I'm posting for the first time as an Austinite. Although I don't know if I qualify now, or when I actually possess a for real physical address, or when I start slapping ecologically concerned bumper stickers on my car. I'll have to ask some genuine natives how that works.
I've gotten settled in to my room at my aunt and uncle's (and by settled in, I mean I alphabetized my row of dvd's in the closet, some things will never change). I've also completed a short list of things I forgot, for your entertainment...
1. All forms of notebook/paper/things-to-write-on-in-school-because-that-is-what-you-do-in-school...idiot.
2. Half of my ties (I don't know how this happened, they are all kept in one spot, which really means two places: the spot, and a space on the floor two feet from the spot, I guess I forgot to check the floor).
3. The video cable to my gamecube (granted, this is probably a blessing in disguise, no matter how much I may need to unwind over the next week or two, time will probably be better spent not shotgunning zombies).
4. Speaking of Zombies, my copy of World War Z, the best book ever made, about zombies and hard journalism anyway.
In spite of my seven or eight trips between the house and my car I still managed to forget some stuff. I did however get to say goodbye to my wife a couple dozen times, which was good.
By good, I mean I like goodbye, and not in the literal sense, as in "I enjoy being away from my family" more like, I enjoy being reunited with my family after being separated for a time. So, I'm praying the apartment/moving situation will be quickly and smoothly resolved.
My uncle warned me, as we were watching the tail end of the AFC championship game, as I was complaining about the illogical class scheduling of UT, that I should be prepared to not be the smartest kid in the class.
Now I haven't really thought about that honestly, but I realized, that I really am most likely going to get pimp-slapped over the next few weeks. By school (you don't become one of the top schools in the nation by offering classes that are easy to pass), by a new job, by being away from my family, etc. I've got a lot to learn it would seem.
Oh well, the more I learn, the less I won't know.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Gran Torino
I like Clint Eastwood movies, I'm not one of those people who has an issue with the heavy handedness or melodrama. I like how he paints with broad, bold strokes.
Gran Torino is an almost great movie. I'll leave out how everything that is so good gets undone in the final minutes for now though, and discuss what I thought did work.
Clint plays Walt, a grumpy, racist, old man (grumpy enough to make Walter Mathau look cheerful, racist enough to make that weird uncle of yours seem culturally diverse and old enough to make you think he's going to drop dead any moment).
He's the last whitey in the neighborhood, every home around is occupied by a variety of asian, black, and Latino immigrants. Gangs roam the streets and everything is in some state of disrepair. Walt doesn't start the movie off turning that signature scowl towards the melting pot of impoverished cultures around him though. The film opens with him standing by his wife's casket frowning with disapproval as his two yuppie sons and their disrespectful families make too much noise from snickering or texting. This opening scene really does give you a clue as to how over-the-top and unsubtle this film will be. One kid wears a top that exposes her midriff, another a football jersey (already you're having trouble suspending belief, who has ever seen a sports jersey or a belly button at a funeral?).
So, obviously this balances things a little. Walt doesn't just have a problem with non-whites. He's got a problem with his family, his barber (who may be a Italian, but looks just as white as Walt), his neighbors, his doctor in another not so subtle move, it becomes clear that Walt has enough problems to suggest that he's got a bigger one, maybe?
Of course the formula for this movie is ancient, an old dog learns some new tricks, while teaching the young pup what he learned on the path to becoming such a freakin' old dog.
The comedic aspects of the film are one of it's strong points, if you can laugh at a 70+ year old man telling a young asian girl "let's go get some of that nice gook food you've been jabbering about" or using every racial epithet in the book (except the n-word, oddly enough, they leave that one out, though he does make up for it by using six equally offensive alternatives in one conversation).
The movie has numerous weak points throughout (almost all of the supporting cast is borderline awful to passable), but right up until the final moments the good outweighed the bad. Until, after an unexpected twist, in the closing scene Clint Eastwood's voice starts singing this ridiculous song, which runs into the credits.
The song completely takes you out of the movie. As soon as it started, I was laughing, because of how absurd it was. The lyrics were terrible, and come on, Eastwood can barely utter his lines much less sing.
Really, if you fix the soundtrack, supporting cast, and the final twist you've got a potentially great movie. Or at least one that would have gotten a response similar to that of Million Dollar Baby.
I'm still waiting to see if there is anything out there capable of topping The Dark Knight. I've still got to see The Wrestler, Doubt, and Let the Right One In.
I'm kinda hoping Let The Right One In lives up to it's hype. It'll probably kick Quarantine off the top ten list as the best horror movie I saw from last year. Even if I didn't get around to seeing it until this year.
Gran Torino is an almost great movie. I'll leave out how everything that is so good gets undone in the final minutes for now though, and discuss what I thought did work.
Clint plays Walt, a grumpy, racist, old man (grumpy enough to make Walter Mathau look cheerful, racist enough to make that weird uncle of yours seem culturally diverse and old enough to make you think he's going to drop dead any moment).
He's the last whitey in the neighborhood, every home around is occupied by a variety of asian, black, and Latino immigrants. Gangs roam the streets and everything is in some state of disrepair. Walt doesn't start the movie off turning that signature scowl towards the melting pot of impoverished cultures around him though. The film opens with him standing by his wife's casket frowning with disapproval as his two yuppie sons and their disrespectful families make too much noise from snickering or texting. This opening scene really does give you a clue as to how over-the-top and unsubtle this film will be. One kid wears a top that exposes her midriff, another a football jersey (already you're having trouble suspending belief, who has ever seen a sports jersey or a belly button at a funeral?).
So, obviously this balances things a little. Walt doesn't just have a problem with non-whites. He's got a problem with his family, his barber (who may be a Italian, but looks just as white as Walt), his neighbors, his doctor in another not so subtle move, it becomes clear that Walt has enough problems to suggest that he's got a bigger one, maybe?
Of course the formula for this movie is ancient, an old dog learns some new tricks, while teaching the young pup what he learned on the path to becoming such a freakin' old dog.
The comedic aspects of the film are one of it's strong points, if you can laugh at a 70+ year old man telling a young asian girl "let's go get some of that nice gook food you've been jabbering about" or using every racial epithet in the book (except the n-word, oddly enough, they leave that one out, though he does make up for it by using six equally offensive alternatives in one conversation).
The movie has numerous weak points throughout (almost all of the supporting cast is borderline awful to passable), but right up until the final moments the good outweighed the bad. Until, after an unexpected twist, in the closing scene Clint Eastwood's voice starts singing this ridiculous song, which runs into the credits.
The song completely takes you out of the movie. As soon as it started, I was laughing, because of how absurd it was. The lyrics were terrible, and come on, Eastwood can barely utter his lines much less sing.
Really, if you fix the soundtrack, supporting cast, and the final twist you've got a potentially great movie. Or at least one that would have gotten a response similar to that of Million Dollar Baby.
I'm still waiting to see if there is anything out there capable of topping The Dark Knight. I've still got to see The Wrestler, Doubt, and Let the Right One In.
I'm kinda hoping Let The Right One In lives up to it's hype. It'll probably kick Quarantine off the top ten list as the best horror movie I saw from last year. Even if I didn't get around to seeing it until this year.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
13 Reasons to love 2009
As great a year as 2008 was for movies, there is a lot to be looking forward to. And since the first worthwhile movie will be released in March, looking forward is all we will be doing for a while. However, next summer is going to be one of the biggest blockbuster years in a long time (granted this is due to several of this fall's blockbusters being pushed back, like Star Trek and Harry Potter).
This is my complete (mostly, I don't know how much hope there is of a release of The Good, The Bad, and the Wierd the Korean Kung-fu Western homage whose trailer made my mouth drop) list of movies I'm looking forward to this year.
Watchmen
Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson and Carla Gugino star in this adaptation of the famed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Which is now locked in a legal battle between the soulless stain of a corporation (Fox) and the one hope for superhero movies (Warner Bros.). This may never be seen, and for those of us who dearly love the comic, maybe we should just breathe a sigh of relief, now that we don't have to fear our hopes being crushed.
Star Trek
"Lost" creator J. J. Abrams reboots the beloved sci-fi franchise in this prequel exploring the early days of Kirk and Spock. Hey everybody! This movie features Randy Pauche, in what will be the final (and only) acting performance of his lifetime. Seriously though, this looks like Star Wars-esque popcorn fun, who knows, maybe Lucas will grow a brain and hire Abrams to direct the final trilogy. Although I'm not really sure I'd want to see that happen.
