Local Austinite Melissa Hagen akaMelissa and the Pink Guitarswirls a brand of lonely bedroom-pop with such ease and confidence as to conjure images of the rudiments of sadcore greats like the inimtiable Carissa’s Wierd. Much more than a simply sad singer-songwriter, Melissa delivers a brand of literate guitar-pop that any post-collegiate twenty-something can pour their feelings into and she does it with such sincerity as to make the listener almost voyeuristic to her tiny dreamscapes and confessions. Overall a very worthwhile and catchy Austin artist, definitely worth seeing around town – here’s hoping she continues to perform and expand on her already formidable sound.
CRYSTAL CASTLES IN AUSTIN Bloodshed and mayhem in Austin, Texas as Cannibal Cheerleader faves Crystal Castles ripped and snarled their way through a brief but electric set at La Zona Rosa. Thrashing through new tracks such as “Baptism” and “Yes/No” with reckless abandon while adding a new level of live carnage to their classics such as “Crimewave” and “Black Panther”. For all the grinding, dancing, and pulsating of the mostly underage Austin (hipster?) crowd, the music raged like a punk slaughterhouse, flaming with intense rhythms that leaped to the ceiling with the rays of an amazing lightshow, coupled with Alice Glass’ ‘blood-filling-my-mouth’ shrieked vocals. With E. Kath manning the boards in his signature hunched-style and Glass pulling no punches with a bottle of vodka in one hand and the mic against her teeth in the other, Crystal Castles proved a brain-bashing performance that shows why they are years ahead of their electro contemporaries.La Zona Rosa didn’t allow Cannibal Cheerleader to bring in our cameras but we nonetheless managed to snag a few photos from Twitter and videos from YouTube that you can check out below. We can only hope they give you a sense of the sold-out mayhem of a 1500+ show, which featured Glass crowd-surfing and being dragged in by security in what has become a familiar sight at the Crystal Castles camp. It’s clear at this point that Glass and Kath are bonafiderockstars, entering the venue after dashing from a taxi straight to the stage door and exiting in similar fashion, flanked by a large posse. While the venue wasn’t exactly friendly to concert-goers, Crystal Castles put on an absolutely fantastic performance that shook the dancefloor to its core.
For all the talk of a shortened set, the band played for over an hour of intense and powerful punk-electro, well over your average punk show length. With their live show the band refuses to conform, employing ferocious hardcore shrieks over a maelstrom of electronic-thrash, transforming a slow-burner like “Black Panther” into a snarling behemoth. Cutting off songs in a show of punk ferocity, blowing speakers, and bounding offstage are all reflections of a band leaning towards an intense experience. That said, I had a great time at the show and I know the four winners of our ticket-giveaway had one as well! Congrats to the winners and thanks to everyone who reads the blog!
Crystal Castles – “Trash Hologram” ******************************************************************** NEW TV ON THE RADIO EP Following close on the heels of last year’s amazing Dear Science LP, TV on the Radio are releasing a three-song remix EP called Read Silence, featuring fantastic reinventions of the some of the deepest cuts of their latest album from the likes of Gang Gang Dance and other NYC art-rockers. Check out some tracks below and let us know what you think – personally we can’t get over the “Stork & Owl” track – like a magical explosion in our musical brains!
TV on the Radio – “Stork & Owl (Gang Gang Dance Remix)” ******************************************************************** UPDATE FROM JEMINA PEARL CAMP It’s been a while since we’ve heard any new songs from Jemina Pearl and the whole ex-Be Your Own Pet camp, but if you’ve been keeping up with her personal blog Puke Till You Punk you’d be more than up to date with the recording of her new solo LP, already in full swing and featuring guitar parts from none other than the likes of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. If you haven’t been keeping up, now’s the time to start some backreading – this album is going to slaughter the innocent.
We here at Cannibal Cheerleader make a point of not talking about things we dislike – what’s the point really? However, we can’t hold our tongue when we say that Austin club La Zona Rosa left a supremely bad taste in our mouth last night at the Crystal Castles show, so much so we had to say something. From the inept and rude security, to the slow as snails bar staff, to their policy of rifling through every bag, we haven’t had such a bad Austin club experience in quite some time. We’re thinking a lot of the negative connotation of the Crystal Castles show stems from the La Zona Rosa crew. Still, maybe it’s just a personal problem and didn’t affect anyone else. Either way, don’t think we’ll be scheduling any Cannibal Cheerleader shows there soon!
