Aussie Psychedelic Rock Under Neon: "This Mess" by Wolf & Cub (2006)

Texas Jazz Sax Under Neon: "Night Calls" by Everette Harp (2006)

Texas Psychedelic Rock Under Neon: "Manipulation" by The Black Angels (2006)

Belfast Goth Rock Under Neon: "As Darkness Falls" by Solemn Novena (2006)

South African Blues/Jazz Under Neon: "Afro Beat Blues" by Ojah & Hugh Masekela (2006)

British Alternative Rock Under Neon: "Black Magic" by Jarvis Cocker (2006)

Funky Grooves Under Neon: "Poker Nights Theme" by Delicious Allstars (2006)

Scottish Folk Rock Under Neon: "The Blues Are Still Blue" by Belle and Sebastian (2006)

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'Snow Cake' (2006)

Movie: Snow Cake (2006)

Director: Marc Evans

Rating: 7.8/10 Stars *******''

Hi folks, so I just realized that I am about 3 months behind on my movie reviews, so I may have to step them up a notch, but have been busier lately and doing fewer posts in general. That said....This is quite a good movie and quality acting too. Rickman's character picks up a friendly young teenaged hitch-hiker who gets killed when a semi-track t-bones his car. He goes to the girls mother (Weaver) to offer his apology and consolation to the family to find the mother is Austistic and needs his help to organize the funeral and get things sorted again. During his stay with the mother he finds he makes some friends and discovers a few things about himself and his own tormented history. Check this one out if you haven't yet.

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'The Forest for the Trees (Der Wald vor lauter Baumen)' (2006)

Movie: The Forest for the Trees (Der Wald vor lauter Baumen) (2006)
Director:Maren Ade
My Rating: 6.1/10 Stars *****'

This movie was stressful to watch. A young school-teacher begins a new position at a new school in a new town after leaving a long-term relationship behind her. This movie is really about relationships, and what happens when people don't know how, or are un-willing to establish strong boundaries between themselves and others, between what is acceptable to them and what is not. I found this movie to be quite realistic from my own experience as I have known very socially awkward people who constantly over-step boundaries and who just don't seem to have an innate sense of what is appropriate and what isn't, and the character in this movie has this problem with her students and with her attempts to make new friends. Be prepared to be stressed, not an upbeat movie by any means. Sorry, couldn't find a trailer for this online.

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'Efter brylluppet (After the Wedding)' (2006)

Movie: Efter brylluppet (After the Wedding) (2006)
Director: Susanne Bier
Rating: 9.3/10 Stars *********'

Wow, I am always impressed by the quality of acting that comes out of Europe, and this movie is no exception. Mads Mikkelsen's character comes back to his home country in Denmark to try and raise funds for his struggling orphanage in India to find that his ex-girlfriend's billionaire husband is the one offering a handsome sum, but there is more to the story than that, including discovering he has a twenty-something daughter he never knew about and more. Check this one out if you get the chance, its quite good, but a little sad too. 

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'Lights in the Dusk (Laitakaupungin valot)' (2006)

Movie: Lights in the Dusk (Laitakaupungin valot) (2006)

Director: Aki Kaurismäki

Rating: 2.9/5 Stars **'

A bit of a strange movie, about a Finnish security guard who works primarily night shifts for the mall and metro in Helsinki. A mobster sets him up with a blonde who is to use him to get the security codes to rob a jewelry store, and then frames him for the theft. I found that this was a statement about the frustration of a powerless working class citizen versus the wealthy class of mobsters and corporates who use and abuse him for their own ends. Check this one out.

The Last Days of House: 'It's Too Late (Dirty South Remix)' by Evermore (2006))

This week's Last Days of House feature is the 2004 song It's Too Late (Dirty South Remix) by New-Zealand-band Evermore, and remixed by Australian DJ Dirty South.  Evermore are Originally from New Zealand, but are now based out of Australia and they started out in 1999 and consist of brothers Jon Hume (guitar and vocals), Peter Hume (keyboards, bass guitar, piano, and vocals), and Dann Hume (drums and vocals). The original version of It's Too Late was released in 2004 on the band's Dreams album. Dirty South remixed the song into a house-version in 2006 where it achieved the #1 position on the Australian Club Charts, and it can be sound on various house compilation albums.

A Brief Movie Review for 'Special' (2006)

Movie = Special (2006)

Directors = Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore

My Rating = 3.3/5 Stars ***'

A good movie over-all, and not a typical formula either. A mildly depressed Los-Angeles meter-maid decides to participate in a new drug clinical trial to see if it will help him to move forward in his life. Only he finds that the drug actually causes schizophrenia and delusions that he has superpowers and is here to tackle crime in super-hero fashion. You may find yourself worrying the whole time about what the main character is going to do to himself next, and I reckon that this movie actually has a message about classism and how the working class of people in our society finds themselves leading meaningless lives, working in meaningless jobs, being told to just tow the line and not question the order of things, and then repeatedly used, abused, and manipulated by the system and higher classes which regards them as useless trash. Just take another pill and you will forget all your problems....definitely check this one out if your looking for something to watch.

