Foals New Album

A few weeks ago, one of my favourite bands Foals released a new single from their upcoming album Holy Fire. The song "Inhaler" is a beast of a song and has ever since, made me hugely impatient for their new album. This song demonstrates a potential new side to Foals whose two previous albums are sonically and musically sparse. It opens up with their typical funk stylings yet as it begins to build up to the chorus, you can tell something epic is about to happen.
A mammoth of a guitar riff that completely takes you by surprise arrives and more or less blows up your speakers. It definitely sounds like Foals have been listening to badasses Rage Against the Machine for some inspiration lately.

After appearing on Later with Jools Holland, Foals showcased a new number called, well "My Number" that at first, made me slightly anxious. Like in Total Life Forever, when the eponymous single of that record came out, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I enjoy funk as much as the next person but their performance on Jools Holland, wasn't, well, brilliant. Then they officially released the single and restored my faith. It has this Tears for Fears meets Talking Heads vibe, with its afro-funk style of playing, a sound I think they've been trying to develop since their first releases. Its catchy, intertwining guitars and the occasional "ooh" shows a side of Foals flirting with pop music. But the good kind, the one from the 80's.

Then they played "Late Night" on Live at Abbey Road and everything slightly changed. This was a side of Foals I was hoping they would retain. The ethereal, grand and euphoric side, one that shows up every once in a while. And nothing since their magnum opus "Spanish Sahara". It opens very slowly but it gradually grows in size and epicness. Starting with a rhodes piano and repetitive bass line, Yannis Phillipakis' voice comes in with a calm drum pattern settling in in the background. It takes a while but it's worth it. We're even shown a solo by Yannis, something I've been waiting for for so long. This, of course, will not be the chef d'oeuvre of their album, but just a taster for what to expect, and I'm sure it's going to get even better.

Foals release their album the 13th of February 2013, and with this in mind, I already know how I'm going to be spending my Valentine's day.

Best New Acts - Wolf Alice

Right, well admittedly I did discover this band through Paul Lester, who two blogposts ago I wished to challenge. Wolf Alice is also the first, in the conventional sense of the word, band that I've put up. Composed of three members, Wolf Alice possess a sound that intertwines old-school blues with what seems like an obvious for singer Ellie Rosswell, Daughter.

The first song I heard by them was called "Leaving You", a touching song that begins in a similar vein to Daughter's 'Youth'. Typical blues chords, bliss harmonies  and sorrowful lyrics but then it suddenly merges into a powerful blues ballad, which reminded me of early Kings Of Leon (when they weren't absolute douchebags).

"Wednesday" demonstrates their poppier side yet maintains the emotional impact of the music, where unlike most bands who wish to expand their sound in similar fashion, Wolf Alice have not sold out. The song sounds like the perfect soundtrack music for a Skins episode and even potentially a song that could feature on a Apple advert, which would surely assist in their flight to stardom.

What I like most about this band is the fact they have an earnest and honest sound. These are true emotions that they are trying to convey and the backing music accompanies it perfectly, a feature reminiscent of Bon Iver's style. 

Best New Act -Andrea

Now you would probably assume the sex of the artist just from the name Andrea, yet sorry to say but you're wrong. Andrea is a dude.

Hailing from Paris, France, Andrea is another of those artist claiming to be under the umbrella of "Future Garage". Now this term has been plaguing my mind ever since I first heard and even though I now know how to define a number of artists thanks to this name (e.g. Bondax) I still have more or less no idea what it is.

Now whenever a term like this needs defining, I always turn to the ever reliable Urban Dictionary who define it as: "A term used to refer the music that is perceived as taking Dubstep back to its roots in UK Garage (particularly 2-Step) while also mixing elements from other genres such as IDM, hip-hop, and trip-hop."

Ok so we've got the basics now to the music itself. I first heard of him on a Maths Time Joy Mix earlier this month (an artist I will also look at) with his remix of We Sink's "Cat o' Nine Tails" which really grabbed my attention. I can see why it was used on this mix as it possessed a number of similarities to Maths Time Joy. Heavily altered vocals, dubstep-ish basslines, out of control drums and sweet synths, the music is chaotic in a controlled atmosphere.

His Sound cloud page is full of intereting remixes from The 1975's "You" to the XX's "Angels" in which the latter I would life to emphasize on. I was hugely disappointed with their new album yet this remix gives the pain-stakingly minimal song a whole new life to it. This may be controversial but I think I prefer his remix to the original.

His own songs are also very good, ranging from Trip-Hop, Flying Lotus and Chill Wave sonic influences, he's building up a a great repertoire to showcases his untainted talent and eclectic tastes.

In any case, Andrea is really an artist to look out for. An unsigned act, all his music can be downloaded for free on his sound cloud and with the way he's going, I really think you should capitalize on this before he does start to get big, especially for any hipsters out there who can claim they knew him before he was big (like myself).

Best New Bands

As you've probably noticed, I haven't written a blogpost in some while and this is largely due to my recent exams that had taken up the majority of my time. Now that they are over, I can gladly say I can commence once again.

Recently, I've been reading some articles written by Paul Lester who works for the Guardian who essentially writes columns detailing the supposes 'best' bands that are around at the moment on a daily basis. After reviewing a number of these bands, I have to say I wasn't completely convinced by his choices (yet he has stated that he does not always enjoy the music he puts up) and decided to write my version. Of course, not every entry will be as recent as his, but all will have come to the public eye in the last year. So, without further delay, I'll begin with my first 'Best New Band' at the moment.

Ok, so this guy may not have strictly shown up this year ( he released an EP in 2011) but electro artist Holy Other is definitely worth mentioning as his new album 'Held' showcases some of the best talent Britain has to offer this year.

As you can probably tell, this individual is not so keen on showing himself in public, and his sombre and almost distant appearance is reflected in his music. Under the trendy label 'TRI ANGLE', which is home to such acts as 'How To Dress Well' and 'Balam Acab', this artist is exponent of an ever so emerging genre called 'Witch House'. Dark, moody, slow and solemn, this genre is almost attempting to mutate R&B into a ghostly, ethereal and almost apocalyptic genre. With songs such as "Tense Past" and "Held", pensiveness and solitude seem like lifestyles to follow according to Holy Other. Cut-up gothic vocals, sombre synths and powerful yet simplistic beats are what characterise this music. It seems like one of the many attempted heirs to Joy Division's early innovative sound that so many bands have attempted to imitate and or push forward. With Holy Other, it kind of works. Of course, there are no Ian Curtis style lyrics yet sonically, it seems as though Martin Hannett may have been an influence (even if this was a very obscure influence).

The album as a whole seems to reflect an idea of repetitiveness, especially one of pain. Titles such as "In Difference" seem to reflect this mood of emotional exhaustion. The album closes on a potentially the darkest song "Nothing Here" with its bleak title and gothic like pads, the song seems to represent a final defeat for the artist. Even the vocal loops sound like they've been sampled from someone actually in pain (note the female and male vocals) yet half way through the song picks up with dulcet vocals and what sounds like a xylophone that give the song extra life. The listener is unable to tell the concluding mood of the artist but ambiguity is probably exactly what Holy Other was after really.

To conclude, if this is the future of R&B than thank God, hopefully it will rid the world of such artists as Justin Timberlake and R Kelly.

