oatmealblizzard

So good.

Rich. just working on you mix and can't decide which of these songs to put on:

 

 

The thing just got a blow job of a review at Exclaim.ca, and placed just out of top 5. Which will hopefully give them more fans than just me.

 

'I could tell you lies

Or I could tell you truth'

I could hold another man

And never tell a soul'

I still have not listened to this. I guess I will have to make it a priority now, eh?

NP: Will Johnson - survey voyage

Yeah, I was at this as well. Overall, I enjoyed the show but will 100% agree that it was something of a mess. The mostly short (though sometimes protracted) breaks every 1-2 songs really killed any chance the show had of gaining some sense of momentum ... or even flow. Some of the performances were just not good. But there were more than a few highlights, as already mentioned.

The Roots, as has been said before, COMPLETELY blew away every other performance of the night. The recording above doesn't quite capture how good it was. They kind of saved the night in the end. MMJ was also good ... I enjoyed the full band performance better than Goin to Alcapulco, personally. Calexico was solid as always. And despite his referring intermittently to a lyric sheet on one tune, I actually enjoyed John Doe. (By the way, what was up with that Classic Rock Radio personality who introduced him? He was quite a caricature ... and a douche.) Yo La Tengo's performance of I Wanna Be Your Lover was also enjoyable ... though Fourth Time Around didn't do it for me so much. And Tift Merrit was a nice surprise. Also, the Million Dollar Bashers (even sans Cline and Verlaine) were quite strong with a few blistering solos and a really nice version of the unreleased Can't Leave Her Behind.

Here's a mostly positive review from the NY Times.

This was fantastic. After one viewing, I think this is my new favorite Coen Brothers film and, in all likelihood, my film of the year. A few of the scenes are as intense as anything put to film in recent memory.The direction, editing, performances, sound, cinematography, story, etc are all truly top notch - and in the end it all comes together to create something even greater than the sum of its parts. I could see some aspects where others could find fault, all likely the result of its staying rather true to the literary source material (a wonderful novel by one of my favorite authors Cormac McCarthy) rather than cop out and create a run-of-the-mill Hollywood crowd pleaser. But I absolutely loved every minute of it. Highly, highly recommended.

And I've just about had enough of Jason Schwartzman. Outside of Rushmore, I've disliked him in everything he's ever done.

He was great in Rushmore ... really perfect for the role. But, I agree 100%, outside of that I just can't stand him in, well, anything whatsoever.

just finished:

NP:

The chain mail vest thing is pretty funny.

The EP is ok, I guess. I don't love any of the songs. I suppose I like My Love For You is Real, Blue Hotel, and this version of Dear John. And the acoustic This Is It is probably (a little bit) better than the electric. The other few tunes are kinda hit or miss at best.

I got this as a gift recently and have really been enjoying it this evening. Quite cool.

My 2 cents: I am liking this album a lot.

^^^nice^^^

NP:

Oxford American Music Issue CD

 

Shit, this was almost as fun as the e-buzz and the ad campaign. Now I kinda wish I went to see it when it came out.

Yeah...I actually really enjoyed this, too. I saw it in the theater at a late night screening with a hilariously vocal crowd. It was fun.

 

Speaking of "all-time favorites," I was just revisiting Stan Brakhage's The Dante Quartet (1987). It's my favorite film of his--it's as pure and beautiful and evocative a vision of Hell as I've seen. Over the years, I have probably seen this ethereal, scary, breathtaking masterpiece 30 times, but I never tire of it. I wish I could have it on perpetual loop in my living room as if it were installation art.

 

And I think "Spiders" would make a perfect musical accompaniment!

Yeah, good stuff. I just watched the 2-disc Criterion Collection DVD of his stuff a couple of weeks ago. Really impressive.

Saw this last weekend as well:

Clooney was excellent. This is definitely one of my favorite films of the year to date.

While I do agree that, other than the fantastic Plastic Ono Band, Lennon's solo albums are a bit spotty ... I LOVE pretty much every other album/song on that list (I even like Since U Been Gone).

Prior to clicking on that link, I hadn't read anything from Blender in a couple of years. But this list is proof positive that Blender is just as awful a magazine as I remember it being. Some things don't change. Yikes.

Eluvium - Copia

Yeah, I am anticipating the shit out of this film ... even more so after reading that review. Good thread!