Current Favorites

I wrote a couple of music reviews that Fidel Castro said are the shizzinit. So why not put them on Current Favorites since they won't be seen anywhere else.

Music

Dolorean You Can't Win

Are you wearing out your Wilco albums? Have you always preferred your Neil Young “Helpless”? Then Portland, OR band Dolorean want to be your drinking buddy. On their third proper album, You Can’t Win, lead singer and songwriter Al James explores just that idea, “You can’t win”, to a resigned and heartbreaking end.

While their sound isn’t terribly original, it has a haunting quality. It’s heavily indebted to the aforementioned Neil Young and Wilco. James’ voice lacks a lot of the dynamism of a Young or Tweedy however, and it never moves away from their most melancholy elements.
That’s not to say that You Can’t Win is a bad album. On the contrary. Opening with the title track, a keyboard drone slowly moves to the forefront as James repeats “You can’t win” like a mantra. From here, Dolorean doesn’t stray far from a folksy feel. Piano on “We Winter Wrens” conjures up a countrified Counting Crows and shows a brief glimpse of whimsical melody. However, James’ voice never goes above a disheartened mumble, tempering the track’s attempts at building momentum.

This often suits James, such as on the standout track “Beachcomber Blues”, which aches with each refrain. But just as often, James sounds like he’s about to fall asleep at the mic. James doesn’t have an optimistic bone in his body. Whereas similar acts like Jason Collett are defined by an undaunted optimism, Dolorean leave no room for that sort of thing. You Can’t Win has no rousing rockers.

This could hurt the disc a lot more, except that You Can’t Win creates perfect atmosphere. And in this atmosphere, the lyrics come to the forefront. James is a talented writer, and nowhere is it more apparent than on “What a Bottle Can Do”. While sticking to a familiar theme of drinking to forgot a lost love, the song avoids cliché. It celebrates getting rid of thought, be it through drinking or less destructive means.

In the end, the album feels like a quiet walk on brisk autumn day. As James sings in “What a Bottle Can Do”, “I’ve grown quite fond of what one bottle can do.” In a sense, the album replicates that feeling well. It’s a numb feeling that doesn’t feel bad or good. But it can be beautiful. You Can’t Win makes itself a perfect companion for a melancholy day when winning seems just out of reach.

7/10

Suggested Tracks: “Beachcomber Blues”, “Buffalo Gal”, “What One Bottle Can Do”

Nurse & Soldier Marginalia

Boasting a band name that sounds like a kinky game played by bored couples, “Nurse & Soldier” drop Marginalia. A band with this name should conjure up some Harlequin scene with some romantic, pre-WWI type of connotation to it. However, “kinky” is a more apt description of what Marginalia isn’t.

Strange, then, that much of Marginalia music reminds the listener of Tricky’s classic Maxinquaye, which is hyper-sexed in a so wrong it’s right sort of way. Beyond sharing a romantically linked man-woman duo (Oneida front man Bobby Matador and Erica Fletcher are the Soldier and Nurse respectively), the two albums are so divorced from a grounded reality that it leads the listener to start thinking in new ways.

To say they hold much more in common, would be stretching things farther than they should really go. First of all, Maxinquaye is a much better album, and to suggest that Marginalia plays in its league would be far too generous. However, while I’m selling Nurse & Soldier’s effort short, I don’t mean to. It’s still an interesting album.

Most interesting is the album’s notable lack of percussion. This functions to create the aforementioned schism from grounded reality, notably on tracks like “Green Tea” and “North of Baltimore”. Both employ an organ drone, but “North of Baltimore” gets better results, letting Fletcher’s vocals float over the proceedings. While the drums find their way into some songs, it’s to add a dose of conventionality, such as in “Lies and Alterations”, which, while serviceable on their own, function to bring down the atmosphere of the overall album.

When Nurse & Soldier remain atmospheric they stay strong. However, only with very rare occasion do they create something coherent. “Green Tea” is notable for being interesting but never actually going anywhere, ultimately frustrating. Only on “In the Dark” and “North of Baltimore” do Nurse & Soldier really bring it all together. In most cases, like “Imaginary Friend”, they’re content to just let distorted guitar wash over the listener. It’s effective, if not completely compelling.

While this is interesting, it would be nice if Nurse & Soldier grounded themselves with something. Maxinquaye had sex to connect it to the ground. Nurse & Soldier, like idle thoughts that flit from the minds attention before proper time can be given to them, comes and goes before they have much of an impact. It’s fun listening for awhile, but nothing will hook you in for later.

7/10

Suggested Track: "North of Baltimore", "In Yr Corner", "Lies and Alterations"

Movies

I was happy to see Martin Scorcese win an Oscar. Well, I didn't see it, I heard about it. But, hey the guy deserves it, and The Departed was a hell of a film to win it for.

Some movies I saw recently.

Chinatown - While I almost fell asleep during it, this is more of an idictment of my job than of the movie. Highly recommended. 8/10

Marie Antoinette - A good movie. It humanizes the French royals to an extent that is very impressive. The use of modern music was a good move. Bonus points for using The Strokes' "What Ever Happened" in the movie. One of my favorite songs ever. The girlfriend seemed extremely conflicted and was apparently having some sort of existential crisis. I on the other hand was not nearly so affected. 7/10

Books

Natsume Soseki Kokoro - I had to read this for my East Asia class. It's a quick read and deceptively simple. But there's a wealth of stuff in their. According to the experts, its about loneliness. I guess I get that, but I thought it had a Goodbye to All That, "The Times They Are A' Changin'" type of vibe to it. It's the best book I've read in awhile. 8/10

Current Favorites

So Fidel emailed me the other day, saying he appreciated the extremely non-gay Valentine I sent. Let's just say I don't spare anything for my favorite dictator. Anyways, he also said that even better than a valentine would be a Current Favorites. And who am I to refuse?

I've been listening to a bit of new music, but nothing is terribly great. I picked up The Broken West's I Can't Go On, I'll Go On and I'll recommend it. Nothing terribly interesting to be said about it by moi. 7/10 on that one. Check out "So It Goes" and "Down in the Valley" for the hot trax.

Now I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Boris and Michio Kurihara's album Rainbow. Now, I haven't listened to the whole thing, since I'm not in the habit of hunting down albums only available in Japan. But there are scraps available, like here. "Starship Narrator" is the best thing available there. I'm a sucker for hot shit guitar, and this one has it in spades. The song is a 9/10.

I also picked up Nurse & Soldier's Marginalia which is a strong effort. I might post a full review later, but I'd say it's a high 6/10.

I haven't been watching many movies...but, oh well.

But I did start reading again. And while the book I'm reading is for a class, I still say it counts. It's called Kokoro, it's Japanese, and at about the 3/4 mark, it's very good. It seems to be coinciding with a Japan kick, so that helps it go down smooth.

Until next time...Konichiwa Bitches!

Current Favorites

Music

Well, the Pazz & Jop poll came out. How did my top five fare?

1) The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America ended up at #4 on the poll. This sort of sums up how I feel about the album. Yeah it was a great album, but not a Great album. It doesn't really deserve number one (and in a less off year, they would have probably not been my number one). #4 seems just right.

