Beltmann

There are a lot of Hold Steady fans here at VC. They are one of my favorite bands, and Heaven Is Whenever is one of my favorite rock records of the year--partially because it presents a new, more reflective tone for the band that I can easily relate to.

My Top 20 would look substantially different, but here's a fun YouTube that catalogs one guy's favorite EELS tunes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vODiD5Ru6Y&feature=related

Speaking of Tom Courtenay, I just watched The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner two days ago.

My wife and I went to the movies last weekend. Her choice? "Screw that Julia Roberts thing, let's go see The Kids Are All Right." I once saw Booty Call, The Sixth Man, and McHale's Navy back-to-back-to-back. I can take anything. By the way, congrats Scalzunfield!!

I dunno... I remember that video well, and would have considered it for my top ten, too.

Unfortunately, I pre-ordered the regular edition and only later learned that there was a deluxe edition... anybody willing to help me out with the bonus tracks?

Another one that's pretty direct: Lily Allen's No prizes for guessing who it's about. (It's not sophisticated, but it sure is catchy!) Look inside, Look inside, Your tiny mind. Then look a bit harder, cause we're so uninspired. So sick and tired. Of all The hatred you harbor, so you say It's not okay to be gay, Well I think You're just evil. You're just some racist. Who can't tie my laces, You're point of view Is medieval. Fuck you, fuck you Very, very much. Cause we hate What you do And we hate Your whole crew So please Don't stay in touch, Fuck you, fuck you Very, very much Cause you

Me too. I'm also excited for the new Eels album which comes out Tuesday--especially since I wasn't smitten with January's End Times. Often I open this thread (and others like it) and start picking names to check out on eMusic. Helps a lot!

I know I'm in the minority on Twin Cinema--it's the only NP album that, upon release, I didn't feel the urge to listen over and over obsessively. But I still like it a lot and love at least a handful of the songs, including "Bleeding Heart Show."

That's pretty much how I felt about Twin Cinema, but then Challengers was great, and Together knocks me out--it might be my favorite NP album since their second. It's been in heavy rotation all summer, and I haven't tired of it one bit. The first half contains some of their finest tunes, I think.

Ah, thanks!

Wish I could go, but I'm already overbooked that day: Milwaukee Film Festival all day, plus the Eels at night.

Same here, but my VHS copy is in very bad shape. But isn't this on one of the JHamm DVDs? I'm pretty sure I have that, too.

Funny Games is deeply polarizing--and the remake unnecessary--but I'm in its corner: I think it's one of the great films of the '90s. White Ribbon is better, though. It is equally hectoring, but far more subtle and nuanced.

Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon is a hell of a movie--kind of like watching Ingmar Bergman doing Village of the Damned. Loved it.

Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker (1979) is the best movie I have seen in a long, long time.

I totally agree with this. I like Arcade Fire, but I love The National. I don't know which I would have preferred at age 20, but at 36 there's no doubt which band resonates more deeply with me. (Nevertheless, it's rather silly to debate which band is superior--after all, the bands are really two quite different beasts.)

Mine too.

Some cool curveballs in the setlist. Wish I had been there!

I'm not usually excited by late Sixties experiments about existential meltdowns--especially ones that glibly suggest we've all died in the prisons of consumer culture--but Marco Ferrari's 1969 Dillinger Is Dead is certainly, well, something. After discovering an old revolver wrapped in newspapers announcing Dillinger's death, Michel Piccoli spends the night's wee hours cleaning the weapon, making a gourmet dinner, watching old home movies, seducing the maid, and listening to radio songs as the soundtrack to his hollow life. My favorite surreal bit? The parts of the gun being polished in a b

Went to see the Heartless Bastards on Monday night in Milwaukee. The pre-show house music included 5 consecutive songs from Summerteeth: "Can't Stand It," "She's a Jar," "Shot in the Arm," "Via Chicago," and "We're Just Friends." (There were also similar runs from Dawes and Deer Tick.)

That was in response to Tweedling's moving request for "Magazine Called Sunset," which included a sincere thanks for Jeff Tweedy being a great father and husband as well as a great songwriter. Jeff said that his critics who call him "dad rock" should be so lucky to one day be a dad, or something along those lines.

Another memorable Jeff quip: After I told him how I used "Theologians" to teach Whitman and Dickinson to high schoolers, he responded, with a raised eyebrow, that I ought to teach Little Richard instead.

Wow, that is cool. I didn't notice that while watching, but I did notice how Edith Piaf's song was featured in a movie starring an actress best-known for playing Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for La Vie en Rose).

I only like things I've never heard of. Once somebody like me hears it, it's clearly too mainstream for my tastes.