Sloan - Action Pact
(Vike)

Sloan are getting to that point in their career where it’s becoming difficult to remember a time when they weren’t actually around. With this, their 7th full length album, they’ve settled into that predictable groove that canonly be reached by bands that are in it for the long haul.

You know, the groove where they’re just trying to hang on to their livelihood. They’re still writing somewhat passable music, but they don’t seem to be as vital or refreshing anymore.From here on in, you can count onthe fact that Sloan will release a new album every year or two, continuing to regurgitate the past 30 or 40 years of rock music, without adding more than one or two noteworthy songs to their repertoire each time. The albums will serve only to pad out their discography and the eventual greatest hits compilation.

It’s strange how each subsequent Sloan release seems to make me appreciate the one that came before it that much more. Back when they put out Navy Blues, I balked at their borrowed AC/DC riffs, preferring instead to listen to more borrowed Beatles riffs. Now I find myself wishing that they were still rocking half as hard as they did on Navy Blues.

Action Pact is, for the most part, a middle of the road rock record. Although Sloan are great songwriters, it’s funny how they still haven’t been able to find their own unique style by now. On this record they tried for a more unified sound, recruiting Tom Rothrock (Badly Drawn Boy, Elliot Smith, Beck) to produce and select the best tracks for the album. However, in doing so they may have killed what is typically the best part of their albums: the balanced variety and versatility of contributions from 4 unique talented songwriters. There are no songs written by drummer Andrew Scott on the album, which is disappointing because he often brings some quirky piano-based tunes to the mix. We are given 12 guitar-based songs that essentially run into one another. Nothing really stands out, and what’s more, nothing really sounds much like Sloan’s past recordings.

The AC/DC cock rock riffs have been replaced by something that resembles Steppenwolf/Guess Who classic rock material, particularly the Chris Murphy-penned “Ready For You”. There is also an 80’s influence seeping into their songs now… just check out the cheesy ballad, “Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore”, complete with little echoey rattle sounds. The only song that is overwhelmingly “Sloan-esque” is the lead off track, “Gimme That”, which probably could have fit in on either Navy Blues or Between The Bridges.

The album’s best songs are probably the power pop moments of “False Alarm” (an unexpected one from Jay Ferguson) and “I Was Wrong” (Patrick’s always got a few of these up his sleeve), which sound more like Guided By Voices or some other vaguely familiar indie rock band than Sloan.

Overall, I can’t say that Action Pact is bad but I feel completely indifferent towards it. My life is no richer, no more enjoyable after having heard it. The songs just don’t stick in my head like most of their earlier ones did. I’ve gone from being a huge Sloan fan to someone who is just hoping that the next record won’t suck. On the one hand I want to defend them and give them another chance, but on the other hand I want to hold them up to the standards of albums like Twice Removed or One Chord To Another. Ah well, what can you do? Here’s to hoping the next one doesn’t suck worse than this. — Sean

The Paperbacks - An Episode Of Sparrows
(Pshaw!)

I dislike hardcover books… they’re overpriced, big and bulky, and they’re awkward to carry around and read. It’s almost like they’re specifically made to collect dust on your shelf. Plus, after you’ve read a hardcover book all the way through, it remains unmarked and unchanged, completely indifferent to your perusal of its contents. Something about the paperback format just feels a little more warm and personal. Their fragility allows a favourite book to become creased and earmarked with love.

Okay, so I’m probably taking this metaphor a bit too far, but The Paperbacks are precisely the kind of band you can curl up with on a rainy day, losing yourself in the soothing melodies and poetic lyrics as you watch the rain trickle down the windowpane. Fronted by Doug McLean, formerly of Painted Thin and The Bonaduces, The Paperbacks lack the overabundance of youthful energy that these previous bands had, but make up for it in beautiful songwriting.

McLean’s voice is instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with The Bonaduces; on An Episode Of Sparrows however, his vocals are not as whiny or abrasive as they sometimes were in this previous band. Complementary backing vocals help to smooth out the melodies on most of the songs.Bonaduces fans will also find more familiarity here, as bassist Jaret McNabb and drummer Jack Jonasson join McLean once again, along with Tanya Zubert (The Mandarins) and Jason Churko (Transister Sound & Lighting Co.).

