44 of 1001 Songs: Robyn with Kleerup's With Every Heartbeat

 Today I listened to a tune that sounds like it could have been released yesterday. It's pop sounds transcend well even with the minor changes in the genre since 2007.  It's very catchy, and I like how it sounds more of the type of pop I generally like hearing.

History: In 2007, With Every Hearbeat, was released to help promote artist, Kleerup, with his own self titled album coming out. It was very hot over seas in countries like Belgium, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. In the United States it would break the top 20 on the Billboard charts. What you might notice about this song that makes it different from other pop tunes is that it has no major chorus. Instead it relies on a tune that cycles the song more. The song would garner critical praise for it's usage of this.

This song is from two albums. The song was featured on Robyn's Self Titled album, and Kleerup's. I like the different energy of the song, and how it feels it transcends what would make particular genres popular at the time they were. I think it's why you can pick up the song and still enjoy it now in a way that doesn't feel it has aged.

The song also doesn't seem long. It runs a little over 4 minutes, but it feels like you're listening for only a couple of minutes. I think without a chorus it doesn't have that pattern that goes through the stages where it builds toward the end, but also feels over extended with the energy. For some this might not make the song as memorable. Usually when we remember songs it will be the part we get stuck in our head, but this tune doesn't get stuck in my head. That works because I like that, but makes it not so easy to remember.

If you like pop, or don't, this is a different tune to check out. The artists keep it edgy. I can see why it garnered the attention it did, and in a genre that is very difficult to gain attention in, it does it in a way that makes you listen.

42 of 1001 Songs: LCD Soundsystem's Someone Great

Shortly after I graduated high school, LCD Soundsystem was releasing their 3rd single from their hit album, Sound of Silver. Someone Great was released in the UK, and quickly soar to the attention of everyone. I hadn't heard this song till today, which might be surprising considering I'm sure it was popular at the time.

History: As I reading through the reviews for the album this song came from I noticed that it had very high reviews everywhere. I haven't listened through the album, but it got me curious about it's contents. There is a heavy electronica sound throughout, that is definitely prominent in this song, and it has a dramatic build up with the beat till the vocalist comes into play. It is easy listening music, with erratic spells.

I remember speaking to a lot of people, especially around this time, who noted that their favorite genre was techno or electronica. I never explored too in depth myself, but I can hear the appeal of talent people would have had to a song like this.

It's odd as well as I grow further away in time from 2007, how 2007 or before stuff is beginning to sound. I'm not saying that is a good thing, maybe in some ways it is sad. There is definitely a glossed quality coming into current music that is different than from even music a few years ago.

I can also hear the dance pop in this song. You probably won't be breaking it down hardcore to this tune, but it provides it's own ease of movement. It also mixes it up at different points with heightened sounds, and a deep beat to balance out those elements.

Was this song exactly my particular thing? I can't say it was. I can appreciate what makes it special enough to have the popularity it did, and even the listens it gets. I've never quite been drawn to this particular genre is the only reason. To note though how old this album makes me feel it was released at a time when it is was advanced to release a whole album for streaming on a Myspace page. If there was anything good about Myspace, it was the ability to show your personality through your favorite songs that week in your player.

If you haven't heard the song then check out the video for it before. It's worth a listen, and it definitely is unlike any tune I've heard before.

Bookshelf: Matthew Paul Turner's What You Didn't Learn From Your Parents About Politics

Politics aren't the most welcoming of subjects to always talk about, and depending on how you were raised it can either be a very uncomfortable thing to talk about, one you enjoy, or one you feel apathetic toward. More than ever it seems that the next generation is approaching it with apathy. Matthew Paul Turner provides reasoning and issues to get passionate about though. This one involves a little less humor than his other series though, so it wasn't quite as enthralling, but then again politics isn't that exciting anyways.

Summary: Matthew Paul Turner with the assistance of others who are in the political field guide in explaining faith and politics, and how they have been together in history. Everything from the taxation from Caesar in the Bible to the issues we face today, we see what we can learn from how characters then dealt with politics, and how we should handle it today. Beginning with a little overview on the political parties, and the guiding the book into various issues, Turner provides good reasoning behind each viewpoints perspective.

