The Scottish Premier League has long been a bit of a joke, listen to any football podcast and you will hear constant jibes at the quality north of the border. Â Now, I have to be honest, this has never bothered me. Â The SPL is pish and if it wasn’t for my overriding affection for Aberdeen, I doubt I’d give a damn. Â I don’t watch Scottish football if Aberdeen aren’t involved and, until the last couple of years, their involvement actually tended to make me more miserable. Â However, this season is possibly shaping up to be one of the most interesting in recent years, even without one half of the gruesome twosome being involved.
Gone Girl
The idea of the impossible to adapt book, seems to be dying.  With films like Life of Pi seeing great success, Hollywood hasdiscovered that the books they are supposed to be unable to do anything with, are actually doing pretty damn well.  The latest novel to get that treatment, is Gone Girl, written by Gillian Flynn, who has personally adapted it and directed by the brilliant, David Fincher.
Defining Punk in 2014.
This article is inspired by a whole series of events.  One of which is the newest Lower Than Atlantis album, which is self titled and another of which is Terry Bezer’s defence of pop punk, which you can find here.  It’s not a secret that the defintion of punk has changed.  The old punks have grown up and anyone who has been to see a punk band that broke in the heyday, will be used to the sight of people who look like they spend their day with office jobs, slipping into the old outfit for a night out.  My Dad tells a story of going for a fancy meal in America and afterwards going to see the New York Dolls, where he was surprised to find the exact same people that had been at the restaurant..  To say punk is dead is harsh, but to say punk has changed, seems to just be the truth.
Bound for Failure?
So last night, Bound for Glory took place, the supposed jewel in TNA’s PPV calendar and very much their answer to Wrestlemania.  Yet, this year, it didn’t feel special.  In fact it barely registered on the Richter scale.  Unlike my usual look at wrestling events, I am not planning on going through this one match by match, but instead by having a look at exactly where I think TNA went wrong with BFG, this year round.
How dark should a film go?
Anyone who is a fan of Outnumbered, will know that writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkins have recently released a movie, What We Did On Our Holiday, staring David Tennant, Rosamund Pike and Billy Connolly.  Unsurprisingly, it will continue to use the same techniques, (ie. unscripted children interacting with scripted adults) that Outnumbered utilised so well.  Yet, since its release it has received mixed reviews, with many choosing to focus on a particularly dark twist, which the movie makes coming into the final act, as a reason for it’s issues, as it contrasts with the tone of what has come before.  However, is that actually an issue?  Or was Hamilton and Jenkins decision, actually a brave one?  (I should mention this will be spoiler free, in case anyone is worried.)
The Motherload and Heavy Metal
I’m slightly behind the times with this one.  Mastodon recently released a video for the rather awesome “The Motherload”, one of the highlights of Once More Round the Sun, the album they released earlier this year.  That alone is hardly worthy of a post, but the reaction to said video, which is a combination of traditional rock aesthetics and a collection of woman with rather large derrieres ‘twerking’ (as I believe the kids call it), is.
Weezer in 2014
A new Weezer album is a strange proposition in 2014.  While there is no denying Rivers Cuomo and co can still bring it on occasion, you can’t hide from the factThe Blue Album feels a long time ago and while those songs still kick ass live, they were recorded twenty years ago.  While that was followed by another two amazing albums and a few less amazing but strong in their own way releases, they have also released some trash.  With their last few failing to hit the mark.  Therefore, Everything Will Be Alright in the End has a bit of pressure on its shoulders, the question has to stand as to whether Weezer still have it?
Heights w/ Echoes, Swallows and Flakes at Classic Grand, Glasgow, 4/10/14
Heights are dead.  Not in the sense that Alex Monty and co have actually keeled over and slipped off their mortal coil, but in the sense that the band are saying goodbye.  Anyone who has paid attention to my blogs for the last few years, will be well aware that I have a great deal of affection for this band.  In a UK where there are more hardcore bands than ever before, they stood out as something a bit special and I am genuinely gutted to see them go.  However, the opportunity to go and see them live one last time – they played their last ever show in London last night and were in Glasgow on Saturday – was something I wasn’t going to miss.
Continue reading “Heights w/ Echoes, Swallows and Flakes at Classic Grand, Glasgow, 4/10/14”
Generic Music
Sometimes you listen to a band and you want to tell the world.  You are desperate to have everyone know about them and cannot understand why people greet the mention of their name with blank faces.  Other times you hear a band and wonder who actually cares?  Who is spending their time and money supporting a band who while maybe not bad, are just so generic, that they are almost inventive through complete lack of invention.  A band that very much invoke that feeling inside of me is Godsmack, who this year released 1000hp.
Unlikable Characters in Film
Most people’s favourite movies centre around a character they can relate to, respect or have a feeling of affection for.  However, every now and then a movie comes along that is populated by, well, cunts.  Which brings us to Maps to the Stars, the latest movie by the brilliant David Cronenberg and a satirical look at the world of Hollywood and the nature of celebrity.  It’s a film that will make you laugh, horrify you and which I imagine many will take against (at least a few people walked out of the screening I was in), however, it is also full of thoroughly unlikable characters.
