Year End

...and with that, we draw to a close.


It's been one insane year. I don't know about you, but I am about to start getting duded up for a costume party. Lots to do and miles to go, etc. I've really enjoyed writing for this site every day (or as often as possible, as the occasion would permit). Sometimes it has been a snap, when coming up with ideas. Other times I've had to push myself to get an idea out there. One little trick has been to keep a running list of things I want to cover and write about, in case the well ran dry or inspiration never struck. As a result, there have been some things I've wanted to do longer posts on but have never been able to fit in to the schedule. So rather than force a bunch of half-hearted ideas and arbitrary posts, I thought I'd just run through them all in one shot, to show what could have been. 


In no particular order, here are the ideas and things I wanted to write about and will be culling from the year's to-do file:


The Goonies - I wrote about the soundtrack, but never mustered the wherewithal to really dig into why I love this childhood staple so much. Still a favorite of mine, all these years later.


Despicable Me - Super fun and overlooked. An adorable, surprisingly funny movie with Steve Carrell and Jason Segel providing voice work. Mad scientists doing wacky stuff.


Ectopiary - A crazy, long running web comic that only gets better and better. Free and not for the faint of heart.


The Elephant Vanishes - A great collection of short stories by one of my favorite authors. Simply too overwhelming to attempt to unpack the myriad of ideas put forth.


Bioshock - This amazing game got me into the modern era of videogames after holding out for about five years. Astounding and groundbreaking in every way. A must play, if you missed it (like I did).


Earthbound - My favorite old school SNES game. The internet already had enough articles about this quirky and idiosyncratic masterpiece.


Lunds Sandwich - No joke. Didn't want to be another food blogger, but this thing had turkey, cranberry mayo, swiss and bacon on cinnamon bread. I was in heaven every time I had it. 


That about does it for 2011. It's been phenomenal for me. Thank you so much for reading. I'll see you on the other side. Happy New Year!

Vagrants Beware

Word. 

Alright, so I am a bit sheepish about the interference the other night. We're all human. To offer a make-up post on something awesome, may I suggest some light-hearted unwinding from the insanity that is the post-Black Friday shopping season? How about some intelligent and rewarding humor in the form of an online comic? Sound good? Yeah, you deserve a laugh. You deserve a look at Hark! A Vagrant! 

Drawn by Kate Beaton, Hark! A Vagrant is an online comic that plays to the high minded but never becomes as obtuse or inscrutable as, say, the New Yorker. Regular subjects include historical figures and classical literature, as well as the histories of Beaton's homeland, the fabled Canadas. It's hard to pin down exactly what she calls her sense of humor. Subjects and punch lines vary from strip to strip, but they cover everything from Nikola Tesla's frustrations with adoring female fans to Benjamin Franklin flying kites instead of signing the Declaration to Dude Watchin' with the Brontes. No matter the subject, though,Beaton approaches the comic with a human sensibility and down-to-earth language the is absurdly contradictory to the stuffy jumping off point. It's not crass (often) but more silly and sweet and irreverent. She takes unwieldy historical figures and makes them asinine buffoons or takes the stuffing out of our assumptions of antiquity. The idea for establishing time zones, for example, seems impossible to craft a joke from, yet Beaton does it with swift inanity that makes me smirk. Jane Austen's true motivations? Adorable. 

Not all is history-lesson fodder, though. Pop culture seeps through, as well. Her take on a crass and surly Wonder Woman are hilarious, as is her neurotic and concerned interpretation of Aquaman. Also hysterical and adorable - her drawings of a feral Wolverine and a look at how life is different with Brown Recluse Spider Man. My particular favorites of Beaton, though, are her interpretations of Nancy Drew cover illustrations. The expressionist humanism style on the books is distinctly post-WW II insanity, with clear artistic intentions despite the sub-par design. Using the illustrations as a jumping off point, Beaton takes inspired turns into the bizarre and disjointed world Nancy Drew must have been investigating. Her own artistic style is incredibly unique and charming, yet it almost makes the covers seem like a natural fit for inspiration. She gives similar irreverent treatment to old-timey book covers by Gorey, as well. 

Other notable comics on Hark! A Vagrant include her real-world take on Mystery Solving Teens, who, instead of solving the mystery at hand, just sulk and act like normal teenagers. It's a sublime dissection of ideal vs. reality. Also of note is her collection of strips about The Great Gatsby, which are not only incredibly funny but also nuanced and insightful views I hadn't necessarily been able to articulate about the famous story. 

I really can't say enough good things about Kate Beaton and her amazing writing and illustrations. It's intelligent. It's adorable. It's well drawn. It's a funny, fresh voice that hits a part of my funny bone that is rarely touched on. I think you should unwind and spend some time clicking through her site, or if you want to please the bookworm in your life - head over to her online store and pickup prints, shirts, mugs or collected strips. Online shopping is less stressful than any mall, we all know. Get a laugh and ditch the rat race. Read up! 

Where We've Been

Evening, gang.


