FLUX THE FILM ISSUE
Volume III Issue VIII | Editor & Layout - Sinead Brennan Cover Image - Sinead Brennan | Model - Katie Gannon | Stylist - Jackie Fox
Flux | February 22, 2012
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Cool guys don’t look at explosions I
Sinead Brennan talks Oscar winners and surprising losers f a film is nominated for an Academy Award it has no doubt generated a might of hype and been deemed to be something particularly special to have come out of the film industry in the previous year. One would assume that only the very best, the crème de la crème of cinema, would be short listed and indeed, bag the award. Movie posters and DVD boxes will be adorned with the fact that the film was nominated for however many Oscars, and if they were lucky enough to win any this will be emblazoned on the film’s merchandise forever. When we look at the top movies on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) however, you might be surprised to note which films actually didn’t take
home the prestigious statuettes. The Shawshank Redemption is listed as the number one film of all time on IMDB with a user rating of 9.2/10. Were nominations thrown at the film? Indeed they were. Did the film take home any awards? Shockingly, no it did not. 1994 happened to be an exceptional year for films with other classics like Pulp Fiction, The Lion King, Forrest Gump (which actually took home the Oscar for Best Picture…and I certainly don’t begrudge it that; it really is exceptional) and eh, Dumb and Dumber, also gracing our screens. I really don’t envy the Academy in making a decision that year, but in recent years there just doesn’t seem to be the same
selection of outstanding films. This year the various awards shows have been dominated by The Artist, a silent film that was shot in black and white. The film is like a step back in time for cinema and people have gone crazy for it. I have nothing bad to say about the film but I do think that maybe it poses the idea that cinema has come so far that to be truly exceptional and groundbreaking again, there must be a move backwards to some of the more fundamental and now out-dated ways of storytelling. The crew members and equipment at the disposal of the filmmaker is more vast and improved than ever, but in an industry filled with special effects and explosions, sometimes less really is more and it could
The best and worst dresses in the history of the Oscars Audrey Hepburn, 1954
The dress is, of course, Givenchy and was an attention grabber at the time for the way it showed off her tiny shoulders. The lasting appeal of the dress has made it one of the best Oscar dresses of all time. Not bad for a girl who didn’t think she had the face for films.
Hilary Swank, 2005
Penélope Cruz, 2007
Carlsberg don’t do Oscar dresses, but if they did… it would be this powdery pink Atelier Versace. The Academy Awards is one of
the few places that a full-on ball gown is still appropriate, nay preferred, so it’s nice when an actress goes all out and nails it. The body is tailored to perfection and the feathered skirt is brushing the line of OTT. The chic, slick hair and minimal make-up save it from what could have been a fashion disaster.
Michelle Williams, 2006
The Oscars is a risky place to decide to make a fashion statement. Millions of eyes are on
Katie Clinton shares her personal favourites, and the ones that don’t quite cut it that red carpet and one flaw can make the entire world forget about your talents as an actress. But Michelle Williams is one of the few to dare and win. This egg yolk yellow Vera Wang worn with fiery red lips and serious bling should not have worked; that’s a lot of fashion for one tiny woman! But she stole the show. She didn’t win best supporting actress that night but the amount of column inches resulting from this dress alone must have softened the blow.
Grace Kelly, 1955
This list would never be complete without our very own princess. In 1955 she wore Edith Heat to pick up her best actress award for The Country Girl and surprise surprise, the critics loved it. The beautiful column was the most expensive Oscar gown to date, coming in at $4,000. Nothing in today’s market of bespoke couture but she was dressed to impressed that night. On a side note: only princesses should ever wear white, elbow-length gloves.
