Record of the Week: Just A Friend - Biz Markie

A great track from the old school hip-hop era. Mixing comedy in there with hip hop. Truly, the greatest part of this song has little to do with the lyrics. Firstly, the beat is a great sample from Freddie Scott's You Got What I Need. Secondly, the chorus is really, truly awesome. The sound of Biz Markie's off and rustic singing over Freddie Scott's piano lick is just unbearably good. If you don't know this song, check it out now.

Movie of the Week: I'm Not There

This Dylan biopic/fiction is pretty darn good. The downside is that the less you know about Dylan and his life, the more confusing it is. That being said, Todd Haynes' directing is great, the actors are all top notch, and the Screenplay can get confusing from time to time, but nothing that wikipedia-ing Dylan won't solve.

Album of the Week: Humbug - Arctic Monkeys

Good news! Arctic Monkeys are back! Even better news, they finally matched the expectations from the first album. Their sophomore effort was not great, despite a couple danceable tunes. Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme produced this record. The album sounds exactly what you'd think it would sound like. Arctic Monkeys with a foot in desert rock. Also, the musical chops on this album have greatly improved. The lyrics although having grown up a little bit, have not lost the fun you'd expect from them.

Stuff of the week

Record of the Week: Kanga-Roo - Big Star

Alex Chilton's band Big Star was awesome. I have no idea why more people don't remember them when it comes to great music. The music may not have been revolutionary, but it was damn good. The lyrics are amazing. The song starts off with "When I first saw you/You had on blue jeans". It's so beautifully American. In the terms of finding the beauty in things with little quality as well. The sound is great. The noise level is perfect to compliment the lyrics. The music is absolutely simplistic.

Movie of the Week: This is Spinal Tap

This 1984 mockumentary about a hair metal band is absolutely speldid. It's absolutely hysterical. The performances are so damn good from the entire cast, it's hard to not believe in their existence. It all seems so possible. Even with Rob Reiner playing documentarian Marty Dibergi, the whole thing is so Reiner at his best. Also, it needs to be said that Spinal Tap (yes the joke band) are releasing an album that is up for pre-order here.

Album of the Week: Strange Weirdos - Music from and Inspired By the Film "Knocked Up" - Loudon Wainwright III

Let's start by skipping the fact that this was the soundtrack for the (awesome) movie, Knocked Up. Loudon Wainwright III is (coincidentally) the father of Rufus Wainwright, the artist of last week's album. This album is really good. No incredible revelations, but the lyrics are funny and offbeat. The tone is so organic, and clean. The music is not boring, but it's not some incredibly complex thing that no one could ever write. It's just that no one has. The melodies are strong, the lyrics are fun, the tone is good. At the end of the day, you probably won't make any huge musical revelations, but you'll sure have a damn good time.

Indie Artist of the Week

Phoenix are a very cool french pop band that sings in english. The hooks are good and catchy. They sort of sit on the line between indie and mainstream especially with their recent success with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

Stuff of the Week

Record of the Week: My Girl - The Temptations

This song is absolutely an undebatable classic. Truly a beautiful Motown tune with beatiful melody and harmony. And there's something truly joyous about such a happy song. There isn't anything else I want to say, except "CHECK IT OUT!"

Movie of the Week: Up

It is probably too early to say, but I already think this is going to be the best movie of the year. It's truly a beautiful movie. The visuals are absolutely stunning, as per usual on Pixar's films. The script is perfect. It's absolutely heartfelt and complex emotionally, but keeps itself relevant to kids. The voice of Ed Asner alone is such a great contribution to the overall perspective this movie has. Most importantly, it's an adventure movie. That's a type of movie that hasn't really been done well in decades. This movie is absolutely incredible. Go see it in theaters while you can!

Album of the week: Poses - Rufus Wainwright

It's interesting about this album. It's extremely refreshing. The lyrics are funny and contemporary. With songs like "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" it would be hard to deny a proper intelligence, if not a good sense of humor. The album is not trying to be anything, it's pretty catchy and full of emotion. It's worth the listen. I promise.

