Life Aquatic With Seu Jorge

One of my favorite Wes Anderson films is none other than the Jacques Cousteau inspired film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The film is about the travels of Steve Zissou to capture a shark that has killed his long time friend and partner. While he seeks revenge on his fishy nemesis, he has discovered that he had a son. He joins him on his quest while trying to establish a relationship with his bond. It is a very strange film with an unusual sense of humor, similar to his previous works. However, I enjoyed every minute of it and I love every detail that was put into the movie.

The Life Aquatic featured a great soundtrack, but it was their compilation album The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions Featuring Seu Jorge that really stood out. It features talented Brazilian artist Seu Jorge. It is a collection of David Bowie covers all sung in Portugese. I'm not sure why Jorge went with Bowie. Maybe he was a fan or perhaps it was under the direction of Wes Anderson. In any case, the covers sounded amazing. Enriching and absolutely gorgeous, he carried out his tunes in such a classical way. Bowie, himself would be very proud. On that note, majority of all the tracks (other than Jorge's original "Team Zissou") are featured on two of Bowie's classic albums, The Legend of Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory.


For anyone who enjoys David Bowie should take a look at this compilation. It's a great album and it's worth hearing another perspective on the legendary singer's famous songs. Also, I highly recommend checking out the film.

Welcome Back, Boys!

A few weeks ago, Absolutepunk has informed that Yellowcard has returned from their two-year hiatus. The band has also announced that they currently working on a new record, their first since 2007's Paper Walls. I was pleased to hear the good news especially since Yellowcard was one of my favorite bands during my college years. I first saw them back in 2004 during Surfest where they were one of the featured bands along with New Found Glory, Rise Against and many others. What made me interested in the band was their use of the violin in their sound. I understand that many bands have utilized the classical instrument in their respective music, but not many punk bands are able to do this. Yellowcard was the main exception. Sean Mackin, the violinist of the band, has truly demonstrated the instrument's versatility and dexterity. Combining the grace of the violin along with rich punk melodies and catchy hooks, Yellowcard has truly established themselves as one of the leading forerunners in pop punk.

 
Recently , the guys had an acoustic performance at a Hot Topic store (location unknown). They did not play any new songs, but it was so great to see them playing again. Check out the performances below especially their acoustic rendition of "Rough Landing, Holly".

So dust off your violins, folks. Yellowcard is back!