ALBUM REVIEW: „Where We Are“ by Mackintosh Braun



photo source: atlanticrecords.com



Once again, a band I came to know through Grey’s Anatomy (however, also appearing on Gossip Girl) and, behold, probably one of the best albums in the year of 2010. I’m really fond of their calm-electronic style and their melodies as well as the attempt at a bit of a modern 80s revival. Not one single song fails to convince and entertain from the first to the last second.

The most popular song seems to be “Made For Us”, having appeared in plenty of TV shows and movies already. However, songs like “Unfortunate”, “Familiar” and “I Won’t Fall” are as stunning while “Nothing Else Is Real” and “Line In The Sand” bring a bit of a dance sound into the melancholic album. The only song I regard as inferior to the others might be “Frozen”, in another album it would be the best out of the lot though.

I’m certain this latest offer by the promising Mackintosh Braun has something in store for everyone and brings us the best chill-out and lounge sound there is at the moment.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Crazy. Stupid. Love."

There’s nothing better than star-studded rom-coms about the simple topic of love! (Exception: Valentine’s Day.) Here’s the best example: My expectations were more than met! The movie is about a man in his mid 40s with a nerdy outer appearance whose wife wants a divorce from him. To push up his manhood, a popular womanizer helps him to become one himself.

What’s special about this movie is that every single scene makes you laugh in a really charming way. There are tons and tons of hilarious sayings brought across by the fabulous star-cast around Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone. Furthermore, there is (almost) no Hollywood-like mediocrity here, disregarding the cheesy final in the school gym-hall.

So I’m glad to see these really funny comedies flowing out of Hollywood this summer, be it Bridesmaids or Crazy Stupid Love, the atmosphere in the cinema was filled with laughter and enjoyment in both cases! Go see! (P.S. Mind Ryan Goslings suits and brand clothing -> it’s awesome!!!)

photo sources: [thereelbits.com], [movies.mtv.de] & [moviepilot.de]

PHOTO POST: lovely outfits and cute dogs

I'm just wondering, but is it possible, that somehow all of the blogger-girls I admire, joined some kind of a clan, where the rules are: "We are going to look amazing, our outfits are going to be simply breathtaking, oh, and by the way, we all already have the cutest dogs!"

Well, here's the proof...

N° 1) Alexandra from the fashion salade

N° 2) Chiara from the blonde salad

N° 3) Alexa from cashmere and candy

N° 4) Gabrielle from the uptown girl blog

N° 5) Juley from swank heights

photos from the stated bloggers' sites 

OUTFIT DU JOUR [5.8.]

This is an everyday outfit for me. That's how I leave the house when going to work or studying. I'd rather wear it in spring or fall than summer, though, with the skinny jeans and the jacket vest being to hot for the current season.

 

 

 

all photos by: [entertainment scrapbook]

ALBUM REVIEW: "Behold" by Mads Langer



photo source: [forum.warez.ir]

 Here comes a recommendation for a very calm-natured singer-songwriter album with some good melodies and nice sounds. Mads Langer from Denmark is not known to the masses yet as his first radio single was just released a month ago and is being played on the radio just now. Some might know him, though, for appearances of some of his songs in certain drama TV shows (such as Grey’s Anatomy or The Vampire Diaries).

The album starts out with “I’m Leaving”, one of the most melodious and therefore best songs on the album that charms you with its very pleasant chorus. What follows is unfortunately the “down-phase” of the album with the next 4 songs needing a few listenings to be able to convince. They seem to be a bit too slow, too quiet, too calm to convince instantly.

However, afterwards there’s the big relief with every single song but one being really beautiful and endearing. Highlights are “You’re Not Alone” and “Remains of the Day” (first of which being the said first single of Mads Langer), but even “Drunken Butterfly”, “Last Flower” and “I Love You” have very well composed choruses. The iTunes Bonus Track “Better Place” is actually the last highlight and also the last song, making the album close on a very good note.

So all in all, had the first few songs been a bit catchier, the album would have turned out really well, however, the second half of the album ensures some very nice and pleasant listening and an enjoyable background music for this summer.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II“

So it’s finally here. I’ve read each and every book in English and German and seen every single movie in the movie theatre on its opening weekend. However, I have to confess that the hype around the Harry Potter movies didn’t really get me after the last book was released and finished reading, as I marked the end of the seventh book as the end of my personal hype around Harry Potter (not on purpose, it just was like that).

The first part of the Harry Potter Part 7 movies managed to capture me with some good music, nice scenes with the three main actors and a very truthful and coherent screenplay (I would give it 4 stars.) At the beginning of the second part I was very doubtful whether it could match my expectations which were evoked by the first one.

But here it comes: Yes, it more than matched my expectations and I was extremely pleased with the atmosphere created in the movie. Of course, the magic that the first few films had is kind of lost in all the action scenes and the dramatic apocalyptic plot, but in exchange we get a very mature, moving and epic movie that is worth being the last part of the most money-spinning movie franchise ever.

Once again, the music by Alexandre Desplat was more than convincing, the screenplay was very tight and therefore capturing and the actors played in a very dignified way (Ron and Hermoine though hardly got any dialogues, unfortunately).

Therefore, all in all, even though it seems that the first priority of the makers were the 3D scenes and the big battles, the story has enough essence and moving moments in it to entertain us over more than two hours and feel quite nostalgic in the end. Good bye, Harry Potter!