2) Sonic Youth Rather Ripped ended up #12. This is my favorite Sonic Youth album since Daydream Nation. This is a top five album, but it seems that many critics tempered their enthusiasm for this record. I'll admit that it loses a little steam by the end, but this has always been a problem for Sonic Youth. Only Daydream Nation remains vital through the whole disc. But they can put together stretches better than anyone. And I can't think of a better three song stretch than "Reena", "Incinerate", and "Do You Believe in Rapture".

3) Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood found its way to #8. There's been plenty of time to digest this album, and it only gets better with time. Case's enigmatic storytelling just gets more interesting with each listen, and that voice just tempers any frustration. If the year lasted another two months, it might have gotten even higher.

4) Jason Collett Idols of Exile was not ranked! Even High School Musical got a vote. So this album was not really on the radar this year. Which is too bad. Collett wrote some fine music and as a lyricist, he managed to be more interesting to me than the new Bob Dylan.

5) Beirut Gulag Orkestar ended up #74. Good for it...to be honest, I've cooled a little bit towards this album. While initially the foriegn sound exhilerated and demanded repeat listenings, it revealed itself to be two (maybe three) songs strong, and "Postcards From Italy" wears thin after too many listens. However, the Lon Gisland EP looks like Beirut might be going in a more interesting direction. One can hope...

As for this year's music, I've been digesting The Broken West's I Can't Go On, I'll Go On. It's got some catchy stuff and it's pretty easy to get into, but it's a bit disposable. Nothing's reeled me in yet. But I've said that before and eaten my words. So I'll give it a little time.

Well until next time, lick it up mutt, that's all you're getting for today...

Current Favorites

Yeah, it's been awhile since I fired off a current favorites. But the NY Times said my boy Castro was looking frisky in a recent appearance with Hugo Chavez, so I figured I'd commemorate the occasion with a Current Favorites.

Music

Deerhoof Friend Opportunity

Being a bit obsessive about music, I monitor the “Top 25 Most Played Songs” feature on iTunes more than I probably should. That being said, this past week something unprecedented happened. Deerhoof’s “Galaxist” dropped like a bomb shot all the way up to number two. I played the thing 21 times in the past week. There’s something to be said for a song that can do that. The last one to ever reach that level of play was Spoon’s “Sister Jack”. There’s something about certain songs that just lend themselves to being played over and over. That something is being catchy and short. And if I were to use two words to describe Deerhoof’s Friend Opportunity it would be catchy and short.

Friend Opportunity is catchy in that quirky way to be sure, but it doesn’t take much effort to fall into its trap. Sure its unconventional, but the thing is loaded with hooks. It abounds with little vocal quirks that you keep humming to yourself no matter how absurd they sound. (Case in point, I was singing the part of the silly “Kidz Are So Small” that goes “If I were man and you a dog I’d throw a stick for you” and my special lady friend said “Oh well thank you!”. These are moments that will likely happen to you when you start humming things from Friend Opportunity. And hum you shall).

Friend Opportunity also lingers for only a short period. Clocking in at just over 36 minutes and keeping the majority of its songs around the 3 minute mark, Friend Opportunity makes the most of your attention span. Interestingly, the least interesting track, “Look Away”, closes out the album for an unwelcome 11:45 seconds. If you don’t pay attention, it’s like it’s not even there.

Is Friend Opportunity going to reorient everything you ever believed about music? No, but it will probably give you about 7 songs that will stay in your head and make you smile. 8/10

Suggested Tracks: “Galaxist”, “+81”, “Matchbook Seeks Maniac”

Movies

The last two movies I watched seem to be overwhelmingly pretentious...but, well, let's face it, I'm a little pretentious. Just ask my special lady friend...

Me, You, and Everyone We Know - A movie that's weirdness might make someone think it's more special than it really is. It has things that seem like they should be shocking, but end up feeling kind of innocent. Overall, it's a feel good movie disguised as something arty. Not that this is a bad thing. It ends up being quite satisfying overall, and it's quirkiness gives it a little extra charm you couldn't find in a typical romantic comedy. 7/10

The Motorcycle Diaries - Typically I feel pretty ambivilent towards biopics. No matter how well made they are, I always feel a bit dissatisfied afterwards. I usually like a little more of a story to something besides, "this is a great person's life". In addition, there's the annoyance factor of knowing something about their lives and seeing it happen on screen that always makes it seem a little forced. I once watched that Elvis biopic on CBS a couple years ago, and I couldn't get over how forced the whole recording session scene felt. It was if the director was trying to say "THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! WATCH!!!" This always seems to happen during these types of things, I suppose, because some of those moments just don't seem real as they've been turned into legend. It seems that a filmmaker has to be ridiculously subtle in those sorts of instances...which, to be honest, not many filmakers have the ability to do.

Somehow, someway, The Motorcycle Diaries is able to keep these moments to a minimum. It makes a movie that's less about Che Guevera than a movie that happens to have Che Guevera in it. Perhaps it benefits from takling only a portion of his life (especially a portion that is fairly unfamiliar to American audiences). Perhaps I was unable to pick up on cringe-worthy subtleties since I don't speak Spanish that I pick up on in English language movies. But regardless, there was only one really forced exchange. Where young Che 'learns' of Communism from a mention by some indiginous people. Um, forced maybe? But compare that to say, Ray, which made me cringe every fifteen minutes or so...

8/10

That's all for now...I quit reading books...

Current Favorites, 2006 Edition

I've read two or three articles hating on end of year retrospectives. I don't understand this...I love end of year retrospectives. I'm a nostalgic person I suppose...so poo on you naysayers. It's a bit belated but here is the Unencumbered Enthusiasm Year in Review.

Best Songs of the Year:

5) "Bitter Tea" The Fiery Furnaces - The schizophrenic nature of the double F's can sometimes be frustrating, but then they hit on something that is so brilliant in the short burst setting that they use, that it makes the song. That refrain is just brilliant.

4) "We All Lose One Another" Jason Collet - In the short bursts of time that I was able to listen to music on my trip to Toronto this summer, I listened to this song. It's a song built for car rides, watching the landscape speed by. It's a nostalgic person's wet dream...

3) "The Needle Has Landed" Neko Case - This soundtracked my super trip from Flagstaff, AZ to Winona, MN this spring. It connected, I suppose, because of the line about the Greyhound Station popped up and got stuck in my head whilst waiting at the Greyhound Station in Flagstaff waiting for the bus to take me to Phoenix.

2) "Incinerate" Sonic Youth - My favorite SY songs since "Teenage Riot". The guitars make the song, and the work just seems better and more mind blowing with each listen.

1) "Stuck Between Stations" The Hold Steady - What a triumph...I saw this for the first time when I went to a Hold Steady show in Baltimore. I knew they had a new best song when Finn shouted, "We drink and we dry up and now we crumple in the dust". Then as the guitar responded, you tell Finn dug it just as much as the rest of us. I don't think The Hold Steady can top this one.

Top Albums:

To be honest, I didn't really listen to that much new music this year, so my sample size is pretty limited. But here's a top five anyway:

5) Beirut Gulag Orkestar
4) Jason Collett Idols of Exile
3) Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
2) Sonic Youth Rather Ripped
1) The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America

Most disappointing album of the year:

Beck The Information I just kept trying to like this album, but the fact remains...it's boring...

