just watch it, please

MGMT - "Time to Pretend"

This is the second best single of the year, behind "Hitten".

Nate

just a thought, really...

All recent hype aside, No Age is a damned good band. I have been really into droney, spacey, sludgy, fuzzy rock recently, and it appears that this sound is thriving across the globe. Take 2008 alone; there's been some great fuzz goin round.

Here's a sampling of some good fuzzed-out rock, drone metal stuff, and noise music from the year so far:
Earth – The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
Times New Viking – Rip it Off
Boris – Smile
No Age – Nouns
Blank Dogs – On Two Sides
Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
Goslings – Occasion
Natural Snow Buildings – Laurie Bird
Ocrilim – Annwn

All of these are good records, if you're into what they're selling, which not everybody is. Looking over this post, I have to wonder when I stopped enjoying lyrics.

Nate

"what's this tribal shit?"

I'm more than a little late onto the bandwagon with this alum, but I have been unable to stop listening to El Guincho's Algranza!. It's technically a 2007 release, but it has only really become a thang in 2008.

Anyway, this thing is great; El Guincho is a Spanish electronica/sample based musician who dabbles in a whole lotta musical cultural appropriation, but there's little pretension whatsoever, and I would imagine Spanish roots are a lot closer in spirit to the sound of the album than, say, a hypothetical Western Mass college student's version of this album would be.

Check it out:

hxxp://www.mediafire.com/?adna1jqwjxj

Nate

Listin the ways I looove you

A Music Thought and a List!

The two best albums I've heard in a long time: No Age's Nouns & Blank Dog's On Two Sides. Both are great, noisy, lo-fi genius. Listen to them if you can.

+++

And, because I feel like it.

The Ten Best Comedies of the 2000's (so far)

10. Mean Girls (Mark Waters, 2004)
09. The 40-Year Old Virgin (Judd Apatow, 2005)
08. Adaptation. (Spike Jonze, 2002)
07. Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001)
06. Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
05. The Man Without a Past (Aki Kourismaki, 2002)
04. About Schmidt (Alexander Payne, 2002)
03. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (Danny Leiner, 2004)
02. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell, 2001)
01. Wet Hot American Summer (David Wain, 2001)

++++

Oh, and check this place out! Whoa.

Nathaniel

an article, you say? i'll slap together some ten year anniversary thing...wait...twenty years? fuck.

Well folks, I might have an article in the upcoming edition of The Climax (the Hampshire student newspaper).

In case I don't get approved, or any Tyson purists want to see the un-copy-edited article, I will gladly provide the original text...now.

How long ago IS ten years, exactly?

The other day, as I was watching Dazed and Confused I was thinking about growing up in the 00s, as opposed to the 70s. It is strange to be approaching the end of this decade so soon. It feels as if we haven’t had time to shape our culture, or to define who we are and what time we are growing up in. As it has been discussed on campus recently, it has been twenty years since the Dakin take-over. But twenty years seems so much longer ago in the abstract.

You know what occurred just ten years ago? How about the release of Saving Private Ryan, and the popularity of “Whatever” by Godsmack? “Rosa Parks” by Outkast and Cruel Intentions. There’s Something About Mary and “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls. Makes you think, no?

So, in the spirit of nostaligia, I decided to look back at the past ten years, and revisit an album from each year that we can look to in order to see our progress as a generation…or something to that affect. Except they’re all chosen by me…so I’ll just ignore any cultural implications, sound good? Great.

1998: Cat Power – Moon Pix
Long before The Greatest in 2006, Chan Marshall was really, really, really crazy and drunk all the time. Or at least that’s what the press would have you believe. But even if that’s somewhat true, she was still capable of producing some of the best music around. The younger, rougher Chan will be familiar to fans of her newer material, but might appeal more to those who think her sound is a little polished and same-y these days.

1999: Boredoms – Vision Creation Newsun
Perhaps you’ve heard of these crazy Japanese noise/prog/whatever rockers. They are highly influential in nearly every experimental music scene one can imagine. This album is one of their few proper releases, but it is a doozy. They’ve recently started touring around again, and where just around here, playing a relatively quiet show in Northampton.

