REVIEWS

Red Widow Spends Too Much Time Building Webs, But Could Be a Sleeper Hit When It Finally Strikes.

Red Widow: Sundays at 10p.m. Eastern on ABC

After Zero Hour ended up becoming a dud, ABC went back to the drama well serving up a new show in Red Widow to fill out its’ Sunday night block with an hour of bluffs, semi-bluffs, and flat out lies (but surprisingly little action) in its’ new mob show.

Red Widow follows one woman’s life as she becomes tangled with a life of organized crime. When Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell) finds her husband dead, she also learns of the exact degree of his illicit dealings and is forced to carry on the work of a local drug kingpin to keep her family safe while she pays off the debt that her dead husband carried (after her brother got caught stealing large amounts of drugs from a rival gang) in order to keep her family safe and secure.

Normally I take issues with particularly contrived plots, but here the conceit is so ridiculous (soccer mom whose aiming for normalcy becomes drug runner for the most vicious drug lord in San Francisco while keeping her three kids afloat) that it requires a large number of fail safes to keep the plot from taking its’ logical course. In fact, the pilot is entirely about taking “the logical course”, only for impediments stopping all of the logical answers of (in order): Evan trying to rectify Irwin’s terrible decision, Marta going to the FBI, Marta trying to return the stolen drugs, and going to her mob boss father to try and use gangster diplomacy to solve the problem.

Unfortunately, all of this legwork seems fairly tedious, especially in a crammed pilot that also tries to weave in a subplot about Boris taking a gun into school, an overzealous FBI agent, James Ramos (Clifton Collins Jr.), Natalie questioning the nature of the families business (her and Boris are assumed not to know at the start of the pilot) and a full-blown murder mystery revolving around Evan’s death. This is a particular shame as once the show stops focusing so heavily on exposition and gets to actually moving its wheels, it’s become instantly more enjoyable, as shown in scenes where Marta has to try to bribe Bob, a port supervisor after their original mark had decided to double his price before getting beaten down by Marta.

The acting in this series is generally pretty solid, with Radha Mitchell playing a pretty respectable gravely serious soccer mom, and I found Goran Visjnic’s Nicolae Schiller to be a simultaneously affable and terrifying villain (who doubles as a great evaluator of talent, apparently). Lee Tergesen (best known for being Tobias Beecher on Oz) draws the hardest straw, playing Mike, Evan’s semi-competent best friend who has the misfortune of being portrayed as a not only a bumbling fool but also as Marta’s teacher in the in’s and outs of “the business”.

The characters are particularly well drawn, including the surprisingly likable Evan (an affable guy who subverts just about every Mafia trope known to man). Similarly, you get the impression that Ramos will lie, cheat, steal, and possibly kill to get his conviction on both the Petrov family and Schiller’s syndicate. Unfortunately, Marta’s kids feel like they exist solely to be plot motivation and border on annoying during the screen time they receive (I don’t know that I would have shoehorned Boris’ and Natalie’s subplots this early in order to allow more time to the main plot line).

The Final Verdict: In a lot of ways, I felt like reviewing Red Widow now is almost counterproductive, as the first couple of episodes seem to have a much heavier focus on exposition than on driving a plot forward. Unfortunately, this creates a glacial pace that borders on tedious during the course of it’s first few episodes. It’s the sort of show that if it ever picks up a little bit of speed could be extremely fun to watch, as Marta’s interactions with Schiller and Agent Ramos create an interesting tension as she tries to bounce off of both of them to help save her family. If Red Widow can live up to its’ name, it will be the perfect addition to ABC’s Sunday night block.

The Master Movie Review – 2012’s Most Under-appreciated Yet Best Film

by Peter Foy

The Master Movie Review: Given the massive amount of discussion surrounding The Master at least a year prior to its release, it isn’t a stretch to say that many people had already decided what kind of movie they wanted it to be. When word got out that Paul Thomas Anderson’s follow up to There Will Be Blood would have allusions to L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology, speculators were expecting the film to be a controversial stab at the Hollywood-centric religion. When the trailers finally started coming out for the film last summer, there was much Oscar talk surrounding the film, with people expecting it to be a shoe-in for best picture. The Master, after seemingly an eternity of waiting, was finally released in theaters last September and the response toward it wasn’t what anyone was expecting, Anderson included. While certainly relative to Scientology in some areas as it’s a film about blind faith, many people seemed shocked that the film focused more on a damaged war veteran rather than a cult leader, and many audience members found the arty narrative to be confounding. It received high honors at the Vienna Film Festival and from professional critics, but it had a fairly divisive reaction to it from audiences and was ultimately denied Oscar nominations for best picture or best director. Now, a good six months after the film had it’s theatrical premiere, The Master has come to DVD, and now perhaps the final verdict on Anderson’s surreal opus will come to light.

The Master is a film set in the 1950s that centers around the indelible character of Freddie Quell, a World War II vet struggling to adapt to post-war society, as he’s most likely suffering from some form of PTSD. Primal towards sex, frequently drunk and easily prone to violence, our protagonist only finds failure in every job he tries his hands in past his duties as a soldier, until he becomes a stowaway on a boat that shines a particularly inviting and brilliant light. Here Freddie meets the ship’s owner and titular character, Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a renowned author who has started his own following known as The Cause. Dodd believes that he has unlocked deep secrets to mankind’s understanding of time and the universe, and it’s also clear that he sees something integral to this system in Freddie. From here on out, we see how these two men (both so different, yet so alike) interact, amidst the back drop of this strange time in U.S. History.

The two facets of The Master that seemed to have received unanimous praise were the film making and the acting, both of which are justifiable. The film is an utter beauty of modern film making, and the decision to shoot in 70 MM adds such a layer to the cinematography. The film’s sweeping imagery and descriptive close-ups recall epics from the time period like Lawrence of Arabia, and the artistic depiction of America harken back to Terrence Malick’s two early masterpieces, Badlands and Days of Heaven. The soundtrack is wonderful in a similar sense too, with composer Johnny Greenwood contributing moving music pieces that evoke dread, fascination and ultimately hope. It’s hard for the small screen to entirely recapture the experience of seeing The Master on the big screen, but the blu-ray dvd does have a mighty video quality to it that captures the lushness of the viscera, although I should warn those that haven’t upgraded from standard definition that the video quality is rather murky for the digital release.

Still, the acting is possibly even more integral for this tapestry than Anderson’s craft. The only Oscar nominations The Master received were for the performances of it’s three leads, one of which is certainly the most impressive performance of the year. Joaquin Phoenix truly is a marvel to behold as Freddie, making the character as much his own creation as the screenplay’s. While there is a repetition to his performance as the character alternates between being violent and calm throughout the film, it’s in the subtle nuances that really make him mesmerize. From a menacing grin, to his stilted appearance that’s only made more visible by the fact that he’s frequently seen holding his sides, viewers can find plenty of cues to understand that this is a man in pain. Philip Seymour Hoffman, while not as unusual in his delivery as Phoenix, is at his able best here as well, given Dodd the voice of charisma, yet a prevailing sense of uncertainty as well. Some have said that there’s a bit of homo-eroticism in the character interactions between Dodd and Freddie, but maybe that’s just because Hoffman and Phoenix act with such fiery passion. Amy Adams gives a very vital performance too as Dodd’s wife Peggy, whose actions and dialogue might suggest that she believes in Dodd’s theories more that he does. Admittedly, the film’s most glaring problem might be that her character can be seen as being underused.