Listening to this record, comparisons to The Weakerthans and Jets To Brazil come to mind, minus the folk influence of The Weakerthans, and the faux British accent of Blake Schwarzenbach. The album isn’t all as laidback as you might assume, with songs like “Who Will Run The Starfish Hospital” and “Plans In Advance” rocking at least as hard as the Bonaduces did a few years ago. Still, it’s some of the quieter moments that stand out the most, such as “Local Celebrities”, a song about indie music scenes, and “Letters Vs. Numbers”.

Most of the songs tell vague stories, and just like a good paperback, they’re full of heart-felt drama, romance and intrigue. If you’re into soothing indie rock and power pop, this is what you’re looking for. Once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down. — Sean

Spun (DVD)
Directed by: Jonas Akerlund
Written by: Will De Los Santos, Creighton Vero
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Patrick Fugit, Mickey Rourke, Mena Suvari, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo

There have been more and more “drug movies” coming out in recent years. By drug movies of course,I don’t mean simply movies about drug addicts and their life stories, but specifically movies thatattempt to give the viewer the feeling of being under the influence of a certain drug, and also try to showcase a particular subculture revolving around the drug. Movies like Trainspotting, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, and Requiem For A Dream are just a few that come to mind. All of these were critically acclaimed, and all of them were quickly identified by theyouth of today as important because the movies were apparently so in tune withtheir culture. However, not every movie about drugs has been so well done, and more and moreof these movies are being released that have no real significance; they just use weird camera effectsand other cheap tricks in an attempt to gain a cult following with the raver crowd and otheryoung hipsters.

Early indications were that Spun would be one of the latter films. Director Jonas Akerlund hadpreviously only done music videos for artists like Moby and Madonna, and it seemed like one of thoseprojects big name actors only do to give some credibility backto their career. However, it was the specific actors involved that actually drew me to this movie.Although many of them are well known, they all have a nose for high quality movies and certainlydon’t need to buy themselves credibility. Their noses didn’t fail them this time around either.

Jason Schwartzman stars as Ross, a drug addict who gets hooked up with the local drug cook and ends up running odd jobs for him. Along the way he is trying to hook up with an ex-girlfriend, and well, basically just trying to score as many fixes as possible.

The drug of choice in Spun is crystal meth aka speed. As you can imagine, there are a lot of cooleffects that can be used to simulate the feeling of being on speed such as quick jarring cuts,hyper fast motion speed, and intense close ups. All of these are used to a degree, but the majority of the visual experimentaion seems to happen in the first scene. Afterwards, the movie eases up a bit in order toactually tell a story. There are still some weird trippy scenes that happen later on though, including some with strange, sexually explicit animated sequences.

Drug movies are also often very gritty and/or obscene, showing shocking and distasteful things. In thissense, Spun is at least on par with, if not a step beyond, the level of grossness found inTrainspotting and Requiem For A Dream. I have to give some of the actors credit, in particularMena Suvari and Patrick Fugit because in this movie they are actually done up too look disgustinglyunhygenic and strung out. We have the pleasure of witnessing Suvari taking a dump, complete with the”dropping of the log” if you will. Fugit has a revolting scene of his own where he is eatinga half-cooked microwave dinner in his underwear.

But despite the disturbing elements of the movie, it never quite gets to that same level ofgrim reality that Requiem For A Dream achieves. This is mainly because Spun has a really greatsense of humour to it. Some of it is, as you might expect, dark comedy. For example,somehow the concept of tying up and abandoning a naked girl for a few days becomes a sourceof comic relief, as demented as that seems. Beyond this, the many quirky characters and theirexagerrated, cartoony behaviour is always a great source of amusement. Mickey Rourke is amazing as “The Cook”, a macho tough guy who is a bit of a loser underneath it all. The two characters that really steal the show, however, are the two 70’s TV cop send-ups. Whenever they enter a scene they are so absurd and over the top that they temporarily change the whole feel of the movie… though in a way they fit with the exagerrated style of it all.

Oh, there is of course one other essential element to a classic drug flick: a great soundtrack. The music in Spun was all done by Billy Corgan who contributes a wide mixture of stuff, from songs that sound like the Smashing Pumpkins, to dreamy pop stuff that you would never guess came from the mind of Billy Corgan. He also makes a cameo in the movie as a doctor.

There are 2 DVD releases of Spun: one rated R and the other unrated. You don’t need me to tell you that you want to get the unrated version if possible; although the differences are probably minor, you really shouldn’t miss out on any of the grotesque moments as they are an important part of the movie. Both DVDs are also packed with extra stuff including deleted scenes, a music video, and two audio commentary tracks: one with the director and writer, the other with the producer and writer.

Some people claimed that Spun was directionless and emotionless, making it difficult to care for the characters. I didn’t find that to be the case. Although the final message that the movie gives isn’t much more than “drugs are bad”, it does tell a tale of loneliness as well. More importantly, Spun was original and fun and for that it definitely gets my personal seal of approval. — Sean

The High Dials - A New Devotion
(Rainbow Quartz)

While most bands are busy worrying about making music that will get them radio airplay or keep their fans happy, The High Dials are concerned about only one thing: creating great music that makes them happy.

You may remember them as the band formerly known as The Datsons or the band briefly known as The Datson Four, but with the emergence of both The Datsuns and The D4 in the music world they decided that it was time to end the confusion and set themselves apart.

The Datsons’ last album See! was one of those great rock albums that just gets better and better every time you hear it, with a sound that put them somewhere between The Jam, The Kinks and The Beatles. For A New Devotion, the band wanted to take on something a little more ambitious. Following in the footsteps of bands like The Who, Radiohead and The Flaming Lips, The High Dials have created a full on concept album consisting of 18 amazing tracks. The concept is actually a story that follows a character named Silas as he makes his way through a “nightmarish futuristic world”. Although there is no one overwhelming message, many of the songs clearly address the isolating effects of technology and a need to reconnect with nature. Sounds kind of like they’ve turned into a bunch of hippies doesn’t it? Worry not friend… the album is still danceable and fun and it rocks hard.

Each song on A New Devotion really does feel like a separate chapter in one long story. There are a lot of new elements being incorporated into their sound, including bits and pieces of both psychedelia and electronica. The variety of different instruments used on this album is impressive, but it never once sounds gimmicky. From sitar to horns, flute to electronic drums to tablas (wha?), each song has a unique feel while still retaining the core sound of The High Dials.

Musically they have evolved, but they haven’t abandoned their roots.The sugary pop hooks, tight rhythms and infectious energy of The Datsons’ previous outings are still here, but there is a new depth to the music, one that demands a little more participation from the listener to appreciate. Although A New Devotion isn’t as immediately accessible as See!, it is infinitely more rewarding. The album’s lyrical content alone contains more thought than most bands put into their entire songwriting process.

I can only hope that the name change and redefined musical focus will bring more accolades for this fine Canadian band. A New Devotion is easily one of the best releases of the year and you should not miss it. — Sean

Gigli
Written and Directed by: Martin Brest
Starring: Bennifer Afflopez, Christopher Walken, Al Pacino

Oh dear lord where to start.

By now you’ve heard all the reviews trashing this flick, and its safe to say that they’re all right. Gigli, the first of two films to come out in these next few months from Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, is indeed as bad as you have heard. Maybe worse. Obviously most of the moviegoing public have thus far agreed, as at the time of writing, Gigli had just surpassed Manos: the Hands of Fate and this years From Justin to Kelly as the IMDB’s #1 worst movie of all time. Is it THAT bad? Well, not really, but it is arguably the worst romantic comedy/drama ever made. But for people like me, its that kind of bad that makes you want to sing and dance with glee at the horrors that lie within.

Whats not surprising is the direction itself is not bad. You’d suspect as much from Martin Brest, who although has made some other mediocre movies, like Meet Joe Black, isn’t the biggest hack out there. The acting, from most parties, is passable. Instead, what makes Gigli such as spectacular disaster of a movie comes from the whole idea in itself, reinforced by how unbelievable and stupid all the little things that carry the plot are. The plot of Gigli is very basic. It is about two hitmen who kidnap a boy with autism for their boss’ boss. For the remainder of this review, we will refer to this boy as ‘the retard’. Because as far as the filmmakers are concerned, that is all this boy is. One retard there for comic relief. “Ha ha he’s so out of it. He’s not like us!” Yay.

Ben Affleck is the pinnacle of miscast. Having actually enjoyed Affleck in many supporting roles over the years, its amazing that anyone would put him in this role, as he not to anyones surprise, is the most unconvincing thug in movie history. Ditto Lopez. He tries to look tough, threatening to send a local merchant through a spin cycle in a washing machine, but its just laughable. Ben plays his role like Vinny Barbarino. Is he supposed to be stupid, tough, or both? You don’t know, because everything seems like nothing turned out the way it was meant to be. Its all very very confusing. But for people like me who watch bad movies, this sort of thing is butter. It adds to the mystery. You want to know what the hell is going on. The movie begins to work for you on a different level.

