Showing posts with label A Little Color. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Little Color. Show all posts

Monday, August 28, 2023

Things You Should Know (from your friends at Shades of Gray)

 Because we care about the safety of our readers, we are beginning a new series of informative posts.

About banshees, by Lou Morales

And since this is Monday, here's a music video for a song themed with today's illustrated information. (Don't be frightened by the splashes of color!)

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Violins and Violence


 
Here's another neat student film that has been recovered from the distant, abandoned corners of YouTube! Made by Indonesian college students, but with English dialog. It has a 1970s slasher or proto-slasher film, and I might have given it an Eight-star rating if there'd been some well-executed gore or stabbings instead of a symbolic graphic. Still, the general atmosphere of the film--powered by great lighting and camera work, and the chilling, detached demeanor of the lead actress--coupled with the story twists make this a fine way to spend a few minutes if you like horror flicks. (The color tints also add to the mood and mystery of the picture.)


The Violin Player (aka "The Violent Player") (2006)
Starring: Silena Cheung, Andra Fembriarto, Maggie Leung, and Tim Powers
Director: Andra Fembriarto
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Monday, May 15, 2023

A Special Musical Monday with Mike Oldfield

Return to Ommadawn

As some of you out there might know, I began my professional life as an entertainment writer, focused mostly on music reviews. I did that for roughly four years, after which I was so burned out on music that my car radio stayed tuned to talk and news-stations from 1993 through 2000... and I hardly played any music on my system at home. To this day, I still have not been to a life concert, or even watched one on television.

Major exceptions to my time away from music were certain works by Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Beethoven, and/or Handel... and everything by one of the 20th century's great composers and guitar players, Mike Oldfield.

Mike Oldfield, Young

I have loved Mike Oldfield's music since I first heard "Ommadawn". I prefer his long-form instrumentals over his pop/rock songs, but everything he's done is good. Even his weakest releases are far, FAR better than the best that many other modern song-writers and musicians produce.

Mike Oldfield turns 70 years old today. I honor him on his birthday, and I thank for enriching my life, inspiring my creativity--characters and storylines have all sprung into my head while listening to Oldfield--and bringing light into my world during my darkest times. 

 
Mike Oldfield, Old


This post also celebrates over five decades of brilliant music composed and performed by giving you a chance to listen to some of my favorite songs from him, along with a few videos. Only a few of them actually that fit the black-and-white format around here, starting with a fan-made one (which features a little nudity, so be careful where you watch it), but I hope you'll be inspired to check out more of his music and come to love his work the way I do.


Here's another fan-made video, mostly abstract and set to some very pretty Oldfield tunes.

"Five Miles Out"--the title track from the 1983 album that is Mike Oldfield's greatest masterpiece. "Taurus II" (a 27-minute long track that occupied most of Side 1 of the LP record when it was first released) is his very best work, containing some of his greatest themes and melodies.


"Magic Touch" from Islands (1987)

Sunday, October 2, 2022

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As always, we're spending October gearing up for the spooktacular day that is Halloween, both here and over at our sister blog, Terror Titans. But before we get too deep into the celebration of the creepy and fantastic, we want to pause for a moment to call attention to the fact that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Being trapped in an abusive relationship is an all-too-real horror that faces too many men, women, and helpless children. We hope that none of our readers and visitors find themselves in such situations, but if you do--or if you suspect you know someone who is--there are resources and information here. Don't suffer in silence.



 
Meanwhile, here's an extremely well-made short film that addresses the subject of domestic abuse with great creativity and effectiveness.

The Mime (aka "El Mimo") (2010)
Starring: Joja Heglez, Teresita Saad, and Ruben Ovideo
Director: Kive Guttman
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Monday, January 3, 2022

Musical Monday with Weird Al

Tess MacNeille and Al Yankovic in "Ricky"

I think Aaron Sorkin and Co. missed a major opportunity by not using this as the theme for their "Being the Ricardos" movie, nor using this clip as part of the End Credits. (The parody song is lots of fun, and while 'Weird Al' isn't the greatest Ricky Ricardo, Tess MacNeille is GREAT as Lucille Ball!)


Ricky (1983)
Starring: Al Yankovic and Tess MacNeille
Director: Janet Greek
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
(Click through to watch the video on YouTube. If you have any familiarity with "I Love Lucy", you won't regret it.)