What is The Master about though? So many people seem to be dumb founded by this question, to the point that they even say that the film simply has no plot or meaning to it. Roger Ebert even agreed with this, as his review said the film was “fabulously well-acted and crafted, but when I reach for it, my hand closes on air.” This couldn’t be farther from the case though, as the film does have a traditional arc to it, and its themes are all but blatant. For one, The Master should be taking far more literally than people have been seeing it as. It’s not so much an allegory, but a surreal character study, and period piece. One should pay attention to the allusions the film makes to phenomena of post-war America, such as the desire to feel enlightenment, or the feeling that we were all sexually repressed as a culture. Just take it as it is, don’t try too hard to look into inner meaning or motif. The film is trying to communicate on the fever dream that seemingly gripped an entire nation after the close of a brutal war, and the start of an uncertain future. A theme that resonates especially when you consider that it’s not dissimilar from America’s current predicament.

While the film is certainly chilly as many critics have said, I also feel that many of those same reviewers have been disregarding that there is a real warmth to The Master as well. The disorienting aesthetics definitely match Freddie’s paranoid and aimless state, but all of this subsides in the moments when the character is truly happy. The inklings we see of his past are majestic to say the least, as the flashback sequence of that character’s romance with a young girl is tender and sweet, and really shows a human side to the animalistic Freddie. In interviews Anderson has said he was interested in this time period as many stories at the time involved people trying to reclaim their past(possibly a page taking from The Great Gatsby), something that Freddie has been literally and metaphorically running from for the whole film. Also, the film is very funny too, and I feel that if you miss on the film’s humor than you are doing it a great disservice. Funny faces, ironic gestures, slapstick and even fart jokes are present in The Master, and helps one to find sympathy in these flawed characters. As Lancaster Dodd says while addressing a crowd of believers, “the secret is laughter,” and I feel this is more than just a nudge on Paul Thomas Anderson’s part as a provocateur. Anderson has often been referred to as this generation’s Kubrick as he has always made studio-budgeted films while retaining his auteurship, and I feel The Master is even more supportive of this claim than any of his previous pictures. Like Kubrick before him, he’s made a film that at first glance may appear to be pessimistic, while in reality it’s far more accurate to see the film as being cautiously optimistic. In fact, this might be the first American film since Eyes Wide Shut to make such startling use of dream logic.

The extras included on the DVD prove interesting, although they’re certainly not as insightful as some would hope. Those who noticed that there were numerous scenes in the trailers that were not included in the film will be glad to find that Anderson has found another use for them here. The 20-minute-long outtake and deleted scene montage Back Beyond meshes some highlights that were cut from the film, and edited in a fashion that’s similar to the film’s pace. Also included are the various trailers that were made for the film, as well as a brief look at some behind the scenes footage. All nice touches, but the DVD also sorely lacks a commentary track which I think just about everybody would want for a film like this. Probably the best extra for the DVD (and reserved only for the Blu-ray edition) is the inclusion of the 1946 documentary Let There Be Light. John Huston’s documentary about WWII veterans is cited as an immense influence for The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson, and grants viewers more familiarity with the period that is depicted in the film.

Only time will tell as to what The Master will be looked on in Anderson’s filmography, but in this reviewer’s opinion I feel it will only only grow more reputable with age. In the years ahead where we can remove The Master from it’s expectation as a Scientology parallel, I feel that people will find a far more rewarding experience. Even now The Master shows that Anderson is one of the few working filmmakers to have such an evolving career, starting out with accessible (albeit extremely well crafted) genre films like Boogie Nights, coming to a more subdued transition with his romantic comedy Punch Drunk Love, and now becoming a true arthouse staple who makes dense films that read like the prose of Samuel Beckett. I just find it so maddening that so many people refused to look at The Master as anything other than a messy film with an unclear path, despite admitting it had breathtaking cinematography and performances. Anderson’s film is a masterpiece, a sensation, and a love story for the ages, one just has to have their mind and soul in exactly the right place to see that.

Album Review Jamie Lidell – (Self Titled)

by Rio Toro

Jamie Lidell: Jamie Lidell

Similar Artists: Cee-Lo, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye

Genre: EDM, Neo-Soul, R&B

Label: Warp

For a white guy, Jamie Lidell has an immaculate and beautifully soulful voice, so it is interesting that despite its prevalence throughout his work, it has never been what has made his music great. Although he probably likes to see himself as a relevant artist in contemporary r&b, in reality he has received little crossover success beyond electronic circles. Although his voice has been a nice enough addition, it is the production that has always shined. As a radio friendly self titled album, this seems to be Jamie’s final push in an attempt to be seen as more than a very talented electronic producer.

I will get to the results of this rebirth soon, but first a quick overview. Jamie Lidell creates glimmering and intelligent EDM that captures the essence of the 70’s and early 80’s while employing updated technology. He is a stellar producer who has recently reached veteran status in the field. In the late 1990’s to early 2000’s he earned recognition as one half of experimental techno unit “Super-Collider” and subsequently began releasing solo material for Warp Records. His best albums under his birth name (most notably “Multiply” and “Compass”), have a sense of radical adventurousness associated with them and are gems within their niche.

Sadly, here Lidell trades in much of his unorthodox trademarks for near pastiche. Each song becomes somewhat of a “name-the-influence” game, and despite the greatness of these influences (Prince, D’Angelo, Marvin Gaye), the results are far inferior to their parents. It certainly isn’t a bad thing that this is a radio friendly “pop” album – you would think Jamie would be the kind of producer who could break into the top 40 without having to sell out – but the songs are hindered by vocals that are either too emotional or not emotional enough…I often can’t tell which.

Toro Y Moi’s “Anything In Return” was similarly geared towards larger scale success, but on that album, Chaz Bundwick added his own distinctiveness to pop-radio to create a fresh (if not entirely original) sound. This is much more effortless in comparison, and is disappointing concerning how talented we know the artist to be. Even worse though, is that this album isn’t even enjoyable to listen to. There is clearly an element of enthusiasm lacking here, so it is a wonder if Jamie even had fun making it.

A few months ago, when first single “What a Shame” was released, it garnered critical acclaim and Jamie received a popularity boost to boot. This track stands as a template for what much of the remainder of the album attempts – action packed, 3-4 minute pop jams with big choruses – and it is all equally well produced. While “What a Shame” stood as a somewhat exciting lead single, just like the rest of the album, it fails to hold its own after multiple plays. So much pop music has taken the route of production over style and grace, and this falls into a similarly dark pothole.

I could go on to write about more songs, and their individual characteristics within the album, but the thing is, these songs don’t really inspire much in the way of words. Over the last few years, with artists such as “How to Dress Well”, “Frank Ocean”, “Autre Ne Veut”, and even “The xx”, R&B has been awakening from an incubation period. For a moment, it seemed that Jamie would be one of the leading contributors in this exciting evolution. I’m sad to say that this rebirth doesn’t warrant him a spot alongside these artists; how could it if it doesn’t even cause us to turn our heads? 🙁

Track Listing:

1.) I’m Selfish*

2. ) Big Love

3.) What A Shame*

4.) Do Yourself a Faver

5.) You Naked

6.) Why_Ya_Why

7.) Blaming Something*

8.) You Know My Name

9.) So Cold

10.) Don’t You Love Me?