Hey Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, if you’ve been following us for any length of time you know we’re absolutely obsessed with thrash-electro artists Crystal Castles. Turns out Crystal Castles are fans of Cannibal Cheerleader as well!
That’s why they’re giving us FOUR FREE TICKETS to tomorrow’s (Monday April 13th) show at La Zona Rosa here in Austin, Texas! If you want one leave a comment on this post with your name, email address, and favorite horror movie. I will choose four winners at random. Stay tuned for some awesome Crystal Castles coverage this week!
Seems as if the Horrors‘ new album Primary Colours is getting the band some serious play across the pond, as they have recently adorned the cover of NME, not to mention garnishing wild acclaim for this their sophomore LP. After spinning the record a few times, we here at Cannibal Cheerleader can only admit that all the attention is definitely warranted, as the Horrors have crafted a woozy, shoegazing, goth-rock album that captures the immediacy of Strange House and moves it more in the direction of the Jesus & Mary Chain without sacrificing any of their overall blood-soaked menace. In truth the album packs more fire and fury into its swirling rhythms all awash with feedback than in all of their previous material. It’s the direct result of a band maturing and growing into their sound, and while there’s no “Sheena Is A Parasite” on the record we’re more than happy with singles like “New Ice Age” and “Three Decades” (anyone else noticing a Joy Division connection here?). Definitely worth a listen, check it out below, along with the video for bold first single, “Sea Within A Sea”.
Having conquered the radio-waves with their first album Carnavas, it would seem that the Silversun Pickups might not have anywhere to go with their indie-rock by way of shoegaze sound. However, with Swoon the group has expanded upwards and outwards, employing harder riffs and more intricate song structures without sacrificing the Swervedriver-meets-Smashing Pumpkins sound (or Brian Aubert’s androgynous vocals!). With songs like “Panic Switch” and “There’s No Secrets This Year”, the band has crafted an album that is every bit as good as the finest moments on their debut LP if not massively greater. Let the Silversun Pickups serve as ample proof that the LA indie-rock scene is still alive and well, even if its drowned in distortion. Check it:
NEW METRIC ALBUM Perhaps not surprising to the Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, we’re big Emily Haines and Metric fans down here in Austin. So when we nabbed a copy of their newest LP Fantasies we had high expectations – and we were certainly not dissappointed. Never before has the band sounded quite so road-weary or despondent, and their relatively lo-fi sound, with Haines’ vocals buried as deep as they’ve ever been in the mix, reflects this change. Fantasies is the Love & Rockets of dance-punk, an album for the long, rainy walk home from the club, the night filled both with fear and promise, unease and excitement all in one. Musically, the album retains the pop sensibilities the band has built their namesake on, only now it’s tinged with a bloody timidity that finds Metric at their most vulnerable in years. One of the best releases of the year so far, though we may be swayed by the lyric “Help, they’re gonna eat me alive” in the band’s lead single “Help, I’m Alive”. Check out some more tunes below.
Metric – “Collect Call” Metric – “Twilight Galaxy” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: MT. ST. HELENS VIETNAM BAND Blazing out of the rainy streets of Seattle, the Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band has managed to do what few bands can claim these days by sounding equal parts classic indie-rock and wildly inventive all at once. A merger of the best post-punk tendencies of Pretty Girls Make Graves and the sonorous, naive whisperings of Ra Ra Riot, MSHVB captures a streak of inspired folk-rock that screams of indie-collective. Seriously, these guys are giving Annuals a run for their money, what with their fierce guitar wails and slamming drumwork whirring over their shout-along choruses. Definitely worth checkin’ out, grab some below.
The Cannibal Cheerleader lineup for this year’s SXSW 09 Blood Bath keeps getting better with the introduction of the Whispertown 2000 to the lineup. We’re also partnering with OverUnder Records to bring you several New York acts including Howlies! Should be a rocking time, so be sure and be at the Peacock (515 Pedernales) on Wed. Mar. 18th at noon!