Wednesday Movie Night: The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

To usually like a Wes Anderson movie you're already someone who holds a streak of liking many of his movies. Just because you loved The Royal Tenenbaums doesn't mean you'll end up loving another though like The Life Aquatic. The Darjeeling Limited is much in this category. You might have to be a big Wes Anderson fan to enjoy it. The visuals, the setting, the characters, they're all very artsy and very much Wes Anderson.

Summary: Francis, Peter, and Jack have lost their father, and afters years of estrangement they reunite at the persistence of Francis who is going through a spiritual awakening after a car wreck. The other two brothers are going through significant changes of their own, and with no close family to confide in it seems they are all in a bit of silence crisis.Jack though finds potential in healing by falling for a girl he meets on the train, and they all soon discover that they could be reunited with their mother. This makes their trip a switch from being one where they are seeking a certain spirituality to one where they coming to terms with their lost and reuniting as a family.

Library Reads: Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

It's true that the year that Beah was brought into being a child soldier doesn't match the year that it did start on record. Looking outside of that, and just reading this story as the focus of the review I think the author has created quite a brutal portrayal of what it was like up till the years he was able to find refuge. Also, this story doesn't even read as a guy trying to be the voice of what is going on in Africa. It would have been more helpful to read up on what was happening in that area of the world before reading just because he only goes into how his perspective was and what he lived through, and the history aspect is there, but small.

Summary: Ishmael Beah was only twelve when he fled from his village along with a few friends to avoid the attacks. He lost touch with his family as the war raged, and found himself fleeing from village to village to survive. Along with the war came the mistrust people there felt toward each other as well. This made it particularly difficult for Beah to find a place there as most villagers didn't trust any males. What would happen would be a four year struggle from being a young boy on the run, to being a child soldier, to now a 25 year old living in New York City.

Pitchfork List: Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago

I've had this album on MP3 for a while now, maybe at least five years. I also got it on vinyl last year, so it's one that's never gotten old or lost it's flare over time for me. I listen to it a bit less, but upon listening to it again I remembered just how great this album it is. It's one that must be listened to from start to finish.

History:  The album was released in 2007 as a self-released album. It didn't get a record label to pick it up till afterward. The album's story is widely known as Justin Vernon explained the album originated in a cabin after a breakup from a girlfriend. The album as received very great reviews, but there has been critics who weren't so fond of the album. The lyrical content is very obscure bothering some and welcoming others.

Wednesday Movie Night: Fracture (2007)

Before Ryan Gosling was really famous, or broken away from his role in The Notebook he brought a role to the table that turned the direction of his career. With Anthony Hopkins as the other lead you have to great lead actors who play well off the scenarios and story to make us feel the intense war brewing between the two. Gregory Hoblit knows what he is good at, and it's courtroom dramas. He also brought Primal Fear to the screen, but thankfully Fracture takes a less darker road.

Summary: Willy Beachman is on his way to becoming a big time attorney. With a 97% winning rate in his cases he has earned the ability to move up to another law firm much to is current workplaces disappointment. Shortly before he is to move there though his boss gives him a case with an opponent he's never had to face before. Ted Crawford is accused of murdering his wife, and what appears to be a simple guilty conviction at first proves to be more complicated than Willy thought.

208 of 1001 Movies: No Country For Old Men (2007)

So I remember getting this movie often confused with There Will Be Blood, and it seems that when discussing movies from 2007 people commonly put these two up for comparison. It's odd because as far as story and characters there isn't much in common, but the vibe and tone seem very much the same. They both work through much of the movie silently, they have strong lead male characters, and eerie guys. There also set in some very vast, bleak territories. No Country For Old Men is really a unique story all on it's own though that compels you from beginning to end even though you're wondering through most of the  movie "How in the heck did I get here?"

