Sean Fournier

I'm gonna keep this entry short and to the point. Sean Fournier is awesome, and his album is free, so go download it!

And if that hasn't convinced you, listen to the album below:

Tinted Windows & US Royalty at Black Cat

Tinted Windows are: Taylor Hanson (lead vocals), James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins(guitar), Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne(bass), and Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick(drums).

Being a self-confessed Hanson fangirl for over a decade now, I had to get Tinted Window's album when it came out in late April. While I'm a fan of all of the band members's other work, I can't help but judge them mostly against Hanson, with whom I'm most familiar. Their songs are more poppy and less soulful, with less of the 3-part harmony integral to Hanson's sound. And as much as I would have loved Tinted Windows to be "Hanson 2.0: now with more street cred," I have to admit that their sound just works. The NY Times describes their music as "A multi-generational alliance devoted to power-pop...the songs are hook-slinging verse-chorus-verse testimonials of love and girl trouble."

Between being used to seeing Taylor play with Hanson and how utterly breathtaking their shows are and hearing that Taylor had lately been having trouble with his voice, I was worried they wouldn't be able to pull off the performance. I'm happy to say was worried for nothing. While there's nothing groundbreaking about their music, it's incredibly well-crafted and impeccably performed. (And really, what else would you expect from a so-called "Super Group"?) Having thought they looked a bit too slick in some of their promo videos (see "Messing With My Head" and "Kind of a Girl" ), I was happy to see that they were dressed more casually. Not only their look, but their sound was more casual and less polished, which suited them really well.

While they've played very few shows together as a band, because of the decades of live experience by the individual band members, when they get on stage they simply shine. Taylor Hanson is one of those musicians who was born to be a frontman, and it was his energetic performance that really made it work. While the rest of the band played impeccably, they didn't seem to attract much of the focus.

Even though their set was short because of their small amount of material, I think they made the right decision in not playing songs from their other bands. They could easily have padded their setlist with Hanson or Smashing Pumpkins songs that parts of the crowd would have loved, but they retain much more credibility by sticking to their own limited catalog and a few covers of completely unrelated bands.

Between their "day jobs," it's not surprising that they won't be playing many shows for a while, but if you're one of the lucky people in San Francisco who can see them on September 1 at Great American Music Hall, I'd highly recommend going.



My only complaint about the night was that not enough Tinted Windows fans were rocking out to the opener, the amazing local band US Royalty. The highlight of their performance for me was the lead singer, John Thornley's, vocals (not to mention his epic facial hair). His voice is powerful and distinctive, neither overpowering the band nor being drowned out. Their songs are melodic and catchy, often starting slowly and simply and swelling to the perfect rock crescendo.



My personal favorite was the song "Raincoats".



If they come to your town, go see them and bring all of your friends. You wont be disappointed. And while you're there, buy their two EPs. They're amazing and a steal at just $10 for the pair.

Modcloth is Trying to Kill Me

For anyone inclined to drool over fashion, I highly recommend ModCloth.com They constantly update their site with clothing that ranges from funky to fancy, all with a mod/retro twist.

While frustrating, its probably a good thing that most of their clothes wouldn't fit me, or my bank account would be even lower than it already is.

Here are just a few of the items I'm drooling over today:

"The Places You'll Go Dress"



Cotswolds Booties



Study Abroad Coat



As You Wish Boots



Test Pattern Dress



Double Feature Tunic



Style Coach Necklace

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review

I got back from seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince mere seconds ago, and while I really should rather be sleeping, I needed to get some of my thoughts about it off my chest.

Overall, I think the movie was very well made. There are parts of it that I absolutely loved. If it wasn't for all the bits that they changed or left out, then it would have been perfect.

In terms of aesthetics, visually, it was very interesting. The colors were beautiful and rich, and the framing of the scenes was really well done. I particularly liked the part towards the beginning of the film when Harry arrives at the Burrow and Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley all pop their heads out of various staircases and landings. However, some of the visuals seemed very off to me. My main problem with the movie, visually, is with the cave scene at the end. If the cave is supposed to be close to where the kids from the orphanage visited as children, then it wouldn't be in the middle of the ocean. Also, within the cave, the choice to have large crystal-like rocks doesn't match at all the description in the book. I must say, however, that the Inferi were remarkably well done, and that the shot from above where they are closing in on Harry and Dumbledore is fascinating.

