3.31.2008

A sudden conclusion I have come to...

While discussing my recent rewatch of Mean Girls, I found myself accidentally stumbling on a major pop culture debate that I think is worth having, and may be a future theme in American comedy:

Who's recent projects are funnier, Tiny Fey or Judd Apatow?

Both of these talented indivduals slaved away behind the scenes of funny/doomed or under-appreciated projects. Both had major influence on American comedy before they had even reached their personal breakthrough successes.


Fey was the head writer on Saturday Night Live for years, and if 30 Rock is any indication, I think we can attribute almost all of the show's best moments from 2000 to 2004 to her. She didn't really get the attention she deserved until she worked on weekend update with Jimmy Fallon, but Fallon still seemed to get the credit for the chemistry between the two. Mean Girls was Fey's first noteable non-SNL success, and I am willing to call it the best teen comedy since Clueless, without much hesitation. And that is an enormous compliment from a Clueless fan such as myself. Her next major sucess was 30 Rock, which started shakey, but is now an Emmy winning success, and has cemented her position as a major voice in American comedy. The best part about Fey's success and public embrace is that her humor is unapologetically "female." Her self-guided projects feature female leads and diverse female characters, which is a rare site in the modern, male-centric world of comedy. Fey often seems to make an effort to provide opportunities and roles to gifted comediennes who suffer from the unfortnate lack of funny females in American comedies. Not only are Fey's characters mostly female, but many are also funnier and smarter then the men who surround them. Fey's character Lemon on 30 Rock is a wonderfully full person, with insecurities, humor, and subtle depth; she is perhaps the most well-rounded protagonist in modern comedic television, gender aside.


Judd Apatow is also a talented writer/director, but his projects seem to stand as the phalocentric counterpoint to Fey's. I have deep love for Apatow, stemming from the incredible Freaks and Geeks (still some of the best shit I've ever seen, anywhere) and the sweet and well-meaning 40-Year-Old Virgin, but I have begun to wonder about the effects of his particular brand of humor on the advancement of female comediennes and actresses. Like Fey, Apatow did not have his fame and influence handed to him. His early labors of love were critical successes, but were treated poorly by studios and networks. But while Apatow may have suffered more early industry humiliation than Fey, his penis helped him out a bit more in the end. Apatow's most successful attribute may be his bevy of famous and hilarious friends, who are both peers and disciples. Apatow was credited as writer, producer, or director on the following titles: Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Superbad, Underclared (TV), Heavyweights (yeah, he wrote THAT Heavyweights), Kicking and Screaming, The Cable Guy, Fun With Dick and Jane, Celtic Pride, The TV Set, Walk Hard, Drillbit Taylor, Pineapple Express, Don't Mess With the Zohan, The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show, and The Critic (yeah, the cartoon TV show). So this guy has some influence, and some connections. His cast from both Freaks and Geeks are a virtual who's who of young Hollywood...dramatic and comedic, TV and movies.

So, Fey or Apatow?

Female-centric or phallocentric?

Phoeler or Ferrell?

I'm a fan of both of these individuals, and Freaks and Geeks is my favorite thing that either of them has produced, but while I was watching Mean Girls today, I couldn't help but notice that Fey's film (made in 2004) was somehow fresher, funnier, and more insightful than ever. It has aged beautifully, and I'm fairly certain that is is considerably funnier as a whole than Superbad.

There. I said it. I think Tina Fey's recent stuff kicks Judd Apatow's recent films' (other than 40YOV) asses.

Agree? Disagree?

Nathaniel

Danny DeVito! I love your work!

I rewatched Mean Girls this afternoon, and I am definitely happy to have returned to the world of the Plastics after a few years time. I'm happy to report that Mean Girls not only holds up nicely, but seems to have gotten more approprate with age. The ultitimate message of the film (that the only thing worth spending your energy on is being an "actual human being") is not just universally positive, but also a very topical message for this decade of gossip websites and willful hihilism and superficiality.
I miss Lindsay from the pre-going crazy movies, like this. She was a damn fine actress.



I also recently watched Southland Tales, Richard Kelly's oft-delayed and maligned follow-up to Donnie Darko, and I'm confused as to why it has gotten such vehemently negative reviews so far. The film is a mess, clearly, but the worst aspects of it [the overlong prologue, the under-developed plotlines, and Cindy's truncated character arc] were obviously forced upon Kelly by the studio (see a partial history of the troubled making and editing of the film here). Otherwise, the film is a fascinatng,jumbled sci-fi comedy that bit off just a bit more than any film could possibly chew. The cast is uneven, but in a wonderfully silly way that doesn't distract from the film's hodge-podge aesthetic. Sean William Scott is the stand-out, but Dwayne Johnson, Justin Timberlake, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Mandy Moore are all given chances to stretch and play around with their public and screen personas.
The plot of the film is purposefully convoluted and frustrating, but it is nowhere near as obtuse as Darko's vague, ominous portentousness. But, truthfully, I miss the consistency of Darko, which was an extraordinarily well-orchestrated debut.
I need to watch the film again and write something a little longer than this.

Nathaniel Tyson

3.27.2008

Meet Laura Bush...


This is Elizabeth banks. She was the slutty hoodrat in 40-Year Old Virgin.

She will be playing Laura Bush in Oliver Stone's forthcoming movie, W.

Sit and spin.

Nate

3.24.2008

Best Single of 2008



Those Dancing Days - "Hitten"

So, this video just got a release as a single, officially. It was on Those Dancing Days' s/t EP from last year, but now it's getting an actual release.

It's genius. Listen to it. Please.

Nathaniel Tyson

3.16.2008

3.15.2008

collected observation


Today, I present to you, a brief glimpse into the truly disjointed mind of one, Nate Tyson.

whole lotta nonsense. 1st ed.

I just read that Laura Linney is playing Abigail Adams in the John Adams TV movie that I was completely unaware of until five minutes ago. Paul Giammati is evidently playing John Adams. Good casting, but I wish Ian Holm had been given the role at some point before he was ancient. He woulda tore that up. Or Terrance Stamp. (By the way, my favorite portrayal of John Adams is Mr. Feeney's [William Daniels] in the film version of 1776, which was a musical.) Point being, that Laura Linney is a funny duck, because I think that she is one of the last of the old school female movie stars. She only takes somewhat pedigree roles, she is usually offered almost every serious female role that fits her age (I'm sure), she is classy and private, and she almost always plays the famous wife. She is the master of being the famous dude's wife. She is the go-to gal for that.