11.) Track 11*

Album Review: Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis – Cheater’s Game

by Pamela Gordon

Don’t let the adolescent 1970’s album art fool you; Cheater’s Game has an accomplished, new, grown up sound. The married couple of about 16 years has decided to come together and collaborate on this album, consisting of both original and cover tracks. The album wasn’t written because they were cheating, so don’t worry this country power couple is still as strong as ever before. But the songs do carry a cheating and loving theme, so haters beware.

Both Robison & Willis have collaborated on tracks before, but this is their first full album together after taking their own journey as a solo artist. Cheater’s Game still manages to show off the talents of both individuals, while flourishing as a duo too. Vocally, they sing solo and together, some tracks are split 50/50 while others not as equal, but it appears that this may be the intention.

For example, “Border Radio” is performed equally by Robison & Willis. It discusses a woman who is alone because her man hasn’t come back around. It is implied through the lyrics that the track is neither about Robison or Willis, but rather about another women. Robison takes the lead on “Lifeline”, told from his point of view, and discusses how his life has turned for the worse and that negativity seems to follow him, “Stuck here cursing your name, Last in line first in flames”. The only portion where Willis supports him (both vocally and emotionally) is the chorus, pleading “Send me a lifeline, little bit of hope.” A track where Willis takes the lead is “9,999,999 Tears”, it may sound musically uplifting but it is awfully depressing as the title suggests. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s a great track (a cover of Dickey Lee’s original) but it’s downright sad. She sings “Sun didn’t shine this morning’ it’s been rainin’ the whole day through, suddenly without warning, you found someone new.” The portion where Willis joins her is during the chorus, where his accompaniment practically validates & promotes that she has “Got nine million, nine hundred ninety nine thousand, nine hundred ninety nine tears to go, and then I don’t know if I’ll be over you.”

Aside from the lyrically symbolic talents, the album is full of good tunes. “But I do” is a fast paced song which surprised me with its use of brass starting between the chorus and verse, filling in the hole that the typically would be by the bass. Their harmonies during “Ordinary Fool” project sadness through their vocals and lyrics, providing myself (and surely others as well) with an optimal listening experience. During “Born to Roll” they musically achieve the feeling of driving in a car down a highway. Even without knowing the lyrics, the intention of the music alludes to this. They wistfully sing through track after track without overdoing it or becoming too showy.

Regardless if the track is an original or a cover, each song in it’s own way can be a hit. What must be taken into consideration though is that the album is not electronically heavy. No electric guitar, electric bass, or weird vocal assisting devices. The talent is derived from the lyrics, the acoustical instruments and the vocals. What lacks in electrics is made up otherwise. Robison and Willis not only make a successful marriage, but make a country power couple and album. Who says married couples can’t work together was dead wrong on this one.

Pamela Erin Gordon

Golden Boy Falls Short of Gold Standard

by Michael Tyminski

Golden Boy, Tuesdays, 10p.m Eastern Time, CBS

Last night, CBS, the network that brought you 3 CSI’s, 2 NCIS’s, Hawaii Five O, Blue Bloods, and numerous other cop shows over the past decade unveiled the newest in their never ending assembly line of shows about people investigating murders and drug dealers in Golden Boy.

Golden Boy tells the story of Walter William Clark Jr. (Theo James), as he makes his meteoric rise from beat cop to the the youngest Police Commissioner of New York City. After a short three years on the job, his on the job heroics led him to a promotion to the homicide squad. While there he’s paired up with a Don Owen, whom is a veteran detective closing in on retirement (Chi McBride). While solving murders, he’s dealing with equally ambitious and underhanded rival cop Christian Arroyo (Kevin Alejandro).

Plot wise, the show seems to be pretty contrived, but the fact that the entire show is told from the perspective of Clark makes this perfectly acceptable, since I would expect that a character of that ilk would try to present himself in the best possible light to a newspaper reporter (Richard Kind). It seems pretty solidly written, giving a show a little more pop than your standard issue crime procedural, even if it tends to over-rely on jargon during the shows numerous action scenes.

There’s one glaring problem with Clark is that even as commissioner, he comes obnoxious and entirely unlikeable, even when he’s trying to console a victims family. This brusqueness is even more apparent when Clark plays his younger self, as he slaughters the fourth amendment and performs a sick revenge fantasy all within the span of our premiere 60 minutes. In a semi related quibble, this may be the New Yorker in me, but why does every cop in Golden Boy‘s NYPD sound like they’re from Boston?

Chi McBride on the other hand, is excellent as grizzled veteran Owen. He plays the grizzled veteran actually trying to teach the young upstart Clark. Owen seems to be the moral center of a show that seems to angle itself long-term into the story of a rivalry between Clark and Arroyo. Kevin Alejandro plays an excellent smug snake as Arroyo, though it’s difficult to differentiate him from Clark at times because of how smugly Theo James plays Walter Clark.

The cinematography is interesting, and generally strong with its heavy use of time lapse photography. They also take advantage of some unique shots, like a spring to life shot in the opening scene to create a sense of urgency unlike any other I’ve seen in a TV show to this point. One minor quibble in this area, is that every window has this weird glow to it that makes it seem like the characters are staring at TV’s every time they look out the window.

Final Verdict: Golden Boy is serviceable as both a political drama and a cop show, even if it tends to be a little pedestrian at times. I think that the pilot should have at least made Clark as commissioner a little more likable, as quite frankly, I struggle to see why I would recommend a story about the rise of such an unsympathetic protagonist. This might be worth checking into later to see if James can hit the soft notes as Clark, but unless you happen to be watching the NCIS smorgasbord lead-in, I can’t see going out of your way to catch this.

Album Review: Iceage – You’re Nothing

by Rio Toro

Iceage: You’re Nothing

Similar Artists: The Fall, No Age, Metz

Genre: No-Wave, Goth-Rock, Punk, Post-Hardcore

Label: Matador

Somehow, this nihilistically driven punk band made up of Danish teenagers has gotten a lot of attention in America as of late. Ever since their debut in 2011, seemingly due to their blood splattering live shows that excellently showed off the band’s raw intensity, they have been called “saviors of punk” and “the only authentic punk-revivalists”. It’s funny though, that many label this as straight up punk music, because it actually has much more in common with no-wave bands or sludgy goth-rock. Sure, there are hooks and some poppy moments, but the music should have proved inaccessible to most indie rock listeners (It hasn’t). If a change is happening regarding ugliness ever so slightly making its way into the mainstream, Iceage are leading the battle, and they certainly have enough energy and wit to do so.

Regardless of whatever astronomical alignment brought this band into the spotlight, they are surely worthy of the praise they have received. With “New Brigade” and now this, Iceage have crafted some of the most brash and delightfully sloppy rock music in recent memory. Just like some of the best hardcore albums, at fewer than 30 minutes, these two are exceedingly brief and spontaneous. There is no repetition, and each song encapsulates an impressive amount of detail. The cavalcade of distortion, grimy textures, and Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s dogly yowl of a voice make this a difficult listen, but much like a My Bloody Valentine album, the waves eventually part and we can tell just how labored over these songs are.

