12.31.2005
12.29.2005
HOPE THIS CHEERS YOU UP...
I posted a TON of photos on my Flickr account tonight. Including my own version of the Office Olympics stolen from THE OFFICE and lots of Christmas photos.
Enjoy, won't you?!
Enjoy, won't you?!
12.28.2005
I GET MORE WORK!
I guess going and kissing some Kansas City Star Editor Butt down at George Brett's last Thursday paid off?! They were having a lil' party for all the people who helped put the KISS & TELL dating series together and while there, David Frese, Preview Editor and Lord of the Dance, asked if I could come up with something for a "predictions in 2006" thing for the opening page of this Thursday's Preview section. Of course I told him, "Hell no!" But after he got me drunk off two wine coolers, I changed my mind and told him I'd not only do it, but it would be in color AND somewhat funny!!! Anyway, you can be the judge of that last part...
12.25.2005
12.23.2005
NEW MOVIE TRAILERS
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2
APOCALYPTO
AMERICAN DREAMZ
BUBBLE
MARIE ANTOINETTE
I reeeeeally want to see most of these. Except for Mel Gibson's APOCALYPTO. That's just...odd?! AMERICAN DREAMZ looks like it could be fun. But THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, PIRATES, BUBBLE and MARIE ANTONINETTE are must sees.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2
APOCALYPTO
AMERICAN DREAMZ
BUBBLE
MARIE ANTOINETTE
I reeeeeally want to see most of these. Except for Mel Gibson's APOCALYPTO. That's just...odd?! AMERICAN DREAMZ looks like it could be fun. But THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, PIRATES, BUBBLE and MARIE ANTONINETTE are must sees.
12.18.2005
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EARTH
Thanks to Jamie, I was able to get my hands on the new STROKES album before it's release date on the 3rd of January. It's damn good. Most of the tracks seem to be about love coming and going and all the fun times it brings along with it...oh, and the shitty, fucked up things too.
They seem to be evolving and tightening their sound as well. Pick it up in a few weeks...you won't be disapointed.
12.11.2005
SURVIVOR FINALE COMMENT
Anyone else miss the way Jeff used to take the results and head off jetskiing onto a boat then into a helicopter which he parachutes out of and lands on a motorcycle then jumps that off a cliff while on fire and crashes into the TV Studio live for the finale?!
All within three mintues and yet, at the same time, three months pass?!
I do.
This whole helicopter landing on the roof shit is lame. I want my reality TV "IN MY FACE" and "CRANKED UP A NOTCH!"
So next year Jeff, don't be a pussy and swim the results to us off the island...with a tiger on your back. Bitch.
All within three mintues and yet, at the same time, three months pass?!
I do.
This whole helicopter landing on the roof shit is lame. I want my reality TV "IN MY FACE" and "CRANKED UP A NOTCH!"
So next year Jeff, don't be a pussy and swim the results to us off the island...with a tiger on your back. Bitch.
12.08.2005
TV TIDBITS...
First off, all my SURVIVOR brothers and sisters, can we please agree that JUDD is the biggest babyhead of all time?! I'm sooooo glad there's only one episode left so I don't have to watch his "but but...I never lied to anyone" lameness on the jury any longer. You know he's writing down the "final remarks" speech that's going to make Susan's "I'm batshit crazy" speech look tame. And by "he's writing" I of course mean, "CBS Producers." C'mon, that show is more scripted than The West Wing.
Next up, can we quit with the "LAST NEW EPISIODE UNTIL MID JANUARY" bullshit?! It's 2005, there's no need for reruns. If I miss an episode, I'll buy your overpriced DVD collection, thank you very much. (Or off of iTunes...now with The Office!!!) Now quit teasing me and show me TWO NEW EPISODES BACK TO BACK for a damn change! Say what you will about 24, but I love the fact that they hold off on their season UNTIL January and then show all 24 episodes back to back. THAT'S what I'm talking about. I love LOST, but making me wait 6 fucking weeks in between episodes is just cruel. And don't even get Molly started on PRISON BREAK. Off until MARCH?! Who at FOX thought that was a good idea?!
A big "THANK YOU" goes out to NBC, who is giving two of it's best shows (MY NAME IS EARL & THE OFFICE) a new Thursday night timeslot. Guess what, no one is going to miss JOEY. And that's because no one even knows it's still on in the first place.
