Anime has always been a film genre I have little interest in. I find it trivial, obnoxious, and way too melodramatic for my taste. Interestingly enough, one of my all-time favorite movies is an anime film--Miyazaki's masterpiece, Spirited Away. When I was perusing iTunes trailers a couple of weeks ago I watched a trailer for a Japanese animation film called Summer Wars. I was almost instantly interested in this film based off its revolutionary animation style. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The basic premise for this film is about social networking site called Oz (think Facebook but to the millionth power) that gets hacked by a rogue virus with apocalyptic consequences.
I watched this film a couple of days ago and I was very, very impressed. The animation style really is unparalleled. There were many sequences where my jaw dropped and I was asking myself how the hell they animated the scene. The story is also pretty engaging, although a bit dramatic for my tastes, but the animation manages to completely overshadow this. I highly recommend renting this movie. It really made me think of how social networking is so deeply engrained within our society and what were to happen if it just crashed one day. How would our society react if Facebook went offline for a week? I know I would panic (kind of embarrassing to admit) but we invest so much of our lives into social networking sites that I can not imagine a future without them. Just a thought and check out the trailer for Summer Wars below.
Uppermost is a French Electro Artist producing electro, house and dubstep out of Paris. He is most famous for his tracks "Cake Shop is Dope" and "Equivocal." Uppermost is one of my favorite DJ's producing progressive tracks across nearly all sub genres of electro, Uppermost is continually pushing the limits of the still budding genre; most notably on his experimental tracks he released for free. These previewed tracks are some of his more experimental music, and provide unique experiences.
Uppermost-Photoelectric
This is a truly instigatingly beautiful track. Engaging the mind building energy with every 8th note.
Uppermost-Heart Rate
Heart Rate has one of the most beautifully building melodies in the short history of the electronic genre building to some bassier tones creating a truly unique experiences.
Uppermost-Mental Process
Mental Process contains some really heavy tones which dissolve into some truly incredible melodies reminiscent of that of Strobe, only more captivating.
Uppermost is a hidden gem within the Electronic scene and has not had the respnse his music deserve. Listen and Download more at http://soundcloud.com/uppermost
I was browsing through the iTunes electronic section the other day and came across this electronic band called "Above & Beyond". I previewed a couple of their songs off of their latest album, "Group Therapy" and was impressed, so I downloaded it. I just listened to the whole album and let me say this-I was blown away.
Their music is classified as trance, a genre I tend to shy away from, because I always thought of it as a boring and monotonous.This album completely smashed this generalization out the window. Their music has soaring vocals, amazing beats, and some of the most impressive progression I have heard in a while. Don't be fooled though-Above & Beyond has been a stronghold in the electronic industry since the early 2000's. Their previous album, Tri-Cities, was a bestseller in its genre. They also curate the best of trance music in their Anjunabeats Volumes which are released annually. These include some of their own original work mixed with hypnotic, feel-good music. Anyways, check out my favorite songs off of their new album below and let me know what you think.
Song #1: Prelude
This is probably one of the coolest songs on the album. It starts out as a heavy-hitting, dub-steppy song and quickly progresses into a chilled out beat, finishing with some of the nicest sounding vocals I have heard in a while (think Enya). I really enjoy this song because as it progresses it becomes more and more uplifting making for one of the most inspirational songs I have heard in a while.
Song #2: Alchemy
Zoe Johnston is one of the vocalists featured on a couple of songs on the album, and this one is my favorite. They distort her vocals on the chorus making for a really cool effect. I also like the analogy that they use for the chorus--people who took gen. chem. will enjoy this-- "It was alchemy, to sing to me your freedom song/To make love where there was none/Alchemy, now its all gone/And you were the golden one."
Song #3: Black Room Boy
This song features the other main vocalist on the album, Richard Bedford, and is also my favorite of his. His vocals blend smoothly with the building beat.