“You’re Nothing” sees the band make the appropriate improvements to their sound without sacrificing any of their grit. This is a tighter record in terms of songwriting and just about everything else as well, but it still feels that these young punks are simply making music for themselves, and that they don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks. This album is certainly no overhaul in sound, and it shouldn’t be, because Iceage are mining territory that no one else is right now.

Each and every song here is worthy of analysis, but I’ll just remark on a few key pieces. Opener “Ecstacy” is the band’s brazen stomp of dirtiness that conveys the album’s heavy, anxiety led themes. During the verse Rønnenfelt sings /Pressure, Pressure, all god knows/ in his zombie drawl while we are buried by creaking gothic guitars. “Burning Hand” is a heavier piece that incorporates sludgy “Melvins” inspired guitars and dreadful vocals. In case you thought these guys couldn’t kick out a demanding and fastidious guitar riff, “In Haze” puts you to rest. The link that holds all these pieces together is the infusion of manic, sweat inducing percussion.

“Morals” might be the true highlight here, with piano chords (yes, you read that right) laying alongside exasperated vocals that cry, /to be someone like you/ which recalls “The Cure” at their self loathing best. The second part of the song continues with the painfully sung verse /where’s your morals/ which is surely to be one of their defining live moments. “It Might Hit First” is screams and dissonance, lightning fast chord patterns and incessant drumming. The last two songs, “Awake” and “You’re Nothing” are some of the most accessible. The title track in particular is very reminiscent of 70’s pop punk, and surely contains what is to be some of their most shouted lyrics at upcoming shows.

While describing this band, it is necessary to use negative adjectives (incessant, exasperated, dreadful) that you wouldn’t imagine added up to good music, but somehow it all works perfectly here. To take a quote from David Byrne “The better a singer’s voice, the harder it is to believe them”. This completely describes why so many people become infatuated with artists such as Dirty Projectors, or the even uglier Xiu Xiu. Like those artists, (Talking Heads included), Iceage is pure, expressive and wholly authentic, three traits that have always added up to make great music. They have always been the traits that I have followed in my quest of endless music discovery, and as of now, I will follow Iceage wherever they take me.

Track Listing:

1.) Ecstacy*

2.) Coalition*

3.) Interlude

4.) Burning Hand*

5.) In Haze

6.) Morals*

7.) Everything Drifts

8.) Wounded Hearts

9.) It Might Hit First

10.) Rodfæstet*

11.) Awake

12.) You’re Nothing*

Album Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away

by Rio Toro

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Push the Sky Away

Similar Artists: The Mountain Goats, Tom Waits, Scott Walker

Genre: Singer-songwriter, Post-Punk, Indie

Label: Bad Seeds Ltd.

How many people can say they truly know Nick Cave? I certainly can’t, and I don’t think I would want to either. He is a perplexing artist whose ideals have stretched his work far beyond that of any of his so-called peers. His extensive discography with the Bad Seeds alone has been consistent enough that each new release has presented the band’s signature style in a freshly drawn light. Despite their increased age, these folks have never lost their edge as musicians, and the material they are putting out nowadays is arguably as great as its ever been. However, and this is a big however, if you are a newcomer, there is a time consuming process involved for full enjoyment.

If you aren’t familiar with this band’s previous work, it is quite essential that you start at the beginning, with 1984’s “From Her To Eternity”, or better still, you can start with Nick Cave’s highly influential goth-rock group “The Birthday Party” in 1980. So this is undoubtedly a lot of music to listen to, and taking the plunge will likely put you out of listening to anything else for about a month, however, the process is crucial because of Nick Cave’s constant progression upon past ideas and his use of “inside jokes” that only the closest-knit fans will comprehend. Missing out on even one album can be detrimental to your view on the band’s universe as a whole. If you are a hardcore music nerd like me, you shouldn’t allow that for yourself.

Still, despite having listened to the entirety of this band’s music, I can’t say I have digested all of it, especially when speaking of lyrical content. True lyrical insight here requires focused listens, preferably accompanied by a lyric sheet – but any fan will tell you it is worth the extra time. Much like Tom Waits or John Darnielle, Cave has created a dense mythology around his work. Encased in these albums are several novels worth of picaresque characters, interesting scenarios and fantastical settings; all of which revolve around Nick Cave’s black sense of humor and irresistibly sardonic tone. Nick Cave is not simply trying to be the coolest person in the world; he is also trying to be the most interesting and intelligent.

This is his 15^th album with the Bad Seeds, and alongside “The Boatman’s Call”, “No More Shall We Part” and “Abbatoir Blues”, it is among his most somber and least rock & roll. Only on “Jubilee Street” are we greeted to anything resembling a traditional rock piece. Assumingly inspired by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ film scores over the past few years, this is music of the cinematic variety. All the tracks here are accompanied by some sort of orchestral element. The production values are high, as we are now used to with this band, but the instrumentation is all used tastefully to prevent any bombastical splurging.

We have heard orchestral before from these guys, so what really sets this album apart from previous work is its lack of percussion. This lack of a beat gives the album a buoyant, dream like feel, and is best represented with the mesmerizing opening and closing tracks – which are peerless when concerning any of the band’s previous sounds. With that said, you certainly won’t be mistaking this for any dream pop band, it is still Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, but now they are wearing a highly glossy new shed of skin.

Some songs, such as “Finishing Jubilee Street”, are clearly about dreams, but with the bizarre imagery laid throughout I wouldn’t be surprised if the entirety of the album was culled from nocturnal fantasies. There are some truly head scratching lines here, like when Mylie Cyrus and Hanna Montana play roles in a song that clearly has nothing to do with them/her, or a reference to Wikipedia being heaven. Similarly, the spelling of the first track, “We No Who U R”, seems to reflect that the band is poking fun at an earlier generation. Previously, most of Cave’s lyrics have been enrooted in the past, so this new, very modern approach of spawning lyrics from random internet searches seems all the more grasping (and of course, hilarious). It is a nice change of pace for the band, as many of the lyrics seem more open to interpretation and impressionistic, yet still containing Cave’s knack for storytelling.

So if I haven’t made myself clear already, this is a great album, and one that has its own spot in the group’s discography. After the high octane rush of “Dig, Lazarus, Dig” and the Grinderman side project, we needed something more mellow. This is the perfect antithesis of those records and shows yet another, just as worthy side to the band.

Track Listing:

1.) We No Who U R*

2.) Wide Lovely Eyes

3.) Water’s Edge

4.) Jubilee Street*

5.) Mermaids*

6.) We Real Cool

7.) Finishing Jubilee Street

8.) Higgs Boson Blues

9.) Push the Sky Away*

* – Album Highlight

85th Annual Academy Awards Live Coverage

by Michael Tyminski

The Oscars: Tonight starting at 7 p.m. On ABC

6:30 pm: Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen! I’m Mike Tyminski, and I’m back to live blog this years Oscars. The Oscars always tend to be the apex of awards season, and there are a number of intriguing questions that go along with this years ceremony.

