I'm in love with a French Silent Film star

Last week I went and saw the highly acclaimed award winning silent film "The Artist". I was intruiged. I didn't read any reviews or interviews before going to see this movie because I didn't want to go into this with any pre-concieved ideas (I hadn't even watched the trailer until I looked it up on youtube)

I was shocked and amazed by what I watched transform in front of my eyes on screen. The story was so simple but beautiful, the characters loveable and expressive.

I wasn't sure I could sit through a film with no talking but after about 15 minutes I was transfixed and didn't want it to end. Jean Dujardin had me hooked in a way I haven't felt while watching a movie for a very long time. He was charming, delightful, heartbreaking and somehow extremely cheeky.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough - if you're a fan of films you HAVE to go see it. It's a wonderful homage to cinema before all the talking came along.

If the trailer doesn't sway you into going, just watch this skit that he cameoed in on SNL a couple of nights ago. I can guarantee you that he dances like this in the movie - actually he dances about a million times better than this in the movie but this will give you a taste of what he's capable of.

*SWOON*

 - Brooke

Sloth love

I was just shown this video by my sister - I've always thought Kristen Bell was amazing (since watching Veronica Mars) but this video just multiplied that by 100000+++. I didn't know anyone could be so excited to interact with a sloth before.

I'm sure pretty much anyone on the internet has seen that first video but there was also a cute after the show video that I had to share too

Toooooo cute

 - Brooke

Laneways filled with Horrors

Another weekend, another music festival. This time it was the festival described by one of my festival buddies as "so indie it hurts"- the Laneway Festival.

I went to Laneway Festival last year and wasn't super impressed by the festival but when given the opportunity to attend for FREE, I couldn't resist. Mostly because of one band - The Horrors. 

I could re-count the tales from the day but I'm pretty sure it'd go down much like my last post (about Big Day Out) - hot, great bands (for those who care, I saw - Laura Marling, Portugal The Man, Cults, Feist, The Horrors, The Drums & M83), great friends and Calippos - so instead I'll just write about The Horrors and my undying all consuming love for them.

Let's re-wind about 5 or 6 years while I was still working at JB Hi Fi. I was at that stage in my life where I was still discovering new bands. I was also pretty obsessed with The Mighty Boosh and I read an interview where Noel Fielding interviewed this extremely strange and peculiar band - The Horrors. 

I knew we had received their new EP at work so when I was back at work I had a listen - from that moment I was hooked. Their sound was unlike anything I had heard before - it was creepy, catchy, bizarre and oh so good. Since then, each album that they have released has been an evolution of their music style and they've somehow managed to become even more haunting and beautiful.

The very first time I saw them perform was at the Glastonbury Festival in 2007. It was manic, frantic and brilliant. They were crazy good live - engaging, mesmerising and delightfully weird. I was also really lucky to see them play at Electrowerks in Islington London that same year. Of all the shows I saw while in London that year this one stands out as one of my all-time favourites. It was a small (tiny) venue and I can still feel the energy coming from both the band and the crowd. Electric and mind-blowing.

I've been lucky enough to see them live now 6 times and it's been pretty cool to see their transformation - from garage punk weirdos to all out indie cool (sans make-up but still oozing that Gothic charm). Every time I see them live it's a highlight. They draw me in until it's all I think about, and all I listen to.

Now it's time for you to get sucked in too - some of my favourite songs from each album

"Gloves" - from Strange House

"Who Can Say" - from Primary Colours

"Still Life" - from Skyring 

Aren't they magnificent? 

 - Brooke

P.S I am now up to 3 of 10 new bands (who I have gone out of my way to see live) for my 50 things list!! WOO HOO!!!

#43 of 50 Things - Update and Re-design my blog

Do things look different around here today?? They should!!! My new blog design by Kaelah at Little Chief Honeybee has been installed. Man is this girl good!!! After answering a little questionnaire and sending her a few links to some different colour schemes and fonts that I liked she came up with this amazing design. 

It has everything I wanted and everything I love (did you see all the asterisks?? *swoon*). It's so pretty and feels much more "me".

You'll notice I now have a navigation bar at the top of the blog. I forced myself to write a little "about me" page, so if you'd like to know a little bit more about me then click click click! I'll update the other pages in the next week (FAQ, Contacts). 

YAY! I'm so excited about this new look. Thanks so much to Kaelah for being so fabulous and somehow dragging my dreams for my blog onto the page. You're marvellous!

I'm going to relax and watch Empire Records while I click through and obsess about this new layout.

41. Update and Re-design my blog 

x x x

 - Brooke

Big Day Out Festival Melbourne

Sunday. What a day. A hot sweaty mess of a day but a fabulous day spent with great people and amazing bands.

I decided 2 years ago after a pretty lacking Big Day Out festival that I would only attend if the lineup was right. This year the lineup felt right. With as much controversy that has surrounded the festival this year the line up offered me a nice mix of talented musicians ready to entertain me in the heat.

It was such a hot day I spent around $20 on Calippo icy poles. Worth every penny. We also found the sprinklers and soaked ourselves after a few different bands. We also found an easy way to cool ourselves down - pour cold water over your feet, you'll thank me after you've tried it.

The first band we saw for the day was Cage The Elephant. A little background for you - 3 years ago when my sister and I were about to drive down Highway 1 in California she purchased their album from a Borders store in San Francisco (I naturally purchased the latest Jack's Mannequin album). She had been raving to me about this band that we didn't get a chance to see at the Lollapalooza Festival that we had just attended (they clashed with Kaiser Chiefs). We listened to that album for about 50% of the drive down to Los Angeles and I was hooked. This festival was the first time they've toured Australia and the first time we've managed to see them live. They were worth the wait - WOW! (Second photo was taken by my sister Crystal - and no he's not on the stage, he's standing ON the crowd after crowd surfing to the middle of the tent)

We went to their solo show last night and it was SOOOO good I think I need to write about it in a separate post.

We also saw The Vaccines, Architecture in Helsinki, Kasabian and Noel Gallagher (right decision over Kanye West) among other bands. The most perfect way to end our day was singing "Don't Look Back in Anger" with Noel Gallagher.

My festival festivities *cringe* are not over yet. I am lucky enough to be headed along to the Laneway Festival in Melbourne on Saturday to spend some time with some more glorious bands.

 - Brooke

P.S Things are going to look different around here soon - my new blog design is almost ready for installation by the lovely Kaelah from Little Chief Honeybee. I'm SO excited for the change. It looks so much more like me - she's AMAZING at what she does!!!

P.P.S For those obsessed with following the casting news for the new Les Miserables movie adaptation will be SO happy to hear that Taylor Swift is OUT and Samantha Barks is IN for Eponine. I was lucky enough to see her perform this role on the West End 2 years ago when I was in London. She is absolutely PERFECT!!! I'm relieved and happy (there's a cute little interview with her HERE)