Featured Song Of The Day = 'Be Mine' by The Kooks (2006)

Today's feature song is already a few years old but I liked it enough to feature it here today, and it is bonus track Be Mine, by British indie-rock group The Kooks. The Kooks are an indie-rock band out of  Brighton, England who formed in 2001 with members Luke Pritchard (vocals and guitar), Hugh Harris (guitar), Paul Garred (drums), and Max Rafferty (bass guitar). Be Mine is a bonus track found on the enhanced/import version of their CD-album Inside In/Inside Out, which was originally released in 2006, so don't go looking for it on ITunes or Amazon because this bonus-track does not seem to appear on the digital-album version, but only on the audio-import-cd version as far as I can tell. If you like what you hear go check out their website HERE.

The Last Days of House (Weekly): 'Pictures (Tonite Only Remix)' by Sneaky Sound System (2006)

This issue of The Last Days of House features Australian dance/house group Sneaky Sound System and their 2006 single Pictures (Tonite Only Remix). Now the house songs features in The  Last Days of House are you going to be all over the board, some new, some old, some really old, so expect that, and if you have known about these songs for years, great, and if not, brilliant! That said, Sneaky Sound System are a Sydney-based trio consisting of Black Angus (Angus McDonald) (songwriter, producer), Connie Mitchell  (vocalist and songwriter), and MC Double D (Daimon Downey) who actually left the group in 2009, but was still in it when this song was released. Pictures was released on the groups debut self-titled album Sneaky Sound System in 2006, and the Tonite Only Remix (featured here) can be found on the Pictures EP.  I highly recommend checking out their other tracks as well, and you can get more info on them and their music at their website found HERE.

The Last Days Of House Weekly: 'Toop Toop (Reggae Rock Mix)' by Cassius (2006)

This weekly house track goes to French house-duo Cassius and their 2006 song Toop Toop (Cassius Reggae Rock Mix). Cassius is a French-duo from Paris, France; they've been active on the house-scene since 1988; and the duo consists of producers Philippe Zdar (Philippe Cerboneschi) and Boom Bass (Hubert Blanc-Francard). I am specifically featuring the Reggae Rock Mix here, and by that I mean the 3-minute version of that mix as opposed to the 10 minute one. The original track comes off of their 15 Again album (released September 2006), and this particular mix can be found on the Ministry of Sound Annual 2007 (Australian import). Check it, woot woot!

Fragrance Review for 'Davidoff Cool Water Game' Cologne for Men (2006)

Fragrance = Cool Water Game for men (2006)

Brand = Davidoff

Rating = 4.5/5 Stars ****

This brief fragrance review is for Davidoff's Cool Water Game cologne, for men. I love this fragrance as it has that fresh/sporty/summery tone to it that if summed up into one word would be 'refreshing.' There is also a hint of watermelon or something similar which adds well to the over-all tone of freshness. Cool, easy going, and refreshing are all characteristics that I enjoy in people, and in this case in fragrances too. I discovered this fragrance when buying another fragrance as the store gave me a free sample of body wash/shampoo for this fragrance and I really liked it. I have read others complain about the scent not lasting more than a couple of hours, but in my experience it has lasted just as long as most of my other colognes, which is about 10 hours/most of the day. Be sure to check this fragrance out if you like fresh and sporty fragrances.

Fragrance Review for 'Angel Schlesser Essential' For Men (2006)

Fragrance = Essential for Men
Debut = 2006
Brand = Angel Schlesser (of Barcelona)
Rating = 5/5 Stars *****

Essential Men's Cologne was introduced in 2006 by Barcelona-based design house Angel Schlesser. Of course I highly recommend this cologne, however it is not for everyone. Most of the cologne's I review will be liked by most people (at least I think they would), but this one won't appeal to all, but those who do like it will like it a lot. The scent is harder to describe than most, as it has some darkish tones to it but also a sweetness (almost like candy which some might not like), but not too sweet, it has been described as having hints of bergamont, apple, coffee, cedar, cinnamon, leather, musk, violet leaves, and more. It is floral and fruity, but also masculine, so really you should just smell it for yourself, as a fragrance speaks a thousand words too.

Brief Movie Review for 'El Triunfo' (2006)

El Triunfo (2006)

4/5 Stars **** 

Quite a passionate movie, and not for the timid, it is a Spanish/Catalan film after all. The film takes focus on a lower-class Barrio in Barcelona, Spain in the 1980's, which is run by a mafia-esque group of ex-Spanish-legionnaires, which involves the younger (and very musical) generation who is coming to age and their trials, dreams, and tribulations to come to a very predictable conclusion, you leave the barrio, only to come back to the barrio. Won't give away anymore then that..don't miss this one. 
Trailer "El Triunfo" de Mireia Ros

Mireia Ros | Myspace Video