Anything directed by Terry Gilliam

Is pretty much worthy of seeing. I guess I saw the Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Time Bandits as a kid but I really grew to appreciate Terry Gilliam with Twelve Monkeys which inspired me to go out and rent Brazil which is awesome. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one of my all-time favorite movies. The IMDB has him listed as directing the Holy Grail and the Meaning of Life which are my two favorite Python movies. I mention this because I saw the Brothers Grimm the other day which was OK but totally worth it for the Terry Gilliam touches. My girlfriend didn't like it so-so much but I suspect that's because the french were made fun of. I think she should take a joke but I suspect I'll change my tune when we're living in France and I get tired of the American jokes.

Not Worth Renting

The Final Cut was terrible. I guess Robin Williams isn't paying so-so close attention to what he signs onto these days. The sci-fi plot was kind of neat but I'm sorry the super-fake-looking beard on the bad guy? That totally ruined it. News flash: bad guys don't have to have beards. In other news, fake beards look terrible.

Worth Renting

A Love Song for Bobby Long is out on video and not at all a bad flick especially if you have a thing for New Orleans. Lots of nice shots of the city.

Favorite Albums #10: Death Cab for Cutie- Transatlanticism

I made some decisions and decided this thing needed to be a little more current so I'm working a new album in here...one that is one of my favorites right now. I will always hold this album in high regard but I'm not sure if it'll always be this high but maybe it will be. Right now it's number 10 and that makes this kind of a snapshot of my musical tastes right now. Anyway, I heard The New Year on a mix CD and wow. What a way to start a song and what a way to start an album. This song is amazing and I was instantly a Death Cab fan and went around the next few months snatching up all their albums. Death Cab rocks. I've seen 'em live a few times and it was very much worth it. Title and Registration (the glove compartment song) is quite rockin. This whole album and Death Cab in general is just all around solid. Good quality music. The Sound of Settling is another cool song I love. I'm not sure if I should have put the Postal Service album or another one of Death Cab's albums here but it's done. We Looked Liked Giants is another favorite of mine off this album. And there you go. Top ten albums.

Favorite Albums #9: Stereolab- Dots & Loops

This was my first Stereolab album and really opened up my eyes to electronica. Before this album I was really pretty much an Indie Rock & Roll kid and this album sort of made me see that that wasn't where indie ended, that it went on to other places. I was instantly hooked on this album and went on a crusade (which I have just recently finished) to collect all the Stereolab albums...and it was worth it. Stereolab are pretty kickin' and I thought I needed to blurb about them and this was my first album of theirs and it was very important in my life so it comes in here at number 9. If I can figure out number 10 today I'll be caught up except for today's post but I'm thinkin' of ending it at 10 so that may be it for today.

Favorite Albums #8: Magnetic Fields- Holiday

Wow, I'm pretty far behind. Stephin Merritt needs a nod on this thing...his music is amazing...the man deserves to be known as one of the great composers of all-time. Probably my kind words do me more good than him but I'll say them anyway. It's a tough call which is the better album between Get Lost and Holiday but I have noticed that I tend to play Holiday more so I think it must be my favorite. Stephin Merritt not only has this inspiration for composition but a great voice as well. Perhaps one of the best things about the Magnetic fields is not only are the lyrics great but they're sung clearly enough for everyone to understand them and this then gives everyone the chance to appreciate them. Claudia Gonson has a great voice too but on Holiday Merritt does all of the singing himself. I really love all the songs on this album but in particular Desert Island, Swinging London, and Sugar World are some of my current favorites. When I first bought the album it was Deep Sea Diving Suit and Take Ecstasy With Me and those two haven't lost their charms, the others have just grown on me so much. I think this happens to everybody with their favorite albums...songs that were less appreciated at first kind of blossom and overcome the instant favorites. Strange powers and The Flowers She Sent and the Flowers She Said She Sent are some other songs off this wonderful album that I treasure.

