Gang Of Youths Is An Emerging Artist

Expect to hear more from Gang Of Youths frontman David Leaupepe in the upcoming year. The talented singer/songwriter from down under is fresh off being named one of the best live music acts of the year out of Sydney and winning bronze in The Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, which raises funds for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.

The song that gave Gang Of Youths the win is Poison Drum, one of several singles recently released stateside. Instrumentally, the track is underscored by punchy percussion and even-handed rhythm. But what makes it stand out is Leaupepe's raspy vocals, which give it a nostalgic concept rock feel.

The lyrics are smartly written for six-plus minute track that lends both hope and morbidity to standing on the front end of your entire life without having any money. It immediately resonates with a struggling middle class crowd, even if there is an irony in that Leaupepe doesn't relate to it like some of his listeners might.

While much of the inspiration has been siphoned out of his and his band's personal experiences (and perhaps influenced while they took in the hipster fringe of Nashville), the lyrical mysticism in the writing comes from a broad range of sources. The title, for example, was taken from a documentary on Chernobyl. It fits so well because it brings in his feelings of being disconnected and even alienated.

Gang of Youths drops Benevolence Riots into the mix.

In keeping with his heady lyrical themes, Benevolence Riots is a song about trying to cope when your own mental faculties are under siege. To hear Leaupepe describe it, Benevolence Riots is about meeting morality with defiance and beating grief by grabbing onto life with real urgency.


The song was inspired by a girl he fell in love with when he was 18. She was very sick and forced to move back home to receive specialized care. While the song is surprisingly courageous, it ends abruptly, like many of those stories do. Not everything has a happy ending. Sometimes it's haunting.

Other tracks that make up the band's growing repertoire are the beautifully brooding Riverlands and the lesser known pop rock Evangelists that was released last year. The latter misses out on the grit that is quickly becoming an identifiable trait to the music that Leaupepe and company continue to work (and rework) again.

Case in point: Gang Of Youths originally relocated to the United States to record their debut album The Positions with producer Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Swans) before mixing with Peter Katis (The National, Frightened Rabbit). That was in 2013. The album will be released in March 2015, several months behind schedule, unless Leaupepe pulls it back again for yet another pass.

In sum, McMahon and Katis aren't the only ones with their fingerprints on the work. Aside from Jack Moffit (The Preatures) who produced The Evangelists and Poison Drum before the album work, Chris Collins (Tigertown) is also credited on Benevolence Riots. There may be more tweaks too.

And then there are a few unreleased tracks floating around too. Overpass is one of those rarities that is worth a listen. The raspy acoustic ballad makes for a compelling listen, even in its demo state. It wouldn't take much to transform it into a sing-along show closer with bandmates Joji Malani (guitar), Max Dunn (bass), Jung Kim (guitar, keyboards), and Samuel O'Donnell (drums), It won't be long before we see what, if anything, comes of it.

Benevolence Riots Rankles 8.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Take your pick between Poison Drum or Benevolence Riots. Either one is a promising introduction to to what ought to be a memorably addictive alternative album in March 2015. What makes it all the more compelling is that this band has only been together since 2012, which means most people thought of them as a scrappy inner-city band just a few short months ago. No one thinks so anymore.

Benevolence Riots, Poison Drum, and Evangelists are all up on iTunes. Riverlands is also available, but only as a video. You can also find the band on Facebook. Follow them if you can get past the ALL CAP madness. The band will begin an Australian tour in January. We'll cover the album too.

Cage The Elephant Warps Melophobia

Cage The Elephant isn't a band most people would readily expect to experiment themselves into an entirely new direction. But for anyone who wasn't convinced Thank You, Happy Birthday marked a transition, Melophobia recreates Cage The Elephant into a triumphantly fresh throwback sound for the here and now.

It wouldn't be all that surprising to think that this was the album Matthew Shultz wanted to produce three years ago. Sure, there are still some alternative rock elements ever present on Melophobia, but the thrust of it turns the creative dial back toward sixties garage rock and Brit pop with just a dash of punk.

Melophobia moves Cage The Elephant in a triumphant direction. 

The album took longer than most Cage The Elephant releases, with the band starting the creative process almost a year ago. While Shultz says that the album practically wrote itself, he also says the production was riddled with adversity. Even two months before the release date, he was still caught up in the post struggle of it.

"Part of me was very happy with it and part of me wondered whether it was just a mother's love," he said then. "There were also moments, because of all the things we went through, I couldn't stand the record."