Terminator Salvation
Christian Bale stars in this film which is both a sequel and a prequel to the wildly popular time-travel/killer robot action franchise. Finally, the only terminator sequel that ever needed to be made. Too bad it's being made by a guy with one name.
Up
Pixar follows up on their movies about gourmet rats and lonely robots with this flick about a grumpy old man and his balloon-powered floating house. Which, like most Pixar premises, makes you say huh? But hey, with their track record, if they made a promotional video for vacuum cleaners I'd see it in theaters.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Granted, the first one was ho-hum (how do you make a movie with robots this pretty and then have all their action sequences pale in comparison to...wait for it...the military? Seriously, the epitome of the entirety of this "robot action" movie was Optimus Prime's brief bit of swordplay). Still, Michael Bay has yet to do a sequel, he has also yet to make a movie with enough maturity to warrant a second viewing, but we can only hope.
Public Enemies
Johnny Depp stars as legendary bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale is the G-man on his tail in this true crime drama directed by Michael Mann. Michael Mann doing a period crime movie? From the director that brought you Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice...enough said.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry, Hermione, Ron and friends return to Hogwarts and face Lord Voldemort again in this sixth installment of the series. The last one was the best film realization yet. Perfectly captured the agonizing finality of Sirius' death, will this manage to elevate the puzzling finality of Dumbledore's?
Inglorious Basterds
After a string of films with female leads (Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Deathproof) QT has managed to ignore his foot fetish long enough to shoot a WWII all male mercenary team movie (Alternate title: The Really Dirty Dozen). What can I say? I'm under the age of 30, and therefore I must love Quentin.
Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio for the fourth time in a thriller about U.S. Marshall's pursuing of a female escaped convict. That brief synopsis leaves out the fact that he's adapting another of Dennis Lehane's books, which usually make great movies (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone).
Where the Wild Things Are
Director Spike Jones brings to life Maurice Sendak's classic children's book about a boy transported to a world of monsters. I'm no Spike Lee fan, but Where the Wild Things Are needs to be seen.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
An animated telling of Roald Dahl's beloved novel from director Wes Anderson ("Rushmore" and "The Royal Tennenbaums"). One of my favorite directors, whether this will be CG or not remains to be seen (or rather, researched on the internet). My second most anticipated kids movie.
Sherlock Holmes
Robert Downey Jr. brings the legendary London sleuth to life, with Jude Law as the faithful Dr. Watson and directed by Guy Ritchie. Okay, if you had asked me a few years ago which part of that equation would worry me most, Guy Ritchie wouldn't have been it. But after a slew of absolute crap, I am praying he doesn't screw what looks like my most anticipated movie of 2009 (Watchmen is a close second, however, the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were one of my first loves).
The Road
The second Cormac McCarthy movie in as many years is a post-apocalyptic tale of father and son crossing a burned out United States. I really liked No Country for Old Men and this movie deals with subject matter much closer to my own interests, plus it's directed by the guy who made The Proposition (almost like an Australian Unforgiven).
This is my complete (mostly, I don't know how much hope there is of a release of The Good, The Bad, and the Wierd the Korean Kung-fu Western homage whose trailer made my mouth drop) list of movies I'm looking forward to this year.
Watchmen
Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson and Carla Gugino star in this adaptation of the famed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Which is now locked in a legal battle between the soulless stain of a corporation (Fox) and the one hope for superhero movies (Warner Bros.). This may never be seen, and for those of us who dearly love the comic, maybe we should just breathe a sigh of relief, now that we don't have to fear our hopes being crushed.
Star Trek
"Lost" creator J. J. Abrams reboots the beloved sci-fi franchise in this prequel exploring the early days of Kirk and Spock. Hey everybody! This movie features Randy Pauche, in what will be the final (and only) acting performance of his lifetime. Seriously though, this looks like Star Wars-esque popcorn fun, who knows, maybe Lucas will grow a brain and hire Abrams to direct the final trilogy. Although I'm not really sure I'd want to see that happen.
Terminator Salvation
Christian Bale stars in this film which is both a sequel and a prequel to the wildly popular time-travel/killer robot action franchise. Finally, the only terminator sequel that ever needed to be made. Too bad it's being made by a guy with one name.