Favorite Albums #7: Yo La Tengo- Electr-O-Pura

I have again used my anti-writer's block technique to come up with this entry. This is another big-time glaring omission on my part and probably should be ranked higher. Oh, well. My apologies to Yo La. This album played no small part in forming my current thoughts, feelings, and preferences in music. I think the thing I really like about it is the richness. There's never just one thing going on or at least it never feels that way. I think there may be points when all the instruments fade out except for one persistent theme but that just adds to the effect. It just feels like I can never get bored because there is just that much complexity. The other thing is I think Yo La is basically the best folk group ever. Something about Ira's singing and lyrics makes it folk for me and it's that richness that makes them the best folk group ever. I guess they're sort of like folk-electronic fusion. Probably lots of people have said that before but I don't spend a lot of time reading rock critics...I just form my own opinions based on the music. And I think you should too but maybe I can tip you off to some good albums or maybe you'll find my blatherings amusing. I've got Electropura on right now and I don't want to write, I just want to listen. It's an amazing album and you should hear it for yourself and I'll end it there.

Favorite Albums #6: Guided By Voices- Alien Lanes

So I was suffering from a bit of writer's block and maybe that's why I'm about a day behind. To get over it I just had a look over all my albums and tried to figure out which one I was missing. This one jumped out and bit me and I am pretty sure I should have ranked it higher. What's done is done. Bob Pollard, if you're reading this, I'm sorry you didn't make it into the top five. You should have. This was entirely my fault. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry. I popped the album in the computer's cdrom drive and I've been getting lost in the music and writing a lot slower than normal. Watch me Jumpstart is amazing. Heck, all the songs on this album are pretty much amazing. The real question is which are the most amazing. Which are more amazing than amazing? I'm gonna go with Watch me Jumpstart, As We Go Up We Go Down, Game of Pricks, A Good Flying Bird, Closer You Are, Motor Away, My Valuable Hunting Knife, Blimps Go 90, Straw Dogs, Little Whirl, My Son Cool, and Alright. Ok, now everbody listen up: these are my favorites. Just my personal preference. Like if I like chocolate ice cream and you like strawberry ice cream, nobody is wrong. Just like that. I'm sure all of you have your own personal favorites and we may agree or disagree but that's the way things go. The whole album is great. If you're reading and don't already own it, go out, go right now, yes, right now, and buy it. You won't regret it.

Favorite Albums #5: Built to Spill- There's nothing wrong with love

Sorry that this is late but yesterday was busy or whatever. Anyway, I had to give a shout out to Built to Spill by mentioning my favorite album by them sooner than later. Holly Johnson (who would later break my heart into about a million pieces) introduced me to this album by putting a couple of songs off it on a mix tape. Car, Fling, and Twin Falls (Idaho) are some of my all time favorite songs. Big Dipper and In the Morning are also some kickin songs off this album. I'm listening to it right now and well Car is playing and it's just about moved me to the point I can't write anymore. Peace. I would also like to see movies of my dreams.

Favorite Albums #4: Sebadoh - Bakesale

In another attempt to give a shout out to one of my favorite bands I'm putting my favorite Sebadoh album right up here at number four. Sebadoh is rockin and so is this album. License to Confuse? So good. I'm wound tighter than a magnet's coil is another lyric for me from an awesome song. Skull is another favorite of mine. S. Soup is an awesome song for rockin out to plus the lyrics are quite awesome. Rebound is the ultimate awesome surprise hidden in the middle of an album. I love it when bands do that. When you've got a song so awesome it could be the first or third song on the album but you've already got awesome first and third songs, yeah, go ahead and plant it way down in the middle somewhere. It kind of gives it like a record or tape feel...like when albums used to have two sides and there was gonna be a kickin' start to the second side. Anybody know what the configuration of this album was on tape? It's from '94 so I guess it musta come out on tape, right? Finally Drama Mine is an awesome song and Together or Alone is an awesome end to this album. Yeah, song order is important and Sebadoh did a friggin great job with this one.

Favorite Albums #3: Superchunk- Foolish

I must admit that I'm trying to spread the love around here and pay tribute to all of my favorite bands and so I really felt like Superchunk needed some recognition here at the top of the list. Foolish was another very influential album for me...I think it was the first Superchunk album I ever bought...I hadn't even heard Superchunk before and bought the album again on a friend's suggestion. I think it was the same friend- my High School friend Jim whose taste in music I respected enormously at the time. Anyway I think we were in Hoboken and I was looking at Foolish kind of thinking about buying it and Jim wandered over and said "So Good!" I bought it and brought it home and popped it into the stereo. I was hooked. It was a perfect album for me in High School and continues to be a perfect album for me. I feel like this album validates me. Like it's ok to feel the way I feel sometimes because Superchunk does too. I'm not going to blather on about the history behind this album...if you want to find out, I'm sure google will tell you. Superchunk has always been a favorite band of mine and I really think this is my favorite album by them. End of story. Peace.

