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Music Video: Feist, "I Feel It All"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:30:39 -0800

My love for Feist is not exactly a secret around here, so I'm pleased to report that Ms. Leslie is looking as adorable as ever in her new music video for "I Feel It All," one of my favorite tracks from last year's The Reminder.

The video comes from the director behind the sweet and (thanks to Apple) totally inescapable video for "1 2 3 4," but this one seems a bit simpler. Instead of a sparkly pantsuit, Feist is wearing a striped sweater; instead of a crowd of friends, Feist's only accompaniment here is a field full of trash barrels shooting off sparks and fireworks. I love the way the fireworks hit their high point right around the time the song makes me want to get up and dance. To check out the video, just read more.

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CD Review: Feist, The Reminder

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 10:16:40 -0700

When I first picked up Canadian singer-songwriter Feist's breakthrough album, 2004's Let it Die, I thought it was perfectly pleasant background music. Her '70s-infused, lounge-y songs seemed perfect for a dinner party, or for playing faintly while I flipped through a magazine. Only the catchy "Mushaboom" really made me sit up and take notice, wedging itself in my head for days on end.

With her new album, The Reminder, Feist has delivered a set of songs that owe more to "Mushaboom" than to the rest of Let It Die - and that's a wonderful thing. Feist shines on the uptempo songs on The Reminder, doesn't lose my interest on the ballads, and stocks her tracks with the kind of arrangements that show she's grown as a musician since her last effort. For more on the album, and to hear my favorite track, read more

Sure, it's only May, but I'm already set to declare "I Feel It All" as my summer anthem, with rhythmically repetitive lyrics ("I love you more/I love you more/I don't know what I knew before") and a vibraphone-driven melody. The swingy rhythm of "My Moon My Man" showcases a chorus vaguely reminiscent of '70s soul, and "Sealion" makes up for a somewhat cheesy guitar solo with exuberant, gospel-style clapping. Somehow, all of those elements - plus horns! - come together perfectly on "1 2 3 4," the album's final uptempo track. Percussion plays a larger role on these danceable songs than it has in Feist's previous work, but it never overshadows her voice, which is crystal-clear and haunting as always.

The majority of the album's slower numbers work, too, with the richly layered choruses of "Honey Honey," the sweetly folky "Brandy Alexander" and the duet "How My Heart Behaves" being among the strongest. A few of the ballads still haven't grabbed me after several listens, but they're the exception, not the rule. Above all, The Reminder isn't content to stay in the background. It's an album that demands to be played.

Song of the Day: Feist, "1,2,3,4"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 07:45:14 -0700

Ever since Feist released her debut album, Let It Die, in 2004, I've had her pegged as the next crossover indie-rock darling. And if a profile in Sunday's New York Times is an indication, my prediction may finally be coming true.

This song "1,2,3,4" - off Feist's new album, The Reminder, due May 1 - is by far the catchiest, most mainstream offering I've heard from the Canadian singer. I love the lush, full sound, and I think Feist has matured quite a bit since her last effort. Listen and tell me what you think when you read more

Music Video: Feist, "The Park"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 06:00:44 -0700

If only people would listen to less Norah Jones and more Feist and Cat Power, the world of singer-songwriters would be a much cooler place. Maybe Feist's album coming out May 1, The Reminder, will be the Canadian artist's big breakthrough. Or not.

Regardless, I was delighted to find the new Feist new video, "The Park" - and on AOL's Spinner.com blog, no less. I don't like this track as much as "My Man, My Moon," which will also appear on The Reminder, but I'm loving the dreamy, delicate video. To watch, read more

Song of the Day: Feist, "My Man My Moon"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:05:28 -0800

Leslie Feist, better known simply as Feist could easily be the next Norah Jones or a quirky indie darling along the lines of Cat Power or Joanna Newsom. Though the Calgary singer has played with weirdo electroclash artist Peaches and the more experimental Broken Social Scene, her lovely ballads are lush and catchy with a comforting DIY feel. This new track "My Man My Moon," from her next album, The Reminder, due May 1, is no exception. To listen, read more

Thanks to I Guess I'm Floating for posting the track.

The Vampire Diaries "The Turning Point": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:15:00 -0800

I was already bummed knowing this was the last week of new episodes of The Vampire Diaries until January; and now, having seen it, I'm freaking out a little bit. I knew there was going to be an epic cliffhanger, I just didn't know how epic!

With new vampires, violence and passion come "The Turning Point" - a title that would apply to many things that happened this week. So as usual, let's break down the good, the bad, and the bloody of this week (plenty of spoilers ahead!) when you read more.