As for movies...um, I could give you a top five list, but I can only think of two very good movies from 2006:

2) Scoop - Ridiculously entertaining movie...just because Woody Allen isn't making "Annie Hall" anymore, doesn't mean he's making crap. This was my favorite movie of the year until the best movie of the year came out:

1) The Departed - Best movie I've seen in quite some time. Just plain amazing. If this doesn't win Best Picture...I mean...seriously, what else could possibly win best picture?

Well, there you go...best music, best movies...fun times for everyone!

Current Favorites

Now that I'm back in Wisconsin, I have a little bit of time to write up a nice little Current Favorites. The problem being that I didn't really watch many movies or read much. I did get two new albums while I was on vacation, but I haven't gotten a chance to listen to them much. But I'll try to give a half assed opinion on them.

Of course, that doesn't mean this Current Favorites isn't special. Of course not monsieurs and madames! You will get reviews of Florida and Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC tourist attractions. Fantastic!

Music

Whilst on vacation, I found time to pick up the new Beck album and The Hold Steady album. The Beck album, The Information on its first listen was pretty dissappointing. I think the word for it was blah...But I'll give it more of a chance. I didn't like Guero much, but it worked it's way up from "awful" to get full on "mediocre" status.

As for The Hold Steady, it's obvious their still pumping out interesting music. When I went and saw The Hold Steady in Baltimore on October 2, I was worried because I felt like the new songs were inferior to their earlier work. But on my computer speakers, they're sounding better and better. What I don't like is that Craig Finn's pulled back on his vocal stylings to make them a bit more conventional. I liked how Finn's singing was a character in and of itself. But the sacrifice pays off on some songs, like "First Night" and the absolutely phenomenal "Stuck Between Stations", though it hurts songs like "Chips Ahoy!". I'm still getting to know the album, but my initial feeling is that it's not as good as Almost Killed Me or Separation Sunday but it's a direction the band had to take, and is going to pay off.

Travel

Miami - There are times when I'm in a place, and it just makes me think, "Wow, they specifically designed this place for _______." Miami was specifically designed for my sister, or at least South Beach is...shopping galore, beautiful beach right on hand, and she could get herself a scooter so that she wouldn't have to walk too much. That being said, while Miami was not specifically designed for me, there was plenty to enjoy. South Beach is highly recommended, as is a trip to a Marlins game if you get the chance. 7/10

Key West - I'm not sure if I know anyone that Key West is specifically designed for, but that's because I'm not big with the Jimmy Buffet crowd. However, Duval Street was a fun walk, plus I went parasailing, a highly recommended activity. 7/10

Washington DC - For a history nerd, there are quite a few cool things to be found here. I'm sure it's even cooler for politics nerds. The monuments are a must, as well as the Holocaust museum, which takes a lot longer than we thought it would, but it was worth it. The only problem is that we didn't have enough time to do everything, especially since almost everything is closed at five. Once that happens, the scene kind of dies. 8/10

Presidential Housing - I took the opportunity to visit Mt. Vernon and Monticello while in the area. Both are excellent ways of humanizing the founding fathers. If you only have time for one, I'd go with Mt. Vernon, there's just so much more there. However, the Monticello house tour is a bit nicer (mostly because the house itself is just nicer). Mt. Vernon gets an 8/10, Monticello a high 7/10.

Baltimore - I can't really give a review of the city itself, as I didn't spend that much time there. I went there to see The Hold Stead at the Ottobar, which wasn't the best venue in the world, but The Hold Steady played it well. Still felt they put on a better show in Madison, however. 7/10

On this manic Monday...Current Favorites is still here...later folks.

Current Favorites

After he held up a copy of Noam Chomsky’s book, I was a bit remorseful due to the fact that Hugo Chavez and I hadn’t kept better relations. Perhaps then, Unencumbered Enthusiasm would be on the world’s mind. But alas, I don’t write left wing literature, I write fantastic literature…or at least my mother says so (hi mom!). And no one can account for Mr. Chavez’s taste (though he did say I was his numba one blogga).

So what else can a poor ZT do, ‘cept keep writing Current Favorites for the fans? Well, not much else…I mean, there’s only so much you can do on a three hour car ride…without further ado…

Music:

The Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat – I don’t remember the last time I had this much fun listening to an album. Blueberry Boat uncovers surprises with each listen, and always finds a way to stay interesting through its 76 minute runtime. Which is saying something, ZT hates albums that gas on far too long. I usually put the cap at about 55 minutes with little exception. But Blueberry Boat never feels this long. In fact, when it’s over, I’m ready for more. That being said, the only thing missing from Blueberry Boat is an emotional punch that would make it a truly memorable, pantheon level album. Which is the central problem of the whole thing: Blueberry Boat’s gimmicky nature makes for fun listening, but also undermines its gravitas. Which means it’s a great album, but not a Great album. 9/10 (Top 3 Tracks: “My Dog Was Lost But Now Is Found”, “Paw Paw Tree”, “Chief Inspector Blancheflower”)

Movies:

Snakes on a Plane: One of the more ridiculous movies ever made…and everything I ever hoped a movie called “Snakes on a Plane” could be and more. That being said, I will only see this movie once…the most solid 6/10, ever.

Paradise Now: Great movie with a fantastic ending. I’m not sure how accurate it was, but it was interesting to get a glimpse at life inside of Palestine as well as realizing how difficult it is to carry out a suicide bomb mission. 8/10

Books:

ZT’s was recommended “Lupus: The First Year” but he has been unable to get it at the book store, so I’ll probably buy it from Amazon.

And remember, all of you are a 10/10…

Current Favorites

Well, I've failed you. I didn't finish Life on the Mississippi, nor have I listened to my brand spankin' new Fiery Furnaces (in 2004!) album nearly enough. So, what does that leave for Current Favorites? Why it's only the best movie of 2006! So you know, there's something to look forward to...

Aside from that...Hugo Chavez was a bit ticked about not getting much of a mention in his extra special edition of Current Favorites. Due to some unfortunate bickering, Unencumbered Enthusiasm will not be available in Venezuela, at least for now. I'm hard at work making a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies that should smooth things over. So hold steady Venezuela, as my third favorite South American country, I promise not to fail you now (too bad you can't actually read that encouraging statement...sigh...politics make me sad).

But it's time to turn that frown upside down...without further ado...

Music:

As I mentioned earlier, I finally picked up The Fiery Furnaes' Blueberry Boat. Prior to purchasing the album, I was able to aquire "Quay Cur", "Straight Street", "Paw Paw Tree", and "Chief Inspector Blancheflower" through dubious and shadowy means (muahahahaha!). Now I'm encountering the problem where I sort of look forward to those songs and cling to those songs because I know them. But once I get past that, I hope to find a few wonderful new treats in there. A couple songs I'm really enjoying that I gained by purchasing the album are "Chris Michaels" and "Blueberry Boat". A full, actual review will be coming, I hope, next week. Who knows, it's been so long since I've actually reviewed an album.

