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.