Musically, I found it a bit disappointing. There is nothing much wrong with the music, when it is noticeable, but it seems to take a back seat to the visuals throughout most of the movie. In the past movies, especially the 5th one, the music played a very important part both emotionally and dramatically, and I was disappointed that it did not fulfill the same role here. The only time I even noticed the music was when they were basically repeating the "Fireworks" song from the 5th movie! Also, I don't remember them using Hedwig's Theme, which is fairly iconic, and I think this was a strange choice.

I also had many issues with the way they represented the plot. Some parts of it, such as the scene where Ron is under the influence of love potion from Romilda Vane and the Felix Felicis scene, are remarkably well done. I also liked the way they showed the awkwardness between Harry and Ginny, as well has Hermione and Ron. The "romance" between Ron and Lavender was well represented, but I could have done with less of it in favor of other plot points which I think are more important.

While most of the plot additions seemed fairly harmless, such as Neville being a waiter during Slughorn's Christmas party, some of them made absolutely no sense. I don't understand the scene they added in where Bellatrix and Fenrir Greyback come to the Burrow, taunt them and then burn down the house. This does not happen in the book and doesn't seem to add much to the movie that couldn't have been achieved with the plot points that already exist.

Also, I have many problems with Dumbledore's death scene. Firstly, Harry should have been underneath his invisibility cloak. Dumbledore wanted him to have it with him at all times, but you only see it on the train at the beginning of the movie. Secondly, Dumbledore was supposed to petrify Harry before he is disarmed. It doesn't make sense that Harry would do nothing as Snape killed Dumbledore just because he is told to stay hidden. In the book, it makes perfect sense that Dumbledore protects Harry by freezing him against his will, and that Harry desperately wants to save Dumbledore, but can't. His inaction in the movie, without being petrified, does not help him live up to the heroic position he is supposed to occupy at this point in the story.

After Dumbledore's death, there should be a fight scene in the castle and across the grounds where the Order of the Phoenix battles the Death Eaters, wherin Bill is savaged by Greyback and Harry's loved ones are all saved because of Felix Felicis. I don't understand them leaving this out of the movie because it is important to the plot and provides drama it seems like they were looking for by adding the attack at the Burrow.

Another important part of the plot that is missing is Dumbledore telling Harry specifically about the Horcruxes. By the end of the movie, Harry should realize the daunting task ahead, yet have a list from Dumbledore of what the possible Horcruxes are and some crucial new insight into Voldemort's past and psche. However, in the movie most of Voldemort's back story is left out, which is a shame because it was one of the most interesting parts of the book. Also, Harry still doesn't know anything about what the missing Horcruxes should be, and now that Dumbledore is dead, I'm not sure how in the next movies they'll get Harry to guess what they are.

Finally, one of the big things I was looking forward to in this movie is the part when Harry and Ginny finally act on their feelings for each other. I was really disappointed by this in the movie because they never get their real kiss, and you don't sense the passion that is present between them in the book. Also, they are supposed to have a real relationship that Harry breaks off at the end of the book in an attempt to protect Ginny, but in the movie their public relationship is only mentioned in passing at the end.

Overall, I found the movie to be a bit hit-and-miss. Parts of it were exceptional, while others fell fall short of expectations. In their attempt to shorten a 600-page book into a little over 2 hours of movie, they left out many of the crucial plot points in favor of more trivial, yet amusing, scenes. Maybe if the movie could have been longer, or in 2 parts like the 7th book will be, it would have had more success in merging its artistic and dramatic aspirations with the actual plot of the book. After all, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is supposed to be about horcruxes, not just hormones.

It's A Cat In a Box!!

There are no shortage of awesome cat videos on the interwebs, but I think this one just might be my favorite:

Watch Fat Cat Barely Fits in it's Yogurt Box Anymore and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

Weekly Jukebox -- 2nd Edition

Apologies in advance, its a long one this week!

IAMX -- Think of England



Calvin Harris -- I'm Not Alone



Lily Allen -- "Not Fair"



Kings of Leon -- "My Party" (Remix)



U2 -- "Get On Your Boots" (Justice Remix)



Peter Bjorn & John -- "Stay this Way"



Friendly Fires -- "Skeleton Boy"



Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Zero"



Fleet Foxes -- "She Got Dressed"



Phantogram -- "Mouth Full of Diamonds"



White Lies -- "Farewell to the Fairground"



The official video for this song has embedding disabled, but if you'd like to see it, CLICK HERE.

