Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
2008 Bullypicks
Damn this was a difficult year for making this list. Tons of awesome shit to pick from. Every time I listen to each of them I want to move them up to the top of the list. Here's what I came up with, using my usual arcane analog amalgam of audio astrology and alchemy:
1. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Favorite Tracks: "Time To Pretend" "Weekend Wars" "Electric Feel"
Bam! Pow! Zing! Easily the winner for the top slot, I have been playing this over and over again since it came out. They/he/whatever were also one of my favorite live shows in 2008.
2. Fleet Foxes - s.t.
Favorite Tracks: "Winter Hymnal" "Ragged Wood" "Your Protector"
These guys have outfoxed My Morning Jacket with their spacey country and stirring harmonies. I can blame only my own laziness for missing their ACL spot this year. What a dumbshit!
3. Vampire Weekend - s.t.
Favorite Tracks: "M79" "Mansard Roof" "A-Punk"
It's impossible to pick favorite tracks from this one, as they're all so very good. Played an excellent set at ACL complete with strings and plenty of bouncing pop hookery.
4. Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes
Favorite Tracks: "Death By Fire" "Yuppy Fu" "It's Okay"
A superb follow-up to their first LP Applause Cheer Boo Hiss. I hope I get to see them again in '09. Check them out if you never heard them. Elizabeth Powell is is one of my favorite female vocalists, and she can really wail on the guitar, too.
5. Portishead - Third
Favorite Tracks: "Nylon Smile" "Machine Gun" "Plastic"
Long time coming, very much not a letdown. I do hope they don't wait as long for the next one.
6. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
Favorite Tracks: "Oceans and Streams" "Psychotic Girl" "Lies"
Another band I really wish I'd seen at ACL this year, unfortunately they conflicted with Iron & Wine. I'll definitely be digging into their back catalog in the near future.
7. Santogold - Santogold
Favorite Tracks: "Shove It" "Creator" "Starstruck"
An excellent and varied mix of hip-hop and pop. Also one of the strangest album covers of the year.
8. Black Mountain - In The Future
Favorite Tracks: "Wucan" "Queens Will Play" "Wild Wind"
A mix of Black Angels' Passover and Sword's Age of Winter, that is, kick ass psychedelic nostalgia rock. So so glad to catch them playing most of the album live at a Waterloo Park SXSW day show.
9. The Constantines - Kensington Heights
Favorite Tracks: "Trans Canada" "Time Can Be Overcome" "Our Age"
Bryan Webb's voice is the highlight of this one really, but the songs are all well done and remind me of everything I liked about American Steel's Jagged Thoughts.
10. Deerhunter - Microcastle
Favorite Tracks: "Never Stops" "Agoraphobia" "Microcastle"
This one is destined to be a classic indie spin. Missed them at Emo's earlier this month but I'll definitely try to make the next show.
Honorable Mentions:
Beck - Modern Guilt
Blitzen Trapper - Fur
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
CSS - Donkey
The Duke Spirit - Neptune
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
REM - Accelerate
Shearwater - Rook
Neil Young - Sugar Mountain - Live at Canterbury House 1968
1. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Favorite Tracks: "Time To Pretend" "Weekend Wars" "Electric Feel"
Bam! Pow! Zing! Easily the winner for the top slot, I have been playing this over and over again since it came out. They/he/whatever were also one of my favorite live shows in 2008.
2. Fleet Foxes - s.t.
Favorite Tracks: "Winter Hymnal" "Ragged Wood" "Your Protector"
These guys have outfoxed My Morning Jacket with their spacey country and stirring harmonies. I can blame only my own laziness for missing their ACL spot this year. What a dumbshit!
3. Vampire Weekend - s.t.
Favorite Tracks: "M79" "Mansard Roof" "A-Punk"
It's impossible to pick favorite tracks from this one, as they're all so very good. Played an excellent set at ACL complete with strings and plenty of bouncing pop hookery.
4. Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes
Favorite Tracks: "Death By Fire" "Yuppy Fu" "It's Okay"
A superb follow-up to their first LP Applause Cheer Boo Hiss. I hope I get to see them again in '09. Check them out if you never heard them. Elizabeth Powell is is one of my favorite female vocalists, and she can really wail on the guitar, too.
5. Portishead - Third
Favorite Tracks: "Nylon Smile" "Machine Gun" "Plastic"
Long time coming, very much not a letdown. I do hope they don't wait as long for the next one.
6. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
Favorite Tracks: "Oceans and Streams" "Psychotic Girl" "Lies"
Another band I really wish I'd seen at ACL this year, unfortunately they conflicted with Iron & Wine. I'll definitely be digging into their back catalog in the near future.
7. Santogold - Santogold
Favorite Tracks: "Shove It" "Creator" "Starstruck"
An excellent and varied mix of hip-hop and pop. Also one of the strangest album covers of the year.
8. Black Mountain - In The Future
Favorite Tracks: "Wucan" "Queens Will Play" "Wild Wind"
A mix of Black Angels' Passover and Sword's Age of Winter, that is, kick ass psychedelic nostalgia rock. So so glad to catch them playing most of the album live at a Waterloo Park SXSW day show.
9. The Constantines - Kensington Heights
Favorite Tracks: "Trans Canada" "Time Can Be Overcome" "Our Age"
Bryan Webb's voice is the highlight of this one really, but the songs are all well done and remind me of everything I liked about American Steel's Jagged Thoughts.
10. Deerhunter - Microcastle
Favorite Tracks: "Never Stops" "Agoraphobia" "Microcastle"
This one is destined to be a classic indie spin. Missed them at Emo's earlier this month but I'll definitely try to make the next show.
Honorable Mentions:
Beck - Modern Guilt
Blitzen Trapper - Fur
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
CSS - Donkey
The Duke Spirit - Neptune
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
REM - Accelerate
Shearwater - Rook
Neil Young - Sugar Mountain - Live at Canterbury House 1968
Friday, December 19, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Flotsam; Jetsam
Recent movies:
Iron Man - Three stars. It was a decent comic book flick made that much better by Robert Downey Jr. He's made for some spectacular characters over the years... Weird Science, Wonder Boys, Natural Born Killers, A Scanner Darkly, Tropic Thunder... Also Gwenny P is pretty good in this too. Still don't get why they aren't bringing back Terrence Howard for the sequel, but replacing him with Don Cheadle makes it hard to complain too much. I do have to warn you that there is some gratuitious CGI that normally I would have to bitch about, but it wasn't the worst I've seen by a long shot. I watched I Am Legend again on HBO the other day and I had forgotten how that one was so effectively ruined by the video toaster infected. Costumes and makeup ftw.
The Happening - Poop stars. Sweet baby jesus, what a mindfuck. I'm not talking about twists or suspense, rather the sheer hair-pulling insanity of how bad it is. How did this movie get made? I guess it's just a force of nature that we'll never understand. P.S. That's this movie's mantra, and I've never heard a more ignorant wussy copout on science, hopefully only made for the sake of propping up the gimpy and incongruous plot. The score is cool, I guess. It's just too bad this movie had to "happen" to Wahlberg, Leguizamo, and Deschanel. The last 30 minutes, starting when Wahlberg's little group, including the two teen boys, arrives at the shuttered up house, are especially wrenching. Damn M Night! Wha happen?
The Man in The Sand - Three stars. Entertaining doc on the forces behind Mermaid Avenue. I came away liking Bragg's solo stuff much more than I have in the past, and Wilco came away looking a mite prickish. Whatever. It's all great music.
A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake - Three stars. Amazing that there's absolutely no video footage of this guy. A depressing story but it was pretty revealing to see the tragic persona behind his great songs. His sister is such a ham though, I gotta say. Hameriffic. Hamerabi. Hamon Ayala.
Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny - Three stars. The beginning was slow but it picked up in the end. Eh? Picked up? Eh? I was laughing out loud during the final rock-off with the devil.
Rumsfeld Responsible for Torture, Report Says - I know it was you, McCain. And it breaks my heart.
I got caught up on the third (current) season of 30 Rock. They've all been pretty funny so far, especially the reunion episode. Also sad to see Amy Poehler is leaving SNL. I saw her in person in an Upright Citizens Brigade show at Bad Dog a long time ago! Holla!
Iron Man - Three stars. It was a decent comic book flick made that much better by Robert Downey Jr. He's made for some spectacular characters over the years... Weird Science, Wonder Boys, Natural Born Killers, A Scanner Darkly, Tropic Thunder... Also Gwenny P is pretty good in this too. Still don't get why they aren't bringing back Terrence Howard for the sequel, but replacing him with Don Cheadle makes it hard to complain too much. I do have to warn you that there is some gratuitious CGI that normally I would have to bitch about, but it wasn't the worst I've seen by a long shot. I watched I Am Legend again on HBO the other day and I had forgotten how that one was so effectively ruined by the video toaster infected. Costumes and makeup ftw.