With the opening riffs of Kylesa’s latest effort Static Tensions the band clearly has chosen to expand their horizons, dwelling on intense buildups, frighteningly intricate drumwork, and searing guitar lines, all as the songs dip, wrap around, go soft, explode and re-explode, all within ten tremendous tracks. Gone is the sameness of past Kylesa records which, while excellent, suffered at times from an unvaried metal formula – no longer! Utilizing Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants’ voices equally and featuring their dueling guitarwork to maximum effect, Static Tensions is a giant leap forward, a slow-burning metal monster that shows off the group’s development and maturity earned from years of touring. Truly the best metal release of 2009 so far, a blazing record and one not to be missed. Check out a few tracks below!
MARNIE STERN INTERVIEW We here at Cannibal Cheerleader were among some of the most ardent fans of Marnie Stern’s sophomore release This is It… and we proclaimed it as one of our top albums of 2008. Now, before she heads down to Austin for SXSW 08, Marnie Stern has granted us an interview about her life, that whole kissing-booth affair, and what makes the indie-shredder so rock and roll.
CC: Describe your sound to the uninitiated. What is Marnie Stern all about? Introduce yourself, your music, and how it all came together in the beginning.
MS: It took a really long time for my music to come together… A lot of years of trying to find my own voice. I guess my sound is a mash up of a bunch of different musical tastes I like, along with some ideas and questions I’ve had about life thrown in there for good measure.
CC: What are some of your biggest influences? What bands do you like to listen to? Do you find yourself emulating other artists or mostly doing your own thing?
MS: I try not to emulate other artists. I never learned people’s songs when I was learning to play the guitar. I think often times when you do that, you end up trying to get into the mind set of someone else and really that’s impossible to do, so you have a harder time of expressing yourself on the intsrument. It’s different for everybody though. If I really like something I will try and absorb the essense of it and incorporate my own style into what I’m doing. There haven’t been many bands that I have gotten into over the past few years. I’ve been dissapointed by that because I like feeling a healthy competitiveness where I hear a band and it challenges me to do better work. I do like Ponytail very much.
Whaddya know? We love Ponytail too! Great minds think alike! Read more excerpts from the interview below and stay tuned for the complete version in our third issue of Cannibal Cheerleader Magazine, out during SXSW 09!
Marnie Stern – “The Crippled Jazzer” ******************************************************************** TV ON THE RADIO RETURN TO AUSTIN By some misfortune we managed to miss out on catching TV on the Radio’s last jaunt through the Lone Star State, but we’re in luck as the band will make their triumphant return to Stubb’s on May 15th. Get ready all and check this awesome TVOTR video below!
TV on the Radio – “Love Dog” ******************************************************************** MARNIE STERN INTERVIEW (CONT’D) CC: Your last album garnered a lot of attention and positive praise, even more so than your debut. What was it like being thrust into the limelight like that? Was there a sense of relief or added pressure?
MS: Is that what happened? How exciting if it was!! To me it felt like an extension of what happened when I released my debut. There were positive reviews and I went on tour, but I couldn’t really tell a big difference from the release of the first to the second. I guess when you are in the middle of it, you can’t really tell.
CC: Starting with influential online outlets like Pitchfork Media and Stereogum and trickling all down the blogosphere you’ve been given a lot of attention over the past year from this new form of music journalism – what do you feel about the online music community and how has it affected you?
MS: I love it!!!! It’s been very positive, so what’s not to like? Ha! Seriously though, the online music blogs are the only place I go to read about reviews and what’s going on. I never look at rolling stone or other music magazines, so I couldn’t be happier about that. Of course when you open yourself up to a blog, you are always left with the negative comments that people make, but I guess all press is good press and you just have to ignore the nasty things people say.
CC: Do you feel like the rampant torrent usage of these sites negates their positive influence? I’ve heard you were particularly unhappy when your album leaked, can you describe that situation to us?
MS: Well it is a very very tough situation. It’s great that so many people get to hear it, but from a business angle (or rather the angle of trying to make a living) it’s really bad. An album that sold 5,000 copies this year would have sold 15,000 copies 10 years ago and that’s a huge difference. I think prople have this misinterpretation that if you are getting attention, that you are making money..and that just isnt the case. I’m 30,000 dollars in debt from subsidising tours etc, and it’s really scary. On the otehr hand, I am doing what I love to do, so I really shouldn’t be complaining. A shift is going to come at some point in the music industry, but it might take 5 or 10 years and that is probably the span of my career, so more likely than not I missed the boat on money.