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

'Black & White': Fun take on the hardboiled genre

Black & White (2018)
Starring: Emily Inserra, Nick D'Ambrosia, Amber Walker, Tommy Barbara, Jaime Plitnick, Dave Cifelli, and Alex Luckenbaugh
Director: "Collective Brain"
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

After getting black-out drunk at a party, college girl Rose (Inserra) wakes up to find that everything around her now appears in shades of gray. She sets out to reconstruct what happened the night before and to hopefully get some color back into her life!

Emily Inserra in "Black & White" (2017)

"Black & White" is a well-crafted spoof of the hardboiled detective thrillers where the main character is trying to piece together a mystery that has deep and personal ramifications for his or her future, but which consists of clues and mysteries within mysteries that defy meaning until they are all uncovered and put together. In this case, the detective role is a party girl who has a bad habit of getting drunk and breaking up with her boyfriend, but her narration is hilariously hardboiled, as is a couple of the actions she takes while seeking out witnesses and gathering clues to solve the mystery.

Over its 9-minute running time, "Black & White" pokes fun at college campus stereotypes (especially as they manifest in romance fiction and dramas), detective fiction, the film noir movie genre, and perhaps even one or two other subjects that escaped my notice. The script is hilarious, with Rose's internal monologue causing me to have a near-constant smile on my face as the film unfolded, and the "what are going to do?" scene had me laughing out loud. I also loved the splashes of color that entered into the film as it reached its conclusion, effectively driving home the point that Rose has reached the end of her journey of discovery and that maybe better days are ahead. 

I also thought the film was nicely photographed, the soundtrack music was perfect, and the sound was always clear and well-balanced. That's actually a bigger deal than someone who doesn't watch a lot of these sorts of YouTube videos might realize. There have been many, many shorts that I've not bothered featuring here or at the "Terror Titans" blog, because the sound was so badly done that dialogue couldn't be heard clearly due to background noise or was drowned out by the soundtrack music due to bad mixing, or because the sound effects so badly integrated so as to be distracting. There are even some otherwise good films that are weakened by bad choice of soundtrack stock music.

I really only have one real complaint about "Black & White", and I don't know if I should be grateful for the filmmakers for giving me the opportunity to make it. There's a scene where Rose barges in on a guy sitting on the toilet, but he has his long-johns fully pulled up. Why? How? What could he have been doing there, dressed like that? It was such a weird moment that it pulled me out of the film. (There are some nitpicks, but I'm not going to call them out, because I understood and appreciated and was amused by what the filmmakers were going for, even if they didn't quite manage to pull it off.)

All in all, if you like film noir or college-based dramas or romantic comedies, I think you'll get a kick out of "Black & White". 


--
"Black & White" was made by a group of then-students at Ramapo College in New Jersey. They created films under the name Collective Brain, because, according, to the person monitoring their Facebook page, their films were true group efforts and there was no clear delineation between who wrote what and who directed it. Unfortunately, if the views, likes, and subscriptions visible on the Collective Brain YouTube Channel are any indication, their efforts have not gotten a whole lot of traction or attention. That's too bad, because, if "Black & White" is any indication, they were creating good stuff. (It's not all bad news, though; I found a smattering of credits at IMDB for several of the members of the Collective, and at least one has been performing with a Shakespearean theatre company in Massachusetts. It appears they on their way to success in the Real World, YouTube be damned!)

Monday, October 11, 2021

Musical Monday with Green Day

Green Day in "Back in the USA"


Green Day released "Back in the U.S.A." in 2017 with a neat video that pays homage to the great John Carpenter sci-fi/horror flick "They Live" (1988). Sadly, the commentary provided in the video is twice as true now than it was under the government at that time, even if it's no longer hip and cool to run around and scream about how much you're #Resisting.

Take a few minutes to kick of the work-week with some fine music and an excellent video. In addition to just being fun, it makes great use of the gimmick of turning the black-and-white presentation to color.

Back in the USA (2017)
Starring: Billie Joe Armstrong, Kimberly Cimino, Tre Cool, and Mike Dirnt
Directors:  Brendan Walter and Greg Yagolnitzer
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

Thursday, October 7, 2021

In honor of the great Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe graphic

The great writer of chilling poetry and horror short stories, Edgar Allan Poe, passed away on October 7 in 1849 at the young age of 40. Please enjoy this song from Voltaire in his memory, and as part of our effort here at Shades of Gray to get you in the proper mood for Halloween! (As an extra treat, we've picked a fan-made video to feature. You can click here if you want to visit YouTube for the version uploaded by Voltaire himself.)


