Gatsby delivers audacious soundtrack

Leonardo DiCaprio with Carey Mulligan in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Source: Supplied

THE dramatic vocal performances of Jay-Z's Angels on Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby will keep the soundtrack in the charts for the rest of the year.

While the music's executive producer Jay-Z opens the 14-track record, nine of the songs feature some of the best female voices of our times.

It is no surprise that the reworking of the Amy Winehouse hit Back To Black by his missus Beyonce with Andre 3000 may be the most controversial musical moment from Gatsby.

It is almost unrecognisable from the original, darker and so cut and pasted, it gives you the jitters after a couple of minutes.

The entire soundtrack is epic and edgey with orchestral flourishes or Jazz Age stylings underpinning most of the songs.

Will.i.am's new offering Bang Bang channels the Charleston, features some nifty scatting and Louis Armstrong-inspired vocals with a rather naughty lyric hook.

His Black Eyed Peas bandmate Fergie teams with Q-Tip and GoonRock on A Little Party Never Killed Nobody, which is also heavy on the jazz meets house vibe and could enjoy singles success.

Listen to the The Great Gatsby soundtrack sampler below.

Lana Del Rey (Young And Beautiful) and Florence And The Machine (Over The Love) were commissioned to write new songs for the film which are entirely what you would expect from both great artists and will no doubt prove to be captivating soundbeds in the film. And hits off it, should they be released commercially.

Another original tune hails from The XX and their slavish fans will revel in its dark and insistent backing, metronomic beat and breathy, deep vocals which climax with an orchestral swell.

Sia delivers a powerful performance worthy of Adele on Kill And Run which could easily also serve as a Bond theme.

While the Back To Black cover may not tickle everyone's musical fancy, Jack White proves almost understated but compelling on his treatment of U2's Love is Blindness while Emilie Sande is perfect on the jazzified Crazy In Love, staying faithful to Beyonce's melody.

Bryan Ferry's whispered smokey barroom reimagining of his own hit Love Is The Drug comes off a little bit creepy but a hell of a lot cool.

One of the finds unearthed by Jay-Z and Luhrmann is the big soul vocal of Coco O of Danish electro duo Quadron on Where The Wind Blows which is bedded by some old time piano sampling.

And of course there's Gotye's Heart's A Mess - an old ''hit'' here but likely to keep the fan fires burning for him overseas where it won't be as familiar to his very large fan base.

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Gatsby delivers audacious soundtrack

Leonardo DiCaprio with Carey Mulligan in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Source: Supplied

THE dramatic vocal performances of Jay-Z's Angels on Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby will keep the soundtrack in the charts for the rest of the year.

While the music's executive producer Jay-Z opens the 14-track record, nine of the songs feature some of the best female voices of our times.

It is no surprise that the reworking of the Amy Winehouse hit Back To Black by his missus Beyonce with Andre 3000 may be the most controversial musical moment from Gatsby.

It is almost unrecognisable from the original, darker and so cut and pasted, it gives you the jitters after a couple of minutes.

The entire soundtrack is epic and edgey with orchestral flourishes or Jazz Age stylings underpinning most of the songs.

Will.i.am's new offering Bang Bang channels the Charleston, features some nifty scatting and Louis Armstrong-inspired vocals with a rather naughty lyric hook.

His Black Eyed Peas bandmate Fergie teams with Q-Tip and GoonRock on A Little Party Never Killed Nobody, which is also heavy on the jazz meets house vibe and could enjoy singles success.

Listen to the The Great Gatsby soundtrack sampler below.

Lana Del Rey (Young And Beautiful) and Florence And The Machine (Over The Love) were commissioned to write new songs for the film which are entirely what you would expect from both great artists and will no doubt prove to be captivating soundbeds in the film. And hits off it, should they be released commercially.

Another original tune hails from The XX and their slavish fans will revel in its dark and insistent backing, metronomic beat and breathy, deep vocals which climax with an orchestral swell.

Sia delivers a powerful performance worthy of Adele on Kill And Run which could easily also serve as a Bond theme.

While the Back To Black cover may not tickle everyone's musical fancy, Jack White proves almost understated but compelling on his treatment of U2's Love is Blindness while Emilie Sande is perfect on the jazzified Crazy In Love, staying faithful to Beyonce's melody.

Bryan Ferry's whispered smokey barroom reimagining of his own hit Love Is The Drug comes off a little bit creepy but a hell of a lot cool.

One of the finds unearthed by Jay-Z and Luhrmann is the big soul vocal of Coco O of Danish electro duo Quadron on Where The Wind Blows which is bedded by some old time piano sampling.

