...the concert schedule heated up in a big way within the last week...new shows on the horizon include - Phil & Friends w/ Levon Helm as the opener, Ray LaMontagne, Bruce Hornsby, Wilco and Neil Diamond...sadly, i'm gonna pass-up on the Ratdog/Allman Brothers duel bill at the beach...there are a few stellar jazz gigs coming up but i'll play them by ear...
...strangest things on my playlist this week are Velocity Girl's "Copacetic", Throwing Muses' "The Real Ramona" and Alice in Chains' "Jar of Flies"...
...Throwing Muses appeared on my radar after seeing their video for "Not Too Soon" on MTv's 120 Minutes...i instantly fell in love with singer Tanya Donelly...she split the Muses and continued her music, forming her own band - Belly...they released a solid first album but fell to the curse of the sophomore slump...she had a helluva voice, great personality, alluring charisma...one final note - it wasn't until years later did i realize she bared a striking resemblance to the gal i 1st gave it up to...so pack that in yr' pipe Sigmund...
...conversely, i was madly in love with the lead singer from Velocity Girl without even knowing what she looked like...i just knew that when she sang, i melted...i finally saw the band play live at least a year after i started listening to 'em...easily one of the greatest "alternative" girl bands on the 90's...when i did get to meet the lead singer after the show, i was absolutely taken by her...i had to have said something stupid as she signed the back of my ticketstub - "Your Girlfriend..."...after the "Copacetic" release, their sound became more polished as the distortion and fuzz took a backseat to mixed vocals and a more mellow vibe..."Copacetic" is one of those near perfect albums that has such a nice ebb and flow to it, holding up surprisingly well after 15 years
...and "Jar of Flies" is by far my favorite Alice in Chains studio effort...it's largely overlooked and under appreciated...each cut on the EP is top-notch...from the uncharacteristic use of strings to great effect during "I Stay Away" to the instrumental "Whale & Wasp", played with more feeling than you'd normally give AIC for having...dig it...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
...weekend leftovers...
...finally got around to catching up on my weekend television i had saved on the good ol' DVR...i only managed to get the last 45mins of SNL as the satellite signal went out for a while...i missed Gnarls Barkley's 1st song but the second song they played has quickly found a comfortable spot inside my head as i find myself listening to it in the mornings before i got to work...those guys are bad-ass...the best feature was easily the paraplegic stripper skit...just the right amount of bad taste and hilarity...it featured some fine work from this seasons newest cast member - Casey Wilson...she's one to keep an eye on...girl got talent!...also - Andy Samberg...sure, "Dick in A Box" was brilliant...and "Laser Cats" was funny the first time and then for the next two times we saw it on re-runs...but yr' infatuation with Digital Shorts has got to stop...take a break, bro...contribute to a skit or take-up a new impersonation...let it rest for a while...
...i also recorded the Comedy Central special "Night of Too Many Stars" put together to help fight autism...given the star power at their disposal, it was rather disappointing to see the end result so lacking in comedy and humor...it kinda felt as if the writers strike was back on...the few standouts were Will Farell's "George Bush" interview skit that proved to be pure classic Will...that bit alone was better Farell than all of "Kicking & Screaming"...and of course, the always cutting edge hilarious and reverse-shiksa princess Sarah Silverman grabbed the biggest laughs and gasps of the night with her brief stand-up and song performance, dueting with her minge and arse...funny stuff...and all for a good cause too.
...of note, the event took place and was recorded live at NYC's Beacon Theater, the ornate Upper West-side playground of sound...i've seen more concerts at the Beacon than any other venue in NY or anywhere else...i love that place and i think it's great that it's been getting the recent exposure from the "Shine A Light" film and the Comedy Central special...the only shame is that it's been recently bought by the MSG family (the Dolans) and there has been a distinct effort to somewhat domesticate it as a venue...security has been unnecessarily uptight inside a cherished venue that used to believe in the basic precept that most folks can police themselves and some can even take care of others that can't do for themselves...sure it got hot as hell in there, smokey as a cabaret back room and folks let their freak flags fly a little too freely from time to time, but all in all - if you weren't in the process of killing your fellow man, they'd more than likely let you be...beware - that golden age of chaotic fun-filled Beacon Theater shows is over.
...also of note - my Discovery Channel obsession - "Deadliest Catch" is back on TV with a brand new season full of action-packed episodes...i'm PSYCHED!...go Sig!...go Phil!...
...another worthy mention is that Aaron McGruder's spot-on animated series "The Boondocks" has returned to the late night Adult Swim line-up on the Cartoon Network...wonderfully evolved from it's original comic strip roots, McGruder's animated series is one of the finest ever produced for television...it's ability to tackle sensitive issues with fearless honesty creates a unique forum for this country to look at itself in the mirror each episode creates...easily some of the most intelligent television out there...rent the first season to get familiar with it and then catch up with the new episodes...