BEST
The actress wore the now infamous navy Guy Laroche dress when she picked up her award
for Million Dollar Baby. It was so simple; no diamonds or feathers, no splits or sparkles, just a low back and she blew everyone else out of the water. Of course her perfectly trained body helped but the light make-up, little drop earrings and easy up-do prove that less really is more.
be time to calm things down again. I’m by no means saying to ditch the effects, but perhaps the time of experimentation and abundance of them has peaked, and now must return back to normal as they are no longer groundbreaking. This year the films being nominated are more concerned with telling great stories and dealing with human experiences and emotion than with mad mind-blowing effects. So yeah, enjoy the Oscars, and pretend to be a bit shocked when The Artist and The Help take turns gracing the stage for what will hopefully yield succinct acceptance speeches. Meryl Streep might manage to keep her shoes on this time round. Only maybe.
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Flux | February 22, 2012
Things to do before you die...
S
ince starting the Youtube series, Things To Do Before You Die, Dublin man Brian Reilly has seen his videos and music career go from strength to strength. From serenading a lecturer to walking around Dublin Zoo dressed as a panda, it has been quite an eventful two years, to say the least. So Brian, for those who don’t know the cause that the series supports, tell us about The Ross Nugent Foundation, and the work you’re helping them with.
The Ross Nugent Foundation was set up last year by Ross’s family. Ross was a friend of mine that died from cancer at the age of 18. His death affected everybody that knew him to an alarming extent. Since then I’ve been organising fundraisers for
Pamela Anderson, 2001
What is there to say about this one? I mean seriously, the biggest award night of the year and Pammie rocks up in what she wore to the beach that day? I mean, I don’t think anyone was expecting a demure column but did she get confused about where she was going?
Angelina Jolie, 2000
the charity and selling bracelets for Ross online, as well as giving all of my Youtube revenue to the foundation.
silly hair. The airport prank was the first ever time I tried to back out of an episode. I was terrified. So doing that was very fulfilling.
living off, and I give the money I make from it to charity anyway. Music pays for travelling and other things in my silly life.
Do you have a favourite moment from the series?
You opened the 02 Smartsounds concert in November, that must have been some experience.
What would your musical influences be?
People wise, meeting Jedward was fun I suppose. I hosted Youtube gatherings in all the main Australian cities though this year which was probably the highlight for me. I expected one or two kids to turn up but about 40 turned up to each one. And they all just wanted to hear me say different words in my Irish accent. I love being Irish. We are lucky. Which episode did you enjoy making the most?
Make a scene in an airport or college lecture. The latter made me popular in college. Before that I was just the guy with the
est outfit to ever grace the red carpet. If the slightly sheer, Morticia Adams-esque dress wasn’t enough, check out the wig! Add that to the eerily pale foundation and bronze shadow under her eyes and I’m surprised if she didn’t spark an early sale of Halloween costumes.
Bjork, 2001
There must have been something in the air in 2001 because it was the year of the dodgy Oscar dress. This one causes debate; is it so ridiculous that it’s actually amazing? I mean, the woman
It was unbelievable! My dressing room was across from Pixie Lott’s and I just wanted to touch her face. Not in a perverted sense, I just wanted to gets lots of make up on my hands. I got shaky legs when I walked on stage for the first time. There was 10,000 people there. Two years ago I was playing in front of four people. So would you see your career in music or Youtube? Or both?
If we use the word ‘career’, then it’d have to be in music. Youtube is too fickle to ever make a great
is wearing a swan! Designed by Marjan Pejoski the dress certainly broke the mould. Column dress after column dress can get a little dull so at least this gave the tabloids something to talk about. So I think we can all agree the woman has guts but maybe less of the floppy swan head on the boob.
Céline Dion, 1999
Ok this isn’t technically a gown but it’s so weird that it has to be mentioned. There was one giant elephant on the red carpet with Céline that night – did she
At the risk of sounding like a blouse, I’d have to say simply that love songs are my influence. I just adore love songs by everyone from The Beatles to Arcade Fire.
There are some lovely people who give you some abuse and you often post some of the abusive comments you get on Facebook/Twitter. What’s the one that you enjoyed (if that’s the right word) the most?
