Mission of Burma

[Mission of Burma; The Obliterati]

Mission of Burma has been around for a while, and quite influential in the start of the independent music scene. They are still making albums, and I think they only get better with time.

Perfume

There have been a ton of stills released from the movie version of Patrick Suskind’s novel Perfume (completely amazing, you should read it). The casting looks perfect. This is one movie that may live up to the book. However, Grenouille is supposed to be deformed and ugly. Here he looks like the singer of an emo band. Shit, I love period movies.

Breaking news!

Joaquin made a surprise appearance at Sacred Heart U! That’s like, 30 miles from here! What if he stops here next?

Pete Yorn

Oh my god! I like a Pete Yorn album! How embarassing. I have to give him credit, on this album he actually fogured out the structure of a song, instead of just fumbling around on his guitar and whining. If you like faux-folk and semi-pretentiousness, this is your album. Seriously, it isn’t half bad.

[Pete Yorn; Nightcrawler]

not really ugly

So I broke my vow of not watching network tv and watched Ugly Betty which was supposed to be really good. Well, I thought I had already seen it when IT WAS CALLED THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.  And like that movie, the whole thing just upset me. Here is a girl who is supposed to be ugly (omg she has glasses! how ugly!) and people treat like shit yet she still does everything in her power to please them. Yea, it’s supposed to be some sort of ugly duckling story, but the way she would really win is tell them all to fuck off and go somewhere where her talents are appreciated. Instead “winning” is being somewhat accepted by her boss. And if a romance thing starts there, that would be bullshit. Although interesting, Daniel the boss is played by the “Gregster” from Cruel Intentions. I have a disgustingly sharp talent to identify most actors from something else. I hate mainstream entertainment.

The war of the goths.

At the gym this morning I saw two ridiculously self-righteous videos from A.F.I. and My Chemical Romance. Apparently hot topic goth is back. With a vengeance. Both videos are ridic. How can they take themselves so seriously? Kids these days, this is all the punk they have available to them. And the sad part it, A.F.I. used to be a decent punk band. Then they started taking themselves too seriously. The bigger question is, which androgynous overdramatic singer is hotter, Gerard Way or Davey Havok? I will go with Davey, who has better hair and wear blue glitter eyeshadow.

vs

Also, here is an older album from AFI when they were good.

[A.F.I.; Black Sails in the Sunset]

How indie are you?

CNN asks smugly in this quiz. Whatevs. Stereotyping hipsters is so 2001. I did score rully high though.

A comments about comments

Just a quick note I am back to having to approve the comments because some douche is posting tons of SPAM messages on here. Don’t let it stop you from commenting, I will usually approve them unless you threaten harm to yourself or others.

sultry, sexy, and stupid

Yea, somaybe you are waiting for my thoughts on PR tonight. THe show has lost its luster for me. Maybe because I am really not too excited about any of the designers. Pretty cool that four of them get to go to Fashion Week, more stuff to look at. I guess if I had to choose, I would say I actually like Jeffrey’s stuff the best. At least it is a little bit daring. Michael has disappointed me lately by making stuff that Playboy bunnies would wear. Laura is just boring and condescending. Who the hell could ever wear the stuff she makes? Some of us have a little something we like to call boobs. Jeffrey’s dress this week was beyond fug. It had a baby blue crushed velvet top, folks. And the skirt had a butterfly pattern. Oh well. You know I still watch the finale, it’s always the best show of the season by far.

for the kids

I metaphorically have my tubes tied, but for those of you that have or want kids, here is a kids book called Why Mommy is a Democrat.

I am all for teaching your kids early, but this is really obnox, a little over the top and being too obvious.

Kasabian

[Kasabian; Empire]

Not as good as their first, but it’s growing on me.

Kirk and Spock slash video

What do you get when someone has an awful lot of time on their hands? Great youtube fan videos. Here is a parody of both the homoeratic stuff in Star Trek and the always-awesome Nine Inch Nails video for “Closer”.

I recommend.

Why I Hate Zach Braff: Why is he the voice of a generation?

When the Bad Buzz Arrives Before the Movie Does: the failure of All The King’s Men

How the MPAA discriminates agaist gay films. No shocker there. Beat someone to a bloody pulp? Fine. Gay sex? Banned.

Heroes: Setting the bar for tv?

Fox News OWNED by Clinton.

Kevin Federline’s resume on Ebay. Bwahaha!

Nu shooz

I bought really ugly shoes today.

From now on I am wearing them everyday.

Essential albums: Rilo Kiley

First learning about Rilo Kiley in 2003 really changed my whole view on music. When I listen to this stuff I realize that I will never even have an inkling of talent to write a song. THe lyrics are cryptic and thoughtful without being pretentious, and their is a perfect blend of depressing stuff and poppish tunes. LISTEN NOW!

[Rilo Kiley; The Execution of All Things]

Some bunch of songs that you must. hear. now.

Cansei Der Ser Sexy- Meeting Paris Hilton
Ratatat- Tacobel Canon

UB40- I Can’t Help Falling in Love (great cover of an Elvis song)

Children of Men.

I have high hopes for this movie. Why? Alfonso Cuaron + Clive Owen (double schwing) + and apocolyptic storyline. Although the trailer is about five years too long.

Jesus Camp

I talked about this before. Here are more clips. I am very disturbed. I definitely want to see this.

holy shit. holy shit. holy shit. holy shit. holy shit. holy shit.

