If you can't handle a 9/11 remembrance that isn't all flag-wavy and up with people, don't read this.
A few days after it happened, a friend who just moved to NYC from Ohio and I were walking in my neighborhood. It was another beautiful, sunny day. And so quiet in a suddenly car-less lower Manhattan. We saw the people taking advantage of this unique moment: The few restaurants that were open spread their outdoor seating from the sidewalk to the middle of West Broadway; children were released from their strollers and leashes, playing and giggling in the road; a tall, lithe gentleman in short-shorts and vintage headphones sailed down Houston on roller skates. Finally I felt something other than confusion or anger.
My hopeful, naive 24-year-old self saw all of this and thought maybe -- even while we were still inhaling the acrid dust of the violence that happened a dozen blocks below us -- something good could come of this. We could start new as a city, as a nation, even just as people.
But that never happened. Things got worse than I could have imagined. And all I can think now is what a fucking shameful waste of life it all was. Tragedy with no remedy. Grief with no solace. It's not that the terrorists won, it's that humanity lost.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Hmmm.
I don't really have anything to say, but I feel strangely obligated to post something. So. Two things:
Nutmeg can kill*
and Superchunk rocks:
*BUT WHAT OF MY EGG NOG???
Nutmeg can kill*
and Superchunk rocks:
*BUT WHAT OF MY EGG NOG???
Sunday, January 16, 2011
What I Listented To, 2010 ed.
Lou Barlow Sentridoh III “Caterpillar Girl” “Gravitate”
Sarah Harmer Oh Little Fire “Captive” “Silverado”
Superchunk Majesty Shredding “Digging for something” “Crossed wires” …and everything else they’ve ever done.
Pernice Brothers Goodbye, Killer “Newport News”
Robyn BodyTalk “Dancin’ On My Own” “Hang With Me”
Grinderman Grinderman 2 “When my baby comes”
Ted Leo Brutalist Bricks “Where was my brain” “Bottle of Cork”
Laura Veirs July Flame “When you give your heart”
Josh Ritter So Runs the World Away “Rattling locks”
Bill Fox Shelter From the Smoke/Transit Byzantium “Bird of the World” “Song of a Drunken Nightingale”
The Mice For Almost Ever Scooter “Just Like a Brick”
Ben Folds & Nick Hornby Lonely Avenue “Practical Amanda”
Field Music Field Music (Measure) “Them That Do Nothing”
Bettye LaVette Interpretations: The British Songbook “Love Reign O’er Me”
Cee-Lo Green The Lady Killer “Fuck You”
Corin Tucker Band 1,000 Years “Doubt”
Frightened Rabbit The Winter of Mixed Drinks [and my winter of pinot grigio] “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” “Yes, I Would”
Guster Easy Wonderful “Do You Love Me” “Architects & Engineers” “Jonah”
LCD Soundsystem This Is Happening “All I Want”
The National High Violet “Terrible Love” “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
New Pornographers Together “Crash Years” “My Shepherd”
Extra Lens Undercard
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings I Learned the Hard Way “Mama don’t like my man”
Mavis Staples You Are Not Alone
Sharon van Etten Epic/Because I Was In Love “One Day” “I Wish I Knew”
Surfer Blood Astro Coast
Stornoway Beachcomber’s Windowsill “Zorbing”
Yeasayer Odd Blood “Ambing Alp”
Tame Implala Innserspeaker “Solitude is Bliss”
Built To Spill There Is No Enemy “Good Ol’ Boredom”
Unrest Imperial ffrr “I Can See You Blushing”
What I have yet to hear in full…
Junip
Dangermouse & Sparklehorse
Cloud Cult
S. Carey
Thermals Personal Life
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
You forced me to come to Arizona. I loathe Arizona.
"He's paid to not look surprised."
I’ve been trying to figure out how to approach an end assessment of the late Dollhouse. I have no strong feelings, probably because I wasn’t that huge a fan of it the first place. Sure it had a (mostly) stellar cast, and it threw out some lofty issues to discuss and debate (Free will! Identity! Sexual slavery!), but it was more a curiosity (look what Joss is doing now!) than a story I could get emotionally involved in (in a completely sane way, of course).
Didn’t help that Joss & co. were forced to end their story early and the plotholes were many and HUGE:
Why was Boyd the bringer of the apocalypse? Where’s his mad scientist origin story? (Was he even a scientist?) What exactly was the sitch with Dr. CliveClaire and Boyd? Was she always Clive as Claire and Whiskey? Why would Boyd, in protecting his walking-talking fountain of youth, allow Echo to be put in so many dangerous situations? What was with the creepy ‘you’re my family’ talk? (Even Paul? I mean, he just tried to kill Paul!) And what about a contingency plan? He was an evil genius, so he should’ve had a backup of himself somewhere super-secret and safe should, you know, he be made into a human bomb. Evil geniuses usually think ahead, right?
