BuzzSugar

Is It Hard to Get Into Music That's Not in Your Own Language?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:30:37 -0700

I'm a fan of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, and have especially enjoyed their newest album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. But as much as I like them, they don't tend to get as much iPod love from me as other artists do, and I think it might be because I don't understand the lyrics to a lot of their songs (did you know the Icelandic language is a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse? I love Wikipedia).

On the other hand, I'm not an English-or-nothing kind of woman by any means. There are non-English Bjork songs I dig, and the delicate songs on Yael Naim's album that are in French and Hebrew are fantastic, for example.

What do you think? Is it more difficult to get into a band when you don't understand what they're singing about?

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What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:36:36 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainment-ville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. In addition to the artists featured below, you can also download the first single from Jessica Simpson's forthcoming country album, new music from dance club sensation Hercules and Love Affair, and a new album from the Oscar-winning musicians Three 6 Mafia. Here are today's selections:

I don't know what they're saying, but I like it: If you haven't discovered the Icelandic band Sigur Rós yet, now's the time: Their new album, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (translated to With a Buzz in Our Ears, We Play Endlessly), sounds so far like the band's most upbeat to date. I love the percussion in the first track, "Gobbledigook," and "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" makes me smile.

The '80s called. They want their music back: Mötley Crüe's ninth album, Saints Of Los Angeles, is the first album with all four original members in more than a decade, and instead of reinventing the wheel, the guys stuck with what they know: big-haired rock 'n' roll. The reviews so far have been so-so, but tracks like "Down at the Whiskey" and "Chicks = Trouble" (and by "chicks" surely they mean "Pam") are mostly getting the thumbs-up.

Two more selections to go, so read more.

Double the pleasure: Most people know the Watson Twins from Jenny Lewis' solo foray, but on their first full-length album they demonstrate that they can stand alone (together) as well. The LA Times called the album "voluptuously pleasurable", and I've already downloaded their lovely cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven."

Get a head start on Wall-E: Seriously, those sad eyes on that little robot are so adorable! If you're as excited as I am for this movie, you can prep yourself by downloading the entire original soundtrack by Thomas Newman as well as a new single from Peter Gabriel called, ""Down to Earth."

Link Time! 5/27

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:49:29 -0700

Well, it's completely official now: Tori Spelling will join the cast of the CW's 90210 spinoff series. BestWeekEver marvels that they were able to drag her away from her busy schedule.
TV Squad has the top five TV show "nominees" for this year's Put Me Out of This Misery Awards, including According to Jim and Last Call With Carson Daly.
According to Wired's Underwire blog, Joss Whedon fans are already planning their strategy for keeping Dollhouse on the air - before the show has even premiered on TV!
FilmExperience asks us to take some wild guesses at which movies might receive Best Picture nods at next year's Oscars. Oliver Stone's W, perhaps, or Gus Van Sant's Milk?
Give Me My Remote has video clips of Robert Muraine's audition from this week's So You Think You Can Dance.
Stereogum has the fast-paced, super fun new track by Sigur Ros.
Check out TV With MeeVee's thoughts on A&E's updated version of The Andromeda Strain.
Cinematical is highly amused that the latest Indiana Jones movie is annoying some Russian Communists.
Popwatch has a lovely post about Sydney Pollack, including a great video clip from Tootsie.

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Buzz News Roundup, 1/17

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 13:18:28 -0800

"American Idol" has its best premiere ever and the second-best night in show history, reports Media Life Magazine.
Gwyneth Paltrow gears up for Iron Man, the Marvel movie directed by Jon Favreau, says Hollywood Reporter.
Guitars, lyrics, and other Johnny Cash memorabilia will be auctioned off this week, NME reports.
NBC renews "Heroes," "The Office," "My Name is Earl" and "Law & Order: SVU" for next season, says Zap2it.
Variety says that J. Lo is producing a sitcom for Showtime called "Ayuda."
Icelandic rockers Sigur Ros are readying a new album, according to Pitchfork.
"Hell's Kitchen" will get "The O.C." time slot in February, the Futon Critic reports.
"24" producers discuss Monday night's nuclear explosion in USA Today.

