Happy Month for Movies and Music

First off, I'm not a huge movie buff. I'd rather do homework than sit on my butt watching a pointless film while my life ticks away. It's not that I have anything against movies as a leisurely activity, it's just that I get mega depressed watching beautiful people doing exciting things through a glass screen while I lie on a dirty apartment couch fattening myself up on kettle korn. It's like watching the TV show Friends in a friendless apartment. You can't help but feel your lack of coolness in comparison.
But secondly, I do like a good flick every now and then. And, thanks to rottentomatoes.com, I can now eliminate all stupid films from my life (i.e. anything with The Rock, Nicolas Cage, Anime characters, Seth Graves-type films, typical flicks about an ugly girl getting miraculously gorgeous and popular over night (which, of course, saves her from the inevitable doom of just being and looking like herself--the horror!), and those tricky films that are really good except for that one part (I now want you to imagine a delicious ice cream sundae with a happy cockroach friend crawling out of the scoop of pralines and cream and burping in your face--thank you Mormon Ads)).
Ok, so enough with the bad ("Live free, die well! ARRGGG!!!" -The Rock, Scorpion King), and on to the good!
Kung Fu Panda - One potentially stupid movie made hilarious by the comical genius of Jack Black. I tell you what, I was laughing my head off in the theatre, but when I try to quote the movie, it's not that funny. What is it about Jack Black's vocal intonations that make even the simplest phrases hilarious? Do we all remember Black in King Kong? Now, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he was supposed to play a straight-forward, serious character, but even in their moments of peril with the t-rexes smashing the tiny island to bits he sounded funny to me. Anywho, kudos to Black for another funny flick that is family friendly. Go see it, if only for the first five minute dream sequence. Best line? "There is no charge for awesomeness, or attractiveness." And trust me, it may not look funny on paper, but you'll bust a gut in the theatre.

WALL-E - Pixar . . . need I say more? No I don't, but I will. It's creative. It's powerful. It's brilliant. It's fun. It's green, but not in a lay-stretched-across-the-road-to-save-a-crossing-duck sort of way. It's my favorite film of the year, so far. I don't know how, but Pixar managed to mash an assortment of poignant themes and textures into a fine piece of work. While it is set in the future and the robots and spaceships give you a star trekish/star wars type feel, the music from Hello Dolly is scattered throughout the film, giving you a sense of nostalgia for the past and a fear for what the future may be if we, as responsible humans, don't do something about it now. Pixar also created an endearing and believable romance between two abiotic robots. Wow. So yes, I'd give this film two thumbs up, plus my two big toes, and maybe some more thumbs up if I could find 'em or grow 'em somehow. Not to be gross or nothin' . . . ah hem.

Future Flicks to be giddy about: Batman: The Dark Knight--can't wait for the creepiness factor in this one and seriously, when has Christian Bale ever let us down? And, what I suspect will be my guilty pleasure this summer: Mamma Mia! I'll just admit it now--I love ABBA. I love ABBA singing ABBA, I love Erasure singing ABBA, I love my sister Rachel singing ABBA (and man does she do some great interpretive dancing to some of their tunes). So could life possible get any better when we have incredible people like Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, and Meryl Streep rocking out to the tunes of Disco legends??? I think not.

And now on to the music.

It has been a very musically successful month for me. I find myself surrounded by good music. My iTunes account is sitting all plump and purdy while my buyer's guilt has skyrocketed. Oy! There's just too much good music out there and not enough time or money to harvest it all.

Missy Higgins: Found her on Pandora while listening to a modern folk-type mix and dang! have I been missing out. Where has Missy been all my life? First bonus point: she's from Australia, which means her vocal intonations are sensational, unique, and delicious. Second of all, she's diverse; she's got sass, and soul, and sorrow, and spirit. And third, she keeps things simple. She sticks to the guitar or piano and doesn't muck up her sound with too much instrumental garbage. And her lyrical messages are clear and poignant. As fun as it can be to decode some artist's lyrics (only to find that they don't make much sense anyway because the artist wrote them while they were wasted) it's nice every now and again to listen to someone who is just straight forward and honest with their feelings about life. Recommended songs to sample: "Peachy", "Where I Stood", and "Scar".

Brandi Carlile: I first heard her song, "The Story", from a free iTunes download and then continued to bump into her on Pandora. (If you haven't checked out Pandora.com yet, I'd recommend. Imeem.com is also good if you're looking for a more selective approach to eRadio.) Her vocals and rich, raw, and real. It's not every day that you can find a woman with the vocal prowess to rip and whale into a piece without sounding like a gimpy imitation of Metallica. Wow, this woman has some power. And she's a folk artist, which automatically gives her five gold stars in my book. Mmm, mmm... Other recommended songs: "Turpentine", "The Story", and "Cannonball". And if you like her, you'll love Patty Griffin, and vice versa. But we'll save Patty for another day. She deserves a post all to herself.



Fauxliage: This is the gal singer from Sixpence None the Richer collaborating her vocals with a fuller and more expansive style. Reminds me of the depth and breadth of Sarah Brightman's music, minus the operatic vocals. It's enchanting. Let the music speak for itself--check out the song, "Let It Go". One listen and you'll be converted. :)











Where the Light Is: Saving the best for last! Can we even begin to explain the wonder that is John Mayer? Yeah, I know some of you out there may have been turned off back in '03 when "Your Body is a Wonderland" was beaten into the ground by DJs who overplayed it. But that was five years ago. It is time to forgive, forget, and move on. I would hate to think that someone who is just as great as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix is missing from the musical lives of so many people just because they are stuck on the pop-prejudices of Mayer's journey into the lime-light. And get your jaw off of the floor and that shocked look off your face. Yes, Mayer is as good as Clapton and Hendrix. Don't believe me? Listen to John Mayer Trio. Hearing is believing. I mean, come on, this guy has done work with all sorts of folk across the music world, from Clapton himself, to the Dixie Chicks, Rob Thomas, Herbie Hancock (!!!), and let's not forget the fantastic Cross Roads performance Mayer did with Brad Paisley (Another phenomenal guitarist who is all too sadly understated). I think it's safe to say that Mayer is going to be around for a long time. Ok, so enough with this validating stuff, and onto the meat: "Where the Light Is." Wow, what a great collection of the best of what John Mayer does best: Acoustic, Blues, and Rock. And vocally our boy John has really come a long way. John isn't a vocalist, he's a guitarist, but his vocals are getting stronger and he is leaving his whispy, semi-creepy sounding days behind him. And all the more power to him and his music! His vocals are especially impressive on the acoustic tracks, "Free Falling" (an exceptional cover), and "In Your Atmosphere". The John Mayer Trio set really gives John a chance to showcase his phenomenal guitar skills and also highlights the all too talented Steve Jordan on drums and Pino Palladino on bass. Check out the performance of, "Out of My Mind", on YouTube from the "Where the Light Is" performance if you can. Killer attitude, Mayer gets really snotty on this one. Ooo, I love it. And I really don't think I can emphasize enough how mad his guitar skills are. Really, if you're not a believer yet, give him one last shot. You might find yourself reborn. Let's stop thinking of Mayer as a cheap Pop Boy. It's time for a paradigm shift in music culture. Let's recognize Mayer for the talented artist and man that he is. Can't wait to see him in SLC!

Extra! Extra! Some other great tracks to check out this week:
"Just Like Heaven (Cover)" -Katie Melua
"Don't Wake Me Up" -The Hush Sound
"Silver Lining" - Rilo Kiley
"One Man Wrecking Machine" -Guster