m_thomp

New Panda Bear track, 'Last Night at the Jetty' streaming the album version over at Pitchfork. It's very good, and, for those fearing typical Animal Collective childish squealing, the most accessible thing he's done.

Just finished:

and

The Steve Martin one was a very quick read. But both are extremely adept at articulating the highs and lows of stand-up from differing perspectives: Martin's is walking away from, and Lee's is returning to.

Now started this:

Which is more about the power/control battles of the Beatles post-split. It sounds as though it would be a drab tale of courtroom battles but, so far, it's got quite a compelling manner of unravelling the story. One thing against it, the font size of the print is too small, and being a bedtime reader I can manage roughly 3 paragraphs before I'm snoozing.

if anyone dies, its lumen. i think it'll work out that way. dex can't have everything. real love for him will be fleeting. in addition, luman will die an honorable death. she'll be the one to give jordan the death blow and she will have finished her task.

I can't see this happening. For whatever reason, I don't think Lumen will stick around, but I don't think she'll die either. That would come too soon after Rita and the aftermath of her death meant that this season took quite a while before the gears started turning.

next season will then hopefully focus on the quin and dex stuff and then deb finding out.

Agree with this. I think there were a few scenes in this last episode that prepared the ground for it.

that last scene the previews tries to show that deb sees dex in some untoward behavior, but i think that was just a red herring.

Yeah, I think they were two seperate scenes that were cut together to make make it seem that both took place at the same time. If anything I think Deb might have been talking to Jordan, or possibly the missing Fuentes brother.

this season is so much better than last. the trinity stuff was pretty bad as far as i'm concerned.

Really? I thought the Trinity season was the apex of Dexter so far. Admittedly, Trinity was a bit of a caricature monster, but he was played with such menacing relish by Lithgow it was completely captivating.

Yep, it seems as though Dexter has regressed into the role a teenager on his first date around Lumen. Next week, Deb will probably find a secret stash of porn in a shoebox under his bed.

Back to my wild-assed theories. Here's the m_thomp theory# 82 on how the season is gonna finish:

1) Quinn will get framed for the Liddy murder - blood on shoe; fingerprints on van; message on answerphone.

2) Dexter, sensing that Quinn is a changed man (Deb's testimony; Liddy's phonecall when he stressed he wanted out), will come up with some analysis evidence to get him out.

here's the bit where I start to go out on a limb...

3) Quinn will, somehow, end up returning the favour by freeing Dex from his struggles with Jordan. In doing so he will discover Dex's extra curricular activities.

4) Dexter and Quinn reach a secret pact: Quinn gets Dex's blessing to see Deb; Quinn turns a blind eye, and possibly helps in season 6 (if he doesn't die), Dex's vigilantism. In other words, a bit of mutual back-scratching. Actually, I don't think Quinn will die, because I think the 'curse of Deb's boyfriends' is a very worn path.

I do think it's a given that someone significant will die. The only puzzle is who? I'll stick by La Guerta...... but there could be other contenders.... Deb?

Heard and like, in no particular order:

Mount Kimbie - Crooks and Lovers

Janelle Monae - The Archandroid

Matthew Dear - Black City

Delorean - Subiza

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

Prins Thomas - Prins Thomas

Caribou - Swim

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Plants and Animals - La La Land

Four Tet - There Is Love In You

Beach House - Teen Dream

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

Lindstrom & Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool

Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

Midlake - The Courage of Others

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Reissues of the Year:

The Incredible String Band - Hangman's Beautiful Daughter ; Wee Tam / The Big Huge

Anticipating good things for and they're on my Christmas list:

Mountain Man - Made The Harbour

Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Woods - Echo Lake

School of Seven Bells - Disconnect from Desire

Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner

Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love

Luke Abbott - Holkham Drones

No Age - Everything in Between

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Avey Tare - Down There

Brian Eno - Small Craft On A Milk Sea

Department Of Eagles - Archive: 2003-2006

The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly

ceo - White Magic

Various Artists - Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics

Dolphins Into The Future - Ke Ala Ke Kua

Walls - Walls

Arp - The Soft Wave

My Owen hunch is based on the fact that, rather than just taking Lumen's word for jilting the fiance, they introduced him - a talking actor and not an extra - into the show as a character. I always get suspicious of seemingly superfluous characters, and tend to think they may have a bigger part to play i.e. there must have been a reason for his introduction. Maybe I'm clutching at straws to drag him into the whole Jordan Chase/Boyd gang, but I don't think we've seen the end of him.

It's fun to speculate.

On the homefront, especially after this last ep, seems like all of the kids and dex and lumen could end up living together next season.

Had to chuckle at Astor's reappearance this week: 4 weeks absence, a pair of GHDs and a truckload of Urban Decay - hey presto! - you've got your own bargain basement Avril Lavigne.

I also liked the reference to Cody growing a foot in a month, paving the way, no doubt, for a new, Justin Bieber-esque replacement.