Restaurant Noma was recently named the Best Restaurant for the second year in a row back in April and in honour of this amazing restaurant I am going to write a post about it. I consider myself a foodie and really enjoy seeking out the most interesting and unique dining experiences and I have to say, Restaurant Noma takes the cake for the most out of control dining I have ever heard of. I heard of it a couple years ago when I read an article in a cooking magazine and have had my eye on it since theen. It is located in Copanhagen, Denmark which just so happens to be on the way to... nowhere. It seems like an extremely random location for a restaurant that is now so widely acclaimed.
What is it that makes this restaurant so unique and sought out? It all lies in Rene Redezpi, the head chef and owner's, uber-organic philosophy. He has a small army of foragers that collect all over the plush Danish countryside and seafood-rich ocean and utilizes his findings in some of the most creative dishes I have ever heard of.
Read this mouthwatering excerpt from The Wall Street Journal Magazine that describes Restaurant Noma's signature dish, The Hen & The Egg:
I am always looking for dope accesories... they are what pull your outfit together. I had been looking for nice headphones for a while that also manage to offer something different. I did not really want Beats by Dre (even though their sound quality is out of control) or anything ordinary. Luckily, I came across a brand of headphones on this site called Gilt Groupe (think Groupon but for clothes). They're are called Munitio Headphones. The instant I saw them I knew I had to get them. Munitio headphones are unique because the earbuds are fashioned out of real bullet shells. Despite the novelty, Munitio still manages to provide the user with superior sound quality.
I just saved 23 seconds of your life. You're Welcome
Cast and Crew alike have been tweeting up a storm today from the set of the Entourage in a pensive mood as tommorow will be the last shoot of Entourage as we know it. Season 8 begins July 24th and is set to only contain 6 episodes. A promo was released that gave no hint as to what the next season would be like, and was essentially just this image to your left for 23 seconds, and a rather awesome placement of The Weeknd's song "High for This."
While, there are talks and aspirations of a Full Feature film with Vince and the Boys, season eight will mark the end of an era in popular culture, especially in the eyes of young men. But the real question here is how in the world do you end a show with no ending. The entire premise of the show began following the career of a developing superstar, and his stooges as they rose to the top of the Hollywood social stratus. Beginning as an attempt to buy viewership with glamour and prestige, the show once devoid of any emotional connection, character development, and even human characters and themes, has aged as well as any french wine. Utilizing the elaborate cameos and glamor of its early days to make a fundamentally astounding collection of programming spanning 8 years. Now Doug Ellin and the writers have made a will for the now iconic series, and it is eating at me to now what it says. Essentially, I see two paths season 8 could take. To Be or Not to Be, that is the question:
1) Vince Dies
It is the most logical conclusion based on the direction he has been heading in season 7. In six episodes, I cannot fathom how the writers could turn around the spiral in which Vince plunged himself into. If anyone needs a reminder of how season 7 ended, here's a refresher...
As he says by the end of the season Vince is officially out of control, we could all see that early in the season but as it kept developing, we lost being able to pinpoint just how out of control he was; and in the mind of at least this viewer he fell into that abyss where only addicts reside, the place where you can now longer know just how bad he is at any time. Vince's character in season 7, explored a topic very relevant to Hollywood and Superstardom rather effectively. Vince dies...It would be the ultimate ending to the ultimate Hollywood saga. And then the feature film would start with his funeral, it could be powerful stuff; and I am sure Ellin and the writers considered it. In terms of the other characters, Vince's departure from the realm of the living would finally send the rest of the boys from the nest, and as we have all seen they have become almost entirely independent, a process that has taken the full 7 seasons. Johnny's Bananas is green lit and looking spectacular. Turtle is doing legitimate business, with Marc Cuban, and while it was left on a distressed note Turtle will get his pot of gold and the girl. E, who has been in some ways has been the most dependent and independent character of the series (having the most important job, but having only one client), is getting married and has been building a client base. However, the take-down of Berenson, with Lavine may be too aggressive and fuck everything up for the little guy. As for Ari, these would be his darkest day and he would likely be a changed man. Vince is more than just a client he is like family to Ari, who has been through ups and downs with him. Additionally, I really think that his wife will stay gone. Ari has shown time and time again that he really does adore her and the kids. Dana Gordon has frequently, noted how surprised he is that Ari is one of the good guys in Hollywood, but his efforts to substitute his presence with money and material goods, combined with his anger, may just be to much. His hubris that they will stick around might just bite him in the ass in a very greco-tragic manner. Hubris, Bro... It'll Get you.
