Monthly Archives: August 2007
New music?
OK, the radio.blog is back up, let’s get some music posted. What have you been into lately?
I recently discovered a band that I saw open for Pelican called Your Black Star. Kind of a stupid name, but I haven’t been able to stop listening to their albums I picked up at the show. Very 80s influenced but in a way that I love. They don’t sound like any one band in particular, like some current indie bands I could name. (*cough* Interpol *cough* Joy Division wannabes *cough*) They have a swirling guitar sound that is sort of like the Cure/Chameleons/U2—any number of 80s bands.
I’ll post a couple songs to the radio.blog. What have you been into? If I have it, I’ll try to post songs to the radio.blog.
Top 5 Toys (For Boys) of the 80′s
1) Transformers
2) Star Wars
3) Electric Football
4) GI Joe
5) He-Man
Why Next Summer will be a Killer Film Season
This Summer’s movies were pretty blah in my opinion. There were two great movies: Bourne and Ratatouille. I didn’t get into (nor see) Transformers. Just not my thing. Most of the movies I did see (Harry Potter, Spiderman 3, etc.) were either big disappointments or just plain bad. There were a few fun films like Oceans 13 or Live Free or Die Hard, but they weren’t memorable in the least. Yet next year. Oh baby…
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Fug-o-meter
Just for fun, I ran the current US box office top ten through the Fug-o-meter. Here are the scores:
1 Superbad — 81
2 Rush Hour 3 — 55
**3 The Bourne Ultimatum — 85**
4 The Simpsons Movie — 80
5 The Invasion — 53
6 Stardust — 74
7 Hairspray — 81
8 Underdog — 36
9 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — 74
10 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry –50
Good bets have 80 or more Fugs. All in all a pretty evenly divided week: some good, some ok, some stinkers.
Underdog?!
****
The Fug Score averages the Metacritic score and the IMDB user rating. The Fug Score does not lie.
A few things I learned recently watching Austin City Limits
My DVR is picking up ACL whenever it comes on, and I’ve had a chance to catch some bands that I’ve listened to for a long time, but have never seen live. Here are a few observations I have made:
1) Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) does not appear to be very good at singing and playing the guitar at the same time. (Which, hey, I can’t do either one separately, so I feel for Isaac.) Also, Modest Mouse opened with the worst version of “Float On” imaginable. Either they’ve grown to completely hate their one hit song, or it’s not a song that they are capable of reproducing well outside of the studio. Or the band members were wasted. Hey, speaking of wasted …
2) Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) was certainly very drunk during his set, and the rest of the band might have been too. But they still sounded fantastic. (Or, as fantastic as they could sound with the sub-par audio signal that my local PBS station puts out.) I didn’t realize that Pollard doesn’t play guitar when the band performs on stage. Maybe Brock should take note.
3) Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) sure does seem to be enjoying himself on stage, even when most of his songs are about death. The puppets, toys and props seem to help. Also, the Flaming Lips and Cat Power do a really good version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Who knew?
4) Despite being a very talented song writer, James Mercer (The Shins) might be one of the least charismatic stage performers I’ve seen since I went to see New Order in the ’80s. When the bassist has to handle the between-song banter because the lead singer is too busy wincing the night away, you know something’s not right.
5) ACL gets some good acts. When I was younger, I thought it was mostly boring folk and country.
Just When I Thought It Couldn’t Get More Ridiculous…
the pet people up the ante. Not only is it now socially acceptable to dress your pets, push them in their own strollers and not vote for a presidential candidate because he let his dog ride on top of a car, but now there’s this and this.
Folks, what the hell is going on???
Most Eagerly Awaited Shows
Well it’s almost September and the fall premieres are already being advertised. Yes some of our favorite shows won’t be here until January or February. (Lost, I’m looking at you) But there are plenty that will. While I confess there are no new shows I’m terribly excited about (Bionic Woman? Come on) but there are some returning ones I’m pretty excited about. So here’s the place to rant and rave about your anticipation.
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So You Think You Can Dance Finale
OK, I know many of you probably haven’t watched So You Think You Can Dance. I confess my wife and I have been fans even though I normally hate shows of this type. (Dancing With the Stars or American Idol) This one I really like primarily because most of the dancers have had enough training that they are good. (Some are amazingly impressive at what they do) Yet they are taken so far out of their comfort zone that it is very challenging. Anyway, tonight we find out who wins. Here are my thoughts on the season.
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Catching a Break
Cinematical has a good article about Nathan Fillion, the actor from Firefly, etc. that has had plenty of big breaks but still has not managed to really emerge as a popular figure. The article’s right on, I think, about Fillion but makes me wonder about great artists, bands, etc. that deserve success but never quite seem to find it. Tim Minear strikes me as such a guy, and of course any Canadian will tell you that The Tragically Hip should be big stars in the States as well. Who are the other masters who deserve recognition?
Live Review: Pelican in L.A., Aug 10, 2007
I was really looking forward to this show. Good thing it didn`t disappoint.
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