And of course there's Gotye's Heart's A Mess - an old ''hit'' here but likely to keep the fan fires burning for him overseas where it won't be as familiar to his very large fan base.

View the original article here

Neil Young delivers rock, laughs, in Sydney

Neil Young performs in Sydney, Sunday, March 10, 2013. Source: News Limited

WHEN Neil Young sings that rock'n'roll is here to stay, you better believe it.

While the charts may tell us otherwise, with the exception of The Black Keys in the last couple of years, rock music is alive and well on the concert stage courtesy of Mr Young and Crazy Horse.

With a raft of its elder statesmen playing in Australia this month, from Kiss and Guns N Roses to Robert Plant, rock music may seem rooted in the past when confronted with the iTunes era.

Yet to witness Young and his beloved collaborators in Crazy Horse have a transcendent musical conversation at the Sydney Entertainment Centre last night was the greatest affirmation of its stamina.

They set the scene with the bizarre and entertaining opening which fans have come to expect.

White-coated musical scientists unveiled those giant Fender amps and prepared the stage for the proceedings, flanked by giant video screens dressed to look like 60s TV sets. And kicked off with a blast of the national anthem with the band and crew at attention. Shame audience members in the seats didn't feel compelled to stand.

A tight set felt fluid as the band used their instruments to talk to each other and the audience, which wasn't quite a grey as you would imagine. There were plenty of new generational acolytes to worship at the rock church of Young and Co.

Love And Only Love set the tone for the jam heavy set which somehow never tripped over the line between serving the song and indulgence.

These are clearly guys who love playing together and playing their songs, even the enduring favourites Heart Of Gold, Cinnamon Girl, Hey Hey My My and Powderfinger. Yep that song that gave that Australian band their name.

Young and his Crazy Horse companions were joyous throughout the performance and hilariously funny particularly during F...in Up which naturally offers opportunity for some rock-style stand-up.

And at the end, everyone left with the mantra to not fade away.

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Pregnancy drama delivers Tropfest win

Tropfest Australia's Official 2013 Trailer

A DRAMA about a pregnant waitress who is down on her luck won best actress and best film at Tropfest last night.

“When I sat there and heard everyone laughing at the comedies, I was terrified,’’ said Nicholas Clifford, the Victorian director of We’ve All Been There.

“Because you are not going to laugh through mine.”

Clifford, who made the Tropfest finals in 2012 for the comedy Kitchen Sink Drama, said he had actually felt more confident the previous year.

“You don’t do dramas at this festival - it’s a big outdoor thing - but I really liked the story.”

Clifford and his leading lady, Animal Kingdom’s Laura Wheelwright, were chosen by a judging panel that included Sam Worthington, Richard Roxburgh, Rebecca Gibney, Magda Szubanski and The Sapphires director Wayne Blair.

Nicholas Clifford, director of We've All Been There celebrates his Tropfest win with Sam Worthington. Picture: Getty Images

Twelve-year-old Nick Hamilton, from Ballina, won the best actor award for his performance in the Queensland drama, Time.

And Worthington, who made a special trip from the US to take on the role of celebrity judge, decided to create a new award on the spot.

Before presenting best film, the Avatar star said he intended to stump up $3000 - the same amount Nicole Kidman donated for the best actor and actress prizes - for a new prize for best personality in a documentary.

And he awarded this to Sydney pensioner and Pitt Street identity Raymond Borzelli, star of Better Than Sinatra.

A clear favourite with the 90,000-strong audience in The Domain, Jefferson Grainger’s documentary was also runner-up for best film.

Victorian filmmaker Nicholas Clifford has been crowned victor at the 21st Tropfest.

“It’s a true story and I love him,’’ said Grainger.

“I’m just sorry that he wasn’t here to enjoy all this.”

At the end of the evening, founder John Polson confirmed that Tropfest, which started out 21 years ago in a cafe in Kings Cross, was about to change dates and locations

Perhaps to avoid the sort of weather that washed out last year’s event, the annual event will move back two months to December 8, and screen in Sydney’s Centennial Park.
 

WINNERS AT THE 21ST TROPFEST

Winner Nicholas Clifford (centre) with members of his cast and crew along with Sam Worthington and John Polson. Picture: Rohan Kelly

1st place - We've All Been There by Nicholas Clifford
2nd place - Better Than Sinatra by Jefferson Grainger
3rd place - Punctured by Nick Baker and Tristan Klein
Best Male Actor - Nick Hamilton from Time
Best Female Actor - Laura Wheelwright in We've All Been There
Nikon DSLR Award - Matt Hardie for Let It Rain
 

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