The Sandman Chronicles go to the cinema: on Poplie radio 13/4/2014

This was part of a week-long tribute of Poplie radio to cinema music. Poster above and show below. Enjoy!

The Sandman Chronicles go to the cinema! Poplie radio 13/4/2014 by Stratos Bacalis on Mixcloud

Top-20 Albums of 2013, no.1: Essie Jain - All Became Golden

All Became Golden is a very apt title for Essie Jain's fourth album. She recorded this live, meaning with an orchestra and audience at the same time in the studio with her, much like artists like Frank Sinatra used to do in the mid-20th century. This does not mean that the album has any retro feel or lingers on past sounds. On the contrary, even including one cover version, Dire Straits' Why Wait. It's a breath of fresh air, modern, spare, emotional and gutsy, Nico Muhly's arrangements being the perfect foil for Essie's compositions. She goes through her songs seemingly effortlessly, her divine voice the connecting thread. The album has a film twin, , as the whole process was filmed, directed by Natalie Johns. I saw the film first, which may have made the album experience even better, as it gives you her insights into writing and performing the songs, and watching the creative process of recording the music, which is mesmerising. Who knows. What I know is that this is the music I played and listened to most this year, through good times and bad, a true companion for life now. My best album for the year. Love.

 

no.02: John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
no.03: Daft Punk: Random Access Memories
no.04: Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2
no.05: Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience 1 of 2
no.06: London Grammar - If You Wait
no.07: The National - Trouble Will Find Me
no.08: Anna Calvi - One Breath
no.09: James Blake - Overgrown
no.10: Poliça - Shulamith
no.11: Scott Matthew - Unlearned
no.12: Phosphorescent - Muchacho
no.13: Laura Mvula - Sing For The Moon
no.14: The Ballet - I Blame Society
no.15: Son Lux - Lanterns
no.16: Gustaf Spetz - Saknaden
no.17: Daughter - If You Leave
no.18: Larry Gus - Years Not Living
no.19: Pan Pan - Missing Two Trains On Purpose 
no.20: inc. - No World

Best soundtracks of 2012

01. Prometheus - Marc Streitenfeld

02. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

03. Moonrise Kingdom - Various Artists

Blogovision: the Movies! - Best Director

Bit weird to give the director award before the script one but rules are rules. So here we go:

10. Lee Unkrich - Toy Story 3





09. Tony Scott - Unstoppable




08. Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim Vs The World





07. Luca Guadagnino - I Am Love




06. Tom Hooper - The King's Speech





05. Julie Taymor - The Tempest





04. Mark Romanek - Never Let me Go





03. Christopher Nolan - Inception





02. David Fincher - The Social Network





01. Daniel Aronofsky - The Black Swan

Poplie radio show, Sunday 22nd of November 2009

This particular radio show on poplie was dedicated to Thessaloniki's 50th International Film Festival, ending today. All the songs featured are used in film soundtracks, either written originally for them or not. Anthony Warlow's version of "The Music Of The Night" from The Phantom Of The Opera is included instead of the film score's Gerard Butler's version as I consider it the best ever recorded. Also the Massive Attack "Safe From Harm" track was featured on The Insider OST in the Perfecto Mix version (the one played on the show is the album original one).