WHY?!

Do I not have the Sundance Channel?! Something must be done to remedy this state of affairs.

Immediately.

The Fantastic Mr. Anderson

Zissou is on HDNet films tonight, which prompts the question, "When is Wes Anderson's next film going to be released?"

I'm in love with his films and adored The Darjeeling Limited, regardless of what the ass clowning critics may have said. I knew his next feature was going to be an animated full-length.

But a stop-motion animated adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel?

Where do I sign?

Most impatiently of all, when?!

A Man-Made Crop Circle?! Who Knew?!

Ironically enough, this story was brought to my attention moments after I'd just completed chapter one of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation.

I know, I know. I haven't read it yet. What can I say? I'm a slacker, and only recently in a non-Sedaris brand of non-fiction type of mood.

Regardless, the hubbub is that Papa John's has apparently commissioned, and completed, a man-made crop circle cut into a wheat field backing up to Denver International Airport for the viewing pleasure of -- er, and to hype the new all-wheat crust to -- all who visit ... including attendees of the Democratic National Convention.

The irony was simply too strong for me to not comment.

The Dark Knight

It's the weekend, so I'll keep this short.

I finally saw it last night, and I have to say, the new Batman movie is pretty damn awesome.

Go see it. On a very big screen, with a very good sound system. Like The Moolah.

Can. NOT. Wait!

There are some TV shows that make life worth living. This is one of them.



Here's the Season 4 teaser!

Czech This Out: Miou Miou

Usually when I hear the words "French pop," I immediately imagine scenes of Japanese girls with green hair having brightly-colored martinis in a space-aged bar at the edge of the universe.

Anyone who has ever listened will know why. For those of you who haven't it's because ... it's just ... so spacey. Airy. Background music, but still listenable and irresistibly charming; even if you don't know French. Or maybe because you don't know French.

So it's a surprise to me to find a group making lush French pop to the beat of a different drummer; a far cry from Dmitri from Paris' outlandish sound, Miou Miou brings a more provincial, earthy feel; likely due to their Czech Republic upbringing.

It's even more evident in the utterly adorable video for "A l'été de la Saint-Martin '68."



Miou Miou Online:
http://www.miou-miou.cz/news.htm

MiouSpace:
http://www.myspace.com/mioumiou

Momma's Gotta Squeezebox

It was the summer of 1994; ah, I remember it as though it were yesterday. The sights, the smells ... most importantly, the sounds. One of the biggest hits that summer was Warren G. and Nate Dogg's "Regulate," and I knew it forwards and backwards; or so I thought. There was this one line that always troubled me ... I thought it was:

"I can't believe they're taking Lawrence Welk."

As it turns out, the lyric is, "I can't believe they're taking Warren's wealth." Which makes perfect sense, seeing as though he's talking about getting jacked.

In any event, today's videos come as a personal challenge from a friend to expand my reader demographic. The first is what Tom sent to me, a quite impressive performance by Myron Floren leading the band with his accordion in a 1967 episode of The Lawrence Welk Show.




To dispel the myth that the squeezebox is for golden oldies; however, I present a video of probably the most prolific female accordionistas of our time, Ms. Jenny Conlee of The Decemberists.




While the video quality isn't great, you can tell this girl is far more than skilled. I saw them in the Duck Room back in 2005 and she is by far the most impressive performer on stage; probably largely due to the fact that she's of a very dainty frame and only stands about 5' tall, giving her the appearance that she's wrestling the accordion rather than playing it.

While The Decemberists widely appeal to, well, pretty much only band and theatre geeks ... Jenny's proof positive that rocking out on the accordion isn't a thing of the past.

It's just still pretty uncool.

Who doesn't like a good Puppet show?

Does anyone remember the Arctic Monkeys?

Alex Turner, the frontman of said Britrock outfit is back with the London Metropolitan Orchestra and Rascals' Miles Kane in the form of The Last Shadow Puppets with the album The Age of The Understatement. The only understatement here is that this is really good stuff.

Here's the video for the album's title track:

CD Release Alert!

Dr. Dog is back!

