Wolfish Shakira

Hip-shaking Colombian pop singer SHAKIRA’s third album, She Wolf, has just been released and it’s as red-hot as she is. It spawned the disco-influenced title track in which she howls like a wolf and shows off her signature sultry belly-dancing moves in the music video.

Shakira wrote the title track when she was in a bad mood. “I got inspired and went to a corner and wrote the lyrics and melody in 10 minutes.” She spent a year working on this follow-up album to 2005’s Oral Fixation Vol 2 - and the track list is impressive with songs such as Good Stuff and Why Wait.

Working with producers Pharrell and her Hips Don’t Lie partner Wyclef Jean brought elements of Colombian, Middle Eastern, Indian and African musical styles to the songs. The result is a bassier album with harder sounds.

“I used to be a shy girl but, hey, I’m 32 and I feel compelled to express my thoughts and feelings in a way I might have been more afraid to in the past. I’m a little less afraid to go after my own desires in a predatory way; to realise what they are and defend them with claws and teeth,” the Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winner says.

So why She Wolf? “I feel much freer now as a woman, a little more in touch with my own desires, and I listen to myself more. I think the song is about that. It’s about having a more animalistic side of you, so you forgive yourself every time you screw up. You say, ‘It wasn’t me. That was the She Wolf; the animal in me’.”

Never dull, this one.

Music news

ALBUM OF THE MONTH
MARIAH CAREY - Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Lara Atson

The multiplatinum singer is back - and there’s nothing imperfect about her. This latest album, which features more R&B hip-hop vibes than her previous offering, is filled with slow jams and dance tunes about unhealthy relationships and infidelity. It was co-produced by heavyweights Trick Stewart and The Dream, who produced her hit Touch My Body. Highlights include the emotional ballad Angels Cry, H.A.T.E.U. and Obsessed. Mariah co-wrote all the songs except Foreigner’s classic I Want to Know What Love Is. A must-have for fans.

BACKSTREET BOYS - This Is Us
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Mariette Pool
The latest album by the Backstreet Boys is guaranteed to keep fans listening to the end and the quirky beats and sing-along pop songs will make them happy. But the boys have grown up and there’s something deeper. Listen out for Straight through My Heart, Masquerade and Helpless, a collaboration with rapper Pitbull.

MIKA - The Boy who Knew Too Much
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
Mika’s second album may not be as off the wall as his debut but it still contains his unmistakable funky, camp style, especially on first single We Are Golden. The second single, Blame It on the Girls, is equally infectious as are Good Girl Gone and Toy Boy. There are also a few slower songs such as Rain but it’s the upbeat songs on which he truly excels.

SEAN KINGSTON - Tomorrow
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Annelene Moses
With Tomorrow Sean Kingston proves the success he enjoyed after his self-titled debut wasn’t a fluke. On this second album he’s still deeply rooted in his reggae/pop roots but not afraid to experiment. Shoulda Let U Go featuring rock band Good Charlotte is an instantly lovable track. The 19-year-old has created an album filled with toe-tapping tunes you’ll be listening to for a long time.

WIN!
Ten readers will each win a copy of the Backstreet Boys’ This Is Us. SMS the keyword BOYS, your name, surname and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 12 November 2009. Each SMS costs R2.

Movie of the Week: Pandorum

Sci-fi. With Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid and Cam Gigandet. Director: Christian Alvart. 16VL. Opens 30 October.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Leon van Nierop

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Two space travellers suddenly wake up on a giant spaceship in the middle of nowhere. The entire craft is shaking violently. Where are they? Then they realise the ship is teeming with dangerous lifeforms.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT?
Not since Alien have sci-fi junkies seen such violent action on a spaceship - which is also a character in this movie. It will put adrenaline in your wildest fantasies of spaceships full of crawling lifeforms and macho spacemen who fearlessly search the ship’s dark innards for a way out. The art direction is outstanding and may just win an Oscar - the way the infinity of space and the unnamed threats lurking in the ship’s endless steel passages is portrayed is enough to keep you awake at night. Ben Foster is excellent as the anguished hero trying to make sense of the chaos on the ship, and visually it’s unmatched.

WAIT FOR DVD?
Definitely not. Because 90 per cent of the action takes place in the dark your TV room would have to be as black as night if you want to watch it on DVD. To fully appreciate this spectacle with its beleaguered spacecraft, gloomy lighting, menacing atmosphere and claustrophobic passages it should be seen on a giant screen, preferably Imax. The only problem is the story becomes monotonous - which is why it doesn’t get four stars. While Alien and The Abyss are character-driven and kept interesting by personal relationships and not just special effects, Pandorum’s constant running, shouting and fighting becomes repetitive. But it’s worth seeing just for the fantastic visuals.

SIMILAR FILMS
Alien, Event Horizon, The Abyss.

DVD of the week: The Great Buck Howard

Comedy drama. 2009. 88 min. With John Malkovich, Colin Hanks and Emily Blunt. Directed by Sean McGinly. PG.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Willem Möller

This film is based on true events: as a young man director McGinly worked as road manager for The Amazing Kreskin - a joke-telling, singing, piano-playing hypnotist/psychic/magician - then later wrote this script about his experiences. Because the story is about a young man (Hanks) trying to find himself rather than about Kreskin, McGinly invented the fictional Buck Howard (Malkovich), a “mentalist” with an act similar to Kreskin’s. The ageing Buck’s once-successful career is going downhill fast. He becomes obsessed with a publicity stunt he believes will get him back on track and employs a publicist (Blunt) to help him pull it off – but things don’t go as planned.

Hanks does a fine job as the young man holding his boss’ chaotic life together while trying to figure out where his own is going. But Malkovich is the star of the show, brilliantly bringing to life the grumpy, eccentric Buck’s dedication to his craft 0 and addiction to fame and adoration. Beautifully filmed and directed with a subtle touch this is a most enjoyable film. Bonus: featurette; interview with The Amazing Kreskin.

Game of the week: The Sims 3

PC. 2009. 13+
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Lynn Greeff

We’ve been waiting for ages and now The Sims are back! You can give your characters unique personality traits and make them brave, artistic or kleptomaniac. Take them anywhere in the neighbourhood including the gym, a bookshop and grocery shop - all without a loading screen popping up. There are many new careers to aspire to such as rock star or sports hero. You’ll have more fun playing around as you now have the option to change clothing colours and patterns. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

Five minutes with 5FM’s Grant Nash

He’s on air from noon to 3 pm on weekdays with fellow DJ Anele Mdada. We find out what makes the guy behind the mike tick.

- What makes me get out of bed in the morning is the fact I have the coolest job in the world. I get to work with amazing people, meet new people almost every day and talk to a nation full of great people.

- The best thing about working with Anele is her spontaneous and honestly funny nature. She’ll always make me laugh and smile at least twice a day.

- My biggest accomplishment to date is being happy day in and day out. Not with what I have but who I am. You see many unhappy people in the world. We need to just let go and remember to be happy.

- My favourite pastimes are reading, meditating, watching my favourite sports, rugby and cricket, and playing Wii.

- The 2010 soccer World Cup makes me excited. We’re going to do an awesome job of hosting a truly African World Cup. It’s going to be loud, colourful and such a jol for our visitors.

- I just can’t do without my hour of quiet time in the morning and my coffee. Although I have decided to give up coffee for a month and have done pretty well without it.

- Music I can live without includes anything really angry. Be it angry hip-hop or angry rock. Don’t dig it.

- I drive a black car. Hopefully by 2011 I would reply: I ride a Gautrain.

- If I were president for one day I would fly to the US and try meeting Obama.

- The song that brightens my day is Oasis’ Champagne Supernova.

Drake - rapper on the rise

Expect bigger and better things from this guy - a full-length album is on the way. Here are some facts about the star known as Lil Wayne’s protégé.

His real name is Aubrey Drake Graham (23) and he was born on 22 October 1986 in Ontario, Canada.

His parents divorced when he was five and he was raised by his mom in Forest Hill, Toronto. He spent school holidays with his dad, a drummer, in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States.

He was introduced to rap by a prisoner. “My dad was in prison for two years when I was 16. He shared a cell with this dude who didn’t have anyone to speak to. So my dad would share his phone time with him and this guy would rap to me over the phone. After a while I started getting into it and began writing my own stuff. Then he would call me and we would rap to each other,” Drake says.

