Spirit of the Beehive 'hypnic jerks'

The Spirit of the Beehive release their third album, second with Tiny Engines label, and it is an album that is part dream and part consciousness - a piece of work that is at times blissful but angry.

Starting with odd audio samples, which drop in and out throughout the album, it gives the impression of an album that is very much of the now and the moment; but while the album lilts along with the electronica influence and dreamy soundscapes, the audio samples jolts you back to earth away from the synthesizers.

There are moments in this album that remind me of Kevin Shield's work with My Bloody Valentine and the Lost in Translation soundtrack which featured Shields, Air and Phoenix; that film felt very much as a dream for a fish out of water; this album is full of harmony and swooning.

Something came to mind when listening was that the electronica clashing with the guitars creating these moments of reverb made me think that this would be an album made by At the Drive-in if they had any semblance of romanticism or sentimentality.

There are moments though of beauty coupled with grim lyrics giving the impression of a fantasy dream pop, the subtext may be grim but on the exterior the album is light - such as 'd.o.u.b.l.e.u.r.o.n.g.' in contrast to the lighter 'fell asleep with a vision'; this juxtaposition much like Jim James' album Uniform Distortion this year the height of euphoria undercut by some sombre.

This is one of those albums that will be benefited by numerous listens to create a sonic soundscape which is unlikely anything you will likely hear this year.

As frontman of the quintet,  Zack Schwartz puts it, '(the album is) the state between wakefulness and sleep', and the band Spirit of the Beehive is awake loud and clear.

Another brilliant release from Tiny Engines, who I thank for the review opportunity and audio link.

hypnic jerks is released from Tiny Engines on 14th September

Lucky

Directed by character actor John Carroll Lynch in his directorial debut, Lucky stars Harry Dean Stanton in the final role of his career before his death in late last year.

Lucky is a combative and cantankerous 90 year old atheist, who has out-smoked and out-lived his contemporaries and lives a happy life going from the coffee shop in the morning where he does his crossword to a bar at night where he listens to the same old stories.

'Lucky' is surrounded by equally memorable and quirky characters who admire his longevity; yet a brief fall leads Lucky on an unlikely journey of self-discovery and enlightenment towards self-exploration; these characters from David Lynch (in a rare acting role) and Tom Skerritt act like ghost of acting past from Stanton's career.

Carroll Lynch has worked with various luminaries of the cinema world from the Coen Brothers to Martin Scorsese to Clint Eastwood - and he embues the film with an unbusy camera, allowing the performer Stanton to be front and centre in an understated manner.

In another year, Stanton's performance would be lauded by awards and showered with praise on a farewell tour; however, his passing gives the film the polish it deserves as a film that stands as the lasting memory to his esteemed career.

Stanton's recognisable face acts like a blank canvas to which he exudes the story of a life lived to the full, its own special effect for which Carroll Lynch can craft a story worth telling, one lucky enough to stay with you thanks in no small part to the wonderous performance of Stanton.

Lucky is out from Eureka Entertainment on Friday 14th September at selected cinemas.

https://www.luckyfilm.co.uk/?campaign=VuelioPressRelease030718

NFL 2018 - Week 2 Preview

It has been a while since I have done an NFL piece, but I enjoy writing these preview pieces and following the absolutely insane Week 1 this first draft takes place before the Monday Night Football double-header.

Week 1 was crazy, road teams doing the business. Some teams that promised mediocrity exceeded themselves and were even worse (Bills), while a team that has been mediocre did not lose (Browns).  Some things remain true - Aaron Rodgers is the best QB in the league, Tyreek Hill is the most dynamic player right now, Julio Jones still cannot find the end zone and Russell Wilson still runs like a headless chicken avoiding sacks.

It was a pleasant welcome back to Andrew Luck and David Johnson; and perhaps Patrick Mahomes is the real deal while maybe some quarterbacks are in regression like Matthew Stafford

Thursday Night

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

Crazy that we have a TNF in Week 2, perhaps they should bring in short weeks after the first bye week but the NFL demands a product and this should be a good inter-division clash as both sides look to build on a first week win following the tie between Pittsburgh and Cleveland.  Bengals should be favoured at home but the Ravens defence looked particularly strong and Dalton is prone to errors and pressure. This is a game that will be won in the trenches. Fancy the Ravens in this one.

Prediction: Ravens by 4

Sunday
Carolina Panthers (1-0) at Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
The Panthers beat the Cowboys in opening day but was not convincing, while the Falcons were not firing on all cylinders versus Philly.  Matt Ryan is at risk of becoming the new Big Ben in terms of being better at home than on the road, the over-reliance of Julio Jones came to the fore again and freezing in the red zone cost them; despite their defence being strong. That will be key for them versus the versatile Cam Newton.  Feel the Falcons will iron out those weaknesses in home opener.
Prediction: Falcons by 3

Indianapolis Colts (0-1) at Washington Redskins (1-0)
Andrew Luck is back but a mixture of bad talent and bad luck cost him a comeback victory, while Washington led by Alex Smith were very professional on the road to Arizona.  That is the difference here I feel, Smith will marshal his troops he has Adrian Peterson doing his best and a fit Jordan Reed coupled with a solid defence. Again Luck will have too much to do and will end up chasing the game.
Prediction: Washington by 7

Houston Texans (0-1) at Tennessee Titans (0-1)
It was always tough for Houston to go into Foxboro and beat the Patriots so no shame in that, while Tennessee again laid an egg when the Dolphins were there for the taking; but again bad play calling, bad play by Mariota who again got injured and they have lost Delanie Walker for the season.  Just when they get a chance to win they turned the ball over allowing Miami an unlikely win.  Two winless teams go head to head but you think the pass rush of Houston might overcome any trickery the Titans may have as they compensate for the injuries that have already started to mount up.
Prediction: Texans by 3

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Due to the Bucs amazing performance in New Orleans, this is the game of the week which could be a high scoring affair. Ryan Fitzpatrick again silenced his critics with a near perfect game and the Eagles stumbled through their opener. The Eagles need to find a balance and give Foles a fluency until Wentz is fit to start and can the two headed monster of Bucs' WRs Jackson and Evans pay dividends again.
Prediction: Bucs by 6

Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0-1)
The Chiefs were very impressive against a stellar Chargers defence with Patrick Mahomes ripping up the scoreline as Hill had a huge day.  The Steelers were 14 points up in Cleveland yet conspired to tie and with Le'Veon Bell still holding out, they have a ready made replacement in James Connor but the three interceptions suffered by Big Ben will be a worry.
Prediction: Chiefs by 7

Miami Dolphins (1-0) at New York Jets (1-0)
This is not a game where you thought it would be between two winning sides, instead we have a game pairing a tenacious Dolphins side who are being underrated perhaps versus the next big thing in Sam Darnold who was excellent following his first pass being a pick Six. Darnold was helped by the expert running of Isaiah Crowell who had 102 yards and two touchdowns, Crowell and Bilal Powell will keep the pressure off of Darnold who will be called upon to throw accurately and not force the issue. The Jets may well be 2-0 come Sunday.
Prediction: Jets by 3

LA Chargers (0-1) at Buffalo Bills (0-1)
The Bills were abysmal versus the formidable Ravens defence garnering 153 total yards and giving up 369 to Baltimore. Josh Allen will most likely start following Nathan Peterman's dire first half yet Allen was only 6-15 for 74 yards. He has promise but he is going up against that defensive line. With Rivers throwing for fun - 424 yards against KC - you can imagine the Bills giving up 40 points again.
Prediction: Chargers by 9

Minnesota Vikings (1-0) at Green Bay Packers (1-0)
The storyline will be more about Aaron Rodgers health which again is paramount to the success of the Packers as Deshone Kizer was woeful when called upon, forcing Rodgers to lead a comeback from a 20 point deficit off of one leg. The Vikings were solid, not having turnovers and being professional and with Dalvin Cook in space gaining yardage with ball in hand or catching it will be key against a still questionable Packers defence.
Prediction: Vikings by 7

Cleveland Browns (0-0-1) at New Orleans Saints (0-1)
There is hope in Ohio, the Browns did not lose an opening game but they probably should have won but they maybe should have lost despite the play of Tyrod Taylor (15-40 for 150 yards) who outrushed their quarterback. The Saints were taken by surprise by the Bucs and being at home will help them but perhaps not having the one-two punch of Mark Ingram to complement Alvin Kamara is evident. The Saints should have enough though the Browns defence led by Myles Garrett is one to watch.
Prediction: Saints by 6

Detroit Lions (0-1) at San Francisco 49ers (0-1)
Following their woeful MNF performance where they suffered countless turnovers, giving up big plays on special teams and could not put pressure on Sam Darnold following his first interception - it could be a long season in the Motor City which has talent but no consistency. They now travel cross country to San Francisco to play Jimmy G, who showed promise and whose defence got better the longer they played in Minnesota, and have capable cornerbacks to nullify the wide receiver threat of Detroit.
Prediction: 49ers by 7

