The War On Drugs - "Slave Ambient"

Artist: The War On Drugs
Album: Slave Ambient
Label: Secretly Canadian
Release Date: August 16, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

The War On Drugs have already had a tumultuous early career. Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile displayed a communal bond for classic rock and reflective storytelling. In the forefront, they were setting out to make great American rock music. Raw, guitar-driven, and with a knack for gritty songwriting, The War On Drugs were onto something magnetic. After dropping their much-lauded debut LP, “Wagonwheel Blues” in 2008, three of the five members left the band. This included co-founder, Kurt Vile, who released a critically acclaimed album this year entitled, “Smoke Ring for My Halo”. Instead of disbanding, co-founder and vocalist, Adam Granduciel recruited drummer Mike Zanghi making The War On Drugs a three-piece rock band. With a new perspective on things, Granduciel went from co-pilot, to full on navigator. The War On Drugs proudly present “Slave Ambient”, the sophomore record from a band that was poised to change 21st century rock forever.

“Slave Ambient” roots lie within the confines of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. It’s pure Americana rock and oddly enough, fresh and innovative for this day and age. Whatever fragments of guitar-driven music still exist, The War on Drugs may have the only remaining pieces left to pave a new path for not only themselves, but followers as well. The record kicks off with “Best Night”, the best track off the album (and one of the better songs of the 2011). The initial sound resembles something off a “Broken Social Scene” album, but the comparisons end once Granduciel starts to sing. He has sort of a nasally tone and is lyrically succinct. The image you get when he sings is as if he’s driving on an open, desolate road traveling through the heartland of America and taking it all in. He may not be able to discern where he’s heading or what possibilities may lie ahead, but he’s perfectly content with not knowing so. “Baby Missiles” sounds like something off of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs”, but you easily realize this substance is more of a remedy than whatever “Arcade Fire” had subscribed. The twelfth and final track is “Blackwater” and it’s truly spectacular. It may feel like a vintage Bob Dylan song, but Granduciel has enough creative intuitiveness to call this one his very own masterpiece. Holding me back from calling the entire record a masterpiece are the four instrumental tracks that sadly don’t do any favors for the record as a whole. They come and go without feeling like a necessity for the album, but just purely filler. However, the other tunes demonstrate Granduciel as an expressive lyricist and an impassioned singer who means every single word he sings.

“Slave Ambient” is for the believers, the non-conformists, the wonderers, the dreamers, the lovers, the fighters, the optimists, the broken-hearted, and the life-changing seekers. If you’re deep in the hole or just barely crawling out, “Slave Ambient” has your name written all over it. The album is sophisticated and classic rock inspired. It’s a reminder that rock music can mean something once again. It’s unfortunate that this may very well be a sleeper hit of an album and only become discovered by the ones searching for something with more merit than what is on the Billboard Top 40. The War On Drugs is another prime example of how mainstream music doesn’t hold a candle to what independent rock has to offer. If you have a penchant for superior American rock music that is laced with superb songwriting and dazzling guitar-driven melodies, “Slave Ambient” undeniably fits the bill.

Grade: 8 out of 10
Key Tracks: "Best Night", "Come To The City", "Baby Missiles", "Blackwater"

Published on August 20th, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n34/p10.htm

The Change-Up Review

"The Change-Up"
Release Date: August 5, 2011
Directed by: David Dobkin
Screenplay by: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Rated: R for pervasive strong crude sexual content and language, some graphic nudity and drug use.
Review by: Sean Kayden

As the race continues for the best comedy of the summer, “The Change-Up” may just be the one to hold the throne. While this illustrious status might appear to be grand in nature, one must bear in mind that it’s not like it was going up against stiff competition. Any specific elements that seemed to be lacking in “The Hangover: Part II”, “Horrible Bosses” and “Bad Teacher” (nothing in that film worked at all), is touched upon (at times half-heartedly) in “The Change-Up”. It went for more crudeness than “Horrible Bosses”, it provided more consistent laughs than “The Hangover: Part II” and did everything better than the ill-conceived “Bad Teacher”. The plot of the movie is far from original. It’s about two best friends that live entirely different lifestyles and magically switch bodies after announcing to one another that they wish they had the other’s life. Jason Bateman plays Dave Lockwood, a straight-laced, successful lawyer and father of three. He doesn’t spend all that much time with his wife these days and it has a put a bit of strain on their marriage. Ryan Reynolds portrays Mitch Planko, a single, sort of loser-ish ladies man. It’s briefly shown that he has a stressed relationship with his father, played by Alan Arkin. It is due to the fact that Mitch never grew up and lacks any true responsibilities or motivation. In any event, after a night of drinking (never entering “Hangover” status-like), Dave and Mitch decide to urinate in a fountain. Once they recite the same lines about wanting the other’s life simultaneously, the whole city has a rolling black out. The following morning, they wake up in the other’s body. This occurs within the initial fifteen minutes and after that, the energetic pace of the movie dives into outrageous, ridiculous, and absurd terrain. However, it’s sort of endearing and sentimental too. It’s a wildly uneven ride, but that’s why it kind of works.