His third EP (a CD with more than a single but not enough to be considered a full album), So Far Gone, is out now and has seven tracks on it.

He says his songs on So Far Gone are about where he has been and where he wants to be. “I was confused about my career and in a destructive, exhausting relationship. I was in a bad headspace so that’s where it starts. But it’s also about a kid in pursuit of love and money,” he says.

“So Far Gone comes from a text from one of my closest friends. One night we were having a discussion about women and it was brazen and disrespectful. He texted me right after we got off the phone and he was like, “Are we becoming the men that our mothers divorced?” That’s really where the album name comes from - we’re good guys but sometimes you just get so far gone.”

His first studio album, Thank Me Later, is due to be released next year. “The storm is brewing,” he says. “The ominous clouds are starting to form. It’s going to be very dark and sexy. You’re going to hear me rapping about my life.”

WIN!
Ten readers will each win a copy of Drake’s So Far Gone EP, courtesy of Universal Music. SMS the word FAR and your name and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 5 November. Each SMS costs R2.

CD reviews

MADONNA - CELEBRATION (DELUXE EDITION)
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
Madonna’s third greatest-hits album is also the best compilation album of her mighty hit collection. Buy the deluxe edition (34 of her No 1 hits) rather than the standard edition, which has only 18 tracks. Both albums have only two new songs: Celebration, a vibey dance track in collaboration with Paul Oakenfold, and the so-so Revolver (with Lil Wayne).

PITBULL - REBELUTION
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
The US rapper has roped in big names such as Akon and Lil Jon to collaborate on his fourth album, a catchy blend of 14 hip-hop-electro tracks. You’ve probably heard the second single, I Know You Want Me, which hit No 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and launched the equally bouncy Krazy to hit status. If you like the genre you’ll find it’s perfect music for a party.

DVD review

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
Adventure comedy. 2009. 105 minutes. With Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Amy Adams. Director: Shawn Levy. PG.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Claire Reddie

In this sequel Larry Daley (Stiller) has left his job as nightwatchman at the Musuem of Natural History in New York to head his own company but is pulled back into being a security guard when the exhibits he knew so well are shipped to Washington for permanent storage. In an effort to save Jedediah (Wilson), Rexy and Teddy Roosevelt from an uncertain future he heads to the vast Smithsonian Institute where he encounters new personalities such as feisty pilot Amelia Earhart (Adams) and suave gangster Al Capone.

If you enjoyed the first movie you’ll love this. Even if you’re not a fan the hilarious antics of the characters, especially the charming Amelia, make it a must-see. Bonus: featurettes.

Game of the week: UP

PS3. 2009. 3+
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Anwar Karbary

If you loved the film you’ll definitely want to get the game version of Disney/Pixar’s animated UP - you could always say it’s for your kids, of course. The game is aimed mainly at children but parents are sure to find it entertaining too. Select your favourite characters from the movie before you set off on a wild adventure through foreign jungles. The game can become repetitive but this isn’t much of problem. Bright and colourful environments with easy game play make this a good choice for younger kids too.

10 Things about Robbie Williams’ new album

- Reality Killed the Video Star is the British singer’s first album in three years.

- Robbie chose to fly under the radar when his Close Encounters tour finished in 2006. “I had to have a rest,” he says. “It was time for me to take stock and look at who I am.”

- He worked with producers Mark Ronson and Guy Chambers but settled for Trevor Horn - who has produced songs for Cher, Seal, Tina Turner and Paul McCartney - as the album’s producer.

- Robbie says Trevor “added something to the record I haven’t had on previous records: his genius”.

- The album’s title is a reference to the song Video Killed the Radio Star which was written and performed by Trevor’s former band, The Buggles, in 1979.

- Most of the 13 songs were written in Robbie’s home studio in LA and all were recorded in London.

- The album will be released worldwide on 9 November.

- The first single, Bodies, has been released on radio and as a digital download.

- The music video for Bodies features a clean-shaven Robbie dressed in a suit and dancing among abandoned aircraft in a desert.

