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Friday, 22 August 2008

Currently Listening
Vs the Greatest of All Time
By Archers of Loaf
see related
Paste magazine and review ratings; Archers of Loaf; the rise of historical fiction; Last.fm

In the most recent issue of Paste, editor Josh Jackson revealed that the magazine's recent decision to drop any form of review rating was the most unpopular choice made by the publication's creative staff. They received a torrent of mail about it, more than on any other topic. (The magazine, for the record, had a zero-to-five rating system, and as of the most recent issue has a 100 point scale.) I was in the minority with the decision; I thought by dropping the rating system, people could actually focus on the reviews and what they said. But, as the feedback suggested, readers were more interested in looking at the rating and judging purchases off of that. I guess I can see from where they're coming — busy adults don't have time to read! Not to critique peoples' actions too much, though, but it all boils down to some fundamental differences; I'm more interested in learning about music by reading and slowly investigating (and make purchases based on that), while others are more interested in the consumption of music (and learning through their trial and error). I like my way better.

Chapel Hill, NC band Archers of Loaf made some really noisy pop music, and I love it. Sure, they broke up almost a decade ago — and they definitely have a fair number of bum tracks — but when they're on, they're on. I just wanted to give my support in print; while they're a band that maybe, oh, 90% of my friends would hate, I think they were brilliant. It might seem oxymoronical, but the two best words to describe them are "abrasive" and "catchy." Go Loaf!

Historical fiction — novels set in a non-contemporary era — is crowding shelves in bookstores. At least, it seems like it is. Historical fiction is generally appealing, though, especially as we forget more and more about generations past. I'm currently reading a novel that's set during the draft riots in New York City that took place in the 1860s. It's well-researched and compelling. I guess for every novel like this, though, there's a bodice-ripping romance that takes place on the Scottish moors. Which treads the fine line between historical fiction and crap.

Last.fm is an amazing website. Not only does it track everything you listen to on your computer (or MP3 player, or whatever else), but it catalogs it all and gives you a good idea about what you listen to and why you like it. But the site is also adding more features, like full versions of countless songs, with more appearing daily. It's free to join, so music nuts, go to it! (My profile is here, if you want a good idea of what the site is like.)

Monday, 04 August 2008

Currently Listening
Coming to Terms with Gravity
By Southeast Engine
see related
Dead Street; Bruce Campbell...novelist?; This Is England; Southeast Engine

Legendary pulp novelist Mickey Spillane died two years ago. At the time, he was working on no less than four novels, including one that wrapped up his long-running Mike Hammer series. I'm currently reading Dead Street, Spillane's final non-Hammer crime novel. It's most first exposure to the man's writings and, despite a fairly good rapport with critics, I must say it's pretty awful. I'm not sure how it compares to his other work, but it's so hard-boiled that it feels like parody — except that it's dead serious. It's enjoyable, to a degree. But I have to muffle laughter occasionally; not only is the premise hilariously bad (aging tough cop Jack Stang finds out that his long-lost love is still alive after twenty years missing! And knows nuclear secrets! And immediately woos him despite amnesia and blindness!), but the first-person narrative bleeds lunk-headed machismo. I had to wipe the machismo off of my monitor, in fact. I hope this typical Spillane, as his name is mentioned in the same breath as James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler, two hard-boiled novelists that actually wrote, you know, good books.

Bruce Campbell has done his fair share of direct-to-DVD titles, Sci Fi channel specials and video game narration work. He's also done everyone else's fair share too. But the reigning king of B movies also writes novels. His autobiography If Chins Could Kill was a modest hit, especially with Campbell's huge fanbase. His novel Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way is...I still don't know, and I finished it a few days ago. It's semi-fictional; Campbell is the main character, and the majority of the characters are real people. The story revolves around Campbell's preparation as the major supporting character in an honest-to-goodness A-list film titled Let's Make Love. There are plenty of high jinx, as Campbell always paints himself as both well-meaning AND clumsy. Campbell's character ends up ruining the picture, in a roundabout way, and the trip there is filled with some funny insight into the film industry. But it also has a metric ton of sophomoric jokes and crude almost-laughs, which end up making it mildly funny, if that. The book actually gets better in the second half, a rarity in the arts. But despite the fun Photoshop sight gags on each page and some clever puns, the book is only half fun. This is a great case where the idea works better than the execution.

Shane Meadows's This Is England is a powerful, powerful film. The English filmmaker's semi-autobiographical tale follows a young boy looking for acceptance in early '80s England. He finds it in the company of local skinheads. The acting is top-notch, especially the untrained 13-year-old lead. The message is powerful without being cliched (Crash) or preachy (American History X). The movie is filled with coarse language, but if you can handle it, do yourself a favor and watch it.

Southeast Engine's recent A Wheel Within a Wheel was one of my favorite albums of the past year, so I checked out their earlier Coming to Terms With Gravity. And it's just as good, a near-perfect blend of Appalacian-style folk, indie pop, roots rock and country. Give it a spin!

Monday, 28 July 2008

least favorite movies; Battlestar Galactica; The Diamond Age

People — critics, film buffs, casual moviegoers — like to list their favorites films. But what about their least favorite movies? I think it's a good sign that, overall, people can rattle off movies they like without pause. Take a moment to think of some movies you dislike (and why). Feel free to share. Dismissing entire genres outright doesn't count.

For me:
Braveheart — I can't think of much that I enjoy about this movie. I'm in an extreme minority for not liking this, I know, but to me, it's comes from the same sort of mind that applauds John Eldredge's book Wild at Heart. (A bad thing.)

The Wild Bunch — Sam Peckinpah was a ridiculously talented director, but most of his movies leave me feeling empty and depressed. The Wild Bunch, maybe his most celebrated film, wallows in a near endless void of depravity. I'm not the first person to recognize that westerns are an excellent genre to shows shades of moral gray, but when everything is as grimy, sticky, shallow, bloated, and nihilistic as the landscape of The Wild Bunch, then count me out.

After wrapping up the first season of the Sci Fi Channel's recent remake of Battlestar Galactica, I must say — it's promising. But not great, at least yet. Some of the acting is top-notch (especially Edward James Olmos and Michael Hogan, both veteran actors), some of it is not. The story has major lulls, and it seems like the producers tried to spice it up and sell the hot younger actors over anything else. I've been told these both improve in the subsequent seasons — if that's the case, I do want to watch more, since these are the major flaws so far. I really like the hard realism, though — the relative soundlessness of space is captivating, as are the way they handle space combat. And the reversal of traditional West vs. the rest worldviews (especially considering that the good guys are polytheists and the robotic Cylons are monotheists) can lead to some interesting discussion. I'm just hoping the peaks and valleys, in terms of quality, of the next three seasons aren't so drastic.

Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age gets a big thumbs up from me. It's set about 100 years in the future — traditional country structures have been dissolved, replaced with cultural-based 'phyles.' While it's a big post-cyberpunk coming-of-age story, of a sorts, it's also many other things — a slightly tongue-in-cheek spin on Victorian-era literature, an exploration of the possibilities of nanotechnology, a critique of the insufficiencies of Artificial Intelligence, and most interestingly, a very moral look into how we raise our children and the impact society has on them. In typical Stephenson fashion, the novel is a sprawling mess; if you're accustom to easy flowing plot points, you're going to hate this. But it works. And man, the ideas! The whole idea of an illustrated primer — an interactive book that acts as a sort of personal, personalized teacher for a young child — is both very far-looking and very plausible. Kudos, Neal.

Sunday, 27 July 2008

Currently Watching
Arrested Development - Season Three
By Arrested Development
see related
We're gonna build somethin' this summer

Arrested Development is filled with too many in-jokes, doesn't give audiences any characters to sympathize with, is too self-referential, punishes casual viewers, and doesn't give the audience any breathing room. And this is why it's perfect. (And it's also why the television show was canceled.) I finished the third and final season today (PLUG: all three seasons are free to watch on Hulu.com!), and loved every minute of it. I loved "Free Chicken" magic show. I loved the Church & State Fair. I loved Judge Reinhold's ridiculous cameo. I loved war between the frozen banana stands. I loved the climax of episode "Mr. F," maybe the funniest thing I've seen this year? The humor is sharp — maybe too sharp? — and I've been laughing a good deal over some of the jokes. And I just can't get over the fact that there's a character named Bob Loblaw, for instance. Say it out loud. It's so dense that I can't wait to start watching again from season one. If you want to join me, let me know.

I've also really gotten a lot of mileage out of The Hold Steady's Stay Positive, their fourth and latest album. The Twin Cities-by-way-of-Brooklyn quintet make a lot of sing-along songs. Stay Positive isn't perfect — I agree with the critics that say it pales compared to their previous album, Boys and Girls in America — but there is nothing bad about it. One of the big things that does it for me is Craig Finn's vocal delivery; he's been taking voice classes, I've read, and it works. A song like "Constructive Summer" would not be as bombastic if Finn stuck with the monotone spoken-word thing he was doing a few years ago. Misses and self-destructive worldview aside, Stay Positive has a good number of scream-at-the-top-of-your lungs tracks that make me think of a louder, street-ready Springsteen. The afore-mentioned "Constructive Summer" may be my favorite song this year; it's loud and catchy, with Tad Kubler's guitar bristling and snapping over melodic little solo-y bits before reining back in again. And despite being (basically) about kids destroying themselves between school terms with hard partying, it's part cautionary tale and part cathartic exercise. "We're gonna build somethin' this summer," Finn sings, almost like he knows it's not going to happen. "Let this be our annual reminder that we can all be something bigger."

I'm getting close to finishing up Neal Stephenson's great novel, The Diamond Age. It's a good book for many reasons, but the ideas — the core of any great science fiction work — are what really shimmer. There's so much to let sink in, some of the socio-political ideas are incredibly interesting. I'll probably have more to mention later.

And how 'bout that Watchmen trailer? As a long-time fan of the graphic novel (I taught a book discussion on the thing!), I'm starting to think that director Zach Snyder as least will have the visuals down.

Saturday, 26 July 2008

I deleted my old Xanga for a number of reasons, one of the biggest being that it's an eyesore. (Not to mention that — no matter how many bells and whistles added — it feels like MySpace grad school.)

But it has a good community. And while I've whittled my blogging down to occasional reviews here, I wanted a loose, laid-back place to journal thoughts on the arts.

Here we go.