COACHELLA 2006!!

Here's the official lineup. I'll have links to post later on after I make my Oscar Nominations post. Looks like a great weekend! I'm highlighting my picks to look forward to.

Saturday, April 29th
Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Ros, Common, Damian Marley, Atmosphere, Carl Cox, My Morning Jacket, Ladytron, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tosca, Cat Power, Animal Collective, HARD-fi, Derrick Carter, Devendra Banhart, She Wants Revenge, The Walkmen, The Juan Maclean, Audio Bullys, Imogen Heap, Lady Sovereign, Deerhoof, The Duke Spirit, Editors, stellastarr*, Lyrics Born, Matt Costa, The New Amsterdams, The Zutons, Platinum Piped Pipers, White Rose Movement, Chris Liberator, Colette, Joey Beltram, Hybrid, Wolfmother, The Like, Living Things, Nine Black Alps, The Section Quartet, Infadels, Youth Group, Shy FX & T Power, Infusion.

Sunday, April 30th
Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, Paul Oakenfold, Scissor Sisters, Matisyahu, James Blunt, TV on the Radio, Sleater-Kinney, Mogwai, Coheed and Cambria, Gnarls Barkley, Coldcut, Phoenix, Digable Planets, Amadou & Mariam, Little Louie Vega, Mylo (DJ Set), Seu Jorge, Wolf Parade, The Go! Team, Kaskade, Metric, Art Brut, Dungen, The Dears, Jamie Lidell, The Magic Numbers, Los Amigos Invisibles, Jazzanova, Michael Mayer, Mates of State, Gilles Peterson, Gabriel & Dresden, The Subways, Minus the Bear, Be Your Own Pet, Giant Drag, Kristina Sky, The Octopus Project.

I Wish I Could Quit You

Amy posts her views on the movie Brokeback Mountain.  El Señor Guillermo Franz has given me his opinion on it as well.  Having just seen it this weekend with Grace, it's only appropriate that I shoot ahead with more of the same and keep on with the pop culture reviews (see the last post from last week).

What to say about this movie?  There's a lot actually, aside from the fact that I enjoyed it.  It really wasn't that unexpected, but there were a lot of emotions in this movie I don't think anyone expected at all.  In fact, what many people might think is a gratuitous exercise in a Hollywood conspiracy to embolden what is a left-wing open-minded fact is in actuality nothing more than a pure and tragic love story.  Even if this love story happens to concern to men, in the most masculine setting perhaps, there's a universal sense of loss and loneliness enveloping the film to make it unique.

Where to start?  Well, the direction given by Ang Lee is remarkable.  Mr. Lee, where some may have traveled into more crass realms, achieves a very intimate and powerful attachment between the two men outside of the physical interaction.  Sweeping shots when they are required against a Canadian sky (the movie was filmed in Alberta) tend to overwhelm each character in his or her own struggle.  His pacing isn't quite as deliberate as films past, but does bring focus on the common theme of repression almost every one of his pictures contains.  What does make his effort as strong as it is are the young actors who carry the story on their backs.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are the anchors to this film, I argue, however, that their performances would be all for naught had the women of this film been of lesser talent than Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams.  Demonstrating an awful amount of pain and restraint, they give what are two of the more notable performances amongst the actresses of the last year.  However much they achieve, it should not at all overshadow the fact that the leads in this film eliminate all sense of stereotype.  Perhaps the hat should be passed to Mr. Ledger at this point, as it is his performance the viewer experiences most directly. 

Problems with this picture?  For one, I don't feel I left the movie with a sense of awe.  Even though this is not that type of film, any really great film may leave you floored.  The pacing, as deliberate as necessary, really left a lot to be desired.  Two very minor complaints, but not enough to drive me batty.

Welcome to the Oscars.  Nominations should be announced tomorrow and I have a feeling this movie will not be ignored.

Overall score: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

You're So Cold

It's been a while since I've reviewed a new disc in a while, so I guess I'm overdue.  Either that or I really haven't come upon an album that's warranted a listen or a purchase.  Is it a sign of a stagnant market, a lack of radio listening, am I not close to the pulse of the market, or just too lazy to go out and get some new music?  Whatever it is, I actually have one that I'm listening too right now that could be worthy of a few more listens.

If you have been living in a cave and under a rock, you may not have heard the most recent single from the boys from New York, The Strokes.  "Juicebox" as it's called is itself a good introduction to what is a remarkably different sound than their last two LPs before.   First Impressions of Earth isn't the "more of the same" disc that Room on Fire was, nor is it the refreshingly retro post-pop-punk that was first blasted through in Is This It?  First Impressions happens to be the band stretching out it's very relaxed legs and shaking off their sophomore slump for an added shot of aggression to their already polished sound.  Polished not in the sense that the music is covered by a glossy sheen, but polished in a sense that it almost sounded mass-produced.  Although personally, I don't find their music to be atrociously as monotonous as others might, this record is a marked improvement on what would have been a disappointment had they repeated themselves.

Still intact are the falsely innocuous lyrics that Julian Casablancas drawls from song to song.  Leathered over more complex melodies and less stringent guitars, these songs really show how much the band has grown from their debut to become one of the more memorable groups of the modern rock era.  Expanded to an astonishingly marathon 52 minutes (about 60% longer than their other releases) each track is a taut production.  The acrobatics of "Vision of Division" are a prime example.  Halfway through the disc, the guitars leap over each other frenetically before launching into the quaint synth cello of "Ask Me Anything," a welcome breather from the already packed first half.  It marks what could be considered the slow portion and really shows a maturity that's a long-time coming in their songwriting and production.

What's most significant for me is that this album is my first online purchase from the monster that is iTunes.  Being that this album itself is very satisfying makes the purchase all the more sweet.  Definitely recommended for any fan of their music and even further recommended for the curious, First Impressions is a welcome intro to the new year in music. 

Let's hope the Strokes make it to Coachella this year.  Lineup to be announced next week so stay tuned!

National Pie Day

Not to be confused with National Pi Day, today is an auspicious date as the day we celebrate a most cherished dessert meal in the history of all baked dishes: the Pie.  Be your favorite apple, cherry, or even banana cream, it's a day where we can celebrate with a warm slice of flaky-crusted goodness.  Personally, I like banana cream but have been known to make an exception for apple pie a la mode. 

What's your favorite pie and where does it come from?  Is cheesecake considered pie?  Perhaps we shall find out and what better day to do so than the day we celebrate that tin-pan baked confection.

Scrivener's Reply - The Loser

Because you demanded it, (well, specifically, since Amy demanded it) here's a little something I cooked up in the confines of whatever skill at writing I have left.  Read and maybe be inspired to submit your approval/disapproval.  I really gotta do more of this stuff to stay in practice.  Anyone else out there want to see me attempt and fail to write stories?

The Loser

A television washes a blue light over a barren den.  The game long over and his mates long gone, Craig thought about retiring to the oversized twin bed upstairs and shutting it all down.  After several seemingly epic hours of stunned silence from the captain's chair, it was about time.

With the strength of Ajax, Craig peeled himself from the leather sleeve of his seat, stumbled towards the stairwell in a vertigo funk, and leaned on a caramel plaster wall laden with ancient trophies.  Cold weather still gave him a dull ache in his knee, but with the room spinning there were other pains to come.  An empty bottle of Wild Turkey told him as much and the sea-torn battle in his stomach proved it.  A soft chuckle burst through his lips as he spotted Tucker lapping up the bits of party left on the bamboo floor.  Numbly, a curt "Tucker!" got the dappled greyhound loping away.

Seven games it had lasted, of which the last being the most excruciatingly anxious back-and-forth contest he'd seen all year.  Seven games totaling more than 100 goals ending in one champion, one cup lifted, and hopes shattered.  He'd almost thrown the television out the window when Todd Bertuzzi scored the go-ahead goal on a cheap shot power play in the third period, but the game wasn't over.  It wasn't until triple zeroes hit the score board that his guests strained and yelled to keep him from going foaming mad.