++++

There is a British website that will give you music festival tickets for sperm donations. I shit you not. It is called Sperm for Tickets, which shows a frankness I respect. I wish I lived in Europe. But only for this purpose. Otherwise? Screw you guys.

++++

White people like me like The Wire a lot. And now it's over. But Lost has started kicking extra butt to make up for it.

Sometime soon, I will have a retrospective on The Wire (I would just do a review of the final episode, but I want to put some larger effort into this). I'm considering of doing a brief piece on the closing montage, but other than that, no Wire until I do a larger piece. I ahve to keep myself to this.

I just can't accept that it's over. Oh...Bubbles...Michael...

++++

...speaking of Michael, Lost's big boat-oriented reveal last night was somewhat anti-climactic just because everyone and their mother had predicted it. But the show still manages to reel you in, doesn't it?

This season has had a noticeable effect on people who watch Lost in my room. Some have never seen the show, some stopped watching half-way through Season 1, some gave up as recently as the end of last season. But all of them are completely (re)hooked after watching the recent stuff in my room. That kinda says something.

++++

That Dodos album is pretty great the more I listen to it. This, Earth, and Times New Viking are a pretty strong trio. There are tons of other good albums so far this year, but those three are special.

I'm also really digging the recent albums from Ocrilim, Natural Snow Buildings, the Teenagers, Boxcutter, and the Fleet Foxes.

++++

Animal Collective had a new EP released this week. It's called Water Curses, and it's pretty great. The tempo is definitely toned down, and the sound is thicker and spacier than most of the material on Strawberry Jam. Both those things are good indicators for the future, if you ask me. This may be my favorite thing I've heard so far this year.

Am I becoming predictable? I love Animal Collective, but I'm not a fanboy. I mean, Sung Tongs is one of my top five records of the decade probably, and Panda Bear was my #1 last year...and I just talked about the Dodos, who sound a little like 'em.

Whatever. Great band.

++++

I had a piece in The Climax this week. It featured excerpts from this post.

The only editing that upset me was the disappearance of the quotation marks around the phrase "get relaxed" (which had replaced "get high" in my draft for the paper) in the Earth review. They didn't remove the quotes from "the law" earlier in the article, so it was obviously a moral decision to not include a gentle, non-explicit weed joke in the student newspaper.

Sigh. It wouldn't matter, except that a somewhat tongue-in-cheek joke now reads like a banal observation.

++++

I love you all. Thelma Ritter is amazing in Pickup on South Street, and Paul Reuben's performance in Pee Wee's Big Adventure is an overlooked comedic masterpiece.

Nathaniel

3.13.2008

It's time for Ask Ashley...why her parents coined this term


The term "pillow angels" creeps me the fuck out. Just for the record.

As does this whole story. I'm certain that we're gonna start hearing more about this around campus. I'm going to not think about it anymore until all fucking hell breaks loose round here.

Nathaniel

3.12.2008

Burritos, waging the War on the Middle [class] of Lou Dobb's body


I was thinkin' about how a few months ago, CNN.com ran a piece about how Lou Dobb's should run for President. I read the piece, only to discover, to my shock and awe, that Lou had not written the op-ed himself.

This got me thinking about The Good Ol' People's Champion in detail. Today, you are subject to a Lou Dobb's oriented HollowChatter. Previous promised material will just have to wait.

++++

John O'Bryan has written the very funny What More Does Lou Dobbs Have to Do to Prove He's Not Racist over at 23/6. Lou Dobbs can never be made fun of enough. I really would like to take him and Glen Beck out to a desert island and leave them there to battle to the death. Then I would nuke the island to make sure there were no survivors.

23/6 also has the best headline I've seen in quite some time:

"Eliot Spitzer Leaves his Resignation on the Dresser"

Mercy.

++++

Here's a little bit of weird, Lou Dobbs related irony for you.

Lou Dobbs is obviously racist, but he, like many famous racists, makes the argument that because his wife is Mexican-American, he cannot possibly be prejudiced. Now, Dobbs loves to talk about the crime, poverty, disease (?), and the general dirt and mud that will be spread by "illegals", but this isn't racism...clearly.

It's just journa-...no, it's not that. It's good, old fashioned public polic-...no, not that either.

Xenophobia! That's it.

So, the irony? Debi, Dobbs' wife, was arrested for trying to board a plane with a LOADED GUN in 2006.

Fuckin Mexicans, right Lou? It was brave of you to marry her, even though you knew that, as a Mexican, she would bring crime, poverty, and disease into your marriage. Self fulfilling prophecy, right, Lou?

I don't mean to beat up on Debbi...oh, wait, yeah I do. She totally deserves it. She married a racist prick who's trying to incite political violence and oppression against impoverished immigrants. She can burn in Hell.

Sorry about that.

++++

Another strange fact? Lou Dobbs won a Peabody for journalistic excellence in the 80s for covering the crash of 1987.

Hmmm.

Nathaniel Tyson

3.10.2008

myeah, you see, myeah


Something I'll bet you'd never find yourself thinking about (unless you are a Berkley film major, or me, or probably two of my professors):

What exactly were the subversive social codes incorporated into film noir movies of the 1940's & 50's?

Well, I'm not exactly thinking about that either, but I am prepping for a final paper on the modern femme fatale of neo noir, so I have film noir on the brain.

(I'm thinking about looking at Julianne Moore in The Big Lebowski, Carrie Anne Moss in Memento...any others?)

My teacher sent me a huge listing of academic articles on film noir, and I just feel that I need to share a few of the titles and authors that sounded awesome. You know, just in case you ever get the urge to find out more about this very specific genre of crime/detective film for some reason. Seems likely, non?

Really, check it out if you like film studies at all. Or American studies, ya know? Great resource, etc.