2) Vince goes to Rehab
This would be more in line with the bounce back tendencies of the series. However, the dillemma is how the fuck can the writers provide any closure to the series in six episodes if they put Vince in rehab. It has taken Kevin Kline two full seasons to come back from rehab. This is not a route I would like to see the writers take solely because I cannot see a way in which the show could be ended without a cliff hanger. (Note: the full feature has not been green lit by any studio, it is merely a desire from the cast and crew, not a definite reality.) A cliff hanger ending, a la Vince escaping from rehab, could lead to an excellent beginning to a full feature film; which based on the popularity and earnings of the show is a plausible endeavor, if the writers can actually create quality content for the big screen. It is a marketing campaign 8 years in the making. For the TV series as its own entity killing Vince makes the most sense, for a franchise sending him to rehab and ending upon his escape makes the most sense. It is a question of Mind v Money, and unfortunately I think we know who will win this battle. Entourage is at the peak of its game, and regardless of what they choose Entourage might just do what lucrative shows frequently fail to do: exit from the top.
Lets face it fellas, summer is well underway and we got a lot of ladies out there to impress. Working out right now is one of the most important activities to make sure your swag stays consistent. I compiled together a list of awesome songs guaranteed to increase the oxygen flow in your blood and make you work out with a frenzy you have never known before. From such misnomers as Arcade Fire (trust me, this remix of Sprawl II rocks) to Papa Roach to Ellie Goulding, throw on some running shoes and your best cut-off (who needs sleeves, all they do is restrain your arms) and hit the weights heavy bro! To download this I have compiled it into an easy download folder on Mediafire.
Instructions for Download:
1. Click song by song (you can preview them).
2. Click download for the songs you wish to download.
3. Downloads like any normal Mediafire song.
Tracklisting:
1. Salt Skin (Alex Metric Remix)-Ellie Goulding
2. Superstar (Richard Vission Remix)-David May
3. New Noise-Bloody Beetroots
4. Rail de Musique-Stromae
5. Levitation Nation-Shpongle
6. Make My Day (Specimen A Remix)-Bashy vs. NAPT
7. Swagga (Downlink Remix)-Excision & Datsik
8. Sprawl II (Quaalude Edit)-Arcade Fire
9. Sweet Shop (Flux Pavillion Remix)-Doctor P
10. Hold The Line-Major Lazer feat. Santigold and Mr. Lexx
11. Pjanoo (Radio Edit)-Eric Prydz feat. Pryda
12. Restlessness (Radio Edit)-Bastien Lavel feat. Layla
13. Get The F**k Up (Malente Remix)-Stupid Fresh
14. Swoon-Chemical Brothers
15. Hypnotize U (Nero Remix)-N.E.R.D. & Daft Punk
16. To Be Loved-Papa Roach
17. Night by Night (NEUS Remix)-Chromeo
Ever since I was a little kid, reading has always been one of my favorite activities. When I was working up in Alaska last summer I brought up five books to read with me. I enjoyed all of them, but one novel ended up being one of the best I have ever read. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, written by Michael Chabon, is the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel about two cousins that start up a comic book in the early 1930's. Their comic book ends up gradually rising in the ranks of popularity at that time, rivaling such giants as Superman. The reason why this book is such a success is due to the amount of life that Chabon breathes into the novel. Its themes manage to stay relevant to the time its written in but their relevancy bleeds through into modern life today--it deals with such themes as racism, homosexuality and struggling to survive against a world that is doing everything to bring you down. The characters in this novel are so richly wrought that by the end of the novel I felt I had an emotional connection with them. I do not want to give too much away because I went in reading this novel with no real idea of what was going on, but once I started it, I had finished this 639 page novel within a week and a half.