Playlist: Snowy Day Songs

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 07:23:24 -0800

There's no denying that winter is upon us, so we might as well just embrace it by introducing the first BuzzSugar weekly Playlist. Every Monday on the site, I'll be posting a themed Playlist complete with my song picks, and you guys can tell me what songs you'd choose for the occasion.

This week, I've rounded up 12 great Snowy Day Songs, many of them by bands from Iceland, Sweden, and other chilly climes. Some have snowy-day themes to warm you up, while others just sound cool and peaceful. Either way, this list will help get you through the long days of winter. (Most tracks are available through the iTunes store.)

Billie Holiday, “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” A warm and cozy classic.
Low, “Last Snowstorm of the Year.”
Gwen Stefani, “Early Winter.” A breakup song in a weather metaphor.
Matt Pond PA, “Snow Day."
Mum, "Green Grass of Tunnel." The tinkling electronica makes me think of icicles.
Jens Lekman, "The Cold Swedish Winter."
Bjork, "Cetacea."
Del McCoury Band, "Rain & Snow."
Animal Collective, "Winter's Love."
The Fiery Furnaces, "Tropical Iceland."
The Pipettes, "A Winter's Sky."
Sigur Ros, "Svefn-g-englar." This stunning song just sounds like winter.

What songs would be on your snowy day playlist? Tell me below!

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The Boys Are Back: A Quiet Film With a Few Heart-Tugs

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:30:26 -0700

Has Clive Owen - a man who's best known for playing con artists, spies, and other brooding alpha males - gone soft? It appears so, and he's surprisingly good at it. In The Boys Are Back Owen plays Joe Warr, a recently widowed sports reporter raising two boys in the Australian wilderness. And thanks to his understated performance, what could've been an overwrought tearjerker worthy of a made-for-cable movie turns into something quietly moving.

Based on the memoir The Boys Are Back in Town by Simon Carr, the film opens with Joe driving on the beach with his son Artie. Did I mention Artie is sitting on the hood of the car with Joe at the wheel?! Parental guidelines haven't been a priority in the Warr household ever since Joe's wife passed away from cancer. Now, he has to explain her death to Artie, while his older son Harry from his first marriage moves into the house. Left to their own devices, the two boys play soccer in the hallway, zip line across the yard, and even defrost a chicken in the bathtub.

Typical parenting? Not so much. For more on the film, read more.

These moments of chaos are fun to watch and add levity to the heavier subject matter, but the movie really shines in the conversations that Joe has with his sons as he helps them grieve - Artie for his mother; Harry for a childhood void of a father. Neither boy really knows how to mourn his loss, but then again, neither does Joe. Instead, he relies on the parental guidance of his deceased wife in the form of visions and voice-overs to help rebuild his family. (This felt very heavy-handed to me, but luckily it was really the only part of the film that crossed over into overly contrived.)

Does it seem out of place to have man's man Owen pillow fight with a 6-year-old and shed tears? A bit. But because he almost seems uncomfortable with the sentimentality, he ends up playing the role with the light touch needed for the part.

The young actors who play his sons are brilliant, even at times stealing the spotlight right out from underneath him. (Not an easy feat when you act - and look - like Owen.) Their performances feel very real despite their ages, and they give us some of the film's most tender moments.

I also must mention the fourth character of the film: the Australian landscape. Oscar-winning director Scott Hicks (Shine) beautifully captures the countryside from sweeping fields to oceanside beaches strewn with rocks, and when paired with music by Icelandic group Sigur Ros, every frame feels almost like a sleepy dream.

All in all, The Boys Are Back is a nicely done portrait of the relationships between fathers and sons. It's not out to be a huge blockbuster, but if you appreciate a good character study kind of film, it's a solid choice for a subdued Saturday afternoon.

Photos courtesy of Miramax Films