Best albums of the year 2015

No good introductions are needed when you have great music, and 2015's music has been more than great, specially the non-Pop genres (don't look for Taylor Swift here kiddo!), from folk to rock to jazz to indie and many others.
So let's cut the talk and get to music:

-note: I'm not good with rating, so only the first two or three ones are the closest to my heart then they're all as good as each other to me.

Father John Misty _ I love you Honeybear

             
This one is my number one album of the year, specially the head song.
 I can say that it's my among my favorite 3 songs of the whole decade!
In his second studio album, John Tillman taught everyone how to be a singer-songwriter, with his angry witty bitterly-sweet dark humor!
Start with:
I love you Honeybear (obviously)
Holy shit
Bored in the USA
In fact you can read my full review for the album here: http://sollyelmasry.blogspot.com.eg/2015/08/father-john-mistyi-love-you-honeybear.html



Sufjan Stevens _ Carrie & Lowell                          

I don't know how this was the first time I ever heard the music of Sufjan -screw you MTV!-
Sufjan sounds like a folk'ish modern 'Beatles' collapsed in one person.
That album is his meditation journey after his mother's death. And sure it is a mediation piece of art!
This album is a downbeat, tender, and delicate piece of folk masterpiece that's dedicated to death itself (himself?)
Definitely go for it if you're an Elliot Smith Fan!
Start with:
Forth of July
Death with dignity
All of me wants all of you



Jamie xx _ In colour           

                 

As Billboard said, this album never stops moving, it doesn't settle in one place.
Every time you give it a listen you discover new things about its music.
His debut album is dazzlingly fluid, it takes you from dubby drums to disco to summery dance to pure electronic.
Start with:
Seesaw
Gosh

Sleater Kinney _ No cities to love

This comeback was like a brilliant kiss of life to the whole Rock genre! Their previous post-riot breath-taking furious rock music made me really thrilled to know they were reunited and their highly-anticipated album really has met the expectations after all these years of break-up.
Start with:
Fangless
Price tag



Kendrick Lamar _ To pimp a butterfly                     

I'm not a fan of hip-hop nor rap, but if I have been, this would be my number one album like forever.
Aside from music, the lyrics are breathtakingly brilliant! And I could cut the music a slack after this awesome Jazz/folk integration in some tracks. I can't even say brilliant enough times!
This sophomore album is IMMORTAL!
Start with:
Hood politics
How much a Dollar cost


Florence + The Machine _ How big, how blue, how beautiful

       

Another joyful return, (yaaay)
I love this band's music (grandeur rock/pop as it should be!) it's all about soul vocals and loud guitars (riffs that do kick)
Also did you know that if you abbreviated the title it would be HBHBHB? :'D
Start with:
HBHBHB (obvs)
Various storms & Saints
Queen of peace



Grimes _ Art Angels

Just like its title, Grimes are art angels, they're are revolutionizing synth/art pop music like it has never been done.
It's delightfully bizarre (that makes you doubt her Canadianism) but still cozy at the same time,
Start with:
Kill V. Miam
Art Angels



Blur _ The magic whip

Another greatly anticipated comeback, Blur returns after 12 years and they never sounded more confident! A cool mixture of ambient rock with some touch of electronic music that digs into your ears with their same 90's vibe that never went old.
Start with:Thought I was a spaceman
Lonesome street



Alabama Shakes _ Sound and Color               

             

       
UK Telegraph said it once about their debut album, Molten strings and xylophones define this band!
Songs this time is a little bit more catchy, full of emotion and energy!
Start with:
Gimme all your love
Shoegaze



Shamir _ Ratchet             

         

An androgynous punk who gratefully blesses us with his super awesome music and his overdose of cuteness and makes one of the strongest music debuts in a long while.
Of course it's not all good (cut him some slack! we know he's not the most conventional vocalist) but his best songs are high enough to cover for the lower ones ;)
Also, GO CHECK HIS VIDEOS NOW!
Start with:
Youth
Call it off
Demon



Tobis Jesso Jr _ Goon                 

Another debut for another promising Canadian singer-songwriter whose lyrics are as sensitive and co\y as his Piano chops. The album sounds a lot like something in between The Beatles and young Elton John.
The only negative thing I notices, is that all the songs almost have the same vibe that sometimes I can't separate one from another easily.
Start with:
can we still be friends
without you
bad words



Wilco _ Star Wars

I finish up my list with this Grammy nominated album for the best alternative album of the year, which was released for free on their website for a limited time.
Their ninth studio album is nothing less than the previous ones, Still fresh and different.
The sonics are exceptional and space rock couldn't get any better this year (or goofy).
Start with:taste the ceiling
random name generator


So that's it, and if you're wondering where did some other releases go, stay tuned for the worst/most disappointing albums of the year ! :)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Poster Unveiled!