I can’t help but thing that Joss’s original plan for Boyd was something different but the truncated season (and I would imagine, the reduced guest star budget – no more Carradines for you!) forced him to turn to an already-there character/actor rather than introduce someone new…so TWIST! I guess? Lennix was great as evil, but there’s only so much an actor can do without a viable, earned backstory.
How did Caroline get the funds for all her hot clothes and solo commando missions? ID/credit card theft a la the Supernatural boys? I kind of hope she had a secret benefactor who figure in later in the story.
How did Adelle get there? If there’s any glaringly absent backstory, it’s hers. Of course, Olivia Williams and her arms are so amazing, I’m happy as long she’s in her immaculate wardrobe and toting a gun.
Wasn’t Echo told to smash the chair after she (ugh) uploaded Paul to her overly crowded brain? That chair was still intact when Fox abruptly cut to the next show.** Sloppiness or an opening for future stories elsewhere, like comics?
I like romance with my sci-fi but sometimes I feel like Joss watched more Days of Our Lives
than I did as a kid. Why did I have to watch Tony and Priya futzing around Topher’s workshop discussing their relationship in the penultimate ep instead of learning just what the hell Boyd’s deal was or seeing Adele’s reaction when she found out who Boyd really was? I felt cheated.
Of course, I never bought the doomed OTP of Echo & Paul as they were so thoroughly boring and awful and idiotic. It was even worse when Topher had to clip Paul's ‘lurve nerves’ or whatever to make room in his brain for…shit, I don’t know. And then to have Echo pining for him?? Gah. Paul was even worse as the patronizing manipulator of doormat Mellie. She offs herself to save him?! Her mad ninja skillz were the only remotely interesting things about her! Kill him! KILL HIM WITH YOUR FLOWERS IN A VASE!!!!!
(Honestly, I was always astonished a guy that stupid and obvious stayed alive that long.)
And, then, once Paul was finally offed, we got to see Echo have an Adama-esque level meltdown minus the paint and antique model ships. I guess she felt bad about not saying how she felt about him? I… *sigh* So she uploads him…and will she be yelling at herself when they fight about leaving dirty dishes in the sink in her head? I really didn’t get how that was going to work.
Even the Tony/Priya relationship stuff seemed out of place – hell, downright laughable – with the dystopian backdrop. (And of course that's Tony’s kid. Why reveal it like it was surprising?) This is when the character aspect gets in the way of plot, which was of primary importance in the final episode. I would’ve rather gotten hints on the relationship stuff and more solid storytelling when it came to the plot. (Writing was not all that good for this series. Joss is still great with a quip, but in general the writing was mediocre to awful. More than once it felt like the script faltered under too many metaphors and too much preaching.)
Speaking of MadMaxVictor and his cyberpunk babelfish, the last few eps were a holy wreck of (the writers’?) fave sci fi films and shows rolled in an overflowing cannoli of heretofore unmixed elements:
Zombies: the Dolls (natch), Prya’s evil doctor/rapist in her Attic hallucinations.
BSG: Cylon Tanks of Goo™ in the attic, with Clive as the mainfraim/hybrid (ENDOFLINE)
Frankenstein: Obvious, only more with the brain zappy than the sewn together body parts.
That Whedon Touch: Ginger lesbians, double-handed neck breaks, evil white men (except for Boyd. Progress in a post-racial Obama world?), ending his stories with widespread wanton death and destruction.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy parts of this last stretch of eps:
REED!
ALPHA! (Who rehabbed himself in Reno. Of course.)
Victor as Topher
Adelle mothering Topher
Topher as Martyred Nerd (Was the red shirt he was wearing a Trek shoutout?)
Scut Farkus as the leader of the Resistance
How Tuscon is the center of all Dollhouse-an evil, like how Burbank is the center of international espionage on Chuck.
So, Dollhouse, you collapsed under the weight of Joss's pretensions and Fox's stupidity. There's always my Firefly DVDs.
*Say maybe he was an unfairly disgraced cop/fed who had a daughter he never saw/lost to violence/general badness because he was so devoted to the job, which is why he was so protective of Echo. Cliché, yes, but I think Lennix could have sold it.
**The end? Ya didn't have two seconds for a proper fade out Fox? It's a fucking cooking show!!!
I’ve been trying to figure out how to approach an end assessment of the late Dollhouse. I have no strong feelings, probably because I wasn’t that huge a fan of it the first place. Sure it had a (mostly) stellar cast, and it threw out some lofty issues to discuss and debate (Free will! Identity! Sexual slavery!), but it was more a curiosity (look what Joss is doing now!) than a story I could get emotionally involved in (in a completely sane way, of course).
