El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula

A brief pictorial recollection of my otherwise uneventful winter break so far. (Try to) Enjoy (the shit quality pictures from my outdated iPhone 3GS #firstworldpains).

 The aforementioned Death Cab mini-concert. Dude didn't look nearly sad enough for having just divorced Zooey Deschanel.

 The only problem at Pink's has been the impossibility of eating their more "elaborate" menu items without any utensils, so I opted for this Pastrami Burrito Dog (2 dogs, probably a can of chili, swiss cheese, onions, and the titular pastrami) for the sake of convenience, which proved to be the messiest thing I've eaten there.

 Traffic (closed 60 + rain + rush hour) delayed us 2 hours and made us an hour late to the 

Craig Ferguson taping, so we opted for the Grove which is right behind the studios.

 Place is fancy as shit. Complimentary cologne and hand towels in the bathrooms fancy.

Orangevagina. Sort of like a Sunkist 2.0.

Fake snow. Soapy as hell; literally had people running for cover.

 Never noticed this at Amoeba before. If you can't tell, it's an anthropomorphic bear from the 50's playing a guitar painted on a large stack of glued-together books. Pretty dope if I'd say so myself.

 Finally found the perfect hot dog at Pink's, the Mushroom Swiss Dog. Mayo, grilled 

onions, grilled mushrooms, swiss cheese. Cheap, no mess, delicious.

Went to my first Laker game ever. This post was just meant to be a few pictures 

from the game, but whatever.

That one guy from The Shining.

 "Down Go The Queens", Divac with the assist.

 Preseason game, but whatever, it was Chris Paul's first game as a Clip; most watched game period on NBA TV. Got there a bit early and just hung around the 100's. Here, Deandre misses his 6th shot in a row. Blake Griffin also gave us a "what's up" a bit before this.

 11 out of the 16.

 Phone died shortly after.

Playlist #29: Christmas Edition

Actually, not a single holiday-related song on my list, forgive me for my lack of festivity. Well, today is Christmas, which signifies the birth of Isaac Newton, Humphrey Bogart, and Anwar Sadat, the ambiguous birth of supposed deity Jesus Christ, and the start of the 2011-2012 NBA season. So, Merry Christmas, Jews! Happy Hanukkah, Christians! Happy Kwanzaa Eve, white people! All jokes aside, hope you're enjoying whatever it is you celebrate. Happy Holidays.

1. Hiding Tonight by Alex Turner (Solo work of the Arctic Monkeys lead singer. He scored most of Submarine, resulting in a 6 song soundtrack for the film. Much more mellow as opposed to the garage rock-sound of the Monkeys; minimal, indie acoustic rainy day music sans the bleakness.)
2. Stuck on the Puzzle by Alex Turner
3. Glass in the Park by Alex Turner
4. Piledriver Waltz by Alex Turner
5. City Girl by Kevin Shields [Heard this in Lost in Translation, which My Bloody Valentine frontman, Kevin Shields, contributed a few songs to, this being one. I've been meaning to watch it for a while now and damn, what an awesome movie. So well-balanced, visually appealing (love mellow flicks set in metropolitan settings), and Coppola captures this sort of non-literal solitude among other relatable elements just so damn well; also, very interesting dynamic between Murray and Johansson's characters, who by the way, were amazing. Talent runs like a motherfucker in the Coppola family, I swear.]
6. Just Like Honey by The Jesus and Mary Chain
7. April Skies by The Jesus and Mary Chain
8. Almost Gold by The Jesus and Mary Chain
9. Cracking Up by The Jesus and Mary Chain
10. He War by Cat Power [Before Jenny Lee Lindberg, Cat Power has been my musician crush (and still is). I tweeted a joke regarding her the other day (Fun fact: @CatPower, Matt Lauer, and Jack Bauer are all siblings.) and subsequently got followed by her! Fucking made my day and pretty awesome considering that I've had What Would the Community Think? (favorite record of hers) on repeat this week.]
11. Nude as the News by Cat Power (Old school Cat Power. Intriguing how this tomboyish-yet-cute, Ellen Page-like indie chick transitioned into a Maxim top 20, Chanel model, still putting out great music. Having a cigarette with Chan Marshall is on my bucket list.)
12. Speak For Me by Cat Power
13. A Means to an End by Joy Division (Easily my favorite track off of Closer.)
14. Abducted by Cults
15. Oh My God by Cults
16. Never Saw the Point by Cults
17. Rave On by Cults

Playlist #28

1. 99 Problems by Jay-Z
2. Hallelujah by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3. Sweetheart Come by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4. We Came Along This Road by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5. Idiot Prayer by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
6. Far From Me by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
7. Diamonds to Shake by Drummer
8. Doors Unlocked and Open by Death Cab for Cutie (Got free tix to see 'em the other day at Jimmy Kimmel Live. They really epitomize the generic indie rock sound, but I'm still mildly a fan; they put some nice tunes.)
9. May Seem Macabre by Peter Bjorn & John
10. (Don't Let Them) Cool Off by Peter Bjorn & John
11. Down Like Me by Peter Bjorn & John
12. I Know You Don't Love Me by Peter Bjorn & John
13. Sometimes by My Bloody Valentine
14. Lose My Breath by My Bloody Valentine
15. Cupid Come by My Bloody Valentine
16. (When You Wake) You're Still In A Dream by My Bloody Valentine
17. Sueisfine by My Bloody Valentine
18. I Can See It (But I Can't Feel It) by My Bloody Valentine

Playlist #27

1. Undun (Entire album) by The Roots (If you don't know, The Roots are one of my absolute favorites and that's not changing anytime soon.)
2. The Only One by The Black Keys
3. I'm Not The One by The Black Keys
4. Never Gonna Give You Up by The Black Keys
5. Things Ain't Like They Used To Be by The Black Keys
6. You're The One by The Black Keys
7. The Flame by The Black Keys
8. Thickfreakness by The Black Keys
9. Just Couldn't Tie Me Down by The Black Keys
10. All Hands Against His Own by The Black Keys
11. The Desperate Man by The Black Keys
12. The Lengths by The Black Keys
13. Grown So Ugly by The Black Keys
14. Keep Me by The Black Keys
15. On the Vista by Blakroc (The Black Keys & Mos Def)
16. Stay Off the Fuckin' Flowers by Blakroc (The Black Keys & Raekwon)
17. Hope You're Happy by Blakroc (The Black Keys & Q-Tip, Billy Danze, & Nicole Wray)
18. Always Looking by the Dum Dum Girls
19. Bedroom Eyes by the Dum Dum Girls
20. Yours Alone by the Dum Dum Girls
21. Blank Girl by the Dum Dum Girls
22. For Today by Jessica Lea Mayfield
23. We've Never Lied by Jessica Lea Mayfield
24. Doom (Remix) by Jupitersciples
25. Towreck Syndrome by Jupitersciples
26. The Makings of You by Curtis Mayfield
27. Black Magic Woman by Carlos Woman
28. Noctuary by Bonobo
29. Spiral by Nujabes
30. Color of Autumn by Nujabes
31. Dawn on the Side by Nujabes
32. Rainyway Back Home by Nujabes
33. Lemonade by CocoRosie
34. Little Things by The Peach Kings
35. By Your Side by The Peach Kings
36. Happy House by Siouxsie and the Banshees
37. Straight To You by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
38. Into My Arms by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
39. (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For? by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
40. Where The Wild Roses Grow by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Fitting

