ISU time :)

                                                                                                     

                                                                           Vampire Weekend

 
        Vampire Weekend is a band that has had an Album released after 95’, so I will pick them.  They are an Indie band that does a lot of worldy like music.  The members are Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and, Chris Baio.  They all met while attending Columbia University, and started as a comedy rap group.  They all showed an interest in African music and punk music.  Their name comes from a short film by Ezra of the same name.  After Graduating, the band worked on their first album while working full time jobs.  The Bands first album Vampire weekend was released in January of 2008, with XL records, and it went to 17 on the UK Billboards 200.  Their second album Contra was released January 2010, and it debut at number 1 on the billboard 200.  After that the played a bunch of festivals.  This album was nominated for a Grammy, but lost to the black keys (Who I think didn’t deserve it).  

            The music, as I said above, is very African inspired, so they use bongos and vocal harmonies.  Their music is pop though, rather fast songs, hooks, listen to once and have it in your head.  The instruments used are the generic band set up with guitar, drums, bass, singer, but they use a lot of bongos and cellos and violins.  They draw a lot of inspiration from Paul Simon's Graceland.  Their Style is very preppy with brands like, Polo, lacoste, etc, very high end brands.  They where a lot of collard colourful shirts.  

            The music is about weird stuff and lyrics like “who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?” which an oxford comma is a comma that is before an “and” in a list like for example: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Richard Starkey, and George Harrison.  A lot of lyrics about nothing or to me at least, I’m sure they do but it doesn’t seem it.  A lot of bongo-like drums are used in the recording of their songs.  They sing about peter Gabriela, but there music is compared to a lot to Paul Simon's Graceland. 

                                                               Paul Simon


         Paul Simon is an artist who started out in the duo Simon and Garfunkel, split off and became famous with his solo career.  Paul Simon was born January 19^th 1941, in New Jersey, to some Jewish immigrants, and his dad played professional bass.  Lil ol’ Paul remembers his dad complementing him on his singing and that could have made him think about being a singer.  He started singing with Art Garfunkel at the age of 13.  Paul started writeing songs by 57’ and some are on crappy unknown labels.  In 1964 they got signed to Columbia records as Simon & Garfunkel.  Their fisrt album recorded was Wednesday morning 3 a.m, but was a flop till they overdubbed guitar into the track Sounds of Silence, then they got big.  After they got big they recorded four great records, Sounds of Silence; Parsley, sage, rosemary thyme; Bookends; and Bridge over Troubled water.  Simon And Garfunkel disband in 1970.  Paul went out to record some solo work, like There goes rhymin’ Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years, and most notably for this Graceland.  

           Though he has more folk music, Graceland is very worldy and inspired by African music.  Vampire Weekend was inspired a lot by this album ;) so I will talk about that.  Graceland was recorded in 1986 to Warner Brother’s music.  Paul went to south Africa in need of inspiration of music.  What came from it is a great record.  He got the inspiration to go there after hearing some of there music in a tape he had.  The music is African influenced and has African singing at points with him.  It is also one of his most successful albums to date.  It is raked as one of the greatest albums ever or like 46^th I think.  The music uses African inspired drums and electronic music, and African singing. He sings more like folk singing like telling a story.  His lyrics are like almost everyday things like conversations, and storys about kind of average people.  Paul simon was inspired by folk music and a artist called Woody Guthrie. 

                                                                 Woody Guthrie

          Guthrie was born july 14^th 1912 in Oklahoma.  Everywhere he went his house was burned on fire and his sis died, they think the mom did it.  Hi mother was locked up in an institution for being crazy.  His dad had to work off debt, so the eldest brother raised them.  He learned to play harmonica from a pal, and played for money or a sandwich.   He wasn't a great student and dropped out of school ;).  His dad brought him to texas and he played for a lil bit of money here and there.  He lived there awhile and then moved to California.   In California he achieved success as a radio host and played a little music there.  He learned a lot about politics here, and left due to different opinions.  He went to New York City there he wrote his most famous song “This Land is your land”, and recorded a lil music to victor music.  He got a job making big bucks with another radio station and moved to central park west, but quite because they told him what to sing.  He moved to Washington with a movie soundtrack/narration job, but the film never really happened.  He got bored and moved AGAIN to N.Y.C and played music with his friends.  He started recording a bit in 44 more profeesionaly called the Asch recordings.  He died October 3^rd 1967.  

