Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Batman: Arkham City
And here we go...easily the best game I've played since Fallout 3 last year, Batman: Arkham City, the sequel to 2009's popular Batman: Arkham Asylum, managed to take all of the amazing steps forward in superhero games made by its predecessor and evolve them into a true legend of a game, improving on pretty much every aspect, and most-importantly, delivering a story so full of drama and intrigue that it can go head-to-head with the likes of the Mass Effects, Fallouts, and BioShocks out there. And to help facilitate such an amazing story, the new, larger open-world that is Arkham City (versus the previous game's smaller area of a sprawling prison island), sets the stage by offering tons of nighttime uncertainty and danger. Without spoiling the plot for you too much, what's happened is that after the whole story unfolded in Arkham Asylum in the first game, the city of Gotham is left trying to pick up the pieces and ends up electing the old warden from the island prison as their new mayor, who then isolates a chunk of rundown Gotham tenements and other buildings as a new, very large prison "city", meanwhile installing Batman villain (though only secretly) Hugo Strange as the new warden. As you can imagine, Batman ends up finding himself stuck within the walls of the prison city, and it's here where all the shit hits the fan, involving a ton of notable (and some more obscure) Batman villains, none of whom I'll mention here, as it would constitute a spoiler. Suffice it to say that they're all pretty convincing, and by the time the story and multiple sidequests are over, you'll be shocked at how well it all gelled together.
In addition to being able to play the game as Batman, there are actually four segments woven into the main storyline where you get to play as Catwoman, which itself is actually also pretty awesome. And after you've finished the game, you can swap freely between the two protagonists to have them run around the city beating up thugs and finishing any leftover sidequests. Speaking of beating up thugs, the hand-to-hand mechanics HAVE been improved since the first game, especially with the inclusion of a handful of new quick-fire methods for using your gadgets, but, I do have to add that the fighting can often get a bit too button-mashing-happy for my tastes (and fingers!), though this would probably be less frustrating if I were better at this sort of gameplay. Still, you always manage to feel like a badass playing as either Batman or Catwoman, so if a little button-mashing frustration is what I have to endure to get this feeling, then so be it. As for the sidequests, they've all gotten much more involved than anything we saw in Batman: Arkham Asylum, and the game is definitely better for it. My one caveat here would be the RIDICULOUS number of Riddler challenges out there, especially considering you have to collect 400 of them (out of 440! - which can include Catwoman trophies) in order to finish the Riddler sidequest mission, and though I did enlist the help of the internet for a couple of these, and I did get to eventually take down the Riddler, I've got about thirty or so trophies that I'll probably never get, especially on my own.
Overall, Batman: Arkham City is the kind of game that no self-respecting Batman fan can go without playing, especially considering the experience nearly rivals that of the recent batch of fantastic Batman films. That said, I strongly urge anyone out there wanting to play this game to be sure to play Batman: Arkham Asylum first, as it not only sets the stage for this game in a very important and meaningful way, but it's also a truly solid game in-and-of itself (hell, it made my Top 5 back when I played it in the very strong video gaming year that was 2010). In the end, I absolutely LOVED Batman: Arkham City, so much so that I've been having a hard time resisting going back and replaying the whole thing, and I have my lovely girlfriend to thank for all of this, having been inspired by the trailer above to give it to me for Christmas!
mc chris - mc chris goes to hell
Okay, so let me actually talk about the album itself. Considering I listened to mc chris goes to hell before I listened to the three EPs it was based upon, all of these songs naturally felt like the original versions to me, but Suzi kept telling me that a number of the less impressive remakes here were actually better in their original versions (which she was definitely right about), so I tried to just take them with a grain of salt and dwell on the tracks I really liked. In general, the four new-new songs were above average (especially "Drinkin' Blunts" and "Smackababy", both listed below), a couple of the remakes were definite improvements over the originals, a handful were less-interesting, and some even managed to be difficult to tell if they were all that different this time around. As for the two skits, mc chris goes to hell isn't really that much of a skits album, and though the secret track acting as a trailer to the next album, Race Wars, did a much better job actually talking about the plot of that album than the album would go on to do itself, this wasn't enough to put mc chris goes to hell's skits in a competitive spot with either mc chris is dead or Part Six (the best of the group for sure).
Overall, while I had a good enough time listening to mc chris goes to hell, it definitely comes off as a supplement to Part Six, so though it did feature a few new tracks that I absolutely love, I'll probably be spending my time enjoying the originals from the EPs. Definitely check out the tracks below though!
Highlights: "IG-88's '57 Chevy"/"Drinkin' Blunts"/"Smackababy"
Rating: 4*/5
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
GaTech Musical Instrument Competition 2012
As you may remember, last year, Suzi and I attended our first Georgia Tech Musical Instrument Competition, a relatively recent, annual event hosted by the largely music-technology-focused music department at GT to promote the invention of new instruments around the world, to the point of actually bringing a handful of notable inventors to the States from abroad. From what I gather, the judging process begins earlier in the week than the culminating public performance we've attended now for two years, where a much larger field of contestants is whittled down to roughly eight or so finalists, all of whom are included in the concert. This time around, the concert was held in a much bigger venue than last year's, but since the instruments often involve a good bit of setup, half of the performances had to take place in another room, so like last year's show, we still ended up having to get up and migrate somewhere else. So, with no further ado, I'm going to list my Top 3 picks from the finalists group:
Coded Sensation: As probably the most inventive of all the instruments from the evening, Austrian contestant Martin Rille's Coded Sensation was a suit made entirely of "upcycled" cassette tape magnetic tape, which was then worn with gloves that seemed to have tape player heads in them to transmit the previously recorded (though heavily spliced) material when the gloves made contact with any part of the body. Though the audio results weren't quite as spectacular as I had hoped, I still found the idea very novel and promising, so I hope Rille ends up taking this idea much further. My only real criticism of his presentation was that he seemed either rather shy or just plain quiet, so it was a bit difficult to hear what he had to say, especially considering the hosts didn't provide a microphone.
LIGHTUNE.G: Definitely my overall favorite of the evening, Bojan Gagic (whom I believe was Eastern European)'s LIGHTUNE.G was a series of light-sensitive panels each tuned to trigger a certain sound at an intensity determined by how much light was shone into them. Though this sounds simple, the overall effect was kinda mesmerizing, as the lights in the room had to be turned off completely, and Gagic and his co-performer used everyday light-emitting objects like blinking bike lights, flashlights, projectors, and cell phones to trigger varying intensities in what also amounted to the best musical experience of the evening.
Cracked Ray Tube: Though their performance went on too long and seemed a tad bit uninspired, I was very impressed with Kyle Evans and James Connolly's Cracked Ray Tube instrument, which was basically an array of old TVs and other electronic equipment that they had tapped into to produce wildly distorted sounds and images not too unlike some of the sounds found in the more abrasive electro house and dubstep out there these days. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this instrument was easily the most inventive with regards to the quality of musical sound it can produce, and I have a feeling tapping into these broken TV sets took a lot of electronic expertise. To be fair, one of the things holding back this performance was that the TVs were all set up on the ground, and seeing as people were seated on the floor right in front of them, most of us in the audience couldn't really see what was going on, including what the performers were doing, as they too were huddled close to the floor.
Overall, I would say this year's show, despite being better organized, was probably less inspiring than last year's, but that's not to say I wouldn't go back for a third round next year. I admire all of the people that competed for taking the time to try to innovate with new sounds/interfaces, but at the same time, I kinda wish there would be a few more inventors who are actually inventing an ACOUSTIC instrument, like the invention of the saxophone not too-too long ago (relatively speaking). Also, the hosts need to give the contestants stricter time limits for their pieces (as too many meandered quite a bit), access to microphones for their presentations, and a minimum amount of time that should be spent talking about their inventions, as some performers just skipped this step altogether, leaving us audience members in the dark.
Coded Sensation: As probably the most inventive of all the instruments from the evening, Austrian contestant Martin Rille's Coded Sensation was a suit made entirely of "upcycled" cassette tape magnetic tape, which was then worn with gloves that seemed to have tape player heads in them to transmit the previously recorded (though heavily spliced) material when the gloves made contact with any part of the body. Though the audio results weren't quite as spectacular as I had hoped, I still found the idea very novel and promising, so I hope Rille ends up taking this idea much further. My only real criticism of his presentation was that he seemed either rather shy or just plain quiet, so it was a bit difficult to hear what he had to say, especially considering the hosts didn't provide a microphone.
LIGHTUNE.G: Definitely my overall favorite of the evening, Bojan Gagic (whom I believe was Eastern European)'s LIGHTUNE.G was a series of light-sensitive panels each tuned to trigger a certain sound at an intensity determined by how much light was shone into them. Though this sounds simple, the overall effect was kinda mesmerizing, as the lights in the room had to be turned off completely, and Gagic and his co-performer used everyday light-emitting objects like blinking bike lights, flashlights, projectors, and cell phones to trigger varying intensities in what also amounted to the best musical experience of the evening.
Cracked Ray Tube: Though their performance went on too long and seemed a tad bit uninspired, I was very impressed with Kyle Evans and James Connolly's Cracked Ray Tube instrument, which was basically an array of old TVs and other electronic equipment that they had tapped into to produce wildly distorted sounds and images not too unlike some of the sounds found in the more abrasive electro house and dubstep out there these days. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this instrument was easily the most inventive with regards to the quality of musical sound it can produce, and I have a feeling tapping into these broken TV sets took a lot of electronic expertise. To be fair, one of the things holding back this performance was that the TVs were all set up on the ground, and seeing as people were seated on the floor right in front of them, most of us in the audience couldn't really see what was going on, including what the performers were doing, as they too were huddled close to the floor.
Overall, I would say this year's show, despite being better organized, was probably less inspiring than last year's, but that's not to say I wouldn't go back for a third round next year. I admire all of the people that competed for taking the time to try to innovate with new sounds/interfaces, but at the same time, I kinda wish there would be a few more inventors who are actually inventing an ACOUSTIC instrument, like the invention of the saxophone not too-too long ago (relatively speaking). Also, the hosts need to give the contestants stricter time limits for their pieces (as too many meandered quite a bit), access to microphones for their presentations, and a minimum amount of time that should be spent talking about their inventions, as some performers just skipped this step altogether, leaving us audience members in the dark.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Valentine's 2012
Our big dinner out was at the nearby restaurant 4th & Swift, which, in addition to serving us some of the best food I've had out in a long time (especially the amazing brussels sprouts!), also had a romantic modern atmosphere with a loft-like look not too unlike my own condo (the pic above is the best one I have of the place, though it doesn't really show it off all that well). Since our reservation was kinda late though, I had Suzi come over to my place beforehand for a nice bottle of red wine and some pita w/hummus (plus a little sampling of the chocolates I gave her...). Afterwards, we exchanged our presents...Suzi got me my biggest LEGO Architecture set yet (The Farnsworth House), and I got her a pair of Sorel boots that I had had my eye on for her for a long time (she looks absolutely amazing in them too!). In fact, she was so excited that we spent a good chunk of our evening doing a photo shoot with her wearing different hipstery outfits (pulled from my closet) that complimented the boots, as well as me putting together my new LEGO set.
