Richard Swift - Beautiful Heart

Hope you guys like this song. R Swift is one of my favorite solo artists to have come up these last couple of years. This is a slightly older song of his, but maybe I will talk about his new album soon. It's called the Atlantic ocean, and it is a masterpiece.

R.I.P. MJ and Farrah

It seemed rather insensitive of a news panel, discussing Michael Jackson's life, to quickly turn to the subject of his interaction with young boys. I realize that yes his behavior was suspect, and that I too have been guilty of poking fun at times, but come on. Show a little respect. Save the jokes for when we're first over the fact that he died in the first place. As much as he's lost some relevance over the years, Larry King himself said, and I am paraphrasing here, that new accusations and stories are bound to come out by supposed victims in the wake of MJ's death, but a lot of things haven't been confirmed yet, and the best we can do at this point is to just remember him for his talent, and his contribution to the world of music. And he said what I felt to be the right and appropriate thing.

Farrah Fawcett passed away as well several hours ago, succumbing to cancer. I was unfortunately not of the same generation who was endeared to her during her heyday, but my parents surely were.

some movie linkses

- The Oscars will now feature ten nominees for the Best Picture award, instead of the original 5. I think this is a good idea, mainly because it gives room for those indie/less well known films that get marginalized in favor of the regular Eastwood/Howard-directed fare. The Vulture blog lists several reasons why they're in favor of the change.

- Are you one of those people who caught the first screenings of the new Transformers movie? If you're still gushing about how great the action sequences and how this is one of the best movies of the year, Pajiba has some bad news for you. I still have not watched it, and I'm not sure I want to really see twin ebonic-speaking racial stereotype mini robots. Or "robot testicles" either, for that matter.

- Finally, here is the AV Club's retro-review of I Heart Huckabees. I love this little philosophical movie. I remember watching it with my good pal Adam during finals season when I should have been studying, and other times unsuccessfully following my sister's conversations about how great it is. She is smarter than me. Also, this is probably the best Mark Wahlberg role, in my opinion.

Oh, just FYI I won't be blogging so much in the coming weeks. In case my posting gets too intermittent, please feel free to befriend me or follow me, as it will be easier to share links and microblog when I am busy.

GET LOOSE

Nice little acoustic show on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic.



That's it I swear. No more of this back and forth business. Onto more new music!

yesterday's just a memory! tomorrow's never what it's supposed to be

And I need you! Yeah you..!

No static videos to end the day. This one's for dancing. This is for baby making. This is smooth.



Argh I love this song. I want this played at every social event even if it's inappropriate.

Even for a self-professed Bob Dylan fan, I'm still in awe of how much of his material I haven't yet listened to. The more I hear his songs, the more I am convinced that we have not seen a more consistently talented songwriter since. But instead of dwelling on hyperbole, let's listen to the Dylan-Mark Knopfler amazing collaboration "Neighborhood Bully". Seriously, this is a great song.



Well, the neighborhood bully, he's just one man
His enemies say he's on their land
They got him outnumbered about a million to one
He got no place to escape to, no place to run
He's the neighborhood bully.

The neighborhood bully he just lives to survive
He's criticized and condemned for being alive
He's not supposed to fight back, he's supposed to have thick skin
He's supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in
He's the neighborhood bully.

The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land
He's wandered the earth an exiled man
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn
He's always on trial for just being born
He's the neighborhood bully.

Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized
Old women condemned him, said he could apologize
Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad
The bombs were meant for him. He was supposed to feel bad
He's the neighborhood bully.

Well, the chances are against it, and the odds are slim
That he'll live by the rules that the world makes for him
'Cause there's a noose at his neck and a gun at his back
And a licence to kill him is given out to every maniac
He's the neighborhood bully.

Well, he got no allies to really speak of
What he gets he must pay for, he don't get it out of love
He buys obsolete weapons and he won't be denied
But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side
He's the neighborhood bully.

Well, he's surrounded by pacifists who all want peace
They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease
Now, they wouldn't hurt a fly. To hurt one they would weep
They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep
He's the neighborhood bully.
Every empire that's enslaved him is gone
Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon
He's made a garden of paradise in the desert sand
In bed with nobody, under no one's command
He's the neighborhood bully.

Now his holiest books have been trampled upon
No contract that he signed was worth that what it was written on
He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth
Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health
He's the neighborhood bully.