“You look like my Ma”... It still makes me laugh so much. Because I probably do.
Did you ever envisage the series becoming as successful
put her blazer on backwards on purpose? Or in the panic of the evening, floundering around in those serious wide-leg trousers and positioning that hat perfectly, did she just not notice? Either way it doesn’t work, especially from the front. To add insult to injury the whole outfit seems about two sizes too big. If there was ever the time to question your avant-garde stylist, this was it.
Gwyneth Paltrow, 2002
Remember that pink Ralph Lauren number from the 1999
as it is now?
I really didn’t. I got so very lucky and have been given so much help from other video makers on Youtube. I’m still not as grateful as I should be for this though, as it still annoys me when I see an American boy make an unfunny video in his bedroom and get millions upon millions of views. I wish people on Youtube would get out more. And the obvious questionwhere do you see yourself and the series in 5 years?
Engaged and hopefully making a comfortable living out of what I love to do. If I end up doing a 9-5 job that I hate, I have failed myself and all of those who watch my Youtube series.
You can view Brian’s series at www.youtube.com/user/BriBryontour
Academy Awards? Well it seems the backlash took its toll on Gwyneth because she did a total 180 degree turn with this sheer McQueen; with equally awful results. The dress in itself could have worked but there is no excuse for the saggy boobs! From what we’ve seen of the actress since, the goth look is obviously more her style but the braided up-do makes the whole thing a little Shakespearean for the critics. Ditching the jewellery and throwing on a bra could have saved her from another Oscar fashion disaster.
WORST
She was never one to play it safe so I’m not sure anyone should have really been surprised that Angelina arrived at the 2000 awards in possibly the creepi-
Derek O’Brien talks to YouTube sensation BriBry about his successes and fundraising for The Ross Noble Foundation
Flux | February 22, 2012
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|The Arti
Dress – Ne
|Coco Be
Cardigan – Skirt – H&M Sunglasse
Knitted Top Pleated Sk €45.00 Shoes – N
Cheap frills: fashion at the movies
The Irish fashion scene hasn’t seen conservative clothing like this since the 50s; long chiffon skirts and buttoned lace shirts - the parish would be proud. Our shoot is modelled on a recent popularity of this style in film, culture and television. Hollywood films such as ‘Midnight in Paris’ and ‘The Artist’ (not to mention the re-release of ‘Titanic’) are influencing our high street shops in many ways; think pastels, frills, > Jackie Fox chiffon and tassels. Spring 2012 in 1912.
TEAM Stylist: Jackie Fox Photographer: Sinead Brennan Model: Katie Gannon Hair: Sinead Brennan Make-up: Jackie Fox Special Thanks: Catherine Dennehy, Emma-Louise Hutchinson & Katie Clinton
|Changeling Coat – H&M - €29.95 Fur Lining – A Wear - €5.00 Dress – A Wear - €65.00 Shoes – Dunnes Stores - €18.00
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Flux | February 22, 2012
|My Week With Marilyn
ist
Hat – Pennys - €5.00 Dress – A Wear - €59.99 Coat – Dunnnes Stores - €70.00 Sunglasses – H&M - €5.95
ew Look - €64.99
efore Chanel
– H&M - €19.95 M - €19.95 es – Pennys - €1.50
p – A Wear - €35.00 kirt – A Wear -
New Look - €24.99
|Titanic/Kate Winslet Shirt – H&M - €19.95 Tie – Penneys - €5.00 Sequence Skirt – A Wear - €59.99 Coat – Dunnes Stores €45.00 Shoes – Dunnes Stores - €18.00
|Midnight in Paris Envelope Clutch – New Look - €19.99 Fishermans Hat – Dunnes Stores - €4.00 Blazer – A Wear - €60.00 Top – Dunnes Stores €3.00 Pleated Skirt – New Look - €24.99 Shoes – New Look - €29.99
Flux | February 22, 2012
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Laura Cronin shares her thoughts on the awards season
C o fessions of an shonw award addict
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y name is Laura and I’m addicted to award shows. I’m an award show whore. In the months of January and February every year, I hook myself up to an IV drip of Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and, the creme de la creme, the Academy Awards. It’s all about staying up
late, predicting the winners and seeing who’ll make the biggest tit of themselves on the night. As a seasoned award show veteran, I’ve figured out some of the things that make awards a success and keep people tuning in. We’re used to seeing celebrities in the way that their PR people want us to see them...