- The singer admits he’s nervous about the album. “I’m at a turning point in my career. This record decides my path,” he says. “I’m very fond of it, very proud of it. I want it to be the record that, if people think of Robbie Williams, they go, ‘Yeah, Reality Killed the Video Star’.”

Music news

Hot on the heels of their successful tour of India comes news that gives SA rockers Prime Circle lots to smile about. Their third album, All or Nothing, has gone platinum.

“We poured our hearts and souls into All or Nothing,” lead singer Ross Learmonth says. “Having our South African fans confirm what we believe in by buying the album is testament enough to us that they’re enjoying what we do as much as we do.”

The band’s rigorous tour schedule since the release of the album has paid off. “Going platinum is a great pitstop for us to celebrate with our fans and it makes us more passionate about taking what we do to the next level,” lead guitarist Dirk Bisschoff says. Congrats, guys!

REVIEW
Pop It Rock It! by various artists
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Nadia Philip
This CD definitely lives up to its name: it rocks and it pops. The artists are Disney stars and there are songs from Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Camp Rock and High School Musical. It comes with a DVD that includes a dance tutorial, music videos and behind-the-scenes clips. Go and get it.

WIN
Ten readers will each win a copy of Pop It Rock It! To enter SMS the word POP, your name and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 29 October 2009. Each SMS costs R2.

Obsessed with Tokio Hotel

The band: Gustav Schäfer, Bill Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz and Georg Listing.

- Humanoid is Tokio Hotel’s second English album, following 2007’s Scream. The title was inspired by the Kaulitz brothers’ newfound passion for science fiction.

- The video for the first single, Automatic, was shot in South Africa. “It took three days in the desert and was quite an adventure,” Bill says. “It was in the middle of nowhere - no cellphone reception, no internet, not even paved roads. But this was exactly how I visualised the song.”

- Bill says his crazy style comes from watching vampire movies as a kid and that he loves the film Twilight. “Everyone was talking about it and I didn’t even know about it but everyone was like, ‘You have to see it’’. So I did and loved it!”

- “We have the same friends, same interests and we’re together 24 hours a day. We’re like one person, like soulmates,” Bill says of working with his twin, Tom.

WIN
10 readers will each win a copy of Humanoid courtesy of Universal Music. SMS the word TOKIO, your name and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 29 October. Each SMS costs R2.

Hot movie: Inglourious Basterds

War drama. With Christopher Waltz, Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger. Director: Quentin Tarantino. 16LVP. Opens 23 October.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Leon van Nierop

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
During World War 2 a bunch of cool soldiers with more stubble than your dog have their sights set on a particularly nasty Nazi officer with a bad attitude. At a screening of a special film the good guys are driven to murderous action.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT?
Tarantino fans and those who enjoy violence-as-comedy. This movie is all attitude and restores Tarantino to his former glory as the star of the genius geeks. The title is purposely misspelt to distinguish the movie from the 1967 war drama Inglorious Bastards. The dialogue is more on the ball than Juno’s, the action cooler than Kill Bill’s and the twists in the tale more over the top than Schwarzenegger’s muscles. This fresh, joyful tribute to fun, heroism and macho cameraderie hits the spot the way the Boks have of late, and teens and students should enjoy this stimulatingly violent flick enormously.

WAIT FOR DVD?
No, you’ll feel like an onion in a perfume factory if you can’t join in when your mates recall the dialogue and over-the-top action. Some will find the wilful violence shocking but Tarantino makes the point that violence was part and parcel of the war the movie depicts. And the story is fiction - it’s more about what should have happened back then. Diane Kruger is supersexy and Tarantino clearly revelled in the diabolical games played by both the allied soldiers and Hitler’s evil cousins. It goes on a bit and tends to get self-indulgent but movie fans will lap it up.

Game of the week: Red Faction Guerrilla

PS3. 2009. 15+
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Anwar Karbary

This game is plenty of fun. It’s set on Mars and your character, miner Alec Mason, helps liberate the planet from the Earth Defence Force (EDF) which is making life tough for the colonists. The objective of the game is straightforward: destroy all EDF buildings, vehicles and personnel. Weapons include a sledgehammer and explosives. It’s all about destruction - whether it’s the tallest tower or the biggest building, you can reduce it to dust. With a pretty simple but lengthy storyline it’s good fun.