Dizzee Rascal -- "Bonkers"

Taking it Easy vs. Being Productive

In my life, I have a tendency to err on the side of having more than enough time for everything, to the point where it gets rediculous. (I'll have a 2 or 3 hour window and assume that I can't fit anything in.)

I probably act this way because I'm reacting to the way I was in high school, where I was overworking myself to the point of exhaustion. I took difficult classes (7 AP classes between Junior and Senior years), was in 2 honor societies and key club, took dance classes for 2 or 3 hours a day, was in a youth dance company, took piano lessons, and went to church and youth group on the weekends. In certain cases, I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. If I'm going to do something, then I want to do it right. Trying to do everything and do it perfectly was exhausting. I would literally doze of while typing. In fact, once I dozed off and when I woke back up I had typed "pillow." I was the same way to a lesser extent in College, but I wasn't quite as busy because going away to school separated me from a lot of the activities that had been taking up so much of my time.

Now that I'm free from the constraints of school and I only have a part time job, the opportunity to laze around and do whatever I feel like is incredibly tempting. There is something to be said for stopping and smelling the roses, and there are even entire books on why its a good idea to take like slowly (see Carl Honoré on the Power of Slow ). However, while its nice to have some free time to check email, watch tv, etc, I'm finding its much more satisfying to actually get stuff done. I'm finding that the really healthy way to live my life is not to overwork myself or to do the bare minimum in an attempt to maximize my free time, but to fill my life with things that are positive and fulfilling, or at the very least serve some purpose. (For example: working so that I can afford to do the fulfilling things.)

If I'm honest with myself, I've sort of known this all along, but am just now getting to the point where I'm challenging myself enough to put it into practice. Contrary to what I expected, adding stuff to my routine doesn't make me feel overwhelmed or particularly tired. I actually find it energizing because I am doing stuff I like to do. So for anyone who is feeling a bit lost or listless, I'd recommend looking at your life and start adding in the little things that you didn't make time for before, like volunteering, cooking dinner at home or going to the gym. You'd be surprised at how much of a difference it really makes.

"Bruno" Trailer

I'm a HUGE fan of Sasha Baron Cohen and I LOVED "Borat" (I even did a paper on it for my "Sociology of Deviance" class), so I'm VERY EXCITED that the first trailer for "Bruno" was recently released...Enjoy!

(You have to enter your birth date to watch it)



Also, check out the official Myspace page and official Twitter account, @BrunoVassup

Weekly Jukebox -- 1st Edition

***This entry was originally posted on my other blog: MB's Music Mag***

Twitter & New Kasabian Video

I've been feeling bad lately for not blogging on here much. I can't help it, though, my relationship with Blogger could never compare to my passionate affair with Twitter. Although I'm still convinced not many people read this blog (or my other blog: http://mbsmusicmag.blogspot.com/), if you'd like to keep up-to-date with all of my ramblings, follow me on twitter! (@Booshette)

If you're new to twitter, or you just want more people to follow, here are some of my favorites (in no particular order).

@Blendetta -- An awesome blog, check them out! (blendetta.com)

@NMEradio -- The best radio station out there, listen live at http://www.nme.com/radio/player

@rustyrockets -- comedian Russell Brand (Some of the funniest tweets you'll ever read)

@glinner -- Graham Linehan (Creator of IT Crowd and other great shows)

@wossy -- Jonathan Ross

@tattydevine -- Tatty Devine (they make the best jewelry EVER) TattyDevine.com

@modcloth An awesome online clothing store -- ModCloth.com

@staringispolite My bro's twitter account -- He writes about tech-y things.

@shakeaway They make THE best milkshakes OF ALL TIME...If you're in the UK, check them out ASAP.

@lilyroseallen -- musician Lily Allen

@Mrs_O -- Companion to mrs-o.org, a website following the fashion of Michelle Obama

Ok, now that I've given you way too much information about Twitter, I bet you're wondering what finally managed to drag me back to blogger. It is this magnificent piece of work:


Kasabian - Vlad the Impaler from Kasabian on Vimeo.

Not only is this song amazing (download the full track for FREE for a limited time at kasabian.co.uk), but 2 of my favorite people are involved in the video. It stars the Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding, and is directed by Richard Ayoade, of IT Crowd and Mighty Boosh fame.

