No Rest for the Wicked - Happy Halloween!

*Edit - I've put all three episodes in one place*

Halloween is only a day away so I have a treat for you - my first video for http://zubox.tv featuring the Prince of Darkness, Dracula himself!

 

 

Please share it with all your friends, rate it and enjoy!

WOW Japan Photo Contest

Hi guys! No Lucy Spraggan this week as she was ill however I have some interactive fun for you instead.

I would love it if you guys could vote for my photos on the WOW Japan Photo Contest Site.

Here is one to get you curious:

Here is it's link where you can vote for it: https://japanphotocontest.jp/eng/entry/?pid=11677 and if you click on my name you will be able to vote for my other photos.

Please also share with your friends and let me know if you enter too!

Friday Feature - Matt & Kim

This week's Friday Feature are Matt & Kim, an indie dance duo from New York, United States. Matt is vocals and keyboards and Kim is drums. Combined they are unashamedly rough and noisy...but it's an upbeat, energising, free spirited noise. Their rhythm led sound may be a little too aggressive for some but if you don't mind a beat for your buck then you'll find many of their songs such as Daylight, Gold Ol' Fashioned Nightmare and Cameras incredibly catchy (and if you listen hard enough you'll hear the lyrics are pretty deep too). 

Where will I have heard them before?

Matt & Kim first became popular touring however now their music's all over the place! Lessons Learned won the Breakthrough Video award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, AF/FM Sound features on the TV show Chuck, Cameras appears on the soundtrack for Morgan Spurlock's 2011 film The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and Let's Go appeared on the comedy website Funny or Die however their best known song is Daylight. Daylight has appeared in various commercials; in the TV shows Community (which also featured Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare), Entourage and Skins; and in the video games NBA Live 10, Need for Speed Nitro, The Sims 3: World Adventures (in Simlish) and FIFA 10 (a remixed version featuring De La Soul).

Featured Song: Cameras

Where can I hear more?

Sorry - no free songs but four fab albums for you to explore: Matt & Kim, Grand, Sidewalks and Lightning (just released this month).

What is their website?

They have an official website however it crashed my laptop twice so here's their wikipedia page and you can take you computer's life in your own hands!

Next week: We're going back to the 1960s to explore the original Garage Girl Group Sound!60sWe're going,

Lucy Spraggan - X Factor Week Three

I'm not a David Guetta fan but I LOVE Lucy's interpretation of Titanium.

 

I'm loving how Lucy is keeping true to herself on a talent show that so easily can turn you into processed pop. Keep it up girl! 

Friday Feature - Kids on the Slope

This week's Friday Feature is a little different: the anime Kids on the Slope / 坂道のアポロン, / Sakamichi no Aporon. Kids on the Slope is the coming of age story of Kaoru set in a small Japanese town in the summer of 1966. Kaoru is constantly moving from town to town thanks to the nature of his father's job. It has meant he has few friends and has become very introverted. Kaoru expects to be just as miserable and lonely in this new town however Sen, the school's bad boy, takes a shine to him and has decided whether Kaoru (or 'Richie' as Sen likes to call him) likes it or not that they are not only going to be friends but jazz partners. Sen originally seems a total blockhead however the more Kaoru gets to know him the more he sees he is a complex, passionate, protective friend. Through his relationship with Sen, female friend Ritsuko and other visitors to Ritsuko's grandfather's record shop, Kaoru learns the power of friendship, the pain of love and music's ability to bring even the most unlikely of people together.

 

Kids on the Slope has three good things going for it:

1) As you can see the animation is film quality and truly a feast for the eyes,

2) The story and characters are deep and involving,

3) If you have even the most basic interest in jazz you will love the soundtrack. Each episode features at least one performance of a classic jazz standard and to get the animation of the performances as realistic as possible these scenes are rotoscoped from performances by real jazz musicians. The cherry on the musical cake is that the original score (also jazz) is composed by Yoko Kanno, of Cowboy Bebop fame.

What jazz standards are featured?

Lullaby of Birdland
But Not for Me
Easy Waltz
Moanin'
Bag's Groove
Blowin' the Blues Away
Satin Doll
Four
Milestones
Someday My Prince Will Come
My Favourite Things

Featured Song: Kaoru & Sentaro Duo in BUNKASAI (Medley "My Favourite Things - Someday My Prince Will Come - Moanin'")

Where can I hear more?

There is a CD but it is a Japanese import.

Where can I watch it?

 English subtitled version: http://www.crunchyroll.com/kids-on-the-slope

An English dubbed version has been optioned so will probably be available in 2013.

Next week: Back to music with Matt & Kim

Lucy Spraggan - X Factor Week Two v The Automatic

Lucy sings Gold Digger by Kanye West (I love her shirt)

 Which reminds me of The Automatic's cover of Gold Digger...which is utterly mad and utterly fun!

Which is your favourite?

Friday Feature - Eisley

This week's Friday Feature are Eisley, an indie pop band from Texas, United States. Though being named after Mos Eisley from Star Wars there is nothing retro about Eisley instead really tight, lilting vocal harmonies courtesy of sisters Chauntelle, Sherri and Stacy and extremely polished instrumentals. Their songs range from playful to incredibly passionate (once again thanks to the quality of their vocals and also a heavy use of stringed instruments) but all with a magical quality due to a strong use of lyrical imagery - an Eisley love song isn't just a love song, it's a love song with magical forests and paper moons.

Where will I have heard them before?

These guys are actually really popular in the USA already however if you're not certain where you may have heard them it was probably at festival - for instance I discovered them on Spin's 2011 Bamboozle mixtape - or a tour, either one of their own or supporting some artists you will definitely know such as Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, Brand New, Snow Patrol, New Found Glory, Hot Hot Heat, Switchfoot, Taking Back Sunday, The Fray, Bleach and Mutemath.

Conversely you may have caught music by Sherri's side project Perma or Stacy's side project Sucre.

Featured Song: Smarter

Where can I hear more?

Sorry - no free songs at the moment however there are three albums for you to enjoy (plus a fourth on the way). If I had to recommend just one for you to start with it would be The Valley - it really is a joy and a journey you won't forget.

What is their website?

http://www.eisley.com

Next week: Kids on the Slope / 坂道のアポロン, / Sakamichi no Aporon

Bonus fact: Rose Dupree from The Automated Heart is named after Eisley's sisters due to the influence Eisley had on Rose's emotional journey and the magical aspects of the script. Igor Landers is named after Paul from Rammstein to reflect the influence Rammstein had on the horror side as well as Nancy and Dr Sandhill's characters.