What's anybody indebted to him for ?
Nothing, they say. He just likes to cause war
Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed
They wait for this bully like a dog waits to feed
He's the neighborhood bully.

What has he done to wear so many scars ?
Does he change the course of rivers ? Does he pollute the moon and stars ?
Neighborhood bully, standing on the hill
Running out the clock, time standing still
Neighborhood bully.

Quick Question! Doesn't this remind you of a certain nation? *Ahem*illegal settlements*cough*

Of course a lot of Dylan's songs are laced with cynicism, so maybe there's more than one side of things?

I promise I'll stop with this song after this post, OK

PY was on Conan last night! I love this. Wish he'd play something else from B&F though, since he did the same song on Kimmel a couple months ago. Anyway, great set, and Conan's sound people finally got it right :) Oh God a smiley.

To all my friends and relations who have stuck with me and given me encouragement, thank you. Words can't express how deeply indebted I am to your friendship and the only way I can do any kind of justice is to just stick with it and keep it together. So thanks. And I hope things work out for all a y'all as well.

Have I already posted this before? Who cares, this blog is well past its prime anyway, so I can afford a repeat or two: more posting to follow. I'm still pooped from an excellent basketball session.

This is old school Nada Surf with Bad Best Friend.

i've been wandering around

A little Coconut Records to start the day off. Lovely.

Handsome Furs time for Face Control

Had a pretty good run at the track just now. Met someone I knew from my undergrad days there; he's working currently somewhere in Shah Alam. Considering how hard work is to come by these days, I'm glad for him and any of my myriad classmates who have managed to tie down something or other these last few months. As for me, I find myself happily ensconced in this academic limbo, facing one uncertainty after another. But things are finally settling down, and I'll find ways to make things better on down the line.

Should I tell you guys this? I'm thinking of training to be a pilot. Well, not so much as an occupation, but more as a necessary skill. I used to be a mad history buff when it came to aeronautical studies, and I found that nearly all the pioneers from the late 19th to early 20th century were the ones who also chose to risk their own lives on gliders and early planes. So why not me?

Anyway, I was listening to The Handsome Furs on the drive back, and thought I'd plug their album Face Control here. It was released a little early in the year, in the wake of everyone's Animal Collective fawnings over Merriweather Post Pavillion. So in case you missed hearing about it, check out Face Control, it's one of the best atmospheric fast paced indie rock albums you will ever hear. Think The White Stripes meets TV On The Radio, and you'll get Handsome Furs. From Last.fm:

The duo of Handsome Furs, comprising Montreal residents Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade) and his wife Alexei Perry, began as an idea in the winter of 2005. Dark and minimal while noisy and earnest, the point was to be as sparse and repetitive as possible with the help of little more than vocals, guitars, and a new drum machine.

The band’s name comes from the title of a short story that Alexei was writing at the time of band’s conception.

So without further ado, I'd like to share with you a few of the album's highlights!

I'm Confused


Radio Kaliningrad


Talking Hotel Arbat Blues


Sorry about some of the poor audio, guys.

As far as wedding invitations go, this ranks pretty highly. Genius.

comic link

Basic Instructions is pretty much the only place you have to go to learn how best to do things. Today, we learn the basics of fan fiction, which is really something I fail to see the appeal of. But that is only because I have no imagination :( (AWWWWWWWWWW)

Anyway, I learned today that my supervisor might just be the head of department! How crazy is that? I guess I will just make the most of whatever comes my way.

who likes the dance scene from the breakfast club? congratulations you are rad

Looking for some catharsis in writing, but the words haven't formed right in my head yet, and so I'm forced to sit on yet another self-indulgent post. Sorry, guys.

Monday! It's Monday already. Right now I'm listening to some Phoenix. They released It's Never Been Like That back in 2006, and it was one of my favorite and most personal albums of that year. Anyway they released a new album this year, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, and it's just as good as the last album, and a pretty great soundtrack for 2009. I would have written about it sooner, but my ill-fated (and -planned) 2009 album list only went until the letter "G". I'll probably never get around to "P" at this rate, so I'll have to write about it here.

