Song for October 22nd, 2010: "Balloons" by Foals (2007)

And the song for today is...Balloons by English indie-rock group Foals. Foals are a 5-piece indie rock band from Oxford, England, which has been active since 2005 and consists of members Yannis Philippakis (Vocals, Guitar, Percussion), Jack Bevan (Drums), Jimmy Smith (Guitar), Edwin Congreave (Keyboard, Backing Vocals), and Walter Gervers (Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals). Balloons is not a new song, as it appeared in their 2007 release debut studio album titled Antitodes. I mostly try to post newish stuff on this vlog/blog, that is stuff usually from within a year or two of release, but if I stumble across something I've missed I figure that its my party and I'll cry if I want to. The Foals have a newer album titled Total Life Forever which was released this year, so I will perhaps try posting a single or two on here at some point. Enjoy!

Poetry Inspirations: "Come to the Edge" by Christopher Logue

Come To The Edge: by English Poet Chrisopher Logue

"Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge.

It's too high!

COME TO THE EDGE!

And they came

And he pushed

And they flew."

                                       

Brief Movie Review for "Bright Star" (2009)

4/5 Stars ****

Great movie, fictional story about one of the great Romantic Poets of history, John Keats, and his romance and early death at the age of 25 from tuberculosis. Well done, Australian made film, and interesting to see a little piece of his life.

#47 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! Madonna: Open Your Heart (1986)

#47 of the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown is....Open Your Heart by none other than the undisputed Queen of Pop Madonna. Now, this is the second single by Madonna to yet appear on this countdown, and be forewarned, there may be more to come. Madonna was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan, and it was back in 1977 when she moved to the Big Apple to pursue a career in modern dance, which inevitably led her to the music business and the amazingly prolific success she has had there over the past 31 years or so. Word on the street is that Lady Gaga is looking to usurp the throne, which I wouldn't say is impossible, however to even contend with Madonna, Gaga would have to put out a minimum of 5 more top 10 albums (over the course of the next 3 decades), star in movies and perhaps win an Oscar or two, and that would be just to come even close to matching the Queen of Pop's prowess. Here is a directly quoted paragraph from wikipedia:

"Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States, behind Barbra Streisand, with 64 million certified albums. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. Considered to be one of the most influential figures in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. She is recognized as an inspiration among numerous music artists." (from Madonna's wikipedia page)

Open Your Heart was the 4th single release from her 1986 album release (which was her 3rd studio album) titled True Blue. It was Madonna's 5th #1 'Billboard Hot 100' hit! One other interesting fact before we move onwards is that Open Your Heart was originally written as a rock 'n roll song titled Follow Your Heart and the song-writers (Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson) had intended it for Cyndi Lauper despite the fact that it was never introduced to her in the end. Well, onwards to #46!

Song of the Day for October 20th, 2010: "Lions In Cages" by Wolf Gang

The song is....Lions In Cages by English musician Wolf Gang. Wolf Gang is the stage name for musician Max McElligott from London, UK. He is the son of a historian and violinist, as well as having graduated from the London School of Economics. Wolf Gang, as you may have noticed also adds a unique artistic twist to his music videos and to his stage persona, and he hasn't received much play in the USA as far as I can tell, but he definitely has some great talent and melodies, and that is sort of the purpose of this website after all, to put some new refreshing energy out there for people to have access to (stuff one might not hear, or perhaps will hear, on the top 50 radio stations in their particular locale). For more info on Wolf Gang check out his website here, or his myspace page here.

Song of the Day for October 19th 2010: "Rock It" by Little Red

And the song is...Rock It, by Australian rock and roll band Little Red. Little Red comes out of Melbourne, Australia, has been active on the music scene since 2005, and consists of band members Adrian Beltrame (guitar/vocals), Dominic Byrne (guitar/vocals), Quang Dinh (bass guitar/ vocals), Tom Hartney (vocals/percussion) and Taka Honda (drums). Rock It comes off of their 2nd studio album release titled Midnight Remember which was just released in stores in September of 2010. This song was their 3rd single release, and it reached #19 on ARIA music charts in Australia upon its release, making it their best known single thus far. Note that this song and album can now be purchased on itunes or amazon. Enjoy!Midnight Remember

