Read it!
Walrus-faced talk-show host (Open Mike) Mike Bullard is doing his part
to sink Canada Post
with Open Book (Doubleday). The tome consists mostly of Mike's musings
on the e-mail he gets from fans, which he says runs the gamut from The
Encourager and The Discourager to the Agenda Fan and The Angry Fan. At
least he has some.
Play it!
Twister gets the sister treatment with a new board game called
Connectomy. Three Calgary siblings - Carmen, Lindsey and Julie McFarlane
- have come up with the game, where players' body parts must be
connected together to earn points. You can choose to play the Familiar
Side of the game cards and connect, say, a right leg to a right temple,
or the Formal Side, where your left lateral gastrocnemius must meet your
partner's left ocular supercillia. No word yet on whether a follow-up
X-rated version is planned. |
Wear it!
Exotic and spicy, GoodLife
Woman, a new fragrance by Davidoff, has mistletoe written all over it.
Citrus top notes combined with fig leaves, jasmine, magnolia and
vanilla, make for a vibrant scent. For those of you with a taste, and a
nose, for the
good life.
|
Hear
it!
american
beauty
Arguably the most-praised
Hollywood film of 1999, it deserves credit for an above-average
soundtrack. The CD opens and closes with snippets of Thomas Newman's
understated score. In between are song selections from classic
jazz vocalists (Betty Carter and Peggy Lee), '70s rockers (Free's
"All Right Now" and
The Who's "The Seeker"), the smooth soul of Bill Withers'
"Use Me," and hip popsters Eels, Gomez, Elliott Smith and The
Folk Implosion. These artists are melodic and accessible to appeal to
those old enough to remember the retro hits here, successfully bridging
the musical generation gap.
guinevere
The acclaimed romantic
drama boasts one of the best recent soundtrack albums. Jazz standards
and contemporary tunes are bookended by the haunting score from composer
Christophe Beck. Canadian sweetheart Sarah Polley adds effective
wordless vocals to some of these numbers, but it's the lovely jazz that
captures the ear. Brazilian songstress Astrud Gilberto contributes the
dreamy "Goodbye Sadness," while guitar legend Django Reinhardt
is
represented by "Djangology." Ace pianist Marcus Roberts has
three songs, including Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud" and
"Pannonica." Toss in Monk's own version of "Ruby, My
Dear" and the good vibes of the Gary Burton Trio and you have a
superb aural backdrop to your next dinner party.
mumford
A nice blend of song and score is also displayed here. Lyle Lovett sings
two numbers and confirms he has become one of the quintessential
American voices.
In tandem with young bluesman Keb Mo, Lyle even adds authenticity to Bob
Seger's slightly sentimental "Til It Shines" here. We also get
Billy Bragg and Wilco updating Woody Guthrie's "Hoodoo Voodoo"
and Nick Lowe shining with "From Now On." Given such artists,
you'd hope for a few more songs, but James Newton Howard's score then
takes over. Disappointment fades, though, for his compositions have a
sweeping cinematic feel while never becoming overblown. One minor flaw:
At 43 minutes, the album is way too short.
Kerry Doole |