I have yet to see a video by Richard Ayoade that I don't like. Here are some of my favorites:

Vampire Weekend -- "Oxford Comma"



The Last Shadow Puppets -- "My Mistakes Were Made for You"



The Last Shadow Puppets -- "Standing Next to Me"



P.S. -- If you're interested in a more in-depth discussion of the new Kasabian video, might I recommend checking out "Kasabian strikes again with Vlad the Impaler - and gets a little help from The Boosh" on Blendetta?

NME Shockwaves Awards 2009 -- My Picks

'Citing news! They just released the nominees for the 2009 NME Shockwaves Awards!!

I've numbered my choices for each of the categories, and least for the bands I care at all about.

The 2009 nominations are:

Best British Band supported by Shockwaves
Bloc Party (4)
The Last Shadow Puppets (1)
Muse (3)
Oasis (2)
Radiohead (5)

Best International Band supported by 4music
Crystal Castles (5)
The Killers (4)
Kings Of Leon (1)
MGMT (3)
Vampire Weekend (2)

Best Solo Artist
Ladyhawke (4)
Laura Marling (5)
Lightspeed Champion (1)
Jay-Z (2)
Pete Doherty (3)

Best New Band supported by Bench
Glasvegas (3)
Late Of The Pier (4)
MGMT (2)
Vampire Weekend (1)
White Lies (5)

Best Live Band supported by Red Stripe
The Killers (4)
Kings Of Leon (1)
Muse (3)
Oasis (2)
Radiohead (5)

Best Album supported by HMV
Bloc Party – 'Intimacy' (4)
Glasvegas – 'Glasvegas' (3)
The Killers – 'Day & Age' (5)
Kings Of Leon – 'Only By The Night' (1)
Oasis – 'Dig Out Your Soul' (2)

Best Track supported by NME Radio
Kings Of Leon – 'Sex On Fire' (1)
The Last Shadow Puppets – 'The Age Of The Understatement' (1)
MGMT – 'Time To Pretend' (2)
The Ting Tings – 'That's Not My Name' (3)
Vampire Weekend – 'A-Punk'(2)
**OMG ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!? I CAN'T CHOOSE!! Hence the tie for first place...and second **

Best Video supported by NME TV
The Last Shadow Puppets – 'My Mistakes Were Made For You' (1)
Late Of The Pier – 'Heartbreak'(4)
Oasis – 'The Shock Of The Lightning'(3)
Radiohead – 'House Of Cards' (5)
Vampire Weekend – 'A-Punk' (2)

Best Live Event
Glastonbury (1)
Isle Of Wight (5)
Reading and Leeds (2)
T In The Park (3)
V Festival (4)

**Why is the Mighty Boosh festival not nominated!?**

Best TV Show
Gavin & Stacey (4)
The IT Crowd (2)
The Mighty Boosh (1....they MUST WIN!!!!)
Never Mind The Buzzcocks (3)
Skins (5)

**All amazing shows, but it will be a TRAVESTY if the Boosh don't win**

Best Film
The Dark Knight (3)
Juno (2)
Quantum Of Solace (4)
Twilight (5)
Wall-E (1)

Best Dancefloor Filler
Bloc Party – 'Mercury' (1)
Crystal Castles – 'Courtship Dating' (5)
Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris – 'Dance Wiv Me' (4)
Friendly Fires – 'Paris' (2)
Late Of The Pier – 'Bathroom Gurgle' (3)

Best DVD
Arctic Monkeys – 'At The Apollo' (1)
Foo Fighters – 'Live At Wembley Stadium'(5)
Kaiser Chiefs – 'Live At Elland Road' (3)
Muse – 'HAARP' (4)
The Rolling Stones – 'Shine A Light' (2)

Hero Of The Year
Alex Turner (2)
Barack Obama (1)
Brandon Flowers(4)
Noel Fielding (1)
Noel Gallagher (3)

**Are you kidding me!? I CANNOT choose b/w Noel Fielding and Barack Obama!! You can't make me!!!**

Villain Of The Year
Amy Winehouse (5)
George Bush (1)
Gordon Brown (3)
John McCain (2)
Pete Doherty (4)

**To be fair, George Bush will always be my pick for villain of the year, even after he's dead**

Best Dressed
Alex Turner (2)
Alexa Chung (3)
Brandon Flowers (5)
Noel Fielding (1...hands down!!)
Noel Gallagher (4)

Worst Dressed
Amy Winehouse (5)**
Brandon Flowers (2)
Johnny Borrell (4)
Katy Perry (1)*
Pete Doherty (3)

*To be perfectly honest, I don't really mind the way she dresses...I just hate Katy Perry
**She may look like a hot mess most of the time, but sometimes she wears some really nice dresses.

