ARTIST: Snow Patrol
ALBUM: A HUNDRED MILLION SUNS
RATING: 2 out of 5
I could tell from the unintelligible buzzing that kicks off opening track “If There’s a Rocket Tie Me To It” that I was going to end up feeling completely let down.
Author: cphilpott Page 5 of 12
With the recent influx of local bands recording music, as well as local musicians starting to achieve big on the national stage, it’s becoming apparent that there is a wealth of talent in Northland that is going largely untapped.
However Fritter, a new compilation CD of Northland music put together by the Arts Promotion Trust, seeks to bring more of that music to the fore and put Northland music well and truly on the map.
MANIC STREET PREACHERS
Send Away The Tigers (2007)
In what might later be viewed as one of the biggest surprises of the year, the Manic Street Preachers return this month with Send Away The Tigers – a new record for the group, [almost] a new direction, and undoubtedly their best work since a mid-90s period that included the classic albums Everything Must Go and This is My Truth, Tell Me Yours.
Something Stupid is a name synonymous with Whangarei’s music scene, so it came as a surprise to most people who knew of them when they suddenly dropped off the map early last year.
Now the group are back, having renamed themselves Gridlock and armed with their debut album And You Are?, ready to take Whangarei – and New Zealand – by storm. The obvious question, of course: why the name change?
When you begin to put together a list of living New Zealand music legends, there are names that spring immediately to mind – Dave Dobbyn, Neil and Tim Finn, and of course, former Mutton Birds and Blam Blam Blam frontman Don McGlashan.
In a career spanning almost 30 years there are very few thing McGlashan hasn’t put his hand to. From his humble beginnings playing French horn with the Auckland Sinfonia, to playing drums and singing with legendary agit-punk rockers Blam Blam Blam in the early 80s, to his 10 year stint fronting the brilliant Auckland quartet the Mutton Birds, McGlashan has arguably achieved more than any other current NZ musician.
It’s been a few years since Tui Mamaki – or Tui Divers, as she is known around these parts – has been settled in Northland. However, the area remains a constant source of strength and a major part of her life.
“I grew up in Matapouri Bay, so being a small kid up there and saw that place grow – we were up the end of the valley; so heaps of bush and beach,” the ex-Tikipunga High School student recalls. “Being at Ngunguru primary and being able to go swimming in the afternoon instead of going to class; just going across, go for a run to Red Rock bay and jump in the water!”
How could it fail with a cast like this?
I’ll tell you how: too much swearing, too many dodgy scenes and far too big a twist at the end. And did I mention the swearing?
The Departed follows undecover police officer Billy Costigan (played expertly by Leonardo Dicaprio) as he infiltrates the biggest crime syndicate in Boston, led by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) in an attempt to bring it down. While all this is happening, it comes to light that Costello has his own inside man in the police force, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who is tasked with tracking down the mole in Costello’s gang of crooks.
On the plus side, I didn’t feel like I’d seen Deja Vu before.
Denzel Washington returns in Deja Vu – starring as ATF agent Doug Carlin, he is assigned to investigate a terrorist attack on a passenger ferry on the New Orleans Harbour. However, as bizarre clues and inexplicable occurences start to stack up, Carlin is recruited to take part in a top secret project with the aim of finding out exactly what happened.
Daniel Craig shows us that preconceived notions are intended to be broken.
For something like 12 months before the release of the latest Bond mega-hit Casino Royale the media was full of “the story”: Bond was Blond! Blond actor Daniel Craig stepped into the role of Bond, and was almost immediately pelted with ‘he’s too blond’, ‘he’s too feminine’, ‘he’s not going to be able to pull off the role’, ‘he’s too young’ and a million other such blatant insults.
Another month packed with releases, but only a few managed to stick out. Next month is looking like it will be the same, with the Deftones, My Chemical Romance, The Feelers and Brooke Fraser all hitting stores again. Stay tuned! But until then, soak in the latest issue of The Big 5!