Some articles/essays that sound pretty neat:

Lott, Eric. "The Whiteness of Film Noir." In: National imaginaries, American identities: the cultural work of American iconography / edited by Larry J. Reynolds and Gordon Hutner. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, c2000.
Telotte, J. P. "The woman in the door: framing presence in film noir." In: In the eye of the beholder: critical perspectives in popular film and television / edited by Gary R. Edgerton, et al. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, c1997.
Thompson, Peggy. Hard-boiled: Great Lines From Classic Noir Films San Francisco: Chronicle Books, c1995.
Avila, E. "Popular culture in the age of white flight: Film noir, Disneyland, and the cold war (sub)urban imaginary." Journal of Urban History, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 3-22, 2004
Broe, Dennis. "Class, crime, and film noir: labor, the fugitive outsider, and the anti-authoritarian tradition." Social Justice Spring 2003 v30 i1 p22(20)

Davidson, Michael. "Phantom Limbs: Film Noir and the Disabled Body." GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 9, no. 1 (2003): 57-77
Jensen, Paul. "The Return of Dr. Caligari: Paranoia in Hollywood." Film Comment 7:4 (1971) pp:36-45
Kotsopoulos, A. and Mills, J. "Gender, Genre, and Post-Feminism." Jump Cut, June 1994, 39: 15-24
Lenz, Kimberly. "Put the Blame on Gilda: Dyke-Noir Vesus Film-Noir" Theatre Studies, 1995, N40:17-26.
Lott, Eric. "The Whiteness of Film Noir." American Literary History v9, n3 (Fall, 1997):542 (25 pages).

Smith, S. "Godard and Film Noir: A Reading of 'A Bout de Souffle'" Nottingham French Studies, 1993 Spring, V32 N1:65-73.

Walker, Deborah. "From Honest Thief to Media Sociopath: American Culture Through French Film Noir."
Willson, Robert F., Jr. "A double life: Othello as film noir thriller." Shakespeare on Film Newsletter (11:1) 3, 10.

Younger, Richard. "Song in Contemporary Film Noir." Films in Review v45, n7-8 (July-August, 1994):48 (3 pages).
and, my favorite:

Covey, W. "The Genre Don't Know Where It Came From: African American Neo-Noir Since the 1960s" [With Films Cited]. Journal of Film and Video v. 55 no. 2/3 (Summer/Fall 2003) p. 59-72

("African-American neo-noir discourse is a vital part of neo-noir studies, not just a marginalized addition. Born in the late 1960s and revised starting in the 1990s, black neo-noir, a series of mystery thrillers focusing on African-American detectives and police officers, has helped to revitalize the popular filmmaking discourse of film noir. Critical work on black neo-noir is both recent and sparse, resulting in, at best, a gap in noir criticism, and, at worst, indicating confusion about the significance of these films. As conceptual metaphors, African-American neo-noirs help represent and illustrate black experience, and constitute a semiotic terrain that merits the critical attention of the academy. By establishing where today's loose-knit genre of the African-American neo-noir comes from, critics can recognize that African-American films raise a host of complex political, social, and cultural questions in relation to film-noir discourse." [Art Index])

++++

Also, one of my favorite jams of 2008 has evidently pricked some other ears; Holy Fuck's "Lovely Allen" (both the original and a new No Age remix) got some press and airplay from Pitchfork recently.

I'm torn here.

It's great, because the song rules, and I'm happy it's catching on. But it sucks, because it is one of my favorite jams of the year, and now, w/ Pitchfork's polarizing stamp of approval, some degree of backlash against the song is inevitable. The fact that the remix isn't immediately grabbing doesn't help. In fact, I've only bothered with it once.

Whatever. It's silly to worry about these things. I know that. The internet sucks. Not actively, all the time, but kind of inherently...s'only natural.

I really have no right to even bring this whole thing up; it's not like I'm doing much to distance myself from that whole internet journalism scene, right?

Nate Thaniel

3.09.2008

in three minutes...


goodbye.

Nate

The awful feeling of electric heat...


My Politics in Pop Culture course is pretty amazing, and one particularly great thing about taking it is my professor's selections of topical links for the week's readings.

This week, our class will focus on the representations of Latinos in modern pop culture, especially in the context of the political scapegoat issue of immigration. Susana (my prof) has some choice links for the topic, two of the best appearing on the MediaMatters website:

Boortz: Non-English-speaking Latinos are "the ones with sombreros" and "bandoliers full of bullets across their chest"

Savage called Latino advocacy group "the Ku Klux Klan of the Hispanic people"

I don't read MediaMatters enough, but I think I'm gonna start checking in there more often. Seems like they've got some articles to really get a gentleman's gorge risen high on up there.

(Speaking of the whole "makes my gorge rise" turn of phrase: the first few times I ever heard the term, it was being used to refer to sexual criminals or pedophiles, so I also thought that the speakers were saying that pedophilia rocked their world. Funny, huh?)

++++

So, tonight, hopefully, I will have my review of the series finale of The Wire. I might just save it for tomorrow, though. I don't want to accidentally spoil something for both of you guys reading this. I also plan to do some major Lost writing.

As for my non-TV blog plans, I want to do a brief review of Persepolis soon, as well as a look at The Best Years of Our Lives (which I'm watching for da SOMB). I am also considering some retrospective looks at the 2000-2007 movie era. Some greatest performances stuff, maybe. Who knows?

I also want to start posting more new, more up to date, music stuff...maybe even a podcast?

++++

There are also some upcoming projects of mine that are based in, get this...the real, physical world. Not the internet!

What could these ventures outside of the USS Blog possibly include?

I am glad you ventured to question my truth voice. My responsibilities are as such...

I should have a music column in the upcoming issue of the school paper, The Climax. That means that this week, both The Climax and Nick's Blunder Bust shall be stained a putrid shade of awesome by my pen. I am considering submitting some photography to The Omen as well. Might as well get some of my stuff out there.

In one of my first LJ posts ever (I have looked back through em a few times...they date back to 2002 or 2003), I declared my intentions to spread across this great globe like a charming, red(-headed) death. I just want my longterm fans to know that the whole project is still in the works. No worries.

