Media Junkie

Giving Thanks with The Silent Years - Live in Detroit, MI, 26 November 2008 at the Magic Stick

With the country in a recession, unemployment at an all-time high, and so many other unpleasantries weighing heavily on everyone's mind, sometimes it's nice to shut everything out, take a deep breath, and enjoy a carefree night out.  Last night's pre-Thanksgiving show at The Magic Stick in Detroit featuring no less than five bands was just such an occasion.

Headlined by Detroit favorites The Silent Years and Deastro, those in attendance were treated to nearly four hours of music with the help of Oscillating Fan Club, Wildcatting, and the fantastic Mason Proper.  It was a special evening indeed, not just because it was the biggest bar night of the year, but because it was a moment to stop, relax, and give thanks for some kick ass music - among other things.

Triple Threat - Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - Live in Pontiac, MI, 21 November 2008 at the Pike Room

I have made no secret of my love for Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, the eight piece band from Indianapolis whose debut, The Dust Of Retreat, ranks amongst the very best albums I've ever heard.  Margot practically live on the road, touring in near perpetuity; stopping only to record their new records in between.  After touring behind Dust for nearly four years, the band has hit the road again in support of their new dual releases, Animal! and Not Animal.

It was a given that I would be in attendance for their show last night at the Pike Room in Pontiac; the upstairs half of the Crofoot Ballroom (where I had previuosly seen the Canadian band Stars earlier in the year).  What I honestly did not expect was the witness one of the best all-around concerts I've ever attended out of over 65 shows from over three dozen different acts, including The Flaming Lips, Orbital, Prince, and My Morning Jacket.

Movie Review: Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace
MGM
Rated: PG-13
106 Minutes
2008

What a year it has been for action movies.  With films like Cloverfield, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and of course, The Dark Knight, there has certainly been no shortage of high voltage entertainment, and yet we're still being asked to strap ourselves in one more time for a wild ride with the latest film in the venerable Bond franchise, Quantum of Solace.

The second film starring Daniel Craig in the lead role, and the 22nd Bond film overall, Quantum takes a bold step in a new direction by being the first film in the entire series that is a direct sequel to its predecessor. 

Bond films have always lacked continuity from one to the next, and not just because of the constant changes in casting.  There may be subtle nods to previous events here or there, but every film has been self-contained.  All that changed with the cliffhanger ending of 2006's remarkable Casino Royale, however, and Quantum of Solace is the logical progression of that story.

Required Viewing: Casino Royale

Casino Royale
MGM
Rated: PG-13
144 Minutes
2006

In 1953 British novelist Ian Fleming created an iconic character that would survive more than five decades, twelve full length books, nine short stories, and at the time of this writing, 22 films.  Fleming's debonair super-spy, James Bond, has been portrayed on the silver screen by the legendary Sean Connery six times, Australian actor George Lazenby once, Roger Moore seven times, Timothy Dalton twice, and Pierce Brosnan four times - each actor bringing a different spin to the role.

Many thought the Bond franchise couldn't survive after the end of the Cold War.  Bond stories typically relied on the tension between America and Russia, and without that fear to prey on, it seemed Bond would be relegated to the past.

Like the title character himself, however, the Bond franchise managed to escape doom (and obscurity) after a six-year hiatus with 1995's GoldenEye.  The film brought Bond into the 90s and was in most ways a reinvention.  Brosnan's charming good looks and sarcastic one-liners captured the essence of the character, but the newly cast Dame Judi Dench as the head of MI6, M, made it clear that she had disdain for him and his methods, referring to him as a "mysogynst dinosaur" and "a relic of the Cold War."  This simple line helped usher in a new era of Bond films that broke away from the tried-and-true Soviet villainy, and gave way to a more modern age.

Unfortunately, as good as GoldenEye was, each successive Bond movie's overreliance on gadgetry and over-the-top stunts that were unbelievable even for a Bond film began to make the character feel more like a comic book superhero; a caricature of the fast-talking ladies man who could switch between wooing a beautiful woman to killing enemy spies in the blink of an eye. 

After a four year drought, the Bond franchise was reinvented once again with 2006's Casino Royale.  Based on the first Bond novel Fleming wrote and starring Daniel Craig in the lead role, the film resonated with critics and audiences, in spite of the initial concerns over Craig's casting.  Jam-packed with action, romance, and an intricate screenplay, Casino Royale is the best vision of Bond's world yet.

Essential Albums: Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - Animal! / Not Animal

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
Animal!
2008
Sony Epic

Buy This Album

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
Not Animal
2008
Sony Epic

Buy This Album

(Author's Note: This review has been edited from its original form.  Upon subsequent listens, much of my opinion has changed drastically, and this review now reflects those changes.  It has also been updated to include a review of the companion record, Not Animal, for comparison.)

It's hard to understand what Epic Records saw in Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, the 8-piece indie outfit from Indiana whose debut album, The Dust of Retreat, was widely acclaimed and ranks as one of my personal favorite records of all time.  They're not a particularly marketable band with their use of odd instruments often ignored in pop-rock music.  Their music is a strange amalgamation of sounds ranging from folk to country to pop to hard rock.
 
It's also hard to remain objective about a band I have unfettered adulation for.  However, if being a music lover has taught me anything it's that expectations can always get the better of you.  If you're looking for proof, look no further than my disappointment with Moby's 2008 release, Last Night.  After waiting for more than two years, the band's sophomore efforts have finally hit store shelves.  Would this be another case of high expectations, perhaps unreasonably high, being met by disappointment, or would Margot prove that they truly are a band worth my undying devotion?

Coldplay: The Best Band It's Cool To Hate - Live in Auburn Hills, MI 03 November 2008 at The Palace

Shortly after they exploded into the public conscious with their smash hit "Yellow", Coldplay became the cool band to hate on.  Having gotten in on the ground floor, I never felt the need to apologize for my fandom.  After all, I've never been that cool. 

Yes, it's true - I liked Coldplay before they were popular.  I liked them before it was cool to hate them.  Yes, it's true - I am an elitist.  Were it not for Coldplay, I never would have discovered Grandaddy, who opened for the Brit pop-rockers at their first ever show Detroit show at the State Theater (now The Fillmore). 

I'm sure this won't win me any friends over at Pitchfork Media, where all the real hipsters go to read overly negative reviews of everything that isn't recorded by Radiohead, but Coldplay are still one of the best bands in the world and all one needs to do is go to one of their live shows to see it (and maybe drop their too-cool-for-you egos).