Shultz doesn't have to wonder any more. With the album release days behind the band from Bowling Green, Melophobia has made its mark. The album is easily on par with if not better than anything the band has put out before, with Come A Little Closer providing a bridge between their old and new material.



The track, which was released in advance of the album, plays out like a post-argument lull after two combatants have said everything they have to say and are worn out by the effort. Shultz captures the moment effortlessly, matching painfully patient vocals to desperate lyrics that convey "I didn't mean to say all that" but without using those words.

"Come a little closer, baby," he beckons instead. "I feel like layin' you down on a bed of sweet surrender where we can work it all out."

Even more telling than that well-crafted track are the two that bookend it on the album. Spiderhead is a slightly paranoid sixties-styled garage rocker. Telescope is an easygoing space trip that strips away some of the trivial, meaningless, and routine of everyday mundane. It's engrossing and a casual uplift.

From there, the album gets groovy. It's Just Forever is a mildly twisted and almost satyrical stab at pledging eternal love. The song is punctuated by several lines belted out by the always brilliant guest Alison Mosshart (The Kills, The Dead Weather, and anybody who can nab her for one track).

The diverse sampling of sound continues on with the driving, sometimes surfy indie rockers Halo and Black Widow, the ease and sentimentality of the effects-rich Hypocrite, and the distorted snarl and grind of Teeth. The last track, Cigarette Daydreams, brings everything back down into a melodic daydream hum-along.

With only ten tracks, all of them tightly composed and capable of standing alone, Melophopia is over before you know it. And that's almost a shame because it's around the tenth song that you begin to realize Shultz (vocals), Brad Shultz (guitar), Lincoln Parish (rhythm guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass), and Jared Champion (drums) just produced their finest album.

Melophobia By Cage The Elephant Soars 9.7 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Some people will likely ding the album for the abundance of ideals that make it all too apparent that all five members did significant work on their own. At the same time, that speaks to the beauty of the album. Any time a band spends five heavy touring years on the road, takes some time to invest in their individual lives, and then reunites with an ensemble of different directions, there is sure to be something surreal about the experience.

In this case, the experience plays out as an impeccably entertaining third album. You can find Melophobia by Cage The Elephant on Amazon. You can also find the LP at Barnes & Noble or download it from iTunes. The band will begin touring in the fall, opening for Muse (although some fans wonder if it's time that this band starts to headline). Touring dates can be found on Facebook.

Sony Shoots In The Right Direction

There are several manufacturers rethinking how cameras might remain relevant in a smart phone world. Sony is one of them, with two new lens designs developed to work with smart phones. All you have to do is attach them or not. With the NFC/Wi-Fi connection, they work together regardless.

The more accessible solution transforms your phone into an 18MB camera. The other transforms it into something comparable to a DSLR camera. The price difference between the two is steep, about $250.

I tried the former, but not the latter. Between the price points and where the product seems to be in its development timeline, trying the QX10 first felt like common sense. For the price that Sony set the QX100, the more advanced smart lens is competing with some standalone DSLR cameras.

The QX10 by Sony shoots better than bare. 

The long and short of the QX10 lens is that it is comparable to a mid-range point-and-click camera sporting an 18.9 megapixel sensor. This is significantly bigger than most built-in smart phone lenses. It also provides a 10x optical zoom with very little distortion.

Other bonuses include that it is equipped with Sony's image stabilization features, exposure compensation (+/- 2.0 EV, 1/3 EV step), and built-in white balance. It can also record MP4: 12M (1440x1080, 30 fps). The stereo speaker is built into the lens. Some people like the video better than the stills.

The camera attaches to the smart phone via an embedded bayonet mount. The mount can be adjusted, accommodating most phones and cases. The grips are rubber so there isn't much fear of damaging the phone. Counting the mount, the lens extends about 1.5 inches off the back of the phone.

You can use the lens without the phone, but there aren't many physical controls or a viewfinder. With exception to the basic functions, the lens is largely operated by Sony's PlayMemories application. Mostly, it feels awkward unattached, like trying to line something up in a mirror. The one exception is when the lens is set on a tripod for a static shoot or, with proper planning, a nice self-portrait or shot with friends.

Overall, the image quality is largely better than the smart phone but not always on par with comparable cameras. I noted some overexposure issues on occasion. Low light shots were particularly muted.

The low light shooting was especially bothersome to me. The lens does not include a flash nor will it work with the smart phone light. One solution might be to turn the light on and then launch the application, but this won't work with an iPhone. The bottom line is that it is better, but I'm not sure it's always better enough.

Much like other reviewers have noted, it seems close to a stripped down Cyber-Shot DSC-WX150 with Wi-Fi. You see, the side-by-side specs look similar, but performance varies. This lens requires some patience. There is a delay between turing everything on and connecting to the smart phone, anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds after the initial setup, and the irritation of a lost signal or depleted battery.

The lens relies on Sony's PlayMemories application. 

Sometimes it's difficult to tell whether or not the performance is a hardware or software issue. The app itself is straightforward. There is a zoom toggle and shutter release (which can also be operated from the lens) as part of the viewfinder.

The settings include an autofocus, advanced autofocus (e.g., macro, etc.), and white balance. All in all, it's a point-and-shoot camera that, in terms of working with the iPhone, takes advantage of a tap-screen focus but not everything iPhone owners have become accustomed to. Sony seems to know it too.

It released the API and is hoping third-party apps will take an interest. Right now, however, even sharing photos to places like Instagram or Facebook means closing the PlayMemories app and then uploading the photo from the smart phone library (where photos are saved in addition to the microSD card in the lens).

The QX10 Lens By Sony Steps Up At 4.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

The first time you see the QX10, it's hard not to become excited. It looks and feels like a glimpse into the future, one where smart phones are armed with an arsenal of hardware to make them even better. In that regard, the Sony QX10 is a step in the right direction even if the camera feels first generation.

As third-party applications become readily available, I expect the lens will become a hero for doing its primary job — providing better than smart phone pictures without requiring you to carry around another camera and accessories. Both the QX10 and QX100 come in black and white (and gold). Look for the Sony QX10 4.45-44.5mm Smart Lens on Amazon.

Lissie Covers Up With Flowers

Any time I hear the words "cover EP" I cringe a little bit and my stomach does some flops. It usually means that a band doesn't have enough material to make another album and then they do it anyway. But then every once in a great while, someone proves they have serious chops.

Elizabeth Maurus a.k.a. Lissie does exactly that on the Fat Possum Records/Sony U.K. release of Covered Up With Flowers. Consisting of the band's five favorite songs to cover during live performances, the EP rocks.

Lissie brings her smokiest voice to bear on the unlikely collection of songs by Kid Cudi, Metallica, Lady Gaga, Joe South, and Nick Cave. Pulling all five out of their genres and recasting them as singer-songwriter indie folk rockers, the EP showcases her rawer potential while still honoring the originals she covers.

Covered Up With Flowers uncovers the real strength of a vocalist to watch. 

I never considered myself a fan of this singer-songwriter and skipped pretty gingerly over her debut. At the time, she was probably best known for a few television show tracks, which is what fast tracked her stardom along with plenty of collaborative breaks — her first two in 2005, one with Peter Dante and another with DJ Harry. But this set of five really gives me a hint of what Lenny Kravitz heard to take an interest and what her growing live performance fan base hears on a regular basis.

As a folk pop singer, Lissie is decent. And yet, these covers suggest she might be stronger as an indie folk rocker, with the cover selection inviting her to roar a bit more. There is no better song that proves it than her cover of Kid Cudi's Pursuit Of Happiness, which adds more power to the song while showcasing Cudi's talent as a lyricist.



While the cover of Cudi's song is hands down the favorite track and the strongest to open the EP, Lissie also powers up Bad Romance by Lady Gaga as a power rock ballad that breaks into a driving beat. And her cover of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica works too. The song is recast as brooding folk rock, adding smoky tones to a growing repertoire.

As a longtime Metallica fan, the cover doesn't eclipse the perfection of the original, one of the few written by James Hetfield (and Lars Ulrich). But I can't think of a single cover that sounds better (most of several dozen by others have been awful).

The rendition by Lissie adds a pouting sexiness to the song, something no one else could have ever imagined it might possess. She might as well be singing it in answer to Hetfield, who originally wrote it while he was on the phone with his girlfriend. It's a keeper, for Lissie and Metallica fans alike.

The last two covers are mixed, one overlooked and the other overrated.

Also impressive is The Ship Song, in which Lissie elevates over the original by Nick Cave. She brings more darkness into the mix, maybe more darkness than anything Cave has done since he was fronting The Birthday Party. She makes his song sad, hypnotic, and addictive.

Ironically, it's Games People Play that is more popular (but not nearly as good as the The Ship Song). Games People Play was originally by the strong-voiced Joe South. Lissie manages to resurrect the 1969 classic that was remade famous by the Alan Parsons Project. By that, I mean people seem to like it. I don't.

