A Music Moment...

Normally, when a classic song gets covered or reworked it is butchered by the artists (e.g. Tinchy ‘no talent’ Stryder defecating all over Olive’s nineties classic ‘You’re Not Alone’, choosing to chat nonsense all over the track, and replacing the original vocals with much weaker ones). However, Leona Lewis bucked the trend when she covered Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’, and Florence + the Machine also have done a brilliant cover of Candi Station’s ‘You’ve Got the Love’.

And then South London’s finest underground band, The XX, took Florence’s cover and injected some oldschool Garage vibes into it, creating this masterpiece that makes me crave for nineties music.

If you don’t know who The XX are, they are a three piece (two boys, one girl) South London band who, according to their Myspace (remember that?), make ‘New Wave/ Pop/ Soul’ music. However, I’d describe it as R&B (remember that?) mashed together with Indie music, which makes for an odd, yet amazing debut album. Although none of the songs on their album are particularly up-tempo, they have carefully crafted it so it doesn’t bore after a while. Check out two of their own songs below.

‘You’ve Got the Love’ remix is available to download from the 15th of November, Florence + the Machine’s version is out now, and The XX’s debut album ‘XX’ is out now in the UK. Phew.

One of The XX’s influences. Clickkkkkkk…

Overheard Articulation...

From @Almienova:

"Haha my lil sis just said she will punch me so hard the black side of me will drip out of my ear."

I've been a bit quiet

There has been a lack of posts recently, sorry; this is due to a hectic life away from the blog.

However, there is no need to fear, as there are new posts coming soon…

Overheard Articulation...

Spotted on Facebook:

Me: How has school been so far?

Girl next door: It’s been good, except some girl at school called me ‘Chocolate Face’

Me: Oh no what did you do?

Girl next door: I said at least I'm not a 'Pasty Stacey'

Film Review: Fish Tank

Mia (Katie Jarvis) lives on an estate in Essex. Having just been kicked out of school, she spends her days lounging around and wandering the streets. Mia’s passion for street dance goes unnoticed by her mother (Kierston Wareing), as she is generally unconcerned about what Mia gets up to, because she spends her days in a drunken slumber. Mia’s little sister, Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths) is also an ASBO waiting to develop, but she has the best one-liners. Mia’s household is one incapable of expressing love; Mia’s mother constantly berates Mia, and Tyler probably doesn’t even know what the word is, lost amongst the tide of expletives she spits out daily.

One day Mia’s mother brings home a new man, Connor (Michael Fassbender). Connor is just what Mia has been missing. He pays attention to her, ‘you dance like a black – I meant that as a compliment’ (hahahaha). He fills the father role that Mia so obviously needs. However, this ‘father figure’ is a new experience for Mia, and her confusion is evident as the relationship her and Connor have takes a sinister turn…

Katie Jarvis had never acted before Fish Tank; she got this role through a chance meeting with the casting director who saw her having an argument with her boyfriend in Essex. Jarvis is naturally talented; she manages to pull off a convincing performance as Mia, able to show Mia’s vulnerability beneath her foul language.

Fish Tank is a slow-burner, minutes pass by without any dialogue. However, instead of this being a weakness, it is a strength, as this is done is such a way that the film does not become boring. There are pretty shots of Essex also, which is remarkable as that area is… well it’s no utopia. Director Andrea Arnold manages to show factors that affect young people who come from low earning families without being patronising or being over the top. It’s a fine line, but she walks all over it.

Overheard Articulation...

"Yo mama so hairy she wears a Nike tag on her weave so now everybody calls her Hair Jordan."

Film Review: 500 Days of Summer

500 Days of Summer stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom, who works in an office where he writes greeting cards. Although he has been working there for four years, he finds his job dull, and yearns to be an architect. One day during a meeting he is introduced to Summer (Zooey Deschanel), his boss’s new assistant. He is taken aback by her beauty and immediately starts trying to find a way to get to know her. However, she isn’t interested in romance, and she doesn’t believe in love…

WARNING: This is not a love story; it’s a story about love.

500 Days doesn’t run in a chronological order. Instead, we zip from one day to the next in a rather haphazard fashion, whilst all the time explaining Tom and Summer’s relationship. After ten minutes I had no idea what day we were on (I’m no good with numbers), but I was immersed into a love story that is, by far, light-years better than most rom-coms. Nerdy Tom and super-slick Summer seem like characters that only appear in films, but as the characters unravel, I found myself thinking of people who are similar to them. In fact, on some level, I can identify with both characters (I’m not sure what this says about me, but anyway...).

I could go on and on about how creative the film is, and how the soundtrack is perfect, and how Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel play their parts brilliantly… I could go on and on about everything. But I won’t, because it may spoil it for you. So go and see it.

Is it too early to start talking about Oscar nominations?