Beltmann

I agree... but forced to choose, I'd go with "This Is New."

Did the fact that those songs were previously available mean they were somehow no longer worthy of praise? I'd argue that critics were merely responding to the work at hand--the full-length CD--and that the vagaries of the band's distribution strategy are mostly irrelevant to that mission. A song's release history is finally unrelated to its innate merits or failings. You could make a case that an album of recycled material--like a Greatest Hits collection--deserves suspicion... but in a case like Wolf Parade's, it's hard to fault a collection of songs that previously had relatively little

I don't think I could love someone who didn't find farts funny.

I'd like to offer a new update about the lesson horse that my parents purchased in honor of my brother, a purchase that many VC'ers contributed towards. Yesterday Hillside Farm, the stable that houses the horse, held "The First Annual Anthony Plavec Memorial Fundraiser," a schooling show designed to raise money for the Mount Mary College Equestrian Club. (Subsequent shows will choose different recipients.) This event was front-page news in our local paper, and was also covered by Milwaukee's Fox-TV affiliate. Here's a link to the broadcast segment (a brief ad will play first): Anthony's

Yesterday I was at the Milwaukee International Film Festival, and between screenings I was hanging out in the lobby of the Oriental Theater with another festival hopper. Suddenly she said, "Hey, it's the Maestro!" Sure enough, Mark Metcalf, who played the Maestro on Seinfeld, was ambling through the lobby. I turned to my acquaintance and said, "And he's with Harold Ramis." Ramis was in town to introduce a screening of Groundhog Day, part of this festival's tribute to his career. As he neared, I said hello, and as luck would have it, his festival guide asked him to wait right there while

Can't you just enjoy a movie without overanalyzing everything?

I used to hang out at the Farrar board pretty regularly, but not so much these days. Hope it gets back up and runnin' soon, though.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Wendy!

I love it, especially "Black Flowers" and "Mr. Tough."

Holy dooley, froggie's nearly thirty! I'll be stuffed! Mende, thanks heaps for everything over the years, especially the Dylan boots you kindly sent my way at a mate's rate. Your generosity stands out like dog's balls. Here's hoping you've got more than a Buckley's chance to lair it up with those barmaids, and that they stay away from your clacker while keeping your old fella grinning like a shot fox. Good onya! (Did I use those properly?)

The structure's basically the same, but this new one's all Scorsese.

Summerfest crossed 50... but I don't think that's the record. I think Tweedling's right, that it's closer to 70. Anybody know definitively? Seems like froggie ought to get on this asap.

I think the best critics--the ones worth reading--do much more than simply pass judgment, and I think there are quite a few out there producing quality writing. The trick is finding them.

That might be mine, too.

The Ground Truth offers a documentary portrait of Iraq War veterans and their struggles re-integrating back into civilian society. Some suffer from physical ailments, most suffer from psychological ailments, and all share a common belief that they have been mistreated by the military, either during or after their term of service. (Some tell stories about how the military conspired to deny them health benefits after their discharge.) The film doesn't work as a broad condemnation of the US military or of the war in Iraq--after all, this is merely a tiny sample of individual anecdotes--but the

Critical theory was my specialty in college, so I definitely agree with you, and would add that I totally believe in the function--and yes, even the artistry--of thoughtful, knowledgeable criticism. For me, though, there's really only one real reason to read criticism, and that's to discover rich observations about a work that I might have overlooked. As Pauline Kael said, "We read critics for the perceptions, for what they tell us that we didn't fully grasp when we saw the work. The judgments we can usually make for ourselves."

I know what you mean--it may not be fair, but having the actual artifact somehow carries some kind of extra weight in my psyche. I am a fan of eMusic, though, and often purchase those booster packs. And hey, my downloads just reset today!

Not for those of us who still like having that plastic artifact with cover art, etc. At least, they aren't obsolete quite yet. Having said that, I do download a lot of music via eMusic, and occasionally iTunes. But for the albums that mean the most to me, I still prefer to have the actual CD in my collection.

It's sad how so many people assume the reason others are unimpressed is because they "can't enjoy a good straight-forward rock song," especially since it's such a superficial presumption. I, for one, love a good rock song, and usually love when Wilco rocks out, but still feel that most of the new songs in their current incarnations are not particularly strong examples of good rock songs. It's not the genre that's in question, you see, it's the level of achievement within the genre. To paraphrase caliber, it's sad how so many people just can't let other people dislike what they dislike thes

That's the RTT.

That's my problem, too. I get a lot of rolled eyes at our local record shop when I ask about stuff (apparently My Morning Jacket is too obscure for a record store owner to even know about), and the nearest Best Buy is 25 minutes away. As a result, the vast majority of my CDs are purchased online, usually from Amazon or Amazon Marketplace.

That was an unexpected choice, but one that showed just how much energy and fun go into their live show. My wife was very happy to hear it (although she had hoped for "Jack Killed Mom"). Fritz, the album is really very good... in my view, the songwriting doesn't reach Neko heights, but it's still pretty strong stuff. It's probably among my favorites of the year.

Coolage.