Summer ’09 Movies

These are all the films I saw at the movies this summer from best to worst.
1) (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb) 9.5
2) Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino) 9.4
3) The Hangover (Todd Phillips) 8.7
4) Bruno (Larry Charles) 8.3
5) Funny People (Judd Apatow) 7.3
6) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Michael Bay) 4.3

Chris

King Khan + GZA

N+I.W.A (Niggaz plus Indian with Attitude)

Spinner.com
While rumours have been swirling about the possibility of a formal collaboration between the pair for sometime, Khan is finally ready to confirm that it looks like the union is going ahead. Don’t expect The Shrines’ eccentric frontman to pass himself off as the first Indian-Canadian member of Wu-Tang Clan just yet though. “The whole thing is really surreal,” he says, clearly still trying to wrap his head around the amazing turn of events.

The union marks the second time that GZA has reached out to the garage rock community for musical input. Khan’s rambunctious Almighty Defender bandmates, Black Lips, first performed along side the famed hip-hoper at SXSW this past March and subsequently recorded ‘The Drop I Hold’ with the urban pioneer. Continue reading King Khan + GZA →

Curt Schilling To Senate?

Associated Press
BOSTON — Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling said Thursday the chances of him running to replace Democrat Edward M. Kennedy in the U.S. Senate are “slim to none” but he will not rule it out.

The three-time World Series champion said he retired from baseball in March to spare his family the downside of the public spotlight. He has also invested millions in his fledgling video-gaming business, 38 Studios.

Yet the 42-year-old told a Boston radio station that Massachusetts is in “desperate” need of fresh political blood.

“This state, next to Illinois, is probably looked on as one of the most corrupt, laughable political scenes in the nation, and it should be just the opposite,” he said during one of his regular appearances on WEEI-AM, a sports radio station. “I think there’s so much broke here, that the fixing piece, I don’t think you’d have to look very hard to pick up the pieces of debris and start to reform and fix it.”

While Schilling has never run for or held political office, he said it’s an asset because he’s unencumbered by special interest connections.

“Slim to none” people! Stop the hype.

CD Review: Everything Goes Wrong

Band: Vivian Girls
Label: In The Red Records
Release: 2009

1. “Walking Alone At Night” – 9.0
2. “I Have No Fun” – 9.3
3. “Can’t Get Over You” – 9.1
4. “The Desert” – 9.6
5. “Tension” – 9.0
6. “Survival” – 9.5
7. “The End” – 9.4
8. “When I’m Gone” – 9.2
9. “Out For The Sun” – 9.5
10. “I’m Not Asleep” – 9.7
11. “Double Vision” – 9.6
12. “You’re My Guy” – 9.3
13. “Before I Start To Cry” – 9.7

Comment: The Vivian Girls are comparable to Jay Reatard, if Jay was female and noisier/punker. Well, kind of. The VG’s simple song structure and composition is something that’s becoming more and more common in garage and noise punk. VGs are more polished than their counterparts Mika Miko, though perhaps not as distinctively catchy. This album will go down as extremely note-worthy in looking back at ’09.

Final Grade: 9.4

* Green = My Favorite Tracks

Black Eyed Peas = Retarded

“I Gotta Feeling” translates in proper English to “I Got To Feeling,” which, by the way, makes no fucking sense at all. And oh yeah a fourth grader could probably compose lyrics better than this piece of shit.

K. Peace out for tonight. Thanks to our good ole Radiohead adventure buddy Ray from Cover Me for pointing this out.

CD Review: Popular Songs

Band: Yo La Tengo
Label: Matador
Release: 2009

1. “Here To Fall” – 8.8
2. “Avalon Or Someone Very Similar” – 8.4
3. “By Two’s” – 8.2
4. “Nothing to Hide” – 9.0
5. “Periodically Triple or Double” – 8.5
6. “If It’s True” – 9.2
7. “I’m On My Way” – 8.9
8. “When It’s Dark” – 9.3
9. “All Your Secrets” – 8.4
10. “More Stars Than There Are In Heaven” – 9.1
11. “The Fireside” – 9.0
12. “And The Glitter Is Gone” – 9.2

Comments: This album humors me in how it effectively transitions from Warlocks-like shoe-gaze to Vaselines-esque indie-pop.

Grade: 8.8

Boston based shows/fests – DIY, punk, noise