Song of the Day for October 18th, 2010: "Foliage" by The Honey Month

The song of the day is Foliage, by Australian indie-rock band The Honey Month. The Honey Month formed out of Brisbane, Australia in 2003 and it consists of members Tom Kulich, Hamish Orr, Liam Eaton, David Leonardi, Jonothan Steedman, and Kirby Elmsly. This song appears on their EP of the same name, which was released on September 24th, 2010. Their songs feature lots of different musical instruments including the ukelele, accordion, kalimba, and mandolin. Look here to see their myspace page and for more info on the band. And look here to actually hear the song, which incidentally is available as a free mp3 download at that same link. Foliage

#48 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! Beastie Boys: Fight For Your Right (1986)

Hello again, straight to it, #48 is...."Fight For Your Right" by American hip-hop group Beastie Boys. It would be surprising if you didn't know who the Beastie Boys are, they have practically become a household name over the years, and have produced prolific and solid repertoire. They came out of Brooklyn, New York in 1979 and comprised of members Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz. You might not know this (I didn't before doing a little research for this) but they started out as a hardcore punk group, and didn't make the full transition to hip-hop until 1984. They are said to be one of the longest living hip-hop acts in the world and continue to enjoy success 20 years onwards. According to wikipedia they have been nominated for induction into the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.' "Fight For Your Right" was the first single release from their major breakthrough album "Licensed to Ill" which was released in 1986. It peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was also named as one of 'The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.' Well, there is #48, on to 47!

Song of the Day for October 14th, 2010: "You and I" by Young Revelry

And the song is...You and I, by Australian indie-rock band Young Revelry. Young Revelry are a 4-piece band from Perth, in Western Australia consisting of members Sebastian Astone (Vocals/Guitar), Peter Leveson-Gower (Guitar/Vocals), Tom King (Bass Guitar), and Alex Board (Drums). You and I comes off of their debut 7-track and recently released EP of the same name. This song has an undertone to it that I find delightful, and which also reminds me of times past, as though its very notes ring through to another era. Enjoy!You & I

Brief Movie Review for "Everlasting Moments" (2009)

Everlasting Moments (2009) - 5/5 Stars *****

Everlasting Moments (2009) is an excellent movie, and I would say this one deserves awards. I suppose that I have grown to accustomed to the formulaic/unrealistic hollywood stories and movies, and that movies like this one bring one back down to Earth to remember that life is really a bittersweet experience, some pleasant, some not so pleasant, and everything in between, whatever you decide to label it at any given moment I suppose. This story is about a Swedish family in the early 1900's, living in the times before labour revolutions in Europe, and when people lived a pretty meager existence, had many of the same struggles we still have today with a lot less material wealth, but still enjoyed themselves and lived interesting lives all the same. Check this one out, its not really for entertainment, but its a good one.

Song of the Day for October 12th, 2010: "Your Thing" by Urthboy

And the song is...Your Thing by Australian hip/hop MC and producer Urthboy. Tim Levinson (aka Urthboy) originates out of Sydney, Australia and he has been active in the music industry since 1998. He is best known for his involvement as a member of Australian hip-hop group The Herd. Urthboy has released 3 studio albums, the latest is titled Spitshine. Your Thing is a single release, which came out in September of 2010. In fact it is still available as a free mp3 download here, through the Horroshow facebook page.

Song of the Day for October 11th, 2010: "Damn Defensive" by The Boat People

And the song is....Damn Defensive, by Australian 4-piece indie-pop band The Boat People. The Boat People come out of Brisbane, Australia, it formed in 2000, and it  consists of members James O'Brien, Robin Waters, Charles Dugan and Tony Garret. Damn Defensive comes off of their latest album release titled Dear Darkly, which was released in stores in June 2010. For more info on the band check out their website here or their myspace page here.

Brief Movie Review for "Woman in the Window" (1944)

4/5 Stars ****

Another oldie, yes? Well, this Fritz Lang movie is another classic for sure (from 1944)! It is one of those murder-dilemma movies that will keep you interested in watching it just to see what decisions the characters will make and how they will ultimately play out. I liked this one, and would maybe watch it again sometime down the road. A professor of psychology ends up killing an assailant with a pair of scissors after meeting up with a strange and attractive single woman when his wife and children leave town, so watch to find out what happens next.