Genre : Blues/Rock/Indie
Release Year : 2007
Record Label : Virgin

Ben Harper dan teman-temannya: para kriminal yang tidak bersalah, di album ini menghasilkan musik yang sangat menyenangkan, soulful, laid back, easy listening. Menikmati lagu-lagu di album ini rasanya seperti sedang beramai-ramai melakukan roadtrippin' tanpa tujuan yang jelas, membawa ransel, memakai kaos belel, celana pendek, sendal jepit, dan sepanjang perjalanan bisa ketawa bebas lepas, cerita-cerita kebodohan masing-masing tanpa harus malu takut dicela.
Sekilas beberapa lagunya mengingatkan saya dengan Black Crows, Lenny Kravitz, dengan petikan gitar akustik, ballads drum beats, soulful /bluesy vocalnya. Sangat cocok buat jadi theme song perjalanan liburan dengan teman-teman menyenangkan yang tidak direncanakan!!!


Fave picks :
track 2 : In The Colors
track 3 : Fool For a Lonesome Train
track 6 : Say You Will

Better with :
Cold drinks or cold beers (Corona would be great), sitting by the beach 30 minutes before sunset, and just enjoy the view...

Genre : Rock/Indie/Electronica
Release Year : 2007
Record Label : Surrender All

Oke, pertama melihat album ini di Aksara, satu kata muncul di otak saya langsung : GOKILL! Kenapa? Album ini sangat istimewa buat saya karena UNKLE banyak berkolaborasi dengan musisi handal seperti Ian Astbury "The Cult", Massive Attack, Josh Homme dan masih banyak lagi. Hasilnya? Sangat mengesankan. Benar-benar two thumbs up! James Lavelle's UNKLE project in this album shows more rock, adventurous, dark, epic. That's why each song sounds so unique and surprising. Didukung kemasan album ini yang sangat artistik dari sisi desain, fotografi, bener-bener sebuah album yang nggak digarap main-main. Selain itu video klip Burn My Shadow juga memiliki konsep treatment ala suspense/action movie, dan hal itu juga yang membuat saya mengagumi album ini. It's not just an album, it's beyond music. It's a great artwork.

Fave picks :
track 5. Keys to The Kingdom - UNKLE feat. Gavin Clark
track 7. Burn My Shadow - UNKLE feat. Ian Astbury
track 10. Twigliht - UNKLE feat. 3D

Better with :
a drawing book, some pencils, hot peppermint tea, maryjane, and just enjoy the moment with yourself while drawing what's on your mind without thinking it too hard.

Release Year : 2007
Record Label : Astralwerks
Genre : Rock/pop, Rock/Dance

This is one of the highly anticipated album in 2007.
Personally for me, this album is satisfactory!
It's fresh, loud, robotic, melodic, complex, and playful!
Digitalism adalah duo DJ German : Jens Moelle and Ismail Tuefekci.
Idealism album, hasil kreativitas mereka cukup sukses menghasilkan 15 track electro new wave yang tetep kental dengan unsur rock nya juga.
So it's kind of dance music that makes you want to rock!
Memang jika dinikmati lebih dalam, ada sekilas Daft punk/LCD Soundsystem/ Bloc Party/The Rapture didalamnya.
Anyway,
Bagi yang penasaran ingin cepet-cepet dengarkan musiknya, silahkan lihat clip lagunya di tag Skindeep atau buka saja My trippy videos disini.

Facts :
One of the song "Digitalism in Cairo" - track 5, samples the 1979 The Cure song "Fire In Cairo".

Fave Picks :
track 2. Zdarlight
track 4. Idealistic
track 7. Pogo
track 10. The Pulse

Better with :
sidestepping with your old sneakers/converse, listen loudly for yourself using headphones, joged pake gaya nunjuk-nunjuk atau gaya tinju, and just set your criminal minds free for your next revenge plan.
Plus... put your the devilish grins.

Release year : 2007
Record Label : Thrive Records
Genre : Electro

Great electro sounds featuring great dance mix!
Itu yang pertama kali saya rasakan saat mendengar album ini.
Cukup dikejutkan dengan saat menekan play, track pertama rock banget.
Did I play the wrong album? No, there's nothing wrong!
Di track pertama "Refused" sama sekali bukan electro, dengan raw beats of drum, rough gitar, screaming vocals..this track is definetly a rock song with no electro at all.
But! There's always a big but ('but' bukan 'butt' ... big butt maybe if we're talking about J.lo album).
Meskipun ngga terlalu jauh beda dengan track pertama, track selanjutnya sangat kerasa mixing electro, rock, new wave, 80's disco nya.
Bagi fans Bloc Party, The Klaxons, Mystery Jets, Justice, Daft Punk, Franz Ferdinand, seharusnya terharu bahagia mendengarkan album ini karena memang definetly not the one you can miss out!

Facts :
Sekilas tentang Steve Aoki, seorang DJ di L.A dan founder dari DimMak records yang sukses membawa Bloc Party, Mystery Jets, Klaxons.
Other than that? I'm not sure he got anything to do with Devon Aoki (the model & actress. Ngga penting, I know. Never mind then hehehe..)

