Final Fantasy

Band: Final Fantasy
Also Check Out: Beirut, Sufjan Stevens, Xiu Xiu.
Location: Toronto, Canada.



The first time I ran into Final Fantasy I didn't realize it was Owen Pallet's musical project, I thought I was listening to music off of a video game. My roommate was looking at his brother's Myspace and we both agreed the music on his page was really good. Thinking it was just one of the many interesting songs composed for the Final Fantasy series, I put it out of my mind. It wasn't until sometime last year that I found out that Final Fantasy was the name of a band out of Canada. I read an interesting interview where Owen Pallet mentioned that mixing styles (indie rock and classical) wasn't something he was endorsing and he said rappers backed by orchestras will always sound like shit, there's no way around it. I wonder what he thinks of Metallica :(

I, unknowingly, bought a copy of a Spanish rock magazine from November of last year that included a sampler CD with a track by Final Fantasy along with some other very good Tomlab artists. This was enough to get me to finally check out some more tracks and even get his albums.

Final Fantasy's latest album "He Poos Clouds" (wonderful title) is at times epic enough to be a big movie soundtrack, but retains indie sensibility. From the way this guy names his songs, to the way he dresses, Owen Pallet has a great sense of humor. Check him out at a Cosplay convention near you.



Final Fantasy: He Poos Clouds MP3
Official Site: http://www.reidtaheny.com/ff/read.html
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/owenpalletmusic

The Proposition (Movie)

Movie: "The Proposition"
Also Check Out these Movies: For a Few Dollars More, The Wild Bunch, Seraphim Falls.
Soundtrack Composers: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
Also Check Out these Artists: Ennio Morricone, Tom Waits, Calexico.
Location: Australia





To follow up the Two Gallants, I want to present a movie that is two years old now, but one I just recently discovered.

The Australian film, "The Proposition" can be classified as a Western despite not taking place in the Western part of the United States. Many parallels can be drawn between the Victorian Era in the United States West and the Australian Outback, both have their share of legends and myths involving outlaws and lawmen.

This movie tells the story of the Burns brothers, three notorious outlaws. When the two younger Burns brothers are captured, the middle brother, Charlie, is given until Christmas to find and kill his older brother Arthur or else be forced to witness his youngest brother hung at the gallows. The movie paints a grim picture of an Australia deeply torn apart by racism and imperialism. Captain Stanley, the lawman, is haunted by his need to civilize the outback for the good of his family.

This movie is full of grisly scenes, it starts out with a gunfight, but don't mistake it for merely a cheap shocker, this movie conveys a strong message through more than just blood and guns. It's worth watching for the amazing shots of Australian landscape alone.

I've posted up some MP3s of the excellent soundtrack composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.


Nick Cave and Warren Ellis: Happy Land MP3, The Rider Song MP3
Official Site: http://www.theproposition.co.uk/
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/

Hot Club de Paris

Band: Hot Club de Paris
Also Check Out: Arctic Monkeys, The Dead 60s, The Shins, The Libertines.
Location: Liverpool, England



It was near impossible to find much information on these guys through a basic Google search, but judging by the treasure trove of linkage found on Hype Machine, it's safe to say that these guys are getting buzzed by blogs, and touring, naturally.

I'm a sucker for songs that you can pretend to be a pirate to, Two Gallants do it for me a lot, but unlike the San Francisco duo, these guys are total apes. They've got song titles like "Sometimesitsbetternottostickbitsofeachotherineachotherforeachother" that reveal a decent sense of humor while on the other hand you have songs like "Hello. I wrote a song for you called "Welcome to the Jungle" which take me back to melancholy high school days where it seems like every time I'd think about a girl I'd get caught in a diluvian downpour.

Sing along with your "Yo Ho Hos!" to Shipwreck.



Want MP3s? Try looking these guys up on Hype Machine :)
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hotclubdeparis

Los Campesinos! (Music in English)

Band: Los Campesinos!
Also Check Out: Thunderbirds Are Now!, Hot Club De Paris, Klaxons
Location: Cardiff, Wales



I feel like some cheesy fucker-in-a-dew-rag-standing-outside-of-Rasputin-records trying-to-sell-you-a-burned-CD when I say this, but this band is really hot right now.

I heard about these guys from the friend of a Myspace friend (great stuff) playing on his profile. Usually I'm quick about turning that shit off, but I decided to let these guys play after hearing the first few seconds of the song.

This reminds me of the time some rapper from NY sent me a message on Myspace telling me how most people know if they like something within the first ten seconds of a song, he on the other hand was asking me for only five seconds of my time, and if I didn't like his shit he'd go on his merry way. I listened to that shit and deleted his friend request.

Stupid story aside, these guys have a hit with the song "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks." It's full of alls sorts of great energy, and if I happened to be the kind of guy who danced alone in his room in order to get some bit of athletic activity in his pathetic life, I'd be dancing to it right now. Last time I did that it was to Le Tigre, if I happen to get out of finals alive I'll give these guys a ring. There's something about the way the girl sings in this band that reminds me of someone else...

Here's two cute Asian girls dancing to this band the way I wish I could:



Los Campesinos: Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks MP3
Official Site: http://www.loscampesinos.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/loscampesinos