"Yes, yes you are" probably says the one person (I'm guessing a J.K. Rowling look alike grading my life) who actually visits this blog, but I mean in the sense of the fact that I have seen nearly no Oscar Bait movies this year.
Yeah, I did see 'The Hurt Locker' back in August, along with 'Precious', 'Up in the Air' and 'Avatar' in the past few weeks, but compared to last year, I am doing terribly. By this time last year, I had seen Slumdog thrice, Milk, Frost/Nixon, and even, wait for it, Man on Wire (also many, many others). I feel like I am uber deceptive to last-January Adam.
This year just feels so off. It's like this year is even more indie than any other year. Has anybody really seen 'An Education' yet? It hasn't even played anywhere is the 100 mile radius of my home. It's sad when Boston even denies playing it. It's 'funny because they probably won't even be played until after the Oscars. Hell, whats the point then? I would enjoy to actually watch the movies before the Oscars so I can even appear relevant; not when Toy Story 3 takes over the whole damn world.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Music Review: Vampire Weekend - "Contra"
When I took my biweekly venture to my local Newbury Comics a few days ago, I wasn't expecting my possibly Jewish (I'm so stingy with my cash, I seriously wouldn't be THAT surprised I had that much in common with Woody Allen) self to just drop cash on just anything. I had no CD or cult horror movie in mind to get; I was just browsing around to waste a Saturday. But when I found out that Vampire Weekend's long awaited disk "Contra" was the 'Wicked cheap deal of the week' at only $6.99, I really couldn't say no to that.
What I didn't realized until I got into my 2004 Honda Accord was that It also came with a special, 3 track disk of remixes, by Toy Selectah.
"Contra" expresses high and low of the Cape Cod-y band's style while staying true to their breakthrough, self-titled 2008 CD debut. The first released single, 'Cousins' is great fun with it's poppy overload of African-influenced guitar. The rest of the album seems to stray to less eventful, yet enjoyable soft melodies and tunes. The closing song 'I Think Ur a Contra' is a quiet hum of a beat and the best of the album.
Staying true (and even living up to) their epic debut is a tall order, but Contra seems to get the job done. B+
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Best Singles Of '09
10. Bat For Lashes "Daniel"
A beautiful talent in Natasha Kahn, and an even more haunting song and video to match.
9. Kid Cudi Ft. MGMT and Ratatat "Pursuit of Happiness"
The song that didn't leave my mind for 3 straight weeks that is too awesome with the coolest rapper ever, an Indie superstar duo and a New York guitarist.
8. Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks"
By far the best Ivy-league acapella themed songof the year by far.
7. St. Vincent "Marrow"
Annie Clark's, also known by her stage name St. Vincent, brings her mellow-ly roaring guitarwith her fantastic voice to make an all around drug of a song.
6. Julian Casablancas "11th Dimension"
The former Strokes lead man, and always too-cool-for-school rocker came back into the spotlight this year with this electro/rock debut for his solo career that is one of the best dance songs in the past few years.
5. Passion Pit "The Reeling"
Shouts and synth bliss is all in the Massachusetts natives first song from their debut album Manners is certain to get you onto the dance floor.
4. Lily Allen "Not Fair"
Certainly Lily Allen's best song brings out the best of her range and great backup synth.
3. Dirty Projectors "Stillness is the Move"
Sideways harmonies and melodies clash in this odd, yet precious song by the experimental New York band.
2. Phoenix "Rome"
Though the only song on the list never released, it is surely the shining joy from the French bands breakthrough album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that brings out the best of all of Phoenix's qualities that make them so damn addictive.
1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"
The best song of the year is by far the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sweeping, almost epic dance theme. Karen O's cries; "climb, climb, climb, Higher!" are in paralyzing Studio 54 dance fashion while Nick Zinner trades in his Stratocaster guitar for a synth machine that seems to fit him just as well, if not more. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' anthem is simply outstanding.
A beautiful talent in Natasha Kahn, and an even more haunting song and video to match.
9. Kid Cudi Ft. MGMT and Ratatat "Pursuit of Happiness"
The song that didn't leave my mind for 3 straight weeks that is too awesome with the coolest rapper ever, an Indie superstar duo and a New York guitarist.
8. Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks"
By far the best Ivy-league acapella themed songof the year by far.
7. St. Vincent "Marrow"
Annie Clark's, also known by her stage name St. Vincent, brings her mellow-ly roaring guitarwith her fantastic voice to make an all around drug of a song.
6. Julian Casablancas "11th Dimension"
The former Strokes lead man, and always too-cool-for-school rocker came back into the spotlight this year with this electro/rock debut for his solo career that is one of the best dance songs in the past few years.
5. Passion Pit "The Reeling"
Shouts and synth bliss is all in the Massachusetts natives first song from their debut album Manners is certain to get you onto the dance floor.
4. Lily Allen "Not Fair"
Certainly Lily Allen's best song brings out the best of her range and great backup synth.
3. Dirty Projectors "Stillness is the Move"
Sideways harmonies and melodies clash in this odd, yet precious song by the experimental New York band.
2. Phoenix "Rome"
Though the only song on the list never released, it is surely the shining joy from the French bands breakthrough album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that brings out the best of all of Phoenix's qualities that make them so damn addictive.
