A friend asked me a while back if I had heard of Mumford and Sons, and even though the name sounded familiar, I couldn’t place them. Then a couple weeks ago, I was in my car when I heard their song Little Lion Man come on the radio. I sat in my car completely and absolutely HOOKED to the song. When the DJ said it was Mumford and Sons, I literally came home and downloaded Sigh No More immediately.

I have loved the CD so much, I can’t think of a single song on the album I don’t like. Little Lion Man is my favorite, but Winter Winds, Roll Away Your Stone and Dust Bowl Dance are equally amazing. If you haven’t heard of Mumford and Sons, you should definitely check out their album, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

This CD just makes you feel good. I put it in when I’m alone, and I blast it. It just makes you tap your toes, and bop your head. You won’t be able to help it! Watch the video for Little Lion Man below, and tell me you didn’t move your head!

Check out their website for more information!

Biography - Since they formed in December 2007, the members of Mumford & Sons have shared a common purpose: to make music that matters, without taking themselves too seriously. Four young men from West London in their early twenties, they have fire in their bellies, romance in their hearts, and rapture in their masterful, melancholy voices. They are staunch friends – Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane – who bring their music to us with the passion and pride of an old-fashioned, much-cherished, family business. They create a gutsy, old-time sound that marries the magic of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with the might of Kings Of Leon, and their incredible energy draws us in quickly to their circle of songs, to the warmth of their stories, and to their magical community of misty-eyed men.

The album begins with the extraordinary title track, Sigh No More, a statement of intent that references the romantic language of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, as they sing: “Love it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you / It will set you free / Be more like the man you were made to be.” Amongst darkly reflective tracks such as Thistle & Weeds and ballads like White Blank Page, Winter Winds and Roll Away Your Stone, by contrast, show the band’s sprightlier side, the rollicking banjo of the former conjuring up stormy weather that “litters London with lonely hearts”; the latter a fabulous hoedown about a man unsuccessfully filling the hole in his soul.

As the album moves on, this fervour never dies. Little Lion Man – a track that Zane Lowe named the “Hottest Record In The World Today” on a recent Radio 1 show – is a rampage about regret and unresolved heartbreak: “Tremble, little lion man / You’ll never settle any of your scores / Your grace is wasted in your face / Your boldness stands alone among the wreck”. And finally, after a wild lashing out in the murderous fable of Dust Bowl Dance, After The Storm arrives, the only track Mumford and Sons wrote in the studio, away from the live stage they knew so well. It stands an incredibly moving final track to an incredibly moving album – the story of a man scared of what’s behind and what’s before, and creates a considered conclusion to the band’s epic debut album.

Mumford & Sons’ live reputation goes before them, and now their incredible debut reveals the extent of their magic and majesty on record. Feel the fire in your belly and the romance in your heart as you listen, let your voice break into rapture – and you too sigh no more.

Minus the Bear have always avoided easy classification, preferring to tread their own inimitable path defined by energy and invention. OMNI, the Seattle-based band’s fourth full-length recording and debut Dangerbird Records release, sees a stunning evolution to their sound and vision. As evinced by the album’s all-encompassing title, Minus the Bear have merged their myriad influences into a sweeping collection marked by its slinky and sensual melding of city-stomping rock and deep funk grooves. That spirit of sonic lasciviousness is mirrored in the album’s raw take on human sexuality – a theme as intricate and elaborate as the band’s extraordinary music. Boldly experimental yet instantly accessible, OMNI is Minus the Bear’s most provocative and potent work to date.

“I think it’s a real leap forward,” singer/guitarist Jake Snider agrees. “It’s an impactful sounding record.”

Founded in 2001, Minus the Bear earned immediate attention with their distinctive spastic prog-pop hybrid, all serrated rhythms, swirling synths, and guitarist Dave Knudson’s multi-layered, pedal-hopping acrobatics. Prolific from the start, the band let loose with series of EPs and albums, each drawing escalating acclaim and a host of new fans.

I got my hands on OMNI a couple weeks ago, and I’ve listened to it non-stop! My favorites are the first two tracks, My Time and Summer Angel.

Minus the Bear played in Portland, Oregon last Friday at the famous Roseland Theater. The show was absolutely unbelievable!

Check out Minus the Bear’s website!
Minus the Bear in iTunes

Amazing Photos by Troy Kujala Photography

Need a movie to see tonight? Look no further! Death at a Funeral is absolutely hilarious!!

Directed by Neil LaBute, Death at a Funeral is a hilarious day in the life of an American family that has come together to put a beloved husband and father to rest. As mourners gather at the family home, shocking revelations, festering resentments, ugly threats, blackmail and a misdirected corpse unleash lethal and riotous mayhem.

Starring: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Zoe Saldana, James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Danny Glover, Columbus Short

Opens wide TODAY!!