...i also recorded the Comedy Central special "Night of Too Many Stars" put together to help fight autism...given the star power at their disposal, it was rather disappointing to see the end result so lacking in comedy and humor...it kinda felt as if the writers strike was back on...the few standouts were Will Farell's "George Bush" interview skit that proved to be pure classic Will...that bit alone was better Farell than all of "Kicking & Screaming"...and of course, the always cutting edge hilarious and reverse-shiksa princess Sarah Silverman grabbed the biggest laughs and gasps of the night with her brief stand-up and song performance, dueting with her minge and arse...funny stuff...and all for a good cause too.
...of note, the event took place and was recorded live at NYC's Beacon Theater, the ornate Upper West-side playground of sound...i've seen more concerts at the Beacon than any other venue in NY or anywhere else...i love that place and i think it's great that it's been getting the recent exposure from the "Shine A Light" film and the Comedy Central special...the only shame is that it's been recently bought by the MSG family (the Dolans) and there has been a distinct effort to somewhat domesticate it as a venue...security has been unnecessarily uptight inside a cherished venue that used to believe in the basic precept that most folks can police themselves and some can even take care of others that can't do for themselves...sure it got hot as hell in there, smokey as a cabaret back room and folks let their freak flags fly a little too freely from time to time, but all in all - if you weren't in the process of killing your fellow man, they'd more than likely let you be...beware - that golden age of chaotic fun-filled Beacon Theater shows is over.
...also of note - my Discovery Channel obsession - "Deadliest Catch" is back on TV with a brand new season full of action-packed episodes...i'm PSYCHED!...go Sig!...go Phil!...
...another worthy mention is that Aaron McGruder's spot-on animated series "The Boondocks" has returned to the late night Adult Swim line-up on the Cartoon Network...wonderfully evolved from it's original comic strip roots, McGruder's animated series is one of the finest ever produced for television...it's ability to tackle sensitive issues with fearless honesty creates a unique forum for this country to look at itself in the mirror each episode creates...easily some of the most intelligent television out there...rent the first season to get familiar with it and then catch up with the new episodes...
Monday, April 14, 2008
"...a lotta' strands in old Duders head.."
...i've been both busy and non-social as of late - so the knack for posting here has been minimal...i finally got a new job...i'm excited but cautiously optimistic...ask me again in six months...strange as it sounds - it feels good to working again...the novelty of having so much free time wore off quickly and i'm back to having that essential bit of structure to my days again...
...i'm just now about finished with the Belushi bio - "Wired"...i can't believe it took me this long to get through it...i started it around the time i quit the old job two months ago and despite my buckets of idle time available to me while jobless, i never used it for reading at all...odd...the book is excellent and it's given me a completely new perspective on Belushi...an amazing raw talent...a burnt-out comet of comedy, music and high times...and a virtual monster in his final darker days, driven right into the ground by white madness...
...took some time to explore the musical catalog of Daniel Johnston in great detail...having seen the bio-doc on him a few months ago, it took a little while to work up the courage to step into the mind of Danny through his music...his cannon of work is enormous...most of it is largely unlistenable after repeated listens...but the dozen or so songs i have latched onto i've grown strangely attached to...at first, i was hesitant to like any of it for fear that to dig it would mean that i was loose marbles too...after concluding that we are all a little nuts here and there in our own little way, my fear dissipated and i embraced my inner bi-polaricity...if nothing else, his music conveys a brutal sense of honesty and innocence that is both jarring and refreshing to listen to...
...my Pittsburgh Penguins are in the first round of playoffs against the Ottawa Senators...(do they even have senators in Ottawa? i always thought that was a US Gov't thing...it's be like calling an American team - the Cleveland Hosers)...semantics aside, i'd just like to give a hearty - LET'S GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...i'm still undecided weather or not YouTube is a tool of the devil or not...until i bring my various theories and ideas into a solid conclusion, i'll continue to utilize it to waste vast amounts of time...my most recent bout of YouTuberculosis had me searching out all the old skateboard videos i used to watch back in my street skating heyday: Blind - "Video Days", New Deal - "1281", H-Street - "Hokus Pokus", Life - "A Soldier's Story", Planet Earth - "Animal Farm", World Industries - "Rubbish Heap" and the Powell Peralta vids - "Public Domain", "Propaganda", "Ban This" and "Celebraty Tropical Fish"...skater names like Ed Templeton, Ray Barbee, Frankie Hill rushed back into my memory...i'm half tempted to go out and buy myself a board right now but the realistic side of me prevents me from making such a tragic move which would surely end up with me in some sort of cast or brace within days...but goddamn - in my prime, i could ollie impossible like a mofo...