Mpemba Effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpemba_effect

An unexplained phenomenon wherein warmer water freezes faster than colder water. Whoa.

Playlist #26

 
1. Keep On Knocking by Death (A punk band that consists of 3 old, black dudes with dreads. An official album was never released until '09, when they put out ...For the World to See, consisting of 7 songs recorded in '73. As Jack White put it, they were way "ahead of their time". Interesting fact: they started out as an R&B group.)
2. Rock-N-Roll Victim by Death
3. Where Do We Go From Here by Death
4. The Words That Maketh Murder by PJ Harvey (Never disappoints)
5. England by PJ Harvey
6. Working for the Man by PJ Harvey
7. El Camino (Entire album) by The Black Keys [Never really got into The Black Keys (just had The Big Come Up & Blakroc prior to this), but that all changes now. This album is amazing; a glimmer of hope for popular music.]
8. Immigrant Song (Cover) by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Ft. Karen O (Stoked that they finally released the full version; ripped it off of Youtube immediately.)
9. I Can't Lie to You by Jessica Lea Mayfield

Playlist #25

1. Last Flowers to the Hospital by Radiohead
2. Lord Giveth, Lord Taketh Away by Freddie Gibbs
3. Deep by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
4. The Truth by Pharoahe Monch Ft. Common & Talib Kweli
5. The Most Beautifullest Thing in the World by Keith Murray
6. Snowflake by Kate Bush
7. When It Pours It Rains by Diamond D
8. Disorder by Joy Division
9. Hey by the Pixies
10. Krimson by Warpaint (These last 3 tracks I listen to on the daily, used as filler for this otherwise barren playlist.)

Playlist #24

1. Just Like Heaven by The Cure
2. Miami Advice by Kimya Dawson Ft. Aesop Rock
3. I Like Giants by Kimya Dawson (Something so meta presented in such a simple and innocent way. Awesome song. "We all become important when we realize our goal, should be to figure out our role within the context of the whole")
4. Transmission (Joy Division cover) by Low (My first listen of the slowcore genre. A soothing, minimal rendition of an exciting song. I could definitely imagine an indie flick opening with this.)
5. Shadowplay (Joy Division cover) by Afterhours (An acoustic cover by some Italian dude. Once again, "A soothing, minimal rendition of an exciting song.")
6. Juno by Tokyo Police Club
7. Mirror's Image by The Horrors (Brit band that I came across last night. A cohesive and fluid mix of some of my favorite genres; half post-punk and half shoegaze, seasoned with psychedelia. They also carry a real garage rock sound on some of their stuff, entirely on the first album though. Regarding this song in particular, the keyboard riff throughout is so mesmerizing...yeah, that's the word to describe it.)
8. Who Can Say by The Horrors
9. Scarlet Fields by The Horrors
10. I Can't Control Myself by The Horrors
11. Endless Blue by The Horrors
12. Still Life by The Horrors

Playlist #23

Had to.

1. Backpackers by Childish Gambino (Following up on my initial overview of CG, I'd say that he has finally transcended Weezy and Drake, and made his flow his own.)
2. Bonfire by Childish Gambino
3. L.E.S. by Childish Gambino
4. You See Me by Childish Gambino
5. That Power by Childish Gambino
6. Look At Your Game Girl by Charles Manson
7. Good Day Today by David Lynch
8. The Honest Truth by Typhoon
9. This Boy by I'm From Barcelona Ft. Lonely, Dear
10. The Saddest Lullaby by I'm From Barcelona Ft. Mathia Alrikson
11. If You Want It by TV Girl
12. Benny and the Jetts by TV Girl
13. Lizzy Come Back To Life by TV Girl
14. Your Own Religion by TV Girl
15. My Favourite Book by Stars
16. Hello It's Me by Todd Rundgren (Yes.)
17. In Dreams by Roy Orbison
18. Kissin' Pink by ASAP Rocky
19. Trilla by ASAP Rocky
20. Walking Around Waiting Downtown by Reverie Sound Revue (Haven't listened to these guys since high school. Some good indie pop for the cold weather.)

Playlist #22 (Part 3)

1. Mookid by Aphex Twin
2. Mona Lisa by Atlas Sound (Solo project of the lead singer of Deerhunter, Bradford Cox. A bit more abstract and experimental than Deerhunter; there's a nice, ambient quality to it.)
3. Headlines by Drake (Who doesn't like Drake? By the way, Take Care leaked last night, to which he replied “Listen, enjoy it, buy it if you like it...and take care until next time.”)
4. Underground Kings by Drake
5. We'll Be Fine by Drake
6. Evergreen by The Brian Jonestown Massacre (Finally got around to listening to their 38 song long best-of album. Very shoegazey, psychedelic, and even pretty folky; overall a unique and original sound.)
7. Hide and Seek by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
8. Swallowtail by The Brian Jonestown Massacre (Haven't been this amazed at a song in a long time...)
9. Open Heart Surgery by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
10. Vacuum Boots by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
11. The Classical by The Fall [Some post-punk band that I came across. Their discography consists of a whopping 29 albums, which doesn't include their EP's, live albums, compilations (there's a separate Wiki article for their compilations alone...), etc. Went for their most prominent best-of CD, a 39-track compilation. It was good, but not quite for me. Liked this song in particular for its bassline.]
12. Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell by The Flaming Lips [Never really got into The Flaming Lips, apart from their Pink Floyd cover album, "W.A.N.D.", and Wayne Coyne's feature on Dark Night of the Soul (one of my absolute favorite albums). Pretty much got a hold of this 'cause I really liked the cover.]
13. Are You A Hypnotist??? by The Flaming Lips
14. Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia) by The Flaming Lips
15. Who Makes Your Money by Spoon
16. Out Go The Lights by Spoon
17. The Way We Get By by Spoon
18. Desafinado by Stan Getz & João Gilberto (I've always wanted to get into bossa nova, but couldn't really find a proper compilation to start with. Came across Getz/Gilberto. Really nice, soothing, elevator music; some makes-me-want-to-grab-some-imported-beer-and-a-lawn-chair,-and-head-over-to-a-secluded,white-sanded-beach-to-relax music.)
19. Corcovado by Stan Getz & João Gilberto
20. O Grande Amor by Stan Getz & João Gilberto
21. Vivo Sonhando by Stan Getz & João Gilberto
22. The Girl From Ipanema by Stan Getz & João Gilberto (My favorite version of this song.)
23. River Card by Atlas Sound