Cartoon Logic

Before I start, I'm very much aware that cartoons are not intended to be realistic portrayals and they are for the amusement of children and to let their imagination run wild. Of course, anything is possible in cartoons and that's why so many people watch them but you have to admit, the writers seriously do stretch it at times. Here's a few examples of outlandish events in animation:


-Disney: Throughout the 20th century, Disney produced numerous classic cartoons,spawned so many influential characters and inspired much of modern animation. Yet they are not always so sensical. The male protagonist in the Little Mermaid discovers a mute naked girl on the beach. What does he do? Marries her without a question. I'm not sure whether she ever was okay with this.
Another example is Cinderella where everybody knows that by midnight, her appearance would transform back to normal yet there's one catch. Her slipper remains golden. After midnight.
 I don't know whether that was a mistake or the writers were just too lazy but this is major flaw in their plot line.

-Teenage Mutant Turtles: Anyone notice a flaw in their appearance? The masks. How many turtles, specifically mutant teenage ones live in this town? How does a mask help conceal their identity? I don't know to be honest. And the fact that they wear their own colourised masks doesn't really help the matter. After a while you probably could guess who's who, especially as they seem to fight the same bad guys so often.

-SpongeBob SquarePants: This show is one of the main culprits. Already a fairly surreal and bizarre concept, the show truly does stretch the boundaries of logic to new levels. From underwater fires, drowning in underwater beaches and listening to music with your eyes, the show truly doesn't give a fuck about making sense but that's what a made a brilliant and memorable show.

5 Songs That Should Be In Films

Browsing through my Itunes, I always pick up on songs that I feel would work perfectly in a number of films yet to this day (and to my knowledge) still haven't, so here is my list of 5 songs I believe should be used for film:

1/ Muse - Supremacy

When this song was released, the first film that came to mind would be James Bond. At this moment in time, I though that this would be perfect for the film, however I was unaware that the intro theme for Skyfall had already been decided. It was, of course, Adele's song "Skyfall" which was actually quite good and I'm not normally a massive fan of her work but it did seem to fit with the general mood/tone of the film. As two more Bond films have been announced, it would be so fitting for this song to be used but being realistic, they always write a song the year the film comes out. But hopefully they'll employ Muse to write the next theme tune.

2/ Buddy Holly - Everyday

Now I did some research and it turns out this song has been used in a film. However, it's a Belgian film called Mr Nobody, and I haven't seen it so it doesn't count. What this song always reminds me is that scene in Reservoir Dogs where Michael Madsen tortures that cop whilst "Stuck in the middle with you" is playing on the radio. I think this song would be a perfect song to accompany a torture scene as it's so nice, it would make the scene so much creepier than it would be with a song intent on being creepy. Oh and muting the whole scene while the song plays would add that extra little touch.

3/ Panda Bear - Bros

If ever a director needed a song to support a acid trip in a film, this song would work perfectly. Playing for over 12 minutes (this version cuts out 3 mins), the repeating melodic verse, the frantic bridge and the energetic final section, the song could visually cover so many aspects of a trip that are so frequently documented in films. Interchange it with surreal imagery, stock photography and just pure random scenes, the whole scene would just be aesthetically brilliant. Of course, I think this would most fitting with a director with an experimental tendency as I don't think many people would stand watching this for 12 minutes without any actual plot direction.

4/ Battles - Atlas

This song is just badass, but in a weird way. With the altered vocals, the thumping drums and the trippy but enthralling guitar lines, this song could work in two ways. Firstly, I feel it could work in futuristic action film of some description, where people are progressively rising up against dystopian authorities and chaos is generally ensuing. As the song progresses, events in the film escalade and shit just goes down really. Secondly, I think it would work in a horror, especially a zombie film. It's that touch of eeriness with the strange vocals and the daunting buildup. This would obviously be the part of the film where the zombies are winning and infecting/eating most of humanity where the audience is presented with an array of different scenarios of zombie attacks which would make it a hell of a lot scarier.

5/ Skrillex - Bangarang

Ok, I'm being lazy here but like the previous song, this song would also be intense in a zombie film. However, this would the part of the film where the badass and the unlikely hero rise up agains the zombies. Seconds before the song starts, the two heroes do their last preparations before kicking open a door and the song starts with a beginning of the chaos. Shotguns, blown up heads, machetes, sliced up limbs, two guys against countless hordes of zombies, it would be so epic. This would definitely first in  my soundtrack for the zombie apocalypse.

5 Songs That Deserve A Mention

As the title of this blog indicates, I've compiled a list of 5 songs that I could of been featured on my previous list but faced much competition. Therefore these five songs should be given some credit as I guilt tripped myself into mentioning them. They were so close to making it but didn't up making the cut.

5/ Ty Segall Band - Wave Goodbye

Now this guy is a hero. Probably one of the most prolific songwriters of his generations, Ty Segall has churned out 3 albums this year (one as a solo artist, one in collaboration with White Fence and this one here). What's remarkable is that each album sounds completely different to the last, jumping from garage rock to psychedelia to grunge, this guy just never stops. This song in particular subscribes to the last genre. Beginning with a an almost tedious but ominous bass line, the song kicks into a flurry of heavy guitar and crashing cymbals. The song exemplifies everything about Segall. Brilliant songwriting, catchy riffs and ever changing sound that even in his bridge, you can tell he can't help but keep the garage rock out. A terribly underrated artist, this guy is slowly gaining the recognition he's deserved all of these years.

4/TNGHT - Higher Ground

TNGHT is the lovechild of eccentric dance producers Lunice and Hudson Mohawke (commonly spelt as Lunice x Hudson Mohawke). This colloborative effort has created one of the best dance tracks of 2012, combining hip/hop, trap and dance in one gigantic mesh. The songs starts off with a repeated vocal sample accompanied by aggressive handclaps leading to a powerful bass that sounds like a possessed tuba. Nonetheless, this song is not only one of the best dance songs of the year but I'm my view, one of the best songs of the year. Described as "futuristic hip-hop", maybe this will be the future template for rappers...

3/ Maths Time Joy - Always

I know that my lists have been slightly hipster orientated but none of that will compare with this. Maths Time Joy is an artist who I only discovered last week yet thankfully in that time he's released his first EP for free and I'm glad he has. Taking inspiration from the likes of James Blake and Flying Lotus, this producer is still very much in the underground (forgive me for the expression) but it's true. He'll be clawing his way to the top soon especially with this awesome track that exemplifies his greatness. Warm basslines, spastic drums and interesting vocal samples only characterise the first part where it eventually leads into a wonderfully timed chord sequence that expresses how much rhythm is important to this guy, and how good he is at it. Do listen to him because he does need the views and support.

2/ Angel Haze - Werkin Girls

Only one word can characterise this song. Badass. Terrifying beat that sounds like a horror movie soundtrack, in your face lyrics, and so much swag that would make Tyler, The Creator jealous. Called the new "Azealia Banks" (as she has since fucked her career since "212") but better, Angel Haze claims that one of her biggest idols is Nicky Minaj. This is something that angers me but I'm willing to let it fly because she sounds like everything Minaj wishes to be. Whether talking about boys and pastors, diarrhoea, insanity, her lyrical flow is seriously impressive for someone who is only 20. You can tell she's extremely confident and will fuck with anyone in her way which once again reminds me of Tyler, The Creator first ventures into the hip/hop. It seems like what most rappers take years to develop (solid lyrics, good flow and general talent), she has already perfected it, on her first EP.

