Archive for March, 2008
Thursday, March 20th, 2008
Ive been listening to the new Nine Inch Nails record for the last couple of days and i really think it is an astounding piece of work. However track 13, its listed on the album as Ghosts 13, is the single saddest song i have ever heard. Its just a simple piano piece, with a metronome-esque electronic bass drum beat and some heavy breathing and excruciatingly light synth strings towards the end. Im sitting at my desk with my headphones in my ears to drown out the sounds of the idiots around me, Ive got my Itunes on shuffle and out of no where, the worlds saddest song. I dont have a lot of experience with super sad songs but heres a list of some of my “favorite”:
Decades - Joy Division
Across the Ocean - Azure Ray
I Want to Vanish - Elvis Costello
Grace is Gone - The Dave Matthews Band
Boxing - Ben Folds Five
Julia - The Beatles
How to Fight Loneliness - Wilco
It Makes No Difference - The Band
Salt to the Sea - Tim Finn
Thats all I can think of right now. Maybe Ill make a tape of sad songs. Two hours of misery. For that though Ill need more sad songs.
Anyone care to help?
Posted in music | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
In case you forgot the War is 5 years old today. I hope everyone remembered to call and sing happy birthday to it.
Remember when it was just a little War bordering on a mild skirmish. They grow up so fast dont they?
Mommy George and Daddy Dick must be so proud of you War. I even heard that Grandpa John recently paid it a visit. Thats so nice. Its like one big family cluster f#&% of death.
Come to think of if War you’ve grown up to be kind of an asshole. Maybe you should cut it out before someone gets hurt.
Oops. Too late.
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Added a new link to the blogroll suckas!
Zak Smith, a sometimes artist and according to his website a sometimes porn star, decided to illustrate what happens on every page of Thomas Pynchon’s classic Gravity’s Rainbow. It could be seen as an installation at various museums when he originally finished 4 or 5 years ago but is available now, everyday, in book form or at the web site i have so graciously given you a link to.
Your welcome.
Dont try to look at these all in on sitting. Also, dont try to read Gravity’s Rainbow while simultaneously following along with the pictures. I tried it once and my head exploded. I happen to have been blessed with a particularly useful disease known as Regenerating Cranium but i am unaware of anyone else who has been afflicted with this tragic but helpful illness and i wouldnt want to be responsible for anyone being permanently absent a head.
Thats not what Im about.
Posted in Books, whatever | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
The title of the book in question is The Blue Star by Tony Earley. he wrote a book earlier this century called Jim the Boy which features the same main characters as The Blue Star but was different in one important fundamental way: it was good. Not just compared to The Blue Star but, compared to lots of other good books, Jim the Boy holds its own among them. Its a very simple story about a boy named Jim Glass and a brief moment in his life growing up in North Carolina with his mother and three uncles. Its told simply, no flashy language, no massive plot points pushing the story in a direction it doesnt want to go, just a nice simple story about nice characters who all develop slowly but fully leaving you feeling very satisfied and glad you spent a couple days in their company. It even sports a cover reminiscent of a children’s book and thats what it is really, and this has been backed up by the author, a children’s book for adults.
The Blue Star features the same characters, the same type of cover, the same simple writing, the same essential story arch. so. why isnt it good? This time Jim is 17 year old baby. The writing while cute before and the perfect vehicle to tell the coming of age story of a 9 year old just seems ridiculous trying to unfold the story of a teenager being difficult during Worl War II. To make things even more awkward for Mr. Earley he decided to use his quaint innocent country voice to describe Jims emotions as he finds himself falling in love with the town war hero Bucky Bucklaw’s Native American girlfriend eventually involving the three of them in a pretty little love triangle.
It really all comes down to the writing with this one. The book hit the wall for me almost instantly. While technically sound (just because i cant do it doesnt mean i cant recognize it) the voice is just too sweet for the subject matter. its is amazing how a writer’s natural voice can either sink a book or make it soar. Even if you hate a book like Fight Club, that book would not have worked if the idea was executed in anyone else’s voice other than Chuck Palahniuk. Same thing with High Fidelity, same thing with Paul Austers best books, same thing with all of Thomas Pynchons books. This list could go one forever. Unfortunately i dont have forever, i was just trying to make a point at which i believe i have succeeded.