Fate is in stores starting today (apparently FYE may have some autographed copies available online) and samples from their MySpace are very promising. Oh how I can not wait to see them next Wednesday! It'll be my first Bluebird outing. Report surely to follow.

In the mean time, please to enjoy this track from 2007's We All Belong, courtesy of Park The Van records.

Dr. Dog - My Old Ways




Also, fitting as it is Discovery Channel's Shark Week this week; the golden voice is back! (Alright, she has been about a month, I've just missed it until now).

My Brightest Diamond has recorded yet another spooky, beautifully orchestrated album, A Thousand Shark's Teeth. A sample track is available on MBD's MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond

Okay, I'm Sold.

I've finally tired of the buzz surrounding the newest "synth-pop" group that sounds just like all of my favorite 80s bands of old. The newest review mentions of their sound's resemblance to the likes of Robert Smith and Morrissey ... so, fashionably late as usual, I just checked out the Black Kids.

I think you should too.

Particularly "I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You." It's Cure-tastic. In fact, here's the video:



I am a total sucker for a good pop song. It's true.

Hit up their MySpace for other songs:

http://www.myspace.com/blackkidsrock

Double Threat

Zooey Deschanel.

You love her or hate her. I'm of the former category; even though she's not the world's best actress (she obviously plays only one character in any given role, and hunch has it its "herself"), I've always thought she was cute, dry and quasi-talented enough to be girlcrush-worthy.

Here's a new reason: her musical project with M. Ward, She and Him.

Which, of course, I stumbled upon in Vol. #79 of Magnet. It was just an advert, but it was the full-page back cover which, oh I don't know, kind of demands your attention; and seeing as though I was interested enough to roam to MySpace to check out Scarlett Johansson's (pathetic) attempt at musicianship, I figured one more actress-turned-song stylist dab wouldn't hurt.

Stream the music at their MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/sheandhim

And often.

... shouldn't it be the "Old Foges on the Block"?

Coming soon to an arena near you, the New Kids on the Block!

Seriously, is anyone going to attend the shows on this tour? Who is interested? People like me, whose 10 year-old selves adored them above God way back when? Are they taking their kids along? Is there a new album?

This, along with the announcement of the "new" 90210 (with Shannen Dougherty, Jennie Garth and Joe E. Tata rumored to be involved) seems so hopelessly sad and desperate. I just have no idea what kind of an audience this seriously appeals to; as far as I can tell, this only applies to the "morbid curiosity" sector in which old fans have in has-beens.

Which, while it's certainly not enough to actually purchase tickets to a mega-theatre concert; it probably is enough to the CW this fall ... if for no other reason but to see just how bad Shannen and Jennie look compared to the new teen class.

I Wanna Be a Producer!

Ah, what my summer in St. Louis wouldn't be without a visit to The Muny.

Last week, the fiancee surprised me in a way that I'd never expect such an overtly-straight man to do; he took me to the theatre. No, not just the theatre. The outdoor theatre in St. Louis; the one that specializes in musical theatre.

The reason being that they were running The Producers last week.

I've seen the original movie version (Gene Wilder / Zero Mostel) once, but only after seeing the updated musical version (Matthew Broderick / Nathan Lane) several times. And being an unrepentant fan of musical theatre -- "the greatest two words put together in the English language" as executive producer Paul Blake remarked earlier in the evening -- why wouldn't I?

I had never seen the stage version, so I was delighted to find that was where we were headed Sunday evening after a delectable dinner at Crown Candy Kitchen. Unlike some productions of the past, it did not disappoint; the Muny flew in actors from Broadway for the main roles, and it showed. The set design was the best I've ever seen at the venue, particularly the "Springtime for Hitler" scenes. There's something incredibly powerful about a backdrop of four huge red Nazi flags along the entire Muny stage; it definitely was more startling than watching it on TV.

Mel Brooks is a genius, but the original was definitely wanting of "more," and the musical revival of it perfectly fleshes an already great idea out into a top-notch one. Obviously the movie is the best way to see the show, especially if you can't afford orchestra seats, because you get the full weight of all of the expressions on the actors' faces; which is pretty key in some scenes, and would have been missed had I not already known what was coming. The only problem with relying on the movie is its missing some pretty hilarious tunes like "The King of Broadway," "In Old Bavaria," and "Where Did We Go Right?"

