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Bringing new meaning to the term 'approval rating'

2009-05-09T19:55:00.002-04:00

Long lost 'Spinal Tap' video!

2009-04-27T12:23:00.001-04:00

Spinal Tap - Christmas with the Devil on Transbuddha

Hilarious skit.

If you've already seen this,

2009-04-03T08:19:00.003-04:00

watch it again. IN HIGH DEF.

Trailer of the year.

Rolling Stone isn't even trying anymore.

2009-03-31T09:13:00.001-04:00

2009 Quarterly (1/1 to 4/2)

2009-03-27T15:56:00.002-04:00

Top 20 Singles of the First Quarter of 2009:

...You're welcome.

I'm so addicted to Phoenix's "1901" right now, you have no idea.

What the hell is going on in the Pacific Northwest?

2009-03-27T15:05:00.005-04:00

And how can I get in on this again?

Low @ CDU 2/20

2009-03-09T12:12:00.003-04:00

This is ages-old in Internetland, but what the hell?

The Low show I attended over two weeks ago is one of the best shows I've ever had the pleasure of attending. My expectations were very, very high and Alan Sparhawk, Mimi Parker and co. did not disappoint. "When I Go Deaf," in particular, was one of the most cathartic concert experiences of my life so far.

Setlist and additional photos follow (click for full-sized):

Little Argument With Myself
In Silence
Breaker
(new song)
Point of Disgust
Dragonfly
Shots & Ladders
Canada
Silver Rider
(At this point, Alan said, "You can all suck my cock." Long story.)
In Metal
Sunflower
Murderer
***
Last Snowstorm of the Year
When I Go Deaf

O Conan...

2009-02-24T10:02:00.002-05:00

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Godspeed you in L.A., sir! Never forget who you are!

Bill Clinton is cool again.

2009-02-20T08:54:00.004-05:00

Slick Willie the rational, fiscally conservative ex-Prez is BACK!
Courtesy Good Morning America/ABC News

A funny little Obama/Clinton extra below, just in case you're somehow nostalgic for the weird, inter-Democratic Party animosity of six months ago:

Bad taste, guys.

2009-02-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

REAL bad taste.

Fuckers.

Mixtape Schmix no. 1 - The Low Jump-Off

2009-02-19T20:25:00.003-05:00

In ramp up to tomorrow's Low show (haven't been this stoked about a live show in years!), here's a mix of tracks from Low's last four records:

Breaker (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Silver Rider (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Dragonfly (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Just Stand Back (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Dinosaur Act (off 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire)
Walk into the Sea (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Like a Forest (off 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire)
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace (off 2002's Trust)
Sandinista (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Canada (off 2002's Trust)
California (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Everybody's Song (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Belarus (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Whore (off 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire)
Murderer (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Dust on the Window (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Broadway (So Many People) (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)

Well, punta me culo...

2009-02-17T07:11:00.007-05:00

Junot Diaz's reading at FSU last night (part of Seven Days of Opening Nights) was incredible. At first, I was like, "Oh fuck I don't know ANYBODY here." And, "This is so fucking bourgeious compared to a Warehouse reading." I was small talking for no reason with a guy who recognized me in the elevator. It was that bad.

Then Mark Hinson, a buddy o' mine who did this great article on Diaz's reading himself, came in with the HARDBACK, pre-Pulitzer, copy of "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" I lent him months back.

He got it signed for me.

Hinson is the man.

I'll snap a picture of the signature and what Diaz wrote to me and post on here later. It's worth seeing. (EDIT: Added up top.)

Usually, I wouldn't covet something like that. In fact, unless I know the author, kinda, I don't care all that much. But coming from Mark (who I didn't expect to return the book to me in a timely fashion much less, y'know, have Diaz SIGN IT FOR ME in absentia) it meant all the more. Plus, I didn't have to stand in the massive line for it after the reading, which was a plus.

Speaking of lines, the turnout was actually okay. Not what David Sedaris (whose show/career is sold out-- oh, snap!) is going to get or anything. Shit, they may as well pass out Borders Rewards cards and shake them down for public radio contributions while they've got all those old bookish liberals all in the same room.

But seriously, while I do want to see that reading, I would just not want to hang out with that kind of crowd, that sort of size and hell in that sort of large venue. Hence my worries about the upcoming Girl Talk concert.

Anyway, below is a video of selected clips from the lecture Diaz gave a small group of FSU english students yesterday afternoon at about 3 p.m.

Courtesy tallahassee.com

Btdubs: Some guy named Eric, a self-described "unpublished writer" (who I'm assuming is an English/Creative Writing student at FSU) blogged the video I've embedded above. Enjoy.

A quick insight into my psyche

2009-02-10T11:13:00.002-05:00

Mixtape Schmix no. 0

2009-01-30T18:13:00.005-05:00

Just so I can get a post on here, here's a random mix of some songs I've been listening to lately... alphabet boys, take it!

American Music Club - The Dance (off last year's The Golden Age)
Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes | Animal Collective - My Girls | Animal Collective - Brothersport | Animal Collective - Lion in a Coma
Basement Jaxx - Romeo | Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At (off 2005's The Singles)
Beirut - My Night with the Prostitue from Marseilles (off the forthcoming double-EP set March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland)
Andrew Bird - Not a Robot, But a Ghost | Andrew Bird - Nomenclature
Boards of Canada - Sunshine Recorder | Boards of Canada - 1969 (both off 2002's Geogaddi)
Chairlift - Garbage | Chairlift - Planet Health (both off last year's Does You Inspire You)
David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones
Devastations - The Night I Couldn't Stop Crying (off 2006's Coal)
DeVotchKa - Transliterator (off last year's A Mad & Faithful Telling)
Diplo - Diplo Rhythm (feat. Sandra Melody, Vybz Cartel and Pantera os Danadinhos) (off 2004's Florida)
DJ/rupture - Elders - Clouds (off last year's Uproot)
Kylie Minogue - Spinning Around (7th District Club Mental Mix) (off this year's remix record, Boombox)
Final Fantasy - The Butcher (off last year's Spectrum, 14th Century EP)
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Fuck Buttons - Sweet Love for Planet Earth (off last year's Street Horrrsing)
Ladyhawk - S.T.H.D. (off last year's Shots)
Shearwater - The Snow Leopard (off last year's Rook)
The Presets - My People | The Presets - This Boy's in Love (off last year's Apocalypso)

All part of my continuing, long-continuing, quest to listen to every bit of critically acclaimed music of the last decade while keeping up with this year's and finding/re-discovering my own golden nuggets from this decade, narrating my teen/twenty-something life. Incubus and Tool, here I come (regress)!

It's me, snitches!

2009-01-19T12:03:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm back in sync with a new year of music after a long absence.

This year in music has been so good in such a short time (only 19 days in!) that I really wanted to blog about it. Here goes:

Since 2004's Sung Tongs (that is, since the music-critic community really started paying attention), Animal Collective have started at a deficit with me. Sung Tongs was all too clicky and chirpy, too hazy and hippie. But it was definitely a unique little spot in a crowded indie music world, so I checked out Feels the next year. I found it to be nothing impressive. To paraphrase another review that I ran my eyes across that year, there's nothing on that record The Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev haven't done better. Short of a couple of stand-out songs on Feels, I'd have to agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. I ignored the 2007 EP People with its bizarre, WTF?-worthy cover art. Oddly, those three were released on FatCat, a label for which I'm usually on "auto-praise" (see: Sigur Ros' (), The Twlight Sad's Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters).

AC have since switched to another venerable label, Domino, releasing two more releases I've ignored, 2007's long player Strawberry Jam and last year's Water Curses, an extended player.

This brings me to this year's Merriweather Post Pavillion (the friggin' VENUE?), a record which has recieved critical praise in a more uniform and rapid way than I've seen in a while. This being the case, I had to download the leak (the record's officially released tomorrow).

Oddly enough, I'm sort of impressed. This is saying a lot considering the handicap AC has with me. I five-starred tracks "My Girls" (track two) and "Brothersport" (final track) on my iTunes, which I never thought I'd ever do with one AC track, much less two. "My Girls" has peaceful-but-lively groove with a killer snap of echoing snare. Singer Avey Tare beaming about bucolic subsistence, presumably as his family's provider. "I don't mean / to seem like I care about / material things / like a social status," he chants. "I just want four walls / and adobe slabs / for my girls." Zen. "Brothersport"'s vocal melody is blatantly African in origin (see: Ladysmith Black Mambazo). Joyous harmonies in rondeau throughout the song are soaked in the joyful refrain, lushly processed, "Open up your throat." This is just blissed-out gorgeous stuff. This is why band member Noah Lennox (bka Panda Bear) calls this record their best-recorded yet. (Btdubs, the guy who engineered Gnarls Barkley's big hit "Crazy" mixed and engineered this record.)

FINAL VERDICT: I've listened to this record about as much as the new Andrew Bird record (more on that below), which I never, ever would have guessed before the year began. Knowing my tastes, that's saying something.

SEE ELSEWHERE: @stereogum.com | Is Merriweather Post Pavilion the Best Album of 2009?

Been waiting on this one for a minute. I Am a Bird Now was easily one of my favorite records released in 2005. Antony and his rotating Johnsons line up are masterful songwriters and, more importantly, arrangers of songs. There aren't many in indie music today who are masterful arrangers-- Sufjan Stevens and, again, Andrew Bird are the only others I can think of-- making wonderful baroque/chamber pop.

"Her Eyes Are Underneath the Ground," a five-star track for me, is some of the most haunting, melodramatic balladry this side of Shearwater. The strings weep, Antony's androgynous voice warbles. This is all priceless Antony. The lyrics are abstract and fractured, to be sure, but the song holds tight to themes about death and rebirth. If the lyric "In the garden, / with my mother, I / stole a flower" doesn't move you, check your pulse. "Everglade," another five-star track, strings soar to cinematic heights. Never has Antony gone, or perhaps had the resources to go this far with a string arrangement before. No doubt, this is largely thanks to neo-classical genius Nico Muhly (who released the dense Mothertongue last year. There's likely a 20-or-so-piece orchestra on this track. The warmth of the sound melts the creamy center of my ears. "'I'm home,' / my heart sobs in my veins / But brains / they play the softest games," Antony whispers, as if he's confiding in you a secret of the universe. Listen closely.

FINAL VERDICT: Exactly the wonderful stuff you'd expect with some knockout tracks. If you care to, you can read P4K's recent Best New Music rating of the record here.

SEE ELSEWHERE: @nymag.com | You Gotta Give Them Hope, where he kinda disses Hollywood's portrayal of non-heteronormatives vis a vis Sean Penn's performance in "Milk."

Dead Prez has an upcoming album, Information Age, likely due next month. Though you never really know with rap releases. Pushed-back release dates for official label releases are as common as gunshot sounds on unofficial mixtape ones.

DP has released the record's first single, however, "PolitriKKKs." The track was obviously cut before Election Day last year, hence the caveat "Even if Obama win / Uncle Sam ain't my friend." The beat bleats like a siren, the lyrics are exactly the black militant preaching you'd expect (the part about a "Black" on the back of the two-dollar bill is especially interesting, if you care to do the research yourself) but the urgency behind the song seems a little misguided when you consider how in the next four years Dead Prez's music won't carry the same poignant rabble, or at least not nearly as much as it did in the last eight years.

FINAL VERDICT: Good, not great. Still a great conscious/militant jam, though.

SEE ELSEWHERE: @okayplayer.com | Dead Prez videos on okayplayer

I became a huge fan of Bird's when I came late to the party (the biology-and-literature jump off, thank you very much) after 2005 when The Mysterious Production of Eggs came out, a wonderful record of weird-but-catchy chamber pop that was so sedate and cool at moments it verged on lounge music. Only not, though, because of Bird's extremely intelligent, insightful lyrics. But, again, very calm and detached. But aware. I don't know how else to express it. Plus, and this almost caught my attention the most, it was released on Righteous Babe, the vigilant leftist/feminist Ani DiFranco's label. It's another label, like FatCat, by which I can shop (see also: Anais Mitchell's The Brightness, a record I spinned constantly in the '07).

Speaking of '07, Armchair Apocrypha was in my top five of that year, and why the heck not? It's likely his best record yet Every song's a killer on that record with catchy, killer riffs and soaring, expansive vocal melodies and even a U2-on-afterburners joint, "Darkmatter."

Sadly-- so far for me, anyway-- Noble Beast just can't compare. I'm going to give it plenty of time. Plenty. In my listening already, two full times out, it has some five-star tracks such as "Not a Robot, But a Ghost" (which would've made a great opening track to this record, btdubs), a syncopation-heavy collabo with Martin Dosh, Bird's right-hand man and touring drummer of the last few years. If the lion's share of Dosh's solo work, this song and some of the tracks on Armchair are any indication, Dosh needs Bird and Bird needs Dosh. Kind of like Outkast. But not.

"Anonanimal," another five star track, has one of Bird's priceless relaxed/conversational lyrics, "Hold on just a second / don't tell me this one / I know I know this one / I know this song / I know this one / I love this song." If you get get a better idea of what he's saying through his marble mouth (I'm refusing to look up the lyrics because Bird is the kind of artist where you benefit from knowing less about the song than knowing more), you'd almost think he was talking about the song of humankind and how it may it get on his nerves sometimes, he can always come back to it after an absence and feel/hear it for the first time all over again.

Oh and let it be known: the alternate cover art at the top of this section is for the special two-disc version of Noble Beast with an instrumental work called Useless Creatures, expounded upon here at PopMatters.

FINAL VERDICT: Good but definitely not great for me so far. Like The National, I got into Bird because of a growing thing. I'll be giving this more spins, to be sure. I seriously doubt this will top Armchair for me, though. Kudos for working the words "privateers" and "sleeping torpor" as song titles, though. Who doesn't love pirates and boners?

SEE ELSEWHERE: @nytimes.com | Andrew Bird Discovers Inner Operatic Folkie |&| @npr.org's All Songs Considered | A Chat With Andrew Bird

BTDUBS: U2 just started streaming (it may take a while to load) the first single from No Line on the Horizon, their lucky number 13th record, "Put on Your Boots." Record's due out March 3! "I don't want to talk about wars between nations," Bono croons loudly. "Not right now." Interesting! Eyebrow raising! IT'S A DRIVING U2 JAM!

I have no idea where we're going.

2007-03-30T16:33:00.000-04:00

Between the bizarre new media campaign for Nine Inch Nails' upcoming Year Zero and this totally-fucked-up-beyond-belief video of Karl Rove, I don't even want to participate in society anymore.

You know, it's funny.

2007-03-27T18:03:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know this picture is hilarious, but this is a serious post.

Sometimes the most average of people can be the most brilliant when it comes right down to it.

Check this unedited comment made on Tallahassee.com earlier today. It explains almost precisely my reservations about John McCain's presidental run.

John McCain, just like George Bush, is what’s wrong with America. He supports an immoral, un-winnable war in Iraq that is simply sending our troops off to die for oil. Sadam did not have weapons of mass destruction, nor did he have anything to do with 9/11. Yet, after all of these facts have been verified, McCain still wants to send in more troops. Why doesn’t he go, especially since he wants so badly to "win"?

I respect the man for his service to our country as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War and his bravery as a POW. However, as a US Army ground combat veteran of that war, I am extremely disappointed in McCain for supporting this unnecessary war. He of all people should understand the horrors of war, and yet, he supports it. His support could perhaps come from the fact that he never served as a ground troop, but performed his duties from the air, dropping bombs on civilians. I wish that he had served on the ground and witnessed the God awful things that I witnessed. If he had, I do not believe that he would be so eager to support an unnecessary war that has killed over 100,000 civilians, over 3,200 of our dedicated troops and has done severe damage to our economy. Based on his current position on this issue alone, McCain is not fit to be my president.

Oddly enough what this doesn't touch on, and it's the Elephant in the Room, is that McCain is still a PTSD ex-POW solider. For those not up on jargon, that's a soldier who was captured (McCain in Vietnam, of course) who has suffered, and still suffers, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Bizarrely enough, McCain still hasn't acknowledged that he is still feels trauma from the years upon years he was in captivity and tortured.

You can see it in the way he motions and holds himself; in the way he blinks. It's fucking heartbreaking. He's a guy who has been in the dirt and has come out of it worse, sure, but better in the sense that he has ground experience and political vision. He's an Eisenhower, quite simply, except he has a proclivity for war.

I want to believe in him so badly. I do. He seems keenly aware of the impact that the military-industrial complex has on our country's economic and moral fabric, he seems to want to do something, anything, to fix campaign finance reform laws and he seems to be a guy that, despite the political landscape around him, wants to be a good man. Plus, and this is so important, HE HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR! It makes him totally media savvy and makes his competitors look like jerks in comparison.

McCain goes on Letterman to pre-announce his intention to actually run for President (yeah, yeah...), the Straight Talk Express is back, he's hosted Saturday Night Live and has been on Conan multiple times and WAS ACTUALLY GRACIOUS AND FUNNY.

Hillary can't do that. Somehow, since 2002, she's become more milquetoast than Katie Couric. Barack hasn't proven he can do that at all (but oh he's getting there). Guiliani is way too busy draping himself in an American flag with "9/11" scrawled in blood on it to do that. McCain is a class act.

But there's still the war. McCain, ostensibly, wants to stay the course. And I have to wonder-- as someone who fundamentally, ideologically, opposes all war-- if I can actually bubble in a circle (pull a lever, etc.) for that.

Hillary's promised to end the war if she's President (not that I have any reason to trust her... or McCain, for that matter). So I'm left with a pretty clear choice in 2008: stick it out in Iraq because we got the Iraqis and ourselves into this mess and the people we're trying to give democracy deserve better, or be selfish and cut our losses, because we shouldn't even have gone in there in the first place.

Frankly, I'm inclined to stick it out most of the time. But I think Senator Joe Biden's plan in doing so is a good plan. Trisect the country into Sunni, Shia and Kurd, giving them a government comparable to ours under the Articles of Confederation.

I would append this plan by saying, since we pretty much have to take sides in this, give more power to the Kurds. Not to sound like an arbitrary ignoramous, but the Kurds kind of deserve it. It can be argued that they suffered more, in a way.

So, I have my "plan" (pfft on me), but I still have to bite the bullet and choose one. And, right now, it's way too soon to decide. But we should definitely continute debating as much as possible.

You're not even ready.

2007-03-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

New Neurosis record. Here's the first leaked track, "Water is Not Enough".

You're welcome, bitches.

Cats! In Sinks!

2007-03-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

Hardest. Remixes. EVER.

2007-03-08T14:56:00.000-05:00

Simian Mobile Disco is the most distorted, crazy party jam shit.

Seriously, you cannot fuck with this ROSS, "Hustlin'" remix by Simian Mobile Disco.

Check the video for their new single, too. You can thank me later.

This picture is awesome.

2007-03-05T11:06:00.000-05:00

Pimp my bike, son!

Pugs! With Hats!

2007-02-20T15:40:00.000-05:00

Forgot to post this!

2007-02-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

My first Tallahassee magazine clip.

Such a lame, meaningless topic, I know, but I've always been fascinated with Tallahassee's park system. A cool $150 for this bitch.

How you gonna rip it like THIS, son?

2007-02-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

WTF?

2007-02-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

Ever wanted to see shitty metal bands, but didn't want to pay money for it?

Well here's your chance!

I don't usually post YouTube videos, but...

2007-02-06T14:49:00.000-05:00

This shit is high-larious.

Cat Power: indie star or seasoned crooner?

2007-02-05T11:46:00.000-05:00

You decide.

In all seriousness, though, its so great to see Chan so happy, all things considered.

This is never, EVER going to happen in Atlanta...

2007-02-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

...EVER.

God bless Southern liberals

2007-02-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

Molly Ivins, Columnist, dies at 62

She'll be sorely missed.

This column gave me such an epiphany when I read it at around this time last year. I highly suggest you read it and remember that the world can't do without another writer, another ideologue, like her.

She's with Ann now.

Remember that 'West Wing' episode with Edward James Olmos?

2007-01-31T10:32:00.000-05:00

That's what I'm saying.

Fucking Jersey-- "Yes to gays settling down, no to the fourth amendment!"

Thank God it's fatal

2007-01-31T10:18:00.000-05:00

January is almost dead. Thank God. I've never been so happy to see a month leave. If I can make it through the shortest month of the year with the brutal cold (22 today, son! TWENTY TWO!), then March will bring Spring weather (and some awesome shows).

I don't want to scare you, but...

2007-01-29T17:05:00.001-05:00

Bookmark this.

Well, at least he's still got his health.

2007-01-26T11:02:00.000-05:00

From othermusic.com

The Shins are not a prolific band. No matter how pretty Ms. Portman is, she was still dead wrong when she infamously stated that this unassuming bunch-of Pixies fans from New Mexico were "life-changing." The Shins aren't the type of band that has mountains of b-sides waiting for discovery. They aren't the type of band prone to releasing double albums, or even single albums with running times breaking the half-hour mark. They get in, and get out. And it's with all due respect that I state, that for whatever Shins frontman/songwriting guru, James Mercer, lacks in prolificacy, he surely makes up for it in the jaw-dropping economy of his tunes.
On The Shins' long-awaited third album, Wincing the Night Away, Mercer has never sounded more liberal, playing with the space within his songs. For a group that previously seemed so easy to pin down, utterly identifiable all as there own with little of their alleged influences ever bleeding through the din of cryptic boyish alliteration and reverb-soaked clean-channel guitar lines, Wincing is the sound of a band trying to reinvent themselves in a myriad of ways, as quickly and as carefree as possible. Most of the time, it works; and yet, even when it doesn’t, the Shins have never sounded more exuberant. “Sleeping Lessons” kicks off the set with a mercurial aquarium keyboard line, that goes for about two-minutes until the band explodes into a chugging (dare I say “Arcade Fire-esque”) power-chord shake-down; the next song, “Australia,” kicks off with Animal Collective yelps only to transform into a full-on Marr and Morrissey minor-chord mope-pop rocker. The first single, “Phantom Limb,” is pure Jesus and Mary Chain from the very first fuzzy keyboard note. And sure, “Girl Sailor” and the trademark drum-less bucolic closer “A Comet Appears” are pure Shins-territory. Pastiche after pastiche, references abound only to be discarded, songs careen off in every direction possible, and somehow this experimentation managed to not compromise the accessibility of Mercer’s jams in the least. Three for three. [HG]

Keep in mind I have not adjusted this record review in any way, except for the quotes and apostrophes. It should go without saying that it's one of many record review for the Shins' new record Wincing the Night Away. I would to call out the gentleman who wrote this awful, awful review, but I'm feeling a nicer today. Plus, I think the guy's probably Jewish and we heebs gotta stick together.

I will say that it's probably the least clever and most disagreed-with review I've read in a long time. And his grammar, punctuation and syntax suck, too. It's like he uses hypens for sport. I really hope this is an unedited copy. Other than that, it seems like a respectable review. But since when can "economy" be described as "jaw-dropping"? Hypenating "Shins territory" is just retarded. I suppose my main gripe with this review is its improper use of hyphens. Proper hyphen usage is a gorgeous, almost avant-garde poetic thing (SEE HOW I USED THAT HYPEN CORRECTLY?!), but to see someone use it incorrectly is like a gung-ho Iraq war supporter justifying the war or a drunk man trying to cross an icy street.

Needless to say, I don't care for the Shins. But the second half of Wincing isn't bad at all.

It's just... so... sad. But you're actually kind of rooting for him because he's trying so hard. At the same time, the sick part of you wants to see him fall because he's such a misdirected moron.

The New York Times' Kelefa Sanneh is so DEDICATED RIGHT NOW!

2007-01-18T15:49:00.000-05:00

Check out this excellent round up of facts and context surrounding DJ Drama's arrest and what it means for major labels and the mixtape game up, down and across all facets of the industry.

Upon reflection, the Aphilliates are lucky they didn't have contraband on them.

And this after Flava got shut down during FAMU Homecoming. Check the official DOJ report.

Drama got drama

2007-01-17T12:42:00.000-05:00

So I'm not one to usually question police tactics, but hey, APD...

Be easy.

Drama doesn't have gats. He's a mixtape DJ. A full-on raid to show off your department's force isn't entirely necessary.

Let's catch the rapists first, okay?

I need a lover with SOUL power!

2007-01-16T14:22:00.000-05:00

Some 2007 releases you need to "check out" (HINT HINT) that I've come across while here:

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum

Maserati - Inventions for the New Season (their first full length in over five years!!)

Eluvium - Copia

Hella - There's No 666 in Outer Space

Low - Drums and Guns

Dalek - Abandoned Language

Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Field Music - Tones of Town

Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History in Rust

Amon Tobin - Foley Room

Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

Trans Am - Sex Change

Catch ASC on Thursday!

2007-01-09T17:42:00.000-05:00

Make sure you catch the show when its released weekly, on Thursdays.

You might hear a shout out for... moi.

Did that sound concieted?

I'll try and report from tonight's Emily Haines show tomorrow.

So it begins

2007-01-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

First day at All Songs.

I didn't know what to expect, so I can't say I'm surprised or disappointed. Just somewhat challenged yet content. Its okay. I've got lots of unknown, even faceless CDs of singer-songwriter CDs to rifle through. Yet all I can do is listen to the new Arcade Fire, Explosions in the Sky or Modest Mouse singles.

My boss seems to like me just fine. We ate greasy pizza and talked. My face feels so oily.

In the coming future, you're going to see more actual music essays and criticism coming from this blog, but I'm physically/metnally settling in at the moment. I have orientation material and HARP magazine to read. Plus, God knows how many obscure and indie CDs.

Holla back.

Deuces!

2006-12-21T19:58:00.000-05:00

I'm off to D.C. real soon! I'll be bloggin errvyday. Jan. 8, here I come!

Why does talent like this get taken away?

2006-11-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

Robert Altman, dead at 81

He went out this year with an honorary Oscar and a respectable final film. That's a hell of a lot to ask for in itself, considering most veteran filmmakers don't get that kind of send off.

God rest you, Mr. Altman, wherever you are. Without you, movies like this and TV shows like this wouldn't be made.

Some poignant quotes from Robert Altman:

From a man who served in Air Force during the Vietnam and Second World Wars: "When I see an American flag flying, it's a joke."

"Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes."

"Retirement? You're talking about death, right?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith get married, they have problems, they get back together and they live happily ever after. End of the movie. Two weeks later, he kills her, grinds her body up, feeds it to his girlfriend who dies of ptomaine poisoning, and her husband is prosecuted and sent to the electric chair for it-- but here's our own little story with the happy ending. What is an ending? There's no such thing. Death is the only ending."

From all this, depending on what you know about the guy, you could see Altman as a brilliant director, an interesting person or an uncompromising Hollywood dissenter. I think of him as a cultural crusader. We need more people like that on the planet. I'd like to think for every one that dies, there are two or three more ready to step up and take on that role, but sometimes I'm just not so sure.

He will be missed.

Why indie rock sucks

2006-11-13T12:09:00.000-05:00

Also, why hipsters suck.

Is my reading comprehension being crippled right now, or does this conversation barely make sense? I guess I'd have to listen to a recording. I'd pay good money to listen to a recording of this convo.

Chan Marshall is so hot.

No longer blogging?

2006-11-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Incorrect. In fact, I have two badly-edited stories from the Famuan to show you.

On

ward!

ADDENDUM: I have also applied for music journalism-type internships at Paste magazine as well as NPR's All Songs Considered. If I am in Atlanta/D.C. in the near future in the midst of these internships, I'll be blogging in depth about my internship experience. I can hypothesize it will (not could, will) be elation for the first few weeks, frustration and exhaustion the following month, then Zen-like peace and wisdom at the end. At least, that's the best I can hope for.

I'll be sure to blog whenever I can in the future.

hey fag0rts!

2006-10-17T12:40:00.000-04:00

Book your plane tickets to Jersey now! Just make sure they're refundable.

I see you, Gilmo...

More hard news! YAY!

2006-10-03T17:46:00.000-04:00

Come oooon... You know you like it.

Due to a lack of recent posts...

2006-09-25T12:31:00.000-04:00

I'll post some actual, hard journalism.

By me, of course.

"Significant vacancies at Governor's Square"

There's another, shorter story about the state of some high-profile FAMU ex-employees I'll be putting up here as soon as the Famuan Online Editor (I see you, Alex!) gets it up. Damn photographers...

On the Studio 60 beat!

2006-09-15T14:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, this is my second post (fifth video, whatever...) about Studio 60.

You know that line where Amanda Peet's character says "there's, like, seven things funny about this"? That's how I feel about this awkward TV interview with Joshua Lyman and Chandler Bing.

Just watch. I especially like the part where they, y'know, come off like snickering, hungover jackasses. I mean that in a good way, of course.

So we live in a world where Tool sells more records than Beyonce?

2006-09-14T13:14:00.000-04:00

I can live with that.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - Pilot

2006-09-11T13:35:00.000-04:00

Get it while its hot.

ACT ONE

ACT TWO

ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

ACT FIVE

Blogging from the center of the universe...

2006-09-06T11:28:00.000-04:00

New York fucking City.

I am officially a cog on the wheel of the music industry.

GREATEST NEWS OF THE DECADE

2006-08-26T18:04:00.000-04:00

From the New York Times:

Mailer’s Next Novel

Norman Mailer has written his first novel in a decade, and Random House will publish it next January. “The Castle in the Forest,” Mr. Mailer’s first work of fiction since “The Gospel According to the Son” in 1997, is an account of Hitler and his family. Mr. Mailer has won two Pulitzer Prizes, one in 1969 for “The Armies of the Night” and one in 1980 for “The Executioner’s Song.” Since his last novel, he has also published two works of nonfiction, both in 2003: “The Spooky Art: Some Thoughts on Writing” and “Why Are We at War?” A spokeswoman for Random House said the new novel would run just under 500 pages. She confirmed a summary, posted on Media Bistro’s Galleycat Web site (mediabistro.com/galleycat), that said Mr. Mailer’s tale would be told through a mysterious narrator and explore three generations of Hitler’s family, including incestuous relationships and family estrangements, while meditating on Hitler’s evil. Mr. Mailer’s book will come out just a month after Penguin Press publishes Thomas Pynchon’s first novel in nine years, “Against the Day,” set at the turn of the 20th century.

Whoa.

The revenge of the Blue Dogs

2006-08-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

This NYT story on the changing politics and social attitudes of Nashville, and country music, is one I've been wanting to hear about for a long time. While most liberals and leftists of all shades have usually been in folk (see: as far back as Pete Seeger or Woody Guthrie) as opposed to country, there's quite a bit of overlap since the Civil Rights and Vietnam Era. Now that we're in another time of American social strife, country music is fracturing.

And that gives me hope. Hope that a) haughty Christian conservatives can be taken down a peg and b) that nothing is ever as concrete or 100 percent anything as much as it seems. God bless America.

Need proof that the U.S. and U.K. want to be like each other?

2006-08-21T14:05:00.000-04:00

Yeah...

Thursday

2006-08-17T19:31:00.000-04:00

Yes, I meant to post this on a Thursday. Shut up.

The first time I heard Thursday, some emo/hardcore/Morrissey fan played some song off of "Full Collapse" for me... I think. I thought it was kind of heavy in a way I had never heard before, but it also had that anthemic punk/hardcore quality that makes so many kids go fucking ga-ga for them. What fascinated me most, though, was this intangible little resevoir of artsyness in the background of Thursday that I could barely hear. It was buried deep like hearing a cell phone or microwave radio transmission through a hissy amplifier you leave on accidentally-- as if signals were crossing a random, beautiful way. They were obviously art-faggy but I could tell it went deeper for the band than just an image, like with Tool. Some of my first thoughts about Thursday was that they were the Tool of emo. Now I know that's the Mars Volta.

Still, I've always had this strange listening relationship with Thursday.

The band's new record, "A City By the Light Divided," I should add, is good-- maybe deserving of the label "very good." A B+, perhaps. Many people are saying, not me necessarily, that its "the best record they've made so far." What all this means to me is this: Its the first Thursday record I can honestly say I'll be listening to more than once or twice within my day-to-day listening habits. I should also mention this band is destined (doomed?) to grow on me at a glacial pace. I cannot help it.

Most of the American public (read: middle-class, MySpace-trolling 15-24 year olds) became aware of Thursday in 2003 when they released "War All of the Time" (the band has a knack for making poignant, almost-overwrought, almost-confrontational record and song titles that straddle the political and personal). They got a video on MTV. They even got radio play in some major markets. The rising cabal of Friendsters and MySpacers were going nuts for their MP3s and tour stops. Thursday launched their most successful tour to-date with Coheed and Cambria (a stop, at which, I attended with some reluctance).

On this tour were two huge high school/college favorites. Coheed attracted the geeky side of the MySpace generation, Thursday the more confessional side. More was at work here than just this, however. Thursday, in a way that Coheed and other "emo" bands can't, bring many disparate kinds of people together. I-- a free-jazz and progressive rock nerd that also indulges in southern rock wearing a Joy Division t-shirt at that show, if that makes any sense to you-- was even drawn to Thursday's live show. Their lead singer, the tender, charismatic Geoff Rickley, was deathly ill that night, he told me. Before he told me, I noticed his energy was notably sapped. This is a man who has (unintentionally) bloodletted and fractured and/or broken his own bones on stage. The most he did that night in 2003 was throw up his microphone really high and catch it in the air as he was jumping. It's not too big a "whoopie" in comparison.

But Thursday's significance remains. Everyone in that venue (a usually super-corporate rock club) was riveted. Everyone young (gothy Hot Topic kids to emo high schoolers) and old (nerdy art-rock lovers and the more "mature" indie crowd) were there. Thursday, and this is perhaps true of Coheed and the Mars Volta, can bring together bands of Taking Back Sunday and Tool and no one's the worse for it.

Thursday, unlike Coheed or the Mars Volta, aims much higher. They want to be more mainstream, have a bigger audience and are probably the only emo band in the world with the potential to be a household name and have a career longer than ten years.

Thursday could be more than just an artsy alternative for the emo/hardcore set, they could be another brand of anthemic rock music, like a U2 for the emo set. I don't think that's at all an exaggeration.

LOLz Bono's a douche!

2006-08-15T13:04:00.000-04:00

If you've ever been to Athens, GA...

2006-08-11T13:23:00.000-04:00

This is actually pretty damn clever.

Everybody's scared shitless, of shadows

2006-08-11T12:47:00.000-04:00

This minor little story is less interesting than the comments below it. The Austin Statesman has certainly proven itself to be a fine paper since I signed up for its online edition. It has a great online news operation with at least one or two breaking news e-mails of major stories every day.

God, I'd love to move to Austin.

But this story is bizarre. Talk about
"keep[ing] Austin weird.":

It was some random note (yes, a post-it note or something) found written in Arabic on a JetBlue plane (hey, terrorists need to save cash, too!) that had officials, FBI, DHS and so on, concerned. Justifiably, I guess. Sometimes, especially from a presumably non-stop, Boston-to-Austin flight (at least one of the hijacked planes on 9/11-- Flight 11, I believe-- was out of Logan) you can't be too careful.

Anyway, someone-- a crewmember I think-- found the note. Mentioned it, a chain of casual to worried remarks were no doubt exchanged and bomb sniffing dogs were sent in. Supposedly, the passengers remained very casual and calm. People in Austin are smart, and cool, enough to realize that if a terrorist was going to blow up a plane, they wouldn't leave a fucking note about it.

So people were supposedly chatting and laughing as the search was going on. It took a couple of hours but they got off their flight unscathed and probably massively inconvenienced. Que sera.

To put this all in a time frame, this story was first posted around Thursday late morning. This a day after DHS got all flipped-out about liquids, gels or anything else with form, but not shape (solids have both shape and form, gases have neither-- thanks, Mrs. Hadley) because some terrorists were going to blow up what was presumably a glycerin IED. By Friday, things were more fleshed out and facts were clearer and more numerous.

But still, what's truly interesting about this story is the comments. Some people are cynical, some calm and some just pragmatic. So fragile is the balance between the desire for privacy, the necessity of security and the wont of convenience in all of these comments. Of course, the cynics, the damn-the-Man liberals, which are everywhere in Austin, are probably the most notable. Most of these commentors, though, seem to be regular people, which is so refreshing in online comments sections.

It also goes to show that journalists and the entire structure of mass media have absolutely no clue what regular people like (or are like) or what they need (or want).

What this story has made me realize is that the sooner a reporter realizes that, the better off he/she will be.

The greatest live show of all time

2006-08-11T12:45:00.000-04:00

How can this show happen without me? This can't be...

Death from above, R.I.P. 2006

2006-08-07T14:38:00.000-04:00

Boo! Like Q and Not U, you have crushed my dreams of the previously unexplored masculinity in the otherwise-fruity genre of dance punk.

For shame, DFA1979! You have disappointed me.

More evidence that Greg Dulli is, in fact, a bad ass.

2006-08-03T18:25:00.000-04:00

From Billboard:

In the wake of escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon, the Twilight Singers plan to honor an Aug. 30 booking in Tel Aviv. The show will be the Greg Dulli-led band's first in Israel and comes as part of a 22-city international tour.

"While I am saddened by the loss of life and property on both sides, my belief in freedom, democracy and the peaceful existence of the state of Israel remains steadfast," Dulli wrote on the band's Web site. "To this end, the Twilight Singers show in Tel Aviv on Aug. 30 will go on as scheduled. We look forward to performing our songs for an audience who has yet to see us in their own country and hope to be visiting in a time of peace."

"A war of epic proportions with missles lobbed at me? Bitch please, I survived KATRINA, son! NOTHING KEEPS ME FROM MY ROCK AND ROLL!!!"

Is Greg Dulli, like, trying to become my messiah? Like, consciously?

Hilarious Tenacious

2006-08-03T18:09:00.000-04:00

There are too many quotables in mtvnews.com's new interview with Tenacious D's Kyle Gass for me to list here, so I'm just going to link to it. Oh my God. I cannot wait for this movie!

Speaking of long-delayed rock movies, when is "Christmas on Mars" coming, already? I mean I'm not holding my breath, I'd just like to know...

The best idea in history of pop music, or the worst?

2006-08-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

A recent excerpt from Erin McKeown's always-cheery newsletter:

"my friend kris delmhorst has a fantastic new album out, STRANGE
CONVERSATION. the idea is this: kris took some of her favorite old
poems
by the likes of walt whitman, ee cummings, rumi, and virgil, and she
wrote
beautiful new songs around them. i seriously encourage you to check it
out."

McKeown hasn't let me down before, but this one is iffy.

If nothing else

2006-07-31T15:20:00.000-04:00

You can rely on silly progressive organizations to come up with some pretty stupid, hilarious stuff.

From: MoveOn.org
Re: Dems to take back the House come midterms Nov. 2

That elephant looks terrified. I rest my case.

Recent music news, upcoming releases: the uselessness of it all

2006-07-27T17:28:00.000-04:00

"Dismemberer-turned-Hellfire Travis Morrison proved that a stupid zero for his solo outing couldn't stop him from doing what he does better than Pitchfork does what it does." Damn straight, Mr. Christgau.

Stream this and prepare yourself. Face? Meet Rock. Rock? Meet Face.

I love it when the Mars Volta is about to release a record, and they give their reasoning and thoughts about/around it to the press straight raw and undiluted and stuff like this comes out. These guys are fucked up and brilliant. Like most bands talking about a record, they don't bother talking about its content and trying to describe it. They just talk about context and subtext. I like that! This article made me check out season one of "Night Gallery," which I've been meaning to see for a while, from my local library.

Sparklehorse going in a pop direction for the new record? Thank God. I had great expectations and got disappointed, mainly by the sparse instrumentation and weirdo vocals, by "Good Morning, Spider". Maybe this record (the title is way too long, so I'll just link) will hit me in a better place.

I knew it!

2006-07-26T16:35:00.000-04:00

Didn't I call it?! Didn't I?!

To be fair, he's handling the whole "coming out" thing pretty well...

American Apparel is the devil!

2006-07-26T12:50:00.000-04:00

I just spent way too long looking at boobs at American Apparel's website. To be fair, to prove that I'm not entirely a gawking, navel-gazing (literally!) pervert...

I was also checking out these nubile young hipster girl's asses, too. Less perverted.

I recently got into a discussion re: how when you visit P4K, the AA banners seriously look like porn, therefore making P4K and all indie music sites (Stereogum, Pop Matters, etc.-- most of whom carry some sort of AA banner) partially illicit, asocial porn. Many a-time a woman has looked over my shoulder, when I'm reading innocently about music geekery on a public computer, and accused me of looking at porn. The "P" word, of course, makes everyone within an earshot prarie dog up from their sonambulist, glowing-monitor world of MySpace or online games.

"Music geeks aren't interested in sex," I mean to say to these women while looking them in the eye, but instead just stammer something reassuring, informative, sarcastic and hopefully witty with the word "no" in it. "We love the idea of it," I mean to say, "and we'll get the rare chance to indulge every once in a while, but overall its not something we inconvenience ourselves to do."

In a word, "no."

Then I want to ask them: "Why do women think men are looking at porn all the time?" And even if we are sometimes, so the fuck what?

This is all American Apparel's fault. Damn you American Apparel! Do not turn my thoughts to wanderlust!

The best indie-rock open letter of all time

2006-07-25T19:08:00.000-04:00

From Tiny Mix Tapes news:

Dear Indie Rock Boys of the World,

We know that tight jeans and faded T-shirts are the height of fashion for all hip twenty-somethings these days. Similarly, we understand that it just isn't cool to smile or chat or otherwise interact with your audience. It goes without saying that goofy dancing is certainly unwelcome. With all due respect, we'd like to suggest that you reconsider these precepts for the following compelling reasons:

1. There is nothing better than matching costumes. Anyone who denies this fact has either no sense of humor or no soul, probably both. Sometimes our entire band wears outfits knitted from multicolored yarn. Pants, shirts, dresses, the whole deal. And though it may get a little toasty onstage, I know you'll agree that we look totally hot. (For more on matching costumes, see also: Le Tigre, Chicks on Speed)

2. Performing is fun. If you don't think so, get off the goddamn stage. Your audience is presumably there because they're into you. I know it's hard, but we recommend cracking a smile at least once during a performance.

3. Some music is good for dancing. Some isn't. Ours is, and the only thing better than matching costumes is DANCING in matching costumes.

We hope that, since we represent a form of music (sometimes known as "experimental rock") that happens to receive a lot of credit in the world of boy-rock, you will consider our proposed revisions to the Indie Rock Constitution. Because hey, if you put on a cute ensemble and shake that skinny ass a bit, you may even get laid.

Love,
Erase Errata

cc: The Gossip

...

posted by judy ain't no punk

Hey... someone had to say it.

Greg Dulli cannot be fucked with right now!

2006-07-23T20:03:00.000-04:00

This Onion A.V. Club interview shows Dulli at an even more tough and Zen-like place than he was in this summer's FADER peice. (Warning: Large PDF file ahead with that one.)

And if you haven't heard "Powder Burns," easily one of this year's best records, and I haven't lectured you on how good it is, DO IT NOW!

WHAT?!

2006-07-23T10:08:00.000-04:00

THIS is how the greatest American drama of all time was originally concieved?! That sonofabitch...

One of the best "West Wing" reflections I'll ever read, even better than Gerald Ensley's commentary on the series' end (which you can't access online for free anymore, damnit), is this Miami Herald peice by Connie Ogle. She says so much with so few words, when I've used so many more, in a much clumsier fashion about this show.

By the way, want to venture into something really terrifying, or at least kind of disconcerting? Even I'm not this crazy about "The West Wing." There's "West Wing" fan fiction now! It EXISTS! While there's no way it can stand up to the actual show, or capture the voices of some of the characters perfectly, some of it is written pretty darn well, or at least intellegently.

And, yes, I did read some, and, no, I won't link to what I have read, because its shameful enough just to admit that I've read some in the first place.

Best from around the web

2006-07-23T02:21:00.000-04:00

This hilarious shit, this cool-as-hell shit and this moving shit.

I'm going to bed.

BOOKMARK THIS!

2006-07-22T19:36:00.000-04:00

Go looking for small, local record stores when you travel through the U.S. or abroad? Check this great map that already, over a couple of weeks, has five pages of independent record stories in North American and European major cities. Keep an eye on this. It will grow fast.

Ken Burns:

2006-07-22T18:27:00.000-04:00

The New York Times has an article on the FCC controversy surrounding "The War," the long-awaited (when are Ken Burns' docs not long-awaited?) Burns (that's what I'm calling his films from now on, "Burns," because they're beyond documentaries, films, miniseries or even epics, they're just "Burns") documents a "soldier's eye-view of World War II," according to the NYT story.

He's never taken on any disinteresting, or uninteresting, topic, in my eyes. The dude even made me curious about the Civil War, which always took a backseat to curiosity about the Revolutionary War, for me. Taken in slow, measured doses, his work is some of the finest in documentary, or hell even creative non fiction, history.

The particular controversy alluded to in the NYT story is regarding the Burns' "salty language appropriate to discussions of the horrors of war." Burns just shows what he shows and doesn't mean any unseemingly material as vulgar, just as accurate and nakedly true. The FCC, naturally, is as pesky about obscenity complaints nowadays as a hoodrat is ordering dine-in at a Chick Fil A (EXACTLY half lemonade, half fruit punch? EXACTLY? Only quarter-filled with ice? You must be out of your goddamn mind...)

ANYWAY, my thoughts were pretty much expressed in the last two graphs of the story.

As for 'The War,' [Margaret Drain, the vice president for national programs at WGBH in Boston,] called it 'the perfect test case for the F.C.C., because who's going to take on veterans of this country who put their lives at risk for an honest, just cause?'

'It’s not pornographic; it’s not scatological,' she said. 'It’s an emotional expression of a reality they experienced, and it’s part of the historical record.'

"The War" hasn't yet shown up on his IMDb filmography, which surprised me a lot. Usually IMDb is up on these things. I'm pretty stoked now that I know about it.

In other TV documentary news: Spike Lee isn't even bothering to release his Katrina documentary to theaters, though I figured Inside Man's relatively high gross might allow him to do that. HBO produced it, so most people (including me) won't even see it until it hits DVD. I hope he ships it to film festivals near the coast, though, so displaced New Orleanians can see this movie in a theater, together.

One of the greatest freestylers I've ever heard

2006-07-21T19:46:00.000-04:00

Is a reigning champion on 106 and Park's Freestyle Friday. This is his space. Watch those freestyle videos. Holy shit.

I mean, holy shit. Anyone who said New York hip hop is dead (as, perhaps, evidenced by this year's Hot 97 Summer Jam) needs to hear this guy freestyle. That stuff must have been written...

Here's my favorite example of him CRUSHING EVERYONE IN HIS PATH:

If I can YouTube his freestyle earlier this afternoon on 106P, I will. It was so, so good. Better than this, even.

Your 'oh snap!' quote of the day is brought to by...

2006-07-21T17:44:00.000-04:00

^This picture is so ill. He looks like he's channeling Hendrix, Page, SRV and Slash all at the same time, somehow.

Anyway, its brought to you by Jack White disparaging hipsters as an institution (I see you, Gilmo!). Its in the next-to-last paragraph in this recent NME news story.

God bless Jack White who, Gilmo has brought to my attention, still looks diminuitive next to the freakishly tall Status, who, to my recollection, actually made a brief appearance in the White Stripes' video for "The Denial Twist" (YouTubed here -- keep in mind this is a Michel Gondry video, so if you think your video is fucked up, trust that its not)

An e-mail from the Tallahassee Cultural Resources Commission

2006-07-21T16:26:00.000-04:00

Yes, Tallahassee has a Cultural Resources Commission. If you think that seems inessential, it won't after you read this e-mail... or at least until the possibilities of this e-mail are fulfilled.

Addendum: CRC Weekly Email Blast for July 21, 2006

(A service of the Cultural Resources Commission)

CRC ANNOUNCEMENTS

On Tuesday, August 22 at 6:00 p.m. the Leon County Commission is holding a public hearing on the addition of a fifth-penny bed tax for the Performing Arts Center, offering members of the public a chance to voice their opinions. The Performing Arts Center project has asked us to be sure the cultural community is informed of this opportunity to come and be counted. They have told us they are aware that the hotel industry is planning on attending in large numbers to be sure they are heard. Project leaders would like to see those who will be most directly affected by the presence of a new performing arts facility— you, the artists and audiences— attend in large numbers as well, perhaps in costume, or with instruments in hand. This Public Hearing will be held in the Leon County Courthouse, Board of County Commissioners Chambers.

Clint LeMoyne Riley
Cultural Resources Commission
2222 Old St. Augustine Rd.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
(850) 224-2500
clint@netcrc.org
http://www.netcrc.org

If you're around, you should attend this meeting. For serious.

Uhhh....

2006-07-20T23:13:00.000-04:00

Ok, so... I don't know where to begin. First off, this is one of those choppy-edited video/audio mashups where everything looks really weird and fucked up. Second, it involves President Bush and U2. Third, its some strange play on "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" where... I think you get the idea.

At first, this actually inspired me like: "Wow... Bush actually said those words. That's so moving." Because the editing, in some moments, is really fluid (compared to most of these things, at least) and you can almost convince yourself he's saying all of that, that passionately, about the Iraqi occupation or the administration's policies. Almost.

At first I felt moved, then I felt sort of sick like: "Oh God I actually believed this for a second, I'm a terrible person" then I thought, "Oh God what if he actually IS that passionate about what he's saying?" Then I thought that its probably Donald Rumsfeld and not the President whose that serious. And then I had a begruding respect for all the people who, if they'd watched that video, would be all "GOD BLESS 'MERICA WE GOTS TO FIGHT THEM TERRISTS! GET ER DONE!"

Yeah, so now I'm just numb, so... Yeah.

Do yourself a favor, don't watch it for more than a minute.

One of these things is not like the other...

2006-07-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

ONE OF THESE PEOPLE JUST DOESN'T BELONG!

Paul, just shut up already...

This is the remix...

2006-07-17T16:33:00.000-04:00

Actually, this is just a list of my Top 10 Singles of the '06 First Half. Checkity check it before you miss out and wreckity wreck it:

10. Panic! At the Disco - "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" -- You know what? Shut up. This is an amazing song. You probably know it as the "haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?" song, whereas 15 year-old, jailbait chicks know it as "that one song by those hot guys." Either way, this song is amazing. Emo? Meet hyper emo. My one guilty pleasure pick on this list.

9. Christina Aguilera - "Ain't No Other Man" -- Definitely a worthy successor to "Crazy in Love," as every music critic everywhere has said. Now its Xtina's turn, distilling blazing horns (Herbie Hancock, holla at your girl!) and a DJ Premier beat into what is, maybe, the pop jam of the summer, if not for that garbage "Promiscuous Girl" song. Funny how Nelly, a girl circa 2000 you thought would be singing a more daring pop song like "Ain't No Other Man," does the booty-grind dance pop jam that Xtina would've done in '03. Funny, ain't it? I just want to go on record as giving a big "fuck you" to Nelly Furtado's ever-changing, Timbaland-controlled performance persona. Nelly: Fuck you. You're as fake as Ashlee Simpson, yet people somehow believe you're more "real," or whatever. Go away, please.

8. T-Pain - "Dancefloor" -- Ok, so maybe it's just a Tally thing (which would make sense), but I cannot stop hearing T-Pain's third single off of "Rappa Ternt Sanga" around town. I'm only assuming that its played this often, or almost this often, everywhere else on "urban"-marketed radio stations. That's just me. I'm just sayin'... This song is amazing, though, I'm for serious. "I got the hat, I got the shoes, I got the outfiiit..."

7. AFI - "Miss Murder" -- You know a song that, when you first hear it, you think: "Oh my God this song is amazing! Who the hell made this!" and then you, without the cues of context or intent surrounding the content, make guesses and judgements about the song. "This sounds like an Against Me! joint!" and "What a fucking sing-a-long chorus!" or "Is this Placebo and the reunited Misfits collaborating with H.I.M.?" Well, no. It's AFI with a song I've been waiting for them to do since I first heard "The Art of Drowning." It was a good record and AFI are a decent band live and on record, and their gimmick was so their's just... They never made an anthem to solidify all that. THIS is their anthem. And it's amazing. Talking to certain people about this song, I feel a little ashamed liking it so much, after they point it out its such a pompous song, but really I don't care. It fucking rocks, and that's all there is to it.

6. T.I. - "What You Know" -- I think you're just going to have just nod in agreement with this one. There's not really much I can do to explain this... "Front Back," just released to some urban radio stations, is better (because of that UGK stank dro, son!) and "Ride Wit Me" is equally good (though that peaked lat year) are also good here, too. You just can't deny Tip right now.

5. Young Dro/Joc - "It's Goin' Down" -- Um... Where is this song NOT playing right now? Funny story: Once, on a bus, I heard a girl no older than six chanting the chorus to this song. It was cute and disturbing at the same time. Welcome to the South, playa.

4. Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy" -- You know its funny... "Crazy" was unstoppable midsummer. I couldn't do anything around anywhere and not hear it. Now, it's... well... where is it? Not a great song, but I've grown to like it a lot.

3. The Secret Machines - "Lightning Blue Eyes" -- The one great song on "Ten Silver Drops" is hopefully a sign of things to come for today's greatest American rock trio. Like the perfect combination of U2 and Rush with rollicking drums (like all that Krautrock crazyness, it's perfect for going down a road of some kind!), I've lost count on how many times I've played this song and rocked out to it.

2. Rainer Maria - "Catastrophe Keeps Us Together" -- This is MY summer jam. Definitely the best indie-rock single I'll hear all year. Rainer Maria have made the female-based U2 song that U2 could never find a chick to sing... or something. Wow, that was a really unweildy description.

1. Rick Ross - "Hustlin'" -- Ok, seriously, if you haven't heard this song, you're probably not alive. There is no other option for jam of the summer. THIS is the jam of the summer. "WHIP IT - WHIP IT - REAL HARD!"

They should just change the name of LSD to 'LSyd'

2006-07-15T12:50:00.000-04:00

My obituary of Syd Barrett which, yes I wrote for a journalism class, is below. Like you need to read another...

It borrows liberally from the wonderfully-done New York Times obit by Jon Pareles

Syd Barrett, a Founder of Pink Floyd, Dies at 60

Pink Floyd is one of the most influential, most-selling rock bands of all time. Their original lead singer and founding member, Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett, died July 7 at his home in Cambridgeshire, England. He was 60.

He sung on two of the band's first records, "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and "Saucerful of Secrets," on which he wrote most of the songs. He eventually left the band due to persistent mental problems due to, what many close to him have said, experimentation with a wide array of drugs, including psychotropics such as LSD. He has spent most of his career after Pink Floyd and the release of his solo records as a recluse.

"His death was confirmed by a spokesman for his former band, Doug Wright of LD Communications," the story reads. "[He] did not give a cause. Mr. Barrett had long suffered from diabetes."

Pink Floyd's reminiscent 1975 release, "Wish You Were Here"-- their second most-notable release next to the all-time record holder for catalog sales "Dark Side of the Moon"-- was dedicated to the band's lost mate. Mr. Barrett even showed up on one of a studio session to sing background vocals on one track, "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond." It has also been said that 1973's "Dark Side," which the band has explicitly said deals with themes of "insanity," was also about Mr. Barrett's descent away from the world and away from his band mates and best friends in Pink Floyd.

Before he did, however, he made two great records, including their debut, which is indisputably held up by critics and fans as a rock 'n' roll classic.
"Pink Floyd made its debut album at Abbey Road Studios," the story reads, "as the Beatles worked on 'Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band' next door."
"For someone with such a brief career, Mr. Barrett has never been forgotten," the story reads. "[Musicians] have long tried to emulate his twisted craftsmanship, paying tribute in songs like Television Personalities' 'I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives.' Sir Tom Stoppard’s new play, 'Rock ’n’ Roll,' invokes him as a lost free spirit." The story also reads: "Mr. Barrett became a touchstone for experimental pop musicians.

"Mr. Barrett’s survivors include a brother, Alan, and a sister, Rosemary."

If you're going into the music biz to make money...

2006-07-13T16:59:00.000-04:00

Don't bother.

From Billboard:

Even in death, Johnny Cash is still mighty enough to top The Billboard 200. "American V: A Hundred Highways" earns the Man in Black his first No. 1 album since 1969's "Johnny Cash at San Quentin" with 88,000 copies sold in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan ... Though the top debut is a great posthumous achievement, the Rick Rubin-produced "American V" sold the fewest copies of a No. 1 debut since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. The previous low for a No. 1 debut belonged to Destiny's Child's "#1's" in 2005, which started with 113,000.

Seems awfully, awfully low right? Here's why. This has got to be the worst week for music industry's sales since the Napster era:

At 9 million units, overall CD sales were down 6% from the previous week and down a whopping 15% compared to the same week a year ago. Sales for 2006 are down 5% compared to 2005 at 179.6 million units.

Five percent decreases are becoming the norm for the major-label music industry now. As early as 2001, the music industry has seen drops in yearly sales as large as six or seven percent. 2006 is on the way to make that even larger. That's why labels are treading old ground (which is why the Man in Black is selling records) and new, young previously-indie acts are getting signed, because major labels have absolutely no clue what their consumers want anymore.

Screw Pitchfork.

2006-07-12T09:20:00.000-04:00

They just gave Anathallo's "Floating World" a bottom-barrell rating for no good reason: they don't sound enough like Sufjan Stevens (who is apparently so awesome even his B-sides are above-average-- though AMG's Stephen Thomas Erlewine would certainly disagree), they're too prog, too overreaching, too ambitious.

What's more, Gorilla VS. Bear agrees with me (he culls together some great opinions, relatively diverse except for "Rubies" showing up at least three times), on the best records of the year so far here

And is this P4K's lead when one of the greatest, most eccentric frontmen in rock 'n' roll history dies? Is this the first thing that comes to your, or anyone else's mind? "The recent death of Syd Barrett will lead to talk about his drug abuse, his retreat from music, and his legend."

A complete lack of condolence or even emotion, much less AP style (though I suppose that's hardly among P4K's concerns-- in addition to, y'know, having a soul).

'Oh SNAP!'

2006-07-10T14:01:00.000-04:00

Here it is.... pictorally. WITH LINKS!!!!

Top 5 (TEN! OH SNAP TEN!) Records of the '06 First Half:

IN ORDER

10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.

If I were a rich man...

2006-07-08T12:56:00.000-04:00

...Or if I danced.

What? You thought this was going to be a post about Fiddler or somethng? I'm not THAT Jewish...

But if I owned a club or venue in NYC and were a rich, media-savvy jew (because Yahweh knows there aren't enough of those in the Big Apple), I'd totally buy this dope-ass shit.

An (relatively) open letter to Paul Thomas Anderson

2006-07-07T21:54:00.000-04:00

Dear Mr. Anderson,

First: thank you. Your films are deep, moving and have affected me greatly. My favorite of your films is "Magnolia," about which I have some questions, specifically about its music and, of course, the film itself. I'm almost at a loss for words, which is rare for me, to say the least. I have so much to tell you and ask you.

I know you were only in your late 20s when you made "Magnolia," a work I'm sure many have told you was far beyond your years in filmmaking and maturity, breadth and scope. What, if anything concrete, inspired you to write this screenplay? The numerous biblical references therein? How did you get this cast, a cast of superstars and unknowns, together?

Second: as I write this, you are married with child to Maya Rudolph (congratulations, by the way)-- your comments on "Magnolia"'s soundtrack liner notes, in this context, are quite interesting. You say Aimee Mann's songs pose the questions: "How can anyone love me?" and "Why would anyone love me?" and "Why would I love love anyone when all it means is torture?" I am assuming that these questions are accurate representations of your interpretation of her work, I am aware that you were also much younger (hard to believe, but you started making "Magnolia" almost a decade ago) and I am also aware that around this time you ended a seemingly serious relationship. Since that time, you've made another excellent movie, "Punch Drunk Love," completely unlike "Magnolia" in every way. How do you answer those three aforementioned questions at this point in your life? Was "Magnolia" a darker place for you, personally or professionally, in the writing process? I know, from watching the DVD extras, that you isolated yourself in a cabin in the woods in Vermont somewhere. What was the process for "Punch Drunk Love," was it different?

To put it more poignantly, did you "wise up," like Mann said in one of her songs, and start living a better life?

Third: What kinds of obstacles have you had to overcome, particularly as a young filmmaker, not going to film school? I heard you got into New York University's film school and dropped out in only a couple of days, got your tuition money back and made your first short film. Is this true, first off, and second, if so, do you look back as feeling brave or scared? Both? How many times, since you started making films, were you told that you were no good, or that you wouldn't have enough mass appeal? Were you discouraged often? I am glad you are here, with us (that is to say "your audience"), today. I'm sure you are, too.

I've noticed quite a bit of Robert Altman-like techniquein your films, so its so surprise that he's been a mentor to you over the past couple of years. Are there any other key filmmakers, musicians (Mrs. Mann or Jon Brion, who I know greatly inspired "Magnolia") or other artists who have influenced and/or inspired you in some way?

Fourth: This is somewhat critical purely for the sake of balance, why haven't you been more prolific with your work in the last decade? This is mostly out of a selfish concern for my own viewing entertainment, but partly because I think the absolute best filmmakers worldwide, in the history of film are balanced well between quality and quantity-- in the past decade or so you've released three or four full-length films. Regardless of timing, number or semantics, filmmaking is hardly a race and I, of course, understand that, but fine directors like Richard Linklater and Wong Kar-Wai have put out that many films in half that time. Again, this is a nakedly selfish request, but could you please put out films faster? Maybe I should talk to your studio, instead?

Fifth, and finally, I want to emphasize just how much "Magnolia" has meant to me. When I first saw this movie, it was right before my father neared his final complications of cancer-- I rewatched the movie more than a year after his death, thinking that it would be too intense for me to handle watching it at all, and the scenes with T.J. Mackey and his estranged father were a brutal, unrelenting catharsis for me. I stared my emotions right in the eye and it wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be. I think one of the many things "Magnolia" has taught me is that the inevitable never really is. This kind of redemption and love moved me so deeply I find myself, again, at a loss for words. Tom Cruise, whose movies I normally avoid, is a triumph in this film. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, whose character is easily sympathizable, and Jason Robards-- whose portrayal of a dying man haunted me for sometime and whose death after the wrapping of the film haunted me even more-- had extremely well-done, realistic scenes together. For most of the long, long movie, I forgot I was watching anything. I thought I was living the movie. In a way, I was.

Again, a million thank yous for your wonderful films. Keep doing what you're doing, (just do it faster).

New York City scares the shit out of me

2006-07-07T19:40:00.000-04:00

This is why I don't want to live in New York. When 9/11 happened and I was an idealist high school senior, I wanted to move to New York and, y'know, do something. I loved the city. Now, the furthest north I'll go is D.C., because at least I know, there, security is super-tight.

God bless our intellegence agencies.

Government always complains that our intellegence victories are private and defeats public (public, and shameful, as anything can be, actually). The overwhelming media coverage of the foiled Holland Tunnel proves that axiom wrong-- for once, anyway.

I once went through the Holland to get to Newark out of NYC. Saw a lot of Springsteen stickers on cars there. I can only imagine the disaster that would occur if that thing collapsed and got flooded-- all those people...

My 100th post!

2006-07-07T17:25:00.000-04:00

I'd like to thank all my fans...

Or not.

Staying hot on the beat of what the former members of Q and Not U are up to, John Davis (former drummer and Q multi-instrumentalist) is unleashing his peppy Motown-esque pop group called Georgie James on tour, opening for the equally-spritely pop goodness of Camera Obscura (who have some great pop music out themselves called "Let's Get Out of This Country"). P4K actually called Davis and his project's female collaborater "awfully adorable," though I have no idea what that has to do with their music. She is hot, though.

In related, and old, news: Q lead singer Chris Paul Richards has released some music, too, here at his MySpace page, under the moniker Ris Paul Ric (get it?).

I didn't know Bill Frist had a country music career...

2006-07-07T15:36:00.000-04:00

Seriously, Glen Campbell and the M.D. that can't give a straight answer whether or not sweat and tears can trasmit HIV should go on tour. It would go over huge in Bush country.

Wait... where is that, again?

Ken Lay will not be missed

2006-07-05T14:34:00.000-04:00

Ken Lay has been dead for a minute, now, so its about time to theorize conspiracies as to how and why he died. Athens blogger dude I met there, but whose blog I just heard of? Take it away...

Briefs, bitches

2006-07-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

MTV News' Ozzfest kickoff report has one of the best, most raw descriptions of a heavy metal show I've ever seen. Chris Harris, MTV News' resident metal expert, is really repping for all things heavy at MTV, of all places. This is the same place that fired Ian Robinson.

Lil' Wayne and Juelz Santana will have the most playfully rhymed rap release ever, whether they release their upcoming project as a mixtape or a proper LP.

Somehow, Judas Priest is going to release a record that is ambitious, metal and gay. In all seriousness, I've thought about a heavy-metal musical for a long, long time, and that if anyone would do it, it would be Rob Halford. Sure enough, the gay did it. God bless heavy metal. (Note to MTV News: Bad call on that Halford picture)

"A Scanner Darkly" is finally coming out this week. It's about damn time. Richard Linklater is such a slacker. He's only releasing two films this year. Check out this English-as-a-second-language IMDb user comment on the movie. I'm sure his other movie, "Fast Food Nation," will be mostly "indie movie," liberal bullshit that will preach to the choir, but "A Scanner Darkly" (another no-doubt fine Phillip K. Dick adaptation) should at least be exciting. It better be, he turned down a Harry Potter movie to do the movie.

Columnists should lead this country

2006-07-03T13:35:00.000-04:00

This recent passage from the wonderful today's Leonard Pitts column brought tears to my eyes:

Most of all, [global warming] made me think about a note I once received from a reader, taking me to task for not writing about the environment. I paraphrase, but the most memorable passage said essentially this:

'You are an intelligent man, yet you are not terrified. Therefore, you must not know.' The writer went on to sketch out a vision of doomsday not unlike that in Vanity Fair. It stayed with me:

'You are an intelligent man, yet you are not terrified.'

I'm not an environmentalist. My car takes unleaded. I seldom recycle. And I'd be the first to admit that the doomsday images feel absurdly alarmist. The ice caps melting? New York under water? Get real. That's not going to happen, right? How could that happen? It'll never happen.

In that, it occurs to me that I am -- we are? -- missing the signature lesson of the signature American disasters of the millennium. We often talk about Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 in terms of failures: failures of intelligence, failures of planning, failures of communication.

But these catastrophes were first and foremost failures of imagination. Did we know that a major hurricane could destroy New Orleans? Yes: It was even part of the tour guides' spiel. Did we know that terrorists wanted to bring down the World Trade Center towers? Yes: They made a credible attempt in 1993.

And what did we do with what we knew? Nothing.

Quick note

2006-07-03T11:18:00.000-04:00

I've seen less than 100 of IMDb's 250 best movies ever. Some interesting notes from skimming the 250:

"The Godfather" is still at number one, damnit.

"The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" is at number four, which is a pleasant surprise.

At number 10? Gay.

"The Incredibles" at number 85? Nice.

I guess "Crash" is "accurately rated"

"Donnie Darko" must die for being in the top 100. What's next? "Napoleon Dynamite" winning an honorary Oscar?

"Brazil" is drastically underrated among IMDb users. The 225th best movie ever, my ass.

Things that make you go 'hmm...'

2006-07-02T20:01:00.000-04:00

From Media Life Magazine:

Online movie fans want a hero--not you, Superman

Here's a sign we're not too impressed with the slate of summer movies Hollywood is offering: A week before promised blockbuster "Superman Returns" premiered, more of us were online seeking out the trailer for 'Spider-Man 3,' which doesn't open until May 2007, than 'Superman.' In fact, most of the most-searched-for trailers are for films that aren’t coming out this year. That's according to Yahoo's Buzz Index from last week, on which 'Superman' did take the No. 2 spot. It also took an estimated $21 million at the box office on its opening day Wednesday, putting it in the top 10 for mid-week premieres. The third-most-popular trailer on Yahoo was for yet another Marvel hero flick, the Nicholas Cage vehicle 'Ghost Rider.' 'Rider' won't be in theaters until February 2007. Rounding out the top five trailers are those for 'Transformers,' due in 2007, and 'Eragon,' due later this year, both fantasy films concerning, respectively, alien races' battle for earth (inspired by beloved 1980s toys) and a farm boy's journey atop a dragon.

I saw "Superman Returns." It was good. The script was disappointing, but the visuals and the super-adrenaline action scenes are really, really great. The "Spiderman 3" trailer, teaser, whatever you call it, was beforehand, actually. Thinking on it, I was more stoked by that than most of the Superman movie. Just goes to show you...

Isn't this just precious?

2006-07-01T13:05:00.000-04:00

Rep. Katharine Harris: I'M THE NEXT SENATOR FROM FLORIDA!!!!

Gov. Jeb Bush: Please tell me she's joking...

Can Billboard.com read my mind?

2006-07-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

Why did they put two of my most anticipated releases on their frontpage this morning? Weird.

