We spent most of our Memorial Day weekend not camping, fishing, or wrestling leopards in bed, but lounging and watching movies. As a result, I was able come up with this formula:
Pirates of the Caribbean 3 > Shrek 3 > Mission Impossible 3
Yeah, it was the weekend of trilogies for me. I really liked Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. In fact, I thought it was the best one yet. I especially loved the ending.
Shrek 3 was obviously the most diminished of the series, but still very enjoyable. Laughs are harder to come by, but the magic is still there. As usual, Puss n' Boots and Donkey steal the show. Plus, I have to factor in my appreciation for the makers of Shrek for helping to take the animation genre to a whole new level by portraying cross-gender characters and obvious cultural critique to an audience probably unaware of the full impact. That's you, kids.
Mission Impossible 3 pretty much jumped the shark for me. That whole "tiny bomb in your brain" thing combined with the fact that Phillip Seymour Hoffman is way too brilliant of an actor to ever grace the screen with Keri Russell. That being said, it was pretty much action all the way through, so I'll give it that.
SPORTS
CLEVELAND -- Who is Daniel Gibson? And what is he doing saving the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals? Read the story here at Yahoo Sports.
MUSIC
Featured Artist: The Maccabees
I came across The Maccabees yesterday while listening to WOXY Radio at work. The Maccabees' song "Precious Time" (off their record Colour It In) came across my Mini Mac headphones and I spent the next couple minutes bopping my head to it happily. Sadly, it might have been the high point of my day, right up there with lunch and me discovering a quarter under my desk.
Asked to name the highlight of the last 12 months, The Maccabees answer without hesitation. It was 13 June, 2006 at London’s Café De Paris, the last date of their first UK headline tour. It hadn’t been easy. In some towns, they played to 10-15 people. Then an amazing gig, their first ever queue round the block and a killer party to finish (featuring a snake charmer, no less). The best concert of their career up to that point, it wasn’t entirely without precedent – they sold out The Pavilion in their hometown of Brighton before they were signed – but it was a pivotal moment nonetheless. “It was the first time we felt the excitable energy that you get at a good gig,” says guitarist Felix White. They never looked back. Now every gig has that same energy.
Nine months after that unforgettable night at Café De Paris, The Maccabees are poised to release their debut album, Colour It In. It’s a stunning record crammed full of sparkling indie pop that bites deep and just won’t let go. First Love, Latchmere and X-Ray are the antidote to two years of dour art rock, a brilliantly kooky marriage of razor sharp guitar melodies and a blistering rhythm section. Front man Orlando Weeks’ lyrics are as unmissable as his brightly coloured cardigans and as charming as his junk shop jewellery, while his voice is a revelation – big, powerful and distinctive. The irresistible pop melodies of latest single About Your Dress and blistering stop-start energy Happy Faces are a working definition of ‘electrifying’. Debuts don’t come any better than this...[READ MORE]
More Bloc Party than Arctic Monkeys, The Maccabees Colour It In is sure to be a staple in my collection for years to come.
The Maccabees - "Precious Time"
The Maccabees - "XRay"
The Maccabees - "Good Old Bill"
The Maccabees at Myspace
Featured Artist: The Cobbs
Sneak Attack Media is proud to introduce Philly band The Cobbs (formerly known as Mad Action, which was formerly known as Ty Cobb.) For a band that’s had so many different names, it’s nice to know that their pleasing blend of analog garage and indie rock has stayed consistently awesome throughout the years. This home-grown, DIY rock & roll outfit is made up of Ryan and Paul Cobb, Chris Coello, Maxwell Lee and Ryan Smith and is currently rocking the US alongside Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
The Cobbs - "Say You Never Knew Me"
The Cobbs at Myspace
For more great music, check out WOXY.com's new blog, The Futurist.