Movies:

Scoop: Full disclosure #1 - I like Woody Allen quite a bit. Full disclosure #2 - I was probably in the perfect mood for goofy humor. That being said, Scoop was, without a doubt, my favorite film of 2006. It's a story about an American college student (Scarlett Johansson) who ends up in London visiting a friend. She's trying to get an interview for her school newspaper, but then stumbles upon a news tip about a serial killer who just happens to be one of London's most elligable bachelors. Woody Allen plays her magician/comrade in arms. Allen is at his goofiest, and Johansson plays along admirably. To be honest, it was a nice respite from the Owen Wilson, Steve Carrell, Will Farrell dominated comedy of recent years. Which isn't to say I don't like it, just that it's nice to see something different once in awhile (and a little less manic). After it was all over, Ann and I walked out with a big grin on our faces. Scoop doesn't try that hard, but somehow comes out a fantastic winner. 9/10

Breakfast at Tiffany's: When you have a three movie stretch in which you make your girlfriend watch Miami Vice, The Usual Suspects, and Momento, payback will be swift. But Breakfast at Tiffany's was actually quite enjoyable to watch. Aside from the unfortunate Mickey Rooney as the stereotype gone horribly wrong, the movie stays funny and enjoyable throughout. 8/10

Under the Tuscan Sun: See the previous...except this movie wasn't that good. I'm sure it's heartwarming for...oh, middle aged women, but not for twenty something males. There really isn't anything about it that can have it clear that hurdle, except that it's vaguely pleasent. Production quality is the only thing keeping this from the Lifetime Network. 5/10

Books:

So my mom is the only person recommending a book to me? C'mon people, get off your ass and get me some reading material!

Until next week...remember, all of you are a 10/10

Current Favorites

Music:

So it's been alluded at, but now it's time...I've finally found a new band to talk about (at least in my world, they've been around for a while now). And that's The Fiery Furnaces. What happened here was that I was looking through my Windows Media Player at old songs I downloaded in my file sharing days but never really listened to. And I came across three Fiery Furnaces songs, "Straight Street", "Paw Paw Tree" and "Tropical Iceland". I listened the first time, and it was enough to get me to listen a second time...then by the third time I was hooked. So hooked I dove into the muck of mp3 blogs to try and find some more. I've got about seven Fiery Furnaces songs now, and I'm itching for more. I'm itching to add some songs to my collection...this is very exciting. For most of Saturday and Sunday, I didn't listen to much of anything else (except for some Odelay to get in the mood to write my Top Ten Albums yesterday). I love the long tracks that change but then come back to a theme. Makes me thinks of one my favorite Who songs, "A Quick One (While He's Away)". The Fiery Furnaces, sort of like their name, exude controlled energy. Now I'm hooked, and there might be a couple CD purchases in my near future. Needless to say, I'm extactic about this development.

Movies:

Miami Vice: Well, this one didn't take long to make it to the dollar theatre, so I'm nothing but happy about that. It was an enjoyable movie, and I found myself not really wanting it to end. This is normally a good sign that the atmosphere is working. I fell into the world the movie with ease. However, the movie has serious shortcoming in regards to character development. First of all, the movie focuses on Colin Farrell, who is a terrible actor, rather than Jamie Foxx, who is a good actor. But overall, the movie is satisfying enough, but not as great as it could be...7/10

The Usual Suspects: Ann wanted to see this movie, and I wouldn't pass up another opportunity to see it. And she actually liked this one, so I feel better after the Rocky debacle. 10/10

Books:

AHHH, Life on the Mississippi is so long...or I'm just not in a reading mood. Who knows...but I guarentee I'll have a review by next week.

Current Favorites

Seems Current Favorites has been making the Latin American rounds. My inbox is full of requests from leaders hoping to get in on ZT's opinions on music, movies and books. Normally I just can't grant these requests. This is Fidel's space. But this is an extra special week, because Castro told me specifically to let someone else into the game. And that someone is Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Once the formality of Mr. Chavez signing a statement affirming that I'm his numba one blogga was out of the way, he couldn't stop calling me up and asking about the damn thing. So enjoy a special Venezuelan edition of Current Favorites.

Music:

As I've said far too many times, I haven't been unearthing anything I like. Now, this probably has to do with the fact that I haven't been digging. Or it could just be that music sucks lately. The former is probably true. So what does that leave for you? Reviews of really old albums. Nice!

Outkast Aquemini Funny story...this is probably the first album I ever recommended to someone. It was my sophomore year in high school in my rather tight-knit French class. Anyway, there was this girl, I think her name was Kim, she'd been with me in French class since 7th grade. She was talking about some rap music and asked if I'd heard it. I said no, but that she should listen to Aquemini. Then about a week or so later on a bus trip to Festival of Nations in St. Paul, MN, she turned to me and pointed to her CD player and said, "I'm listening to that Outkast, it kicks ass." Another story about this album. I used to play intramural basketball. Now I'm terrible at basketball, but it was fun. Anyway, one night before gametime, I was trying to get pumped up the way I normally did, with some music. What I needed was some hip hop. Owing to the fact that I only owned about three hip hop albums, I turned to Aquemini and the opening track, "Return of tha G". I went on to have a career game (6 points). It became a bit of a tradition for me to listen to "Return of tha G" all the way to the gym before intramural games. So Outkast is on the very short list of songs that remind me of being active. Other than that, it's Outkast's best album. Don't even bring Stankonia to my attention. I know all about Stankonia. And Aquemini is better. 10/10

Movies:

John Tucker Must Die This might be the lowest rating I've given something on this site. I'm not sure, I'll have to check again. You may wonder why on earth I thought this could be good. And the thing is, I didn't. But first, Ann thought it might, on a good day and if the theatre was being pumped with nitrous oxide, be funny...and second, a dollar theater was prominently involved. There's always the possibility that one of the movies I go see at the dollar theater entirely because it's at a dollar theater will turn out well. This happened with RV and Sahara. John Tucker Must Die wasn't the most awful movie I've ever seen. There were a couple moments where I did laugh. So it gets some points for that. However, it loses points for the cringe-worthy acting. It also loses points for taking a concept that could potentially have been fantastic...you know if the title was taken a bit more literally. 4/10

Rocky I rewatched this movie because I felt like Ann should see it, and I hadn't seen it in about ten years. Well, I'll just confirm yet again that it's a fantastic movie. However, Ann didn't find it nearly as good. It wasn't as bad as when she said that George Bailey should have just killed himself in It's A Wonderful Life (Merry Christmas!!!), but it was close. I don't even want to talk about it anymore...9/10

Books:

So Life on the Mississippi is over 400 pages, and I'm reading it as fast as I can so I can write a review for it. I'll just say that the first half of the book is a 10/10...oh the expectation. So instead, I'll say what books I've been thinking about reading once I finish Life on the Mississippi.

1) The World is Flat Thomas Friedman
2) Dead Souls Nikolai Gogol
3) The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn Mark Twain
4) Some more Hemingway short stories
5) The Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty Buster Olney

Of course, I always like to get some recommendations. So go ahead, tell me what I should read! To be honest, I'm kind of looking for something written in the last half century. So there's your guidelines. Recommend away!

Current Favorites

Monsieur Castro is busy installing his new refridgerator, but he sends his regards, and a vote of making fun of me for the amount of Jane Austin movies I've seen recently...I'm way behind on movies I suppose. I've seen quite a few lately, but I haven't talked about them. As far as music is concerned, I'm in a new music discovery drought. To be honest, the last new album I've listened to in its entirety is Jason Collet's Idols of Exiles. I think that was released in February. Yikes! My year end list is looking pretty parched right now...

But these things are just encumbering my enthusiasm...and that's worse than anything...so I'm breaking out with a current favorites.

Music

Like I said, it's a desert right now. What have I been listening to? Erm...this and that. Most of it is Neutral Milk Hotel or Broken Social Scene. Oh, and the Beastie Boys kick is still in full effect. But I did get on the internet long enough to download a couple tracks by Oakley Hall. They can be found here. The highlight there is "All the Way Down", which has one of those irresistable riffs that always gets me. The other songs are above average.

One advantage of not being able to listen to new music very often is that it allows a little more digging in my library. One horrible victim of neglect has been Outkast, but that's being rectified a little. If you have't done it in awhile, dig out Aquemini. Listen to "Return of tha G", get that head bobbing then wrap yourself around "Spottiottiedogalicious". I had sort of forgotten how brilliant that whole album is.

Also on the headbobbing front, I've been groovin' DJ Shadows Preemptive Strike. The beat on "Organ Donor" just blows me away. It's ridiculous.

And finally, a headbobbing rennaissance would not be complete without a mention of Tricky's Maxinquaye. Many a neck has been sprained listening to "Hell is Round the Corner". Count your humble narrator lucky, as he has no insurance if he grooves too hard...

Movies

Too many movies to list here right now...but I'll give some of the hightlights:

The Devil Wears Prada: I've been seeing a lot of chick movies lately, perhaps my punishment for a over a month of almost non-stop baseball in May and June...but this one was quite enjoyable. To be honest, I'm not a huge Anne Hathaway fan, maybe it's her voice...I don't know. It's not like she's a bad actress, just something about her would make me think twice about seeing a movie she's headlining. And this makes me feel guilty, because there's absolutely no reason for this, which in a way makes me like her a little less. It's a vicious cycle...but the movie's sharp writing, good pace, and typically good performance from Meryl Streep makes it quite enjoyable. Even for you fellas. 7/10

My Super Ex-Girlfriend: I had absolutely no interest in seeing this, but one, it cost a dollar, and two, Ann really wanted to see it. So, we went and saw it and it was thoroughly okay. Enough laugh out loud moments to keep it interesting, but something was lacking. I can't put my finger on what was wrong, maybe the whole premise was a bit flawed. I also spent a good deal of the movie feeling really bad for Uma Thurman's character. 6/10

A Prairie Home Companion: I grew up listening to A Prairie Home Companion, and ever so often I like to go to the website and listen to a few "Tales From Lake Wobegone". The movie was immensely satisfying for any fan of the show. And Ann, who's only heard the show once liked it quite a bit. The scenes of the actual show are fantastic, and it was cool to see running characters from the show like Guy Noir and Dusty and Lefty brought to life. The movie also maintained the show's mix of dry and silly humor. Recommended if you for some unknown reason miss cold, upper midwestern winters...8/10

Sense & Sensibility: When we started making our Netflix queue, Ann requested some sort of Jane Austin movie with Hugh Grant. I was pretty sure this fit the bill. It had everything I often like in a movie...slow development, Hugh Grant, British accents (I wish I was joking...Fidel is laughing his ass off right now). Now, I didn't like this movie as much as Ann, but it ended up being quite enjoyable. Now if it had involved a duel, it would have been a 9/10, but as it stands, it's simply a 7/10.

I think that's quite enough for now...

Books

As for the literature, I've been reading more lately, but the book I chose to read is over 400 pages long. But I did finish The Naked Olympics by Tony Perrottet which I mentioned earlier. As far as history books go, it was incredibly readable, Perrottet is a pretty good writer. I actually would have liked it if it wasn't as short and a bit more in depth. But then it might have become a bit tedious. Overall, a good overview of the ancient Olympics...7/10

Coming hopefully soon is Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. It's looking to get a good rating so far. Short chapters, witty writing, the Mississippi River...it's like this book was designed specifically for me...

Ta for now!

Current Favorites

Boo-ya! The news is all bad for Monsieur Castro, but he’s made a special visit from his locked down hospital room for a Current Favorites. Was it the promise of some Beastie Boys talk? Was he just jonesin’ for some hardcore ping pong excitement? Did he just want to hang out with his numba one blogga? My boy Fidel was more tight-lipped about his reasons for knocking on my door than he’s been about his health issues…but given that I’m in Florida, the trip was probably a lot easier. Unfortunately, he had to slip out before the Cuban exiles caught a whiff of his very tasteful cologne, but he’ll be back…oh he’ll be back.

Music:

The first words out of the Cuban leader’s mouth after he’d settled in my sitting room with a cigar and a cerveza were, “So my men said you were going to talk some Beastie Boys”. I had to confess that while there were no new Beastie Boys developments, I planned to talk about my recent Beastie Boys renaissance. “Excellent,” he replied, then looked through the cigar smoke with wrathful scorn and added, “It wasn’t right what you did with those top ten albums and stopping before you got to Check Your Head.”

“In due time,” I thought, feeling a more nervous than Bautista himself…

See, Fidel loves the B-Boys for much of the same reasons I do. Like how no matter how many times you listen to an album, you’ll always hear a new line that make you smile. How that music just sounds so good coming out of a set of speakers or a set of headphones. How they were just about the coolest cats in the Western Hemisphere for so damn long. That’s the key to the Beastie Boys, they’re just so damn cool, and funny, and funky. And how no one else could do what they do without sounding like a hopeless dweeb…

“So what album are you listening to?” Fidel asked.
“Check Your Head, almost exclusively,” I replied.
“Good choice, but where’s Paul’s Boutique, Hello Nasty? For heaven’s sake, Ill Communication?!”
“Hello Nasty is too uneven,” I replied, bringing Fidel another cerveza, “and the others remain in my sister’s possession, somehow escaping my gluttonous hard drive…”
“That’s unfortunate. I remember when the CIA shot right through my copy of Paul’s Boutique. I spent an hour trying to make Raul sing ‘Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun’ but while he was technically flawless, he just couldn’t catch the nuances. With this damn embargo, I can only get expensive imports from England, and well, you know how our economy’s been…”
“You have Uncle Sam, I have a CD stealing sister…what can you do?”
“Have another cerveza…”
“How bout I just put on Check Your Head instead…that cerveza isn’t even mine.”
“That’ll work,” Fidel said, and as the last notes of “Namasté” played he finished his beer and bobbed his head until the funk had run out.

Movies:

It was during game six of a World Series of Ping Pong, just I was putting the finishing touches on a 21-12 trouncing to even the series at three apiece, Fidel asked what movies I’d seen recently. I told him about Hustle & Flow, one of the first selections I’d used with my recently acquired Netflix subscription.

“It’s a really good movie. I mean, they use the setting of Memphis well and all that stuff. But the characters are great, that’s what I like best. With a sort of feel good story like this one, it’s always great when you’re really, really pulling for the characters involved. It’s really a feel good story set among some of the worst conditions possible. Only real negative is that you’ll have the song, ‘It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp’ haunting your every waking moment for about two days afterwards. 8/10”

Books:

Fidel was about to leave when I handed him a copy of The Milagro Beanfield War for the trip home. I figured he’d enjoy it, what with a storyline about people trying to stop the machinery of capitalism and all. Plus, it’s pretty funny to boot. He mentioned that it looked a little long, which I replied that it is, but the journey is worth it. He smiled and jumped in his boat and waved goodbye. I shouted, “It’s an 8 out of 10”.