Playlist #22 (Part 2)

1. I Can't Make Up My Mind by The Zombies
2. Whenever You're Ready by The Zombies
3. Beechwood Park by The Zombies
4. Don't Move by Phantogram (From their new EP that dropped a few days ago.)
5. Nightlife by Phantogram
6. Agoraphobia by Deerhunter (Fuck, this band is really good.)
7. Nothing Ever Happened by Deerhunter
8. Desire Lines by Deerhunter
9. Helicopter by Deerhunter
10. Coronado by Deerhunter
11. Ponds by Deerhunter
12. Dot Gain by Deerhunter
13. Vox Celeste by Deerhunter
14. Hazel St. by Deerhunter
15. Heatherwood by Deerhunter
16. Ex Lion Tamer by Wire
17. Mannequin by Wire
18. 52 Girls by The B-52's

Playlist #22 (Part 1)

Downloaded a shitload of albums and went on a serious music binge today. Here a couple of my favorites so far and a couple of tracks I forgot to put on the last playlist. I have a few more albums to listen to, so that's for tomorrow. 

1. King's Lead Hat by Brian Eno
2. The Noise Made By People (Entire album) by Broadcast (An eclectic mix of the most soothing aspects of electronic music and 60's rock. Very dreamy and also psychedelic, definitely music for the rain and/or weed. Already one of my favorite bands and very unfortunate to hear that the lead singer died earlier this year.)
3. Pushing Buttons (Entire album) by Broadcast
4. Man Is Not A Bird by Broadcast
5. Winter Now by Broadcast
6. Coming Down by The United States of America (An obscure psychedelic band from the 60's with a female lead singer. They only released one, self-titled album in '68 and it's pretty great.)
7. The American Metaphysical Circus by The United States of America
8. Policy of Truth by Depeche Mode (I'm usually not that big on anything with synth, but I usually make some exceptions.)
9. Engine by Neutral Milk Hotel
10. N.I.T.A. by Young Marble Giants [Another band with a female singer and only one album under their belt. Post-punk, but very minimal; guitar, bass, soft drum machine, keyboard (usually not all together either). So stripped down but potent and pleasant; like a simpler, steadier The Wake.]
11. Wurlitzer Jukebox by Young Marble Giants
12. Salad Days by Young Marble Giants
13. Wear You Out by TV on the Radio [Haven't heard their debut album (their first official release, actually) before. Always a treat. This track in particular is great; I love when songs become more layered as the song progresses, which works best when the song's relatively long like this one is.]
14. Staring At The Sun by TV on the Radio
15. Leave Me Be by the Zombies [I always loved the Zombies sample in "About Her" and the only other song I have by them, like everyone else, is "Time of the Season". Saw this on Aziz Ansari's celebrity iTunes playlist (He also had "Disorder" and "Rainy Dayz", on there! Two of my all-time favorites in addition to "About Her".) and I already love it. Proceeded to download their first two albums, which I'll listen to tomorrow.]
16. Iz Us by Aphex Twin [I remember seeing the "Come To Daddy" video on MTV (Not the first nor last to make this joke/statement of truth, but yeah, they actually played music at one point.) way back when as a kid and being creeped the fuck out. Then I remember hearing "Avril 14th" a year ago and being surprised by the contrast. This dude works on such a wide spectrum, it's amazing.]
17. Alberto Balsalm by Aphex Twin
18. Nevertheless by The Brian Jonestown Massacre [This and the Boardwalk Empire opening credits song are the only songs I've heard by them. I like what I hear though, and I also like their name (Brian Jones + Jonestown Massacre), so I'm gonna go ahead and check out their best-of compilation (their vast discography intimidates me and my hard drive).
19. Things You Can Do by Deltron 3030 (I've probably played a Del song, at least once, every single week of my life since junior high. Deltron 3030 is one of my favorite albums of all time too.)
20. Some Kind of Wonderful by Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek) (Initially overlooked Train of Thought, but I gave it another listen the other day. God damn, Kweli is amazing; always on point whether it's with Black Star, Madlib, or solo. I remember buying Quality back in '02 and thinking "Guerilla Monsoon Rap" was just one of the dopest songs ever.)
21. Name of the Game by Reflection Eternal
22. Good Mourning by Reflection Eternal
23. Lullaby by The Cure
24. Blame It On The Sun by Stevie Wonder
25. Shout by Tears for Fears
26. Rainy Dayz by Raekwon Ft. Ghostface Killah (A consistent favorite of mine for a good 7 years, especially during this time of year. Damn, what a terrible sentence. Anyway, best RZA beat ever.)
27. Rekonstruction by DJ Spooky Ft. Pharoahe Monch [Felt like listening to some Pharoahe after mentioning "Guerilla Monsoon Rap". This song oddly reminds me of the courthouse in Rancho because I had it on repeat the last time I was there (dropping something off...).]

Playlist #21

Haven't got into much new music lately, in fear of filling up my iPod (a petty reason, I know). Speaking of which, if anybody is selling an iPod with at least 30gb, please let me know. Thanks.