2000: O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Soundtrack
When this came out, it was one of the weirder cultural phenomenons at the time. It won Best Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2001. In beat Radiohead, Outkast, Eminem, and Paul Simon. Weird, right? Anyways, the Coen Brothers are acknowledged geniuses, as is T-Bone Burnett, and bluegrass was bound for a comeback. So really, the success of this was fortold in the stars. But we all love it, right?

2001: Radiohead – Amnesiac
The point is that Radiohead is so canonized that they released the stuff that they didn’t think was good enough for their last album, and critics still slurped it up like it was free Slurpee day at 711. My similes are usually better, I swear.

2002: The Mountain Goats – All Hail West Texas
Because I had always had a burned copy of this CD, I hadn’t realized until the other day that the subtitle for this album is “fourteen songs about seven people, two houses, a motorcycle and a locked treatment facility for adolescent boys.” John Darnielle’s albums are often very literary in their construction and this one is no expcetion. But where The Sunset Tree is autobiography, and Tallahassee and We Shall All Be Healed are full novels, All Hail West Texas is a series of short stories that all tie together in Darnielle’s fictional, literary universe. In some ways, this album is Darnielle’s best; on it, he’s hitting hard and often, never reaching a lull, and the lo-fi recording strips everything down to the basic necessities: his voice and his guitar.

2003: M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts
I’ve heard it said multiple times that this is one of the seminal albums of the 00’s, and I am pretty sure I agree. As far as epic, heart-pounding electronica goes, you won’t find anything as good as this album, even in M83’s later work. The band was a duo during the making of this album, and they split soon after, and it seems the albums have followed the law of diminishing returns as a result.

2004: Jens Lekman – When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog
Mr. Jens Lekman is one of my recent heroes. This guy balances sincerity with irony like only the Swedes can do, and he does it with some catchy tunes. If Lou Reed was more about disco samples, violins, and short reflectons on bananas from 711, he might sound like this. His album last year (Night Falls Over Kortedala) got him more attention and press, but that was only because people took a while to pick up on just how great this album was.

2005: Love is All – Nine Times the Same Song
I know that our Arts & Entertainment editor, Joshua “Moshua” Schneider, would support he in calling this one of the better “garage rock” (though I hate that term, for the most part) albums of the past few years. Lead singer Josephine Olausson really charges through this album about love, television, movie marathons, and angry night spent waiting by the phone. Kevin Barnes has covered “Make Out Fall Out Make Up” on recent tours, and the album got a proper US release in 06. But they still remain relatively unknown stateside.

2006: T.I. – King
This may not be the masterpiece of southern rap, but it seems like a definite pinnacle. Fans will argue that his older stuff was far more distinct, and they might be right. But this album is so consistently catchy, memorable, and listenable, that I can forgive some artistic concessions for a wider audience. Plus, I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t like “What You Know?” In an era in which everyone complains about lyrics taking a backseat to production, nobody takes the time to appreciate a good radio hit that manages to combine great beats and good rhymes.

2007: Radical Face – Ghost
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.

So, yeah, it's a bit of a throwaway piece, but we needed to fill some space, evidently. Plus, we already have someone to talk about movies, and various people to discuss TV. So, I write about music. I plan to never attend a newspaper meeting, and provide articles to as many issues as possible. But next article, I'm not writing about albums or doing capsule reviews. Unless that's what the people call for. Because I'm a whore.

Nathaniel Tyson

PS: yeah, that's right, two pictures of Jeff in a row. guess I'm in love.

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

NATE: a name you might possibly be able to trust when desperate

"Two thumbs up, buddy."

Because I have this unexplainable urge to deluge myself with a constant stream of new sensations, I occasionally forget about some truly awesome songs/movies/articles or whatever that I encounter in my every day life.

So, with this blog acting as a way of organizing my general pop culture related musings, I figure I may as well have a "Recommended" section of the site.

That said, I'm gonna keep a running tally on stuff that tickles my fancy throughout the year over here. It's ordered loosely by preference, and I'll highlight new additions as the year goes by.

