I want them back.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Blur: Think Tank
Unexpectedly this record cam on last night during a relaxed barbecue setting where no meats were served but instead tender tuna steaks. I had not heard Think Tank in years and when it came on it was one of those moments when the first song came on I thought to myself, "Oh, I forgot how much I love this song". Then the next song came on and I thought the same thing. Then the third. You see where this is going? This is a great album where every song is solid in its own way. There are some beautiful, slow songs while there are others that are fist-pump anthems. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this record all over again.
Pavement: Black Walls
I wish this song was recorded in the studio. I watched "Slow Century" again this weekend and ever since this song has been in my head. Everything about this song is beautiful. It is one of those perfect Pavement songs where its a wonderful balance between sloppiness and cleverness with great lyrics.
You shouldn't hate your body 'cause it's a part of you
"In The Garden of Beasts"
During my week away I got my hands on a book I cannot seem to put down. I recently picked up Erik Larson's novel "In the Garden of Beasts". Larson approaches "In the Garden of Beasts" as he did with his other bestseller, "The Devil in the White City", by taking historical documents and events and shapes them into a story that reads like fantastic fiction. "In the Garden of Beasts" follows William E. Dodd, a University of Chicago professor, to Berlin in 1933 as he is tapped by Franklin D. Roosevelt to be an American Ambassador. The news had just begun to spill over the Atlantic Ocean about what the newly appointed Chancellor of Germany was doing to the Jewish people. The reign of terror by Adolf Hilter was just starting to gain momentum. This is a fascinating novel and Larson's strong ability to paint such a wonderful landscape that you feel as if you are transported back in time to such a pinnacle point in history. This book reads fast and you find yourself wanting to know more. There is still a month left of summer. If you want to add another book to your summer list, I would say throw this on top of the pile.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Battles: Gloss Drop
The obvious difference between Gloss Drop and their previous record Mirrored is that Tyondai Braxton's vocals and sound effects are not around this time but have no fear! This album is just as solid and to be honest I like the direction they are going compared to their previous record. Gloss Drop still has that math- rock sound that make Battles' sound so unique but has a different twist to it, as if they decided to not have such a frenzied sound than before. Primarily an instrumental album, the trio tapped some guest vocalists for this record, one specifically being Gary Newman. It took me a minute to get around to digesting this record but I am happy I did, its been growing on me more and more everytime I listen to it. I am checking them out next week and I curious how it will come off as a trio because when I saw them last, having no idea who they were, they were a quartet and the whole show blew me away at how good it was.
Beginners
This wonderful film, written and directed by Mike Mills, is essentially a love story. But to be more specific, I should say love stories. At the very beginning you meet Oliver (Ewan McGregor) who is cleaning up his fathers home after he has died from cancer. Olivers father, played by a fantastic Christopher Plummer, only a short time before his death and after his wife's passing, informs Oliver that he is gay, has been gay since he was 13 and now wants to explore this part of life that he has withheld for so long. The news shocks Oliver but accepts his fathers wish and supports him as he enjoys the finals months he has to live. You witness flashbacks of Oliver interacting with his father before he dies as well as time he spent with his mother, the sleeper character played by Mary Page Keller, when he was a child. In present time, set in 2003 Los Angeles, Oliver meets a french actress named Anna, played by the beautiful Mélanie Laurent, and before you know there are sparks of a new romantic relationship between the two. You watch the relationship between Oliver and Anna expand and extract with flashbacks of Olivers life before he met Anna, possibly an insight into why he seems so sad.
"Beginners" is a film where you watch ones journey dealing with love, life and death. The style that Mike Mills incorporates into this film works well, using voice over by Oliver on top of still images discussing what it was like in 1955 when his parents wed and what it is like in 2003. The style reminds me of something Wes Anderson and, as how Wes Anderson does so well, Mills delivers a journey for which you take with these characters. In the end you feel as if you know them personally, you walk into their lives and when it is all said and done, you want to see what happens down the road as they continue their journey.
Arby's
I went to college in Dayton, Ohio. It is not a farmland town that you might expect living in the middle of the country. Dayton is a small-sized city that you can tell, at one point, was prospering but for various reasons peaked and been shrinking as the years go by. The university is a major contributor to the various businesses in town. One of the businesses is Arby’s.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Future Islands
An interview with Samuel T. Herring, the lead singer of Future Islands, talking about performing on stage and in doing so popping your knee out of its socket. I saw them peform this week in a packed and sweaty club in Brooklyn. Like they do every time I see them they gave it their all and the crowd was loving every minute of it. They put on such a phenomenal show. More bands need this typeof stage presence.
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