I laughed all the way through, in fact. This is the best comedy since “The Hangover,” and although it’s almost a scene-by-scene remake of a 2007 British movie with the same title, it’s funnier than the original. – Roger Ebert

The resurrected Death at a Funeral is directed by Neil LaBute. And — the joke’s on us! — the dark-as-pitch playwright and filmmaker (In the Company of Men) turns out to have a playful hand when it comes to choreographing Three Stooges’-style nyuk-nyuks. As British as the original was (actors such as Matthew MacFadyen, Rupert Graves, and Alan Tudyk disappeared into character in a pip-pip display of national theatrical technique), this one could only come from our side of the pond. Personality driven, the movie takes proud advantage of a happy, casually crude, Crock-Pot American-ness. Reveling in mess and homegrown multiracial mayhem, Death at a Funeral finds a new lease on life. B+ – EW

Adam (John Cusack – misc 80′s/90′s lore, One Crazy Summer), Lou (Rob Corddry – Upright Citizens Brigade, Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien) and Nick (Craig Robinson – the Office) were buddies in High School that have seldom kept in touch and hate where their adult lives have taken them. They decide on a whim to relive the glory days and head up to Kodiak Valley for a weekend ski trip. Adam’s nephew Jacob (up-and-comer Clark Duke) tags along on this trip of destiny. In a very homo-erotic scene, they all get f’d up on drugs, alcohol, and a gnarly energy drink – which happens to tip over onto the “flux capacitor” like control panel of the tub and and send them through a time vortex.

They awake the next morning to a stiff hangover and find that they have traveled back into a day in their lives in 1986. Now they must fix the past by enduring buttloads more homo-erotic situations, confrontations with women/ fears/ neon-clad Ski Patrolmen, and more drugs and alcohol. Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson steal the show in this one, and creepy Crispin Glover plays another awesome character unknowingly affected by skewing the time-space continuum.

This one is a roller coaster of laughs, gasps, and steady butt-rock. Recommended for the not easily offended.

Reviewed by Matt

Check Hot Tub Time Machine tonight!! You won’t be sorry!

Go here for tickets & showtimes!

Celebrated punk rock cult heroes, Alkaline Trio have released their new album, This Addiction, on February 23 via Epitaph Records/Heart & Skull. I had the opportunity to attend the first show off their new tour in Portland, Oregon. What a great city to host such a great night! The crowd was LOVING the show – and Alkaline Trio played their heart out. They played fast and furious, and put on a heart-stopping performance!  They have a lot of touring ahead of them – after the jump, find out when they are coming to your town, and go see them! You won’t be sorry!

Visit Alkaline Trio’s website.
Visit Alkaline Trio on Myspace.
Visit Epitaph Records

Recorded and produced by the band with help from longtime cohort Matt Allison at Atlas Studios in Chicago, This Addiction marks Alkaline Trio’s first release on their imprint label Heart & Skull and first with their parent label Epitaph Records. The album also finds the Trio revisiting their punk roots while moving forward creatively.

“This record is a rock record but our punk rock upbringing definitely shines through, more so than our last few records,” singer/guitarist Matt Skiba recently told Spinner.com. “The vibe is similar to our humble beginnings. It’s a step forward but I also think it has glimmers of our past in it.”

A metaphoric crowd pleaser, “This Addiction” is “about a relationship gone bad and, for some reason, you just can’t quit it,” Skiba told Spinner.com. The single is also currently available for sale on iTunes and at other digital retailers.

The album’s title track and first single wastes no time in setting the tone of the album as it rips and roars with Matt Skiba’s exceptional vocals and signature guitar riffs, bassist and co/vocalist Dan Andriano’s thumping low-end and drummer Derek Grant’s steadfast beats. From soon-to-be fan-favorites like the Andriano led rocker “Dine, Dine My Darling” and politically charged anthem “The American Scream” to the sonically mesmerizing rhythm and lyrics of “Dorothy” and the thrilling sing-along “Draculina,” This Addiction showcases Skiba, Andriano and Grant’s abounding gift for songwriting and crafting passionate punk fueled rock that will make fans fall in love with them all over again.

“I think that we wanted to make a punk rock record that we’ve been describing as ‘thinking-man’s punk,’” said Skiba. “We wanted to do something that’s fun but also interesting and lyrically, something that will be fun for people to read along to and hopefully understand.”