A last stair cast an evil grin upon Craig's feeble attempt to ascend.  Just a few more bedward lurches to salvation laid before him.  Steeling himself and ignoring gravity-challenged eyelids, Craig attempted to focus on the feathery pillows, the heavy fleece blanket, and the thought that next season, things would be different.

Next season there would be new players, maybe some more new rules, and there would be no more team from British Columbia for his team to deal with in the finals. Next season, Craig would be married happily, living in a lakeside cottage along a golden coastline surrounded by glittering rocks and crystal, blue water.  Next season, there would be no whiskey and no tears.  There would be jubilant celebrations spilling into the frozen streets of Aurora, there would be embraces for everyone, and a gallant ticker-tape parade.  Headlines would scream, "The Cup is OURS!" and previous seasons' disappointments would be locked shut in the drawers of forgotten memory.

All this Craig dreamed as he lost his fight with consciousness.  The final step cackled with glee as an alcohol-swollen body thumped each redwood stair with the occasional crack of bone in flight. 

When they found Jigsaw Craig twisted across his polished floor the following morning, the television was in a test pattern, cold pizza sat alone in a crowd of empty silver bullets, Tucker was licking Craig's broken jaw in sympathy, and he had nothing on but the stained and tattered jersey of a losing team.

Gurgling through the assault of canine saliva, one could make out in strangled English...

"Next season..."

Golden Globes Scorecard

Let's see how I did this year, shall we? Predictions are here.

MOTION PICTURES

Picture, Drama:
My Prediction - "Brokeback Mountain"
Winner - "Brokeback Mountain."
I was right, the HFPA. does love gay cowboys.

Actress, Drama:
My Prediction - Gwyneth Paltrow, "Proof" or Ziyi Zhang, "Memoirs of a Geisha."
Winner - Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"
My bad. The best of the DHs pulls it off.

Actor, Drama:
My Prediction - Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"
Winner - Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Should have known that playing tortured, eccentric biographical characters trumps any other performance. Save, perhaps, the role of a disabled character.

Picture, Musical or Comedy:
My Prediction - "Walk the Line."
Winner - "Walk the Line"
Like I said, Cash wins all.

Actress, Musical or Comedy:
My Prediction - Keira Knightley, "Pride & Prejudice"
Winner - Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"
Fellow Stanford student gets the nod in one of the toughest categories.

Actor, Musical or Comedy:
My Prediction - Cillian Murphy, "Breakfast on Pluto" or Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line."
Winner - Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"
Repeat verse, same as the first.

Supporting Actress:
My Prediction - Scarlett Johansson, "Match Point" or Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
Winner - Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
Perhaps I'm cheating by giving two Predictions before, but it appears that the thinking man's actress wins out in this case.

Supporting Actor:
My Prediction - George Clooney, "Syriana"
Winner - George Clooney, "Syriana"
Who would have thought that Dr. Ross would make it as an actor and director?

Director:
My Prediction - Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain" or Fernando Meirelles, "The Constant Gardener"
Winner - Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"
Loved his acceptance speech for the sincerity.

Screenplay:
My Prediction - Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, "Crash"
Winner - Screenplay: Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana; "Brokeback Mountain"
I should have stuck with my previous assumption about any category where "Brokeback" is nominated.

Foreign Language:
My Prediction - "Kung Fu Hustle," China.
Winner - "Paradise Now," Palastine
Intriguing, it's definitely going in the queue when available.

Original Score:
My Prediction - John Williams, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Winner - John Williams, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Who knew?!

Original Song:
My Prediction - "There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway" from "The Producers"
Winner - "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," from "Brokeback Mountain"
Haven't heard it, but I've heard good things about it.

