First Impression (Movie Review): La La Land

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I am writing this literally 5 minutes after I walked out the movie theater. "La La Land" is a MUST see. I don't do movie reviews often, even if  I wanted to. There have been other movies I've wanted to talk about but never had the chance to, but "La La Land" I just HAD to talk about and comment about it.

"La La Land" is the story of a Pianist named Sebastian (Played by Ryan Gosling) and an Actress named Mia (Played by Emma Stone) who fall in love with each other as they try to live their dreams. Mia can't find a role making it impossible for her to become a big name actress and Sebastian is stuck playing a boring setlist in a restaurant where no one listens to him. After they meet, they serve as support for each other, Sebastian encouraging Mia to write her own play and Mia encouraging him to accept Keith's (played by John Legend) offer to join his band.

To me, the plot is pretty standard, but purposefully standard. First of all, there's a BIG "Golden Age of Cinema" feel to the movie as a whole. The music is mostly Jazz, the transitions are very "old school" (with a lot of fades), and the premise is basically "boy meets girl" and "The American Dream" story arcs in one, and maybe is just me but there are a various elements in the story that are borrowed from "Casablanca". All of these elements make the movie feel like an homage to Old Hollywood classics, and a simple a compelling plot fits this mold. All of these elements, however, are properly stylized so it doesn't feel/look like a repackaging old stuff, but instead something familiar but new. Another thing that I love about this movie is the simple way they divided the Story arcs. The movie opens in the holiday season, then it cuts through the four seasons and ends in winter. The holiday season works nicely as a prologue, and Spring, Summer, and Fall are the 3 acts, which come together nicely on the Resolution in Winter. Again, simple but creative and familiar.
This movie relies heavily on character due to the simplicity of its story. The chemistry of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling is perfect in this movie. Without the chemistry between them, this movie would've fall apart very quickly. Mia and Sebastian are characters you get to know and love. You know what they want, who they are, and never does an action feel out of character. One thing that I love is a funny parallel between Mia and Sebastian and Jazz music. In the movie, Sebastian explains that Jazz came to be when musicians in New Orleans couldn't understand each other because they spoke different languages. Music was how they communicated. Mia is an actress that loves movies and knows nothing about music and Sebastian is a musician who loves Jazz but knows nothing about movies. Just like the musicians in New Orleans, Mia and Sebastian didn't speak each others' lingo, but it was the overall goal and determination that draws them together. I particularly loved this parallel between the characters' relationship and Jazz music because it does help bring together the music closer to the story. Almost as if music is not a tool to tell the story, nor is it a plot device, but rather an integral part of the story and characters. To me, besides an homage to the Golden Age of Cinema, "La La Land" is a well written Jazz love song.

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Nothing is perfect, sadly, and this movie has its fair share of problems. On the overall, the movie is great but there are some details that to me are distracting. Since most of these are details, I will discuss a few plot points. Before I dive into these details, here are a few problems of the movie in general:
It's a musical with a big Broadway feel to it. When it breaks into song is not supposed to be real, it is supposed to feel big. For example, the opening song is a group of people stuck in traffic, they sing and dance, and then go back in their cars. If you are not a fan of musicals in general where people break into song or have a dance number for no reason, then you might not like this movie. Other than that, I feel the camera work wasn't that great. It was good, but not pitch perfect as to be expected from a high budget film. I think there were one or two shots that were slightly out of focus for no reason. In some music numbers, specially those with large amounts of people, the camera moved too much trying to capture everything making it hard to make out and appreciate what was going on. One example of this is the party scene that happens before Mia meets Sebastian. Another example is a scene where Sebastian is playing at a club and Mia is dancing. The camera pans from Sebastian to Mia and back in a call-response manner. The first time the camera pans from one character to the other is cool, but the more it pans between the two and the faster the song is going, the less effective this style is. By the 4th time it pans, I felt the camera man was struggling to keep up with the tempo which not only is it distracting but also could've been done through editing with a lot more ease and more accurate cuts.

