Bloc Party Gets Intimate

So after releasing their attention-grabbing full length Silent Alarm over three years ago and more recently A Weekend in the City early last year, the British quartet Bloc Party led by vocalist Kele Okereke have finally released their follow-up album Intimacy this morning through their Web site.

At first listen, Intimacy comes off as being more "noisy" than their previous offerings, but still retains all the reasons that they blew up in the first place in 2005 after releasing Silent Alarm. Their songs are ridiculously catchy and Okereke's vocals are solid through the entire album. There aren't as melodic tracks on this album, but Bloc Party didn't stray off their formula enough to scare of their fanbase, but some might not get into Intimacy as much as they did AWitC.

Tracks like "Mercury" and "Trojan Horse" come off as almost pure electronic songs that sound more like Crystal Castles than a band like Arcade Fire. Through two and a half listens, I feel Bloc Party might have changed their style, but talent is talent and they still sound amazing.

Wii Fit Review + Day 1

For $89.99 I was a little hesitant about Wii Fit. Was it going to just be a gimmick? Was it going to have any lasting power? And maybe the most important question, will there be use of the balance board beyond the Wii Fit game?

I was pleasantly surprised minutes into the game. It's very accurate. If your balance is just a bit off, it's going to know. And the games (workouts) are also nicely varied in skill and movements. I went through all the yoga and most of the others (aerobics, strength training, and balance) and worked up a bit of a sweat.

Before I get into the individual activities (and before you have a chance to if you boot up the game for the first time), you need to weigh in. Here your center of balance, Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight are all measured. Finally, you're given a basic balance test and then provided your Wii Fit age. My center of balance was off by .8 and I received a 30 on my basic balance test, but I believe was average/below average. My BMI as "normal" at 23.51 and my weight at 164 lbs. My Wii Fit age was 36, 14 years too high.

After this is all given to you, you set a goal for yourself. How much do you want to lose and in how much time. Your goal can be changed every 2 weeks in case you're falling behind or maybe ahead of schedule. I went with the game's suggestion of getting my BMI to 22, which would require me to lose 10 lbs. I gave myself a month to do it. This is where the biggest problem with the game comes into play though. It doesn't account for muscle. If you're a muscular guy or gal, those extra pounds (and remember muscle > fat) will be considered fat. Furthermore, say I focused on the strength training exercises, would it look like I was gaining weight? I'm not 100% sure, but I want to say yes. So this game seems to be best fit for those looking to slim down, not bulk up.

The way it tracks your progress is also very motivating. Not only to use the Wii Fit game, but to exercise and make healthy choices outside of the game. While the game tracks what time of activities you do inside the game, it also lets you add in activities from the real world. So if you go for a run or a walk, you can add it to your list.

Now you can get started. I have no prior experience in yoga, but from what I can tell the game stays true to what you'd experience in a class. There's only 4 poses available when you start the game, but there's plenty of difficulty even then. The tree pose (check this video to see it in action) is the last and most difficult one available at first. The game is definitely more demanding than say a video because your balance is moving on the screen.

The balance games are neat little mini games that are aimed to improve your balance. I tried out soccer heading and the ski jump. I don't imagine a ton of improve in either balance or health is accomplished by these mini games, but they are one of the most fun. The ski jump is great and paves the way for a more in-depth skiing or snowboarding game.

The strength training took me by surprise. I did the single leg extensions and the push-up/side plank exercises. The push-up/side plank was great. You put your hands on the balance board and it makes sure you're doing the reps on time. This is one of the more difficult exercises I came across so far and had me working up a nice sweat.

Lastly, we have the aerobics. Another good section of mini games like the hula hoop and a DDR-light-esque basic step. This is where the running happens too. As you run the other Miis you've created will be seen in the park. The scenery is nice and seeing your Miis run or just hangout is a plus, but the lack of music makes the running a tad boring after a couple times through. It is a nice workout though. I did the short distance run with the Wiimote in my pocket (you can hold it in your hand too) and I went on for quite a while. Who would have thought running in place in your living room would be relatively draining?

