What's New 4

Hi

I hope everyone is well and keeping sane during lockdown 3.0 (shitty Bruce Willis film pending) and looking forward to hopefully a much more positive 2021! As usual, I've jotted down a few squiggles about what I've been watching, listening to, reading etc. I keep meaning to dissect the shit out of a movie or album but I just haven't had the time. I've also changed the font I'm using - non stop rock n roll during this lockdown, enjoy!

AB

ALBUM: APOLLO JUNCTION - MYSTERY

Another band I've been introduced too via a indie head or promoter from twitter. If used properly social media can be a huge platform for these smaller bands who are trying to get out there and be heard and that's why in this section of the blog I'll always try and give these type of bands, musicians etc a voice and talk about their material. 

Apollo Junction are a five piece from Leeds who released their debut album Mystery in the autumn of 2020. After a quick google it looks like they signed a publishing deal allowing their tunes to be played on tv shows etc so you may of heard some of their stuff before. 

The album kicks off with Begin, which in my notes all I managed to write was - BANGER. There's a almost pop feel to this opener which has a electronica underlying tone. It's one of those songs that will just stick with you all day which happens to be a recurring theme through this album, especially the earlier songs. 

Paris is my favourite track on this record. It has a Blossoms feel to it, which isn't a bad thing! Again it's one of those that just sticks with you and has such a catchy melody. These guys know what they're good at and know how to write, produce songs that are genuinely happy, feel good tunes. 

Notable mentions go to In Your Arms & This Could Be the Day for a strong opening to this album. The former could easily be the soundtrack for a GOAL-esque movie where our hero who has come from non - league football scores the winner in the FA Cup final. THIS COULD BE THE DAY!

If I Fell is, in my opinion, the compulsory ballad that is need on all albums. It falls (excuse the pun) almost halfway through the record and breaks up the album nicely and is a lovely song.

I've been lucky enough to catch a listen to their latest single due for release Jan 22nd preceding their second album. On The Ropes is a different sound to what's on Mystery. It sounds, almost, more grown up and experimental. The catchy chorus is still there but this seems to me like a band who are looking at taking maybe a different direction with their second record which for me is always exciting.   

PODCAST: THE EVOLUTION OF HORROR - A PODCAST BY MIKE MUNCER

This podcast does exactly what it says on the tin - discusses the evolution of horror through a series of sub genres and their movies. I've never been a massive horror fan or so I thought. If I was to pick (before listening to these pods) my favourite horror movie it would  probably be The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which thankfully is covered in the pods FOLK series. This pod has really opened my eyes to the different sub genres that are encased within the horror genre. From slasher movies like Scream to mind and body movies like the classic Carrie there are heaps and heaps of different types of movie that shouldn't pigeon hole the genre as a whole.

Why do horror movies never get a mention at the Oscars? 

With some cracking guests, insightful writers, actors and other podcasters this series really is worth a listen even if you're only slightly interested in the horror genre like I was before. Mike has put together a well thought out, planned and thoroughly enjoyable show and is able to review a movie without giving away any spoilers which is obviously hard work before dissecting it and making some interesting points. 

Chuck a few of the movies on your watch list and have a listen. 

 

BOOK: SHOE DOG - A MEMOIR BY THE CREATOR OF NIKE

I had this book knocking around in my work bag for months and never really got going with it. Shoe Dog is the memoir from Phil Knight the creator of the company we now know as Nike. 

Worth somewhere in the region of ten billion dollars, he obviously isn't short of a few quid but it hasn't always been that way for him. The book begins in 1962 and follows Knight's career from the creation of Blue Ribbon (Nikes previous name)through to 1980 which is around the time the company "made it". Knight himself a junior athlete originally wanted to make just running trainers because running was his life. After teaming up with his old high school coach and sealing a deal with a Japanese manufacturer he was able to start selling these trainers. Que years and years of borrowing from banks and barely managing to afford the repayments.

As we know the company comes good in the end but there's more then a few speed bumps along the way and Knight is quite brutally honest with his own downfalls and mistakes he's made in his working life. There's heartache along the way but this memoir gives you a pretty good insight into what it takes to make not just a successful business but a global brand. To think for years Knight didn't believe in advertising!