January 2010
43 posts
1 tag
“The thing that bothers me most about the iPad is this: if I had an iPad rather...”
– Alex Payne — On the iPad
I’m not incredibly proficient (I’m mostly coasting off of HTML I learned when i was 17) with programming, but everything I know about computers - mostly the comfort level I have with tinkering - comes from a very similar situation described here. Even just...
Funny to nobody but me
I ate dinner with my parents and my brother and we discussed the possibility of posthumously released works now that J.D. Salinger passed. I joked that we’ll find out that he created Lenny and Squiggy on Laverne and Shirley and wrote Beverly Hills Cop 2.
The Simpsons repeat on right now is the one where they go on a reality TV show set in 1895. When ratings fail, the TV executives call...
On NYCTaper and the Proud, Obsessive Lineage of... →
Great article.
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-1-24) →
Helium (44)
Spoon (30)
The Hold Steady (15)
Vampire Weekend (11)
Primal Scream (10)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
The Death Of Indie →
tomewing:
Feeble grope around current pop culture from Paste Magazine, which tilts at a couple of relevant questions but is basically hidebound by an inability to see the present except through the frames that made sense in the past. Made a great deal worse by i. the painfully self-important framing device of Time’s 1966 “Death Of God” essay and ii. a ghastly extended sequence in which “indie”...
Things That Explain Me Fairly Well in a Sentence,...
Some nights when I can’t sleep, I buy $4 books (usually the one cent plus $3.99 shipping used copies) on Amazon and then don’t read them.
2 tags
Things that Explain Me Fairly Well in A Sentence,...
I saw someone on Facebook became a fan of “Coach” and thought they were pledging allegiance to the early 1990s sitcom Coach without considering the possibility that it was the people who made purses.
Your Milkshake is the Quarry →
So I was looking for the Allmusic entry for Morrissey’s 2004 album You Are the Quarry because that’s what one does on a Monday night. Oddly enough, it’s not listed under Morrissey’s page (my normal search routine: search by artist, click on “discography,” click on desired album/single/whatever). I searched for the album directly and landed on the page linked...
"all who want an explanation of the world of walk... →
?uestlove explains some of the restrictions he faces for what music the Roots (and other house bands) can and cannot play to introduce a guest. Interesting read, especially when considering some of the ridiculous choices the Max Weinberg Seven were making last week (in short, they got deals).
Overheard
One of my students to another, about a friend: “He doesn’t listen to death metal… he listens to Genesis.”
“In an environment where access to music was through specialist gatekeepers –...”
– Tom Ewing’s review of Europe’s “The Final Countdown” does not mention Arrested Development, but does offer some interesting thoughts on genre. (via perpetua)
This idea of genre as “coalition” is especially interesting given the impending Pop World Cup happening at Freaky Trigger...
“To all the people watching, I can never ever thank you enough for your kindness...”
– Conan O’Brien (via drinkyourjuice) (via bryonmcdonald) (via tristn)
Watchthisistheglamorous:
Jimmy Kimmel does the Leno/Conan fiasco as a Ken Burns documentary with amazing results.
via
Amazing. Kimmel has stepped it up the last few weeks!
(Also, I greatly prefer this metaphor to the forced marriage one Seth Meyers did on SNL last week.)
gifparty:
“Barney’s movie had heart, but “Football in the Groin” had a football in the groin!”
Not Everyone Wants To Be Your Dog: Tales Of... →
A great story of a failed Karaoke experience.
The one time I sang Karaoke I went for the cop out song. It was senior year of college and toward the end of the night, so I was fairly confident that if I chose Pearl Jam’s “Betterman” I wouldn’t have to sing a word of it. Sure enough, the entire bar sang the entire song.
Somewhere, there is a picture of me sneering back at...
Pazz & Jop
I’ve been reading a bunch of the Pazz and Jop posts back and forth on Tumblr (non-Tumblr folks, you can find a couple of them on my liked posts page), particularly the ones discussing Chuck Eddy’s “The Year of Too Much Consensus” (which I thought was interesting at least, especially the ensuing discussions). I haven’t replied / reblogged in part because I’m not...
2 tags
“It started with burning out on everyone’s end of year/end of decade lists,...”
– Pretty Goes with Pretty: How Did It Start?
I hear you on the genre fatigue, sir. As a recovering listmaker myself, I was kind of surprised that I had zero interest in making an end of decade list - in part because there were so many of them.
I also really like the way this whole post it written,...
misterpeace asked: That's actually Johnny Marr. His joining the band seemed like a strange choice, the band comprising three brothers of a younger age but, oddly, Marr fit in and everyone's been giving them tremendous reviews ever since he joined. I'm missing Fallon right now but I might catch it tomorrow on Hulu just because I love the Cribs.