The Happening - Poop stars. Sweet baby jesus, what a mindfuck. I'm not talking about twists or suspense, rather the sheer hair-pulling insanity of how bad it is. How did this movie get made? I guess it's just a force of nature that we'll never understand. P.S. That's this movie's mantra, and I've never heard a more ignorant wussy copout on science, hopefully only made for the sake of propping up the gimpy and incongruous plot. The score is cool, I guess. It's just too bad this movie had to "happen" to Wahlberg, Leguizamo, and Deschanel. The last 30 minutes, starting when Wahlberg's little group, including the two teen boys, arrives at the shuttered up house, are especially wrenching. Damn M Night! Wha happen?
The Man in The Sand - Three stars. Entertaining doc on the forces behind Mermaid Avenue. I came away liking Bragg's solo stuff much more than I have in the past, and Wilco came away looking a mite prickish. Whatever. It's all great music.
A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake - Three stars. Amazing that there's absolutely no video footage of this guy. A depressing story but it was pretty revealing to see the tragic persona behind his great songs. His sister is such a ham though, I gotta say. Hameriffic. Hamerabi. Hamon Ayala.
Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny - Three stars. The beginning was slow but it picked up in the end. Eh? Picked up? Eh? I was laughing out loud during the final rock-off with the devil.
Rumsfeld Responsible for Torture, Report Says - I know it was you, McCain. And it breaks my heart.
I got caught up on the third (current) season of 30 Rock. They've all been pretty funny so far, especially the reunion episode. Also sad to see Amy Poehler is leaving SNL. I saw her in person in an Upright Citizens Brigade show at Bad Dog a long time ago! Holla!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Flotsam; Jetsam
Whoahohaoh! Shell shocked
Don't want no abba zabba
Yeah, but could they install a sensor-mounted exterior house light? I think not
Unnatural... riiiight
Watched a few movies lately:
Quantum of Solace: 2 1/2 stars. Casino Royale was more fun. Fields was pretty hot stuff, better than the ukranian commie apologist anyway.
Sleepaway Camp: 4 stars. I'd classify this as a must-see. Terrible 80's horror flick with way too much 80's cockbulge and manriff. But seriously, see this movie. The ending, oh lord.
Darkon: 3 1/2 stars. A documentary on a fantasy role playing group in Baltimore with lots of nerds making alter-ego power plays on the weekends. Some carry over aspects of their personality, some do not. Crazy.
April Fools: Poop stars. We couldn't make it through the first 30 minutes of this lame handicam nonsense. Meh, begone from my queue ye fowl ting.
Don't want no abba zabba
Yeah, but could they install a sensor-mounted exterior house light? I think not
Unnatural... riiiight
Watched a few movies lately:
Quantum of Solace: 2 1/2 stars. Casino Royale was more fun. Fields was pretty hot stuff, better than the ukranian commie apologist anyway.
Sleepaway Camp: 4 stars. I'd classify this as a must-see. Terrible 80's horror flick with way too much 80's cockbulge and manriff. But seriously, see this movie. The ending, oh lord.
Darkon: 3 1/2 stars. A documentary on a fantasy role playing group in Baltimore with lots of nerds making alter-ego power plays on the weekends. Some carry over aspects of their personality, some do not. Crazy.
April Fools: Poop stars. We couldn't make it through the first 30 minutes of this lame handicam nonsense. Meh, begone from my queue ye fowl ting.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Event Horizon
Hooooly shit. After 8 long years with the switch stuck on "full retard," we have arrived to November 4, 2008. The top half of the oft consulted hourglass in my brain is just about run out of sand. Hopefully when it's all said and done tonight, I'll be able to take that bitch out to the woods and smash it to fucking pieces. But as I watch CNN's holo-correspondent Jessica Yellin report in from Chicago, all the 51/49%'s flying by on the bottom caption fill me with a persistent sense of dread that I just can't shake. The idea of the election is so clean, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's likely to be picked apart by lawyers and judges over the next week like scavenging birds over a rotting carcass. Unless of course it's a blowout, which doesn't seem possible given America's bipolar disorder.
Austin Stories Episode 6 Part 1
Probably my favorite episode of this awesome series. Unfortunately there's only a few currently posted on YouTube. Part 2 coming up in the next post...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Happy Halloween!
The 2008 pumpkin collection:
Artists from left: c2, c2, dani, me, kingsley
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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