Igby Goes Down/Kick-Ass

Igby Goes Down (2002)

Written and directed by Burr Steers

The early 2000s seemed to be the prime time for dark, coming of age comedies about dysfunctional families, and that's exactly what Igby Goes Down. I probably would have loved this back in late high school or early college, but I'm just about ten years late and it was quite a chore to get through last night. In spite of the ensemble cast, the acting was pretty terrible. The biting, clever dialogue seemed completely forced. The cast seemed to have no chemistry whatsoever, and the characters reactions to EVERYTHING were unbelievable and absolutely ridiculous, making every single one of them detestable at best. I won't deny that Igby Goes Down had its moments, but they were few and far between.

Kick-Ass (2010)

Written by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn, directed by Matthew Vaughn

My interest in and passion for film has waned considerably since I've become so obsessed with reading over the past couple of years, but Kick-Ass was completely refreshing. One of those rare films that I had very high expectations for and they were exceeded. The acting is good, not amazing, but that doesn't even matter as the film's feel and visuals are almost untouchable for this genre. Every character is lovable and fascinating in their own right, and the ridiculous concept comes across in an incredibly charming way. Unsurprising to me, what I loved best about Kick-Ass was the contradiction of these young kids (high school age and younger) being involved in such violent acts. The writing and direction breezes over this like it's no big deal, and this blows my mind. That being said, the violence is gratuitous but artfully done, let alone necessary. Overall, Kick-Ass is both fun and dark, if not completely messed up, thus totally up my alley.

Kafka on the Shore/The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami (2002)

What a wonderful conundrum. I feel like I understand the events in this novel as best as I possibly could, yet I have no idea how to describe in words exactly what actually occurs in Kafka on the Shore, the first Murakami novel I've read. I loved every single character, especially the two main ones. The novel combines gorgeous prose and magical realism with philosophy, mystery and sometimes even terror. What this book excels at is its imagery, unbelievability and creepiness (of which there is much more than I expected). The few complaints I have are that the dialogue comes across as a little too innocent and naive, and at some point (and I can't even place exactly where this happens) I started to lose interest in the story. That being said, Kafka on the Shore still ended up being everything I hoped for and so much more. This disturbing (in the best ways) story of love and companionship takes place in a world where cats talk, evil formless beings use human bodies and souls as vessels (which is so Final Fantasy) and our shadows or spirits act out our innermost desires. In other words, despite its imperfection, Kafka on the Shore is perfectly up my alley, and it did not disappoint.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz (2007)

Despite getting an arrogant vibe from the author and not being able to read an irritating amount of the book due to having abandoned my high school spanish skills long ago, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was still an enjoyable if not great read. Sure, all the Watchmen and Lord of the Rings references (along with all the other sci-fi and fantasy ones) sprinkled throughout helped, but the story was truly fascinating. Sometimes the shift in narrator and the vast amount of book that wasn't actually about the lovable main character got annoying. But, all that was made up for in other ways, namely in the fascinating events that take place (love after love lost and then finally gained, third world upbringings, magical realism-esque curses, attempted suicides, horrendous beatdowns, the footnote side-plot showcasing the backstory of the Dominican Republic dictator Trujillo, etc.). While I sort of hinted at and complained about the fact that the majority of this book focuses on characters that aren't the main one, Oscar, they are still interesting and likable ones who's plots were intense and twisted in their own wonderful ways. The passion evident in Junot Diaz's writing is a bonus, even if he's trying too hard to sound young, hip and informal in such a formal arena as a novel. Criticisms aside, there is way more that is good about The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao than bad, and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone.

Eastbound & Down: Season One

Eastbound & Down: Season One (2009)
Earlier this week, I decided it was time to revisit the first season of Eastbound & Down (especially since I had recently purchased it for a mere $9.99 thanks to a sweet Amazon deal). Unsurprisingly, I was reminded of how incredible this show is. Not only is this particular season an utterly flawless debut, its got to be one of the best television shows, period (and I haven't even seen any of the second season).

Obviously, the show is hilarious. But it is so much more than that. The plot and characters are complex, slightly to very awkward, deeply twisted and the funniest since Curb Your Enthusiasm's sixth season, or maybe even Arrested Development. Danny McBride's Kenny Powers is one of the greatest characters no matter what facet of media, let alone in any genre of tv show, in recent memory. Will Ferrell's minor role as Ashley Schaeffer is classic Will Ferrell. Most surprising (in the best way) is Steve Little, who plays the ridiculous, confusing Stevie Janowski, Powers' eventual sidekick. Everyone else is fantastic, and totally worth mentioning, but I'm running out of steam here already.

In case you don't know, Kenny Powers' story is that he is a former MLB relief pitcher who's career went to shit due to his anger issues, racist ramblings and addiction to partying and drugs. He ends up moving in with his brother and sister-in-law and their children and takes a job as a substitute gym teacher at the high school I think he graduated from. This first season showcases Kenny's insanely fluctuating, emotional and intense personality as well as his zany antics at trying to get back to the big leagues and reconnecting with his high school sweetheart, who at this point is engaged to be married to the high school's principle. Rereading all of that, it sounds like the show is just sad, and it is, but McBride makes it all so damn funny.

Eastbound & Down is a comedy of the highest regard, but what really makes it so near perfect is how dark and disturbing the story actually is when you get under all the humor. And, season one's conclusion is definitely one of my absolute favorite season-enders ever. You've probably all seen it, but if you haven't, please get with the program.

Party in the USA/Away

Here are seriously two more of my top jams right this second.


"Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus from The Time of Our Lives EP (2009)
I assume I'm way late to this game, but for a while now, in my mind, there has been a three-way battle for best recent Top 40 pop radio song between Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA," Katy Perry's "California Girls" and Kesha's "We R Who We R." After hearing it twice at the wedding reception for my friends Zach and Erin, and then listening to it repeatedly over the past few days, I have decided this rare honor goes to "Party in the USA." The melody is good throughout, but fantastic during the chorus, where it is also joined by some badass synth bass. For better or worse, I am not ashamed. The song is awesome.


"Away" by The Feelies from Only Life (1988)
Here's just another really great song by The Feelies that for some reason I just noticed when I was listening to Only Life the other night.

Feel Me Flow

"Feel Me Flow" by Naughty by Nature, from Poverty's Paradise (1995)

I'm not a hip hop guy at all, but I sure loved this jam in the fifth and sixth grades. I hadn't heard the song since then until last August, when Travis DJed Jensen's wedding and included it on the playlist. It reopened up a world of fondness and nostalgia, and unfortunately I hadn't gotten around to downloading the track for my own benefit until just the other day.

In spite of my having little to interest or passion for hip hop in general, "Feel Me Flow" fits in with the few songs of that style that I do really like. It's incredibly smooth and features a classic sounding soul sample (I have no idea what it is, though) that is actually quite beautiful. The melody during the chorus is fantastic, even if it's not sung especially well (which is my preference, anyway). Also, I'm into this more percussive, staccato style of rapping. I feel like we don't hear that anymore? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Lamb/The Doom That Came to Gotham/Visitations

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal - Christopher Moore (2002)

A fictional retelling of the life of Jesus Christ as told through the eyes of his also fictional best friend Levi (nicknamed Biff, here). In spite of this being only the second Christopher Moore novel I've read, it's safe to say that he completely nailed it here. The first three quarters of the book creates a wonderful backstory for Jesus. We obviously don't know anything about his life shortly after his birth until he begins his ministry in his early 30s, and Moore's imagination really runs rampant here in the best possible way. However, Moore mostly succeeds when he strays a little from his sense of humor and adds some humility and morality to the story. He gets a bit more serious than I ever expected of him, and it's really good stuff. Moore obviously studied up on the Bible amongst other sources, but all the fictionalized details are thoroughly enjoyable. Every single character, major or minor, is portrayed incredibly well. I won't deny that my appreciation for Lamb is boosted by my upbringing in the church, but I think absolutely anyone would be touched, challenged and at the very least find enjoyment in reading this. It is definitely one of the best books I've read so far in 2011.

The Doom That Came to Gotham - Mike Mignola & Richard Pace (2000)

Overall, this three issue mini-series is typical Mike Mignola fare, in my opinion. Rushed story, lots of holes, very cool imagery and religious/mystic symbolism. Visually, the series is quite fantastic. The way classic characters are used in this twist on the Batman story is pretty cool, even when the events they're involved in are completely inexplicable. Harvey Dent's role is the most interesting and disturbing (especially visually). And per usual, Mignola's monsters look pretty amazing. More flawed than I was hoping for, but still solid.

Visitations - C.S. Morse (1998)

Quick and easy to read, eerie, touching, tragic and gorgeous in every way. A tale and character study that questions morality, spirituality and life after death. Pretty heavy stuff for such a short book, let alone for one that features such innocent and attractive artwork. Pretty much loved it.

