Sunday 10 November 2013

"The Day of the Doctor" Trailer Released


The first trailer with actual footage for the BBC's upcoming 50th anniversary special for it's popular science-fiction television series, Doctor Who, has been released. Titled "The Day of the Doctor" the special will air on the 23rd of November, and will be simultaneously broadcast around the world in 76 countries, and is considered to be the largest simulcast of a television drama in history. In some countries the episode will also be screened in participating cinemas.

The official synopsis for the episode, which the BBC released on November 4th, is: "The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure in this 50th anniversary special. In 2013, something terrible is awakening in London’s National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor’s own dangerous past comes back to haunt him."

Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman will return as the Eleventh Doctor and his assistant Clara Oswald, respectively, while the Tenth Doctor and his assistant Rose Tyler, David Tennant and Billie Piper, will also reprise their roles. Both Tennant and Piper have not appeared in the series since the departure of there characters at the end of its fourth series back in 2010. John Hurt will also star as an incarnation of the Doctor, his character being introduced in the last episode of the series to air, "The Name of The Doctor" in the seventh series final. It is speculated that Hurt's Doctor is a forgotten incarnation that existed between the Doctors' Eighth and Ninth incarnation (Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston) although this has yet to be confirmed.

#SaveTheDay

Mucic Review: Avril Lavigne


It would be easy to argue that Avril Lavigne has stalled her musical growth on her self-titled fifth album in an attempt to maintain appealing to younger, mainstream audiences, and while that could actually be the case, Lavigne is able to create song that do this well, but still also dabbles in some more serious material in her ballads to provide a well-rounded album.

Both "Here's To Never Growing Up" and "Rock n Roll" are exceptional pop-rock anthems and it's easy to see why they were chosen as the first two singles off of the album. Despite being very similar in sound and theme, the celebration of youth culture, they're both tonally and lyrically appealing radio hits.

While Lavigne seemingly throws maturity and growth aside with topics like teenage love with "17" and "Hello Heartache" or school holidays with "Bitchin' Summer" or "Sippin' on Sunshine", both tracks have an undeniably nostalgic feel to them that makes the album always seem more than just one about partying, but one about desperately wanting to hold onto that lifestyle, which perfectly encapsulates where Lavigne is as an artist in her career.

Lavigne and her husband Chad Kroeger, whom she married in July, are a match made in Canadian pop-rock heaven, and a duet between the pair was inevitable. "Let Me Go" is more reminiscent of Nickelback's radio ballads, and while it's fine for what it is, it's very generic and doesn't really distinguish itself. Unfortinately, Lavigne's other attempts at slow ballads on the album are even less memorable in "Falling Fast" and "Hush Hush", although there's also "Give You What You Like", which is a better, darker, attempt.

The other duet featured on the album, "Bad Girl" with Marilyn Manson, is far more entertaining for its sheer existence alone. Mason is surprisingly underutilized, and his part in the song is reduced to distorted wails that are very grating. His presence, however, does allow Lavigne to enjoy some rockier material on what is otherwise a very adolescence pop album, and it's a welcome addition.

Mainstream music's obsession with Japanese inspiration continue on the ridiculous "Hello Kitty". The bubblegum pop/ synthesised dub step tune is hard to describe, but again, it's certainly a memorable track, and it's definitely worth a listen (even if it is just for a laugh, but be warned, it will get stuck in your head).

Rating: 3.5/5