So at his boss’ command, Larry Gigli (rhymes with really, as in the running gag about his last name is REALLY annoying) picks up the retard Brian from an institution and takes him awaytakes to his apartment. This kid, who looks more like Tom Hanks than Colin Hanks does by the way, is the brother of a federal proscecutor. Every cop in the state is looking for him. Gigli and Brian just chill at his apartment, letting everyone just stop by and visit. No big whoop. One of these such people is Jennifer Lopez, whose character goes by the false name of Ricki. She’s there to ‘make sure he doesn’t fuck up’, which is funny because these two end up just chilling at the apartment flirting and reading. Way to take control. Christopher Walken makes a cameo as a cop who already knows Gigli, and I guess he was just hanging at the studio, because his part doesn’t add anything to the storyline or anyones character. Walken hams it up as he tends to do when presented with bad material, talking about throwing food in Gigli’s face and other nonsense. And then he’s gone.

And it continues like this for around 2 hours, as Ricki, Gigli and Brian hang out and occasionally go out for food, just for a change of setting. No tension around the kidnapping, no hiding, ducking away, no chase, no danger. Not much happens at all, which is then you realize that maybe this movie is actually just about Gigli and Ricki, and the romantic subplot is actually what we’re supposed to care about. Which would make sense since that is what the advertising campaign is focused on. After Ricki reveals she’s a lesbian, and after Affleck embarrasses himself trying to pick her up (ha ha ha she was gay you dork you tried to pick up a gay chick hilarious!) they do the complete Chasing Amy storyline. I guess Brian is the Banky figure here. They become great friends, they do it, theres a special relationship with Brian between them all. But after everything she’s still gay so they break up.

The other story going on with their relationship with Brian will offend. The filmmakers shamelessly use Brian for a series of Rain Man-esque one liners about sex and music, making sure to use lots of cuss words, because cuss words from a retard are funny I suppose. They really milk this guy for humor. I can just imagine the producers meetings:

“Hey you remember the rapping granny? Well what if we make the retarded kid sing rap songs for no reason? Crowd pleasing!” Wait’ll you see Brain do his version of “Baby Got Back” as Gigli cuts the thumb of a corpse with a plastic knife and fork.

Repetitively, they have scenes where Brian retards is as retards does, only to have Gigli get annoyed and lash out. Then Gigli is sorry, and he looks at him with puppy dog eyes and a sympathetic score music comes up. You realize Brest is trying to portray that Gigli has heart. And autism is sad. Yet hilarious. Huh? This is evil at work. I can deal with both of these ideas within the scope of a movie, but if you’re trying to send a message, pick one and run with it.

Returning to the relationship between Ricki and Gigli, the ‘men vs. women’ dialogue is so badly composed it is embarrassing. I have no idea how these actors let these words pass their lips. Its bad enough when Affleck is looking in the mirror, psyching himself up for sex, yelling “I’m the bull, she’s the cow”, but its another when he announces that he is the “motherfucking rule of cool, slick, mack daddy, pimping” whatever. Yes, he uses all those words, and again, I have no idea if they’re serious or not. Are they trying to make Gigli look stupid, funny, tough? Lopez probably gets the most brutal lines in the movie, as while doing yoga, she goes on a monologue about the pride of having a vagina, spreading her legs and humping air as she speaks. It’s a crazy world when I feel sorry for Jennifer Lopez. After “turkey time” (I wont spoil that for you) I have not much less to say about the script but wow, I hope they paid you a lot for that, because this has Golden Raspberry written all over it.

Then Al Pacino shows up and kills some guy, and fish eat the guys brains. And then the movie is over. They do the parting of ways, the driving into the sunset, the repeating of various life lesson catchphrases they picked up from Gigli’s thong wearing momma, and its over.

Did I give too much away? I’m sorry if I did, but I can honestly say if you go see Gigli, you won’t be too upset about this, its still amazing even if you know what happens next. As far as bad movie entertainment goes, it nearly catches up with Showgirls, which is a very very hard task. Horrible yet entertaining and watchable, if you purposely go out to see bad movies, this is the jackpot. You wont forget it, ever. You might even buy the DVD. — Goon