Didn’t help that Joss & co. were forced to end their story early and the plotholes were many and HUGE:
Why was Boyd the bringer of the apocalypse? Where’s his mad scientist origin story? (Was he even a scientist?) What exactly was the sitch with Dr. CliveClaire and Boyd? Was she always Clive as Claire and Whiskey? Why would Boyd, in protecting his walking-talking fountain of youth, allow Echo to be put in so many dangerous situations? What was with the creepy ‘you’re my family’ talk? (Even Paul? I mean, he just tried to kill Paul!) And what about a contingency plan? He was an evil genius, so he should’ve had a backup of himself somewhere super-secret and safe should, you know, he be made into a human bomb. Evil geniuses usually think ahead, right?
I can’t help but thing that Joss’s original plan for Boyd was something different but the truncated season (and I would imagine, the reduced guest star budget – no more Carradines for you!) forced him to turn to an already-there character/actor rather than introduce someone new…so TWIST! I guess? Lennix was great as evil, but there’s only so much an actor can do without a viable, earned backstory.
How did Caroline get the funds for all her hot clothes and solo commando missions? ID/credit card theft a la the Supernatural boys? I kind of hope she had a secret benefactor who figure in later in the story.
How did Adelle get there? If there’s any glaringly absent backstory, it’s hers. Of course, Olivia Williams and her arms are so amazing, I’m happy as long she’s in her immaculate wardrobe and toting a gun.
Wasn’t Echo told to smash the chair after she (ugh) uploaded Paul to her overly crowded brain? That chair was still intact when Fox abruptly cut to the next show.** Sloppiness or an opening for future stories elsewhere, like comics?
I like romance with my sci-fi but sometimes I feel like Joss watched more Days of Our Lives
than I did as a kid. Why did I have to watch Tony and Priya futzing around Topher’s workshop discussing their relationship in the penultimate ep instead of learning just what the hell Boyd’s deal was or seeing Adele’s reaction when she found out who Boyd really was? I felt cheated.
Of course, I never bought the doomed OTP of Echo & Paul as they were so thoroughly boring and awful and idiotic. It was even worse when Topher had to clip Paul's ‘lurve nerves’ or whatever to make room in his brain for…shit, I don’t know. And then to have Echo pining for him?? Gah. Paul was even worse as the patronizing manipulator of doormat Mellie. She offs herself to save him?! Her mad ninja skillz were the only remotely interesting things about her! Kill him! KILL HIM WITH YOUR FLOWERS IN A VASE!!!!!
(Honestly, I was always astonished a guy that stupid and obvious stayed alive that long.)
And, then, once Paul was finally offed, we got to see Echo have an Adama-esque level meltdown minus the paint and antique model ships. I guess she felt bad about not saying how she felt about him? I… *sigh* So she uploads him…and will she be yelling at herself when they fight about leaving dirty dishes in the sink in her head? I really didn’t get how that was going to work.
Even the Tony/Priya relationship stuff seemed out of place – hell, downright laughable – with the dystopian backdrop. (And of course that's Tony’s kid. Why reveal it like it was surprising?) This is when the character aspect gets in the way of plot, which was of primary importance in the final episode. I would’ve rather gotten hints on the relationship stuff and more solid storytelling when it came to the plot. (Writing was not all that good for this series. Joss is still great with a quip, but in general the writing was mediocre to awful. More than once it felt like the script faltered under too many metaphors and too much preaching.)
Speaking of MadMaxVictor and his cyberpunk babelfish, the last few eps were a holy wreck of (the writers’?) fave sci fi films and shows rolled in an overflowing cannoli of heretofore unmixed elements:
Zombies: the Dolls (natch), Prya’s evil doctor/rapist in her Attic hallucinations.
BSG: Cylon Tanks of Goo™ in the attic, with Clive as the mainfraim/hybrid (ENDOFLINE)
Frankenstein: Obvious, only more with the brain zappy than the sewn together body parts.
That Whedon Touch: Ginger lesbians, double-handed neck breaks, evil white men (except for Boyd. Progress in a post-racial Obama world?), ending his stories with widespread wanton death and destruction.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy parts of this last stretch of eps:
REED!
ALPHA! (Who rehabbed himself in Reno. Of course.)
Victor as Topher
Adelle mothering Topher
Topher as Martyred Nerd (Was the red shirt he was wearing a Trek shoutout?)
Scut Farkus as the leader of the Resistance
How Tuscon is the center of all Dollhouse-an evil, like how Burbank is the center of international espionage on Chuck.
So, Dollhouse, you collapsed under the weight of Joss's pretensions and Fox's stupidity. There's always my Firefly DVDs.
*Say maybe he was an unfairly disgraced cop/fed who had a daughter he never saw/lost to violence/general badness because he was so devoted to the job, which is why he was so protective of Echo. Cliché, yes, but I think Lennix could have sold it.
**The end? Ya didn't have two seconds for a proper fade out Fox? It's a fucking cooking show!!!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The bigger list
The faves
All things Merge. It's their 20th anniversary, you know.
