Folkers Maia have been working hard over the last few years gigging to anybody that will have them. Their Duran Duran-gone-folk sound is as infectious as a yawn, but they’re never likely to raise one from you, and this new single is likely to gain them even more followers. Watch the video here – it’s genius in that it was shot and edited entirely using iPhones and IPads.
‘Zuma Aluma’ is released on 25th June 2012 by Vandal Records
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The most prestigious and coveted film festival on the planet is upon us as filmmakers, stars and journalists descend on the southern French seaside resort to view and critique some of the most anticipated films of the year. Of course I cannot be going myself; the rigour of the festival is said to drive even the most dedicated of film journalists to the edge let alone a beginner. But I can definitely cast my eye over the selection and pick ten of them that have caught my and other cinefiles eyes. Some of these have confirmed UK release dates, others do not. Either way the calibre of these titles should see them generating plenty of buzz before their arrival on these shores.
MOONRISE KINGDOM
The seventh feature from the king of idiosyncratic American indie cinema Wes Anderson is a period piece set in the mid sixties following two runaway teenagers in love and the haphazard search party that sets out after them. Anderson stalwarts Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman are joined by newcomers Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand to name a few. Anderson’s exceptionally detailed, designed and witty directorial style may not be to all tastes but for fans of his work this is set to tick all the boxes.
LOVE
Austrian master of discomfort Michael Haneke returns to France for a tale of a couple who must care for the wife’s elderly parents. French acting legend Isabelle Huppert appears alongside William Shimmel of the magnificent Certified Copy in what would appear to be a more gentle approach for Haneke. Those familiar with his work however, will be prepared for terrible things to happen.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY
The Assassination of Jesse James was one of the most criminally underrated films of recent years so hopes are high for director Andrew Dominik and star Brad Pitt’s reunion in this gritty crime thriller about an underworld investigation into a card game heist co starring Sam Shepard, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta. Pitt appeared in last year’s big Cannes winner The Tree Of Life. Can he make it two in a row?
COSMOPOLIS
Robert Pattinson has the hearts of millions of Twilight fans and now we find out if he can win critical acclaim in Canadian maestro David Cronenberg’s twisted thriller about a young elitist yuppie travelling across New York City for a designer haircut and getting caught up in a dystopian, cultural revolution. Imagine a science-fiction take on American Psycho.
GRANDMASTERS
Wong Kar- wai has had glory at Cannes before with his visually lush and unconventional takes on traditional genre features with In The Mood For Love and Chungking Express. Now he turns his fine eye to a classic martial arts tale (based on the Ip Man series) with Asian superstar Tony Leung pulling all the moves.
RUST AND BONE
Jacques Audiard is known for his poetic yet brutal dramas such as A Prophet and The Beat My Heart Skipped. Hopes are high for this dramatic tale of a marine park worker crippled in an accident who finds solace with an immigrant bouncer. The magnificent Marion Cotillard plays the lead and after being sadly relegated in recent American roles she may have to clear space next to her first Oscar for La Vie En Rose…
LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE
Abbas Kiarostami is a master of blurring the line between fiction and cinematic construct and recently had glory at Cannes with Certified Copy. Here he heads to Japan, focusing on the relationship between an aging academic and a student side-lining as a prostitute. Whatever the context of their relationship the director’s previous work dictates that appearances can be deceiving.
ON THE ROAD
Jack Kerouac’s seminal road journey novel has been rolling around studios for years and now Walter Salles of the excellent road movie The Motorcycle Diaries turns his attention to the tale of two young men making their way across fifties America. Sam Riley of the the brilliant Control appears alongside Kirsten Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Elisabeth Moss and Steve Buscemi. For the cast alone this is a must see.
LAWLESS
Reminiscent of his gritty western The Proposition, Australian director John Hillcot’s latest is another tale of outlaw brothers (here in prohibition era America) whose familial bonds are pushed to the limit by the pursuing lawmen and each other. Again this is a stellar cast; Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Gary Oldman to name just a few.
THE ANGEL’S SHARE
Britain’s poet of the people Ken Loach is another Cannes stalwart and this appears to balance the mix between gentle humour and gritty realism of his previous work and concerns a young tearaway who finds a chance at redemption and success in the surprisingly sophisticated world of whisky brewing and selling.
The Cannes Film Festival runs from 16 May to 27 May.
You wish you had something to do on Wednesday the 23rd of May from 7PM to 9:45pm? Well that’s Interesting. And you wish it cost £4? This is getting a bit spooky now. Don’t tell me you wish it could be of a comedic nature? You do wish it could be of a comedic nature? Ok let’s try one more check: You wish it was in Peckham? This is freaky. The Comedy Autopsy Live is a comedy event happening in Peckham at The Last Refuge, it starts at 7PM and ends before 10PM and, even better, costs just £4. This is meant to be.
The Comedy Autopsy Live is a live stand up comedy event which incorporates elements of podcasting to enhance the experience and give the event a unique flavour. This is comedy version 2.0 if you will allow us such over confidence. We take the comedy out of the pub and put it in a chilled environment that will scream “comedy unplugged”. We can promise that if you come along we will make jokes go into your ear-holes that will make laughter come out of your mouth-hole. It will make you laugh. And that’s all comedy is.
