The Retrospective

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=jqK1dE0FWo0

I’m still on the fence about what to think of this band. I’m unnerved a bit because the lead singer has a striking resemblance to my friend Ethan from back home, but that’s beside the point. I was totally blown away by the way Eric Sean Nalls sings; he’s soulful and, at times, downright operatic. The song is laced with piano chords and frantic bits of noise and hardcore. I haven’t listened to anything else from this band yet but from the video I can only hope that, in the flesh, they put on an amazing electric show. By the way, does anyone know what the heck a foxy shazam is? You can check out more from the band on their myspace page.

Editors Note: Thanks to Evan for informing us that “Foxy Shazam” is a slang term from Cincinnati that means “Dope Shoes”.

Tags: Music2 Comments

Depending on how my morning goes, I usually commit myself to watching Rocko’s Modern Life before heading out the door. I was flipping through the channels to get there a few days ago when I saw “Yo Gabba Gabba” on Nick Jr. Now I’m old enough to remember when Nick Jr. had shows on like David the Gnome and Eureeka’s Castles. With strange creatures and even stranger segments the show had something that held me there for a few minutes. I remember my friend Paul mentioning this show but I never paid it much thought. I mean come on! I’m a grown man and YES I know I watch cartoons but this is like little kids programming, right? However, the fun part “Yo Gabba Gabba” is the diabolic work of Aquabats lead singer Christian Jacobs.

Countinue Reading…

Tags: TV1 Comment

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=7urZe6r5CGU

Ghost in the Shell is, in my opinion, one of the greatest anime feature films ever to hit the silver screen. If you were to ask any anime fan what their top 3 anime films were this would most likely be one of them. The film centers on the members of an elite law enforcement unit known as “Section nine.” The covert ops team deals with crimes of the “technological” variety. Originally based on a manga by Masamune Shirow it has spawned multiple films, animated TV shows, and video games. Just when the hype was calming down it was announced this week that Spielberg’s DreamWorks had acquired the rights to create a live-action 3D rendition. I’ve always wanted to see what some of my favorite animes would be like in live-action but most adaptations have been rather disappointing (if not massive failures). Does having Spielberg and Avi Arad (Marvel’s savior in transforming their line up into blockbuster films) attached to this project make it appealing? Very, but I’m still pretty apprehensive.

Countinue Reading…

Tags: Films3 Comments

It’s been a pretty busy couple of months for the staffers here at The Retrospective. When we aren’t engaged in bringing you the latest and greatest we all work respective day jobs. That being said, the lack of updates hasn’t gone unnoticed. We are asking our readers far and wide if they are interested in being writers and contributors. If so, give us a shout because we want to keep the content here as fresh as possible.

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Tags: site news · The Retrospective1 Comment

I’m never too far away from music while I’m working because it’s complimentary to the creative process. I’ve been so knee deep in the DJ set these days that I’ve forgotten about my true love for dirty, grungy guitar sounds. While on the hunt for new music to satisfy my hunger, I ran across a few bands that really stood out. One is Cut Off Your Hands hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. The band has been spending the better half of last year releasing EPs and touring with bands like Bloc Party, Ratatat, and We Are Scientist. I’m a sucker for Gang of Four’s “Solid Gold” and Bloc Party’s “Silent Alarm” sound and that’s why I found myself playing these guys on repeat. They are currently in the studio working on their full length album.

“Still Fond”
[audio:stillfond.mp3]

“You And I”
[audio:coyh.mp3]

Tags: Music2 Comments

He’s known by a lot of different monikers as “Young Global”, “YG”, or just plain Larry. Regardless of what you call him, this young man is on his grind. Larry Ossei-Mensah is the mastermind behind the My Global Hustle blog. Ranging on topics such as entertainment, trend analysis and business news Larry covers it all. Jason introduced me to the blog a while back and I was instantly hooked. I was curious about what made Larry tick. He travels the world, is an accomplished photographer, and has the business savvy of a man far beyond his years. He’s broken bread with celebrities, dignitaries and his photo work was recently shown in a gallery in Brooklyn. He eventually hopes to take this exhibit on the road during this coming year. This guy is on the fast track and it doesn’t seem like he’s planning on slowing down anytime soon.

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Tags: blog8 Comments