Current Favorites

Oh Canada!

Just got back from a Canadian adventure where I did a number of fun things. What does this mean for Current Favorites? Not only will I be reviewing music, movies, and books, but also tourist attractions! *applause*

Music

Okkervil River: I'm very much enjoying them. I missed the boat when they first came out, but then when I got into that horrific jet ski accident a few weeks back, I was actually rescued by the Okkervil River boat. As of yet, I'm still getting to know these strange creatures, but in time I hope to understand their ways.

Oakley Hall: I wrote about them earlier, but then for some reason I stopped listening to them. But I rectified that last week. Seriously, check these guys out. You can do it!

Movies

Brick The least you can say about Brick is that it's interesting. How else can you describe something that foists an old film noir story line complete with private eye dialouge onto a cast of high school kids. What I was unsure about was weather the whole thing worked. Yes, when it tried to be funny, it was funny, and when it tried to be tense, it was tense. But what I really wanted was for the whole thing to stay tense, which is where it shined. If you're looking for something fun, but also something with a bit to chew on for a little while afterward, this Brick's for you...7/10

The Break Up This movie alternated between being funny and sad, and in the end was a bit unsatisfying. This is probably the fault of the subject matter (a break up). But the movie does a good job of finding the humor in the subject. Vince Vaughn gets most of the lines, and Anniston doesn't come off as well, though she does alright. The scenes with Jon Favreau made me nostalgic for Swingers and wishing for more scenes with the two. All in all a good movie, but not great. 6/10

Books

The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway Truth be told, I never really got into Hemingway, so I figured I'd read a few of his short stories. I'd only read "The Old Man and the Sea" (which I enjoyed) and "Hills Like White Elephants" (which was okay) prior to picking this up. Anyway, I'm not done with all of them, but I'm enjoying the ones I've read so far.

Canadian Tourist Attractions

Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto, ON: This was probably my second favorite portion of the trip. I got to touch the Stanley Cup (and get my picture taken with it), plus they had fun games and more cool displays than you can shake a fist at. 10/10

Casa Loma, Toronto, ON: Pretty cool old castle like mansion in Toronto. I like this sort of thing, but if you don't like old houses and stuff like that I could see how it could be boring. I didn't get to see the film, so I can't really rate that. 7/10

CN Tower, Tornoto, ON: A great view, though it would have been nice to have a bit more of a museum atmosphere to part of it. Also, the 360 Restaraunt is cool, but quite pricey. 7/10

SkyDome (or as it's name has now been bastardized by a corporate entity "Rogers Center") Toronto, ON: Caught a baseball game here between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox. Unfortunately the Red Sox lost. Fortunately, the first retractable roof in the world was open. Overall, it was nice despite the artificial turf and the blah innards and outards. The crowd was great (though not appreciative of my Red Sox jersey). Just for fun, I'm going to rank baseball parks I've been to, and that should help give some idea of how I liked the SkyDome:

1) Wrigley Field (Cubs)
2) Miller Park (Brewers)
3) Milwaukee County Stadium (Brewers)
4) Minute Maid Park (Astros)
5) Old Busch Stadium (Cardinals)
6) SkyDome (Blue Jays)
7) Tropicana Field (Devil Rays)

To be fair, the SkyDome beat out Tropicana Field by a lot. Anyway, the SkyDome gets 6/10

Anyways...I'm gonna save some more of these for next week. Until then, happiness to all!

Current Favorites

One would hope, with Fidel on vacation the past two weeks in Barbados, that I'd have time to watch, listen and read enough material to have a Current Favorites upon his return. And lo and behold, I did see two movies and read a book! Super fantastic. And Fidel is nice and relaxed after his time in Barbados.

Music:

Just two songs to talk about here. No whole albums. ZT is much too busy to listen to albums these days (or just isn't allowed to...)

Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" - Alright, so I didn't scour the internet and find some obscure track you've never heard and bring it to the light of day for you. But I'm enjoying it! Happiness ensues when it comes on. Is it that bassline? Possibly...

Jason Collett "We All Lose One Another" - This is quickly becoming my favorite track on his album "Idols of Exile". I'm thinking of leaving "Pink Night" for this one...but not just because I got "We All Lose One Another" pregnant...there's real love there. But "Pink Night" has been so good to me and I still love it...oh my...I'm in a pickle...

Movies:

Mission Impossible III: Went and saw this with Jeff two Mondays ago, and it was defianately and improvement upon II or I...best one so far. Phillip Seymore Hoffman seemed to be going for a banality of evil type thing or something, not sure, but it worked. Great summer funtime action movie. We'll go 7/10

Match Point: In case anyone was wondering...no one really likes Ann. Why? She doesn't like this movie because she hates the main character. This is probably because he cheats on his wife and does some other not so nice kid things. However, for me this made for a fantastic movie (not because I want to cheat on anyone) but because it really ratcheted up the tension and made for a pretty darn suspenseful movie. Highly recommended...unless you're liable to dislike movies because of the actions of the main character. 8/10

Books:

Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Jack Whetherford: To be fair, I started this in spring 2004 before I went to Mongolia and didn't finish the last 150 pages or so until my planes, trains and automobiles adventure two weeks ago. So it's hard to give it a real rating, since I don't necessarily remember everything I read two years ago. But as far as history books go, it was very well written. The Mongols always fascinated me, so this book didn't disappoint. As far as the books crossover appeal, those not terribly interested in East Asian history or Ghengis Khan will probably not have their interest sparked by this book. For those that do enjoy that sort of thing, as I do, it's a must have. I guess that makes it a 7/10.

Current Favorites

A scene from last Tuesday:

ZT: Hey Fidel, it's Tuesday, time for "Current Favorites"!
Fidel Castro: Nah man, I'm busy...
ZT: You're playing "Guitar Hero"...
Fidel Castro: Yeah, so quit buggin' me, I can't concentrate...

So there's the explanation for the missing "Current Favorites" last week, though the lovable dictator did beat "Cowboys From Hell" on hard, so it didn't die in vain.

Music:

Jason Collett Idols of Exile: I can't get enough of this these days. Collett is a member of Broken Social Scene, but he's no slouch sans his usual small country for a supporting cast. What I really dig is the voice, think Tom Petty but prettier and more interesting. Which is what Collett does to the rather traditional song structures, as well. Think, say, any alt-country record infused with a bit of the daring found on a BSS disc. Which really just makes for a fantastic listen all around. Choice tracks include "I'll Bring the Sun", "Almost Summer" and "Pink Night". You can stream the whole album here.

****

Movies:

The Way of the Gun: An entertaining movie starring Benicio Del Torro and Ryan Phillippe as criminals who kidnap a surrogate mother for a rich couple. Unfortuately, the rich couple has "connections". Things start getting crazy from there. It's a good movie, but nothing really makes it special.