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This is a personal pet peeve and this is a detail from the plot, so Spoiler Alert: When Sebastian goes and plays with Kieth and his band, who seem to be all trained Jazz musicians, Kieth incorporates electronic music into the song and sounds terrible. It is supposed to sound terrible, I get it. We, the audience, are supposed to understand that this is not what Sebastian wants to do and to him this sounds like a butchering of Jazz music as an art, but he has to do it because its a possible steady source of income. The problem is that the electronic beat is off tempo, and added very lazily to the song they are playing. In fact, later in the movie, the band plays live and sound nothing close to what they were trying to do in that recording session. Kieth later argues that Jazz is dying because no one is listening, so he is trying to revive Jazz by incorporating more modern elements. There is a way to do this right. There's a genre called Electro Swing and it is amazing! When Keith tries to justify his musical decision, it seems that's what he is going for, but again the beat was so lazily added it makes no sense. If this was a work in progress, he wouldn't have sounded so confident in the recording session about something that sounded so obviously terrible. I know what the purpose of the scene is, I get it. However, there is a way to convey the same message without having to demonize the opposing point of view (specially if you are trying to sell a single out of it). By this point in the story, we know how Sebastian feels about joining this band and about Jazz in general. Adding electronic music to a song is more than enough to tell the idea without having to make the music sound purposely terrible.

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SPOILER SECTION: I labeled this part as a spoiler section because I'm going to discuss the ending. First, let's get this out of the way: This is a great ending. I feel like the entire final scene is a summary of "Casablanca". Having Mia come from Paris was subtle enough, but having her walk in to the club that Sebastian owns years after they parted ways and then have him play this movie's equivalent of "As Time Goes By" is no coincidence. After the musical number, Mia leaves with her husband as she gazes back at Sebastian. They look at each other and with a final goodbye, they part on their own separate ways, just like in "Casablanca". I love this ending not only because of the similarities to "Casablanca" but also because this is such an emotional scene, and properly conveyed silently. No dialogue. It is perfect... except for the musical number. It is instrumental, but it is a dance sequence that summarizes the entire movie and explores an alternative version where Sebastian and Mia end up together. As beautiful as this dance number is, it is completely unnecessary and overkill. Instead of adding to the emotion, it takes away from it by spoon feeding us what we wanted to see. Everything that needed to be said was said with two things: The looks they give each other and the song. This was a beautiful, bittersweet, emotional and powerful ending that's cut short for fan service. That is what this dance sequence feels like: fan service. Amazing visuals, music, and choreography of what WE wanted to see. It's sad not seeing Mia and Sebastian end up together, yes, but do you know who else we didn't see end up together? Rick and Ilsa from "Casablanca" which this ending has borrowed a lot from. Another example, Jack and Rose from "Titanic". My point is: we don't need to be spoon fed, and there is no need to compromise a ending to please an audience.

As a conclusion, "La La Land" is a MUST WATCH. It's definitely worth your time and money. This is a movie with a compelling story, lovable characters, amazing music, amazing dance sequences, and outstanding sets and visuals, and overall, a love song to the Classics of Cinema. "La La Land" will not disappoint your expectations!

Band Overview: Diablo Swing Orchestra

If you grew up a listening to Heavy Metal in a very religious family and/or community, you probably heard that Heavy Metal (just like Rock n' Roll before it) was "the Devil's music". If you are like me and looked at the Lord of Darkness's character, you most likely imagined that this cunning and mischievous demon was a lot more elegant and sophisticated, which made Jazz music a more fitting musical choice for his character. Personally, I like to imagine that if Lucifer listened to either or both these genres, Diablo Swing Orchestra would be his favorite band. Formed in 2003, Diablo Swing Orchestra (or DSO) is one of the best bands I've heard in the Heavy Metal scene in the new millennium and certainly one of the most interesting. Although having a short 3 album discography, DSO's blend of Opera, Swing, Jazz, and Symphonic Metal are a marvel of a spectacle that never ceases to amaze. In 2016, they announced they would release their 4th album. I truly believe this is quite the underrated band which I think deserve more attention, and with a new album coming up, I believe there is no better time to talk about the wonder of DSO's music.

Diablo Swing Orchestra is Swedish octet that debuted with their first album "Butcher's Ballroom" in 2006. This is a very dark and experimental album which aligns with a fittingly dark mythology about the band's formation. First impressions are important and they nailed theirs with "Balrog Boogie": a perfect blend of Heavy Metal, Swing, and Opera. The song immediately grabs you with a light baseline setting the dark tone and then sucks you in as the trumpets and guitars kick in swinging with all the force and fury of dancing  demons. Annlouice Lögdlund's vocals are mystifying and powerful. Going from soothing to bombastic in true operatic fashion. The song is sung in latin adding to the mysticism of the band's image. On their Sophomore effort, "Sing-along Songs for the Dammed and Delirious" (2009) they upped the ante. "A Tap Dancer's Dilemma" kicks in with a drum riff borrowed from famous Swing musician Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing". DSO took everything that made "Balrog Boogie" and took it to the next level, by incorporating acoustic guitars, brass, a piano solo, and a call-response dynamic from a male lead singer and a female choir. This song is my favorite DSO song by far, and has always reminded me of Tim Burton films ("Corpse's Bride" in particular). This is the perfect blend of strange, dark and playful making you want to swing and dance with the devil under the pale moonlight. This is what makes DSO so great. On their 3rd album "Pandora's Piñata" they perfected this formula in "Voodoo Mon Amour". I decided to use these 3 songs (the first track on their respective albums) to exemplify what they do best: a dark musical cocktail with so many different flavors blended perfectly together. However, Heavy Metal Swing is not the only recipe they have. The biggest problem when talking about what makes DSO so great is that every song has its twist. "Rancid Romance" is a Tango, "Poetic Pitbull Revolutions" has more of a Spanish/Flamenco feel, "Guerrilla Laments" have more of the Latin Poly-rhythms, and "D'angelo" is a straight up opera while other songs like "Memoirs of a Roadkill" are completely experimental and Avant-garde. All of the songs are different but somehow they keep their sound and tone, making each song sound in place. I've showed this band to a lot of people and not one person has disliked them. Anyone who likes good music will like DSO because of their music, unique sound, musicianship, blend of genres, lyrics, mythos, creativity, or all of the above. There is something for everyone.

Sadly, nothing is perfect and DSO has its fair share of problems. DSO may be one of the best bands I've heard in Rock and Metal alike in the new millennium, but I would never call them my favorite band and I doubt a grand majority would. In short, they lose the audience's attention. This problem is most evident in their first album "Butcher's Ballroom". While the first track, "Balrog Boogie", is a killer swing track, the rest of the songs become more experimental, away from the conventional. In a way I like it because it feels like a slow descent into madness, but under this idea, "Sing-along Songs for the Dammed and Delirious" did it a lot better. At some point the songs in "Butcher's Ballroom" start to sound as filler songs whereas in "Sing-along Songs for the Dammed and Delirious" might be strange and experimental but in a way that a common listener can more easily understand and relate. It's hard to explain due to the nature of the band's music and the fact that I'm comparing 2 entirely different sounds to make a point, which is both a pro and a con of DSO. Their music is an experience, it has to be heard to be understood. "Pandora's Piñata" I think it may not be as experimental. Not to say that it is more tailored towards the mainstream or that is less creative, on the contrary. DSO still push their music forward and see what they can do musically and lyrically and what works and what doesn't. The way they do it in "Pandora's Piñata" is, however, more comprehensible to the common listener. Professional musicians can understand all of the musical complexities in the songs but the casual listener doesn't need to understand these complexities to enjoy the music.



Conclusion: Anyone who hasn't listened to or heard about Diablo Swing Orchestra is missing out. With all the mediocrity and boring music circulating on the radio today, we need more bands like Diablo Swing Orchestra in our lives. A band with a high level of trained, experienced, creative, and talented musicians and songwriters delivering unique and strange but fun and enjoyable tunes. What else do you want? While their more experimental/Avant-Garde music tends to lose audiences, that is mostly on "Butcher's Ballroom". DSO learned from their experiences and tried new things and improved on their subsequent albums. That being said, I am extremely excited for their next album  Right now, I'm wondering only one thing: To whom do I have to sell my soul to to get it?