Posted in Books | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
First of all, what was up with the guy that introduced Barack? His name was Harris Wofford and he is a prime example of why we shouldnt discount the fact that Barack can make a good speech as a quality we look for in our president. His opening address was so awkward and poorly constructed that it was almost impossible to listen to. I found myself doing work for those couple of minutes to distract myself from its awfulness. I know it isnt the most important thing in the world but if our current president has shown us anything its that if you are an elected official and therefore a public figure you should be able to string two words together and make them make sense. if you cannot you are going to look like a moron. Im not saying Harris Wofford is a moron but he looks like one. George Bush on the other hand is a moron.
The speech:
This was not a leave me alone speech. This was not a ‘please stop calling me names’ speech. This was a speech to reaffirm in the minds of Americans that he is not your normal candidate for president. He wasnt born of the standard mold that the majority of our elected officials come from. He outlined his personal history and the history of race in our country early in this speech and spent the rest of his time tying those facts together beautifully and in a way that was designed to make anyone listening question their part in the past present and future of this country. it wasnt a speech in which Barack went on the defensive trying to provide facts to put the subject of his race and his relationship to his pastor to rest, it was a speech in which he was trying to bring those things to the front of all of consciousness so we might all consider what it means.
The thing i most took away from this speech was a call for unity. a call for the people of the united states to, as he put it, “have a common stake in one another.”
Im at work right now and im trying to put my thoughts together on what i just heard and i have so many emotions about it that im not quite sure how to begin. I guess what i most feel is relief. relief that he didnt take the low road and start calling people out about how people may have wronged him during his campaign. If you dont come away from that speech seriously considering your place in the history of our nation then you either arent listening or you have a lot more work to do regarding yourself and how you regard humanity. he said several times that he is not perfect and that he doesnt expect America to be perfect, not in one election and ultimately not ever when it comes to ones personal feelings about race. but I did get the feeling that while he doesnt expect us to be perfect he at least expects us to make the effort, whites, blacks, latinos and asians to understand where we are all coming from. where black people are coming from, where white people are coming from, where their immigrant ancestors are coming from. he expects us to do the work and consider why we feel the way we do about people that dont look like us. and it may have escaped you while you are reading this but it didnt escape me while i was writing it, he EXPECTS things of us other than that we vote for him. he wants this country to be great and he wants us to reach our full potential as people and as a nation.
im sure all the candidates in some way want this same thing and i dont question their general sincerity but i do question the level of their sincerity. I wonder how much they have actually considered the American people and their emotional intelligence, and how that emotional intelligence compassion, can be even more important than the intelligence that makes us good at math or science or remembering facts and dates, in their desire to be president. im sure some but after todays speech i wonder if they do the same way that Barack does.
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Monday, March 17th, 2008
i posted two new links to sites that i dig on a regular basis. they are both for people who write for the Chicago Sun Time a pretty good national rag, Jim DeRogatis and Roger Ebert. Jim writes a music and entertainment blog and he hates Juno so he can be my friend. He was responsible for this book Milk It that i was into a few years ago. he’s a pretty good writer and most importantly he hates Juno.
Roger Ebert is a great writer and he loves Juno which makes no sense to me. The two were actually engaged in a blog feud of sorts over whether or not Juno is good. Juno is not good, but that is not the issue. Roger Ebert is the standard bearer for all movie reviewers and his writing, im not to concerned with the TV show, has informed my knowledge of film since i discovered him while doing research for a paper on the Accidental Toursit for my film as literature class when i was a senior in high school. as i recall my teacher was unfamiliar with the Ebert and i ended up just cutting and pasting most of his review into my essay. I believe i got an A on that paper and i would be lying if i told you i was sorry.
anyway, Ebert is the best. if you have nothing to do and want an extended history lesson on film, scroll through his reviews of “The Great Movies.” They are full of information on the period during which the movie was made, personal recollections, always my favorite, and things you never thought you needed to know about movies like Vengeance Is Mine, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, and Blade Runner, all three of which he wrote about recently.
Ebert has only been writing sporadically since he has been sick so his editor Jim Emerson does a lot of the writing. Jim is different. For an example look up his review of ‘Donnie Darko.’ I just thought the movie was about a ridiculous kid who yells at Patrick Swayze and sees a big black anti-climactic bunny everywhere before being inexplicably crushed to death by a jet engine but Jim has different take. After reading it maybe you also can find the clues to Donnies hidden desire to have sex with his sister that Jim says propels the whole movie. Just so you know i did watch it again and i couldnt find it.
Love me some Tears for Fears though.
Posted in Movies, whatever | No Comments »
Monday, March 17th, 2008
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
A message to all of those kids out there who want to be indie rock stars: its all about the songs. Dont worry about singing super goofy or writing songs with insane chord changes that dont make any sense or having the drummer play in a funky time the song doesnt deserve. and dont worry about cutting your hair in a crazy way or wearing low rider jeans with studded belts. dont worry about any of that stuff. Just worry about writing a good song, worry about writing a GREAT song. If you need an example of how this can be done within the vein of indie rock, a place where the actual song generally comes second to what the song means or what you were trying to accomplish sonically in the studio, look no further than Pavement’s second album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, the greatest collection of indie rock songs ever compiled on a vinyl or plastic disc.
There is something so simple about Pavement songs that makes you want to form a band just to play them but half way through the intro to Silent Kit, the first song on Crooked Rain, you realize that you and youre band are in no way cool enough to try and play a Pavement song, which is not your fault. They dont mean to be so cool they just are. Their lyrics make no sense and some of their songs have five or six distinct part some lasting whole minutes some lasting mere seconds its all there in a Pavement tune. Considering they invented the indie rock cliche if not the genre itself it is surprising that they are able to turn those cliches; feedback fests, sloppy guitar play, atonal singing, obvious self consciousness, into 6 classics of not just indie rock but all rock that was composed and performed in the 1990’s. Im talking about Silent Kit, Elevate Me Later, Stop Breathin, Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz, and Range Life and each in their own way grants you access to a little known place called indie rock heaven.
If there is one thing that sucks about being 26 its that i was born in 1982 which would have made me 12 when Crooked Rain came out in 1994. I dont remember if i was listening to something specific when i was 12. i think by then i may have invested my Dads money in that 12 cds for a penny scam that BMG and Columbia music clubs used to run in Spin and Rolling Stone. If this was the case then i was listening to the first Weezer record, the Who’s Tommy, Core by Stone Temple Pilots, things like that. I certainly was not listening to Slanted and Enchanted which would have been the only way for me to have even known that there was such a bands as Pavement. My age is a travesty in this case friends. Oh how i wish to have been born in 1980. Then i might have been able to say i was aware of Nirvana and if you werent born in 1982 or after, then you might not know that the subject always comes up at some point, when engaged in conversation with a peer, whether or not you were aware of Nirvana before Nevermind came out. I can honestly say i was not and i am happy to say that because Nevermind is not a great record. it is no In Utero.
Do i think my life would have been different if i had discovered Crooked Rain in my teens rather than in my 2o’s? Yes. I would have had a far greater exposure to a lot of similar music if i had known about the Pavement. Chavez, Guided By Voices, the Pixies, Sebadoh, Archers of Loaf, Superchunk. These are all need to know bands that I immediately feel in love with after having taken my first mind bending, face melting taste of indie rock.
My favorite flavour? Pavement.
Posted in music | 2 Comments »
Monday, March 17th, 2008
Happy St Patricks Day.
There was that petition from Guinness going around trying to get the government to acknowledge St Pattys as a national holiday. I was getting ready to log onto my computer one morning and sign said petition when, on my way to work, i heard that this idea was being championed by Carson Daly. Needless to say, i did not sign the petition. i refuse to take part in anything that is represented by Carson Daly. I dont care how good the cause is. You must be able to find a better spokesman that Carson Daly. Maybe someone relevant and who isnt a stupid tool.
Just a thought.
Posted in whatever | No Comments »
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
Damn you, writers’ strike!
As a result of the lack of new programming during prime time these past few months, my wife Laurie and I started watching American Idol, something we have never watched in the past. And, like millions of others not just in the United States but around the globe, we have become more than just regular viewers, but also critics of the performances, dress, attitude and song choices of the contestants.
This past week, the 12 Idol-wannabees had the opportunity to choose from the Lennon-McCartney catalog for the first time in show history. I wondered briefly what songs they might choose, but didn’t dwell on it, wanting myself to be surprised and perhaps delighted by their choices. After last Tuesday’s night show, let’s just say there were fewer surprises and delights, and more choices that both shocked and sickened. If originality is a factor, then why rehash versions of songs already made popular by Earth, Wind and Fire or Stevie Wonder? A country version of Eight Days a Week - are you kidding? And, to be honest, has anyone ever covered Across the Universe and done it justice (I’m open to challenges)?
So, where this may be too late for the 11 remaining contestants to change their choices for round 2 of the Lennon-McCartney theme, here are some of the songs I think they should attempt:
Oh, Darling - just promise me that they won’t copy the lame Robin Gibb version from the Sgt. Pepper movie.
No Reply - a great stalker song that someone could really nail with a more sinister sound.
Fool on the Hill - a versatile song that is one of my favorites.
Long and Winding Road - Simon is bound to hate this, but I don’t care.
I’m Down - for the rockers on the show, this was a staple of Beatle concerts (before they stopped touring, of course).
Yer Blues - this is the big-risk, big-payoff song; if someone can carry this one off, they could go a long way.
Revolution - there are already two existing versions to choose from; maybe there’s another possible arrangement.
You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away - a fun song, and one that can accommodate audience participation (if that’s allowed).
And Your Bird Can Sing - another one of my favorites that would also give the band a chance to replicate George’s brilliant guitar from the original.
Back in the USSR - another one for the rockers on the show.
You’re Gonna Lose that Girl - maybe start this one a cappella, and then bring the band in.
I’d also like to suggest a couple of songs they should not attempt:
A Day in the Life - I know Tom said he figured out a way to cut this down to two minutes, but that would be all-risk, no reward.
Strawberry Fields Forever - you don’t mess with perfection.
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer or Yellow Submarine - avoid the goofy songs.
Yesterday - I know they will be tempted, and thousands have done it before, many badly - please just say no.
Posted in OneVoice | 3 Comments »
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
i tried to download this last week when it first came out but was unsuccessful. Im not sure what happened, the website kept saying that if you are having difficulty downloading the record its because they were unaware and unprepared for the amount of downloads they were getting. I was finally able to get it on Thursday. This is unlike any Nine Inch Nails record that has ever been released. For one its all instrumental, the only vocals are the occasional heavy breathing but thats to be expected on a moody atmospheric record like this one. You gots ta have some heavy breathing. Its also unlike any Nine Inch Nails record because you get the feeling that there is more going on inside Trent Reznor this time instead of just hating himself, whatever chick just dumped him, or recently the government. So finally when it seems like Trent has something to say he decides to say nothing, which makes this record so much more interesting. it isnt 1994 anymore and there are plenty of bands telling me what losers they are and what bitches women are and its nice that Trent and the whole Nine inch Nails project have finally noticed that their tortured muscled posturing is just ridiculous and all we really want from him are great freaking tunes and this record is full of great tunes.As with all instrumental albums there is some filler. There are some distortion exercises i can do without and his experimentation with hip hop beats is a little silly but there are 36 songs here and im pretty sure congress just voted in a bill that says if you have more than 11 songs on a record at least one of them has to directly influenced by hip hop. Mediocre tracks aside, the rest of the record is just so intensely cinematic you’ll find yourself writing scenes, casting the film and watching dailies in your head at night while you sleep. If you like Harold Budd and Brian Eno or any of those ambient masters this record fits right in their with the best of those artist’s material. I went in having no preconceived notions about what this would be. Im on my second run through now and the songs just continue to reveal new and interesting things with each listen.Also, this is a legitimate record, i think its being released in stores in April. It isnt just some artist dumping their hard drive onto their website and asking for money. Dont be scared.
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