It's out!
Finally, the poster of the new Star Wars movie: The Force Awakens, was unveiled at Disney's live action panel, D23 Expo.

Of course these is no official word of it, but we'll just have to wait for the official release of this artwork, done by Artist Drew Struzan who created the iconic posters for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies.

Of course Hans Solo graces the poster, which also shows us some of the plot of the new movie, Finn will most likely be a Jedi -who is for the first time being seen holding a lightsaber-, and also John Boyega.

You are welcome! :')

Deadpool - Trailer Review (NSFW_Spoilers!)

                                          
                                        "With great power comes great irresponsibility"
After months -which felt almost like years to me- of promising an R-rated adaptation of Deadpool, Marvel's most unconventional anti-hero, Reynold looks like he's delivering it and MIGHT -fingers crossed- fix his Green Lantern epic fail!

For those who are not familiar with the cast yet, Morena Baccarin stars as Copycat, T. J Miller -co star of Silicon Valley- as Weasel, Gina Carano as Angel dust and Ed Skrein as Ajax.

The trailer did also contain a pretty quick Easter Egg, as the name of Co-creator Fabian Nicieza appears on a street sign.

Now let's enjoy some awesome screenshots and GIFs followed by the Red Band trailer:

This shot is AWESOME!

This is one tough bitch!

Crayons though <3

Isn't he cute?

looking Russian much?

Deadpool y'all!!                       



The trailer, especially the Red Band one, looks flawless, It is edgy, different, and everything expected from the first R-rated Marvel property developed by Fox . 

I mean, Violence? Check. Fill nudity? Check, Profanity? Check. Pretty dark humor? Jackpot!!!

PS: Fuck that Deadpool from Xmen Origins Wolverine, I finally got to say it!

 also, yes, we know you're using Deadpool to hype Fantastic Four, trailers will show in theaters just at the release of Fantastic Four, nice try Fox, I'm all done with the four superheroes the moment you casted J Alba and those jerks!

Father John Misty_I love you, honeybear - Album Review

"Josh Tillman might look like a hipster Jesus, but he's more very naughty boy than Messiah" NME.

                      

Well, we're back in business! I know it's been a long while since I've been here, but this year was a wreck for me, and I've been bloody busy and I've been thinking about my "come back" and I didn't find anything better to write about than this perfect piece of art called "I love you, Honeybear" by Father John Misty.
As an  indie rock/indie folk singer-songwriter, John Tillman's lyrics are both absurd and pretty straightforward when it comes to talking about the relationship stuff, beginning with "mascara, blood, ash and cum on the Rorschach sheets where we make love", and the love of his life "going down more than a blow-up doll" and ending with "dreaming about kissing his brother, just the everyday stuff you know!

I love you, Honeybear
                                               
I'm so obsessed with this song, that's I'm calling it the track of the year even if we're still in August, it's so fu*kin' brilliant and original!
Obviously it's about his wife, Emma, who stars in "Nancy from now on" video. I think that the message I got from this song is that, find someone who shares the same dark view of the world, cynics attract as they say.
"I've got my mother's depression, you've got your father's scorn, and Wayward aunt's Schizophrenia"
"My love, you're the one I wanna watch the ship go down with"
Are just some of the beautifully witty lines that will get their way into your ear right to your heart and prove that even at his most romantic moments, John will always find a way to express his love only by framing it in the darkest circumstances possible.
And don't get me started with the video <3 .

Bored in the USA
                               
As I once heard on the internet, the anthem of the disillusioned millennials. I just wanna add, It's all about modern narcissism, at least I guess!
It's more like a social commentary or even satire that attacks the social Ideal that tells us to watch each other disintegrate, with bitter lyrics like "save me President Jesus", "they gave me a useless education".
He's questioning the American Dream asking "Is this part where I get everything I ever wanted? And If so can I get my money back?" which is of course met with a cold laugh from the audience.


Holy Shit

A genuinely black comedy song that's about the downfall of mankind! Reason to agree with deconstructing love.
With it's delirious climax at "Love is just an institution based on human frailty....Maybe love I just an economy based on resource scarcity" I mean, OUCH!


Strange encounter

J Tillman gets some kind of revelation after a near-death overdose.
Also that psychedelic guitar solo was so unexpected! and the drum work is so cool dude!
with lyrics like "the moment you came to me I swore I would change" it got more emphatic as KSDT says.


When you're smiling and astride me
                                
"I can hardly believe I have found you, and I'm terrified by that" that line is so awesome that it kills me!
I'm not even gonna say anything more about the damn song!

This albums is angry, witty, absurd, disillusioned, cynical and hurts a lot!
And If you're a Sufjan Stevens or even The Beatles' fan, you're gonna love his acoustic guitar and sweet cozy voice a lot!

Sources,
http://ksdt.ucsd.edu/?p=92
http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/02/album-review-father-john-misty-i-love-you-honeybear/
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/feb/05/father-john-misty-i-love-you-honeybear-review
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/02/father-john-misty-i-love-you-honeybear-review.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Love_You,_Honeybear
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20131-i-love-you-honeybear/

The outrageous Female genital mutilation in Egypt!

According to Unicef, Egypt is number one country allover the world with the highest number of girls and women who underwent female genital mutilation with more than 27 million person!
This number is really huge, outrageous and terrifying!
Sloppy sexual education or the total lack of it in this country has done unlimited number of crimes against females here, -of course males are circumcised here too but it's not that bad, even though I'm totally against it too-.
Of course the main reason to this catastrophe is Religions, especially Islam, which is the majorities' religion here, and of course most of the 29 -poor, week and undeveloped countries with highest FGM percentages, -coincidence? I don't think so!-.

Unicef -thankfully- is restarting a new campaign against it as through all years fighting it it never stopped no matter what!
In this short video, Unicef shows how it feels like in a very synoptic way but pretty emotional
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=659758997480798

What really makes me confused is that people believe that it's a Sunna, something that Prophet Mohammed ordered Muslims after him to do, to "preserve their daughters' chastity and pureness" so they don't be sexually active like the "western whores" -how racial, arrogant and stupid is this!!- even though it's written that he refused to do the same to his own daughters! If both stories are true, how is this fair?!
FGM was already existing before Islam, specially at north Africa, but when Islam rose, it became associated with it due to Islam's obsession with "Chastity and seculsion".
Even when "Al Azhar" ruled that FGM is not really in Islam, and all the Hadithes are weak and it's not mentioned in Quraan and whatsoever, people still strongly believe it is, people's minds and religious views are more controlled by more radical groups like "MB and Salafis" who say that Azhar is just always soft to the government and "western governments''. While both are equally snobs and radical when it comes to cases like: Atheism, homosexuality and etc.


-Honorable mentions:
                             
  _ One of my female Idols in this country, Dr. Nawal Saadawy, a writer, thinker and physician who stood first against this crime and wrote a book called "women and sex" having a whole chapter about FGM and telling her own story when she was six, of course the book was banned and the govenment and even the society called her lunatic and fought her back, but she never stopped nor took a no for an answer! and she is still fighting for women -and males, but mostly women issies- even they themselves are fighting her back!.

So yes, ‪#‎STOP_FGM‬  #أوقفوا_ختان_الإناث

ISIS beheads Japanese hostage Goto!

Islamic State  (ISIS) has recently released a video featuring the beheading of a Japanese hostage, a journalist called Kenji Goto . The video is called 'A message to Japan' and was released by ISIS media wing Al Furkan.
The militia in the video had a British accent and is claimed to be called "Jihadi John", he also took a part in other beheadings and his message was that "Japan is now a target for ISIS"

                            

Japan condemned the public execution of Goto after days of attempts to secure his release, even with seeking some help from Jordan as claimed. As Tokyo had 72 hours to pay 200 Million $ ransom to set Goto and the Jordanian pilot free but somehow they didn't.                              
                          
"We are deeply saddened by this despicable and horrendous act of terrorism and we denounce them in the strongest term" said Japan's Prime Minister.
While the fate of the other hostage 'the pilot' remains unknown as the video didn't speak of him.
                          

Japan has no military involvement in the campaign against ISIS, sot it's not like ISIS is fighting back or something, ISIS -like any other radical Muslims, who are basically just any muslims- are totally against western, modernized education, just like Poko Haram -which literally means that- and Al Kaeda and evryone of them,
So as I read before, this journalist was giving free lessons and help to some Syrian kids, which is basically what these ignorant assholes snobby terrorists hate most!

 Sources:

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/31/middleeast/isis-japan-jordan-hostages/
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/31/isis-video-beheading-japanese-hostage-kenji-goto
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31075769

Ant-man - Trailer Review

I saw the Ant-man trailer few days ago, but I had to wait a while till I make up an opinion about how I felt about it, It's not that awesome trailer, specially when I'm doing this after the trailer for Avengers2: Age of Ultron, which was pretty awesome! and it had fuckin Ultron!
Unlike Avengers2, this trailer had no wow factor, you saw no shrinking, no superpowers -except for riding flies-,  both are almost 6 months ahead of the movie so this is no excuse for Ant-man.

It was mostly some dude (Michael Douglas) talking some other guy (the never-aging Paul Rudd) into being a super hero who shrinks himself and any other thing into the size of ants!

The anti-aging-super-hot-abs Mr Paul Rudd, everyone! -plus tons of close shots of Paul Rudd's face through the first half of the trailer, no idea why-

Somehow my favorite shot from the entire trailer, no idea why!

The awesome-but-not-less-hideous Ant-man suit

It's all about this, your ant rides wasps :D
-plus blurring everything around and focusing only on the ant/wasp is like the cheesiest oldest graphics trick ever!

But overall, two things that I like about the movie;
- There are no references to Marvel universe in the trailer, I'm a DC fan anyways.
- The list line about Paul asking if it's too late to change the name, they know it sounds silly, and they're still selling it making fun of them selves, this was tight!

So I think we should just wait for he next trailer, to see Yellow Jacket and how his powers work actually, anyways who knew that a squirrel and a talking tree would be that much of a hit in the Guardians of the Galaxy? Maybe you'll like this ant-riding-wasps this time too ;)

The Avengers2: Age of Ultron - Trailer Review

*In his majestically-awesome voice*
"There are no strings one me! I'm gonna tear you apart from the inside"

This was awesome! Ultron is going to be the Badassest Badass ever.
He is broken, wants the Avengers broken, wants the whole world broken!
Doesn't he just look awesome?!

not only that, but also

Doesn't that remind you of Scarlet Witch? Did he take her powers? Makes you wonder!

Best thing about this trailer is almost the worst thing about it; there are almost no new scenes here, all the shots look similar -but not less awesome- to all shots we've seen before in the first movie, how's that cool? Well, it's not gonna be like Spider-man movie trailers where it's all about spoilers and when you're at the movies you're always like "yeah, I saw that in the trailer, and that, and that, puffff"!
But as for the plot, It looks like -somehow- he's making them fight and turn onto each other,
and the fight between Hulk and Iron-man will be stupidly AWESOMEEE!
But I stand with Hulk, even if you're Stark, never piss the Hulk off, I mean look at this (even if his red eyes looks like he's somehow under Ultron's spell)


But first, we still have this dude, who acts as if he's always in charge just because he's called Captain America and he wears a blue and red tight suit, while he's totally uncalled for.

 And we also still got this guy, an average male version of Katniss Everdeen, who fights next to Hlk and Thor and Iron-man using his cool-ass-Bolt ? Hawke, everyone!

And If you ever forgot why do we still have Black Widow aka Scarlet boobs, or ass in this shot.
That's typically how Marvel imagines super heroins!

This is new, we don't actually get to know who this really is, but she looks black, finally a black superhero , or maybe villain, -and at the same time another woman in the cast- who drops her rope in her first second on the screen- Classic Marvel!

So that's pretty much what we got from the trailer, I really can't wait for Ultron and the Iron-man vs Hulk battle !

Hey wait a minute....WHERE IS LOKI ?!!

The Oscars 2015 nominations (My Picks)

Just a few weeks after the awesome N P Harris invited us -in the coolest way ever- to go attend the Oscars, the official 2015 Nominees have been just announced few minutes ago.
You can check them in the link below :
http://oscar.go.com/nominees?cid=oscars_nominees_announcement_cadillac

But I'm not going to write them all here, I'm just gonna write down my choices for the prizes this year, so fingers crossed! I hope they get them, and I hope you like my choices! -they might not be familiar nor that 'profound or professional' :

Best Picture:
Whiplash

Birdman


Actor:
Benedict Cumberbatch

Michael Keaton


Actress;

Julianne Moore

Marion Cotillard


Actor in supporting role:
Robert Duvall

J. K. Simmons


Actress in supporting role:
Meryl Streep

Keira Knightley


Animated feature film:
Big hero 6


Directing:
The Grand Budapest

Birdman

Boyhood


Costume Design:
The Grand Budapest

Into the Woods


Music:

Interstellar

The Grand Budapest


Music, Original Song:
Begin Again (Lost Stars)


Visual Effects:
X-men Days of the future Past

The Guardians of the Galaxy


Foreign Language Film:
Ida

Leviathan

Pic of the day (First images from the new edition of Harry Potter full-color books)

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/meganp25/accio-new-harry-potter-editions?bffb&utm_term=4ldqpgp#.mmNMYPKAm

THG: Mocking Jay Pt1 - Movie Review (Spoilers alert)

 I know this might be a little too late, but unfortunately I just got to watch the move yesterday.
 

So Katniss Everdeen is still fighting the Capitol, aka President Snow and some unknown punch of people, and warming up for the revolution , whilst some of her friends, three hunger games winners got caught and kept in the Capitol, including the-always-in-trouble-waiting-for-katty-to-rescue-him Petah Mellark.
So here she is, Katniss, a 120-out-of-123-minutes-movie-long weak crying  badly-shaken vulnerable bitch unlike we've all seen her before, wanting only to rescue Petah even if that meant letting everyone in all districts die.
Katniss is being held in an underground military facility in the district 13, where all the Rebels are hiding too, and been asked by President Alma to make some Propaganda clips (Propos) to be sent and aired everywhere over the other districts to send a message to rebels everywhere and to be their Mocking Jay symbol. So they just waste almost an hour trying to shoot some hideous clips till they decide by Haymitch who suddenly appears from the darkness to tell his awesome idea, to send her to the district 12 to see by herself and shoot the adds and to improvise, so they sent her off to the ruins  
with half-shaved-headed-Margery-Tyrill" and some guys you won't care to remember their names!.

So she goes and finds that everything was brought to the ground and sees tons of skeletons and gives a strong sensational message to President Snow, after she finds her house which somehow happens to be the only one that was literally untouched, not a single glass was broken, and she takes some stuff back with her including her sister's cat.

Then Katniss goes with the crew to visit a hospital filled with hundreds of injured people to encourage them and other people and inspire them revolutionary blah blah blah, then Snow knows that she was there, so he sends aircrafts -or whatever- to bomb it, and kill everyone there as they treated him and welcomed the Mocking Jay to send a message everywhere that this is what happens to traitors,-or to make people more angry of him? he seemed like a con to me, not anymore-.




Then we get to Petah, we see some interview with Caesar Flickermn talking about how they -he and Katniss- where used by the Rebels, and that she doesn't know what she's doing, but obviously he looks fake like he was so pushed into it, till we know for sure he really was, after he cries later by the end of the movie warning them of a raid by Snow, that arrives only 8 minutes after this, and somehow no one dies at all,
But when they somehow -unconvincingly, even we knew later how and why did it happen- rescue Petah, he turned into a monster and tried to kill Katniss, in the only only interesting 3 minutes through the movie -including the final shot at his bed-.



I have two NBs that I've always wondered about,
- How on earth does her hair looks so perfect through the entire movie? Even after rain, getting her ass kicked, getting bombed, her hair just magically turns perfect!

Plus who is this? compare to the first photo up here, who is this?

- How on earth do they still use arrows and bows? I mean they have almost-space-troopers, hologram TVs, and almost-aircrafts, yet they send off a girl to fight them using 10 significant arrows and a bow? and she even blew up the two aircrafts using only one arrow!



Also, who the hell choose to NOT feature the "Lorde" song in the movie? That SUCKED! It's way better than the entire movie you fools!. And yet, they chose to make us listen to Katniss sing, fast forwarded, which was not bad, but Lorde dudes!

I also still can't believe how fake Julianne Moore and Seymour Hoffman did seem, and how awesome did Elizabeth Banks looked, she is my best favorite thing about this movie! And I can't believe I'm saying this.
"Everyone will want to kiss you, kill you, or be you".

So this is the first part of the third part of the Hunger Games franchise, and just like what they did with The Hobbit and Twilight, and what they didn't do with Harry Potter -Fortunately- this first part is completely so uncalled for, you can easily pass it, The hunger games are over, I mean come on, Gone Girl had more action less talking than this movie!
So just wait for the Part two. Unless you're a fan girl.