Nathaniel Tyson

I wanna look out the window of my color TV

Sometime during the middle act of Cloverfield, the main character runs into a currently-being-looted electronics store to get ahold of a new phone. As New York City burns to the ground around them, several people stare in stunned silence at the televisions in the store displaying footage of the thirty-story tall monster. Less than two minutes later, the camera leaves the store and reveals to the audience that the very newsreport that many had stood silent to watch is occuring literally down the block.

This scene is the moment I will always point to when I talk about Cloverfield. Whether literal or not, this scene works as the thesis of Cloverfield, a monster movie for 2008: less concerned with its own monster, instead focusing on how people's natural survival instincts have become secondary to the comfort that the documentation and digestion our world through images and sound provides us.

When Marshal McLuhan declared that "the medium is the message", he was stressing the oft-overlooked effect that communications media can have on our subconcious. According to McLuhan, the direct message being delivered can sometimes have a less meaningful effect than the media through which it is being delivered. In this theory, our rational and intelligent mind engages with the overt signals sent to us, but the subliminal influence on our subconciouses poses a more dire, less protected-against threat.

Surely, J.J. Abrams is familiar with McLuhan's work, which leads me to give him the benefit of the doubt in regards to the flimsy story all this media-pontificating decorates.

Of course, this is surely not the only thought driving Cloverfield, but that is what is so nice about the film, it is a monster movie that aquits itself well to multiple readings. On the surface, Cloverfield is a popcorn epic with a small twist: the entire movie is shot on handheld camera, being operated by one of the main characters. 1st person narrative films are usually considered somewhat gimmicky (and they usually are), but this small change in detail transforms the concept of Cloverfield from action film into a fascinating cultural study. The film is not so much worried about explaining the monster attacking New York City or blowing up cars as much as it is enraptured with the bizarre reactions human beings have to large-scale panic.

Unfortunately, this strength ultimately contributes to Cloverfield's weakest element: the story. While I applaud J.J.'s tactful, classy take on a "everyone dies" monster movie, the film could have used more actually affecting human emotion in its narrative. The rush we feel upon the monster's epic entrance earns enough goodwill for 45 minutes or so, but the rest of the film drags in comparison. I blame this on the lack of attention to the actual plot of the film. While the search-and-rescue story provides plenty of chances to see various portions of a destroyed New York, the sheer stupidity of it makes for a frustrating film. I assume that the characters are purposefully borderline-dislikable (they represent what one critic called the 9/11 yuppies, or the arrogance of NYCers who weren't present for the tragedy), but far too much time is spent unsuccessfully reaching for audience sympathy for one-dimensional characters. Abrams may have fared better if he had taken his character's symbolic nature all the way and excluded any unnecessary exposition from the movie. This all said, however, I managed to enjoy the film's brainy center despite the bland cookie shell.

The video camera as viewer trick aside, modern media consumption is a major thematic focus in Cloverfield. When the Statue of Liberty's head comes rolling right down the street, the dazed citizens stare in shock and confusion...and then quickly whip out their phones the get a picture of it. This need to document distaster (also seen in the fact that for some reason, our protagonist refuses to drop the stupid camcorder) has become a prevelant trend in America since someone got footage on their shitty little camera of someone flying a plane into the World Trade Center. This is what makes Cloverfield special: it's not about the monster, it's about the people REACTING to the monster, numbing themselves by putting up some sort of lens to seperate themselves from the terror around them.

While I have a moment, I might as well declare this to be one of my favorite films dealing with September 11th, with the caveat that I have avoided almost all movies more directly focused on the events.

Nathaniel Tyson

PS:

Thanks to my lovely Politics of Pop Culture professor, Susana Loza, I have become aware of one of the best websites to have ever been conceived: Stuff White People Like. The picture of sushi on the page's banner won me over instantly.

While I do admit that I feel somewhat in-on-the-joke, this entry is a definite reminder of just how disappointingly stereotypical I can be.

PPS: I don't grade films, by the way, but if you're the kind who reads reviews as thumbs-up/thumbs-down, I recommend it with some hesitation.