1. Suedehead by Morrissey
2. Shadowplay by Joy Division
3. Running Water by Cyne
4. Well Thought Out Twinkles by the Silversun Pickups
5. Epilogue by The Antlers
6. Wizard by Clams Casino
7. Bass (Prod. by Clams Casino) by ASAP Rocky (I think this dude's from Harlem but the vibe I get from him is very Houston.)
8. Stars and Sons by Broken Social Scene
9. The Corner by Saigon (Heard this a while back in Half Nelson and it's probably one of my favorite hip hop songs. Never heard multi's used so well in a storytelling song and the Mark Ronson beat is pretty nice too.)
10. Late by The Spinto Band
11. Waterfalls by Clams Casino
12. Iron Galaxy by Cannibal Ox
13. Hunter by Bjork
14. Don't Want To Know If You're Lonely by Husker Du
15. Avril 14th by Aphex Twin
16. Sand River by Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man
17. Bela Lugosi's Dead by Bauhaus [My 9th grade English teacher played this song during a test (a rather odd choice for the occasion...) and it was essentially my introduction to post-punk.]
18. Dark Entries by Bauhaus
19. The Killing Moon ('Life at Brian's' Session) by Echo & The Bunnymen (I love the original, but this version is pretty sick too.)
20. Krimson by Warpaint

More Television

Boardwalk Empire
Another gem from HBO, Boardwalk is an amazing period piece with a well-constructed web of stories and scandals, a cast overflowing with talent, and aesthetic appeal for all you vintagephiles. It's just so detailed and well-executed that you feel like you're getting a genuine glimpse into the '20's and after a couple of episodes you feel like you've grasped the era's zeitgeist. It's essentially Mad Men when Don Draper was a baby. Blazed through the first season during my first week of school and now it's a drag waiting for new episodes, which is such a first world pain... Steve Buscemi (though whatever role he's in, I always picture the McMuffin bum from Big Daddy) and Michael Shannon are so good in this, I can't stand Paz de la Huerta or her character, and Michael K. Williams (pictured above) and Michael Pitt are such BAMFs (never have I uttered nor typed this word until now). Interestingly enough, Buscemi and Pitt starred together in a movie called Delirious back in '06, which is still in my queue of movies to watch.

NTSF:SD:SUV::

Saw mock adverts for this shown during Childrens Hospital and was pleased to find out that it was an actual show. In the vein of Childrens, NTSF:SD:SUV:: (National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle::) (note the unnecessary double colon, ha!) is hilariously nonsensical, ridiculously over-the-top, runs 15 min, and lampoons a popular form of television drama (in this case, police procedurals, if you couldn't tell by the title...).

New Girl

Nothing out of the ordinary, just an enjoyable buddy comedy akin to Happy Endings, amplified by Zooey's charm. A quirky, feel-good show to watch when you're bored and don't have anything else to watch on Tuesday. 

The League

Yet another show with Paul Scheer. Haven't actually watched any of the episodes yet, but as I was skipping through the first episode, I got this^ screenshot of a guy smoking out of a unicorn's ass, admittedly awesome. It seems like a dude comedy where scene transitions are marked by generic electric guitar riffs, but I'm still willing to give it a full watch.

American Horror Story

Same with The League, I plan to give it a watch whenever I feel like it. Heard very good things about it though and FX is usually on point with their shows (Wilfred, Louie, Always Sunny, Damages, c'mon now. Also heard great things about Sons of Anarchy and Archer. Fox provides such great entertainment but such a shitty news network, which I suppose can fall under entertainment.)

Game of Thrones

I echo what I said about American Horror Story, replacing FX with HBO. It'd be interesting to see a drama within a completely different setting, like Boardwalk, but by a higher measure.

Arrested Development

Last, but certainly not least, a more-than-worthy member of my top 9 (Parks & Rec, Always Sunny, Chappelle's Show, Breaking Bad, Curb, An Idiot Abroad, South Park, Extras). I've been re-watching the series for a third time in preparation for the fourth season and movie (both confirmed, but I'm still a bit skeptical...). Nothing more to say about this one; you either recognize it as the greatest comedy sitcom ever or not (in which case, you probably watch The Big Bang Theory).

Playlist #20

1. Color Me Once by the Violent Femmes
2. Paparazzi by Xzibit
3. My Favorite Ladies (Equalibrum Remix) by MF Doom
4. They Walked in Line by Joy Division
5. Something Must Break by Joy Division
6. Little Joy (Entire album) by Little Joy (Another overall great album; somewhat a stripped-down version of The Strokes. Oh yeah and their drummer is The Strokes drummer.)
7. Wasted Time by ODB (You could never go wrong with sampling "The Stranger")
8. Together Forever by Run DMC (A black dude on a Harley was blaring this in Riverside the other day)
9. The Walk by Mayer Hawthorne
10. No Strings by Mayer Hawthorne
11. Make Some Noise by Beastie Boys
12. Conquest by The White Stripes
13. Bone Broke by The White Stripes
14. A Martyr For My Love For You by The White Stripes
15. Exogenesis: Symphony, Pt. 3: Redemption by Muse (Hardly a fan of Muse, but this song is well-structured and symphonic, and I'm just a sucker for piano.)
16. Damaged Goods by Gang of Four
17. Ether by Gang of Four
18. 5.45 by Gang of Four
19. In the Ditch by Gang of Four
20. The Cosmic Game (Entire album) by Thievery Corporation (I'm also a sucker for awesome basslines. Which is probably why my favorite playlist is titled "Sick basslines". "Warning Shots" is an excellent example of aforementioned "awesome basslines". Nothing too complex or difficult, but so fluid and potent.)
21. Are You In or Out? (Entire album) by The Growlers (I rarely find albums where every (or most) song earns a spot in my iPod, but I've been coming across gold mines these past two weeks, as well as revisiting some old ones.)
22. Sea Lion Goth Blues by The Growlers
23. Run by Charlyne Yi (Her music is surprisingly sincere and overall easy on the ears; an interesting contrast to her more known funny persona. Great tunes.)
24. Sketch for Summer by the Durutti Column
25. Collette by the Durutti Column
26. Falling and Laughing by Orange Juice

Playlist #19 and "Drive" mini-review

1. Territorial Pissings by Nirvana (Favorite song, drum-wise, off of the album. Grohl, you talented mothafucka...)
2. World of Her Own by The Wake
3. Plastic Flowers by The Wake (Stumbled upon 'em on Wikipedia yesterday, and they're pretty good. Essentially post-punk and new wave, a tad pop-py and with a hint of goth; clearly 80's.)
4. Hong Kong Garden by Siouxsie and the Banshees
5. Arabian Knights by Siouxsie and the Banshees
6. Cities in Dust by Siouxsie and the Banshees
7. Candyman by Siouxsie and the Banshees
8. Love is a Void by Siouxsie and the Banshees
9. Christine by Siouxsie and the Banshees
10. Crystalline by Bjork (The song's ending is nuts...)
11. Leaders of Men by Joy Division
12. Dead Souls by Joy Division
13. Atmosphere by Joy Division
14. Closer (Entire album) by Joy Division (After some reassessment, I've decided that I prefer it over "Unknown Pleasures" (by a small margin). But "Disorder" will forever be my favorite track by them.)
15. Portamento (Entire album) by The Drums
16. The Message by Nas (Heard the Sting sample at the end of Leon The Professional and went straight to this track.)
17. Loaded (Entire album) by The Velvet Underground
18. Ocean by The Velvet Underground
19. What Goes On by The Velvet Underground
20. Under Your Spell by Desire
21. A Real Hero by College Ft. Electric Youth