Sure, it's a fun cover with a little country flair, but it also pins down what she often misses with her music. It's upbeat, but plods along at the same pace, leaving nothing exceptional to stand out, no matter how the masses might think so.

Still, the overall EP tells me that Lissie has a real opportunity here. After this release, she can continue to play it safe or challenge herself.

Covered Up With Flowers By Lissie Hits Highs At 3.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

With luck, Covered Up With Flowers will mark a transition for the folk-pop singer toward a harder sound tackling more challenging compositions. With more variation added to whatever original material might be next, she has the potential to be someone great. Or she could play it safe, cutting top 40 tunes that will never come close to having one-tenth of impact of her childhood idols. That was Nirvana.

Covered Up With Flowers is available on iTunes. Covered Up With Flowers [explicit] is also on Amazon. While the EP was originally set be released as a digital exclusive, Barnes & Noble has listed the CD release, due out Nov. 8.

Her career is definitely worth watching, but I might add that she is not the "new" Stevie Nicks. Whoever floated that comparison first is an idiot. It might have been the Evening Standard. And if it was, then all I can say is stop it, Rick Pearson. Just stop it. No one can touch Nicks. And Lissie is her own artist too.

Incendies Is Fiercely Unforgettable

Not enough praise can be bestowed on Denis Villeneuve's independent film adaption of Scorched, a play by Wajdi Mouawad. It is by far his finest film, realistically and emotionally vivid against the stark backdrop of the past and present in the Middle East.

Although the film opens with a twin brother and sister being told that their dead father is alive and that they have another brother, much of the story splits between their mother, Nawal Marwan (Lubna Azabal), and the daughter, Jeanne Marwan (Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin). The mother's experience plays out during the Lebanese civil war; the daughter's journey takes place today as she traces a family history that neither she nor her brother ever knew existed.

The son, Simon Marwan (Maim Gaudette), re-enters toward the latter half of the film, but only after his sister urges him to join her in fulfilling the last wishes of their deceased mother. He does eventually meet her in the Middle East, along with the Notary Level (Remy Griad), but only after Jeanne finds evidence that they do have a brother and that their father is very likely alive.

Incendies remains apolitical to tell a more poignant story of family. 

As a fictional work, Incendies never overtly focuses in on its historic origin. However, it is largely understood that the broader context is the Lebanese civil war, which stretched from 1975 to 1990. During this 15-year period, it is estimated that approximately 200,000 civilians were killed, largely over opposing beliefs. More than one million people are still displaced because of the conflict.

The true pain endured by the people comes to pass during one of many penetrating and chilling scenes. After one of the factions opens fire on a civilian bus, the three survivors — a young girl, her mother, and Nawal — are unsure of what to do until the armed men begin to douse the bus in gasoline.




Just before the first flames begin to spread and erase any evidence, Nawal reveals herself to be a Christian. She is granted safe passage, but not before she empathetically tries to claim the young girl as her own daughter.

In this atmospheric tale that frequently challenges kinship and ideology, it is neither the first nor the last time that family and philosophical bonds are tested, strained, and undermined. What begins as a forbidden love affair for Nawal quickly loads up as a burden she has had to bear until her death.

Therein also lies the incongruity between the timid and scattered mother that her children have come to know and the past she chose to leave behind. However, in giving them the tools to uncover the truth, she leaves them with something that will forever haunt all of their lives. For all three of her children, everything they had come to know as the truth will have to be rewritten.

About the storytellers: Denis Villeneuve and Wajdi Mouawad.

Denis Villeneuve is a Canadian film director and writer who began a successful career early by winning a youth film competition in 1990. He has gone on to win best director and best picture for three films in Canada, with Incendies being the latest film to be so honored.

Regardless of his numerous wins, Villeneuve was so surprised to be nominated for an Oscar for Incendies that he could not sleep after learning it had been nominated. He decided to make the film after seeing the play by Wajdi Mouawad in 2004. Taken in by its dark beauty, he pitched the film for funding.

In retrospect, he said that he wished he knew more about the Arabic culture before he started filming. However, he did learn a significant amount while shooting some of it in Jordan. He also had an excellent guide within the pages of the original play.

While Mouawad is also a Canadian writer, actor, and director, he was born in Lebanon in 1968. He also lived briefly in France before moving to Quebec. In his play, Mouawad does an outstanding job reviving the art of a theatrical tragedy but with the dressing of recent history. The film accomplishes much of the same, but with the added elements of slow burn suspense.