It makes me want to watch the movie all over again. If for no other reason to have "Keep It Gay" stuck in my head, on a loop, for the rest of the week.

The Return of the Yesteryear Hero

Above all, the thing I love most about Kevin Smith is that you can't keep him down. The guy may get discouraged, but he certainly will never stop living his dream.

My teen years were rife with a steady stream of quotations from all of his films, to those who were familiar and those who weren't (the latter receiving guff for being so obtuse). My best friend and I even started a screen play, which I still have in my possession, that was basically a similar version of a Kevin Smith story; Joe Blow has a boring life, a shitty job, an annoying girlfriend, and the girl he really wants is just out of reach, as is the rest of his happiness all of which are solely his own doing.

Everyone loves this guy. Try not to, I dare you. The reason why is because, for the most part, it's all of us. Grass is always greener, "what if I'd done that instead of this," ... maybe it's just the eternal question of the middle class, and no one else, but there it is.

The caffeine kicks in this morning and I retreat to the reading room and flip through Entertainment Weekly to pass the time; in this particular issue, there's a feature on "The Next A-List" of Hollywood. Among them is comedic powerhouse, Seth Rogen. The slovenly, furry, cuddly oddball of whom no one (including myself) can seem to get enough.

Sound familiar?

There's a reason. I learn in the blurb about him possibly dethroning Adam Sandler as the Jewey comedy giant the world over, there's a mention of his role in Kevin Smith's upcoming film Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

That guy always manages to sneak films by me; back in my teen years, that would have never happened; between my best friend and I, we could smell a new project of his before it was even in production. I just don't have the time to devote to superfandom anymore it would seem. Life gets too complicated with work and caffeine addictions and night upon night at the bars.

Costarring Elizabeth Banks, who I've loved since Wet Hot American Summer, I know it's not going to be "great," but certainly will be fun and a worthwhile see ... at least for me, a seemingly forever fan of his wittily-vile-humor-with-a-schlocky-twist style. The fact that two of today's best young(er) comedic actors star only sweetens the deal; particularly since Smith before insisted on only casting his buddies, who are mediocre actors at best. Some will make appearances, of course, in the new film but it's refreshing to see believable talent at center stage. I'm not alone when I say that the kid in Clerks 2 made that movie; had it not been for him, Smith would have had no hope for his future career. None.

So, here I go again. Going from swearing off Smith films forever after a Netflix viewing of Jersey Girl, to swearing I'll never, ever see Clerks 2, I again slacken my resolve for what I know will be a delightful little surprise.

Finally, a free "Gift" I actually want!

Being a music snob from way back when in my Slackers days, I've subscribed to Magnet Magazine for ... oh, say ... 6 years. Or 8. I've lost track (though I guess I could figure out for sure since they're all still in a collection in my basement).

That aside, I've renewed the 2 year subscription just about every other year, save for one or two in the early years. A mostly glossy zine, part half-hearted legitimate music rag, it's been my periodical of choice in my mailboxes for years. My favorites are the always entertaining commentary of the "The Back Page" and "Where's the Street Team?", but the interviews and features are usually quite substantial and engaging, the photography excellent, the reviews usually dead-on, and advertisements kept to a minimum.

The accompanying compilation CD; however, is rarely worth the listen.

But my main gripe is these lazy bums can only muster 6 issues a year. Bi-monthly. Meaning, an entire magazine is supposed to be sustainable toilet reading fodder for 2 whole months?!

Yeah, right. Fortunately issues of Blender and Entertainment Weekly started mysteriously showing up in our mailbox; which, while lame, I'd otherwise be bored out of my skull in there. Thank god I have the likes of Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl spoilers to keep me company instead.

In any event, a few days ago I get the notice that my subscription is about to expire; and that if I would like to do anything about it, to please send more money and your #1 and #2 choices of the following free CDs we have laying around.