The Saturdays

The UK’s latest all-girl group phenomenon, The Saturdays, are heating up the charts with their single Work.

Amid the indie, rock and R&B offerings on air these days these five friends and band members are unashamedly pop. “Everyone’s taking themselves so seriously at the moment. We’re a proper, full-on pop girl band and we’re loving it,” band member Frankie Sandford says. They’re a young band that formed in 2008 and their platinum-selling debut album, Chasing Lights, produced the fab hit Work. They plan to release a second album later this year.

Meet the group:

VANESSA WHITE
Favourite food - pasta.

Most embarrassing moment - running down the escalator to catch my train and falling on my face! It was during peak time too.

Must-have fashion accessory - hippy hairbands.

My biggest fear - drowning or falling off a building.

MOLLIE KING
Most exciting thing about being in The Saturdays - performing at the O2 Arena in London just like the Spice Girls and Justin Timberlake did.

Where I hope to be in five years - at the VMAs accepting our award, with Chace Crawford [Gossip Girl’s Nate Archibald] on my arm.

Fave food - Chinese!

UNA HEALY
Favourite music - I love anything that sets off an emotion in me. It has to give me a tingle. My all-time fave is Sheryl Crow.

A great Saturday night in is - to order in Chinese food and watch a movie with my gorgeous boyfriend while he plays with my hair.

Secret crush - Josh Hartnett.

Musical instruments I can play - include the guitar, both acoustic and electric, since I was 13 years old.

FRANKIE SANDFORD
A great Saturday night in is a DVD and loads of rubbish food to munch on.

Favourite items in my wardrobe - my wet-look leggings which look good for all occasions, my leather jacket that goes with everything, my ankle boots and that huge cardigan for ugly days.

My motto - work as hard as you can for what you want so that you know you did all that you could to make it happen.

ROCHELLE WISEMAN
Fashion trends I’m trying - I love really chic clothes and I’d always rather dress up than down. I’m a heels-in-the-day kind of girl.

Favourite food - sushi and roast dinners.

A great Saturday night in is - to be curled up on the sofa in my PJs with a tub of ice cream, watching Pretty Woman.

Music news

READY FOR THE WEEKEND by Calvin Harris
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
He rocketed to success in 2007 with Acceptable in the 80s and the Scottish electronic musician has another sure-fire hit with his second album. The title track is enjoying huge radio play but all 14 tracks are worth a listen, especially Dance Wiv Me (with Dizzy Rascal and Chrome on vocals). Highly danceable!

FAME SOUNDTRACK by various artists
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
There’s huge variety on this soundtrack not just in terms of genres (R&B, hip hop, show tunes) but also in that not all the songs are from the musical (such as Sam Sparro’s Black & Gold). Listen out for Megan Mullally of Will & Grace belting out You Took Advantage of Me and lead actress Naturi Naughton doing a great job on Fame and Out Here on My Own.

OPPIKOPPI - SMOORVERLIEF: 15 YEARS by various artists
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Alet van Zyl
Oppikoppi’s newest compilation album features songs by the cream of the crop at this year’s festival. In most cases it’s the inclusion of fan favourites by 25 bands that makes the two-disc collection. And it’s not SA bands only - listen out for Canadians Melissa McCleland and Luke Doucet. This is a perfect souvenir for Oppikoppi fans.

TOP-NOTCH WEBSITE: myplay.com
If you’re tired of having to go to several music sites for your various entertainment fixes - downloading, watching videos and buying albums - visit myplay.com. This site has it all and includes reviews of “just-dropped” albums and photoshoots of artists such as Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys, Jordin Sparks and Ciara. You can also shop for music and download ringtones and MP3s to your mobile.

DVD of the week: Duplicity

Comedy. 2009. 118 min. With JULIA ROBERTS, CLIVE OWEN, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti. Director: Tony Gilroy. 13L.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Kim Van Reizig

There’s a big war on between two powerful US spy corporations and agents Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and Ray Koval (Owen) are in the middle of the mess. Their paths cross while they’re seemingly working on the same assignment but after spending a passionate night together they realise they’re on opposite sides of the fence. The first of many twists in the tale reveals they met years ago.