        Well, Woody is obviously a folk artist no arguin’ that.  Instrumentation is just woody an acoustic guitar and a voice.  His voice is not the greatest, like most folk singers (Bob Dylan), but you have to look past that to his lyrics.  He mostly does preotest songs or songs that will change something.  He is most famous for his song This Land Is Your Land ( I remember singing a Canadian version in nova Scotia ;)).  He wrote famously on his guitar “this machine kills fascists”, which is another folk thing to do.  But Not all folk is like that, some just tell stories.  He dressed very 1930s :D. 

                                                              Comparisons

       Well simon was deff inspired of Woody becase anyone who knows anything about folk admires what hes done.  Most of S&G’s music is just an acostic guitar and singing. But the music from woody to vampire weekend is very different, you go from African music to very American music.  In a way it’s neat how 2 different genres can be linked so easily.    I mean Paul Simon might have been inspired by Woody, but also inspired by African music, so really, he doesn’t have one genre he listens to.  They all tell a story though the song Walcot is a story where as Dimonds on the soles of her shoes is a story.  I guess in a way Vampire weekend was more inspired by Graceland then Paul Simon, and Paul got inspired by a tape he had in his car.  It’s hard both vampire weekend and Paul Simon kind of cross over in genres to make there own sound, where as Woody IS just folk.  Vampire weekend also admired peter Gabriel, but I’d rather not do a preoject on them, and I think there music sounds more like Graceland.  I guess I can talk about the inspirations to Graceland. 

                                                         Boyoyo boys

        A very underground south African group.  They became more famous through a gent named Malcolm Mclaren, who is a rapper who made raps out of everything in the world.  And the song gumboots by Paul Simon is actually their song just he sang over it.  They have a couple albums and there drummer died.  That is what I got to say about that really. 

                                                                    Comparison again

          well, comparing Boyoyo boys to Paul Simon is easy since he just borrowed there music, and vampire weekend.  All African inspired music, a lot of drums bongos African like guitar.   I think Boyoyo Boys are an instrumental group, where as VP and Simon are not.  They gained inspiration from different sources.  The instruments in Boyoyo’s music are just African instruments they here all the time, but to us it’s something weird.  There is some new wave aspects to Paul Simons stuff and Vampire weekends stuff.  Paul Simons “ you can call me al” and a lot of the contra album like “White sky” kind of electronic but TOO much.  This really shows that people don’t just have one inspiration like Paul Simon and vampire weekend.  I guess in away there both similar that way

A classic song by good ol woody.   

You can see that this is a folk song.  one guitar 2 voices, but same instremntation as woody.  Not as happy as the last song but still as good.


 










                                                                             

From the contra album as you see doesn't sound like the rest.  but... ;)

                                              Now you can you can here a similar instrumentation, both heavily African influenced.  Both somewhat new wave.  




                                                     









                                                                             

                                          Just some african music Simon liked.

Some smashing awesome fun with Ghareck

                                  Review on king of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters 

King of Kong is a great film on arcade video games. You see that people get obsessed with arcade games, like how people are obsessed with there Games now. In away its kind of funny to see them get THAT into arcade games. Through the documentary you get to see a culture of people you may not see any other way.

The Goods: The film is good in showing how hard arcade games, and how hard you have to work to get those high scores. You see how it is still popular, but more with an older crowd. It catches my interest. 

The Badz: The film had a huge bias on Billy, know one is that bad. Billy is a jerk who, cheats, and says NOTHING nice. Another thing is that most of it was acted out, AND they make to big a deal about it. It doesn’t change the world if Billy or Steve wins. 
 
 
 
 
                                                  Review number 2 posters 

I’m going to review how cooool the posters are. That’s all i got to say.

Poster #1 Romeo and Juliet 
the Romeo and Juliet poster is kind of poopy, it’s small and kind of cheesy. You see the lead actors then in the background really cheessy pictures of men holding guns. It looks rather cheap. So I guess it gets 5/10.

Poster #2 The Beatles Anthology poster 
pretty neat poster of the Beatles, other then the nasty tape and construction paper. The poster just has a bunch of pictures of the beatles which for once is something different. In my opinion it is 8/10.

Poster #3 2001: a space odyssey poster 
This poster is pretty cool, since its a movie poster. It’s pretty big, which is great, and having a great pictures of spaceships. It’s not overly nerdy looking which is good. It’s simple and gets the point of a great film. I give this one 10/10!

Poster #4 Albert Einstein
This poster is the silly picture of Albert showing his tongue. It’s a silly poster, but the paper looks kind of cheap and its small, so it’s not from a real company. It’s a funny poster that, maybe not be well made, but still awesome. I give it 8/10. 