Incendies Ignites An 8.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Although the Academy Awards awarded an Oscar to In A Better World, Incendies is still a fierce reminder that the film field is rapidly changing and evolving. There are an increasing number of foreign films that are easily on par with or surpass the quality of anything made in Hollywood.

More of the world seems to know it too. Villeneuve was recently named one of the top ten filmmakers to watch. Go ahead and add the three principal actors to your personal watch list too: Azabal is riveting; Desormeaux-Poulin is enduring; and Gaudette is believable. You won't remember seeing subtitles.

Incendies is available from iTunes. Incendies (two-disc blu-ray/DVD combo) is available on Amazon. Barnes & Noble also carries the combo. It is the kind of film you will want to watch again because its punch is in human behavior more than a mystery unable to withstand a spoiler.

A Second Look At Barney's Version

Although independent film Barney's Version may never recoup its production budget, it will remain one of Paul Giamatti's finest performances albeit buried in an obscure slice-of-life confessional genre (sometimes called a dramedy) that the public seldom if ever embraces. And then add a length that sometimes makes the movie feel more epic than it is.

Barney's Version is best described as a four-act film with the fourth act serving as the mechanism to interweave the three previous acts about the life of Barney Panofsky. This may also be why filmgoers never sought out the film.

After the shortest first act sets the film up as darkly funny, each subsequent act becomes increasingly longer and more melodramatic until it descends into a full-fledged drama, leaving an inexplicable empty and hollow space. But that's not necessarily bad.

Barney Panofsky's life is a fictional biopic of one man's life.

Panofsky is an impossibly ordinary producer of a Canadian soap opera beset by the early stages of Alzheimer's, which makes his telling of any story somewhat suspect. After a slow introduction, the first act picks up on Panofsky in Rome with four friends, about to make what he sees as a noble move in marrying a free spirit (Rachelle Lefevre) who is about to become the mother of his accidental love child.

With all the promise of being darkly funny, Panofsky marries her just days before learning that the baby is, irreconcilably, not his but the seed of his black friend. While his acid-tongued first wife is surprisingly remorseful, she might have tried to make the ill-fated marriage work if not for her hidden chronic depression and an overlooked apology card to Panofsky.

Act two sends unsettled Panofsky into the arms of an attractive, educated woman (Minnie Driver) from an affluent and formally stiff family. But for all these admirable exterior qualities, she turns out to be a surprisingly talkative, naggy, and shallow shopaholic. Still, their doomed relationship is hardly her fault alone as Panofsky falls head over heels in love with a wedding guest (Rosamund Pike).


Although the incessant long-distance pursuit is drawn out and awkward, he eventually gets his chance to build the life he always wanted after he catches his lifelong friend (Scott Speedman) in bed with his second wife. The one-time meaningless fling while his friend was recovering from various addictions becomes the grounds for his divorce and leads to the questionable and unexplained death of his friend.

Where the film works is the dozens of vignettes that delve into individual perspective and perception. It's all too easy to cast Panofsky as an affable character undone by circumstance and insecurity or judge him as a narcissistic and ungrateful buffoon who makes one poor choice after another.

The choice is yours. A case can be made to love or hate any of the characters, with perhaps the exception of Panofsky's politically incorrect father (Dustin Hoffman). He is a hero in faithfully standing by every decision his son makes, for better or worse.

A Nod To Lewis, Lantos, Konyves, And Richler.

Barney's Version is the adaptation of Canadian author Mordecai Richler's last novel. What is most striking about the original work is the near autobiographical accounting of it, which brushes up against Richler's own life.

Michael Konyves delivers a fair and solid treatment of the work, a surprising and serious uptick from his sci-fi television movies. Along with him, Richler fan and veteran producer Robert Lantos seemed to help elevate everyone involved. As director, Richard J. Lewis does a fine job in his return to film after nearly six years of television work. His experience as a writer no doubt helped; he had convinced Lantos to give him a shot by doing the adaptation on spec.

Barney's Version Lives At 3.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While it is true the movie lags at times and drifts in and out of believability, leaving little direction in how anyone might come away from the film, this same quality makes an honest treatment of life, with all of its clumsiness. The overall effect is a timeless piece of work with some sharp performances smartly shot, scripted, and delivered.

If you never mind how it was marketed (sometimes as a romantic comedy, which it is not), you'll likely think of it as a gem of an indie film that's not for everyone but will be surprisingly timeless for some. It's not a great movie, but it is an interesting story in its ability to make human frailties seem understandable and deplorable at the same time.

