Favorite Albums of 2000-2009: Intro

I know that I'm 1.25 years too late, but I am finally to share with you, friends, an ordered list of my favorite albums of last decade (2000-09). I followed a strategic, tedious, insane and incredibly nerdy process to finalize this list. It took me a very long time, and there were several drafts and revisions. But, I finally have it.

My original plan was to go all out and create a top 100 list of the decade. However, this ended up being too much for one man, and after having set a top 25, it was getting impossible to put the remaining albums in any sort of order that I was confident in or that made sense to me.

So, instead, I settled on a relatively low number: a top 25 list. I'm going to try and make this relatively painless for those of my friends who actually still care about this by spreading it all out over several blog posts. I will reveal and talk about only five albums from the list at a time (and in order), at whatever pace works for me. Maybe this will take two weeks. Maybe this will take a month or two.

First, here is a list of albums from the 2000-09 decade that I hated to leave off the top 25 list. All of these would have easily been in my top 100 list, and were definitely in the running for any sort of top 50. These are my favorite albums from last decade that didn't quite reach the same caliber as my top 25, but are still incredible enough that they deserve to be mentioned:

- Floating World - Anathallo (Artist Friendship, 2006)

- Strawberry Jam - Animal Collective (Domino, 2007)

- Mare Vitalis - The Appleseed Cast (Deep Elm, 2000)

- Relationship of Command - At the Drive-In (Grand Royal, 2000)

- The Unsustainable Lifestyle - Beauty Pill (Dischord, 2004)

- Vespertine - Bjork (Elektra, 2001)

- Domestica - Cursive (Saddle Creek, 2000)

- The Ugly Organ - Cursive (Saddle Creek, 2003)

- Offend Maggie - Deerhoof (Kill Rock Stars, 2008)

- Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. - Deerhunter (Kranky, 2008)

- Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer (Merge, 2006)

- Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors (Domino, 2009)

- The Forms - The Forms (Threespheres, 2007)

- The Trial of the Century - French Kicks (Startime, 2004)

- The Medicine - The Jazz June (Initial, 2000)

- Oh You're So Silent Jens - Jens Lekman (Secretly Canadian, 2005)

- We, the Vehicles - Maritime (Flameshovel, 2006)

- Twin Cinema - The New Pornographers (Matador, 2005)

- Neon Golden - The Notwist (City Slang, 2002)

- Owls - Owls (Jade Tree, 2001)

- Person Pitch - Panda Bear (Paw Tracks, 2007)

- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix (Glassnote, 2009)

- No Kill No Beep Beep - Q and Not U (Dischord, 2000)

- Hail to the Thief - Radiohead (Capitol, 2003)

- Real Estate - Real Estate (Woodsist, 2009)

- One Bedroom - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey, 2003)

- Everybody - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey, 2008)

- Car Alarm - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey, 2008)

- Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins (Sub Pop, 2003)

- Dead Reckoning - Small Brown Bike (No Idea, 2001)

- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon (Merge, 2007)

- Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty/Sounds Familyre, 2003)

- Come On Feel the Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty, 2005)

- Return to Cookie Mountain - TV on the Radio (Interscope, 2006)

- Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL, 2008)

- You & Me - The Walkmen (Gigantic, 2008)

- Elephant Eyelash - Why? (Anticon, 2005)

- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (Nonesuch, 2002)

- Summer Sun - Yo La Tengo (Matador, 2003)

- Taxis - Zoos of Berlin (self-released, 2009)

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay/Still Life With Woodpecker/Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?/From Hell

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon (2000)

Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is an epic in every sense of the word. It covers a lot of ground and takes place over quite a large chunk of time. I first heard about it my senior year in high school and have meant to read it ever since. I finally did it, and it did not disappoint, though it wasn't perfect by any means. The story is about a young boy who escapes the Europe of the 1930s that is on the brink of Nazi control to his cousin and his family in New York City. There, the two cousins decide to start a series of comic books to various degrees of success. That is just about all I knew about the novel going into it, and is a very narrow view of the plot. It opens up a substantial amount more (which in some areas, namely the backstory of the two cousins, gets a tad bit tedious). The best moments are when Chabon dabbles in the worlds of the various comic book super heroes and villains that the cousins create. There is also an incredible chapter where an event that occurs in the real world is described as if it was taking place inside a comic book. In spite of being long-winded at times, Chabon is an excellent author with an elite command of storytelling and the english language. I would recommend The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay to anyone and everyone.