Worst Album
Britney Spears – 'Circus' (2)
Coldplay – 'Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends' (5)
Jonas Brothers – 'A Little Bit Longer' (1)
Razorlight – 'Slipway Fires'(3)
Scouting For Girls – 'Scouting For Girls'(4)

Worst Band
Fall Out Boy (3)
Jonas Brothers (1)
Oasis (5)
Scouting for Girls (4)
Tokio Hotel (2)

Sexiest Male
Carl Barat (4)
Keith Murray (5)
Matt Bellamy (3)
Miles Kane (1)
Pete Doherty (2)

***How is Noel Fielding not up for it this year!? He won it last year!Also, it wouldn't hurt for Julian Barratt to be nominated!***
***However, Miles Kane is pretty sexy, so he better win***

Sexiest Female
Alison Mosshart (1)*
Hayley Williams (3)
Kate Jackson (4)
Lykke Li (2)
Stephanie Dosen (5)

*I must admit, I've got a bit of a girl crush on Alison Mosshart...the Kills are amazing.

Best Website
Bebo (5)
Facebook (2)
Last FM (4)
MySpace (3)
YouTube (1)

***Why no Twitter?***

Best Venue
Brixton Academy (1)
Manchester Apollo (4)
London Astoria (2)
Glasgow Barrowlands (5)
London O2 Arena (3)

Best Album Artwork
The Cure – '4:13 Dream'(3)
Guillemots – 'Red' (1)
The Killers – 'Day & Age' (2)
Muse – 'HAARP' (4)
We Are Scientists – 'Brain Thrust Mastery' (5)

Best Band Blog
Foals (1)
Lightspeed Champion (3)
Little Boots (5)
Noel Gallagher/Oasis (2)
Radiohead (4)

The Shockwaves NME Awards 2009 Godlike Genius award is going to The Cure this year. They play a full 90-minute show at the Big Gig at the O2 Arena in London on February 26, along with Franz Ferdinand, Crystal Castles and White Lies.

***Please note that beyond my number 2 or 3 choices, I usually don't really care. Also, in most of these categories, I'd be happy if any of them won. ***

I Love This Pic

More on Matt Smith (The 11th Doctor)

Here is an interesting article from TVGuide about what Billie Piper (who played--plays?--Rose Tyler in the show) thinks about Matt Smith being chosen as the next actor to play the Doctor.

Billie Piper on New Doctor Who: The TARDIS Is in "Good Hands"
Jan 14, 2009 by Matt Mitovich

Billie Piper, who has gone from playing Rose Tyler to turning tricks as Showtime's Call Girl, has a message for Doctor Who fans: Relax.

Asked to weigh in on David Tennant's successor as the BBC series' Time Lord, Piper tells TVGuide.com she is a "big-time" fan of Matt Smith. "I love him."

Addressing the concern that Smith, at 26, is too young to effectively play the good Doctor, Piper notes, "The fans get so concerned about these things, and they should just relax. It's going to be fine. They're in good hands."

In fact, she argues that Smith's scant years will serve him well in the role. "He's a stirring actor, and he has the right energy," she says. "That's what the Doctor's is about, essentially — having that energy that you just can't understand."

Piper pooh-poohs talk that a female — perhaps even herself — was being eyed to helm the TARDIS. "David [Tennant] has joked about me doing it, but ... I don't think the Doctor should be a woman," she says. "It's like going, 'Let's make James Bond a woman.' It's a man's role."

Being a big fan of Smith's, might Piper be tempted to pay a return visit to Whoville? "I don't know," she hedges. "It's hard. Sometimes you just want to leave something behind, and then you see an episode and are like, 'God I really want to do it!' You change your mind all the time."

Also, I watched "Ruby in the Smoke" on dvd last night, and I thought it was surprisingly good. I got it from Netflix because it hadn't seen anything with Matt Smith in it, and I wanted to see him in action, as it were. I think he did a really good job, although with a better script he probably would have been even better. I'm not usually that into mystery books/movies, but I think the fact that it was English and had 2 Doctor Who actors in it is what made it work for me.