++++

In another case of an awesome heads up from a friend: a few weeks ago, my mom pointed my towards the National Portrait Gallery's new Hip-Hop portrait exhibition/showcase, the interestingly (not sure how I feel) named Recognize!

This is why I rule so hard. In case you've been wondering. I got raised by that lady.

The exhibit is definitely worth looking at.

So do it.

++++

I just remembered about a fun time waster I read about maybe a week ago. It's called The Black Cab Recordings. It's a British internet venture in which a strange (but awesome) assortment of lesser known artists ride around in the back of a British taxi cab. Playing their strange assortment of lesser known hits. The passenger/singers include Daniel Johnston, Spoon, Okkervil River, St. Vincent, Bill Callahan (Mr. Joanna Newsom, formerly Smog), Langhorne Slim, The New Pornographers, and a myriad of really not famous British artists who seem like they could be neat.

I have yet to watch any of the videos on the site, but if I discover in the future that one of these is particularly awesome, I will let y'all know.

I don't know about ch'all, but I know that I'm excited to see the St. Vincent one the most.

Nathaniel Tyson

3.08.2008

not in nottingham


Coming Soon

Reviews of the series finale of The Wire and the new Gnarls Barkley album.

Nathaniel

3.07.2008

this is how you spell "hahaha destroy your hopes"



I have yet to watch last night's Lost, but comments will be coming on that.

brief music ramblings

Upon further listens, I have decided that I really, really, really love that Earth album. I also like the new Gnarls Barkley way, way more than I thought I would. I keep forgetting that I kinda like their style a lot.

Los Campesinos have grown on me quite bit as well.

(right now, I'm listening to Neon Neon's Stainless Steel, which is ridiculously awesome)

Nathaniel Tyson

3.05.2008

Things on my mind...



Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (movie)
I watched this last night on a whim, and I'm glad I did. Here's the breakdown: Val Kilmer and my buddy Robert Downey Jr. as, respectively, a private detective and petty thief caught up in a noirish conspiracy in LA. It's absolutely hilarious. Downey Jr. is always great. Always. He's never been bad. tell me when he's been bad. I challenge you. Right. Exactly. Any movie that stars him as the romantic/comedic lead gets an automatic thumbs up from me. But, his involvement aside, it's definitely worth checking out. It's a hoot. Val Kilmer is also pretty game, just for the record.



Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - Searching for the Hows and the Whys (album)
It's an entertaining, theatrical album that I have only given one listen, but highly recommend. It's a fun, fresh kinda thing. A good Spring album. Too bad Spring will be arriving in Amherst sometime in July.



The Crazy Operas Getting Written These Days (general concept)
Every once in a while, I am reminded that people are still writing operas. Not only are they still writing them, but they're setting them in modern times or adapting them from modern sources. This is awesome to me. I have yet to see one of these productions, but I really, really want to some day.
For your (and my) edification, here is an incomplete list of somewhat crazy sounding full-blown modern (1975-present) operas. Not musicals. Not operettas. Operas.

Angels in America

Nixon in China

Dead Man Walking

The End of the Affair

Harvey Milk

Einstein on the Beach

For nobody's edification, here is a much longer list of crazy sounding modern operas that I made up just now, but should probably get made pretty soon.

Blue Velvet

Heath Ledger: The Opera

Napoleon Dynamite

Bush in Crawford (A Cycle in 79 Parts)

Nancy Anmut ist ein schlechtes Weibchen: Eine Oper berichtete durch einen Chor der toten Blondine-Hochschulmädchen
(Nancy Grace is an Evil Bitch: An Opera Narrated by a Choir of Dead Blonde College Girls)



Nathaniel Tyson

Thank God that's over



alright, no more countdowns for a while. I feel spread thin.

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #01 Panda Bear - Person Pitch



#01. Panda Bear - Person Pitch

(I have reached the end of the countdown. I don't feel like writing much. I hope you understand.)

Person Pitch has occupied this spot since the first time I heard it. It's top ten of all time material for me. May surpass Sung Tongs in my estimation kinda good. That's a lot coming from me.

But, to use less extreme words: it's an endlessly listenable album. Some have argued that its basically musical hypnosis, but I feel like that could be applied to almost any low key electronica, so I ain't buyin.

It's just perfect. Every second of it. Oh my sweet Jesus, I love this album.

I'm gonna listen to it right now.

(download it here [momentarily])

Nathaniel Tyson

PS:

For the Hell of it, the entire rest of the list, with ALL the runners-up (ie, albums that I thought about possibly including with any seriousness, roughly kinda ranked)...

02. of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
03. Radical Face – Ghost
04. Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends
05. Dan Deacon – Spider-Man of the Rings
06. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Dandelion Gum
07. No Age – Weirdo Rippers
08. Studio – Yearbook 1
09. The Field – From Here We Go Sublime
10. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
11. Marissa Nadler – Songs III: Bird on the Wire
12. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
13. Gui Boratto – Chromophobia
14. Burial – Untrue
15. Lil Wayne – Da Drought 3

16. Iron & Wine – The Shepard’s Dog
17. Feist – The Reminder
18. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
19. Kanye West – Graduation
20. The Fiery Furnaces – Widow City
21. Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline
22. Menomena – Friend & Foe
23. Lil Wayne – The Carter III
24. Caribou – Andorra
25. M.I.A. – Kala
26. The Dirty Projectors – Rise Above
27. Frog Eyes – Tears of the Valedictorian
28. Liars – Liars
29. Radiohead – In Rainbows
30. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse

31. Wolves in the Throne Room – Two Hunters
32. Sally Shapiro – Disco Romance
33. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
34. Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
35. A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Scribble Mural Comic Journal
36. Glasscandy – B/E/A/T/B/O/X
37. Ghostface Killah – The Big Doe Rehab
38. Those Dancing Days – Those Dancing Days EP
39. The Tough Alliance – A New Chance
40. Battles – Mirrored
41. Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
42. Paramore – RIOT!
43. Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
44. The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
45. Justice – (cross)
46. Handsome Furs – Plague Park
47. Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band EP

3.04.2008

Top Albums of 2007: #02. of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?