First and foremost on many viewers minds: Who is going to pick up the Oscar for Best Picture? We have a diverse group of films here, ranging from musical classics (Les Miserables) to historical period pieces (Lincoln) to contemporary action dramas (Zero Dark Thirty) to foreign artsy flicks (Amour). The real question here though is, can this award season’s juggernaut Argo, be stopped (it did seem to be the most snubbed of the Best Picture contenders)? Will early favorite Lincoln recapture its’ luster in the eyes of voters? Will Quentin Tarentino finally get some respect for Django Unchained? Or will it go to a dark horse like Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook, or Beasts of the Southern Wild?

The most hotly contested category this year, however, is for Best Supporting Actor. With five former Oscar winners in Alan Arkin (Argo), Robert DeNiro (Silver Linings Playbook), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), each of whom turned in stellar performances in their respective films. While I’m personally pulling for Waltz, I could get behind any of the candidates winning.

As with the Grammys, my primary focus will again be on the presentation. We have a controversial host choice this year in Seth McFarlane. The question is, which Seth McFarlane will we get? Will we get the man who has a clear reverence for the golden ages of film and TV to the extent that he made six homages to the “Road To…” series in his hit series Family Guy, or will we the get the man whose also responsible for some of the most line-obliterating jokes on broadcast TV? It should be interesting to see the mix, and whether he will go in the pantheon of great hosts like Billy Crystal in the mid 90’s, or the pantheon of awful hosts like David Letterman. I’m personally cautiously optimistic here, and I can’t wait to see how the show itself turns out.

Jessica Chastain on the Red Carpet -- Source: Yahoo! — Jessica Chastain on the Red Carpet — Source: Yahoo!

6:55 pm: Some news and opinions from the red carpet.

We will see a number of medleys tonight, including one from Les Miserables and another involving past Oscar winners singing hits from their respective films (including Catherine Zeta-Jones singing a number from Chicago and Jennifer Hudson singing a song from Dreamgirls).

The red carpet seemed to move at a considerably slower pace than the Grammys with only a handful of stars arriving as of 6:40 pm. Most of the early arrivals have been fashion successes with no real fashion nightmares along the lines of Adele’s from two weeks ago.

On the red carpet front, Jessica Chastain is looking amazing in an elegant coral dress that works despite all of the potential pitfalls that could have came with that dress. In terms of more edgy outfits, Samantha Barks succeeded with a cute black dress with a plunging neckline.

I’m a little torn on Zoe Saldana’s dress, which has a feathered top leading to a sleek, multi-shaded bottom the split up the leg that Angelina Jolie, popularized last year. While I’m not a huge fan of feathering or overly busy top, as your eye moves towards the legs, the dress picks up in elegance.

My highlight of the Red Carpet so far?: Jennifer Lawrence lamenting the lack of food before the show mentioning that the show is “way too long”.

It’s 7pm, time to switch over to the ABC feed.

I've spent an hour of my life determining whether or not this dress is a winner...final verdict? It is. (source: Yahoo!) — I’ve spent an hour of my life determining whether or not this dress is a winner…final verdict? It is. (source: Yahoo!)

7:30 pm: Some more news from the red carpet…

In terms of fashion, I’m slowly finding that most of the looks that are not clicking with me seem to be isolated to ABC’s red carpet coverage team. Neither Kristin Chenowith nor Kelly Rowland’s looks are particularly resonating with me, with Kelly’s looking awkward due to the way the wrap up top feels around her bodice. Anne Hathaway’s dress is failing with me similarly, as the cut feels very awkward and more like an apron than a classy dress on what has to be the classiest fashion night of the year.

On the star front, the stars are trickling in at a faster rate, Catherine Zeta-Jones is looking fabulous in an ornate gold dress. Naomi Watts has a modern Silver Sparkled number that looks classy even with an open shoulder and a clawlike cut.

In an update, having gotten to see a wider shot, Zoe Saldana’s dress has officially won me over.

8:00 PM: With only one network showing live Red Carpet coverage from here on out (ABC), I’m going to take a minute to pop out some quick pre show predictions:

Best Picture: Lincoln (I think Argo doing as well as it did everywhere else was as much a response to the Academy keeping Ben Affleck out of the race for best director).

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Less a prediction, more an inevitability)

Best Actress in a supporting role: Anne Hathaway (See Above)

Best Director: Michael Haneke (This could really be anyone BUT Ang Lee, my inner geek demands payback for the 2003 Hulk movie, I feel like Amour needs a nod in a major category somewhere and here seems to be the best place).

Best Supporting Actor: Robert DeNiro (Silver Linings Playbook needs a little love somewhere along the way).

In red carpet news, Charlize Theron looks magnificent in a very modern (almost futuristic) looking white Dior dress. I’m also pretty fond of the Black and Gold sparkly dress that Nicole Kidman is rocking tonight. Lots of black, white, and gold tonight on the red carpet, but I feel that’s standard issue for the Oscars.

In what has to be a redemption for her from two weeks ago, Adele is wearing a black dress that seems miles better from the flower print disaster she wore two weeks ago.

This may be me, but I feel like there’s a small trend of people bringing their mothers to the show, as both Bradley Cooper and Chris Evans have brought their mothers to the show tonight.

Charlize Theron's futuristic dress from tonight's Oscars (source: Yahoo!) — Charlize Theron’s futuristic dress from tonight’s Oscars (source: Yahoo!)

8:25 PM: One last batch of updates before we go inside for the show:

The quote of the Red Carpet so far: “Win or lose, I’ll be drinking” – George Clooney

It was teased tonight that we should be getting some kind of Bond tribute in an interview between Robin Roberts and Halle Berry. Speaking of Ms. Berry…those shoulder pads are killing me and really need to be left in the 1980’s where they belong.

Jennifer Aniston is rocking a dress that feels like a tale of two dresses: From the waist up it’s a dress that looks classy, elegant and timeless, that train however, doesn’t seem to flow naturally from the material itself, and as a result gives off an unflattering vibe.

One final spoiler, Kristin Chenowith is somehow involved with the finale of the show.

On that note…the show’s about to start, be back with more after the first commercial break and keep checking in throughout the night for more opinions and news!

8:55 PM: We open to Seth McFarlane walking out to the usual fanfare and a brief introduction. McFarlane opens with “the quest to make Tommy Lee Jones laugh begins now”. McFarlane’s speech so far seems to be tacking closer to reverence for the classics than the irreverent side that people dreaded we would see from him. Seth announces this year has a theme for the first time in “Music in Film”.

We get a cameo from William Shatner trying to stop Seth McFarlane from singing a number titled “We Saw Your Boobs” (backed up by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles). This leads into Seth McFarlane singing “Just the Way you Look Tonight” backed up by Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum. Shatner also tries to prevent McFarlane from re-enacting the film flight with sock puppets. This leads to another song and dance number with Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. William Shatner only then finally upgrades it to mediocre, only for Seth to find out he offends and takes home Sally Field after he fawns over her role in the flying nun. He amends that by singing “Be Our Guest”

This leads to Seth McFarlane bringing out Octavia Spencer for our slugfest of the night: Best Supporting Actor.

