Wednesday 25 July 2007

A Galaxy of Planets but no Home



I finished watching season 3 of Battlestar Galactica last week. It was a pretty strong finish as it sets things up for the fourth and final season of the smartly written, fast-paced series.

I'm not normally a big fan of scifi. I'd watched Firefly (and the film Serenity) because Joss Whedon had his creative hand over it (and of course, since he'd created my favourtie series Buffy I couldn't turn away from it). That was probably the first time I really loved a full on scifi show. I'd liked The XFiles too but though it is classified scifi it wasn't quite as full-blown as Star Trek and scifi series set in space.

I had no intention of watching BSG but all these different friends of mine kept recommending it or talking excitedly about it. And when I say "different friends" I mean different kinds of people friends. Those who watch every bit of scifi they can, those who don't watch any, those who like fun flighty television, and those who prefer sophisticated exploration of timeless and relevantly timely themes. (Also, Joss Whedon has given it his five-by-five review). So I figured I'd at least try it out and watched the miniseries (which kicks off the whole thing). Pretty good viewing, not mind-blowing. However it was good enough for me to continue watching and by the time I was halfway through season 1 I decided this was the best series currently on the box.

The premise is, to a degree, unique enough (given this is a remake). Essentially the history of the show is that war was waged between humans and robots (called Cylons) they'd created to help the colonies of humankind with their lives on 12 Earth-like planets, in a galaxy far far away (presumably). There was a settlement between human and cylon and the cylons left to find something more for themselves. Many years later they return to upset the peaceful conditions the humans are living in (and, well, eliminate them). And now the cylons can look "and feel" human (a concept that pays off unendingly, and which the original series' creators didn't think to incorporate).


What keeps me watching though is the strong writing that emerges after the miniseries, the character development, and the numerous directions each development in the show take us in. On top of that this is perhaps the most politicially relevant series screening at the moment. The writers don't pigeonhole the leaders that come in to power over the course of the three seasons. Each of them reveal dark sides, but they also prove their strengths. The conflict between controversially elected President Roslin and warship Battlestar Galactica's Commanding Officer Adama allows for the writers to really nut out the complexities behind political leaders.

I won't give away what's happened by the end of season 3 but looking back it's amazing to see how far it's come in so few seasons. Although season 4 will be its last it's sure to take the series in yet more surprising places.


I haven't gotten as into the music on BSG as some have. But I quite liked the piano song that was played in an episode called "Valley of Darkness" where Starbuck puts on a recording of what is supposedly her father's work.
It is actually a Philip Glass song (which explains why I like it). But it's also nice to see moments where the characters' pasts are brought up. They're not often discussed because the slate has been wiped clean, so to speak. But when we learn something about someone's past it usually explains a LOT.

Philip Glass - Metamorphosis Five [buy]

View the teaser trailer for the upcoming telemovie, "Razor," which focuses on the Pegasus ship

The official BSG website

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Drawing Covers




Sorry for the lack of posting the last week. I've been writhing in cold sweats and breathing through a congested nose.

If you haven't heard of Gotye you're missing out big time! This guy has crept his way into my subconscious mind over the years, through his eptness at exploring a multitude of moods and rhythms through his experimental music.

"Out Here in the Cold" first caught my ears' attention, not just because of the way this Melbourne musician, Wally DeBacker, skips easily between a mood of wintery melancholic isolation and fearful tragedy - But also because the man knows how to mix his vocals, just as much a he knows how to mix his samples and instrumentation. So he's one up on obvious popular "mixers" like Moby.

Since then the upbeat 50's danceanthem "Learnalilgivinanlovin" and the soulful "Heart's a Mess" have really put Gotye on the radio-map.

A remix of a bunch of his best songs have been released on a new album called Mixed Blood. If nothing else this shows just how well respected Gotye is in the music community.
There are some outstanding variations of his songs by artists including Karnivool, Inga Liljestrom, Infusion, Velure and Joe Hardy.

Some songs have heavy dance beats woven through. Others, which I tend to favour more, offer reperformed or cover versions of the songs. Liljestrom's noiresque take on "Coming Back" pays off handsomely. And amidst the three remixes and covers of "Heart's a Mess" (easily the most well received song Gotye has written) my favourite is the stripped back soundscape take by Joe Hardy.

But what I'm most excited to hear is the final track on the album covered by another group who seem to be sneaking up on me with their lush melodies, Fourth Floor Collapse. They cover "Worn Out Blues," which Gotye failed to do justice to when he gave it only 38 seconds of playtime to close his album. That had always bugged me because it is probably the saddest and most beautifully written piece of music on the album and we only get what feels like a sample.

Fourth Floor Collapse have kindly extended the song to 3 minutes and have written in a bit more. I noticed in the album credits it says "All songs written by Gotye except "Worn Out" written by Gotye and Fourth Floor Collapse." The best covers are ones where artists take someone else's song and make it sound like one of their own. FFC have succeeded not only in doing this but in taking "Worn Out Blues" to the next level.

Gotye - Worn Out Blues

Fourth Floor Collapse - Worn Out

You can buy Gotye's music from his website


Meanwhile, I'm one of the few who haven't jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon and I wasn't all that excited about the release of Rowling's latest installment last Saturday. However I am a little envious of those who are a part of what seems to be a rare thing in the modern age - people anticipating a book's release. Doesn't happen too often and it's nice to see people amped about the release of a book for once, rather than the latest generation of ipod. Don't get me wrong, I love all that materialistic junk too but good novels seem few and far between and the ones that are written well and tell a unique story deserve to be read by many.
So I've started reading "The Philosopher's Stone" and plan to continue right to the end before the next Potter film comes out.

Sunday 15 July 2007

Soundtrack Sunday




Hopefully a series I can continue each Sunday, wherein I share some of my favourite music from my favourite films, television etc.


Magnolia is one of those somewhat pretentious films where separate lives culminate in one big supposedly profound conclusion. PT Anderson does a good job of it, though. I didn't find the end particularly profound, simply quirky. What I particularly liked about this film was the way the characters' emotions were displayed so realistically and affectingly. Due credit also goes to the cast for their phenomenal performances (though these are all known established actors so there's little surprise there). What really tied the characters emotions together was the soundtrack. At one point, in their darkest hour, the characters all sit alone and sing along to Aimee Mann's "Wise Up." Though I think the strongest song in the soundtrack is probably "Save Me," "Wise Up" is used constructively at the moment of Epiphany or realisation for each struggling character.

Aimee Mann - Wise Up [buy]


Jon Brion also contributed to the score music for Magnolia. This guy really gets around. He did a strong composition for Punch-Drunk Love. In this, another PT Anderson film, a simple love story is told in a peculiar and unique way. Kudos to Adam Sandler who shows he can play serious roles and isn't half as annoying when he does. What stands out with this soundtrack is its understatedness. Brion doesn't overload his scores with a multitude of sound, he tends to rotate around one or two tunes that crop up throughout the film. This isn't particularly new for a scorist, but Brion has a knack for conceptualising the core intentions of the director and enhancing them. I love the way he uses the song "He Needs Me," which is a song Olive sings to her love, Popeye in the original series, to represent the cutesiness of the relationship focussed on from beginning to end. But my favourite song is the climactic "Here We Go," which hints at the adrenalin rush one gets when a relationship is blossoming.

Jon Brion - Here We Go [buy]


I'll continue on with Jon Brion's influence, since his work is so prevalent in the world of soundtracks. In what was my favourite film of 2004, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry focuses on the life of a man grappling with the break up from his girlfriend. When she fails to recognise him one day and he learns she has gone to a special clinic and erased her memories of him, he determines to do the same. What we see is the memories as they're being erased. The beauty of this film is that even though this is classed by some as a "romantic comedy" it's not just about the translucency of "couple" relationships but all. In an exploration of the strength and fragility of relationships and their vulnerability to human behaviour, Gondry really excites the audience to "fight" for the maintenance of the characters' memories, and reveals the utter destruction beyond the decision to erase memories to ease the pain.
These two songs (one a score piece from Brion that crops up throughout the film, the other a remarkable cover by Beck) are my favourite pieces from the film. I particularly like the clarity given in the lyrics for "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime."