Up
Pixar follows up on their movies about gourmet rats and lonely robots with this flick about a grumpy old man and his balloon-powered floating house. Which, like most Pixar premises, makes you say huh? But hey, with their track record, if they made a promotional video for vacuum cleaners I'd see it in theaters.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Granted, the first one was ho-hum (how do you make a movie with robots this pretty and then have all their action sequences pale in comparison to...wait for it...the military? Seriously, the epitome of the entirety of this "robot action" movie was Optimus Prime's brief bit of swordplay). Still, Michael Bay has yet to do a sequel, he has also yet to make a movie with enough maturity to warrant a second viewing, but we can only hope.
Public Enemies
Johnny Depp stars as legendary bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale is the G-man on his tail in this true crime drama directed by Michael Mann. Michael Mann doing a period crime movie? From the director that brought you Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice...enough said.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry, Hermione, Ron and friends return to Hogwarts and face Lord Voldemort again in this sixth installment of the series. The last one was the best film realization yet. Perfectly captured the agonizing finality of Sirius' death, will this manage to elevate the puzzling finality of Dumbledore's?
Inglorious Basterds
After a string of films with female leads (Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Deathproof) QT has managed to ignore his foot fetish long enough to shoot a WWII all male mercenary team movie (Alternate title: The Really Dirty Dozen). What can I say? I'm under the age of 30, and therefore I must love Quentin.
Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio for the fourth time in a thriller about U.S. Marshall's pursuing of a female escaped convict. That brief synopsis leaves out the fact that he's adapting another of Dennis Lehane's books, which usually make great movies (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone).
Where the Wild Things Are
Director Spike Jones brings to life Maurice Sendak's classic children's book about a boy transported to a world of monsters. I'm no Spike Lee fan, but Where the Wild Things Are needs to be seen.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
An animated telling of Roald Dahl's beloved novel from director Wes Anderson ("Rushmore" and "The Royal Tennenbaums"). One of my favorite directors, whether this will be CG or not remains to be seen (or rather, researched on the internet). My second most anticipated kids movie.
Sherlock Holmes
Robert Downey Jr. brings the legendary London sleuth to life, with Jude Law as the faithful Dr. Watson and directed by Guy Ritchie. Okay, if you had asked me a few years ago which part of that equation would worry me most, Guy Ritchie wouldn't have been it. But after a slew of absolute crap, I am praying he doesn't screw what looks like my most anticipated movie of 2009 (Watchmen is a close second, however, the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were one of my first loves).
The Road
The second Cormac McCarthy movie in as many years is a post-apocalyptic tale of father and son crossing a burned out United States. I really liked No Country for Old Men and this movie deals with subject matter much closer to my own interests, plus it's directed by the guy who made The Proposition (almost like an Australian Unforgiven).
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Non Oscar Bait Top Ten
Since it's December, and the deluge of "critically acclaimed" arty movies is upon us. I'd like to compose a list that focuses on movies that had the guts to be released before December, and still probably have a shot at a few Oscar nods. I mean, come on, would anybody remember Doubt or Revolutionary Road come awards season if they hadn't been released a couple months beforehand?
A number of film critics like to compare the quality of one year to another, usually with the intent of reminiscing some glorious period (for some the gritty mid-late 70's, others the "rise of the indie" 90's). It has been my experience, and I think this is why film appeals to me so much, that every year is pretty consistent, you will see something new, unexpected and exciting every year.
My favorite film critic, James Berardinelli of Reelviews.net, has released his top ten list, and it is a little more populist than most, but not quite as down to earth as the list you'll find here.
First some honorable mentions: In Bruges, The Bank Job, Wanted, Death Race, Quantum of Solace, Cloverfield, Pineapple Express, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall
10. Kung Fu Panda
I rarely expect anything but mediocrity from Dreamworks when it comes to animation. They have the inferior robot, ant, fish, and rat movie. However, Pixar would be foolish to attempt to top the perfection they have achieved here, with the martial arts animal flick. Kung Fu Panda was probably the most fun I've had watching a "kids" movie in a long time.