Kickstart W
ith all the talk of SOPA and ACTA online and in the news lately, there’s never been quite so much focus on just how easy it is to pirate content on the web, including movies. But, with all the attention on the negative side of things, the ways the internet can actually help filmmakers and movie making don’t get nearly as much attention. Take this year’s Sundance Film Festival. With our own Jameson Film Festival underway, it’s easy to keep our focus at home and away from the other side of the Atlantic but this year’s Sundance was the perfect example of the internet helping filmmakers fund and produce their movies. 17 (nearly 10%), of all the movies shown at this year’s festival began or finished as Kickstarter projects. 10% may not sound like a whole lot, but it’s already a massive increase on last year when only five Kickstarter funded films showed at the 2011 festival. And with a
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mix of shorts and feature length movies, documentaries, comedies and dramas, it’s easy to see that there’s a pretty big mix of what people are willing to help fund and want to see and a big mix of what people are looking for funding for. Kickstarter, a website for crowd sourcing funding for creative projects, helped fund 3,284 film and video projects last year, letting filmmakers explain their ideas and seek support from a huge amount of people. Also, there’s the added bonus of being able to pitch their ideas in a way any filmmaker should probably be pretty good at - by video. Of course, not everyone starting a project uses it the same way but the video part of the proposal is a chance for them to show off their skills or footage they’ve already shot and worked on; a perfect way to convince someone you can make a movie. After the festival, The New York Times said the site was like “a movie studio, but without
pretty, polished and perfect. When celebrities get on stage at award shows, anything can happen. It’s like they’re not used to being let out around their peers, so they just go batshit crazy. Bjork broke the ice by wearing a dead swan dress, Adrian Brody went in for the shift when collecting an Oscar off Halle Berry
and just a few weeks ago Meryl Streep forgot how to walk with shoes on at the Baftas. I’m waiting for the night that someone gets up to the mic and just vomits with excitement. Fingers crossed 2012 is the year! A controversial host is always handy if you want your awards show to hit the headlines the next day. No one really cares if Billy Crystal is hosting the Oscars for the ninth time this year, they care that Eddie Murphy has already dropped out after a producer was fired for making gay slurs. Ricky Gervais hasn’t hosted the Golden Globes for the last two years because of his cute British accent, it’s because he’s not afraid to make the odd penis joke or drink a beer on stage. Who could forget the dynamic duo that was Anne Hathaway and James Franco last year? The tumbleweed that turned up certainly won’t forget the awkwardness for a while. The more serious awards like the Oscars are always offset by the crappy categories that no one
really cares about, except for the people nominated in them. Also, if any Irish person is nominated in a category that may or may not be made up, then the Irish media jump on that bandwagon like it’s going out of fashion. When Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won the Best Original Song Oscar for “Falling Slowly”, the Hollywood Foreign Press were practically falling over themselves to get a photo of these two seemingly homeless people from the land o’ the little people. Did anyone in Ireland actually see the film “Once” which the song came from? Of course not, it cost about a tenner to make and there are only twenty copies of the DVD in circulation. If the pomp and glitz of the Academy Awards is too much for you, then you can always fall back on the Razzies. The Golden Raspberry Awards are given out the day before the Oscars and honour the worst in film, something I am practically an expert in. While I’ve seen very few of