The electrifying comedic performances of Bateman and Reynolds are what make the movie become lifted from pure mediocrity. It’s fun to watch these guys playing the type of character the other one usually plays. We’re so accustomed to Jason Bateman playing the same, straight-laced character, such as the one from his beloved TV series, “Arrested Development”. Reynolds is usually the fratboy, too cool for school sort of guy, but plays the reserved and more responsible type. It’s actually refreshing to see if you’re a fan of these two actors (such as I am). Surprisingly so, the supporting women characters were written quite well. Leslie Mann and Olivia Wilde don’t feel like stock women characters for the men to merely just play off of. They are independent, believable and have real personalities. Director David Dobkin, best known for “Wedding Crashers”, is able to get everyone on their A-game. He keeps things wild and unrestrained, but knows (majority of the time) not to go too overboard. However, he probably used a little more CGI than necessary. I guess the new thing for nude scenes is CGI nipples. Hey guys, kind of shame, isn’t it? As I digress, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the team behind the first “The Hangover”, wrote the screenplay. They certainly know how keep things fun and vibrant. The script’s pace is swift and generally funny, but not everything here is a success. Sometimes the jokes go a little too far for a laugh and the gross out humor in the beginning may be a turn off for some. There are a lot of F-bombs and while most seem appropriate, the overwhelmingly amount could have certain individuals turned off by it. In the third act, the movie wanders into the obligatory life lesson segment. While we perceptively know where it’s heading, it does however, genuinely feel valid getting there. Needless to say, it does it a hell of a better than the atrocious “Bad Teacher” set out to accomplish.

It’s possible to write off “The Change-Up” as a Hollywood manufactured movie. The premise is as old as dirt and certain plot points seems to be sugarcoated. Strangely enough, the movie is far better than what it is on paper and simply based on the trailer alone. It’s a traditional story kicked up a few notches with its ribald dialect, raunchiness, and distasteful humor, but it actually comes together relatively well. The performances are spot on and that’s credited to Bateman and Reynolds’ ultra strong comedic sensibilities. “The Change-Up” easily provides the most laughs of any of the R-rated comedies this summer. It’s risky and takes chances the other films seem to avoid on doing. While it’s far from perfect and has its share of problems, it’s ultimately satisfying in the way a summer comedy should be.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Published on August 13th, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n33/p09.htm

The Disheartening Endless Summer

By: Sean Kayden

What do the movies “Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon”, “Green Lantern”, “Cars 2”, “The Hangover 2”, “Bad Teacher”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, “Cowboys & Aliens” and “The Smurfs” all have in common? Well besides performing gangbusters at the box office, the aforementioned films were all panned by critics. “Cowboys and Aliens” and “Bad Teacher” currently hold scores of 44% on RottenTomatoes.com, making them the best reviewed of the bunch. Sad, isn’t it? Even ones that received generally favorable reviews such as “Thor”, “Super 8”, and “Horrible Bosses”, in my humble opinion, were flawed and offered very little emotionally. More or less, they were run of the mill and middle of the road affairs. Maybe I’ve become jaded at my age, but I’ve grown immensely tiresome of superhero movies (unless Chris Nolan is at the helm), comic book flicks and just simple dumb action films. Without a doubt, this has to be easily the most disappointing summer movie season in quite awhile. As far as I’m concerned, I’m not sure if any mainstream movie has really stood out. Of the eleven movies I mentioned, eight of them were either a sequel, based on a toy (and a sequel), based on Disney theme park ride (and a sequel), based on a comic book or based on a television show. “Super 8” was original, but borrowed heavily from earlier Spielberg films. I felt that it didn’t achieve the greatness it promised. “Horrible Bosses” and “Bad Teacher” were at the very least original comedies. However, “Horrible Bosses” was funny in parts, but the laughs were inconsistent and the story at times felt too formulaic. Personally, I can’t speak negative about “Bad Teacher” since I haven’t seen it. Nonetheless, it’s from the same guys who wrote the movie “Year One” a few years ago. That alone scared me off. At any rate, without the recent success of R-rated comedies, who knows if these two movies would have even seen the light of the day at all?

It shouldn’t go without mentioning that there have been a few movies this summer successful both critically and financially. I did not see “Kung Fu Panda 2”, but with a score of 82% on RT, it must be all right. Then again, was it just another unnecessary sequel? “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2” finished at an unprecedented 96% on RT. Not only was it the best-reviewed movie of the year, but the most successful financially too. The box office figures come at no surprise since this is the most successful film franchise ever. “Bridesmaids”, the female version of the “Hangover”, did way better than expected. It was surprisingly humorous at times despite dragging on just a bit toward the finish line. Now personally, my favorite mainstream summer movie was “X-Men: First Class”. The chemistry between James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender was unequivocally rock solid. Director Matthew Vaughn easily reinvigorated and brought new life to an arguably worn out franchise. After the let downs of “X-Men: Last Stand” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, the X-Men series seems to be yet again looking promising.

