Lana Del Rey - West Coast (Official Audio) [Listen]

Lana Del Rey has released the official audio for her new track 'West Coast' on her VEVO chanel (which you can listen to below) and it's certainly something. The track is an eclectic mix of styles with multiple shifts in tempo, meaning that you might have to listen to it a few times before truly getting into the song. Considering Del Rey's style though, this track fits perfectly and possesses an intriguing sound that just makes you want to listen to it again, even if you are not sure of your feelings the first time you listen to it. Del Rey's voice certainly has that airy heavenly quality to it, that just makes you feel like you are elsewhere, drifting above high hill tops or something, which can be quite comforting if you need that element of escapism. The incorporation of guitar in the track adds in a Western element and combined with the echoes and Del Rey's voice, it sounds almost ethereal and divine. It certainly is beautiful, so we recommend you give it a couple of listens to truly grasp all of the different shifts, tempos and notes Del Rey reaches in the track. 

Game of Thrones - Season 4, Episode 2 'The Lion and The Rose' [Recap + Review]

Ok, it's fair to say, if you haven't watched this week's episode of Game of Thrones then you probably want to click off this article - right now. Because there will be spoilers, and when we say 'spoilers' we mean if you don't want to know of the events of the 'purple wedding' then LOOK AWAY NOW. No, seriously. Stop looking. OK! So, since you are still reading this, presumably you have read the books/seen the episode/don't really care either way about the outcome, so congratulations! 

Yes, the Purple Wedding is here, and it's a welcome occurrence after the events of the Red Wedding. In this glorious episode we finally get to see the demise of King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), the crazy psychopath that everyone loves to hate. And true to the nickname of the episode, he turns a purple hue, froths at the mouth, bleeds from his nose and eventually dies in his mother's arms. I'd say it's a tragedy but, well, it's not really. After all, everyone at the wedding looked as if they wanted to kill him anyway, as Joffrey bullied and insulted pretty much everyone. It's fair to say the real tragedy is that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) was, at the end of the episode, arrested by Cersei, (Lena Headey) who believed that Tyrion poisoned Joffrey (but come on, we all know the brains behind the operation was likely Olenna Tyrell). Fortunately, Sansa, (Sophie Turner) persuaded by Dontos, (Tony Way) managed to leg it out of there before all the drama ensued. 

Natalie Dormer's character Margaery was on point in this episode, and Dormer is rather good at playing the manipulative characters (see her portrayal of Moriarty in Elementary for further evidence of this) and it was a joy to watch her try to diffuse tension throughout the wedding, and prevent her 'husband' from killing anyone. Poor Tyrion, on the other hand, spent the majority of the episode being tormented by Joffrey, and also had to send Shae (Sibel Kekilli) away to Pentos, on the grounds that his Father would most likely kill her. Whether she actually sailed off to Pentos isn't really elaborated on, though Bronn (Jerome Flynn) suggests that she did get on the ship. 

The episode was packed full of hilarity, and numerous snide remarks were made, not to mention threats of violence, as Cersei insinuated that Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) was in love with Jaime, (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and of course, she said it in her usual threatening manner, and Jaime exchanged threats with Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones) about who would end up marrying Cersei. Apparently, threats are second nature to the Lannisters. Cersei also managed to share a fierce conversation with Prince Oberyn (Pedro Pascal) and Ellaria Sand, (Indira Varma) as herself and Tywin (Charles Dance) exchange numerous insults with the two, however polite they manage to make it sound. Cersei also manages to undermine Margaery's power, by making sure that the leftover food doesn't go to the poor, like Margaery wanted, but instead goes to feed the animals. 

Also back for this episode, is everyone favourite other psychopath, Ramsay Snow, (Iwan Rheon) as we see him hunting and letting his dogs maul a young girl to death, and also tormenting Reek (formerly Theon Greyjoy, played by Alfie Allen) as his Father, Roose Bolton, (Michael McElhatton) arrives back from murdering the Starks at the Red Wedding. Roose, however, isn't very pleased that he now has a mentally (and physically) damaged Greyjoy instead of a 'whole' one to trade for Moat Cailin. Roose, discovering from Reek that the Stark boys are still alive, sends his men to find them. Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) also makes a brief appearance, if only to kill a couple more people who don't believe in the 'god of light'. Super duper. 

Overall, the episode featured some killer moves (literally) and I think everyone will be suitably happy/shocked/delighted/distraught at the events of the Purple Wedding and will look towards the next episode to shed some light on what might happen to Tyrion, what has happened to Sansa and what will happen to everyone in Kings Landing now that King Joffrey is no more. 