I guess I'll wrap this up. Wii Fit, despite it's price, is a solid video game and a pretty good way of exercising. I don't think this is going to solve America's obesity problem, but it will definitely help. Those who need a different kind of kick in the ass or those getting off the couch for the first time in a while will find this to be a refreshing way to get that heart beating. For those of you who are already workout warriors will probably find it interesting, but I'm not sure if the appeal will last.

I plan on weighing in every week. So feel free to join me as I check my progress and really put the Wii Fit to the test.

Day 1, June 3
BMI: 23.51
Weight: 164 lbs
Center of Balance: 49.2% / 50.8%
Basic Balance Test: 30
Wii Fit Age: 36

Indiana Jones: Expectedly Over-the-Top, but Still Fun

I caught Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this afternoon and there's a lot to talk about. If you're a fan of action movies at all, there's really not a reason not to see it. I haven't seen the previous three in ages and to my knowledge have only seen one from start to finish, but had no problem enjoying it. So I'm just going to talk about it as if it was just a straight-up action flick and the movie completely fills that role.

Before I go on, if you're from the area take a close look at the campus scene in the movie. If you forgot the buzz this summer, it was shot in Yale and there are definitely plenty of spots you can pick out even if you're only vaguely familiar with the campus like myself.

Anyways, so yeah, some people may complain that the movie was a tad over the top and I will agree with that in just one case and partly in another. There's a certain scene (not trying to give it away completely) involving monkeys that I just know had to be one of the last to make it into the film. It's very brief and doesn't do too much damage to the overall film, but I was just shocked that even for an Indiana Jones movie that it made it from the cutting room floor to the big screen. If you've seen the movie, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Other than that and a storyline dwelling a bit too much in the sci-fi territory that could have easily been adapted for a more Indiana Jones feel, I had no issues with the movie and the $8 I spent to watch it. The action scenes are what you will expect. Harrison Ford getting himself into and out of trouble with Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Karen Allen (who you may remember from Raiders of the Lost Ark).

Ford is obviously great. I couldn't stop thinking about 2006's Rocky Balboa and the most recent Star Wars films. Rocky because I felt that Ford could have easily done Indiana like Stallone did Rocky -- a sad and desperate attempt to reprise a role he could no longer play. Ford took it in stride and while he's very much involved in the action, he accepts that he is not the Indiana Jones of old. It was refreshing.

And Star Wars because it made me realize that a movie can be made so many years after the originals and still keep that same feeling. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull felt right at home with the previous movies. It didn't feel at all like I was watching a bastardized version of the originals and that is something the diehards can appreciate.

If I was forced to give it a letter grade, I would give it a solid B. A few small tweaks and it could have easily been a B+ or even an A-. Oh yeah, and LaBeouf is not too shabby.

So How Was Iron Man?

One word: Good.

The long version: Batman now has a very tough act to follow. Anyone with any interest in this comic book turned movie knows most of the details (Robert Downey Jr. stars as Iron Man, etc) and perhaps if you even have that much interest you may have already seen it. In case you haven't, do yourself a favor and dish out the $8-10 and catch it in theaters.

The cast is great. Downey revives his career with this movie. (Quick side note: Just checked his IMDB and he's listed as Tony Stark aka Iron Man in the credits for the new Hulk movie...interesting). Jeff Bridges is fantastic. This may be his best performance since The Big Lebowski, but then again I didn't see Seabiscut (that was supposed to be good, right?). Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow round out a pretty solid cast.

Howard as you may know plays Jim Rhodes aka War Machine. For those who saw the movie or the newer television trailer will see the scene alluding to War Machine. This is definitely one of the better new comic book movies we've seen in a while. I say new as in not a sequel. Sin City and V for Vendetta excluded.

If you have any interest in this at all from the trailers definitely go out and see it. For what it's worth, my girlfriend who doesn't know a thing about the whole Iron Man world throughly enjoyed it. So yeah, it's just a good film.

It's doing great in the box office too. The AP reported that "Iron Man was the 10th biggest opening of all time and the fourth biggest for a superhero movie. Among nonsequels, it came in behind only the first Spider-Man, which premiered with $114.8 million."

PS: If you haven't heard yet that you need to stay through the end of the credits, make sure you do so.