1/ Alt-J (∆) - Tessellate

I first saw this best in December 2011 in Islington when they supported well known Chill Wave (and now psychedelic funk) artist Toro y Moi. At the time, I had no idea who they were but after their performance, I was seriously impressed (they even performed a better set than the headliner). Even though this song did come out in 2011, it was re-produced for their first album "An Awesome Wave". Beginning with a chilling and reverberating piano, a slick drum pattern comes in to give the song that extra edge where from that point, you know the song is going to be good. Smooth basslines, harmonious vocals and finger licking good guitar parts, this song is brilliant as it manages to coincide experiment with convention. Despite the slightly pretentious lyrics about triangles (which is now the unofficial logo of the Hipster and bane of my life), the song is a typical indie song with that a tinge of difference which makes it so special.
I was annoyed with myself that I didn't include this on my previous list but then again I don't think they're going to mind, seeing as they're Mercury Prize winners.

Top 10 Songs of 2012 Part II

So after much contemplation, I've completed the second part of my list which begins with:

5/ Pond - Eye Pattern Blindness

Composed of two founding members of Australian Psychedelic band Tame Impala, Pond are a truly amazing band that reinvigorate the psychedelic rock sound of the 60's. Their new album, written in two weeks and produced by Tame Impala leader and musical genius Kevin Parker, is a true modern masterpiece that incorporates traditional rock forms with truly astounding jams. They sound like the outcome of Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and early Black Sabbath having a threesome. A truly awesome band where you can tell every member is as important as the last, they are bringing back Rock with a trippy side note.

4/ Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards

Now Tame Impala is a phenomenal band. Yet 'band' isn't really a relevant term as the until the most recent album, lead singer/songwriter/lead guitarist Kevin Parker has written every single one of their songs since their creation (and every instrument). This song epitomises his brilliance. Bright organs, shimmering synths, catchy bass lines, the song is so melodious, it's like honey. Parker is master of melodies and the seemingly never-ending choruses never repeat themselves and when the song actually does finish, you can't help but play it again. One reviewer described his voice as sounding like John Lennon's voice stuck in a jar of reverb and it's a deserved comparison. Additionally, if John Lennon had ever sang on Pink Floyd's first album, this is what it would of sounded like. Parker's genius extends to such extents that, it almost sounds like he self taught every member of Pond and the other members of Tame Impala. Essentially, this is a really good song.

3/ MMOTHS - THNX

There's only one adjective I can think of to describe this song. Ethereal. When I first heard it, I wasn't that convinced to be honest but it was one of those songs I knew I had to give a second listen to truly appreciate. Having known his work for some time, I was used to MMOTHS typical chill wave style which was good, but nothing that exciting. Then this came out with his first commercial release and it showed how much he'd developed as a producer in about a year. One thing that adds so much to the song is a particular synth. One friend described it as like a ping pong match in a cave reverb and he's right. To be so brilliantly produced that it sounds like something that natural albeit strange shows the genius of the song. 

2/ Grimes - Genesis

Out of all the songs I've so far posted, this is the only which I've been lucky enough to see live. And as expected, it was exceptional. Grimes, a.k.a Claire Boucher, is a Canadian electro pop artist who "future pop". Whatever that really means, it kind of makes sense when listening to her music. She has a number of influences ranging from hip-hop, industrial and even Mariah Carey yet sounds like none of this. As Jean Luc Goddard said: "It's not where you take things, it's where you take things to"which perfectly summarises her music. You can tell where she's coming from but what's great about her is that her eccentricity and unconventionality makes the next song she writes impossible to predict. Looping pianos, Annie Lennox style vocals and layer and layer of reverberating synths all overlap to create a truly exquisite but also entertaining song. However, I may be slightly biased, but the Queen of Hipsters cannot be bad mouthed. 

1/ Peace - 1998

This is by far, the best song I've heard all year and possibly one of the best songs I've heard in a while. The song is a cover of a Trane track called "1998", that's right, Trance. It's starts fairly slowly and quietly and slightly disorganised yet leads into one of the most powerful build-ups of all time. The result? A finely crafted song that lasts over 10 minutes with so many distinguishable parts that never leads towards boredom or repetition (even the second buildup is essentially the same yet the subtle inclusion of synths give it that extra momentous touch). It's ethereal, human and fundamentally epic (in the truest form of the word). It actually makes Trance sound appealing and I hate Trance music with a passion. With a full album out next year, I can't wait to hear a full album of this sort of material and might even compare to such greats as Foals or Radiohead.

Top 10 Songs of 2012 (So far) Part I

Every year, music publications release their much anticipated "Best Of" lists, which comprise of the best songs/albums of the year in their opinion. Even though they are respected, they are often contentious and can make some fairly obnoxious decisions (Kanye West Number 1 in 2010 according to Hipster Bible Pitchfork). I'm often shaken by these lists where they do give credit where it's due yet at times, you feel as though they are slightly selling their souls. That's why I've decided to make my own.
I am very much aware that the year is yet to be over, but with only one month remaining I think making such a list is still appropriate (and to be honest, I'm struggling finding an idea for a blogpost). So here it is, my list of Top 10 Songs of 2012:

10/ Bondax - All Inside

This UK act are slowly but surely becoming one of the best house/bass acts of the country. This song exemplifies the so-called "Future Garage" genre. Underlying heavy bass, smooth vocal samples, and slick production techniques, this song has it all. It's a great song if you're insomniac, fitting those last night moods perfectly, it sounds like it was made to be listened to in the dark. That last image though, is far from daunting, but more of a quiet and contemplative moment at 4 in the morning.

9/ Lemonade - Neptune

This came out around the beginning of Spring and what perfectly timed release date for it, it was. It almost prepares you for summer, as it's one of those songs that make you anxiously wait for it. It superimposes Chillwave minimalism, R & B vocals and and Afro-Pop drum patterns. Even just reading that description, I can't help but find it extremely appealing. It's a very simple songs, with simple lyrics yet its truly one of those songs that doesn't need overly complex structures or riffs to be brilliant. As Da Vinci said: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".

8/ Baauer - Harlem Shake

What a beast this song is. Like the previous entry, this came out in Spring and has accompanied many pre-drinks sessions ever since. It's also another precursor to a new developing genre called Trap (1/3 Hip-Hop, 1/3 Dubstep, 1/3 Dub). The song is heavy, dirty and is essentially one never ending buildup. Another simplistic yet powerful song, this Harlem producer is at the forefront of this innovative dance genre and is surely bound for greater things.

7/ Mac Demarco - Ode To Viceroy

The first "Indie" track so far, this guy is a fantastic old-school indie songwriter whose lazy, lo-fi sound is reminiscent of such acts as Jeff Mangnum, The Smiths and Real Estate. The song, which centres around his undying passion for his Viceroy cigarettes sounds thematically quite pretentious yet once his voice comes in, you can just tell he's a cool guy. Recorded in his parent's kitchen, it says a lot about the guy who still lives with his parents who has managed to perfect his artistry and sound with such basic production techniques.

6/ XXYYXX - About You

Now I know I may be repeating myself with this whole simplicity thing, but this song epitomises it so much, I can't help but mention it. The artist is a 17 year old kid from the US whose created such a unique sound and style, comparing him to others would just be an insult to him. He can be forgiven for his slightly pretentious name as from what his facebook tells me, he's a pretty sound guy. His whole album is just as good as this, and there's really nothing that makes this song stand out from the rest of the album. Yet this and it's accompanying video are just so luscious, it's impossible to not appreciate the sheer exquisiteness of the song.

Due to the length of this article, the second part of this list will be published tomorrow. If you do have any observations, please don't hesitate to comment or criticise.

Heil Honey, I'm Home!

In 1990, the BBC broadcasted a delightful little sitcom that centred around two bickering neighbours and their never-ending fights with their respected partners. It's sound the typical cliched sitcom: The familiar dialogue, the canned laughter and stock characters yet with a slight catch.