Monday, May 31, 2021

Musical Monday with the Spin Doctors

The Spin Doctors were a huge band in the 1990s, with a cheerful indie-flavored pop-rock style. After founding member and lead singer Chris Barron was stricken with a rare form of vocal chord paralyzation in 1999, the band broke up.

The Spin Doctors reformed in 2001 after Barron regained his voice, and they've been performing and touring together ever since--even as individual members have engaged in a few side projects here and there.

On this Musical Monday, we're offering "Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors. It's music video is a nice amalgamation of all the things we enjoy here at Shades of Gray... and, if you're not familiar with the song, be warned: If you're anything like us, it will be stuck in your head for at least the rest of the day once you hear it.


Two Princes (1992)
Starring: Mark White, Mark Barron, three anonymous actors, and the rest of the Spin Doctors
Director: Richard Murray
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

(If anyone out there knows who the actors playing the Jester, the Diner Girl, and the Fat Hip-Hop Guy are, please let me know in the comments. I would love to give them credit... but I don't recognize any of them, and my feeble research attempts have come up blank.)

Monday, March 22, 2021

Musical Monday with Queen

This month, it's 30 years since Queen released one of their great songs, along with one of their greatest videos in support. It's a surreal bit of film that focuses on Freddie Mercury singing and being weird, with the three other band members eventually joining in as things get REALLY strange.

Freddie Mercury in "I'm Going Slightly Mad"

The song and video feel like a light-hearted romp--and it's genuinely funny at times, in keeping with the lyrics--but it also manages to put a little attention on the very serious subject of mental illness. (The most telling moment in the video is when Mercury--the guy who says he has gone mad--tries to sit down next to friends on a couch--and they all move away. A spotlight being on him at that point is also a great touch.)

Please take a view minutes to check out this classic video and song, either to rediscover it or to experience it for the first time!

I'm Going Slightly Mad (1991)
Starring: 
Directors: Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

(In writing "I'm Going Slightly Mad", Freddie Mercury reportedly took some inspiration from his deteriorating physical and mental state from his battle with the then-mysterious illness that would eventually come to be recognized as AIDS. I knew nothing of this when I fell in love with this song, way back when.)

Monday, March 8, 2021

Musical Monday with Body Count

Body Count is a rap/heavy metal fusion group fronted by Ice-T. He founded it with guitarist Ernie C. in 1990, as a vehicle for both of them to explore and express their love of heavy metal music... and to allow the rest of us to come along for the ride.

Ice-T and Body Count

Ice-T and the band join us today with a song and a video that embodies fantasies of the sorts that we suspect any creative person who's crossed paths with an online "critic" or twit on Twitter (or maybe just negative reviewers in general) has engaged in at least once.

A word of warning in case you like visiting this blog at work: Do NOT click on this video. Very little of it is Safe For Work (or even polite company) ... but it's funny, rockin', and worth watching. 

Wait until you get home to watch it. But watch it. (I don't want Body Count to think I am discouraging anyone from enjoying their work. Please don't misunderstand guys--and I hope you think an Eight of Ten Rating is high enough. If not... can't we talk about it? Please?)


Talk Shit, Get Shot (2014)
Starring: Ice-T, Shakir Standley, and Body Count
Director: Franklin Nasso
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars


Friday, November 6, 2020

A genre-founding game of cat and mouse...

Juve vs Fantomas (1913)
Starring: Edmund Breon, Georges Melchior, René Navarre, Yvette Andréyor, and Renée Carl
Director: Louis Feuillade
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Fantômas (Navarre)--a psychopathic murderer, master of disguise and leader of a vast criminal enterprise--attempts to eliminate his dogged pursuers Police Inspector Juve (Breon) and journalist Fandor (Melchoir) while enacting a scheme to rob wine dealers of 150,000 Francs.

Scene from "Juves vs. Fantomas"

I have seen the Louis Feuillade-directed Fantômas material described alternatively as a serial and as series of sequels. Having watched now (finally) the second installment of the series, it's clearly a serial. While the first film delivered a complete story and stood relatively well on its own (read the review here), this one relies not only on prior knowledge of the characters featured, but on some degree of what happened in the previous film, but also ends with a number of unresolved plot elements.