CC: The kissing booth clearly started as a joke and became an online sensation, but do you feel it detracts from the music or simply gets more people interested in your shows? Do you have plans to retire or continue the smooch-a-thons? Have any particularly smelly fans been denied a kiss?
MS: That really did start out as a joke and I had no intention of making it such a big deal, but It was fun and like you said, if it gets people more interested in shows, then great! Never say never, but I think the smooch-a-thons are retired. No one was denied a kiss, but honestly there weren’t many takers.
CC: Describe to aspiring guitarists your playing style and how you’ve managed to become one of the genre’s most celebrated shredders? Talk about your unique style and how you come up with your riffs. What’s it like being the greatest indie-rock guitarist of all time (and if you’re not it, who is)?
MS: Well there are so many people who are much better players than I am. My favorites are Spencer Seim and Mick Barr. There are thousands though. I think it’s more important to have your own style, then to play well. I would like to think that people like my music more for the way I put together the guitar parts, than for the shredding aspect. I’ve had a hard time with the ‘virtuoso’ title, because I don’t think I am that, and really it puts you in a position where you have nowhere to go but down. A lot of people say that I get attention because I am a female playing guitar. I had never really thought about gender before. I had always just thought about artists I liked and wanted to be as good as. In the end, I just have to keep on playing and trying to grow as a player.CC: What is it for an artist to ‘make it’ in the music industry today? Have you ‘made it’ as an artist or are you still striving for more? Can you finally say you support yourself playing music or do you have a day job?
MS: I think I answered that in one of the other questions. I don’t have a day job because my schedule is so strange and I have to leave to go on tour so often. I have applied for a lot of waitress positions but no one calls me back. In terms of making it, I think I made it when I got to release my first record. That was my goal and everything since has been icing on the cake. Though it is true that once you feel you’ve conquered one step, you want to try and keep going. It’s human nature.
Comments? Any huge Marnie Stern fans out there like ourselves?
This coming Monday we’re going to be making a huge Cannibal Cheerleader announcement. Here are some hints – it involves SXSW 09 and it rhymes with ‘ARTY’. Rock out this weekend folks, seeya Monday!
Our favorite band of dance-rock stalwarts the Action Design blazed through a searing set last night in Austin at Emo’s downtown. While the band’s last Austin performance left us winded, M and the gang had us gasping for air this night, with a rampaging set that reminded old schoolers of the group’s hardcore roots and excited new fans with whip-crack post-punk instrumentation. Serving up entrancing performances of deep-cuts like “Lounge in Formation” and “City Committee”, complete with the group’s signature tight sound and M’s passionate croon, the band brought a level of bombast and pure-energy on rockers like “Landmines” and “Scissor Game”. The group even noodled wistfully through the Justin Timberlake (!?) interlude “Think That She Knows”, proving their ability to bring a punk edge to even the danciest of tracks. Surely the Action Design are the bastard child of Bloc Party and Blondie, a sight to behold live and a passionate group that’s in love with their music and in touch with their fans. A five-star performance from a great group, more pics below and a rare track entitled “Move On” from the group’s first, self-titled EP, limited to 1000 copies. Check it out!
Speaking of bastards, Dayton, Ohio’s favorite sons, garage-rockers the Heartless Bastards are back with the Mountain, a hearty dosage of blues and carnage that relies more heavily on the soaring vocals of lead Erika Wennerstrom than ever before. Not satisfied to rest on the laurels of their breakthrough sophomore LP All This Time, Wennerstrom and company rip and tear through 11 tracks of blues-rock blood and guts, sounding equal parts classic with a degree of modernity that makes the tunes immediately relatable and captivating. This group makes it look easy, and Wennerstrom is at her best here, steering the Heartless ship towards a woozy, dusty-road sound that evokes hard-living and harder landscapes. This is the Bastards Attack & Release, a startling achievement that calls into question the validity of their earlier work. We didn’t know you had it in you kids! Definitely makes the team but will probably get kicked off for cussing and spitting – our kind of girl!
Our favorite arena-packing synth-rockers the Killers have put together a mind-blowing new video for Day & Age standout “Spaceman”, complete with psychedelic staircases and red tights. Check it out below – do you think Brandon Flowers will play some backyard football with us in that costume?