the egos” but like one of the founders of Kickstarter, Yancey Strickler, told them, it’s really all about the filmmakers and the donors. Not only do the people who donate or pledge money want to see the movie, be it a short, feature, documentary or anything else, they become involved in the whole process and they help decide what gets made or how good the quality will be. Out of the movies that’d end up at Sundance, they decided to help a “subjective documentary” about The Shining get made (Room 237), and a feature length comedy (My Best Day), a short about sexuality (Fourplay: Tampa) and a feature documentary about indie video game developers (Indie Game: The Movie). They may not all be the most commercial of films but they have a built in audience from the get-go. Some, like Room 237 may not be suited to the tastes of a huge audience while others like Indie Game: The Movie get
optioned as a series by HBO and Scott Rudin, who produced The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Either way, donors get to see the movie made and, as a DVD or digital copy of the film is often one of the rewards for donating, get to see the movie, even if it never goes much further than the festival circuit. So there’s the pitch, the option to invest knowing you’ll get your money back if the project doesn’t get enough funding, and a vested interest in the movie’s future if you do; plus rewards and progress reports. It sounds a little like it’s the donors who resemble the movie studios; except the filmmakers keep complete control over the finished product. Sounds like a pretty good deal for both sides. And movie making may be the most funded area on Kickstarter but it’s definitely not the only one, it can be used for fashion projects, video games and new inventions. Who says the internet is all piracy?
Emma-Louise Hutchinson looks at Kickstarter,an initiative that supplies funding to prospective filmmakers
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It sounds like it’s the donors who resemble the movie studios, but the filmmakers keep complete control over the finished product
Flux | February 22, 2012
the films nominated for best picture every year, I’ve more than likely seen all the films nominated for worst film. Twice. In that spirit, the MTV Movie Awards are another awards show that clearly makes up categories for the sake of the films that have come out in the previous year. Justin Bieber, I’m looking at you, “Best Jaw-Dropping Moment” winner of 2011... As much as you can take the piss out of the Oscars and every other awards show, it gives us all something to look forward to at the start of the year. Who doesn’t like when Nicki Minaj turns up to the Gram-
mys with a fake old man pope, or when Lady Gaga lands on looking like she just rolled around in her local butchers before getting ready? You only get that shit in award season. And, if you’re being made sit through the Oscars, just remind yourself- at least it isn’t the IFTAs. No one watches the IFTAs.
Big screen. Big Probelms.
T
here’s seldom a stranger beast to be found in the world of gaming than those games made solely to tie in with films. From the quirky and inventive to the downright baffling and pointless, they’ve served as review fodder for as long as personal consoles have been available - and with good reason. When the executives can smell money that isn’t really there, we can often see hilarious results, and probably the most primitive and well-documented example of this is E.T’s ill-fated foray onto the Atari 2600. Made under a ridiculous deadline to tie in with the Christmas sales period, the objective of the game amounted to finding three pieces of an interplanetary phone to contact his home planet, while avoiding FBI agents that want to put E.T in ‘jail’ or something... I’ve never been quite sure. The more I see it, the more I’m convinced the whole thing was a heroininspired practical joke. Even for a 1982 game the graphics are shoddy, there’s but a very tenuous and loose connection to the original story and E.T
THE ET GAME...oh gosh.