Although "Juve vs. Fantômas" is part of a serial with no solid beginning and no end, it is made up of shorter, almost self-contained stories centered on either Fantômas and his gang schemes and heist attempts, or the back and forth between Juve & Fandor trying to catch Fantômas while Fantômas is trying to kill them.

From a genre history perspective, this is an interesting film to watch, because its chase scenes, shoot-outs, and general pacing and alignment of characters show how little the action and thriller genres have changed in the 110+ years since this "Juve vs. Fantômas" was released. The technology and techniques of filmmaking may have changed, but the pursuit scenes, confrontations between heroes and villains, shoot-outs--every story element really--could be transferred to a modern film with very little revision. (Okay, so Fantômas' method of escaping from Juve and Fandor when they nab him about halfway into the film would have to be completely reworked, but almost everything else would fit in a modern thriller. Oh... and me staying that Fantômas escapes from his pursuers is not a breach of my general policy of not providing spoilers; Fantômas will ALWAYS escape, because, although he's the villain, these films are more about what he and his crew are getting up to than the heroes that are trying to catch him.)

Highpoints of the film are the startling aftermath of Fantômas' gang robbing a wine broker they'd cat-fished; a shoot-out that's s equal parts thrilling and hilarious, with it being a very tense sequence that feels like heroes Juve and Fandor are in geuine peril, but funny due the way the gunmen trying to kill them pop up and down from cover; the scenes that underscore exactly how confident Fantômas is in his abilities to avoid capture, such as when he returns to finish his date at a nightclub with two lovely ladies after almost getting pinched at that very nightclub; and the entirety of cat-and-mouse game between Juve and  Fantômas that culminates in the film's final minutes that shocking cliffhanger.

René Navarre and Yvette Andréyor in "Juve vs. Fantomas" (1913)

On the downside, Fantômas' murky relationship with Lady Beltham (Renée Carl) continues from the first film, without any additional clarification of it. We're introduced to a new female assistant to Fantômas (Yvette Andréyor) at the beginning of the film--one who is a straight-up criminal like he, and who shares at least some of his talents for disguise, deceit, and being a social chameleon, and is all-around more interesting and even prettier than Lady Beltham--so I figured Fantômas had gotten all the use he could out of Beltham and moved on... but this is not the case. She is brought back into the story and cooperates with him for reasons even less comprehensible than her working with him before, and we get no further insight into why she cooperates with him or why he even reaches out to her. (Although I was a bit annoyed to see whatever it is that binds Fantômas and Beltham together, I hope she'll appear again in future installments, perhaps even get killed off and replaced by Josephine.)

On the presentation side, a near-constant annoyance for me was the fact that this film was tinted. Outdoor daylight scenes were tinted yellow or green (I can't tell which for sure due to being somewhat colorblind), outdoor night scenes being blue, and scenes involving fires, explosions, and fiery crashes (of which there are several) being tinted red. Scenes that take place indoors were tinted inconsistently, sometimes just in the native black and whit, but other-times in yellow/green or blue, depending on whether the light is on or not. I understand that this wasn't an uncommon practice back when this film was made, but it annoys me whenever I come across it. Maybe it's my color blindness or maybe it's just my love of the black-and-white medium (which is tied to my color blindness, according to at least two different wags I know), but I view it as a strike against a film, no matter how much I otherwise enjoy it. It's especially annoying to me when the tinting is applied inconsistently like it's done here.

In the end though, the good parts of "Juve vs. Fantômas" vastly outweigh the bad parts--and the finale makes up for any and all sins committed during its run-time. I will have to implement Fantômas Fridays for the rest of November so I can see how things turn out! 

If you have an interest in the history of film and where genre conventions come from, or if you just want to enjoy a fast-paced, old-timey crime drama, I think you'll find watching "Juve vs. Fantômas".

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

'Monochrome': Perfect for review at this blog!

Monochrome: The Chromism (2019)
Starring: Joshua Bangle, Ryan Barnes, Cat Merritt, Devin Leigh, Sean Conley, and Sashanna Pearson 
Director: Kodi Zene
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

In a world where everything is literally in black and white, Issac (Bangle) becomes the first victim of a strange infection that is causing people to turn colored.