#02. of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

When I was younger, I adopted the glam rock of the 70's as my personal pet niche in musical history. Let's ignore what this might imply about anyone's sexuality and focus on just how wonderful it is that Kevin Barnes has submitted his masterpiece to the glam Parthenon.

David Bowie would be proud of Barnes' lyrics: all catty observation and surreal theatricality, a good chunk of the album's lyrics read like journal entries written during a nervous breakdown. Barnes adorns the album's manic, disco and punk flavored songs with his own suicidal prose, and the result is an autobiographical glam rock concept album that none can fuck with.

When I saw of Montreal live in Philly last year, I saw Barnes playing the role of a 70's glam god; switching between kimonos, dresses, stilts, thongs, and his birthday suit in the span of an hour and a half. His exaggerated androgyny has become as present in his stage show as it has in his music.

Perhaps this album is truly the work of a transitive time in Barnes life, and it's exact blend of mad genius and crippling doubt will never be recreated.

Even if that's so...even if this will forever stand as the peak of Barnes' songwriting...we have to remind ourselves that he has an extensive, amazing back catalog, and this album is the work of years of creative output.

Right. Yeah. Perspective.

(download it here [momentarily])

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #03. Radical Face - Ghost



#03. Radical Face - Ghost

This album was a nice little discovery for me. One day, I just came across it on some message board, and the rest is history.

The album is the work of one guy (who is also involved with Electric President [I don't care what his name is, frankly]), and it is evidently something of a concept album about haunted houses, or at least songs that sound like they could be about a haunted house.

It's a fantastic winter and fall record, but it has moments of momentous pop bombast that keep the album from a strictly downer status.

But honestly, bullcrap aside, the music is just really beautiful and sad and haunting. And it's kind of funny that I choose the word 'haunting', but it's not a joke. It's one of those albums that becomes especially personal the more you listen to it.

Ironically, I know relatively very little about the production or history of the album, and I know less about the guy behind the music. This would usually bug me, but I'm not really worried about it.

It's the kind of album that could make me want to buy a record without access to a turntable. I wanna go buy it for $20 in Northampton, but I rarely get out there. It's probably gone by now. I saw it out there about two months ago.

PS: As I am listening to the album right now, I feel compelled to mention just how wonderfully the music accompanies a late night at the computer.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #04. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends



#04. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends

I need to make sure I clear up one thing about this album: it is the best pure rock and roll I've heard in a long time.

It rules, unchallenged, in the modern lands of great rock music.

Now, I will leave you with the lyrics to the opening track of Let's Stay Friends, "Pots & Pans". This song is incredible, and it plainly states Les Savy Fav's claim to the unoccupied throne of ultimate rock gods:

There was a band
Called the Pots and Pans
And they made this moise
That people couldn't stand
And when they toured
All across the land
The people said:
"No, no, no!"
But the drummer said:
"Yes, yes, yes!
This tour is a test!"

Has your skin grown thick from bands that make you sick?

Has your skin grown thick from a thousand stinging pricks?
Have you been made dense standing upon the fence?
Have you been made dense from polish and pretense?

Well, this is where it stops.
This is where it ends.
Let's tear this whole place down and build it up again.
This band's a beating heart and it's nowhere near its end.

They're name is Les Savy Fav, ladies and gentlemen, and they're gonna save Rock & Roll

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #05. Dan Deacon - Spider-Man of the Rings



#05. Dan Deacon - Spider-Man of the Rings

Alright, I'm gonna start this with my second stupid, somewhat awkward Joanna Newsom comparison of the countdown:

Mr. Dan Deacon is something like the Joanna Newsom of American nerdy white kid electronica. Like Newsom's love-'em or hate-'em pipes, Deacon's polarizing "voice" veers from juvenile to mature, from whimsical to dark, from danceable to puzzling all within the length of one song.

Deacon's umpteenth album, Spider-Man of the Rings is insane, but this is pretty much in line with Deacon himself. If his music sounds like it should be the soundtrack to some bizarre experimental film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, that's because sometimes, it is. Deacon isn't just a DJ, he's something of a performance artist, using his shows to get his audience to hug each other and participate in organized dance numbers.

Deacon is making his music for the kids, no question; t
he crowds at Deacon's shows are age-specific, with most attendees between their freshman year high school and last years of college. On Spider-Man of the Rings, Deacon's work is childlike, delving into the same simple musical joy that Animal Collective infuses their music with. In some ways, Deacon seems to be aiming to get his crowds to dance as a simple, geeky catharsis. Deacon genuinely seems to cre for the insecure, uptight, intellectual collegiate and post-collegiate kids that pepper his audience.

Deacon's not the first nerdy white dj to tell the indoor kids that dancin' is okay, but he's exactly the bespectacled, balding, overweight messenger this generation needs.

PS: "Deacon" is the beginning of every paragraph because Dan Deacon is blessed with literally the best name in show business. Congrats and razzmatazz to you, Master Deacon.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #06. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum



#06. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum

I know that there are plenty of electronic jam bands out there. I have been to Bonnaroo after all. But there are few electronica acts that can manage to actually remind me of the greatest 70's jam bands. Black Moth Super Rainbow is like Battles' cooler little brother, who smokes pot and isn't quite as nerdy about drums and math rock.

It's a suspect claim for sure, but I would say that Dandelion Gum's first track, "Forever Heavy" is as rockin as any old school Allman Bros jam.

Dandelion Gum is like the classic rock of the Jetsons. I don't care if it's the work of a band or a dj, or a mind-controlled python. It sounds damned good.

Much like rap and rock came together for a shining, golden moment in the late 90's with nu metal, rock and electronica are having illigitimate babies all over the music scene these days. Evidently these guys are much more well known over in California, which is where they're from. Over yonder, there's an entire musical scene just like this.

Fuck those Cali kids. They get jeeps, sex, sun, AND the best electronica? Fuck them.

Anyways, Dandelion Gum is hopefully just the beginning of these guys careers. Last I heard, they were touring with Aesop, which seems to indicate a strong following. People up here really dig 'em, and you tend to hear the album blasting out of pot smoke filled dorm rooms.