Poster #5 Justin Bieber
A Classic J-14 poster, it has; The Classic picture of Bieber standing with his old hair; the background is a weird background off a cheap site; Says in BIG BOLD LETTERS JUSTIN BIEBER. It’s a cheap poster that was from a magazine kind of cheesy. I give it 4/5

Poster #6 OK COMPUTER 
The poster is from the radiohead album OK COMPUTER. It’s a pretty neat poster with the album art work, and the message in the inside I think. It’s pretty good It’s a album poster done very well, I give it 9/10.

Poster #7 American Spendor 
I don’t really know what this is so i can’t really review it. It’s a promo poster which is cool, and I know this because it says comin’ to DVD, I’m sure if i knew what it was I’d like it more. Poster wise it’s neat 7/10.

Poster #8lost in translation 
It’s the movie poster of a movie I haven’t seen, but weirdly own on DVD. It’s a cool picture with a cool skyline of I’m sure Japan. It’s kind of plain, but is effective. It’s not really like the 2001 poster, but its pretty neat. I give it 7/10

Poster #9 Bowling for columbine 
This posters kind of funny to laugh at, because Michael Moores face looks weird. It’s a weird movie to have up seeing how it’s a documentary. It’s a classic movie poster awards quotes stuff like that, but it’s interesting to have. I give it 7/10.

Poster #10 Scott Pilgrim 
well, I don’t like this movie, but the poster isn’t that bad, another movie poster not AS stereotypical, but has the date at the bottom and a tag line. Poster wise it plain just a guy playing bass guitar, but what ruins it for me is the REALLY BAD tagline. It’s so stupid, I hate it. I give this poster 7/10. 

Posters 11 and 12# the watch men 
There kind of cool posters, but they’re classic cheap free ones. It has a date of the release, thats cool, but I don’t really like them they don’t jump out at me and sit there in a corner. I will give them a 6/10

poster # 13 The simpsons 
This one is a cheap poster you get for free in a simpsons comic. It’s pretty cool it’s the simpsons looking in at the simpsons. Pretty small but cool. 8/10. 

Poster # 14 the beatles yellow sub 
A cool poster of the beatles again. This one is based off the yellow submarine film, not a movie poster. You can tell because I haven’t seen it before and it doesn’t talk about release dates. It’s made out of good paper. I like it 8/10. 

Poster # 15 The bob Dylan 
I like this poster its plain; just Bob Dylan with a bass. That’s all to say I think the pic was taken during highway 61. I like it so il give it 8/10.

Poster # 16 Jay-Z 
This poster is kind of cool its a rolling stone cover, a free one, but neat. It’s just him looking at you its better then the back side. I give it 6/10. 

Poster # 17 pulp fiction 
This poster is the movie poster and the DVD cover, its a well known picture. I think its pretty good, but the location is a lil bad. It’s a deff movie poster because it has the actor names, but a reproduction because it doesn’t have a release date. 7.5/10

Poster # 18 The beatles sgt pepz 
This poster is awesome. It’s colourful and from a REALLY great album. But its a lil cheesy 3 beatles posters get a lil cheesy. Other then that 10/10 :) really neat. 
Poster Back to the future # 18 
This ones a promo poster which is cool. Its not that cheap looking and has a cool picture. 8/10 :)


                                                               Psycho review 
The film psycho is a classic, and for good reason! I really liked this movie, the plot was great, it was told well, and tricks you. Though there is a lot of good things there some bad things, like how some of it maybe considered cheesy now. Lets get in to it ;)

The good stuff: The plot is great, and told well. The cam angles in it are neat, and look well. The plot is interesting, and not to hard to get. It’s a movie everyone can understand and respect. Theres not much to say that hasn’t been said like a mill times, so il just ramble about the bad stuff. 

The bad stuff: The whole shower scene was cheesy, I don’t care if you couldn’t show a babe gettin’ stabbed it still looks cheesy. I can’t help but laugh when I see him walk in the room, it just didn’t age well. Also when you find out the killa its amazingly cheesy. Other then it not ageing well its great I give it a 9/10 :):):). 

Come enter the void with me :) (a lil blog on Psychedelic music)

Psychedelic music is to emulate the use of mind altering drugs through the art of music.  So the songs are very unorthodox sounds, weird instruments and such recorded on tape.  This genre was more popular in the 60s where there was a wide use of LSD.  The music is drawn less from western music, and more Indian influenced.