Indie Artist of the Week

Passion Pit are an electro-pop band that hails from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their sound is some strange mix between indie rock, electronica, 80s music, and Neil Young. The sound is great though. They're definitely the best band I've heard in a while. Their new album Manners is out now. Check it out.

Stuff of the Week

Record of the Week: Dead Presidents - Jay-Z

Jay-Z is one of the best rappers ever to exist. So, I took this opportunity to give those of you who aren't familiar with his stuff to show you a taste of his old school stuff. This comes off an incredible album called Reasonable Doubt. The album was his debut, and a meaningful moment for hip-hop and Mafioso Rap in particular. The beat, a nice, slow, almost jazzy piano riff, was written by Ski Beatz. The Lyrics? Well, they're Jay-Z. Don't expect less than the best.

Movie of the Week: Ferris Beuller's Day Off

One in the catacade of important teen films John Hughes put out in the eighties, it's got real heart. It's not a grown-up trying to be a kid. It's really a successful teen movie about things teenagers go through. It also needs to be said that the movie is hilarious, and that it can connect to audiences of all ages. The movie may not be a masterpiece, but it's severely entertaining.

Album of the Week: Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys

Probably one of the most secretly legendary albums in history, this one takes the crown for arranging. Brian Wilson is an undisputed genius. This album was the one that really proved that Wilson was a musician, and not just a hit maker. You will be able to tell, by the fact that you've probably heard of one (or three at most) of these songs, before you encountered the album. The album was the main inspiration for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Beatles Producer George Martin once noted "Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper wouldn't have happened... Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds." The arrangements are pitch perfect, the songs are beautiful pop songs, and the lyrics are perfectly suited. What more could you possibly ask for?

Indie Artist of the Week

The Cribs are a band that sound like an English Punk version of the Strokes. It works a lot better than it sounds. The lyrics are often pretty damn fun. Their tunes are great, and danceable. It's really rockin' shit. Check out their best album Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever.

Stuff of the Week

Record of the Week: Baby I'm A Fool - Melody Gardot

Melody Gardot is a new Jazz/Pop lady who everyone should keep their eyes on. She's a very talented singer/songwriter and could very well reach real mainstream success very soon. This song is particularly nice. It's a nice combination of vocal jazz strings and jazz quartet. The song is very fluid. The lyrics are also pretty soothing. The best moment of song however is when she first sings "Baby I'm a fool who thinks it's cool to fall in love". It's a great and beautifully bitersweet moment. The video is also pretty nice.

Movie of the Week: Nashville

Robert Altman's 1975 movie about Nashville is great. It's really an important movie. Only secretly though. It was truly catching Nashville when it was first making it's rise. Easily one of Altman's best films, It's truly a snapshot of the lives of many characters in Nashville, and a snapshot of mid-western America in the mid-70s. This movie is absolutely phenomenal, check it out.

Album of the Week: No Line on the Horizon - U2

I was waiting pretty much since this came out to post this, because I wanted to see if it really stuck with me or I just had an inaccurate first impression. Fortunately for U2, you, and myself, the album is really incredible. It's very new. The chord progressions are awesome, the lyrics are at the top, the sound is a lot newer then their past albums. Pretty much everything on this album is a step forward. God, even the Edge uses a lot less delay on this album. I doubt Bono's Sunglass situation has changed though.

Stuff of the week

Record of the Week: Hold Me Up - Live (The Link's name is wrong)

90s Alt-Rock group Live wrote this song for their breakthrough album, but it didn't make the cut. The song is really cool. It's like a strange mix between a love ballad and a hard rock song. It's not necessarily the most lyrically interesting song on earth, but it's good enough to hold itself up nicely.

Movie of the Week: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

I finally saw this movie this past sunday, and I was so happy I did. I am a big fan of Kevin Smith's and I hadn't seen this for any reason. Smith's writing is gold again after a slightly (really, only slightly) less well-written last two movies. The real differences that you can see here as opposed to his other movies, is that with this movie, he's not really using his classic rat pack of actors. The two leads (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) are both very funny and have a very good chemistry on screen. Also, Smith has severely upped his visual game. It's great to see (no pun intended) that he is concerning himself with visuals now. The music is also perfect. All of it is great and very well suited to the scenes it it's attached to. The movie has it's corniness, but It's totally worth it. Plus the corniness to coolness ratio is like 1:20, making it totally worth it.