Favorite Albums #2: Pavement- Slanted and Enchanted

Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement was always the album I put on when rushing home after a hard exam in undergrad. It always made me feel everything was OK and just forget about the stupid exam and relax. The opening four songs made me relax and just chill and forget about things. Conduit For Sale (track 5) then made me feel like I was doing good by just trying and that perhaps there were outside factors out of my control that I shouldn't blame myself for. Then Zhurich is Stained (track 6) made me really feel like it wasn't my fault. After that I was completely free to just enjoy the rest of the album and then get on with my life. Two States is a fun song. Sorry I didn't post this yesterday. I'll make it up by posting two today. For now, I should go and figure out what number 3 is!!

Favorite Albums: #1: Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation

I will never forget when I first heard Daydream Nation. It was the summer of 1996 and I was about to leave for college. I had Dirty and Goo at that point and decided to pick up this older album on a friend's suggestion. It really changed my impression of Sonic Youth if not my life. Teen Age Riot was simply the best way to start off an album. I was hooked right away. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't heard this masterpiece yet so I'm going to be skimpy on the details. Suffice to say The Sprawl, Total Trash, Candle, and Hey Toni, and Eric's Trip are some favorites songs of mine. The whole album is pretty rockin. I want to know the story behind Providence. Anyone? Lemme know if you do...

My favorite albums

A la High Fidelity I like top 5 / top 10 lists. So I'm going to try and go through my record collection and rank order everything and write up a little blurb on the album. One per day. Starting with number one and going down from there. Lists that make you wait 'till the end for the best stuff suck. Next post is number 1!

Howl's Moving Castle

newer good Japaneese anime. you'll like it. trust me. just go see it, ok?

more good movies

Spirited Away. Cool new Japaneese animation.

One Hour Photo. Worth it for the scene of Robin Williams in the bathroom.

Talk to Her. Cool movie in Spanish about people in love with people in comas.

The Good Girl. Jennifer Aniston playing someone trapped in suburban America.

City of Lost Children. Cool French movie by the director of Amelie.

Adaptation. Nicholas Cage in a movie from the writer of Being John Malkovitch.

indie movies i like

Memento is a movie about some dude who can’t make new memories. The movie starts at the end of the story and ends at the beginning and moves in five minute stretches to give you the feel for what it would be like not to be able to make new memories.

Run, Lola, Run was out in theaters, oh geez, was it 2000 sometime? It’s a movie about some young German lady who needs to get some ludicrously large amount of money in some ludicrously small amount of time in order to save her boyfriend from being whacked by some German mob dudes or gangsters or something. It goes through four different scenarios where she tries, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, to get the cash in any way possible.

my dorky side's favorite lyric

Built to Spill, a canonical indie rock band, sings on their new album, Ancient Melodies of the Future, (kick-arse album name, eh?) “observing the process will change it.” Sorry, but I think the whole Schrodenger's Cat thing is cool.

BEST (OR WORST) ALBUM TO LISTEN TO WHILE DRIVING

The Magnetic Fields are an indie band who have this interesting habit of making really short albums that you can sing along with. The singing along with bit makes them (for me at least) good albums to listen to while on long car trips. The short part makes them really terrible to listen to on long car trips since if you leave your CD player on repeat, you’ll hear a half-hour album six times in a three-hour driving stretch. So anyway, they put out an album all about traveling called Charm of the Highway Strip that has some really freaking great lyrics but is only a half-hour long (for the love of Mike!). Not only are the lyrics well sung, creative, and emotional but there are also some fabulous backing beats. There’s also a stupid friggin’ harpsichord, which is mixed in way too loud on track #2. However track #2 also contains the heart-breakingly sung lyric “your eyes are the Mesa Verde, big and brown and far away.” It hurts me just to think about it.

Hello World!

hi there world. i am going to attempt to make some scratch on the side by posting some of my ramblings about indie rock. and life, the universe, and everything. wish me luck!