Edit: Marvel has just announced that Iron Man 2 will be released on April 30, 2010. I know I'll be there. - Ed

A Look at Last Week's Releases

We were a little slow last week and missed a few key releases. So before Tuesday hits and there are even more new albums to talk about lets get some of last Tuesday’s out of the way. This week I’m going to look at Foal’s studio debut Antidotes while Ed examines Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours. We’re going to throw a third review at you thanks to Nick, a fellow blogger and friend. He’s reviewed Man Man’s Rabbit Habits.

Foals
Antidotes
[Sub-Pop]

Ah, hype. There was a lot of noise about this record coming into April 8 and with plenty of good reasons. I decided to give this album a listen after hearing it was Battles for people who can’t handle Battles, which for me was actually a selling point. I tried my hardest to get into Battles critically acclaimed Mirrored and then tried again when the end of the year lists began to pop up, but to no avail. I didn’t think “math rock” was for me and I knew I hated Math the Band, or was it Mute Math?

Either way, math scarred me. Despite this, I jumped into Antidotes with only a few hesitations and by the time “Cassius,” one of their singles and the second track on the album, was done I think I got over my fears. (I even checked out Math the Band again and remembered it was Mute Math that sucked, not them. Sorry, guys.)

The record is certainly technical and math-y, but I don’t know if I would give it the math rock label anymore so than the dance punk label. The guitars definitely remind me of a band like Minus the Bear, but instead of getting stoned and occasionally swaying around Foals drives the listener to get up and do something. Melissa even noted that they remind her of the Klaxons, that would of course if you replaced the rave with more rock and a few really well placed horns.

And although you can certainly use other bands to talk about Foals, you can listen to Antidotes without wanting to go back to what it may remind you of. That is what makes this album a winner. And it is because they do a good enough job here - a job worth writing a review about and certainly a job worth giving a listen to.

Download:
Foals - Balloons
Buy It


Cut Copy
In Ghost Colours
[Modular]
by Edward Gaug

Sadly, I cannot think of the last band I listened to that came from the land down under. I know that Australia has a pretty solid music scene, but it escapes me to think of another band, other than Cut Copy, that calls the island home.

Unlike some bands that instantly are categorized by the land they call home, Cut Copy displays no obvious signs of being something different than a normal indie-dance rock band that you would find in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Cut Copy’s best aspect is hands down its beats, whether they are trippy, like the ones used for the song “Out There On the Ice” or more ’80s-esque like the Michael Jackson-sounding samples on “Nobody Lost, Nobody Found.” Dan Whitford’s vocals blend perfectly with the mixture of electronic samples, and the steady snare and bass play from Mitchell Scott.

Unlike a lot of albums that fit into this dance rock subgenre, Cut Copy strays away from the typical overuse of cymbals and over-the-top synthesizer lines, leaving them with a stronger instrumental basis to stand on, which proves to be successful for the Aussie trio. At 15 tracks, In Ghost Colours seems longer than most other albums I have reviewed recently that could quickly be lumped together with Cut Copy, but with enough contrast from track to track, the album flies by and eventually ends without warning. There is no slowing down as the record comes to end and leaves the listener on a pretty high note.

Buy It


Man Man
Rabbit Habits
[Anti-]
by Nick Viccione

Labeling music as experimental has been played out ever since Frank Zappa pioneered the genre in the ’60s and ’70s. The genre has gotten downright annoying. But don’t tell that to Philadelphia five-piece Man Man.

I was obnoxiously skeptical before listening to this album considering Ed wants me to do album reviews of bands I have not heard of before. However, upon first listen of Rabbit Habits I found myself pleasantly surprised. Not only was I able to listen to the entire record all the way through, I actually found myself enjoying Man Man’s quirky experimental indie-rock.

I may be able to attribute my liking of this album to my father, who used to play Frank Zappa around me all the time when I was just a little tot (to anyone who is a fan of Frank Zappa, that could probably explain why I am so strange now). I am sure that Man Man hears the comparisons to the legendary Zappa all of the time—it was the first thing I thought of when I was only a couple of minutes into listening to Rabbit Habits.

The experimental blend of funky vocals, piano interludes, well-placed random instruments such as accordions and saxophones and awkwardly acceptable guitar lines make this album much more fun than I expected. “Top Drawer,” track eight, stands out as the star song to my ears. It has the catchiest vocal and bass lines that I have ever heard.