[The Killers; Sam's Town] [sendspace] [yousendit]

Updates:
10:58: I hate it. It sounds like a Celine Dion album
11:30, Ok, it’s growing on me. The synthesizer is a little heavy.
1:55pm. Ok, it’s listenable. “When We Were Young” is still the best track.
4:10pm Ok, it’s growing on me. There is a futuristic, show-like quality with some good melodies.
5:15pm. I’ve been listening to it all day and deluding myself. It blows.

Scissor Sisters in Out magazine.

Ok, Jake Shears. We get it. You’re gay. And you like showing off your body. Enough already.

The new Scissor Sisters album comes out officially tomorrow. And it’s darn good. (I’ll upload it again in a bit). It is siginificant to have a pop group with three openly gay members. Read the rest of the article here.

Chemical Brothers

I’m on a 90s kick now, and here is one of the best bands of that decade. Great electronic stuff that spans any era or decade of music.

[The Chemical Brothers; Singles 93-03]

This site seems to be a stop along on the way to seeking child pornography, as I am discovering from my blog stats which lists the search terms that bring people here. Here’s more goodies.

• Patrick Stump chub
• 13 year old xxx
• Jackie Rodowsky
• pictures of purebread doggies
• Amber, “This is Your Night”

makeover. again.

I know, I keep switching the layout. I wasn’t happy with the other one, I thought the writing was too light. THis one is just a bit simpler I think.

Asobi Seksu

[Asobi Seksu; Citrus]

This album is surpisingly enjoyable. In an indie-rock elevator music kind of way.

Amazon says:

It’s hard to not like a good-looking, female-fronted, Brooklyn-based band whose name translates loosely as “playful sex.” The obvious vocal comparisons are to shoegazers and goths of twelve to thirty years ago—Siouxsie, Spirea X, Lush, Kate Bush, and the Cocteauu Twins. Singing in Japanese and English, vocalist Yuki’s heavily reverbed voice is sensual and strong at the same time. But there’s more of a manic, vaguely garage band energy evident on Citrus, the group’s sophomore release (a vast improvement over their scattered debut). It’s clear now that they’re far closer to Blondie than My Bloody Valentine or Loop. The band has a woozy sound, but it’s also tightly controlled and highly melodic, propelled by Interpol-ish bass lines. It’s not “original” music, but it is very pleasant stuff, the ideal soundtrack to a hot affair in some futuristic hotel tucked away downtown, or out near the airport.

good cover song

Ah, the mid-nineties. When Soul Asylum ruled my pink boombox. Here’s a fantastic cover of “Sexual Healing”.

Dammit, I have failed as a music bootlegger.

Another new Killers song, called “Bones”. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten this album yet. I can’t believe I will have to get it on the sameday it officially comes out. That’s so…for the common people.

I’m a lil obsessed.

Guess what is one the cover of entertainment weekly?

The cover is kind of dumb.

It basically is the same as this. What is it, a kicky romantic comedy?

The article is here.

basically porn

The Times didn’t particularly like Shortbus either. I’ll see it, of course, but my hopes are dashed.

buying gadar on the internet

Thoughts on The Office? Jumped the shark? Sick of the Pam/Jim crap? Genius satire of the absurdity of homophobia? Perpetutor of gay stereotypes?

I don’t feel like dancin’.

Is it humanly possible to actually die of boredom? Today, at exactly 6:07pm, I hit my limit. I need a change, a big one, and I can’t wait to move. I know I made a personal and professional committment to be here until June, but my god. I’ve recently been giving away lots of my personal items, and in my line of work that is taught as a warning sign of suicide, but seriously folks, it is just because I am so excited to move. I have to stop myself from actually putting my belongings in boxes.

I am not meaning for this to be a self-pity entry (ok, maybe a lil bit) but my relaization was very clear and quite comforting. I find it interesting how my thoughts can swing from absolute self-loathing to astromomical egotism in a split second. As in, I just have this feeling that I am bound for better things than what I am doing, and that my personality, interests and talents are totally wasted here. And it is time to find a place where they are.  Where that is, I have no clue. Hell? Bumblefuck, Texas? We’ll see.

My friend J.T. got a job in Texas recently, and I am happy for him but also sad that someone else I know and like very much is moving away. I do it all the time to people, but it always sucks. I considered applying for a position that is open at the same school. I don’t think it will happen, but the thought is at the back of my mind. Job searching when you are anxious to get out of your current job is a tricky situation because you are more likely to jump at something just because it is there and not because you want it. I think I did that a little bit with my current job. I wanted the actual job that was offered and thought that it being in the middle of CT to not be a big deal. Was I on crack? I think it was because I faced the possibility of being jobless and homeless after getting a master’s degree and the prospect of staying with my parents. I have to be more honest with myself this time around.

Science of Sleep

Science of Sleep review in the NY Times. If this movie doesn’t open to a wider release, the terrorists win.

September 22, 2006

MOVIE REVIEW | ‘THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP’

A Parisian Love Story in Forward, and Sideways, Motion

mystery unlocked

So I know a lot of you were losing sleep over this, but I had no idea what Fergie’s “London Bridge” was referring to. Apparently it refers to a the position that two women and two men create when having a foursome. Thank you, FemaleFirst, for providing that piece of feminist trivia. However, Fergie has never tried it. I just threw up.

The Mars Volta

Um, Latin punk? I don’t know how to describe it. Prog punk? Whatever. It’s just good. This is their second album, the newest one isn’t as good as this one.

[The Mars Volta; Frances the Mute]

Pretty Girls Make Graves

[Pretty GIrls Make Graves; Elan Vital]

I frigging worship this band. I want to be this band. I want to be in this band.

EDIT: Shouls work without a password now.

hottttt

My new desktop image. Noyce.

Live! Tonight! Sold Out!

Finally, one of the best music documentaries is coming to dvd.

‘Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!’ is set to make its debut on DVD, having been previously relased on VHS and laserdisc in November 1994.

The project was conceived by Kurt Cobain and overseen by Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic along with director Kevin Kerslake following his death.

Most of the footage was shot at the height of the ‘Nevermind’ hysteria between 1991 and 1992, including the band’s infamous Reading‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ from ‘Top Of The Pops’ in 1991.

The audio from the footage has been remastered for DVD release, and some bonus material has been added, although it is unclear what it will be.

If Kurt Cobain were alive today, I wonder what he would think of the shit-tastic Foo Fighters.

Is this for real?

Supposedly the members of R.E.M reunited and played a lil bit of “It’s the End of the World As We KnowIt”. And then all the balding, late-thirties ex-hipsters in the audience simultaneously orgasmed.

Vintage my ass.

An article about vintage clothes shopping in NY. The whole concept is ridiculous. If I bring my grandma’s sweaty tracksuit to Bergdorf’s they would laugh me out of the place. If I saw it at Beacon’s Closet, I’d pay $100 for it and get attitude from the hipsters working at the cashier.

A Vintage Trip Through Brooklyn

tee hee

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Gerrymandered To Serve King Friday’s Make-Believe Agenda

MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, PA—A plan to radically redistrict Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood to further cement the control of the powerful King Friday XIII political machine is expected to pass this week and deeply affect current taxation structure, voting patterns, and services. “Meow-me-meow can’t afford meow property tax as it stands now meow, and meow don’t want everything I’ve worked for to be destroyed meow,” said one resident, who asked to remain anonymous. Among the anticipated changes are sharp cutbacks in speedy deliveries, the elimination of trolley routes to such low-income districts as Someplace Else and the platypus mound, as well as the destruction of the Museum-Go-Round to make room for a massive new headquarters for The Electric Company.

If you are living under a rock

and haven’t heard Bloc Party, then you aren’t living. And obviously don’t know me, because they are my obsession. Luckily, here is a post with all the Bloc Party you will ever need. I just realized a majority of my favorite bands right now are British. Who am I, Andrew?

A.C. Newman

[A.C. Newman; The Slow Wonder]

The solo album from the singer of The New Pornographers. It pretty much sounds like an NP album, but that’s just fine.

Essential albums: Magnolia Soundtrack

[Aimee Mann; Magnolia ]

What is there really to say about the soundtrack to Magnolia? Aimee Mann has written some of the most beautiful, depressing music ever. This raised the bar impossibly high for soundtrack music. The great thing is the music surpasses all genres. I think it appeals to anyone, regardless of what you usually listen to. The movie was actually based on these songs. The cover of “One” is phenomenal. Listen now.

[more essential albums]

American Hardcore.

I want to see American Hardcore so bad it hurts.

I renounce my religion.

Uh, Scarlet Johanson is Jewish? I am disgusted.

hotness overload

Dane Cook and The Killers will be on the SNL season premiere on Saturday.

Oh yea, you all probably have plans on Saturday night. Forget it.

The Gay Red Shoe Diaries

I am really embarassed to admit this but….I just sat through two hours of Dante’s Cove. Jeebus. How do the creators sit back and think this is good? I am a little bit insulted. It was even worse than the late night shows on Shotime that I watch when I am at my parents’ house and bored. On the surgace, the premise is good. I like supernatural stuff, especially witchcraft, and not since the young adult series The Secret Circle (anyone? anyone?) have I encountered something good. I don’t know which is worse, this or Noah’s Arc (don’t even get me started).

Best news all week.

Another Bret Easton Ellis book comes to the screen! From the Guardian:

Brett Easton Ellis’s The Informers looks set to be the latest book by the former enfant terrible of American literature to receive the big screen treatment. He will work with director Nicholas Jarecki on the collection of loosely-connected tales set during a week in LA in 1983. Ellis has previously seen his books American Psycho (2000) and Rules of Attraction (2002) turned into films but has never before taken an active role in their development.

This is actually one of his better works, and I think the interconnectedness of the stories can adapt well to the screen. Although both of the previous movie adaptations from his books have been good, they both failed to truly capture the mood and style of his writing, and very weakly showed the symbolism and social commentary. I have high hopes for this one.

Finally happening.

After ten years of popular demand, The State is available again! The first season of the critically acclaimed 1993-95 MTV Series will be released on iTunes Music Store, starting Tuesday, September 26th. Depending on how many people download, MTV will release subsequent seasons, and then eventually, hopefully, a DVD.

@ Cobalt?

Chris Baker, professional by day.

And social animal at night.

new magazine

I discovered a new music magazine today, Death and Taxes. Although it is bittersweet. I am reading it, and thinking, what the hell, I could totally do this. It’s not exactly groundbreaking or literary genius or anything. You know when you are little and you have this fantasy about what you want to be when you grow up, like a ballerina or a firefighter or shit like that; I still have that feeling about being in the music industry. Not performing, but being a music journalist or promoter, etc. And now I am pissed off because for a while I was writing for a website, but I gave that up because I didn’t think I had the time. I mean, I am not going to up and quit my job and go try out and audition for American Idol or move to Hollywood to try and “make it” or anything irrational and spontaneous like that. But at some point, should I actually make some move towards what I really want to do and pursue that, even if it does seem like some fantasy job, and abandon the stability of my chosen current career? I don’t think I even know the first thing about journalism.

It’s late and I am having the what the hell am I doing with my life moment. I’ll sleep it off.

The White Stripes on the Simpsons

How awesome! It’s a parody of the “Hardest Button to Button” video. Jack White is even hot in cartoon form.

I can’t stop.

Some of my favorite Brooklyn dwellers. Please don’t be offended.

Dirty Pretty Things

Ok, I am totally sounding like Teen Beat here. My new unhealthy obsession is the band Dirty Pretty Things. Yes, one of my new band obsessions (along with The Fratellis, the Hush Sound, The Rapture, The Veils, etc., etc.,) So, in a about 2002, the band The Libertines were totally hyped to the point of ridiculousness. Remember how I said I love theatricality in bands? Well, they had it. They walked around in soldier’s coats and wore matching outfits, and had drunken fights with each other, broke into each other’s homes slept with each other’s girlfriends, etc. It was like the Merose Place of bands.Carl Barat and Pete Doherty did everything on stage short of doing it and could rarely be seen not touching rach other. Not that I mind.

Anyway, they broke up, started showing up in the news, Pete Doherty started dating Kate Moss, was the one who gave her the coke she snorted in that picture. Pete Doherty started the band Babyshambles, which is not all that great. and Carl Barat started Dirty Pretty Things, which is by far a better band. It’s a good album, not exactly polished, but very British post punkish. Whatever that means. And the drama! What rock is supposed to be!

[Dirty Pretty Things; Waterloo to Anywhere]

Oh, and they are really hot too. Duh. The video for “Bang Bang You’re Dead” is so cool I can’t take it. Scuse mw while I watch it on a loop and get hot flashed.

This is too fun.

More dolls. This time it’s some of my coworkers. I wish I did this for a living.

crankypants.

My hair is getting really long. I don’t remember the last time I got an actual haircut, not counting trims. It goes way past my shoulder blades in the back. I’m pretty stoked. For me it’s kind of a scientific experiment. But if one more person mentions Locks of Love to me, I m going to deck them. Today when someone asked me and I told them I had heard of them but won’t be cutting my hair to donate, they actually gave me a holier-than;thou look. It’s an admirable organization, but is it so wrong to want to grow my hair long because I like it on me that way? I don’t go around telling everyone that if they have excess in their paychecks that they need to donate it immediately.

This rant has been brought to you by my extreme crankiness.

I still play with dolls, even online.

So in boredom, or insomnia, or both, I found a nifty little site that creates custim doll images, so I’ve decided it is my mission to make recreations of everyone I know. The limitations? You can only make white dolls and everyone has the figure of eight year old boys. Here is a group of people you may recognize. Hint: I’m (supposedly) the brunette in the aqua aweater.

The Fratellis

The Fratellis are what Franz Ferdinand Arctic Monkeys wishes they were.

[The Fratellis; Costello Music]

All you need is….good credit?

Oh my god. How could I not know that the cover of “All You Need is Love” on the Chase bank commercials is performed by Nada Surf? How could I not recognize probably my favorite band in the whole world?

On the one hand, it sounds amazing, almost as good as the original. On the other hand, they made a song for a fucking credit card company! And the ad is basically saying you can use your credit card to buy love! I don’t know how I feel about them contributing to this. Not like I a, going to stop buying their albums or anything.

Please tell me something I don’t know.

People who pay full price for Broadway tickets are total suckers or tourists, or both. Now the Times is finally catching on. I could have written this- I saw the entire 2003-2004 Broadway season for under $300.

dammit.

It is times like these that I kick myself for leaving New York and simultaneously extremely jealous of all the hipsters that live there. Both The Raconteurs and the Rapture recently did free concerts for fashion week. Good times. There was a free show of paint drying in my apartment, and it is debatable about what was more exciting.

Do I care? Maybe? I don’t know. Yes.

Rachel Bilson is Wonder Woman? Why does everyone worship her all of a sudden? With Mischa around, she looks like a hag.

it’s like i gave birth to it.

Well, I brought home my new baby, my CreativeZen Sleekphoto mp3 player. And I am taking a while setting up both Windows Media player, Creative Music Organizer and other programs because GUESS WHAT I don’t just have to use iTunes and buy into that sick fascist monopoly.

[Although, I do miss having solitaire on my ipod.]

good link

Thanks to my brother for directing me to this site which so beautifully and concisely summarizes popular children’s books. Hilariously. The highlights:

Green Eggs and Ham

Some Creature
I won’t eat green eggs and ham anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances.

Sam I Am
Try it.

Some Creature
Yum.

The Sweet Valley High Series:

(This GIRL likes this GUY. And this OTHER GUY likes this OTHER GIRL. And this GIRL likes this GUY who doesn’t like her but likes this OTHER GIRL who only likes him as a FRIEND. Oh, and parents are embarrassing.)

The Killers official website, apparently.

Wow, for some reason, web searches for the Killers has directed a lot of people here- I have posted stuff on them, but really, I’m no expert and it’s nothing new. I will repost two of their best songs, “When We Were Young” and “The Ballad of Michael Valentine” for all of you to enjoy. And once I get their new album, I will be sure to post it on here as soon as I can.

Girl Talk

[Girl Talk; Unstoppable]

This album is crazy. It samples about a thousand different tracks. It’s a mashup from heaven.

D.E.B.S.

I just found a movie to add to my favorite ever movie lists- D.E.B.S. And who knew it would be a seemingly stupid misogonyst spy movie with a lesbian romance? The whole school-for-future-superheroes/spies has been done a million times before (Harry Potter, Sky High, X-Men, etc.) but I love it. In fact, I wish this was a tv series. Seriously, it was kind of bad now that I think of it, but quite entertaining. Bonus: The song “A Little Respect” was used and Jordana Brewster is pretty fucking hot. And I love how Devon Aoki is constantly smoking and wearing high heels but still kicks ass.

roll your eyes, I’m gonna talk about it again.

So, the season premiere of the new Battlestar starts October 6, but if you are kicking yourself because you haven’t watched the last two seasons, don’t despair! A special called The Story So Far summed up everything you need to know. It’s in five parts, so have fun.

Fantastic.

Let’s talk more about what people are googling for when they stumble across this site.

• list of songs played in hollister co.
• A MAN F*** A GIRL UNDER THE TEEN YEARS OLD
• jared leto slash fat
• the boys in Cobra Starship making out
• washoe county jail sucks
• what the hell does london bridge mean
• amy poehler has a nice asss

Guess what I got today?

[Scissor Sisters; Ta-dah]

Call it like you see it.

I like it when people don’t tiptoe around what they really mean to say.

The Dixie Chicks call George W. Bush a dumbfuck.

The Hush Sound

[The Hush Soud; Like Vines]

Damone

[Damone; Out Here All Night ]

some Zach Braff bashing

This is GENIUS. Someone analyzes Zach Braff’s 10 Easy Tips for Writing Films About Twenty-Somethings®. My favorite:

The perfect catalyst for change should come in the form of a small, perky, impossibly cute, dark-haired Jewess, who, for some inexplicable reason, is deeply attracted to the protagonist, despite the fact that his personality is about as exciting as a soggy peanut butter sandwich.

Essential albums: Operation Ivy and Rancid

Whether you enjoy punk or not, this one is definately worth a listen. While some may target the birth of punk in the late seventies in the UK, Operation Ivy definitely started West Coast, odern punk, and even a little ska. Their stuff also had political and social messages, a hallmark of “real’ punk. The band only lasted two years, 1987-1989, but what a fucking awesome two years. Energy is actually a compilation of their whole discography.

[Operation Ivy; Energy]

Two of the members left the band and started Rancid, which gained mainstream notoriety when Green Day suddenly made punk popular in the old days. I think Rancid took the best of Operation Ivy and took it to a modern level. This shit makes me want to join a band. Most of their later stuff doesn’t even compare. “Journey to the End of Easy Bay” talks about the forming and breakup of Op Ivy.

[Rancid; ...And Out Come the Wolves ]

Science of Sleep

How excited are you all for the Science of Sleep? Sever clips of youtube released. Gael Garcia Bernal = good choice.

more songs

These songs remind me of why I love music.

The Killers- The Ballad of Michael Valentine

Oasis- Acquiesce

Muse- Starlight

The Rapture- The Devil

Rilo Kiley- Picture of Success

Weezer- Say It Ain’t So

Scorpions – Rock You Like A Hurricane

The Hush Sound- Sweet Tangerine

Youth Group- Dead Zoo

Milburn

[Milburn; Well well well ]

I am turning into such an Anglophile! Miiburn recently toured with the over-hyped Arctic Monkeys, but are about a thousand times more talented.

The Veils

I just heard this album from a band from New Zealand called the Veils and it easily blew me away. It is my new quest to find their discography.

.

[The Veils; Nux Vomica]

The Bridge

In casr you are having a good weekend, this ought to bring you right back down. It’s a trailer for the upcoming movie The Bridge. I am very intrigued.

how am i going to cut it?

I can’t seem to comment about Ruth and Matt’s cake on tv on this entry, so here are my thoughts.

• Why did those damn flamingos get all the air time????
• Ahhhhh! Ruth and Matt are on tv! I screeched. I love how Ruth gets a line and then you just hear Matt laughing.
• Um, does it really take a professional to arrange cupcakes? I’m just sayin’.
• I am amazed at the intricate details of how the cake was made.

best review ever.

Ok, maybe I don’t want to see The Covenant. But this NYT review is the best they’ve ever written.

MOVIE REVIEW | ‘THE COVENANT’

By NATHAN LEE

“Hey, what’s up? I tried calling you last night.”

“I know. I was at a movie.”

“What’d you see?”

“ ‘The Covenant.’ ”

“What’s that again?”

“It’s that movie about these guys who are witches, and they go to this creepy school, and there’s this new kid — Sebastian Stan — who’s, like, the bad witch, and they fight and stuff. It’s super lame.”

“Are they cute at least?”

“Totally. The main guy, Caleb — Steven Strait — has, like, these big lips and sexy eyes, and he drives a Mustang, and everything. And he’s friends with this crazy, like, blond dude, who looks kind of gay, and this motorcycle guy with long hair and some other guy. Actually, the whole thing is kind of gay. I mean, they’re on the swim team, right? And there’s this scene where they’re all in Speedos and everything.”

“Awesome. I think I saw the commercial. That’s the one with a car that explodes and gets put back together by magic, right?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much the coolest part. The effects are super cheesy. Like at the end, when Caleb is fighting the evil transfer student, they fly around a barn and throw magic Jell-O at each other. I’m totally serious.”

“Is it scary, at least?”

“There’s this one part, where these spiders crawl all over this girl and go in her nose and stuff.”

“Ew.”

“Super ew.”

“The Covenant’’ is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). The film is violently banal.

Top 5 Broadway songs

So the site for the High Fidelity broadway musical is up. I have such low hopes for this one that it has come full circle that I expect it to win a Tony. I guess I do have to make an effort to see it, because it is based on is one of my favorite books ever. Ugh. THe music video for “Top 5 Breakups” is painful.

The Hives

[The Hives; Tyrannosaurus Hives]

The Hives became a bit popular during 2002 with the whole post-punk revival (and are often lumped together with the gawd awful band the Vines) but were popular before then and their most recent album is straight up good punk.

The Hives are a rock band from Fagersta, Sweden that first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a leading group of the garage rock revival. Their breakthrough came with the release of the “Best Of” compilation Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most commercially successful song Hate To Say I Told You So. The band are notable for producing punky garage rock songs, performing exciting live shows and for wearing matching black and white suits.

Radio 4

[Radio 4; Enemies Like This ]

Basically a rip off of Gang of Four. But still awesome.

Radio 4 is a band from Brooklyn who formed in 1999. They claim that their sound, which has been described as “danceable punk,” is “made in New York, is about New York, and sounds like New York”.

The band is a five-piece, comprising Anthony Roman (Vocals/Bass) (formerly of Garden Variety), David Milone (Vocals/Guitar), Gerard Garone (Keyboards), Greg Collins (Drums), and P.J. O’Connor (Percussion).

They cite a variety of influences, including Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, Primal Scream and Zero Zero, though their lively punk-pop sound combined with their militant political stance inevitably draws a strong comparison with The Clash.

Murder City Devils

[The Murder City Devils; Empty Bottles Broken Hearts]

Unlike most punk acts of the ’90s who travel along punk/pop and alternative ways of the rock genre, the Murder City Devils choose to stay in control of their riffs. Keeping a strong presence of simple features of pure rock & roll, the Devils finish up showing clean yet raw compositions, supposedly connecting them to the punk style.

A little ebay goes a long way.

I got this on ebay for $14. You don’t understand. It’s all three seasons. For real.

My other obsession. Vintage track jackets. Apparently I’m Run DMC.

Fuck apple.

Ipod #2 is now dead. Why the fuck don’t ipods last more than a year? Yea, Apple has sleek advertising and shit, but can they make their products work? Apparently this is karma for me downloading so much free music.

Off in the MP3 player search again.

surreal

Justin Timberlake has recently been covering “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on his recent tour. Eh? I think he means to mosh but he ends up pogoing instead. Wrong music era Justin. Just concentrate on bringing sexy back and leave the rock to those who can handle it.

Tim Armstrong

Ok, Tim Armstrong has a blog. That is strange enough news. But is does anounce a new Rancid album coming in 2007 (yes!) another Transplants record (no!) as well as a solo record that will be given away free on the internet (not like I don’t get most of my music for free.)

Possible Side Effects

I finished Possible Side Effects by everyone’s favorite survivor of a crazy childhood, Augusten Burroughs. I really do like the way he writes and the way he thinks. And I understand his childhood really affected hom and it may be theraputic to tak about it, but the writing starts to seem a bit cliche. Like he is throwing in stuff for shock value only, and not letting the writing and storytelling be the thing that shines. And if I read one more story that begins with “I never went to school, so…..” or something describing how his boyfriend Dennis walks on water. Basically I really hope that he tries his hand at fiction writing again. He has the talent and a great narrative style and tone, and it would be entertaining to read, and how many essays are really left- especially when several of his essays are about him being famous for his essays.

Awesomeness is taking over the world.

After their epic video for “When We Were Young”, the Killers will have Tim Burton directing their next video. This band is crazy out of control with awesomeness. It’s about to hit the peak and tumble over to overdone.

Not a big deal.

The whole James Frey thing has been settled. Those who bought the book can get a refund. Big whoop.

The Thermals, Pillar of Salt

God, I worship this band. And now they go ahead and make a fucking awesome video for Pillar of Salt, with a cameo by Colin Meloy of the Decemberists.

not mean, just misunderstood

Here’s a quickie about the kid who is playing young Severus Snape. Snape is kind of one of my favorite characters, I’ve decided.

back to school mix

THis is especially for my favorite law student. Please share as widely as you like. Just don’t turn me in to the RIAA.

Some oldies!
Alice Deejay- Better off Alone [You know you love this one.]

Gigi D’Agostino- I’ll Fly With You [During my summer at Andover all the kids from Europe were obsessed with this song, so now when I hear it, I think of the summer. Sniff.]

Prodigy – Smack my Bitch Up [Okay, so I know the title is misogynist, but it is one of the best techno songs ever.]
Amber- This is Your Night

Oasis- Hello

Radiohead- Creep [I want aperfect body, I want a perfect soul.]

Soundtrack Stuff

The Dust Brothers- Fight Club Theme

Jaan Pechahaan Ho [from Ghost World]

Katy Rose- Overdrive [from Mean Girls]

Full Frontal- You THink You’re a Man [Queer as Folk]

Beck- Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime [Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind]

Limahl- Neverending Story

The Rapture- Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks [from the Rules of Attraction]

The Lightning Seeds- Change [From Clueless]

Rent- Another Day [In order to listen to this you have to find someone else so you can duet and sing this at the top of your lungs with overdramatic emotions]

2gether- Calculus [Does anyone remember this show?]

More to come…

judgement day.

Yea, I know some of you don’t care but bear with me or just uh, don’t read this. I think you’ll also be entertained to hear that yesterday I was totally bonding with this cool group of people, talking about cool cable shows we enjoy (Weeds, Dead Like Me) and I’m all, “and Battlestar Galactica! It’s awesome!” and not only did no one else watch it, it was like that total needle-skip moment you see in the movies where it went silent and awkward.

New promo pics from the first two episodes of the Battlestar season have been released. They don’t really tell much, and make the show look like it could be boring.

Apollo in his uh fat suit. And by fat suit I mean boobs. What is going on there?

Oh my lord, is that Leoben? And he made a romantic dinner for Kara and she doesn’t care? I’ll kill ‘er. Her weave looks good. I wonder how she keeps it so clean considering they live in a post-apocalyptic small colony.

Omg! It’s Amanda Plummer as some soothsayer or crazy homeless person!

Finally, Sam Anders looks ROUGH. And by rough I mean hawt. Hs he been suffering from pneumonia still? Has Kara made his life hell? Why the grease Anders?

step, ballchange

I am so turned on by this.

please.

You know what infuriated me? I got a rejection letter in the mail today from a job I applied to SIX MONTHS ago. Like I was just hanging out by my phone all this time expecting them to call all this time. And they are now DOING ME THE FAVOR of letting me down easy. I know that they may have a policy that they need to notify all applicants, but come on now. Don’t insult me. I got the hint when you never called me back.

our band could be your life

How frigging excited am I to see the documentary American Hardcore? On the site there is an interactive map where you can see the evolution of the punk movement by region. I just passed out from the awesomeness. Oh, the trailer:

whatever people say I am, I am not.

So the arctic monkeys won the Mercury Prize, blah blah blah. Get this, I haven’t even had them on my hard drive for months, that’s how whatever I feel.

god bless google

Word Press has me as the featured blog on its home page and tag search page. Go figure. I’m, um, flattered? Now I get easily 500 hits a day and I don’t know who the hell all you people are. I know this blog was a public thing but now I am self-conscious that I have hundreds of people seeing it every day. Also, this blog now shows up on web searches, which it did not previously. . Here are some of the things that people search for and for and end up here. I swear I am not making these up.

• vegan accidentally ate cheese
• Cam Geary
• Is Patrick Stump gay?
• hot emo singers
• Does Adam Lazarra have a girlfriend?
• Kumanoko Puffy
• fall out boy fanfics pete and patrick
• battlestar hotttt
• paul reubens new album

I went to grad school for two years and all I got was this dumb t shirt.

I am still on this kick to rid myselfof as many material objects as possible. So I kept all my textbooks from grad school and put them on a shelf in my office. I guess to look scholarly or something.Wtf. I don’t ever refer to them for anything. When shit goes down I am not going to go searching for some psychosocial theory developed by a white man in the sixties to help me through. So why do I even have them? So I posted them on ebay the other day and sold most of them, banking in at $240. Suck on that, grad school.

Pete, get a grip on those lyrics.

Ok, so I kind of like Pete Yorn, although I do see his faults and sometimes boring songs. I just got an advance copy of his album, Nightcrawler, and it isn’t bad, until I got to the song “Splendid Isolation.” Check these lyrics.

want to live alone in the desert
I want to be like Georgia O’Keefe
I want to live on the Upper East Side
And never go down in the street

Splendid Isolation
I don’t need no one
Splendid Isolation

Michael Jackson in Disneyland
Don’t have to share it with nobody else
Lock the gates, Goofy, take my hand
And lead me through the World of Self

Pete, what the hell? You’ve been writing music for over 15 years. I’ve rarely laughed out loud from listening to any emo/indie song.

I’ve also gotten advance copies of other stuff, including Ben Kweller, Evanescence, mewithoutyou, Kasabian, Ima Robot and Robert Polland. So far, so good. I really have to start making some final decisions for this list because I am eventually going to upload all those albums and force everyone to listen to it.

Darren

I’ve been waiting seven years from a new film from Darren Aronofsky, and finally he comes out with one, and it turns out it’s a piece of crap. Well, maybe it’s misunderstood. Let’s remember that I loved The Island, Eyes Wide Shut, and the Village and lots of people hated those. We’ll see. Sigh. If he wasn’t too busy impregnating that annoying actress, he’s make a better movie.

British movie star Rachel Weisz was stunned when her new movie The Fountain was booed at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival yesterday. The film, directed by her fiance Darren Aronofsky, left the audience confused and disappointed – even though Weisz insists it is important to have something “different” on screen. The $35 million flop was snubbed repeatedly by movie studios until Warner Brothers decided to back it. The story spans 1,000 years and stars Hugh Jackman as a 16th century Spanish explorer, 21st century scientist and 26th century astronaut searching for the Fountain of Youth. Weisz, whose presence at the festival marked her first official public appearance since the birth of son Henry Chance in May, says, “I think it’s wonderful that this film is so different. I would love to work with Darren again.”

this is such a metaphor for my life

What’s scarier than waking up to a loud crashing sound coming from inside your apartment?

Answer: finding out that it was a whole jar of marinara sauce that fell off the counter and spread all over your “hardwood” kitchen floor. Just what I want to be cleaning up at 3 in the morning.

new caprica

Battlestar is doing the whole webisode thing on the official site. I almost don’t want to watch them, I’m scared I’ll hate it. Edit: Here’s a rully rough version on youtube.

Darwin was a hipster, maybe

Wow. Two recent articles I came across that have to do with human evolution and love of music.

Survival of the harmonious
Mounting evidence suggests that human beings are hard-wired to appreciate music. What researchers want to know now is why our distant ancestors evolved music in the first place.

Rock music boosts brain power.

not camp firewood

Whoa. Check out this trailer for the documentary Jesus Camp.

frak it, just tell me

Here are some spoilers from season 3 of Battlestar…not too spoilerish. Seriously, who knew I would geek out over this show so much? Scary that I actually know all the sci-fi jargon used.

Weasley will not be our king

Ok, so there will be absolutely no Quidditch in the fifth HP movie. So really, the filmmakers can do anything they want, but it seems dumb to take something out that is so beloved to fans. But I guess they need to cut something. I am already setting the bar reeeaaaally low for this movie.

The Covenant

Why oh why do I want to see The Covenant? It looks like The Craft meets One Tree Hill meets The Lost Boys. But awful. The official website is showing the first three minutes of the movie. The first awful three minutes.

Raconteurs at VMAs

Ok, I know I already talked about it, but I did watch the VMAs at the gym today. Why didn’t anyone tell me The Raconteurs were the house band? Seriously, why didn’t I know. And then they perform with Lou Reed? The awesomeness blew up the screen.

D-Rad

I still haven’t seen the first season, but Dan Radcliffe will be on the second season of Extras, among others.

Snow Patrol

[ Snow Patrol; Songs for Polar Bears ]

Ignore their new album or their most popular ones. This one is the best.

Youth Group

[ Youth Group; Casino Twilight Dogs ]

celebrity deathmatch

John Stewart v. Bill O’Reilly

John- 100; Bill- 0

lynx

Some Sunday morning reading.

Why Might Someone Lie About Committing Murder?
Slate on the Whole JonBebet confession mess

All About Eve
Gloria Steinem starts a talk-radio network

The Tastemakers
This is my dream job.

Baby, Give Me a Kiss
Joe Francis, evil genius or pornographer?

The Snakes on a Plane problem
by my idol, Chuck Klosterman

The Housing Virgins of Manhattan
I don’t ever want to have to look for an apt in Manhattan.

kids in America

I watched Thirteen yesterday, and while I was not wowed, my heart went out to the mother. I am usually annoyed at how mentally ill people are portrayed in film, especially borderlines, but this was fairly accurate and not trivializing. (See Mad Love as the ultimate insulting, generalizing, and romanticzing of mental illness. Clearly I saw it ten years ago but it still annoys the crap out of me.) Anyway, it is another reminder to me that I probably do not want to have children.

I’ve also been watching some older movies that I haven’t seen in years:

Strictly Ballroom: oh, how I adore this movie. Really, it’s Baz Luhrman’s best movie, because it is campy and but not over the top (like R&J).

The Lost Boys: oh, I forgot how supremely awesome this movie is. Great use of the song “People Are Strange”. I used to have a huge crush on Billy Wirth. The vampires all have mullets. Jamie Gertz is annoying. But bonus: it has the Coreys!

A Chorus Line: I remember thinking this was strange when I was little. It was entertaining just to see the bad fashion/hair. Seriously, I could cut out the middle hour and a half and just watch the opening (“I Hope I Get It”) and the end (“One”).

West Side Story: I last watched this the whole way throught when I was about eight and I remember thinking what’s all the fuss about Tony? He’s kind of busted.

Little Darlings: One of the best camp movies ever. However, something about this movie creeps me out. Maybe it is the bad fashion or the fact that Aramnd Asante flirted with the girls.

Drugstore Cowboy: Young Matt Dillon. Yum! Weird how this movie was made in 1989 and takes place in the 70s, but all the fashion in the movie is now worn by hipsters. This is one of those movies that kinda sorta maybe makes me want to be a drug addict, just a lil (like Trainspotting). Kind of like when I saw Where the Day Takes You I wanted to move to Hollywood and be homeless. Gimme a break. I was 14 ast the time.

cake it to the limit

Wheeee! This Thursday Matt and Ruth’s cake will be on tv! More here.

things I have bought lately in an attempt to buy myself happiness.

VMAs

No, I didn’t watch the VMAs, I heard they were boring. Panic! at the Disco won video of the year? Who decides these things? But I did watch some selected performances.

I love theatricality in music. Not many bands can really pull it off these days. My Chemical Romance can really bring it though. Their performance on the VMAs was one of the better moments of the boring evening. But guys, you’re not the Misfits. Just an fyi.

The NYtimes is also trying to keep up with the shit kids are listening to, and did a piece on Gerard Way. Like they’ve just discovered him or something.

And the Killers perform “When You Were Young”. They sound okay.

Later that night the Rapture played a post-VMA thing. And my jealousy rages for anyone who was there, because they are the band that I will now be unhealthily obsessing over.

Muse

[Muse; Black Holes and Revelations]

get over it.

OKGo did their treadmill thing at the VMAs. WE GET IT. Now how about actually writing some good songs?

Appleseed Cast

[The Appleseed Cast; Peregrine ]