The band’s seventh studio album, This Addiction, will be available as a standard CD, a limited Deluxe CD/DVD edition (containing two bonus songs, four acoustic tracks and a full length concert DVD), as well as Gatefold LP vinyl. Epitaph will also have exclusive items signed by the band, rare vinyl and Limited Collector’s bundles – all with a standard digital download or a Deluxe Digital Download. GO HERE TO BUY THE ALBUM – AND OTHER MERCH

Alkaline Trio first emerged from Chicago in 1996 and has since released the full length studio albums Goddamnit, Maybe I’ll Catch Fire, From Here To Infirmary, Good Mourning, Crimson and last year’s Agony & Irony, which was the highest charting record for the band’s to date. The band is comprised of Skiba, Andriano and drummer Derek Grant, all of whom are partners in Heart & Skull.

BELOW: Opening for Alkaline Trio was Cursive, who also put on an amazing show!

Cursive began a full US tour with Alkaline Trio earlier this week in Southern California. The tour runs through April 2. Several new shows without Alkaline Trio have recently been added as well. Check out the full list below. The tour continues live dates for 2009′s Mama, I’m Swolen record.

What people are saying about Mama, I’m Swollen:
…Cursive rocking out at its best. Lyrically, frontman Tim Kasher never misses a step (see the men-as-animals ‘From The Hips’ and ‘Donkeys’), proving once again why he’s among indie rock’s greats. – Billboard

Equal parts noise-rock with a respect for tried-and-true melodies, these tales of misery have enough gumption to truly lay it on the line. – Filter Good Music Guide

Mama, I’m Swollen might be Cursive’s most body-rocking album yet, with its bounty of hard-edged guitar riffs, vinegary horn licks and thorny, Fugazi-like melodies. – Time Out New York

…absolutely stellar. – Alternative Press

TONS of pictures from the concert PLUS Tour dates for Alkaline Trio & Cursive after the jump! (more…)

Going Out? Try: A Single Man

This movie is one of those rare movies that really gets to me.  It was so unbelievably moving, and sad, and wonderful all at the same time.

I saw the movie based solely on the fact that I love Colin Firth. All of his movies are kind of the same, know what I mean? Well – after seeing A Single Man, I can’t say that – ever again. This movie is unlike any movie he’s ever done, and I doubt anyone will argue it is his best performance to date.

Colin plays George Falconer, a 52 year old homosexual from London, who teaches English in Los Angeles in the year 1962.  It’s 1962 through the eyes of first time director, fashion designer Tom Ford. The movie was absolutely breathtaking. Seeing 1962 through Tom’s eyes was delightful, to say the least. Everyone was so beautiful in this movie – from the clothes to the model’s-turned-actors who play the roles of George’s friends.

George is deeply depressed. His lover of 16 years, played by the ADORABLE Matthew Goode (I could have used more of him!), died in a car crash, and George is unable to get over his loss. He has decided he cannot live without his partner, and has decided to kill himself. The movie spans over one long, sad, moving day, and in this one day – can he be convinced to keep living?

The movie is filmed to look very gritty – almost black and white. As the movie starts out, everything looks very bleak. The style of filming reflects how George feels. As the day progresses, he has brief moments of happiness – and in these moments, the film gets brilliant – almost glowing. Is George coming out of his sadness?

I won’t give away the ending of the movie, but I will say that this movie is absolutely amazing. Colin Firth absolutely deserves his Best Actor nomination he received for this movie. I already want to see it again. It is definitely NOT a feel good – happy – date movie, but it is a brilliant movie that moved me to tears.

Bottom Line: Not everyone will love this movie as much as I did, so I don’t think I’d say it’s for everyone. But I absolutely LOVED this movie. I thought it is hands down Colin Firth’s best acting role – to date – and I praise Tom Ford’s directing ability. I cannot wait to see what does next. Loved it!

Trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out school — but that’s the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology texts and into his life — and they’re not happy. Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true thief, save Percy’s family, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Last night I went to a screening of this movie with my two boys, who had both read the book. They were so excited, while I was thinking I was in for just another banal childrens movie. I was happy to find that I was wrong. I completely enjoyed this film!

I should have known I would love it, since I’m a huge fan of director Chris Columbus. He has worked on some pretty amazing movies, such as Gremlins, Goonies, Home Alone, Stepmom and two Harry Potter films (to name a few).

I thought Percy Jackson started off a bit slow and clumsy, but ended with a bang. The movie definitely got better as it went along. I was pleasantly surprised to see cameo’s by actors like Uma Thurman (as Medusa),  Steve Coogan (as Hades) and Rosario Dawson (as Persephone).

The special affects were great, and some scenes actually gave me chills.

I thought the story was good (although a little sketchy at times). There were definitely some scary scenes, which makes this movie unsuitable for children under 7 (in my opinion). There was also quite a few funny scenes in the movie – which made the movie move along really well, I think. I think this movie will do really well – it has all the pieces it needs to succeed.

BOTTOM LINE: If you’re looking for a good family film this weekend, I would really recommend this film! I thought it was a great movie, and I think I enjoyed it as much as my boys!