Still Life With Woodpecker - Tom Robbins (1980)

Still Life With Woodpecker was my first foray into the works of Tom Robbins, and it was about as enjoyable as I had hoped and expected. It is a bizarre love story of a foreign but Americanized princess and an articulate, criminal bomber. It was a challenge to sort through the fantasy and reality interspersed throughout, but that made for a very fun read. Robbins' imagery was wonderful and his language reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut, even if Still Life With Woodpecker is way more philosophical and mystical than it is politcal.

Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man? - Charles Barkley (2005)

I was disappointed by this. Don't get me wrong, Charles Barkley is trying to do a good thing by discussing the issues of race and economics with relevant people (including the likes of Tiger Woods, Barack Obama, Samuel L. Jackson, Jesse Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Bill Clinton, etc.). But, to be completely honest, I really wanted Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man? to feature Barkley spouting off the harsh, insane nonsense he does when he covers basketball games for TNT. I was looking for humor and interesting dialogue, and what I got were annoying, repetitive catch phrases from Barkley and semi-interesting dialogue on a touching and important subject.

From Hell - Alan Moore (1991-96)

No surprise, Alan Moore has collected another great series of comics in From Hell. Here, he theorizes about the Jack the Ripper murders that occured in 1888, posing the idea that maybe the government along with the Freemasons were behind them. The artwork within the book is very appropriate as the story is fascinating, eerie, mysterious and absolutely disgusting. It is dense and hard was hard to get through, but well worth the trouble.

What a Pleasure/Pebble/The King of Limbs

What a Pleasure EP - Beach Fossils (Captured Tracks, 2011)
With Minks' By the Hedge and now the What a Pleasure EP, Beach Fossils' latest release, the awesome 80s goth-pop revival of 2010 continues into 2011. After the shimmering, summer jangle of their 2010 lo-fi self-titled debut, the band decided to ditch that sound for this slightly moodier feel. While What a Pleasure is still brighter sounding than Minks and Wild Nothing, it is a great companion piece to the recorded output of those bands thus far. These eight tracks feature upbeat tempos, jagged and bouncy bass lines and chimey guitar parts that are somewhat reminiscent of Johnny Marr. This fantastic EP is already one of the best releases to come out in 2011, and "Fall Right In," "Face It" and "Distance" are three of the year's best songs.


Pebble - Lemuria (Bridge Nine, 2011)
I first heard of Lemuria a few years ago and finally decided to give them a chance, thanks to Bravender's incessant raving, with Pebble, their newest full length. And, yup, it's pretty great. Overall, Pebble sounds considerably mellow compared to the few earlier tracks I've heard. But, I think I'm into that. This Bridge Nine debut is more emo than pop punk, with fun boy/girl trade-off vocals, smart and solid drumming and those angular guitar rhythms I love. Sheena Ozzella's voice and guitar chops are impressive, and I'm in awe of what Alex Kerns does on the drums while singing. Everything presented on Pebble adds up, but I think my favorite thing about it is the contrast between Ozzella's powerful, higher pitched vocals and Kerns' modest, lower pitched ones.


The King of Limbs - Radiohead (TBD, 2011)
This should really get its own blog entry. This long awaited follow-up to In Rainbows seems to be Radiohead's most divisive album yet. I guess this makes sense to me, but I think any fan of Radiohead up to this point who says they don't like The King of Limbs is crazy. A false statement that I've read in several reviews is that this lacks all the ambition of every other Radiohead album. That is ridiculous. The King of Limbs isn't otherworldly like OK Computer or Kid A, but it sure sounds completely original to me. Unsurprisingly, the production is impeccable and the individual performances throughout are like nothing the band has done before. For instance, usually the bass and drums are perfectly locked in, but here, Phil Selway chugs along (playing out of his mind, actually, assuming that at least most of the drum tracks were recorded live and just processed) while Colin Greenwood does whatever the hell he wants.

The songs on The King of Limbs are even less song-y than the ones on Kid A. "Lotus Flower" is the only obvious single, as it has a definite chorus, but otherwise, only the second track, "Morning Mr. Magpie" (which might be the best track on the album), also has a chorus, and it is very unassuming. "Bloom," "Little by Little" and "Feral" are all standouts along with the two aforementioned jams. I got goosebumps the first time I heard the piano loop and drums combo of "Bloom." At first I didn't really care for the gorgeous back-to-back ballads, "Codex" and "Give Up the Ghost," but, they offer up some nice breathing room before one of Radiohead's greatest album closers, "Separator." The best moment on the album just might be when the tinkly guitars come in at the end of that track.

I am not going to go so far as to say that The King of Limbs is even close to being one of Radiohead's greatest albums, but it is still excellent and will definitely be in the running for record of the year for me. It is challenging, its contrast of organic vs. inorganic sounds is fascinating and its repetition is a nice change of pace. And, with the amount of time that elapsed between In Rainbows and this, and the fact that it is Radiohead's shortest LP, I have a feeling that this isn't the last we're going to hear from the band recording-wise within the next year.

Emotional Listening #7

It's been quite a while since I've talked about older music that I've discovered, overlooked or rediscovered. So, I'm bringing this segment of my blog back. Here we go.


The Speed of Cattle - Archers of Loaf (Alias, 1996)
Why it took me so long to finally decide to be interested in Archers of Loaf is beyond me. They rule. And while I assume The Speed of Cattle is probably a weak release of theirs (as it is a collection of b-sides and rare recordings), it still has some jams. I can't say that I like the very early stuff, as the guitars and rhythms are monotonous and the vocals annoying. But, once the band started infusing a little pop in their sound along with those jagged, interweaving guitar lines and Eric Bachmann chose to sing melodies, their shit gets real good. On this particular collection, the highs are very high. The raw practice version of "Web in Front" might sound even better than Icky Mettle's version, and the John Peel Session performances of "Smokin' Pot in the Hot City" and "Freezing Point" are pure bliss.
Top jams: "Web in Front," "What Did You Expect?," "Don't Believe the Good News," "Smokin' Pot in the Hot City (John Peel Session)," "Bacteria," "Freezing Point (John Peel Session)," "Powerwalker"


All the Nation's Airports - Archers of Loaf (Elektra/Alias, 1996)
The band's first full length to be distributed by a major label, All the Nation's Airports, was definitely a step forward in so many ways. It's definitely cleaner sounding and more accessible, but their intense energy is still evident throughout, even on the piano ballads. The album opens furiously and fantastically, and doesn't let up untl after the sixth song, "Rental Sting." "All the Nation's Airports" and "Scenic Pastures" easily go along with "Web in Front" as my favorite Archers of Loaf songs so far. What really does it for me on All the Nation's Airports are all the beefy, angular and thought out guitar parts. Plus, there is a certain smidge of emo laced throughout the whole thing, which, if you know me, you know I'm a sucker for.
Top jams: "Strangled by the Stereo Wire," "All the Nation's Airports," "Scenic Pastures," "Worst Defense," "Attack of the Killer Bees," "Rental Sting," "Vocal Shrapnel," "Acromegaly"


Fear of God - The Bats (Flying Nun, 1991)
Oh man. New Zealand's The Bats are quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite bands. Daddy's Highway, their 1987 debut, which I honestly haven't spent a ton of time with yet, is completely awesome. But, what's so great about this band, is every other album of theirs that I've heard (they have seven, and I've heard four) is also awesome. Fear of God doesn't vary too much from their 80s jangle pop sound, but that's just how I want it. The songs here are mostly upbeat and fun, with some nice ballads here and there. "Boogey Man" and "Straight Image" are two of The Bats' best songs, without question.
Top jams: "Boogey Man," "The Old Ones," "Hold All the Butter," "Straight Image," "You Know We Shouldn't," "Jetsam"


Couchmaster - The Bats (Flying Nun, 1995)
I didn't think Couchmaster, the band's fifth album, could be better than Fear of God, but it sure is. The guitars still have all that jangle, but the songs have a little more of a dark edge to them, at least sound-wise. There's a lot more variety here, and of course there are some really great songs. I'm partial to the beefy guitar and plodding tempo of "Around You Like Snow," the slightly Built to Spill feel of "Work It Out" and the sleepy summer instrumental "Supernova." Overall, Couchmaster sort of reminds me of a jangly mid-90s Yo La Tengo, which is a really great thing. The Bats are giving R.E.M. of the 80s a run for their money as the best jangly pop/rock band.
Top jams: "Afternoon in Bed," "Around You Like Snow," "Work It Out," "Land 'O' Lakes," "Supernova," "Crow Song," "Knowledge is Power," "It's Happening to You," "Down to Me"

I'm Still Here/Party Down: Season 2

I'm Still Here (2010)

Written by Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix, directed by Casey Affleck

I had been wanting to watch this for quite some time, and was stoked when my roommates and I found it streaming on Netflix. I'm not sure what you know of this film, so I'll summarize: in 2008, Joaquin Phoenix supposedly retired from acting in order to pursue his hip hop career. This film is about that, including his zany interview with David Letterman from early 2009, and showcases an apparent mental breakdown. Thing is, it's completely a hoax! It's actually a satirical mockumentary touching on celebrity and intra-media relationships. Written along with friend and brother-in-law Casey Affleck (who also directed the film), I'm Still Here is well thought out, and the process of creating it sounds intense and complex (Phoenix would maintain his character of the film whenever he subjected to public interviews). It was always rumored to be a hoax, but wasn't officially announced as so until after the film was finally released. That is one of the many things I love about it. Additionally, it is simply my kind of movie: a somewhat gruesome critique on a number of aspects of the media. It is hilarious and supremely acted. I couldn't tell who was in on the joke and who wasn't. Regardless, all the performances (or candid interactions) were convincing, and Phoenix was especially impressive. I would recommend seeing I'm Still Here as soon as you can.

Party Down: Season 2 (2010)

What a show! I haven't even been able to watch all of the first season, and I missed the first two or three episodes of the second. However, the other night I watched the remaining seven or eight of Party Down: Season 2, which is enough to formulate an opinion about it. It rules. Right after finishing it, I made some sort of ridiculous claim like, "Uh, Party Down is on par with Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Office (when that show was at its best)!" Eh, probably not, actually, but still, season two was very fun to watch. The interactions between Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan and Scott and Ken Marino are incredibly fun. Scott's, Caplan's and Martin Starr's cynicism is more clever than it is overbearing (which is a very good thing). Starr is always funny (he once played one of the greatest television characters of all time: Bill from Freaks and Geeks), and especially here, with his fiery passion for sci-fi writing. Another highlight is Ryan Hansen's wannabe emo rock star character of Kyle. All of the situations that occur in Party Down are hilarious, everyone in it is great, blah blah blah. Get with the times and like this show, please.

My Most Recent Favorite Song Of The Moment

"Starseed" by Our Lady Peace , from Naveed (1994)

Remember Our Lady Peace? You're probably embarrassed to admit that you ever liked them, but at least "Starseed" is actually still awesome. One of my favorite choruses of the 90s. Don't hate.

The Dismemberment Plan/JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound/Kid You'll Move Mountains @ The Metro, 2/19/11

Last Saturday, Bravender, Jensen and I (along with a few other buds) had the pleasure of attending the first of two Dismemberment Plan reunion shows in Chicago. Unfortunately, Sunday's show featured the better line-up (The Forms and Maritime), but it didn't even matter.

The opening act, Kid, You'll Move Mountains, was less than desirable. They sounded like a Christian post-rock/emo band, which just ain't my jam anymore. The singing was way too nice.

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound are a modern Chicago soul group, which isn't really interesting to me, but, I can't deny that they were impressive musicians and performers. They did a cover of Wilco's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" that was pretty cool.

I don't know why I never saw The Dismemberment Plan around 2002-03, when it seemed like they played Detroit every four months or so. After the set I witnessed on Saturday, I regret not seeing them many times before. It's a great feeling when a band you're so excited to see leaves out two of the songs you wanted them to play the most (in this case, "Sentimental Man" and "The Other Side" from 2001's Change), and you can still consider it a perfect set. Everything else they played, I wanted to hear. Even the songs I had never heard before (the few they played from their debut full length, !) were awesome.

Opening with "A Life of Possibilities" and then going straight into "The Face of the Earth" was easily one of the show's high points (of which there were many). Seeing Joe Easley and his octopus arms flailing to "Girl O'Clock" was another one. "Ellen and Ben" sounded better than it ever has to me before. I had never noticed how beautiful Jason Cadell's guitar part is at the end of the song. And, obviously, the encore was the highest of the high, thanks to "The Ice of Boston," "The City" and the set's closer, "Back and Forth."

I could continue listing all the amazing performances that occured during this wonderous set, but that would get repetitive, as every single song ruled. Everything about the set was perfect: songs, tightness, Travis Morrison's banter, etc. I could not have asked for a better experience seeing The Dismemberment Plan for the first time ever. It didn't hurt that I had a fantastic conversation with Easley at a bar next door after the show, and later on, Bravender and I were subject to some potentially big news from bassist Eric Axelson. Hopefully more on that at another time.