Yeah Robocop is toast. But will end up on Dexter's table? He is an ass and will prolly figure out dex's secret, but does that fit the code? I guess Quinn will prolly shot him for some reason.

 

 

Interesting thing about LaGuerta, she has become very unlikable this season. I thought last season they made her more compassionate. I wouldn't mind her dead. If memory serves she didn't make it out alive in the first book.

 

I thnk we are going to find out more about Jordan Chase. He has a something very wrong and very dark going on with him.

The way it's playing out in my head is that Robocop finds incriminating evidence pointing to Dexter's hidden side. Dexter has him on his table, but the evidence gets picked up by LaGuerta, possibly as a result of sorting out the Robocop's belongings post-death, or as a result of tidying up her own mess - she was the honeytrap that got Robocop suspended in the first place.

Before LaGuerta can break the news, she gets bumped off by the missing Fuentes brother.

I'm intrigued to see how the Jordan Chase thing unravels. The have been hints, getting more obvious in the past couple of episodes, that he knows more about not just Lumen, but Dexter too, than was previously apparent. Also, I think Owen (Lumen's fiance) may be the connecting thread of the rape/barrell ring - I suspect Jordan, Owen and Boyd were all old college friends.

I think I've read that Michael C Hall is signed on for another season. I don't know whether Julia Stiles is though, however, I don't think she's gonna be killed - too much of a Rita retread.

we're starting to get somewhere now. lots of intriquing potential plotlines to be resolved in the final 3 episodes.

Yep, particularly if you saw the preview for the next ep. Looks as though Deb might be getting closer to the Dexter discovery - although I think this is a deliberate red herring.

A few things I think may happen:

- Dexter will kill Robocop

- LaGuertta will find out about Dexter, but before she can do anything about it she will end up getting her throat sliced by the missing Fuentes brother (I believe one is still on the loose, right?)

Certainly started picking up. I like Jonny Lee Miller's character, plus it's a very brave/dark storyline to go down with the whole rape ring.

It's old idea revival time. I recall when I joined these forums (2005?) that there was a great thread aimed at people, like me, who were interested in certain bands/artists/genres but didn't know where to start for a number of reasons (unfamiliarity; no money; over-whelming back catalogue; hated traditional 'Best Of' compilations; didn't have the time to be arsed; etc).

The process was quite simple: people posted who they wanted to hear more about and then subject matter experts would offer up their hand-picked selections and upload for the benefit of the requester and anyone else interested. The beauty of the fan-endorsed cuts is that they often swerve all the big radio hits, singles and popular tunes (not that they're all bad) in favour of a better, more selective cross-section.

I think there was only rule, and that was the uploaded compilations couldn't be more than ten songs. It's not a hard and fast rule, but I think it did help people concentrate their efforts and not over-indulge.

Those interested, please feel free to start placing your requests. Hopefully there'll be enough interest to satisfy all.

I'll start the ball rolling with two requests for myself:

Pavement

and

Van Morrison

Agreed with all the comments regarding the last episode, and it's at times like these that I yearn for the unhinged foreboding menace of Trinity.

I too was expecting Lumen to be a victim of a M99/hacksaw cocktail. Looks like she's purely love interest material now.

Quinn and Robocop will both get it though. Quinn's fate was sealed as soon as Deb revealed she had feelings for him that extended beyond horizontal gymnastics.

I still have suspicions around the Irish Nanny. I read that some people believe she might be related to Lyla (season 3?), but that's far too ludicrous. Nope, I think there's more tell-tale signs around the how's she's been portrayed so far, we've already had our fears raised and then allayed when Dexter returned home to find no Harrison or Nanny. This was a smart move to build the audience's trust, and primes us for a surprise expectation u-turn. Beyond that gut feel, I have nothing to go on.

As a side-issue, does anyone else chuckle at the use of mobile phones and computers in Dexter? I'm referring incoming caller details with a font size 88. I'm from the UK, and our mobile phones simply don't have caller details and texts that are clearly visible from the surface of the moon. I know, I know, it's fictional tv, and to aid exposition using devices like these relies on the details being painfully explicit, but surely this isn't the norm. Ditto, emails and web browsing. Also, the systems used for the fingerprint searches? Does anyone here work for the police department? Are these machines really that efficient?

Not as good as last season...... yet. This is mainly due to the supporting characters being, and I'm being very generous here, too one dimensional/predictable. But my interest got piqued in this last episode.

I think Dexter's new nemesis is going to be Robocop.

can't stop listening to this at the moment ...

the first of the bowie albums that's been given the deluxe edition treatment that i really love, and therefore bought.

anyone know if they're doing the same thing with low/heroes/lodger next?

This is what's been done so far:

David Bowie - Deluxe Edition (2CD)

Space Oddity - 2009 Special Edition (2CD)

Ziggy Stardust - 2002 30th Anniversary 2CD Edition

Aladdin Sane - 2003 30th Anniversary 2CD Edition

Diamond Dogs - 2004 30th Anniversary 2CD Edition

David Live - 2005 30th Anniversary 2CD Edition

Young Americans - 2007 Collector's Edition with accompanying DVD

Station to Station - 2010 Special and Deluxe Editions

Stage - 2005 release (2CD) - actual running order and fades between songs removed

Ziggy Stardust : The Motion Picture - 2003 30th Anniversary 2CD Edition

Black Tie White Noise - 2003 10th Anniversary 2CD +DVD Edition

Outside - 2004 Limited 2CD edition

Hours... - 2005 2CD reissue

So I'd say there's a Low/Heroes/Lodger gap in there. Either that or the more anticipated and more critically acclaimed Tonight / Labyrinth OST / Never Let Me Down triumvirate quite rightly gets a look in first.

Been listening to this far more frequently than is healthy:

The festival was absolutely great; so many unexpected nice touches like (real, live) peacocks and parrots dotted all over, and as for location it was like staging a festival in the middle of a massive topiary exhibition.

Wilco were great, as always. Agreed that it took Jeff a while to chirp up, but when he did he seemed in a good mood. The bits of conversation that I recall were him saying that that they arrived earlier in the day and that he thought it was "a very, very, very, very, very, very, very nice festival."

The "sad face" moment came about because Jeff, prior to Jesus Etc, announced that something about performing it in Northern Ireland the night before and they (the Northern Irish) sang along pretty well, almost as if he was issuing a challenge to the festival. The woman in the crowd shouted, "their singing sucks," meaning the N. Irish to which Jeff misheard and exclaimed, "the singing sucks!!" Cue sad face. The woman shouted out to clarify, and smiles broke out.

Definitely no Muzzle of Bees, but the setlist looks pretty spot on, the final three songs, I'm pretty sure were Theologians, Hummingbird and The Late Greats, in that order.

Also managed to see John and Nels checking out Phil Selway by the soundboard.

So, who's ready for season 5?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUbCMbW-BRE

Consider the Quinn vs Dex storyline cranked up a few notches.

Good album. Bad haircut.

Audio clips from Daft Punk's Tron Legacy score. And not fake too. You can hear here.

Actually looking forward to this movie, which, as far as the usual digi CGI-jaculations goes, is a first.

Is this new? The Coral seem to be an underappreciated band, at least in this country.

It is a new album, their fifth I think. It's a more simple, straight-forward affair, certainly less Brit-psychedelic whimsy than their earlier material. The big appeal though is the sound. If you're a fan of Younger Than Yesterday/Notorious Byrd Brothers-era Byrds then you will love this, quite Buffalo Springfield-y too.

Probably worth mentioning that it was produced by John Leckie. He produced the Stone Roses' debut, and they too were highly influenced by The Byrds. It's got that same authentically retro feel without being too copycat.

To answer some of the other queries, I believe, and I'm not a Coral expert, that, yes, their guitarist left but they promoted the rhythm guitarist to lead. Based on this album, he does a very good job.

Just in case you missed my point: the album's very Byrds-like and very good.

03 >> Caribou - Swim

Anyone else love Bowls?

It's my favourite on the album . Harpsichords on a dance track: impressive.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

Delorean - Subiza

Plants and Animals - La La Land

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Prins Thomas - Prins Thomas

Caribou - Swim

Four Tet - There Is Love In You

Lindstrom & Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool

Robyn - Body Talk Pt 1

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

Beach House - Teen Dream

The Coral - Butterfly House

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

The last two I've been listening to a lot recently.

Albums I like to a lesser extent:

Midlake - The Courage of Others

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

NP: Panda Bear - Tomboy and Slow Motion

Streaming at Pitchfork here.

Sounding different to Person Pitch but still good (Slow Motion in particular).

I'm going for Argentina on this one. Not because I think they will more the possibility that they could.

The chance of world glory for a team managed by a madcap/psychotic former twinkled-toed Tony Montana is too great to resist.

But can Owens a) cross a ball; b ) play on the left; c) lay his hands on a British passport?

North Korea are my new favourite team. I like the way they've been forced to train in a local gym: I've seen footage of them doing shuttle runs whilst swerving past the usual South African gym patrons at the water fountain. Also anyone who cries during their national anthem deserves a salute.

They're to football what Jamaica was to bobsleighing.

I've also heard that the Koreans (country, not team) would be broadcasting their team's performance after the actual match (ie delayed and not live), and only if they won. I'm hoping the political powers-that-be, and the state-owned broadcasting company, at least broadcast their only goal at the end of a news broadcast. Heck, they can just Tippex out the '2' bit of the 'Brazil 2 North Korea 1' scoreline graphic in the top left-hand corner of the video and convince an entire nation that they won the game. I've seen Phantom Menace (for shame!) I know this can be done with CGI. Make it happen.