Album of the Week: The Black and White Album - The Hives

The Hives are a really cool band. Their music is like a garage rock type sound. It's honestly just a lot of fun. The Black and White Album (their fourth) is the most musically involved. There are more pop music ideas and more hooks. I'd guess it's because of The Neptunes' influence. The album works. The lyrics are frequently funny, and deeply involved in nearly hip-hop like swagger. One of the better records of last year.

Indie Artist of the Week

The Magnetic Fields are a great group headed up by below the surface genius Stephen Meritt. The songs are generally very pop friendly. At least musically pop friendly. The lyrics are usually great and sport a great sense of humor. The reality is that this band, may never really make it into the eyes of the mainstream, but I assure you, there is something going on with these guys that you won't want to miss. Their best album (unfortunately/fortunately) is an album called 69 Love Songs and rightly so. If you don't have it in you to buy or listen to that, their album Distortion is also very good.

Stuff of the Week

I'm not even going to try to make up for the fact that I've missed weeks upon weeks worth of posts.

Record of the week: Movin' On - Elliott Yamin

Yamin, a past American Idol contestant, put out this song from a first (and only thus far) eponymous album. It's a really catchy song. Yamin's runs and vocals are pitch perfect. The music sounds almost like Justin Timberlake's "Senorita". It doesn't get too close to it, though. It all sounds fresh and nice.

Movie of the week: The Wrestler

I know, I know. I'm supposed to tell you how incredible Mickey Rourke's performance was. To put it simply, it's worth the hype. Next on the agenda is the talented cast. Marisa Tomei is absolutely spectacular as the stripper Cassidy. Evan Rachel wood plays the part of Stephanie, the wrestler character's daughter, and she is also incredible. Relative newcomer Robert D. Siegel wrote the screen play. It's good. Perhaps nothing truly incredible, but it's good. It also needs to be said that Darren Aronofsky directed this movie perfectly. 

Album of the week: Purple Rain - Prince

There isn't a whole lot I can say about this album that hasn't been said. It's a shame he's such a nut, because he's quite the incredible musician. From the awesomely cheesy "Let's Go Crazy" to the beautiful balladry of "Purple Rain" all the songs are great. Darling Nikki is another truly awesome song. It's got a certain feeling to it that's almost metal-esque. It's really really good.

Indie Artist of the Week

Raphael Saadiq is a great, new neo-soul musician. By what I understand, he writes and produces his own music, which is a pretty impressive thing to do these days. Also, he's got a great voice. He's awesome and his album The Way I See It was nominated for a grammy, and deserved it too. He's really cool, and the sound his music has is like this generation's Otis Redding, but shyer. It's simply awesome.

Stuff of the Week

Record of the Week: Can't Believe it (feat. Lil Wayne) - T-Pain

People very easily discredit hip-hop musicians who use the auto-tune effect on their voices. I personally think there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Especially in T-Pain's case (the man to blame when it comes to hip-hop autotune), who has a great voice, and a talent of great, idiosyncratic production, throwing some jazz chord progressions in. The song is great. It's a nice, ballad-y song that even has a sense of humor. "Put you in the mansion/Somewhere in Wiscansin". Lil Wayne's featured part, is not good. The autotune effect sounds unprofessional, he's barely understandable, and the lyrics you can understand aren't that striking. T-Pain is the real center to this song.

Movie of the Week: Vicky Christina Barcelona

I am a big Woody Allen fan. I really like his stuff, a lot. I know that it probably shows with my posting of Melinda and Melinda only a few weeks ago. Still, there is something to be said. Woody Allen sure knows how to make a movie. This proves it. The casting is perfect, Rebecca Hall, is beautiful and magnificent. Scarlett Johansson has a sense of humor we don't see often. Javier Bardem made his first normal* character in an American big time movie. The Screenplay is hilarious and endearing. The photography is very good, not incredible, but notable. The directing is classically Woody Allen. If you haven't seen this movie, see it now. It's a great one.

