Posts Tagged ‘stranger than fiction

30
Aug
11

Eastbound And Down – The Series I tried To Hate

anchormanWill Ferrell might be a comedic genius but there are only a handful of movies he acts in I actually like.

Anchor Man was hilarious and highly original, The Other Guys had me laughing from literally the first scene and even though Stranger Than Fiction had a bit of a shit ending, it was based on a great premise and it was refreshing to watch him in something where he hardly shouted or swore at all.

But you gotta give the man credit where it’s due. His flamboyant, completely unpredictable, loud, crass and bizarre acting style has spawned an entire genre of American slapstick humour which the series Eastbound & Down steals shamelessly from.

The protagonist (Kenny Powers, played by Danny McBride) is an egotistical, washed up ex-baseball player with a killer mullet who is a gigantic asshole to everyone he lays eyes on.

 

 

His unapologetic, borderline-retarded, male chauvinistic world view is so narrow that it encompasses him and no one else. This is made all the more cringe-worthy by the fact that while he used to be a pitching sensation and baseball superstar, at the start of the series he can barely hit the broadside of a barn, a fact that his gigantic ego refuses point-blank to accept.

Bottom line is I was determined not to like this series right from episode one and yet, I’ve just finished watching the series finale for season one and I have to admit, it’s a pretty funny series that threw a few unexpected curveballs (yes. I just did that) in the later episodes.

I also really enjoyed Kenny’s sidekick in the series, Stevie the band teacher at the highschool where Kenny ends up working. I swear to God, the minute they start giving Stevie more scenes this guy steals the show completely.

He’s like the male version of ‘Mel’ from flight of the concords, only more awesome. I almost felt more sympathy for his character than I did for Kenny himself because Stevie is hilariously dorky, awkward and totally unfaltering in his loyalty to Kenny.

 

 

Of course, the reason why the whole project feels like a Ferrell rip-off at first might have to do with the fact that he produced and acts in it, but it still has enough originality to break out of the Ferrell mold and the ending is one of the best cliff-hangers I’ve seen in a good, long while.

Needless to say, I’ll be jumping right into season 2 tomorrow and apparently season 3 is on the cards (that’s going to be the final series from what I’ve read) so hopefully the show can maintain the momentum it picked up over the course of season 1, but I’ll be sure to tell you how it all turns out.

For the time being, just watch season 1 if you haven’t already and tell me what you think, I’m always open to feedback. And group hugs.

C’mere. Mmmmmmmm…

-ST

11
Mar
10

Album Review: Spoon – Transference

Spoon is one of those bands that you’ve definitely heard of before but if you had to name one of their singles or even an album chances are you’d draw a big, fat blank.

This is because even though the band has been playing since 1993, they’ve never managed to break into the mainstream music scene. Sure, some of their songs have featured in TV series such as Scrubs, Veronica Mars and The Simpsons and the movies Stranger Than Fiction and Cloverfield, but if you can name one song that featured in any of those (WITHOUT Wikipediaing ‘Spoon’) you’ll win a prize!*

The first recording of theirs I got my hands on was their 2007 album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and though I didn’t think much of it at first, after 5 or 6 listens I had to concede that it was a great album.

 

 

I then delved into their entire catalogue and was pleasantly surprised to find that if there’s one thing that can be said about Spoon, it’s that they write consistently good music, which is what lead to MetaCritic ranking Spoon as the ‘Top overall artist of the decade’ last year, an accolade not to be taken lightly.

After hearing the first single from Transference (‘Written in Reverse’) on the band’s MySpace site earlier this year, I was convinced Transference would be a good album, and it is. Not stupendous, not mind-blowing, but definitely worth sinking your teeth into whether you know Spoon or not.

The beauty of Spoon is that they have this ability to take simple beats and riffs and turn them into songs that are much, much more than the sum of their parts.

Their idiosyncratic brand of upbeat indie rock, which is punctuated with funky basslines and foot-tappingly infectious piano melodies is easily accessible, which is why it’s always baffled me that more people aren’t into this band.

The first track on Transference ‘Before Destruction’ opens sparsely and keeps things that way. The drums are guitar definitely take a back seat to singer Britt Daniels vocals, which turn an otherwise bland song into something with a bit more character.

 

 

‘Is Love Forever?’ comes across as messy at first, the drums and guitar sound like they’re following different time signatures, and Daniel’s vocals sound like an attempt at singing Morse Code.

An interesting choice for a second track, but then again, Spoon always put their strongest tracks in the middle of their albums, so if you’re not feeling anything yet after the meandering third track ‘The Mystery Zone’, hang in there, it gets better.

‘Written in Reverse’ pulls no punches and is a great example of what this band can do when they find a killer riff and drive it home. The piano chords play with the precision of factory machines stamping engine parts while a jangling, Rolling Stonesey guitar riff struts confidently into centre stage like a stripper after 6 tequilas.

‘I Saw The Light’ follows neatly afterward with its soft / loud dynamic that, just as it’s getting tired, swings into piano and drum instrumental that almost sounds like a completely different song and adds an interesting layer to an otherwise mediocre track.

Besides those tracks, ‘Got Nuffin’ will also stand out as another example of Spoon’s simple but-catchy-style of songwriting. Listen to the individual parts of the song and nothing much is happening, but put them together and you’ve got a song that hooks you by the second chorous.

‘Goodnight Laura’ is also notable and should have been the last song on the album, it’s a great track, one which perfectly showcases both Eric Harvey’s talents as a pianist and Daniels’ talents as a vocalist.

However, Transference is not without a few shockers – the beginning of ‘Trouble Comes Running’ sounds like it was recorded on someone’s cell phone and does little to hold your attention throughout the song, but isn’t as bad as the fourth track, ‘Who Makes Your Money’ which repeats the same flakey piano chords and bassline for a full 4 minutes.

‘Out Go The Lights’ and ‘Nobody Gets Me But You’ are both Ok songs, but that’s about it. Neither will jump out at you or make much of an impression until your 6th or 7th listen.

 

 

In terms of the lyrics, Daniels keeps them as simple and dimmed down as possible, which serves as a double-edged sword in that they don’t come across as flowery or overly-pretentious, but at the same time, I can’t honestly tell you one line throughout the album that really stood out for me.

What you’re getting with an album like Transference is a collection of songs that will definitely grow on you in time, but probably won’t change your life in any majorly significant way.

If you liked Spoon’s albums Gimme Fiction (2005) and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007) then you’ll definitely like Transference. Likewise, if you’re unfamiliar with this band, I would highly recommend listening to those two albums first and then giving Transference a spin.

Final Verdict: 6/10

*The prize is self-importance. Well done.