...saw the new Rolling Stones concert film "Shine A Light" this past weekend...opted for the very intense, larger than life IMAX film experience for this one and was not disappointed one bit...Scorsese shot a beautiful film that captures every true essence of that time-tempered band - from the 60 year-old plus wiggle of Mick's pelvis to the darkened, steely eyes of the broodish Keef...amazing visual and aural candy for the senses - an overload at times but perhaps only due to the sheer epicicity of the IMAX experience...given that Marty had already shot one of the finest musical documentary/concert films of all time 30 years ago with "The Last Waltz" and has since made a fine living creating poetry as film with such movies as "Raging Bull", "Goodfellas"
and "Casino" to name a few, it's simply amazing that he still can tap into his more musical sens abilities and bang out a quality picture like this one...
...and while i'm on the subject of Scorsese - i highly recommend his 1999 film "Bringing Out The Dead"...this one kinda flew under the radar of critical acclaim and has never received the proper attention is so deserves...great acting by Nick Cage, Ving Rhames, John Goodman and Tom Sizemore...hypnotizing cinematography and a captivating pace throughout...and yet another perfect Scorsese soundtrack to enjoy, from the opening notes of Van the Man's "TB Sheets" to the more aggressive Janes Addiction, some eclectic REM, a little R&B groove and even a sprinkle of Rat Pack...good times...
...laundry awaits...
...i'm just now about finished with the Belushi bio - "Wired"...i can't believe it took me this long to get through it...i started it around the time i quit the old job two months ago and despite my buckets of idle time available to me while jobless, i never used it for reading at all...odd...the book is excellent and it's given me a completely new perspective on Belushi...an amazing raw talent...a burnt-out comet of comedy, music and high times...and a virtual monster in his final darker days, driven right into the ground by white madness...
...took some time to explore the musical catalog of Daniel Johnston in great detail...having seen the bio-doc on him a few months ago, it took a little while to work up the courage to step into the mind of Danny through his music...his cannon of work is enormous...most of it is largely unlistenable after repeated listens...but the dozen or so songs i have latched onto i've grown strangely attached to...at first, i was hesitant to like any of it for fear that to dig it would mean that i was loose marbles too...after concluding that we are all a little nuts here and there in our own little way, my fear dissipated and i embraced my inner bi-polaricity...if nothing else, his music conveys a brutal sense of honesty and innocence that is both jarring and refreshing to listen to...
...my Pittsburgh Penguins are in the first round of playoffs against the Ottawa Senators...(do they even have senators in Ottawa? i always thought that was a US Gov't thing...it's be like calling an American team - the Cleveland Hosers)...semantics aside, i'd just like to give a hearty - LET'S GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...i'm still undecided weather or not YouTube is a tool of the devil or not...until i bring my various theories and ideas into a solid conclusion, i'll continue to utilize it to waste vast amounts of time...my most recent bout of YouTuberculosis had me searching out all the old skateboard videos i used to watch back in my street skating heyday: Blind - "Video Days", New Deal - "1281", H-Street - "Hokus Pokus", Life - "A Soldier's Story", Planet Earth - "Animal Farm", World Industries - "Rubbish Heap" and the Powell Peralta vids - "Public Domain", "Propaganda", "Ban This" and "Celebraty Tropical Fish"...skater names like Ed Templeton, Ray Barbee, Frankie Hill rushed back into my memory...i'm half tempted to go out and buy myself a board right now but the realistic side of me prevents me from making such a tragic move which would surely end up with me in some sort of cast or brace within days...but goddamn - in my prime, i could ollie impossible like a mofo...
...saw the new Rolling Stones concert film "Shine A Light" this past weekend...opted for the very intense, larger than life IMAX film experience for this one and was not disappointed one bit...Scorsese shot a beautiful film that captures every true essence of that time-tempered band - from the 60 year-old plus wiggle of Mick's pelvis to the darkened, steely eyes of the broodish Keef...amazing visual and aural candy for the senses - an overload at times but perhaps only due to the sheer epicicity of the IMAX experience...given that Marty had already shot one of the finest musical documentary/concert films of all time 30 years ago with "The Last Waltz" and has since made a fine living creating poetry as film with such movies as "Raging Bull", "Goodfellas"
and "Casino" to name a few, it's simply amazing that he still can tap into his more musical sens abilities and bang out a quality picture like this one...
...and while i'm on the subject of Scorsese - i highly recommend his 1999 film "Bringing Out The Dead"...this one kinda flew under the radar of critical acclaim and has never received the proper attention is so deserves...great acting by Nick Cage, Ving Rhames, John Goodman and Tom Sizemore...hypnotizing cinematography and a captivating pace throughout...and yet another perfect Scorsese soundtrack to enjoy, from the opening notes of Van the Man's "TB Sheets" to the more aggressive Janes Addiction, some eclectic REM, a little R&B groove and even a sprinkle of Rat Pack...good times...
...laundry awaits...
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