CBGB (2013)

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

How do you make a movie about CBGB in the structure of a routine narrative? Where do you start? Why do we have to see the origins of CBGB through a comedy lens? “CBGB” is what Hollywood envisions the origins of CBGB were. It’s clean, it’s sanitary, it’s inoffensive, and it paints some of the most iconic bands in rock music as mere footnotes in the world of the iconic New York club. To make things worse, its star looks really bored with the material, almost as if he’s slogging through a character and a script that he doesn’t quite understand.

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The Temptations (1998)

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

One of the highlights of growing up with parents that loved classic soul and R&B, was listening to some of the greatest bands of all time. My favorite of them all was The Temptations, a wonderful group of singers with one of the more compelling back stories of all time. Though I’m usually not a fan of biography films about bands or musicians in general, “The Temptations” garners an immense cast of strong actors, all of whom help fuel what is a tale about fame, greed, and clashing egos. It’s just a shame that the movie breezes through some crucial details.

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Go Go Mania (1965)

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

It all started with the Beatles. From there it was a slew of really interesting British Invasion groups, and singers, many of whom ranged from absolutely abysmal, to quite unique. It’s a shame many of these bands never quite garnered the legacy that the Beatles did, but “Go Go Mania!” has value, if anything, in showing how many bands climbed out of the woodwork to claim their own fame once the Beatles stormed America.

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The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story [Hardcover]

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

There aren’t many music fans that are aware of Brian Epstein and the legacy that he crafted. Though he isn’t as much of a household name as Berry Gordy or Quincy Jones, Brian Epstein created what would be pegged as “The British Invasion,” and introduced the world to the fab four, the lads from Liverpool, The Beatles! Author Vivek Tawdry with amazing art from Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker don’t just craft the story of one of the most incredible music visionaries of all time, but of a man who could never quite come to terms with his sexuality. “The Fifth Beatle” focuses on Brian Epstein’s rise to stardom and eventual discovery of the Beatles, four men whom he felt deep affection for.

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Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Llewyn Davis has just come to a startling realization. The only reason why anyone even knew him was because he was apart of a two man folk group. His partner, who committed suicide, is much more of a well known musical figure than Llewyn ever was, and now Llewyn is facing a life where the art form her cherishes the most will only be able to offer him fame or heart ache. What happens when a second tier musical performer has to carve out his own identity without a partner? Can you achieve fame and wealth without selling out your principles in the end? Does selling out destroy your value as a serious artist?

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The Fab Four & The Fab Foul

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Felix Vasquez

You can’t just put any band on a film and expect laughs. And chemistry and appeal. That’s what happened to “Spice World.”

The directors and creators behind it seemed to basically assume, “Hell, this band is popular, they’re a pop band, they have massive appeal with the male audience, they make catchy music, and they’re British, so they’ll be perfect equivalents to The Beatles.”

And… well… if you saw the movie, you’ll know that the logic behind that theory was slightly eschew.

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Battle of the Year (2013)

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Felix Vasquez

The only thing more shamelessly stupid than the utter self-congratulatory premise behind “Battle of the Year” is the god awful product placements. One thing about these stupid dance movies it that they’re a gold mine for corporations to advertise to an audience that likely can’t afford their crap. So we’re shown images of Braun in the background in the first minutes of the film, Josh Peck has a new Sony Ipad because “It’s the future,” he tells main character Josh Holloway. Then there’s an insert of him renting “Planet B-Boy” on Netflix, menu and all.

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