Not surprisingly, WAP turned out to be a favorite album for me and my siblings, thanks in large part to the lead single, Lisztomania. One of the greatest benefits of the internet age is the ability to not just write about how great a song or movie is, but to embed the media such that the readers' opinions can be based directly on the media in question, without my stumbling written adoration thrown in. So I can get away with writing something like, "this is awesome." You're welcome. Here is an 80's homage employing clever usage of said song.

If you ever need a pick-me-up to start the week off, this is it, and this is for you:



Keep this on repeat! Wooooo (dancing)

BRITT DANIEL (SPOON) - BLACK LIKE ME

Love it. Forgot to add this to yesterday's list.

This is The Soundtrack Of Our Lives covering Nick Drake's "Fly". When I was first hearing it I was blown away. They really took the song and gave it some real vigor, and towards the end it really takes off. Which, given the title, kinda fits. Great stuff. The drumming and vocals really reminded me of Keith Moon and Roger Daltry from The Who, as well. Anyway, give this a listen. It's taken from the album Communion, which is double discs of awesomeness.

Please give me second grace
Please give me a second face
I've fallen far down
The first time around
Now I just sit on the ground in your way

Now, if it's time for recompense for what's done
Come, come sit down on the fence in the sun
And the clouds will roll by
And we'll never deny
It's really too hard for the fly.

Please tell me your second name
& Please play me your second game
I've fallen so far
for the people you are
I just need your star for a day.

So come, come ride in my streetcar car by the bay
For now I must know how fine you are in your way
And the sea she will sigh.
but she won't need to cry
For its really too hard for the fly.

Metric - Calculation Theme

wait, what

I was thinking of this playlist at the track. Was feeling a little on the wrong side of melancholy (which was slightly alleviated thanks to runner's high), so see if you can find a common theme here: otherwise, enjoy the tunes.

Ryan Adams - Somehow, Someday


Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way


The Jam - Burning Sky


The Beatles - For No One


Pete Yorn - Lose You


Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Think I Wanna Die


Elliott Smith - Somebody That I Used To Know


Eagles - Wasted Time


The Postal Service - Nothing Better


Ok, ok here is something more upbeat and chirpy, dammit:

Mates Of State - NOW

One of my favorite songs from War Child Presents: Heroes, this is Adam Cohen singing Take This Waltz. Beautiful. Also this happens to be one of the best compilation albums from this year, so check it out.

vacillating - back & fourth

Got what I wanted and it's never enough, Got what I wanted when you showed up.... When you talk, it makes me cringe, You want so bad to have meaning, but you're empty and draining -- Paradise Cove, off of Pete Yorn's Back & Fourth

Let me just put it this way: personally, 2009 is pretty much decided in terms of what albums I'll listen to most after the year's done. I'm done. A lot of music critics tend to compare Pete Yorn to contemporaries like Ryan Adams and Bright Eyes, so in that light, I'm going to say that Back & Fourth is PY's answer to RA's Gold (or Heartbreaker if that's what you're into); an album that runs with themes of loss, regret, missed loves, but also an enduring sense of self-assurance; while the singer has his fair share of mistakes, he's also confident enough to sing about it and to hint at something (or someone) better around the corner. If there's anyone who still hasn't been convinced that Pete Yorn is one of the best singer/songwriter of the aughts, this album will make a convert out of them.

Back & Fourth marks the return of PY after the completion of his original "day" trilogy: musicforthemorningafter (2001), Day I Forgot (2003), and Nightcrawler (2006). While (deservedly) effusive praise was given to musicforthemorningafter, his subsequent releases haven't been particularly as well received by the critics. Which is a shame, because each album actually marked the progression of PY as a songwriter, both in terms of his treatment of the subject matter (mostly past loves/flings/personal observations) and his instrumentation and musical style. It became increasingly evident that while he shows considerable strength in belting out pop rock songs like Closet, Crystal Village, and For Us, it's the more acoustic, rustic sounds that really favored his lyrics the most. And that's the direction he took with the Westerns EP (2006? I think?), with more alt-country fare like The Man, and his beautiful, haunting cover of Never My Love. After hearing Westerns, my initial thought was, goddamn, this is exactly what his next album is going to emphasize.