Summary: If you stumbled upon $2 million dollars would you take the money? Well Llewellyn does and lands in a heap of trouble when he does. He isn't prepared for the mad man that will begin seeking him out to find the money though. Anton is violent and he seems to be more set on just causing violence instead of even wanting the money. After Anton discovers who has taken the money it not only puts Llewellyn at risk, but his whole family.

Saturday Movies: Hot Fuzz (2007)

So to finish up the three movies I ended with Hot Fuzz, which I think is my favorite of the three, and I actually spent a week debating that! There is something about the way they weave actual character development seriously into a very silly plot line that is just well done. I also saw that you didn't need an extensive knowledge in action movies to enjoy, but trust me, if you have seen Die Hard, Bad Boys, or Lethal Weapon then you will enjoy the movie a lot more. Not having seen them doesn't take away from it though.

Summary: Nicholas Angel feels like he is a big time London cop on the verge of promotion...promotion to a rural quaint English Village that is. His new partner also is not quite the brightest or boldest.What appears at first to be town only needing cleaning up of underage drinkers and vandalizers though seems to be disguising a deeper problem in the town. As a string of murders begins taking place in front of Angel's eyes, he begins investigating only to find his job was much bigger than expected.

Wednesday Movie Night: Mr. Brooks (2007)

Mr. Brooks is probably one of the darkest movies you will watch. It's also a movie that show cases a lot of talent better than it has been in a while or ever been. The actors just shine in their roles, even Dane Cook, and usually that is something you can't say. I would say the movie is pretty impressive considering the director, Bruce A. Evans only directed one other title, and I can tell that is one you would rather forget and leave behind. Kevin Costner though really shows his better acting in years in this, and has a great actor by his side in William Hurt.

Summary: Earl Brooks has a really bad addiction, and he continues to try to break it, but he can't stop murdering people. One night though he makes a mistake, and a man takes photos of him murdering a man and woman in their bedroom. Marshall is Earl's voice inside his head, and he seems to be the encouragement of his crimes, and the one who is worried that Earl is trying to get them caught. Earl is blackmailed by Mr. Smith who has the photos, but he tells him he won't share the photos as long as he takes him out to murder with him. Mr. Brooks has many other things to worry about though including his pregnant daughter, and the stress of an investigator on his tail regarding the murders.

135 of 1001 Movies: There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood seems the best all around rated of Paul Thomas Anderson's movies. I can definitely see why as it dealt with themes that I hadn't saw any movie try to tackle, and that is probably because faith and money ideas don't make for box office blockbusters if you're looking for one. It's probably one of the first movies I've seen absent of any romance, and it more a man's romance with his job, and his struggles when a man of heavy faith enters his life, and he has to be torn between money and the fact he seems a little at unease regarding the man's faith.

Summary: When Daniel stumbles upon oil he takes a few years to harness what he has found into a full blown business. This also brings others hoping to get in on what he has found to, and one of those ways is bringing him onto their own land to dig for oil, so they can sell the land to him to dig on. Paul arrives to offer Daniel the land his family lives on to dig on as long he shares the profits to help him build a church. Daniel carries him and his, HW, to the land, only to find his trust deteriorating in Paul and the fame of oil breaking is own sanity.

Saturday Movies: Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Steven Soderberg is back with his final installment in the Ocean's trilogy, and this time it seems he's gotten it back together as far as plot, and a direction and put us back in Vegas with the crew. The movie has a lot of the fun qualities that the first one did though it is missing the magic that the first one still managed to put together among the cast and cinematography. Ocean's Thirteen though is a definite improvement from the previous though.

One of the original eleven members, Reuban, is betrayed by one his associates, Willy Bank. The betrayal of having his estate stolen from under him devastates him so much so that it sends him to the hospital. Danny Ocean is now wanting to get revenge for his friend with the help of the other members of the team. This time the plan is to rob Willy, but they are going to need the help of an old enemy if they want to pull it off and that would be no other than Terry Benedict. He will only help if they can also nab a diamond kept in the casino for him. The guys now have to pull off one of their biggest heist yet.