Mise-en-scène

This November, Be Thankful for Girl Talk

2010-11-17T17:31:00.007-05:00

Girl Talk in '08, and how you should enjoy All Day Girl Talk is back, and so is MES. There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be dancing like a maniac right now. And what better way to get back to updating MES than to post something that seems to incorporate all popular American music since the 60's? Despite the overwhelming menagerie of samples, Gregg Gillis's music is simple,

Three Beautiful Visuals that Accompany Great Songs

2010-08-07T14:14:00.009-04:00

I'm not calling "music videos" of high/artistic quality "music videos" anymore. That calls to mind rappers with models and pop singers walking down streets lip synching into a camera, and that's not what I want you to think of when I introduce these visuals. Cinnamon Chasers - Luv Deluxe Winner of "Best Music Video" at South by Southwest 2010 (a.k.a. SXSW), "Luv Deluxe" is a song that I highly

Summer Time

2010-07-18T20:38:00.010-04:00

Since the last post here, somebody moved to Miami, Spanish deportes fans have had a lot to cheer about, and MES favorite Big Boi dropped an apparently stellar album (I haven't had time to give it a proper listen). It's the summertime and I'm putting in nine to five for the Man so I haven't had much time for new music, movies, ect. But with the World Cup over I've found time to listen to enough

Under the Radar

2010-06-03T01:46:00.005-04:00

Pitchfork recently wrote an essay refuting the popular idea that hip-hop is "dead." The insightful and worthwhile piece concludes that the genre is thriving, just maybe not as much in the mainstream. "In the end, hip-hop is recalibrating, from a pop sensation back into an underground movement," writer Tom Breihand concludes. I couldn't agree more. Following that idea, I wanted to feature two

MacGruber

2010-05-19T20:22:00.003-04:00

MacGruber: 5/21More than a few years have passed since Saturday Night Live had a sketch funny and beloved enough to adapt it for the silver screen. Now, Will Forte and Kristen Wiig bring MacGruber, a recurring sketch about a mostly-useless bomb-diffuser, to life. If the trailer and early reviews are any indication, the film just might be enough to revive the SNL movie, a definite dying breed.-By

Put the Windows Down!

2010-05-17T23:01:00.005-04:00

It’s been three days since the beginning of summer vacay and it’s the perfect time to dip into pools of fresh music. Instead of relying on my usual new-music-source-finder, I’ve decided to scour the scene myself. What I found was glorious. So here’s a compilation of some sweet picks to kick off summer 2010. Morning Benders- “All Day Light” “Summer summer’s callin out my name” and so is this

Letters to Juliet

2010-05-11T21:58:00.003-04:00

Letters to Juliet: 5/14Watching old people fall in love is … cool. OK, admit it — you became generally uninterested in The Notebook after Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling aged and became less glamorous. Letters to Juliet might suffer the same fate. In the film, an old woman attempts to reconnect with her former flame from the 1950s in Verona, Italy, with help from Amanda Seyfried and Christopher

MFA Poetry Reading

2010-05-10T21:55:00.004-04:00

Last Wednesday, May 6, I was fortunate enough to attend the final reading of the graduating the poetry MFA program. It's nationally recognized as one of the best programs in the country, but it mostly goes under the radar around Grounds. This is regrettable as students are missing out on some incredible readings by very talented and thoughtful people.This past week's reading was truly memorable

Alderjam

2010-05-08T18:42:00.006-04:00

It's halfway through exams, and the weather is awesome. But you're inside the bowels of Clark/Clemmons/Alderman studying Western European Politics. You don't care about Western European Politics and neither do I, but you have to care. How are you going to muster that extra bit of passion though? Seemingly, nay, completely out of nothing you have care about the workings of Germany's local

Tim Be Told - A Cville Band

2010-05-08T18:28:00.005-04:00

Tim Be Told is a Charlottesville based and "former UVa band," according to their press release. In the vein of Parachute and Dave Matthews Band before them, they're hoping to hit the mainstream. Check out this video and nifty download thingy below if you like the song.

Lady Gaga and Muse at JPJ

2010-04-26T14:26:00.004-04:00

One of the best qualities of Charlottesville is the disproportionate amount of music and arts events going on around us relative to population of the area. In addition to the numerous smaller venues around town, we of course have John Paul Jones Arena and Scott Stadium. In the past, some really huge acts have come through Charlottesville in these two On-Grounds venues, including Jay-Z and T.I.,

Help Bring Vampire Weekend to the National in Richmond!

2010-04-11T15:46:00.002-04:00

Click This LinkAnd become a fan. The National, a music venue in Richmond - not the band, is trying to woo Vampire Weekend to its stage. Apparently if they get enough fans on that page, it woud be a significant boost to the National's cause. And don't think this this is some fan created page filled with false promises, the venues's management created the page.The National is hardly an hour down

Revolt Lit

2010-04-08T17:31:00.006-04:00

If you write, you should read this. Revolt Lit is a new literary journal aimed exclusively at writers under the age of 25, and approaches the literary journal from a different angle. Founder, writer, and good friend of this blogger, Christian Harder had this to stay on the new project."Young writers do not get the respect or attention they deserve with the current market of literary magazines.

Brooklyn's Finest

2010-04-07T21:13:00.004-04:00

“It’s gritty like The Wire!” That was the reasoning behind me seeing Brooklyn’s Finest. Scratch that — it was my friend’s reasoning for me to go see the movie. Brooklyn’s Finest is the latest film from director Antoine Fuqua. The story is set in the 65th precinct of the New York Police Department, which includes the notorious Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. The film follows

Music Videos are Confusing

2010-04-02T18:52:00.004-04:00

Music videos have an interesting role in today's manic music scene. Sometimes artists use them as artistic statements. 80% of rappers use them as opportunity to stand next to exotic cars with their crew, or to see how many models they can fit into a pool party scene. Many performers like to walk down a street and sing straight into the camera, and some seem to like singing during slow motion

German Outreach Day

2010-03-20T15:03:00.002-04:00

Interested in German culture? The University's Germanic Languages and Literatures Department, in conjunction with the Center for German Studies, will be presenting German Outreach Day March 22 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom. Activities planned for German Outreach Day include the second annual Declamation Contest; a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the

Yeasayer - ONE (Video)

2010-03-17T16:24:00.006-04:00

Yeasayer's new album is wonderfully accessible psychedelic pop. It's also wonderfully strange. tableau staffer Campbell Bird aptly described their sound in his review. "If you took Animal Collective, paired them with a barbershop quartet and sent them into outer space to form a band and record an album, you might be approaching the musical oddball that is Yeasayer."I couldn't agree more. The

Mission Accomplished

2010-03-14T01:47:00.007-05:00

Normally here at Mise-en-Scène, we strive to bring you the best entertainment the world has to offer. With that mission statement in mind, I may retire from tableau after this post. R. Kelly, Tyrese, Robin Thicke and The Dream have made a truly momentous artistic statement, and in the process set an insurmountable bar for all who follow "Pregnant.""Girl... If you choose me, I guarantee the rest

The Pacific Looks Awesome

2010-03-11T03:27:00.001-05:00

I often wonder what life would have been like if I had left home to battle in World War II at 18 instead of engaging in my happy life at U.Va.The producers of The Pacific, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, sought to answer that question as truthfully as possible when they made 2001's awe-inspring Band of Brothers. The ten-part series really felt more like a movie, and has had more replay value for

Oscars 2010

2010-03-10T16:41:00.002-05:00

Despite an uneven show event, viewers for Sunday's Academy Awards turned out in droves, helping the floundering Oscars achieve its highest ratings in five years, asmore than 40 million viewers tuned in to see The Hurt Locker and Avatar duke it out on the most prestigious of stages.And as tableau senior writer Dave Replogle so aptly predicted in his Oscars Preview, The Hurt Locker completely swept

The Parking Lot Movie

2010-03-10T00:38:00.006-05:00

"It's not just a parking lot," begins the tagline for this new documentary. The lot it's referring is, yes, that lot. The one behind Little John's that ninety percent of the student body has cut through en route to or from the Corner. I still subconsciously expect the next clause to involve garbage juice, or bar flies stumbling across the train tracks. But no, "it's a battle with humanity." Well

Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun (Video)

2010-02-26T13:35:00.004-05:00

tableau writer Campbell Bird said he would recommend Contra to "just about anyone," while offering the caveat that Vampire Weekend "may appear to have an unquenchable thirst for all things bizarre and pretentious." This thirst manifests itself quite openly in their new video for "Giving Up the Gun." It's quintessential Vampire Weekend. It makes you smile, ponder the lyrics, and want to write a

UVa Drama Presents: The Seagull

2010-02-25T02:22:00.007-05:00

Trigorin (Andrew Cronacher), Arkadina (Laura Rikard), Konstantin (Geoff Culbertson) and Nina (Isabella Sazak) from Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. ©2010 Michael BaileyThe University drama department continues its season with The Seagull, written by famous Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov and directed by University alumnae Amanda McRaven.Like Woolf's To the Lighthouse, The Seagull centers around a

Winter Olympics 2010

2010-02-23T17:32:00.004-05:00

Women's figure skating is usually the biggest hitter on the ice for the Winter Olympics games. Usually the most highly viewed of all the events, this year stands to be no different, despite the lack of an American figure-skating superstar: Think Sasha Cohen, Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski.In fact, Team USA's best chance for a medal comes from two Olympics newcomers: 17-year-old Rachael Flatt and 16

Passion Pit - Little Secrets (video)

2010-02-18T22:58:00.001-05:00

Not the most interesting video ever, but it is an opportunity to talk about "Little Secrets" again. Off 09's Manners, this song will have you smiling and attempting a falsetto. In public.

Fashion Week 2010

2010-02-18T20:24:00.006-05:00

Fashion Week 2010 just wrapped up today in New York City, where established and up-and-coming designers debuted fall looks for next year. Check out photos from the runway at the official Web site .Some of my favorites include 3.1 Philip Lim, Anna Sui, Elie Tahari, Lela Rose and Zac Posen. For a breakdown of the hottest trends to look forward to, check out the Fashion Week feature in this week’s

How to Make it in America

2010-02-17T15:37:00.006-05:00

If you've ever wanted to move to New York to try and "make it," or if you just liked "Entourage," you should check this new show out. It has the same producers (including Mr. Wahlberg himself), and it also follows four characters trying to make their way in the world, except without the whole movie star thing going on. Anyways, HBO "leaked" the first episode of "How to Make it in America" onto

Artist Watch: Theophilus London

2010-01-15T13:31:00.004-05:00

It is now the fourth week of winter break, and I have completely run out of things to do. BOOM I come across this video, and I remember Theophilus London, one of those artists who has been around the edges of my musical radar screen for a while. Finally motivated by "Humdrum Town," I gave This Charming Mixtape a listen. London's varied musical interests are on full display as he puts his flexible

Artist Watch: Vampire Weekend

2010-01-07T18:52:00.006-05:00

People say that Pheonix was the Vampire Weekend of '09. Well guess what. It's 2010 and we don't have to settle for electro-y, French indie rock anymore; we get the real deal. Vampire Weekend's next album drops just five days from now (January 12).If the first two legitimately available songs are an indication of what the rest of Contra will sound like, we're in for another catchy, witty treat

Artist Introduction: The White Panda

2009-12-29T02:27:00.006-05:00

This mash-up duo seems to be in existence to serve the dance party needs eclectic music bloggers everywhere. The White Panda are brilliant. If you've been into any sort of popular or indie music in the past decade, you will find something on here that you love, and then you will say, "How the shit did they think to put ____ over ____?"The individual mash-ups featured on this mixtape, cleverly

Depp in Wonderland

2009-12-19T22:30:00.007-05:00

In case ya hadn't heard, Johnny Depp is playing the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland. That should be enough background info to prepare you for how bugged out this trailer is, nothing really is though.It's been a few years since we'd seen Depp breakout the make-up for a properly strange character. I was starting to worry about the guy.

Springfest 2010

2009-11-27T18:55:00.014-05:00

Matt and Kim, Phoenix, Arctic Monkeys, Passion Pit, and Kid Cudi. No, that's not not a list of my favorite music from the past year, it's the options PKG has given the UVa student body to vote on for who they want to play Springfest 2010. Yeah, that's a damn good list.Let's hope PKG can get any one of these artists here, but in the mean time go vote here, after you've gotten over how awesome each

Artist Watch: Wale

2009-11-12T15:30:00.011-05:00

Wale has really been around the rap scene for a long time. Well, for a new hip-hop artist in the age of free internet mixtapes at least. His first mixtape dropped way back in 2005. Wale then floated around the hip-hop universe as an independent artist, releasing three well received mixtapes, until 2008 when he signed with Interscope. Later that year, The Mixtape About Nothing was released to wide

Brand Spankin' New: Isaiah and Hovey

2009-10-18T21:57:00.005-04:00

Isaiah & Hovey are a new Hip-Hop tandem who hail from Yarmouth, ME and Arlington, VA, but both currently attend VCU. Isaiah Cee, the emcee, and Hovey Benjamin, the producer, have only put out two songs, but both feature a refreshingly original sound. Their second song, "Can't Help Myself," really shows that this isn't a typical hip-hop group. On that track, Hovey demonstrates some impressive

Protoculture Review: Scribblenauts

2009-09-27T19:36:00.002-04:00

Imagine a game where you can simply summon almost anything into the game world to help you achieve your goals. Done yet? If so, you've just imagined Scribblenauts, the cutesy game by 5th Cell that allows you to do precisely that.The basic premise for the game is simple: you are given a scenario and a set of objectives to complete, and then it is up to you to solve the puzzle by typing in any

Tron Legacy

2009-09-22T23:17:00.000-04:00

Song of the Week: Ratatat - "Mirando"

2009-09-16T22:29:00.002-04:00

When it's Ratatat vs. Predator, everybody wins.

Artist Watch: Oh.Bliv

2009-09-15T23:13:00.003-04:00

Guess what? Oh.Bliv, one of the collaborators on an earlier Just Plain Sounds release, Black Soap, just dropped a new set of tracks today. You can go ahead and listen or download Rugged Tranquility for free right here.

Review: Hercules and Love Affair - Sidetracked

2009-09-10T21:12:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to lie, Hercules and Love Affair has a strange premise for their second release. Rather than cooking up a batch of fresh, original tunes, the New York based 'musical project' decided to simply throw down a mixtape.Perhaps this isn't too weird for those more duly familiar with Hercules and Love Affair. Being a musical act that is comprised mainly of DJ Andy Butler and guest artists,

Song of the Week: Looking Glass - "Brandy"

2009-09-10T01:35:00.002-04:00

Feeling old school; so old school in fact that I would post the oldest video I've seen of a double kick. Look out for it!

Just Jack. Just Good.

2009-09-07T19:22:00.005-04:00

Straight from the land of the beloved Queen herself comes English musician Just Jack, who offers an impressive, undeniably catchy mix of pop hooks and alternative rhythms. Having honed his mixing and sampling chops as a youngster, this is an artist perhaps destined to be picked up by the global music scene.What? Never heard of Just Jack (real name: Jack Allsop)? Neither did I until I ran across

Amazon's 50/$5 September Recommendations

2009-09-04T14:19:00.000-04:00

Once again, here's a pruned list of what you should be checking out if you happen to dig Amazon's MP3 store, like sweet deals, and are willing to purchase even sweeter music.

Song of the Week: Swedish House Mafia & Laidback Luke feat. Deborah Cox - "Leave the World Behind"

2009-09-03T13:13:00.001-04:00

I wish I was in Miami right now.

Artist Watch: Minus the Bear

2009-08-31T00:05:00.003-04:00

It's been a couple years since Minus the Bear, the Seattle-based indie rock quintet, has released anything of note. After Planet of Ice came out, fans have only been able to snag copies of their Acoustics EP, which provides the simple novelty of hearing acoustic versions of old songs while adding in one original entitled "Guns & Ammo," but isn't exactly what I would call an exciting, worthwhile

Artist Watch: Menya

2009-08-28T19:58:00.003-04:00

You may have seen the previous post about Menya regarding their late summer tour dates, but since they've finished all of those up, the trio from New York has decided to stir things up in the studio by doing a little mixtape. On said mixtape--which will be fully available for free on October 2nd--is a collection of three covers of the group's "most loved (or hated) songs" and a brand-new

Song of the Week: Calvin Harris "Ready for the Weekend"

2009-08-27T00:37:00.004-04:00

We did it, guys. We made it over the first hump day of the new semester. Now, let's just get ready for the weekend. If you like the song, you may like it even more after seeing this.

Mole's Main Event - Kurt Angle

2009-08-24T16:13:00.003-04:00

What’s up tableau?