Album of the Week: Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder is probably one of the best musicians of the twenty first century. This album was in his "Classic period". A time of Wonder's career in which he put out his five best albums consecutively from 1972-1976. This was the last of the series, a 21 track, 1:44 long magnum opus. The funny thing about it, is that, while most musicians would get boring after the standard 40-50 minutes, Wonder keeps you wanting to listen to every second. The album is drenched in great songwriting, incredible arrangements, ridiculous musicianship, and powerful lyricism. The entire thing is an enormous, flawless songwriting manual. It's something any musician can learn from. I can only hope it will change the way you view music the way it did for me.

Stuff of the last two weeks

Records of the Week: Taking On Water - John Mayer & Marie (Demo Version) - Randy Newman

John Mayer is a great, great musician. He wears music theory and (ridiculously) impressive guitar playing on his sleeves like a signature to his music. This song, while boosting the unfortunate stereotype of slow-over-sentimentality, Is beautiful. It's not sappy, or overly sentimental. None of his stuff never really is though. The lyrics are simple. There is nothing ridiculously complex about the lyrics. But the lyrics are intelligent, precise and ingenious. The guitar line is very good. Very guitarist-y. Check it out. I know the only whole recordings are live, but they are worth the poor quality, trust me.

It's sad that Randy Newman gets treated like he never did anything beyond Disney music. Aside from the fact that the music he wrote for Disney is absolutely incredible, he wrote music before that. Good Old Boys is a great example of this. The song though, while being another slow song, is awe-inspiring. There is something really powerful about Randy Newman playing piano alone and singing. It's completely mesmerizing.

Movies of the Week: Wall-E & Amarcord

If you ask me, Wall-E was the best movie 2008 had to offer. There is something awe-fully magical about it. It's got that feeling you get from old romance movies that you don't get anymore. I'm not saying romance movies aren't good anymore. I'm just saying there is a certain feeling that Wall-E gives off that not a lot of other movies in the past years have. Aside from that there is a really startling relevance to today's world, Global warming, technologism (yes that is a made up word) and fast food-ism. The movie is beautiful, visually, writtenly, and pretty much everything else-ly.

I hate sounding so condescending as to bring up Fellini, but he really was one of the world's film greats. Amarcord, which means I remember in the dialect of Rimini, is a wonderful movie he put out in 1973. They are a series of short stories that involve kids, doing various things. However, the movie is incredible put together. From the unique sense of humor you could only expect from Fellini, the writing is great. The directing really needs no commentary. The acting is actually pretty surprisingly good. For being kids, most of the actors are pretty damn good.

Albums of the Week: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - Pavement & Distortion - The Magnetic Fields

If you're not familiar with Pavement, this is a great album to start on. Either this or Slanted and Enchanted. They're both great albums. Plus, Pavement is a great band. They really gave voice to the college music scene of the nineties.

This is a great album. It's very My Bloody Valentine-y. Which is an interesting change of pace considering the superior but enormous 69 Love Songs. The songs are humorous, and noisy. listen, and enjoy.

Indie Artist of the Week

Globe Unity Orchestra is an incredible free-form Jazz band. They have something else. The group has been around since, 1966, and is still sounding great. I saw them live, I think last year. It was a completely eye opening experience. Since then, I have looked at music, and especially Jazz music completely differently. It's a tough thing to chew at first, but as you continue to listen to it, you should start to understand what is going on, and maybe you'll enjoy it too. I hope you will.

Stuff of the Week

Record of the Week: Hold it In - Jukebox the Ghost

Jukebox the Ghost are a small indie band operating out of Washington DC. Their rather peculiar name comes from a mix of a line from a Captain Beefheart song and a line from a Nabokov book. They don't take themselves as seriously as they may come off. Their intelligent, lively pop is something of a rarity, and is quite a nice thing to come by. More importantly,an especially rare thing. The record is great. The lyrics are humorous and light. "If there's a God, he's embarassed and it's no secret why/Only thing he can do is hold it in, hold it in" is one of the lines. The song is about a lot of things. Smoking, keeping secrets, and love, amongst them.