The last two songs of the playlist are from Drive, so I thought that I'd take a brief moment to share my thoughts on the film. First of all, I watched the screener, so I might not have received the full, intended effect of the film (half of the score was recycled from The Social Network and 28 Weeks Later, among others), but I thought it was great nevertheless. From what I've observed, views on the movie were very polarizing and it's fairly understandable. I feel that those on the negative end were simply unaware of what kind of movie it would be and were unfamiliar with its indie stylings. The marketing is also partly to blame due to the misleading trailers which might have enticed viewers into expecting an action-packed, Fast and Furious type of flick, which it is far from. Others were probably just confused by the rave reviews and the rest can be accounted for by contrarianism. The concept of an isolated professional and his sentimental evolution (Leon, Gran Torino) has been explored time and time again, but Refn certainly delivers on the premise. The style that he brings to the table is utterly amazing, and coupled with the minimal dialogue and visual expressions, there is a reinforcement of tension and an amplification of sentiments. Refn also provides some well-executed escalation and when there is action, it's exhilarating and highly effective. Lastly, Drive further reinforces how fucking cool Ryan Gosling is. And speaking of which, Gosling does not disappoint, and delivers as always, as does Mulligan, Cranston (How fucking good was the "Breaking Bad" season finale?!), and Brooks. To each his own, but I prefer great performances, stylish aesthetics, and emotional potency over a clusterfuck of mindless action.

Playlist #18

1. Break My Body by the Pixies
2. Something Against You by the Pixies
3. I Wanna Be Adored by The Stone Roses
4. Here She Comes Now by The Velvet Underground
5. When You Sleep by My Bloody Valentine
6. I Only Said by My Bloody Valentine
7. Bug by Wavves
8. Doin' the Cockroach by Modest Mouse
9. Day of the Lords by Joy Division
10. I Against I by Jedi Mind Tricks

Playlist #17

Having had no internet at my new place, I'm 2 weeks behind with this. But no worries, my nonexistent readers, I'm back now.

1. Super Soaker by Wavves
2. Linus Spacehead by Wavves
3. Idiot by Wavves
4. Poor Lenore by Wavves
5. Nodding Off by Wavves Ft. Best Coast
6. Memories Can't Wait by Talking Heads
7. This Must Be the Place by Talking Heads
8. Kick Push (Lupe Fiasco)(Ghibli Remix) by Tokimonsta
9. Rotten Apple (Royal Flush)(Spoiled Remix) by Tokimonsta
10. Gamble by Tokimonsta
11. County Line by Cass McCombs
12. Caught a Long Wind by Feist
13. A Commotion by Feist
14. Get It Wrong, Get It Right by Feist
15. The National Anthem by Radiohead
16. The Daily Mail by Radiohead
17. Rock Bottom by Eminem
18. If I Had by Eminem
19. Debaser by Pixies
20. Alec Eiffel by Pixies
21. Hey by Pixies
22. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
23. Breathe by Pink Floyd

The Yogurt Phenomenon

Definition: A phenomenon in which the attention given/appreciation for one factor is decreased by the introduction of another.

Origin: The first time I tried YoCrunch (yogurt with a separately-sealed topping, in this case, Oreo) was without the topping because my greedy little brother decided that one topping was not enough for his yogurt. Nevertheless, it was some pretty good yogurt. However, the next time around, I couldn't stand the spoonfuls of plain yogurt that the limited amount of Oreo (come on, YoCrunch, a little more can't hurt) failed to reach.

Examples: The episode of Party Down wherein a girl, recently abandoned by the popular crowd, is devastated at her sweet sixteen where only the "nerdy" friends (plain yogurt) of her past have shown up. She eventually re-embraces her inner-nerd and finds herself having fun with her old friends, until her popular counterparts (Oreos) show up, causing her to immediately abandon the losers and leave with the cool kids.

The trade that brought Carmelo Anthony (Oreos) over to the once Stoudemire (plain yogurt)-led Knicks.

Every rich guy that has left their wife (plain yogurt) for an attractive gold digger (Oreos).

How disgusting your Del Taco (plain yogurt) suddenly tastes when you turn on Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives (Oreos).

How unattractive your girlfriend (plain yogurt) becomes after you watch a Natalie Portman (Oreos) movie.

Summer Television (Part 2)

Looking at the last post brings into perspective on how damn long this summer has been; I can't believe that I started watching Damages within this same summer, it seemed so long ago. Well, summer has dwindled down to its last 3 days, and it felt appropriate to post this while I still could. Also, note that Curb is the only show on the list that actually airs in the summer (which was just a coincidence).

The Ricky Gervais Show
Some of my favorite moments from Our Idiot Abroad were the brief phone calls between Karl and Stephen/Ricky, so when I heard about this, I shit my pants. Pretty much an animated, best-of compilation of the trio's old podcasts, every single second is golden. Granted, Karl's stupidity is amplified through interjections and uses of selective reasoning by Ricky and Stephen, but even with that said, his case isn't helped much. They hit the most interesting of tangents and the hilarious animations are just icing on the cake.

Extras

The penultimate part of my Ricky Gervais phase was Extras (I just began to watch The Office...yeah, I went completely backwards). Everything about this show was just perfect; the characters (Gervais channels his inner Larry David), the chemistry, the plots of each episode, and the entire story arc itself. Broad, I know, but it was just so well-rounded, smooth and filled with well-thought out humor. The idea of celebrities portraying outlandish versions of themselves has been done before, but c'mon, Harry Potter as a childish, fag-smoking, unsuccessful womanizer? Rose from Titanic, a phone sex expert? Charles Xavier, the nonchalant pervert? Head to toe, this series was genius, my only gripe with it being that it was so short-lived.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Easily one of the, if not the most, funniest shows that I have ever watched. No other show has caused me to go out and buy a poster for it. And never has a show given me throat pains from laughing so hard (81 episodes of this damn show in 2 weeks can do that you). I am convinced that Larry David's overly-outspoken, bad-luck ridden, always-annoyed, man-child character of ridiculous antics is the greatest character that comedy television has bore witness to this past decade. The situations conjured up by Mr. David are just pure genius and proves to be comedy at its best. And in addition to that, his character's lack of a filter provides stark social commentary, and should be lauded as a hero for being the only man brave enough to say/do the things he does. To estimate, I'd say that 65% of time, LD is right. But as for the 35%, his unorthodox tendencies cause him to spill over into pure idiocy. No matter what he does, we will most likely be thinking the same thing, which is why we love him. Oh, and don't get me started on Leon...

