If you hadn’t heard, Thee Oh Sees are spending a massive amount of time on the road in 2023. They kick off the UK & Ireland leg of their tour this month, with Canada in June and apparently the rest of the world through September. Thank goodness, too, as we had been missing their energy, their sound perfectly executed by band members John Dwyer, Tim Hellman, Dan Rincon, Paul Quattrone, and Tomas Dolas.
Along with their live shows comes a re-examination of some of Thee Oh Sees’ former work. In 2012, the band performed at Emo’s East in Austin, marking their first appearance at Austin Psych Fest. This particular show is included in new vinyl releases titled Live at LEVITATION. Mixed by John Dwyer and mastered by JJ Golden, the music is being released on 12″ colored wax.
“Block of Ice” live from Emo’s East in 2012 is a remarkable example of the showmanship this incredible rock outfit has. Check out its premiere (to a mass audience) below.
The opening punchy power chords of Meg Myers‘ new single “Me” announces not only the forthcoming album T/IA but the importance of self-love. Waking from a fretful sleep, Myers opens her eyes to a sunny day with enlightenment on transcendent love. The simple solid bright colors of Myers’s little room create a happy vibe for its inhabitant despite its limited space, and it echoes a childhood imagination reminiscent of a grade school party this Valentine’s love season. Like the kids and Myers, we all yearn for love and acceptance. “Me” shows us how we can first love ourselves and always have this inner strength.
The part of one continues as Myers gazes out the window, not in lonely longing but in a happy daydream. Unafraid, she looks into the camera to assert her “someone else” is “me.” We see her lean into her mirror to kiss her reflection, demonstrating a joyful acceptance. From forehead to looking glass forehead, we see the singer enjoy her own company. She knows the transcendence of this relationship, and she claims this level of greatness for a potential romantic one.
Banging out those steady chords on a little blue piano, she maintains this love foundation. A mascara-covered eye opens over the lens so we can see from Myers’s perspective. We too can transcend the lies lobbed at us about dating culture so we can be rooted and ready to accept a suitable someone else. No more will Myers be a victim of manipulation. As she basks in her presence, she will carry on as strong as the “Me” beat, bright as her single room and transcendent of her self-love. Romance can take it or leave it.
Tennessee-bred indie rock outfit Colony House – expertly comprised of artists Will and Caleb Chapman, Scott Mills, and Parke Cottrell – celebrates the release of their new full-length The Cannonballers today. Equal parts thrilling and entrancing, the album is a wild ride from the intro of the initial track “Landlocked Surf Rock” to the very last notes of “I’m Not Dyin’.” Chapman’s vocals are smooth, the lyrics are relatable, and the indie rock edge is cut slightly with high production quality.
Admits the band: “We tried to stay away from getting stuck on a theme, but I think being back home for such an extended period of time after traveling so hard for the last ten years informed a lot about this album.”
In fact, their home base served as the main inspiration for the album. Says frontman Caleb Chapman: “We got to see the seasons change and experience our home again for the first time in a long time. I think I was falling back in love with Tennessee, and I started revisiting some old memories and old relationships in my head that pertained to certain geographical locations as well as just emotional places I had spent my most formative years.”
We suggest melting into tracks like “One of Those Days” and “Don’t Give Up on Me” when in a contemplative mood, and turning up the volume on tracks like “Landlocked Surf Rock” and the beach-worthy title track.
You People has been the talk of the town, as the cast has been on a larger-than-life press tour. Most late-night talk show hosts have been clinging to the idea of an Eddie Murphy revival. The stacked cast stands on its own even without the comedic talents of one of the most storied celebrities of our time. Shelley (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Arnold (David Duchovny) are the parents of Ezra Cohen (Jonah Hill), who has recently met and fallen in love with Amira (Lauren London), the daughter of Akbar (Eddie Murphy) and Fatima (Nia Long). The supporting cast includes Molly Gordon, Rhea Pearlman, Taco, and Sam Jay, among others.
The Humor in You People is Often Clunky and Uncomfortable
The plotline centers on the way people of different racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds look at each other. Everyone has preconceived notions of the way the world is and how it should be. While none of the characters are outright racist, microaggressions that they may never have intended can rear their ugly heads. And this movie created plenty of opportunities to observe this behavior.
Ezra finds himself experiencing a series of unfortunate events stirred on by inherent racism, as does his betrothed. Akbar always imagined his daughter marrying a black man, and his disapproval of Ezra is palpable from the moment they meet at Roscoe’s to discuss the idea of marriage.
The filmmakers chose to have Ezra want to impress them so badly that he missteps and comes off as insensitive as well. This begins with his choice of eatery and the fact that he is proposing the idea of marriage during his first meeting with the family.