TELEVISION

Drama Series:
My Prediction - "Lost," ABC.
Winner - "Lost," ABC
Two awards so far this awards season. The Emmy race this year will be tight.

Actress, Drama:
My Prediction - Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Winner - Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief"
Never would have guessed it, in a million years. Props to her and boy, is she tall or what?

Actor, Drama:
My Prediction - Hugh Laurie, "House"
Winner - Hugh Laurie, "House"
Not bad for an Englishman.

Series, Musical or Comedy:
My Prediction - "Curb Your Enthusiasm," HBO
Winner - "Desperate Housewives," ABC
In my opinion, this show is starting to look very overrated. Give someone else a chance!

Actress, Musical or Comedy:
My Prediction - Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Winner - Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
She didn't look very happy to hear Chris Rock's presentation, but I loved every second of it.

Actor, Musical or Comedy:
My Prediction - Zach Braff, "Scrubs."
Winner - Steve Carell, "The Office"
If anyone had to win this award, I'm glad it was him. He doesn't parrot Ricky Gervais or even channel him, he makes this character his own.

Miniseries or movie:
My Prediction - "Warm Springs," HBO
Winner - "Empire Falls," HBO
Wish I knew what this one was about, the cast looked good.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie:
My Prediction - Nobody
Winner - S. Epatha Merkerson, "Lackawanna Blues"
That's what I get for giving a cop-out of a guess.

Actor, Miniseries or Movie:
My Prediction - Kenneth Branagh, "Warm Springs"
Winner - Jonathan Rhys Meyers, "Elvis"
Of the two historical characters up for grabs, Elvis's swiveling hips take down FDR.

Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie:
My Prediction - Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"
Winner - Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"
Still trying to figure out what happened with her and Alexander Payne. What a shame.

Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie:
My Prediction - Naveen Andrews, "Lost"
Winner - Paul Newman, "Empire Falls"
Newman over the newcomer, what a surprise!

Final tally: 11/24 for a 46% score. Not bad, but I still fail.

Up next: the Academy Awards, 2006.

PS - Scrivener's Plea

A subtle reminder to anyone out there: I'd like to flex the literary blood a bit, so please divulge your thematic desire and I will attempt to put it to paper or, I guess, monitor, as it were.

Shall Scribe for a Pittance

This weekend, I did absolutely nothing.  Well, next to absolutely nothing which means socially, not much happened.  Apartment-wise, things did happen.  Rain on Saturday really helped all that.  In the end, however, it was pure laziness that accomplished the big time nothingness.  Utterly fantastic.

I do admit, that I got some drawing done.  Nothing too productive other than the sketchiness that now smothers a few pages in the sketchbook, but I think it's accomplishment enough.  What I do wish I had accomplished is maybe writing a bit more, something I haven't done in quite a long time.  There are many an unfinished story gracing the bits and bytes of my hard drive, but there are also a few that are quite finished and wholly unpresentable.  Some have graced the blog in the past, but I shan't link to them.  Only way you'll ever find them is by digging...

So someone, anyone, please give me a subject to write upon.  Any requests will be taken and I'll post them to the blog for the whole three of you still reading.  Don't be shy, be inspirational, imaginative, and perhaps a little provocative.  I'll do my best to make it worth everyone's while.

Hewlett for Prez!

Gorillaz Vinylz
Originally uploaded by kardinalsin.

Item of note for today: Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett" has been nominated for Designer of the Year in Britain. His competition being a furniture designer and an architect, I'd imagine his chances are slim since many illustrators and comic book artists are seen as plebian. I for one however, applaud this decision as long overdue.

Mr. Hewlett himself has been a prominent figure in the English comics scene ever since his first foray Tank Girl hit the scene in the 90's. Anarchic and subversive (is that redundant?), the comic itself achieved notariety when made into a film that was decidedly subpar. What else can one expect from a comic book film of that era though? What's important to note though, is that as a sequential artist one must design and draw every little detail that's important: scenery, characters, and props. Maybe this is what excites me about the form itself. The complete control over the visual medium is fascinating and this is why I believe Mr. Hewlett has the experience enough to win this award.