I wouldn't be surprised if this album ends up becoming more and more famous. Considering its broad appeal, it might end up being considered a classic of our time.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #07. No Age - Weirdo Rippers



#07. No Age - Weirdo Rippers

I have to admit that while I might not buy into it entirely, the whole "noise as beauty" musical aesthetic can produce some pretty god damned wonderful stuff.

Weirdo Rippers belongs up there with Daydream Nation in my estimation. It produces the same organic musical atmosphere as DN, at times all brooding, churning guitars with sudden loud and rapid punctures of the sonic ceiling, at times the album even resembles simple, melodic, fuzzy rock.

Like many greats of the indie canon (Yo la Tengo and Godspeed especially), No Age is 100% an album band. The songs on Weirdo Rippers are all very good, but their collection together is genius.

Like most muddy production, the mixing of Weirdo Rippers is probably frustrating to many. But the albums obscuring of the musical details really enhances the potency of the songs, especially in the album's quite moments, like the first minute or so of "I Wanna Sleep".

Weirdo Rippers rocks and squeals and thrashes, but it is all done with the same control and precision as fellow art rock bands Liars, Deerhoof, and Times New Viking. The noise may be challenging, but it is not pointless.

But this may be under appreciating Weirdo Ripper's palatability. Afterall, it is ultimately just a great rock & roll album.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #08. Studio - Yearbook 1



#08. Studio - Yearbook 1

Yearbook 1 is a tricky album to pin down. It is a poppy piece of electronica for sure, but it also seems to be a somewhat proggy indie album. Oh those Swedes. They're great synthesizers.

It is easy to pass by Yearbook 1 on first glance or listen. If you don't have an ear for electronica, it may seem to be unextraordinary. But, even though the album starts with the catchy, strangely childish, keyboard melodies of "No Comply", by the time it gets to the half-way mark of "Out There", Studio have revealed themselves to be masters of their complex style of electro indie.

Even with Yearbook 1's consistency, the clear highlight of the album is clearly the penultimate track, the 13 minute "Life's a Beach!". The song plays like a jammed out track from a lost Smiths album for about half of its length, and then dissolves into tropical, shimmery goodness.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #09. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime



#09. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime

There is truthfully little I can say about this album. It's songs are addictive and smooth, and the record as a whole seems flawless. Basically, it boils down to this:

This album is my definition of good electronica.

What makes the album so good? It is familiar without ever being redundant; the mood and pace of the music are in a constant flux, so even returning samples are given new life through the ever-changing context of the music.

But the most perfect thing about this album is the sample of "I Only Have Eyes for You" in the last track. It is indescribably beautiful.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #10. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga



#10. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Why Spoon isn't the biggest rock band in America is something of a mystery.

With 2005's Gimme Fiction, Spoon proved just how consistently well-oiled a rock n' roll machine they were. Over the course of four albums, Spoon has written some of the most definitive rock anthems of the American indie scene. Their previous albums' singles "Everything Hits at Once", "The Way We Get By", and "I Turn My Camera On" have proven mass appeal and staying power, and the band itself has become a staple at the SXSW festival.

Considering the mainstream acceptance the band has earned, there's no real reason for Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga to sound as fresh and invigorated as it does, but Brit Daniels appears to have plenty of gas for the next decade or so. Let's look at the big tracks of the album. The album's first single, the Jon Brion produced "The Underdog", was miles ahead of any of the band's past singles. The album's second single, "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb", was miles ahead of "The Underdog".

By now, in the twilight of the 00's indie scene, we've seen the rise and fall of dozens of fash-in-the-pan rock bands. The number of these bands that have proven any creative or commercial staying power is minuscule. But alongside acts like The New Pornographers, Animal Collective, and The Arcade Fire, Spoon appears to have cemented a steady place in the American rock canon; and if they're still producing material this good for the next ten years, we could see Spoon increase even further in cultural and artistic influence.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #11. Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird on the Water



#11. Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird on the Water

Marissa Nadler's voice could place her as Joanna Newsom's sheltered, lovesick Aunt. Her style of lyrics also places her in Ms. Newsom's lovely company: they are undeniably modern, but simultaneously refer back to the symbol-rich nursery rhymes of Western Europe.

The nautical theme of the album further pushes Ms. Nadler's voice into the past, casting her as the bittersweet balladeer of a world made up of distant loves and seemingly empty promises of colonies across the sea. Her voice may not be as polarizing as Ms. Newsom, but she is certainly her spiritual and musical cousin. In fact, one can imagine Joanna's girlish trills surrounding "Sylvia", rather than Ms. Nadler's cold, low croon.

Songs III: Bird on the Water is an excellent, if not perfect, collection of songs, each of which Marissa manages to transform into a haunting, unforgettable testament of an ancient culture and people.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #12. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam



#12. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

The only reservations I still have about SJ as the next album in Animal Collective's discography is the seemingly complete move into audible and recognizable vocals and lyrics. This seems like an odd bone to pick, but it's my main contention with the album.

On the whole, Strawberry Jam is nowhere near as good as Sung Tongs. But I can honestly say this about 99.999% of albums I've ever heard, so it's not that much of a put-down. Luckily, I also think that SJ is stronger full album than Feels.

Where Feels' filler ("Daffy Duck" and "Bees" especially) really dragged the pace of the album downward, Strawberry Jam is free of spacey clunkers. In fact, the most obvious criticsm of SJ is that it seems to reject a lot of Panda Bear's more subtle sonic influences. This can definitely be attributed to Panda Bear's focus on his own solo material, but it's still an unnerving development.

In the end, the album's best songs "Fireworks", "Derek", and "Winter Wonderland" far outweigh anything negative I have to say about the album. It settles quite nicely into Animal Collective's "maturing" discography.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #13. Gui Boratto - Chromophobia




#13. Gui Boratto - Chromophobia

All glittery, shimmery, and blissed out, Chromophobia is the rare electronica lp to affirm the organic nature of its musicality while simultaneously examining the inherent artifice of computer-based sound.

The title of the album gives name to the prejudice against the shiny, polished quality of electronic music. In many ways, the album is an expression against the critical diminishing of electronica as heartless, droning machinery.

Much like Grandaddy and Daft Punk are fascinated with the search for humanity in circuitboards, Gui Boratto is intent on crafting an electronic homage to pure organic human creativity.

The Chromophobia of the title refers to the inability of some listeners to acknowledge electronic music as "genuine" artistic expression, and the album that follows is Mr. Boratto's glittery, shimmery, sincere response to that.

As an afterthought: if you hate electronica, check out "Beautiful Life" off of this album. It's perfection...you might be converted.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Top Albums of 2007: #14. Burial - Untrue



#14. Burial - Untrue

Dubstep, despite its aura of elite trendy mystery, is a relatively straight-forward style of British electronica in which typical old soul or r&b samples are mixed with syncopated beats to make sonic compositions with intensely dark and lonely atmospheres. The very idea of a club dedicated to the genre is somewhat absurd.

But even with its dark musical trappings, dubstep has become a dominant genre in the historically crowded UK club scene. So it was only a matter of time before American music snobs caught on to the whole thing.

The anonymous British DJ Burial has become, so far, the biggest crossover artist in the genre. His sophomore album Untrue, has proven to be his major breakthrough into the American music media. Scanning reviews, Untrue has recieved deserved praise as a dense, challenging work, with most critics acknowledging their previous ignorance of Dubstep.

Of course, this doesn't tell you what I think of the album.

Whenever I listen to Untrue, I imagine myself on a lonely walk home from a German club circa 1980, travelling past the Berlin Wall, into an uncertain decade of European history.

Burial's music sounds like the music of ghost DJs trying to warn humanity of an impending apocalypse. As an artistic experience, Untrue is ultimately dark, brooding, and unsettling. Of course, it is also hypnotic and comforting in unexplainable dimensions. The strange syncopations and mournful samples become instantly familiar, making you wonder how you'd lived without it your entire life, or possibly who Burial is ripping off.

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

3.03.2008

The Top Albums of 2007: #15. Lil Wayne - Da Drought 3



#15. Lil' Wayne - Da Drought 3

While The Carter 3 may be a bit away (wait, is it? I'm confused about this still), Lil Wayne still dominated the shit out of internet geeks in 2007 with this incredible double length mixtape. You see, through his winning personality, and insane Southern milkshake he calls a voice, Lil' Wayne has revolutionized the way most rock critics see hip-hop mixtapes. Suddenly, every pretentious white-boy-music-nerd site is talking about the latest underground mixtape with a passion usually reserved for the latest Canadian post rock band. Indeed, music snobs have managed to co-opt another fine emcee into the critically acceptable canon of college-kid appproved rap.

But Da Drought 3 is undeniably great, so we can ignore this and my status as a college kid for the time being.

To put this all simply, the basic root of Da Drought 3's genius is Lil' Wayne's ability to improvise abstract, hilarious one-liners and complex conceptual metaphors with seemingly little effort.

When he observes that "bitches want to fuck like they're me and I'm them", he isn't just casually daydreaming about how much sex he has, he's playing around with the traditional power and gender roles that rap fame can bring. "N.O. Nigga", the song the quote is from, explores the duality of Lil Wayne's fame. While his fame and money are impressive, the song makes clear that LW is under constant pressure, meanwhile the (borrowed) churning, escalating beat pushes the emcee closer and closer to some sonic edge with no escape in sight.

This kind of throwaway genius is the core of the two CDs making up Da Drought 3, and it stands as a clear monument to Lil Wayne's lyrical creativity in an age of beat-heavy fluff.

Ha. It's so easy to make a Lil Wayne review unnecessarily intellectual, isn't it?

(download it here)

Nathaniel Tyson

Best Albums of 2007: Announcement and Honorable Mentions



Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce my plans tonight to unveil...

The First Hollow Chatter Countdown Ever!


As a small writing exercise, I'm going to write capsule reviews of my fifteen favorite albums from last year. I figure I may as well turn this into my first set of serial posts ever. I'll start tonight and hopefully wrap up Wednesday or Thursday.

Anyone who knows me knows I love lists, but I have imposed some limits on the amount I'm gonna post on the blog. This will be my first real one.

Entry #15 should be arriving later tonight, but here's a sneak-peek of the almost-made-its:

The Unchosen Finalists for My Top 15 Albums of 2007 (ie, #s 16-30)

16. Iron & Wine - The Shepard's Dog
17. Feist – The Reminder
18. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
19. Kanye West – Graduation
20. The Fiery Furnaces – Widow City
21. Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline
22. Menomena – Friend & Foe
23. Lil Wayne – The Carter III
24. Caribou – Andorra
25. M.I.A. – Kala
26. The Dirty Projectors – Rise Above
27. Frog Eyes – Tears of the Valedictorian
28. Liars – Liars
29. Radiohead – In Rainbows
30. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse

If the runners-up are that good, you know the list will be worth reading...right?

Nathaniel Tyson

homework nights lead to a small wave of posts


From now on, Monday nights (as often as I remember to do all this) shall be the night in which I move the Weekly Links (on the sidebar) into an archive I'm hosting over here. This way the section doesn't get out of control, but there will still be an easy way to get to old links.

So, there will now be a direct link to the archives from the sidebar of the main page. Enjoy the useless minutia of the internet.

Nathaniel Tyson

Recent music thoughts...


Deadly Avenger - Blossoms & Blood
Some sweet-ass electronica that a man can really get behind. I don't know enough about the genre to sy much else, but I definitely recommend checking this one out if you like the idea of music that computers make love to.

The Dodos - Visitor
This album was initially described to me as having been created just for those who believe that Animal Collective's Sung Tongs is a thing of rare beauty and genius. I happen to believe this, so I can only discuss The Dodos as an Animal Collective fan. The instrumentation and vocals are certainly reminiscent of 2004 AC, but the spirit is different. The voice reminds me of Beirut's Zach Condon, rather than either Avey Tare or Panda Bear, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The Dodo's are a more traditional song-writing duo, but this leads them to streamline AC's tics and idiosynchratic elements into polished pop. Good stuff, but not great.


Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
These guys are evidently a very influential metal act from Seattle that's been around since 1990. Couldn'tve proven it by me. I came into this album with no prior knowledge of Earth or their influence. According to some sources, this album is very different then their earlier, harder material. But here's what it breaks down to: The Bees Made Honey is basically a great prog album to get high and space out to. Made up of seven longish tracks, the album is perfectly paced for its length; the songs never seem to rush to where they're trying to go. I'm a burgeoning fan of spacey instrumental metal, and this album delivers the goods on that front. Definitely recommended. Strongly.

Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster...
Self-referential, sweetly sincere twee that doesn't aim to stand above the scene, but instead revels in it. While the gimmicky nature should wear thin, the band's charming sarcasm is enough to support an entire LP.


The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
This is, in my eyes, the first album to break Darnielle's streak of greatness since 2004's We Shall All Be Healed. The album starts out strongly with "Sax Rhomer #1" and the fantastic "San Bernardino", but clunkers like "So Desperate" and "Autoclave" are shockingly generic and uninteresting. The second half of the album picks back up, but I'm not certain it's enough to save the entire LP. This may be the least consistent record Darnielle has made in half a decade. However, that said, it's definitely worth a listen for the good stuff.

Vampire Weekend - s/t
Good, catchy rock. You and I are going to be sick of them very soon, if you already aren't. I am, kinda. Favorites are "Walcott" and "Oxford Comma".

++++

I have shuffled up and begun numbering my recommended section. You can always access that section from the sidebar under "2008's Recommended Stuff". I really need to get out and see some movies, don't I? Hopefully, I'll finally get a chance to see Be Kind, Rewind sometime soon.

I have some other records that I need more time with before writing-up.

On a related note, I finally heard the new Gnarls Barkley single, "Run". You can hear it at this seemingly fake Myspace profile. It's quite good, really. However, Luke and I both noticed something strange about it. Check the 1:30 mark...Cee-Lo sings the line "I have got a beast at baaaay". Do his vocals remind you of anyone? Tenacious D, perhaps? The entire song is totally a rip-off of "Master Exploder" from the Pick of Destiny. Oh DJ Dangermouse...did you think nobody would notice?

Nathaniel Tyson

damn this language barrier


I downloaded this random album the other day, and I am having trouble finding out much about the band. They're called Sakanakushon, and the album is named Night Fishing.

Here's a download link...just press "Free" to download.

Their official site lists this as their second album, but they seem to be pretty well-developed as a band. The album's definitely worth checking out. That link leads to a Japanese site, by the way.

Nathaniel

Elizabeth Banks is fucking Seth Rogan



And with this, Kevin Smith's entry into the canon, the "I'm fucking ___" video trend has become the best thing Sarah Silverman has ever contributed to the world.

Nathaniel Tyson

PS

here are the other videos, in chronological order:

Sarah Silverman is fucking Matt Damon



Jimmy Kimmell is fucking Ben Affleck

3.02.2008

s'all in the game, bee

British television personality Charlie Brooker once declared that The Wire was not only "physically multilayered", but also, "just fucking brilliant".

Just fucking brilliant. He got it on the nose right there.

Saying goodbye to The Wire has been very, very hard for many, many reasons. However, for the sake of brevity, I will concentrate on two. The first, and most obvious, is that a show of The Wire's quality and craft is a rare thing on television. So rare, in fact, that The Wire will remain the only one ever to have been in existence until next Monday, at which point there will be none, with no salvation in sight.

I don't mean to put down the other shows television has to offer; I'm sure, however, that their feelings are a little hurt at this point. But it's no fault of theirs that The Wire is as good as it is. However, after five seasons of social criticism and increasingly complex urban drama, The Wire stands as a singularly epic work that offers no real comparison on television.

Another difficulty in The Wire's send-off is the emotional toll saying individual goodbyes to a richly developed cast of roughly forty major and minor characters can have on the viewer. Having spent years weaving through the lives of so many different individuals, the Wire's writers and cast created a world of ancient social institutions and flawed people being victimized by or operating within them. And damn it, things do not end well for most of them. (the show is, after all, described by its own creators as a Greek Tragedy)

This epic scope could have lead to a Brechtian utilitarianism in the massive cast, but, somehow, even the cameo roles on The Wire resonate with a lived-in history, as if these characters had been living for years in Baltimore before the cameras started rolling on. This narrative sincerity imbues every action, every piece of dialogue with years of back story, which is an effect often attempted but rarely achieved in television. So when we watch one character meet death by asking their murderer how their hair looks, it has the same emotional effect as a three monologue for an invested viewer. That small moment in the character's life holds the exact same weight as any other as far as The Wire is concerned, but that is an indicator of the show's natural understanding of its characters.

Instead of taking the moment for theatrical tactics, the show's writers chose to keep the scene intimate. This puts The Wire in the strange No Man's Land between the identities of social issue show and ensemble drama. So The Wire affects the viewer on these two levels, the societal and the personal.



Sigh. Anyways. I'm gonna head to bed. Good night all.

One week and counting until the end of The Wire.

Nathaniel Tyson

It's a small DC-Baltimore metropolitan area afterall



I'm almost 100% certain that Brad King is in tonight's episode of The Wire. He even has the tattoos.

Brad was briefly my manager at IKEA. He was head of Customer Service. Anyways, he's the guy on the left in that screencap up there.

CRAZY.

Nathaniel

edit:

Having finished episode 9, I can say that this show is really terribly heartbreaking. The final scene of the episode between Mike and Duquan almost made me cry.

I anything goes wrong, ______ will be MY constant.


Desmond rules.

Nathaniel

3.01.2008

a hero is exposed when his crimes are brought to the light of day

Miraculously, I woke up at 8 this morning, but, in a fit of sullen laziness, I refused to do anything involving getting out of bed before twelve.
So, instead, I watched The Incredibles with Em. And boy howdy I'm glad that I did, because I had forgotten just how perfect it is.

Like the best Pixar, The Incredibles is impressive in just its attention to visual detail.



Hell, there are a dozen highly memorable chairs designed just for the movie. The creativity the artists embraced within the 50's art deco themes is amazing. Just look at their dinnerware, their computers...or...their bosses!








Also, I definitely loved the trips to Edna a little bit more this time around. Admit it, if her house were real, you'd kinda wanna live there.







Off courze you would. Uh Huh. Bye now dahlings. I enjoy these chats of ours.

Nathaniel