The Big Bang Theory - Season 7, Episode 20 'The Relationship Diremption' [Review]

Following on from the highs of a successful episode last week, ‘The Relationship Diremption’ sees the split of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and a great love (no, it isn’t Amy) and he struggles to cope with the break-up, considering he has dedicated his life to the theory. It is rare that an episode in a series will be as good, if not better, than the first, but this week’s episode disproves the theory, as it was packed with hilarity and possessed solid storylines.

Following on from the under-developed relationship between Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and Emily (Laura Spencer) in last week’s episode, we see the two back together, and on a double date with Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). 

To check out the rest of this review, where I delve into more of the episode and what was in store for Howard and Sheldon in the episode, then check out the full review at the following link: 
http://www.imwithgeek.com/3/post/2014/04/the-big-bang-theory-the-relationship-diremption-spoilers.html

Katy Perry - Birthday (Lyric Video)

Katy Perry's latest lyric video outing is likely to induce a serious sugar rush, and if you were to consume that many cakes, probably death (only kidding...sort of). There's some pretty elaborate cake designs featuring in this video, so if you've got about 3 and a half minutes to spare it's probably worth a look, just for the cakes alone. But anyway, this isn't a cake decorating video (or is it?!), it's Perry's latest lyric video for her upcoming single 'Birthday'. Now, I can't be the only one to be disappointed that Perry didn't choose a track like 'Legendary Lovers' or 'Choose Your Battles' because those tracks were (in my opinion) much stronger singles than Birthday, but each to their own. 

I wonder whether or not this will pay off for Perry, but it's likely she wanted a different vibe following on from the release of 'Dark Horse', and 'Birthday' whilst not necessarily a favourite, is perfectly fine on its own and is uplifting enough to put you in a good mood. How long you stay in that good mood is entirely dependent upon how long the song takes to get grating. After all, there are only so many times you can hear the word 'Birthday' before you are sadly reminded it's not actually your birthday, or maybe it is - in which case, Happy Birthday. Perry's Birthday (which is essentially a metaphor for sex - sorry kiddies) is the fourth single from her fourth studio album, Prism, and is set for radio release on the 21st April (in the US). 

Game of Thrones - Season 4 Première 'Two Swords' [Review]

Game of Thrones is back for its fourth season, and it’s questionable as to whether any of us have truly recovered from the events of The Red Wedding. Nevertheless, the epic fantasy television series based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin returns to our screens, and offers up Two Swords as its opening episode. The episode, written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, sees the return of beloved characters who are now trying to re-focus after the events of the last season.

Bringing it home for the girls in the episode is Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), and Daenerys (Dany for short) Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the former who is more bold and slightly demented than ever as she seeks vengeance for the deaths of various family members. Along for the ride is The Hound (Rory McCane) who seems to double up as a babysitter/companion/frenemy for Arya in the episode. Also battling it out for the throne is Dany, who marches her army towards Meereen, the last of three slave cities. Dany and Arya have grown stronger and become more forceful over the last season, and this is clearly present in the Season 4 opener, as the two powerful ladies seek to avenge injustice; Arya for her family and Dany, not only for her own family, but also for the slaves of Meereen.

Meanwhile in King’s Landing, Tywin Lannister, (Charles Dance) is melting down swords, and Jaime is back, albeit minus a hand. The two incestuous twins – Jaime and Cersei – reunite, but given all that has happened over the last seasons, it seems that their relationship will never be what it was (which is perhaps a good thing). On the other side of the family, the loveable and witty imp tries to comfort Sansa but she refuses to eat and even Shae can’t help. You can’t exactly blame her.

Concurrently, in the North, we see that Jon Snow is awake after his attack; whilst Ygritte is left to sharpen her arrows after having let him go (with 3 arrows in him). New to the episode is a group of cannibal thenns, lead by Styr, and Prince Oberyn, who seeks to avenge his sister’s death at the hands of the Lannisters.

The episode is a firm addition for a Game of Thrones première, and it was entertaining to see how various characters reacted to what happened, given that in the last season it was difficult to fully understand how any of them felt; and this opener gave more clarity and resolution to the situation, in that respect. Game of Thrones has amassed a large following since its début in 2011 and you need only to watch a few episodes to understand why; it builds its foundations on the popular book series, and has everything – the characters you love, the characters you hate, the characters you want to get together and the characters you want to suffer (in the best possible way).It has nobility, adventure, deception, power; showcasing struggle in so many different lights, due to the excellent performances from its ensemble cast.

Whatever your take on the series, it is clear that Season 4 will be unlike any other season and with the next episode entitled The Lion and The Rose, it’s curious to see what turn the series will take, considering its flair for the dramatic (that is, of course, unless you've already read the books!). 

You can check out this review online via Concrete, at the link below: http://www.concrete-online.co.uk/game-thrones-season-four-premiere-review/