9. Quarantine
A largely reviled film, considered an unoriginal mish-mash of Cloverfield style and a zombie film. I was impressed because while Cloverfield was constantly bordering on incoherent, Quarantine's use of a live amatuer documentary style only hightened the experience. The critical hate for this film somewhat baffles me, as it really only has one flaw, which is the excessive shrieking from the female lead in the films final 20 minutes.
8. Tropic Thunder
I had heard about Tropic Thunder fairly early on in it's advertising campaign, and was intrigued by Robert Downey Jr's character. That the movie managed to be as entertaining as that one joke is probably why it ended up on my list.
7. Redbelt
Spartan is one of my favorite movies of all time, I don't know why, it just is. David Mamet's follow up Redbelt is anchored by a great performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Like Spartan it deals with a man of action and principle having to learn to live in a world that is far less idealized than he would like. That Redbelt also features some great realistic martial arts doesn't hurt either.
6. The Incredible Hulk
If you were to ask me if redoing Ang Lee's Hulk with a film helmed by Luis Leterier (whose previous directing experience features Transporter 2 as the highlight) would be a good idea I would probably laugh and say absolutely not. But if you told me you had Edward Norton to play Bruce Banner I might consider it. This is the Hulk, not that odd send up to cheesy b-movies that once was the Hulk. Finally, with the creation of Marvel's own film studio we have the opportunity to see what happens when people who care about the source material make the creative decisions and with this year's release of The Incredible Hulk, Ironman, and The Dark Knight (which all made my top ten) I'm excited about the future of the comic book film.
5. Rambo
Simultaneously one of the most ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining movies of the year. More blood and gore than all previous Rambo's combined. That Rambo is saving missionaries makes this all the more hilarious/awesome.
4. Wall-E
While most people praise this movie unequivocally, I have several reservations, mostly about the way the final two-thirds don't hold up as strongly as the beginning and first encounters between Wall-E and Eve. However, the magic in those first 35 minutes is fantastic.
3. Ironman
Maybe I'm a little biased, seeing as how Ironman has always been one of my favorite superheroes. However, Robert Downey Jr's note perfect portrayal of Tony Stark elevates Ironman above the typical comic book action movie (Daredevil comes to mind when thinking of comic book movies that almost made it, but were held back by weak lead performances).
2. Slumdog Millionaire
Probably one of the few films actually deserving of the orgasmic critical response it has received. Danny Boyle continues to prove himself as a visionary director, you'd never know (unless of course you read it somewhere on the internet, as I did) that Boyle struggled to find a distributor for his film, which has been since called "a vibrant hymn to life" and sits triumphantly atop numerous top ten lists.
1. The Dark Knight
Like Beradinelli, I had a tough time choosing between Slumdog and Dark Knight. But the fact is that while Slumdog is an excellent movie, The Dark Knight transcends the category of movie or film into that of experience. It is the type of film making that just doesn't happen that often. The Nolan brothers (director and screenwriter, not unlike Joel and Ethan Coen) have crafted one of the most dense, breathtakingly relentless movies in ages.
Once I get around to seeing movies like The Wrestler, Gran Torino, Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, and Valkyrie I'll compile an Oscar bait top-ten.
A number of film critics like to compare the quality of one year to another, usually with the intent of reminiscing some glorious period (for some the gritty mid-late 70's, others the "rise of the indie" 90's). It has been my experience, and I think this is why film appeals to me so much, that every year is pretty consistent, you will see something new, unexpected and exciting every year.
My favorite film critic, James Berardinelli of Reelviews.net, has released his top ten list, and it is a little more populist than most, but not quite as down to earth as the list you'll find here.
First some honorable mentions: In Bruges, The Bank Job, Wanted, Death Race, Quantum of Solace, Cloverfield, Pineapple Express, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall
10. Kung Fu Panda
I rarely expect anything but mediocrity from Dreamworks when it comes to animation. They have the inferior robot, ant, fish, and rat movie. However, Pixar would be foolish to attempt to top the perfection they have achieved here, with the martial arts animal flick. Kung Fu Panda was probably the most fun I've had watching a "kids" movie in a long time.
9. Quarantine
A largely reviled film, considered an unoriginal mish-mash of Cloverfield style and a zombie film. I was impressed because while Cloverfield was constantly bordering on incoherent, Quarantine's use of a live amatuer documentary style only hightened the experience. The critical hate for this film somewhat baffles me, as it really only has one flaw, which is the excessive shrieking from the female lead in the films final 20 minutes.
8. Tropic Thunder
I had heard about Tropic Thunder fairly early on in it's advertising campaign, and was intrigued by Robert Downey Jr's character. That the movie managed to be as entertaining as that one joke is probably why it ended up on my list.
7. Redbelt
Spartan is one of my favorite movies of all time, I don't know why, it just is. David Mamet's follow up Redbelt is anchored by a great performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Like Spartan it deals with a man of action and principle having to learn to live in a world that is far less idealized than he would like. That Redbelt also features some great realistic martial arts doesn't hurt either.
6. The Incredible Hulk
If you were to ask me if redoing Ang Lee's Hulk with a film helmed by Luis Leterier (whose previous directing experience features Transporter 2 as the highlight) would be a good idea I would probably laugh and say absolutely not. But if you told me you had Edward Norton to play Bruce Banner I might consider it. This is the Hulk, not that odd send up to cheesy b-movies that once was the Hulk. Finally, with the creation of Marvel's own film studio we have the opportunity to see what happens when people who care about the source material make the creative decisions and with this year's release of The Incredible Hulk, Ironman, and The Dark Knight (which all made my top ten) I'm excited about the future of the comic book film.
5. Rambo
Simultaneously one of the most ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining movies of the year. More blood and gore than all previous Rambo's combined. That Rambo is saving missionaries makes this all the more hilarious/awesome.
4. Wall-E
While most people praise this movie unequivocally, I have several reservations, mostly about the way the final two-thirds don't hold up as strongly as the beginning and first encounters between Wall-E and Eve. However, the magic in those first 35 minutes is fantastic.
3. Ironman
Maybe I'm a little biased, seeing as how Ironman has always been one of my favorite superheroes. However, Robert Downey Jr's note perfect portrayal of Tony Stark elevates Ironman above the typical comic book action movie (Daredevil comes to mind when thinking of comic book movies that almost made it, but were held back by weak lead performances).
2. Slumdog Millionaire
Probably one of the few films actually deserving of the orgasmic critical response it has received. Danny Boyle continues to prove himself as a visionary director, you'd never know (unless of course you read it somewhere on the internet, as I did) that Boyle struggled to find a distributor for his film, which has been since called "a vibrant hymn to life" and sits triumphantly atop numerous top ten lists.
1. The Dark Knight
Like Beradinelli, I had a tough time choosing between Slumdog and Dark Knight. But the fact is that while Slumdog is an excellent movie, The Dark Knight transcends the category of movie or film into that of experience. It is the type of film making that just doesn't happen that often. The Nolan brothers (director and screenwriter, not unlike Joel and Ethan Coen) have crafted one of the most dense, breathtakingly relentless movies in ages.
Once I get around to seeing movies like The Wrestler, Gran Torino, Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, and Valkyrie I'll compile an Oscar bait top-ten.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monthly Mixtape
10 Songs from 2008
1. Family Tree - TV on the Radio
One of the fresher things you can listen to, Tv on the Radio was featured last month, so for more detail refer to last month's mixtape.
2. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
The word lush comes to mind. Best debut of 2008 by far. Who would have thought a band that named the soundtracks for Final Fantasy games as an influence could rejuvenate folk music?
3. One Day Like This - Elbow
My favorite song of 2008, and one I'm in danger of getting burned out on. If you don't listen to/haven't heard of these guys, rectify that please, they're a thousand times better than Coldplay, the only band running neck-and-pasty-British-neck with Radiohead.
4. Cath - Death Cab
I'm always really hard on Death Cab when I first listen to one of their new albums, so much so that I don't get into it until a couple months after it's release. Narrow Stairs holds up, and is a worthy addition to their canon. This song in particular is the only one that manages to scratch the surface depth of Transatlanticism.
5. Lost? - Coldplay
I don't know what the question mark is for, Coldplay knew they weren't in Kansas long before they started working on Viva la Vida, which may be their best album. If not, it's definitely one of Brian Eno's most accessible works. Chris Martin managed to be more than insufferable (he is the Achilles and the heel of the band, kind of like Bono is with U2) and wrote some lyrics (with Eno's help). All in all a great album, and if you studiously avoided Coldplay before now, go out and buy this and Kanye's newest, they just may melt your elitist heart.
6. A Trip Out - British Sea Power
I am not really a fan of stuff that is so post anything it gets labeled post-whatever. For their first two albums, the joy of listening to British Sea Power was somewhat dampened by the fact that they really sounded like post-punk. Although I never really thought to cross-reference the Jackson 5 with British Sea Power, they manage to sound youthful and optimistic on Do You Like Rock Music? the title's genius only being made obvious after you listen to the album through a couple times.
7. Orphans - Beck
I really, really, like Beck. I'm not one of those people that says "everything since Odelay is ho-hum" I will defend every single one of his albums...except last years The Information which was such a depressing failure for me, I threw the cd away, not even wanting to collect the couple bucks it would have brought at half-price. All I can say is, thank God for Danger Mouse. Although he didn't have such a hot follow up with his own gig (Gnarls Barkley), he managed to completely erase the bad taste of The Information. Modern Guilt is another really good Beck album.
8. Love Lockdown - Kanye West
As I said earlier, this album 808's and Heartbreak, atones for a lot of the ridiculous posturing Kanye has been up to. I don't think the Beatles could have made half the noise he's made prior to the release of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and been taken seriously. And 808's and Heartbreak aint no Beatles album. Still, if you miss the Electric Light Orchestra, or wish they would have been fronted by a rapper with an auto-tuner, your in for a treat.
9. Manhattan - Kings of Leon
I may be the only person willing to say this, but I think of all those new indie bands that emerged in the early part of the decade (Interpol, The Strokes, The Stills, Of Montreal, Mates of State to name a few) the Kings of Leon have emerged as being ahead of the pack. Only by the Night is not a perfect album, nor is it as instantly infectious as some of their past work, but it is packed with good songs, which is more than I can say for any of those other guys fourth full length release.
10. Good Night, Bad Morning - The Kills
This seemed the perfect song with which to turn down the lights on 2008. Midnight Boom, despite having an awesome name, was a complete failure for The Kills, it was the epitome of "sound and fury signifying nothing" the signature swagger and attitude were there, but it didn't having anything backing it up. This simple song outranks and outclasses everything else on the album.
Aught-Eight En Retrospekt...Musik
It's been another up and down year for Musik, he's a nice guy just trying to bring a little something to the ears of the people. Unfortunately, being upper management, he really just takes credit for the success of his workforce, and it seems like some of the usually reliable team members dropped the ball. If that was an excessive use of metaphor let me know.
Keane, Razorlight, The Stills, The Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spiritualized, The Killers, Ladytron and Weezer all crapped the money bed.
Several new artists suffered from something that's gotten rarer lately (the sophomore slump). While others dodged what I believe has replaced it (the third album implosion, remember The Strokes? I don't either). There were a few unexpected suprises (the pairing of Robert Plant and Alisson Krausse, Fleet Foxes). If I had to weigh the good and the bad, the dissapointments against the satisfaction, I'd have to say it was a good year.
The Mainstream/Top 40/Hip-Hop/Grammy crowd even managed to provide a decent song or two, I have officially become a fan of Lil' Wayne (the song Shooter on The Carter II) and Kanye has, not become the "voice of his generation", but at least released an album good enough to atone for ever uttering something so hopelessly egotistical and jouvenily absurd. I've surrendered to the infectious nature of Apologize and Whatever You Like, sometimes, though you already know you can't beat 'em and have sworn to never join 'em, you join 'em anyway.
It wasn't a good year for divas, I don't think anybody was fooled by Beyonce's reinvention. Brittany refuses to fade into nonexistence, and her success is proof that the American consumer has no soul, memory, brain, or even a pair of functioning ears. No new Christina Aguilera/Amy Winehouse album, no reason for me to have anything positive to say. Oh, and Katy Perry's hit single is a sign of the apocolypse. So says the Evangelical Christian "community".
There were some close calls. Death Cab, Kings of Leon, and Coldplay's new albums teetered on the brink of total failure, but I've warmed to all of them, which means it is now okay for you to like them as well (I laugh as I write this of course).
So, since it's the middle of December and you're still listening (theoretically listening anyway) to November's tunes, I've compiled a summary of what I listened to this year, limited to what was released this year. I know, you were itching to hear some classic tunes from Public Enemy, Bob Dylan, and some song from some Wes Anderson soundtrack, but for the purpose of remembering 2008 I've limited it to songs released this year. So without further ado (or explanation), the ten songs that represent 2008's music.
Keane, Razorlight, The Stills, The Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spiritualized, The Killers, Ladytron and Weezer all crapped the money bed.
Several new artists suffered from something that's gotten rarer lately (the sophomore slump). While others dodged what I believe has replaced it (the third album implosion, remember The Strokes? I don't either). There were a few unexpected suprises (the pairing of Robert Plant and Alisson Krausse, Fleet Foxes). If I had to weigh the good and the bad, the dissapointments against the satisfaction, I'd have to say it was a good year.
The Mainstream/Top 40/Hip-Hop/Grammy crowd even managed to provide a decent song or two, I have officially become a fan of Lil' Wayne (the song Shooter on The Carter II) and Kanye has, not become the "voice of his generation", but at least released an album good enough to atone for ever uttering something so hopelessly egotistical and jouvenily absurd. I've surrendered to the infectious nature of Apologize and Whatever You Like, sometimes, though you already know you can't beat 'em and have sworn to never join 'em, you join 'em anyway.
It wasn't a good year for divas, I don't think anybody was fooled by Beyonce's reinvention. Brittany refuses to fade into nonexistence, and her success is proof that the American consumer has no soul, memory, brain, or even a pair of functioning ears. No new Christina Aguilera/Amy Winehouse album, no reason for me to have anything positive to say. Oh, and Katy Perry's hit single is a sign of the apocolypse. So says the Evangelical Christian "community".
There were some close calls. Death Cab, Kings of Leon, and Coldplay's new albums teetered on the brink of total failure, but I've warmed to all of them, which means it is now okay for you to like them as well (I laugh as I write this of course).
So, since it's the middle of December and you're still listening (theoretically listening anyway) to November's tunes, I've compiled a summary of what I listened to this year, limited to what was released this year. I know, you were itching to hear some classic tunes from Public Enemy, Bob Dylan, and some song from some Wes Anderson soundtrack, but for the purpose of remembering 2008 I've limited it to songs released this year. So without further ado (or explanation), the ten songs that represent 2008's music.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Whirlwind...
The last few weeks have been dizzyingly busy:
and I have to say,
I wanna be sedated.
The stress is really straining things at home (stress causes strain? profound isn't it?), there's just a lot of stuff bearing down on us.
And as I've said before, I don't so much rise to the occasion as ignore it until the last possible moment, when I roll out of the way like Indy dodging the giant stone ball (except instead of running away, I've been staring at it, more or less, the whole time it's been getting closer and closer).
But it's not all bad news, we've gotten a lot of stuff done, and it seems like all that's left to do is...well a lot of crap actually, but nothing with a deadline that is nearer than the first of January.
I'm sure it will all work out, but right now things are moving at a maddeningly slow pace. Which worries me, because everyone keeps saying how fast everything is going to be happening. I'm ready for that part to happen, because I really just want to be past all this awkward transition crap and settled in Austin, going to school.
- Lining up my job transfer with UPS
- Testing the troubled waters of packing (meaning Lacey's done a lot of work, and I've helped a little bit)
- Prepping for the Holidays
- Stressing about the Christmas Party (Talent Show performance)
This is all overwhelming.
So, how do you deal with feeling overwhelmed?
So, how do you deal with feeling overwhelmed?
I ignore it.
Denial is a potent sedative,and I have to say,
I wanna be sedated.
And as I've said before, I don't so much rise to the occasion as ignore it until the last possible moment, when I roll out of the way like Indy dodging the giant stone ball (except instead of running away, I've been staring at it, more or less, the whole time it's been getting closer and closer).
But it's not all bad news, we've gotten a lot of stuff done, and it seems like all that's left to do is...well a lot of crap actually, but nothing with a deadline that is nearer than the first of January.
I'm sure it will all work out, but right now things are moving at a maddeningly slow pace. Which worries me, because everyone keeps saying how fast everything is going to be happening. I'm ready for that part to happen, because I really just want to be past all this awkward transition crap and settled in Austin, going to school.
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