Jon Brion - Peer Pressure
Beck - Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime [buy]


Somersault wasn't the best film I'd ever seen. Directed by an Australian, Cate Shortland, we watch as a girl runs away from home and struggles with the tumultuous loneliness brought on oneself through selfdestructive behaviour. It's ultimately about the need for others' forgiveness, even if you've buried yourself under guilt and grief. Actually, I don't know if this was intended by the director and if it had've been about this at the core I probably would have enjoyed it more.
My main problem with this film was that at times I felt it was boring and pretentious. However, Shortland chose the scenery and music well and it pays off watching this film just to see the beautiful Blue Mountains. The sad soft soundtrack caters to the beauty embedded in the film.

Decoder Ring - Somersault [buy]


Of course I can't leave you on such a depressing note. My favourite film of all time is Donnie Darko. I'm not entirely sure what it's about, other than to perhaps say it's one of the most unique films I've ever seen. It's funny, sad, scary, exciting... It's about time travel, growing up, fate, the contradiction of life... And well, in saying that I still haven't done it justice. But for some reason (and I'm sure there is a reason if you pick away at the film) the film is set in the 80s so we get a soundtrack of songs that have lasted through the 80s and can still be appreciated now. And no, this doesn't include Ciny Lauper (whose songs should only really be played at 80s dance parties). Tears for Fears seem to sit perfectly in this film. We have the popular cover of their song "Mad World," performed by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules. But I also really, for the first time, got into the song "Head over Heels."

Tears for Fears - Head over Heels [buy]

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Sing us a song



There seems to be plenty more guitarists than piano players in the world. Which makes sense because although I've played neither, I've heard the piano is a good deal more difficult to play. But all that work pays off I think. Nothing sounds better than a simple piano melody.
Don't get me wrong, I like to hear good strumming and plucking of the guitar too but it really touches something deep to hear the keys of a piano delicately, or sometimes ferociously, tapped.

Some well-known artists have showed just how beautiful the piano can sound. Ben Folds, Sarah McLachlan, and Regina Spektor are only a minute example.
But there's a fair few more out there.


Menomena might not be known for their piano playing, per se. They're an indie group who experiment with electric beats, guitar hooks, even their vocals vary from track to track because all three members share this role. However amongst their experimental sound piano riffs often standout, proving they're not just in it for fun (though there's that too). They know how to pick up on the strength of a simple piano line.

Menomena - Rose [buy]

This is easily my favourite Menomena song. I'm not sure what it's about but the piano riff is beautiful. Especially with the complementary singing.


The Cinematic Orchestra have hit their stride just only this year really. The first I heard of them was on a compilation of Radiohead covers songs, called Exit Music. The name of this band says it all. The instruments involved include saxaphone, drums, bass, guitar, trumpet and piano. Usually they go for a Jazz Fusion sound, which isn't really my kind of music. But this beautiful tune, which has lately been one of the most popular songs on the blogosphere, caught my attention.

The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home [buy]

And although I'd heard one or two of his songs on tv series Grey's Anatomy it also forced me to recognise the brilliance of Patrick Watson (who contributed to "To Build a Home").

This guy is a born pianist. The song below shows how skilled he really is. I'm no professional (far from it and way down the list of amateurs) but I figure you must be particularly well trained to play the piano the way he does for this song. The vocals and the guitar, all other elements to the song seem to follow on from the piano line.

Patrick Watson - Drifters [buy]


Windmill is Matthew Thomas Dillon, who is fairly new to the scene and from the sound he certainly seems to stem from the world of subpop. He sings much the way Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) does. A slight unhinging in his voice that might make you cringe if the vulnerability in the voice wasn't so compelling. This has radio friendly pop appeal and though I think it'll be a slow burner I can see great reception of this guy.

