The End of 2008 Has Arrived, I'm Pulling Out My Soap Box

It's a cold Thursday in the city of brotherly love and we're exactly 7 days from Christmas. While there's no real news to report, it's time to start the end of the year festivities while I have some time. Unfortunately, I'll only be doing a music list this year. I'm not sure what really happened, but 2008 saw me seeing little to no movies. I saw The Dark Night and that was outstanding, easily one of the best super hero movies ever made. I saw others as well, but trying to appraise the year's films wouldn't be fair because I just didn't see that many.

Musically though, 2008 was as my editor in chief would say, "A motherfucker man!" A lot came and went, but a lot stuck around as well. There were some comebacks both successful (Portishead, My Bloody Valentine) and failed (The Verve) and plenty of new faces that'll keep those who already love music talking (for those just coming to music, there's plenty of inspiration for further exploration). As with 2007, music that made it easy to move the feet was the predominant order of the day, but thinking man's art played a stellar role from where I stand. There were out and out rockers as well as socially conscious club bangers. The only genre for me that seemed not to have a huge presence at the party was hip hop. Sure, Kanye brought out another fantastic album in 808s & Heartbreak, but anyone who's made that journey knows it's not a hip hop album. The Roots brought out the equally awesome Rising Down, but that wasn't without its shortcomings. The only really long lasting hip hop impression for me came from an oldie but a goodie. You'll just have to wait and see.

Because I was seemingly drowned in good music to listen to this year, I've got a couple lists. First is a group of albums that really burned bright and made an impression that either didn't sustain for long or I just didn't have enough time with the album between when I heard it and now. In any other past year, these might've really been top contenders, but alas, 2008 just wasn't to be for them in my opinion (as if that ever mattered anyway). Here's my first grouping of 2008 talking points.

In No Particular Order:

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

This album has everything in its right place in such a manner that it should be criminal. Many critics seem to want to give this album more sophistication that it deserves. Then again, maybe I'm the only philistine in the room. There are plenty of great songs here from "Oxford Comma," "A-Punk," and "Mansard Roof" to "Walcott" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" that'll welcome repeat listens. As much as I hate to do it, I have to agree with what Popmatters said. They're an equally bouncy, just as indifferent New York replacement of The Strokes. Instead of channeling 60s era garage, they're aiming at Graceland-era Paul Simon and nailing it in a way that's nowhere near derivative and smacks the bullseye of astuteness. I must say that, if any of that is to be regarded as true then let's just hope they make better choices than the band they replaced. If possible, then long may it continue. Hopefully the next time around won't see the album's quality suffocate in the hype of the blogosphere.



Girl Talk - Feed the Animals

A mere minutes into this album, the phrase "You've got a face perfect for radio" came to mind. Switch a couple things around and it fits perfectly. This is an album made for music videos. Just check out some of the videos on YouTube and you'll see what I mean. Girl Talk is definitely not a bad mash-up man because this album is full of head-knodding, dancefloor filling tunes. This album does raise the question, "Where does creative sampling end and copyright infringement begin?" Not that I think this album shouldn't exist, but is this great music in itself or just the mixing and matching of music that was relatively great already? If one doesn't mind-fuck this one too much, it's really entertaining. However, I tend to do that a lot.



British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

Since I started writing about music in 2005 (holy shit! has it really been 3 years?), I've fallen into the same trap several times. I guess it's easy when you're a fan of a band and try to forgive them a lot. While I thoroughly loved this album upon first few listens, by the time it came time for me to review it, all of its flaws really came to the fore. I really have to talk about it though because I still feel it's worth a shot for anyone who likes robust, arena-size guitars and has a penchant for huge, sweeping ideals. BSP really got their art-rock/stadium pop schizophrenia to sonically work together, but history repeated itself here. With The Decline of British Sea Power, convention got the shaft. With Open Season, many say it was their artistic integrity that got the boot. In gaining both of those back for Do You Like Rock Music?, I think it was the lyrics that were left at home.



The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

If there was ever an album more workman-like this year, I missed it completely. It seems constantly vogue for a band to really flash up, over-conceptualize and be as hyper-literate as possible for them to get any credit. I came really late to this album this year and completely missed their 06 effort Boys and Girls in America. This is the living, breathing article that proves it's okay to just be good at what you can do and not necessarily explore what you cannot. The Hold Steady embody there name with their muscular brand of alt-rock that uses straight talk rather than extended metaphors and euphemisms. Had I not only had a week with this album, it would've made the main list for sure.




Osborne - Osborne

This is another sad casualty of me arriving late at a party. Sadly, that tardiness cost another album entry into my final list for 2008. Osborne's self-titled debut would be another shoe-in if I'd come to it earlier. This one I've only had for a day. That's how good I think it is. What starts with a droning, minimalist, pseudo-Kraftwerk epic consistently grows and evolves over 15 tracks. The end result, in my opinion, plays like an after party for a Hercules and Love Affair show. Some may still want to dance and others may just want to chill and this is a solution that can satiate both of those needs with plenty to spare. The major striking point on this album is its construction. With its beginning in "16th Stage" described above, every additional cut seems to add something, creating the idea of watching an architect build or painter paint. While other album's are louder or more stylistically diverse, this disc plays like its at peace with itself and hopes you enjoy the sounds as well.



Fennesz - Black Sea

When someone has taken the kind of scholarly approach to listening to music that I have (many claim to have, but few can back it up), discovering something totally new doesn't nearly stack up against discovering something you've missed. Fennesz has been around for a long time and Black Sea is my first entry into his oeurve. It's also an album that makes me want to see what else he's done. Black Sea is not really a collection of songs so much, but more like a sonic collage that feels like transmissions or audible signals from either the far reaches of the universe or some post-apocalyptic future. While the melodies can create a sublimely contemplative atmosphere for the listener, I found myself getting lost in the static that often clutters or even buries them. It reminded me of waking after dream to find yourself in front of a snowy TV, not quite sure where I'm at but being able to still find my bed. I always wondered how that could sound musically, Fennesz provides a stunning answer.



DJ/Rupture - Uproot

Very much in the vein of Fennesz, I was completely unaware of DJ/Rupture before Uproot. I've not really expressed it within this blog, but I'm not a fan of modern reggae at all. It almost seems like it's been in a series of holding patterns since the 80s. However, this year brought a lot new entries for me into what's going on in the genre. Now, this is NOT a reggae album, but a suite of beats and melodies with true international feel. The dubstep and reggae vibes permeating this LP make the Jamaican musical pastime the most immediately identifiable sound, but not the only one. For me, this album is the natural evolution of the downtempo/chill-out electronica culture that painted itself into a corner a couple of years ago when the likes of Thievery Corporation and others seemingly ran out of ideas (but not quality). Uproot is a complete package with tranquil beauty and a bit of muscle perfectly balanced and coalesced into a thought-provoking package.



Wale - A Mixtape About Nothing

Throughout junior high and high school, Seinfeld seemed to catch hold of my peers in a weird way with each passing year. I took it upon myself, as I did many other aspects of those years in my life, to arbitrarily go against the grain and refuse to like it. In the age of DVR, I've come to see the error of my ways. Oddly enough, hearing Wale's Mixtape About Nothing was the strongest catalyst. While those who know me well will attest, I really do love hip hop as a way of life, an art form and a genre, I don't pretend to be a part of it nor does it hold too heavy of an influence over me. However, Wale's album struck a chord with me for its sheer artistry and style. The opener, which samples the Jonathan Wolff theme to the show, features the MC delivering smart rhymes in the manner of the titular character's "What's the deal with..." way of beginning a joke. While I can't say his flow is the most intricate on the market, he seems to have the Talib Kweli knowledge of self. He speaks about not being signed, racism and a myriad of intra personal topics and coalesces them into his own transformation of the sitcom that even has an appearance from Julia Louise Dreyfus (thank god she doesn't rap though).

So Little Time...

It's Monday December 15th. That means 10 days till Christmas and my first trip out west to see my parents in their new home for the first time, probably the only time too. I've never been to the west coast. So, I'll at least be able to say that I've been out there. I feel like I've been running since I returned from abroad in May. Now with the post-Black Friday Christmas rush in full force, I'm starting to find myself behind an 8-ball of sorts in terms of my holiday obligations. I just purchased my first Christmas presents for other people. That's not good.

I must say, that this has been a most eventful holiday season so far. Beginning with my birthday in mid-November (what I like to call the holiday season's Community Shield), I've seen old friends re-appear, current friends convince me into something new and even decide to relocate. That's right kids, we're moving into a house. No, we're not buying. I'm not ready for that kind of permanence. But, we're moving into half a duplex in Roxborough with 2 living floors, a finished attic, dry basement, 1.5 bathrooms, washer, dryer, deck, garage, shed and heat. We're currently halfway through moving all of our little things and plan to get all the furniture over a weekend in the very near future.

