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Adam Ant recommended Monster Head Room by Ganglians in Music (curated)

 
Monster Head Room by Ganglians
Monster Head Room by Ganglians
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This is the most contemporary record of the lot. They're a West Coast band. There's one track on there called 'Valiant Brave', which is one the most extraordinary songs I've heard in many years. It sounds like an Apache war cry recorded on the backside of a mountain somewhere. It's the most indescribable record. I'd love to have written it. There's just two chords and the arrangement is quite unusual. It hit me first time round and I was listening to it over and over. Then I bought the album. The rest of the album is very tight harmony work. They sound like sons of the Beach Boys. It's encouraging to hear a young band sound that good. It's purist. It's where the Fleet Foxes are going. It's a lovely record. Primarily I find new music by people telling me about bands, but I like the Uncut and Mojo magazine sampler CDs – they've got a wealth of tracks by new bands, underground bands. That's where I heard 'Valient Brave'. When you're making a living out of music and writing, there's such a lot to learn from what's already been recorded. It'd take you a lifetime to appreciate what's been done. But it's great when something is out on its own and you hit on something new; when someone's hit on a pulse and it's not derivative. Very early Blur were really good and the first Supergrass EP was fabulous. That was the last time it got exciting for me. Damon [Albarn] gave me a cuddle at the Hootenanny recently and told me he loved me."

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Boot Camp (Rock War #2)
Boot Camp (Rock War #2)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
So this is the sequel to Rock War by Robert Muchamore, which is the only other novel I've read by this author. I can't say I loved the first book, but I was intrigued to find out what happened next!

Twelve young bands have earned their big break, and are due to spend their summer in Rock War Manor as part of a new TV show. Among these contestants we have Brontobyte, Jet, and Industrial Scale Slaughter - all of whom we met in the previous novel.

The bands are put through vigorous training, before performing live and having to deal with the nosy media. There's also the added issue of tension among some contestants, such as Jay and his ex-band-mates. There are, of course, some more positive relationships going on too.

This book paints a rather realistic picture of life in the media, with all the ups and down that "fame" can bring. Not that I have any actual experience in this matter, of course.

My main problem with these books is how immature they feel. The language isn't simple, but it just somehow feels childish to me. Not to mention how most characters are a few years younger than me, and remind me of my first couple of years at secondary school.

Despite this, the story is pretty good, and I was really rather shocked by the ending. Again, I'm left wanting to know what happens next?

So although I don't love this book, I don't hate it, and I can see how some people could really enjoy it. So I think it deserves 3.5 stars.
  
    Oil & Gas Journal Magazine

    Oil & Gas Journal Magazine

    News and Magazines & Newspapers

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    Enjoy Reading the Oil & Gas Journal at any time in any place! The Oil & Gas Journal, first...

    LCBO Food & Drink Magazine

    LCBO Food & Drink Magazine

    Magazines & Newspapers and Food & Drink

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    Food & Drink is the free customer publication for customers of the LCBO, Ontario’s provincial...

Mulled to Death
Mulled to Death
Kate Lansing | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Parker’s Valentine’s Getaway Hits a Murderous Snag
Parker Valentine and her boyfriend Reid are planning a romantic Valentine’s weekend trip to a ski resort. Parker is hoping to take a few minutes to sell the resort on her mulled wine, and is star struck when the owner, Olympic gold medalist Annmarie Bauer, sits in on the meeting. But the next morning, Parker is nearby when Annmarie has a deadly skiing accident. Parker saw some things that make her question whether it was an accident or not, and as she begins poking around, strange things happen to her. Can she figure out what is really going on?

Having enjoyed the first two books in this series, I was looking forward to checking in with Parker again. I did feel that Parker’s motive for looking into this as much as she did was weak until late in the book and the plot relied a bit too much on events over investigation, but overall, this was a good mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Parker and Reid are joined by another couple, Parker’s brother Liam and her best friend Sage, who have recently started dating. These four characters are the core of the series to me, and I loved seeing how they developed here. As always, the books are written in first person present tense. I love how the author works in tidbits about wine making as metaphors for what Parker is going through. We get three delicious sounding recipes and suggested wine pairings at the end. Fans of the series will have fun with the newest in this series.