Music/Movies – Page 21 – Fancy Boys Club

The Music of Star Wars, Episode V: Attack of the Clones (2002)

December 12, 2019January 22, 2020by Michael GraceLeave a Comment

After a hiatus, TMOSW is back with *sigh* the most exhausting film in the rewatch. At some point, Anakin aged 10 years and Padme aged 3, so now they’re close enough in age to be lovers. John Williams executes a fantastic theme for their union. If you have started your own rewatch in anticipation of Episode IX, you’re likely already past this one, and that’s for the best. In the last few years, there has been a renaissance of appreciation for these prequels, even Episode II. I can assure you, it is soaked in irony. This movie is bad, but find solace in knowing that it contains yet another fabulous work by Williams.

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Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode IV: The Phantom Menace (1999)

November 19, 2019December 9, 2019by Michael GraceLeave a Comment

The build up to the release of The Phantom Menace was one of the most exciting times in my childhood. I loved the movie, especially the podracing scene. Yeah, that was cool. Well, I’m not twelve anymore. I’m old, cynical, and finally understand what the hell is going on in this movie. The problem is, its boring as shit. BUT THAT’S NOT WHY I’M HERE TODAY. Folks, this movie ends with a blitz that almost makes you forget you just watched 100+ minutes of deadpan dialogue delivery, and John Williams is the main reason why.

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Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode III: The Return of the Jedi (1983)

November 8, 2019December 9, 2019by Michael GraceLeave a Comment

The great thing about the original trilogy of Star Wars is how it builds the universe within the plot of the three movies in a way that seems natural. In Empire we saw new creatures, strange planets, and a city floating in the clouds. In Return, we focus mostly on one forest moon and a space battle above it. For all of the lush, atmospheric scoring of the second chapter, John Williams gives the third room to breathe. At times, the music is more demanding and pronounced than ever. In others, its absent where earlier in the series music would have been a driving force. So lets get to The Return of the Jedi, and the end of the Empire.

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Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Open Road Song is a Trashdick

November 7, 2019by Brandon AndreasenLeave a Comment

In 1966, John Lennon said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. This was the biggest thing to happen to music until Monday, November 4^th, 2019. A discussion rose up, no more mundane than any other. The premise was simple. Which Eve 6 song was better: Inside Out or Anytime. Inside Out being one of the predominant bangers of 1998, and future Billboard Modern Rock Track of the Year, is the track that Eve 6 is most known for. It is the apex of sorts in American pop culture. Anytime was, in the eyes of everyone who has ever listened to music, one of the great examples of guitar, drum, bass, and lyrics in the history of mankind. Ranking up there with such luminaries as “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” by Sam Cooke, and “How Bizarre” by Otarra Millionaires Club, Anytime is the ear worm from the soundtrack to “Gone With the Wind” rivaling epic Out Cold.

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Music/Movies, Pop Culture

You’re So Perfect, You’re Not Here…

November 7, 2019November 11, 2019by Matt Drufke1 Comment

I am a believer of the populus.

If America believes that Sean Spicer is one of the best celebrity dancers in the country, so be it. If our nation comes together and is okay with Jerry Bruckheimer movies, who am I to argue. If more people voted for Donald Trump to be the leader of the free world… all right, bad example.

Because I live in this mindset, I thought I would be able to live with the results of a Twitter poll I put up a few days ago based on a debate we were having in the Fancy Boys Club facebook chat. What started as a polite chat between Brandon and his wife led to a full-fledged argument. Lines were drawn; other lines were crossed.

When the smoke had cleared, 33 people had voted for what the best song from Eve 6 was. The overwhelming majority of people had voted for “Inside Out”, while my choice, “Open Road Song”, finished in last place with a paltry nine percent.

The people failed me. The people are wrong.

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Music/Movies

You’ve Got My Letter, I’ve Got Your Songs

November 3, 2019November 4, 2019by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

Last weekend, my wife and I met friends for a night of tapas. On the way home, with our bellies full of Spanish meats and cheeses, we turned on the radio and heard “The End Of The Game,” the newest single from Weezer. That a band who has been making music for 25 years can get a new single on the radio was, at the very least, surprising. The fact that the song sounds exactly like Weezer was, well, not surprising.

But as I heard the newest song from a band who has made 14 albums (their newest album, Van Weezer, will be the third album in two years), I couldn’t help but think about their second album. In the course of the song’s three minutes and twenty-one seconds, I didn’t even hear the new song anymore. Every chord and lyric I heard made me think of an album which came out over two decades ago. For days, one major question just kept popping into my brain like one of River Cuomo’s sing-along melodies:

Did Pinkerton break Weezer?

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Music/Movies, Uncategorized

Hey Aladdin, get a job.

November 1, 2019November 1, 2019by Kate Peterson

A couple weeks ago, I decided mid-flight to fight off a turbulence-induced panic attack by watching a movie (in addition to my usual booze-prayer combo). You know, anything to take my mind off the fact that I’m sitting next to the dude who decided, “Shoes are for suckers!” while hurtling through the sky in a metal tube.

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Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode II: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

November 1, 2019December 9, 2019by Michael Grace1 Comment

So the good guys won and it was pretty great. However, we all saw Darth Vader get knocked into space instead of dying on the Death Star with Grand Moff Tarkin and friends. So the Rebellion, still a relatively ragtag operation in comparison to the Empire, has really pissed off Vader and his boss. The Empire Strikes Back will take us to new and beautiful places, and with it comes more timeless music from John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra. Put the angry tweets down, I’m not going to cover this entire score. There is so much to this film that I’m just going to try to nail down important cues and motifs.

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Comedy, Music/Movies, Uncategorized

Jesus Is King or (Kanye Sparknotes the Bible)

October 25, 2019October 26, 2019by Alec SteinLeave a Comment

Did the album need to be religious? No, but don’t piss in my ears and tell me it’s holy water.

After a year of missed release dates, speaking out against premarital sex, and Stanning for Trump, Kanye has finally released…whatever the fuck this is.

Being billed as a gospel album, Jesus Is King clocks in at just over twenty-five minutes, which is also how long I assume Mr. West spent penning the lyrics for these tracks, the highlights of which are prose such as “You closed on Sunday. You my Chic-fil-A/You’re my number one, with a lemonade.” and “What if Eve made apple juice/ You gone do what Adam do?” Continue reading “Jesus Is King or (Kanye Sparknotes the Bible)” →

Music of Star Wars, Music/Movies

The Music of Star Wars, Episode I: Star Wars (1977)

October 25, 2019December 9, 2019by Michael GraceLeave a Comment

With Star Wars episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker in theaters this December, I thought it was appropriate to take a look back at the iconic saga. This is not a look back at the films themselves as much as highlighting the nine scores composed by John Williams, the most important character in the galaxy. I will be working in film release order, not narrative order, as there are aspects of the prequel scores that are obviously influenced by the original trilogy.

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