When I was first told about "Monochrome", I thought it was a perfect subject for review at this blog--a place where everything is in black and white (as declared on the header), but occasionally splashes of color creep in. I was also certain I'd have a good time poking a little good-natured fun at the ridiculous premise--as a lover of things "Star Wars" and publisher of comics anthologies like "Stardust the Super Wizard", I am clearly not picky about fantasy getting into my science fiction--because the way in which we perceive colors comes from such a complex mixture of physics and physical conditions that the notion of a mystery contagion causing people to become "colorized" couldn't possibly be successfully played straight.

And yet, writer/director Cody Zene pulls it off. He opens the film on a mysterious hooded figure walking through a blasted wasteland. The scene is in black and white. When this figure comes upon other people, they unmask him, and we discover that this wanderer is a hunted outcast for no reason other than he colored in a world where everything else is in shades of gray. The story then flashes back to a year earlier, and we are shown the series of escalating events that brought our hero, Isaac, and his world to the state it's presently in. 

Zene pulls us so effectively into the world of "Monochrome" that my expectations of thinking it was all very silly never entered my mind. He first engages the viewer with a stark opening, then draws us further in by triggering our sympathy for the instantly likeable Everyman character of Isaac (Joshua Bangle) as his life is torn apart, and then inspires our curiosity by showing us that his "condition" may or may not be an unexpected side effect of a bio-engineered gas released by a shadowy group that may be terrorists, government agents, or something entirely different. It doesn't become clear who they are, or what their intentions are, during the course of the film, but it's a question that may inspire you to seek out future films in what is a projected series.

MAY inspire you... because for all the strong elements of both setting and story in the film, there are technical aspects of the execution that drag it down. I viewed the "extended cut" of the film (which is currently available via streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime), so maybe some of this is unique to this particular edit; let me know if the comments if any of the following reflects what you saw if you check out this film.

First, "Monochrome" could have benefitted from tighter editing. Several shots and scenes could have been improved by being trimmed by just a few seconds while others needed to lose as much as a minute. There are several scenes, most noticeable involving Isaac's brother Jerry (Ryan Barnes) and either the film's nameless villain (Devin Leigh) or Isaac's girlfriend Victoria (Cat Merritt). The scenes are internally repetitive, as if multiple takes were done while the cameras kept rolling, but instead of picking one, the editors and director left them all in. The overall effect is that the film starts feeling padded as it progresses, which is a shame, because there's a really interesting story unfolding.

Devin Leigh in "Monochrome: The Chronism"

Second, we see entirely too much of the villain just strolling about or sitting around, failing at being menacing. If the presence of the mysterious bad guy had been limited to the two scenes were he is established  as existing and being in command of a mysterious organization; and where he orders the doctor working with him (Sean Conley) to figure out why their bio weapon (which appears to have been intended to make those who are exposed to it paranoid and highly suggestible, since it turns Jerry into a loving and supporting brother into a color-hating, murderous madman. Every other scene he has does little to advance the story and does everything to undermine the idea that he is a menace or a force to be reckoned with--I don't think it's because Devin Leigh is necessarily a bad actor; he's just miscast. (You need a special kind of character actor for a part like that, and Leigh just doesn't have the right sort of screen presence.

Finally, the film is ultimately too much set-up and not enough resolution. With some trimming, this would be a spectacular first episode for a cool television series (although one that I think would fail because the general public doesn't have the refined tastes to appreciate black-and-white media--unlike you find folks reading this). As a stand-alone film, it falls short, no matter how much I admit to liking the story and wanting to see it continue. I realize that this is SUPPOSED to be the first part in a series, but, since it is NOT part of an existing series, there really should have been some resolution aside from "the life Isaac knew is dead and gone!"

In the final analysis, I feel that watching "Monochrome: The Chromism" was time well spent, and I hope it does well enough to spawn the sequels that the films writer/director and producers have in mind. Although it has some issues, the story is engaging and the characters are interesting. What's more, like all good sci-fi, it carries with it some social commentary that feels like it was "ripped from the headlines", even if the film was completed quite some time ago, before the current pandemic and political messes had come to dominate our lives.  

"Monochrome: The Chromism" is currently available on Amazon Prime and other streaming services. You can also learn more about the film and the plans its creators have for their "franchise" by clicking here. I encourage you to check out both-although the website does contain mild spoilers in regards to a particular dangling thread from the movie--because it will improve my chances to seeing what's next for the world of Monochrome.