Fave picks :
track 08. Klaxons - Gravity Rainbo (Soulwax remix)
track 10. Peaches - Boys Wanna Be Her
track 12. Yelle - Je veux te voir

Better with :
80's sun glasses, colorful shirts & stocking, playing dressed up, posing a robotic disco and looking at yourself in front of the mirror with your friend holding a disco ball...Oh yeah plus the ben stiller on zoolander pouty lips!

Awards : 2003 Oscar for Best Actor in Leading role, Best Director and Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay.
Main Cast: Adrien Brody
Director : Roman Polansky
Tag line : Music Was His Passion, Survival Was His Masterpiece

The Buzz :
1. Adrien Brody's body changes in this movie that followed by his facial expression is quiet extreme and brought out the strong performance.
2. Great set, costumes, everything that embodies the World War II in details.
3. Unforgettable scene where the young kid got busted by NAZI after trying to steal a bread and was beaten to death on the ghetto wall.

My Bites :
Totally a must-watch-war-movie for those who loves the similar type of movie such as Schindler's list, Saving Private Ryan, etc.
Heartfelt, shocking horrific reality of World War II as told by the Polish Jew a reputable pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman. All of his family member was executed, and he managed to escape and sent to the German forced labour compound. The true thrilling story of his life, how his talent helps him out somehow to survive during the Nazi occupation in World War II.

Main Cast : Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman
Director : Rob Reiner
Tag line : When he closed his eyes, his heart was opened.

The Buzz :
1. Truly 'sick' performance by both Jack and Morgan after the chemo session shown in the scenes. They nailed it!
2. The plot is predictable, and not too surprising at the end of the story. The key selling in this movie is two great actors itself.

My bites :
Okay, untuk sebuah arahan Rob Reiner yang masternya film-film drama, memang yang satu ini ngga terlalu membuat sesak dada dengan empati.
Live the life to the fullest memang jadi inti cerita kedua orang yang divonis mati karena penyakitnya yang masih berusaha mencapai hal itu dengan saling bantu mewujudkannya, even tough they came from two different side of social class.
No it's not Romeo and Juliet style, and it's not gay movie either, it's just two walking dead trying to have some fun before seeing the light from above.
Quiet nice to watch just to warm your heart a bit.
But one question : why the rich always white and the poor always black? Plus the black died earlier too! and he is wiser too! Isn't that kind of stereotype in hollywood movie? (I guess these are more than 1 question.. sorry can't help it)
FYI : I gave 3 stars mostly for the two great casts.

Awards : 2002 Oscar Best Make Up & Best Music
Director : Julie Taymor
Main cast : Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Goeffry Rush, Ashley Judd.
The tagline : "The Story of An Outrageous Original"
The Buzz :
1. The main cast is Salma Hayek. She poses naked in several scenes in this movie.
2. Complex true story involved in Politics, Art, Passion and Pain (literally).
3. There's a special connection between the founder and commander of Red Army that also against Stalinism - Leon Trotsky and Frida Kahlo.
(this is magnificent! I always thought there's something more behind those great historical stories).

My bites :
I love this movie! It's about originality in art.
This is a perfect movie for art lover specially surreal art.
It's exciting to see how she paint, her concepts, how she escape from the pain with picturing the pain she feels on her paintings. And Salma Hayek is so perfect in playing her role. I couldn't think another woman to play Frida.

One true divine song from Sigur Ros, taken from the album ( )
Absurd? Jangan terlalu dipikir. Nikmati saja.
Lambat...lambat.
lembut...lembut.
Seperti diulang-ulang.
Seerti bergantian.

Slow touch of the lips and making slow motion on each other.

Gong, taken from Takk album in 2005.
Sigur Ros formed in August 1994 in Reyjkavik.
The name 'Sigur Ros' means 'Victory Rose' in English.
Beautiful, heartfelt, genius melody, in a very slow mode.
I don't even know or understand what's Jonsi the vocalist saying in this song.
Enjoy this, and feel yourself floating.

A Mogwai song, band originally from Glasgow, taken from Mr.Beast album.
Different side of rock/alternative music.
Lagu surreal yang sangat ekspresif meskipun tanpa lirik.
Sensual. Angkuh. Dingin. Lembut. Keras. Romantic.
It's like waiting for someone, atau remembering the first time you flirt with him.
Lalu tersenyum-senyum sendiri mengingatnya.


Seandainya konser di Jakarta : I'm wearing psychedelic googles taking maryjane in my right hand sitting on the front row with rapid eye movement.

Again. Beautiful sadness.
Slow sick sadness flows from this song.
Ketika sang pemain utama tidak pernah menang.
Hanya jadi pecundang.

"I am all the days that you choose to ignore..

You’re all I need
You’re all I need
I’m in the middle of your picture
Lying in the breeze"

Karakter melodi yang khas Radiohead selalu senyawa dengan vokal Yorke.
Seperti sedang sunyi sendiri di pojok ruangan kelas yang ramai.

"So don’t get any big ideas
They’re not gonna happen
You’ll go to Hell
For what your
Dirty mind is thinking"

You can feel how gloom his mind is.
Absolute irony.