It can be difficult to find relevant albums week by week, so when I found out this album recently celebrated it’s 35th anniversary I jumped at the opportunity to review it. The Damned were a London based punk group most prominent in the punk boom of the late 70s. Led by the charismatic Dave Vanian (like Transylvanian), Damned Damned Damned was everything you could want in a lively and to-the-point punk debut. The songs here are energetic, enthusiastic, and even at times somewhat humorous. I mean what can you expect when a band has members with names like “Captain Sensible” and “Rat Scabies”. Produced by pop musician/frequent Elvis Costello producer Nick Lowe and released in that golden year of 1977, Damned Damned Damned is a must listen for any old school punk fan.

What separates The Damned from other punk groups of the time? That’s a good question and I’m not sure I know the answer. The closest thing they remind me of is The Stooges, if they were goofier and from England. They even cover The Stooges’ song “1970″ under it’s original name “I Feel Alright”. Of course Dave Vanian is no Iggy Pop but he certainly has his own appeal. Vanian was well known for donning gothic vampire-like garb on stage that somehow only enhanced his crooner-like singing style. Alongside Bassist (later guitarist) Captain Sensible, known for his trademark red beret, The Damned were quite a spectacle on stage and still are as they continue to play live.

If you really want to label The Damned I suppose you could call them one of the originators of “Gothic Punk” if you want to get that specific with genres. Personally I just enjoy the songs and the energy behind them. Guitarist Brian James wrote the bulk of the material on the album and brings an edge by incorporating more traditional rock riffs but played at quick punk tempos. “Neat Neat Neat” and “New Rose” are both punk classics in their own right and pretty much speak for themselves. There’s also a video on YouTube of The Damned playing on The Craig Ferguson Show of all places from 2008 and I’m glad to say they sound just as good if not better then they ever have. How do these guys still do it? I don’t know, maybe they sold their souls.

Favorite Tracks: “Fan Club”, “Neat Neat Neat”, “New Rose”

22 movies enter but only 10 leave in this epic battle of true romance! Our unusually epic Valentine’s week continues with a podcast that’s just simply full of love. Sean, John and Colin get together and talk about a genre of film that couldn’t be closer to their hearts: the romantic comedy. And while I’d like to say that a conversation this dear diffuses the usual arguing, that’s certainly not the case as they put together this hotly-contested list. In fact, the only real sure thing this time is that Sean still hasn’t seen enough movies.

If you’ve got to get back to your significant other, you can just look at the final list after the break.

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For a while I’ve been wanting to revive Classic Album Tuesdays just because, well I haven’t posted anything in literally weeks.  I’m ready to give up on the year-by-year thing we were doing, and since it’s Valentine’s Day I figured I should pick something “romantic” (heh heh).  I really couldn’t think of anything better-suited than this buoyant collection of love songs with a ’70s punk-inspired edge from a Northwest band that seemed to be bursting with potential.

The Exploding Hearts more or less embodied what it should have sounded like when punk rock and pop melodies got in bed with each other, instead of the pop-punk that glutted the early-00′s.  It’s kind of amazing the way these guys walk such an endearing line between doughy-eyed power pop and the kind of rough-and-tumble scruffiness that marked the first wave of punk rock.  In fact, you could easily make comparisons between The Exploding Hearts and bands like The Ramones and The Buzzcocks, as they certainly owe a lot to those retro sounds.   However, I think this album holds up as more than just a piece of punk nostalgia, because I honestly think these songs are just as good as most of the music that came out of that first punk rock explosion of the late 70′s.

Of course the sad thing about The Exploding Hearts is that this is the only album the band would release, as a few months after it was released, the band was involved in a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of three of the band’s four members.  None of that sorrow seems to overshadow the music however, as Guitar Romantic stands as one of the more joyous rock albums I’ve ever heard.  Maybe it’s a bit soon to be heralding Guitar Romantic as a “classic” since it’s still undeservedly obscure, but if you’re looking for a great pick-me-up on this most pointless of holidays, I’d look no further.

