In the last few years The Gaslight Anthem have been wheedling their way into people’s hearts with their big choruses and Springsteen tinged rock and roll. Therefore, it’s not really a surprise that there has been a slight cash in on this popularity with the release of The B Sides a collection of, unsurprisingly, B sides. The question then has to be asked whether this is worthy of inclusion in the Gaslight discography, or like many before them should this be a collection of B side that should have stayed in the vault.
Her
The idea of humans falling in love with machines is not a new one in cinema, it’s a common trope of the sci-fi genre, but if anything the last few years have led to it hitting closer and closer to home. Advances in technology like the Iphone suggest a future where, while our computers may not get to think for themselves, they may well be able to trick you into believing they can.
Cuban Fury
Nick Frost has spent his career in the shadow of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. However, to purely consider him as a stooge to their talents is to give the guy a lot less credit that he deserves. Underneath that overweight outward appearance is an incredibly talented physical comedian and therefore it’s not surprising that the idea of him doing a comedy based around the idea of salsa dancing is on paper a recipe for success.
Caliban – Ghost Empire
There is a track on Ghost Empire, German metalcore mob Caliban’s 9th album, called “I Am Rebellion”. It starts slowly before delivering some chunky metalcore riffs and a big melodic chorus. In other words, it’s about the least rebellious metalcore track you will hear this year. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. If you take a stroll through the music section of this website you will find a lot of articles about metalcore bands, it’s a genre I have a lot of time for. However, it’s also a genre that can hit it’s saturation point quite easily and there are a lot of Killswitch Engage clones out their. Not all of them can claim to have been going as long as Caliban though, who actually formed in 1997 two years before Killswitch.
Skindred – Kill the Power
Skindred should be the biggest band on the planet. I know I started my live review in the exact same way, but I’m going to keep saying it until it’s true. With the release of their 5th album, Kill the Power, Skindred look to continue proving me right (spoiler: they have) and continue their quest to try and capture their live energy on record, with their supposed failure to do so the one criticism that tends to be launched their way.
Alcest – Shelter
I imagine most of the people who find their way onto my blog would remember Alcest from their post-black metal early albums. Over the last few years however, much like a growing number of their contemporaries, Alcest have found themselves leaning closer and closer to the post part of their sound and in turn leaving the black metal far behind. So if you are reading this due to your interest in black metal it might be better to look away now. As in it’s wake they have become a shoe gazing post rock band, the likes of whom generate an aura of cool that I’ve never quite understood. Continue reading “Alcest – Shelter”
Dallas Buyers Club
Dallas Buyers Club is the latest step in the ongoing McConaissance and is looking to be the one that will gain the man, once famous for leaning on his co-stars on the side of buses, that coveted Academy Award. Directed by Jean Marc Vallee it is a movie that has been a long time coming, with names such as Woody Harrelson having previously been attached to it.
The Lego Movie
The fact that The Lego Movie has taken this long to appear is something of a surprise. When you consider the amount of licenses that are held by Lego, it has surely always been only a matter of time until they all came together to create a movie. The problem is that much like many spin offs of beloved toys and games, it is all too easy to create something substandard and poor, with the knowledge that fans that will come flocking anyway. Therefore it was a relief when Phil Lord and Chris Miller stepped into the directorial seat, as their previously filmography suggests an ability to make gold out of something with the potential to plummet, mainly with 21 Jump Street and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Ginger Wildheart – Albion
Seven albums in two years, all funded by his fans. Is Ginger Wildheart an example of the future of the music industry? I don’t know, but I’m definitely not complaining about it. Those of us who are on the wagon have already got our hands on the most recent Pledge funded Ginger album, Albion, which see’s him returning to the studio with the band he has been touring with for the last few years.
Killswitch Engage and Trivium w/ Miss May I and Battlecross at the O2 Academy Glasgow, 4/2/2014
Package tours are becoming more and more common, but few this year are likely to elicit the response that the announcement of Trivium and Killswitch Engage taking to the road together did. These two metal titans have been on redemptive paths in the last few years. Killswitch reuniting with Jesse Leach and remembering how to kick ass (although I was actually a Howard fan) and Trivium slowly rebuilding their damaged reputation and fighting back up to the top of the metal ladder (which they should have been on top of a long time ago.)
Ramblings About Wrestling 