Now, with album/song of the year season in full force, guess what's coming before I leave for Chrismas? Keep an eye out.

Once again, I get going and work steps in. Take it easy.

I Ain't Dead Yet, Shit!

Well, I've been here for 29 years now. My life has seen the tail end of the 70s, the 80s, 90s and a new millennium. Like Lewis Black, I still feel a bit screwed - No flying cars. Frankly, I'm not all that sure what I'm supposed to feel about this. Am I to feel anything? Through movies and TV, I've been told that, if I'm a girl, I should feel old, ugly and decrepit. However, I don't have a vagina. The few instances in entertainment where a yarn has been unraveled about a dude in this age (though I usually think it's either nearing 40 or 50), there's been some completely manufactured reason for them to be something other than just apathetic.

Several have asked me today how I feel. I don't feel old, but I am rather tired and have been dealing with a persistent, uncooperative headache. I'm not complaining just stating an answer. I do have to say that I don't mind this. I'm very calm about what I've got and where I'm at. Though it's all-too-soon to take a look back, I've been doing it since high school and I don't really see a barren, empty abyss in which my life has merely disappeared. In fact, every year has, either through mistake or measured thought, seemed to liven up and enrich my view of the world we live in, for better or for worse.

I don't really want to end it like that, but I've got some work to do...

More to come on this. :)

Ok, it's 11/20 now and I'm back to finish, or at least add to yesterday's thoughts.

Oddly enough or maybe even typical for me, I can't bring the words to the page that would add to what I said yesterday. However, I would like to say thanks to all who gave me gifts and best wishes. While it wasn't the best gift I received, I was given a book called The Guitar Bible. This gift has really put some gas in the tank of my leaning toward actually buying one and learning how to play. Now, if only they didn't cost so damn much. :)

Sorry the additional sentences were so anti-climactic. Have a great day!

Mr. Obama Goes to the White House, and it Still Rains!

I'd grown so impatiently exhausted with the way our nations media handled this election that it gave me migrains to watch anything other than The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. Maybe the root cause there is that our media feels the need to appeal to the lowest common denominator or, in order to be the most frank, the stupidest people in the room. I'm not saying it's wrong to do that, but it's my firm belief that if you speak intelligently without pandering, your message will get across. The fact that there has to be shows that air with the ethos The No-Spin Zone or Cutting Through the Bull could actually speak to the size of the problem. Sure, for some, the message may come a bit slower than others, but that's natural selection, people. Then again, some folks in the republican camp of politics may not subscribe to that.


Before anyone decides to really sink their teeth into the fact that I'm not the first on this, save your breath and energy. Believe me, I know and every 4 years I get really sick of it. It's just a cycle that will probably continue every 4 years till I exit this mortal coil.


Back to what I originally wanted to say. I'll be the first to admit that The Daily Show and The Colbert Report aren't the best news sources for anyone to rely on because they miss so much. However, the fact that they zero in on how the news is presented and lampoon those responsible is what I find a vast amount of solace in. I'm just sayin', that's all.


So our 44th President is Barack Obama. I'm happy for 2 reasons. 1) The right man for the job got the job. I'm not going to go into why, that's just my belief and I will stand by it until he proves me wrong. If he does, I'll stand up and admit it. 2) This is more of a personal one for me. I remember a conversation that I had with my mother at either Christmas of '07 or another time I was seeing them. We were in the van and they said, "Who do you like for President?" I said, "You're not going to like it, but the next president will be Barack Obama. He's a guy this country needs." The ironic thing in all of this is the fact that both of my parents agreed with me. Of course this was at a time before primaries had begun and there was no credence to my thoughts and my parents could've just agreed with me to shut me up. That wouldn't be a first.


I will say this, for the first time (my 3rd election), I felt like it mattered when I walked into the voting booth and made my decision and I think that feeling will probably reside with me for some time. I don't know, maybe it's just because when I voted in other elections, there didn't seem to be anything that would affect me like the current calamity we face as a nation seems to. There's also the fact that I was genuinely apathetic back then. This time I really tried to pay attention. Plus, it's always good when the person you vote for gets elected, we might as well be real about that. Whether it's perceived as superficial or not, I feel that something seemed to matter when I voted this time. I didn't feel that before.


As for me, I'm fine. I find myself thinking about Brixton a lot more lately. It really sucks when I open the door and the apartment is still empty. I don't know...

Other than that, I've come to some realizations as of late. My interest in movies has almost completely vanished. Not sure why, either. I think that, since I started playing football (soccer) again, I just don't want to sit and watch a film anymore. This brings a paradox to the table in that, I will sit for 2 hours and watch Liverpool or Barcelona or Valencia. I won't even start on how much time I've spent lately playing video games.

Speaking of video games, I have to hand it to my wife. This is even weirder because she's been anti-video games for most of the time I've known her. I started talking about the possibility of a FIFA 09 tournament shortly before the game came out in October. Then she uttered some interesting words, "Would you teach me to play?" Absolutely flabbergasted, I said I would and that she'd have to work at it to get good. It lasted almost 2 full lessons before she gave up. That's when something even weirder happened. I wanted to get a wireless lan adapter for my Xbox 360. She, a friend and I went to Best Buy to do so. As I grabbed what I needed and started to walk out, I hear "Oh, and we're getting Rock Band as well."

This requires a bit of precursing, ever since I became aware of Guitar Hero I wasn't even close to interested in it. I took that pseudo-high road approach, subscribing to the belief that, if I wanted to play music, I'd learn to play the real thing. So, I was against that and Rock Band on a matter of what I thought was principle. Then again, marriage does funny things to dudes. As I tried to question her statement of intent on acquiring a video game, I had her, my friend and a vision of my father in the back of my head all looking at me like, "You know the outcome of this: You can either argue or go along quietly, but either way you're carrying that gigantic Rock Band box to the register and the car." So, I did what any self-respecting husband would do. I listened to my spouse.

The shitter is, she was right. She had to go help our sister-in-law that day, but my friend and I got home, we hooked everything up and proceeded to have an absolute blast playing that game. It was only a couple weeks before I'd unlocked all the songs and decided to purchase Rock Band 2. Now, I'm completely addicted. In fact, that game has gone a way to convincing me to finally give in to my thoughts of actually learning how to play guitar. Let's not mince words, here. I don't want folks to think that because I'm addicted to Rock Band that I think I'll be a natural at guitar or any other instrument for that matter. I'm completely grounded in real life here. I know it's going to be challenging and frustrating, but I think I'm ready to take that plunge.

Oh, and because I mentioned it earlier, FIFA 09 is amazing!

Campeones! Campeones! Ole, Ole, Ole!

Last night saw the end of a 4-team round robin soccer tournament put on by the Philadelphia Falcons soccer club with my team, Soylent Green, coming out on top. I don't really care what anyone would have to say about the tournament as a whole. Sure, it was a predominantly friendly atmosphere to jazz up the normalcy of Wednesday night pick-up. This little 6-week outing ended up bringing the competitiveness out of every team in it. There were games that were absolute grinds, there were absolute blow-outs and there were a couple of downright thrillers to participate in.

We may not have gotten a trophy at the end of it all, but I think I achieved some growth as a player, especially in the defensive department. I feel that my ability to see the progression of an attack coming at me grew exponentially, especially in the final game against the yellow team. Unfortunately, the only 2 wrong steps I made ended up being goals. There were a couple of moments where I was able to get on the ball and try a few things, which I'm also happy about. I hope another little tournament like this happens again. It really was good fun to play in it. I'd say that even if my team hadn't won it.

Credit to all members of Soylent Green. We ROCKED!

On Going to Spain, Movie Watching and a Little Bit of Antonio Gaudi

For those who don't really know, I've been toying with the idea of moving to Spain over the past couple of years. For those back home whom haven't heard me mention this, yeah it's true. No, I've never been there and the best Spanish I can muster is from broken, faded memories of taking the class in high school. In fact, I can't really say I have a whole lot of reason behind the idea, if boil it down to brass tacks. Nor do I have any plan, were I to actually go through with it.


So, what's the deal with Spain? Why not move back closer to home or just another city? Truth be told, I feel the need for a complete revamp of the world around me. I've lived here for almost 6 years and, while it's given me a tremendous amount of good things (the absolute perfect wife, great friends which led to greater opportunities and plenty of life experience), I can't get around the idea of what a completely different frame of mind would show me about this world of ours.
Will it happen? I'm not sure. But I knew I wanted to move here in order to be with the woman I love and that couldn't have worked out better. So it's possible.




This past weekend, we sat down and watched Antonio Gaudi. A film by one of my favorite Japanese directors, Hiroshi Teshigahara. Now, I'm not going to say that anyone should run out and watch this film. It's not even really a film, but an unobtrusive tour through the work of who many call the greatest architect in history. This film is essentially 98% silent. There's a score, but there's no narration, explanation or verbal insight into the absolute beautiful work that is shown on screen. The only dialogue comes near the end when an old man (I believe a colleague of Gaudi) briefly goes into detail about the Sagrada Familia.

Now, I don't know thing one about architecture. I barely understand art in general. I think I can feign a certain amount of intellect in terms of music and movies, but I don't know much. Bearing all that in mind along with the hesitance I had as this film got rolling, this was actually an easier watch than one could expect. The absence of the most necessary details required in a documentary (see the prior paragraph) actually gives the audience a bit of freedom. We were able to comment on his style, notice little details, pause at our leisure or go back to a previous shot without feeling like we're interrupting something.


***A little side note: I detest doing all the things I just mentioned during a movie. I prefer to just take it all in as it comes. I'll go back only during foreign films in instances, though very rare, wher the subtitles are moving to fast. All that aside, with this film being the way it was, these things I can't stand just felt natural. Now, I'll return to what I was talking about.***


In this film you see all of Gaudi's major works including Casa Vicens, La Pedrera, Palau Guell, Casa Batllo and the Barcelona icon, the Sagrada Familia. Teshigahara's camera gives each work an admirable gaze from many angles and set-ups with the kind of attention to detail that immortalized this artist on film when it was made in the 80s. Gaudi's style operates on the principles of nature. His columns resemble trees more than support structures, the shapes of rooms resemble caves and he was unafraid to try anything new. Nothing of his looks typical or normal, but all of his work is visually alive and all the details pull the eye over the entire surface with out looking messy. If anything, this film sort of added to my desire to live in Spain so I can see what these look like with my own eyes.

What's most interesting to me as film nut, is how appropriate this film's maker and its subject seem perfect for earch other. Hiroshi Teshigahara made films of astounding quality, but in a manner that is as equally off-kilter as their essential premise. His visual style is brilliant, the screenwriting is poetic and the music is eerie and otherworldly. Of course, he's only one third of the trifecta that included Kobo Abe (screenwriter) and Toru Takemitsu (composer). The Criterion Collection put out a box set (The aptly titled Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara) that brings together the three films put together by these 3 individuals. Pitfall, the masterpiece Woman in the Dunes, and Face of Another with an additional disc of supplements paint a picture of the filmmaker almost as an Antonio Gaudi of cinema and all (except maybe the supplements) are completely worth the watch.

This is where I completely fail as a critic: I can talk about why I like something forever. I'm not all that great at selling it. I don't know why, but it's always something that's been lost on me. If anyone reads this, they probably won't want to go to their friends/family/significant other and say, "Hey! Let's watch a movie with no dialogue that showcases the work of an architect from Spain!" If it does happen, I'll shut my mouth.

Friday Thoughts on Politics (Unfinished)

It's Friday and I'm here to do a bit of writing. What purpose? Not sure. At the moment, for some odd reason, politics are weighing heavy in my head. No, this isn't going to be some manifesto or diatribe as to who's right or wrong. In fact, I'm at my absolute limit in terms of tolerance for any rhetorical bullshit from either side of our political system. Things in that arena have gotten so ridiculous that I'm starting to get convinced that my vote means absolutely dick.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to turn out and exercise my right in November. I'm actually going to vote for Barack Obama, if you're going to ask. That's my choice. Make your own and don't listen to whatever anyone wants to say about how wrong you are.

To be honest, I'm not sure Obama will be that good of a president and I'm not all too convinced that McCain will be that bad of one in terms of the choice laid before me. I actually think since our congress is democrat-controlled for the next 2 years, we have the best chance of getting anything done with a democrat heading up the executive branch. Does that mean loads of change and hope will rain from the heavens? Absolutely not. It could very well mean that the only thing that really changes is the salaries for senators and representatives for the next term. Still, I feel it right - however naive it may be - to put my faith in the system.

I do want to say that in terms of entertainment value, the republicans sure got their convention right. Like a trooper, Rudi Giuliani rode his 9/11 train into the sunset, Leiberman and Thompson really earned their respective Droopy the Dog and Foghorn Leghorn labels astutely given by The Daily Show and Sarah Palin placed herself high in the running for best stand-up performance in 2008 politics. I've never laughed so hard at what sounded like jilted sorority hobag rant in my life. The one republican I've come out of this respecting more than I thought I would is Mike Huckabee. Sure, the evangelism is...well, just that and, stemming from that, are a slew of ideals that border on fanatically hypocritical, but he had the balls to make Stephen Colbert his VP candidate if he got the nomination. That shows simultaneously a strength in character as well as a sense of humor and that he knew what the score was. Subsequently, every time I've seen him on TV doing an interview, he's shown his intelligence in terms of where everything else stands in this chaos that will decide who leads our country. Though I may not agree with him on creationism or his religion-imbued politics has become beside the point due to that.

Don't get me wrong, the democrats aren't exactly riding white horses to rescue our country from the problems we face. Their mudslinging is just as ridiculous, but nowhere near as funny. Barack Obama has the gravitas to keep people's attention and charisma to boot, but the democratic convention was like an awkward moment at a family reunion between sections that just don't like each other. Those with big families know where I'm coming from. Watching the Clinton's give their back-slapping, aren't humanity neat praises to Obama was just weird.

What's more is, and I could be very wrong on this next statement, there doesn't really seem to be an overt direction with this shouting from the mountains for hope and change. That's what scares me more than anything. The one thing I've always noticed about republicans is their sense of discipline towards their party. Now, becuase of the acrimony of Clinton supporters, democrats could once again spend from September to November tearing each other limb from limb while McCain just focuses on his core constituents and waltzes into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January.

If I offended anyone in the previous writing, I do sincerely apologize. I never claimed to know anything about what's happening in our country, nor be an expert on the subject. Just wanted to write. Unfortunately, it'll remain unfinished because it's time for me to go home.

Peace y'all.

It May Not Be the Best, But I Think it's My Favorite...

Saturday saw me finish The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess. It's the first Wii game I've bested (I bought the Wii and the game in May) and this franchise, once again has demonstrated its ability to sweep me away in wonderment. With the exception of the GameCube's Wind Waker and the myriad of Zelda titles that have popped up on portables over the years, I've taken care of them all. From the games humbly amazing origins on the old NES and its not-nearly-as-good first sequel through Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. If I've missed important events in the series by what I've not played, I don't care.

This one, while not the masterpiece of gaming in both innovation and entertainment that Ocarina of Time was 10 years ago chose its path very wisely and became, in my opinion, the most entertaining Zelda game ever. In the 10 years since playing and finishing the N64 title (I don't remember Majora's Mask all that well), I've grown a bit and changed as a person, but playing Twilight Princess proved that the creators had, with few exceptions, decided to grow the franchise as well. Here we get fabulously shot cutscenes that don't overstay their welcome and take a darker, more adult edge at times. There are great characters from the kids of Ordon Village to Midna (though she gets annoying at times) and the abominable snow couple. The enemies are throwback (as they should be) to previous games, but this time they actually look like living things as opposed to cartoon-ish as they've been in the past. Hyrule is a vast, dangerous and wonderous world full of life and you can go almost everywhere in it. The levels themselves take on the traditional map/puzzle format with, usually, a mini-boss and a boss. Defeating the former usually yields an item, while defeating the latter earns a heart container. What makes this game a joy is that the levels are thoroughly engaging and the puzzles are challenging and the design is amoung the best I've seen ever in a video game. Mind you, I wouldn't consider myself a gamer.

The issues I have with the game are almost nitpicky. Gamers don't need to hear Midna's whining for the duration of Link being a wolf. On the same token, the next great leap - not only for this franchise, but across Nintendo's core franchises - is giving a voice to these characters. Maybe Link doesn't need to speak, but seriously, the script for this game was one of Nintendo's better creations in a while, spoken dialogue would've pushed it into the pantheon reached by Ocarina of Time and beyond. Super Mario Galaxy would benefit the same way (I'm working on that one right now). I also think the bosses of each level could've been a bit more lethal if possible. I found myself not really dying against any of them. I'd get hit here and there, but I was pushed to that edge where losing that last ounce of life was at stake. The last little gripe I have is in terms of scoring - Galaxy benefited from this exponentially over every other Mario title because the music, though still repetitive is surprisingly inviting. Move away from highly produced midi arrangements. They aren't easy on the ears and lose their luster rather quickly.

While I'm sure I've not gone into the amount of detail required to give this title proper due, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess further continues this franchise in fine style with its ability to entertain the kids while being equally inviting for adults. It utilized the gimickry of the Wii controller so intuitively that it was easy to get used to. Thumbs way up on this one. Honestly, I think that I'll probably beat it again. For all of its flaws, I had more fun looking and playing this than any Zelda previously.

And Now for Something Completely Different...

July is winding to a debilitatingly humid close this year and every time I step outside work its like a wall just drops on me. At least I remember the humidity back home being a lot worse. That's a little heartening.



Enough with the small talk though, I'm not sure where this writing's going to go. I just sort of started with no clear intent and am going to see what happens. Nothing all that new to report really. We saw Hellboy II: The Golden Army last weekend. I must say that it's amazing how far comic movies have come. I was clearly the sole member of a minority that thought it was better than the first in our group. I don't think it was without flaws, there were plenty. The love stories of any of the characters didn't really work, but I don't think they were intended to draw people in. I think they were there solely as plot devices for character motivation. On that level they did work, because they provided a reason for everything to push forward. Hellboy's snappy one-liners in the action sequences as well as conversations were lacking the wit they seemed to have in the first installment. In fact, the dialogue as whole was a bit shoddy. After all, it's still a super hero flick.

Flaws aside, here's why it succeeded for me: this time around, the plot was constructed not in the manner of hero vs. villain (even though that element is the premise), but rather more in the vein of the second installment in a fantasy trilogy. Where the first film showed the audience who these characters are and the world they live in, this one shows them playing around and exploring in that world. Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz and Manning were all well-established and developed in the first film. Now, they just seem to play around in their personas. Guillermo Del Toro's experience with Pan's Labyrinth has heightened his visual style and sensibility yielding some of his most creative ideas in this film.

Backtracking slightly to the whole fantasy idea - I never really wrapped that one up - here the main characters are thrust into an odyssey of sorts very similar to the second installment of Lord of the Rings or Star Wars here the characters go through trails and have to figure out and make decisions based on who they are. That's something that's not easy to do in the confines of the hero film. Looking back, there are really only 2 hero films that I can think of that did it well: Spiderman 2 and Batman Returns. That worked from a critical standpoint for the former, but the latter was pretty much a failure for critics and audiences, but my memory may be mistaken. Hellboy II takes an intellectual high ground with the fantasy angle, but also a shortcut because, at its core this is all sci-fi/fantasy and the rigidity of audience expectation may not allow for this kind of change. I'm biting off more than I can chew here because I'm a film lover and not too experienced in film criticism. Either way, I loved it. I hope whoever else may see it does as well.



In other news, Sporting Philly has actually had a great summer season thus far. Our first game had the potential of shenanigans because 2 players left without much notice, but it was a friendly affair. Probably one of the more good-spirited games I've played in. Our second game was plagued with a late start and a long halftime because of a rugby tournament that made mistakes of not playing on their correct fields. We drew 0-0, but should've scored at least 4 times. Luck wasn't on our side at all. However, I still wonder how a dude on the other team got man of the match. Their keeper, the only one eligible at that point didn't do anything impressive and had all the post assistance he could handle. They only had one clear shot on goal and never really made it out of their own half. I can't really say who should've been the MVP, but it wasn't one of them. Then there was game 3, we started with 8 players and others came late. I started out in goal and did ok for my first competitive game appearance in that position. I let in one, but I should've stopped it. Then Zaire went on a tear and played the game of his life. He only scored once, but he was essential in our 3-1 win.

Then there's our new logo (above) that was designed by my wife. I think she did an amazing job on rather short notice. She rocks. I personally think she did a great job in incorporating the Liberty Bell into Sporting Lisbon's crest. Sure it could be called a rip-off, but still. It didn't take her very long and she didn't even have to do it in the first place. I personally love it.

Then it comes to music. Not much all that revelatory here. I'm working on getting more staff for the newswire at mxdwn.com. I've posted 2 reviews (Explosions in the Sky's All of A Sudden, I Miss Everyone and Wolf Parade's At Mount Zoomer) recently and am working on the reissue of U2's The Joshua Tree
and K-Os' Atlantis: Hymns for Disco concurrently at the moment. The latter's not all that great and the former is a masterpiece with a bunch of unnecessary bells and whistles attached. Other than that, my time with mxdwn.com is always good and I still enjoy doing it.

As for the subject of what I'm listening to, I've found it really hard to escape 2007. There were so many great things that came out of last year that 2008 really seems a bit of a downer. The potential that Black Kids showed on their EP Wizard of Ahhhs was completely passed over on their debut full-length Partie Traumatic. Sure, it was the entire EP plus other unabashed guitar/synth pop that owed much to The Cure that sounded pretty, but the best songs were the 4 that came from the EP. Wolf Parade's sophomore effort proved to be better than 2004's uber-acclaimed Apologies to the Queen Mary and No Age, with Nouns, more than trumped last year's Weirdo Rippers, a collection of their 7"-only EP tracks that made me amoung others stand up and take notice. There are plenty others that I've been digging this year. Here's a list in no particular order:

1. Air France - No Way Down
2. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
3. No Age - Nouns
4. El Guincho - Alegranza
5. Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping
6. Portishead - Third - Probably the most perfect album released this year.
7. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
8. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
9. British Sea Power - Do you Like Rock Music?
10. Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances

There are plenty more, but my memory is kind of shot.

The only other thing I can really mention is that I'm so bored with football not going on. The season starts August 16th and it can't come soon enough.

Peace y'all.

Farewell, My Friend...I'll Never Forget You

It's been a long time since I posted anything here. I wonder if anyone checks this anymore. Did they ever? Probably not, but I have to return with sad news. Our dog, Brixton left us on Saturday, July 29th. After 2 and a half weeks, I still wake up looking for him.

In my life, I've had many best friends leave me. I think I've even left a few myself. To those whom I've left or have gone away, I still remember you and will do so always. I remember the good times and the bad, but that's life. It's a double-edged sword that serves up sweet as much as sour, if not more of one than another. Unfortunately, we have no choice which one to eat. We have to take what's given and get on with it.

Brixton came to us via my sister-in-law and her friend on cold November 29, 2006. I still remember the night. I'm involved in an intense game of FIFA 07 and the doorbell rings. Next thing I know, Diana shouts excitedly from the door, "Look what we got!" I was frustrated at the game because I was losing, so I turn expecting something insignificant and see nothing more than an eight-week old brindle boxer running as fast as his tiny legs will carry him towards me looking as happy as he could be. Immediately, everything else disappeared. I'll never forget how happy my wife was to see him. She was even happy when he peed on the rug. We knew he was one of us right away. He jumped up on our shins and into our laps, licked our faces and stole our hearts in one short night.

We named him Brixton after where my favorite band formed (I'm glad that my wife agreed with this) and one of the first full days I spent with him, I actually just listened to music and played with him. We'd take time to just sit for a bit and he would stare attentively at the speakers leading me to believe he was even okay with the name as well as the music that spawned it. He sat with us as we watched movies, tv and on weekends he would wake up with me, I'd take him out, give him his food and he would watch football with me all day long. He was there for me when I was at my most scared and most happy and, no matter what, he always wanted to make everything better.

We were there in his best and worst times too. When he was fixed, all we wanted to do was make him feel better. When we found out he had a heart condition, we tried everything we could to keep him as calm as possible. He had Boxer Cardiomyopathy (if that's spelled right), which is basically additional heartbeats that shouldn't be there. For this, he had to take medication everyday. We found that out when he was fixed. Subsequently, he collapsed because of that condition and his heart problems really became at the forefront of our thoughts. We saw cardiologists that said he's contracting this at amoung the youngest ages they've ever seen. He had to wear a Holter monitor over a weekend which made him look like a terrorist with a bomb strapped to his back which was another heart-wrenching experience for us. He hated to see us leave the house when he had that on him and all we did all we could to let him know that he was a good dog and that we loved him. From outsider eyes, this seems to sound a bit crazy, but Brixton was worth every penny of every doctor bill and the cost of every ounce of food and the annoyance of every squeaky toy we ever bought him.

Then on June 29th, he collapsed and just didn't wake up. Diana saw him collapse and called for me. I got into the room to comfort him. I started petting him and trying to console him before we took him to the emergency room. I watched his eyes as he looked at me, gave one last, strained whimper as if saying "I wish I didn't have to say goodbye."

I wish I knew what he was thinking...now that I look back. I'd like to know what he thought of us, our friends, the neighborhood, the fact that the dog park near our house closed. Did he enjoy our company as much as we did his? Most of the time, this is just blind faith and hope. The fact that he still came to us when we called should probably be an indicator, but I'd still like to know more. I still wish that he'll be there when I get home from work, I still look for him when he doesn't come to the door and I still here him walking around our apartment when it's all quiet. I also still look at his collar and remember his expressive face staring back at me.

Last Friday night, I watched Errol Morris' Gates of Heaven. Still the best documentary I've ever seen, by the end I was in tears as these individuals speak of their deceased pets, estranged kids and problems with their pets' graves being moved. Despite the corniest analogies of this idea, I found the experience very therapeutic. In the one of the closing montages that shows the headstones of the graves, I lost all composure when it cut to a headstone that read, "I knew love because I knew this dog." Indeed and I'll remember it forever. I know that I've probably not shed my last tears in rememberance of Brixton, but that the year and 7 months he was in my life were full. He got to see the ocean, he had a girlfriend Lily, he got to play with Tasha and Alley, he got to try some good beer and he had 2 owners and several of our friends and family that loved him. Not bad for a puppy.

You Can Crush Us, You Can Bruise Us, But You'll Have to Answer to...

"Brixton"

10/7/2006 - 6/29/2008

On Those European Nights, On the Pitch at Anfield...

The opening track on Godspeed You! Black Emperor's sophomore album Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antenna's to Heaven is probably the only close description of what watching Liverpool play Arsenal at Anfield in the quarterfinals of the Champions League last night. What began with a nervous internal quiet built to gloriously ecstatic cresendo in an absolute thriller of a contest. It was the 2nd leg following an enthralling 1-1 draw on Arsenal's turf 6 days prior. While most of the press would deem this 'advantage Liverpool' because of the away goal, I found myself nervous all day yesterday.

Most football and Premiership fans know that Arsenal play a brand of the game that is a class above the reds. I'm not even a supporter but I can't resist watching the gunners play every week. I never got to see Ajax play in the 70s, so this could be as close as I'll get. Sure, the argument could be made for Manchester United as well, but Ajax's Total Football was an ideal that stated no one player was more important than another - even with Johann Cruyff clearly in the driver's seat of that team, he could be subbed and play would run the same. While Manchester United do play fabulous, free-flowing and downright fierce on the attack, without Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on the pitch, it's just not the same.

Back to my point, I was nervous because Arsenal know how to run at teams and keep their ability to pass short and long with pace in tact. Even with the horrific injury to Eduardo earlier in '08, Sagna in the previous week or so and Van Persie succumbing once again to the treatment table, I knew that it was only matter of time before Arsene Wenger had his men performing their artistic beauty on the field. I was also on edge because Liverpool at times cannot keep up with that. They buckle like a belt against Man United every year in the league because of their workman-like approach and while they may not lose to Arsenal, they don't win either. Last year, the 8-foot toothpick Peter Crouch scored a perfect hat trick in a win over Arsenal that I couldn't see coming. There was no way to see it because in both cups, Wenger's men came to Anfield twice and smacked us around like seniors to freshmen in high school - 6-3 in the Carling Cup and 3-0 in the FA Cup if I remember correctly.

The game kicked off with a rumble in my head. It felt kind of like in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the boulder got rolling. I knew there was no way to turn back. Arsenal opened scoring in the 13th minute with a great run by Abou Diaby as he dribbled by Xabi Alonso and the recently acquired Martin Skrtel and delivered a goal of of keeper Pepe Reina's left hand. Immediately nerves set in and the voices in the back of my head chanted "The reds are going out." It took a long 18 minutes for an equalizer to come from Liverpool, but Sami Hyypia delivered a decent reason for a contract extension. He found space in the box on Steven Gerrard's corner and arced a header into the back of the net. We go to the break at a tension-filled 1-1.

In the 2nd half, both teams came out intent on winning the match. Arsenal set on its attacking flare with Liverpool doing absolutely everything possible to keep it at their preferred pace. In the 69th, a hard pass forward was gathered by Fernando Torres only for him to quickly turn around Philipe Senderos and Kolo Toure and put a beautiful shot by Manuel Almunia with absolute class. The roar from the Anfield crowd was unlike anything I'd heard before as was the joy on the Liverpool players' faces the picture of pure happiness.

Then, in the 83rd, the Arsenal sub Theo Walcott showed why he has had a hype machine surrounding him since World Cup 2006. After gathering the ball just outside the box in his own half he proceded to, over an 80-yard run, leave 3 red shirts in the dust to set up Emanuel Adebayor for an easy shot into the back of the net. Then, super sub Ryan Babel charged into the Arsenal box only for Kolo Toure to (controversially?) bring him down. Gerrard took the penalty kick as only he could putting Liverpool up 3-2. As Arsenal through everything they could forward, the reds caused a mistake and were able to catch Ryan Babel on the break for the 4th. For the 3rd time in 4 years. Liverpool are in the semifinals.

A Junkyard Masterpiece and Other Treasures: Beck's Odelay

Upon hearing the 2-disc Deluxe Edition of Odelay immediately makes me want to talk historical context at length about the album. Given that the album was huge, full of hits and inescapable for the alt-rock crowd, I'll feel better resisting the temptation beyond barring some thoughts. If folks haven't heard it, they should. To this day it remains Beck's most singular expression of not only what makes him tick, but just how deep the pool of influence he pulls from actually is. Plus, it was an album that captured the entire scope of 90s music, all of which looked back while moving forward.

From the opening swagger of "Devil's Haircut" to the somber denoument of "Ramshackle" everything great about this album remains true, pure and completely ageless from its release 12 years ago. Cuts like "Hotwax" and "Where It's At" can still rock a party. "New Pollution" still induces humming along. And others like "Jack-Ass," "Novocane," "Sissyneck" and "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" still show that Beck was at a creative peak that few will say he's matched since. Basically, for those who've not heard this album, seek it out.

The tail end of disc 1 begins supporting why Special Editions are completely worth the trouble. The 3 cuts that close out the first half of this release are the absolutely phenominal "Deadweight" and the non-lp cuts "Inferno" and "Gold Chains." The first, though rightfully left off of Odelay, deserved to be on the album becasue it's on par with its best moments. However, his movement from the funk here hinted at his long term direction while his next proper album Mutations would baffle, yet again. It's heartening for me to see this on a Beck release because for 10 years I successfully avoided buy the soundtrack to A Life Less Ordinary, thank heavens. More foreshadowing comes from the other non LP tracks. While Mutations, Midnite Vultures and Sea Change would feel like clear departures, "Inferno" and "Gold Chains" (albeit to a lesser, folkier extent) cover the same funky, 80s atari-lined digi-funk that Guero would bring forth 9 years later. This is why special editions can be so valuable: In 3 tracks recorded around the same time, we see the artist growing towards the future.

In fashion that is pure Beck, we receive not 1, but 3 arguments against special editions. Disc 2's opener, an UNKLE remix of "Where it's At," is literally 13 minutes you can't get back. UNKLE does its big beat, sci-fi thing with "Where it's At" playing underneath it. Aphex Twin's and Mickey P.'s respective remixes of "Devil's Haircut," to me just don't cut it. Of course, that could be my love for the original talking, but I'll stick by it. Following these 3, disc 2 really seems to take off with "Clock," "Thunder Peel," and "Electric Music and the Summer People." These three are made in the spirit of Odelay with there balance between hip-hop and indie rock, but sound altogether different than the album. In fact, their sequence on the disc plays like a spectrum from one to the other that takes a turn to experimental electronica at the end.

This different sound takes us back to why special editions are useful. Sure, they show what, for better or worse, didn't make the cut. However, some of the experiments concocted and extremes reached on disc 2 in songs like ".000.000," "Lemonade" and "Erase the Sun" show that Beck could've released 2 albums simultaneously that sounded completely different a la One Foot in the Grave and Stereopathetic Soul Manure in 1994. Sure, if one ended up being Odelay and the other something else, simple deduction leads us to what the better would've been. This isn't to say that disc 2 isn't worth its salt. In the 'sketches-in-a-notebook' sense it truly is something to behold. The tangents, sounds and ideas that Beck was playing with at the time will continue to spark discussion among fans and those who give them a chance. But ultimately, the right decision was made and a masterpiece was unleashed at the sacrifice of several gems who's destiny was the cutting room floor. The fact that we can hear and enjoy them in one place without having to try and hunt down the various singles they might've appeared as b-sides on is great service to both fans and collectors. Beck is one of a severe minority of artists whom this type of reissue can achieve a maximum result because he pulls from such a vast range of ideas and influences and even his throwaways are better than most of what tops the charts.

Super Bowl XLII: Yes, I Enjoyed It!

I'm going to preface this by saying a few things.
1) I'm not a fan of American football fan. I haven't been in years.
2) Though I can't argue against the NFL being the best run professional sports league in the world - in terms of treatment of players, fans and teams - I'm of the persuasion that the Super Bowl is traditionally one of the most boring events in sport. Hate all you want, this is a preference.
3) Most of all, I can't stand how long the games are. I don't care about the different positions and following the game, to me, is about as dull as dishwater.

The point of all that is to show that, I'm probably the last person some would suspect to watch the Super Bowl and its ads, let alone clean the house and invite people over in its spirit. However, that's exactly what I did. My wife and I spent Saturday afternoon into the night cleaning, running to the store to get munchies and beer and I was simply buzzing with excitement for it.

How does that happen? Well many factors come into it. Even though I avoid the sport like the plague, I still couldn't escape hearing about Tom Brady and his Patriots as they destroyed teams. Sure they had a speed bump or two along the way, but they refused to be beaten. So, up to the final game, they were 18-0. If they win the game, they'll be the second team to go completely undefeated. The Miami Dolphins were the first back in the 70s. They only went 17-0 (More teams = more games = more perfect). So there's that, which is half of it. On the other side of the 50, we have the New York Giants, the team I got behind to win. The reason for that takes a story.

When I followed American football, the team I HATED was the Packers. Rich coming from a 49ers fan is the reasoning. I picked my team watching players like Roger Craig, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and John Taylor at different times. However, there was a game I saw when I was 4. It was in the regular season and I remember being in trance because of the red and gold uniforms that won the game. It was only later that I really learned what I could at the age 5 about the team and retain. By the time they won the super bowl in 1984, I'd watched them enough to call them mine. Now, I say that because when the Packers started winning again in the 90s, everyone and their grandmother started coming out of the woodwork saying they'd been Packers fans forever and every other team is garbage. Sure, a select few had seen their team be terrible and stuck by them, but bandwagoners come at you like there's no other option while the true fans will compliment their team, but don't get in anyone's face until they win because it's only fair.

Now that I've trailed off, my reason for getting behind the Giants to win was because they kept Brett Favre and his cheese-headed band of morons out of the super bowl. Win or lose, I was greatful when I read that piece of news and supporting them against the Brady-loving Patriots fans was the least I could do.

So, for the first time in a while I was excited to watch a Super Bowl. You know what? It actually delivered the drama that it's hyped itself up to be all these years. Usually, the game's over by halftime. This was a tense affair where no team gave up its pursuit of the trophy. In all fairness, The Patriots were clearly the better team, Welker was probably the most active player on the field. The Giants did what they had to do to win and that's all that matters. The commercials were once again average at best. This was not only the first Super Bowl I enjoyed in a long time, but probably the best one I've ever seen. Sure, I watched my 49ers win some doozies, but I wasn't old enough to care in '82 when "The Catch" won it and I don't remember the '84 game all that well anymore. Even though they won more, the games were never the crescendo that this one was. Eli Manning pulled that game from the jaws of defeat in that last drive and it was brilliant. He deserves any accolades he'll receive.

However, it's not over for Tom Brady. If the Patriots don't break apart in the post season, they'll be back in force and he'll be in the driver's seat again. He's a great quarterback and will get better. All of 'em have moments where they blink, unfortunately his was on the biggest stage possible and on the brink of perfection. The future will see him as one of the greats and his career isn't even over.

As a neutral, I enjoyed the hell out of that game. But I'm happy to go back to hating it and enjoying 'proper' football, or as Howard Rogers would say, "Euro-style kick ball." But all congrats go to the Giants.

A Trip Down Memory Lane: My Secret Love of Dance Music

Music took on a rather strange role in my life as I grew up. No, I wasn't a really ignored child or cast aside by parents with issues. I just always seem to grasp the epic powers of sounds that I heard growing up. On rides to school when mom would crank the oldies station, I never failed to get lost in the sounds of Motown, Doo Wop, Stax, bubblgum psychedelia, garage rock or the occasional surf gem that would haunt me throughout the day. Then there was my aunt who, without her knowledge, played a role in acquainting me with a fledgling MTV when she would babysit my cousins and I. She was still in her teens and, thankfully for me, she didn't understand the impressionability of kids. Thus, I was exposed to the early 80s synth pop/new wave revolution that caught specifically because of the network. The moment that made me want to understand where it all clicked came shortly after my mother remarried. I was at my new grandparent's house playing in the basement while grandpa worked at his desk. "Do you mind music?" he asked politely. I don't remember how I answered, but he then pulled out a metallic disc (what I eventually learned was called a 78) and introduced me to jazz, specifically swing, by playing Benny Goodman's masterpiece "Sing, Sing, Sing." I was six and the year was 1985.

Somewhere between 5th and 6th grade (91-92), I had another little revelation. I was introduced to techno music. I choose my wording for a specific purpose. I remember hearing "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited at an Iowa Cubs game and trying so hard to find out who that was. Next thing I knew, I was trying to get hold of every beat heavy, synth hook-laden pseudo anthem I could find. Then I tried to label all the various tapes I'd amassed from late night radio as well as friends and music store junkies. This is where it all really hit. This stuff sounds exactly the same. I felt a bit stupid. Luckily, this little fever hadn't lasted enough for me to give massive financial investment outside the couple of cd's of 2 Unlimited that I'd already bought. Naturally, in a fit of anger, I took magnets to all the recorded tapes and found myself lured away into the Native Tounges vibe of hip-hop simultaneously with 70s funk and disco. My newfound knowledge of fickle techno ended up being slowly washed away by tides of James Brown, Parliament, Funkadelic, De La Soul, Brand Nubian, The Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest among others. The difference was that this whim was dictated by scrutiny. Therefore, the groups I fell in love with ended stayed with me because of their quality as well as the fact that I took time going in rather than diving with reckless abandon. Now, all that's left of my stupidity is a couple of 2 Unlimited discs and I don't feel like I miss anything.

1996 saw the delivery of some retroactive vilification from my friends when I began raving about Daft Punk. "What is it with you and all this techno bullshit? What happened to loving Zeppelin, Floyd, Pearl Jam and that other band you like that no one else does? Hello, disco died. It was killed by all those baseball fans, remember?" Those are some of my favorite remarks when I tried to get "Around the World" into rotation at the radio station I was on. Unfortunately, there were other meetings where I tried to get The Melvins some airplay that fell on deaf ears as well. Thus, I sort of retreated into my own little dance-loving world. Which, unless you're a severe club-hopper - and believe me, I'm not - tends to be an uncrowded affair.

In 1998, I learned how to actually love dance music, if I didn't know before. One night in the summer before I went to college, I received the last great gift MTV would ever give me. It was after a rather dreary encounter with my girlfriend at the time. I don't think it was a date, I think we would've been hanging out at her place and I decided to come home early. I watched a movie and still wasn't tired, so I threw on MTV (which still played music late at night)while I doodled in a notebook. Surprisingly, I caught the show Amp which I'd never seen before that day and couldn't catch again because it's timeslot constantly seemed to change. After a few videos, I started yawn. After making a decision to call it a night, I heard the opening guitar twitches to "Music Sounds Better With You" by Stardust. Completely captivated I stared at the screen trying not to blink and not to hear anything but the gliding disco beauty that track is. This was the moment that affirmed any reservations about liking dance music. It's simple chorus of "Ooh baby / I feel like music sounds better with you" over a simple, sunny, disco groove said everything about everything to me that night. I immediately wrote down the artist/song title over my drawings that had filled the notebook page and spent weeks trying to find it in stores. I eventually found it at a place called CD Now which peddled used discs about a year later. That disc would eventually get stolen by a close friend of mine at the time. But like Mr. Burns to his teddy bear, Bobo, my love for that song would never ever falter.

I eventually learned that it's the brainchild of Thomas Bangalter, half of Daft Punk and realized I didn't want it any other way. It's also interesting how this single pointed the way to Discovery for them. It also closes the set to the masterful Alive 2007 album. Without hearing this cut, I would've missed out on Air, Cassius, Dimitri from Paris and others while simultaneously not really gave a damn about Electronica as a whole. That means no Orbital, Aphex Twin, Autechre and I probably would've never tried an artist like Herbert whom I absolutely adore. I couldn't imagine my life without this track. Sadly, but possibly for the better, Bangalter never followed this single with a full project. The optimistic heart still probably thinks, "Maybe someday..." But I doubt that'll ever come. How I came to write about it like this you might ask? I was browsing through my iTunes last night and realized it's been around for 10 years, so happy birthday.

Sometimes the Year Doesn't Start Till March

A pop culture year is very much like the average human week. Most Mondays are slow, boring and dealing with leftovers of the weekend, Tuesdays seem bland and mechanical and on Wednesday, the week begins to take shape. At that point we all know exactly how this week will be remembered, if at all.

January can be a boringly horrid month for someone like me. I hate the cold, I just returned home from vacation and another is too far off to think about. However from a personal vantage point, '08 is getting a kick start compared to years past. A friend turned me on to Times New Viking's Rip it Off a couple of weeks back as well as Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut and I had the pleasure of getting to review Dub Trio's new album, Another Sound is Dying. Now, I'm not going to get ahead of myself and say that these will be around come Album of the Year time, but at least the wheels are moving at idling speed for now.

Now, since January is usually the Monday of any year, most of it is spent following up on previous year leftovers. Certain art house films that were massively praised by critics mid-year are just now seeing American screen time next to also-ran blockbuster (supposed) releases that just weren't good enough to see light in the last set of 365. Last year about this time is when masterpieces like Caché and Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada saw their releases. These were give deserved praise by critics, but forgotten by audiences by the time they hit theaters which is a shame.

Music is a different kettle of fish altogether. Sure, blogs start buzzing about albums rather early, prophecizing the coming of musical saviors and/or disasters that readers could probably take or leave, but sometimes proper exposure never comes till the next calendar year. Such is the case of the album Here Comes the Future by The Honeydrips. I'm not saying that this album is a lost masterpiece or one of the best albums of the year by any stretch, but it's sweet, groovy little dream pop gem that could've gone a long way with some push behind it.

In fact, that album is the reason for this writing. While I chose my top 20 very much in the vein of Rinus Michels' coaching methods for Dutch Total Football in the '70s - where every player barring the keeper, should play every position with the captain as the leader on the pitch - it's common sense that every football team needs substitutes and most leagues allow 5 on the bench. Thus, here are the 5 substitutes if my 20 starters couldn't get a proper result. Shockingly, the inspiration for this piece didn't make the cut.



S1. Tomahawk - Anonymous

With the first substitution slot usually slated for a goalkeeper (in the off-chance they might need him). I can't think of more important musical figure that I could bring on with more confidence than Mike Patton. Though I can't say I'm a Mike Patton "fan" yet because I simply don't meet the requirements. I've not followed his every move ever nor have I been able to hear even half of his output since Faith No More. Hell, I haven't even heard all the Faith No More stuff, either. However, Tomahawk's Anonymous continues a tradition of consistency that's evident in all of his work as well as the hallmarks of all things Patton. No one can say it better than Patton Superfan Raymond Flotat, "It defies name, genre, convention and heretofore all expectations for the group. Anonymous is a marvelous achievement. It's unique and enjoyable in the best way possible, an attempt at pushing boundaries of which Tomahawk should be proud."


S2. Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs

I can't claim to be an expert on bands who've pimped themselves to success via the internet, but I can say that the best work I've heard from a band where the internet was the sole means of exposure exists in the 4 tracks from this EP. The band's mix precious, lo-fi indie rock augmented with synths and lyrics of pure romantic yearning is also one of the best examples of EP usage in a long time. There's no time for it to overstay its welcome and never boring over repeat listens. I would encourage anyone and everyone with a love for good-hearted rock and power-pop balladry to give this a shot. Not since Big Star's Radio City or Chris Bell's I Am the Cosmos has a band embodied all of the beautiful possibilities of romantic guitar rock. Couple that with C-86 preciousness and you have a unique package that I can't wait to hear more from.



S3. Joanna Newsom - The Ys Street Band

Then there was the darling of 2006. To me she came out of nowhere. I'd no knowledge of who Joanna Newsome was before I heard Ys. After the first listen, I couldn't have cared less. However, something in that album held on tightly to the back of my mind and waited ever so patiently to tap into my 'Must go back and Check' sense. When I went back, I still wasn't totally bowled over by what many raved as the best album of the year. Frankly, I'm still not sold. But I can't consider her overrated or overhyped as all the accolades she's received are deserved on some level or another. Ys getting album of the year, for me was probably how some felt when Annie Hall got the Oscar in 1977. There were better albums in 2006, but I don't think any of them touched it in terms of sheer songwriting intellect and bravery. The Ys Street Band EP may serve as overrun for that album, but this is a display the could prove Newsom's worth. "Colleen," the leftover from Ys coupled to live renditions of older Newsom tunes shows her at full strength in studio and on stage. At only 3 songs, she'll leave many of her fans absolutely salivating for more. Too bad the wait will probably be long.

S4. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy

If there's anyone who could write a book on how to age gracefully, it would be this man - The book would have its forward written by James Murphy. His band Sonic Youth have made waves for nearly 3 decades and have failed to falter. Sure, some of their albums aren't as good as others, but they continue to move forward without stagnating. In fact, the only times laurels are ever rested upon seem to be on his solo releases and, seeing since there aren't many, it's never a bad thing. Trees Outside the Academy may be on the heels of SY's latest masterpiece, Rather Ripped, but it's another song-driven affair full of pop hooks and trademark Sonic Youth noise. What's so great about Thurston and SY is that though they get older, their music, however linked to 90s alternative it might be, still seems ageless after all these years.


St. S5. Vincent - Marry Me

Rob, if you read this, thanks for this one. This was an album that I didn't listen to based on my childish tendency of looking at the cover. While that tendency has gotten me into many a great band (Massive Attack, Portishead, Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, etc.), it has failed me on several occasions as well. This was one of them. Annie Clark really delivered here. Lush yet chaotic arrangements would seem out of place if not for her beautifully full voice. While I've not heard anything previous to this release except The Polyphonic Spree's Fragile Army, which she appeared on, I can say that I've not heard a more idiosyncratically masterful album in quite some time. Song's like "Now Now," "You're Lips Are Red" and "Jesus Saves, I Spend" reveal an artist of truly original talent. While this effort is consistent, clever and absolutely lovable, I would pick this woman as highly likely to drop a creative masterpiece in the near future. While Marry Me has laid a strong foundation for the future, it still feels like a rose at half-bloom. Once this woman reaches full confidence, there's not going to be much that'll stand in her way.

Even with an extra 5 entries, the list doesn't feel complete. Of course, I could go into others still left off like Grizzly Bear's Friend EP, Air's Pocket Symphony and the aforementioned album that inspired this writing. I declare that to be an utterly pointless task. That could raise questions about the fruits of this labor. For that, I can provide no other answer than I really dig writing about music, among the other things that this series of writings might contain.

The Carling Cup: It May Not Be Much, But What A Game Tottenham v Arsenal Was!

Football is sport of beauty, art, strategy and athleticism combined. No, this is not about the upcoming Super Bowl. On January 22nd, I had the pleasure of seeing a souvenir moment. I saw a North London derby of immense proportion in the second leg of the Carling Cup semifinal. Sure, in terms of silverware on offer to be won in England the Carling Cup may not garner the most respect, but still, a trophy is a trophy. Anyone who has anything bad to say about it is jealous they didn't win it. The stage: an absolutely buzzing White Hart Lane. The combatants: Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Before I jump into the action, a bit of background.

The 2007-08 season began with sheer anticipation for the white half of North London. Spurs still had Martin Jol at the helm, Gareth Bale, Younes Kaboul, Darren Bent and Kevin Prince-Boateng were purchased in the summer and Dimitar Berbatov was celebrated at the Lane as last season's best signing. Couple that with pundits confidently touting Tottenham as the team to take 4th spot in the league away from Arsenal without hesitation and things were looking up. While the big names weren't coming to Arsenal over the summer, that's no surprise because they almost never do anyway. However, mystery surrounded the signing of Eduardo da Silva, the Brazilian-born Croatian that Arsene Wenger brought in to replace recently departed legend, Thierry Henry.

2007 was a year of pain for Arsenal. They lost the Carling Cup final to Chelsea, were out of the title race and within 10 days were sent packing from The Champions League by PSV Eindhoven and muscled out of the FA Cup by Blackburn Rovers leaving them with essentially nothing to play for. They got themselves into 4th place so they could qualify for Champions League play and went into autopilot for the remainder of the season.

Determined to rectify that season, Arsenal kicked off 2007-08 in flying fashion refusing to lose in the league till December when the hapless Middlesborough would somehow rise up and take them down. However, that doesn't blemish their season in the least as they are still in the title race, level on points at the top with a Manchester United side almost without weakness. Leading into the match at hand. Tottenham's season started bad with a loss to newly-promoted Sunderland and got worse as they lost one after another to opponents they should've put away without a breath. Though they participated in several thrillers. It was not enough for Martin Jol to keep his job. Enter a new era of change with the hire of 2-time UEFA Cup winner with Sevilla, Juande Ramos.

There was the birthday miracle where they went 4-1 down and clawed their way back in the final 10 minutes. Also the Fulham game where they went up 3-0 and crumbled in the second half and came away only with a draw. Of course, how could I not mention the 10-goal thriller that was Spurs' 6-4 victory over Reading. It was the Reading game that really signaled Tottenham's intent to finally start outscoring opponents.

Then came the Carling Cup semifinal draw that pitted Arsenal against Spurs over 2 legs. The first leg was an open game with attacking flare from both sides that finished 1-1, but saw Arsenal very lucky to come away without conceding another goal. In the build-up towards leg 2, there was something in the air about Arsenal coming to White Hart Lane this time. The stoic Juande Ramos had been the picture of absolute confidence on the sidelines and as time has passed in his tenure, Spurs look more the business every time they play. Even the squad selection by Arsene Wenger showed his nerve. Sure, he's used the Carling Cup to give his younger players experience, but after that first leg he knew he needed Gallas and Gilberton in defense and put his big guns Fabregas, Adebeyor and Eduardo on the bench. This had to have thrown the youth off. The rest is for the highlights.

It was great to see Tottenham finally get the better of Arsenal. I'm not a supporter of either club, just a lover of the game. So what's next for Spurs? Well, they get to play Manchester United in the FA Cup and probably lose. It would be really hard for God to go to Old Trafford and get a result against that team. Then they need to try to climb back up the table to the top 7 where the should be. Of course, the Carling Cup final will be a tough ask as well since they'll be pitted against a damn near indestructible Chelsea side that, without its huge stars, still refuses to lose. At least they can say they finally beat the gunners and for the first time in 9 years, Arsenal and Arsenal Reserves have to make room for Spurs in their monopoly of North London.

That's A Wrap! Films of 2007

If there was ever a thing for me to kick myself about in 2007, it's the movies that I didn't get to see. Over the past few years, I'd been developing an almost natural ability to see somewhere in the area of 50-75 of the movies that came out that year. For those who don't know, that's really saying something. The average film critic will review 175-250 movies a year, not including blurbs they write at film festivals. However, not the case this time around.

After scouring through various sources on the films of 2007, I topped out at just over 20 films. So, basically, I could do 2 lists: The 10 that I saw and 10 that I most wanted to see. So, without further ado, here's the best half of the films that I saw.

10. The Simpsons
Directed by David Silverman
Written by Matt Groening and others

Well, it happened. It actually happened. The oft-fabled movie project came out and, in my mind, turned out to be the best movie to come directly from a TV show that I can remember at the time of this writing. There's enough focus on Springfield's first family, the massive cast of secondary characters as well as enough attention paid to the idea that it exists totally outside the show. Granted, that's not to say it could be as good without it.










9. Ratatouille
Written and Directed by Brad Bird

This film along with Monster House, is as close as big studio animation companies can get to B-movie material before their bottom line is in danger. I mean that as an honest complement. Look at the concept; A rat that's a top drawer chef in Paris and running a restaurant. From the outset this film is on thin ice in terms of suspending disbelief. The fact that Bird deals with this content so honestly and without deluding the characters to stupidity is why it succeeds. That Patton Oswalt delivered a sincere, human performance as the voice of Remy makes it all the better.









8. Superbad
Directed by Greg Mottola

Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

What seemed in previews to be somewhere between American Pie and PCU ended up being a smart, human tribute to friends that ultimately grow up and apart. Though the novelty of McLovin and various one-liners spewed out by slack police officers will eventually wear thin and go out of style, the heart of this movie lies in the performances of Michael Cera and Jonah Hill that gently display a wealth of talent below the obvious molds their characters create.









7. I'm Not There
Directed by Todd Haynes
Written by Todd Haynes and Oren Moverman

Hearing about this film was simultaneously sickening and intriguing. It has art-house gimmickry written all over it with multiple actors in the lead, color and black and white usage and Todd Haynes at the helm. That this film is about Bob Dylan set it up for failure. Surprisingly, instead of exposing all that is behind Dylan, this film shows the Dylan that most of his fans already know and puts the mythology of his career on display in all of its contradictory glory. Sure, the names of all involved have been changed except for Allen Ginsberg, but if attempted in different fashion, the need for absolute fact trumps all and all of the myths don't work in thrilling fashion like they do here.








6. Zodiac
Directed by David Fincher
Written by James Vanderbilt

This is a police procedural in the vein of JFK. This mystery won't be solved and I'm not ruining anything by saying so. This film is about passion for the work. Gyllenhaal and Downey Jr. reminded me of Hoffman and Redford in All the President's Men in their display of relentless drive to find the answers and possibly impending doom from the publicity surrounding them. Apart from the content here, Fincher is displaying his directorial prowess with digital photography. This is one of his best films.










5. The Golden Compass
Written and Directed by Chris Weitz

I did not see this one coming but am I glad I tried it. In my opinion, Chronicles of Narnia fell on its face and The Lord of the Rings just became a bloated leviathan of a trilogy. I didn't even know about the His Dark Materials books, but I wish I did and I plan on familiarizing myself with these before the next movie comes out. This film, like Pan's Labyrinth is perfect for CG and vice verse. This is a film for everyone as well as a nice idea for the science vs. religion debate. Could the ideas that give us supposed salvation be the very things holding us back? Discuss.










4. Juno
Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Diablo Cody

Massive acclaim from critics and audiences can often be smoke and mirrors, but every so-often, everyone really gets it right. Expect to see this earn some awards. I doubt it'll take the biggies, but Ellen Page and Michael Cera deserve noms as does J.K. Simmons and Diablo Cody produced the best dialogue of the year without a doubt. This is the film where Jason Reitman steps out of his father's shadow, though it may not mean much. This film is full of humanity and wit rather than just being funny.










3. There Will Be Blood
Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

There's a shot in There Will Be Blood that says it all. It's composed of Daniel Day-Lewis' oil-covered face staring in wide-eyed, with flames lighting it up against the night sky. This shot personifies the monster that we know he is with an insatiable thirst for money from oil. There's a poignancy in this film about certain peoples' values that have come to the fore in recent years. I'm not going to go into it, but no actor could embody that soulless juggernaut better than Daniel Day-Lewis. If his masterstroke of a villainous portrayal deserved an Oscar for Gangs of New York, then he should be a shoe-in here. This is a brutal, meditative epic of coruption, deceit and greed that stretches for almost 3 hours. And it's a masterpiece.







2. No Country For Old Men
Written and Directed by Ethan and Joel Cohen

The Cohen brothers fell pretty far from grace there for a while. What a righteous return to form this film is. Javier Bardem will be there come award time due to his performance of pure, merciless evil in this crime film turned character study. His narrative is played against Tommy Lee Jones' aging state patrolmen who relentlessly presses on to do the right thing while slowly building to the realization that he may be well in over his head. Josh Brolin is caught in the middle as n'er do well who's unafraid of adversity and all are on a collision course towards each other. The result is an austere, beautiful film that is in every sense perfect.








1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Written and Directed by Andrew Dominik

Here's a film that marks a high point in the modern western. Easily the most beautifully photographed film of the year, it's subject matter encompasses the spirit of the old and the intelligence of the new in equal parts. Where The Proposition saw the outlaws have to pay for their crimes and law's fallibility exposed in the land of lawlessness that is, for lack of a better word, hell, this film harkens back to heroes and villains and how they were often on the same side. However, their interaction was often deeper than suggested. Casey turns out to be far and away the better Affleck as Robert Ford. He so blindly worships Brad Pitt's Jesse James to the point that it shades into lust. Jesse James is aware and understanding of the threat he poses while indulging in his fame as Ford follows his every command. The scene mentioned in the title is almost Bresson-like in its beautiful depiction of what both characters saw coming since they got to know one-another. Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck reminded me of John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in their camaraderie, the idolism and the inherent sexual undertones that come along with the worship. Andrew Dominik struck gold with Chopper, but catapulted himself into a pantheon of greats with this, the best of 3 perfect films I saw in 2007.