Movie of the Week: Coming to America

Although, it's not some incredible triumph in the face of comic history, or Jon Landis' for that matter, Coming to America is a fun movie. Eddie Murphy plays an African prince who comes to America in search of a bride. Murphy is hilarious as always, and the writing is great. The two combined are a long series of laughs waiting to happen.

Album of the Week: Rain Dogs - Tom Waits

Tom Waits once described a Rain Dog as a dog that got caught in the rain, lost it's own smell of home, so it couldn't find home. It seems like what this album feels like. It feels like getting lost in the sleaziest, and most run down neighborhood in the world. There is a sort of polka-y/Vaudevillian/Raw sound happening. It's really incredibly experimental and gorgeous in all it's songs.

Indie Artist of the Week

Cold War Kids are a great group of Californian rockers. Their Sound is hard egded, but still musically intonated. The lyrics are very often stories told through the eyes of various characters. "I promised to my wife and children / I'd never touch another drink as long as I live / But even then it sounds so soothing / To mix a gin and sink into oblivion" are the types of lines you find on their album Robbers and Cowards. This album title gives a very literal name to the types of characters portrayed on this album. Also, there is a very deep catholic resentment in various numbers such as "Passing the Hat", "God, Make Up Your Mind" and "Sermon Vs. The Gospel". They're very cool and worth the time and money for Robbers and Cowards.

Stuff of the Week

Record of the Week: Roc Boys (And the Winner is...) - Jay-Z

Jay-Z put out an album called American Gangster back in 2007. He said the album was inspired by the 2007 Ridley Scott movie of the same title. This record was produced by Kanye West, and features a cool horn part. There is really nothing that can be said about Jay-Z's incredible lyricism that hasn't already been said. Let's just say, the lyrics are great on this record too.

Movie of the Week: Melinda and Melinda

This 2004 Woody Allen movie has quite a fun concept. Over dinner two playwrights argue if life is tragic or comic. A story is told to them and they are asked to understand wether it's tragic or comic. So, each of the two tell the story in a comic and tragic way respectively. It's fun, and interesting, despite the classic Woody Allen-esque over-intelligent characters. The characters are intelligent to the level where you find you are being condescended to on occasion. That's the only real downside.

Album of the Week: Futuresex/Lovesounds - Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake's most recent album features Timbaland producing on all the tracks. There are so many great hooks on this album, it almost makes me cry. It's a very Prince/Michael Jackson/Timbaland sound. A lot of it is great, sexy, romantic, and downright awesome. It's one of the best albums of 2006. Check it out.

Indie Musicians of the Week

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips are a great Oklahoman group  with awesome electro-rock sound and awesome lyricism. The only word to really describe them: Awesome.

88-Keys

88-Keys is a one man hip-hop operation. He recently put out a great concept album called Death of Adam, which is certainly worth anyone's time and especially a fan of hip-hop's time.

Stuffs of the Week

I owe an apology to the blogging world. I forgot to keep up with my blogging. these next two posts will be double strength.

Songs of the Week: Prospekt's March/Poppyfields - Coldplay & Sequestered in Memphis - The Hold Steady

Coldplay's Prospekt's March is an EP they put together from B-sides from Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends. It's a wonderful collection of songs, and is especially worth checking out if you liked Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends. Of these, this rings most relevant to me. Probably because I'm a sentimental sap, but I think this is a really well put together song. As always, Chris Martin's falsetto never fails. It's pretty damn good.

This past year, The Hold Steady put out a great record called Stay Positive. The album sounds like what would have happened if Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band grew up in the emo generation. This song, of the most humorous, and catchy on the album features it's main line as "Subpoenaed in Texas, Sequestered in Memphis". Perfect for the song, the album, and it's a great introduction to those who aren't familiar with their music.

Movies of the Week: Burn After Reading & Rain Man

The Coen brothers put together another great movie. A perfectly cast movie about stupidity. American stupidity, Russian stupidity, just stupidity. Pretty much every character in this movie is at least slightly stupid. Sincere, real people, just not of the most practical, or sophisticated level.

Despite my contempt for Tom Cruise's acting in general, he does particularly nicely in this movie. However, it is Dustin Hoffman, the extremely bright light of this movie, that really makes everything seem relevant. The script is good, the directing is plain, but the acting is truly phenomenal.

Albums of the Week: Word of Mouth - Jaco Pastorius & The Fragile - Nine Inch Nails

Bassist extraordinaire put out this album in 1981 while he was still playing for Weather Report. This was his second studio album, and a pretty damn good one. The first song really shows the acid jazz that he later became more well known for.

Trent Reznor. That is all.

Stuff of the Week

Song of the Week: Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes, I Do - Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

Starting out with a nice slide blues guitar, the song (and album for that matter) start off pretty damn well. Captain Beefheart's voice is wonderful on this track. Perfectly raspy with enough insanity in his eyes so that he can really sell it. Like, really sell the insanity.

Movie of the Week: Dan In Real Life

In honor of the nearness of Valentine's Day (which is on saturday) I decided to put a somewhat romantically involved movie. I think that Steve Carrell really brings out his acting in this movie. He shows that he isn't just a joker, and that he certainly is not Two-Dimensional. The Photography is pleasing. It's not blatant. It's enjoyable. The music is also very nice, and works splendidly in the movie.

Album of the Week: Waiting for My Rocket to Come - Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz's major label Debut, "Waiting for My Rocket to Come" is rather incredible. Throughout the album, several things are proven. Firstly, Mraz has an incredible voice and plenty of passion in his music. Secondly, you don't need to write something concrete lyrically, to get a good lyrical sound. Lastly, that everything sounds better with complex chords and perfect production.

Indie Band of the Week - Ryan Montbleau Band

Ryan Montbleau Band is a great Blue Eyed Soul/Jam Group. They may just have a shot at hitting it big. It wouldn't be surprising if they did. Big in the indie scene. They are talented musicians with fun lyrics and obvious but enjoyable chord progressions. Check them out. My favorite record of theirs is One Fine Color. Check it out.

Stuff of the Week

Song of the Week: Carnival Town - Norah Jones

Norah Jones is incredible. This song is beautifully written and arranged. The Lyrics are perfect. Simple, and mellow. This is a great Pop/Jazz song. It's simplistic sound makes it even better. With only a piano, guitar, two string instruments, bass and vocals, the song holds together very very well.

Movie of the Week: The Usual Suspects

This is the movie that gave director Bryan Singer the credit he deserved. The actors are all very good at acting their specific roles. The Script, while needed some acting to support it, had very good dialogue and plot line. This is one of Singer's best, one of Spacey's best, and certainly one of McQuarrie's best.

Album of the week: The Joshua Tree - U2

The Joshua Tree is Brian Eno's third album with U2, and probably their most popular and critically acclaimed album. This album goes to show that great, simplistic melodies and chord progressions can bring you far with good lyricism, and incredible production can truly bring you very far.

Indie Band of the Week - Reeve Oliver

Reeve Oliver is a SoCal band with refreshing punk rock sound, and witty lyricism. Their most recent album, Touchtone Inferno is on the iTunes Store. It's 7.99 and more than worth every cent of it.

Stuff of the Week

Song of the week: Little Red Corvette - Prince

     Prince doesn't really get the attention he deserves. He just gets this outcast vibe. It's truly unfortunate, because he's a great guitarist and songwriter. On top of that, 1999, the album that features this song is quite incredible, and worth listening to. Get the song on iTunes here.

Movie of the Week: Superbad

      I heard half of you grunt, and the rest of you laugh that I actually listed this. Funny enough, the movie is great. It's well photographed, acted, written and directed. Let's only hope that guys like Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and the hillarious Christopher Mintz-Plasse lead us into this next generation of comedy.

Album of the week: American IV: The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash

     During the last years of Cash's life, he did a series of recordings with legendary producer Rick Rubin Called the American Series. This is the best of the series. He is truly incredible. Haunting, but undeniably good. The album is mostly covers that range from Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" to Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". Check it out.

Stuff of the Week