- Changing a band’s sound, even for an artist with an established reputation and loyal fan base, is a dicey proposition. On the one hand, deviating from what has made you successful in the past means you run the risk of alienating your fans and losing what they enjoyed about your music to begin with. On the other hand, if you don’t grow and change and simply recycle the same material over and over again, you’re criticized for not moving forward musically. Such was the decision for indie/emo rockers Death Cab for Cutie, a band immortalized as the music of choice for one of TV’s all-time best whiny, sarcastic, dorky-yet-loveable losers, Seth Cohen of The O.C. The band’s new album, Narrow Stairs, is a significant departure from the sound of earlier albums like Plans, Transatlanticism, Something About Airplanes and The Photo Album. There is a much darker, more sinister vibe throughout the album, and I’m not just talking about the incorporation of my musical pet peeve, synthesizers, which are on some tracks on the album. If I didn’t have so much respect and appreciation for Death Cab, using synthesizers would be grounds for giving a failing grade to an album, but I’ll overlook it here. The album’s first single, I Will Possess Your Heart, has been out for a few weeks now and it’s mostly in the same vein as previous Death Cab efforts, along with mixing in some piano and extended bass. Songs like Pity and Fear and Long Division have a decided old school vibe, but whether it’s those songs or more mainstream tracks like No Sunlight, the band’s signature emo, love, rejection, angst and regret are woven throughout the entire disc. There’s also the requisite slow, melancholy, regretful tune in Your New Twin Sized Bed, so in many respects it’s not that far of a departure from previous Death Cub recordings. But there is enough of a new feel to call it a decidedly different sound, one that mostly succeeds but isn't quite the overwhelming success some are hailing it as.
- I stand corrected on my comments that Smallville won't look nearly as good next year because smokin’ hot Kristin Kreuk won't be a regular on the show. I stand corrected because the show will not just look “not nearly as good,” it’s going to take a huge hit in the eye candy department with the revelation at the CW's upfront announcement last week that Laura Vandervoort's status as Kara is uncertain at best. In fact, it appears that the gorgeous Vandervoort won't be back for more than an episode or two. “They announced the cast... and I'm not a part of it,” Vandervoort stated. “We were all surprised when they chose not to bring me back as a regular, but I'm sure I'll be back for one or two [episodes]!” That’s definitely bad news, as not only was she drop-dead beautiful, Vandervoort also brought a lot of energy and depth to the role of Kara Kent. She’s taking the decision not to bring her back as a full-time cast member in stride. Looking at the bright side, she notes, “The show is about Clark Kent, and I was honored to be a part of it. I mean, my character became more than it was supposed to be. She ended up sticking around the entire season.” There have been rumors that that when Tom Welling steps aside and Smallville sees its final curtain, Kara might be spun off into her own series. Still, that’s a ways off and doesn’t do anything to help the show next season, and to be quite honest I’m not all that pumped about its prospects given the major hits to the core cast that have taken place the past few weeks. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised when the show kicks off this fall, but I don’t have much evidence to base such a feeling on.
- This should be interesting. The prospect of Mike Tyson traveling around promoting a new documentary about his rollercoaster ride of a life has the potential to be even more of a circus than the life the film portrays. The Tyson traveling circus kicked off in Cannes, France at the legendary Cannes Film Festival. “I lived a wild and extreme life,” the former heavyweight champion declared while promoting the movie Saturday. “I used drugs. I had altercations with dangerous people. I slept with guys' wives that wanted to kill me. I'm just happy to be here, you know. It's just a miracle.” I’ll second that without hesitation. The fact that Mike is still alive and in relatively good condition is a miracle. This dude is bona fide insane, a total whack job who has raped women, bitten off a man’s ear, threatened to eat an opponent’s children, threatened to f**k a male TV cameraman until the guy “loved” him and inked up his face with a hideous, unfinished facial tattoo just to name a few of his odd acts. Those acts and more are on the big screen in the movie “Tyson,” directed by his old friend James Toback (“Fingers”). The movie is a mash-up of old video footage and TV interviews in which Tyson talks about getting beaten up and stolen from when he was an overweight kid. He tears up when reminiscing about his late trainer, Cus D'Amato, who turned him from a troubled teen into a world-class wrecking machine in the ring. I have no doubt that the film is powerful, as it received a standing ovation in Cannes, but the thought of a mentally troubled Tyson making the talk show and interview circuit and being asked about his life’s most painful moments over and over, I have a feeling we’re in for some colorful, crazy moments. Just to be safe, maybe everyone who sits down with Mike should make sure to wear protective gear on their ears…..just kidding, Mike.
- One small bit of housekeeping in regards to the posts of the past few days about the respective fall lineups for the major TV networks: Fox may not have 24 on its weekly schedule for this fall, and the show may not even be on the radar of many TV watchers, but before Jack Bauer and Co. return to the air this spring, the network will air a two-hour 24 movie in November to fill in gaps in the plot since we last saw Jack standing on that cliff in Malibu, overlooking the Pacific and wondering what to do with his life. Because of the structure of the show and each season covering only one day in 24 one-hour shows, there’s obviously a need to advance the plot between seasons, lest the entire series cover just one week in real time. So this movie will give fans of the show a taste of what’s been going on since the end of Season 6 and will also provide a nice respite for what will be and otherwise abysmal fall schedule for Fox. Assuming Kiefer Sutherland can stay relatively sober and out of jail, the movie should air before Thanksgiving and 24 fans will be on their way to having their favorite diminutive action hero back on a regular basis.
- In lieu of getting hammered and high for her 22nd birthday, Lindsay Lohan will instead resort to whoring out the occasion for financial gain. It’s a tough tradeoff to make, but someone has to do it. Because who doesn’t need an official sponsor and media coverage for their birthday when they already have boatloads of both cash and attention? Lohan’s management has declared her birthday to be “an internationally media worthy event” which….hang on, stop right there. Are you f’ing kidding me? You think the birthday celebration of some alkie, druggie, overrated actress who frequently forgets to wear underwear and hasn’t ever come close to winning a single award for her acting and oh yeah, has produced some positively crap-tacular pop/dance music that even American Karaoke might want nothing to do with deserves international media coverage for her birthday? Seriously? There are killer earthquakes in China, killer typhoons in Myanmar, the Summer Olympics in Beijing, the war in Iraq, the gas crisis all across America, food shortages in Africa and more, yet you think the birthday of one spoiled actress warrants international coverage? Hell, even the summer movie season is more worthy of coverage than the freaking 22nd birthday of some club-hopping party girl. You think Lohan’s birthday party is more noteworthy than the release of Indiana Jones? Not really. It’s not even her 21st birthday or her 18th, it’s just No. 22. Now I realize that at the pace of consuming drugs and booze that Lohan is on, she may not have many more birthdays to celebrate, but that doesn’t mean hers are that important. Great, she’s spending the afternoon getting a spa treatment with 10 friends, followed by dinner and performances for 75 VIPs at a Malibu mansion. Unless Lohan and her friends are rebuilding neighborhoods in New Orleans, bringing food to needy people in Africa or even serving lunch at a local soup kitchen, who gives a f**k? You whoring out the occasion for official sponsors, seeking news outlets and weekly entertainment magazines to cover the “occasion” doesn’t give it significance, it just makes you look like arrogant asses with an inflated sense of self-importance. Nothing says “special birthday” like selling out your big day to sponsors so they can get their name on invitations, gift bags, banners and products placed at the party and you can make some cash off of the day in spite of already making millions as an actress. God, I freaking hate rich, spoiled, self-important actresses….
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