Buy It


Notable releases we didn’t have time to review, but worth checking out:
Fleet Foxes’ Sun Giant EP on Sub Pop
New Bloods’ The Secret Life on Kill Rock Stars
Tapes 'n Tapes' Walk It Off on XL
The Breeders' Mountain Battles on 4AD

FREE MUSIC: Ulysses Campbell - Color It All

I found this album a little over a week ago and reviewed the hell out of it. If you want to hear for yourself you can find the full version on Ulysses Campbell's MySpace.

Here is what i had to say about it in The Recorder last week.

Good luck finding any information on what Ulysses Campbell is all about, outside of the fact that he is originally from New Hampshire and now resides in Florida, where he goes to school. The only reason you are hearing about him right now is that this shaggyhaired 21-year-old makes fantastic electronic music out of his bedroom that could make Avey Tare of Animal Collective jealous.

Ulysses Campbell and Color It All is the epitome of low-budget electro-rock that doesn’t skip on the static and uses a pretty standard Casio-like 61-key keyboard [ed. Campbell let me know that in fact uses a Korg Electribe, which he describes as "a little workstation that's 2/3rds drum machine and 1/3rd synth, and all 3rds awesome,"] homemade mixers and acoustic guitar. While Campbell’s set-up doesn’t sound like much, his creations sound rich enough to fool most listeners that an entire band is producing the blips and beeps f lowing through their speakers. This is not the case – Campbell is a doing it all himself.

“All in Front (of me)” kicks off the album with a disoriented mass of fuzzed distortion backed by 8-bit keyboard lines straight from late ‘80s video games. After a few moments this chaos fades away and Campbell shows us a quick glimpse of his voice, if only to draw in the listener to see what he actually has in store.

Of course, the second track really shows off how well Campbell can actually sing. “The Things That Happen So Often” brings back the distorted keys, but this time they play second to Campbell’s vocals, which are on display for the track’s first 60 seconds, after which they slowly disappear to allow Campbell’s bread and butter - spacey key lines and pounding drum machine beats. While he does bring back words about three minutes into the song, you shouldn’t care; you’ll already be nodding your head mindlessly to the beats.

Though I could go on endlessly about the rest of Color It All, the last five tracks will be for you to discover and make your own comparisons. The only thing you need to do to get yourself a copy of Color It All is to visit Campbell’s MySpace and click on the download link – simple, really.

Yesterday’s Releases Today: Los Campesinos!

Well, since local news is a bit slow this week I decided we should (I should) take a look at what was released yesterday and say a few words. This may become a regular thing, especially in the next few weeks with loads of good releases to speak of, but who knows.

Los Campesinos!
Hold On Now, Youngster...
Arts & Crafts

I’m sort of surprised this just came out yesterday since I feel like it’s been out forever. That’s probably because it was released in the UK at the end of February and I’m sure it leaked even before that. (Shame on you, Melissa).

With that said, I’ve obviously had a ton of more time to digest this release then I had with any of the other two this week. So it will be a lot easier to give my impressions of it. The indie pop band from Wales (with plenty of punk too, mind you) are most enjoyable when they incorporate both the yelling sing-alongs with their violin, glockenspiel and less abrasive vocals.

A good example and probably my favorite song on the album would be “Knee Deep at ATP.” Here we are given a solid mix of the frantic instrumentals/shouting vocals with the soft violin/overlapping male and female vocals. It is this giving and taking of one and the other that makes Los Campesinos! who they are, and what works best for them.

Among other songs, “This Is How You Spell ‘Hahaha, We Destroyed The Hopes And Dreams Of A Generation Of Faux-Romantics’” (despite it’s obnoxious title) is another example of the perfect marriage of styles the band gives listeners.

It’s a formula that can certainly go wrong and rub some the wrong way. “Don’t Tell Me To Do The Math(S)” would be an example of that. But other than the rare shortcomings, Hold On Now, Youngster... proves to be a great first release from a great new band.

"Death to Los Campesinos!" can be found on their MySpace.
You can purchase the album here.

Up next: Yelle's Pop-Up and The Black Keys' Attack and Release.