The list was as follows:
Against Me! New Wave
Eels Meet The Eels: Essential Eels Vol. 1
Beach House Devotion
Georgie James Places
Photon Band Back Down to Earth
Bob Mould District Line
Sons & Daughters This Gift
The Aliens Astronomy For Dogs
Evangelicals The Evening Descends
Liam Finn I'll Be Lightning

My selections were:
#1: Sons & Daughters
#2: The Eels

My expectations were:
Some random junk band's CD that was neither in my selections nor on the list.

The reason:
This was the way it was, every time I have renewed.

Same promise of a cool free CD, same delivery of a lame useless one. I had no expectation that it would be different, but Shiva help me if that was going to keep me from trying.

Today, even before delivery of issue No. 79, it comes. The square padded envelope from Magnet.

Inside was my #1.

Talk about a good day.

Wilcome Home

Since my introduction to the band in 1999 with Summerteeth, and catching my first-ever show of them at the Blue Note that hot summer, I haven't missed a St. Louis showing of Wilco yet.

Last year was the first year that I wasn't afforded the option; as they opted to stop in Columbia for an open-air concert with Dr. Dog instead, and on a weeknight no less. Someone shared an audio copy online of the set with my fiance, which revived my interest in the new album.

To tell you the truth, even though Wilco is admittedly my favorite band of all time, I was very disappointed by A Ghost Is Born and completely disinterested in Sky Blue Sky. Seeing it for sale in a Chicago Starbucks and an "are you kidding me?" later, I'd pretty much written it off. On another road trip back from Chicago that spring, a friend started playing it in the car, but I drifted fast asleep in the backseat before "Either Way" was halfway through, before I knew that was the opening track's name.

The VW spots didn't bother me; in fact, they were what started to turn me around. I love my vee-Dub, so naturally it tickled me to hear my favorite band playing in the background of their cutesy new commercials. Especially since I hadn't heard the likes of "Walken" and "You Are My Face" as of yet.

It actually took my fiance, a vehement anti-fan of Wilco's, to get me into the new album. He bought it on iTunes and, after listening, commented that this new guitarist was pretty amazing.

New guitarist?

I've been out of the loop. Obviously.

It didn't take long before I knew the entire album by heart, even getting into the noodly tracks featured on Ghost and Sky that usually annoyed me.

In any event, when it was announced that Wilco would be playing not one but two shows at the Pageant, I was overjoyed. Thank goodness we're not going to have any of that Fox Theatre nonsense again. Great venue, but not right for the band. It was bizarre.

We nabbed tickets for the Friday show straight away, which is good because both nights sold out in under an hour of being posted; a day later, they announce a third date. Crazy.

Fortunately we got into the Halo Bar early enough to get a good spot on Nels' side of the stage (i.e. the "drinkin' side") by the time the doors opened. The energy in the house was amazing; I'm sure plenty of people there had tripped to Columbia last summer, but just as many in the crowd were suffering the same live Wilco withdrawals as myself, making for an electric feel to the air.

The opening band was fine, which is pretty good for a Wilco opening band. The only band I've seen open for Wilco that was worth a damn was Calexico, which was sadly during the dreaded Fox Theatre incident.

This group however, a Minnesota trio named Retribution Gospel Choir, gets first place for the biggest bait-and-switch name ever, but makes up for it with its many musical nods to that of its Twin Cities counterparts of yesteryear, Husker Du and The Replacements (and thankfully none to Soul Asylum). They came and went with polite cheers; until they announced they were playing their last song, which was met with thunderous applause.

Poor guys.

The setlist was the most diverse, fulfilling and extensive collection of Wilco songs I've ever heard live. I actually think I squealed with glee when Stirratt took the guitar and vocals for "It's Just That Simple." While the setlist was pretty Being There and Summerteeth heavy more than anything, you won't hear me complain. They played "Impossible Germany," "Walken," and "You Are My Face," so all was clever with me.

For the record, the list I've linked too is actually incorrect, as one other user commented beneath it, that was a third, solo-song encore of "The Late Greats". Which makes for another St. Louis first for me. I've never seen any more than 2 encores here, ever; not a one band. I'm very pleased that Wilco was my first.

I'm also fairly certain that I've never seen Wilco go on as long as they did that night.