Our nominees are: Alan Arkin (Argo), Robert DeNiro (Silver Linings Playbook), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).

AND THE WINNER IS: Christoph Waltz! He’s 2 for 2 (his prior win for Inglorious Basterds).

Waltz has a very grateful tone, thanking Quentin Tarantino and his fellow costars.

Overall I thought this opening was stellar. McFarlane was funny except for one misplaced jab at Mel Gibson, the musical numbers were on point, and opening on the biggest bloodbath of the night has already given this night a sense of importance. We seem to be getting more of class Seth than crass Seth and if that’s the case this should be a very enjoyable three hours.

9:12 PM: Seth calls out Paul Rudd and Melissa McCarthy to present the award for Best Animated Short Film

The Nominees Are: Paper Man, Maggie’s Longest Day Care, Adam and Dog, Fresh Guacamole, and Head Over Heels.

The Winner is: Paper Man, John Kahrs.

They also present the best Animated Film:

The Nominees are: Brave, The Pirates, Frankenweenie, Paranorman and Wreck It Ralph.

The Winner is: Brave

Mark Andrews walks up rocking a kilt. He gives a quick set of thank yous.

Reese Witherspoon is out to highlight three of our Best Picture nominees: Les Miserables, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and The Life of Pi. Clips of all three of those movies are played.

We then get a quick cut back to Seth McFarlane, who gives credit to Quezevahne Wallisfor scoring a Best Actress nod at the tender young age of nine.

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner are out to present the award for Best Cinematography.

The Nominees are: Anna Karenina, Life of Pi, Django Unchained, Lincoln, and Skyfall

The Winner is: Claudio Miranda of Life of Pi.

Robert Downey Jr. and Sam Jackson then get into a mock argument after Sam skips most of the introduction for Best Visual Effects (and then fails to get the envelope open).

The Hobbit, The Life of Pi, The Avengers, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman.

The Winner is: The Life of Pi. (and thankfully NOT Snow White and the Huntsman).

The Jaws theme cuts off the Visual Effects speech, proving that the guys in the back don’t really get that much respect.

That segment moved at a fever pitch, going through four awards in about 12 minutes, hopefully the show gives it’s segments a little more time to breathe from here on out.

9:27 pm: We return to Seth McFarlane, who introduces Channing Tatum and Jennifer Aniston, who come out to announce the awards for Achievement in Costume Design:

The Nominees Are: Anna Karenina, Les Miserable, Lincoln, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman

The Winner is: Jacqueline Durran (Anna Karenina).

They then announce the Nominees for Achievement in Makeup and Hair Stiling

The Nominees Are: Hitchcock, The Hobbit, Les Miserables.

The Winner is: Les Miserables.

Seth McFarlane then introduces Halle Berry, whom then introduces a tribute to the fiftieth anniversary of James Bond in film. Halle Berry stumbles a little on the teleprompter, before a montage with the Bond Theme, Live and Let Die. The montage then seamlessly integrates into a live performance of “Goldfinger” by Dame Shirley Bassey. It seemed like a solid tribute if you’re sort of person whose into the 007 films (which admittedly, I am not).

9:46 pm: Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington come out to announce the award for best short film.

The Nominees are: Curfew, Death of A Shadow, Assad, Bukhazhi Boys, and Henry.

The winner is: Curfew

They also present the award for best short documentary film.

The nominees are: Kings Point, Open Heart, Inocente, Monday’s At Racine, Redemption

The award goes to: Inocente.

The documentary’s producers, Sean and Andrea Nix Fine then take the opportunity to request for increased funding for the arts, noting the change for the subject in their documentary from homeless to artist in one short year.

Sean then introduces Liam Neeson, whom introduces three more best picture nominees: Argo, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty. It seems particularly interesting that the three most America-centric movies are grouped together.

Seth gives a little bit of an Oscar tidbit mentioning that Daniel Day-Lewis was the second actor to be nominated for playing Lincoln (Raymond Massey was the first), before pitching it to Ben Affleck (after making sure to bring up Gigli, of course).

Ben Affleck is out to present the award for Best Documentary Feature, getting a jab back at McFarlane stating “I thought this show was going well, but there’s still time for you to turn it around”.

The nominees are: The Gatekeepers, How to survive a plague, The Invisible War, Searching for Sugar Man, and Five Broken Cameras.

The winner is: Searching for Sugar Man.

This may be me, but using the Jaws music as the “Speed up, your speech is too long” music feels pretty tasteless.

10:05 PM: Seth brings out Jennifer Garner and Jessica Chastain, whom are both here to present the award for Best Foriegn Language Film.

The Nominees Are: Amour, Kontiki, No, A Royal Affair, War Witch.

The winner is: Amour (did you really expect anything else? It is nominated for best picture).

Seth then introduces John Travolta who then introduces a medley of the finest tracks from Les Miserables, Chicago, and Dreamgirls. It opens with Catherine Zeta-Jones performing “All That Jazz” before segueing into Jennifer Hudson performing “I’m telling you, I’m not going”. This then merged into a track from Les Miserables, with a large segment of the cast performing “One Day More”.

Something seemed off with Zeta-Jones’s performance (there were parts where it seemed like either her sound cut off or she was off lipsync), but I thought Jennifer Hudson did an excellent job on her song, bringing the power that a song like “I’m telling you” needs. On the Les Miserables portion, both Hugh Jackman and Samantha Barks stood out the most, as they seemed to be strongest singers in the ensemble.

10:25 pm: We return to Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana, whom are out to present the awards for the scientific and technical awards.

After the quick montage, we return to Seth McFarlane, who busts out a little self-deprecation about Ted before introducing both Mark Wahlberg and the Titular bear of his movie, Ted. They present the award for best sound mixing:

The nominees are: Argo, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Skyfall, and The Life of Pi.

The winner is: Les Miserables.

They also are presenting the award for Best Sound Editing. We finally get some of McFarlane’s line crossing humor, as Ted is trying to explain to Mark that you have to be Jewish to work in Hollywood.

The Nominees Are: Argo, Django Unchained, The Life of Pi, Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty.

The Winners Are: (a tie) Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall.

Seth then introduces the next presenter, who were the Von Trapp family singers (with a joke where where a Nazi storms in and screams, “They’re gone!”), before turning it over to Christopher Plummer, whom presents the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

The Nominees are: Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook).

And the winner is: Anne Hathaway (shocker, I know). She gives a seemingly interminable speech but doesn’t get the Jaws music (also a shocker, I know).

10:40 PM: Hawk Koch, president of the Academy of Film Arts and Sciences, announces the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, it will show how movies are made and announces the winners of a program where a number of young filmmakers whom won the right to hand the Oscars to the presenters tonight.

Seth then kicks it to Sandra Bullock, whom presents the award for Best Film Editing.

The Nominees are Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook.

And the winner is: Argo.

Jennifer Lawrence is out to introduce the theme from Skyfall as performed by Adele. The performance is everything you’d expect from Adele with tons of movements from a single arm, and her killer pipes doing most of the work. If you saw her Grammy performance last year, it basically is the same but with a different song, but i’m perfectly fine with that, as it’s become an Adele trademark at this point.

10:53 PM: Nicole Kidman is out to present the last three nominees for best picture: Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, and Amour. We see trailers of all three.