While Ezra struggles to level with Akbar throughout the movie, Amira has similar issues with the Cohen family. Ezra’s sister takes a romantic liking to her and his father – who has an affinity for Xzibit and wants the world to know about it – chooses to serenade her with John Legend’s “Ordinary People” in an awkward first meeting moment. His mother? Well, she is on a whole other level, leaning into the “diversity” the family is engaging in a little too much.
Admittedly, the Plotline isn’t Entirely Believable
The plotline goes a little bit too far when Shelley and Akbar take it upon themselves to attend the bachelor and bachelorette parties for their in-laws. These scenes actually make the viewer think, “Why didn’t their significant others or children put a stop to this?” This is the piece of the movie that came off as too wild, too unhinged. The discomfort felt during these scenes could have easily been portrayed in other, more believable ways. Plenty of moms have made themselves seem off-the-rocker on the hunt for a bridal gown or at a bridal shower, for example.
But that might be the exact point the writers are trying to make. These ideals are antiquated. The atmosphere they create is uncomfortable. And sometimes you have to sit through the discomfort to truly understand the message of a movie. Race struggles are still at the forefront of the conversation in America, still. It can be difficult to find humor in it, and it is something we should all be working to fix. This commentary and this perspective are necessary because change doesn’t come unless we get uncomfortable.
Have you gotten a chance to check out You People yet? Maybe you can help me find a new discourse for it… and get it out of its lower-rated category on Rotten Tomatoes.
Did we ever think we would address a Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy as an “adventure rom-com?” The answer is, indeed, no. But after watching her latest – an incredibly ludicrous but equally entertaining wedding comedy set in the Phillippines – it seems like that is the best way to describe this action-packed film.
While the idea of a JLo rom-com feels frilly and predictable, the only frills you will find in the new Amazon Prime film Shotgun Wedding would be in the layers of her dress. And only after she rips it into shreds to escape and defeat pirates.
Yup. It’s kind of like that.
So, what makes this film more entertaining than other new releases? Why should you give it the time of day at all? Here are three reasons to indulge in the ridiculousness that is Shotgun Wedding.
Cheech Marin is a Zaddy
Yup. You read that right. The storied Cheech Marin plays Robert, Darcy’s (Lopez) wealthy father. He shows up to her wedding, not only as the lost one true love of her mourning mother Renata (Sōnia Braga) but arm-in-arm with his yoga instructor girlfriend Harriet (D’Arcy Carden), who is decades younger and hiding a few surprises up her sleeves.
Lenny Kravitz Wears Pearls
Lenny Kravitz makes his way into the fold as Sean Hawkins, Darcy’s sexy, alluring ex who works for her father. The kicker? The man shows up in a helicopter after a pity invite, blindsiding the happy couple having never RSVP’d to the wedding. His presence throws more than a wrench into things, but his endless pearl necklace and unbuttoned shirt at the ceremony almost make up for it.
Jennifer Coolidge is a Badass Moonlighting as an Overbearing Mother
Jennifer Coolidge has been on a magnificent acting streak as of late. It seems as though she appears in everything, and you won’t hear us complaining. The woman who made the “bend and snap” a reality now stars as the mother of the groom (Josh Duhamel), whose unappreciated, rusted cake knife gift to the couple may just come in handy when battling pirates on international soil. Her overbearingness is made up for in time, especially when it comes to her surprise ability to handle weaponry.
While we certainly don’t want to provide too many spoilers, we can say that this film took a drastically different course than we initially imagined. Plus, the behind-the-scenes experience for this all-star cast seems to have been an extremely fun and memorable time.
If you’re looking for a movie with romance, golf cart crashes, live grenades, giant diamond rings, and maybe an insane yoga instructor or scorned ex, Shotgun Wedding should be your next movie night go-to.
Singer, actress, and author Sophia Marie is no stranger to heartbreak. Or so the debut single from her sophomore effort, a song titled “Femme Fatale” would have you believe. With a distinct nod to late 80s/early 90s pop, this track absolutely glitters sonically from the first chord to the very last line. But the subject matter? A bit more tempestuous.
Admits Sophia Marie of the track:
‘Femme Fatale’ is an 80s-inspired ballad that depicts a narrator engaging in reckless, degenerate, and overtly flirtatious behavior because the one man that would make her calm, steady, and stable doesn’t love her back.
It’s a song that attempts to hide its insecurity but then blazes it out in the open, describing the narrator’s process of morphing into something she despises just to stoke envy in her lover’s heart. I was inspired by my own experiences, exaggerating my changes in personality when I became jaded or disillusioned with love, but I also drew heavily upon iconic historical and literary femme fatale figures like Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and Moulin Rouge’s Satine to give it a sexy ambiance that causes dissonance with its depressing words.
“Femme Fatale” works up a frenzy lyrically, with a disarmingly smooth sound. Get your first listen below.
Pre-save the track here and keep up with Sophia Marie here.
