Jason Gardner's blog

'Brick' Certificate 15, Director Rian Jonson

Thu, 18 May 2006 14:11:38 +0100

A detective story much in the style of Raymond Chandler’s famed Philip Marlowe novels. A quick witted hard hitting ‘detective’ finds the corpse of an ex flame and embarks on a mission to uncover the mystery behind her untimely demise.

My Life in the bush of ghosts.

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 13:04:36 +0100

Brian Eno and David Byrne have recently re-released their seminal collaboration from ’81. Entitled ‘My life in the bush of ghosts’ , as with much of Eno’s work, it’s considered to have had a profound influence on the shape of pop music - mainly because it was one of the first albums to extensively use sampling. Eno and Byrne ‘borrowed’ from excerpts of ecstatic sermonising by Pentecostal ministers, ‘The Jezebel Spirit', and sections of the Koran being read allowed, 'Qu’ran', - although the latter track has been omitted from the re-release due to objections from the Islamic council of Great Britain.

Shooting Dogs

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 14:53:30 +0100

There are many horrific scenes in Michael Caton-Jones powerful depiction of the Rwandan massacre in 1994. Perhaps the worst in this story, based on real life events, is when a BBC journalist admits that she has not shed a single tear over the corpses of Rwandans strewn across the country.

The Horror of Horror Films

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 12:11:02 +0100

The word horror, so my trusty dictionary tells me, derives from the word ‘horrid’, no surprise there, which in turn comes from the latin for ‘bristle’ or ‘shudder.’ Very appropriate. Horror films then aim to achieve said effect through any manner of on screen chills and spills.

leaders of the free world - elbow

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 13:13:15 +0100

Album Review

Elbow
Leaders of the Free World (V2 Records)

It’s hard to say why bands such as Coldplay fill stadiums worldwide and the likes of Elbow don’t. Sure, Chris Martin and co can knock out plenty of arena-friendly anthems and sensitive serenades, but surely none that contain the sheer class or edge of Bury’s finest.

illinois - sufjan stevens

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 11:05:04 +0100

Sufjan Stevens
Illinois (Asthmatic Kitten, 2005)

Sufjan Stevens puts a slightly different slant on the word ‘ambitious.’ After teaching himself to play oboe, recorder, banjo, guitar, vibraphone, bass, drums and piano he decided to embark on a musical mystery tour of the US - and to dedicate an album a year over half a century to each of the 50 states.

'Be' by Common

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 11:00:04 +0100

‘Be’
Common
Geffen Records 2005

A ‘divinely’ inspired hip-hop album that connects a mish–mash of spiritual messages with sublime breaks and passionate rapping.

national heroes

Thu, 05 May 2005 11:48:08 +0100

Top notch gig from Watford's finest last night (28th Apr) at Soho's Madame Jo Jo's. Plenty of gutsy & driven pop/rock anthems with echoes of Supergrass, Primal Scream & a wee bit o' Blur.

This is one Christian rock band (or should that be rock band formed by Christians?) who, if there is any justice in the world (as Lemar puts it) should be bound for glory.

the alternative to love - brendon benson

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 10:01:33 +0100

OK, so no socially incisive lyrics here, no clever cultural analysis... but what you do get for the price of a simple CD is your faith restored in the power of pop music.

The Alternative to Love provides 12 sublime chunks of superlative song writing - at times a little bit Beach Boys, a little bit Ryan Adams, and even some Elliot Smith and Phil Spector thrown in for good measure.

the cosmic game - thievery corporation

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 10:01:55 +0100

The Cosmic Game - Thievery Corporation

An inspired mix of chilled grooves and esoteric beats, the fourth long-player from DJ duo Rob Garza & Eric Hilton establishes them as true masters of mixing up down-tempo ambient soundscapes. Featuring collaborations with The Flaming Lips, Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell & David Byrne, 'The Cosmic Game', as its authors would have it, is a sojourn through various takes on reality, so expect to find the psychedelic, the spiritual and the political side by side.