Party Down

A fun, yet unfortunately short-lived, comedy with a lot of familiar faces which pretty much provided some commentary on the "starving artist" (actors, musicians, writers in LA, that sort of thing) and also provided a lot of laughs. Every episode succeeded with consistent humor and hilariously, well-drawn out situations and characters. The show also succeeded with bringing a tinge of some romantic drama, which actually fit well and was just nice because Lizzy Caplan is so likable. Like with Extras, it's a shame that it ended so quick, I would've gladly had someone replace Adam Scott on Parks & Rec and opted for the nonexistence of Glee to have kept this show going. It saddens me that millions of people watch shit like Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory while this is cancelled. Eh, to each his own. Hopefully the alleged plans for a Party Down movie don't fall through like every other show-turned-movie has. You know what? I think I'm gonna start rewatching the whole series right now.

Hop on the Thought Train

-Damn, this Starbucks green tea latte distinctly smells like fish.

-The Emmy committee, or whoever the fuck, has repeatedly robbed Steve Carrell. Modern Family and Ty Burrell are awesome, but they have several more years left on air. Also, Breaking Bad's omission  (Season 4 aired after the eligibility period...or something like that. Same with Curb.) was a bit disappointing. Lastly, I would love to see Parks & Rec and Louie get some Emmy gold in the next couple of years.

-It took me a good 15 seconds to spell "committee". THREE double consonants?! Had no idea that was possible.

-Marshmallow Pebbles is currently the most underrated cereal available in stores.

-Saw a hipster chick ironically have the Bible under her favorite books on Facebook. But if you think about it, the Bible is easily one of the most fascinating pieces of work out there. Here's a mass collection of short stories (who knows how off the translations are from the original scriptures...) that billions have believed to be true, does that not elicit the slightest bit of interest? And the stories don't suck either; there has to be a certain threshold of interest if you're aiming for the complete, lifelong devotion of the masses, no? Jesus, religion keeps coming up, but it's just too damn intriguing. Pun sort of intended.

-I wanna marry Jenny Lee Lindberg.

-Epiphany: Season 1 Walter White = Ned Flanders

-I should buy a George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine tomorrow.

-Thinking about introducing "rad" into my vernacular...

Playlist #16

1. Polar Opposites by Modest Mouse
2. 100% by Sonic Youth
3. Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly cover) by Florence + the Machine
4. When the Sun Don't Shine by Best Coast
5. All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Bauhaus
6. Heavy Track (Johnny Marr Unreleased Instrumental) by The Smiths
7. I Misses You (Johnny Marr Unreleased Instrumental) by The Smiths
8. Black Hearts by Remy Balon
9. I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl by Wavves
10. Sex With Society by Kendrick Lamar
11. Proceed IV (AJ Shine's Proceed w/o a Pause Remix) by The Roots
12. Wind Parade by Donald Byrd
13. Gettin' It On by Rick James
14. On a Wire by 2:54

Playlist #15

1. What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club
2. Bodysnatchers by Radiohead
3. Little Person by Jon Brion
4. All We Ask by Grizzly Bear
5. White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes
6. Kool Thing by Sonic Youth
7. Candle by Sonic Youth
8. Waist by Sonic Youth
9. Star Power by Sonic Youth
10. Soft Shock by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
11. Runaway by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
12. Turn Into by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
13. The Times, They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan
14. Forever Young by Bob Dylan
15. All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan
16. Sound of Da Police by KRS-ONE
17. Hot Like Fire (Aaliyah cover) by The xx
18. Infinity by The xx
19. Wicked Game by Chris Isaak
20. Melody Day by Caribou
21. Creeping by 2:54

Bleak

“Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make; you can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won’t know for twenty years. And you may never ever trace it to its source. And you only get one chance to play it out. Just try and figure out your own divorce. And they say there is no fate, but there is: it’s what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead or not yet born. But while alive, you wait in vain, wasting years, for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right. And it never comes or it seems to but it doesn’t really. And so you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope that something good will come along. Something to make you feel connected, something to make you feel whole, something to make you feel loved. And the truth is I feel so angry, and the truth is I feel so fucking sad, and the truth is I’ve felt so fucking hurt for so fucking long and for just as long I’ve been pretending I’m OK, just to get along, just for, I don’t know why, maybe because no one wants to hear about my misery, because they have their own. Well, fuck everybody. Amen. ”

          -Pastor from Synecdoche, New York

Playlist #14

1. Majesty by Warpaint
2. Seconds (Syd the Kid Remix) by Little Dragon
3. Ritual Union by Little Dragon
4. Dream Within a Dream by Elysian Fields
5. Bayonne by Elysian Fields
6. Young Folks (Peter, Bjorn, & John Cover) by The Kooks
7. Honey by Best Coast
8. Gimme Yours by AZ Ft. Nas
9. Valerie by Amy Winehouse
10. I Don't Play by Kool Keith
11. All the Time by Kool Keith
12. Benediction by Thurston Moore
13. Illuminine by Thurston Moore
14. The Shape Is In A Trance by Thurston Moore
15. Silver_Blue by Thurston Moore
16. Real Muthaphuckkin' G's by Eazy E
17. Come Out and Play by The Offspring

Playlist #13

Damn, seems like this blog has been reduced to weekly playlists. I'll try and change that soon enough. But for now, here's my...weekly playlist. 

1. Blind Dumb Deaf by Cocteau Twins
2. Pandora by Cocteau Twins
3. Cico Buff by Cocteau Twins
4. Saltwater by Beach House
5. Childhood by Beach House
6. Smooth Operator by Sade
7. Primetime by Jay-Z & Kanye West
8. Mouthful of Diamonds by Phantogram
9. Trap Doors by Broken Bells
10. Fireworks by Animal Collective (Thanks, Kevin. Shit's been on repeat.)
11. Breathe . Something/Stellar Star by Flying Lotus
12. Beginners Falafel by Flying Lotus
13. 1983 by Flying Lotus
14. The Rip Tide by Beirut
15. Wicked Games (The Weeknd Cover) by Coeur de Pirate
16. Book of the Month by Lovage
17. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks by The National
18. Think You Can Wait by The National

Playlist #12 (Wu-Tang Edition)

I pity myself for not going to Rock the Bells this year...