1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"
The best song of the year is by far the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sweeping, almost epic dance theme. Karen O's cries; "climb, climb, climb, Higher!" are in paralyzing Studio 54 dance fashion while Nick Zinner trades in his Stratocaster guitar for a synth machine that seems to fit him just as well, if not more. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' anthem is simply outstanding.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Early Encounters: My Ratings on new Fall Series'
All based on their trailers...
Modern Family
ABC
Based on the trailer, the new sitcom seems to be edgy and new, despite the fact that it's a show about three different families...A normal couple with a few kids, A gay couple with their new adopted daughter, and a couple with a lesser seen son. The promo looks really promising and filled with a lot of humor. It would be a change for ABC to finally have a good comedy. A-
Mercy
NBC
The whole premise of three female nurses sassing their way thru troubles seems a little worn out, especially for this new series. The show seems to care mostly on a comedic level, and doesn't seem memorable. C
Community
NBC
With a seemingly full and comedic excelling main and supporting cast (which includ
es The Soups Joel Mchale and Veteran funny man Chevy Chase), this promising new quirky domain seems like a little less, but still dramatic How I Met Your Mother. B+
Modern Family
ABC
Based on the trailer, the new sitcom seems to be edgy and new, despite the fact that it's a show about three different families...A normal couple with a few kids, A gay couple with their new adopted daughter, and a couple with a lesser seen son. The promo looks really promising and filled with a lot of humor. It would be a change for ABC to finally have a good comedy. A-
Mercy
NBC
The whole premise of three female nurses sassing their way thru troubles seems a little worn out, especially for this new series. The show seems to care mostly on a comedic level, and doesn't seem memorable. C
Community
NBC
With a seemingly full and comedic excelling main and supporting cast (which includ
es The Soups Joel Mchale and Veteran funny man Chevy Chase), this promising new quirky domain seems like a little less, but still dramatic How I Met Your Mother. B+ A Love/Hate Relationship:Vampires Part One
If you were to tell Bram Stoker or the witches of Salem that Vampires would eventually become all the rage in Pop Culture, They would probably laugh, then do something old-timey. This whole new love of Vamps has really worn me out. I remember when I was younger, the social rejects of the Halloween circuit would be Vampires. Now, they are the hippest thing.
I kinda think that one of the major reasons Vampires have become more mainstream in the past two or three years must be because of the makeover the bloodsuckers accepted. It's not like Grandpa on The Munsters anymore. Vampires have now become something of a hot, pale, anorexic model. If you watch anything Vamp-related, they are all so good looking. Normal humans aren't as hot as some of these "immortals".
It's somewhat obvious that the thing that started this cancer has to be Twilight. I read the first Twilight book-or should I say 100 pages of it-and was floored. Why is an overly exaggerated, whiny, and all around bitchy teen girl so popular with the masses? As i later found out with Armageddon,which was the release of the Twilight movie, I realized what all the fuss was about: The equally winded-minded Vampire love interest.
The Movie was a pure waste of my unlikely time. Don't get me wrong, on all other mediums of entertainment, I actually enjoy the actors in the film. Kristin Stewart has been in many critically acclaimed films, as with her co-star Robert Pattinson. The movie provided with me with the hate part of my relationship with Vamps.
I kinda think that one of the major reasons Vampires have become more mainstream in the past two or three years must be because of the makeover the bloodsuckers accepted. It's not like Grandpa on The Munsters anymore. Vampires have now become something of a hot, pale, anorexic model. If you watch anything Vamp-related, they are all so good looking. Normal humans aren't as hot as some of these "immortals".
It's somewhat obvious that the thing that started this cancer has to be Twilight. I read the first Twilight book-or should I say 100 pages of it-and was floored. Why is an overly exaggerated, whiny, and all around bitchy teen girl so popular with the masses? As i later found out with Armageddon,which was the release of the Twilight movie, I realized what all the fuss was about: The equally winded-minded Vampire love interest.
The Movie was a pure waste of my unlikely time. Don't get me wrong, on all other mediums of entertainment, I actually enjoy the actors in the film. Kristin Stewart has been in many critically acclaimed films, as with her co-star Robert Pattinson. The movie provided with me with the hate part of my relationship with Vamps.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Warehouse 13: A new Cult Hit?
In the past few years, The Syfy Network (formally Sci-Fi) has become more than just low-budget movies with terrible effects. The Syfy network has become the new go-to spot for promising original series' and specials.
With the loss of critically, and ratings friendly series "Battlestar Gallactica", Syfy is trying to make sure that they will stay on the cutting edge when it comes to the point of original programming.
On July 7th, "Warehouse 13" premiered on the network with Syfy's third largest series debut ever with 3.5 million viewers. The new series, which is about two former secret service members who are assigned to trek the word for supernatural objects, is executive produced by Battlestar co-producer Jane Espenson.
The show may not become a new cult hit like Battlestar, but its actually very entertaining. The main characters bicker like cats and dogs, which is all the fun. The show has the feeling of a new-age X-Files, but with comedic twang.
With the loss of critically, and ratings friendly series "Battlestar Gallactica", Syfy is trying to make sure that they will stay on the cutting edge when it comes to the point of original programming.
On July 7th, "Warehouse 13" premiered on the network with Syfy's third largest series debut ever with 3.5 million viewers. The new series, which is about two former secret service members who are assigned to trek the word for supernatural objects, is executive produced by Battlestar co-producer Jane Espenson.
The show may not become a new cult hit like Battlestar, but its actually very entertaining. The main characters bicker like cats and dogs, which is all the fun. The show has the feeling of a new-age X-Files, but with comedic twang.
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