Barney's Version is available on iTunes. The two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo is available from Amazon and the film can be found at Barnes & Noble. You can also find the book on Amazon.

Super 8 Film Sparks Amateur Interests

With the movie Super 8 creating such a renewed interest in filmmaking, this summer could be a landmark year for inspiring future filmmakers. It's especially possible given the studio behind Super 8 has been hosting a Super 8 iPhone App video contest.

While the contest ends June 17, interest might not be confined to a short-lived competition. J.J. Abrams himself started a filming career with a Super 8 camera back in the 1970s. Spielberg did too, and both of them have said most of their friends had thought it was uncool. Fortunately, times change.

The grand prize is a Sony DCR-SX85 Handycam camcorder (except it's black). The Sony Handycam was primarily chosen because it represents today's version of the Super 8, minus its vintage coolness and Mac compatibility.

The Sony Handycam is a workhorse despite setbacks.

As a camcorder ultra-compact entrant, the Sony Handyman works well enough. It can capture 12 hours of footage. It also includes many popular Sony technologies, including SteadyShot image stabilization and a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. Although the Handycam works as a still camera, most camcorders aren't suited for high resolution photos. This one included.

As an alternative, consider the harder-to-find Sony Water-Proof LCD DV camera. It captures images at 1080p HD and makes poolside and boating films without giving up HD quality. While I wouldn't recommend the cameras for dives, it does justify some image quality loss in favor of ruggedness.

The camera is powered by a lithium battery and features 4x zoom. Like many camcorders, it supports 30 frames per second as well as 60 frames per second when set to WVGA. Connectivity is supported by a USB cord and other formats (all cords included).

Smart phones change the way starter movies are made.

Since Apple upgraded iPhone 4 video technology, the need for carrying around a second camcorder is significantly diminished. The iPhone 4, for example, features 720p HD video recording, capturing up to 30 frames per second with audio.

But what really brings back some of the magic of filmmaking are the video apps that add a vintage feel much like camera apps helped recapture Polaroid photography.

Two apps are especially suited to this purpose, Super 8 and the 8 MM Vintage Camera. The new Super 8 iPhone App does its best to recapture the functionality of a Super 8 camera, along with the look of the finished work. While the interface styling brings some of the magic to life, one of the best thought out features is a horizontal frame while holding the phone up vertically.

Not only does this simple effect make filming more comfortable, it also eliminates a common problem for smartphone films: the thumb spilling into the upper corner. Other features, while fun, are a bit more cumbersome. The Super 8 app makes you go through the motions of "ejecting a cartridge" and "developing" the film. It also doesn't automatically share to your film files.

The better features are those that work more intuitively, like the choice of seven lens styles, including Chromatic. While seven doesn't beat the original 8MM Vintage Camera app, it seems to be just enough. The original 8MM Vintage Camera by Nexvio includes a 1920, 70S, Sakura, XPro, and Siena format along with five lenses that work with each camera style.

The net result is that the 8 MM Vintage Camera has more effects, more sound options, and automatically ports to camera roll storage with one single step. The only disadvantage is that the film has to be shot while holding the phone horizontally, much like you would shoot any video without an effect application.

Super 8 inspiration from the 1960s.

Of course, the original Super 8 film cameras were released by Kodak in 1965. It was the first time amateur filmmakers could enjoy 50 percent larger film and have the benefit of an easy-to-load plastic light-proof cartridge. The take-up spools were only 50 feet, giving owners about three minutes and 20 seconds of film per cartridge.

Typically, most Super 8 films were made with reversal stock, which produces a positive image on a transparent base. This avoided the expense and degradation of image quality using negative film and then copying to a positive. But in 2005, Kodak discontinued the popular stock. Nowadays, anyone attempting to recapture the Super 8 look uses a new ISO 64 Ektachrome.

Super 8 Scores A Retro Score Of 9.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Sometimes you can still find unused Super 8 movie film on the market, with its super saturation and wide latitude. The few places with Super 8 film left usually charge about $20 per roll. Originally, reels were as little as $5 and could work on $30 cameras.

The influence of Super 8 film cannot be underestimated: Ron Howard, Sam Raimi, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese all started with 8MM film. If you have an interest in picking up 8MM film as a hobby, make sure you visit Pro8mm.com for some great tips, techniques, and updates on the art.

Otherwise, you can download the Super 8 iPhone App from iTunes for 99 cents. Or try the original 8MM Vintage Camera for only $1.99.

