Saturday, 6 April 2013

The Sun Is My God

The Sun Is My God is the first song revealed from Queens of the Stone Age's next album ...Like Clockwork. The album is to be released in June. ...Like Clockwork will be QOTSA's 6th studio album, it will feature artist such as Elton John, Dave Grohl(A.K.A. God) and exQOTSA bassist Nick Oliveri.
The Sun Is My God is to have its radio debut on the 8th of April on Zane Lowe's Show on BBC Radio 1.
QOTSA  premiered the song at Lollapalooza in Brazil on the 30th of March.

I only heard the song today and it was excellent. It is classic QOTSA. So if they keep the rest of the album like this gem, it's going to be fantastic. Dave Grohl did all the drumming on the album, and his drumming style really shines through as the back-beat of this headbanger(the drummer in the video, John Theodore, in my opinion look like Will Ferrell if he was ripped and had a fro, just wanted to point that out). But the reason I did this review is because this video has got me so excited for the album, so ROLL ON JUNE! I will have a full review of that when it lands!

This song is just plain awesome, it is in fact NIC CAGE!

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Thursday, 4 April 2013

Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski

Ham on Rye is written by Charles Bukowski. The book is semi-biographical, Bukowski uses his alter ego "Henry Chinaski". This book takes us from Chinaski's childhood, right through to his coming of age and moving out. If you are familiar with Bukowski, you know what you are in for, it's classic Bukowski writing and the usual antics, just a little less alcohol. If you are new  to Bukowski, this book is a great place to start. I had read Post Office and Factotum previously, but I feel I learned why Bukowski felt the need to push himself to the fringe of society, why he became the man he was.

Bukowski or Chinaski did not have a happy childhood. He grew up in the 1920s and 30s in a poor part of Los Angeles. His parents are obsessed with appearing successful, so much so they would not allow him play with the local children, this instantly causes him to be an outsider looking in. He also had an abusive Father who took his frustrations out on Henry and his Mother.He starts this way and spends his life on the outside. He begins to fit in school as he hits puberty early and is then bigger than everyone else is and can fight. But just as this begins to happen, Chinaski heads for highschool and his parents notions of appearing wealthy kick in again. Rather than go to the local school like his friends, he was enrolled in a private school some miles away. Here Chinaski was a total outcast, he had no social skills, he was poor and he had an outbreak of acne that was so bad he had to leave school for a semester, to be treated. His parents once ag ain having notions about themselves, managed to get the money to send Henry to College. Henry did not last long. By the end of the book Chinaski is out on his own in the real world.

All that said it is not all doom and gloom. There are a number of passages that will have laughing, like when Henry would sneak out of his house go down the block, and masturbate in a bush watching a neighbour change. Also there are times when the enrichment of the truth is quite obvious, like when he got drunk at his friends house. When his friend passed out, Henry decides to wait for his friends mother to return home and seduce her. When the mother arrives home Chinaski succeeds in seducing her but, balks and runs out of the house.

My favorite quote is;
“You are thirty minutes late."
"Yes."
"Would you be thirty minutes late to a wedding or a funeral?"
"No."
"Why not, pray tell?"
"Well, if the funeral was mine I'd have to be on time. If the wedding was mine it would be my funeral.” 


This book is truly awesome, its not your typical coming of age story at all definitely worth a read. I would say this book is  Mel Gibson(before he we knew he is a dick) it can be fun, touching but always soaked in alcohol.

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Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Review


"We were somewhere around Barstow, around the edge of the desert.... when the drugs began to take hold." This is the point when Fear and Loathing takes hold. It is also the opening line from Johnny Depp. This movie is based on the book of the same name. The book is semi autobiographical, this is hard to believe when you watch the movie because it's so fucking off the wall! But when you learn that the author, Hunter S. Thompson died, rather than be cremated or buried, he had his corpse fired out of a motherfucking CANON. It all starts to become very believable.

The movie is the story of Thompson covering the Mint 500 race and then covering an anti-drug convention. There is very little journalism happening, that said this is Gonzo journalism. A style of journalism pioneered by Thompson, AKA Dr. Gonzo.  This movie has one of my favourite opening sequences in any movie ever. Duke(Thompson's name in the movie) and his lawyer are driving to Las Vegas in a rented convertible. There is a roll call of all the drugs they have, which is quite extensive. They see a hitch-hiker  and decide to pick him up, this hitch-hiker is played by a very young Toby Maguire. The sheer terror on his face when he realises the kind of people who he has taking ride with is simply fucking hilarious.

I don't wanna say anymore because I could talk all day and night about this psychedelic masterpiece, all you need to know is that this movie is awesome. Johnny Depp is perfect. When you see the real Hunter S Thompson you realise Depp perfected his role. Benicio Del Toro is excellent as Duke's lawyer. Make sure you watch for the cameos from Penn Jillette and Cameron Diaz. Basically I love this movie and you will too. I would recommend you read the book also, there is a part in a bar with young cop that is cut from the movie, this is a fantastic passage.

I usually pick my favourite quote but there is no way I can pick one quote, it is impossible. This movie is far too quotable for one. Just go watch the fucking movie.

I use actors to rate movies, Nicholas Cage is top, Kirsten Stewart is bottom, and use appropriate actors in between these. This movie is Nicholas Cage on a massive drug binge!

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