Favorite Tracks: ”I’m A Pretender”, “Sleeping Aides & Razorblades”, “Rumours In Town”

Hospitality – Hospitality

The music industry has come a long way. Since Napster revolutionized the digital distribution of music, we’ve seen a paradigm shift not just in the way music is sold, but the way we listen to it. It seems were passed the days of wanton lawsuits against unwitting criminals, and it seems that now even the idea of the LP is beginning to wear away against the tide of singles, playlists and EPs. Take Hospitality as an example. With them, we have a group that put out an acclaimed EP in 2008 by themselves. Now, almost four years later, they’ve signed with a label and put new versions of those songs and a few new ones as their first LP. I never got to hear that EP, or even look at its tracklist, but if you had, wouldn’t you find it a little annoying that this band got caught up in the old ways and has made so little progress over all this time?

Honestly, this is neither here nor there, as the reality is this album is the first time I heard of Hospitality. And what I heard, I liked. This is that catchy, indie pop kind of music that I tend to gravitate toward, so I’m not going to have to much to say. The lead singer/songwriter Amber Papini has a voice that reminds me of Karen O or Tracyanne Campbell, but all the critics tell me she sounds weird, so I guess be aware of that? I don’t all the reviews I’ve read are pretty positive, that’s why I listened to this in the first place. I think that Tracyanne Campbell comparison is fair, because Hospitality does remind me Camera Obscura a little bit, kind like if those guys got mixed with Vampire Weekend.

Anyway, it’s still pretty early in the year and while there aren’t really that many exciting movies or video games out yet, there’s actually been a few pretty solid albums that have come out. That’s another cool thing about music, it seems the barrier for entry is lower than a lot of other media. Dozens of great albums come out every month and actually get covered by enthusiast press. You can’t really say that about movies and video games. While I really like this album, what I’m really excited about is the future of Internet distribution.

Favorite Tracks: “Friends of Friends,” “Betty Wang,” “All Day Today”

In honor of the 3D re-release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, we take a look at what exactly made this movie such a disappointment. Can you remember a world before this came out? When the biggest problem with the Star Wars franchise was ewoks? We had no idea how good we had it. Plenty of nerd rage has built up in the past decade and we let it all out in this special episode. It’s worth noting that the Red Letter Media Episode I review is mentioned a few times and is certainly a worthwhile viewing if you’re interested in a funny, well-argued case against that movie.

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The Woman in Black

It is not often that a mainstream horror movie is released to even remotely positive reviews so when it does happen I’m all over it. Aside from that The Woman in Black appealed to me for two reasons: one, it’s a gothic period piece and two, it was produced by Hammer Films. To someone unfamiliar with Hammer Films let me provide a little backstory. Hammer Films is a UK production company that was established in the 1930s and rose to fame in the 50s and 60s for their traditional Gothic horror films. Hammer Films were atmospheric, classy, and often surprising violent all in one marvelous package. They recently returned to producing films a few years ago but this is the studio’s first stab at a Gothic horror film in over thirty years. How does it stack up those original productions? I’m glad to say this is one of the scariest and most atmospheric horror movies I’ve seen in awhile.

Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young widower father working as a lawyer in early 1900s London. Still haunted by visions of his dead wife, Arthur must also deal with continuing pressure from his employers. So Arthur is sent to the most depressing English village you’ve ever seen to handle the Eel Marsh estate. Previously owned by the now deceased Alice Drablow, Arthur quickly discovers there’s something askew about Eel Marsh. Since the death of Drablow the town has had an unusually high child suicide rate and it is believed to be connected to her death. Thus it us up to Arthur to uncover the ghastly secrets of the “Woman in Black.”