Windmill - Tilting Trains [buy]


Another indie pop group, the Annuals have slowly grown on me. I heard "Brother" and I liked the subtle way the song's tune just snuck up on me. I'd been listening to it for a while, not noticing who it was; it was background music because unlike most pop it didn't leap out at me. But later I found myself humming the song and wondering who it was before my ipod found it for me on random.
Then when I was in New York late last year I found their album on sale (because the cover was slightly damaged) and I bought it. I didn't really listen to it for ages but again over time it has subverted my initial reaction to their music. And I've noticed other bloggers have been saying the same, pulling the Annuals album "Be He Me" out of their collection and listening to it and realising these guys have quietly sat themselves down next to the likes of Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene.
Piano doesn't feature much on their album but in this song, "Father," the piano just elevates it that little bit extra.

The Annuals - Father [buy]


Going solo Emily Haines, of Broken Social Scene, has released her own works. People who listen to Aimee Mann might be familiar with the direction Haines is coming from. Her voice tilters towards sounding languid and depressed but instead of leading her songs with her voice she seems to rely on her instruments more. When she does this with the piano it lifts her game really well and allows her to pull off a concerned, maybe even a bit sarcastic, tone, without sounding boring.
If Aimee Mann could take a page from this woman's book she'd be once more writing songs as good as the singles she did for the Magnolia soundtrack.
For now I'm happy to play Haines when the mood strikes.

Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton - Our Hell [buy]


Another beautiful songstress, Sia (Furler) has gone from an overproduced r 'n b sound to a more refined sultry sunny sunday afternoon melancholic mood. Born in Adelaide and now living in the UK this woman's voice and soft touch has helped her find her way to working with Zero 7.
However no song quite sets her apart from everyone else as "Breathe Me." A lot of people finally recognised this gorgeous and sad song when it was played in full in the closing scene of series Six Feet Under. Not much is done with piano here but the melody never sounds repetitive.

Sia - Breathe Me [buy]


And I'll leave you with a well respected artist, Antony Hegarty, who leads Antony and Johnsons. His voice is quite strange and elusive. Not quite male, not quite female. But this just allows him a great vocal range so it doesn't turn me off his music in the least. And he knows how to utilise the instruments around him.
This piano-heavy, guitar accompanied song shows what he can do with ease.

Antony and the Johnsons - The Lake [buy]




I really love Menomena's music videos. Check some of them out via youtube:

Rotten Hell

Cough Coughing

Wet and Rusting

Sunday 1 July 2007

Passionate Pasha Pull




Postponing a Pash


For those who don't know, NSW has been copping some mighty powerful storms lately. The kind that only roll in every decade, at most. In Newcastle a coal freighter ship, the Pasha Bulker, was washed in by the rough seas and stranded on the shoreline. Apart from the threat of pollution and the fact that a whopping big ship has lost its purpose, it has a nice spectral ghostship-like presence for visitors.

Since it's quite a drive to Newcastle I haven't had the opportunity to see it, though I would like to. The latest in news is that authorities have determined to haul the hulking mass back to its home out at sea. But they've been failing. They said they're taking their time getting it back out to maintain the safety of those pulling the ship. As long as it doesn't spill its toxic contents I hope it's there a little longer. It looks cool.



Sarah Blasko - The Albatross [buy]

James Yorkston and the Athletes - Shipwreckers [buy]

Jen Cloher and the Endless Sea - Rain [buy]

Big Heavy Stuff - Goliath [buy]

My friend also alerted me to some funny Pasha youtube vids:

Pasha Transformer

Thunderbirds are go!

Pasha Priceless



In other news Paris is out of prison already. Judging from the interview she still doesn't understand why someone as popular as her should be imprisoned, as she goes on and on about how "traumatising" her three weeks in prison were. After all, it's not her fault she's so pretty. And she can't be held responsible for her actions when she's in the spotlight. Right? Wait till she just about kills someone with her reckless driving. Maybe then her claims that she has "changed" wouldn't be revealed as a "my experience was traumatic/ God's plan" perspective but more of a "I'm lucky I didn't kill someone and destroy their lives" outlook.

Arcade Fire - The Well and the Lighthouse [buy]