For Back & Fourth, PY took a different direction in how he recorded; instead of opting to play all or most of the instruments himself, like he did for musicforthemorningafter, he brought in a host of session musicians and backing singers, sort of like a Bob Dylan & The Band style of live sessions. He also had production duties by the Bright Eyes producer, so there's a lot of that towards-the-end-of-the-song style of build-ups/crescendoes going on (but it's not overblown). If there's any real gripe I have with this album, it's that this album will invetiably draw more comparisons with Bright Eyes and any other convenient act laying around (maybe Wilco as well?). There's also the disappearance of a common theme within each of his previous LP's: strong rockers in the first third and parts of the second, and a final third that's more subdued as a closer. This time around, it's mostly a consistent affair, so some people might call this album "playing it safe." Boo! Bad reviewer! Shoo!

Anyway, I'm almost done with my second play-through of this album, and I'm pretty happy with what I'm hearing. Normally these days if I'm loving an album I'd write about it on Twitter, but I think this album deserves its own blog post. Following are some highlights off of Back & Fourth, and if you want a free listen, check out PY's MySpace page to stream the album. Buy this. And also his first three, along with Live in New Jersey and Westerns.

Shotgun (Live on Kimmel)


Close (Live on WXPN)


Last Summer


because I just love this song so much:

reparations

Has it really been a week since I last posted? Goodness. Forgive me, I haven't really had any inclination to add anything to my good old blog during the last week. My running has finally hit a proper stride, and hopefully soon my stamina will be up and I'll be more fit. I've been listening to so much great music that it struck me just how much the "indie" and "pop" categorization of music is quite pointless. The last two years have provided so much convergence between mainstream appeal and more discreet sensibilities. I thought that 2008 was a good year for releases, but half a year in to 2009, this year has just been filled with so much quality, in all genres. Granted, I haven't found any great alt-country releases yet, but the electro-rock-pop niche is filled to the brim, as with hip-hop, grind, rap and alternative indie. What can I say? I'm loving this. So when time and mood permit, I will post more music on this site, so that you guys can decide what's worth a good listen. I'll also devote some time to write about the albums I really love this year.

I'm also planning to streamline the links list on the sidebar. Too many dead links and sites that haven't been updated in months or years that just take time to load. So I'll only make sure to link to the sites that I really recommend and still love, including my friends' blogs.

Take care of yourselves, eat well, and all that. Be seeing you.

Jason Schwartzman, you are the man

Here is the official video for Coconut Records' Microphone, off of Davy. It's quirky, it's understated, it's awesome. Pretty awesome that this former Phantom Planet drummer and occasional actor can create such accessible, enjoyable music. Get Davy, and his first album, Nighttiming, your heart will thank you for it.

More posting to follow. Right now I need to buy us some milk and maybe donuts? Hmmm

R.I.P. David Carradine

Thanks Yem for the heads-up.

comic

It's been a while since I linked to Ruben Bolling's Tom the Dancing Bug, but if you haven't yet made this a regular feature of your online haunts, it's never too late to start. This guy is one of the sharpest satirists of the webcomics age, and every strip is aimed at one current issue after another. Good stuff.

picture

This is a collage my mom made recently of printed photos on a piece of discarded wood. I'm sorry the picture came out a bit fuzzy, I took it with my phone, and a lot of the pictures were printed on normal printing paper. Otherwise, it's pretty touching for me, personally: a lot of older pictures of my parents when they were younger, and some pictures of me and my siblings as little kids. It's not very clear, but in the upper right hand corner is my dad leaning over to give me hug around the shoulders, in our old rented house back in Massachusetts.

When we were living overseas, my mother took a break from her lecturing job to be a housewife while my dad did his doctoral work. It was during that time when she was at her most creative and artistic. I vividly remember coming home one day to see a painting my mom made of a clown on a small piece of wood. She was also into crocheting and some sewing as well. We'd watch Bob Ross tapes sometimes (happy trees!) and she was into crafts in a big way.

Both my parents are actually pretty creative people. My dad can sketch, but he doesn't do it much, and my mom doesn't have nearly as much free time as she used to. But they are both very supportive of any creative impulse my brother, sister and I might have. So much so that they agreed to let me and my brother take art classes when we were kids with Mrs. Caratenuto (I can't remember how to spell her name, just that it sounds like "Carrot-Tomato"), and bought us musical instruments like our old keyboard and guitars.

All in all, I'm glad I got to see the creative side of my mom when she had the time to stay at home way back when.