The role of Arthur Kipps doesn’t demand much aside from someone who can act frightened and give the occasional “Who’s there?” line, but Radcliffe does a fine job. Though find it odd to see the 22 year old Radcliffe playing the father of a four year old. Not that it would be that unusual for a man that age to have a child (especially during the time period) it’s just strange to see someone we still primarily see as a child actor playing a parent. Ciaran Hinds plays a wealthy landowner who befriends Arthur and does fine job in the only other other significant role in the film, I’ver never understood why he doesn’t receive more prominent roles. Though characters aside this is a movie about the effects and atmosphere.

This film is shot in some of the most eerie locations I’ve seen in a horror movie. All of the sets are dressed in a gloomy, gothic decor that could only exist in turn of the century England. Eel Marsh itself is like a living, breathing character. It rests on raised forested hill with a lone road that periodically gets swallowed by the tide every day. So whenever Arthur is taken up to Eel Marsh you know he’s in for a long stay. The Drablow house itself is the classic haunted house filled with cobwebs and many, many creepy dolls. Of course this is where Arthur sees “The Woman in Black” figure and though the scares are sometimes cheap they are a lot of fun.

I’ve noticed in the best horror films you always find yourself continually waiting for the next daylight scene, often because that’s where you get some relief. The Woman in Black like any effective horror movie truly delivers on that constant feeling of tension and dread and it’s very thrilling. Sure, The Woman in Black lacks originality in many aspects but it takes a traditional horror style and hits every right note. For what it is this is a great scary movie.

Chronicle 

The first thing I noticed about Chronicle was that great poster. People flying around the Seattle skyline? Sweet. Then I found out it was a shaky cam movie about superpowers and I was even more intrigued. I know a lot of people are getting tired of these “found footage” type movies but I still enjoy the technique even if it is a gimmick. Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, The Last Exorcism, I enjoyed these movies because they take the surreal and attempt to portray it in a realistic way. Of course the question always arises “Why don’t they put down the camera?” And I’d like to say that problem was solved in Chronicle (It wasn’t) but where it lacks in conceptual plot holes it makes up for in sheer entertainment value.

Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is lonely high schooler who starts to videotape his life on a new camera. Why does he do it? I don’t know, but if he didn’t then I guess we wouldn’t have a movie. Andrew is a shy and reclusive teen with an alcoholic father, a dying mother, and no social life. His only friend is his popular cousin Matt (Alex Russell) who is constantly trying to get Andrew to open up. One night, Matt convinces Andrew to go to a rave at a converted barn. At the party they meet up with Matt’s friend Steve (MIchael B. Jordan). Together the three stumble upon a secret cave where they discover some kind of meteor and BOOM superpowers.

Though at times I wondered if this movie really needed to be a shaky cam movie I think in retrospect it was the right choice. Something about seeing digital effects on a typical camcorder just makes them that more impressive. The scenes where the characters “practice” their powers on unsuspecting bystanders are a real treat to watch and the battle scenes are very impressive. A lot of people have criticized the last half of this film for being too action packed but I thought it found a good balance.

Something I like about Chronicle when compared to so many other films about teenagers is that it feels genuine. I could honestly believe these were real kids and this is how they would act in respond to this situation. As a matter of fact, I’ve noticed this about characters in a lot of shaky cam movies. Something about the “Home movie” style in these kinds of movies only brings out the best in their actors.

In my defense of shaky cameras it might seem like a bit of a contradiction to say this movie being shaky cam is both a gift and a curse. It is a gift because of what the technique does for the effects and performances but a curse in that it doesn’t make any sense. These characters all filming each other all the time? This is a hard obstacle to get past and often sucked me right out of the film entirely. I liked Chronicle it was just a bit of a stretch with the concept… And I can only pray it doesn’t turn into a franchise which I think it could.

This Thursday, the gang came up with a topic so partisan, so biased, that they decided to present their lists independently. That’s right, it’s their most anticipated movies of the year. How does one rank anticipation? Who knows. But one thing’s for sure, the guy’s definitely did talk about films they want to see. Well, except for Colin, he talks about the movies he doesn’t really want to see at all. And Matt, who finally joined in on the, is really just along for the ride. John definitely has a list, though. Sean does too, along with a bunch of failed segues. Damn it if this is not the most compelling podcast of the year!