7/10

Downfall: I actually think they mistranslated the German for the title of this. I'm pretty sure it's actually called "2 1/2 hour Suicide Party", though my German training doesn't go beyond nein and gitzegenmeinschaft (or something like that). The movie is about the last days of the Third Reich, and focuses on Hitler. The portrayal of Hitler is fantastic and really makes him a three dimentional character, no small feat given the subject. This is the movies strenth, it makes the monsters human, which in turn, makes them all the more frightening. The movie is well done, and keeps the tension up the whole time. I wouldn't call it entertaining per se, unless genocide, infanticide, and suicide are your thing (and believe me, there's more "cides" in this movie than possibly any made before it). So all in all, fantastic movie, but also wildly depressing.

8/10

Well, that's all kiddies. Gerzenkenschlizlehagen!

Current Favorites

Why thank you Fidel! Yep, the big 2-3, which is really not that cool, but regardless, I like birthdays. So let's all celebrate with a little bit of Current Favorites.

Music:

Well, I've yaked away about The Streets, who are still in heavy rotation (this led to a funny exchange when Betsy stopped by yesterday and yelled, "hey Zach, you're white!" to which I replied, "Yeah, I know, so is he" pointing at my stereo...though I maintain I'm allowed to listen to hip hop regardless of my race).

So what else is your humble narrator pumping into his ears? Oh this and that and some other things. A lot of British stuff, you know, Pulp, Blur, The Stooges, Tricky, Morcheeba, M.I.A., Cornershop. I'm in a bit of a dancin' mood. And this is mostly directing my musical choices to upbeat music with a good beat.

And then there's Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. Oh my, hadn't listened to this in quite some time. And I wouldn't say it's really all that dance-able, but it definately rocks hard. But now I'm back into it in a big way. Sonic Youth has what I consider the best guitar sound of all time. It just gets my heart pumpin'. It drips with attitude. "Teen Age Riot" is sonic adrenaline, a five star song. And I hadn't listened to it in almost two years...what is wrong with me? But I'm making up for lost time now. Tracks most likely to reach The Krogman 25: "Teen Age Riot", "'Cross the Breeze", and "Candle".

**** 1/2

So British music and Sonic Youth...with a little James Brown too. No time is a bad time for James Brown...

Movies:

I watched Pulp Fiction again this weekend, but I felt uncomfortable much of the time as my mom kept walking into the room and looking at me a little disapprovingly. She doesn't like violent movies, which is understandable. But really I watch the movie for the dialouge, not the blood and gore...geez ma!

10/10

Other:

I didn't watch any new movies this week unfortunately. I did however go see a comedian by the name of Lee Camp with my sister. He was pretty durned funny...you can check him out here. He seemed a little disappointed with the crowd (an unfortunate effect of it being Easter and all, as most of the college kids had cleared out of town), but he still plugged away and put on a good show. He's apparently doing a tour of the UW campuses, so if you get a chance, I would recommend seeing him.

Also, in the stand up comedy vein, I watched Chris Rock's Bigger and Blacker which was good...not as funny as Bring the Pain but about as good as Never Scared...which means, plenty of laughs.

Anyways, while we're at it, here's the top 3 times I've laughed the hardest in a public setting:

1) Second City, Chicago - I don't know if it was because I was little loopy from driving all day, but I've never laughed that hard in my life. I think the people I was with were actually a little embarassed by me...

2) Jeffrey Ross, Winona - Wow, he was hilarious...pulled no punches and left me with an achy abdomen and tears in my eyes...and with the image of a 90 year old woman trying to score crack in the inner-city. The crowd interacted with him well, too.

3) Dodgeball (movie), Stevens Point - I went and saw this with ma soeur and ma Annabelle and nearly died in my seat. I think the rest of the theatre thought we were being influenced somehow...but there is no higher comedy than the unicorn scene.

I haven't been reading much, so that will be all for Current Favorites. I'm going to go eat some cake and wrap some of my things so I can at least open some presents...

Current Favorites

I read, I watched, I listened...and then I held opinions on these things. And Fidel thinks that's enough of an inspiration for a Current Favorites. Who am I to argue with the longest tenured leader in the history of Latin America?

Music:

I've been listening to a lot of The Streets lately. I finally got around to listening to A Grand Don't Come For Free, and, well, I love it. But the weird thing about it is that I have absolutely no idea why I like it so much. In fact, this should be annoying if you think about it. The last time I was left wondering why I liked something so much was when I started getting into the Beastie Boys many moons ago.

I read a review on The Guardian about the Dostoevskyan nature of Skinner's strories, and I like Dostoevsky a lot. In fact, I'm pretty much a sucker for Raskolnikov characters in general, and Mike Skinner (Mike Skinner is to The Streets as Connor Oberst is to Bright Eyes and Chan Marshall is to Cat Power, so I'll use the two names interchangably) is very Raskolnikovian. Apparently the microphone he used to make A Grand Don't Come For Free (a #1 album in England) was stolen from the BBC...which isn't quite a double ax murder, but it is a crime to get a start. This is all a very hoity toity explanation however...I'll just say the album is flippin' hilarious. And damned if the music isn't catchy, and good. It's like this one dish I had at a Tapas place once that consisted of raw salmon, eggs, capers, ect...the idea of which was horribly unappealing, but when I ate it, I couldn't get enough. Weird feeling really, but I can't complain.

****

Speaking of The Streets, a new album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living is apparently going to drop stateside on April 24. It's already on the internet though, and most of the tracks can be found on The Hype Machine. It's actually quite different from AGDCFF, and has cleaner production, and (not suprising given his enormous success in recent years) doesn't talk about being broke anymore. I don't really like it as much to be honest. But I'll hold off on a full opinion as I haven't heard the whole thing yet and it might be a grow-on-you type of deal. Two tracks that really caught my attention though were "Pranging Out", which is one of your better "drugs gone awry" type of songs, and "Two Nations" which boasts some good jokes at America's expense. The only review I've seen yet is by Pitchfork, who gave it a 7.0 in this review.

Movies:

Two Men Went to War: A pretty funny comedy about two British dentists during World War II who decide, upon realizing they'll never see any action to invade Germany on their own with only a bag of grenades and a pistol each. The whole thing is pretty ludicrous and it makes for some very funny moments. The craziest thing about this movie though, is that it's a true story! I couldn't believe it! Sure it had been embellished a little I'm sure, but the point remains two British dentists invaded occupied France on their own, and not only survived but actually did some actual damage to the Germans. I'm glad the movie decided to take this whole thing in a humorous direction. An entertaining, light hearted movie when all is said and done.

7/10

Trois Coleurs: Blanc: I finally finished the "Three Colors" triology, and this was the best one of the bunch. A dark comedy about a Pole name Karol Karol who is left homeless and penniless when his wife cold heartedly drops him. He eventually finds his way back to Poland where he builds himself back up again. While this isn't strictly a comedy, there are plenty of dramatic moments, the movie remains light hearted in feel. In addiction, the character of Karol Karol is just fantastic and works perfectly in the movie. Hilarious, sad, and interesting throughout.

9/10

Books:

High Fidelity Nick Hornby: Well, it only took me three days to read, I was sad when it ended, and it made me laugh out loud. In short, what a great book. The thing is, I'd already seen the movie, but this didn't diminish anything from the book at all. The book is better than the movie, just because it can get more detailed and allows the main character to be even more of an asshole than the movie could. Here's the thing though, High Fidelity the movie is a 10/10...so I'm sure you can guess what ranking that gives this book...10/10

Current Favorites

The thing about Current Favorites is, that there's always stuff out there to talk about...because I'm always listening to something I'm digging, or watching movies, or taking new herbal enhancers. So without further ado...