    Characteristics of psychedelic music: 
-Exotic instruments like a sitar or Theremin (Theremin in good vibrations)
-Complex arrangements of music like the Beatles We Can Work It Out (conducted in a 12/8 pattern)
-Electric guitar feed back (I feel Fine and Heroin)
- more use of a keyboard (Strawberry fields forever)
-more studio work (hard to replicate on stage)

            Bands started in to psychedelic music in the mid 60s. The first Psychedelic album is The Beatles Revolver; which has all the codes and conventions of psychedelic music.  And at the same time, The Beach Boys were writing some psychedelic tracks like, “Good Vibrations” which has early drafts during the making of pet sounds.  Pink Floyds song, “Astronomy Domine” is very weird and psychedelic, but doesn’t have much of the codes above.  The Rolling stones, copying the Beatles (as always), went in to psychedelic music, and made songs like “Shes Like A Rainbow”.  The Velvet underground had psychedelic tracks like “heroin” and “Sunday morning”, constantly referencing drugs.  Let’s get to analyzin’ some songs shall we.





 

This song is VERY psychedelic; from the backwards stuff, to the weird vocals.  The lyrics in it also MAYBE talking about a drug high,(like entering the “void”), but I’m not John Lennon so I don’t know.

 not one of the Beach boys more famous, but is very weird and psychedelic.  The song is about wind chime, which is a lil weird, itself. It has Unorthodox instrumentation, like,   more use of organ and stringed something or other. The music is drowning like you want to sleep.

This song is about the use of the drug heroin.  It’s a drowning beat and has weird instruments like the electric viola.  At the end of the song it has a ton of feed back that at times over powers the singer. 

 THE END  

Remixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The filmmaker made this film because he was angry that you can’t steal music, and get away with it. His Fav band "irl talk"can’t use others people songs and remix them annoyingly into "art". So he makes a film about why it should be acceptable.
There is a clear bias toward the record companies, he barley even talks to them, and he makes them seem heartless for, crazy enough, protecting there stuff.
My thoughts on copyright are, that they are annoying, but we need it. If their was no copyright people would steal ideas and there would be more movies on youtube. With that said, That means the companies wont support the makeing of such great films/music.
My over all thoughts are that, it is still stealing if you steal a clip or "sample" with out permission. He compared it to an essay saying you site who you borrowed your info from, but if I copy and paste all my ideas from 5 diff essays that’s plagiarism, or now il call it "sampleing" since this guy thinks its except able. They said mickey mouse was inspired from someone, but when they take mickey mouse, a childrens character, and make him a drug dealer its the same thing? No, it isn’t. So, over all, remixing is annoying and should be stopped. The songs suck anyway.

Ghareck Hodgson’s Krazy Kane review

I first encountered Orson Wells’s Citizen Kane, sometime in the year 2011. I downloaded it illegally, and I watched it on my computer. I had a couple thoughts when I first watched it: It had an awesome title screen, and it was black N’ white. Later, as it slowly fades to Kane’s room, I noticed I had seen it ripped off from The Simpsons. I soon put together what the story was going to be about. Before I watched it, I was wondering, what the heck is it about? According to IMDB or what I read it was a biography of an old newspaper tycoon, so I wasn’t too interested. To me It was kind of like It’s a Wounderful life, not in plot, but it had a lot of business in it. I don’t like movie’s with business in it, Though both you can understand without being a super smart person. Both stories had business, but were not, business driven. 
My honest thoughts on the movie is: it was pre grand. I like the crazy angles in it, and the zooms. I think it was pretty zany to have as many zooms as he did. It is also kind of cool that it is Mr. Well’s first movie, and it was such a great one. The story is lossely based on some other guy I don’t care to search for. Other than that, it is a story by Mr. Wells. PRETTY RADICAL DUDE. That is one reason. !!!!!!!!

My second reason is that... it has a great plot. In the story it takes part in modern times, but most of the movies are taking place in the past. So, it is about a reporter having to find out what the dying words of our main man Charles Foster kane. Sounds kind of lame, but it is told in a neat way. You get the news real that tells the public life of Charlie. During the story you find out his personal life, and find how troubled he was. I don’t think he was a nice man at all. Mr. Kane was a bit of a meanie head. Over all it has a great plot and it is told in a great way. 

I also know it’s a great movie because it is in pop culture a lot. The Simpsons’ rip it off a lot, to the point that they base characters off Kane. Family Guy does too, but Family guy probably did because The Simpsons did.  A lot of people know the ending to the film with out even seeing it.  I honestly did’t know the ending, but most people do.

CITEZEN KANE over all in my eyes is a grand ol’ film.  I would recommend it to people, and I would DEFF WATCH AGAIN. 
                                                                    THE END !!