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I’m convinced the whole thing was a heroininspired practical joke Flux | February 22, 2012
can FLY BY EXTENDING HIS FUCKING NECK. If that won’t give you nightmares, nothing will. The project cost an estimated $125 million, and an incredible
amount of overproduction lead to millions of cartridges being buried in a landfill. The ghost of a pixellated, levitating E.T now haunts the New Mexico wasteland. Some more successful cash cows can be seen under the Star Wars franchises. With around 100 titles taking place in the Star Wars universe, the series has had its fair share of successes and complete failures, the most recent being Bioware’s MMORPG ‘The Old Republic’. But in terms of titles strictly tied in with the films, it’s been a very mixed and average bag. However, I do have fond memories of the 1999 release of The Phantom Menace. Infuriating camera aside, it had a surprisingly openworld, with real consequences for actions taken or innocents killed. Conversation choices are akin to Bioware and Elder Scrolls games, which is more freedom than movie tie-ins usually afford, even more than a decade later. But it’s not all dull mediocrity or baffling disaster. Occasionally developers produce a diamond in the rough and a shining example of such is the sublime Spiderman 2. For those unfamiliar with the game, think Spidey in a GTA environment. There’s hardly been a more satisfying gaming experience than web-slinging around New York since the game’s release. Its predecessor, made to
tie in with the original Toby Maguire film, was a completely vanilla, linear affair, where the web-slinging sections consisted of Spiderman attaching his web to... well, the sky. As well as limiting Spiderman to swinging purely from buildings
Conor Donohoe talks about the iffy transition from game to film, and vice versa (what a loser, eh?), the sequel introduced a huge open world, where the real fun came from side missions and time attack challenges that had you vault from skyscraper to skyscraper – just like a real spider... And one doesn’t need to look far to see the somewhat surprising success of the Lego series. Indiana Jones, both Star Wars trilogies, and Harry Potter have all gotten the Lego treatment, with endearing results. They’re little more than bread and butter platformers on the surface, but they’re charming and hugely effective at being what they’re supposed to be; accessible and fun-to-play movie tie-ins, even if they were released decades after their film counterparts. Yet, as you may know, it’s not just one way traffic. Some of the most well known gaming idols have been transferred (almost consistently poorly) to the big screen to cash in on the games’ successes. Despite Angelina Jolie lending the films something to look at, the Tomb Raider series left a whole lot to be desired when it made the jump from quirky platformer to big screen series- yet Lara’s cinematic conquest was a raving success compared to some other adaptations. Alone in the Dark, Super Mario Bros., Postal and Mortal Kombat have all gotten the big screen treatment, to universal disgust and criticism. Despite most others, such as Prince of Persia and Final Fantasy, having relatively more success there isn’t one agreed upon example of an adaptation like this that has truly worked. In short, the gaming and film industries have had an awkward, strained relationship, with only a few gems in there to keep executives’ dreams alive of making it big with their latest doomedto-fail/mediocre attempt. Yet, sometimes, developers get it just right, and we’re left with a gem that has the appeal of a well crafted game with the commercial appeal of a hit film. How long though until The Muppets are on our consoles? 7
Reviews
CHOICE MUSIC AWARDS
of Montreal Paralytic Stalks
Valerie Loftus looks at some of the nominees for the Choice Music Awards And So I Watch You From Afar Gangs
Following on from fellow instrumental rockers Adebisi Shank, who were nominated last year, And So I Watch Your From Afar earned their first Choice Prize nomination with their second studio full-length, Gangs. Warning: if you like your music light and fluffy, Gangs is not for you. ASIWYFA can be head-melting. This writer thought she was still a spring chicken, but upon listening to Gangs, found herself wanting a cup of tea and a sit down away from the noise. However, if you like having your head melted, by all means... Listen to: “BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION” Bell X1 Bloodless Coup
Veterans of the Irish music scene, Bell X1’s recent fifth album secured their third Choice Music Prize nomination. After the overt homage to Talking Heads that was Blue Lights on the Runway, Bell X1 return to form with Bloodless Coup. The band haven’t lost their knack for surreal lyrics, however. Lines like “I’ll never eat a salad at McDonald’s” and “Watching 8
