Howl’s Moving Castle

 

I have not talked about anything besides music since I started this lil jig with the interwebs but my bud Maximus Prime showed me this choice Miyazaki film a couple of months back.  Since then, I have revisited it multiple times for inspiration and entertainment.

If a recommendation from some random guy on the internet isnt enough to sit you down for longer than an hour in a fantasy land….maybe my friend Christian Bale can change your mind.

Thats right, one of the lead characters is voiced by our pal Batman. In addition to Bale, there are many other top notch voice actors in the English Dub. Including Billy Crystal and Jean Simmons(the good one). 

The characters in this masterpiece are so colorful and fill the plot full of surprises. This movie is an emotional rollercoaster that takes you from bliss to intense realism with the amazing animation. This movie doesn’t lack action either, rather it thrives on it.

This movie made me think of the recent release of the Disney movie UP! I seem to think it could be taking advice on how to make older characters more relatable to a young audience. Through the actions and strongheaded mindset of the lead role.

Till later

Tafka

Shoe-gazing Goodness

Intro Swervedriver. This band made some pretty sweet music in the ninties and last year reunited for a tour. Now most of the members are going on to different projects including one with Sam Fogarino(drummer from Interpol/YEAH). http://www.last.fm/music/magnetic+morning

The band has been mistaken countless times as being a late-comer to the US grunge movement. However, one of my points here is to say that these cats are no Mudhoney/ Nirvana ripoff. They are the real deal, complete with fuzz guitar and touching vocals. I want to share a short little EP that I have come to love.

(Just incase you didnt know:click the album cover for the link to the EP)

Wrong Treats has three stellar songs. I picked this EP to talk about because I believe it is one of their most accesible works and it does so without sacrificing the added Noise/Ambience that is common in the shoe-gazing genre.

Also, since this is the beginning of summer I will be posting more music and some other goodies more often.

-Tafka

Don’t Pass it Up

Lets get this party started.

I’m gonna start out by saying that I have been skeptical to make a blog for quite a while, but I would like to share a ton of awesome music, movies, and random things on the internet.  First off, I am going to say hello the best way possible, with free music.

Starting with a pretty great Indie/Post-Hardcore band im getting into…wait did i mention this is J-rock? The album is Inspiration is DEAD by Japanese Indie Rockers Rin Toshite Shigure(find japanese characters below).  The instrumentation on this album is impressive and the vocals remind me of an Asian Geoff Rickly. J-Rock isn’t very indicitive of some of the other stuff I will be posting on here so don’t get turned off. Check this band out!

If your computer recognizes Japanese characters as blocks head over to http://newton.uor.edu/Departments&Programs/AsianStudiesDept/Language/asianlanguageinstallation_XP.html and add East Asian Languages.

by Rin Toshite Shigure or 凛として時雨.

 

-Tafka