mykonos

This isn't a video.. just an audio track, buthe sound this band creates is stunningly beautiful. It needs to be shared.

i don't think 10 billion will fit in this bag

ha ha ha

The Rise of Cobra

Was GI Joe : The Rise of Cobra a good fim? No. Was it enjoyable? Oh yes. I was relly expecting a train wreck after seeing the commercials and trailer, but surprsingly it wasn't so bad. Ok.. For any non fan of GI Joe this movie will be ridiculous, but I grew up reading the comics, buying the toys and watching the cartoon and the movie did a good job capturing the mood and tone of the cartoon while modernizing it a bit. This is a far supior movie to Transformers 2 becuase it knew exactly what kind of film it was from the first frame. Sure the effects look fake and the acting is a bit wooden (While most critics hated Channing Tatum's Duke, I saw what he was trying to do and didn't mind his performance), but in the villians are over the top and remind me a little bit of villians from the 80's movies I love. And the storytelling options for a sequel are pretty interesting. Of course there are a few thuings the film got horribly wrong.. Why did Snake Eye's mask have lips??? Who designed Cobra Comander's mask? Ugliest thing I've ever seen. Why not use the classic mirror face mask? The stupoid sub-plot connecting Duke and the Baroness.. I'll let this slide as it does help up some intriguing possibilites for the sequel. I don't know if it is becuause my expectations were so low, but i give Gi Joe two flawed thumbs up.

acme novelty

In my travels around this sad and beautiful world of ours I have learned at least one thing. Stand up comics and indie comic book creators are the most depressed people on the planet. Chris Ware is a perfect of example. His Acme Novelty Library books are filled with the most bittersweet little slices of life you'll ever read. Loneliness, desperation and heartache permeate his work, yet a quiet sense of dignity all remains. This makes his work instantly ratable to 90% of the people out there. Too bad more people don't read his work.

i can't stop listening to this song...

basterds

I'm so psyched for this movie.. and once again the use of music is genius

just a cool music video

great scene

a band i miss

Ruby

still

one of my favorite bad movies...

tranformers.. animated

During a particularly viscious bout of insomniai started watching the first season of the animated Transformers series formther 80s. I have to say that the show has a quality beyond the nostalgia of 30 somethings who grew up watching this show. As far as a 30 minute commercial for a toy line goes this could have been a lot worse. The characterization is simple for a child to get while adding a certain dynamic that adds to the storytelling. And Soundwave was everybody's favorite character..

transformers

Saw Transformers: Rise of the Fallen this weekend. It's getting slagged by critics and i can see why. It is by no means a great film. I think the reason it isn't is that it never really figures out what kind of a movie it wants to be. On one hand you have a kids movie feel with fart jokes and robot balls. On the other you have pot brownies and dog humping. I really don't ask much for movies. I take them for what they are and generally I can be entertained and all is good. But a film needs to know WHAT it is and what it wants to say. If it's a kids movie then fine.. Michael bay could have made a decent movie within those parameters, but he wanted to please the hipsters that grew up with the toy franchise. The result? No one gets pleased and characters that many have a nostalgia for get pissed on. And don't get me started on Skids and Mudflap. Are they racist? I think so. Let me ask you this. If the characters were live actor and not robots would you be offended by how they were portrayed? Absolutely.

damn

misery loves comedy

Ivan Brunetti has misanthropy down to such a science that it becomes philosophy. Misery Loves Comedy is his manifesto. Crudely drawn cartoons chock full of hate, loathing, suicide and nihilism extolling the virtues of abortion, mass murder and genital mutilation, these cartoons are NOT for the squeamish. But if you can stomach the darkness and pain you'll find that they are pretty damn funny. These comics are a good stress reliever after a bad day. Ivan hates so we don't have to.

sifl and olly

save our ceos

a coney island of the mind

This is one of the better books of poetry i have read. Lawrence Ferlinghetti is one of the co-owners of the City Lights bookstore where the beat writers first got published (most notably the ubiquitous version of Allan Ginsberg's Howl). Although Lawrence was never really one of the inner circle of the beat writers his impact on the scene cannot not be denied. The poems in this collection are screams of dreamy freedom with a love of the way language and words sound. You can read these poems. But it's even better to say them out loud with a jazz band backing you up.

black flag

Jealous cowards try to control
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
They distort what we say
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Try and stop what we do
Rise above
When they can't do it themselves

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

Society's arms of control
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Think they're smart
Can't think for themselves
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Laugh at us
Behind our backs
I find satisfaction
In what they lack

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

We are born with a chance
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above
We're gonna rise above

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

90's indie rock

.. I miss it.

stonehenge

love this

pavement

Ahhh College..

memories.. again

Loreena Mckennitt.. The Mummer's Dance. Didn't even like this album all that much. But I remember listening to it for hours on end waiting for the sun to come up..

feel good hit of the summer

It's been said that the Star Trek film is the first film reflecting America's optimism in the era of Obama. The director, JJ Abrams, denies this. It was written before Obama was even elected. That may very well be, but what he is discounting is that it's not the film that reflects this optimism per se, but the reaction of the public. If this film hadn't done so well it's first weekend and seemed so loved by the audience then yes, Abrams may have a point. But you can't question the fact that the people have reacted to this film and it seems to have struck a nerve. Yeah maybe the country IS in a good mood despite the economic worries. Yes we can.

garden state

This soundtrack will always remind me of one of the best weeks of my life. It's funny how seeing a movie with the right people can be magic. There was something in the air that night. It's lost now, but I can still remember how powerful it felt. Like you were on a ride, but so was everybody else.

scott pilgrim

Scott Pilgrim.. Yeah it's a little light hearted compared to what I normally read, but I can't help being pulled in by it's hyper energy. This book may be in black and white but it feels full color. Characters you can like and relate to even if they are in their 20s and use samurai swords. Can't wait to see what Edgar Wright does with the film adaptation..

I love the coup

memories

phantasm

This has to be one of the best bad movies I've ever seen. It gives Maximum Overdrive a run for its money. Horrible acting, horrible dialog, and horrible clothes.. And yet there were some beautifully composed shots and the score is incredible. The director has some talent, but the performance he got out of the actors is just 100% pure shit. It has to be seen to believed. Totally worthy of its classic status

am i the only one?

who thinks the Dictators where an ugly version of the New York Dolls?

classic video - at least to me

speaking of dada pt 2

If Frisky Dingo is dada filtered through geek culture then Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job is dada filtered through a Brooklyn hipster's asshole and shit out all over a Williamsburg loft party full of coke and ugly people. This series cranks up the disturbing by a factor of 10. Watch 5 mins of this strangeness and you'll feel like you need a shower.. but not exactly why. And I love how they get guest stars like Jeff Goldblum and John C. Reily..

speaking of dada

Frisky Dingo is dada filtered through 80's comic books and 90's Saturday morning cartoons. I swear the writers make this shit up as they go right before deadline. The result is often bizarre sometimes hilarious. And for the unfamiliar slightly disturbing. Worth the time to watch on your netflix.

tales designed to thrizzle

Dada was an art movement started int he 20's and 30's. It was, to put it mildly, the realm of the absurd. It was basically a reaction to the horror of WW1. The horros experinced in that war were extreme that everything to dadaists was otherwordly. It's an art movement that has influnced almost every medium form the cut up style of Beat writers to the noise of Industrial music. Now ad comics to that list. Michael Kupperman's Tales Designed to Thrizzle is absurdist humor taken to the extremes of coherency. And good Lord is it funny. If the utter strangesness of the goings on won't make you laugh the vulgarity will. From baby poops-a-lot to the adventures of Snake and Bacon, everyone will find something to laugh at.

a clip

I've been posting a lot of videos.. What can I say it's been a few days since I've come across anything I feel like writing about. Well I'm stating the first volume of Tales Designed to Thrizzle, so I'm sure that will spark my interest. In the meantime here's a clip from Taxi Driver.

live faith no more

I love this band..

state song

Do You Realize - the new state rock song of Oklahoma..

hum

Hum.. Stars... reminds me of 95..

bottomless belly button

I've been reading a lot of indie comic lately. Not sure why, just a lot of good ones have come my way lately. One of the best is Bottomless Belly Button. Coming in at over 600 pages, BBB tells the story of a family falling apart.. Although personally I think that the true magic of this book is not the family dynamic, but how each character personally deals with the downfall. Alan Moore once said that with Watchmen he aimed to tell a story in a way only comics can. BBB does this as well. with diagrams, blueprints, handwritten letters, the author, Dash Shaw, has melded straigh ahead narrative with emotional, yet simple art. This is def a book worth the time it takes to read it.

spring

always puts me in a mood for a good Quentin Tarrantino flick..

a short video

about the book I'm reading now

vicky christina barcelona

I like Woody Allen, but I feel that I'm not always his intended audience. Especially with his newer films. I'm not the upper class, jet setting, tennis playing type, so for about the past decade I've appreciated rather than loved his films. Then comes Vicky Christina Barecelona. The tone of this movie is so pitch perfect. I'm in awe of how he balanced to make the characters seem real, yet at the same time poke fun at the culture that has been his bread and butter recently. Well congrats Woody... Ya still got it.

i love

Ghostworld. And Seymour is my favorite character..

a graphic history of the beats

Harvey Pekar, the cantankerous genius behind American Splendor, has put together a comprehensive history of the Beat scene. It's always been one of my favorite movements in literature and the effect it had is still be felt in popular culture today. Pekar and friends leave no stone unturned. Everyone from the big guns (Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs) to lesser known but still important contributers like Lawrence Ferlinghetti (co-founder of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco, Diane DiPrima and rabble rousing band The Fugs are covered in a clear and respectful style. This is a beautiful introduction to these writers. And ever sparked my interest in poetry again.

A song from..

my favorite film. Magnolia. Aimee Mann, "Save Me"

covergirls

Got this book today. I generally don't pick up coffee table books, but this one is a very entertaining look at the evolution of the female superhero in comics. From Supergirl moaning about not having a date to Catwoman's modern s&m garb it's easy to see that comics have been the canary in the coal mine when it comes to reflecting the cultural mores of society at large.

art is rebellion

Walking the side streets around Union Square in Manhattan. Discarded technical books, abandoned half empty bottles of red wine, stores selling stereos too expensive for anyone walk by the windows can afford. Then you hit the square... The sun shines. People selling homemade trinkets, jotting down stories in beat up note books, sketching furiously. Making art..

art is creation
creation is rebellion


there's too much death already..

this..

cracked me up. Does a great job of poking fun at Bay's over the top style.. and his choice of shitty music.

here comes a regular

This has to be one of the saddest songs ever written. What makes it even more sad is that the older I get the closer it hits home...

single of the year?

This is the single of the year.. So far.

10 cent plague

Reading a good book at the moment. The 10 cent plague is a comprehensive history of comic books. In particular the struggles they've had with cencorship. Specifically the 1950s crusade agasint the horror comics publisehd by EC. You can talk all you want about morality, but the problem the stuffed shirts really had with comics is that they were by and for the working class. Comics as a medium has had to fight since its inception for respect and the only real reason why is that they have always been blue collar. Judging by the history books it was rock n roll that changed society in the 50s... I think comics had just as much to do with it. Here's to jazz and comics. The two true American art forms.

feeling down

so here's a Velvet Underground video... Something very.. empathetic about their music..

nighthawk

Just finished reading the Nighthawk graphic novel. Based on the 00's version of the Squadron Supreme character rather than the 80's version, this is exactly what I look for in a graphic novel. Tight storytelling with cinematic art. Marvel originally created the Squadron Supreme characters as a perralell to DCs stable of characters. There was a Superman, a Batman, a Green Lantern, etc.. The first Squdron Supreme was one of the first to deal with superheroes in an adult way. They were flawed.. They died. In fact it preceded Watchmen. As much of a classic as it is, it never had the cultural ressonance. I guess it was a little to ahead of tis time. But in the 00's Marvel decided to re-imagine the characters. Nighthawk is the Batman inthe Squadron Supreme. IN the new version he is a black man trying to clean up the streets. Then comes the psychopathic Whiteface to fuck up his world. This graphic novel is violent, but never gratuitous. It may not let you look away from death, but it doesn't make it look good either. If this was made into a film it would do just as much to place the Batman mythos in the forefront of American culture as the Dark Knight did last summer.

all the young dudes

what can I say? I like this tune

mastodon

Southern rock, prog and metal. Having these genres come together should be a disaster. But not in Mastodon's hands. Grimy guitars soaked in mud doesn't get in the way of complicated song structures or virtuosic playing. Added to this songs about Moby Dick and Rasputin you have thinking man's metal for the music's working class roots. I've never really had much desire to learn guitar. That was until I started listening to Mastodon regularly. Now I kinda want to pick up a guitar and play around. Or maybe I'll pick up an ax and find a tree to cut down.

rip

andy hallet ... better known as Lorne on Angel. he will be missed

belated watchmen review

Ok, I know the film has been out for 3 weeks now, and I've posted about it a lot. But one thing I haven't done is expressed my opinion, so here goes. Watchmen has been one of my favorite stories of all time from the first time I read it when it first came out in 85. I was 11 and I was a little different after I had read it. It changed something inside me. it was dark, dense, complex and HEAVY. This is anything but light reading. It was like a rite of passage. So i could not approach the film version with anything but a fanboy's devotion, anticipation and worry. The chance of the movie failing were huge. Well now that I've seen it i have to say it was the best possible adaption that could exist on film. The only way to have done this better is to do a 1 season cable television series. Zack Snyder packed all the density and detail of the graphic novel. I only wish more of Rorschach journal entries could have been included. Zack Snyder had what is necessary for making a great comic book movie. Love for the source material. The acting was overall good and I can deal with the somewhat shoddy make up jobs. I know this film has been getting mixed reviews, but come on fans.. Do you realize how much worse this could have been? Having said that there are 4 quibbles that I feel are legitimate.

1) The ending - So who cares that there wasn't a squid monster. It wouldn't have worked on film and you know it. But the thing that got to me was Jon being forced to leave rather than choosing it. In the novel there was a quiet dignity to Jon's smile as he teleported off to distant galaxies. On the other hand having a "god" people KNOW is watching gives Adrian's peace a little more staying ability. And the cultural impact would be fun to explore.

2) The music - Yes I know we've heard these songs used again and again. But know when I hear them I think of Watchmen. That's saying something.

3) The sex scene - Cheesy, yes.. But guys you get to see Malin Akerman's tits so please stop your bitchin'

4) People who weren't familiar with the book find it a bit hard to follow and long winded. Well this says more about the source material then anything else. Time has separated form a cold war fear of nuclear annihilation, so the sense of dread the novel had is a bit diluted. If this film gets one person to read the book it has been worth it. And I think it has achieved that many times over.

So, to sum up, Watchmen will probably be my number 1 film of 2009.

i like this version

rip

Louie Bellson

nine inch nails live from woodstock '94

- 'nuff said

why i love

Watchmen

I am obsessed with the Watchmen movie right now. every day I'll scope the net for new info and clips. But I wouldn't care about the movie if I didn't love the source material. I read the graphic novel when i was 11. It was heavy. I remember reading it in the back of my father's pick up truck on a trip to visit my grandmother in Pennsylvania. It was heavy, man. I didn't know what it all meant but i know it meant SOMETHING. It was more than just a comic..I realize now that it was my first experience with true literature. Now I've read it a few times and I know the themes and metaphors. It's No wonder that the New York Times listed it as one of the best novels of the 20th century.

ray

When you think of Ray Charles you think pop singer or maybe even a blues or r&b guy. But listening to the Pure Genius box set I have to say he was a pretty good Jazz guy. Just because he had commercial success in the pop medium doesn't mean that is the on;y avenue of his career to explore. The guy had jazz chops in spades..

usually

I hate fan made trailers.. But this one is actually donewell..

rip

Lux Interior - singer for The Cramps....

pretty psyched

Yes Im a dork.. but I'm pretty excited for this.

a moment of silence please

Today is the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. The day the music died....

rip

English folkie John Martyn.

Here is at Reading University in 1978

john lennon and yoko with frank zappa

not the best quality but still pretty cool.

sarah says goodbye

stupids

Stupids were a skate punk band from England. They got their start in the 80s. They never received a lot of noteriety, but what I find interesting about them and their "Peruvian Vacation" LP specifically is that you can see the mixing of metal and punk that would ultimately lead to the exterem music of bands like Napalm Death (see my earlier post). It's like seeing the creature that would become death metal take it's first steps on land. The songs are raw, the production is shitty but sometimes evolution isn't pretty. Natural selection may have done away with this band and skate punk in general, but you can still see their imprint on bands today.

a lesson in the history of grindcore

been listening to a lot of Napalm Death lately...

yet another elliott smith song

Miss Misery

little gold men

well the Oscar nominations have been announced.. What is the big deal about Benjamin Button anyway? I've seen it.. wasn't all that impressed. But on the other hand I'm glad that heath Ledger, Mickey Rourke, Meryl Streep and Frank Langella got nominations. I don't care about who wins, but as the saying goes "it's an honor just to be nominated"




. Best Picture: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"; Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"; Sean Penn, "Milk"; Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."

3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"; Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"; Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"; Meryl Streep, "Doubt"; Kate Winslet, "The Reader."

4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, "Milk"; Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"; Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"; Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road."

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "Doubt"; Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"; Viola Davis, "Doubt"; Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler."

6. Director: David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"; Gus Van Sant, "Milk"; Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"; Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire."

7. Foreign Film: "The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany; "The Class," France; "Departures," Japan; "Revanche," Austria; "Waltz With Bashir," Israel.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"; Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"; David Hare, "The Reader"; Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire."

9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"; Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"; Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"; Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, "WALL-E."

10. Animated Feature Film: "Bolt"; "Kung Fu Panda"; "WALL-E."

11. Art Direction: "Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "The Duchess," "Revolutionary Road."

12. Cinematography: "Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

13. Sound Mixing: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Slumdog Millionaire," "WALL-E," "Wanted."

14. Sound Editing: "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," "Slumdog Millionaire," "WALL-E," "Wanted."

15. Original Score: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat; "Defiance," James Newton Howard; "Milk," Danny Elfman; "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman; "WALL-E," Thomas Newman.

16. Original Song: "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; "O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.

17. Costume: "Australia," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Duchess," "Milk," "Revolutionary Road."

18. Documentary Feature: "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)," "Encounters at the End of the World," "The Garden," "Man on Wire," "Trouble the Water."

19. Documentary (short subject): "The Conscience of Nhem En," "The Final Inch," "Smile Pinki," "The Witness -- From the Balcony of Room 306."

20. Film Editing: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "Slumdog Millionaire."

21. Makeup: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

22. Animated Short Film: "La Maison en Petits Cubes," "Lavatory -- Lovestory," "Oktapodi," "Presto," "This Way Up."

23. Live Action Short Film: "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)," "Manon on the Asphalt," "New Boy," "The Pig," "Spielzeugland (Toyland)."

24. Visual Effects: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man."

simply a great song

repo

Fri night I attended a screening of Repo! The Genetic Opera. I haven't seen anything like this since the glory days of Rocky Horror. I was one of the few people not dressed up as a character from the film. The audience sang along with every song and listened with rapt attention as director Darren Lynn Bousman, actor/writer Terrance Zdunich, and star Alexa Vega (better known as Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film franchise)answered questions. There was even a little burlesque show before the film. As for the movie. Over the top is a phrase that def comes to mind. Gorey, gothic and humorous this film is entirely ridiculous and that's the point. This one is sure to be a cult classic in the years to come.

hilarious clip

post office

Ok, so this is the first Bukowski novel I've read. Insanely readable, and in some spots all too easy to relate to What can I say? I have a fondness for stories about drunken losers. I'd rather read about them than some well off middle class idiots on Prozac. Give me booze and whores any day. I bet Hemingway would have liked this novel.

savory

Jawbox. The height of indie cool in the 90s.. Then they got signed by a major adn that was that...

glasvegas

The NME called Glasvegas "the best new band in Britain", and we all know the NME deal in hyperbole the way strippers deal in dollar bills, but if Glasvegas isn't the best band in Britain, they definitely are in the top 10. What gives them the spark of brilliance is the mixing of shoegazer-like ethereal haze with a genuine gift of pop sensibilities. To put it simply, the music is dreamy but grounded with melodies so it doesn't get boring or disappear up its own ass in art for arts sake. Never underestimate the power of well written pop hook. It's not necessarily a bad thing to write songs that get stuck in people's heads, is it?

sifl and olly

I miss this show

Rasl

Rasl is Jeff Smith's (creator of the legendary Bone series)new endeavor. And I gotta say I'm loving it. Just read the first trade paperback and it is a perfect mix of cinematic mainstream comic action and the respect of early comic greats like Jack Kirby that stuffy comic critics love so much. But if your expecting kid friendly adventure like Bone this is darker stuff.

mad world

my top movies of 08

Dark Knight




The Wrestler



Frost/Nixon



Doubt



Zack And Miri Make a Porno



Wall E



Hounddog



Iron Man



Man On Wire



Burn After Reading

Top 10 albums of 08

Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone




Santogold - Santogold




She&Him - Volume 1




Nas - N




Girltalk- Feed The Animals



Rupa and the April Fishes - eXtraOrdinary rendition




Weezer - The Red Album




Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend



Lil' Wayne - The Carter 3



Nine Inch Nails - The Slip