I know I’m late on this one… especially since I saw the movie opening night. Been busy and haven’t gotten around to writing this down yet.

What can be said about A:AoU? Well, if you want to see what is most likely the most fun and entertaining movie of the summer you better get to the theatre. Though a little darker than the original Avengers movie, AoU is still full the the trademark Joss Whedon whit. Robert Downey Jr. continues to knock it out of the park as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) and fellow returnees, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo all play their parts with equal skill, making it hard to imagine others in their role.

Newcomers Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen do great in their roles as Quicksilver and The Scarlett Witch as well. Of particular note though is James Spader as the voice of Ultron. Spader was the perfect casting call for longtime Avengers adversary. His voice brought a very menacing tone to the metal menace.

I appreciated the extra screen time devoted to the “less powerful” Avengers in this movie as well. Both Hawkeye and Black Widow were fleshed out a lot more as characters which was refreshing.

Really though… it’s an Avengers movie. If you want fun and explosions… go see it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYGzRB4Pnq8

Writer/Director Alex Garland delivers a suspenseful, claustrophobic masterpiece with 2015’s Ex Machina. Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson), is a young talented programmer who is invited to evaluate the human characteristics of a new A.I. (Alicia Vikander). Oscar Isaac plays Nathan, the creator of the artificial intelligence Ava.

I first took note of Oscar Isaac when played Standard in the 2011 movie Drive. I really enjoyed his performance and hoped to see more of him. In Ex Machina Isaac plays a charismatic inventor with some dark secrets. His performance was excellent. It really blew me away.

Also delivering a great performance was Alicia Vikander as Ava. Her performance was incredibly nuanced which allowed for you to see the evolution of her character throughout the film.

Garland created an incredibly claustrophobic atmosphere with this movie. Very few characters were used in this movie which served to heighten the suspense. I wouldn’t expect any less though from the man who wrote Dredd and 28 days later.

I highly recommend seeing this movie to anyone who has the chance. I enjoyed the movie throughout and it kept me on the edge of my seat.

I’m not sure if there is an album that could capture what it feels like growing up in Hinton more than this album by Desert Boots. Though they are based in Calgary it’s easy to tell that Hinton is where they call home. You know those small town skate/punk kids that listen to all kinds of music? This is what happens when they make a band. Listening to their albums brings up memories of all the random artists you would listen to while you got off of your after-school job, went and showered, showed up at the bush party and woke up in someones basement only to repeat the process again until school on monday morning.

It’s almost impossible to classify the music of Desert Boots but one thing is for sure, it’s amazing. Try drawing influences from all over the musical world and smashing them together in a raucous and fun way and then you may have an idea. Where a song might sound like a punk smashed together with blues with a touch of Gogol Bordello thrown in for good measure (Blood like wine), another sounds like bluesy rock akin The Black Keys if they were trying to play like Guns and Roses (Baby Jesus), while yet another sounds as though it’s a Smith’s song  crossed with the Pixies (Redemption and 1950’s man). From start to finish Desert Boots is a roaring good time. I defy anyone to listen to “Foul Crooks” and not sing along. Plus how often do you get a line as good as “I’ve been searching for my lord and saviour Jesus Christ, but all found were old records of Judas Priest”?

The song that is probably the most accessible for people not used the stylings of Desert Boots is “Baby Jesus” however this album is incredible as a whole. Listen to it. You won’t regret it. Also check out their bandcamp page. http://desertboots.bandcamp.com/

Don’t let Alec Ounsworth’s voice turn you away immediately. Listen. You will soon realize that the high pitched and almost cracking voice of the lead singer is an integral part of the music. Released in 2005 this album has been one of my most listened to albums for the past 10 years.

Happy and silly at times (the opening song “Clap your Hands”) this album packs a punch as well.  If you are looking for “hook” songs to get you past the initial shock of the oddities of CYHSY check out “Details of the War”. The most relaxed and perhaps most “accessible” of the songs on the album it is a good introduction for those who haven’t listened to the stylings of Clap Your Hands yet.

Afterwards I’d recommend the songs “The Skin off my Yellow Country Teeth” and “Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood”. Both of these songs demonstrate how catchy this band really is. Once you have become acquainted with the style of music as well as the voice of the singer I’d recommend listening to the album from start to finish, as it is beautifully put together.

Band of Horses – Cease to Begin

This album is magnificent. Has been one of my favourites for years. Opening with “Is there a ghost?” which quickly sets the tone for the rest of the album. There is a slightly haunting sound established in this song which carries throughout the album.

It is hard to pick out highlights on this album which is incredible all the way through. Each song would have been a “highlight” song on any other album. Other than “Is there a ghost?”, I would have to pick out “No one is gonna love you”, “The General Specific”, “Island on the Coast” and of course the single “Cigarettes and Wedding Bands” as the heavy hitters for this album though “Ode to lrc” and “Detlef Schempf” deserve mentions as well.

This album is a must have. Beautiful and haunting. Full of songs that lift and mellow at the same time, Cease to Begin is very listenable and doesn’t lose its charm with time.