On the indie side of the spectrum, the true breakout movie is without doubt “Midnight in Paris”. It’s been deemed Woody Allen’s best film in years while both critics and audiences are fully embracing it. Sadly, I still haven’t seen it, but plan to. Besides “Midnight in Paris”, no other indie movie this summer has had the same magic. “Everything Must Go” (Will Ferrell), “Hesher” (with Joseph Gordon Levitt, Natalie Portman and Rainn Wilson) and “The Beaver” (Mel Gibson’s audacious return on screen) failed to make much of a dent at the box office. Reviews for all three were mixed to positive. However, “The Beaver” was overwhelmingly underrated. I wouldn’t be surprised if it caught some heat when it’s released on DVD/Blu-ray this month. Unfortunately, the little guys (the indies) received no love during a crowded, bloated, and oversaturated summer movie season.

So, what’s there to look forward to until the end of summer? Is there truly anything to anticipate? I remain cautiously optimistic, but I feel that the best days do lie ahead. These days just so happen to fall under the autumn movie season though. Anyway, as for the independent side of things, we’ve got “The Myth of The American Sleepover”, “Another Earth”, “Bellflower”, and the much buzzed about “Attack The Block”. Moving over to the mainstream side, will “The Change-Up” (writers of “The Hangover”) and “30 Minutes Or Less” (director of “Zombieland”) be able to stand out from the other recently successful R-rated comedies? Can “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes” turn out to be a worthy origins story? Will writer/producer/visionary Guillermo del Toro deliver the goods on the remake of “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”? We’ll also find out if “Fright Night” was a necessary remake too. Lastly, can “Our Idiot Brother”, another R-rated comedy with a little more drama than the other comedies be able to find love with critics and audiences? I hope the end of summer movie season will refurbish us with some refreshing sounds because the season thus far has been abundantly frustrating.

Published on August 6th, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n32/p11.htm

Five Summer Songs You Need To Hear

By: Sean Kayden

Airship – “Kids” – UK newcomers, Airship, sound like seasoned veterans. Their first single, “Kids” provide lively paced drums, low guitar riffs, and verses that augment into electrifying choruses. “Kids” is the just the right song for the summer. Fresh and invigorating, Airship may be the remedy you’re looking for in 2011. This explosive and intoxicating new track is a promising indication of what their full-length album may sound like when it debuts this fall.



Cut Off Your Hands – “Buried” – Cut Off Your Hands recently released their sophomore album, “Hollow Out”, which features the beach-y, foggy, plenty of reverb gem, “Buried”. It’s a pleasant and multi-layered sound that’s quite the directional change for a band whose debut album was fairly loud and recurrently rambunctious. The band seems to be taking a note or two from fellow New Zealanders, Crowded Houses. And why not throw in The Smiths and Beach Boys for good measure. With a colossal line-up of the aforementioned influences, how could you not wanna take a peak inside? Nostalgia, anyone?

Here's a music video off their latest album.



The Echo Friendly – “Same Mistakes” – “Same Mistakes” is a darkly coated tune with dual vocals (female and male) and reminiscent of the band, The XX. Although the least sounding summer song off the list of songs here, The Echo Friendly may supply the substance you need heading into autumn. This 4-piece rock band has abandoned their former sound and seems to be heading into mysterious terrain. Given the straightforward and honest lyrics, “Same Mistakes” may just be the emblematic song for the thirty something year olds who haven’t grown up or have no desire to do so anytime soon. The band will be releasing a new EP later this year and despite whatever transitional era you may be in, The Echo Friendly could ultimately wind up as your guiding light.



Real Estate – “It’s Real” – Ridiculously breezy and perpetually catchy, Real Estate have released “It’s Real”, the first single off their sophomore album, “Days” due out on September 27. “It’s Real” has squeaky-clean guitar riffs, wistful melodies, and remains positively upbeat. It’s short and sweet at less than three minutes long. The song floats on so effortlessly with such a crisp sound and summery vibrations. This season provided us with surprisingly strong albums, but the upcoming fall releases look to take it one step further. I’m no doctor, but Real Estate appears to show no symptoms indicating a disappointing follow-up record this fall.



Mona – “Teenager” – Nashville rockers Mona are creating major buzz. Their self-titled debut LP is due out in September, but a sneak preview EP recently dropped this month. “Teenager” starts off like a vintage Kings of Leon tune, but quickly explodes into what may become the signature sound of this young and seemingly ultra talented group of musicians. Their entire EP sounds utterly fresh and tight for 2011, yet at the same time encompasses a worn out feel to it. From the looks of it Mona is bringing good old-fashioned rock and roll back into the forefront (where it belongs). I wouldn’t be in the slightest bit surprise if Mona becomes the premier rock band in 2012.



Published on July 30rd, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n31/p11.htm