1. Bring Da Ruckus by Wu-Tang Clan
2. Shadowboxin' by GZA Ft. Method Man
3. Incarcerated Scarfaces by Raekwon
4. Assassination Day by Ghostface Killah
5. Biscuits by Method Man
6. Kiss of a Black Widow by RZA Ft. ODB
7. Hippa To Da Hoppa by ODB
8. R.E.C. Room by Inspectah Deck
9. Silverbacks by Masta Killa
10. Slang Editorial (Madlib Remix) by Cappadonna
11. Now Y by LA the Darkman
12. Easy Street by Shyheim Ft. LA the Darkman

Non-Wu songs:

13. The Last Beat of my Heart by Devotchka
14. I Cried Like a Silly Boy by Devotchka
15. World Looks Red by Sonic Youth
16. Sunday by Sonic Youth
17. Sand River by Beth Gibbons (from Portishead) & Rustin Man
18. Drake by Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man
19. Lonely Star by The Weeknd
20. Firewater (Madlib Remix) by Big Pun
21. Nothin' Lesser (Madlib Remix) by The U.N.
22. WARPAINT

Playlist #11

1. Shadows by Warpaint
2. The Heart Pt. 2 by Kendrick Lamar
3. Rooster by Alice in Chains
4. Breathe Me by Sia
5. Paranoid Android (Cover) by Sia
6. Silver by Bonobo
7. Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin
8. Reena by Sonic Youth
9. Y Control by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
10. Shaka by Q-Tip
11. Fast Life (Norfside Mix) by Kool G. Rap Ft. Nas
12. Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind? by Tame Impala
13. Krimson by Warpaint (They've been playing non-stop for the past month. Most excited to see them on 9/25)
14. Press Rewind by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
15. Born in the Trap by Game

Playlist #10

1. Drones Over BKLYN by El-P
2. Flyentology (CWT Remix) by El-P & Trent Reznor (this was on Breaking Bad!)
3. Easier by Grizzly Bear
4. Hated Because of Great Qualities by Blonde Redhead
5. For the Damaged by Blonde Redhead
6. Sun Was High (So Was I) by Best Coast
7. The Sleepless by Red Snapper
8. Empire Ants by Gorillaz Ft. Little Dragon
9. Echos Myron by Guided By Voices
10. The Boss by James Brown
11. Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes
12. Revenge by Dangermouse & Sparklehorse Ft. Wayne Coyne
13. Almanac by The Acorn
14. Silver by Bonobo
15. You Can Be The One by Late Night Alumni
16. Proof by I Am Kloot
17. Heart Cooks Brain by Modest Mouse
18. The Climb by No Doubt
19. This House is a Circus by the Arctic Monkeys
20. The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala by the Arctic Monkeys
21. Wizard by Clams Casino
22. Welcome to the Jungle by The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye)
23. Otis by The Throne
24. Still Do by I Am Kloot
25. You Can't Stop Me Now by RZA Ft. Inspectah Deck
26. So What Cha Sayin'? by EMPD

An Asian-American's British Dictionary

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Playlist, Playlist Number 9

1. Shadowboxer by Fiona Apple
2. Love is a Losing Game by Amy Winehouse
3. Big Boots by Radiohead (FYI, whether you see their name or not, Radiohead is always on my playlist)
4. Nothing Lasts Forever by Echo & The Bunnymen
5. The Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen
6. Bull in the Heather by Sonic Youth
7. Superstar by Sonic Youth
8. Malibu Gas Station by Sonic Youth
9. Jams Run Free by Sonic Youth
10. Sacred Heart by Cass McCombs
11. Munich by Editors (Though I feel like they're a complete Interpol rip-off)
12. Love Will Tear Us Apart (Cover) by Evelyn Evelyn
13. The Web by The Roots (A top 5 Black Thought verse for sure)
14. Warpaint by Warpaint (A mixture of Radiohead, Bjork, & Cat Power; they're definitely up and coming)
15. Undertow by Warpaint
16. Shadows by Warpaint
17. Ashes to Ashes (Cover) by Warpaint
18. Elephants by Warpaint

I usually try not to list multiple songs by an artist for the sake of brevity, but this week was just mostly Sonic Youth, EATB, & Warpaint.

Summer Television

A brief overview of the shows that I've been watching this summer. Check 'em out if you haven't already.

Childrens Hospital
From Michael Cera's subtle, yet ultra-hysterical non-sequiturs to Rob Corddry's face-painted character reciting a modified version of Baldwin's infamous "I am God" monologue to his daughter's fourth grade teacher, Childrens Hospital is hilariously dark, off-beat, and satirical. Its intentional lack of a coherent storyline and short running time (11 min.) provide a potent and concise comedy. If you liked Human Giant (as a matter of fact, Rob Huebel stars, Paul Scheer guest starred, but no Aziz :/), you'll probably like this one. Also, if you're a fan of Henry Winkler mentioning Earl Sweatshirt, this show is for you.

An Idiot Abroad

Holy shit, this is probably one of the funniest shows that I've ever seen. Just the idea of taking a round-headed, cynical, stubborn, negative, misanthrophic, xenophobic, pessimistic British dude out of his comfort zone and putting him in foreign, unfamiliar territory is absolutely golden to me. Bless Ricky Gervais and his sadism (he means well) for conceiving this godsend of a show. Preemptive apologies if I may have oversold it, but damned if you didn't laugh.

Damages
Started watching Damages mainly 'cause of Rose Byrne. 3 seasons in and no regrets here. It's well-executed, keeps your mind running, and Byrne and Close are each insanely-good actors. It's not on FX anymore, which unfortunately means less exposure, and now airs on Direct TV’s the Audience Network. Season 4 debuted on the new channel recently and is now unrestricted, which allows for a lot of "fucks" (the word) which really does add a little more depth and realism. Also, any show that can get Darrell Hammond and Martin Short in serious roles and Ted Danson "partying" with a hooker every 5 episodes gets props from me.