While the big bosses (Wilkinson and Giamatti) fight for market domination the two agents have their own plan. Deception becomes the name of the game when a new product from one of the companies threatens to eliminate all competition and you don’t know who’s playing who until the very end.

This highly entertaining film by the director of Michael Clayton has espionage, snappy dialogue, a romance worth caring about as Roberts and Owen sizzle on screen, beautiful scenery in Italy and the Bahamas and enough twists to make you gasp. It’s what Mr & Mrs Smith should have been.

Movie review: The Informant!

Black comedy. With MATT DAMON and Scott Bakula. Director: Steven Soderbergh. 13ML. Opens 16 October.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Leon van Nierop

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
The vice-president of a large US corporation is recruited by the FBI to spy on corrupt goings-on inside his firm and send the information to the government. But Marc Whiteacre has a lot more to reveal than company secrets.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT?
You won’t really know what hit you so this movie is just the thing if you love eccentric experiences full of surprises that sneak up on you when least expected. What’s more, it’s from America’s least predictable director, Steven Soderbergh, who also made Sex, Lies and Videotape, Kafka and Oceans 11, 12 and 13. He never repeats himself so expect to be knocked sideways by this unexpectedly cool comedy. Because it’s based on real events you don’t know whether to laugh or cry - in this case truth really is stranger than fiction. And you simply won’t believe the ending.

WAIT FOR DVD?
No. Because Soderbergh strips the story of all glamour and confronts you with nothing but the naked truth and the absurdity of what really happened this is strictly a widescreen experience. If you thought there were strange goings-on in South Africa, particularly in the worlds of big business and politics, this movie will hit you for six. The Americans can certainly teach us a thing or two. Matt Damon is brilliant as the geeky spy whose attempts to dethrone his boss are so horribly clumsy you can’t help but laugh. Recommended if you take your movies seriously and like them with a dash of gall.

Game of the week: Wii Active Personal Trainer

Wii. 2009. A.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Sandy Cook

No more excuses that you can’t get to gym! This interactive program is fun and if you stick with it you’ll see results. Start with the 30-day challenge and do the exercises carefully to avoid injury. It takes a while to get the hang of it but persevere. Create workouts and exercise with a friend, keep a food diary and record other exercises you’ve done during the day. Walk, run, jump, squat, lunge, box - think of an exercise and it’s probably there. Can be used with a Wii balance board.

CD reviews - plus win Whitney’s CD

I LOOK TO YOU by Whitney Houston
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin

As comebacks go Whitney’s sixth studio album is the highlight of the decade. The hugely anticipated album delivers a spread of pop and R&B tracks, some vibey and up-tempo such the hit first single, Million Dollar Bill, and others more slow and languid such as the title track and the autobiographical I Didn’t Know My Own Strength. Brilliant and unforgettable.

WIN: 20 readers will each win a copy of Whitney Houston’s I Look to You. SMS WHITNEY, your name and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 15 October. Each SMS costs R2.

IMPERIAL BLAZE by Sean Paul
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Gilda van Schalkwyk
Jamaican hip-hop singer Sean Paul’s latest album is in the same vein as Trinity and was worth the wait. The cut So Fine has received plenty of airplay and you’ll also love Pressing Up and Now That I’ve Got Your Love. Even if you’re not a fan the great beats will change your mind. These hits will keep you on the dancefloor this year.

STRIPPED DOWN, SOUL’D OUT by Garth Taylor
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
If you like smooth soul and easygoing jazzy sounds with a hint of pop, local singer Garth Taylor delivers just that on this album. The focus is on love (without being too soppy), making this the perfect disc for a romantic night in. Stand-out tracks - and there are plenty - include True Love and How Much Do I Adore You.

Crazy for Evermore

Meet New Zealand indie rockers Evermore, creators of the hit Hey Boys and Girls on their third successful album, Truth of the World: Welcome to the Show. Plus scroll down for info on how to win the album.

THE BAND
It’s made up of brothers Jon (25) on guitar and vocals, Peter (23) on keyboards, bass, piano and vocals, and Dann Hume (21) on drums and vocals.

They grew up in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand where they were home-schooled and introduced to music as kids by their mother. In their teens they experimented with tunes and dreamt of turning music into a full-time career. Their lucky break came in 2000 when they won a local rock competition and used the prize money to build a home studio for recording. In 2000 they released their first EP, Slipping Away.

NEW CD
Truth of the World: Welcome to the Show is their third studio album, which took 18 months to record. “We knew it was going to be a really different record so it took a long time to develop,” Jon says.

“It’s the album we’ve wanted to make since we started the band. It’s all about trashy media and political propaganda which turns it into a fun, over-the-top rock ’n roll show.”

The guys wrote and produced the album. “There was no one there saying, ‘Hey, that’s probably not a good idea.’ It was just us bouncing ideas off each other - and some of them got pretty crazy by the end,” Jon says.

“It was like, ‘Let’s get 12 people in the room to scream as loud as they can’ or ‘What if we use a sample of Hitler at the Nuremburg rally?’ ” - which is exactly what they did.

THE RIGHT MESSAGE
The Evermore siblings aren’t only about good beats - they’re dead set on being good role models too. “We always aim to get across a positive message. We do these live gigs and realise people are really listening and they’re taking it all very seriously . . . we should say something positive,” Peter says.

WHAT’S NEXT?
A Greatest Hits album later this year.

WIN
Ten readers will each win a copy of Truth of the World: Welcome to the Show, courtesy of EMI Music. SMS the word EVER, your name and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 15 October. Each SMS
costs R2.

DVD of the week

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Fantasy action. 2009. 103 min. With Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Danny Huston. Director: Gavin Hood. 13VL.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Kim Van Reizig

This is the origin story of one of the most revered X-Men characters and goes back to the mid-1800s to reveal how James Logan became Wolverine. After learning the shocking truth about his father Logan befriends his half-brother, Victor Creed (Schreiber), aka Sabretooth. Using their superhuman strength they fight in a series of conflicts including both world wars.

If you haven’t fallen in love with the awesome CGI by this stage, stop watching. If it blows your mind you’ll see the brothers joining Team X, a group of fighting mutants led by the sinister Stryker (Huston). But when the brothers fall out it leads to a fierce feud. Then Stryker lures Logan back into Team X to undergo an operation that will make him indestructible, and he becomes Wolverine. But all is not as it seems.

Tsotsi director Gavin Hood turns this classic comic-book tale into a fast-paced film packed with intrigue, heartrending betrayals and spectacular action. The final fight scene will leave you panting for the sequel.

Movie: The Ugly Truth

Comedy. With Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler and Eric Winter. Director: Robert Luketic. 16LS. Opens 9 October.
Rating: 2/5
Reviewer: Leon van Nierop

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A ditzy doll who produces a TV breakfast show is scared of romance but when a hunk appears on her show and makes chauvinistic remarks it starts a war of hormones from which both emerge as victors.

WHO’LL ENJOY IT?
Do you sometimes feel like the odd one out when people talk about romance? Then this lightweight look at falling in love may just tickle your romantic side. Make no mistake, this romcom is no great shakes and at times the naive dialogue and far-fetched intrigues will make you shudder. But love has its own rules and this good-natured dig at women who eat romance for breakfast and guys with sixpacks is impulsive popcorn entertainment. As with Knocked Up you never know what this sly comedy will come up with next - it’s full of jokes and relaxed but low on subtext. If only love were this easy.

It’s always nice to see the blushing Katherine Heigl; she does a successful imitation of Goldie Hawn’s giggling style. And Gerard Butler isn’t bad at comedy either - although you expect him to shout, “Tonight we dine in hell!” every time Katherine’s nerves get the better of her. Cute and enjoyable.

Game of the week

HOTEL DUSK: ROOM 215
Nintendo DS. 12+
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Chris Naudé

This is more like an interactive mystery novel than a videogame. Soon after checking into this grimy hotel you learn it has many secrets and the characters staying there hold the key to unlocking its mysteries. The large amount of dialogue is well written with great bits of dry humour but it will frustrate impatient players. The beautiful watercolour-style graphics and surprisingly mature approach help make this atmospheric game something to remember.