Arizona Cardinals (0-1) at LA Rams (1-0)
The Rams were not entirely convincing in their own MNF triumph against the Oakland Grudens benefiting from Raiders turnovers, the Cardinals themselves seem solid and have a game changer in David Johnson. However, you feel the Rams have more than enough to go two for two.
Prediction: Rams by 10

New England Patriots (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
A rematch of the AFC Championship sees the Patriots travel to Florida to face Blake Bortles. The Patriots did not set the world alight due to some bad turnovers which made the scoreline perhaps flatter Houston. Jacksonville's D-line ate up the Giants O-line which gave Eli Manning no protection so this will be a severe test for Brady.
Prediction: Jacksonville by 3

Oakland Raiders (0-1) at Denver Broncos (1-0)
The Broncos did a good job to upset the Seahawks, yet the Seahawks are going through a huge amount of transition in terms of personnel. The Broncos have a dominant D-line which will seek to chase Derek Carr and stop Beast Mode from exacting his power. Coupled with the lack of pressure the Raiders got on to Jared Goff, the consistently inconsistent Case Keenum (3 interceptions) may be the guy to marshal this offence with a plethora of running backs along with Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas outside.
Prediction: Broncos by 6

New York Giants (0-1) at Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
The eternal battle for NFC East bragging rights has been bypassed by the Philly special but the Giants have promise due to the debut of Saquon Barkley and this is a battle of running backs with Barkley versus Ezekiel Elliott, who will win out and which QB will find his receivers. Janoris Jenkins was stellar despite the defeat versus Jags, and the Giants do not fear Jerryworld.
Prediction: Giants by 3

Monday Night Football
Seattle Seahawks (0-1) at Chicago Bears (0-1)
Really NFL this is a Monday night football worthy game? Seattle travel across the country to Chicago to have Russell Wilson get eaten up by Khalil Mack who was dominant in the first half versus Green Bay. Chicago took their foot off the gas when up twenty points in Lambeau and this young side needs to make that step up and win a game.
Prediction: Bears by 7

Fantasy Football picks:
- Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB) might well keep the job in Tampa, coupled with Chris Godwin (TB) at home to Eagles
- Get on Darnold (NYJ) at home
- Courtland Sutton (DEN) - the slot option underneath had 45 yards off of 2 receptions and 5 targets
- Bears defence as Wilson cannot get protection;
- James Connor (PIT) so long as Bell is out of the game,
- Adam Thielen (MIN) will get a TD this week consistently gets big yardage but Diggs get dibs on TDs


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illuminati hotties 'Kiss Yr Frenemies'

From the esteemed indie label, Tiny Engines, this album from producer Sarah Tudzin, the album features a plethora of female talent that has enthused this album Kiss Yr Frenemies with a passion and energy that you rarely hear on albums.

Focusing on relationships, friendships, love and loss with the odd message of skateboarding; this album from the sunshine of California is of a sunny disposition but has an abundance of layers and subtext.

From the slow build of short album opener title track we crash into the jaunty '(You're Better) Than Ever' which is reminiscent of recent female stars Courtney Barrett and the band Goat Girl.  The illuminati hotties have a catchiness and hook to their work which is at times infectious.

This trend continues in Track 3 'Shape of My Hands' and then into single 'Cuff' there is the riffing guitars and the powerful vocal lead.

Other good tracks are 'Paying off the Happiness' and while the albums intensity does slow down come the end of the eleven tracks; the initial response to the album's beginning is a favourable one that will stay with you.

Following on from the Wild Pink album, Tiny Engines remains a label to keep an eye on; one of promise and potential married with the passion of young artists.

Under The Tree

Released from Eureka Entertainment, Under The Tree is a tale about how relationships can break down quickly in today's society.

Directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson, Under The Tree is a dark surburban tale that tells the story of a man accused of adultery and forced to move in with his parents. Whilst a custody battle ensues for the daughter, the male Alti (Steinhor Hroar Steinthorsson) is sucked into a dispute between his parents and neighbours surrounding a prominent tree that puts his parents deck in a permanent shadow.

The Icelandic-language film was first premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was Iceland's entry into the 2018 Oscars in the Foreign Language category.

In recent years, European cinema has become this bastion of minor events becoming of greater importance to individuals; as world events become more and more importance on a socio-political scale. This takes a misanthropic approach to the relationships between people and especially neighbours.  In cinema much like life, you cannot get to choose your neighbours; and this film explains how you avoid people in this age of continual communication.

From the outset, there is an ominous air pervading the film; from a father who seeks pleasure in online porn to credit sequence that takes place in a shooting gallery with an eerie violin score playing underneath.

Cleverly, the film juxtaposes this bleakness of tonality by having all the narrative take place over a sun-drenched Icelandic summer full of sunshine and warmth; the characterisation is clear the dispute ferments long brewing resentment within neighbours coupled with a simmering jealousy between generations.

Shot with assured confidence and helped with great naturalistic performances by a unified cast in the majority of hand-held medium close ups, Under The Tree is a clever film full of enrichment and reward that packs an emotional punch.

Under The Tree is out from Eureka Entertainment on 10th August.
My thanks to them for the review opportunity.

Hearts Beat Loud

The new film from Brett Haley is a coming-of-age movie for two people at different ends of the age spectrum, both overcoming life difficulties and hurdles.

Frank (Nick Offerman) is a 40 year old owner of a vinyl record shop in Brooklyn, New York called Red Hook Records; at the outset he is deciding to shut up his business having discussed the lease with his landlady Leslie (Toni Collette). The reason for this big decision is that Frank's daughter, Sam (Kiersey Clemons) is leaving the Big Apple for college at UCLA where she will study medicine.

Frank is a single parent, following the death of his wife and Sam's mother in a bicycle accident shortly after Sam was born, and there is a kinship between the pair cemented by their weekly jam session.  Helped by the upheaval in their life, Frank's missed opportunity at a career in rock music by the sudden death of his wife and Sam's blossoming lesbian relationship before she departs for LA means the song they start playing around with in the session, ferments to the song that gives the film its title.

Giddy with excitement, Frank publishes the song on Spotify and remarkably it appears on a new Indie playlist along side his idols - Spoon and Iron and Wine - this give Frank a much needed shot of enthusiasm and asks Sam to forego her university career and make a start of being in a band together.

The film is a sweet confection of comedy and drama; from Ted Danson's barman Dave who offers Frank morsels of comfort over bottles of beer to the actual awkwardness of Frank and Leslie's courtship. However, the same sex relationship is handled delicately with real sincerity with Frank instilling the belief that life and love is important to music.

Shot through medium close ups mostly and with a score that is winning, it is a shame that on occasion that the film is very much middle of the road ending in a concert of triumph but the main protagonists are ultimately settling. There may have been ample opportunity to discuss matters such as dementia in old age, the resentment towards missing opportunities and young love in the last summer of childhood.

Hearts Beat Loud is out now from Park Circus Films
Thanks to them for the review opportunity.

Night Driver by Marcelle Parks

Out from Urbane Publications on Thursday 2nd August, the debut novel by Marcelle Perks

Frannie is an English woman living in Germany, married to her Deutscher spouse and heavily pregnant expecting the birth of her first child; she feels like a fish out of water both hopeless with her minimum language skills and struggling to pass her driving test in a foreign country.

In an effort to cope when her baby is born, she attempts to instill herself with some independence and after passing she takes to driving at night to gain confidence on less crowded roads.

She enjoys the freedom the night gives her yet an encounter with a Polish motorcyclist looking for his missing sister leads to her being sucked into a world of nightclubs, autobahn prostitutes and organ trafficking.

Perks is a doyen of horror cinema, having written for publications including British Horror Cinema, Fangoria and Kamera.  This in-depth knowledge comes to the fore, with Perks creating a sinister at times horrific world one that is at times frightening and shocking to read; the author does not hold back during the sexual encounters of these villains leaving nothing to the imagination of gruesome gory detail.

The book whips along at a cracking pace and in the protagonist of Frannie, Perks has written a character that is fiercely independent and one that is on an arc of her own from naïve beginnings to strong ending; the influence of Alice Lowe's Prevenge is prevalent in the work as well as the literary work of J. G. Ballard and his famous Crash novel.

While sold as a thriller, the book is very much a horror novel in context and one that will definitely stay with the reader if my reaction to it is anything to go by - and married with a great cover it is a book that is sure to be discussed at length by many a book group and book lovers.

Night Driver is out from Urbane Publications on 2nd August

My thanks to LoveBooksGroupTours for the review opportunity.