Music:

Well, since I've started this new Top 10 Albums project, I've been listening to those albums a bit more than usual. This morning alone I've listened to Born to Run, Odelay, and now OK Computer is filling my apartment with musical goodness. So here's to great albums by great artists. See, when the music scene is devoid of anything terribly interesting like it has been so far in '06, it's time to start rocking the classics. Anyways, these are my ten favorite songs I've been listening to lately from my Top 10 Albums (in no particular order).

1) "Paranoid Android" - Radiohead
2) "Sissyneck" - Beck
3) " Thunder Road" - Bruce Springsteen
4) "Somethings Got To Give" - Beastie Boys
5) " Landlocked Blues" - Bright Eyes
6) " Exit Music (For a Film)" - Radiohead
7) "Night" - Bruce Springsteen
8) "Minus" - Beck
9) "Idoteque" - Radiohead
10) "Pass the Mic" - Beastie Boys

In addition, I've been listening to a lot of Broken Social Scene's You Forgot it in People, especially the song "Looks Just Like the Sun", despite the fact that the sun has refused to grace Winona for about three days now.

Movies:

Good Night, and Good Luck I liked this film a lot. I don't think it should have been a Best Picture nominee, but it was definately a memorable film. The acting was excellent, though I felt the movie could have expressed the tension of the situation better (which I blame on the direction moreso than the actors). The decision to go with black and white was a good one, and the movie looked fantastic. It also interspersed actual period news clips quite well, and they were fascinating to watch. All in all, I think the movie could have benefited from a longer running time for more background (though that's probably just the historian in me talking) and somehow expressed the danger of what Edward R. Murrow was undertaking. Somehow, it all just seemed so easy...and maybe it was, but this still hurts the movie. Still very much worth seeing however.

8/10 (really, it's a high seven, but I figured it should be rounded up)

Incidently, this movie has more than a little in common with V for Vendetta in that it's a story of revolt against a government out of control. What makes Good Night and Good Luck a better film is that the main character, Edward R. Murrow, was a much more interesting and multi-faceted character than that of the terrorist V. I'm just imagining a brilliant director combining the good elements of both movies to create one of the greatest movies of all time. If only...

Current Favorites (Back From the Brink)

Wow, did I get sick this past week. Worst flu I've had in quite some time. So not a whole lot of posting happened. Hell, for most of Thursday, I didn't even have the energy to watch a movie. But I'm pretty much back from the dead with only a few lingering ill effects from my sickness. According to Ann and my mom, I sound better on the phone, so that's good.

Anyways, while I was sick, music didn't really do it for me. I found it more annoying than anything else. So now I'm happy to be enjoying music again. And I was able to watch a movie on Friday. So this gives me plenty of fodder for a Current Favorites:

Music:

I've just been into a couple of songs right now more than a specific album. These songs include:

The Band "It Makes No Difference": My favorite Band songs are the ones where Rick Danko sings, and this one is his best. I finally acquired it on something besides cassette (my cassette player's been on the fritz lately) and so I've been listening to that. This is a song that my dad used to play on his guitar (still does) that I always sort of assumed was his song. If that makes any sense. This also is the case for "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" and "Highway Patrolman"...I still think my dad has the best version of "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" I've ever heard, and you'll never change my mind on that.

Speaking of Danko, I'm trying to get ahold of the song "Sip the Wine" from his debut solo album "Rick Danko". However, this album seems to be expensive to get ahold of, let alone finding single tracks from it. Any help in this respect would be greatly appreciated.

In other Rick Danko news, while looking for the song "Sip the Wine", I found this rather funny ad for his solo album.

Beck "Fourteen Rivers, Fourteen Floods": I'm a sucker for a one man/one guitar blues song. Especially one about ol' timey gamblin'. I've been listening to a lot of Beck's One Foot In the Grave album these days. Really a brilliant album overall.

Movies:

V for Vendetta: I liked this movie, but I didn't love it. I like how it takes the old dystopian story and updates it. Somehow, a totalitarian society that looks a bit like our society resonates a little bit more and is a bit more chilling. However, it is light years away from something like 1984. My major qualm with the movie was that the terrorist/hero was rather one-dimentional, I never really connected with him. Now, I could have lived with this had the movie not made him the hero and obviously glorified his deeds and rather made it a musing on radicalism on both ends of the spectrum and how it is dehumanizing or something or other. But this really was just a misfire. So all in all, it was an entertaining, but very flawed movie. 7/10

Bleu (Trois Coleurs): Part of the Three Colors Series. In French...this movie was pretty boring, but still not bad. I didn't really like the main character that much, but she was about the only interesting thing in the movie. That and the rat thing...that was probably my favorite part of the movie. 5/10

Rouge (Trois Coleurs): Also part of the Three Colors Series, also in French, but vastly superior to Bleu. This movie is much more concerned with the coincidence of love, and therefore, is a bit more lighthearted and allows for a bit more comedy. The characters are very interesting, which is good, as the movie is almost exclusively character oriented. All in all, the best movie I saw this week, besides A History of Violence, but I'd already seen that. 8/10

My 100th Post! Vacation! Current Favorites!

Well, it took over a year (if you count the long drought last summer), but I've finally reached 100 posts. Sure, it seems pathetic, but my blogging has often gone in fits and starts, and, as it's become a little more regular lately, the post count finally started reaching these great heights. Well, huzzah I say, and Merry Wednesday to all!

It might stay at 100 posts for a little while at least, due to the fact that I'm going on Spring Break to shed the cold, rainy confines of Minnesota to explore the great state of Arizona with my comrade in arms, Ann. We shall watch baseball, attend rennaissance festivals, gaze into the Grand Canyon and in general whoop it up, Southwestern style. I've already begun adorning myself with turquoise for the occasion.

Well, I can think of no better way to celebrate the dawning of a new Century than to go to an old standbye, Current Favorites. So without further ado, Current Favorites as of March 8, 2006:

Music:

The Arcade Fire Funeral: Yes, make your jokes now, this did in fact come out in 2004. And yes, I've had it for awhile, and never paid it much mind. I liked the song Rebellion (Lies) and found everything else acceptable, but never really got into it too much. And then...I listened to it, cover to cover on a nice late night when winter has begun to yield to spring. It hit me, this is an amazing album. It breathes a sad but comfortable tone, like a Tolstoy story. It cries, but knows that everything is going to be alright. It is...perfect.

*****

Tapes n' Tapes The Loon: Okay, I haven't heard the whole album yet, I'm working on that. But I really like it, and want it. So I'll live with the three songs they have on their website.

No Rating (yet)

Movies:

The Return: A Russian movie about a father who left his family for twelve years suddenly reappearing and trying to pick up where he left off. The movie is a little frustrating since it leaves so many unanswered questions, though it also ratchets up the anxiety. The movie seems to take the point of view of a child, and remains frustrated throughout by the lack of information. A well done and fascinating film.

***1/2

MASH: This movie was quite entertaining. Plenty of good lines to go around. Sections lag slightly, but overall the movie is good. "No food, I want sex."

****

Books:

I'm lazy, and don't read any fun books right now.

So there you have it, the 100th post. Hope you enjoyed it, and keep reading!