You can also find the Sony DCR-SX85 Handycam Camcorder on Amazon. Or, the more rugged Sony Water-Proof LCD DV on Pickegg.com, which also sports a broad selection of specialty video equipment.

Manchester Orchestra Adds Simple Math

It might be named after an English city, but indie rock band Manchester Orchestra was formed in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. And like many suburban youth felt from time to time, frontman Andy Hull was so frustrated by small town attitudes and sameness that he spent his senior year at home studying while writing and recording his first full-length album.

Although Manchester Orchestra was meant to be a solo project after his first band collapsed, his close friendships with the people he wanted to invite to play — including Chris Freeman — formed a kinship as thick as blood, a feeling Hull now shares with his fans. He says as much in the music.

"We built this house your hands and your time and your blood" is a direct reference to fans on the album Simple Math on the song Virgin.

According to Hull, Simple Math was the most fluid creative process of anything they have ever created before. And you can hear it in every note. While many albums have throwaways that I sometimes refer to as "we need another track" songs, you won't find any on this LP. Simple Math gives each and every song an explorative depth it deserves.

The title track is one of those songs. Although Hull, who has been married for two years, never had an affair, he was able to contemplate the consequences of having one while writing it. The final cut, however, works on an even bigger scale as Hull and company transform the emotion behind Simple Math as any careless accident interrupting well-plotted lives.


Simple Math sets the tone of the album, best described as growing up and accepting responsibility instead of blaming everything or anyone else. So while the title track is speculative, other songs are not. April Fool was written immediately after he and his wife had hit an impasse. He came home and she had left, forcing him to recognize that everything they had together was over.

They later reunited, but you'll find Hull still infuses introspective lyrics into his sometimes soothing, soulful harmonics and sometimes unabashed rock threads. He's not the only hero, of course. Freeman (keys), Jonathan Corley (bass), Robert McDowell (guitar), and newcomer Tim Very (drums) play perfectly together to create an incredibly cohesive fourth album.

All in all, Simple Math has a much fuller rock sound than the band's previous outing, Mean Everything To Nothing. And while none of it quite approaches the aggressive awesomeness of 100 Dollars on the last album, Simple Math raises the bar with its equal parts feeling and foreboding.

In addition to April Fool and Simple Math, download Deer, Leave It Alone, and Pensacola for starters. But don't be surprised if you go back to download the rest of the album.

Simple Math By Manchester Orchestra Adds Up To 8.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Some tracks cast the die for the Manchester Orchestra to transcend being a great indie band and put them one step closer to becoming a future rock influence. It's the kind of album that perusers come back to again and again, appreciating that Manchester Orchestra has something unique going on. They own their songs in more ways than one.

Simple Math by Manchester Orchestra can be found on iTunes. Simple Math is also on Amazon and a vinyl edition can be found at Barnes & Noble.

Funeral Party Releases Finale Ahead Of Debut LP

Fresh off a U.K. tour and shortlisted by NME as one of the 50 Best New Bands Of 2010, Funeral Party from East Los Angeles has a lot riding on their upcoming LP released by Sony's RCA label. Golden Age Of Knowhere debuts on January 25.

Distinctly different from many bands in Los Angeles, these East-side indie rockers will likely be making a rough choice in the months ahead. Their music tends to spill on both sides of the indie rock and pop aisles, sometimes labeled as post punk dance or even art punk dance (whatever that is). I'm comfortable with a different split.

On one side, there are songs like Carwars and Where Did It Go Wrong, and Just Because. On the other are Chalice and NYC Moves To The Sound Of LA. While the former is tracking with twice the play on their Myspace page and elsewhere, the latter is what put Funeral Party on the radar. Nobody bumped to Chalice, as one agent described it. They thrashed to it.

"I always knew it would end just like this. So pour me one last drink with a final kiss."

This lyric and others from the recently released single Finale rip through the unpredictability, back-and-forth, and hit-and-miss nature of relationships. Chad Elliot sings them across an uptempo and aggressive instrumental. Even with a somewhat roughly layered band chorus made up of studios solos toward the end, it works.


Give a second listen if you feel Elliott's vocals sometimes strain when they drift too high. Once you settle into the song, his voice expresses an urgency that works well with the raw stylings from the band's roots. For comparison, listen to the second and third tracks on the original Bootleg EP released by Fearless Records in 2008.