Here are some clips of Matt Smith (and Billie Piper) in "Ruby in the Smoke":

Artist: Michael Wertz

Tonight at The State Theatre where I work, Camper Van Beethoven is playing. I went to their website, and followed the link to the person who does their album art, Michael Wertz. I think his art is awesome, but I don't wanna get in trouble for posting it here, so you should just check out his website: http://www.wertzateria.com

I recommend the following pieces:

"CVB Poster"

"Go Go Dancers"

"Wheel of Life"

"White Dog"

"Dog Diplomacy"

"Red (Staffordshire Bull Terrier)"

"New Moon"

"Rascal's Tongue"

"Symmetricats"

"Three Dogs"

"The Friendly Skyscraper"

"I Want to Let the Butterflies In"

"Happy Holidays"

"Dragon Puppet"

"Start a Band"

Also, here is a link to a bunch of his dog-related art: CLICKETH.

(Yes, I know thats the majority of the pictures on his website, but he's just that awesome!!)

Congrats to Fleet Foxes

I agree with this:

US rock group win vinyl art prize
Fleet Foxes' self-titled album was voted the winner in the online poll.

The debut album by US indie rock group Fleet Foxes has won the Art Vinyl prize for best cover.

The self-titled album features the 1559 painting Netherlandish Proverbs, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

A mixture of 50 obscure and well-known vinyl record sleeves from 2008 were shortlisted for the prize, with 3,000 people voting online.
The winning covers will be on display at art galleries in London, Birmingham, Northampton and Norwich.

Londoner Roots Manuva's album Slime and Reason - featuring a classical-style bust of the rapper complete with green slime - was voted second while the cover of Coldplay's Viva La Vida came third.

'Real surprise'
In it, the band reproduce Eugene Delacroix's 1830 painting Liberty Leading the People.

"For the past four years, the Art Vinyl award has very much celebrated the work of new emerging artists and graphic designers," said awards director Andrew Heeps.
"So, this year, it has been a real surprise to see how some past artistic works have proven to be so popular from 2008's record cover designs."

Previous winners of the award include Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV and Thom Yorke's The Eraser.

This year's winners will be featured in exhibitions at London's Rough Trade East gallery, Snap Galleries in Birmingham, Fishmarket Gallery in Northampton and the Perfect Pad Gallery in Norwich.

And for those of you who haven't heard of Fleet Foxes, this is what you've been missing:

"Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes (Live in London)


"He Doesn't Know Why" by Fleet Foxes (Official Video)

Matt Smith Press Clippings

Here is an article from Outpost Gallifrey:

The New Doctor: Press Clippings
January 4, 2009 • Posted By Chuck Foster

Inevitably it was moments after Matt Smith was announced as the Doctor that the press published its first reactions to the casting. As one might expect, the initial reports were mainly based around the BBC Press Release and comments within Doctor Who Confidential itself. However, as the evening/morning progressed further media comment began to emerge, a selection of which are reported below.

Andrew Pettie of the Telegraph commented on how Doctor Who is a 'savvy multi-million-pound brand' and how casting has become a major news event. "... Doctor Who is a success primarily because it is so effortlessly entertaining. This is in large part due to the elasticity of its sci-fi premise. Thanks to the Tardis, the Doctor can travel anywhere in space or time. One moment he's rubbing shoulders with Shakespeare, the next battling aliens far in the future. And the Doctor has a further ace up his sleeve: the ability to change not just the actor playing him, but the nature of his character. ... Which is why Matt Smith is such a bold and exciting choice as the next Doctor. His relative lack of fame shouldn't matter a jot. It's hard to recall now, but before he regenerated as the Doctor, Tennant's most high-profile TV role had been in the BBC3 drama Casanova, written by Davies. Indeed, the key to Tennant's success as the Doctor has been how the crackle of his performances has matched the exuberance of the scripts."

The Independent commented on what fandom might think of the casting: "Smith is not black and he's not a woman, which left some fans wondering why a more daring decision had not been made; but he is the youngest of the 11 actors to have played 'official' versions of the time-travelling Doctor who first stepped out of that battered blue police box called the Tardis in 1963. ... Smith now faces the challenge of winning over two passionate camps: the families who sit together to watch on the sofa on a Saturday night and the hard-core Whovians, some of whom still complain that the lavish effects, high production values and often superb scripts of the modern version are somehow a betrayal of their hero. The Doctor Who Forum online was so busy last night that only veteran contributors could get in. Elsewhere, blogging fans admitted they didn't know much about Smith. 'He's so young,' said one. 'They must be going for the Twilight market.'"

