This being the second time these two guys will step into the octagon to face each other, I feel like I should be able to make a concrete prediction of who will win tonights fight. In my opinion, there is more reason to believe that St. Pierre is the better fighter, but I don't know. The last time they fought, BJ worked him the first 2 rounds, but couldn't deliver where it counted. I think BJ is a jerk and I don't particularly want him to win, but he could very well runaway with this match tonight. I'll stick with GSP, but I am positive it will be a great card tonight, or at least it will be better than the Affliction (boo) fight last week that gave us a 2 minute main event. That won't happen. There will be blood...
The last time I read comic books on a regular basis was when I was 13 or so. I was a huge fan of Wolverine, Batman and general superhero titles for years and it really changed things for me. It was such a fantastic indulgence at that age and really contributed to my massive appreciation for writing and art in general. The idea of capturing creativity in other mediums like film and music are familiar to us all, but comic books and graphic novels reach a much smaller portion of our peers. This makes me wonder why I ever got out of them in the first place. I guess while becoming a teenager and finding different ways to be evil, I lost interest.
Awhile back I got back into the game and started buying up graphic novels like crazy and have been completely immersed in them since. It's nice being older for the simple reason that I can finally get the books that I've always wanted to read, but was too young to purchase because they were Suggested For Mature Readers. Now I've been able to read classics like Preacher, The Sandman and Hellblazer, as well as some newer popular titles like Y: The Last Man, 100 Bullets and other Vertigo titles & beyond. The writing in many of these is so amazing and refreshing that they deserve to be touted and appreciated even if it's long overdue.
So, the reason for all this back story is that I plan on working up some reviews of many of the graphic novels I've finished lately so that I can share this stuff with more of you. I've already got a handful of people severely hooked over the last year (including my mom - which is fucking awesome), so if your interest is piqued, then I implore you to explore some on your own. Graphic novels are not just for kids who can't shave yet. Many of them are here to get inside of you, raise eyebrows and spread art.
She makes some great points while managing to stay candid and relaxed, unlike many others who engage in debates about religion. Whether or not you agree with her, you have to give her credit for delivering her thoughts in such a calm and honest manner. Me? I agree with her.
On your right you'll seen a nasty purpled-colored playlist full of 200 new and old tunes that I recently compiled. You'll find everything from industrial, electronic, IDM, Post-Rock, Prog-Rock, Indie, Shoegaze, Ambient, oldies, hip-hop, 80's, etc. This list is eclectic to say the least. I know that some of you had told me you enjoyed listening to my old ones, so I hope you enjoy.
Ok, so I am using a new format for the "Musical Endeavors" series... Instead of discussing the artists as a whole, I will now be looking at specific albums and rating them using my harsh scale. Ok, it's not really that harsh because we all know that I'd probably not take the time to write about something I heavily disliked unless it really irritated me for some reason. Also, I will put a link to a video for each band to hear samples without having to go out and search. Alright, here we go:
(Click the band names to be directed to their respected myspace pages for a quick listen.)
Sébastien Tellier - Sexuality - Wow, where to start? Sébastien (not to be confused with fellow French musician, SebastiAn from Ed Banger records) is a genius. He is musically gifted in all the necessary areas to create one of the oddest records we've heard in awhile. Sexuality was produced by none other than Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo from Daft Punk so there is a strong taste of French-electronica across most of the album. Imagine crossing Daft Punk with Prince and you'll get a good general idea of what the album sounds like. But that's just the beginning - trust me. Quite possibly my favorite album of 2008.
Tracks to hear - Roche, Kilometer, L'Amour Et La Violence
Sébastien Tellier - Kilometer (Official Video)
M83 - Saturdays=Youth - Damn, way too many good albums came out in 2008. This is another frontrunner for Best of 2008 and it really comes as no surprise. Anthony Gonzalez has consistently grown with each new album and with "Saturdays=Youth" he may have reached perfection. Every song on this record is noteworthy and is best listened to with a good set of headphones. The shoegaze sound appears more than ever and it manages to really bind things together nicely. This one's for everyone... I couldn't recommend it more.
Tracks to hear - Skin Of the Night, We Own the Sky, You Appearing
M83 - Skin Of the Night (Live)
Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself - Despite the sad and unfortunate passing of Charlie Cooper two days after this album was released, we can all celebrate in more of his brilliance for years to come. This album takes almost an entirely new direction from their past two records by finding its way into a brooding new wave/shoegaze sound, away from the original IDM sound we've all grown to love. This may bother some long time fans, but not me. I've been borderline obsessed with them for nearly a decade and I think this may be their best yet. Take that for what it's worth.