Seth then kicks it to Daniel Radcliffe and Kristen Stewart, whom are out to present the award for Achievement in Production Design. Kristen sounds either high, sick, awkward, or disinterested…I can’t tell which but it seemed like she was ill at ease up on stage.

Anna Karenina, The Hobbit, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, or Lincoln.

And the winner is: Lincoln.

Seth then introduces Selma Hayek discusses Governor’s and Humanitarian awards. D.A. Pennebaker, George Stevens Jr., and Hal Needham. Jeffrey Katzenberg won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

11:05 PM: George Clooney is out to introduce the “In Memoriam” segment of the Oscars. Amongst those that passed in the movie industry in calendar year 2012 are: Ernest Borgnine, Eiko Ishioka, Ralph McQuarrie, Jack Klugman, Celeste Holm, Adam Yauch, Michael Clarke Duncan, Charles Durning, Carlo Rambaldi, Erland Josephson, Richard Robbins, Stephen Frankfurt, Harris Savides, Tonino Guerra, Ulu Grosbard, Herbort Lom, Bruce Surtees, Andrew Sarris, George A. Bowers, Tony Scott, Theodore Soderberg, Lois Smith, Geoffrey Ammer, Neal Travis, Mike Hopkins, John Lowry, Hal Davis, Nora Ephron, Charles Rosen, Jake Eberts, Mike Kohut, Frank Pierson, Chris Marker, Charles Washburn, Ray Bradbury, Richard Rodney Nennett, Roger Sherman, Richard Zanuck, Matthew Yuricich, and Marvin Hamlisch.

The in memoriam then led to a Musical number by none other than Barbara Streisand, who sang “The Way We Were” in tribute to Marvin Hamlisch.

11:18 PM: Seth introduces the stars of Chicago, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Queen Latifah to introduce the award for Best Movie Score:

And the nominees are: Anna Karenina, Argo, Life of Pi, Skyfall, and Lincoln.

And the winner is: Life of Pi! (real shocker!, but that’s because as anyone whose ever taken a music of film course in college, it’s instinctive to assume that John Williams wins any score award in the history of everything ever, so seeing John Williams (Lincoln) not win is a mild upset by default).

They also presented the awards for Best Original Song:

“Suddenly” (Les Miserables), “Skyfall”(Skyfall), “Before My Time” (Chasing Ice), “Pi’s Lullaby” (The Life of Pi), “Everyone Needs a Best Friend” (Ted).

And the award goes to: “Skyfall” (Skyfall). Adele gives a short tear laden speech before passing it over to Paul Epworth, whom gives the short generic “Thank You” speech we’ve seen 100 times already tonight.

11:29 PM: After a very brief introduction, Charlize Theron and Dustin Hoffman appear to announce the awards for Best Screenplay (Adapted). Charlize and Dustin get in a great dig, with Charlize saying “A great screenplay comes from an inner light, or an inner darkness”, with Dustin finishing the sentence saying “or a writer who needs work.”

And the nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay: Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook.

And the winner is: Argo. Suddenly it seems like Argo has a real shot at taking home the big prize tonight.

They also present the award for Best Original Screenplay.

Original: Amour, Django Unchained, Flight, Moonrise Kingdom, and Zero Dark Thirty.

And the Winner is: Django Unchained. Quentin looks disheveled, but thanks his cast, cuts off the music, and then fawns over the competition in the writing category saying “This will be the writers year”.

And on that note if my count is right, we’re down to the two big acting awards, the award for Best Director and the Award for best film.

11:37 pm: Seth introduces Jane Fonda and Michael Doglas, who walk out through a background of glass flower like objects to present the award for Best Director.

And the Nominees Are: “Michael Haneke (Amour), Benh Zaitlan (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), David O. Russell (Silver Linings).

And the winner is: Ang Lee (for the Life of Pi and ruining the Hulk so badly they had to make a remake three years later…no i’m not still bitter he took my nine dollars and two hours of my life).

12:04 pm: Seth introduces last years best actor winner, Jean Dujardin, to present the award for Best Actress.

The Nominees Are: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emanuelle Riva (Amour), Qevenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), and Naomi Watts (The Impossible).

And the winner is: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook).

Jennifer nearly trips on her dress on the way to the stage, she gives what feels particularly like a heartfelt speech that leaves Jennifer on the verge of tears. Oddly enough ABC cuts to a shot of Robert Deniro falling asleep on his shoulder.

Seth then gives no introduction to Meryl Streep (his exact words, “our next presenter needs no introduction), whom is out to present the award for Best Actor.

The Nominees are: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Jaoquin Pheonix (The Master), and Denzel Washington (Flight).

And the winner is: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln). Daniel Day-Lewis is the first actor to win three Oscars in the best actor category.

Daniel Day Lewis gets in a quick joke about being committed to play Margaret Thatcher, while Meryl Streep was Spielberg’s first choice for Lincoln. He gives a humble, endearing, and funny speech in which he thanks his wife for putting up for his method acting.

Finally, Seth introduces Jack Nicholson to announce the award for Best Picture. His copresenter is First Lady, Michelle Obama.

And the nominees are: Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, The Life of Pi, and Les Miserables.

And the winner is: Argo!

Ben Affleck is up to accept the award for Best Picture for Argo. In a touch of class, the producer who isn’t Ben Affleck or George Clooney gets the first crack at the speech, and immediately thanks…George Clooney. Affleck acknowledges the other 8 great films in a very rapid fire speech, eventually thanking everyone ever even remotely affiliated on this movie including his wife (Jennifer Garner) whom “he dosen’t associate with Iran”.

Finally, everything moves back to Seth, whom moves to the plugs segment, where all the major fee plugs of the show were given. Seth then brings out Kristin Chenowith, whom then perform a musical number dedicated to the losers, including Lincoln and Amour.

I will be back in a few minutes with a wrap-up and final verdict.

The Final Verdict: While I’m steamed about Ang Lee winning, by award shows standards this show worked. The gimmick of making McFarlane as McFarlane being mostly classy with some affectionate parody to old hollywood while hiding McFarlane’s more brusque jokes in a Teddy Bear or behind the whims of William Shatner seemed to strike the perfect compromise between the two aspects of McFarlane’s humor, and he totally deserves a second go (though like all of us, we wouldn’t mind getting a year of Fey and Poehler also). Seth was also particularly strong once the show hit hurry up mode (and his introductions were reduced to 15 words or less) around 11ish.

The presentation generally worked with the few performances involved generally hitting (Catherine Zeta-Jones was the only one who felt particularly off). For a show that was supposed to be all about “Music in Film” though, there seemed to be very little music within the show itself, with only three or four notable performances.

If I will dig at ABC for one thing, it’s the fairly misleading advertising. They advertised a 7 pm start time online, only for those who tuned in to find out that they were instead giving you a 90 minute (of strictly worse than E!’s) Red Carpet Show.

For those looking for more Oscar coverage, stay tuned to Manhattan Digest as our movie experts break down the show. Additionally, my other gig (The Mike Staub Pod Show, find us on Facebook) will be putting out an Oscar themed show later in the week where some of our actor friends put in their two cents on the show.