Emotional Listening #10

Apple O' - Deerhoof (Kill Rock Stars/5 Rue Christine, 2003)
Not surprisingly, here's yet another Deerhoof record for me to love and cherish. The only major difference I can hear between Apple O' and the record that followed it, Milk Man, is perhaps that the former is more cohesive. Otherwise, here is another, earlier example of Deerhoof doing what they do: bizarre, impressively complex guitar rock with high quality albeit overtly adorable vocal melodies. However, just like every other Deerhoof record that I know and love, it's the eerily beautiful guitar parts and the completely bat shit insane drumming that just kills me. It doesn't matter to me that between Apple O' and 2005's The Runners Four, nothing much changed in their sound. It still sounds fresh to these ears, because who else is writing and performing music this way?
Top jams: "Dummy Discards a Heart," "Heart Failure," "Flower," "L'Amour Stories," "Panda Panda Panda," "Hayley and Homer," "Blue Cash"

Where You Been - Dinosaur Jr. (Sire, 1993)

There was a time when I thought Where You Been was Dinosaur Jr.'s best album, at least out of the ones I'm familiar with. Then 2009 happened and Farm was released, and it has been my favorite since. Anyway, 1993's Where You Been is still really good. There's nothing out of the ordinary here. It is chock full of J. Mascis' slacker vocals and usual heroic guitar wankery as well as Murph's solid as hell drumming. "Goin' Home" and "I Ain't Sayin'" are standouts. "Start Choppin'" is not only the best song on the record, it is also my favorite of theirs, period. At some point soon, though, I need to start checking out the Dino Jr. records prior to this one.

Top jams: "Out There," "Start Choppin'," "On the Way," "Get Me," "Hide," "Goin' Home," "I Ain't Sayin'"

The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified - The Dismemberment Plan (DeSoto, 1997)

It has taken me too many years to come to terms with The Dismemberment Plan's second LP, The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified. I get it now, guys. Of course, it is zanier and much, much more flawed than Emergency & I and Change, and the band's subtle merging of punk and soul hadn't been fully realized yet, but there are definitely some highlights here. The record opens up strongly with "Tonight We Mean It," "That's When the Party Started" and then probably the best song here, "The Ice of Boston." Beyond that, things get a bit inconsistent. However, I was pleasantly surprised by "Manipulate Me," which most recently has ruled me pretty hard. The fact that Travis Morrison does more talking and yelling here than on the later albums isn't too much of a turn off. In fact, that vocal style is probably more appropriate for these songs anyway. At worst, The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified is simply an interesting transitional record. At best, it is some good, unique, arty and funky punk rock.

Top jams: "Tonight We Mean It," "That's When the Party Started," "The Ice of Boston," "This is the Life," "One Too Many Blows to the Head," "It's So You," "Manipulate Me"

This Week's Sweet, Sweet Jam

"Can't Make Your Life Better" by Lilys, from Better Can't Make Your Life Better (1996)

La Sera/Do Whatever You Want All the Time

La Sera - La Sera (Hardly Art, 2011)

2011 has already been a productive year for the members of Vivian Girls. Not only have they released their third album, but bassist Katy Goodman has joined guitarist Cassie Ramone in releasing music under a different moniker. La Sera is Goodman's solo project, and this self-titled debut is a very solid batch of mellow and dreamy guitar pop. The guitars jangle and the bass is unsurprisingly bouncy (which is Goodman's style), and the heavily reverbed vocals fit in perfectly. Overall, La Sera may be a little more mellow than I was hoping, but the variety of sounds and quality of melodies make up for that. Standout "Been Here Before" is especially catchy and memorable.

Do Whatever You Want All the Time - Ponytail (We Are Free, 2011)

Though I didn't love it, there were things I liked about Ponytail's 2008 breakthrough, Ice Cream Spiritual, namely the mathy song structures and time signatures, the incredibly fun and complex guitar work and the insane drumming. Thankfully, those carry over onto they're latest, Do Whatever You Want All the Time. However, there are other things that make this the superior record. Molly Siegel's obnoxious vocals are still irritating at worst and interesting at best, but overall are more tolerable. While the guitar lines are still very melodic and impressively intricate, but they're more tastefully done. The drums are still completely wanky, but in this case it almost seems completely necessary. In spite of all of this, it still sounds like the band has chilled out a bit, and the inclusion of dynamics definitely helps. Do Whatever You Want All the Time isn't something I can listen to all the time, but it is an enjoyable and interesting listen every time I do put it on.

Most Recent Favorite Song at the Moment #2

"You and I, Part II" by Fleetwood Mac, from Tango in the Night (1987)
1987's Tango in the Night is quickly becoming my favorite Fleetwood Mac album, and here is my favorite song from it. Am I crazy, or have a lot of the hipster jams been sounding like this these days?