Why start a comedy night man London like totally is crawling with comedy nights? Yes that’s a good point not real person. The reason is simple: I want too. What you want more? Is that not a bold enough statement of mission? Fine I actually do have one of those. It can be tough for emerging comedians (people starting out) to get longer sets to develop their skills. That’s where we come in. This isn’t open mic, nor is it for the comedic elite to try out new material. And by comedic elite I mean they get paid. No the comedians who will appear on The Comedy Autopsy Live are ones that the good people at Comedy Autopsy HQ find funny because we’ve seen them and they have made us chuckle till we buckled. Every act that appears is a 100% guarantee laugh out loud….comedian. Sorry thought there was something better coming but I went with the obvious.
But if you want a specific reason to come along then I have one or two for you. For a start Amy Howerska and James Loveridge will be previewing their Edinburgh Festival show for us. That’s right an Edinburgh Festival preview makes us sound and feel like a proper comedy night. The second reason is that we have Sarah Callaghan. Sarah is a very talented comedian who while not only a graduate of the prestigious Second City improv comedy group in Chicago has also appeared on Coach trip. And we here at The Comedy Autopsy are not sure which we are more jealous of.
So May 23rd. The Last Refuge. Peckham. A night of awesome live comedy. Only £4. It would be great to see you there. I’d appreciate it and so would the performers. £4.Got to be worth a shot.
PS: While it’s not in a pub you will still be able to buy alcohol. In case you were wondering.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STh0PaH1LjA&w=560&h=315]
Following the recent announcement of their new single, South London cinematic pop duo Alpines have unveiled their new video. The single ‘Empire‘, released June 11th, and the video was directed by award-winning avantgarde and art-house director Luke Losey, notable for his work with Orbital and Mercury Rev among others (including the MTV Awards nominated video for Orbital’s ‘The Box’).
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‘The Lion’s Roar’ is the 2nd album by First Aid Kit, two sisters from the south of Stockholm known to their parents as Johanna and Klara Söderberg, and what a record it is. The band first shot to fame in 2008 with a Youtube cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song and in those years they’ve come a long, long way. Haven’t we all?.
The band initially signed to Rabid Records in their native Sweden to release their debut record The Big Black & The Blue. Meanwhile Witchita Records may or may not have sent a memo to their army of A&R staff to find a female version of Bright Eyes. If they did then they got what they wanted, only better.
The second album by the Söderberg sisters is a joy to behold – from start to finish. A record full of lush melodies, of charm, of eyelid flutters (vocally speaking), a record of confidence beyond their years (the girls are 19 and 22) which should have a fleeting feel to its sound but has as assured a country-folk-indie sound as you’re ever likely to hear, even from Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, who makes an appearance on ‘King Of The World’. It’s a record that, with the held of Bright Eyes producer Mike Mogis, has made the lead from campfire guitars to a fuller band sound, compared with their debut.
Lyrically it’s on the darker side of life, or “bittersweet” as Klara (the younger of the two) likes it to be known as. ‘Emmylou’ namechecks name-checks the likes of Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, June Carter and of course Miss Harris but it recognises the sadness in the lives and art of these heroes whilst noting that “the bitter winds are coming in and I’m already missing Summer, Stockholm’s cold but I’ve been told that I was born to endure this kind of weather”. The lyrics may sound like the tale of two downtrodden young girls surrendering to misery but there’s a lot more to it than. This record works despite those lyrics, despite the gloom and their country-inspired sound has given rise to a stoic feeling. A feeling that this won’t get them down. Watch this band soar to great heights with this album. You’ll struggle to hear a better record this year.
‘The Lion’s Roar’ is out now via Wichita Records. Catch the band on tour in November.
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American-Danish rockers Giant Giant Sand (formerly known as Giant Sand) have released a free song to download, ahead of the release of their country rock opera, Tuscon, on 3rd June and frontman Howe Gelb’s performance at London’s Village Underground in Shoreditch on 31st May. The album will be released via Fire Records.
In Giant Giant Sand you will recognize the members all hailing from Denmark who have been a part of Giant Sand for the last 10 years (Thøger T. Lund, Peter Dombernowski, Anders Pederesen and Nikolaj Heyman) plus a collection of new members hailing from both Denmark and Tuscon, the place Gelb has called home for the last 40 years.
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Swedish troubadour The Tallest Man On Earth has announced details of his forthcoming album and has released a track, ‘1904, available to listen to at Rolling Stone’s soundcloud page.
The album is titled ‘There’s No Leaving Now’ and will be released on 11th June via Dead Oceans Records. Recorded in his home studio in Dalarna, Sweden during the dark winter months at the end of 2011 and start of 2012, his 3rd album is at turns stark and haunting, joyous, wry or reverent, with Kristian Matsson’s wordplay and deft guitarwork front and center.
The first recordings from The Tallest Man on Earth surfaced in 2006 via a self-titled EP released on the Swedish independent label Gravitation, which was then followed by a full-length, ‘Shallow Grave’, in 2008 to much acclaim. In early 2010, Matsson signed with Dead Oceans and released his second album ‘The Wild Hunt’ and its follow-up EP ‘Sometimes the Blues is Just A Passing Bird’ which took him to an even greater audience, appearing at international festivals like Coachella, Green Man, and Roskilde as well as appearing on Later with Jools Holland, and a sold out show at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire as well as supporting Bon Iver on tour.
The Tallest Man on Earth will be touring throught the rest of 2012, heading to the UK to play various festival shows as well as a gig at the Hackney Empire on 3rd July.