Album Review: Autre Ne Veut – Anxiety

by Rio Toro

Autre Ne Veut: Anxiety

Score: 9.7/10

Similar Artists: Grimes, Ariel Pink, Prince

Genre: Avant-Pop, R&B

Anonymity has become a bit overused within independent music in the past few years. Lately, it is being used to hype up an artist rather than remark on any truth behind the artist’s personality. Autre Ne Veut, who we now know as Arthur Ashin, has a much more complex and genuine reason for limiting his view within the public eye. He suffers from an anxiety disorder which has been the cause of much of his depression throughout his life, as well as the reason why his music career hadn’t kicked off sooner. Anxieties prevented him from making the overt pop music he had true passion for, and instead he took an easier route by composing ambient new-age music and jingles. On this appropriately titled LP, we are hearing this 30 year old expressing his true talent for the first time, and it turns out he is one of the very few who were born to make pop music.

Ashin’s 2^nd album as Autre Ne Veut and first for “Software” (run by his previous roommate Daniel Lopatin a.k.a Oneohtrix Point Never) is a masterpiece. It has taken me so long to write this review because of how emotionally overcome I am while listening to it. Ultimately cathartic doesn’t even begin to describe the raw purging that is evident in this man’s voice. He presents himself in a manner that is so distinct that the listener is forced to form a polarizing opinion. Depending on what side you come out on, his voice can either sound raucous, serene, overwrought, impeccable or messy. His previous self-titled album was similar in this sense, and albeit one aggravating track that my boyfriend calls “the worst song he has ever heard”, it was fantastic as well; however, on “Anxiety” ANV takes his adventurous style to the extreme, and the product is the most groundbreaking pop album I’ve heard in years.

The most obvious influence here in terms of vocals is Prince (maybe some Whitney Houston and Phil Collins as well), but in context with the production, no one is making music quite like this. Even avant-r&b extraordinaire “How to Dress Well” doesn’t seem comparable to the hyperbole worthy sound that ANV has created within the confines of his bedroom. ANV has more in common with artists who use their music to create new worlds, and represent abstract ideas that only appear in dreams (see similar artists)

ANV’s music explodes like little else I have heard. Opener and second single “Play by Play” is bursting at the seams with its own excitement. Like Dirty Projectors, Autre Ne Veut almost packs too many great ideas into one song. So many complex intricacies are present within the first three minutes that we are unsure if the chorus has arrived; when it finally does arrive, it is so brilliant that it doesn’t stop repeating until the song ends. Second track and first single “Counting” is just as fantastic. The chorus opens with a screeching boar oink that wouldn’t be out of place on a Scott Walker album, then, over a rapid fire arpeggiator Arthur sings /I’m counting on the idea that you’ll stay, I’m counting on the idea that you’ll say it’s alright/ which he states is in relation to his dying grandmother. It sounds like difficult listening on paper, but its execution is so perfect and natural that it will surely garner this artist some of the wide acclaim he deserves. The album is made up of these moments where the music is bordering on being inaccessible, but pulls through by the skin of it’s teeth.

The first two songs set a ridiculously high precedent for the remaining eight, but there are still plenty more in the way of highlights. “Ego Free Sex Free” has a complex multi-part structure, and similar to many songs on the album, the lyrics lead me to believe the song is not actually about the sexiness that the tone invokes. “A Lie” is a beautiful vocoder ballad notable for its acoustic guitar and strings. “Warning” has some of ANV’s best sung verses and includes prog-rock instrumentation. You’ll want to be singing along to all these songs, especially with each song containing multiple climaxes, but a forewarning: it is not as easy as ANV makes it seem.

Final song, “World War” is deserving of the highest honors. I would even say it’s my favorite album closer since “The Suburbs”. Like that album, Anxiety closes in a way that calls us back to its beginning, wherein the album’s progression becomes clear, or in this case, clear-er. The lyrics here are all spur of the moment, and can certainly be confusing in the context of a song, but in terms of how we deal with relationships ANV’s words are profound. In certain life instances where we feel we have uncovered an absolute truth, a phrase will repeat in our head through a loop. These moments found on the opening and closing numbers can be seen as two separate epiphanies experienced during a relationship.

ANV is an inspiration for anyone who ever felt they had a gift for making pop music but wasn’t self-confident enough to ever release any material. Personally, when I am wailing aloud in the shower, I attempt to match the unbridled intensity of one of ANV’s climactic verses. It feels good, it feels invigorating, and it feels incredible to know that artists like this one still exist.

Track Listing:

1.) Play by Play*

2.) Counting*

3.) Promises

4.) Ego Free Sex Free*

5.) A Lie*

6.) Warning

7.) Gonna Die

8.) Don’t Ever Look Back

9.) I Wanna Dance With Somebody

10.) World War*

* – Album Highlight

Seems So Wrong But Feels So Right: Jeselnik’s Offensive is Dark and Hilarious

by Michael Tyminski

The Jeselnik Offensive: Tuesdays at 10:30 on Comedy Central.

As a TV critic, I normally feel like it’s my job to favor quality, intelligent television over the supposed crass dregs that “drag down” the legitimacy of the medium.

That being said, I laughed at The Jeselnik Offensive way too much to hate it.

The Jeselnik Offensive, starring comedian Anthony Jeselnik, is a subversion of the late night talk show format and built around the concept of trying to offend yours (and everyone else’s sensibilities) as much as possible. It opens with a monologue where Jeselnik shoots off a number of one-liners riffing on the news stories of the day, follows up with a couple of short comedy segments before hitting the real meat of the show, his panel.

The panel is a pretty novel concept, as instead of following the traditional late night format of interviewing one guest usually a celebrity at a time, Jeselnik instead brings on both celebrities (which will usually be name comedians, this week he had on Amy Schumer and Aziz Ansari) simultaneously in order to get their opinions while also trying to get under their skin.

The show shines most when Jeselnik has people to play off of, whether it’s telling jokes about cancer patients to cancer patients, riffing on an oncologist retorting “You’ve got cancer!” after asking her to soberly tells him he has cancer or working with his panel (which usually composes the last two segments of the show).

If there’s an area where the show seems a little weak, it’s in Jeselnik’s delivery, which often feels monotone and a touch robotic, often intruding upon the timing of some of the jokes. This however is a fairly minor quibble as the jokes themselves were often hilarious and sidesplitting (one in which he compared a Tibetan monk in self-immolation favorably to the dress of Food Network star Guy Fieri made me almost spit my drink at the computer).

The Final Verdict: Comedy Central has found the ideal show to pair with Tosh.0 in a frat-boy oriented comedy block. The jokes already are hitting their mark in a way that makes me believe the show has legs beyond the shock jock style humor that the show is sold on. It’s the short of show that I know as a critic I should probably loathe, but I can’t help but loving it, and if dark comedy is your sort of thing (which admittedly, as anyone whose ever dealt with me can attest, is most definitely mine), you could do a lot worse than giving this show a shot.

Next Time: I’m doing a liveblog for the Oscars similar to the one I did for the Grammys this Sunday night. The show airs on ABC this Sunday night starting at 7pm Eastern/6pm Central, so my first post will likely hit around 6:30 Eastern Time.

REVIEWS

Footer