The Good

Stefan and Elena finally gave up on their "are we or aren't we" dance and got together. I mean, together together. Vampire boots were knocked, but there wasn't a happy ending. More on that later.
Logan's vampiric turn made for gruesome excitement, especially now that Damon is trying to be on his best behavior. It also brought forth new mysteries; why did Sheriff Forbes bury Logan and write emails on his behalf instead of saying it was an animal attack? And who did turn him? My money was on Alaric, but now I'm not so sure. I also enjoyed his interactions with Damon, despite their constant shooting of wood bullets at each other.
OK, fine: I do like Caroline and Matt together now. Their coupling is just kind of sweet, and the fact that they bonded over So You Think You Can Dance?! I felt like it was my birthday.
I'm a fan of cool guy teacher Alaric, even if he is probably a vampire. I like to think he's more exciting than that - could he be a good vampire like Stefan? Interestingly, I don't think that Stefan or Damon has actually interfaced with Alaric yet, which is telling to me. If I had to guess, I'd say they knew each other. And what of him also being a "daywalker," when Stefan and Damon are so secretive about their rings?
I need to know more about the Gilbert family legacy, especially since Jeremy discovered an ancestor who wrote fiction about monsters. I like that the show made me care about more side characters I hadn't previously, like Jenna, Jeremy, and even Tyler. About Tyler. . . I don't want to speak too soon, but I think there's something very interesting happening with him.

The Bad

Isn't it a little too early to be saying "I love you," Elena? She even wants to see and make out with his scary vampire face when he gets turned on. Weeeird.

The Bloody

Newborn Logan is literally out for blood, but that pile of hoarded bodies that Logan was keeping made me sick to my stomach.
Anyone else feeling sorry for Caroline? Girlfriend's always getting bloodied up. Someone give her a self-defense lesson.
So basically unless you're Stefan or Damon, if you're a vampire you will only last one episode before being staked. Logan gets staked by Alaric by the end of the hour, which is unfortunate for Damon, because Logan had just promised him there was another way to break the spell holding Katherine and the other vampires under Fell's Church. Guess we'll just have to wait to meet little Miss Vixen.
It might have been time for Stefan to hide the Katherine photo, or at least have come clean about their resemblance. Lord knows finding a photo of my doppelganger at my undead boyfriend's house would freak me out too. That's what happens for Elena, who leaves Stefan's in a devastated rush. When someone stands in front of her car, she has a gnarly crash, which is terrifying in itself. It gets much more horrifying when the "person" she hit uncracks their limbs to stand up and come toward her. Yeesh! (BTW, did that scene remind anyone of Tara in the first season finale of True Blood?)

I don't know how I'm going to deal with the show's hiatus for two long months, let alone waiting that long to find out what was coming for Elena. Or, who Alaric is; did he kill Logan to protect Jenna, eliminate a problem-causing newborn, or something more insidious? To talk more about the show (especially in the next few weeks without new episodes) join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

FlashForward Breakdown, "The Gift"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:30:48 -0800

On this week's episode of FlashForward, we get some of those big payoffs that Sonya Walger promised. While the main characters' most important relationships grow more tense, the FBI agents learn more about the blue-hand situation, and the end of the episode has two very big twists.

There's plenty of excitement to discuss, so to get into it, just read more.

Call me Al: We don't learn much about Al in the first handful of episodes of the season, but boy do we get an eyeful and an earful this week. Turns out Al's flash-forward is a lot more jarring than just a dead bird - it's followed up with a phone call revealing that a still-mysterious chain of events ends in Al "accidentally" killing a mother of two. Throughout the episode Al seems to have a laid-back, collected demeanor (even when he opts in for a game of Russian roulette), but inside he's a mess. In the end, Al is so overcome with grief about having a death on his hands, that he decides to "change the game" and commits suicide. I have to admit, as heartbreaking as that scene is, I was kind of glad Al went through with it - just to prove that the flash-forwards aren't necessarily the future. Everything is changed now, the paths can be adjusted, and both Mark and Demetri realize this as they head home to their significant others. Now that they believe the visions can be adjusted, I can't wait to see what else they try to do to throw their visions off course.

My blue heaven: Following up on Demetri and Al's scavenger hunt to find the "blue hands," the fun continues this week as the FBI agents discover that the blue hands are actually a "death club," with meetings set up all over the country for people like Demetri who didn't see a flash-forward ("living ghosts"). It kind of reminded me of Fight Club, though Mark defines it as a "book club with bullets." The guys are hilarious in their street clothes headed to the party, though what they find inside is pretty horrific. After a quick game of Russian roulette, the guys enter what can only be defined as a torture den - people who believe they are going to die doing all kinds of creepy things to each other. I have to say, if I was one of those "living ghosts" I think I'd either be trying to do all the fun things I never got to do before - or I'd just want to get it over with. Why anyone would want to be tortured when he or she is already tormented by the idea of their inevitable death is beyond me.

Blast from the past: Aaron gets a visit from Mike, a friend and solider who served at the same time as Aaron's daughter Tracy. Mike passes on a Swiss Army knife to Aaron, a good-luck charm that Tracy wanted her dad to have should anything happen to her. Aaron is overjoyed since the knife also appeared in his vision, though Mike isn't exactly receptive to the notion that Tracy is still alive. He explains to Aaron that he watched Tracy die (though hello! He didn't even check to see if she was breathing), but surprise! Tracy is sitting in Aaron's kitchen at the end of the episode.

Other plot points:

As tensions rise between Demetri and Zoey, Demetri finally admits to Zoey that he didn't have a flash-forward and is going to die. Zoey refuses to accept it, insisting that should could feel Demetri in her vision and that nothing's been decided yet. Demetri seems skeptical about choosing Zoey's side to "hope" for the best, but after Al's suicide, he seems to have warmed up to the idea that he can change his fate.

Like Demetri, Al's death is a wake-up call for Mark. After suffering problems with Olivia (how sad is it when Charlie catches him crying?) he runs home and embraces her sweetly.

Instead of helping out at the church, Nicole lands a gig volunteering at Olivia's hospital. We learn that she speaks Japanese pretty will, and now is helping Bryce try to find the mysterious Japanese woman from his vision. Will this somehow lead to Nicole's scary vision? Is she sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?

What did you think of this week's episode? Do you think other characters will try to "change the game," too?

The Men Who Stare at Goats: Glaringly Unfocused

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

I went into The Men Who Stare at Goats with high expectations. How could a film possibly disappoint when you have the acting trifecta of George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges? But unfortunately, while the pros work hard to generate laughs - and they do deliver at times - the film on the whole is all over the place.

Goats is based on the non-fiction book by Jon Ronson. That's right - non-fiction. The film opens with the line, "More of this is true than you would believe," which is a nice reminder, because the plot is intentionally convoluted. At first, this far-fetched quality makes the story feel fun and quirky, but as time goes on, it gets mucked up in its own self-aware confusion and starts to feel stale. To see what I mean, read more.

McGregor stars as the movie's hero, Bob Wilton, a small-town journalist whose wife has just left him for his editor. So Bob decides to do what most men do when they're heartbroken - he goes to war. Or at least he tries to, but he only gets as far as a hotel pool bar in Kuwait. That's where he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a former "Jedi warrior" with the U.S. Army - or simply put: soldiers with superpowers. (Yes, note the coincidence: McGregor and Jedis.)

Lyn begins to tell Bob about the former founder of his unit, Bill Djanjo (Jeff Bridges), a vet who goes to find himself after Vietnam in the drug and orgy, peace and love '70s. Armed with a new, zen persona, Bill returns to the Army to share his more peaceful point of view and take charge of a new special force that uses mind control over traditional weapons. That's when Lyn comes in. As a new recruit, Lyn is exceptionally psychic, and he quickly gets a reputation for being able to find anyone, including terrorists, strictly using his mind.

So Bob and Lyn begin on a journey into Iraq. Where they're headed, Lyn's not exactly sure. He just assumes he'll find it, thanks to his extra sixth sense. As for the audience, we're sort of in the same boat - along for the ride without any real direction.

The movie tries to comment on the inhumanity (and stupidity) of war, but has a difficult time making its point alongside the slapstick elements. The actors are great with comedic timing and deliver one-liners to entertain the audience in many moments, but that was ultimately the only aspect that held my interest. (That and Jeff Bridges's sweet hippie braided hair.) What had the potential to be a funny, original story or a satire instead starts to feel boring. The characters wander aimlessly, the flashbacks float in and out, and without a clear focus, you stop caring. And that's not an easy feat where Clooney's usually concerned.

Danny Boyle's Next Project Will Climb to 127 Hours

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:30:18 -0800

After the slums of Mumbai, where will Danny Boyle go next? To the mountains: the Oscar recipient for Best Director for Slumdog Millionaire has signed on for his next project, 127 Hours. The film centers on the real-life plight of climber Aron Ralston, who got pinned under a boulder during an excursion in 2003 and saved himself by cutting off his own arm with a dull knife.

The title undoubtedly refers to the length of Ralston's ordeal, which could be boring or just stressful in the hands of someone else, but Boyle is known for his ability to tackle harrowing material (see: Trainspotting and 28 Days Later). I already can't wait to see this because of Boyle and the story itself; it reminds me of Into the Wild - that is, if things had ended differently for Christopher McCandless.

Buzz Gift Guide: Goodies For Grandma

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

Let the holiday gift lists keep rolling: Yesterday, I gave you my picks for dad, and today I'm tackling grandma. Sure, she pretty much likes anything you give her, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't put thought into her presents to show your appreciation.

Classic movies, Mary Tyler Moore, and TV game shows always seem like a safe bet, or if yours is like mine and can never find her reruns of King of Queens on the tube, I've thrown in a handy-dandy TV Guide subscription. I'm thinking of giving her that along with a Betty Draper tee - just so she can remind people of who the original 60s glam housewife really was.

Oh, and once you're done buying for grandma, don't forget to check out all of the gift guides across the Sugar network.