The Sunday Herald also carries opinions on the casting, with Antony Wainer from DWAS commenting: "It's a different choice and I'm delighted by it. But I do think it has taken some people by surprise. The shadow of David Tennant looms large. He was so great, which makes the job for the next person even harder. But here's someone who is younger, and with that youth comes more enthusiasm. It is the only way you could trump Tennant." Also from Glasgow South MP and Who fan Tom Harris: "In the Whovian community there's a huge amount of respect for Steven Moffat because he's been the best writer for the past three or four years. So any people with reservations will give Smith the benefit of the doubt because he was Steven's choice."

Matthew Sweet commented in the Guardian: "The idea of a black or woman Doctor is something we only seem to be able to enjoy as a tease. When Tom Baker left, for example, there was speculation about Joanna Lumley taking over. There is a little part of me that's disappointed the Obama effect hasn't reached Gallifrey yet. This was one of the best kept secrets. Matt Smith has got a fascinating face. It's long and bony, with a commanding jaw. He looks like someone who could have been in Duran Duran. He has a quality of the old man trapped in the young man's body. I suspect he might be a more sensual character than David Tennant, who had no kind of dangerous sexuality about him. There's something Byronic about Matt Smith – he's got the lips for it." The paper also carries a comment by former companion Sophie Aldred: "I'm delighted. I'm so pleased that they haven't chosen a big name but gone with someone who's obviously a good actor but not well known to the public at large. He's got a very interesting face and a fantastic presence. It's going to be a difficult job to follow David Tennant, but I think he'll be a safe pair of hands."

The News of the World decided to lead with Smith's intimate appearance alongside former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper in her show, The Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Other reports on the casting may be read from: Times(1), Times(2), Telegraph, Mail, Sun, Sunday Mirror, Scotsman, Glasgow Sunday Mail, Wales on Sunday.

Apparently I Occasionally Have Photography Skills!

 

MATT SMITH IS THE 11th DOCTOR!!

So I had no idea who Matt Smith was at first, and from one of his promo pics I thought he looked a bit like a serial killer, but I've warmed up to him after watching this:



Here is the announcement from BBC News:

New Doctor actor is youngest ever

Matt Smith has been named as the actor who will take over from David Tennant in Doctor Who - making him the youngest actor to take on the role.
At 26, Smith is three years younger than Peter Davison when he signed up to play the fifth Doctor in 1981.

Smith will first appear on TV screens as the 11th Doctor in 2010.
He was cast over Christmas and will begin filming for the fifth series of Doctor Who in the summer. Tennant is filming four specials in 2009.

Smith was named as Tennant's replacement in Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential on BBC One.

He said: "I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.
"David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him.
"The challenge for me is to do justice to the show's illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it. I really cannot wait."
Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said that as soon as he had seen Smith's audition he "knew he was the one".

"It was abundantly clear that he had that 'Doctor-ness' about him," he said. "You are either the Doctor or you are not. It's just the beginning of the journey for Matt.
"With Steven Moffat's scripts and the expertise of the production team in Cardiff behind him, there is no one more perfect to be taking the Tardis to exciting new futures when the series returns in 2010."

Wenger said a broad range of people had been auditioned, but they had not set out to cast the youngest Doctor.

Smith's TV debut was in the 2006 adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, which starred former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper as Sally Lockhart.
He has also acted opposite Piper in the follow-up, The Shadow in the North, and in ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

In 2007, he had a leading role in BBC Two's political drama Party Animals, in which he played a parliamentary researcher.

Smith's stage work has included stints with theatre companies such as the Royal Court and National Theatre. His West End debut was in Swimming With Sharks opposite Christian Slater.

He was born in Northampton in 1982 and studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.

Creative team
Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009.

Tennant is recovering from back surgery ahead of filming in 2009
The star is due to begin shooting the first special this month, just weeks after surgery on his back forced him to pull out of a London run of Hamlet.
The last of these special episodes is expected to run in early 2010.
With a new creative team in place for the 2010 series led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger, the casting of the Doctor was the first job to be completed before scripts could be finalised.

Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989.

After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the same year.

Here are some photos of Matt Smith: