human monsters: January 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

rip

English folkie John Martyn.

Here is at Reading University in 1978

Thursday, January 29, 2009

john lennon and yoko with frank zappa

not the best quality but still pretty cool.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

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.

Monday, January 26, 2009

a lesson in the history of grindcore

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

Friday, January 23, 2009

yet another elliott smith song

Miss Misery

Thursday, January 22, 2009

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."

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

simply a great song

Monday, January 19, 2009

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.

Friday, January 16, 2009

hilarious clip

Thursday, January 15, 2009

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.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

savory

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

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

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?

Monday, January 12, 2009

sifl and olly

I miss this show

Thursday, January 08, 2009

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.