Albums of '09 part 5

Hope you like tonight's selection. Good night all.

Eric Lindell - Gulf Coast Highway
Stream "Country Livin'"

Ex Norwegian - Standby



Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.



The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is The Clock



Fergus Brown - Burgers Frown



Fever Ray - self-titled



Flight of The Conchords - Season 2



Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand



Gomez - A New Tide



The Gourds - Haymaker



Graham Lindsey - We Are All Alone In This Together
Check out his MySpace page for song samples.

so friggin' cute!

Octopus Pie! One of my favorite webcomics ever.

I am posting a music entry later this evening, right now I am too pooped from the track.

Book review: Child 44

Child 44, written by Tom Rob Smith, published 2008

Malaysian readers should be familiar with Popular bookstores, with its ubiquitous red logo and generally bland selection of titles. Don't expect to find what you're looking for, unless it's a study aid for your PMR or SPM papers. Unfortunately, I was stuck for several hours in town, and there was really nothing else to do while waiting to take a train back home; this was the only bookstore in a newly opened mall, and goddammit, I was bored as fuck. The day before, I caught the new Terminator movie with a friend (which I give a 6.5/10); we'd driven south but I had to make my own way back since he had a course to attend, and it was his car, not mine.

So, I walked in, hoping at the very least that I wouldn't be too aggrieved with the books on display (man, they had a whole buttload of teen fantasies and chick lit). I saw Child 44 in their fiction section and read the synopsis on the back, and it sounded intruiging. At the very least I'd have something to read for the next few hours, and it's a thriller set in Soviet Russia, and I haven't read too many of those, not since The Russia House, which I read when I was 14 or 13 I think. And what do you know, it's a really good crime/thriller book!

So the story is set throughout the Stalinist era Russia, from around 1933 to the mid 1950's, from the height of Stalin's power to around the time of his death. This was when gulags were in full use, when torture was pretty much standard operating procedure for any target. Privacy was a non-issue and equality for all meant special privileges for the ruling class while the rest of society lived in crowded tenements and were lucky to have indoor plumbing and heating. The slightest word said out of turn branded you as a dissident, traitor, or spy, and meant 25 years to life in the clink, or execution. There was no police, just the local militia, and crime was considered extinct when everyone was on level terms, and due process of law was only practised when there was a confession, genuine or under duress. People were considered guilty simply by association when it came to political enemies. Pretty much how the world is today!

Child 44 follows the triumphs and trials of Leo Demidov, a loyal servant of Russia and senior officer in the MGB, a state office created to maintain control and terror of the citizenry. He's a former war hero, and believes that all his orders and actions are for the greater good. His world is shaken when he's ordered to bring in a suspected spy, a veterinarian, who ran when he suspected that he was a target. The vet turns out to be innocent, but that knowledge doesn't prevent his being tortured (by injection of camphor oil into the vein) and eventually killed. His friends are brutally executed as well, because they were suspected to have aided in his attempt to flee the country. Leo is powerless to stop this, and his confidence is shot. Seeing this weakness, his office gives him his next task: to investigate and apprehend his own wife, Raisa, on suspicion of being a spy as well.

Refusing to turn in his wife to save his own skin, Leo sets in motion the rest of the novel. From a study on how those in a position of power take their authority for granted, Child 44 then shows just how quickly the most loyal and powerful can fall, and the disparity between the fat cats in Moscow and the lowliest villagers and factory workers. Beyond being a simple tale of fugitives on the run from Big Brother, it's just as much about the cruelty and overall absurdity of Revolution-era Russia. I couldn't help but draw parallels with V for Vendetta (both the comic and movie), The Fugitive (strangely enough), and most strongly with the film Equilibrium, in which Christian Bale's character goes through a very similar character arc, from blindly following orders, to questioning authority and seeing the bullshit underneath. Although Child 44 does it much better, of course.

Oh, and did I mention that there is a serial killer angle as well? That's actually the main thread of the novel, especially in the second half, with Leo and Raisa chasing leads while at the same time evading capture from the MGB. I don't want to write too much about it, because that would take up a lot more space, and I'd be giving away too many details. So look for this book, because apparently there's a sequel to Child 44 entitled The Secret Speech, if I'm not mistaken.

Next: a review of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik, and Super Spy, a graphic novel by Matt Kindt, sometime soon.