To describe his work, I'd use the words urban, striking, unsettling, vivacious, and even sculptural. That's just me though. Good luck to him and congratulations.

Lost Wages, 2006

Samsung 102"
Originally uploaded by kardinalsin.

The annual trip to CES this year was uncelebrated, routine, and somewhat rushed. Leaving late on a Friday will do that to you I imagine. Driving around Vegas aimlessly will do that to a person as well. With only a few of us registered to attend this year, we were left with either the choice of ditching a couple of our friends for the requisite ogling of electronica galore or saving it for the last day. Being the polite people that we are, we saved it all for the last day. Unfortunately, this also meant that we were left with a measly two hours to browse the major and minor booths at the show, hitting what was usually the highlight of our trip.

Highlights? Well, I for one enjoyed seeing the new Microsoft OS called Vista and the pictured 102" plasma screen television, but I would have liked to have seen more of the presentations from Google, TiVo, and Creative. I guess that's what happens when things are a bit rushed.

Here's the portion of my post where I digress. Being the type of organizer that I am (which isn't saying much to begin with), I tend to like a little more structure to outings such as this. Although there is something to be said about spontaneity, there's also something to be said about driving around the strip for two hours straight wondering where the heck one is going to eat, what one is going to see, and when no one else is willing to volunteer any ideas, things can get pretty frustrating. Compounding this is when the cards aren't falling your way. So much for relaxing, but whoever said that's what Vegas was about?

Despite all that, the trip was pretty fun. Spent some time at the Palms, the Hard Rock, Mandalay Bay, and the Wynn. I'm definitely going back soon. Next time, I'll be more than sure that there's a solid plan to go along with the trip.

Carving in the New Year

Temple Park
Originally uploaded by kardinalsin.

Finally, all the photos have been uploaded to a safe location. Too bad I didn't get any shots of the mountain or of any of us in our boarding gear, but with all the snow and with my propensity for falling all over the place hauling the darn thing was probably a bad idea. Enough of that, on with the story.

Our interestingly annual snowboarding trip over the New Year's weekend was spent this year in the heavenly snow of Park City, UT. We heard it was one of the best. We heard it was on many a list of top ski resorts in the nation. We heard it was a sight to be seen.

Everything we heard was true.

Before we took in the obviously phenomenal conditions and cushy resort accommodations, we spent New Year's Eve taking in what sights we could see in Salt Lake City. Aside from a sumptuous dinner and clean sidewalked streets, we walked about the exterior of the massive downtown Mormon Temple. As none of us are actually LDS, we weren't able to see the interior, but the exterior itself was rather impressive.

After a rather questionable taxi ride, our second day was spent on the slopes. I'll say this about my time on the mountain: although I took a couple of nasty spills, I was more comfortable after each hour we spent up top. That's all one can really ask for I suppose.

What I take away mostly from this trip is the fact that I had a really good time. It was relaxing and satisfying moreso than some of the other resorts we've been to and I finally feel comfortable enough that borrowing a board and renting a board may soon be a memory. Who knows, maybe I'll get a new pair of socks to go along with that board...

What I can also say about the vacation is how lucky we've been to be able to travel so much in the last year and additionally, how much I enjoy traveling. I'm hoping this year will bring more of the same: boarding and traveling.

Once again, Happy New Year to everyone! Anyone have good resolutions?

New Year's Revolution

Back from the sub California Winter wonderland of Park City there is many a story to tell and pictures to share, but unfortunately I have not uploaded a single thing in my post-holiday slothishness.  I can say that we had a great time hitting the slopes, eating great food, and just being lazy in the confines of a winter resort the likes of which everyone should experience at least once in their lives.  More will be posted later as I become inspired, but for now a Happy New Year to everyone and their loved ones!  Hope it was a good one!

PS - Special thanks to the Chairman for organizing the trip.  Without her, it would not have been possible...