Bored to Death

I don't advocate cocaine or hookers, but I added that last bit to use Ted Danson as a segue into this other show that he's in. Sort of failed by having to mention it though, no? Anyway, this is a pretty hilarious detective comedy that works well with character interplay, if you haven't noticed per the image above of the guy from Cheers and the guy from The Hangover smoking a bowl while outfitted in spy gear. Each episode is a formulaic farce (not in a negative way) that revolves around a PI case of which Schwartzman's incompetent character somehow manages to solve.

 

Breaking Bad
A future classic without a doubt…as simple as that. The cinematography is just so filmic and fucking beautiful, and the acting is just so filmic and fucking beautiful. A well-deserved streak of Emmys for Cranston (unfortunately, seasonal conflicts ruined his chances for a four-in-a-row) and we'll be seeing a lot more of Aaron Paul. I don't rave more about any other show right now. It's a damn good series.

Entourage

Only one episode in and I'm glad that it's back. Thank God for the recap though, 'cause it's been too long since season 7 ended. Have to enjoy it while it lasts though, 'cause 7 more episodes and it's done for good...until the movie that is (Although I'd gladly give up any number of Entourage movies/episodes for an Arrested Development movie).

Louie
What a true artist this guy is; not making nearly as much as he should for complete creative control of his show. Hilariously-awkward situations equipped with jazzy overtones and cut scenes of non-recycled stand-up, Louie is as original as they get and comes directly from the brilliant mind of comedy’s Manny Pacquiao.

Weeds

The show’s later seasons have been fluctuating in interest, the seventh season being no different. So far, it has proved to be a rather stagnant start, but the end of episode 5 provided that much-needed spark to give the show some momentum.

Wilfred (U.S. Version)
A pretty funny buddy comedy, with a tinge of dark humor, that features the ultimate odd couple: Frodo Baggins and a foulmouthed, bong-ripping Aussie in a dog suit. Almost like The Wild Thornberrys for an older crowd. A bad comparison, I know. Anyway, the series is only 5 episodes in, so there’s plenty of time to catch up.

Storage Wars

Nothing special, it’s just pretty interesting to see the shit that they find and how much the aforementioned shit is appraised for. If you like Pawn Stars, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Playlist "The Ocho"

1. Cim by Substantial [A hip hop cliché (personifying "hip hop" as a girl), but nice Nujabes beat]
2. Black Hearts by Remy Balon
3. New England by Billy Bragg
4. The Corner by Saigon
5. Abattoir Blues by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
6. Shampoo Suicide by Broken Social Scene (And 17 other BSS songs. Watching Half Nelson rekindled my love for them)
7. Shift (Alternate Version) by Grizzly Bear (Ditto, but through Blue Valentine instead)
8. Gatekeeper by Feist (BSS has in turn rekindled my love for Feist. The Reminder & Let It Die on repeat. Chain reactions prevail)
9. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac
10. Never Had No One Ever by The Smiths
11. Drug Ballad by Eminem
12. Speak for Me by Cat Power
13. Mrs. Cold by Kings of Convenience
14. Black Sheep by Metric

Waka Flocka Flame & Breaking Bad

Would've spent the same hour and half making this shoddy piece of work by getting my ass whooped on Black Ops. Hope this leads to any sort of acknowledgement and somehow a recurring role on Parks and Rec. *fingers crossed*

Playlist #7

1. Crowds by Bauhaus
2. All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Bauhaus
3. Big Love of a Tiny Fool (Acoustic) by Peter Murphy
4. I Won't Share You by The Smiths
5. Exhaustible by DeVotchKa
6. Rigamortus by Kendrick Lamar
7. Truth by Alexander Ebert
8. Home by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
9. Pink Love by Blonde Redhead
10. Come to Me by Bjork
11. San Francisco by Scott McKenzie
12. Tonight You Belong to Me (The Jerk version) by Steve Martin & Bernadette Peters
13. A Strange Kind of Love by Peter Murphy
14. Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before by The Smiths
15. Perfect by the Smashing Pumpkins
16. The Hardest Button to Button by The White Stripes

HP-Ramblings

       It seems as if opinions on the Harry Potter series are very polarizing and it makes complete sense; the opposing side is reasonably annoyed by the overwhelming hype brought upon by the innumerable HP fanbase. But it's definitely no fair reason to express contempt over a series; just ignore it and move on. I'd say that I'm an above-average fan (though my ass should be in plush, AMC theater seat right about now) and I take mild offense that these people are so adverse to a franchise because of its popularity. Harry Potter was a large chunk of my childhood, and is still relevant to this day (it's pretty amazing how a series can purposely mature along with its fans, and yet retain a sound consistency), and I don't feel too appreciative of these narrow-minded assholes blindly ridiculing this series that I grew up on. Simply put, if you haven't read the books or at least watched the movies, don't say a god damn thing until you have, and unless you go in with the brain of a contrarian, I'm sure you'd change your mind.

If Dr. Evil ever managed to get a hug from Scott

Post-Potter thoughts:

       Finally watched the film earlier today, and left expectedly satisfied. Save for the fact that I was semi-hoping to get one of those special HP-shaped 3D glasses, but as it turns out, they were only available through a contest. Anyway, as with the rest of the film series, Deathly Hallows Part 2 did the book justice and it also did my Rotten Tomatoes prediction justice as well! But again, like with the rest of the film series, the movie wasn't entirely faithful to the source material (not that it is expected too, though). Especially with the last duel and whatnot, where the reaction to Voldemort's death is in stark contrast to the reaction in the novel. Also, it seemed to me that the movie was fickle with the entire Ron-Harry dynamic, such as when Harry leaves for the forest to "die" and Ron barely acknowledges him with but an unreadable stare. Lastly, the aged characters in the epilogue were hardly convincing. I was expecting a The Reader-esque transformation (in which Voldemort played a main role), not mature sartorial changes and a couple of subtly-added forehead wrinkles. I mean, Ginny looked like she got hold of a an old, ill-fitting wig and decided to play house. But all minor criticisms aside, the positives greatly overwhelm the negatives, and this proved to be a more-than-worthy finale. 

Flawless much?

       Call me a reminiscent, sentimental cornball, but it's been 12 whole years since I first cracked open The Sorcerer's Stone in Mrs. McKinley's class and from then on, I've been waiting for the next book/film to come out, as if it were to be forever commonplace. Now, that period of my life is over, and the feeling is somewhat comparable to watching Phil Jackson retire and bring an end to the 11-year (give or take) Laker dynasty. A film that I watched a mere 7 hours ago will now only invoke feelings of nostalgia, rather than anticipation, and I find that nothing short of intriguing.

 A bit off with the numbers, but hit the nail on the head with the consensus statement :)