The Cribs
… are on Jimmy Fallon right now. They have a singer wearing a “Senor Conando” shirt and have Johnny Marr (or a serious Marr doppelganger - I’m tired) in their band. The song’s not half bad either.
In short: The Cribs successfully caught my attention. I also should be in bed.
1 tag
TALL, SLENDER REDHEAD AVAILABLE FOR NIGHTTIME... →
After putting the Tonight Show on Craig’s List, Conan has made himself available.
My favorite part: “Not afraid to take two people at once, and then a musical guest.”
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-1-17) →
Vampire Weekend (21)
The Beatles (14)
Animal Collective (13)
Section-S (13)
Sonic Youth (10)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“So in thanks for the Shorty Award votes, I offer you a glimpse of a world that I...”
– Ted Leo, in the notes accompanying a download of grainy video footage of a solo performance in New Jersey last December. He has the download (it’s a 438MB video file) linked on his Twitter page for the next 24 hours if you’re interested - it’s a pretty excellent setlist with some...
Appreciating The Basketball Jones (via Ball Don't... →
I’m woefully behind in watching The Basketball Jones, so I decided today to cut my losses and start fresh with their 500th episode celebration. I’m glad I did.
Without exaggeration, TBJ is the reason I have more than a passing interest in the NBA for the first time since the late 1990s. It’s such a well done, enjoyable show made by fans (in the best sense of the term). I wish...
Also
I finally joined eMusic (which I should have done a long time ago). How quickly does new stuff end up on there?
I just bought the Spinanes' entire back catalog. I... →
(via maura)
Well, there goes $10. I have the first two Spinanes albums but somehow missed Archers and Aisles. (click through for “Kid in Candy.”)
Mary Timony and (now) Rebecca Gates have dominated my listening this weekend.
Americans Pledge Millions, but Cash Flow Takes... →
Sounds like you’re better off giving money directly to groups rather than sending text messages.
Also, I gave money to Doctors Without Borders. Was I supposed to ask all of you to reblog me first?
andrewtsks:
Isn’t he saying “do you remember when 21 years was old?” That’s something I definitely do remember.
Yes, you are right - that was a typo. Thanks for catching it!
So Ringo Starr is making the late night rounds
emmiline:
bwall05:
with Ben Harper & his band. He’s also now played “With a Little Help from My Friends” on both shows I’ve seen too. I’m completely OK with this.
So, I saw this combo on The Daily Show and I was pretty confused. What’s going on? How did he and Ben Harper get together?
I don’t know, but the same combo did the same two songs (plus an early Beatles song that...
So Ringo Starr is making the late night rounds
with Ben Harper & his band. He’s also now played “With a Little Help from My Friends” on both shows I’ve seen too. I’m completely OK with this.
Wow! Conan Won’t Do The Tonight Show After Jay! --... →
The best thing NBC has going for it is Hulu, specifically shows like Conan’s ending up on it the next day. I only (selfishly) hope that Conan ends up somewhere else that will do the same thing (read: no “8 days later,” Fox).
That said, good for you, Conan! You’re getting off the ship before it sinks!
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-1-10) →
Slowdive (15)
Noel Gallagher (12)
Sigur Rós (10)
R.E.M. (8)
Broken Bells (7)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“I would like to say I have drawn some sort of conclusion, profound or otherwise,...”
– Bill Janovitz - Part Time Man of Rock: (non)Cover of the Week 63
Buffalo Tom’s Bill Janovitz records a cover song once a week and blogs about it. Recently, his uncle was the victim of a brutal murder and he’s been sorting through the mental aftermath on his blog. He’s a terrific...
Watch“1901 (Take Away Show)” - Phoenix
Thoughts while watching this:
I’m really surprised that Vincent Moon hasn’t been hired to shoot more official videos for bands (he did the National’s documentary and a bunch of Accelerate-era things for R.E.M. I think). He does this hand held camera thing so well - especially here with the constantly revolving shot of the...
3 tags
Resolved
I’m not really a resolution person, but these are some small changes I want to try to reclaim my sanity (read: non-fatigued brain)
Finish school work by 10pm (most nights at least - late night grading sessions are inevitable), use 10-1130 to blog, clear out Google Reader, call Jenny, or something else leisurely.
In bed by midnight, ideally in bed before then and asleep by midnight, thus...
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2010-1-3) →
Los Campesinos! (17)
Beach House (7)
Lambchop (5)
Phoenix (4)
Pearl Jam (4)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“A half-century ago we lost Camus and gained Stipe. The lord takes and the lord...”
– pattismith.net: souvenance
For Michael Stipe’s birthday, Patti Smith writes a lovely tribute in which she puts JMS on the same plane as Albert Camus.
I’ll wish him a happy birthday too, but I’m not sure birthday wishes get much better.
Soundgarden is reuniting?