A big "FUCK YOU" goes out to FOX for canceling ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. Yes, this is old news, but I'm still pissed about it. If ABC finds a way to keep FREDDIE on the air, surely FOX can suck it up and realize that smart TV will always have a place on...um...TV. C'mon, you fucking brought back FAMILY GUY, since when do you know anything about good comedy?! (I can sense the daggers coming closer...and yet I still love you all. Even if you're dead wrong. :)
I'll leave you with this. Who in their right minds thought The Office would be this good? C'mon, admit it, when you read America was going to take a shot at it, you instantly thought "Oooooh, another Coupling?!" But you were wrong! We all were wrong! They deserve the best timeslot on TV. With AD dead, it's our only hope of intelligent comedy on TV. Plus you have to love the online extra cool stuff like Holiday Ecards and all the photos (most anyway) taken from the Christmas Party episode. http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/
Next up, can we quit with the "LAST NEW EPISIODE UNTIL MID JANUARY" bullshit?! It's 2005, there's no need for reruns. If I miss an episode, I'll buy your overpriced DVD collection, thank you very much. (Or off of iTunes...now with The Office!!!) Now quit teasing me and show me TWO NEW EPISODES BACK TO BACK for a damn change! Say what you will about 24, but I love the fact that they hold off on their season UNTIL January and then show all 24 episodes back to back. THAT'S what I'm talking about. I love LOST, but making me wait 6 fucking weeks in between episodes is just cruel. And don't even get Molly started on PRISON BREAK. Off until MARCH?! Who at FOX thought that was a good idea?!
A big "THANK YOU" goes out to NBC, who is giving two of it's best shows (MY NAME IS EARL & THE OFFICE) a new Thursday night timeslot. Guess what, no one is going to miss JOEY. And that's because no one even knows it's still on in the first place.
A big "FUCK YOU" goes out to FOX for canceling ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. Yes, this is old news, but I'm still pissed about it. If ABC finds a way to keep FREDDIE on the air, surely FOX can suck it up and realize that smart TV will always have a place on...um...TV. C'mon, you fucking brought back FAMILY GUY, since when do you know anything about good comedy?! (I can sense the daggers coming closer...and yet I still love you all. Even if you're dead wrong. :)
I'll leave you with this. Who in their right minds thought The Office would be this good? C'mon, admit it, when you read America was going to take a shot at it, you instantly thought "Oooooh, another Coupling?!" But you were wrong! We all were wrong! They deserve the best timeslot on TV. With AD dead, it's our only hope of intelligent comedy on TV. Plus you have to love the online extra cool stuff like Holiday Ecards and all the photos (most anyway) taken from the Christmas Party episode. http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/
FINAL BEST OF YEAR MUSIC PICK...
DAVID GRAY * LIFE IN SLOW MOTION
How in the bloody hell I left this one off the list is beyond me. This album has a special kind of feel to it. It takes me right out of a depressed mood and lifts me into that "Land of Chocolate" place that Homer Simpson loved so much. I've loved David Gray's work for quite some time, A CENTURY ENDS is one of my all-time-favorites, but this latest album is damn good. I do long for more of a "striped down and acoustic" approach, but while he's at the top of his game, why not go with the clean studio sound? Standout tracks include the entire damn album...oh okay, at least check out "Slow Motion" and "Now and Always."
On a side note, iTunes just released a "David Gray iTunes Originals" album with new recordings of classic songs as well as some interesting chats behind some of the song's meanings a couple weeks ago. If you're a David Gray fanatic like myself, you should really go download it.
BESIDES BEING SICK...
I've posted a few photos from Kelley Seda's latest gallery...
and pictures of the craziest snow storm I've ever seen...
over at my Flickr account.
Seriously. It's snowed for the last 24 hours...for most of the day it's been nothing but a light dusting, but it only seemed to stick to the roads and NOT the grass?!
and pictures of the craziest snow storm I've ever seen...
over at my Flickr account.
Seriously. It's snowed for the last 24 hours...for most of the day it's been nothing but a light dusting, but it only seemed to stick to the roads and NOT the grass?!
12.04.2005
BEST OF THE YEAR: MUSIC
Yeah, it's that time of year again, where you have to sit down and make up a list of what you thought were the "BEST OF THE YEAR" in music and TV and movies and blah blah blah...and don't act like you don't. It's the fucking law, dammit.
Anyway, there are still a few movies I've yet to see (SYRIANA, KING KONG, MUNICH) so the movie one will have to wait, but I'm pretty sure I've gotten all the music I needed for 2005 thus far, so without further ado...
MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2005!!!
(some of these might not have come OUT in 2005, but since I bought them this year, they count so shut it...)
DAVE MATHHEWS BAND * WEEKEND ON THE ROCKS
True, this DID just come out like a week ago, but it's got a lot of decent tracks on there. The version of "Stolen Away on 55th and 3rd" alone is worth the price of the album. Plus, you get 2 CDs and 1DVD all for under $15. Not too shabby. I know some of you are holding your noses going, "Ew, Dave Maaaaaaaathews?!" But if you haven't listened to any of his albums or ONLY heard the shit singles that have been overplayed on the radio, you might want to give this live record a shot. They do an amazing cover of The Zomibes "Time of the Season" and have plenty of old favorites like "Say Goodbye" on there as well.
JOSE GONZALEZ * VENEER
This is a case of falling in love with a song on a mix CD and buying the entire album because of it. I love that...when it works out. When you end up buying the whole album and then discover the ONE SONG was all that was decent...that sucks. Luckily Jose Gonzalez is truly talented and VENEER is one of my favorite picks of the year. It's so simple and spacous and quiet. Elliot Smith without the feeling of "Man, this guy is fucking depressed." Go download songs like "Heartbeats" or "Crosses" off iTunes and you'll be forced to buy the whole thing too. Suckers.
SLEATER KINNEY * THE WOODS
This one is tied for my absolute favorite record of the year. It's flawless. It's so full of energy and rawness...I love every second of it! These girls are ROCK GODS. If this world was fair, High School girls would laugh Kelly Clarkson and Ashlee Simpson and their "rawkness" off the airwaves and worship real women rockers. They don't take any shit, have an amazing sense of style and attitude and best of all, DON'T SUCK! I dare you to listen to "Rollercoaster" and not fall in love. This is a must buy, folks.
SPOON * GIMME FICTION
Another band that just keeps getting better. This one is nearly flawless. I have a feeling their next album will be the greatest thing ever. Songs like "I Summon You" are signs of something big around the corner. You can't write songs that catchy unless you're planning on taking over the world. You all have been warned.
LUCINDA WILLIAMS * LIVE AT THE FILLMORE
Another perfect live album. Okay the Dave Matthews one isn't perfect, but this one is damn close. True, a lot of the songs selected here are "later-album-heavy" but c'mon, they're still damn good people! Lucinda is just the ragged, worn down voice you need at the end of a hard day's work. Or whenever you get the feeling to have a "tear in your beer." You cannot escape the saddness of songs like "Lonely Girls" or "Blue" or "Those Three Days" and honestly, you wouldn't want to. These are such powerful, raw, and emotional songs of getting your heart broken...you might just want to end your own relationship just so you can shout "PREACH IT SISTER!" to the cd player.
MIKE DOUGHTY * HAUGHTY MELODIC
I was always a big SOUL COUGHING fan, so when they broke up in 1998, I was skeptical if anything they ever released solo would match the effort they were able to produce as a group. Mike has not only outdone himself with his debut on a major label, but I really enjoy this approach more than the "Hip Crazy Noises in the Background Thing" that Soul Couching made famous. Just use a guitar and some sweet lyrics and I'll be happy. Songs like "Sunken Eyed Girl" do just that.
NINE INCH NAILS * WITH TEETH
It took many listens before I fully appreciated this album. I must admit, at first listen, I was like "This is it?!" But now I can listen to the entire thing straight through and enjoy it. REEEEEEALLY enjoy it. Sure it's not nearly as heavy as "WITH TEETH" makes it sound, but that's cool. It takes some chances. It uses restraint. It builds up and strips down the sounds all within a single song. You can't truly get a read on what direction Trent was wanting to take this record. And I like that. Songs like "Only" take me all the way back to PRETTY HATE MACHINE and I can't wait to see where he takes us next.
BRIGHT EYES * I'M WIDE AWAKE, IT'S MORNING
Such an amazing record. I must have listened to this thing like 50 times this year. I love everything about it.
CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
tied with SLEATER-KINNEY for record of the year. I've listened to this one the most, but dammit, I love my rocker chicks. This thing just hit me like a ton of bricks. Out of nowhere I hear "In This Home On Ice" and I'm instantly hooked. Some might say they're just a freakier version of The Talking Heads, but I don't care. They're hypnotic and I can't quit listening to the sounds they make. Easily the one CD I cannot take out of my car. It's a damn shame the thing is only 30 minutes long too...I barely can get to work that fast and have to relisten to a track or two over again. Someone tell them to make the next one 40 minutes...you heard me...
And there you have it. I'm sure I left a few things off here and there, but off the top of my head and glancing through iTunes, this is what I came up with. I'm interested in seeing your picks. And listening to Jamie shit all over mine.
Anyway, there are still a few movies I've yet to see (SYRIANA, KING KONG, MUNICH) so the movie one will have to wait, but I'm pretty sure I've gotten all the music I needed for 2005 thus far, so without further ado...
MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2005!!!
(some of these might not have come OUT in 2005, but since I bought them this year, they count so shut it...)
DAVE MATHHEWS BAND * WEEKEND ON THE ROCKS
True, this DID just come out like a week ago, but it's got a lot of decent tracks on there. The version of "Stolen Away on 55th and 3rd" alone is worth the price of the album. Plus, you get 2 CDs and 1DVD all for under $15. Not too shabby. I know some of you are holding your noses going, "Ew, Dave Maaaaaaaathews?!" But if you haven't listened to any of his albums or ONLY heard the shit singles that have been overplayed on the radio, you might want to give this live record a shot. They do an amazing cover of The Zomibes "Time of the Season" and have plenty of old favorites like "Say Goodbye" on there as well.
JOSE GONZALEZ * VENEER
This is a case of falling in love with a song on a mix CD and buying the entire album because of it. I love that...when it works out. When you end up buying the whole album and then discover the ONE SONG was all that was decent...that sucks. Luckily Jose Gonzalez is truly talented and VENEER is one of my favorite picks of the year. It's so simple and spacous and quiet. Elliot Smith without the feeling of "Man, this guy is fucking depressed." Go download songs like "Heartbeats" or "Crosses" off iTunes and you'll be forced to buy the whole thing too. Suckers.
SLEATER KINNEY * THE WOODS
This one is tied for my absolute favorite record of the year. It's flawless. It's so full of energy and rawness...I love every second of it! These girls are ROCK GODS. If this world was fair, High School girls would laugh Kelly Clarkson and Ashlee Simpson and their "rawkness" off the airwaves and worship real women rockers. They don't take any shit, have an amazing sense of style and attitude and best of all, DON'T SUCK! I dare you to listen to "Rollercoaster" and not fall in love. This is a must buy, folks.
SPOON * GIMME FICTION
Another band that just keeps getting better. This one is nearly flawless. I have a feeling their next album will be the greatest thing ever. Songs like "I Summon You" are signs of something big around the corner. You can't write songs that catchy unless you're planning on taking over the world. You all have been warned.
LUCINDA WILLIAMS * LIVE AT THE FILLMORE
Another perfect live album. Okay the Dave Matthews one isn't perfect, but this one is damn close. True, a lot of the songs selected here are "later-album-heavy" but c'mon, they're still damn good people! Lucinda is just the ragged, worn down voice you need at the end of a hard day's work. Or whenever you get the feeling to have a "tear in your beer." You cannot escape the saddness of songs like "Lonely Girls" or "Blue" or "Those Three Days" and honestly, you wouldn't want to. These are such powerful, raw, and emotional songs of getting your heart broken...you might just want to end your own relationship just so you can shout "PREACH IT SISTER!" to the cd player.
MIKE DOUGHTY * HAUGHTY MELODIC
I was always a big SOUL COUGHING fan, so when they broke up in 1998, I was skeptical if anything they ever released solo would match the effort they were able to produce as a group. Mike has not only outdone himself with his debut on a major label, but I really enjoy this approach more than the "Hip Crazy Noises in the Background Thing" that Soul Couching made famous. Just use a guitar and some sweet lyrics and I'll be happy. Songs like "Sunken Eyed Girl" do just that.
NINE INCH NAILS * WITH TEETH
It took many listens before I fully appreciated this album. I must admit, at first listen, I was like "This is it?!" But now I can listen to the entire thing straight through and enjoy it. REEEEEEALLY enjoy it. Sure it's not nearly as heavy as "WITH TEETH" makes it sound, but that's cool. It takes some chances. It uses restraint. It builds up and strips down the sounds all within a single song. You can't truly get a read on what direction Trent was wanting to take this record. And I like that. Songs like "Only" take me all the way back to PRETTY HATE MACHINE and I can't wait to see where he takes us next.
BRIGHT EYES * I'M WIDE AWAKE, IT'S MORNING
Such an amazing record. I must have listened to this thing like 50 times this year. I love everything about it.
CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
tied with SLEATER-KINNEY for record of the year. I've listened to this one the most, but dammit, I love my rocker chicks. This thing just hit me like a ton of bricks. Out of nowhere I hear "In This Home On Ice" and I'm instantly hooked. Some might say they're just a freakier version of The Talking Heads, but I don't care. They're hypnotic and I can't quit listening to the sounds they make. Easily the one CD I cannot take out of my car. It's a damn shame the thing is only 30 minutes long too...I barely can get to work that fast and have to relisten to a track or two over again. Someone tell them to make the next one 40 minutes...you heard me...
And there you have it. I'm sure I left a few things off here and there, but off the top of my head and glancing through iTunes, this is what I came up with. I'm interested in seeing your picks. And listening to Jamie shit all over mine.
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