Culture Diary, Week Commencing 31/01/2011

Mon 31/01

The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
New release featuring typically eclectic material from the Brighton-based pop-hop outfit.

Wed 02/02

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
The renowned orchestra led by principal conductor Vasiliy Petrenko perform works from Stravinsky and Shostokovich amongst others, conducted here by Andrew Litton.

http://www.liverpoolphil.com/3342/events-classical-music/memorable-melodies.html

Fri 04/02

The Fighter
Director David O. Russell's (I Heart Huckabees/ Three Kings) The Fighter, tells the familiar tale of a boxer aiming one last uppercut at the big time, only in this case it's based on the true story of boxer 'Irish' Micky Ward (played here by Mark Wahlberg). The Fighter received an Oscar nomination last week for best supporting actor for the performance by Christian Bale, playing Micky's half brother and trainer, Dicky.

Correction

To those involved with Chew Disco and (equally importantly) those wanting to go, please be aware that I mistakenly listed its date as the 28th Jan, when in fact, Chew will be happening (happening being the operative word) on Saturday the 29th.

Apologies from the view...

Culture Diary, Week Commencing 24/01/2011

Mon 24/01

Jim Noir - Zooper Dooper EP
Given he's been doing the rounds for a few years now, you could be forgiven for expecting Noir to have discarded his eccentric brand of psychedelia for something a little darker by now. Judging by this latest release though (originally supposed to see the light of day late last year), you'd be wrong. And for that, the view is grateful, as in this dark, never-ending January, we need all the brightness thrown our way that we can get!

http://www.sevenstreets.com/music-and-listening/jim-noir-review/

http://jimnoir.com/

Fri 28/01

Biutiful
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's first feature since Babel stars Javier Bardem as an ailing underworld figure struggling to come to terms with mortality.
Said to have garnered a career defining performance from Bardem, Biutiful nevertheless, promises to be a difficult (but one hopes, rewarding) watch. 

Sat 29/01

Chew Disco @ The Shipping Forecast, Slater Street
The left-field cornucopia of a night out returns for 2011 with its usual mix of live bands, DJs and much dancing from the punters and the regular line-up of go-go dancers.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=108367519236093&index=1

Culture Diary, Week Commencing 17/01/2011

Mon 17/01

PJ Harvey - 'The words That Maketh Murder' (Digital Download)
The first single of new release, 'Let England Shake'. Any new material from PJ (in a career spanning more than 20 years) is worth getting excited about, and theview is willing to bet you'll find this no different.

http://pjharvey.lucidwebs.co.uk/home.asp


Fri 21/01

Black Swan
Make no mistake, each new film from Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky is now rightly viewed as an event in itself. That this one stars Natalie Portman (brilliantly playing a dancer pushing herself to psychological breaking point) should be all you need to get yourself out to the cinema this Friday night. Expect a superlative gothic horror, perhaps providing Portman with the role of her career.

Sat 22/01

Ian McCulloch, The Well, Liverpool Cathedral
The Mac plays the pretty awesome Liverpool Cathedral in a rescheduled gig (previously cancelled due to the December winter wonderland) which, one expects, should be more than worth the wait.

http://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/401/section.aspx/400/an_evening_with_mac_rescheduled

Culture Diary, Week Commencing 10/01/2011

Mon 10/01

I'm Still Here (DVD/Blu Ray release)
For those who didn't catch it on its cinema release, you can now seek out (should you so wish) Joaquin Phoenix's relatively elaborate ruse of a spoof documentary. Charting the decline and fall into madness of a  high profile Hollywood star. Make of this what you will. If you can watch it for what is it, you'll probably find something in there to enjoy.

British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall 
Brighton's finest, British sea Power, usher in 2011 with a release full of eloquent, anthemic indie-pop.

Fri 14/01

The Green Hornet 
Significant not in that it stars Seth Rogan, so much as this latest (seemingly) typical Hollywood comic book conversion is directed by French auteur Michel Gondry (honestly, I'm not making this up!). If I wasn't typing, my head would still be in my hands.

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, almost three weeks have elapsed since my last (some may say under-represented) culture diary (but at least they were goodies, right?!?!?). I confess, it's been difficut peeling myself from the couch in order to set foot back on the blog, but now I have I'm very glad indeed that I did.

Peace out.