Press that “Continue Reading” button to spoil the show for yourself and find out who we talk about more – The Rock or Channing Tatum.

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Maybe this film isn’t as bad as my title suggests but I couldn’t resist making fun of it when there are so many possibilities. So why did someone like me who so closely monitors reviews see this film? Because I make it my mission every year to see every film nominated for best picture and I suppose every film deserves it’s day in court. Although now I can tell you that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is probably the least interesting Oscar nominated movie I’ve seen since The Reader, also a Stephen Daldry film. I wouldn’t go as far saying Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a bad movie, it’s just really average, and hardly Oscar quality. A lot of critics have gone as far to saying that this movie is offensive and I think I can see why, but I’ll get to that later.

Oscar Schell (Thomas Horn) is a bright but emotionally awkward young boy coping with the death of his father (Tom Hanks) who died in 9/11. From flashbacks we learn that Oscar’s father used to send him on scavenger hunts or “reconnaissance missions” to teach him life lessons. A year later in 2002 Oscar discovers a key in an envelope marked “Black” in his father’s closet and believes this to be a final mission. Oscar then sets out by tracking down everyone with the last name of “Black” in all of New York in an attempt to discover the key’s secret. It’s a ridiculous premise but still interesting to watch how it unfolds, at least it would be if it wasn’t bogged down by so much melodrama.

In-between all the searching we get a lot of flashbacks of Oscar and his mom (Sandra Bullock) dealing with their grief. I understand this is a story that uses 9/11 to setup the chain of events but I’d much rather see the story progress than watch scene after scene of Oscar and his mom yelling and crying at each other. Thomas Horn gives a strong performance as Oscar but his character is so unsympathetic and annoying that I just wish he’d shut the hell up. Oscar is rude, insensitive, and a real know-it-all, which makes it really hard for to get behind his little self-centered scavenger hunt. The other characters feel fairly stock although ably performed, most notably Max Von Sydow as a mute renter living with Oscar’s grandmother. A lot of people have criticized Von Sydow getting a Best Supporting Actor nomination but it is my opinion that it’s deserved, I just would of liked to see him say something.

So what makes Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close insensitive? A lot of critics have pointed out a recurring cutaway shot of a jumper falling from the sky. It’s an odd choice but it didn’t make me uncomfortable until referenced in a later scene. Later there’s a scene where Oscar is showing the mute renter pictures of a jumper on 9/11 that Oscar believes is his father. Not only is that morbid thought for a child to have but it seems insensitive to the people that actually did jump from the towers. Using such a tragic occurrence as an artistic statement or plot device feels like an insult. Even worse Oscar puts together a scrapbook that has a page where you pull out a tab and a man falls from a drawing of a man falls from a drawing of the towers. I’m sure they had some kind of message but the visual is so dark and depressing, it makes me very uncomfortable.

Aside from all the iffy handling of sensitive subject matter this film is fairly drawn out. Eric Roth, known for his lengthy and complexly detailed screenplays like Forrest Gump and Curious Case of Benjamin Button adapted the story but unlike those other two films this one is missing a key element “humor”. I’m aware this is serious subject matter but that doesn’t mean there can’t be some lighter moments as well. I suppose this film had some of those moments but they are so few and far between. The movie may have an intriguing mystery that’s somewhat entertaining but it’s too much of bummer. This isn’t the worse film but is it the worst film to ever be nominated for Best Picture? Maybe, I guess the Academy just loves the schmaltzy melodrama of Stephen Daldry.

Did you read John, Colin and Sean’s top 10 movie lists last week? If you liked those, you’re going to love this podcast. This week, those guys talk about their favorite movies of 2011, narrowing down all their personal preferences to a single list. What will make the cut? Who will feel the most betrayed? How much time will be spent on Fast Five? Find out for yourself by using your ears!

Total listage after the break! Only go that far if your time is too damn valuable to be listening to us.

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