The Culture Feature | March 2013

A billion years ago, I started a series called The Culture Feature. The last one was in November, so, yeah, that didn't work well.

I want to try and bring it back and actually stick to the schedule for good this time. I also hope it's going to force me to get back on track with reading and watching movies, because I've been slacking badly recently. I only have a movie to share this month, and the rest's going to be 100% music!

MOVIES | Argo, Ben Affleck.
I am a sucker for everything Awards related. Each year, I pick my favourites out of the Oscar and BAFTA nominees after attempting to see a maximum of them, and whenever I can, I stay up all night watching red carpets and long-ass award shows.  It didn't work out so well this year, since February was crazy, and I only managed to watch Argo, and only way after it had won (literally!) all the awards.
In a few words: SEE IT, IT'S BRILLIANT. I still saw Ben Affleck as that big kid who used to date JLo and was mates with Matt Damon, and not really as a legit director nor actor; I've definitely changed my mind now.

Argo tells the story of a CIA exfiltration specialist sent to Iran to get five Americans out of the country in the midst of the (insert name of the crisis.) It's a touchy subject, a difficult matter, and mostly, the true story of a fairly secret event. It was important that Affleck didn't turn this into a Hollywood product nor a weepy drama. It's all the contrary: simple, sensible, well written and delivered (the cast, man!) with very funny one-liners in cleverly chosen spots.

tl;dr: It's very good and appeals equally to brains and feels. Watch it.

MUSIC | Cardboard Castles, Watsky.
Watsky is another of these very thoughtful gifts the Internet has given me. I discovered it through YouTube since the rapper/spoken word performer/musician's popularity is mostly due to his online presence.
Now, for the music. Watsky's texts are brilliant. Listening to Strong as an Oak or Moral of the Story makes me feel a little bit less alone because it sounds like my own experience. He's witty, his sense of rhythm is just woah-esque and he's also hilarious (see Kill a Hipster, a song I listen to a lot whenever I feel like living in South East London is a bit too much.)
I've got a ticket to see him in May and I am SO EXCITED.

MUSIC | Holy Fire, Foals.
I'm seriously late to the Foals party. I knew them before Holy Fire because I don't live under a rock, but… I pretty much had never listened to their music. My listening to Holy Fire was the conclusion of one of many "a lot of people with great music taste love them, ergo they're probably very good" moments I have (c.f. Adele, Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons, etc.)
Holy Fire got me through essay writing and the redaction of half of my journalism portfolio, and was the soundtrack of most of the inebriated dinners me and my friends had over the past few months. It's relaxing and powerful and a little bit mystical, and it makes me feel fuzzy inside. Give it a listen.

MUSIC | El Camino, The Black Keys.
So that one's not new. Not at all. I know, but remember I do things a couple years later than everyone else. I obviously knew about The Black Keys, but it took me giving this album to my brother for Christmas to actually give it a try... And love it! I really like the guitar riffs and the constant pounding of the drums. It makes me want to jump and dance and have a beer in the sun and like I'm in a really cool movie.
Incidentally, it's also the album I listened to while I got my wisdom teeth taken out last week--if you're into something to drown out the sounds of dentists' drills, I can testify it works well.
(Note: also listen to Brothers. I actually think I like Brothers best. The Black Keys are just too good.)


Now, see you next month. Hopefully.