The imperfections are exactly what you might expect to hear from a band that was best known for playing backyard parties and borrowed instruments, a factoid now pressed inside every bio and interview since the signing with RCA at a UPS store. Since then, the band members still seem dazed by the solo studio work with Lars Stalfors and tours in the U.K. and Japan.

Sometimes it still happens that way in music. And it seems to be happening that way for Elliott (kyeboard/vocals), James Torres (guitar), Kimo Kauhola (bass), and touring members (strange) Tim Madrid (percussion, keys), and Robert Shaffer (drums).

"Drawing you forward, pushing you back."

I liked their sound when I first heard them on a college radio station before the signing, and I still do. But what prompted me to add them in now is that there is some uncertainty on their direction after this album. Rock or pop? Something tells me it will be pop, even if I like their coarser work better.

You might even find a foreshadow to some changes ahead from the recent interview with ARTISTdirect. Elliott talked about the differences between the U.K. and American music scenes. He sees the U.K. caring more about music and U.S. looking for celebrity coolness. But what he doesn't see yet is that it's music like Finale that makes the coolness. Not much else.

Finale by Funeral Party Buries In At 6.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Here's to hoping the boys keep it real. And if not, then it's great to know they gave us some solid, scratchy rockers. You can pick up the single Finale on iTunes. Finale is also on Amazon.

If you are interested, there is also a free download, Giant Song, from their Facebook page. It's alright, but skews toward that dance pop side. For another sound, check out their cover of The Faces' Ooh La La, which you can find online. It proves Elliott can sing.

Priests Team With Hell Raiser Shane MacGowan

Holiday collaborations don't always work. And if you ask people how a collaboration between singing Catholic priests and a hard-drinking Irish hell raiser would turn out, most will give you a blank expression. A few might wait for a punch line.

There is no punch line. Drink-loving Irish singer Shane MacGowan did collaborate with trio of actual singing priests. And they did produce something that's more than worth a listen. It's moving. You'll see for yourself in a moment.

The Priests.

The Priests are Father Martin O’Hagan, Father David Delargy, and Father Eugene O’Hagan. They are all full-time parish priests in Ireland who take care of everything you might expect: presiding over christenings, marriages and funerals.

They first met at MacNissi’s College (Co. Antrim), where their singing earning them the nickname Holy Holy Holy. Years later, they were invited by the Monsignor John Magee (Papal master of ceremonies) to sing for the Pope. And they have enjoyed a fairly successful recording career since.

Shane MacGowan.

MacGowan, of course, became famous after drawing on his Irish heritage and founding The Pogues. Most of his songs have been influenced by Irish nationalism, Irish history, the experiences of the Irish in London and the United States. Later, he formed Shane MacGowan and The Popes.

The idea that MacGowan would team up with a group called the Priests shouldn’t be too surprising. While he has a reputation for being a hard-living bloke (and rightly so), he is also a remarkable, although sometimes overlooked, artist.

His skills as a songwriter are immense and he helped to create an audience for a unique blend of Irish/punk music. Anyone who has heard Fairytale of New York can attest to MacGowan’s talent. His voice also lends itself well to the rollicking Irish music he loves. He is frequently tapped to sing with other groups, including Lancaster County Prison and the Mighty Stef.

Even the late Joe Strummer referred to MacGowan as "one of the best writers of the century." They frequently appeared on stage together with The Pogues.


Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth is hopeful and compelling, showing the Priests’ voices in their best form. MacGowan is a very appropriate addition to the album. His voice, the voice of a guy who’s probably seen a lot, makes it just right.

“Our sharing the song with Shane MacGowan will come as a big surprise for many fans, both ours and his," said Father Eugene. "Neither of us is about to change our respective styles of music or performance but it goes to show how music builds bridges and brings us into creative contact with unlikely partnerships."

The first two albums that The Priests produced have sold more than 3 million albums. The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth is the fifteenth track on their third album, Noel. The most popular track is actually Sussex Carol.

Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth By The Priests Featuring Shane MacGowan Ascends To 7.8 on the Liqud Hip Richter Scale.

MacGowan and The Pogues are said to be playing their last shows ever in December of this year. It's a sad thought that we may see the fairytale end, but glad to see Shaney Mac taking chances. Recently, he covered I Put A Spell On You, a benefit for Haiti featuring Johnny Depp, Nick Cave Bobby Gillespie, Glen Matlock, Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jones, Paloma Faith, and Eliza Doolittle.

Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth is the fifteenth track on Noel. There is also a version without MacGowan if you want to experience the contrast. You can also find the album, Noel, on Amazon.