between those two that make the book great. I think that is why Weitz was chosen for the series. He may not be great at big battles, but he will really shine in bringing the magic between Will and Lyra to life.

The Amber Spyglass is the most epic book, but slow at times. It did not captivate me the way The Subtle Knife did. Spyglass (as well as the entire series) did not have as many battles as I remembered. And when there were battles, they were in the background instead of center stage. The conclusion of the series gave me goosebumps even though I knew it was coming. Philip Pullman is a little awkward with words, but the he saves his best work for the finale. Pullman is an atheist and makes the Church the enemy in his books, but he really conveys some Christian themes in the series: free will, self-sacrifice, helping people in need, and love. I love the way that the series ends and how powerful it makes love to be. Especially how it values selflessness.

I think the books are very worth reading. I didn't even remember all the anti-Church stuff from the first time I read it so I don't think parents should boycott the books. The message of free thinking is probably pretty good for the kids. Also, I REALLY hope the Subtle Knife movie will be made (well). I heard that it might not because it didn't do well in the American box office, but Chris Weitz could really make that movie special with the great cast on board.

Weezer (Red Album)

After my first listen of Weezer's third self-titled album I was ready to pan it.  I was so optimistic that Weezer would rebound from Make Believe (easily their worst album).  I was especially optimistic when I discovered that the new LP would be titled "Weezer" because both of the other "Weezer" albums are so good.  At first, I found the album frustrating.  They were trying some new things that didn't work and the things on the album that sounded familiar weren't as good as the times they had been done in the past.  But after my second listen I began to notice the Weezer I have come to love set in.  I found myself singing  and humming the songs that I once loathed, but now found stuck in my head.  So I gave myself a couple weeks to let the album settle in before I made my judgement.

The opening track, "Troublemaker," sounds a great deal like Pinkerton's "The Good Life," but it lacks the signature home-run Weezer chorus.  I found this very frustrating at first and I thought the song didn't go anywhere, but after giving it some time, I found it to me catchy in it's way.  The same thing happened with "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived."  After looking past the song's multiple movements (so un-Weezer) and accepting it for what it was instead wishing it was something else, I enjoyed it.  Not as much as classic Weezer, but a little bit.

I fell in love with "Heart Songs" the first time I heard it.  This is the only song on the album that really makes me feel glad that Weezer is trying new things.  On paper, the concept of an entire song made up of shout-outs to other bands and artists seems really lame, but a level of sincerity that I haven't heard on a Weezer track since Pinkerton really makes it go.  It is a love song written to the lover that never says goodbye: music.  That theme is something that everyone can relate to, musician or not, and it really makes the song special.

"Pork and Beans" is the closest thing to classic Weezer on the album: silly lyrics with a super-big and mega-catchy chorus.  The second half of the album is pretty forgettable.  Rivers lets the other band members take a turn on the mic and with the songwriting and it doesn't really work.  Especially because Rivers steps in for Pat Wilson on the drums during those songs (I think) and Pat is a monster. 

I don't think the Red Album is nearly as good as Weezer's first four albums, but it's slightly better than Make Believe.  Though I would rather have Weezer just do the Green album again, I realize that the band has been making music for a while so they deserve to do something for themselves.  If the band wants to trade instruments and play the music that they want to play, it's completely their decision.  It's like what Rivers sings on "Troublemaker": "And when it's party time / like 1999 / I party by myself/ Because I'm such a special guy."  The Red Album works as a celebration of Weezer's success to me.  And that's okay with me.  You are special Rivers.  Party by yourself if you want.  You deserve it.

But if I may...  Rick Rubin is two for two in producing subpar Weezer albums.  Maybe they should try someone else.  Just saying.

Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz is an interesting movie experience.  I found it to be a slick and funny, but unwelcome comedic ode police action movies like Point Break and Bad Boys 2.  The film stars Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel, a workaholic who is transfered from the London Police force to a small village in the country called Samford.  Pegg may be the best leading man in the comedic film today.  Along with being very funny, his ability to play an interesting and likable character turned the predictable plot of Run Fat Boy Run into a very enjoyable experience.

Hot Fuzz was written by Pegg and Edgar Wright (the director of the film).  Wright, Pegg, and co-star Nick Frost constitute the same winning combination that made Shaun of the Dead a success.  Their contributions to Hot Fuzz produce a similar film (no complaints) right up to the ending sequence.  At the beginning of the film I was ready to crown it as one of my favorite comedies in my Facebook status, but that was not how the movie turned out.  What started as a very well-crafted, well-paced, comedy became a collage of gruesome sequences of violence.

I mentioned that the film was very much an homage to crime-fighting action flicks so I admit that my not being a fan of action movies may be my reason for not liking it so much.  But I also feel like the idea for the ending would sound very good on paper to my quirky sense of humor.  So many of the popular action movies in theaters now promote messages of nonviolence (Iron Man, Indiana Jones, and Prince Caspain).  Hot Fuzz seemed to glorify violence and I was not expecting that.  After finishing the movie I felt a slight urge to pick up a kitchen knife sitting the the counter, just to hold it.  Though I can't recommend the message that I got out of Hot Fuzz, I will say that (if you have no aversion to violence) it is a fun ride the whole way through.

EDIT

I think I may have been a little hard on the movie.  

I now understand the violent final sequence as a parody of action movies that include scenes of excessive violence and I realize that it worked very well.  I expected something else, but got violence.  I think that was intended because in so many action movies violence is used to solve dilemmas that can easily be solved other ways.  I still don't like seeing violence in movies so I was frustrated by Hot Fuzz, but it's simply a matter of preference.  Hot Fuzz is too good for me to be so critical.

"The Lookout"

I am continuing my trend of reviewing movies starring Isla Fisher with a review of “The Lookout.” “The Lookout” is a film about Chris, a former high school hockey star who became mentally handicapped in a car accident. Chris lives a modest life working as a bank’s janitor at night. The custodial work doesn’t pay enough to live on so Chris’s wealthy father pays his rent and deposits, basically, allowance in his bank account to pay for everyday expenses. One night, in a bar, Chris meets Gary, a suspicious character who convinces Chris that he deserves more than to live off of his father’s pity and that he can gain a better life through money. Chris does not realize it at first, but Gary intends to use Chris to rob a bank.

I won’t spend much time discussing the acting or direction except to say that it’s all very good, save Fisher’s character (for the second movie in a row). Fisher plays a sweet ex-stripper who seduces Chris into befriending Gary. I couldn’t decide if she knew that she was luring him into a trap or if her infatuation was genuine. I don’t know if her two ambiguous performances (“The Lookout” and “Hot Rod”) are her own fault or just the result of screenplays unwilling to develop her characters. If it weren’t for “Wedding Crashers” I would be tempted to say that she can’t act. But perhaps she would appear more natural in a role using her own Australian accent not, I don’t know, someone from Kansas. She does what she needs to, though, and does not hamper “The Lookout’s” electricity.

The most intriguing thing about the Lookout was how it set a trap for me, the viewer. The film lured me into the same mindset that I expect Chris had about his own life after the accident. The accident was caused by Chris driving with the headlights off and it resulted in two of his friends dying and his girlfriend not talking to him after she survived the crash as well. Chris lives with the guilt of the accident along with his handicap and struggles to find a purpose to persevere through life.

Trying not to spoil much, towards the end of the movie, Chris’s lack of discretion causes another tragedy. I expected the movie to end with Chris wallowing in the guilt of not having sense to do the right thing for the second time, but that it not what I got. Chris realized that he had an opportunity to do some good, even if it wouldn't fix the situation, and he goes out to do it. Even with all the tragedy the film manages to end on an optimistic note. There is a palpable sense of hope that no matter how you screw up, or how life screws you up, there is always something to live for. It really reminded me of God’s forgiveness: that no matter what awful thing you do, you are still loved and can still make a difference in the world. No matter how poorly you think of yourself, something so much greater still sees you for what you really are: strong, capable, beautiful, lovely.