Dexter: Season 4/Crimson Vol. 1 & 2

Dexter: Season 4 (2009)

I only recently began my journey with Michael C. Hall as Dexter within the past year or so. Unfortunately, I skipped the first two seasons and just picked up with the third, and it didn't even matter. Sure, I missed a bunch of sweet, messed up stuff, but I got a good enough grasp on the characters to carry on. My roommates and I spent the last part of January and early part of February getting through the fourth season, and, unsurprisingly, it ruled. All the characters were just as likeable as I remember, and I continued to grow even more attached to them as the season went on. This particular season, and it seems the entire series in general, does a fantastic job meshing together humor, violence and utter despair. The best parts about this season? John Lithgow and the devastating ending.

Crimson Vol. 1: Loyalty & Loss - Brian Augustyn & Humberto Ramos (1999)

Crimson Vol. 2: Heaven & Earth - Brian Augustyn & Humberto Ramos (2000)

After finishing Watchmen, I had reached a lull in my graphic novel reading. Then my roommate Julian recommended I at least start the Crimson series, which he had the first two books of. This series is not subtle whatsoever. It tells a story that already has been told many times: good vs. evil, Heaven vs. Hell, humans vs. vampires, etc. Unfortunately, the first volume, Loyalty & Loss, does a terrible job of starting things off. While the artwork is great, the characters and storytelling are way too juvenile for my liking (though, I'm sure I would have loved it in middle school or early high school). However, shit gets pretty good in the second volume, Heaven & Earth. All the characters are fleshed out more, obviously. The actual events that take place (angels murdering sinners, a werewolf backstory and the slaying of a dragon) are pretty bad ass. What's done really well in both books is the blurring and confusion of the line between good and evil. A vampire is the protagonist, a demon that happens to be the father of vampires seeks redemption, the Knights Templar and God's archangels are murderous bastards. The list goes on. While the Crimson series is far from perfect, Heaven & Earth got me interested in some day trying to complete the entire collection.

A Confederacy of Dunces/The Stranger/Grendel

A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole (1980)
My good bud Leah bought me this novel last summer, and I finally got around to reading it. Turns out, it is one of the absolute greatest I have ever read. Posthumously published in 1980, after author John Kennedy Toole's 1969 suicide, A Confederacy of Dunces won the Pullitzer Prize for fiction in 1981. The book is funnier than it is tragic, though there is a definite and sometimes overwhelming sense of sadness in certain sections. Ignatius J. Reilly, is quite possibly the best main character of any book I can think of. He offers up more hilarious quotes than even Holden Caulfield (my two personal favorites being, "In my private apocalypse he will be impaled by his own nightstick" and, "This liberal doxy must be impaled upon the member of a particularly large stallion"), and you love him, hate him and feel sorry for him for having to live with himself. This book is utterly perfect.

The Stranger - Albert Camus (1942)
Another Pullitzer Prize winning novel that I've been meaning to devour for some time, Albert Camus' The Stranger did not disappoint. As short and quick of a read it was (I read it entirely in one sitting at work), the plot's pace was fairly slow. I'm sure the moody feel to the story contributed to that. The Stranger is a dark, straightforward tale of murder which blatantly touches on the philosophy of nihilism. I loved it. It is most definitely worth a read.


Grendel - John Gardner (1971)
In my first semester english class during my senior year of high school, we read the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf from our annoyingly huge text books. Along with it, my fantastic teacher, Ms. Popp, had us read excerpts from John Gardner's retelling, Grendel, which is narrated by Beowulf's monster by the same name. I've always been fascinated by the character Grendel, so I've wanted to read Gardner's novel ever since it was introduced to me by Ms. Popp. Now that I've finally accomplished this mission, I can say that, though it was not at all what I expected, I was not let down. The portrayal of Grendel in this novel was really fun to read, as he is sort of humanized and there are plenty of parts where I felt sorry for him. His ongoing monologue is sometimes sad, often times humorous and steeped in existential and nihilistic philosophies. I got pretty disinterested in some of his philosophical rambling (aside from his conversation with the heavily nihilistic unnamed dragon), but over all, Grendel was a very intriguing and enjoyable character study.

My Two Favorite Songs Right Now

"Feed the Tree" by Belly, from Star (1993)


"What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers, from Minute by Minute (1978)

These are by no means my favorite songs of all time (though "What a Fool Believes" is certainly making a push), but these two very different jams have been ruling me for the past few months. You had better enjoy.

Watchmen

Watchmen - Alan Moore (1986-87)
About a week or so ago I decided it was high time I reread Alan Moore's classic (and best) comic series, Watchmen. It was the best decision. I thought it was a complete mindblow the first time through, but this time, whooooo boy.

As complex as the story is, I was surprised I remembered so much of it. All the little intricacies were just as fresh and impressive as the first time, but there was an added weight to it all as I knew what was coming and had a better grasp of how everything was layed out and unraveled. It was easier to read into the parallels between the main story and the pirate comic (Tales From the Black Freighter) subplot too, which was a huge bonus. But, the best part about rereading it was catching all the subtle hints at the ending throughout the first half of the collected book , which obviously I would have missed my first time through.

There is nothing to say that hasn't already been said about the variety of statements and critiques Watchmen makes in regards to government, good vs. evil, etc. So, I'll just close by saying that this book is absolutely perfect. And, also, I actually loved Zack Snyder's adaptation of this collected series, and cannot wait to view the director's cut which splices in the animated retelling of Tales From the Black Freighter within the film.

Super Bowl Sunday 2011

Heya! In case you didn't know it, today is Super Bowl Sunday. Usually on the first big day of any year, I would be spending the entirety of it in front of the television preparing for and then watching the game. But, this year, I was scheduled to work during it, and was unable to get my shift covered. This has devastated me. So, I'll be trying my damnedest to follow it as closely as possible on the internet whilst running back and forth between my station and the nurse's lounge to catch tidbits.

Anyway, on to predictions.

I see in my cloudly and most likely malfunctioning crystal ball that the Pittsburgh Steelers will come out on top of the Green Bay Packers in an extremely close, brutal game 21-20.

Ben Roethlisberger will throw for 200-ish yards, two TDs (to Hines Ward and Mike Wallace) and 1 interception (to Charles Woodson). He will avoid approximately 100 sacks, and also after the game, in spite of partying really hard, will be a good boy and not rape any young women.

Rashard Mendenhall will have a pretty mediocre game, rushing for 60 or 70 yards, but running one into the endzone early on.

Aaron Rodgers will throw for 250 yards and two TDs (one to Donald Driver, one to Jordy Nelson). There will be absolutely no ground game for Green Bay.

If there are to be any stellar performances, they will be by Rodgers or Troy Polamalu or maybe even James Harrison. MVP might go to Roethlisberger, or depending on the potential of this being Ward's last game, him.

Now, since on this day last year I correctly predicted this year's Super Bowl (yes, yes, in spite of changing my mind twice since then), I'm going to give that another shot. In next year's Super Bowl, as difficult as it will be for them, the Green Bay Packers will make a triumphant return to defeat the New England Patriots.

Inventory/The Rules of Attraction/Slaughterhouse-Five

Inventory - A.V. Club (2009)
Book of fun/sometimes funny/always interesting pop culture lists from the A.V. Club. Here's a list of a bunch of my favorites:

- NONE OF THESE EXCUSE MY SUPER SWEET 16: 22 shows that prove MTV actually brought some good into the world
- QUICK, MAN! CLING TENACIOUSLY TO MY BUTTOCKS!: 21 children's TV shows that found adult audiences
- PETER PARKER HAD IT EASY: 18-plus truly tough superhero adolescences
- VISIONARY OR MADMAN?: 16 career-jeopardizing labors of love
- PANIC AT THE ARCADE: 11 videogames that prompted fear and outrage
- NOT AGAIN: 24 great films too painful to watch twice
- LOST IN TRANSLATION: 20 not-so-good movies based on good books
- SECOND VERSE, (ALMOST THE) SAME AS THE FIRST: 14 relatively obscure bands that morphed into some of our favorites
- GUEST LIST BY "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC, FRAK BOIMP!: The 27 all-time coolest Don Martin sound effects
- GUEST LIST BY PATTON OSWALT: 6 quiet film revolutions
- OH, I GET IT NOW: 6 movies that make a lot more sense if you've read the book
- THE AMAZING DR. WHAT?: 26 real titles from old movies, shorts and cartoons that wouldn't fly today


The Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis (1987)
The best Bret Easton Ellis novel I've read yet, just as I suspected it would be. It features the usual satirical take on the usual scandalous subjects: sex, drugs, wealth, the 80s, etc... I have always loved the film version of The Rules of Attraction (starring James Vanderbeek, nonetheless), and now that I have finally read the novel, I can safely say the film is a fantastic adaptation. Sure, it cuts A LOT of details and things are out of order all over the place (well, that's actually hard to say, as events in the book don't seem to follow any pattern anyway), but the moods are matched very well and it is entirely its own entity. Also, the way Ellis blurs and confuses reality and fantasy is possibly unrivaled (he does that even better later in American Psycho). Hilarious, incredibly messed up, almost perfect.


Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
I was disappointed by this, and am really bummed that I ended up feeling that way. I feel silly that this was my first shot at a Kurt Vonnegut novel. His writing style is great, but I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying enough attention or if this plot is so scatterbrained that I just simply couldn't follow it. I caught on quickly to the obvious anti-war, anti-religion stances that I heard were so prevalent in Vonnegut's writing, but other than that, there wasn't much to hold my attention. I will definitely be giving this another shot in the future.

Three More Scores for January

The House of the Devil (2009)
Written and directed by Ti West
The House of the Devil touches on satanic cults, and is a great ode to classic late 70s and early 80s horror films. That and its style won me over instantly. It is incredibly slow paced and subtle. The acting is cheesy but appropriate. The visual, asthetic and musical styles really benefit this film. Loved it.

By the Hedge - Minks (Captured Tracks, 2011)
Last year saw yet another revival in 80s post-punk and shoegaze, and it seems that Brooklyn's Captured Tracks was at the forefront. The label kicks off 2011 with another doozy, Minks' By the Hedge. The album has a similar gothic feel to Wild Nothing (and also, duh, The Cure), but is more rough around the edges and some of the songs even have a smidge of 90s midwest emo in them. The production could be considered lo-fi, but it is nice and appropriate. The vocals, drums, chimey guitars and the chord progressions all contribute to the appeal of By the Hedge. It definitely doesn't hurt that all the songs are awesome, even if it took me forever to get past even the first two songs ("Kusmi" and "Out of Tune").

Split 7" - Women/Fair Ohs/Cold Pumas/Friendo (Faux Discx, 2011)
I first got wind of this 7" when I nerded out with the members of Women at their Detroit show back in September. I did not expect it to be obtainable so soon, let alone so easily. Bonus that Women's contribuation, "Bullfight, " which is a fantastic nod back to when they actually incorporated a pop element to their songs, isn't the only good song on here. In the context of this 7", Fair Ohs sound like a more crisp and cleaner version of Abe Vigoda's 2008 album, Skeleton. Cold Pumas are dark and noisy in the good way. Friendo, which features Women drummer Michael Wallace, seem to be jangly girl-fronted indie pop (actually, with a smidge of emo too). I am glad I nabbed one of these.

End Of January 2011 Media Intake

The Tick Vs. Season One (1994-95)
Thanks to cheap Amazon prices, I recently picked up the DVD sets of the first two seasons of what might have been my favorite childhood Saturday morning cartoon. I quickly and promptly made it through season one of The Tick over the span of about two days, and it ruled. Every character, hero and villain, is charming and funny, and the jokes are so dry. Way over my head when I was a little kid, but I'm coming to understand why my dad enjoyed watching this with me so much. I think my favorite episode was and still is The Tick Vs. The Tick, followed by The Tick Vs. The Uncommon Cold. My favorite villain is easily The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight, and my favorite minor heroes are Carpeted Man and Captain Mucilage. Zipperneck and The Human Ton + Handy are also brilliantly hilarious villain ideas
.

East of Eden - John Steinbeck (1952)
My longtime bud and more recently boss Abbott has always raved about John Steinbeck's East of Eden as his favorite novel since I can remember. I finally got around to reading it this month, and for the most part it did not disappoint. This incredibly complex and epic story was amazingly written, and the way the characters are developed and the events unraveled is virtually untouchable. I even loved the completely unredeemable characters. Early on in the book, after the event of a birth of twins, I had it set in my mind how I wanted the book to finish. Unfortunately, as appropriate and Steinbeckesque as the ending is, I was a bit bummed out by it. Still, East of Eden is one of the better novels I have ever read.


Shopgirl - Steve Martin (2000)
I am thankful that I was able to read this novella by Steve Martin in one sitting during the second half of my shift last night. The two main characters are somewhat interesting, but the minor ones are moreso. The events and interactions that occur are mostly intense but pretty dull as well. The most appealing thing about Shopgirl is the way it is written: the narration and dialogue really do sound like words that would come out of Steve Martin's mouth, whether it be during a performance or what I always imagined would be his regular vernacular.

A Few More Things To Be Really Excited About In 2011

This week has packed quite a punch for me with exciting news about things coming out in 2011. Let's talk about it.

- REAL BRAID REUNION, FOR REAL. The influential and best midwestern, mid-90s second wave emo (or post-emo or whatever) band has decided to maybe not tour, but to write, record and release a new album. This is unbelievably awesome, and I don't have any doubts in my mind that the record will be fantastic. You can read about this here and here. If this new record is half as good as 1998's perfect Frame and Canvas, I will be completely content. I haven't been this excited about a music release since In Rainbows.

- NEW FEELIES ALBUM. Coming April 12th via Bar/None Records, titled Here Before. The great 80s jangle pop band returns with their first album since 1991's Time for a Witness. Pitchfork has posted an MP3 of the album's second track, "Should be Gone," here. I haven't gotten to listen to it yet, but according to Bravender, it is real good.

- POSTHUMOUS DAVID FOSTER WALLACE NOVEL? The other night I was just browsing on the interwebs and decided I would read about DFW on Wikipedia. Then, I discovered plans for a posthumous publication of an unfinished novel of his titled The Pale King. Seems like no one tried to finish it or touched it too much aside from an editor, so that's great news. According to the Wikipedia article, "The novel portrays IRS agents working in a Midwestern office attempting to overcome the 'intense tediousness' of their jobs." Seems underwhelming coming from the same guy who write Infinite Jest, but it is also supposed to be structured as a mock memoir, which should be interesting. I am so pumped for this.

- SUPER BOWL. The Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Green Bay Packers. That just rules. Of course, I'll be rooting for Pittsburgh very hard, but would not be offended by a Green Bay victory.

Oh yeah, and also, two more 2011 albums that are ruling me: Lemuria's Pebble (Bridge Nine) and Minks' By the Hedge (Captured Tracks). I'll talk more about those a bit later, though.

Books Read in 2010

I thought it would be fun in a nerdy way to share the list of books/graphic novels/comic collections that I read in 2010. This was a big deal to me as I had a mission to read 50 books, not including graphic novels, within a year. I succeeded, and had I included graphic novels, I would have completely murdered that goal.

Anyway, for shits and giggs, here are two lists documenting every book I read in 2010, in the order that I read them, and along with the rating (out of five) that I gave them on my new favorite "social networking" site, Goodreads. Most of these were first time reads with the exception of the Rowling, Salinger and Tolkien books.

REGULAR OL' BOOKS

(1) Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman (Jan., 4/5)

(2) The Adventures of King Midas by Lynne Reid Banks (Jan., 3/5)

(3) Animal Farm by George Orwell (Jan., 5/5)

(4) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (Jan., 3/5)

(5) It by Stephen King (Jan., 4/5)

(6) Post: A Look at the Influence of Post-Hardcore - 1985-2007 by Eric Grubbs (Jan., 4/5)

(7) Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 3/5)

(8) Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 3/5)

(9) Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 4/5)

(10) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Feb., 5/5)

(11) The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (Feb., 3/5)

(12) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (Mar., 5/5)

(13) The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (Mar., 5/5)

(14) The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (Apr., 5/5)

(15) The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (Apr., 5/5)

(16) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (May, 4/5)

(17) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(18) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(19) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(20) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (May, 5/5)

(21) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Jun., 5/5)

(22) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling (Jun., 5/5)

(23) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Jul., 3/5)
(24) REAL Ultimate Power: The Official Ninja Book by Robert Hamburger (Jul., 2/5)

(25) The Giver by Lois Lowry (Aug., 3/5)

(26) The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Aug., 3/5)

(27) 33 1/3: The Flaming Lips' Zaireeka by Mark Richardson (Aug., 3/5)

(28) Holes by Louis Sachar (Aug., 2/5)

(29) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (Aug., 4/5)

(30) 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Aug., 2/5)

(31) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (Sep., 3/5)

(32) The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve (Sep., 2/5)

(33) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Sep., 3/5)

(34) I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Woolfe (Oct., 3/5)

(35) The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon (Oct., 4/5)

(36) Exile by Blake Nelson (Oct., 3/5)

(37) Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup (Oct., 3/5)

(38) Nellcott is My Darling by Golda Friend (Oct., 2/5)

(39) One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Oct., 2/5)

(40) The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Oct., 2/5)

(41) Naked by David Sedaris (Oct., 3/5)

(42) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Nov., 3/5)

(43) Atonement by Ian McEwan (Nov., 2/5)

(44) Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Nov., 2/5)

(45) The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (Nov., 3/5)

(46) Manstealing for Fat Girls by Michelle Embree (Nov., 3/5)

(47) Slowly Downward by Stanley Donwood (Nov., 3/5)

(48) Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver (Dec., 2/5)

(49) Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier (Dec., 1/5)

(50) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Dec., 2/5)

GRAPHIC NOVELS/COMIC COLLECTIONS

(1) 100 Bullets Vol. 5: The Counterfifth Detective by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 5/5)

(2) 100 Bullets Vol. 6: Six Feet Under the Gun by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(3) 100 Bullets Vol. 7: Samurai by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(4) 100 Bullets Vol. 8: The Hard Way by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 5/5)

(5) 100 Bullets Vol. 9: Strychnine Lives by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(6) 100 Bullets Vol. 10: Decayed by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(7) 100 Bullets Vol. 11: Once Upon a Crime by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(8) 100 Bullets Vol. 12: Dirty by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 4/5)

(9) 100 Bullets Vol. 13: Wilt by Brian Azzarello (Jan., 5/5)

(10) Bone Vol. 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith (Jan., 4/5)

(11) Bone Vol. 2: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith (Jan., 4/5)

(12) Bone Vol. 3: Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(13) Bone Vol. 4: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(14) Bone Vol. 5: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border by Jeff Smith (Jan., 4/5)

(15) Bone Vol. 6: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(16) Bone Vol. 7: Ghost Circles by Jeff Smith (Jan., 5/5)

(17) Bone Vol. 8: Treasure Hunters by Jeff Smith (Feb., 5/5)

(18) Bone Vol. 9: Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith (Feb., 5/5)

(19) Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar (Mar., 4/5)

(20) Batman: Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb (May, 4/5)

(21) The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson (May, 4/5)

(22) Hellboy Vol. 7: The Troll Witch and Other Stories by Mike Mignola (Jun., 3/5)

(23) Hellboy Vol. 8: Darkness Calls by Mike Mignola (Jun., 3/5)

(24) Hellboy Vol. 9: The Wild Hunt by Mike Mignola (Jun., 4/5)

(25) Hard Boiled by Frank Miller (Jun., 3/5)

(26) Powers Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? by Michael Brian Bendis (Sep., 4/5)

(27) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 by Alan Moore (Oct., 4/5)

(28) Top 10 Vol. 1 by Alan Moore (Oct., 4/5)

(29) V for Vendetta by Alan (Nov., 5/5)

(30) Top 10 Vol. 2 by Alan Moore (Nov., 4/5)

(31) Smax by Alan Moore (Dec., 4/5)

(32) The Forty-Niners by Alan Moore (Dec., 3/5)

(33) The Dark Knight Strikes Again Vol. 1 by Frank Miller (Dec., 4/5)

(34) The Dark Knight Strikes Again Vol. 2 by Frank Miller (Dec., 3/5)

(35) The Dark Knight Strikes Again Vol. 3 by Frank Miller (Dec., 4/5)

(36) Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 4/5)

(37) Y: The Last Man Vol. 2: Cycles by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 5/5)

(38) Y: The Last Man Vol. 3: One Small Step by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 4/5)

(39) Y: The Last Man Vol. 4: Safeword by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 4/5)

(40) Y: The Last Man Vol. 5: Ring of Truth by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 5/5)

(41) Y: The Last Man Vol. 6: Girl on Girl by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec., 5/5)

NFL Conference Championships/Super Bowl XLV?

Here is another blog post where I make a fool of myself again with some more football predictions. This coming Sunday hosts two huge games. obviously, in the AFC and NFC championships. These will be both fun and stressful to watch, as in each game I feel passionately for one team and strongly dislike the other (at least this season).

Before I get on with my picks, I want to draw attention to this: a post I made on Super Bowl Sunday last year. You can go ahead and ignore all the bold and idiotic claims I made regarding Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans vs. Indianapolis). You can also please ignore the fact that at the beginning of the 2010 season, I predicted Indianapolis and Green Bay play in the Super Bowl, and then midway through the season I changed my mind and decided it would be Pittsburgh and the New York Giants. But, in that Super Bowl post from last year, if you would kindly read the final paragraph, you will see that I picked Pittsburgh to play Green Bay in this year's Super Bowl. Just saying/bragging/hoping.

Oh, and the picture above is not any indication of how I think a Super Bowl that featured Pittsburgh and Green Bay would necessarily go down. Again, just saying.

Anyway, here we go!

AFC Championship
This will be quite the physical brawl as two of the NFL's best defenses square off. I cannot imagine Mark Sanchez doing what he did last Sunday against the #1 defense in the league. The Jets may have beat Pittsburgh in the regular season, but if I have my facts right, Troy Polamalu wasn't even playing (and he is the glue that holds this defense together, apparently). Regardless, this shouldn't be a statistically pretty game, and should be very close, and if Pittsburgh doesn't shut Rex Ryans fat mouth, I'm gonna be pissed.
Final score: Pittsburgh Steelers over New York Jets 20-17

NFC Championship
I don't hate the Chicago Bears nearly as much as I do the New York Jets, so my soul won't be crushed if they win. But boy do I love the Green Bay Packers with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. So much so that I think I am ready to call them my #2 NFC team after the Detroit Lions (which, admittingly, is probably only because I have to say that having grown up in Metro Detroit). Anyway, this game should be real good, and I stress the SHOULD, because, to paraphrase my friend Eric Gallipo, of all the teams left, the Bears are the most likely to let the game get out of control (though, don't get me wrong, I'd love to see that happen to the Jets). This could be another great defensive match, but I think it's more likely that the Packers D make a fool of Jay Cutler than the Bears to keep Rodgers in check the way he's been playing this month (his performance against the Atlanta Falcons last Saturday has to go down as one of the greatest by a quarterback in the playoffs of all time). I think he might tear Chicago apart.
Final score: Green Bay Packers over Chicago Bears 27-17

January 2011: The Month Of "D"

This month, January 2011, there are four bands with names that begin with the letter "D" who are releasing albums that are very good to just about perfect. It is an exciting month for music, and here I am, about to talk a little bit about these four albums.


Deerhoof Vs. Evil - Deerhoof (Polyvinyl, 2011)
With the recent signings of Deerhoof and Vivian Girls, the Polyvinyl Record Co. seems to be trying to make some sort of hipster comeback. This is awesome. After the wonderful guitar onslaught that 2008's Offend Maggie brought, I've been anxious for the next Deerhoof LP. After my first couple of times through Deerhoof Vs. Evil, I was a little disappointed. "The Merry Barracks" has some brilliant moments (mainly in its guitar chime towards the end), and the album's opening two tracks, "Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia" and "Behold a Marvel in the Darkness," almost rival the best tracks from Offend Maggie ("Offend Maggie" and "Family of Others"). Almost. The sounds throughout are considerably more varied than Offend Maggie and 2005's The Runners Four, thus having more in common with Milk Man (2004) and Friend Opportunity (2007). Thankfully, this new one is still very much a Deerhoof record, as the beautifully quirky melodies, chimey retro guitars, driving bass and Greg Saunier's insane drumming are all still there. Deerhoof Vs. Evil is already easily growing on me.


Kaputt - Destroyer (Merge, 2011)
I've gone on quite a journey with Dan Bejar's Destroyer since 2008's disappointing (though not terrible by any means) Trouble in Dreams. 2009 saw the release of a couple ambient songs in the Bay of Pigs EP, and last year there was the Archer on the Beach EP, which featured two even more ambient tracks that were way over my head. Also in 2010, I revisited Destroyer's Rubies (2006), and discovered that it is one of my favorite albums of the past decade. So, I was very interested in the 2011 release of Kaputt, which comes out of the gate with a fantastic and surprising sound that is subtle, smooth and sexy. There's not a song that's less than good in the whole lot. The chord progressions are painstakingly simple and brilliant and Bejar's signature crooning is just as awkward and somehow enjoyable as ever. Substituting acoustic drums with drum machine is an intriguing and appropriate decision, and the additions of sexy saxophone and flute are welcome ones, as weird as that may be. "Bay of Pigs" shows up again as Kaputt's closer, and it just might be the record's best track. I am very much looking forward to spending more time with this one.


Emergency & I (Vinyl Reissue) - The Dismemberment Plan (Barsuk, 2011)
The Dismemberment Plan's seminal 1999 masterpiece, Emergency & I, gets the vinyl treatment for the first time, and now that I'm pretty seriously purchasing vinyl, I couldn't be more excited. The album is just about perfect and still sounds fresh and completely unique 12 years into its existence. The vinyl reissue features perhaps their zaniest track, "The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich", from the split EP with Juno, as well as a few b-sides that I've never heard before. I cannot wait to hear what "A Life of Possibilities," "Spider in the Snow," "The City," "Girl O'Clock" and "Back and Forth" sound like on vinyl.


Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics - Ducktails (Woodsist, 2011)
I haven't necessarily loved anything Ducktails' Matthew Mondanile has released (aside from absolutely everything I've heard from his main band, Real Estate) until I heard some of the songs from his just released third full length, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics. His previous releases are predominantly ambient and formless lo-fi psychedelic soundscapes that often times were quite beautiful. Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics is much different in the sense that it basically sounds like a druggier Real Estate with drum machine instead of live drums. Obviously it is very early to make this claim, but as of the middle of January, I think this is my favorite album in 2011 so far.

Six Films Recently Viewed For The First Time

Right back atcha all quick-like.

For the non-profit agency that employs me part-time, I job coach on Mondays at a Family Video in Canton. They have a lot of previously viewed DVDs on sale for $2. Sometimes I purchase some. Here comes a list of five of those that I recently watched (and another movie that my friend Whitney rented), along with what I said about them via Facebook.

Art School Confidential (2006)
Written by Daniel Clowes, directed by Terry Zwigoff
Dark, weird, pretty funny. Malkovich is masterful as a pretentious drawing and painting professor.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009)
Written by Joshua Malkin, Randy Pearlstein and Ti West, directed by Ti West
Hilarious and totally disgusting. Very cool style, film looks surprisingly good. The first Cabin Fever is one of the greatest gross out horror films I've ever seen. This one, albeit still totally good, lacked a little bit, even in the gore sense... which is crazy.

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)
Written by Michael Petroni and Jeff Stockwell, directed by Peter Care
Meant to see this long ago. Good coming of age film. The animated scenes were fantastic. Was completely shocked by the ending. I have a huge crush on Jena Malone.

Gentlemen Broncos (2009)
Written by Jared and Jerusha Hess, directed by Jared Hess
In spite of the recycling of types of characters from Napolean Dynamite, Gentlemen Broncos was insane and funny. It dragged in places, and a lot of the story and characters were forced, but there were enough hilarious, bizarre and uncomfortable moments to make watching this quite enjoyable.

Observe and Report (2009)
Written and directed by Jody Hill
Very dark, very funny. I cannot deny that Seth Rogan is one of my absolute favorite actors and dudes around.

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Written by Spike Jonze and Dave Eggars, directed by Spike Jonze.
Finally saw it! Beautiful both visiually and emotionally, but still not quite as amazing as I was hoping for.

Y: The Last Man

Y: The Last Man (Vertigo, 2002-2008)
by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra
For around the past month, I've been reading a comic book series collected into ten trades called Y: The Last Man. I borrowed the series from my great buddy Matt Rickle, who has never led me astray. Needless to say, it ruled.

The gist of the story is a plague hits the entire earth, killing every living male mammal on the planet with the exception of Yorick Brown and his current pet monkey Ampersand. Most of the ten books focus on the two companions' various journeys and misadventures trying to discover the source of and solution for the plague with the mysterious government agent 355 and the brilliant and sometimes equally as mysterious Dr. Allison Mann.

I'm not going to get too detailed, as there is a lot of ground to cover with a lot of subtleties and twists that I'd rather not spoil. I will say that, while not perfect, the entire series is nothing short of fantastic. Not the best comic series I've ever read, but still, damn amazing. If you consider yourself my friend, and feel that you can trust my judgment without many specific details, then just do yourself a favor and read this ASAP. It opens perfectly, has plenty of peaks and very few valleys and ends beautifully and emotionally (which, is very appropriate for this blog). To be honest, a specific occurence in the final book seriously made me cry. I may be a baby, but you better read Y: The Last Man if you haven't already.

The Future/2011 Intro

Heya, pals! How'd you like my 2010 year-end list? No comments, huh? Well, I'm over it.

2010 is over and done with, thank God. Time to move on to 2011.

Things will be different, technically and emotionally, here at Emotional Drumming 2K11. I'll probably be posting even less due to having two jobs instead of zero now. I'm giving up the Twitter reviews, since I haven't had the time to emerse myself in new music quite so much since this past September. Plus, I think I'm finally of the opinion that I'd rather focus on the tons of old(er) music I've discovered and am interested in than this trivial new shit. Not that I won't listen to new music, because you know I will, just not so intensely.

I sort of want to make this blog a little more interactive too? That's touchy because there aren't too many people I like to argue about things with over the internet, and I definitely don't like doing that with strangers. Alas, I hope there is more of all of that this year.

Regardless, I think I'm going to try and make the blog even less official and perhaps even less organized than it is. A good friend of mine, name of Brian LaBenne, started a new blog where he just talks about various pieces of media/art/pop culture/whatever that he consumes, and I really like that idea (you can go to that very blog by clicking on his name a little ways back). I think at times I want to put that sort of twist on this blog, so I'll try to talk more about baseball and books and movies and video games. You know, other things that I like aside from music and football. And, also, all of this, assuming that I some how have the time for it all.

Lastly, no promises, but I still intend to finalize and post some sort of list of my favorite records from the past decade. I know at this point it's really late, but I don't care.

To the future! And another, more interesting post instantly!

25 Favorite Albums of 2010

(25) Innerspeaker - Tame Impala (Modular)
Very cool sounding psychedelic rock from Australia. The best thing about this record is the way it sounds, much thanks to a stellar production job by Dave Fridmann.
Top jam: "Jeremy's Storm"


(24) Big Echo - The Morning Benders (Rough Trade)
Here is a pop record that wasn't all that different from last year's Grizzly Bear album. Nothing really daring about it. Nice production and nice songs. I'm not sure why I ended up liking this so much by the end of the year, but it is totally good.
Top jam: "All Day Day Light"


(23) The Drums - The Drums (Island/Moshi Moshi)
Obnoxious vocals singing really great melodies, subtle instrumentation, lots of drum machine. This year I rediscovered my love for 80s-sounding bands, and it started with The Drums.
Top jam: "Let's Go Surfing"


(22) High Violet - The National (4AD)
I fought with this record until it finally won. I still think 2005's Alligator is their best, but High Violet is leaps and bounds better than 2007's Boxer.
Top jams: "Lemon World"


(21) The Brutalist Bricks - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (Matador)
Ted Leo and co. make a triumphant return with The Brutalist Bricks. So triumphant, I think this is their best album yet.
Top jam: "Bottled in Cork"


(20) Clinging to a Scheme - The Radio Dept. (Labrador)
Another 80s referencing album that I really appreciated this year. Nice singing, great wide open production. When it's at its best, Clinging to a Scheme sounds like The Cure at their best.
Top jam: "Heaven's on Fire"


(19) Subiza - Delorean (True Panther)
Every song on Subiza may sound the same, but this is some great (and pretty) dance music with some of the best chord progressions.
Top jam: "Simple Graces"


(18) Teen Dream - Beach House (Sub Pop)
Another set of slow yet beautiful organ-driven songs from Beach House that somehow are not as boring as they should be. The melodies and Victoria Legrand's vocals are killer.
Top jam: "Lover of Mine"


(17) Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern (Kill Rock Stars)
I've always loved the idea of Marnie Stern, but wasn't completely won over until her 2010 self-titled effort. This collection of songs still offers up the technical insanity of her previous albums, and in addition the melodies are cathier and the songs are poppier.
Top jam: "For Ash"


(16) Swim - Caribou (Merge)
After the psychedelic beauty presented on 2007's Andorra, Caribou guy Dan Snaith decided to record a dance record. This is that dance record, and the sounds on it could have only come from Snaith. Straightforward rhythms mesh with ambient backdrops and spacey vocals that bring Junior Boys more to mind than past Caribou releases. Personally, I prefer the psychedelia, but Swim does just fine for me too.
Top jam: "Leave House"


(15) Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter (4AD)
It seems like a lot of critics are claiming Halcyon Digest as Deerhunter's biggest and best moment yet. I completely disagree. 2008's Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. is obviously better. That being said, Halcyon Digest is still totally good. Lockett Pundt's songs are awesome, and the guitars sound great.
Top jam: "Helicopter"


(14) King of the Beach - Wavves (Fat Possum)
Nathan Williams recovered from his disasterous 2009 thanks to the righteous pop punk of King of the Beach, his only good LP so far. With Jay Reatard's rhtythm section in tow, absolutely everything here is better than anything he's ever done (that I've heard).
Top jam: "Super Soaker"


(13) Color Your Life EP - Twin Sister (Infinite Best)
I am so excited for what this band does next. The weird vocals coupled with the eerie tone of the music make this a fascinating listen every time.
Top jam: "Lady Daydream"


(12) Lisbon - The Walkmen (Fat Possum)
Since 2002, a new album by The Walkmen comes out every two years without fail and it is either really good or fantastic. Lisbon falls somewhere between the two. "Woe is Me" is their best song since "Little House of Savages."
Top jam: "Woe is Me"


(11) Everything in Between - No Age (Sub Pop)
I didn't quite get them on Nouns and then started getting there with last year's Losing Feeling EP. Now with Everything in Between I can say I am a No Age fan. There's still some punk edge, but a lot of the time it is shrouded in shoegaze. Thank God for songs like "Glitter" and "Sorts."
Top jam: "Glitter"


(10) Holiday Band - Memory Map (self-released)
Some buddies of mine from Bloomington turned me onto this band. Fun, technical, creepy guitar pop done just the way I like it.
Top jam: "Stowaway"


(9) Measure - Field Music (Memphis Industries)
I wish this was more focused, as it is supposed to be two separate LPs, but I find that I really have to struggle to find anything to complain about. All the best songs (with the exception of one) are found on the first half, but everything beyond that is still gorgeous. I'm just glad to have my boys back.
Top jam: "Measure"


(8) Transference - Spoon (Merge)
Jensen and Bravender both said it, and I'll elaborate slightly: The first half of Transference is the best thing Spoon has ever done. I'll add "Trouble Comes Running," "Out Go the Lights" and "Nobody Gets Me but You" to that statement.
Top jam: "Is Love Forever?"


(7) Crazy for You//Something in the Way 7" - Best Coast (Mexican Summer//PPM)
I don't care if Bethany Cosentino's lyrics are completely stupid (which they are), her songs are laced with the best melodies I've heard all year. My fondness for her music started with the Something in the Way 7" and culminated finally with her debut full length, Crazy for You. Yes, her music is excrutiatingly simple and does sort of seem like a cash-in, but when her melodies are that memorable, I am not going to complain.
Top jams: "Crazy for You"//"Wish He Was You"


(6) Out of Tune 7" - Real Estate (True Panther)
Only two songs, but they are perfect. "Out of Tune" might be Real Estate's best song yet. And, they are quickly becoming my favorite guitar band around.
Top jam: "Out of Tune"


(5) Contra - Vampire Weekend (XL)
2008's self-titled debut was a bit top heavy, and while a few of those songs are still Vampire Weekend's best, Contra just works much better as an album. I am impressed by how much of a success this, their sophomore LP is. It perfectly combines everything I loved about their first record with new sounds and ideas. I am pleasantly surprised that I came to love this so much more than the first one.
Top jam: "California English"


(4) Before Today - Arial Pink's Haunted Graffiti (4AD)
I will not blame you for thinking this album is perfect, if you in fact do. If I'm going to complain about anything regarding Before Today, it's simply that it's a little too dense for me, I guess. The majority of the songs are incredible, but more than that, the production and musicianship are really what make the album what it is.
Top jam: "Round and Round"


(3) Astro Coast - Surfer Blood (Kanine)
Surfer Blood made their debut with a safe sounding nod to all that was good about 90s indie rock. Fortunately, sentimentality isn't the only thing that kept me hooked to Astro Coast. Every song on the record rules, the guitars are perfect, the melodies are awesome blah blah blah, just like most everything that I like. What this has over other releases on this list is that it reminds me of the music I listened to mostly in high school (namely Weezer and Piebald). So, I guess sentimentality was a big deal here.
Top jam: "Swim"


(2) Public Strain - Women (Jagjaguwar)
Women's second (and potentially final) LP is another mess. It's missing the outright jams that their 2008 self-titled debut had, but as a whole, it's definitely a great note to end on. The album cover describes the vibe of Public Strain much better than any writer can: it is bleak, mysterious and weirdly beautiful. Chad VanGaalen's production is such an important piece to the puzzle that I can't deny it might be my favorite thing about the album. Though, the guitars, whether they grind, jangle or chime, are completely awesome, too. Public Strain is just such an all-encompassing listening experience, it's difficult to detail little elements as to why it deserves my #2 spot. You're just gonna have to trust me.
Top jam: "Eyesore"


(1) Gemini//Golden Haze EP - Wild Nothing (Captured Tracks)
Wild Nothing did it just right for me this year with their somber and gothic 80s pop not too unlike early to mid-80s Cure and (according to everyone else) Cocteau Twins (who apparently I should completely love). On both Gemini and Golden Haze, Wild Nothing brought to the table the best songs and (along with Best Coast) a lot of the best melodies of the year. Gemini is just shy of being a perfect album, and the three post-Gemini songs on Golden Haze prove that Jack Tatum is already honing his writing and producing skills. I will never tire of these recordings and absolutely cannot wait for whatever Tatum does next.
Top jams: "Chinatown"//"Take Me In"