It features Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun who live next door to a jewish couple called Arny and Rosa Goldenstein. It's called Heil Honey I'm Home, and think that's bad? It's centred around Hitler's inability to get on with his neighbours, his jewish neighbours. His neighbours, who are JEWISH. Really?

I could't think of a more inappropriate concept to develop on television. It doesn't make sense. The show only aired one episode and due to the inevitable controversy that would ensue, it got cancelled.
It essentially got criticized for trivialising Nazism and has since been considered the "world's most tasteless comedy" and was ranked 61, in Channel 4's 100 Greatest TV Moments From Hell.

I watched the episode and apart from the crassness, the humour was corny and awful. However, just the pure absurdity of the concept, is hilarious. Not in the sense as: This show is funny but the idea that someone deemed this suitable is funny.

Worse is the characters all sound like stereotypical Jewish New Yorkers, especially the Bronx area. Even Hitler and Braun have the stereotypical Jewish accents and humour. And the fact the Jewish couple have the name "Goldenstein" is a bit ridiculous. I know it's all in the vein of irony but this is something else.

Maybe in an alternate reality where the events of WWII were different, this might of been acceptable, but in a world where WWII still resonates in the modern day, it's not going to happen, and shouldn't.

Lesbian Koalas

That's right, female koalas have now decided they're going to be lesbians. Ok, not all of them, but there have been cases in Australia, where some female koalas have resorted to homosexual activities instead of mating with their male counterparts.

Since this startling discovery, some scientists have suggested a few theories to why this behaviour has been developing. Some believe it's hormonal related, others stress related or merely to appear more attractive in males eyes.

I'm sorry but the last theories are just flabbergasting, is it just me or does they sound like a poorly scripted porno. I know koala bears are lazy, they sleep 22 hours a day due to the consummation of the eucalyptus leave which essentially gets them high, but seriously?
Are they that lazy to not only be turned on by lesbian activity but by lesbian koala bear orgies (that's something I've never thought I'd say).
I'm gonna stop here before it starts sounding sexist.

 Some reports have indicated having seen "multiple females mounted each other simultaneously" while adding up to "five female koalas" at one time.

By this point you've probably realized I've not really got a point to make about this story, but due to the hilarious nature of it, I just couldn't help but write about it.

And if you were expecting some kind of David Attenborough report about this and didn't get what you were hoping for, well I'm sorry.

To conclude, if I do have an actual intelligent point to make, it would be to show this to Fundamentalist Christians who believe homosexuality is a choice and unnatural. I don't know what more evidence you would need to demonstrate to prove these religious fanatics are wrong.

If you would like to read a more intellectually stimulating account of this story, I would strongly suggest reading The Independent's article, albeit the awful pun in the title.

Adult Jokes in Cartoons

There's something truly brilliant about cartoons especially when you look at the subliminal humour behind most of it. Even though the majority of cartoons are aimed at children, they're always written by adults and that sense of untainted adult humour occasionally 'leaks' out of
into the cartoons.

The earliest yet least subtle example can be found in the 1950's cartoon "Captain Pugwash" who tastefully yet quite amusingly, hires an individual called Master Bates. Of course it may seem inappropriate yet I don't think this is the case. Many parents watch cartoons with their children and as much as cartoons are awesome, the humour can sometimes be cliched and repetitive.
I personally think it's to make the cartoons more enjoyable for the parents who watch them with their kids.

Whether they are subtle and well done or just obviously crude, adult humour has since been present in cartoons for years, here's a few examples:

-Spongebob Squarepants: The "Krusty Krab" restaurant is located in "Bikini Bottom" geddit?

-Hey Arnold: When Arnold reassures his grandfather that he still has a few brain cells, he amusingly replies "No...not since Woodstock" referring to the exceptional amount of drug taking at the festival
(especially LSD)

-Ed, Edd, n' Eddy: In Edd's incredibly strict household which is constantly littered with sticky notes for him to do, one in the bathroom reads out "Don't touch yourself".

-Rocko's Modern Life: When visiting a doctor, the medic possesses the not so subtle name of "Dr. Bendova referring to awkward prostate exams.

So next time a cartoon comes one and you just refute: "That's for kids", give the episode a chance, you might just a catch a glimpse of some unadulterated humour.

I Heart Huckabees

I watched a rather entertaining film the other day called "I Heart Huckabees", written and directed by David O. Russell and before anyone jumps to any conclusions, no is not a romantic comedy.

It's actually defined as a philosophical comedy and as many would deem this pretentious, it's actually not. I must admit I was fairly skeptical when I saw the genre title but the plot intrigued me.

It focuses on a young man (Jason Schwartzman) who is head of an environmental group who decides to hire two "existential detectives" to help him understand the meaning behind these coincidental meetings he has with an African man. However, their optimistic philosophy and unconventional tactics begin to dissuade the protagonist who then ventures into a nihilistic realm.

Personally, I found it to be a great film where it successfully manages to present a number of existenial ideals ranging from the meaning of life, happiness, identity in a humorous fashion. Half-satirical and half-serious, many critics felt it was too "existential" and lacking in any concrete plot direction. To be fair, it does seem messy at times and slightly lacking in direction yet it works. When taking this into account, the film could be one big metaphor for life, where it is not always organized and specific pathways are irregularly clear. Then again, it could be a metaphor for the ridiculousness of man's insatiable quest to find meaning in our everyday.

The best way I could describe the film is from the writer himself who claimed: "Here's how I would describe it to the people who financed the movie: Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin are existential detectives who you could hire to investigate the meaning of your life. They are formal, they wear suits, they are Paris-trained, their clients include Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Jason Schwartzman and Mark Wahlberg. Their ostensible nemesis is Isabelle Huppart. Hilarity ensues".

You can argue that the meaning of this meaning of this film is dependent on subjectivity and, cleverly enough, if it is one massive metaphor for existence, then that's what it's all about.

Ad Music

It's common knowledge that most bands who use their songs in adverts, tend to rise in popularity afterwards. Then again, because most people nowadays only listen to what is popular, the artist's popularity is only peaked after one single, then they suspiciously disappear.

 It says a lot about today's music industry. These adverts are for commercial use only and seek financial retribution yet the music that get's associated with the marketing becomes part of the product, sometimes the product.

I feel bad for the company's who use these songs, sure their adverts become remembered yet they it's the music that achieves this. Type into Google or Youtube searching for the music in a specific ad and you're bound to find it. 

Nonetheless, advertisement agencies or companies aren't always the trustworthy bunch they appear to be (this is written with only a hint of sarcasm). It's quite common for bands to begin legal campaigns against companies, who often use their songs without the artist's consent. The bastards. Earlier in the year, Pizza Hut had a commercial with a song which was essentially a replicate of Black Keys' song "Gold on the Ceiling"who later filed a lawsuit for plagiarism. 

It's not only apparent with companies, there's been a number of cases where politicians have tried to associate themselves with 'trendy' bands by using their songs in political ads to appeal to younger voters. A famous case was in the run up of the 2007 French elections when Nicolas Sarkozy used MGMT's song "Kids" for his campaign. When the band approached him about this, Mr. Sarkozy offered them a symbolic 1 euro. The matter was however, later resolved.

It is funny though because for someone who so adamantly fought against illegal downloads, Sarkozy wasn't really being the best role model. Oh and he listened to the lyrics of the song, he would realize the song wasn't as playful and happy as it sounds.

Lucid Dreaming

I had an amazing dream last night where after weeks of unintentionally doing so, I've managed to (almost) perfectly lucid dream. At first it was an ordinary dream, the typical surreal and bizarre sequences where if Freud was present, he would have a field day. However, then out of nowhere I found myself in a shop in the south of France, it wasn't a specific place I'd been before but everything was there to remind me of where I
(sort of) was.