I'd recommed their 3 albums, but here are a few songs to start with:
-Balrog Boogie
- A Tap Dancer's Dillema
-Voodoo Mon Amour
-Justice for Saint Mary

-Bedlam Sticks
-Memoirs of a Roadkill
-Rancid Romance
-Honey Trap Aftermath
-Rag Doll Physics
-Poetic Pitbull Revolutions

Song Review: I Don't Wanna Live Forever by Zayn & Tailor Swift

"I Don't Wanna Live Forever" is by 2 artists I used to like that now are either a hit or miss. Zayn, a former member of One Direction who proved himself nothing but filler noise for better artists. Tailor Swift, a very talented songwriter who demonstrated a lot of potential from a young age while slowly moving away from her Country roots to become the next Pop Princess. The song being used as either the promo or theme song for the sequel to a terrible movie based on a terrible fan fiction of a horrible book performed by these 2 should be a recipe for disaster. However, what I got instead was truly unexpected.

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This song is actually pretty good. The music is clear. The beat is tight. The vocals are being sung by people who are demonstrating that they can, at the very least, carry a tune. I'm very pleased with this song and before I explain why, I will address a small detail about the song that might become a problem down the line: it is very reminiscent of "Starboy" by The Weeknd. To clarify, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" is NOT ripping off "Starboy" (in my opinion). "Starboy" has a darker, more somber tone while "I Don't Wanna Live Forever"  is not happy per say but does have brighter tones. The "Oh"s in the background are a really nice touch. In fact, the vocals in general are very well delivered. I don't know if its the editing or their actually singing but Zayn's and Tailor's voices sound really rich and full, helped by layered vocals and good harmonizing. At first, I didn't feel like Zayn's falsetto sounded good, but you get used to it as the song goes on. However, it is a huge relief when Zayn comes back to his vocal range and sounds much better. Tailor on the other hand, doesn't have that problem. The song seems to be written for her because she hits the high notes and the low notes almost naturally. "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" is in Tailor's range and it shows. Yes, the music is still very light and ambiance-like but, just like "Starboy",  the reasons why this song works are:
1) It has a clear and distinct melody, rhythm, chord progression, and beats. Unlike "Pillowtalk" by Zayn or "Black Beatles" by Rae Sr, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" is a completed piece.
2)The energy and passion that the instruments lack are being delivered by the vocals (main and backing). "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" sounds likes a painful epiphany and a song of surrendering, in contrast "Work" (by Rihanna) sounds like a drunken slur.

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If the music sounds like sadness and pain, how do the lyrics state this idea? In a way, you could say this is a very pretentious Break-up Song. The concept of eternal life being a curse rather than a blessing is nothing new. One of my favorite interpretations of this in music is by the Japanese band Iron Attack!'s "~Aeternitas Ludology~". I wasn't expecting Tailor Swift and Zayn Malik of all people to dive into this deep of a philosophical analysis about life, death, and immortality, but some of the lines in "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" evoke this imagery. The chorus opens up with "I don't wanna live forever 'cause I know I'll be living in vain". This line evokes and expresses a huge personal epiphany. There is no point in living forever. With no end, everything becomes meaningless, just like the girl's desire revenge in "~Aeternitas Ludology~". Then you hear the rest of the song and realize that this is about a break up, which takes that really brilliant lineturns it into a whine of an angsty teenager. For example when Zayn sings "It's just a cruel existence like there's no point hoping at all" which comes right after "Been sitting eyes wide open behind these four walls Hoping you'd call". I still really like this song but the context does not merit this level of angst. These brilliant lines about meaning and meaninglessness in life being centered on a significant other is just a bad message and take away from their brilliance. Break ups are painful, indeed, but there's no need to turn into Kierkegaard.

Conclusion? I still like this song, a lot. I think the music is very well put together even if the lyrics are a little whinny. I will probably even download this song on my iPod after I'm done writing this review. In general, I give this song confident thumbs up (even if it is symbolic of a terrible sequel of an already terrible book that's coming up)