I’m actually not sure if I’ve ever mentioned elaine k on the blog before, which is quite a disgrace. elaine has written some of my favourite songs and ‘Fall’ is taken from her third album ‘Bare Bones’. Originally from Dubin, elaine now lives in NYC and the video was shot there on Pop Up Pianos placed around the city by Sing For Hope.
Blog
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Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain In The Cloud Album Stream
I had a really great chat with Zach from Portugal. The Man a little while back. Their new album, ‘In The Mountain In The Cloud’ is now streaming on YouTube. I’ll start you off with So American!
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A Better Life: Film Review
‘A Better Life’ is the heartfelt story of a gardener living with his American born son in Los Angeles. Despite his illegal status, Carlos (Demian Bichir) dreams of giving the teenage boy, played by José Julián, better opportunities than he ever had.Directed By Chris Weitz (About A Boy), the film beautifully shows the generational struggle between father and son and the reluctant inevitably of the son Luis, joining a local gang through peer pressure. Living in a one bedroom house, Carlos struggles to get the money together to start his own business and get on the road to a better life. When his hopes and dreams are dashed, it is then that the pair grow closer.
We see the pain and anguish in Carlos and how the son, Luis, seemingly for the first time tries to understand his father as he teaches him that the way of the street is not the only way to live.
This is a beautifully shot film and Demian Bichir is fantastic as Carlos (he even learned to climb those palm trees!). It’s everything a good movie should be. Interesting story, here, bringing the spotlight to the struggling illegal Mexican population of Los Angeles. It toys with a range of emotions and let’s you deeply connect with the characters. This is easily the best film I’ve seen this year.
A Better Life will be showing in the IFI from July 29th (more…)
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Hogan: 1,2,3,4! / Dance=Sex Review
A new two track from Hogan landed on my desk this morning! The follow up to ‘Five Years On’, ‘1, 2, 3, 4,’ is an uptempo pop punk track with distorted guitars and quite a funky rhythm section. Where ‘Five Years On’ seemed to be a band battling to find where the fit, this firmly sits in pop/punk even though in a funky breakdown they proclaim to ‘have no genre cos they keep changing’. Overall it’s well produced, though the over distorted guitars get a bit much, especially when there’s a dreaded key change.‘Dance=Sex’ is quite a funky uptempo track with effected vocals. No doubt in a live setting, the ‘Hey’ refrain should work well. Here though, it seems a little manic but it’s enough to drive the pop punkers into a frenzy.