For Valentine's proper, I surprised her at work with a bouquet of flowers and then took her out to lunch, and later that night we met up again for a chiller night at Taqueria del Sol and some time for me to give her her card and a little more candy... ;) Overall, Valentine's this year was amazing, so I know it's going to be hard to live up to in the coming years. Fortunately, I am SO absolutely in love with Suzi and can't wait to keep getting these annual opportunities to dote on her a bit. What can I say, my momma raised me to be a sap for romantic stuff! =)
Parks And Recreation: Season 1
As I already mentioned in my post on Portlandia, Parks And Recreation's first season was quite brief, weighing in at only six episodes and therefore effectively acting more like a pilot season than a regular one. As such, the quality of the show is also noticeably worse than what it has since become, a fact about which I was painfully aware the entire time I was watching Season 1, as I was initially inspired to watch the show after Suzi had shown me some of the much, much better Season 3 episodes she had Netflixed on DVD. The funny thing is that my first exposure to the show at all was when Suzi had rented Season 1 herself and showed me the first episode, to which I commented that I didn't like it that much, thinking it was kinda boring and finding it to be too much of a rip-off of The Office (of which it was more-or-less the spiritual successor). So, if it hadn't been for Suzi sticking with it a bit longer, I probably never would have given Parks And Recreation a second chance... To further confirm my sentiments, when I was doing a little light research to prep for this post, I found out that my first impression of the first season was actually almost exactly what the general critical consensus was...in fact, supposedly the show was almost cancelled after such a weak first batch of episodes! But, being mid-Season 2 at this point and totally loving the show, I'm very glad it was given a second chance.
Apart from the dry writing and lack of a cohesive group dynamic, my biggest problem with the first season was actually Amy Poehler's lead character Leslie Knope, whose obnoxious and out-of-touch dweebiness hadn't yet been balanced out enough by the other, more-likable characters, especially considering all six of the episodes focused WAY too much on her. Going into Parks And Recreation, one of my biggest concerns was that my general disinterest and slight annoyance by Amy Poehler was going to be enough to sink the show for me, and to be honest, though I've come to accept and even mildly like her character now in Season 2, had her role in the show remained as it was for Season 1, I would have almost certainly quit it almost completely on these grounds alone. That said, my current favorite characters, Aziz Ansari's Tom Haverford and Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson, were definitely still the highlights back in Season 1, but even their roles have gotten better, even if only due to better gelling with the whole cast and plot structure, if not also for their better comedic understanding of their roles.
So, if I were recommending the show to someone totally unexposed to it, I would either advise skipping Season 1 altogether and just reading the synopses online if the "origin story" (so to speak) was that important to your enjoyment of the show, or just committing to getting it over with since it's only six episodes, knowing full well that it won't get good until the second season (and it does get really good by the first episode at that!). So, I'm glad I saw Season 1 but can definitely admit that it won't be making any best-of lists anytime soon!
Apart from the dry writing and lack of a cohesive group dynamic, my biggest problem with the first season was actually Amy Poehler's lead character Leslie Knope, whose obnoxious and out-of-touch dweebiness hadn't yet been balanced out enough by the other, more-likable characters, especially considering all six of the episodes focused WAY too much on her. Going into Parks And Recreation, one of my biggest concerns was that my general disinterest and slight annoyance by Amy Poehler was going to be enough to sink the show for me, and to be honest, though I've come to accept and even mildly like her character now in Season 2, had her role in the show remained as it was for Season 1, I would have almost certainly quit it almost completely on these grounds alone. That said, my current favorite characters, Aziz Ansari's Tom Haverford and Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson, were definitely still the highlights back in Season 1, but even their roles have gotten better, even if only due to better gelling with the whole cast and plot structure, if not also for their better comedic understanding of their roles.
So, if I were recommending the show to someone totally unexposed to it, I would either advise skipping Season 1 altogether and just reading the synopses online if the "origin story" (so to speak) was that important to your enjoyment of the show, or just committing to getting it over with since it's only six episodes, knowing full well that it won't get good until the second season (and it does get really good by the first episode at that!). So, I'm glad I saw Season 1 but can definitely admit that it won't be making any best-of lists anytime soon!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Domino's Pizza
This is really less a statement of interest to anyone else, and more a slight confession of guilt, albeit a really tasty one...
Ever since Halloween (or perhaps a little before?) this past year, Suzi and I have been making a regular habit of ordering Domino's Pizza on chill nights in when we don't feel like going out to a proper dinner, virtually always getting a large pepperoni pizza with a side order of Cinna Stix, having a beer from home. At first, we preferred ordering online and having them deliver it, but after realizing that this both took longer and cost more than carry-out, we've recently switched to either ordering on the phone or online and picking it up ourselves. And just in case you're wondering, I'm not a big fan of either Pizza Hut or Papa John's, as I've pretty much always been a Domino's guy, so I don't expect we'll be doing too much of those...
Now, I'm calling this an admission of guilt because I realize that ordering Domino's isn't a healthy way to live, in fact, getting pizza on any sort of a regular basis probably isn't that good for you, but it's so delicious, fun, and convenient that it's often hard to put off for too long now that we've gotten into a routine. Prior to this development though, we virtually didn't eat delivery pizza at all, and I almost never got it myself during the years between my undergrad and this past Halloween. But whatever...I know it's probably not a big deal, especially considering we're only having it once every three to four weeks or so and we usually save some as leftovers. And again, it's so, so delicious, so I don't anticipate the trend stopping anytime soon...! ;)
Ever since Halloween (or perhaps a little before?) this past year, Suzi and I have been making a regular habit of ordering Domino's Pizza on chill nights in when we don't feel like going out to a proper dinner, virtually always getting a large pepperoni pizza with a side order of Cinna Stix, having a beer from home. At first, we preferred ordering online and having them deliver it, but after realizing that this both took longer and cost more than carry-out, we've recently switched to either ordering on the phone or online and picking it up ourselves. And just in case you're wondering, I'm not a big fan of either Pizza Hut or Papa John's, as I've pretty much always been a Domino's guy, so I don't expect we'll be doing too much of those...
Now, I'm calling this an admission of guilt because I realize that ordering Domino's isn't a healthy way to live, in fact, getting pizza on any sort of a regular basis probably isn't that good for you, but it's so delicious, fun, and convenient that it's often hard to put off for too long now that we've gotten into a routine. Prior to this development though, we virtually didn't eat delivery pizza at all, and I almost never got it myself during the years between my undergrad and this past Halloween. But whatever...I know it's probably not a big deal, especially considering we're only having it once every three to four weeks or so and we usually save some as leftovers. And again, it's so, so delicious, so I don't anticipate the trend stopping anytime soon...! ;)
Dive!
As our first Netflixed movie of 2012, the dumpster-diving-themed documentary Dive! seemed like a decent start, but it ended up being WAY preachier than Suzi had assumed, having been unaware that the majority of the film would actually be heavily focused on curing global hunger via reducing America's rampant food waste issues (clearly, she didn't see the trailer above...) =). As such, though it was supposedly only a mere 42 minutes in length, like many preachy documentaries before it, it seemed to last HOURS.
Though Dive! wasn't shot all that well, the real problem was that, though the points made were educational, none of them were really capable of getting me to care enough to do something about it all, so I ended up just feeling guilty for my apathy. In my opinion, the most successful preachy documentaries are those that both raise awareness AND give the average viewer something practical they can do to help...a good example would be Food, Inc.'s simple but effective argument that merely buying more organic food at the grocery would help change our food issues. By contrast, all Dive! seemed to be able to come up with was asking viewers to write their congressmen and grocery stores, and possibly help out in food redistribution organizations. Sure, the easiest suggestion they offered was to try to reduce household food waste, but seeing as I pretty much use everything I buy already, this really didn't apply to me.
This said, the good parts of the film, though brief, were the earlier segments on the actual dumpster diving itself, including the potential for run-ins with the police, and the occasional nugget of knowledge regarding how to tell whether food has actually gone bad yet. Honestly, if they had just stuck to these two elements and only touched on the food waste issue towards the end to wrap things up, I think the film would have been a lot better, most-likely without sacrificing too much of their message. Oh well...hippies'll be hippies I guess. Better luck next time, guys!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Live Show (Pro Popular Music) of the Year Nominations 2011
Like the local popular music category I just wrote about, I didn't see nearly as many nationally-touring bands' shows this past year, so though I could make a Top 5 list, it would be scraping the bottom a bit, so I'm just going to stick to my Top 3. That said, none of the pro shows I caught this year were bad at all, so the fact that a show didn't make this list doesn't speak poorly of it. Alright, here we go:
Girl Talk @ The Tabernacle: In the past, I've usually considered DJ sets to be a part of the "Miscellaneous" live show category, but seeing as mash-up DJ Girl Talk's show feels a lot more like a performance than a dance mix, I'm going to include it here. The strange thing about this nomination is that Suzi and I didn't really end up dancing or otherwise outwardly partaking in this show, being somewhat antisocial standing up in the rafters watching the crowds and show below, but somehow this experience still left a really strong impression. Also, Girl Talk's live performance was the push I needed to be really impressed by his work, as the recordings always left me a little cold but the live show managed to live up to all the excitement people usually have surrounding his whole medley mash-up phenomenon. Anyway, the show was definitely one of the best DJ experiences I've had in awhile, and I would definitely recommend seeing Girl Talk next time he comes to town.
Hellogoodbye @ The Masquerade: Touring one of my favorite albums from last year (Would It Kill You?), which itself was a huge step forward in terms of the Southern California indie pop outfit's maturation, I wasn't about to miss my first chance to see Hellogoodbye live, and they didn't disappoint in the slightest. As I prefer at a good show, the balance and energy was just right for singing along to, and they pretty much played all of my favorite songs. Also, frontman Forrest Kline's banter between songs was definitely some of the best I can remember ever having seen. Finally, the lineup of openers before Hellogoodbye finally took the stage was also quite impressive, especially given how many of them there were (four)...it was kinda like a mini tour! Very, very solid show all around!
Panic! At The Disco/Fun./Foxy Shazam @ The Tabernacle: Speaking of big tours of sorts, this last show was as close as I've seen lately to an all-star lineup, featuring not one or two, but three bands that I've been into within the past year or so. Sure, Jim and I didn't get to see much of the Panic! set, and I kinda regret this, but this was only because we were downstairs chatting it up with a couple of the guys in Foxy Shazam, a rare experience which really helped make the night especially cool. Of the two and a half times I've seen Foxy play in the past two years, this was definitely the best one, and Fun. was every bit as good as I had hoped, leaving me with easily one of the best all-around shows I've been to in a long time.
So, there you have it: a really solid group of shows that I feel lucky to have seen. Sure, I wish it could have been a Top 5 list, but I'd gladly take these three over a list of five more mediocre ones. Honestly, this might be one of the tightest races for the winner's slot this year, rivaled only perhaps by the films list (which I haven't yet even narrowed down due to its sheer size). And, 2012's already shaping up to be a good year for pro shows, so I'm definitely not worried about the future of this category, despite the turnout (so to speak) this year.
Girl Talk @ The Tabernacle: In the past, I've usually considered DJ sets to be a part of the "Miscellaneous" live show category, but seeing as mash-up DJ Girl Talk's show feels a lot more like a performance than a dance mix, I'm going to include it here. The strange thing about this nomination is that Suzi and I didn't really end up dancing or otherwise outwardly partaking in this show, being somewhat antisocial standing up in the rafters watching the crowds and show below, but somehow this experience still left a really strong impression. Also, Girl Talk's live performance was the push I needed to be really impressed by his work, as the recordings always left me a little cold but the live show managed to live up to all the excitement people usually have surrounding his whole medley mash-up phenomenon. Anyway, the show was definitely one of the best DJ experiences I've had in awhile, and I would definitely recommend seeing Girl Talk next time he comes to town.
Hellogoodbye @ The Masquerade: Touring one of my favorite albums from last year (Would It Kill You?), which itself was a huge step forward in terms of the Southern California indie pop outfit's maturation, I wasn't about to miss my first chance to see Hellogoodbye live, and they didn't disappoint in the slightest. As I prefer at a good show, the balance and energy was just right for singing along to, and they pretty much played all of my favorite songs. Also, frontman Forrest Kline's banter between songs was definitely some of the best I can remember ever having seen. Finally, the lineup of openers before Hellogoodbye finally took the stage was also quite impressive, especially given how many of them there were (four)...it was kinda like a mini tour! Very, very solid show all around!