Late last week the latest round of South By Southwest lineup announcements inspired a lot of talk across the blogosphere. From world-renowned rockers like Primal Scream, to indie superstars like Ra Ra Riot, to little-known but still-fantastic bands like Fight Bite, the lineup is pretty stellar, albeit overwhelming. How is a SXSW attendee supposed to take in the 1000+ bands that will be descending on Austin in Mid-March? And how can we as a small Austin-based music blog hope to capture the fire and the fury that is this one week when our awesome little town becomes the center of the entire globe’s media frenzy? Some of the bigger music blogs will undoubtedly be sending droves of correspondents in order to cover every aspect of the proceedings, but we here at Cannibal Cheerleader have neither the desire nor the workforce to attempt such an undertaking. Instead, we feel its our responsibility as a small blog to talk about the acts that no one else will be talking about. That’s why we’ve chosen our top five, ‘must-see’, underground, and sinister acts for SXSW ‘09. We’ll add more as the big event approaches, but right now we feel that these are the bands not too many blogs will be talking about (but should be!) and that absolutely need to be seen. Without further ado…
1. ROLO TOMASSI
Ripping and snarling out of the UK with a hybrid shriek-meets-prog sound, Rolo Tomassi make their American debut this March in Austin when the quintet crash down in an explosion of Mars Volta-inspired riffs and Eva Spence’s signature howl. The band’s debut LP Hysterics deliver on the promise of some excellent LPs and their live show is much touted by UK rags like NME. If there’s one act we have to see at SXSW ‘09, it’s Rolo Tomassi, no question. Check out the video for their single “I Love Turbulence” below.
Rolo Tomassi – “I Love Turbulence”
Rolo Tomassi – “Fofteen” ******************************************************************** 2. THE GRATES
The closest thing the rest of the world has to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Australia’s the Grates pour on the same art-rock glaze as the New York spaz-masters with a little bit of their own unique pop flair to create a punky confection that’s as wild to watch as it is to listen to. With the release of their sophomore LP Teeth Lost, Hearts Won the Grates have ramped up their audio assault with an arsenal of rock-ready barn burners that swing between ultra-cutesy to fiery bloodshed, and with their much touted live show garnering praise worldwide, one can only imagine what they’re going to bring to the table for SXSW ‘09. Definitely a necessity to check this trio out.
******************************************************************** 3. TAT
After the quiet release of their debut album Soho Lights last year, which delivered on the promise of innumerable EPs, singles, and relentless touring, Tat have kept the volume knob firmly placed on ‘12′, continuing their takeover of the auditory sense with a slew of excellent tracks and a live show that’s as electric as it is engaging. Tat reel you in with Distillers comparisons and keep you interested with impressive hooks and stellar pop-punk leanings. Definitely one of the most underrated touring groups today, check out Tat if for nothing more than their excellent single “I Don’t Want To Love You” at SXSW ‘09.
******************************************************************** 4. KILLOLA We had our Killola cherry popped (more like ripped to shreds) when we saw these guys open for the Action Design back in September. Since then we’ve been racking our brains thinking of the right time to ‘New Band Cheer’ this excellent foursome, but now that they’ve been announced as a SXSW ‘09 showcase band, we can’t help but champion this fantastic act. With alt-rock licks and the most rabid frontwoman to ever rip off all her clothes onstage, Killola bring the goods live, pounding through dancey barn-burners and clearing the floor with dazzling pop heroics. Sounding like a cross between Paramore and Be Your Own Pet, Killola deserve to be filling stadiums so get a close look while you still can at SXSW.
******************************************************************** 5. THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES Hardcore heavyweights from way back when, These Arms are Snakes have been touring relentlessly since before your average screamo kid was born, and they show no sign of slowing down now, as the release of their newest LP Tail, Swallower, and Dove revealed they have a few more tricks up their sleeve. With a live show that features maddening most pits and acrobatic stage-diving, a sound that pulls from equal parts rudimentary punk and mathcore metal, and a lead singer whose distinctive wail puts him at the top of the scene’s crooner list, TAAS have proven time and time again to be a live band worth reckoning with, and they definitely should be added to your SXSW ‘09 itinerary.
While not an official SXSW ‘09 showcased artist (or at least not announced as such!) Heartsrevolution will be bringing their Heartschallenger ice cream truck down to Austin anyway, delivering fresh electro-clash beats and tasty treats/funky toys to all the sweaty downtown Austinites all week. Be on the lookout for a pink truck racing up and down sixth street, because our friends Ben and Lo will undoubtedly be driving this bad boy all around the city. Be on the lookout friends!
