dimanche 24 février 2013

Looking for answers

Nice exposition on the gates surrouding the Jardin du Luxembourg about the satyrical cartoons in press across the years... starting way back between The wars up to recently.
What strikes is the keen eye of the artist who channeled sometimes great insight of the History.
From laughs to the frightful sight of Hitler's ascension to power and also the still sadly fight against the rampant capitalism.
Here's a few of them (to think and to laugh)



lundi 18 février 2013

Blind ?

Small review on the new record by french symphonic metal (prog) band Whyzdom.
New singer Elvyne Lorient who sadly departed before the touring to be replace by Marie Rouyer making the 4th (or 5) lead singer since the debut album., making Whyzdom the Ayreon of symphonic metal. The Queen is dead , long live the Queen.
Elvyn does a nice job though her english prononciation sometimes makes her hard to understand the lyrics (and she's a bit just on the start of cathedral of the damned)
Other than that you got a typical metal symphonic band with the usual  artwork with lead singer on top, mystical cryptic lyrics of devil, death, earth dreams whatever...You got double pedal, choir, violins etc.

So nothing new under the sun you might say for a second album. But I must admit as not a big fan of sympho metal I was surprised. First record was good but this one really sounded professional and well done on lots of counts.
The production is great, you hear a bit of everything (even the occasional grunty dark voice of doom in vocals), all instruments sounds great. the songs are very weel done, having each their own identity. (only real weak song on the album for me is paper princess.... not enough slow to stand by it self and way to cheesy... should have called that Power princess and put on a big riff in it...^^)
Otherwise great songs, road to babylon and cathedral really shine in the pompeous clive Nolan orchestral style (and that is a compliment coming from me).
With this record, Whyzdom proves they have what it takes to make records who can be up there along the big ones  like within or any other nightwisherie and Blind ? is indeed worth listening to for those you like sympho metal or even prog metal.
Now only if they could keep a singer long enough... (or indeed go full ayreon but that might hurt a bit to sell to the public...good luck Marie hope you're here to stay... it is really a good opportunity if the band keeps on increasing again their level of production....)

dimanche 17 février 2013

Images

Small exposition at the Fondation henri-cartier Bresson with a retrospective of the Greenberg Collection.
An NY gallerist showing pieces of his collection.
the great things of these 2 small but nicely filled rooms is the difference of pictures displayed, from many photographs (mainly US, Abbott, Weegee, Airbus,...)
It is filled with portraits, composition, social and war pictures, some very famous, some not (well to my knowledge so I can guess you can say less famous than the aformetioned one but I digress).
My favorites of the bunch are the porytrait of Gloria Swanson, mesmerizing. and the following taken during the war.(Berlin in 45 red army marching in) plus one for my father, which he did like very much. (taken without a flash god I know it is not very good to take pics in an art gallery specially build with low lights but people doing it with flash AND sound... The nerve...Anyways...)
Very much an interesting look at the power of pictures (all in black and white). From the social colored ramp from the 40ies, to execution, walks in Paris, musicians, artists, workers, murders... with small sentences from the artists on their view of photography. Very good choice to sensibilize people to art pictures.

http://www.henricartierbresson.org/