- Portastatic Some Small History, Be Still Please, Make It Sound in Tune (covers)
- Score! 20 Years of Merge Records : the Covers
- Superchunk Leaves in Gutter
- Guided By Voices: I've just been listening to them. A lot.
Andrew Bird Noble Beasts - An absolute masterpiece.
The Thermals Now We Can See - "I Let It Go"; live at the Bowery
Metric Fantasies - "Help I'm Alive"
Neko Case Middle Cyclone - "Middle Cyclone," the song, hits like a ton of bricks. Despite the disappointing live show I attended at the Wellmont, this record was just fantastic.
Dinosaur Jr. Farm - live opening for Sonic Youth. (It was the first time I had worn earplugs to a show in about twenty years.)
Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca - "No Intention"; live at the Bowery, not very exciting but sounded great.
Bon Iver Blood Bank - Good Christ, Justin Vernon has a beautiful voice.
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion - I just got around listening to this record last week . I was seriously grooving in my cubicle.
Daniel Martin Moore Stray Age - "Stray Age"
Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted - OMG. Here's the thing about KC that makes her a step above the rest of the Idol-esque, melismatic horde: KC performs the song. She doesn't trill and leap to show off her talents. Like Frank Sinatra, she actually pays attention to lyrics and narratives of the songs, as silly and nonsensical as they may be. And that's why she's probably the best pop singer working today.
The best of the Nat King Cole Trio - "Tis Autumn"
Dean Wareham/Dean & Britta/Luna/Galaxie 500 - After reading his memoir, I loaded up on his discography and was summarily impressed. How do the Kiwis consistently write such great pop?
The Bats The Guilty Office - Speaking of Kiwis....
Nirvana Bleach reissue
Neil Young Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbuy House 1968 - "On the Way Home"
Ciao My Shining Star : the Songs of Mark Mulcahy - ... of Polaris/Pete & Pete fame; "All for the Best" Thom Yorke.
Jen Trynin Cockamamie - "Better Than Nothing"; Another great rock memoir.
John Doe & the Sadies Country Club - "The Night Life"
Dark Was the Night Red Hot compilation - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings "Inspiration Information"
Lou Barlow Goodnight Unknown - "Don't Apologize"; live solo at Mercury Lounge, cut short for me buy loud drunken Russians.
Sonic Youth The Eternal - "Walkin' Blue"; live at Terminal 5.
Nellie McKay Normal as Blueberry Pie : a Tribute to Doris Day - This is what I've been waiting for from NM: a straight jazz/standards album: no rapping, no winking, just great songs with great arrangements (by NM, herself)
AC Newman Get Guilty - Gotta admit that what I'm really waiting for another New Pornographers record, but this will do for now.
Elvis Costello Momofoku - "Shudder and Wow"; Profane and Sugarcane was good, but this is old school EC rock and soul from 2008, with Jenny Lewis and her crew backing him up.
Sondre Lerche Heartbeat Radio - "Easy to Persuade"
M Ward Hold Time - "Stars of Leo"
The Avett Brothers I and Love and You - "Kick Drum Heart"; I still can't believe these guys are on a major label.
Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid
Wye Oak The Knot
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down Know Better Learn Faster - "When We Swam"; She and Animal Collective are the super indie groovemasters of Aught Nine.
Passion Pit Manners - And also these guys ^^^
The Breeders & the Amps aka the Sisters Deal - "Saints" & "Tipp City" are my go-to wake-the-fuck-up songs
The Dears Missiles
Deastro Moondagger - I love an electropop record made in some Michigan kid's basement? Why not!
Melody Gardot My One and Only Thrill - Wow. A jazz album with new songs that's really, really good.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Teddy Thompson Separate Ways - "I Should Get Up"; I don't know if I've ever heard a more entrancing swoon-worthy voice...other than Lou Barlow's...*sigh*
Japandroids Post-Nothing - This is just two Vancouver kids rocking the shit out of it.
Telekinesis!
Barbara Manning/SF Seals - Found via the Merge covers collection. There's too much good to name just one song.
X Under the Big Black Sun - "The Hungry Wolf"; Yeah, I just got around to them...; live at the Bowery.
Grizzly Bear Veckatimest - "Fine for Now"; This record just gets better and better every time I hear it
Raphael Saadiq The Way I See It - I loved Tony! Toni! Tone! and this is a stellar piece of retrosoul
Solange Knowles - "Stillness is the Move" Dirty Projectors' cover
So good and I'm ashamed I haven't listen to them more...
Burning Hearts Aboa Sleeping
Maxwell BLACKsummersnight
BellX1 Blue Lights on the Runway
Throw Me the Statue Creaturesque
Antony & the Johnsons The Crying Light - This record is exceptional but just depresses the hell out of me.