 

Monday, September 21, 2020

Musical Monday with The Correspondents



The Correspondents are back (for the third time this year) with "Fear & Delight", a title that seems appropriate as we gear up for Halloween! This tune is part swing, part techo, and all fun! The video is a kaleidoscopic festival of trick photography, and other exuberantly creative bit of filmmaking. We hope the color sequence near the middle doesn't shock your senses too much!


Fear & Delight (2013)
Starring: Ian Bruce and Abigail O'Neill
Director: Naren Wilks
Rating: Ten of Ten Stars


Monday, August 10, 2020

Musical Monday with A Perfect Circle


Do you like rock music with a big, metalish sound? Do you like dystopian sci-fi that carries a promise that everything may work out happily in the end? If so, this video from A Perfect Circle is just what you need to get your week off to a great start! (Don't be frightened by the color sections!)

Monday, May 18, 2020

Musical Monday with Ivy Levan

Ivy Levan in a scene from "Hot Damn'

Ivy Levan is an American singer/songwriter/actress/model. This is the second time we're spotlighting her exuberant, quirky, over-the-top blusey stylings... and this second song is joined with a video that's equal parts thrilling and funny. Just like the last time around.

"Hot Damn" was the second track on Levan's debut EP, "Introducing the Lady" . This video is either a sequel, or perhaps a prequel, to the one for "Money", as it clearly features some of the same characters.



If you enjoyed "Hot Damn", I think you'll find Gin Wigmore's music and videos appealing as well. (And you should keep an eye out here; Levan will almost certainly be returning to these parts on future Musical Mondays.)

Monday, May 11, 2020

Musical Monday with Kate Bush


You say you want to hear Kate Bush covering "Rocket Man"? You say you want her to do it while playing the ukulele? We have just the thing to brighten your Monday!


Rocket Man (1991)
Starring: Kate Bush
Director: Kate Bush
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars


Monday, February 17, 2020

Musical Monday with Camila Cabello

Singer Camila Cabello first came to public notice as a teen-aged contestant on the X-Factor talent show in 2012. Over the past eight years, she has risen to pop music star status, complete with scandals and Twitter/Instagram apology tours for making insensitive posts!

As I type these words, it's less than a week since she released her latest music video and single. Camila Cabello ... which means it's probably the "freshest" thing to ever be featured here at Shades of Gray. Featuring this video as quickly as possible on a Musical Monday was a no-brainer since it's supporting a nice song and is set in an imaginary version of the Old Hollywood that produced so many of the films and cultural icons that are covered around here.

Oh... and don't get scared when the video is suddenly in color at the end. It's that shift that lifts if from good to great, in my opinion!

My Oh My (2020)
Starring: Camila Cabello and DaBaby
Director: Dave Meyers
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

(This is at least the second time that director Dave Meyers has used fake movie title cards as part of a music video. I'll have to check out more of his work to see if it's a signature. He also did it in this Pink video from 2012.)

Monday, February 3, 2020

Musical Monday with the Correspondents

   L.L. Hundal (of NUELOW Games): So you're posting a music video every Monday. Cool.
   Steve Miller (of Shades of Gray): I think so. There are lots of great black-and-white music vids to spotlight!
   Hundal: You still do that 'The Unifying Theme' bit with pics?
   Miller: Yep.
   Hundal: I wonder if there's a 'Unifying Theme' video out there.
   Miller: …
   The Correspondents: Hold our tray of tiny masked dancers and watch this.



The Correspondents is British music duo consisting of front-man Ian Bruce and keyboardist/DJ Tim Cole. They have a sound all their own that's best described as a cross between electronica, blues, jazz, funk, and whatever else happens to strike their fancy at any given moment. Their first appearance here at Shades of Gray has them performing their 2016 song "Inexplicable", with a video directed and produced by Christina Hardinge. The entire package that mixes old and modern and weird sums up this blog perfectly... and we hope this bit of supreme weirdness gets your work-week off to a fun and funky start!


The Correspondents will be filing other reports here at Shades of Gray on future Musical Mondays, so stay tuned!


Monday, January 20, 2020

Musical Monday with Gin Wigmore

Gin Wigmore is a genre-defying performer whose sound has touches of rock, ragtime, blues, and more. She's almost the musical equivalent of this blog. She's here today to get your week started right with a song and some photos. (Despite the shirt, Wigmore is anything but Mickey Mouse!)


Gin Wigmore in a Mickey Mouse t-shirt

Gin Wigmore in 'Black Sheep'

Gin Wigmore, smiling and wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt