A Better Entertainment Is Possible.
John Grant reaches the top of our loop with ‘GMF’, one of the many standout tracks on his excellent new album ‘Pale Green Ghost’ in which Sinead O’ Connor adds her vocals and Gus Gus his electronic wizardry to impressive effect.
Shlohmo’s alt R&B collaboration with Jeremih is the week’s highest entry; while long awaited comebacks by the likes of Vampire Weekend; Beyoncé; Joanna Newsom or underrated soul legend Shuggie Otis have also fared well.
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Half of last year’s dance sensations TGHNT, Hudson Mohawke , having been signed by Kanye West’s own imprint, resumes his solo activity with ‘Scud Books’, the first taster from his imminent new work that’s our favourite tune of the week.
Two dazzling collaborations make the highest entries on this edition, John Grant and Sinead O’Connor who returned to the spotlight last year covering The ex-Czars lead singer and now joins him alongside Iceland electronic class act Gus Gus on his brand new album; also James Blake teaming up with music legend Brian Eno, in one of Blake’s standout tracks from his sophomore effort. Other notable collaborations entering our chart are flamenco singerSoleá Morente and Evangelistas; Major Lazer Feat. Ezra Konig; Joe Crepúsculo with Russian Red and the return of Iggy & The Stooges.
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Returning this week to the live stage in London, My Bloody Valentine also heads our loop with ‘New You’, another standout moment from their impressive two-decades in the make ‘MBV’ album.
Experimental female artist 3:33 is the week’s highest entry; Smith Westerns; Rustie; Waxahatchee and Bonobo, recruiting Erykah Badu for his new chilled out track, also feature high.
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Vancouver band Young Galaxy are back in the loop and straight to the top thanks to Peaking Lights’ helping hand remixing in their usual dub-infused manner the brilliant ‘Pretty Boy’, already a candidate for best pop song of 2013.
Slowcore favourites Low are the week’s highest entry, next to new tracks by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; Hudson Mohawke; AlunaGeorge and Yeah Yeah Yeah’s comeback single ‘Sacrilege’. Among other veterans offering new works Michael Stipe and Courtney Love; Steve Earle and Four Tet also return to our chart.
Check the new edition of the loop here.
Veteran Italian siblings Paolo and Vittorio Taviani are the brains behind our favourite film of the last fortnight, ‘Caesar Must Die’★★★★ . The celebrated authors are back in top form with this excellent account of the preparations for a representation of Shakespeare’s classic ‘Julius Caesar’ happening in an Italian jail. Half documentary, half dramatization and with a dazzling array of visual techniques on display, the process brings to surface the inmates’ personal lives to superb, touching effect through the way they relate to their rooles. The winner of last year’s Golden Bear in Berlin, It was also Italy’s submission for the lastest edition of the Foreign Language Oscar.
Avoiding the traditional post-Oscars lull the film industry normally experiences, our theatres are packed instead with a ridiculous number of interesting new releases. The one that would have scooped our film of the week honours last week is ‘Lore’ ★★★★ , another festival favourite finally reaching our screens. Aussie director Cate Shortland earned a great deal of praise for her former work ‘Somersault’; her follow-up is set in Nazi Germany and expertly mixes the gripping drama of a German officer’s daughter left in charge of her younger siblings and forced to escape after the Nazi defeat; with arthouse pace and a gorgeous cinematography capturing the rural landscape they pass through on their runaway.
25-SIGHTSEERS (Ben Wheatley)
Darkly comic road movie described as Mike Leigh meets ‘Badlands’. Ben Wheatley’s follows up his acclaimed second feature ‘Kill List’ going for the laughter but keeping a great deal of horror in the mix when its apparently ordinary middle aged couple embarks on a dull caravan holiday to explore the tourist delights of the Lake District and ends up leaving a trail of death and museum leaflets behind as a wide range of annoying people get in their way. Comedians Alice Lowe and Steve Oram starred and penned the script of what was probably the best British comedy in years.