Thanks to another friend from the UK (we apparently have a lot of overseas readers here at Cannibal Cheerleader!) we’ve managed to come across some really astounding Action Design videos that feature the band performing as of yet unrecorded material, including the first video (below) entitled “Expert (Now I Know You)” (although there is some debate about whether this track might actually be titled “Chamber of Hellos”) and the following video, our personal fave “Northern Lights”. Check them out and the rest of the ‘Atticus Show‘ videos here.
According to sources the Killers massive US tour in support of their excellent LP Day & Age will be swinging through Austin on Feb. 3rd and the Frank Erwin Center. Grab your tickets here and revel in excitement about opening act the inimitable M83. Definitely a show not to be missed.
Happy New Years Cannibal Cheerleader faithful! Whether you’re just tuning in or you’re an old-school follower, we’d like you to know that 2009 is going to blow 2008 out of the water here on the blog. We’ve had more than one ‘returning to the fold’ post but this one represents a new direction, a dedication to creating new content, new videos, and introducing more new music. The blogosphere collectively suffers from multiple ailments: story-swapping, shameless copying, ‘hipster-dom’, and a general lack of originality. I’d like to think Cannibal Cheerleader is the cure for what ails you, the reader of the common everyday music blog. Let the CC crew rip out the old and inject you with a healthy dosage of bloody good music. This is Cannibal Cheerleader 2009 – we won’t let you down.
One of our favorite Austin bands Balmorhea continue to creep closer to the March 10th release of their third LP All is Wild, All is Silent on the excellent Western Vinyl and they’re celebrating by releasing a new track per week on their Myspace until the album drops. Check out the excellent “Settler” this week. Also, we recently recorded a video of the group performing tracks from their new album at a show at Austin’s own Parish. Check it out below!
While we can’t purport to know every band that calls the music capital of the world its home, we’re shocked the utterly fantastic local group known as Ume managed to fly under our radar for so long. A trio originally from Houston this group packs the energy of Sonic Nurse era Youth (with Kim Gordon vocals care of lead-shredder and riot grrrl Lauren Larson) and combines it with a furious punk drive that gives way to haunting minimalism in parts. Ume is a complicated band deserving of repeated listens and multiple viewings – luckily we’ll be checking them out this very Thursday at Emo’s Free Week! Come down and check them out out.
Check out this Brooklyn Vegan report on the happenings of the one and only Crystal Castles and their late night New Year’s Eve antics at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Seems like the show(s) was beyond wild, featuring hits old and new. Check out this video below of the group performing what I believe to be “Yes/No”, a track that will be featured on their sophomore LP. Rumors abound about who will be producing the album (Rick Rubin tops this list) and when production will start (ASAP we hope) so if anyone has any Crystal Castles news, hook us up people!
******************************************************************** AS DID MY MORNING JACKET
After a lauded performance at Bonnaroo 2008, it seemed that My Morning Jacket couldn’t possibly top themselves. Only that they have, with their ringing in of the New Year with a performance at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Go here for pictures but more importantly go HERE to download the live set, which features Marvin Gaye covers, MMJ rarities, and a classic countdown. Check it out immediately.
An amusing anecdote for the Cannibal Cheerleader faithful. It’s no small secret that we’re huge horror fans here at CC, so imagine our surprise when we Google ‘cannibal cheerleader’ and come across an upcoming film featuring just that – a cheerleader who goes about slaughtering and devouring her male classmates. Yes it seems that Diablo Cody of Juno fame long ago penned a horror script entitled Jennifer’s Body (titled perhaps off the Hole track of the same name from their seminal LP Live Through This) and its currently being produced with eyes on a September release. Starring Megan Fox as the title character and featuring dark humor (ala Heathers), oodles of gore, and much talked about female nudity, we have already labeled Jennifer’s Body as the best film of 2009. Now, some may disagree about labeling any piece of media as the ‘best of’ this early in the year. However, we at Cannibal Cheerleader think that we’ve found the cinematic equivalent of Merriweather Post Pavillion for 2009, and we plan to bring you obsessive coverage of the film throughout the year. Brace yourselves.