Anyway, I was in there and I was about to buy something then I realised I was lacking in funds. Then I realised I was in a dream. I was conscious in my subconscious, if that makes sense. Because of this I concluded that I could shoplift and if caught, run away because it's just a dream.
However, I needed to prove to myself that I was in a dream and at the moment I saw a friend of mine whom I asked if it were a dream, yet he likes to be annoying and did his best to prove otherwise.

Oh and if I haven't explained what lucid dreaming is, it's where the dreamer exerts a certain amount of conscious control over their participation or the imagery in their dreams.

Experts say that you can practise lucid dreaming before you go to sleep yet I don't exactly know what the technique is, it's always been an unintentional act.
Yet I highly recommend attempting it because it is truly a brilliant experience.

Alt-J Have Won

So it's official, favourites Alt-J (∆) have won this year's prestigious Mercury Prize. Out of all this year's shortlisted acts, I couldn't be happier that Alt-J won as, like I mentioned in a previous post, they were really the only band who I wanted to win.

It's not only great that a band I really appreciate won but it's also fantastic to know that music, to an extent, is still considered an art that should be celebrated.
'An Awesome Wave' the acclaimed album, is the product of five years work where having this in mind when listening to the album, is evident.

Unlike the doomed "Chinese Democracy' by the remnants of Guns & Roses which took almost two decades in the making was an instant failure, Alt-J have managed to use this time to perfect their craft.

Before you ask about the triangle, it's what you get on a mac when you hold down 'alt' and type 'j'. However, because of this, it's become the unofficial logo of the hipsters where triangles are now the hippest thing in the world ('triangles are my favourite shape' from lead single "Tesselate"). Compared to most of the other nominees, the band were truly the most interesting and innovative.

In it's most skeletal condition, each song is an typical Indie format yet they combine so many eclectic sounds, almost sampling from every genre imaginable. Hip/Hop, Folk, Electronica, Trip-Hop are just some examples. Musically, there's nothing exceptional about them yet there's so much to them. Sonically, it's beautifully produced, they're lyrics are truly poetic mini-masterpieces and they can are just genuine brilliant songwriters.

So ∆ should bask in their deserved glory and hopefully it won't take them another five years to write another masterpiece.

99 Things To Watch On Youtube

One of the issues with Youtube is the infinite amount of videos present on the site, it's impossible to have seen even a slight majority of them. Additionally, the majority of videos featured on Youtube aren't actually that good, so most of it would have to be filtered out (not taking into account the "dark" side of Youtube that I looked at in a previous post).

Luckily, one man has come up with such a list to help you travel the far depths of Youtube or in other words, to quench your boredom. The list is called GREG RUTTER'S DEFINITIVE LIST OF THE 99 THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED ON THE INTERNET UNLESS YOU'RE A LOSER OR OLD OR SOMETHING. A fairly long title, it's the ultimate list of all the best videos Youtube has to offer.

From the infamous "Charlie Bit Me" to the much parodied "Grape Stomp", this list contains everything you have to see on Youtube.

However, you must cautious as after the list finishes, there are four links in smaller font that will lead to, let's say, unpleasant sites that will probably scar for the rest of your life (trust me I've seen three of them).

This is a fairly short entry but just felt like writing a concise eulogy of another of the internets wonders that ironically, I criticized a few posts ago.

Mercury Prize 2012

The Mercury Prize is coming up Friday and I'm quite excited. Compared to the annual Brit Awards, the Mercury Prize is a truly legitimate award ceremony which actually celebrates artists for their musical ability and excellence.

The Brit Awards however, are just a mockery of music celebrations where it's in fact not music which is glorified but instead, the commercial success of the so called 'acts' that are nominated (One Direction are just an example).

This year's awards look quite interesting, out of the 12 acts on display, I can honestly vouch for most of the acts nominated. There's two especially I would like to win: Alt-J (∆) and Django Django whose indistinguishable and innovative sounds are some of the best things to come out of this country this year. Then there's other bands who I would't mind winning such as The Maccabees, Ben Howard or Michael Kiwanuka. Then there's those who no one have heard of and will most likely be one of the favourites (Sam Lee, Roller Trio).

In a Guardian article, the reporter commented on the fact that this year's nominations seems slightly weak, where there is a certain lack of diversity and an over-emphasis on melodious and soft singer-songwriters (Ben Howard). I say I wouldn't mind voting for the latter yet only out of last choice. Essentially most of it's decent music but not great. Then again, my favourite is never voted for, in the last ten years, only three acts that I've supported actually won the prize (Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys and Klaxons).

Hopefully, this year my favourite will win but due to my cynical nature, I very much doubt this becoming a reality. Let's just hope next year's awards will have a more eclectic selection of nominees however I can't complain too much compared to the ever so wise Brit Awards.

In any case, let's just hope that Plan B isn't even considered winning it.

No Vampire Weekend, I Do Give a F*** about an Oxford Comma

Grammar is truly under appreciated. I can't really complain though, I've not really fond of it and know very little of the technical terms names. And I study English Literature.

However, I've come across a grammatical term that I'd not heard of until a few years ago, being made famous by American band Vampire Weekend.

I am speaking of course of the infamous Oxford comma. A very subtle device that most people are oblivious of yet plays a vital role in many sentences, especially when including lists.

Officially, an Oxford comma is used before a coordinating conjunction (and, or) preceding the final item in a list of three or more items.
However, I believe this cartoon expresses everything said before, but in a humorous fashion.

Without the use of the Oxford comma, a reader
would assume that the strippers were in fact JFK and Stalin however this is not the case. With the use of an Oxford comma, we get the correct meaning out of the sentence. The individual has invited JFK, Stalin and the strippers.

So don't listen to Vampire Weekend because they are ignoring a very important grammatical rule that shouldn't be neglected. We should blame this band for spreading poor grammar in youngsters who without the help of much rap/hip-hop wouldn't have a leg to stand on in the grammatical world.
So let's thank artists such as Timbaland for his ever so educational songs such as "The Way I Are" which a re really helping kids with their grammar lessons.

But do listen to Vampire Weekend because they are a good band, and Oxford Comma is a good song.

The Dark Side of Youtube

Youtube has become one of those sites that this generation cannot seem to dissociate itself from. In a sense, Youtube is the video equivalent of Facebook (another of this era's dependencies). You can post things, comment upon them and impersonally 'like' it. As simple and straightforward it seems, there's always some fairly strange activities that always go on.

It's also home to much banter and pointless, idiotic arguments. People seem to believe that it's a perfect podium for their opinions. There's nothing wrong with posting your opinions yet there's always a point where it needs to stop.

However, this isn't a rant against vapid Youtube users (there's time for that in another post) but more of a commentary on some of the strange occurrences on Youtube. I'm talking of course of the dark side of Youtube.

It's something that no person wishes to unearth yet it always seems inevitable. One moment you're peacefully watching a video a bear waving to some people or contemplating the idiocies of the people on Epic fail and then it happens. Out of nowhere you've found either watching some disturbing psychedelic cartoons from the 70s or watching a Japanese Ronald McDonald tripping out to some intense dance music. Even though I've posted links to these videos, I wouldn't recommend watching them, especially if you're minutes away from your LSD trip.

How it happens? I have no idea. The links between what you set out to watch and what you end 'discovering' are a mystery but there's always a few bridges between them. It's always videos entitled "Disney's most racists moments" that entice your curiosity, from there onwards it's an inevitable downfall into madness. What's worrying though is whether people watch these videos because they've somehow ended up there or actually get some kind of twisted pleasure out of them. Worst though is the people who actually load them. 

However, from what the internet tells me it usually people like this fine young gentleman here who are usually the culprits.

Peace, bad name, good band.

Every few years or so, music publications and critics discover a new artist to revamp the apparent never ending demise of Indie music and begin a new sonic wave that influences a whole new generation. Some have been successful such as Arctic Monkeys rise in 2006 yet some bands such as The Drums haven't really lived up to the hype, despite much acclaim for the first single "I Wanna Go Surfing".

As most of these predictions have been hit and miss over the last few years, I feel I'm entitled to make my own one. The band I'm routing for these days are called Peace.

Ok, before I make an over-elaborate and zealous speech, I'll say this first. Yes, I know the name is awful, if there's anything I can find wrong with them is their atrocious name. I feel that they're either trying to reinvigorate a 60's philosophy (but in rather superficial fashion) or they're materializing a typical Hipster trait of irony. In any case it's not great but moving on.

The first song I heard by this band is off their debut EP: EP Delicious, called 'Bloodshake' a colourful, afro-pop number that screams lead single. It's bouncy, catchy, mellifluous with lush production that ends on a mini epic build up. The song grabs my attention and I was thus curious to hear more. What I find however, was something I truly could not of predicted. 

They've got a song called '1998' a cover of Trance song, that's right Trance, which is in my opinion the best song I've heard all year. It's starts fairly slowly and quietly and slightly disorganised yet leads into one of the most powerful build-ups of all time. The result? A finely crafted song that lasts over 10 minutes with so many distinguishable parts that never leads towards boredom or repetition (even the second buildup is essentially the same yet the subtle inclusion of synths give it that extra momentous touch). It's ethereal, human and fundamentally epic (in the truest form of the word).

I would write more but I feel this tangent might go on for too long if I do so I'll leave as it is for the moment. So yeah, Peace in my opinion will be the next leading bands who hopefully will live up to the hype that they've been given (well what I believe). 

Therefore everyone should listen to Peace.

Tarantino and the N word

On Christmas Day, Quentin Tarantino will release his new film Django Unchained in cinemas and to be honest, I cannot wait. Since Inglorious Basterds in 2009, fans all over the world have been waiting impatiently for his next release (especially myself) and from what I can tell from the trailers, it looks epic. In typical Tarantino style, the films takes a a twisted look on the slave trade in America and it's centred around his favourite theme, revenge. It looks bloody, it looks contentious yet as always it always contains that dark humour that has made Tarantino such a unique filmmaker.

However, this blog post is an extended eulogy of Tarantino (even though I would gladly do that) but more about a specific feature in his work. One of his most controversial techniques is the dialogue he uses but especially a heavy use of the N word which is often seen in a derogative manner (Pulp Fiction and the character Jules is a prime example). With choosing a topic about slave trade, it seems inevitable that this word will be applied throughout the film. Yet he's received some criticism over this, especially amongst the black community who feel it is inappropriate for a white man to use terms so candidly.

A famous example of this is director Spike Lee who said "I'm not against the word... and I use it, but Quentin is infatuated with the word. What does he want? To be made an honorary black man?". It is understandable that it to criticise a white man using such a word yet this whole situation needs to be put into context. 

What's great about Tarantino's dialogue is that it is truly realistic to whatever situation he is depicting. A minority of black people still use this word today (listen to most rap music and you will see a pattern). He is being true to life with his depiction yet I can understand the objections as this is a term that is still highly offensive and sensitive. 

So I think it's inevitable that someone is going to bring up the debate again over this issue yet hopefully people will realise that Tarantino is not meaning to offend but be realistic and more importantly, entertain. And to anyone who calls him a racist, is truly ignorant.

Here's a link to the trailer of his new film Django Unchained.

Hey, check out what I stumbled upon

Since 2001, procrastination levels have peaked at record highs since the creation and development of Stumbleupon (Note: I have no real facts, it's more of an analysis of one person, myself).
It's a simple but brilliant idea that allows you to reach the broadest horizons of information on the internet while simultaneously finding pages entitled "100 amazing facts you never knew".

Stumbleupon is essentially a search engine yet unlike Bing or Google, it's completely personalised. That is, once you create an account with them, you select topics that are personal tastes and interests, when this is completed, Stumbleupon will randomly search anything to do with these personal interests.
It's so effectively simple that it is genius.

For example, if you like "photography", "arts", "music" and "news", you just select all of these interests out of the numerous boxes you can choose from, save it and it will henceforth recognise this. All you have to afterwards is go on your account and click the big "stumble upon" button and you're off into the wonderful world that is the internet.

It's something that I highly recommend using either out of boredom or just to add to your insatiable quest for general knowledge. When writing these blog posts, have of them have resulted from something that I've discovered on Stumbleupon. If you've ever found one of my blog posts even slightly interesting, it's thanks to Stumbleupon.

However, one piece of warning, it can get highly addictive so if you find yourself reading about Mongolian Priests at 4 am don't blame me.

Self Help Me

In recent years, our society has been littered by a number of vacuous "cultural phenomenons" from the 'vampires' of the Twilight Book Series, to Bieber Fever. These are not only an insult to term culture yet are also proof of the idiocy that seems to reign in modern times. I am talking about self-help books.

It all started over 80 years ago with the first published self-help book How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, which now has a cult-like status in the genre. To me, they are pointless, ineffective and delusional. One of my main issues with it is just reading the title 'self-help' itself suggests there is something wrong with me but fortunately the author has found the cure.
There's a difference between advice and this. Advice is free first of all. The intentions of these books are to help people, whatever it is they are trying to specifically achieve. You would therefore assume this was a form of altruism yet the author not giving this out for free, there's always a monetary transaction involved.

I find them fairly delusional as well, especially when it comes to the readership. Someone will read one of these books and tell themselves they are improving and becoming a better person but are they? I think it's down to a subconscious level, where they think their life is getting better because they've ignorantly convinced themselves they are, therefore not actually.

Another issue I have with these is that there's a major flaw just in the title. The 'self' hints at the individual and more precisely the inner life. How can these books personalise it for every single individual. One approach to life may be effective for one person yet it does not assure that it will work for someone else. Additionally, sometimes you can't figure your own problems and reading some impersonal and superfluous book about dealing with these problems is not a sure way of helping.

So if you're looking for that promotion and can't figure out how to do it, my advice would be to get very drunk, drunk call your boss and have an emotional breakdown on to phone to them. If that doesn't work, well you're hopeless then.

A good article to read about this can be found here on The Independent.

Ride The Psychedelic Wave

It's strange that it's taken the world between 40 to 50 years for there to be a generally good revival of 60's psychedelia. I know that the nineties had such bands as Happy Mondays, Primal Scream and Ocean Colour Scene who were all trying to reinstate psychedelic back onto the scene and as much as these bands did manage a lot and have a cult like status now, I feel as though their influence has been fairly limited.

The 21st century however has been more prolific and efficient in reviving the genre. Look at artists such as Tame Impala, Devendra Banhart or MGMT. They are in statuses where they have garnered enough of a following to truly influence the current music scene and what will follow it. These artists are all able to not only incorporate the psychedelic sound but also take it further.

Tame Impala's Kevin Parker not only sounds like John Lennon stuck in a jar of reverb but his synth sounding guitars and production techniques are a sonic revolution. Devendra Banhart sounds like a funnier version of Donovan, whose lyrics often intertwine humour with surrealism, especially when he speaks of sexy looking pigs ("Little Yellow Spider").