Loney Dear Dear John
Iran Dissolver
David Bazan Curse Your Branches
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Levon Helm Electric Dirt
Pomegranates Everything is Alive
The Bad Plus w/Wendy Lewis For All I Care - Avant-jazz covers of (mostly) rock songs. It shouldn't work but it does.
Ida Maria Fortress 'Round My Heart - "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"
Robyn Hitchcock Goodnight Oslo
The Decemberists The Hazards of Love
Eels Hombre Lobo
Young Fresh Fellows I Think This Is
Department of Eagles In Ear Park
Doves Kingdom of Rust
The Mountain Goats The Life and the World to Come
Great Lake Swimmers Lost Channels
The Love Language
The Wooden Birds Magnolia
Visqueen Message to Garcia - "Ward"; Rachel Flotard might just be the coolest, nicest person in rock music.
Heartless Bastards The Mountain
Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career
The Low Anthem Oh My God Charlie Darwin
Yo La Tengo Popular Songs - "Periodically Double or Triple"; I even bought the actual physical disc of this and I just haven't listened to it all that much...
Grand Puba Retroactive
AA Bondy When the Devil's Loose
The Disappointments
Phoenix Wolfgang Amaedeus Phoenix - Funny. I was such huge fan of Alphabetical and the follow-up and so anxiously awaiting this record...but then when they became the ubiquitous car commercial I just never listened to WAP after that first go. It's not bad, I guess, they're just not my little secret of pop goodness anymore. And maybe they're heading to Coldplay territory? And that makes me sad?
Pearl Jam Backspacer - This just didn't sound like a PJ record, in that it sounds like a conscious attempts getting back on pop/modern rock radio, to be 'catchy.' Thing is they've always been able to write catchy songs, and lyrical songs, and fun rockers, and harsh rockers, drawn jams for nights of pot smoking, and the songs sounded organic and authentic. Here...nothing sounds like that except for "Unknown Thought," and maybe "Speed of Sound."
Ben Kweller Changing Horses - How could a country album by BK be disappointing? It just is. But then, nothing can surpass On My Way.
Brendan Benson My Old Familiar Friend - "Feel Like Taking You Home"; Just couldn't live up to the pop masterpiece that was Alternative to Love.
Maximo Park Quicken the Heart
Wilco Wilco (The Album) - Unlike a lot folks it seems, I loved Sky Blue Sky. It was a bit more low-key, and maybe simpler musically than the more vast sonic landscapes of YHF and AGIB, but the songs were so so good: "Impossible Germany" and "Sky Blue Sky" and "Hate It Here" .... WTA did not have a song that good. Usually a Wilco record has music that stays with me for days, weeks, etc., lyrics I can't shake like "Jesus, etc.," or "Handshake Drugs," but I honestly can't remember what this album sounds like, except that I think "Bull Black Nova" kinda rocked.
Stuff I Just Got and haven't listened to yet
The Twilight Sad Forget the Night Ahead - I've actually been listening to this as I've been typing and holyshitsogood.
Lightning Dust Infinite Light
The Swell Season Strict Joy - Also, there once was a vid out there of Glen Hansard covering R.E.M.'s "Hairshirt" on Jimmy Fallon. If you find it, keep the tissues handy.
New Stuff I heard first live
Rock Plaza Central ...at the moment of our most needing - Canadian alt folk ensemble with stunning harmonies, and opened for an otherwise unremarkable Weakerthans show at the Bowery.
Point Juncture WA Heart to Elk - Opened for the Thermals at the Bowery; Beautiful, lilting and fun.
Stuff I haven't got yet
Grand Archives Keep in Mind Frankenstein
BOAT Setting the Paces
Fanfarlo Reservoir
Emily Rodgers Bright Day
All things Merge. It's their 20th anniversary, you know.
- Portastatic Some Small History, Be Still Please, Make It Sound in Tune (covers)
- Score! 20 Years of Merge Records : the Covers
- Superchunk Leaves in Gutter
- Guided By Voices: I've just been listening to them. A lot.
Andrew Bird Noble Beasts - An absolute masterpiece.
The Thermals Now We Can See - "I Let It Go"; live at the Bowery
Metric Fantasies - "Help I'm Alive"
Neko Case Middle Cyclone - "Middle Cyclone," the song, hits like a ton of bricks. Despite the disappointing live show I attended at the Wellmont, this record was just fantastic.
Dinosaur Jr. Farm - live opening for Sonic Youth. (It was the first time I had worn earplugs to a show in about twenty years.)
Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca - "No Intention"; live at the Bowery, not very exciting but sounded great.
Bon Iver Blood Bank - Good Christ, Justin Vernon has a beautiful voice.
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion - I just got around listening to this record last week . I was seriously grooving in my cubicle.
Daniel Martin Moore Stray Age - "Stray Age"
Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted - OMG. Here's the thing about KC that makes her a step above the rest of the Idol-esque, melismatic horde: KC performs the song. She doesn't trill and leap to show off her talents. Like Frank Sinatra, she actually pays attention to lyrics and narratives of the songs, as silly and nonsensical as they may be. And that's why she's probably the best pop singer working today.
The best of the Nat King Cole Trio - "Tis Autumn"
Dean Wareham/Dean & Britta/Luna/Galaxie 500 - After reading his memoir, I loaded up on his discography and was summarily impressed. How do the Kiwis consistently write such great pop?
The Bats The Guilty Office - Speaking of Kiwis....
Nirvana Bleach reissue
Neil Young Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbuy House 1968 - "On the Way Home"
Ciao My Shining Star : the Songs of Mark Mulcahy - ... of Polaris/Pete & Pete fame; "All for the Best" Thom Yorke.
Jen Trynin Cockamamie - "Better Than Nothing"; Another great rock memoir.
John Doe & the Sadies Country Club - "The Night Life"
Dark Was the Night Red Hot compilation - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings "Inspiration Information"
Lou Barlow Goodnight Unknown - "Don't Apologize"; live solo at Mercury Lounge, cut short for me buy loud drunken Russians.
Sonic Youth The Eternal - "Walkin' Blue"; live at Terminal 5.
Nellie McKay Normal as Blueberry Pie : a Tribute to Doris Day - This is what I've been waiting for from NM: a straight jazz/standards album: no rapping, no winking, just great songs with great arrangements (by NM, herself)
AC Newman Get Guilty - Gotta admit that what I'm really waiting for another New Pornographers record, but this will do for now.
Elvis Costello Momofoku - "Shudder and Wow"; Profane and Sugarcane was good, but this is old school EC rock and soul from 2008, with Jenny Lewis and her crew backing him up.
Sondre Lerche Heartbeat Radio - "Easy to Persuade"
M Ward Hold Time - "Stars of Leo"
The Avett Brothers I and Love and You - "Kick Drum Heart"; I still can't believe these guys are on a major label.
Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid
Wye Oak The Knot
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down Know Better Learn Faster - "When We Swam"; She and Animal Collective are the super indie groovemasters of Aught Nine.
Passion Pit Manners - And also these guys ^^^
The Breeders & the Amps aka the Sisters Deal - "Saints" & "Tipp City" are my go-to wake-the-fuck-up songs
The Dears Missiles
Deastro Moondagger - I love an electropop record made in some Michigan kid's basement? Why not!
Melody Gardot My One and Only Thrill - Wow. A jazz album with new songs that's really, really good.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Teddy Thompson Separate Ways - "I Should Get Up"; I don't know if I've ever heard a more entrancing swoon-worthy voice...other than Lou Barlow's...*sigh*
Japandroids Post-Nothing - This is just two Vancouver kids rocking the shit out of it.
Telekinesis!
Barbara Manning/SF Seals - Found via the Merge covers collection. There's too much good to name just one song.
X Under the Big Black Sun - "The Hungry Wolf"; Yeah, I just got around to them...; live at the Bowery.
Grizzly Bear Veckatimest - "Fine for Now"; This record just gets better and better every time I hear it
Raphael Saadiq The Way I See It - I loved Tony! Toni! Tone! and this is a stellar piece of retrosoul
Solange Knowles - "Stillness is the Move" Dirty Projectors' cover
So good and I'm ashamed I haven't listen to them more...
Burning Hearts Aboa Sleeping
Maxwell BLACKsummersnight
BellX1 Blue Lights on the Runway
Throw Me the Statue Creaturesque
Antony & the Johnsons The Crying Light - This record is exceptional but just depresses the hell out of me.
Loney Dear Dear John
Iran Dissolver
David Bazan Curse Your Branches
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Levon Helm Electric Dirt
Pomegranates Everything is Alive
The Bad Plus w/Wendy Lewis For All I Care - Avant-jazz covers of (mostly) rock songs. It shouldn't work but it does.
Ida Maria Fortress 'Round My Heart - "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"
Robyn Hitchcock Goodnight Oslo
The Decemberists The Hazards of Love
Eels Hombre Lobo
Young Fresh Fellows I Think This Is
Department of Eagles In Ear Park
Doves Kingdom of Rust
The Mountain Goats The Life and the World to Come
Great Lake Swimmers Lost Channels
The Love Language
The Wooden Birds Magnolia
Visqueen Message to Garcia - "Ward"; Rachel Flotard might just be the coolest, nicest person in rock music.
Heartless Bastards The Mountain
Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career
The Low Anthem Oh My God Charlie Darwin
Yo La Tengo Popular Songs - "Periodically Double or Triple"; I even bought the actual physical disc of this and I just haven't listened to it all that much...
Grand Puba Retroactive
AA Bondy When the Devil's Loose
The Disappointments
Phoenix Wolfgang Amaedeus Phoenix - Funny. I was such huge fan of Alphabetical and the follow-up and so anxiously awaiting this record...but then when they became the ubiquitous car commercial I just never listened to WAP after that first go. It's not bad, I guess, they're just not my little secret of pop goodness anymore. And maybe they're heading to Coldplay territory? And that makes me sad?
Pearl Jam Backspacer - This just didn't sound like a PJ record, in that it sounds like a conscious attempts getting back on pop/modern rock radio, to be 'catchy.' Thing is they've always been able to write catchy songs, and lyrical songs, and fun rockers, and harsh rockers, drawn jams for nights of pot smoking, and the songs sounded organic and authentic. Here...nothing sounds like that except for "Unknown Thought," and maybe "Speed of Sound."
Ben Kweller Changing Horses - How could a country album by BK be disappointing? It just is. But then, nothing can surpass On My Way.
Brendan Benson My Old Familiar Friend - "Feel Like Taking You Home"; Just couldn't live up to the pop masterpiece that was Alternative to Love.
Maximo Park Quicken the Heart
Wilco Wilco (The Album) - Unlike a lot folks it seems, I loved Sky Blue Sky. It was a bit more low-key, and maybe simpler musically than the more vast sonic landscapes of YHF and AGIB, but the songs were so so good: "Impossible Germany" and "Sky Blue Sky" and "Hate It Here" .... WTA did not have a song that good. Usually a Wilco record has music that stays with me for days, weeks, etc., lyrics I can't shake like "Jesus, etc.," or "Handshake Drugs," but I honestly can't remember what this album sounds like, except that I think "Bull Black Nova" kinda rocked.
Stuff I Just Got and haven't listened to yet
The Twilight Sad Forget the Night Ahead - I've actually been listening to this as I've been typing and holyshitsogood.
Lightning Dust Infinite Light
The Swell Season Strict Joy - Also, there once was a vid out there of Glen Hansard covering R.E.M.'s "Hairshirt" on Jimmy Fallon. If you find it, keep the tissues handy.
New Stuff I heard first live
Rock Plaza Central ...at the moment of our most needing - Canadian alt folk ensemble with stunning harmonies, and opened for an otherwise unremarkable Weakerthans show at the Bowery.
Point Juncture WA Heart to Elk - Opened for the Thermals at the Bowery; Beautiful, lilting and fun.
Stuff I haven't got yet
Grand Archives Keep in Mind Frankenstein
BOAT Setting the Paces
Fanfarlo Reservoir
Emily Rodgers Bright Day
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A 2009 iTunes Inventory
Number of Songs: 6215
Number of Albums: 1358
Most Recently Played Song: "Everything is One Big Christmas Tree" Magnetic Fields
Most Played Song: "Jigsaw Falling into Place" Radiohead
Most Recently Added Album: Bleach / Nirvana (reissue)
First Song Alphabetically: "A.C. Cover" Camper Van Beethoven
Last Song Alphabetically: "ZZ Top Goes to Egypt" Camper Van Beethoven
First Song Numerically: "007 (Shanty town)" Desmond Dekker
Last Song Numerically: "90-Mile Water Wall" The National
Shortest Song: "(Untitled)" Maxwell (:05)
Longest Song: "Photogram/Om Eye Sweet Isthmus" Camper Van Beethoven (19:40)
First Album Alphabetically: (a)spera / Mirah
Last Album Alphabetically: Zen Arcade / Husker Du
First Album Numerically: #1 Record/Radio City / Big Star
Last Album Numerically: 3 Rounds and Sound / Blind Pilot
First Five Songs That Pop Up OnShuffle iTunes DJ:
"Tower Song" Martha Wainwright
"Room a Thousand Years Wide" Soundgarden
"Flume" Bon Iver
"Senor 007" Ray Barretto
"Good Feeling" Violent Femmes
Conclusion: I need to get some of that Camper Van off the hard drive....
Number of Albums: 1358
Most Recently Played Song: "Everything is One Big Christmas Tree" Magnetic Fields
Most Played Song: "Jigsaw Falling into Place" Radiohead
Most Recently Added Album: Bleach / Nirvana (reissue)
First Song Alphabetically: "A.C. Cover" Camper Van Beethoven
Last Song Alphabetically: "ZZ Top Goes to Egypt" Camper Van Beethoven
First Song Numerically: "007 (Shanty town)" Desmond Dekker
Last Song Numerically: "90-Mile Water Wall" The National
Shortest Song: "(Untitled)" Maxwell (:05)
Longest Song: "Photogram/Om Eye Sweet Isthmus" Camper Van Beethoven (19:40)
First Album Alphabetically: (a)spera / Mirah
Last Album Alphabetically: Zen Arcade / Husker Du
First Album Numerically: #1 Record/Radio City / Big Star
Last Album Numerically: 3 Rounds and Sound / Blind Pilot
First Five Songs That Pop Up On
"Tower Song" Martha Wainwright
"Room a Thousand Years Wide" Soundgarden
"Flume" Bon Iver
"Senor 007" Ray Barretto
"Good Feeling" Violent Femmes
Conclusion: I need to get some of that Camper Van off the hard drive....