By the way, if you're a rock band, and you name your first single off your new record "Vicarious Atonement" a couple of months after one of your prog-rock cohorts release a single named, simply, "Vicarious," you look stupid. To say the least. Even stupider, yet awesomer, is the tracklisting for the Mars Volta's new record. Check it:

"Vicarious Atonement"
"Tetragrammaton" (prog!)
"Vermicide"
"Meccamputechture"
"Asilos Magdalena"
"Viscera Eyes" (!!!!)
"Day of the Baphomets"
"El Ciervo Vulnerado"

ADDENDUM: I'd be remiss if I didn't add another upcoming release mention here. Travis Morrison's second solo record was covered by Billboard a while ago, apparently.

What are the other three?

2006-07-01T12:12:00.000-04:00

From the The Famuan:

"'I had no idea about the severity of FAMU's problems until I became president,' Bryant said. 'There are four positions in this town people feel they can do better than the person in the position-- and one of those is the president of FAMU.'

On pretentiousness

2006-06-29T17:53:00.000-04:00

It's funny that I'm writing anything on pretentiousness, since I sometimes wonder what it really means anymore. (Note to self: Look up "pretentious" on dictionary.com). The denotative definition I seem to get everywhere is "claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified," which even at first glance sounds completely subjective. Examining "pretentious" subjectively, I'm confused as to whether it really means overreaching, overachieving, simply aiming high or whether or not that's something the word just encompasses as part of itself. Sometimes I think its just as simple as "pretentious = artsy." I'll mull over the many different colloquial synonyms for "pretentious" a bit later.

I think "prententious" could be one of those words, its a distinct possibility anyway, that has been purposefully, negatively connotated. If it weren't, more people would be, or at least try to be, "that way." For example, "stingy" or "tight" is just a meaner word (what's the opposite of euphemism? expletive?) for "fiscally conservative." These words are firey and they keep people down with the threat of getting burned. I don't like it.

At this point in my personal life, I will gladly admit (at least in print, right now) that I AM A PRETENTIOUS PERSON. I believe that one can never truly see oneself. Like Chuck Klosterman said in "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs," "I have never met anyone who has been truly self-aware." You can never truly see yourself. So it took me a long time to realize, particularly through writing and pontification about the arts (particularly music and film) I consume, that I am a pretentious person because I consume pretentiousness so ravenously. I admit it, I am pretentious.

I like pretentious music (see: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, progressive rock, free jazz, etc.), pretentious food (health foods, "organic" anything, remoulades, most French cooking, etc.), pretentious words (crux, nomenclature, unwieldy, ethereal, dubious, "somnambulist" as an insult, etc.) and most anything else pretentious, of which, you can think. Sometimes, I truly try not to be, but most of the time I am who I am, and that's pretentious. I cannot deny it. There would be no point because if I went on a voyage to rid myself of it, I'd just end back up where I started-- full circle.

At least if I were an English, Philosophy or Humanities student, this kind of thing could be expected, but I'm not and its not. I'm a newspaper journalism student (journos are "elitist," not pretentious, but I'll deal with synonymic semantics later) who needs to be less pretentious, according to the right side of my brain. Or my superego. Depends on who you believe.

Hell, just look at the title of this post! "On pretentiousness"! I can't even talk about pretentiousness without being pretentious. Though, I imagine it'd be difficult not to be.

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

I already touched on my personal life, but I've also acknowleged pretentiousness in my professional life, too. We won't even get into how pretentious I, or anyone else, can easily be in my creative life. Since, at college age, the development of my professional life is critical my choices of career goals are easily open to the criticism of being overly pretentious: pop music critic, film critic, professor, documentary filmmaker, therapist, something in a legal feild (anyone who knows me knows that I dig arguing). All these career paths are pretentious to some extent. I can only conclude that these are just things I naturally do. To touch back on food against (because, hey, garbage in garbage out!) I will always be "too good" for Subway or Jimmy Johns. Instead, I will go out of my way to eat at Quizno's. I won't mind spending more money because it makes me feel good-- nutritionally and egotistically. This will forever be my fate (while I wrote this, I didn't say "shall," there, though I thought about it and stopped myself).

There is hope for me and people like me, however, because I don't buy into some of the more tried and true pretentious habits that other unconsciously indulge in. A prime example: anachronistically using romance language vocabulary amidst normal, vulgar English (I find myself doing this, but only very rarely, like when I talk about the electronica group Kraftwerk-- the "w" is pronounced with a "v" because they're German). Its magnified when the non-English word is spoken in that language's regional accent, or some approximation thereof, in an effort to seem superior, more cultured or better-educated than the person to which one is speaking (see: Paul Giamatti's character Miles in the first minutes of "Sideways").

Often times, pissing contests (or "pretense-offs") ensue between two pretentious douchebags to see who is the more sophisticated (see: the New York City literati fart smelling in "Capote"). Citing picky eating (right here), an abnormal desire for coffee and/or espresso (I can take it or leave it), any use of the word "philistine" (see: Jeff Daniels' wonderful scene in "The Squid and the Whale") and just about ever liberal-arts professor ever is understanding overkill at this point. You get what I mean.

"South Park" touched on this matter somewhat recently, with its usual rancor and satirical saber-rattling. "Smug Alert," an episode dedicated to satirizing present-day hybrid car drivers and their "pious," fart-smelling (no, literally, they stick their heads in their ass and inhale deeply) culture. Instead of driving Priuses, they drive "Piouses." It should be noted here that "pious" is to sociopolitical issues, "pretentious" is to sociocultural issues, so parallels are easily drawn. The kind of fart smelling and egotism of "these people" (here's where I make up for my pretentiousness, by getting down to unpretentious brass tacks) is often manifested into San Franciscan liberal Democrats, per the episode, but geography and creed don't necessarily exclude anyone that isn't a liberal or a Democrat or a liberal Democrat. The creators of "South Park," Trey Parker and Matt Stone, verbally belittle liberals and virtually all persuasions (from the autistic to, well, I'm sure they've insulted Zoroasterarians, too) with their Peabody award-winning satire, but have often saved their sharpest barbs for the most pretentious of the liberal intellegensia: Barbara Streisand (why they do that I don't really get, and my Jewish mother hates), Michael Moore (who Trey Parker said he would "punch in the face" if they were to meet in person), George Clooney (arf arf!) and even the lesser-exposed, less-telegenic Rob Reiner (cuz he's fat!).

It shows there's precedent to this, my final argument and personally held belief: I revile pretentiousness in a field that inherently so, like the arts, and I'm not alone in that stance. I am not the first and, hopefully, probably, not the last to do so.

In closing, anything elitist, academic, smug, snobby, erudite, sophisticated, snooty, high-horse, pious, affluent, cultured, artsy, la-de-da, genteel, hoity-toity, pompous and, my favorite of the bunch, highfalutin' should be done in moderation. And that's the least pretentiousness thing I've said in this posting.

Thanks for reading. My favorites from the first half of 2006 is coming up real soon.

Hipsters dancing with Ghostface Killah

2006-06-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

This and more from the FADER's report from the Pitchfork Intonation Music Festival. One of the best, most hilarious concert reports I've ever read.

...And the Slint shall rise again!

2006-06-26T09:53:00.000-04:00

From Billboard:

Meanwhile, work continues on the DVD chronicling Slint's brief 2005 reunion tour, but as [guitarist David] Pajo notes, the Slint camp has never been known for operating within time constraints.

"In Slint, there's no real leader, so it's hard to get things going," he says. "We were also talking about remastering the records. I don't think 'Spiderland' was mastered properly, at least the CD version. We want to go back to the original tapes and make a remastered CD version that will sound more like what it is supposed to sound like. But we'd have to agree on who does it, where and if we all need to be present. We don't have anybody organized enough to set all this up. But all this stuff will get done. It will come out eventually."

Fuck yeah.

Quotes by Dwight D. Eisenhower

2006-06-26T09:12:00.000-04:00

The second-greatest Republican President of all time

"You do not lead by hitting people over the head — that's assault, not leadership."

"The only way to win World War III is to prevent it."

"I despise people who go to the gutter on either the right or the left and hurl rocks at those in the center."

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."

"An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows."

...And I almost forgot my favorite:

"In the counsels of Government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the Military Industrial Complex."

-from my new favorite site, QuoteDB.com

Related note: "Why We Fight," one of my favorite films of the year so far that takes its cue from that final Ike quote, is finally getting a release on DVD.

Briefs

2006-06-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

No, not those briefs! These briefs:

Matt Stone's memo to the MPAA re: South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. I guess the last part of that title's trifectica was false advertising, hmm?

Hilary Duff makes a pretty good argument against her critics, lashing out with her new Elle cover story. Hilary Duff is the new Eminem.

Bryan Singer is gay. News to me. In other news, Ian McKellen is still gay. Very, very gay.

Let's take a moment of silence for this picture. This post has taken its final homoerotic left turn.

In brief

2006-06-15T12:30:00.000-04:00

I'll have one of my long rants for you to read later, but for now, here are some other notable stories:

Something else for M.I.A. to "rap" about.

Epitonic is back and has relaunched with a new look. I've added it to my links section for your convenience. This site, dormant for a little over a year as of late, was key for me (and will be key once more) to discovering good, new music. Highly reccommended.

New FADER is here. I got it yesterday afternoon. You can check it out online, too (massive PDF download here). The issue is awesome so far. It has a particularly moving story, written by the L.A. Weekly's John Albert, on Greg Dulli (ex-Afghan Whigs) currently of the Twilight Singers, which, according to the article, has encompassed artists from Ani DiFranco to Bob Mould at one time or another. His soulful new album, "Powder Burns," is like the best of U2, the Whigs (duh) and... let's say... Sonic Youth in one. It's a slow grower, but ultimately a big shower.

Sonic Youth performed at CBGB for the first time in over a decade (that's where they started, folks!), and that's pretty cool of them. It proves that they remember their roots (like R.E.M.) and don't abandon where they came from, and that's righteous. It also proves they're musically irrelevant and have been for some time. If your only major publicity ploy for your new album is to play the same venue you did when you were in college, it spells "l-a-m-e" not "s-a-l-e-s." I would gladly exchange the breakup of Sonic Youth for another alternative band's reunion-- like Soundgarden.