However, even though these bands are very innovative, musically wise there are those who've creating a separate strain of psychedelia where even though implanting in the past, it sounds like it's from the future. Bands such as Animal Collective, Yeasayer or The Horrors epitomise this movement.

Their sounds are so different and strange yet so welcoming to the listener at the same time. Much of it is synth/sampler based yet they all retain original band formats (guitar/bass/drums). It's music that's trying to escape from reality yet while retaining it's own humanity. Take the lyrics of "My Girls" by Animal Collective: "There isn't much there if I'd need
A solid soul and the blood I bleedWith a little girl and by my spouseI only want a proper house".
All these bands are worth checking but they do take a few listeners in order to be fully appreciable. I'm leaving a list of links that will direct towards a number of bands I've mentioned in this post:-Tame Impala - Elephant-Animal Collective-My Girls-Devendra Banhart - Little Yellow Spider

The Apocalypse Will Be Televised

Derren Brown has a new show entitled Apocalypse, where he takes one unsuspecting victim and convinces him that it is the end of the world.
Like the scripts for 28 Days Later or The Walking Dead, the "protagonist" is to awaken in an abandoned hospital and venture into his new post-apocalyptic world. Unbeknownst to him, it's entirely fictional and completely monitored by a group of psychologists and doctors.
Brown, controversial as ever, has indicated that the purpose of this show is to make this individual truly appreciate his life and loved ones. It's an extraordinary idea that will probably be fairly divisive yet will most likely be one of the events of the year.

What's great about the concept is that it's one massive life lesson. Not only is it teaching you to appreciate your life but also reinstating basic survival skills. Like any zombie film, only those with the best will to live generally survive, and of course, a lot of luck. It's interesting because it poses a number of questions over basic survival and the will to live.
If survivalism is based on natural instincts, those with the greatest will to live are surely more likely to survive.

So what fair's better?
It's essentially a battle between the philosophy of "survival of the fittest" therefore those who are physically stronger against those with greater will to survive, hence someone with greater mental strength. This show will most likely continue the everlasting debate of human nature but will also be highly entertaining.
Additionally, if the apocalypse is nearing, you might actually get some useful tips.

Worst Title Ever!

Is it me, or are TV/film producers become lazier and lazier when coming up with new titles for their productions. Throughout the years, there's always been the occasional title which just screams creativity and originality. If only.
Some of the killer ones in my eyes have to be such classics as A Nymphoid Barbarian In Dinosaur Hell which sounds like a somewhat twisted pornographic and animalistic film. Some however sounds too hilarious too even be true: Santa Clause conquers the Martians or Attack of the Killer Tomatoes or I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle.

Yet I feel they can be pardoned just for the simple hilarity of the concept, let alone the movie title. Additionally, I'm half tempted to actually watch these films just to be able to witness what would happen if Father Christmas took over Mars or people started to be attacked by tomatoes would actually consist of.

TV is no exception to this problem yet I've noticed that this year, it's no so much about bad titles, it's more that they are so idiotically simplistic than even a 5 year old would fair better. The sheer lamentable nature of these titles aren't even funny, thus doing everything possible to not make want to watch them. Take the show Guys with Kids, what is that? The concept sounds awful first of all but it does nothing to entice me into the show. I already know exactly what the show is going to be about without even bothering to watch it. One reviewer has actually suggested the title Motherfuckers instead, derogative it may be yet it's statement of truth and actually grabs your attention.
Like many of my posts, I've realized there's a pattern developing about my anger towards humanity's lack of direction and creativity and I'm ironically repeating my actions and should probably refrain from such posts in future. But then again, I believe in hypocrisy,

Tokophobia

While researching material for my Creative Writing course, I stumbled upon a condition called Tokophobia which is in essence, the fear of pregnancy/childbirth.
It is a serious condition that has only really been "discovered" since 2000. Many women suffer this psychological disorder which has affected a number of relationships throughout the world.

It comes in two extremities:
Primary Tokophobia is deep-seated fear of childbirth probably passed on from someone at an early age.
Secondary Tokophobia can be due to a traumatic childbirth or a sufferer of postpartum depression.

To further this, here's a few anonymous quotes from people who suffer from this:

"The truth is that the very thought of having something almost alien-like growing inside me is disgusting."

or

"It's much more than an anxiety - I am actually physically repulsed by pregnancy and childbirth."

However, even though this is a growing problem in women, it is also apparent in men yet, with different results. As earlier mentioned, I was researching and pondered whether it affected men as well and it does. Even though I found a few credible examples there was one guy who was too good to be true. The source of his condition was because he believed he had watched The Nanny too much and had since developed an almost irrational fear because of it.
Using his logic, it's like saying a man had watched the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Junior where he becomes pregnant and had thus concluded that something similar was to be happen to him (consequently though, I'm talking about this for my course).
The lengths people take to convey their idiocy to the world really does flabbergast me at times.

Will Sir Jimmy fix'it this time?

In recent weeks, the scandal involving Sir Jimmy Saville has risen to such extents that even Prime Minister David Cameron has asked the BBC begin an investigation over the alleged acts.
Like any affair involving a Catholic priest, it only takes one victim to come forward to commence waves of accusations.

The odds do seem against the deceased TV presenter where in recent weeks, there have been over 340 accounts of sexual abuse yet only 40 are being closely looked at by the police.

The man was riddled throughout his life with these accusations and once claimed he was "feared in every girl's school in the country"which in hindsight, does sound fairly suspicious.
I'll admit it's not good to judge people by appearance alone but seriously? He's probably one of the most stereotypical, caricature-esque looking pedophiles out there.
However, I'm not saying this defines him as a pedophile, he just merely conveys the stereotypical image of one.

One thing that I find truly disconcerting about this whole affair is the media's approach in handling the situation, take The Sun for example. They have began a campaign wishing to strip him from his knighthood. If all accusations are founded then fair enough, yet what is frustrating is the fact that The Sun are lionising him as a pedophile before any actual inquiry.

If it has been proven then he deserves to be known as a pedophile yet before an objective and un-biased inquiry is made, such claims are left to the ignorant and uneducated.

Reality TV Gone Too Far?

In 1971, psychology professor Philip Zimbardo began an experiment where he replicated a mock prison, filled it with volunteer guards and prisoners and study the effects of becoming either a prisoner or guard and understand their conflicting relationships.
However, after only 6 days the operation was shut down due to the violent and extreme actions the guards were taking.

Perceived as a failure and hugely criticised due to the resulting psychological trauma of its participants, Zimbardo did prove however that when given a position of power, many will enjoy it and most likely abuse the power they have been given.

As shocking and disturbing as this story is, compared to most of reality TV, it doesn't like an idea that TV executives would find too immoderate.

Take shows such as I'm a celebrity, or Big Brother, they are two shows which play on the psychosis of its participants either having to eat kangaroo testicles or being trapped in a confined area for weeks on end, not to mention in the company of complete idiots.
I would not be surprised that if Channel 4 or ITV's ratings start dropping, they'll consider the most extreme form of television. Watching a show that imitates this experiment would be barbaric and disgusting, but you would probably watch it out of curiosity.

I know that these comparisons are far-fetched yet the way TV is going and our insatiable quest to watch people suffer (X Factor), I don't think it's too long before something like this does happen.

The Cult of Frape

In the last few years, the world of Facebook has been consumed by the concept of fraping someone. A frape is a modern day kenning, combining the terms Facebook and rape together resulting in "Raping someones Facebook profile when they leave it logged in" according to Urban dictionary. 

It is essentially an attempt to publicly humiliate a friend over the internet by posting embarrassing but usually fictitious remarks about that individual. Common subjects include sexuality (e.g. fetishes), changing profile pictures or sending obscure messages to their friends. 
It's quite a peculiar development in social relations where fraping has become part of our culture in a sense. In this culture of "Banter" that we live in, humiliating someone has become the new form of communication and to an extent, a sign of appreciation towards the person you frape (unless you're doing it to actually insult them).
With the influence that Facebook has over people, it's inevitable that anything associated with it will also have an effect on people.

Mosts frapes go unnoticed where they are usually repeating typical formats yet there are also a fair few epic frapes which usually grabbed the attention of most of the internet community. They are well thought out, meticulous, and extremely creative. Yet some people refuse to accept being fraped.

From an external perspective, it is quite a strange concept, being wirelessly "raped" doesn't sound that pleasant and of course without knowing the context of it, it is understandable to know approve of it.
Yet it is purely done for entertainment,  and if there is any maliciousness behind it then fair enough to disapprove of it and subsequently delete it. If not, there is nothing to complain about.

To conclude if I could give any advice about frapes, just like Nardwaur the Human Serviette, the more surreal it is, the better. 

Electro Monkeys

Everyone has heard of the Infinite Monkey Complex, where when given a typewriter, a monkey will almost surely after a certain amount of time, write a given text (for example the work of William Shakespeare).
However, this is purely a mathematical theory where the "monkey" is a metaphor for an abstract device and the "almost surely" represents the laws of probability.


Nonetheless, this idea has been portrayed in much popular culture from The Simpsons, to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and so on. Because drama has decreased in popularity in the last 50 years, recent researchers decided to put idea into practice yet with a modern twist:


In a recent project entitled Monkeys + Synthesizers, a variety of monkeys are presented synthesisers and allowed to "experiment" as much as they like.

Monkeying around.

The results are interesting, at first most of what they play sound like the 20th century minimalist compositions of such artists as Steve Reich, LaMonte Younge or Phillip Glass: Erratic, conceptual, droning and fairly dissonant.
Yet with some clever editing, the creators sample the music from each monkey and to be honest, it sounds better than the majority of Top 40 artists compositions. It says a lot that an animal who is less developed than us can create better music even without understanding the actual concept of music itself.
Maybe monkeys are the future of music.

Dreams are Epic

While researching a topic to discuss for today's blog post, I stumbled upon an interesting article about dreams entitled 15 Interesting Facts About Dreams. After reading it, I decided that this would be an interesting topic to discuss. 

There was a collage of information such as not everybody dreams in colour or that blind people in fact dream but what most grabbed my attention was the fact that you forget 90% of what you dream.

Within the first 5 minutes of waking up, your conscious mind can only remember that remaining 10% and if you've just had an epic dream and tell someone about it, no matter how much you convince yourself, you're missing a huge majority of what happened. 

I find this really interesting because it poses a number of questions over the subconscious activity that goes on in our brains. It shows how little we know about ourselves, that so much information is hidden from us by ourselves and that we truly have a very limited control over our conscious actions.

The beauty of dreams is that they are this gateway into our subconscious but personally, I never have straight-forward dreams and often have to answer countless riddles in order to decipher a meaning out of them. However, once you take enough time to try and understand them, it can be quite therapeutic as this article also mentions, the most common emotions are anxiety and fear. 

http://www.boredpanda.com/15-interesting-facts-about-dreams-dreaming/

Because so much escapes our conscious mind, are we really that self-aware? and can we truly give ourselves an identity if we know so little about ourselves? I would recommend taking a gander at Freud's Interpretation of Dreams, personally I've never finished it but it's a great read and reveals much about the mind that you probably weren't aware of. 

Punk'd:Baghdad Style

Most people have probably heard of the American TV series "Punk'd", a hidden camera-practical joke reality television series originally started by comedian/actor Ashton Kutcher.
The title takes its name from the pranks that the presenter and participants would perform on guests/celebrities. Being "punk'd" is therefore being the victim of these pranks.
The show has had it's share of controversy, where the victims are not always so pleased with being publicly humiliated. However, the show has never gone too far and the show aims to be solely humorous.

With the show's popularity, numerous international versions have been created as consequence including Norway, Canada, Japan and Iraq. Like any other international version, they all take the same format as the original version yet Iraq's take on it has a slight twist.
In the last ten years, Iraq has been one of the most volatile areas in the world, becoming a war-torn country that it still feeling the effects of post-war. It had also been victim of a number of terrorist attacks, especially bomb/suicide attacks.
It would be fitting then, for the Iraqi version to plant fake bombs in the cars of celebrities and then pass it off as a joke.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO6kzR_GNa8

The victims of the american version have enothing to complain about after seeing this: Victims get accused of being terrorist, told they will be shot and often begin to faint, plead or cry. The show has been hugely criticized in Iraq for joking about a subject that is still sensitive.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129726901

Like all "edgy" material, there is always a certain amount of time before it is possible to joke about controversial events where the question of "too soon?" can be asked. If you consider Frankie Boyle to be controversial, compared to the makers of this show, his humour would be family friendly.

The future of interviewing?

Whether watching interviews of your favourite bands on youtube or just simply reading about it, you begin to notice certain patterns in these conversations.

Questions such as 'How did you guys meet?' or 'Who are your biggest influences?' are prevalent throughout these interviews, fair enough it's important to establish the background of the people in question yet for the interviewee, it can become dull and annoying.

Another common feature is the obsequious nature of many of the interviewers, and commonly either not truly liking the person's music or not really knowing anything about it. 

Essentially, I feel interviews are lacking spontaneity and originality. 

This is where this man comes in to the picture. His name is Nardwuar the Human Serviette, believe or not, a Canadian celebrity interviewer known for his eccentric approach and his esoteric appearance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGGFEjp2ZrU

He has interviewed everyone from Snoop Dogg, Alice Cooper, Nirvana and even James Brown. His method is fairly surreal, often surprising guests with in-depth knowledge of them, and posing bizarre questions, much to the bemusement of many of his interviewees. However, his methods are fairly divisive and he has sometimes been the subject of verbal and physical abuse. 

Whether you like him or not, his interviews are never boring and you get much more information out of the guests then you would expect. Much like the Gonzo Journalism of Hunter S.Thompson, it may seem strange and ineffective in its contemporary yet will hopefully will endorsed, maybe emulated in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FvIsf57U7c

YOLO?

Every year, the internet community is blessed by new, refreshing acronyms that become widespread in our gradually more facile conversations. This year's one is YOLO.

YOLO, a term coined by the american rapper Drake, stands for You Only Live Once, a fairly obvious statement telling people to live their lives by the fullest as our time on this planet is short. It's a fair enough argument, people should do as much as they can before their inevitable death but the superficiality surrounding this 'movement' is jarring.

First of all, it's a very simplistic philosophy:Most people at an early age can figure out that it's good to try new things and be adventurous and is something usually endorsed by their parents. If people need to be told by social networkings sites such as facebook or twitter how to live their lives, their is truly something innately wrong with them.

Second of all, it's lead to such idiotic consequences from people who are taken the whole concept too far. Hearing about someone getting drunk and then regretting it the day after when nursing their hangovers only to exclaim YOLO is just vacuous. If that is someones personal understanding of YOLO, they lead very sad lives and have obviously not fully understood the actual concept.

And finally, most people are probably not aware of this but the phrase "Carpe diem" meaning 'seize the day' represents exactly what YOLO is trying to achieve, and it's been around since the ancient Greeks.

If people wish to live such Epicurean lives then so be it, but as the ever so wise Jack Black remarked "YOLO is Carpe Diem for stupid people", yes, yes it is.