[rating=4]
Released September 16, 2012, Modular Recordings

Little Bastard is surprised by the latest album from The Presets, which is innovative, and takes the band in new directions.

This is a dense album, and on the surface you might not GET it, but listen again, and you’ll hear the layers, you’ll hear the brilliance, and you’ll hear the message.”

[rating=3]
Released September 10, 2012, Venn Records

Little Bastard takes a look at the new Gallows, minus Frank Carter, and although it starts out loud and promising he finds something missing.

“The music is well crafted and produced (a little too overproduced at times) but it feels a little bit like the punk version of buying a sports car after a divorce.”

[rating=4]
368 pages • The Bodley Head • 1915 [HB]

With the renewed interest in Ford Madox Ford sparked by the BBC serialisation of Parade’s End, Tim Bennett-Goodman looks at The Good Soldier

“The story revolves around the relationship of two married couples, the American Dowells (John and Florence) and the English Ashburnhams (Edward and Leonora), who suck into their dark orbit various other doomed characters that they systematically destroy.”

[rating=5]
US/UK: 106 min • Rank • DVD

The underrated Gus Van Sant movie To Die For was ahead of its time, and features Nicole Kidman as bewitching, unforgettable femme fatale.

“To Die For reveals a sociopathic desire for notoriety, in which people will sacrifice themselves and others around them to get to where they want to be.”

[rating=5]
Released September 10, 2012, 8ft. Records

This is Amanda Palmer as she always promised to be, writes Little Bastard, with insightful and moving lyrics, and killer pop hooks.

“In many ways, ‘Theatre Is Evil’ is Amanda Palmer’s masterwork. It takes its influence from glam rock, new wave and punk, managing to make some songs sound like all three at points, butnowhere in the process does Amanda lose her identity.”

Thousand Loaded Guns

Karin Park’s latest video for ‘Thousand Loaded Guns’ from the remarkable album Highwire Poetry.

“‘Following Karin is never dull, from loop peddle obsessed singing pigs to the surprising climax of the new video, we’re loving the ride so far.”

The Meaning of Marriage.

Scott De Buitléir writes a letter to his newly wed friends, and gets more than a little emotional …

“The ceremony was new to everyone, I think. Not only are we Irish used to Catholic weddings, but a Humanist ceremony for two men meant that no-one’s attention was lost.”

The Impact of the YouTube Parody.

In this 3-part series, A. Loudermilk writes about the drag queen YouTube videos that are as transgressive as they are outrageous. Part 2 looks at the impact of the YouTube drag parody video.

“The best of these videos tend to spoof the lowest common denominator through gross-out humor and absurdly extreme stereotypes. They nod, indirectly, at the reality of living in a commercial culture built on stereotyping.”

Celebrity Big Brother 2012.

Paul Baker looks back at the surprisingly pro-LGBT Big Brother, and celebrates recent Julian Clary’s win of Celebrity Big Brother 2012.

“The public, who had been expecting Julian to be the swishing Diva, were second-footed to find a quiet, introspective and kind man behind the outrageous stage act.”

September 03 – 09, 2012

Weekly Digest of articles, Week of September 03 – 09, polarimagazine.com

“This week: The history of DIY Drag, Burlesque Revolution with Rubyyy Jones, Jain Wells, Wynter Gordon and Sweden’s first lesbian magazine Lotus“