Panic! At The Disco/Fun./Foxy Shazam @ The Tabernacle: Speaking of big tours of sorts, this last show was as close as I've seen lately to an all-star lineup, featuring not one or two, but three bands that I've been into within the past year or so. Sure, Jim and I didn't get to see much of the Panic! set, and I kinda regret this, but this was only because we were downstairs chatting it up with a couple of the guys in Foxy Shazam, a rare experience which really helped make the night especially cool. Of the two and a half times I've seen Foxy play in the past two years, this was definitely the best one, and Fun. was every bit as good as I had hoped, leaving me with easily one of the best all-around shows I've been to in a long time.
So, there you have it: a really solid group of shows that I feel lucky to have seen. Sure, I wish it could have been a Top 5 list, but I'd gladly take these three over a list of five more mediocre ones. Honestly, this might be one of the tightest races for the winner's slot this year, rivaled only perhaps by the films list (which I haven't yet even narrowed down due to its sheer size). And, 2012's already shaping up to be a good year for pro shows, so I'm definitely not worried about the future of this category, despite the turnout (so to speak) this year.
SBTRKT - SBTRKT
Unfortunately, though the album isn't annoying or bad really, it was highly unmemorable, with so few tracks standing out that I had a hard time picking the highlights below. Sure, the production is all pretty top-notch, and Sampha (and the other guest vocalists') singing is all solid enough, but the pieces just failed to come together as a whole for me, most likely due to the original composed material just not being that interesting beyond a mere surface level. Add to this the fact that the overall stylistic vibe seems a bit dated (and not in a good way), and you've got a disappointing first album for the year. But does it deserve the one I gave it below? I'm not sure yet, but it's certainly no better than a two, and considering I could barely remember the tracks off the album only a few weeks after taking it out of rotation, I think it could quite possibly stay at the one level by the end of the year. We'll see...
Highlights: "Hold On"/"Something Goes Right"/"Pharaohs"
Rating: 1/5
Portlandia: Season 1
Onto the first of a couple TV show seasons I've watched lately that were surprisingly short in length (episode-wise), both clocking in at a mere six episodes apiece. Unlike the very popular Parks & Recreation, whose first season functioned more as an extended pilot leading towards a MUCH bigger second season (four times longer than the first!), the Independent Film Channel's hipstery hit sketch show Portlandia's first season's six episodes have only been expanded to ten for the current second season, adding just another quirky element to the strangeness of the already out-there show. As far as I'm aware, there aren't too many other shows quite like Portlandia, as it's essentially just a giant poke at hipster/hippie culture as seen through the exaggerated lens of one of the country's most hipstery places, Portland.
Virtually all of the sketches on the show center around different characters portrayed by the two leads, SNL's Fred Armisen and (surprisingly...), Washington-based band Sleater-Kinney's guitarist/singer Carrie Brownstein, and though their interactions with one another tend to be similarly mocking of hipsters/hippies in every scene, they DO change their outfits quite a lot (highlights include cross-dressing as each other's boyfriend/girlfriend and dressing up as Harajuku girl tourists from Japan). Occasionally they have some pretty famous guests (especially musicians), including the likes of Aimee Mann, Sarah McLachlan, The Decemberists, Steve Buscemi, Parks & Recreation's Aubrey Plaza, Selma Blair, and Heather Graham, all of whom definitely added something to the leads' already lovable presence.
All this said, I do have to admit that the show took some time to grow on me, and as such, it wasn't until we were nearing the end of the brief six-episode season that I really started coming around on it, so it definitely left me wishing the season had been longer. Fortunately, Season 2 is probably going to end up moving to Netflix sometime in the next few months, so I'm looking forward to checking it out when it becomes available. I will also warn you that the show probably won't be that funny if you're not into (or at least aware of) ironic hipster culture, and seeing as the writing is a little dry, it's definitely not a show for everyone. Do check out the infectious premise-introducing theme song above though, entitled "Dream Of The 90's" (which unfortunately isn't the shows formal theme...). Fun stuff. =)
Virtually all of the sketches on the show center around different characters portrayed by the two leads, SNL's Fred Armisen and (surprisingly...), Washington-based band Sleater-Kinney's guitarist/singer Carrie Brownstein, and though their interactions with one another tend to be similarly mocking of hipsters/hippies in every scene, they DO change their outfits quite a lot (highlights include cross-dressing as each other's boyfriend/girlfriend and dressing up as Harajuku girl tourists from Japan). Occasionally they have some pretty famous guests (especially musicians), including the likes of Aimee Mann, Sarah McLachlan, The Decemberists, Steve Buscemi, Parks & Recreation's Aubrey Plaza, Selma Blair, and Heather Graham, all of whom definitely added something to the leads' already lovable presence.
All this said, I do have to admit that the show took some time to grow on me, and as such, it wasn't until we were nearing the end of the brief six-episode season that I really started coming around on it, so it definitely left me wishing the season had been longer. Fortunately, Season 2 is probably going to end up moving to Netflix sometime in the next few months, so I'm looking forward to checking it out when it becomes available. I will also warn you that the show probably won't be that funny if you're not into (or at least aware of) ironic hipster culture, and seeing as the writing is a little dry, it's definitely not a show for everyone. Do check out the infectious premise-introducing theme song above though, entitled "Dream Of The 90's" (which unfortunately isn't the shows formal theme...). Fun stuff. =)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New Struts Ordeal (Part III)
When I was originally writing these posts about my Toyota Matrix's struts, I never thought there would be a "Part III", especially this soon after Parts I+II, but alas, here we are... About three weeks ago, I was driving on a street near my home to my last client of the night (who just happens to live in my neck of the woods, a nice change for sure), and I ended up hitting a huge pothole, hard enough that I could've sworn I had a flat tire from it. Hell, I was so convinced that it was a flat that I called my next client and told him I needed to skip the lesson in order to change it right away, and I even had two of my neighbors at The Stacks check it out for me. The weird thing was that the tire seemed totally fine once I got a chance to look at it, and I couldn't see anything hanging off the undercarriage, so I was a little flabbergasted and decided to see what it looked like in the morning (thinking that maybe the tire just needed to lose some more air?).
After taking my car to a Midas (where they couldn't see me), I eventually decided to take it to my closest Pep Boys, whom I was beginning to really like relying on after the Toyota dealership seemed to be giving me the runaround. Well, after having the car there for the better part of the afternoon and them not being able to figure out what was wrong with my car (?!?), they asked me if I'd leave it with them overnight or bring it in first thing the next morning, so I opted for the latter, with Suzi letting us use her car the next day. Fortunately, after a quick lookover with their "master mechanic" (or was it "veteran mechanic"?...they used both names to describe two different guys), a Middle-Eastern guy that turned out to be my age (?), they were able to determine that it was in fact my struts that needed replacing once again!
My reaction was basically that a pothole, no matter how deep (within reason), shouldn't have been able to kill my struts when they were only six months old, especially considering I wasn't driving very fast, so I was a little pissed. The good news was that the parts had a lifetime warranty, so I wouldn't have to pay for them, but the service was still roughly $300 (!), so I didn't walk away from this unscathed at all. Yes, it was better than the eight hundred or so dollars I would've had to have spent otherwise, but still... In the end, my car is now back to its normal squeaky-braked, grindy parts, but not poorly-strutted self, so I guess I should be happy it wasn't more severe. I AM dreading the day when my car gets to the point where I either have to drop a true chunk of money on it or buy a new one, and I fear that day might be sooner than I'd like, but for the time being, things seem alright...
After taking my car to a Midas (where they couldn't see me), I eventually decided to take it to my closest Pep Boys, whom I was beginning to really like relying on after the Toyota dealership seemed to be giving me the runaround. Well, after having the car there for the better part of the afternoon and them not being able to figure out what was wrong with my car (?!?), they asked me if I'd leave it with them overnight or bring it in first thing the next morning, so I opted for the latter, with Suzi letting us use her car the next day. Fortunately, after a quick lookover with their "master mechanic" (or was it "veteran mechanic"?...they used both names to describe two different guys), a Middle-Eastern guy that turned out to be my age (?), they were able to determine that it was in fact my struts that needed replacing once again!
My reaction was basically that a pothole, no matter how deep (within reason), shouldn't have been able to kill my struts when they were only six months old, especially considering I wasn't driving very fast, so I was a little pissed. The good news was that the parts had a lifetime warranty, so I wouldn't have to pay for them, but the service was still roughly $300 (!), so I didn't walk away from this unscathed at all. Yes, it was better than the eight hundred or so dollars I would've had to have spent otherwise, but still... In the end, my car is now back to its normal squeaky-braked, grindy parts, but not poorly-strutted self, so I guess I should be happy it wasn't more severe. I AM dreading the day when my car gets to the point where I either have to drop a true chunk of money on it or buy a new one, and I fear that day might be sooner than I'd like, but for the time being, things seem alright...
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Live Show (Local Popular Music) of the Year Nominations 2011
You know, I've had a hard time figuring out what to do with my live show Top 5's for this year, as I honestly didn't really see as many as I'd like, especially not enough to deliver a group competitive with the shows from the past two years. Sure, there were some good experiences scattered here and there, but for one reason or another, my live show attendance really dropped off this year all around, from local bands to nationally-touring acts. So, like many of my other "Top 5's" for this year, I'm actually going to cut this list down to a Top 3 so as to not water-down the winners circle. So, here we go:
A: The Color/The Orkids @ The Masquerade: Though my good friend (and recent bandmate) Jeremy was once in the somewhat proggy-yet-Zepplin-ish rock band A: The Color, but eventually separated ways with them, I thoroughly enjoyed both of their shows I caught last year, as they've got a lot of talent, have pretty solid songs, and easily have one of the best frontmen in all of Atlanta's many local bands. This second show topped out the first though, as the band was much tighter this time around and they shared the stage with another band I'm friends with here in town and like supporting, The Orkids. Overall, it was a fun show, easily one of the best local shows I've caught at the Masquerade in a long time (if ever?).
Baby Baby CD Release @ The Drunken Unicorn: Though the high energy Baby Baby has already made (and won) this list for a show at The Drunken Unicorn, this show was so memorable that it definitely stood out, even amongst all their other great shows. First off, it was their CD release, so there was a large crowd and a lot of excitement in the air. Second, a bunch of my friends ended up coming out, including my bandmate Erich, my buddy/student Ryan Delehanty and his friend Brandon, and my once-student but now bandmate Max with his two friends David (who is now a student!) and Martine. Third, the opening bands Machines Are People Too and Parachute Musical were both really solid (as expected). Lastly, the crowd interaction (especially on "Fire") was some of the best I've been apart of since my Andrew W.K. days. Overall, just a really fun night.
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun @ King Plow: As the band that essentially got me into indie rock (especially local stuff), Today The Moon managed to make the list once again, this time for a collaborative art show they did with an artist who had gone around with them on tour and made a whole art collection out of those experiences. It was a really interesting event, complete with food trucks outside and some of the most refined performances by the band that I have seen to-date, so it definitely deserves to make the list this year. Plus, the guys in TTM all seemed genuinely glad to see me around after an extended hiatus at their shows, so that was really nice as well. =)
So there you have it. All three of these shows were in fact great, but it's a shame there wasn't more competition for them to go up against. The real question now is whether or not this category will even make it for 2012's Top 5's, as I have a much diminished interest in seeing local live shows now that my band is on hiatus and I'm not busy trying to network. We'll see...in any case, I'm sure live professional shows will still have an outlet, so maybe I'll just combine them into one big category?
A: The Color/The Orkids @ The Masquerade: Though my good friend (and recent bandmate) Jeremy was once in the somewhat proggy-yet-Zepplin-ish rock band A: The Color, but eventually separated ways with them, I thoroughly enjoyed both of their shows I caught last year, as they've got a lot of talent, have pretty solid songs, and easily have one of the best frontmen in all of Atlanta's many local bands. This second show topped out the first though, as the band was much tighter this time around and they shared the stage with another band I'm friends with here in town and like supporting, The Orkids. Overall, it was a fun show, easily one of the best local shows I've caught at the Masquerade in a long time (if ever?).
Baby Baby CD Release @ The Drunken Unicorn: Though the high energy Baby Baby has already made (and won) this list for a show at The Drunken Unicorn, this show was so memorable that it definitely stood out, even amongst all their other great shows. First off, it was their CD release, so there was a large crowd and a lot of excitement in the air. Second, a bunch of my friends ended up coming out, including my bandmate Erich, my buddy/student Ryan Delehanty and his friend Brandon, and my once-student but now bandmate Max with his two friends David (who is now a student!) and Martine. Third, the opening bands Machines Are People Too and Parachute Musical were both really solid (as expected). Lastly, the crowd interaction (especially on "Fire") was some of the best I've been apart of since my Andrew W.K. days. Overall, just a really fun night.
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun @ King Plow: As the band that essentially got me into indie rock (especially local stuff), Today The Moon managed to make the list once again, this time for a collaborative art show they did with an artist who had gone around with them on tour and made a whole art collection out of those experiences. It was a really interesting event, complete with food trucks outside and some of the most refined performances by the band that I have seen to-date, so it definitely deserves to make the list this year. Plus, the guys in TTM all seemed genuinely glad to see me around after an extended hiatus at their shows, so that was really nice as well. =)
So there you have it. All three of these shows were in fact great, but it's a shame there wasn't more competition for them to go up against. The real question now is whether or not this category will even make it for 2012's Top 5's, as I have a much diminished interest in seeing local live shows now that my band is on hiatus and I'm not busy trying to network. We'll see...in any case, I'm sure live professional shows will still have an outlet, so maybe I'll just combine them into one big category?
Sunday, February 19, 2012
New EPs (2011)
Considering that my EP listening has dropped sharply since the stellar year 2009 was for the medium, having only three EPs to merely LIST this year (let alone narrow down to a "Best Of"), it almost seems a little silly to continue to have this year-end summary post, but I figured I might as well keep it going a little longer, especially since I'm trying to get back into checking out EPs this year (in fact, at the moment, I've already listened to more EPs in 2012 in these six weeks than made it on this list here...). To be fair, that ceo White Magic album I keep going on about was something I originally considered to be an EP, but as I've said at least twice already before on the blog, I eventually changed my mind and decided it was an LP, so there could have possibly been that release to list here as well... Anyway, here's what I checked out:
1. Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites (5/5)
2. Patrick Stump - Truant Wave (4/5)
3. Revolver - Parallel Lives (3/5)
Maybe it has to do with simply not being able to find that many EPs out there these days interesting enough to entice me to purchase and commit to listening to, but this short list still managed to offer up some decent listening, with none of it being unbearable at all. As you can see, the Skrillex was definitely my favorite of the group, as it's easily one of the better electronica releases I've heard in a long time. The Patrick Stump (of Fall Out Boy fame) EP wasn't bad either, but it didn't live up to my hopes for the lead singer's debut as a poppy R&B star (complete with a new, much thinner look to-boot!). Finally, the folky Revolver EP was good, but it didn't really stick with me all that well, hence the lowest score of the bunch.
Well, as I've been saying for the past couple years, here's hoping to a resurgence in EP listening for the years to come, though I won't be holding my breath for a miracle, seeing how slow the revival has taken!
1. Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites (5/5)
2. Patrick Stump - Truant Wave (4/5)
3. Revolver - Parallel Lives (3/5)
Maybe it has to do with simply not being able to find that many EPs out there these days interesting enough to entice me to purchase and commit to listening to, but this short list still managed to offer up some decent listening, with none of it being unbearable at all. As you can see, the Skrillex was definitely my favorite of the group, as it's easily one of the better electronica releases I've heard in a long time. The Patrick Stump (of Fall Out Boy fame) EP wasn't bad either, but it didn't live up to my hopes for the lead singer's debut as a poppy R&B star (complete with a new, much thinner look to-boot!). Finally, the folky Revolver EP was good, but it didn't really stick with me all that well, hence the lowest score of the bunch.
Well, as I've been saying for the past couple years, here's hoping to a resurgence in EP listening for the years to come, though I won't be holding my breath for a miracle, seeing how slow the revival has taken!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
South Park: Season 8
Following the lifting of a strictly-enforced hiatus on watching any new TV seasons before the end of 2011 (knowing I wouldn't be able to finish the whole season in the calendar year), the first show I jumped at for my routine of watching a single episode during dinner at home was the next season of South Park in my chronological viewing of the entire series, this time being Season 8. At this point in the South Park run, I think it's safe to say that they've more-or-less plateaued (though not necessarily peaked), maintaining a really high quality from season to season, so while Season 8 WAS really great, it's getting to the point where I'm having a hard time seeing a huge step up in quality with each successive season. But that's not really a bad thing, as I really enjoyed the experience regardless. So, as always, here are some highlights:
The Jeffersons:
Though this Michael Jackson-themed episode has a somewhat different feel now that he has prematurely died, it was still extremely funny (and even somewhat touching) nonetheless. Everything from the show's kind portrayal of Jackson as more of a child at heart than a child molester to the somewhat tragedy surrounding Blanket's virtual social quarantine really showed a bit more heart than I would have expected from the South Park guys when covering such a somewhat laughable public figure. Sure, the part where Jackson's face started falling apart at the end WAS hysterical (and definitely at the King of Pop's expense), but overall, I feel that they handled the subject very sensitively, all things considered.
Douche And Turd:
Functioning more-or-less as Matt and Trey's comment on the uninspiring 2004 Presidential election, this episode places Cartman and Kyle at odds for coming up with the most ridiculous school mascot, either a "giant douche" or a "turd sandwich". Caught in the middle is Stan, who refuses to vote out of general apathy when given a choice between two horrible candidates, and who is summarily exiled from South Park for not doing his part by voting, even if he doesn't really care about the outcome. Definitely a poignant political message, one that is probably criticizing Democrats more than Republicans, but definitely calling both out for being somewhat shitty options compared with the best we can imagine.
Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset:
This somewhat infamous Paris Hilton episode pulls no punches in attacking the heiress and her superficial ilk, claiming that role models like this are only teaching American girls to be stupid and slutty instead of getting what they need by earning respect. Virtually everything about the episode is hilarious, with particular note to Butters' being adopted by Paris as a pet teddy bear animal (?) and Mr. Slave doing a shocking "Whore-Off" with Paris to put her in her place. Oh, and they told Mr. Slave's origin story (if you will), which itself was enough to put this show on the list.
Woodland Critter Christmas:
To my surprise, this episode is not my first Christmas episode to have received a Top 4 ranking in my South Park viewing to-date, as I've given two other such shows a similar honor, but this one is definitely one of the most unique, as it's a story within a story where Cartman is narrating a Christmas tale he wrote where these cute animals in the forest ask Stan for help in saving them from a mean mountain lion so that their savior can be born on Christmas, only to find out that this savior is the Antichrist! Following suit, the animals are evil (though still cute as hell...literally!) and Stan eventually tries to make things right, enlisting the powers of Santa Claus to take down the bearer or the Antichrist, Kyle (because he's a Jew...remember, Cartman is telling this story). Definitely a good way to end the season, and easily one of my favorite Christmas specials of all time!
So, there you have it...a very solid season with plenty of socio-political satire, creative plots, and great joke-writing. No, it doesn't necessarily stand out against the fantastically high-quality backdrop the show had established up to this point, but again, that's not a bad thing at all. Definitely looking forward to Season 9, though I'll probably give it some serious time to let this one settle a bit more for me.
The Jeffersons:
Though this Michael Jackson-themed episode has a somewhat different feel now that he has prematurely died, it was still extremely funny (and even somewhat touching) nonetheless. Everything from the show's kind portrayal of Jackson as more of a child at heart than a child molester to the somewhat tragedy surrounding Blanket's virtual social quarantine really showed a bit more heart than I would have expected from the South Park guys when covering such a somewhat laughable public figure. Sure, the part where Jackson's face started falling apart at the end WAS hysterical (and definitely at the King of Pop's expense), but overall, I feel that they handled the subject very sensitively, all things considered.
Douche And Turd:
Functioning more-or-less as Matt and Trey's comment on the uninspiring 2004 Presidential election, this episode places Cartman and Kyle at odds for coming up with the most ridiculous school mascot, either a "giant douche" or a "turd sandwich". Caught in the middle is Stan, who refuses to vote out of general apathy when given a choice between two horrible candidates, and who is summarily exiled from South Park for not doing his part by voting, even if he doesn't really care about the outcome. Definitely a poignant political message, one that is probably criticizing Democrats more than Republicans, but definitely calling both out for being somewhat shitty options compared with the best we can imagine.
Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset:
This somewhat infamous Paris Hilton episode pulls no punches in attacking the heiress and her superficial ilk, claiming that role models like this are only teaching American girls to be stupid and slutty instead of getting what they need by earning respect. Virtually everything about the episode is hilarious, with particular note to Butters' being adopted by Paris as a pet teddy bear animal (?) and Mr. Slave doing a shocking "Whore-Off" with Paris to put her in her place. Oh, and they told Mr. Slave's origin story (if you will), which itself was enough to put this show on the list.
Woodland Critter Christmas:
To my surprise, this episode is not my first Christmas episode to have received a Top 4 ranking in my South Park viewing to-date, as I've given two other such shows a similar honor, but this one is definitely one of the most unique, as it's a story within a story where Cartman is narrating a Christmas tale he wrote where these cute animals in the forest ask Stan for help in saving them from a mean mountain lion so that their savior can be born on Christmas, only to find out that this savior is the Antichrist! Following suit, the animals are evil (though still cute as hell...literally!) and Stan eventually tries to make things right, enlisting the powers of Santa Claus to take down the bearer or the Antichrist, Kyle (because he's a Jew...remember, Cartman is telling this story). Definitely a good way to end the season, and easily one of my favorite Christmas specials of all time!
So, there you have it...a very solid season with plenty of socio-political satire, creative plots, and great joke-writing. No, it doesn't necessarily stand out against the fantastically high-quality backdrop the show had established up to this point, but again, that's not a bad thing at all. Definitely looking forward to Season 9, though I'll probably give it some serious time to let this one settle a bit more for me.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Rage
Though it certainly was no obsession like Batman: Arkham City has recently proven to be, the first game of the year for me, last year's first-person shooter by id Software (of DOOM fame), Rage, which took me on-and-off the better part of January to complete, was also quite a solid game, setting a strong tone for my year in gaming. Much like Fallout 3 before it, Rage is a shooter with RPG elements set in a post-apocalyptic world, the primary differences being the overall scope (Rage is MUCH smaller), the addition of a substantial competitive buggy-driving element to Rage, and the fact that it's much more of a true shooter than Fallout 3, though it certainly seems to have lifted a number of concepts from it all-the-same. In fact, though id Software WAS the developer for Rage, its publisher was the same studio that did Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks), and as such, there are even a handful of easter eggs scattered throughout the world that refer to the earlier game.
The best parts of Rage were its endearing hub-towns, the deep shooting mechanics (including a bunch of auxiliary weapons), the surprisingly-satisfying buggy racing, and the mini-games in each of the two larger towns. Oh, and the graphics were great too, walking a line somewhere between the harshly realistic world of Fallout 3 and the cell-shaded look of a game like Borderlands (which I haven't yet played). The only real problem I had with this game is its abrupt ending, which left me rather unsatisfied, especially considering I was then on the second of three discs the game comes packaged with and therefore expecting a final third act when, in fact, the game just ended there, with the third disc being reserved entirely for multiplayer stuff (something I've never seen before).
Regardless, the story was solid enough up until this point, and they left the game with such a big loose-end that I have a hard time imagining they weren't planning on following it up with a sequel, which I will almost definitely pick up. So, if that isn't enough of an endorsement for this game, I don't know what will be, though I will admit that it probably won't be my game of the year for 2012, especially considering it's up against the likes of Batman: Arkham City, and the soon-to-be-released Mass Effect 3 and BioShock Infinite!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
New Albums (Q4 2011)
Onto the last batch of albums from 2011, which was one album longer than usual, as I opted to forego listening to my typical mid-quarter self-made singles compilation in favor of one more album, largely to balance out the total number of albums for the year after the ceo album I added to Q3's list at the end of the year (changing it from an EP to a full-length album) bumped the total up to an awkward 49. So, here we go:
01. Shiny Toy Guns - Season Of Poison (2/5)
02. Why? - Eskimo Snow (3/5)
03. Kyle Andrews - Robot Learn Love (1/5)
04. Crystal Fighters - Star Of Love (3/5)
05. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (5/5)
06. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (4/5)
07. Silversun Pickups - Swoon (4/5)
08. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2/5)
09. Childish Gambino - Camp (5/5)
10. Hot Chip - The Warning (1/5)
11. Gotye - Making Mirrors (5/5)
12. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (4/5)
13. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (1/5)
While Q4 definitely had its fair share of ones, it also matched this with a really solid group of fives and fours, quite possibly making it my favorite quarter of the year. Hell, it was home to at least two of my certain-to-be Top 5 albums of the year, the Childish Gambino and Bon Iver offerings, and none of the 1/5's were as bad as they can get, leaving an overall positive impression. Other than this, there really isn't too much to say about Q4, though I'm certainly glad to have finally had a strong quarter amidst a year of middling albums. Overall, 2012 is getting off to an above-average start, so hopefully Q4 will end up marking the start of an upward swing for my listening regimen!
01. Shiny Toy Guns - Season Of Poison (2/5)
02. Why? - Eskimo Snow (3/5)
03. Kyle Andrews - Robot Learn Love (1/5)
04. Crystal Fighters - Star Of Love (3/5)
05. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (5/5)
06. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (4/5)
07. Silversun Pickups - Swoon (4/5)
08. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2/5)
09. Childish Gambino - Camp (5/5)
10. Hot Chip - The Warning (1/5)
11. Gotye - Making Mirrors (5/5)
12. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (4/5)
13. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (1/5)
While Q4 definitely had its fair share of ones, it also matched this with a really solid group of fives and fours, quite possibly making it my favorite quarter of the year. Hell, it was home to at least two of my certain-to-be Top 5 albums of the year, the Childish Gambino and Bon Iver offerings, and none of the 1/5's were as bad as they can get, leaving an overall positive impression. Other than this, there really isn't too much to say about Q4, though I'm certainly glad to have finally had a strong quarter amidst a year of middling albums. Overall, 2012 is getting off to an above-average start, so hopefully Q4 will end up marking the start of an upward swing for my listening regimen!
Year of The Bat
My apologies for the nearly week-long silence on the blog...though I've certainly been busy doing multiple days' worth of Valentine's stuff (more on this later), the big distraction lately has been my obsession with Batman: Arkham City, the critically-acclaimed sequel to 2009's (though I played it in 2010) Batman: Arkham Asylum, which itself was probably the first truly great franchise video game in the long history of the genre. My initial plan was to just play through the first game throughout February to reacquaint myself with the franchise in preparation for playing through the follow-up (which Suzi gave me for Christmas) sometime in April after March Mass Effect Madness is over (yes, Mass Effect 3 is coming out in just under three weeks, and I'm sure I'll be spending the better part of that month's video game time fully engrossed in it)... But what ended up happening was that I played through Arkham Asylum in just under a week, and when Suzi and I were lounging around my place this past Saturday, she suggested I just go ahead and start the sequel, so I played a little of it to just whet my appetite... Sure enough, I've been absolutely obsessed with it for the past five days or so, and I've already completed the main storyline (which is AMAZING) and am now finishing up all the side missions and Riddler challenges (which I may never finish...?).
But, the Batman games aren't the only Batman-associated things I'll be engaging in this year. As you can see from the trailer above, the final film in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, will be out in mere months, and there's the upcoming mc chris Batman-themed album, which I'll hopefully be contributing beats for. Add to this the likely chance that I'll be buying a Batman-themed graphic novel or two and might even revisit the old films/cartoons, and you've got a year full of Batman. It's really pretty awesome to see a superhero character getting treated with so much respect (especially regarding the films and video games), and though I've loved a number of the Marvel movies of-late, nothing compares to the artistry and depth of these latest iterations of the Batman franchise. Getting really excited!
But, the Batman games aren't the only Batman-associated things I'll be engaging in this year. As you can see from the trailer above, the final film in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, will be out in mere months, and there's the upcoming mc chris Batman-themed album, which I'll hopefully be contributing beats for. Add to this the likely chance that I'll be buying a Batman-themed graphic novel or two and might even revisit the old films/cartoons, and you've got a year full of Batman. It's really pretty awesome to see a superhero character getting treated with so much respect (especially regarding the films and video games), and though I've loved a number of the Marvel movies of-late, nothing compares to the artistry and depth of these latest iterations of the Batman franchise. Getting really excited!
Friday, February 10, 2012
I Kill Giants
I Kill Giants follows Barbara, a young, socially-awkward girl through her daily confrontations at school, home, and with her small group of friends, during which she continuously keeps asserting that she is a giant killer by trade (though she's the only person in the story making any supernatural claims of any sort). Yes, she plays a healthy(?) dose of Dungeons & Dragons and certainly isn't a girly girl, but Barbara's weird beyond all this and is having a hard time coping with her life. For the vast majority of the book, we're not really sure if she's just a delusional kid or if there actually are giants out there, but the more she lets her dweeby guard down, the better understanding we have of her fantastical world.
Anyway, the book was the kind of graphic novel that builds so much steam by the end that I ended up reading the back half of it very quickly, not being able to put it down. To top it off, its beautifully drawn black & white art and additional writer/artist commentary at the end made for a really good experience. Definitely glad Dave picked it out for me, and looking forward to checking out some more stuff by Joe Kelly in the future.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
TV Show of the Year Nominations 2011
Though I've been kinda down about CDs, live shows, and video games for 2011, one thing I've failed to bring up as a huge positive is the introduction of many a quality TV series in my life, mostly due to Suzi (with a little help from Netflix). Now, this isn't to say that this had anything to do with actual TV-TV at all, in fact, as you may know, I have absolutely no interest in having a television signal in my place, and I literally don't even have the most basic of cable (hell, my TV isn't even plugged into anything but my Xbox!). The point is: I don't like commercials and being at the whim of what may or may not be on TV at any given moment, but through the widespread availability of streaming DVDs of past TV seasons, I'm starting to finally get into some shows that I was supposed to like awhile ago (and no, this doesn't include Lost, which I'm currently not interested in jumping on the bandwagon for...). So, without further ado, here's my list of my Top 5 TV shows/seasons for the year!
Modern Family (Seasons 1+2): While I technically didn't see EVERY episode of the first season, I definitely saw all of the second, so I'm including both here, especially since they all sort of ran together (unlike a more overarching story-driven show like Skins). As everyone and their little brother is aware, Modern Family is one of those instantly lovable The Office-style mockumentary shows airing these days, with a fantastic cast, great joke-writing, and enough fresh ideas to really leave a lasting impression for seasons to come. Honestly, I can't see it losing steam anytime soon, and I'm very excited to check out Season 3 whenever I can get my hands on it!
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (Seasons 4-6): Seeing as each season of this jokey, Libertarian take on MythBusters is so short and that I watched all three of these seasons back-to-back, I'm including them all as one experience as well, though I would certainly count any previous or subsequent seasons as separate entities for future Top 5's. Anyway, though I watched this show months before I got knee-deep with Ron Paul stuff, it still left a strong impression, as I really respect Penn & Teller's no-bullshit approach to reality, calling things like they see it and having some actual experts behind them to support their claims. Great show, so here's hoping Netflix puts more of it up online soon!
Skins (Cast 2): Though I managed to watch a total of four seasons of Skins, the UK's popular and irreverent take on late teen life, covering two mostly separate casts, it was the second cast (the first that I watched) that left the stronger impression, largely because I like the characters so much more. Regardless, I love the way both seasons tie all the hour-long episodes into one another, focusing on one particular cast member each time but somehow connecting everything seamlessly by the end. I'm currently watching the third cast right now, and though nothing will probably ever replace my first season for me, it's still probably going to make this list next year too...
Storage Wars (Season 1): Considering I've taken Suzi on two days' worth of storage unit auctions, it should come as no surprise that this seemingly uninteresting reality show DID somehow manage to become a little bit of an addiction, and though there's certainly no story from episode to episode, I feel like the cast is as good as any you would see on most other, plot-driven shows. Now if only going to the storage auctions themselves was as fun as watching the experts do it on the show!
Thumbs Up! (Seasons 1+2): Functioning more as a documentary that happened to be shown episodically on TV than an actual show, David Choe's two-season run of Thumbs Up!, a show focusing on his hitchhiking exploits with his friend Harry, really was one of the stand-out memories of the year, both for TV and documentaries (though I'm only counting it in this category). Sure, we somehow ended up watching a truncated version of Season 1, and Season 2 WAS less interesting, but there isn't another show out there that has quite as interesting a subject matter paired with such good "hosts", if you will. Definitely check this out on Netflix if you get a chance!
So there you have it, five shows that really helped turn me into a quasi-TV fan this year, all with a different feel and style. And it's not that they didn't have any competition...this past year I revisited the entire Æon Flux TV show, the first season of Shameless, the 7th season of South Park, the other cast of Skins, Stan Lee's Superhumans, and the first season of Louis C.K.'s Louie, all of which were pretty good. So, here's to a new favorite form of entertainment and another great year of TV shows!
Modern Family (Seasons 1+2): While I technically didn't see EVERY episode of the first season, I definitely saw all of the second, so I'm including both here, especially since they all sort of ran together (unlike a more overarching story-driven show like Skins). As everyone and their little brother is aware, Modern Family is one of those instantly lovable The Office-style mockumentary shows airing these days, with a fantastic cast, great joke-writing, and enough fresh ideas to really leave a lasting impression for seasons to come. Honestly, I can't see it losing steam anytime soon, and I'm very excited to check out Season 3 whenever I can get my hands on it!
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (Seasons 4-6): Seeing as each season of this jokey, Libertarian take on MythBusters is so short and that I watched all three of these seasons back-to-back, I'm including them all as one experience as well, though I would certainly count any previous or subsequent seasons as separate entities for future Top 5's. Anyway, though I watched this show months before I got knee-deep with Ron Paul stuff, it still left a strong impression, as I really respect Penn & Teller's no-bullshit approach to reality, calling things like they see it and having some actual experts behind them to support their claims. Great show, so here's hoping Netflix puts more of it up online soon!
Skins (Cast 2): Though I managed to watch a total of four seasons of Skins, the UK's popular and irreverent take on late teen life, covering two mostly separate casts, it was the second cast (the first that I watched) that left the stronger impression, largely because I like the characters so much more. Regardless, I love the way both seasons tie all the hour-long episodes into one another, focusing on one particular cast member each time but somehow connecting everything seamlessly by the end. I'm currently watching the third cast right now, and though nothing will probably ever replace my first season for me, it's still probably going to make this list next year too...
Storage Wars (Season 1): Considering I've taken Suzi on two days' worth of storage unit auctions, it should come as no surprise that this seemingly uninteresting reality show DID somehow manage to become a little bit of an addiction, and though there's certainly no story from episode to episode, I feel like the cast is as good as any you would see on most other, plot-driven shows. Now if only going to the storage auctions themselves was as fun as watching the experts do it on the show!
Thumbs Up! (Seasons 1+2): Functioning more as a documentary that happened to be shown episodically on TV than an actual show, David Choe's two-season run of Thumbs Up!, a show focusing on his hitchhiking exploits with his friend Harry, really was one of the stand-out memories of the year, both for TV and documentaries (though I'm only counting it in this category). Sure, we somehow ended up watching a truncated version of Season 1, and Season 2 WAS less interesting, but there isn't another show out there that has quite as interesting a subject matter paired with such good "hosts", if you will. Definitely check this out on Netflix if you get a chance!
So there you have it, five shows that really helped turn me into a quasi-TV fan this year, all with a different feel and style. And it's not that they didn't have any competition...this past year I revisited the entire Æon Flux TV show, the first season of Shameless, the 7th season of South Park, the other cast of Skins, Stan Lee's Superhumans, and the first season of Louis C.K.'s Louie, all of which were pretty good. So, here's to a new favorite form of entertainment and another great year of TV shows!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Shame
As the first movie I've seen in the theatres in 2012, Michael Fassbender's NC-17 (the first I've ever seen, I believe!) indie film Shame, about a young professional living with sexual addiction, seemed like a great first choice to kick things off, as it looked provocative, unique, and stylish, and I was eager to see Fassbender in another role after enjoying his part as Magneto in X-Men: First Class (evidently he was in Inglourious Basterds too, though he wasn't on my radar then). Unfortunately, the film, while decent, didn't manage to elicit a huge response from me, primarily due to a bunch of unanswered plot holes that really could have made the difference between a decent film and a great one.
The basic plot is simple: Fassbender's character is a successful but sex-addicted bachelor living in New York whose addiction only worsens when his sister comes to stay with him for an indefinite amount of time (though we're never told why this upsets him so much, other than that he's ashamed of his lifestyle and resents having to work harder to cover it up around her...). Apart from this, all we really end up seeing of the character's story are what amounts to a handful of vignettes (though they're not presented in this manner) showing how his addiction seems to negatively impact his psyche. Unfortunately, none of this is really tied together, and though it does all build towards the end, I was left feeling way too apathetic about his plight, especially considering what COULD have been done with the subject matter. Yes, the film was well shot, and Fassbender did a great job, but something big was missing, and it's a real shame (pun intended). Probably the most powerful moment in the film for me actually had nothing to do with the acting or plot, but with the creepy version of "New York, New York" that Fassbender's sister ends up singing at a jazz lounge. Sure, the scene went on for too long, but that version of the song was fantastic, and I'm glad they used it to such strong effect in both the film and the trailer.
Bottom line: check this film out if it interests you, but it's probably more of a Netflix option than a must-see-in-the-theatres kind of film. Definitely looking forward to seeing where Fassbender's career ends up going though, as I think he's really talented.
The basic plot is simple: Fassbender's character is a successful but sex-addicted bachelor living in New York whose addiction only worsens when his sister comes to stay with him for an indefinite amount of time (though we're never told why this upsets him so much, other than that he's ashamed of his lifestyle and resents having to work harder to cover it up around her...). Apart from this, all we really end up seeing of the character's story are what amounts to a handful of vignettes (though they're not presented in this manner) showing how his addiction seems to negatively impact his psyche. Unfortunately, none of this is really tied together, and though it does all build towards the end, I was left feeling way too apathetic about his plight, especially considering what COULD have been done with the subject matter. Yes, the film was well shot, and Fassbender did a great job, but something big was missing, and it's a real shame (pun intended). Probably the most powerful moment in the film for me actually had nothing to do with the acting or plot, but with the creepy version of "New York, New York" that Fassbender's sister ends up singing at a jazz lounge. Sure, the scene went on for too long, but that version of the song was fantastic, and I'm glad they used it to such strong effect in both the film and the trailer.
Bottom line: check this film out if it interests you, but it's probably more of a Netflix option than a must-see-in-the-theatres kind of film. Definitely looking forward to seeing where Fassbender's career ends up going though, as I think he's really talented.
State of the Union Address 2012
To my knowledge, I've never written about the annual State of the Union Address, and honestly, I'm not even 100% sure I've watched one in its entirety up until now, but though I didn't actually watch this year's address live, I did go back and watch the whole thing on the internet, so here are some thoughts...
As you're likely aware, this past year, my support for Obama has been slowly waning, turning more towards the Libertarian side of things (and Ron Paul's campaign in general), so obviously I'm not the same Liberal Obama supporter in 2012 that I was going into his election in 2008. That said, I was nearly shocked at how UN-liberal Obama's speech was this time around! After all these years of being touted as a socialist dictator by the right, he's actually become startlingly like these very detractors, as the kinds of things coming out of his mouth were literally opposite from what he said four years ago. One thing that stuck out prominently for me was his new pro-offshore-drilling stance...in fact, while he was making his statement regarding this overhyped issue, the camera panned to Hillary Clinton, and I could've sworn I saw a subtle bit of a WTF look come over her...
I mean, maybe it's just that I've been getting really into Ron Paul's supposedly extreme views of freedom from government and it's changed the way I heard what Obama had to say, but then again, when bringing the subject up with my dad, he admitted that he too noticed how pro-Conservative Obama's speech was. That said, this IS an election year, so perhaps he's just talking out of the side of his mouth to get votes (again...?), but whatever it was, I'm not really sure if this whole thing made me like Obama more or less. I mean, a lot of what he said made sense, and maybe he was trying to appeal to us once fully Democrat but now independent Ron Paul supporters to start winning us back after we've slowly left the fold, but all I know is that I'm going to have to be much more cautious getting excited about what Obama says this time around, as he's either just talking a really big talk or honestly doesn't realize how hard it is to get the legislation through that he's promised us with this awfully divided Congress.
Whatever the case, I'm definitely gonna try to keep as open a mind as possible for this election, and though I know Ron Paul is almost certainly not going to win the Republican nomination, this doesn't mean I'll definitely be voting for Obama, as I feel he really is going to have to earn my vote again this time around. There's always the write-in option, and right now, I'm more pro-third party than pro-Obama. We'll see...
As you're likely aware, this past year, my support for Obama has been slowly waning, turning more towards the Libertarian side of things (and Ron Paul's campaign in general), so obviously I'm not the same Liberal Obama supporter in 2012 that I was going into his election in 2008. That said, I was nearly shocked at how UN-liberal Obama's speech was this time around! After all these years of being touted as a socialist dictator by the right, he's actually become startlingly like these very detractors, as the kinds of things coming out of his mouth were literally opposite from what he said four years ago. One thing that stuck out prominently for me was his new pro-offshore-drilling stance...in fact, while he was making his statement regarding this overhyped issue, the camera panned to Hillary Clinton, and I could've sworn I saw a subtle bit of a WTF look come over her...
I mean, maybe it's just that I've been getting really into Ron Paul's supposedly extreme views of freedom from government and it's changed the way I heard what Obama had to say, but then again, when bringing the subject up with my dad, he admitted that he too noticed how pro-Conservative Obama's speech was. That said, this IS an election year, so perhaps he's just talking out of the side of his mouth to get votes (again...?), but whatever it was, I'm not really sure if this whole thing made me like Obama more or less. I mean, a lot of what he said made sense, and maybe he was trying to appeal to us once fully Democrat but now independent Ron Paul supporters to start winning us back after we've slowly left the fold, but all I know is that I'm going to have to be much more cautious getting excited about what Obama says this time around, as he's either just talking a really big talk or honestly doesn't realize how hard it is to get the legislation through that he's promised us with this awfully divided Congress.
Whatever the case, I'm definitely gonna try to keep as open a mind as possible for this election, and though I know Ron Paul is almost certainly not going to win the Republican nomination, this doesn't mean I'll definitely be voting for Obama, as I feel he really is going to have to earn my vote again this time around. There's always the write-in option, and right now, I'm more pro-third party than pro-Obama. We'll see...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
ceo - White Magic
Onto the album itself: ceo's style kinda sounds like the lovechild of lighthearted (and somewhat cheesy) indie vocals/synth-work with a touch of the jungle themes from the Avatar and Tarzan soundtracks, all wrapped in production that walks a strange line between sampled hip-hop beats and electronica. The results aren't perfect, but the album never manages to grate on my nerves (well, with one possible exception being the late album German folksong...), and the songs that are good are pleasant enough. Honestly, the album almost feels a tad undercooked, as if ceo was just testing out a few things here that he'll end up perfecting on his next release...perhaps this is why it felt more like an EP to me than a full-length debut, but whatever: it's good enough to check out if ceo's weird stylistic mixture sounds interesting to you, but my bet is on his future work, so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for that.
Highlights: "White Magic"/"No Mercy"/"Come With Me"
Rating: 3/5
Monday, February 6, 2012
Foxy Shazam/States @ The Masquerade
Though I think it's safe to say that I'm quickly losing interest in modern glam rockers Foxy Shazam (whose self-titled second album made a strong first impression on me back in 2010 but has since waned on me), it had been awhile since my buddy Jim and I had hung out, so when he asked me to go see them for our second time together, I ended up saying yes. Other than the somewhat steep ticket price (roughly $25) and the fact that I'm not really that excited about Foxy anymore, the biggest factor that made it hard to commit to the concert was the fact that they were inexplicably bookended in the lineup by two Christian bands, the successful post-punk band Anberlin and an up-and-coming Christian Paramore clone called States. As you may know, there was a period during my late high school years where I got REALLY into Christian rock (despite its typical lack of quality when compared with their secular counterparts), even to the point of selling most of my secular CDs in a somewhat impulsive sense of guilt about watching what I'm listening to, morals-wise. Yeah, so I'm not the kinda guy that would exactly be lining up to see Christian bands play these days, but fortunately, States more-or-less came off as just any other band, and we took off right after Foxy, having no plans of seeing Anberlin, so it really wasn't an issue.
Anyway, Foxy's part of the show was actually quite entertaining, but not because I loved the music. In fact, out of the ten or so songs they ended up playing, I think I only knew three of them, as their new album, The Church Of Rock And Roll, was about to come out, so they were understandably pushing that material. No, the real reason the show was so entertaining was that Foxy played up their NOT being a Christian band (AT ALL) on a Christian band tour, cussing frequently, making plenty of sexual references, and even telling a story about a drunk guy for what seemed to be no reason other than to make people there feel uncomfortable... And yes, I loved every minute of these antics. In fact, had Foxy not addressed what seemed to be the obvious elephant in the room of them being totally different than the other bands, it would have seemed much, much weirder than acting out like they did. As for the new music, it was alright at best...they're taking their Queen-on-speed glam rock approach in a much more classic rock direction, and it's even less up my alley than what they were doing, but as always, they put on a great show and played professionally.
In the end, the best part was getting to hang out with Jim. Though we skipped dinner beforehand (which was my fault), we ended up catching up over drinks at The Earl and The Flatiron in East Atlanta, and I even got to show Jim my mc chris mash-ups, which he genuinely seemed to like, which was of course nice. =) So, though I'm not sure I need to see Foxy again anytime in the foreseeable future, I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to hanging out with Jim more regularly than we did in the latter half of 2011, as he's definitely one of my best friends in town.
Anyway, Foxy's part of the show was actually quite entertaining, but not because I loved the music. In fact, out of the ten or so songs they ended up playing, I think I only knew three of them, as their new album, The Church Of Rock And Roll, was about to come out, so they were understandably pushing that material. No, the real reason the show was so entertaining was that Foxy played up their NOT being a Christian band (AT ALL) on a Christian band tour, cussing frequently, making plenty of sexual references, and even telling a story about a drunk guy for what seemed to be no reason other than to make people there feel uncomfortable... And yes, I loved every minute of these antics. In fact, had Foxy not addressed what seemed to be the obvious elephant in the room of them being totally different than the other bands, it would have seemed much, much weirder than acting out like they did. As for the new music, it was alright at best...they're taking their Queen-on-speed glam rock approach in a much more classic rock direction, and it's even less up my alley than what they were doing, but as always, they put on a great show and played professionally.
In the end, the best part was getting to hang out with Jim. Though we skipped dinner beforehand (which was my fault), we ended up catching up over drinks at The Earl and The Flatiron in East Atlanta, and I even got to show Jim my mc chris mash-ups, which he genuinely seemed to like, which was of course nice. =) So, though I'm not sure I need to see Foxy again anytime in the foreseeable future, I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to hanging out with Jim more regularly than we did in the latter half of 2011, as he's definitely one of my best friends in town.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Trip of the Year Nominations 2011
Though many of the categories in these Top 5 posts often take awhile for me to pick nominees (not to mention winners), one of the other easy ones this year is once again Trip of the Year, as there were only eight of them (five by plane, three by car), and I've been ranking them in the back of my mind as each was added to the list, giving me a rather good idea leading into our last trip, the Winter getaway to San Diego. So, onto the results!
New Orleans (Anniversary): Though I started this trip off with a sour attitude towards "The Big Easy", it ended up being perhaps the most memorable trip of the year, especially the last day, which was filled with a creepy all-white, above ground cemetery, a visit to a voodoo temple, and an hour or so of getting a little wasted on Bourbon Street in the daytime! Most importantly, the trip managed to erase the bad taste left in my mouth by my brief (and resentful) passport-fetching trip there alone back in 2009, a fact that alone was almost enough to land NOLA on the list this year!
Seattle (Evan's wedding): As easily the most logistically-daunting trip that Suzi and I have ever had to figure out (with her flying separately after Jim and I flew out first for Evan's camping bachelor party), there was a fair amount of stress leading up to this one, but fortunately, the camping trip was easily one of the most memorable things I've done in a long time (I hadn't been camping since I was in elementary school!); Evan's wedding was one of the most beautiful, funnest, and most meaningful weddings I've been to; and though we didn't get to see much of downtown Seattle, the little time Suzi and I did have there was pretty fun. So, it all balanced out in the end, and it was an absolute pleasure to be there with Evan and his friends/family for he and Katherine's biggest of days. =)
Washington, D.C. (Labor Day): While this slot could've been a toss-up between DC and Boston, DC ended up edging out the competition due to the amount of ground Suzi and I were able to cover relative to that in Boston, the stronger memories there, and its more exciting nightlife and hotel situations. Granted, DC didn't have The Goose (easily Boston's strongest point), but Boston ended up hitting us with some bad weather, a problem we were mostly spared from in DC. Anyway, they were both great trips regardless, and I'm definitely glad we finally got to make it to both cities!
Nashville (Thanksgiving): As easily the best driving trip Suzi and I have thus far taken (out of a total of five, not counting Athens trips), Nashville was also the shortest, and though I got my cowboy hat stolen on our night out and ended up sick by the end of the trip home, the memories here were priceless: the Parthenon, the Belle Meade Childish Gambino drive, Belmont, 12 South, dressing up as cowboys, Opryland Hotel (night/day), our night out on Broadway, and my moustache day...all of these added up to an absolutely amazing trip, one that we probably won't be able to replicate in all its glory, but that we also won't be able to resist attempting someday!
San Diego (Winter holidays): Though including our largest trip of the year in this list seems pretty predictable, our trip to San Diego actually almost didn't make the list, as it was sadly a tad on the forgettable side. That said, the good memories definitely outweighed the city's surprising cultural sterility, so things like Balboa Park, the waterfront area, our hotel, our night out in the Gaslamp District, and Presidio Park, all helped it make this list. I definitely wish we could've had more time for the zoo, but I'm happy with how we spent our time and look forward to hopefully hitting up nearby Los Angeles sometime in the near future!
So there you have it...while 2011 wasn't quite as good as 2010 with regards to traveling, it certainly would be a stellar year in almost anyone's book, so I don't want to discount it. The real question is what'll be up ahead for Suzi and my traveling in 2012, as we're both looking to rein in our spending a little more this year (though we did try to save as much money as is reasonable on all of these trips). Still, in addition to the already-mentioned LA, we've also got our eyes on Chicago, Charleston, a return to NYC, and a few other exciting candidates we've been holding out on. As always, I'll definitely keep you up-to-date with what we're doing!
New Orleans (Anniversary): Though I started this trip off with a sour attitude towards "The Big Easy", it ended up being perhaps the most memorable trip of the year, especially the last day, which was filled with a creepy all-white, above ground cemetery, a visit to a voodoo temple, and an hour or so of getting a little wasted on Bourbon Street in the daytime! Most importantly, the trip managed to erase the bad taste left in my mouth by my brief (and resentful) passport-fetching trip there alone back in 2009, a fact that alone was almost enough to land NOLA on the list this year!
Seattle (Evan's wedding): As easily the most logistically-daunting trip that Suzi and I have ever had to figure out (with her flying separately after Jim and I flew out first for Evan's camping bachelor party), there was a fair amount of stress leading up to this one, but fortunately, the camping trip was easily one of the most memorable things I've done in a long time (I hadn't been camping since I was in elementary school!); Evan's wedding was one of the most beautiful, funnest, and most meaningful weddings I've been to; and though we didn't get to see much of downtown Seattle, the little time Suzi and I did have there was pretty fun. So, it all balanced out in the end, and it was an absolute pleasure to be there with Evan and his friends/family for he and Katherine's biggest of days. =)
Washington, D.C. (Labor Day): While this slot could've been a toss-up between DC and Boston, DC ended up edging out the competition due to the amount of ground Suzi and I were able to cover relative to that in Boston, the stronger memories there, and its more exciting nightlife and hotel situations. Granted, DC didn't have The Goose (easily Boston's strongest point), but Boston ended up hitting us with some bad weather, a problem we were mostly spared from in DC. Anyway, they were both great trips regardless, and I'm definitely glad we finally got to make it to both cities!
Nashville (Thanksgiving): As easily the best driving trip Suzi and I have thus far taken (out of a total of five, not counting Athens trips), Nashville was also the shortest, and though I got my cowboy hat stolen on our night out and ended up sick by the end of the trip home, the memories here were priceless: the Parthenon, the Belle Meade Childish Gambino drive, Belmont, 12 South, dressing up as cowboys, Opryland Hotel (night/day), our night out on Broadway, and my moustache day...all of these added up to an absolutely amazing trip, one that we probably won't be able to replicate in all its glory, but that we also won't be able to resist attempting someday!
San Diego (Winter holidays): Though including our largest trip of the year in this list seems pretty predictable, our trip to San Diego actually almost didn't make the list, as it was sadly a tad on the forgettable side. That said, the good memories definitely outweighed the city's surprising cultural sterility, so things like Balboa Park, the waterfront area, our hotel, our night out in the Gaslamp District, and Presidio Park, all helped it make this list. I definitely wish we could've had more time for the zoo, but I'm happy with how we spent our time and look forward to hopefully hitting up nearby Los Angeles sometime in the near future!
So there you have it...while 2011 wasn't quite as good as 2010 with regards to traveling, it certainly would be a stellar year in almost anyone's book, so I don't want to discount it. The real question is what'll be up ahead for Suzi and my traveling in 2012, as we're both looking to rein in our spending a little more this year (though we did try to save as much money as is reasonable on all of these trips). Still, in addition to the already-mentioned LA, we've also got our eyes on Chicago, Charleston, a return to NYC, and a few other exciting candidates we've been holding out on. As always, I'll definitely keep you up-to-date with what we're doing!
Friday, February 3, 2012
New, New/Old Palm Centro
Roughly this time a year two years ago, I told you about my stupid bumble of accidentally washing my old T9 cellphone in the washer and having to replace it with my dad's old, somewhat beat up (but still functional and definitely an upgrade over my last phone!) Palm Centro, which I had been using without any serious problems for the better part of these past two years. Well, roughly six months ago or so (not sure...), this new/old phone started having difficulty charging its battery, a problem that I was able to fix by using yet another Palm Centro Dad had lying around (but wasn't using) as a charging unit, swapping out the depleted battery in my first Centro with the fully charged one from the new unit every day or so. It was a clumsy solution that required bringing two phones on trips and making the phones both restart on a near daily basis (due to taking the battery out and putting it back in), but I didn't want to fully switch over to the new phone, as I wouldn't be able to shift over my text messages (particularly from my clients) and cleaning up my phone book would be time-consuming. Hell, even once I lost all my texts after a glitch erased them while uploading my phone's pics and videos onto my computer (which I did from time to time), I STILL stuck with the old phone, as I just didn't want to mess with all the phone book stuff...
That was until recently, when the phone finally started actually dying on me. The basic problem was that the directional pad, which was entirely necessary for getting around the phone, was starting to send glitchy messages, changing screens when you really just wanted to scroll down, or restarting at the start of a list, making you have to slowly re-scroll back down, (only to have it happen again!), all of which was annoying enough for me to finally commit to organizing my phone book and migrate over to the newer, less beat up (but still old) Palm Centro. This whole process took quite awhile, but I eventually got all my contacts copied over (I couldn't figure out how to do it the easy way!), and now I'm happily using the newer Centro with no issues. In fact, the touchscreen now works, but since this phone isn't a modern smartphone and isn't connected to the internet, I don't anticipate this being all that much of a plus (well, beyond the calculator app). If nothing else, I'm just happy that I was forced to finally organize my contacts list, trimming it down to only the essentials while saving the rest in a Word document for later if needed.
That was until recently, when the phone finally started actually dying on me. The basic problem was that the directional pad, which was entirely necessary for getting around the phone, was starting to send glitchy messages, changing screens when you really just wanted to scroll down, or restarting at the start of a list, making you have to slowly re-scroll back down, (only to have it happen again!), all of which was annoying enough for me to finally commit to organizing my phone book and migrate over to the newer, less beat up (but still old) Palm Centro. This whole process took quite awhile, but I eventually got all my contacts copied over (I couldn't figure out how to do it the easy way!), and now I'm happily using the newer Centro with no issues. In fact, the touchscreen now works, but since this phone isn't a modern smartphone and isn't connected to the internet, I don't anticipate this being all that much of a plus (well, beyond the calculator app). If nothing else, I'm just happy that I was forced to finally organize my contacts list, trimming it down to only the essentials while saving the rest in a Word document for later if needed.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Critical Opinion of Music
Beginning with my foray into internet journalism via my HiFi reviews last year, I've been making myself acutely aware of what the critics were saying regarding album releases for the year, mostly by checking numerous Top 50 (or whatever) lists from sites like NME, SPIN, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and the like. As such, I started compiling a list of which albums I was supposed to think were amazing this year (and last), systematically going through each album by listening to at least a handful of tracks before moving on to the next, saving any that seemed to have serious potential to my iTunes WishList for further listening.
While this might seem like a great way to find new music, it's also a really frustrating one, as I quickly found myself baffled as to why a particular album I couldn't find much redeeming value in was placed so much higher on these lists than the albums I liked (if my albums even ranked in the first place!). Of course, this sentiment naturally digresses into an internal argument about "good taste", which then evolves further into either a sense of vast superiority or inferiority, depending on what type of taste you assume you have based on the discrepancies between your favorite albums and those of the "professional" critics.
Since I've already gone into this at length with regards to Bitchfork, I feel it unnecessary to do so again here, but I would like to acknowledge that out of the 200 or so albums I ended up checking out in this whole process, a very small amount of them did anything for me, though I DID make some discoveries that I think will end up paying off nicely for my listening this year. Overall, this whole experience just goes to further support my feelings that, when it comes to my agreement with critical opinion in music, movies, and video games, I always seem to find the least agreement with the music critics... I'm not sure if this has something to do with me being either too "overeducated" in music, or if my taste is just really bad, but the situation bothers me, though I know I probably shouldn't let it...
While this might seem like a great way to find new music, it's also a really frustrating one, as I quickly found myself baffled as to why a particular album I couldn't find much redeeming value in was placed so much higher on these lists than the albums I liked (if my albums even ranked in the first place!). Of course, this sentiment naturally digresses into an internal argument about "good taste", which then evolves further into either a sense of vast superiority or inferiority, depending on what type of taste you assume you have based on the discrepancies between your favorite albums and those of the "professional" critics.
Since I've already gone into this at length with regards to Bitchfork, I feel it unnecessary to do so again here, but I would like to acknowledge that out of the 200 or so albums I ended up checking out in this whole process, a very small amount of them did anything for me, though I DID make some discoveries that I think will end up paying off nicely for my listening this year. Overall, this whole experience just goes to further support my feelings that, when it comes to my agreement with critical opinion in music, movies, and video games, I always seem to find the least agreement with the music critics... I'm not sure if this has something to do with me being either too "overeducated" in music, or if my taste is just really bad, but the situation bothers me, though I know I probably shouldn't let it...
Video Game of the Year Nominations 2011
And thus begins yet another year of Top 5 posts, although I have to admit there might be more Top 3's or 4's than Top 5's... See, though 2011 was an incredible leap forward for movies, it was kind of an off year for almost everything else amongst the Top 5 categories, including video games. That said, the year started off looking positive enough, and I certainly gave myself plenty of gaming opportunities that were expected to be contenders (I'm particularly looking at you Grand Theft Auto IV!), but very few of these delivered, and so I'm left with a particularly small field. So, let's go ahead and get to it, and I'll touch on the games that didn't make the cut after the list:
Fallout 3: I'll go ahead and tell you right now: Fallout 3 is the only real contender in this list for game of the year, as it FAR outshone almost any other game experience I've had, not only this year, but in my entire Xbox 360 gaming history to-date...it's just that fucking good. In one single playthrough, I poured something like 240 hours into the game, and right after that, I picked it right back up and started a new character, playing past level ten or so (out of a cap of thirty), clearly demonstrating how addictive and special this game was. Oh, and I also planned a trip to D.C. largely due to wanting to see the sights in the game...no big deal really... ;)
Magic: The Gathering - Duels Of The Planeswalkers 2012: As what has to amount to the biggest surprise of the year, this video game version of the guilty-pleasure, nerdy card game by the same name somehow managed to be almost as addictive as the real thing, despite its strict and potentially deal-breaking limitations on the freedom of deck creation. Short of one particular mode and the available DLC (which I've saved for later), I literally did everything you could do in this incredible "port", and I can't wait to return sometime later this year when my list of unplayed games has been whittled down a bit.
Mass Effect 2: Lair Of The Shadow Broker: While not strictly a game itself, this DLC expansion was so extensive, memorable, and meaningful relative to the Mass Effect storyline that I feel like I have to include it, especially in a year like this with such little competition. The blue alien biotic known as Liara was always my favorite character from the original Mass Effect, and when you add in an amazing story, great gameplay, numerous varied missions, and an awesome surprise ending, you really have one incredible piece of DLC, the kind that easily beats out many full-priced games!
Portal 2: Finally, we've got the critically-acclaimed sequel to the much smaller, XBLA-sized puzzle game that was famously included in the Half-Life 2 re-release box set, The Orange Box, which made this list two years ago itself, despite being much less ambitious (in some regards) than the sequel featured here. That said, I bought Portal 2 expecting it to easily be amongst the best games of the year, and while it WAS good, it honestly barely made this list, as it failed to inspire me quite the way the original did. Yes, the game was bigger in almost every way, but the core experience just wasn't as special this time around (though I admittedly played very little of the highly-touted co-op). Thus, though Portal 2 does barely make the list this year, there's no way it would have made it on last year's stellar list, but I'm still proud to have played it regardless.
So there you have it: one true winner amongst the group, a couple digital download games/expansions, and a full-priced sequel to another XBLA-type game that failed to live up to its predecessor...not exactly the type of gaming year I had in mind for 2011. Still, Fallout 3 alone managed to secure the year's place in my personal gaming history, and for that I couldn't be happier.
Now, about those games that didn't make the list...some of them were good enough experiences that I think of them positively (Enslaved: Odyssey To The West and Rock Band 3) but couldn't include them in the list without including EVERYTHING I played this year, and some were so boring and/or hard to get into (Grand Theft Auto IV and Alan Wake) that I couldn't get myself inspired enough to actually finish by year's end (though I'll hopefully be able to plow through them this year...). Oh well...taking a look at the great games I got for Christmas and the two big sequels coming out later this year that I will surely buy on the day they're released, 2012's already looking like it'll be a much better year, though it remains to be seen if it'll be able to go head-to-head with the likes of 2008 and 2010!
Fallout 3: I'll go ahead and tell you right now: Fallout 3 is the only real contender in this list for game of the year, as it FAR outshone almost any other game experience I've had, not only this year, but in my entire Xbox 360 gaming history to-date...it's just that fucking good. In one single playthrough, I poured something like 240 hours into the game, and right after that, I picked it right back up and started a new character, playing past level ten or so (out of a cap of thirty), clearly demonstrating how addictive and special this game was. Oh, and I also planned a trip to D.C. largely due to wanting to see the sights in the game...no big deal really... ;)
Magic: The Gathering - Duels Of The Planeswalkers 2012: As what has to amount to the biggest surprise of the year, this video game version of the guilty-pleasure, nerdy card game by the same name somehow managed to be almost as addictive as the real thing, despite its strict and potentially deal-breaking limitations on the freedom of deck creation. Short of one particular mode and the available DLC (which I've saved for later), I literally did everything you could do in this incredible "port", and I can't wait to return sometime later this year when my list of unplayed games has been whittled down a bit.
Mass Effect 2: Lair Of The Shadow Broker: While not strictly a game itself, this DLC expansion was so extensive, memorable, and meaningful relative to the Mass Effect storyline that I feel like I have to include it, especially in a year like this with such little competition. The blue alien biotic known as Liara was always my favorite character from the original Mass Effect, and when you add in an amazing story, great gameplay, numerous varied missions, and an awesome surprise ending, you really have one incredible piece of DLC, the kind that easily beats out many full-priced games!
Portal 2: Finally, we've got the critically-acclaimed sequel to the much smaller, XBLA-sized puzzle game that was famously included in the Half-Life 2 re-release box set, The Orange Box, which made this list two years ago itself, despite being much less ambitious (in some regards) than the sequel featured here. That said, I bought Portal 2 expecting it to easily be amongst the best games of the year, and while it WAS good, it honestly barely made this list, as it failed to inspire me quite the way the original did. Yes, the game was bigger in almost every way, but the core experience just wasn't as special this time around (though I admittedly played very little of the highly-touted co-op). Thus, though Portal 2 does barely make the list this year, there's no way it would have made it on last year's stellar list, but I'm still proud to have played it regardless.
So there you have it: one true winner amongst the group, a couple digital download games/expansions, and a full-priced sequel to another XBLA-type game that failed to live up to its predecessor...not exactly the type of gaming year I had in mind for 2011. Still, Fallout 3 alone managed to secure the year's place in my personal gaming history, and for that I couldn't be happier.
Now, about those games that didn't make the list...some of them were good enough experiences that I think of them positively (Enslaved: Odyssey To The West and Rock Band 3) but couldn't include them in the list without including EVERYTHING I played this year, and some were so boring and/or hard to get into (Grand Theft Auto IV and Alan Wake) that I couldn't get myself inspired enough to actually finish by year's end (though I'll hopefully be able to plow through them this year...). Oh well...taking a look at the great games I got for Christmas and the two big sequels coming out later this year that I will surely buy on the day they're released, 2012's already looking like it'll be a much better year, though it remains to be seen if it'll be able to go head-to-head with the likes of 2008 and 2010!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
While the handful of decent tracks listed below are definitely listenable, the rest are fairly boring...your typical Strokes-esque indie/hipster stuff that on the surface sounds hip but always fails to reach me on a deeper level. One reason for my disinterest might be that a lot of it is based off swung blues licks, the kind that for some people evoke the wonderful bygone days of classic rock, but for me just sound dated. Add to this the poor decision to add a long, seemingly unrelated electronic instrumental coda to the tenth track "Lucid Dreams", which itself is followed by another two full tracks (!), and you've got an album that feels rather poorly thought out AND uninspired. The funny thing is that I kinda actually like the instrumental, but it just feels so out of place that it nearly derails the experience, further driving it into one out of five territory. If I had to pick, I would definitely give The Strokes' recent (and somewhat similar) Angles an edge over this Franz Ferdinand album, and though they're both not annoying enough to advise staying away from, I certainly can't really recommend them either.
Highlights: "Ulysses"/"Live Alone"/"Katherine Kiss Me"
Rating: 1/5
Storage Unit Trip No.2
Now, the reason we initially set out to do another day of storage auctions was that I had accidentally let my storage unit insider website subscription renew on me for another month, so I felt we should get our money's worth by planning a full day of three auctions back-to-back in town. Well, unfortunately, we got off to too late of a start and ended up missing the first one, and when we arrived at the last one, it seemed to have been cancelled, as no one was there! So, all we got to do was this somewhat questionable one down in East Point, though we did enjoy the car bit. So, considering my subscription has now lapsed, I'm assuming this will be the last of the storage auctions Suzi and I visit anytime soon, and honestly, I'm okay with that...I would almost just rather leave that first birthday auction day as a perfect little memory than mess with it by making new, very similar ones in the months to come. Still, I'm glad we got to try it out one more time, even if only to show us how special that first day really was. =)
Stargate
As the first movie I've watched in 2012, 1994's Stargate is a guilty pleasure sci-fi film I've loved ever since I first caught it in theatres (and the two times right after that!), so it's no surprise that it was the first of my four Christmas DVDs, all of which were films I've already seen and loved, that I sat down and watched. Unlike a lot of revisited films from my teenage years, Stargate still manages to be quite an enjoyable experience from start to finish, especially considering I had nearly forgotten a detail or two, making the whole experience as fresh as it could be considering how many times I saw it back in the day.
The real question for me is whether or not I feel inclined to finally check out the seemingly-popular (but apparently REALLY nerdy) TV spin-off of the film, Stargate SG-1 (or its two other further spin-offs), all of which are probably available on streaming Netflix... And you know what, I'm gonna go ahead and veto that possibility, as I've seen a tad bit of one of the episodes, and I just wasn't impressed enough to run the chance of having some relatively cheaply-made TV version ruin my affection for the original film. In fact, I kind of have a hard time believing that a spin-off of a film like this could have been nearly as successful as the show ended up being, but whatever... I'm just glad I still love the original after all these years. =)
The real question for me is whether or not I feel inclined to finally check out the seemingly-popular (but apparently REALLY nerdy) TV spin-off of the film, Stargate SG-1 (or its two other further spin-offs), all of which are probably available on streaming Netflix... And you know what, I'm gonna go ahead and veto that possibility, as I've seen a tad bit of one of the episodes, and I just wasn't impressed enough to run the chance of having some relatively cheaply-made TV version ruin my affection for the original film. In fact, I kind of have a hard time believing that a spin-off of a film like this could have been nearly as successful as the show ended up being, but whatever... I'm just glad I still love the original after all these years. =)
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