Many long-time fans would pelt rocks at me for saying so, but Wilco finally has the talented lineup it needed to fully realize the epic rock band potential it's always had. I miss Jay Bennett's harmonies and compositions as much as the next fan, but Sky and this new tour is evidence his time was clearly appropriately spent. If Tweedy can manage to hang onto Nels, Patrick and Stirratt while still cranking out those beautiful lyrics; they'll never lose my faith again.

Disappointing

Last year through my obsession with various mp3 blogs, I was introduced to a band named Ida Maria, who was a high-energy rock band with vocals that resembled Bjork's. I loved them. "Oh My God," "Queen of the World," and "Louie" were in heavy rotation on the iPod and in all CD mixes I shared with friends last year.

Finally, she's gone from unsigned, unpublished, and otherwise unknown into a definite "thing."

http://www.idamaria.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/idamaria

I was giddy when I first realized she was finally there for public consumption; obviously, because I wanted more.

But then I listened to her new recording of "Queen of the World." It was overwhelmingly disappointing to say the least. Instead of high-energy toms in the background along with the jangling guitar and frantic vocals, it's become something of a Cat Power/Feist watered-down mess. Slow, disjointed speeds with sleepy vocals. Good lord, can we be done with this smoky, wistful, wide-eyeliner-eyed wankfest? It was fun at first, but I'm suffering from severe burnout.

The good news is, at least some of the original tracks are still intact. Check out "Oh My God" on her MySpace before it's too late.

Look, the pah-ty's ov-ah.

So, out of nothing short of sheer boredom this morning, I'm watching Totally 80s on VH1 Classic this morning. Such wonderful moments as Hagar doing am incredibly lame live performance in St. Louis, a live video of "Don't Stop Believin'" shot in -- from what I can tell -- Japan (all the audience members were seated while Perry implores the audience for some sort of placation, and receives none ... brilliant), even "Please Don't Go Girl" by none other than my fave 5 of 1989, NKOTB.

And then, New Edition. Quite possibly the best of all the 80s-90s boy bands, and "If It Isn't Love" is one of the best pop gems the group had to offer. The video started with quick shot to a bespectacled fella in dark, over-sized sunglasses and a voice over that I couldn't quite place; until they shoot his mug again. No, that wasn't ... it couldn't be ... another shot to the band ... then another shot to the sunshaded-mysterio.

Oh, yep. It is. I knew that look on him was familiar. I did, after all, just watch Ray for the first time a couple of months ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your morning enjoyment, I present to you; Jamie Foxx, some random Asian girl (presumably the choreographer?) and New Edition.



Oh, Bobby, times were much simpler then.

An (In)famous Icon

He’s a tall, angular figure, and with his mop-topped head hunched forward, his arms bent sharply at the elbows and his hands bobbing and swimming awkwardly in front of his waist, he looks like a man rifling through a filing cabinet while waiting desperately to use the toilet. There is nothing smooth, rhythmic or graceful about his dancing. It seems to exist in its own world, completely divorced from the music inspiring it. --David Peisner, Blender



This month’s issue of Blender*, as it turns out, has a feature on St. Louis’s very own Beatle Bob. The reason? The slated-for-2008-release on a documentary film about the man.

I had no idea.

In the teaser (above), everyone one of the interviewees when describing Bob describe him as though they would a retarded son or disabled brother, with the adoration only one would have for someone severely damaged; save for Jello Biafara, who almost seems to envy his way of life. (How very punk of him.) It’s as though these people only like him because they pity him; well, that, and the myth that with his appearance comes fame.

I was just surprised to see that he had such national acclaim.

I am disappointed that the teaser didn’t touch much of the subject matter of the film; which, while it is largely about Bob’s super-fandom, it’s also the shrouded enigma that is the person himself. Who he is, what he does, where he lives. It all seems to be a long strand of lies; and while most speculate it’s due to some sort of psychological disorder, no one knows for sure.

It’s bizarre to me that someone so phony can get by based on ... charm? pity? ... alone; little to no questions asked; or even with questions asked and faux-answers given, and yet still be so highly regarded by so many.

The feature in Blender shed far more light, basically making him out to be a bold-faced, though somehow excusable, pathological liar and thief. Even Lisa (Andris, the former manager of the Hi-Pointe), gets in on the action in defending his shenanigans; something I recall her doing even back in the days of the Beatle Bob v. Baton Bob Non Prophet sketch.

I just don’t get it. He’s an annoying jerk who hinders the music experience for anyone nearby at a show; I remember the first time I saw him, Superdrag in 2000 at the Galaxy, I was amused. The first time I really got annoyed and even angry with him, though, was when I saw the Decemberists in the Duck Room back in 2006. It was an art-nerrrd show and a lot of the younger, super-fans of the group were sitting on the floor in front of the stage as the band began to play (they opened with "Shanty for the Artethusia," if memory serves correctly); less than half the song in, guess who apparates down in stage center, doing his voodoo/card-shuffle jig. It was distracting, and not at all in the spirit of the performance; which, if you know the Decemberists, you know is more cerebral and theatrical than anything.

Even now I feel like I’m giving him more credit by just discussing, thinking, or even reading about him. I guess that’s just it; he’s an intriguing figure, love him or hate him. But I definitely know that I find myself wanting to see this movie now.


*This guy’s blog puts it perfectly in describing what Blender is ... it is total pap, but just sort of randomly started showing up in Brian’s mailbox one day somehow; and how can you cancel a subscription you never subscribed to?

Friday Afternoon Challenge

The idea started when I was listening to my albums today while working. It occurs to me that the fine art of the Side Two, Track One has been lost in the digital shuffle; starting with CDs and now certainly in the iTunes download-as-you-like world. But when you stop and think about it, some of the best -- and certainly my favorite -- songs come somewhere mid-way through the album. Yes. Side Two, Track One is the unsung hero of the music world. So here is my afternoon tribute to Side Two, Track One; based entirely only on albums in my possession.

1. "Every Breath You Take" - The Police, Syncronicity

I think I can speak for everyone when I say this is the world's favorite song about the fine art of stalking.

2. "God Only Knows" - The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds

Those boys' lyrics sure are as sweet as their harmonies.

3. "Red Eyed and Blue" - Wilco, Being There

Just a great song about the misery that comes with being drug-obsessed sell outs ... and it launches straight into the next song, which is a very hopeful, fun singalong.

4. "Passionate Kisses" - Lucinda Williams, Lucinda Williams

Before she sold the rights to whats-her-face to make the song a multi-platinum single, my favorite southern fried singer/songwriter recorded her own version of the song on this release. I like it; it's straight-forward, and a really, honest sweet love song.

5. "Don't Get Me Wrong" - The Pretenders, Get Close

This is just an infectious, dance-y delicious pop song.

6. "Moonchild" - Cibo Matto, Stereo-type A

Easily my favorite song on this album, it's silky-smooth R&B as sung by two adorable Japanese funk/soul/rap/trip/hop rockers. They are badass.

7. "Beat It" - Michael Jackson, Thriller

Ahh, the glory days of when MJ was still black. It's one of his greatest hits, and definitely was one of my favorite videos of his; but I dare you to hear this song and not have Yankovic's version plaguing your brain for the rest of the day. Eh, Brian?

8. "Janie Jones" - The Clash, The Clash

This is my favorite Clash song. End of story.

9. "Uptown Girl" - Billy Joel, An Innocent Man

I love the Joel, and this song is a nice nod of his to the "fairer days" of the 50s. At least, stylistically speaking.

10. "Ripple" - The Grateful Dead, American Beauty

I save this for 10 because I know the GIGANTIC ration of shit I'm going to get from loads of people ... but I chose it only because A) it's legitimately a great Side Two, Track One and B) it's involvement in the series finale of Freaks and Geeks. And yeah, I like it. So sue me. I can't like one Dead song?!

Now it's your turn, here are the rules (yes, of course there are rules):

1. Go to your vinyl collection (vinyl only will do, no cheating by using your CDs).

2. They must be original release LPs. I.e. No "Greatest Hits" or other compilations.

3. Pick out your 10 favorite Side Two, Track Ones.

4. Post your answers in a comment to this blog.