Dirty Work/Fantastic Mr. Fox/Ghost World

Dirty Work (1998)

Written by Frank Sebastiano, Norm MacDonald and Fred Wolf, directed by Bob Saget

As big of a Chris Farley fan I was when I was in elementary and middle school, I can't believe I hadn't seen Dirty Work until just now. Not that it's that big a deal; it's no good at all. However, I'm much more a fan of Norm MacDonald in retrospect than I ever was in those days, and here, he is simply himself: awkward, dry and obvious. He can't tell a joke without laying it all out for the viewer and stressing that it is a joke. I like that about him, though. Also, this might be Farley at his funniest since Tommy Boy. I have nothing to say about the plot or the other performances.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, directed by Wes Anderson

As big of a Wes Anderson fan as I am, I can't believe I just watched Fantastic Mr. Fox, the film adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's novel, for the first time this past Sunday. Just as I expected, it was gorgeous, funny and touched on the same themes as every other Anderson film (disfunctional family, bad fathers, redemption, etc.). The story, or at least Anderson's version of it, is a little inconsistent, but that doesn't even matter considering the strength of the voice acting performances and overall look of the film. Unsurprisingly, Anderson's clever and unconventional dialogue helps quite a bit, too.

Ghost World (2001)

Written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, directed by Terry Zwigoff

This adaptation of Daniel Clowes' comic book series is pretty terrible. I don't understand this, as Clowes himself co-wrote the film. Aside from Steve Buscemi and Bob Balaban, the acting is atrocious. The cynicism of the two main characters is never funny and gets irritating quickly. The writing is sloppy. There are films with these types of characters and about these kind of subject matters that are much better. Why do people love this one so much?

Torso

Torso - Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko (1998-99)

I have been on quite the journey over the past few years trying to catch up on all that I've missed in the realm of comics and graphic novels. Few collections have struck me so much as Torso, a true crime account of the Cleveland Torso Murderer of the mid-1930s. If you know me well, you know I like to read about some pretty messed up stuff, and obviously that is represented well in these pages. While the dreary mood and gruesome storyline of Torso were enough to win me over, it was really easy to get attached to the happenings and people caught up in this insane invent. What really took it over the edge and what really helped to make the graphic novel easily one of the best I've ever read is Brian Michael Bendis' art direction. The drawings within the panels aren't all that impressive, it's more how they were combined with actual photographs from the various murder scenes and elsewhere in Cleveland. Also, just the way the panels are set up on the page (at least in a number of instances) stressed the sense of mystery and confusion, and additionally made the book even fun to read. Torso is pretty much perfect in every way.

Deerhoof/Ben Butler and Mousepad/Child Bite/Marco Polio and the New Vaccines @ The Crofoot Ballroom, 2/14/11

On Valentine's Day 2011, I took a trip up to the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac with my friend Matt to see the mighty Deerhoof. In spite of leaving my wallet back at home (thus, no drinking and no merch), being single ruled this night.

Detroit's Marco Polio and the New Vaccines undeservedly started things off. How they are getting to open for such sweet shows (they opened for Women back in September), I have no idea.

My buds Child Bite brought redemption when they played second. Of their recordings, their newest LP, The Living Breathing Organ Summer, captures their live energy the best. Their set was filled mostly with these songs, while also playing two of the best songs from their sophomore effort, Fantastic Gusts of Blood. They are really fun to watch.

I don't know anything about Ben Butler and Mousepad, but they put on quite a show. This duo featured a dude playing a tiny Korg synth and one helluva drummer. Their songs were instrumental, spazzy and full of rhythm and time trickery.

The highlight of the night was definitely and obviously Deerhoof. They played one of the most impressive live sets I have ever seen. All four members are masters at their instruments as well as great entertainers. Greg Saunier's charming nerdiness was evident in his in-between-song banter, and of course it was a real mindblow to get to see him elaborate on his already insane drumming live. Satomi Matsuzaki was utterly adorable with all her hand motions and dancing around when she wasn't playing bass. What impressed me the most, though, was how both John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez played their guitars. Those dudes are some incredible guitarists who somehow mesh classic rock and techy emo-ish styles perfectly, and it was inspiring to see them chime so wonderfully and wail so hard. This was especially awesome on the songs that are more dependent on keyboards and synths. In these cases, those parts were played on guitar. Unfortunately, this made me like the live versions of these songs more than the album versions (especially Milk Man's "Desaparecere").

While Deerhoof's setlist wasn't completely ideal for me ("You Can See," "The Galaxist," "Offend Maggie" and "Family of Others" were all missing), it didn't even matter thanks to how incredibly they performed. I don't recall the band touching anything from The Runners Four (which is a silly decisicion, if you ask me), but the band a good variety of songs from all over their career while mostly showcasing jams from the newest LP. My personal favorites were "Milk Man," "Desaparecere," "The Perfect Me," "The Tears and Music of Love," "Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia," "Behold a Marvel in the Darkness," "The Merry Barracks" and "I Did Crimes for You."

Without question, Deerhoof's set on Valentine's Day goes down as one of my favorite live performances I've ever experienced.

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!