Tracks to hear - Your Mouth, Mostly Translucent, M
Telefon Tel Aviv - Your Mouth (Slideshow of the band - In remembrance of Charlie Cooper)
Fever Ray - Fever Ray - Any fans of The Knife out there? If so, you're in for a treat - Fever Ray is the solo project from Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife. The sound is very similar to her previous work and is just as majestic and powerful. The overall feel of the album is brooding and dark, just like Silent Shout, but it feels new and refreshing. I believe this album will officially be released in February, so I strongly encourage you to purchase it then. It's worth it, I promise.
Tracks to hear - Concrete Walls, If I Had a Heart, When I Grow Up
Fever Ray - If I Had a Heart (Official Video Directed by Andreas Nilsson)
The Presets - Apocalypso - Australia has really propelled two of my favorite acts into stardom over the last few years and The Presets is one of them (the other being Midnight Juggernauts). Last year I had the luxury of seeing them live while they were touring with Heartbreak and I must admit that they put on a very strong show. These guys are energetic and obvioulsy talented at composing and performing. Their sound could be classified as electro, but they have enough of the avant-garde to be considered Indie, I guess. I don't even know how to term music anymore. You listen and call it whatever you like.
Tracks to hear- A New Sky, This Boy's In Love, If I Know Yo
The Presets - Talk Like That (Live Television Appearance)
To view the backlog of mini-reviews, feel free to click on the following links:
As most of you know, the Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of planet Earth made by Voyager 1 from a record distance, showing it against the vastness of space. It is also the title of a 1994 book by astronomer Carl Sagan that was inspired by the photo. Below is an excerpt, read by Carl Sagan himself.
Give up 3 minutes and take a step back to philosophize about our existence. Maybe we can all learn something new.
With Tuesday's grim post I am hoping to mark my return to the blogging universe so that I can once again have a medium to spread creativity and art of all kinds. A number of things have changed over the past year and much has stayed the same too. I hope to hit the ground running with a number of posts because I have a lot to talk about and share. Until I'm completely established again, I will wait to inform anyone that I'm back in office... You know how it is.
Everyone who knows me well knows how much love and respect I have for Telefon Tel Aviv. I have been a fan of theirs since the beginning and share this passion with quite a few of you. I feel great remorse knowing that one of the most talented artists of our time has passed away so early. I offer condolences to his family and friends.
TTA just released their newest LP a week ago and haven't had the chance to fully feel their success. I am very glad that after nearly a decade of waiting, I finally got to see TTA in October for the first time. If I had known it would also be the last I would have enjoyed it even more than I did.
If you have not yet given TTA a shot, I hope that you will now.
It breaks my heart to inform you all that Charlie Cooper, my better half in Telefon Tel Aviv, passed away on January 22nd.
We have been friends since high school, and began making records together a decade ago. We have been so fortunate to tour the world together, while at the same time having a massive amount of laughs at one another's expense.
Aside from Charlie's singular genius and musical gifts, I can tell you that he was a total sweetheart of a guy, and a loving friend and confidant to people everywhere. His musicianship was surpassed only by his greater gift to the world - his warmth, his generosity, his unquenchable humor, and his undying loyalty to those whom he loved. In the spirit of honorable mention, however, I should mention that he had a shoe collection that was marvelous, knowledge of hip-hop that was profound, and knowledge of wine that was subtle.
He is survived by a sister, a neice, a nephew, his mother, his stepfather, me, and more adoring friends than the Universe has dark matter. As such, his family and I ask for your discretion and consideration of our privacy during these extremely turbulent waters.
Here is a semi-recent live performance that highlights Charlie's skills on the TTA track, "The Sky Is Black." Wait until the 2:30 mark for him to sing.
We cannot wait much longer
We want happiness back
We want control of our bodies
Everything we've lacked
I think I even liked it
If the feeling was mine
A little something about my body
Is it the warmth inside
When we come home, we want it quiet and calm
We want you to sing us a song
When we come home, we pull the curtains down
Making sure that the TV is on
If you move a little closer
I'll tell you what's my aim
It's every evening on a big screen
Hosted by celebrities
I had a dream about deleting and killer whales
Is it the feeling of your body
Or is it the feeling of mine
When we come home, we want it quiet and calm
We want you to be around
When we come home, we pull the curtains down
Making sure that the TV is on
From off to on
From off to on
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