a 6-year-old on YouTube, playing drums to Billie Jean” are sprinkled generously throughout the album. If you haven’t listened to them before, Bloodless Coup is the perfect introduction to Bell X1. Listen to: “Velcro” Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands Golden Syrup
The sound of Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands is quite unlike anything else on the shortlist – Golden Syrup stands out amongst the other nominated albums, which almost all lie in the pop/rock spectrum. It’s gothic and spooky, with 80s-style synth and plenty of twiddly keyboard bits. It’s not a big mope-fest though; Golden Syrup has a few somewhat danceable (“somewhat” being the key word) upbeat tracks, such as “Miracle Candle”. Fans of Joy Division and early Patrick Wolf will love Golden Syrup. Listen to: “Broken Up Now” Tieranniesaur Tieranniesaur
Tieranniesaur are arguably the possessors of the best band name since ever, taking
inspiration from the name of lead singer Annie Tierney (get it?) who recorded the self-titled debut at home with her husband Padraig. Tieranniesaur produce effervescent pop music of the funky and fun variety which will have even the most hardened metalheads bouncing around their bedrooms like lunatics. If you want to catch one of the highlights of Electric Picnic 2011 live, Tieranniesaur play in Whelan’s on March 9. Listen to: “Candy” We Cut Corners Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards
Interviewed on these very pages just a few short months ago, We Cut Corners are making quite big waves with their debut album. Their sound is equal parts Villagers and Two Door Cinema Club (former winner of Choice Prize), which may or may not work against them at decision time. Nevertheless, Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards... is a solid album of catchy pop-rock tunes, though nothing we haven’t heard somewhere before. Listen to: “Toll Free”
Psychedelic pop favourites, of Montreal, have released their eleventh album and, in case you are worried, it is every bit as weird and wonderful as their past attempts. Perhaps the most fundamental part of the music of this eclectic gathering is their ability to take the most melancholic lyric and shroud it in the bounciest pop beat. Without
Emeli Sande Our Version of Events With its strings and soaring vocals, Heaven was a standout of 2011. Its commercial success also gave hope to female singer-songwriters everywhere, serving as an example that you can prosper without having a Guetta production credit or singing about somehow setting fire to the rain. Unfortunately, the song is mislead-
Sleigh Bells Misc. In 2010, Treats first introduced us to Sleigh Bells’ brand of brash popmetal. The juxtaposition of Alexis Krauss’ sweet vocals with Derek Miller’s distortion-loaded guitars was new and exciting but best of all, Sleigh Bells were unashamedly LOUD. Reign of Terror is another round of heavy hitting tunes, now
warning, you may find yourself singing lyrics such as ‘Nothing happens for a reason, there’s no point in pretending’, in the most cheerful of tones. That is the power of Kevin Barnes and co. The first half of the album showcases their ability to do just that. We are treated to short, snappy, unabashed pop music. However, the second half of the album loses pace when we are taken on a ‘Velvet Underground goes pop’ adventure. No instrument is left untouched as we are exposed to 14-minute long explosions of experimental sound. While it surely shows their musical abilities, the album becomes almost unlistenable and you may find yourself longing for the simplicity of the opening tracks.
Eimear Shannon
ing of Sandé’s debut as a whole, which primarily consists of dull ballads and uninspired mid tempos. Many of the songs sound like they could have been recorded by anyone, with the album severely lacking in character. Much of the album also sounds unfinished. Many of the songs seem too short and lack a bridge, and with tracks like My Kind of Love and Where I Sleep in dire need of a bombastic final chorus, this sparseness becomes an issue. It’s a shame because Sandé is a competent songwriter and knows how to construct a good melody. Ultimately, she ends up sounding like a moderately edgy Leona Lewis. This is not a good thing. It’s also a huge disservice to an artist with much potential.
Luke Reilly
with more of a pop flavour - no doubt from the introduction of Krauss (whose origins were in pop music) to songwriting duties. The lead singles Born To Lose and Comeback Kid are instantly catchy and are bound to please fans looking for the same intensity as older songs like “Infinity Guitars”. However, many of the songs take a softer, almost radio-friendly approach that’s disappointing coming from a band famed for their heavy sound. Production-wise, Reign of Terror is neater than their debut, but it lacks the head-melting loudness and sense of fun of Treats. Could it be a case of the “difficult second album” for Sleigh Bells? Possibly.
Valerie Loftus
Flux | February 22, 2012