Guardians of the Galaxy - New Character Posters!

 New character posters for Guardians of the Galaxy have landed - and they are out of this world (excuse the bad pun). In the posters (below) we can see Gamora, Star-Lord, Drax, Groot, and Rocket take centre stage in their individual characters posters, as we count down the days until the film is released in August, later this year. Guardians of the Galaxy follows Peter Quill/Star-Lord, who steals an orb from the vicious Ronan and finds himself pretty much at the centre of a man-hunt. Quill reluctantly teams up with unlikely heroes and general misfits; Gamora, Drax, Groot, and Rocket. When they discover the true power the orb can hold and the dangers it poses in the wrong hands, the team must unite to save the galaxy. Check out the undeniably cool character posters below! 

Gamora, with her pink hue hair and kicking green skin, she looks unstoppable. The fantastic Zoe Saldana portrays the character, who also starred in Avatar. 

Chris Pratt takes on the role of Star-Lord in this flick, having previously took on a voice role in the delightfully imaginative, The Lego Movie. Loving the red jacket. 

The bulky Dave Bautista fills the shoes of Drax (the Destroyer), a warrior who seeks vengeance against Ronan after his family is unfortunately killed. 

Tree-like humanoid Groot, portrayed by Vin Diesel, is looking particularly alarmed in his character poster, alongside Rocket. Vin Diesel provided not only the voice, but also the motion capture for his role. Bradley Cooper, on the other hand, lends his voice to the character of Rocket, who is a genetically engineered Raccoon. A master in weaponry and a decisive bounty hunter and expert marksman, Rocket is a dynamic character, as pictured in his poster, above. 

So, are you excited for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in August? Check out the trailer for the film, below: 

Neon Jungle - Louder (Official Music Video) [+ Review]

Vibrant girl-group Neon Jungle have recently released their official music video (watch below) for their latest track 'Louder' and it certainly seems to be quite the smash hit. The track, taken from their upcoming album, Welcome To The Jungle, (which is set for release on the 28th July) sees a shift in style from their previously 'dance-heavy' tunes 'Trouble' and 'Braveheart'. You'd be mistaken for thinking Neon Jungle have only one musical style (dance-pop), as the group are back in black for their latest ballad-esque 'Louder', which focuses on the raw emotion and vulnerability of the group. 

Packed full of power and featuring fantastic vocals from the girls (we particularly love Asami's voice in this, and we love the tone to Shereen's voice - it's a shame the latter doesn't get as much vocal attention in this track as Asami and Jess), 'Louder' is a surprise for audiences who undoubtedly thought that their fourth track would be another dance hit. Focusing on the emotional side to music, the track as quoted by the group, say that it is all about 'drowning out feelings and emotions' and a lack of control. 

It's a welcome change and it works rather well, as the vocal ability of the group is matched by the powerful drum beat and their high-octane energy. It would be unfortunate if a track entitled 'Louder' failed the deliver on the volume and overall energy of the song, but fortunately, 'Louder' builds volume and energy throughout the verses, making for an explosive chorus filled with power-house performances from the women. 

The music video is equally suitable, as it takes place in (what appears to be) an abandoned warehouse/factory, and the four women assemble together for the chorus to belt out the ballad, whilst the camera turns frenetically, showcasing each individual member as they huddle in a circle. The raw and industrial setting matches the tone of the piece perfectly and 'Louder' has quickly become a favourite of ours. But what are your thoughts on Neon Jungle's new track? Is it a welcome change from their usual dance rhythms, or do you prefer the original style of music better? If you haven't already, feel free to watch the music video below: 

Nicki Minaj - Pills N Potions (Official Music Video) [+ Review]

 The official music video (watch below) for Nicki Minaj's new track 'Pills N Potions' has finally arrived, and it's certainly a little strange. In a rather new understated fashion, Nicki is seen here looking much more vulnerable and without her usual gimmicks; she sits solemnly in the centre of a room as she reels off the lyrics with raw emotion. While many people have criticized the video for looking 'cheap', we kind of like the whole understated look, it reminds us of old music videos from the early 2000s. 

There are certainly some bizarre elements to the video, which include a poorly photo-shopped bunny (we're assuming on purpose?) and some weird form of liquid metal that is featured in the video oozing out of the singer's eyes and dripping all over The Game's face. Did we mention The Game is in the video? As seems to be common place in music videos, there is an abundance of product placement, ranging from Nicki's perfume to Beats by Dre. Technically this is Nicki's video, so we guess we'll let the fact that she's advertising her perfume slide. 

While we're sure this video will divide fans of the singer with its different take on the track and its refined style (not only from the video but also the singer herself) compared to previous Nicki Minaj music videos. We are however fans of the song, as we believe that this particular track showcases a more mature side to Nicki and we can see how her music has developed over the past year, and we're looking forward to hearing more. For our full review on the track itself, click here: 
http://scenesisters.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/nicki-minaj-pills-n-potions-audio-listen.html

Whilst we may not be entirely sure what is exactly going on in Nicki's new video, it is certainly and intriguing watch, if just to see the singer in a refined state and of course, to hear her emotional performance of 'Pills N Potions', which showcases the singer's talent in probably the best light, recently. 

Lana Del Rey - Brooklyn Baby (Official Audio) [+ Review]

The fourth and latest track to be released from Lana Del Rey's upcoming abum, Ultraviolence, is the self-confident 'Brooklyn Baby'. Releasing the official audio within quick succession from 'Ultraviolence' on her VEVO channel (which you can listen to below), it would seem that she is unstoppable. The singer is back with her signature guitar instrumentals, and this time, the track details a confrontation between Lana and her boyfriend in none other than Brooklyn. 

Self-empowering, Lana coos that she's 'free' and that 'you're blind/ I see', showing a sense of self-enlightenment and an increased level of knowledge which continues throughout the track. The track also covers how the perception of others can often be misguided - 'they judge me like a picture book/ By the colours, like they forgot to read' - and how you have to look deeper to fully see something. 

It's a change from the devoted (and misguided) lover that she portrays in 'Ultraviolence', as this time she recognises her own importance 'Yeah my boyfriend's pretty cool/ But he's not as cool as me'. You would think by now that one of the songs that Del Rey has recently in the run-up to her album would be lacklustre, but 'Brooklyn Baby' proves that, that is not the case, as it comes as a refreshing and soulful addition to the mix. Del Rey's voice soars across the smooth chorus and injects a full dose of charm, which matches beautifully with the solid drum beat. 

You can check out our review of Lana Del Rey's latest album, Ultraviolence, here. 

BANKS - Drowning (Music Video) [+ Review]

Rising music artist BANKS has recently released the music video for her track 'Drowning', which is the third track taken from her upcoming début studio album, Goddess. The aforementioned album is set for release in September later this year. The highly stylized and effortlessly artistic video for 'Drowning' sees BANKS in a reflective room adorned with mirrors, in which she confronts herself and bitterly sings about a person who was not deserving of her attention and love 'Take it/from the girl/you claim to love/you're gonna get some of that karma/ I'm the one/who had to learn/to build a heart made of armour'. 

BANKS is particularly mesmerizing and striking in the video, moving slowly around the mirrored room in her three outfits (red crop top/trousers/blazers combo, black outfit of the same description and indeed, a similar white outfit), showcasing different sides to the singer. The video is suitably dark and captivating, hinting to the possible direction the album might take (and considering the cover art, we'd say it's a pretty safe bet). We love the tone of BANKS' voice in this song and the r&b/alternative beats really make for quite an addictive track. You can watch BANKS in all her glory in the music video below: