you like otr?

mama, i'm coming home.

2008-12-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

christmas is over, and that means the end of my christmas blog. i'm gonna try to spend more time on this blog this year. i will at least start posting my picks for best movies and records of 2008 soon.

best of 08

2008-12-20T01:09:00.000-08:00

We are at the end of 2008, and i still need to see Slum Dog Millionaire & The Wrestler. After seeing Milk & Frost/Nixon, and a bunch of other contestants, The Dark Knight still stays strong. It's only film that could dethrone Wall-E. The Fact That there are 2 mainstream films is insane!

More updates o follow after christmas!

some men are baptists, some men are catholics; my father was an oldsmobile man

2008-11-08T01:21:00.001-08:00

i will be over here for the next two months.

......

2008-11-03T23:54:00.001-08:00

christmas is coming......

Late Great

2008-09-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

i'm out of hibernation today because of the passing of Paul Newman. sometimes people hear of an actor or director passing away and think it's sad, but have really never seen any of their work. just as in the passing of Bergman & Antonioni, i am asking you to rent a Newman film. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid seems like a great place to start, but i always tell people about the film HUD. after John Cassavetes's A Woman Under the Influence ,HUD has the greatest man and woman struggle dynamic along with two of the greatest and most powerful performances in the history of cinema. please check out HUD. you will see why the loss of Newman is the end of a very important chapter in film. he will be missed and will never be replaceable.

the imposters

2008-08-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

in the early 1960's, two men were doing something so fresh and funny that it makes me laugh out loud even today. setting out to do "street pranks", mal sharpe & jim coyle hit the streets of san francisco for some on-the-street interviews for a local radio station. what seems now days like a very unfunny and played out thing to do works perfectly for coyle & sharpe. these are real interviews with real people on the streets back before anyone expected these kinds of jokes. they have a great improve ability that reminds me of christopher guest and company at times.

enjoy this famous one known as "the druggist"

am i just old fashioned, or is that funny?
wait.... don't tell me.

more music more music more music

2008-08-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

the second half of 2008 is gonna have to produce something really special to stop this album from my number one spot of the year. rolling stone magazine compared these guys to the likes of the beach boys, band of horses, animal collective, and crosby, stills & nash. that really sounds about right. my first listen was such a great experience. lot's of interesting flavors of brian wilson's pet sounds and smile. beautiful harmonies, and a wonderful array of instruments.

this very young band hails from seattle, and you can hear the call of the great pacific northwest with song titles such as blue ridge mountains, ragged wood and meadowlarks.

here is their performance of blue ridge mountains on letterman:

this is the most musically exciting album of the year so far. i can't wait to see these guys live. fleet foxes & my morning jacket? that would be a fantastic tour.

essential tracks:
White Winter Hymnal
Quiet Houses
He Doesn't Know Why
Blue Ridge Mountains
Oliver James

here is their video for white winter hymnal:

best records of 2008 (so far) Part 2

2008-08-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

having one of your songs in an itunes commercial has got to be one of the biggest breaks for a band now days. that was when i first heard the ting tings and their song "shut up and let me go". thinking it may just be some poppy teenage girl, i never moved on to check them out. then i heard the song "fruit machine" on a podcast and decided to give the record a listen. yes it's very poppy. yes it's all very catchy, but it's so good. this duo is a reverse white stripes with the guy on drums and the girl on guitar and vocals. while the album sounds great i have yet to see how they come across as a live act. way more music going on here besides drums and one guitar, but i have yet to experience that.

choosing a song and video was tough on this one cuz it's full of great stuff, so here are three videos for you to enjoy. you decide what the best one is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8AH7yYQpro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StP-yIQeT2o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF5wvycotuo

start with these tracks:
great dj
we walk
fruit machine shut up and let me go
that's not my name

where i want to be

2008-08-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

best records of 2008 (so far)

2008-07-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

2008 is half over, and what am i loving right now? this begins my list of my favorite records
so far from 2008 (in no particular order).

Estelle - Shine

at first glances you wouldn't believe that i would dig this record, and neither did i. 99% of the music my wife hands me ain't my bag. this however was something very different. what should have been this summers biggest hit machine has stayed relatively quiet. my only guess is that this but beautifully crafted and soulful album has more substance musically and in style than most of it's contemporaries.

this has a big 60's sound which is a likable trend as in duffy's record "rockferry". but it's not a complete throwback. it's still very much a 2008 sounding record. yeah, this is a strange recommendation from me, and it's the only one like it on this list, but check it out guys.

start with these tracks:
pretty please (love me) (featuring cee-lo of gnarls barkley)
more than friends
american boy (featuring kanye west)

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

before these guys take over the world (well at least the hipster world), let me just say that i was into vampire weekend way before all their recent and well deserved attention. nothing makes me happier than to hear fantastic new bands get recognized. vampire weekend's self titled debut has been all the buzz around indie stations & hangouts lately. if you do not own this record than pause this blog right now and run out to your local... just go to itunes and get it.

these ivy league kids are the furthest thing from what seems would be cool, but their beautiful, simple, paul simon, african sound is all that i am listing to right now ( and i consider myself way cool).

i have told you to go get the record & i'm not going to do a review of this. just go get it. don't believe me? go to itunes and sample oxford comma, bryn & cape cod kwassa kwassa. you will see what i am talking about.

enjoy these two amazing videos. a-punk may be my favorite new video.

that was my review from earlier this year. the buzz seems to have settled down, but i think it's still a great record. i look forward very much to their next offering.

heroes & villains

2008-07-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

something i never thought could be so fun was given to me on my 28th birthday. guitar hero, no matter how stupid it looks, no matter how stupid you look while playing, is hellamazing. i just made up a word? anyway, it's the perfect way to use up your precious and import evenings, weekends, or every waking hour. and then, you lay your head down and drift into a dreamland of red green yellow blue orange blue orange red green red blue..........

sunday night, 12:00 am, mi casa.......

.....i'm bringing it back....again.....for the second time

2008-07-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

sometimes i get busy for a few months at a time. i know you miss me, so i'm coming back.

for your health

2008-03-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

sploitation nation

2008-03-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

lets open up the old film snob's dictionary for another lesson.

todays word is: ~sploitation

Alt.-xploitation. useful suffix that imputes a sense of scuzziness to whatever topic it is attached to, resulting in an alluringly disreputable subgenre. derived from the words blaxsploitation, which itself combined the words black and exploitation to describe the early-seventies boom of black-character films that featured rampant drug-dealing, crime-fighting and outrageous 'fros. i rate babette's feast ahead of tampopo in the food-sploitation stakes.

don't hate!

2008-03-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

top 5 guilty pleasure films

5. mean girls - come on guys, It's hilarious, touching & incrediblly well written. (don't hate!)

4. father of the bride (1991) - I'm sorry, but I love franck eggelhoffer!!!

3. weekend at bernie's - should I feel guilty, or is it good? you tell me.

2. rocky IV - i love every montage, every song, every speech, everything about this film! the cold war was never so hot.

1. empire records - i just love it. I want to work there. I want to be friends with them!

the boys i love

2008-03-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

oh, i'm way hip to that!

2008-03-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

before these guys take over the world (well at least the hipster world), let me just say that i was into vampire weekend way before all their recent and well deserved attention. nothing makes me happier than to hear fantastic new bands get recognized. vampire weekend's self titled debut has been all the buzz around indie stations & hangouts lately. if you do not own this record than pause this blog right now and run out to your local... just go to itunes and get it.

these ivy league kids are the furthest thing from what seems would be cool, but their beautiful, simple, paul simon, african sound is all that i am listing to right now ( and i consider myself way cool).

i have told you to go get the record & i'm not going to do a review of this. just go get it. don't believe me? go to itunes and sample oxford comma, bryn & cape cod kwassa kwassa. you will see what i am talking about.

enjoy these two amazing videos. a-punk may be my favorite new video.

a learning process

2008-03-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

and now for a look into the film snob's dictionary.

today's word is: Movieness

stock hack-crit term used, like a more fun version of postmodern, to denote a director's or viewer's hyperawareness of filmic conventions and techniques. watching kill bill's gory, kinetic fight scenes, you can sense tarantino exulting in the sheer movieness of moviemaking.

this has been a look into the film snob's dictionary. join us again for another word that will never make you feel smarter, but always a bit more pretentious.

top 5 so and so

2008-02-29T23:12:00.000-08:00

i love top five lists so much. so much that i will be posting many of them from now on. todays is top 5 movies about music.

5. a hard day's night (1964) - obviously the songs are amazing, but this is one of the most fun films you could ever see.

4. high fidelity (2000) - frears & company perfectly capture the spirit of the book. made the whole top 5 list process even more relevant.

3. this is spinal tap (1984) - what more should be said? fantastic music and possible the funnest movies of all time.

2. nashville (1975) - an epic sprawling masterpiece. one of altman's finest achievements.

1. almost famous (2000) - i know a lot of people who dismiss this film, but it's one of my favorites. it truly captures the spirit of the era.

do you....ozu?

2008-02-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

not very long ago i did an ozu marathon: a story of floating weeds (1934), late spring (1949), early summer (1951), tokyo story (1953), floating weeds (1959 which was a remake of a story of floating weeds), and good morning (1959). watching a film by yasujiro ozu is like being invited into a japanese home, and siting and watching life unfold. the common thread to all of ozu's films is the importance of family. every film is about family, and even though he is always the optimist, ozu is able to retell theses stories without an once of cliche or manipulation.

though he was a contemporary of kurosawa, ozu films were completely his own.
show me one frame of ozu's work, and I can tell you it's him. there is absolutely no camera movement. no dolly, no pans, no tilts, and yet his composition of each shot keeps you eyes glued to the screen. a story of floating weeds is a beautiful contemplative silent film. takeshi sakomoto plays the leader of a traveling theater group, who returns to the town he grew up in. it's a story of reconnecting with your youth, and realizing the truth in the old saying; once you leave home, you can never go back.

criterion's eclipse line just released a set of 3 of ozu's silent comedies. can't wait to get my hands on those.

i drink your milkshake?

2008-02-28T21:25:00.000-08:00

i know i have been the worst blogger in the history of worst bloggers! i should have posted my top 10 of 2007 before the end of the year. i should have posted before the oscars! anyway, i am gonna do it now. i had an amazing oscar party, and i will post more about that later, but first things first.

here is where you come into play. did you see any of the nominated films? what did you think. 2007 to me has been the best year of films in a very long time. no country for old men is deserving of all the attention, and there will be blood gave daniel day lewis the chance to rival brando and de niro in their prime. more detail on those later.

for now here is my top 10 of 2007:

1. No Country For Old Men
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Once
4. Ratatouille
5. Atonement
6. The Diving Bell & The Butterfly
7. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
8. Into The Wild
9. Grindhouse
10. Away From Her

more on these later. for now enjoy cinema at it's finest:

almost here

2008-02-22T23:44:00.000-08:00

i am watching the diving bell and the butterfly tomorrow. it's the last thing i need to watch before i post my top 10 of 2007 and my oscar picks. stay tuned.

grapes and such

2008-02-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

living in hollywood, i have the luxury of visiting fantastic theaters. from the arclight with it's famous cinerama dome, to the el capitan, chinese theater, and the egyptian.

i frequent all of these, and look forward to visiting some of the others around me. if you diligently read my blog (not that it's much to keep up with), you know that i recently went to the egyptian to watch the grapes of wrath.

the egyptian was built in 1922 as a 2000 seat theater and though it was shut down and finally renovated to 616 seats, it is still beautiful and continues to show important films.

now on to the film. john ford is one of my favorite directors. incredibly prolific, he directed over one hundred films from 1917-1966. probably his most famous and arguably his best, the grapes of wrath was a treat to see on the big screen. i had seen the film several times before, but never like this. i was also stoked to be able show it to my wife who had never seen it.

based on the famous steinbeck novel, and as most of us know it takes place during the depression in the dust bowl of oklahoma. henry fonda played tom joad, recently released from prison, returns home to find that his family has abandoned their home. he learns that everyone has been ordered off their land and they are now all refugees. the promise of jobs sends them to california. making the long journey with 10 people in the most dilapidated truck you can imagine.

watching this film proves my point that movies are always a different experience depending where it is seen. sitting in that theater knowing that it was once shown there in it's original run was such a wonderful feeling. one of the big differences is the impact of how tragic the film was. films from that ere have certain style of acting that some audience have trouble with, and even though i don't see them in that way, grapes or wrath seems to cut through any of that. it's a period of american history that hasn't been explored very much on film, and without being to preachy it really touches you and leaves you meditating on what you saw for the next few days. or maybe that's just me. all i'm saying is that theater got dusty a few times if you know what i mean.

grapes of wrath is a must see, and hopefully you will explore more of ford's films.

not to keep posting videos but.....

2008-02-14T21:32:00.001-08:00

so excited!!!

happy v-day?

2008-02-14T21:22:00.001-08:00

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

and the winner is....

2008-02-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

the oscars will be here in a few weeks (i know it's not 1975, but i like the poster). it's the most exciting time of the year for me besides christmas. let's call it my super bowl. i'm throwing my annual oscar party, and this year looks to be the best year of all. i'll keep you posted on all the party details. all i'm saying is that the menu is not only gonna be delicious, but should also win some award for best named items. more on that later and i will start posting my top ten films of 2007 this week.

being the massive nerd i am, podcasts are a very important part of my daily schedule. filmspotting is one of my favorite, and i am always active on their message boards. check it out: www.filmspotting.net/boards

us listeners decided to have our own awards. we all created special categories and nominated the films and people. i can only imagine the respect i am loosing as you are reading this post so i am going to post my choices for the 2008 filmspots:

Best Picture
No Country For Old Men

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There

Best Ensemble Cast
No Country for Old Men

Best Original Screenplay
Brad Bird, Ratatouille

Best Adapted Screenplay
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Best Editing
Sally Menke, Ethan Maniquis, & Robert Rodriguez, Grindhouse

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Best Non-English Language Film
The Lives of Others

Best Documentary
No End in Sight

Best Animated Film
Ratatouille

Best Score
Jonny Greenwood, There Will Be Blood
Best Soundtrack
Once

Best Costumes
Patricia Norris, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Best Art Direction
Gary Freeman, Stephen Morahan, & Denis Schnegg, Sunshine

Best Sound Editing
Craig Berkey, No Country for Old Men

Best Makeup
Nana Fischer & Peter Owen, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Visual Effects
Richard Conway, Sunshine

Kick-Ass Scene
Bathhouse Fight, Eastern Promises

Best Trailer
Cloverfield

Best Villain
Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), No Country for Old Men

Surprising Performance
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Surprising Film
The Namesake

Best Line
"I drink your milkshake! I drink it up! … I’m finished." (There Will Be Blood)

Worst Film
Epic Movie

Debut or Breakthrough Feature
Josh Brolin (Performer), Grindhouse & No Country for Old Men

i will let you know who comes out on top!

i am america (and so can you!)

2008-02-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

welcome to my first oh, i'm hip to that! post. this is where i talk about what films i'm watching, what records i'm listening to, and what books i'm reading. feel free to watch, hear, and read along!

in this politically charged time of year, i decided to give mr. colbert's book a read. i am a fan of the daily show....oh....i saw steve carell on the 20th century fox lot today! very cool, but i digress. anywho, colbert sets the tone of his book from the title alone. written in three parts, this book is a total satirical commentary on modern american issues. part one is titled my american childhood. steve covers everything from a child's thoughts on old people to the family pet: "all dogs go to heaven? sorry, kids/ it's only the dogs who've accepted jesus christ."

part two is my american adolescence. sex & dating, higher education and hollywood get the spotlight here. part three, my american maturity, deals with the media, class war: now some people might say it's callous not giving food stamps to poor people. they would say it's just another example of class warfare. well, there is no class war in this country. the upper class has such a tactical advantage that if the lower class makes a sudden move we'll have a class massacre.", and race: remember: while skin and race are often synonymous, skin cleansing is good, race cleansing is bad.

consistently funny, i am america (and so can you!) is a easy read, and one of those books that is fun to keep around just to read the quotes.

so that's the book in a nutshell (a very small nutshell). my final thought? i'm hip, it's hip, and oh, i'm hip to that!

roy scheider 1932-2008

2008-02-10T22:14:00.000-08:00

roy scheider from such films as jaws, french connection, and klute has passed away today. let's remember him in this tribute video. don't watch if you haven't seen jaws! if you haven't seen jaws, don't read my blog anymore.

here is a look at tomorrow's post:

steppin' out

2008-02-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

on my way out the door to the egyptian theater with the old lady to catch a john ford double feature. the grapes of wrath & tobbaco road. look for my "oh, i'm hip to that!". i will be discussing what i'm reading, what i'm listening to, and what i'm watching!

in rainbows

2008-02-09T01:21:00.001-08:00

one month later, we finally get to my number one album of 2007. not to be extremely boring & predictable, but radiohead have consistently produced my yearly favorite records. with their latest effort, in rainbows, they have once again succeeded. first listen and i was surprised how non-electric the album sounded. with lots of guitar and lots of real drums, in rainbows sounds and feels like a wonderful sample of each of their previous albums. there is no fat on this album. every song is great. from the frantic opener "15 step" to the bleak final track "videotape", in rainbows is a mature and fine tuned masterpiece. thom york has never sounded better, and his lyrics are decipherable & actually poignant. never ceasing to amaze me radiohead continue to prove that they are not only one of the best bands around, but also one of the only important.

oh, i'm hip to that!

2008-02-08T23:17:00.000-08:00

new feature to the blog! it's a quick up date on things i am exploring. very exciting? you are going to love/like it.

the sadness

2008-01-26T00:50:00.000-08:00

1-18-08

2008-01-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

from the beginning of it's promotion, cloverfield has been shrouded in secrecy. now that it's out, go see it before you hear too much about it. it's probably the most realistic "monster" film ever made. not an ounce of cheese. I've already said too much. i will post more thoughts after the film has been out a bit longer. go see cloverfield now!

what a difference a week makes

2008-01-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

well, i'm back again. this has been a wonderful week at my new job, but at the same time, very busy. 13 & 15 hour work days don't put me in the mood for blogging. nevertheless, here i am on this long and wonderful weekend. the job is fantastic, and i am getting to work very closely with brian henson everyday. i will finally post my number one album of 2007 this weekend, and i am almost ready to start my top films of 2007. I will also be posting little thoughts and such things here and there, so enjoy!

a happy day for me

2008-01-12T01:09:00.001-08:00

here is my new place of business.

mikey 101

2008-01-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

i have a new job! more to come soon.

23

2008-01-09T18:14:00.001-08:00

23 sent blonde redhead from a band i liked, to one of my favorite current bands. the track 23 opens the album, and sets the tone for what is a much more accessible record, but i feel like it's also their smartest. there isn't a bad song on the record, but dr. strangeluv, the dress and spring and by summer fall, are easily some of 2007 best. out of the very few live shows i went to in 2007, i enjoyed blonde redhead twice. both were fantastic, and made me see the album in a whole new light. the airy vocals of kazu, the strange and beautiful guitar tones of amedeo, and the complex, yet steady rhythms of simone make 23 sonic crack to me, and i couldn't imagine a better record this year.....until.......

hiatus

2008-01-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

i have been getting into the grove of the new year, but i will finish up my top albums tonight!

happy new year!!!

2007-12-31T16:40:00.000-08:00

sky blue sky

2007-12-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

my two current favorite american bands are my morning jacket and wilco, and although my morning jacket have been silent this year, wilco have made another masterpiece. sky blue sky was a complete collaborative effort by the seven members of the band creating quite a different sound. it's still very much wilco, just not so tweedy driven i guess. the band says the record was very improvisational, and was actually recorded in "the round". we don't hear the weird noises like we did on yankee hotel foxtrot. in fact, it's quite a mellow album. tweedy says he was inspired by the byrds and fairport convention, but songs like hate it here and walken sound straight off of abby road. the haunting lead guitar part on you are my face is one of the greatest moments in wilco's history. impossible germany has a wonderful jam moment, and please be patient with me is one of the years most beautiful songs. wilco have made an eclectic collection of albums, and sky blue sky fits in perfectly.

new found loves for 2008

2007-12-31T11:00:00.001-08:00

wincing the night away

2007-12-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

it's the final four!

the shins - wincing the night away

you know that feeling when a band you love finally finds a bigger audience? after the all too hip garden state, the shins became indie darlings to hoards of 15 year old girls. wincing the night away is the first release since than, and i am happy to say that they have in no way catered to anyone. it's a mature record with what sounds like a bigger budget. my favorite thing about this album are the truly poetic lyrics. way to many rock lyrics are thrown away these days, but james russell mercer hits you line after line with clever and poignant words. it is most apparent in the song a comet appears. musically it's mostly light and fun. songs like australia, turn on me, & sleeping lessons are total sing alongs, while phantom limb, sea legs & spilt needles are filled with tasty musical nuggets of goodness. the shins are a consistently great band, and wincing the night away is going to be tough to top....but i hope the do it!

three more albums to go. any guesses?

ryan adams - easy tiger

2007-12-31T00:46:00.001-08:00

this incredibly prolific artist has made one of his best albums. ryan adams is absolutely one of my favorite artists, and easy tiger proves that he is one of america's greatest song writers. 2005 was a good year for adams fans. we got 3 albums (one being a double album). 2006 saw nothing from him, but my first listen to easy tiger filled that void very quickly. good night rose is almost epic sounding, and is one of those perfect album openers. two (which is the second track) the sun also sets and everybody knows, shows what adams is capable of. with all the songs he has written, he is still able to create these gems. halloweenhead is the rocker on this album, and brings to mind his aptly titled rock n roll album. on tears of gold, adams shows us his country chops. i taught myself how to grow old ends the album perfectly. easy tiger is an album that impressed critics this year, but i feel it will never be completely appreciated. could adams be this generations neil young? easy tiger thinks so.

...one more tie...one more time...

2007-12-31T00:15:00.001-08:00

the bird and the bee - the bird and the bee

the bird and the bee's self titled album came to me early this year. ten songs, 35.6 minutes long. it's a quick but solid record. again and again opens the album. with keys, acoustic guitar and singer inara george's breathy vocals, you are immediately drawn in. the following few songs are really good (excluding i hate camera, which is just too poppy). the last half of the album is absolutely fantastic. i'm a broken heart sounds like a missing track from pet sounds. la la la is ripe for an ipod commercial, and my fair lady sounds like it should be used in some sort of neo-musical. the final two songs on the album are preparedness & spark. both are wonderfully space. preparedness is mainly drum loops, haunting vocals, and a few keys & noises. spark is only synth and vocals, and is a perfect album closer. this electro-pop duo have made my most listened to album of the year. here is a strange live version of i'm a broken heart. it's very different from the album version, but i still can't get enough of it!

sondre lerche - phantom punch

this norwegian singer-song writer has made four great albums, phantom punch being the most recent. airport taxi reception opens the album, showcasing lerche's typical jazzy chords & unusual guitar noises, but phantom punch is not typical lerche. the tape and face the blood are much more ruckus than anything we have heard from him before. the title track gives a slight disco flare, and is one of the years catchiest songs. the drum-driving after all breaks down into some sort of nintendo sounding guitar solo, and it works like gang busters. she's fantastic makes my top ten songs of the year, and could easily have been on a paul simon record. sondre lerche is a wonderful artist and phantom punch is his strongest record to date.

secure in my masculinity

2007-12-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

so my wife convinced me to go with her to get a pedicure today. i started changing my mind as we entered the salon, but decided to "press on"...get it?...sorry. i am happy to say that i thoroughly enjoyed it. so much that i went all the way and went with the mani-pedi! say what you want. i loved it, and i will return for more.

roots and echoes

2007-12-30T16:00:00.001-08:00

if you have never heard the coral, i could play you any of their songs and you would think it was recorded in 67'. the coral have always sounded like a band from the best part of the 60's. it's not just their style, but the recording technique, lyrics etc. unlike many other groups who mimic that period of music, the coral never come off sounding like a novelty. roots and echoes is their fourth album, and they continue to do what they do best. this album has a softer side than some of their previous releases. songs like fireflies & music at night weave a trippy dreamlike spell while on remember me, the coral play around with their signature "pirate sound". don't be frightened by the word pirate, you just need to here it for yourself. the video below is who's gonna find me, trippy and psychedelic, it's a good gauge for the band if you are new to them. roots and echoes is a perfect choice for my number seven album of the year.

the boy i miss

2007-12-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

The National - Boxer

2007-12-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

once you hear the song mistaken for strangers, you will understand why this album is in my top ten. boxer keeps blowing me away with every listen. with guests like regina spektor, ryan adams and sufjan stevens you would expect something special, and it delivers. the national's previous record alligator, was impressive, but with boxer the band really steps it up. fake empire opens the album with paino and singer matt berninger's deep baritone voice. just like berninger's voice, his fellow members make up the band's distinctive sound from the drummer's constant pounding, to the raw guitar and bass tones. then, songs like start a war & racing like a pro show a lighter side to the band. closing the record out is gospel. it's a perfect ending to the album and has hints of dire straits. boxer is my number 8 record of the year. enjoy he video.

a tie?

2007-12-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

i know ties should not show up on top ten lists, but it's my blog & my rules. whatever.

air - pocket symphony
melancholy is one of the greatest feelings that music can give me. it's not depression, it's that feeling of rainy sadness that comes while listening to certain songs. air have made a record that fits in there nice and snug. air's music has always been heavily electronic, but never techno or dance. much more atmospheric. it's music i like to write to. pocket symphony is their most mature sounding album yet. where as some of their former albums my be a bit unfocused and varied, pocket symphony stays straight on track. i would not call it a "safe record," but they maintain a consistent vibe, which is very important to me. the instrumental space maker opens the album. it establishes the tone nicely with it's real drums and synthesizers. once upon a time (the first single from record), napalm love, and mer du japonis are more upbeat while keeping the vibe. the highpoint of the record comes with lost message, a slow instrumental tune that is one of the most played tracks on my itunes playlist.

kanye west - graduation
i am not much of a hip-hop fan at all, but collaborating with coldplay's chris martin, john mayer & daft punk, and sampling steely dan's "kid charlemagne," make west's graduation much more than typical hip-hop. champion & stronger give a one-two punch after the opening good morning. lyrically graduation deals with the past few years of west's life. he is very vulnerable admitting that he does stupid things, and doesn't understand everything. it is far from the typical superman attitude in most of his peers songs. the finest song on graduation, and one of my favorite songs of the year is flashing lights. with heavy synthesizer, it has an almost 70's grove to it. it's one of the biggest surprises of the year, and if you have the same attitude towards the hip-hop, i ask you to give it a whirl.

battles - mirrored

2007-12-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

call it math rock or new wave prog, mirrored is a collage of noise and beauty. battles have created a record that walks a fine line of being complex, yet has just enough groves and amazing breakdowns to make it very listenable (thanks to former helmet drummer john stanier). singer tyondai braxton (son of jazz musician athnoy braxton) plays with noises and heavy vocal effects. in fact, upon my first listening, i couldn't help thinking that just maybe king crimson & the surviving cast of munchkins from wizard of oz may have started a super group.

battles push the limits on every song, creating one of the most original sounding records of the year. race: in kicks the album off with a barrage of snare, arpeggiated guitars, and whistles that slowly continue to build. songs like atlas and tonto break into hypnotic groves, and are two of my favorite music videos of the year, and i am going to share them with you below. battles are defiantly a fresh and exciting band that i look forward to catching up with at their live show.

home on the range

2007-12-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

i'm back in la now, and i'm making waffles. as the complete nerd i am, i have started to input my new dvd's into my database. look for the beginning of my top ten albums of 2007 starting today. i have a few more movies to watch to finish that list, but it's gonna happen.

neon bible

2007-12-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

my 11th favorite album of the year is neon bible by the arcade fire. their first major label release funeral, was my favorite album of 2004. it was a fresh, and completely original album. on neon bible, the band seems to have matured. songs like keep the car running, and black waves/bad vibrations sound like the best part of the 80's while keeping their distinctive style. the first hit off of neon bible was the epic intervention. i really think this is one of the best rock songs in the past few years. lyrically, this album focuses on the commercialization and the completely un-biblical state the church is starting to become. in the song intervention they sing:

been working for the church
while your life falls apart.
singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart
every spark of friendship and love
will die without a home
hear the soldier groan, "we'll go at it alone"
hear the soldier groan, "we'll go at it alone"

there are many other bold statements on the album, and they are derived with a passion and urgency that could have made this album one of my favorite of the year except for 3 or 4 songs that just do nothing for me. this is definitely one of the most important and relevant bands of today, and i have not lost any faith in them.

movies number 12 & 11 will be posted over the next few days, and then we get down to the best stuff.

back to the pre-countdown

2007-12-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

number 12 on my pr-countdown list is amy winehouse's back to black. the first time i heard what has turned out to be 2007's theme song "rehab", i was immediately turned on to the freshness of it. maybe it was the powerful vocals, or the arrangements. it just sounded like nothing else on the radio. back to black is more than just a throwback to the 60's. musically it is fantastically arranged and produced, but each song showcases her amazing voice. with songs like me & mr. jones, just friends and tears dry on their own, back to black will stay on top of my playist well into 2008. i hope all her "problems" won't overshadow her talent. sometimes the best art comes out of troubled souls.

goodbye santa. you fine fine gentleman

2007-12-27T06:46:00.000-08:00

it's over. not just the big day, but the wonderful season. no more christmas music, christmas movies, christmas specials or christmas shopping. good bye eggnog, advent calenders, bacon wrapped water chestnuts and christmas trees. good buy christmas pictures, videos and post. good buy christmas.

i had a fantastic christmas season and day, and I am happy it only comes once a year. it will always be my favorite time of year because of the memories i have made, and the memories i know will come. so on my last full day of christmas vacation, i send you my final christmas post of 2007 (although a few pictures & mentions may show up within the next few days). now i must find a way to get my 47 new dvd's back to california....seriously.

one more sleep!

2007-12-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

have a fantastic and blessed christmas!

two more sleeps till christmas

2007-12-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

my winter journey has brought me to my final christmas destination. with my wife, mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews, christmas finally feels official! i have physically seen the christmas tree, and the faint smell of reindeer is creeping through the floorboards.

jeg er vill etter snø

2007-12-19T23:58:00.000-08:00

bilbo and the batman

2007-12-19T02:28:00.000-08:00

bilbo was his name-o

new line and mgm have announced that peter jackson will be directing two hobbit films. this comes as a surprise due to the bad relationship between jackson and new line. looks like they came to their senses. shooting starts in 2009, and both films will be shot simultaneously.

why so serious?:
2008 is gonna be great! the dark knight looks like it's going to finally get the joker right. i enjoyed nicholson in burton's batman, but 2005's batman begins showed that the restart of the franchise is bringing a realism that the burton films lacked. i am glad to see a joker that looks deranged and completely out of his skull. i wait in anticipation with bated breath.

it's the final countdown

2007-12-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

christmas is one week from today! enjoy another one of my favorite christmas clips.

the number 13

2007-12-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

my 13th favorite film of the year so far is control (i am guessing that my list will change after watching p.t. anderson's there will be blood). since i just posted on it a few days ago, i have decided to post this video from the soundtrack. it's the killers doing a cover of shadowplay, and it contains scenes from the film. enjoy!

13-11

2007-12-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

as the year comes to an end, i am thinking back on my favorite films and albums of the year. i'm gonna be posting my top ten of each a bit later on this month, but for now i'm gonna start listing those that almost made it. think of it as my 13 through 11.

my 13th favorite album of the year is ga ga ga ga ga by spoon.

with an album name like ga ga ga ga ga, you can expect a very interesting album. i can't imagine anyone going through this year without having heard "the feel good song of the year", and spoon's first single off the album, the underdog. it hearkens back to the good old days when billy joel dominated the air waves...well maybe that's not the good old days, but it's still a fantastic song that just builds with mariachi style trumpets and percussion galore (check out the video below). ga ga ga ga ga has much more to offer than just the underdog. the opening song don't make me a target, sets a good blueprint for the album, although we are going to experience many flavors and styles here. the song the ghost of you lingers, has a wonderful and abrasive piano riff throughout the whole song. spoon says the title of the album ga ga ga ga ga came from that track. ga ga ga ga ga was the old title for this song because of the piano sound. it's a stripped down track that is almost completely piano and vocals. you got yr. cherry bomb really sounds like phill spector sneaked into the studio. not that you hear gunshots or anything like that, but it has that wonderful 60's girl group sound that you would hear on a ronettes album. acoustic guitar is very prominent on this album, but it has plenty moments of rock. i am really impressed with the production. lot's of interesting sounds and arrangements keep ga ga ga ga ga sounding like nothing else from this year, or for that matter any other year.

enjoy the underdog video below!

another great television special

2007-12-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

the mist

2007-12-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

i consider myself a film snob, but the truth is i love movies so much that i give most of anything a chance. when i heard they were making a movie based on the stephen king story "the mist", i was very apprehensive about it. i really like king's books, but many of his films have not turned out to be good adaptations. i loved shawshank redemption,misery, & the shining (kubrick's version), and the green mile, but not so much of the rest. hope sprung forth when i heard that frank darabont (shawshank & green mile) would be writing and directing. then i saw the trailer for the mist. i completely wrote it off, but like always i end up watching these things.

it's a story where a military experiment goes wrong. and a handful of towns people become trapped in a supermarket as a "mist" rolls in to town. they can't leave, because as soon as someone leaves the building, they are attacked by some unworldly creature. the set up was ok. the cast was doing a fine job, but then about 45 minutes into it it began to unravel. marcia gay harden plays an over the top, typical to king, religious crazy lady. horrible special effects, and changes from the original story started to upset me . Than two thirds through the film it became interesting and actually creepy things started happening. darabont is a good director, so his shots and performances are more interesting than a less experienced director. still, it kept a b-movie feel throughout the film.

the end of the film was completely unexpected, dark and unsettling. it was very different from the original story, but it was really ballsy. i'm giving it a 3 out of 5. not a bad film at all, but i'm not really excited about ever seeing it again.

christmas.....special?

2007-12-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

12-15-2007 12-16-2007

2007-12-16T02:05:00.000-08:00

here are my thoughts on the films i watched this weekend:

atonement -
joe wright's debut film was 2005's pride & prejudice. a film that i enjoyed, but never exactly saw what others loved so much. atonement is his second film. like pride & prejudice, it is also a period film, and it also stars keira knightley. i am not quite ready to write much about this film yet because i will be posting my list of my ten favorite films of 2007 in a few weeks. i guess that kind of gives away one on my list. i will say that this is the most beautiful film i have seen in a few years, and i have finally enjoyed, neigh, loved a keira knightley performance. it also contains of amazing sequences. more to come on this one soon.

control -
control is a biopic of ian curtis, singer for the late seventies band joy division. anton corbijn, who makes his feature film debut is best known for his photography and music videos. control is beautifully shot in black and white, and each shot is composed like much of corbijn's rock photography. this is anything but the feelgood movie of the summer. curtis was a troubled kid who suffered from epilepsy, and ultimately killed himself at the young age of 23. sam riley and samantha morton give fantastic performances as ian and deborah curtis. morton is especially good and is able to pull off playing a 17 year old (she is thirty). they give two of the best performances of the year. the film focuses more on curtis than on the band, but there are some great performance sequences, and they found actors who look exactly like the members of joy division. it's a downer, but a very good film. now i need to watch something christmassy!

the perfect nog

2007-12-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

sir percival let's me use his piano

2007-12-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

although this bing crosby television special did not make my top five, i wanted to add this clip. it's one of my favorite versions of this song. to amazing crooners. bing died before this aired.

peace on earth. let it be.

my top five favorite favorite christmas television specials

2007-12-13T00:11:00.000-08:00

there is no shortage of christmas specials for your viewing pleasure this month. many are mediocre, some are fantastic, and some would make you lose your holiday spirit for life....like the star wars holiday special from 1977:

but we are not here to speak of the bad. here is my top five favorite favorite christmas television specials!

5. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
jimmy durante narrates and sings this hand drawn classic. "happy birthday! hey, i said my first words. but... but snowmen can't talk. ha ha ha, come on now, what's the joke? could i really be alive?" it's pretty much the song acted out... well drawn out, with a not so hot magician added as some what of a villain. but nobody stays naughty at christmas time.

4. rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer (1964)
the first popular release from the rankin-bass team. narrated by the great burl ives who also sings the famous title song and silver & gold. fantastic characters like hermey the elf who would rather be a dentist, yukon cornelius the self-proclaimed "greatest prospector in the north", the abominable snowmonster (a.k.a., "Bumble"), and all the misfit toys. nothing says childhood christmas like claymation.

3. the bear who slept through christmas (1973)
you probably have never heard of this one. I have only actually seen it on television twice, but I own it the VHS (remember that unstoppable format). it stars tom smothers as ted edward bear...get it (ted e. bear), a sweet little bear who lives in Bearbank....get it? as we all know, bears hibernate during the winter. ted has always heard of this thing called christmas. he decides to stay awake this year and find out for himself what it's all about. I am surprised this special has never found a bigger audience. makes me sad.

2. a charlie brown christmas (1965) -simple characters and simple drawings keep this classic so endearing. charlie's adimate frustration with the commercialization of christmas has always seamed funny to me because of his young age. the special celebrates everything great about christmas from the picking out of the tree, to the christmas pageant, to the most important part of christmas, the birth of christ. as mentioned in my top five favorite christmas albums post, the soundtrack is my favorite christmas album of all time. this special perfectly captures and celebrates the childlike spirit of christmas.

1. how the grinch stole christmas (1966) -
call it an obvious pick. i know it's probably the most famous of the five. i can't remember the first time I saw this special. I just remember always knowing about it. everything works so well. directed by chuck jones who is most famous for his work on the loony tunes shorts. you can see the similarity between some of his loony tunes from that period. especially from the roadrunner and coyote stuff. narrated and voiced by the iconic boris karloff, and the fantastically whimsical song lyrics and story by dr. seuss. it's a wonderfully redemptive story that always seems to stay relevant each year.

Well, put your arms down when you get to school.

2007-12-12T23:32:00.000-08:00

Elf was the first time I had the chance to hear Zooey Deschanel sing. I was immediately drawn to her Cabaret style voice. Now her and M.Ward have made one of my favorite records of the year. I had the chance to see them a couple of weeks ago, and they did not disappoint. Let's take a look at this great scene from Elf!

der weihnachtsbaum

2007-12-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

o tannenbaum, o tannenbaum,
wie grün sind deine blätter!
du grünst nicht nur zur sommerzeit,
nein auch im winter, wenn es schneit.
o tannenbaum, o tannenbaum,
wie grün sind deine blätter!

less than two weeks!

2007-12-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

two week from today will be the saddest day of the year, but let's not focus on that right now. instead lets take a look at one of my favorite scenes from my favorite christmas movie. enjoy!

a slice of surreal life

2007-12-11T00:58:00.000-08:00

clocking in at 17 minutes, un chien andalou is good place to start for anyone getting into surrealist film. it's a completely disjointed peice, and bizarre as hell. the film has many memorable sequences and visuals. one of the most horrific shots in cinema history is the much parodied slicing of the eye.

another famous scene is the hole in the mans palm from which ants crawl out. ants in the palms, meaning that someone is itching to kill?

luis buñuel & salvador dalí admit to the film having no meaning (the translation of the title being andalusian dog). they are quoted as saying "nothing, in the film, symbolizes anything. the only method of investigation of the symbols would be, perhaps, psychoanalysis". still, cinefiles continue to search for meaning in it all, and there are countless interpretations available if you want to dig deep. buñuel's latter films (although always surreal) become somewhat more story driven, and are always quick to attack the bourgeoisie. give it a whirl.

the greats?

2007-12-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

so i recently heard some news that four of my favorite directors of all time have collaborated on a single project. akira kurosawa, jean-luc godard, federico fellini, and françois truffaut all at the helm? the thought is absolutely mind blowing for many reasons, the biggest being that all but godard are deceased. nevertheless, this project could most defiantly be the crowning achievement in cinema this century. click here to see a clip from the upcoming project:

top five favorite christmas movies

2007-12-08T23:31:00.000-08:00

this is the only time of the year that you might catch me watching the lifetime and hallmark channels. not because the movie are good, but because for some reason i am sucked in to their christmas lineup. i know they are really cheesy, but i have always been forgiving when it comes to christmas. the following are my favorite christmas movies. none here are cheesy (at least to me), and all are extremely re-watchable. especially number one! so without further hubbub, i give you my top five favorite christmas movies.

p.s.
i have left off television specials. that is for another post. hubbub over.

5. white christmas (1954) - this is a horrible movie to watch with me. i promise you that i can recite 95 percent of this movie. seriously. my grandmother introduced me to this one when i was very young and i may have seen it more than any other film (i used to watch it in the summer). bing crosby, danny kaye, rosemary clooney & vera-ellen are the perfect cast to dance and sing their way through this classic. directed by michael curtiz (casablanca), all songs
written by irving berlin, and the first film to be shot in vistavision = classic!

4. miracle on 34th street (1947) -
although the 1994 remake is a charming, it lacks the magic of the original. with edmund gwenn as what may be the greatest santa in movie history, miracle's strength lays in it's cast. the beautiful maureen o'hara and the soft and sweet natalie wood. it's very inspirational and still holds up today.

3. scrooge (1951) (a.k.a. a christmas carol) -
there are many versions of this story. most of them are great, but the best for my money is alastair sim as ebenezer scrooge. it's one of my favorite stories. timeless, scary, funny, and powerfully redemptive. it gives me hope that all those scrooges in our lives may one day see the light.

2. it's a wonderful life (1946) -
it's not only my second favorite christmas movie, but it's one of my favorite movies of all time. it's almost cliché now, but the story of how one person can affect the lives of so many others is awesome to me. capra and stewart are at the top of their craft here. it's on every year. we have all seen it, but it never loses it's power. the final scene never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

1. a christmas story (1983) -
One of the most re-watchable films i have seen, a christmas story is completely perfect. bob clark captures the 1940's so perfectly that i thought it was an old film (when i was young). the narration played against ralphie's facial expressions, darren mcgavin as the loving yet flawed father, randy and the zeppelin. everything works. nothing falls short. it's hilarious and sweet but never sappy. there is a reason it's played 24 hours straight every christmas!

foolishness

2007-12-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

i will post my top five favorite christmas movies tonight. untill then enjoy this foolishness.
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1240881936

how dare you michael bay

2007-12-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

i have never had much to say about michael bay. as one of hollywood's most profitable hacks, he continues to to bore me with nonstop action and has the ability to keep me utterly confused. with his constant use of 2 second cuts and shaky camera that is all the rage. anyway, today being december 7th and the 66th anniversary of the attack on pearl harbor, i thought it might be a good idea to take a look at what i like to consider a very irresponsible and exploitive sequence from mr. bays film.

lets just hope no one lets him direct 911. maybe he could do a pov of one of the planes hitting the building, or follow people down as the buildings collapse. i am not against historical films, or even recreating disasters, but there are respectable ways of doing it. i thought greengrass handled united 93 wonderfully, and even though i am not a huge fan of stone's world trade center, i felt he took care in his decisions.

it's sad to see that we are still fighting, but let's remember what happened 66 years ago today.
i hope i have not come across heavy handed. that is the whole point of this entry. not to be.

on that note, have a wonderful friday, and get ready for my top 5 favorite christmas movies coming in my next post!

the advent of a miracle

2007-12-06T23:02:00.000-08:00

something full of wonder is on it's way.

yum

2007-12-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

even though i love to cook and prepare an occasional extravagant plethora of extravagances, a simple treat should never be overlooked. here are two very delicious yet very quick and easy holiday drinks.

coffee nog:
get your favorite holiday mug. pour a thick eggnog into one third of the mug. now pour some coffee in there and you got yourself a nice creamy treat. if you have a cappuccino machine, you can froth up the nog to make it nice and velvety.

hot coco coffee:
finish up your coffee nog. rinse the mug. pour one package of instant hot chocolate. now pour some coffee in there and you got yourself a nice chocolaty treat (sounds familiar).

so there you go. extremely easy, but i guarantee that you will enjoy. unless you don't like coffee. or chocolate. or nog.

How Dare You Snow White*

2007-12-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

if snow white is the first full length animated film, than what the heck do we call prince achmed? well it's a black and white silent german film that completely uses silhouettes, but I guess you would still consider it animated. it really is one of the most amazing looking films i have ever seen. even though it was in black and white, they use the tinting process to give it some beautiful color.

it's a must for animation and art buffs. that being said i do love snow white and i would consider it the first true animated feature, but it should come with some sort of asterisk. give this film a try. you will not believe what these guys were able to do in 1926.

reaganomics?

2007-12-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

my five favorite christmas albums

2007-12-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

5. the sinatra christmas album -
this is a strange choice for me for a few reasons. first of all there are four songs on this that i really don't like. secondly, this is not my favorite period in sinatra's career. that being said, this album has a few of my favorite arrangements and versions of christmas classics ever. have yourself a merry little christmas (which is my favorite christmas song) has never sounded better. this was also an album i remember listening to a lot growing up. lots of christmas memories here.

best part of the album: the song christmas memories. it's about....well....christmas memories. he sings about typical christmasey stuff like cookies baking, decorating the tree and so on and so forth. than he sings this line:
i close my eyes and see shining faces
of all the children who now have children of their own
funny, but comes december, and i remember every christmas i've known.

right now the computer is blurred out because I can't hear that line without the tears. It's a song about christmas memories, and i love christmas memories.

4. tony bennett - snowfall -
typical brassy sounding arrangements and tony's smooth as rhubarb pitch perfect vocals make this one my number four choice. the album starts with my favorite things... not mine...the song from sound of music. I have never really considered it a christmas song, but it really works.

best part of the album: snowfall. it's haunting. it's beautiful. it's magic. p.s. i have never held rhubarb in my hand, so that analogy might be worthless. sorry.

3. the beach boys - the beach boys' christmas album -
this was the last of three albums that the beach boys released in '64. little saint nick kicks off the album, and is the first of five original tracks. frosty the snowman is the first of seven songs not written by the boys, but i am instantly excited to hear that brian wilson is capable of making unique arrangements here just like most beach boys albums from this period.

best part of the album: we three kings of orient are is a song that i'm really not into, but the vocals are so powerful and beautiful here. is that a tear i see? i also really dig how whimsical santa claus is comin' to town sounds.

2. ella fitzgerald - ella wishes you a swinging christmas -
not only a great christmas album, i really believe this is one of ella's finest moments in her carrier (and i love this woman so very much). arranger frank devol (who composed music for dirty dozen, guess who's comming to dinner, and the brady bunch to name a few), gives us some really fresh and beautiful arrangements here. i have always considered mrs. fitzgerrald's voice as my favorite from the fairer sex, and on this album she is perfect.

best part of the album: at the end of jingle bells, ella belts out that she is wild about horses. aren't we all ella? aren't we all.

1. vince guaraldi trio - a charlie brown christmas -
nostalgia hits me in the ears from the very first note of "o tannenbaum". i am taken back to the 1980's where december evenings in detroit were spent watching television christmas classics. vince guaraldi has completely put his signature on the classic tunes, and wrote some wonderful songs of his own. i ask you to show me a finer jazz christmas album. show me.

best part of the album: the two versions of christmas time is here. one is instrumental the other with a choir. both wonderful.

christmas is here

2007-12-04T23:51:00.000-08:00

it's the most wonderful time of the year for this guy. anyone who knows me knows i love christmas time. the day after halloween neighbors may be able to hear the vince guaraldi trio's christmas album wafting from underneath my front door. too early you say? not in my book. now, before you start accusing me of "raping the season" by commercializing every last detail, and before you send me a figurine of santa bowing down before baby jesus, let me say that i know the true spirit behind christmas. it is the most important thing to me by far. I will be speaking of that on another post. one important thing about me you must learn is that i think unimportant things are awesome. so shopping, eggnog, yule logs, lights, fat sweaty santas in small rural georgia towns and such things won't bring peace to your soul, but it has got to bring a smile to your face.

number one

2007-12-04T22:31:00.000-08:00

so...this is my blog. do you care? why should you care? why would people care about anything that i might have to say here. all of these questions will be answered over the next seven years in this blog. so who am i? well, if you are reading this first post than you probably know me, but if you don't, you will soon learn. we will pretty much be focused on my opinions of film, music and a hint of social commentary. i'm gonna go ahead and guarantee a fun time had by all. now i welcome you to enrich you life and read along with me for the next seven years (if jesus tarries).