Man, I'm loving Netflix On-Demand lately. When we first tried using Netflix On-Demand, oh, I don't know ... was it a year or two ago? ... well, it sucked then. But they've done some things lately that make it awesome and easy. They are also starting to add lots of great films.
I was looking to see if they had Groundhog Day, in honor of the
hog-along, and I saw Man Bites Dog, which held the title of my "number one favorite movie" for about 5 years. It's like the French version of Spinal Tap using a serial killer instead of a band. And, instead of the drummer coming to a bad end and getting replaced over and over, it's the sound guy on the documentary crew. Dark, dark, dark, dark, French, and funny. What's not to love?!
I was sitting here listening to the
Werewolves album Dance Raincoat Glass and thought I'd write a little post here because I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. So I was googling around and I found their blog.
ACK!!!
They are done. :( According to their blog, they had tons of equipment stolen in October, and decided to take a break of indefinite length in December. SO SAD.
These guys are awesome.
I love the whole album, but if you visit the
Werewolves' MySpace, listen to Dora Gerson and Christa Pafgen Head Injury. Love!
We learned of them from this
Village Voice blog post. After hearing their album, I thought they'd definitely be the next big thing.
I have my fingers crossed that they really are taking a break and we didn't just loose one of the most talented new bands I've heard in a long, long time.
I already liked the band
Beirut, but when we recently purchased the double EP March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland, I sort of lost my mind. I listen to them all the time, although it's terrifyingly hard to find their album in iTunes because I have a hell of a time spelling Beirut.
So far I've learned that it starts with a B and is followed by an E and and I, but I'm never quite sure what order those two are in. Yes, I'm
s-m-r-t.
Anyway, the double EP's first half is folky sounding Eastern European-ish marching songs they recorded in Mexico with the help of Oaxacan march masters The Jimenez Band. The second half is techno-y, dreamy, and just as catchy. There's even an instrumental, which should be a crime because Zach has an amazing voice, but it's wonderful, too. I love me the computer beeples.
I know it sounds like an improbable combination, but it *works* like magic. I really can't stop listening to this album (unless it's to listen to
Shampoo).
Here's a song from the EP's first half:
Here's a song from the EP's second half:
Before I wrote this post I had no idea how adorable and young this guy is. He's got the voice of a seasoned Lothario ... and mad talent.
My favorite song at this moment is
Elvis Perkins' Shampoo. The lyrics make my throat tight everytime I hear them, which is about 137 times a day. In part ...
I don't want to die
however dark tomorrow may be
bought me a perfect square of sky
you are worth your weight in gold
you are worth your weight in sorrow, baby
though you will never know why
I totally think it's more touching to be worth your weight in sorrow than worth your weight in gold.
Here is a video of him playing the song live. I have to say, though, I prefer the album's version.
Listed in the order we watched them. The IMDB links are automatically generated searches for the title, so they might not always find the movie.
L E G E N D| ** | highly recommended |
| * | recommended |
| not recommended (no asterisks) |
Last night we saw Destroyer at the Unitarian Church. It's been hotter than hell around here this week, so we were afraid that we'd have a melty repeat of
last summer's show at the church.
But luckily* there was a huge storm right before the show which cooled things down. A little. It was still super hot in the church, but at least we could breathe.
He was awesome. He played most of the songs Andrew hoped he'd play.
* Not luckily for my walk home from work during which I got drowned in torrential rains on two separate occasions. I'd planned ahead and worn a skirt to work with flip flops. I was soaked through by the time I got home. The edge of my skirt dripped on the floor in the hall as I waited for the elevator.
We saw Mark Eitzel last night at Johnny Brenda's. This time he was just singing (instead of
fussing with a guitar and singing) and that, my friends, makes all the difference. From his first note to the last, Mark was amazing. Literally. Amazing.
He's one of the few people who I've seen live that sounds perfect on his albums and 20 times better in person. He could have sung the whole show without the mike, his voice is so powerful, and did several times. Magical. Perfect. Enchanting. He was accompanied by a piano player, who was *awesome* and perfectly in sync with Mark.
They seemed to really be enjoying hanging out and singing for us. I loved hearing him cover I Left My Heart In San Francisco and Me and Mr. Jones (changed from "Mrs."). And, of course, I loved seeing him perform his own songs, like The Decibels & The Little Pills ... as you see below from a previous show (with some horns, which we didn't have).
If you watch the video, he seems to ease into this one, and by the time he gets to 3:30 on the timer, he's totally in the zone. He was in that zone the WHOLE show last night.
For years and years I've had this million-dollar idea that I was going to start a self-help movement where the premise is that people are their own problem. I'd name the book "You're The F*cking Problem." I would point out all the ways people create their own poopy worlds and then brow beat them (or get them to brow beat themselves ... this *is* self-help) into shaping up.
I know! Brilliant.
Right?
Well, don't judge me too quickly. Time just ran an article about the
power of negative thinking and how it figures into the
third wave of psychology (which is apparently being spearheaded by Uncle Fester).
Who's the
negative nancy now?
Listed in the order we watched them. The IMDB links are automatically generated searches for the title, so they might not always find the movie.
L E G E N D| ** | highly recommended |
| * | recommended |
| not recommended (no asterisks) |
Listed in the order we watched them. The IMDB links are automatically generated searches for the title, so they might not always find the movie.
L E G E N D| ** | highly recommended |
| * | recommended |
| not recommended (no asterisks) |