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Did I miss anything? Just the Vodka, thank God.
Dollhouse, Season 2
I intended to post episode reviews, but laziness and a sense of fruitlessness, compelled me to abstain. In other words, I would be saying the same thing every week: stand-alone eps are weak and absurd, while the interior eps dealing with the ethics and background of the Dollhouse are some of the most intriguing television drama I've seen.
Stand-alones
Eliza and Tamoh, and their characters, still interest me the least. Though, I will say both the writing for them and their performances are better than what we saw during the first season. Nonetheless, when Echo and Paul take center stage, the rest of the DHers seem to lose dozens of IQ points: Really, who thought leaving the serial killer unguarded and still alive was a good idea? Anyone can come in or out of the place, unchecked and unseen.
TPTB also hit and miss with their use of guest stars. Jamie Bamber worked out great, all sinister with the accent and the hotness...mmmm Apollo..... um. right. But they also had Michael Hogan and let him die in a car accident halfway through the ep without doing much of anything! How do you waste Saul Fucking Tigh??!!!
The Grand Arc
When we stay in the Dollhouse we see one of the best ensembles on television. And we actually learn about these people: We learn about these people: Boyd the Fixer, Topher the MD, Priya the artist, the Doctors Saunders, Ms. Adele Lonelyhearts.... And here is also where Echo and her development as a sort of emancipating leader of the Dolls makes her the compelling question mark rather then the chick in the ridiculously tight clothes.*
Specifically, "Belonging" was even better because of how it tied to the unaired season one coda "Epitaph One." We see the beginning of Topher going mental and Adele's (now the functional alcoholic) beginning softness towards him, and Echo the Protector.
Oh, and as far as "Epitaph One" goes, my only real note is that I loved seeing Olivia Williams with a machine gun more than I can say.
So, while I do look forward to the eps returning in December, I kinda hope that Fox's shunning the series during November sweeps is a sign that they'll give the show a merciful death. I don't think Joss really has it in him, story-wise, to go further than this second season without annoying the shit out of me.
*Seriously, that dress she wore at the beginning of "Belonging" was retarded. Showing off a beautiful girl is fine, but she was basically naked. They give Dichen reasonable clothes. Why can't Eliza get a break? But it must also be said: Eliza needs to learn how to walk. A girl that pretty should glide, not lumber. Christ, I'm turning into to my grandmother.
I intended to post episode reviews, but laziness and a sense of fruitlessness, compelled me to abstain. In other words, I would be saying the same thing every week: stand-alone eps are weak and absurd, while the interior eps dealing with the ethics and background of the Dollhouse are some of the most intriguing television drama I've seen.
Stand-alones
Eliza and Tamoh, and their characters, still interest me the least. Though, I will say both the writing for them and their performances are better than what we saw during the first season. Nonetheless, when Echo and Paul take center stage, the rest of the DHers seem to lose dozens of IQ points: Really, who thought leaving the serial killer unguarded and still alive was a good idea? Anyone can come in or out of the place, unchecked and unseen.
TPTB also hit and miss with their use of guest stars. Jamie Bamber worked out great, all sinister with the accent and the hotness...mmmm Apollo..... um. right. But they also had Michael Hogan and let him die in a car accident halfway through the ep without doing much of anything! How do you waste Saul Fucking Tigh??!!!
The Grand Arc
When we stay in the Dollhouse we see one of the best ensembles on television. And we actually learn about these people: We learn about these people: Boyd the Fixer, Topher the MD, Priya the artist, the Doctors Saunders, Ms. Adele Lonelyhearts.... And here is also where Echo and her development as a sort of emancipating leader of the Dolls makes her the compelling question mark rather then the chick in the ridiculously tight clothes.*
Specifically, "Belonging" was even better because of how it tied to the unaired season one coda "Epitaph One." We see the beginning of Topher going mental and Adele's (now the functional alcoholic) beginning softness towards him, and Echo the Protector.
Oh, and as far as "Epitaph One" goes, my only real note is that I loved seeing Olivia Williams with a machine gun more than I can say.
So, while I do look forward to the eps returning in December, I kinda hope that Fox's shunning the series during November sweeps is a sign that they'll give the show a merciful death. I don't think Joss really has it in him, story-wise, to go further than this second season without annoying the shit out of me.
*Seriously, that dress she wore at the beginning of "Belonging" was retarded. Showing off a beautiful girl is fine, but she was basically naked. They give Dichen reasonable clothes. Why can't Eliza get a break? But it must also be said: Eliza needs to learn how to walk. A girl that pretty should glide, not lumber. Christ, I'm turning into to my grandmother.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