If you're reading this, it's most likely Halloween where you are. I dig. I hope you're having as mega of a day as I am. I spent the previous day recapping the Saturday night hijinks, packing some boxes while watching spooky movies and opening a bottle of Cabernet to enjoy another Treehouse of Horror. Not bad, I have to say. My apartment has no kids, so no trick or treaters for me, to my dismay. I would have fun passing out candy. I would have fun with wine until I pass out, too, but that's not really a Halloween thing. I digress. This year I was a bull, my better half was a matador. Here's me:

Nice, right? Best of all - pretty darn cheap. Total cost? Five bones for the horns. All else was mine. Okay the leg warmers on my arms as hooves were courtesy of my better half. 


So I've written up and down about Spooky Month. I loved it. It gave me a chance to indulge in my spooky side and share some awesome Halloweenish things with the wider world. There are, however, some things that slipped through the cracks. These are the posts I wrote prior to Spooky Month that would have been totally appropriate to cut and paste if I had been short on time and creativity. In no particular order, you should check out:


The Thing and I - a genuinely creepy Treehouse of Horror installment, all set at night in a storm.
Silent Hill 2 - the most terrifying game I've ever played. An emotional trip, to say the least. HD collections for PS3 and 360 due out in January.
Cloverfield - A modern Gojira, my favorite monster movie. It's a crazy post-modern take on terrorist events.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors - An underrated gem for the SNes. A love letter to B Movie madness.
Crimson - Beautifully dark album from the Alkaline Trio. Lush and pulsing punk music to set the mood.
MST3K - The best way to enjoy old B Movies. Snark galore. Laughs abound. Legendary.
Old Boy - Not a horror movie, per se. Still a dark, twisted trip to the most tormented depths of humanity. Yeah.
Silent Hill - My love for a flawed, but well-intentioned cinematic adaptation of the video game series.
You Were Always On My Mind - Getting severely caught off guard by a creepy soundtrack.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies - A forgotten gem from Rare. Super fun and full of simple frights!
Maniac Mansion - One of the first great haunted house games. Packed with point-and-click antics.
House of Leaves - Watch a book eat itself like a snake swallowing its own tail.
World War Z - The definitive record of humanity's war on zombie-kind. A sprawling, epic tome.
I Hear You Calling - A great video by the band Gob with homages to Thriller.

So that about sums it up. It's been a month of scares and jumps, noises in the vents and things lurking around the corner. Hit up the Spooky label on the side bar for more goodness. Otherwise, come November 1st it's back to business as usual here. I've had a blast this past month. Hopefully you have too. I'll try to do more large scale themes in the future. Christmas Conundrum, perhaps?

Get It While It's Good

Alright, kids. Gather round and listen.


I've written about Toussaint Morrison before, but you need to hustle up and get on his momentum while you still have a chance. His new mixtape dropped yesterday and it's even better than the last.


Hot on the heels of his last outing with Dr. Wylie, last spring's Toussaint Morrison Is Not My Homeboy, this week saw the Middle West rapper let loose his best outing yet. Titled Makin' Mistakes & Feelin' Great, the mixtape is full of the perfect little idiosyncrasies that make Toussaint so unique and fantastic. I hate to fawn but there are times, listening to it, that it feels eerily like it was tailor made to suit my tastes, only with more laser-like precision this time around.

 Lighting right up with an assist by local charmer and songbird K. Raydio, 'Jon Bones Jones' sets up the soundscape deftly. While Morrison whips through his verses like it's a steeple chases, his hooks get a touch of lightness and snap from K. Raydio's melodies. Showcasing the energetic mad-scientist work ethic of Dr. Wylie, 'Veronica Hotel' kicks in with a manic beat that practically knocks your ear off kilter intentionally. When it switches gears about 45 seconds in, Toussaint slips effortlessly into the pocket and you get the best of both worlds - heavy hip hop with insanely catchy dance track synths. Some new-wave-esgue stuff that gets you moving, no matter the office. Toussaint makes cracks about his critics still bringing their ipods to the office but at least I get to bob my head on the bus.


There are fresh new sounds on this mixtape, too. 'N.O.A.' has a fresh feel due to it's throw-back roots - it has an air of soul music and Al Green channeled through modern day thinking man's lyricism. 'F*uck School', a super fun rager with Jus Rhyme, shows that Morrison knows how to write a hook, making you want to shout out the title whenever it comes up. Despite the fact I've not set foot in a college in five years, it still feels fresh and rebellious. 'Favorite Game', featuring vocals by local legend Lucy Michelle, is a classic example of Toussaint at his most introspective while spinning yarns and name checking heavy hitters on the Minneapolis scene. The tone of the keys is so smooth and slick, it's a great track. 'Freedom Cobra', featuring Mayda, makes great use of a sample from The Strokes, while 'Mutant After All' has a hooky bit from Natalie Fine, adding to both track's dance-ability. From the construction and production of the track 'Ashley', there are times it feels like marketing execs wrote it just to appeal to every divergent taste in my brain.

My favorite track hands down, though, has to be 'Uppercut', with a guest spot by my favorite underground rapper, Homeless. Homeless, as you may or may not know, granted the first ever interview for this site. His back and forth volley with Morrison on this track is fantastic, their distinct but complimentary voices playing well off each other. I love the references they both drop, from Minneapolis landmarks to special moves in Street Fighter. 


It's easy to see why this mixtape is great. If you were lucky like I was, you were able to catch a download while they were available. If not, you can still stream it, but your best bet may be catching the man live, in action. Follow his twitter feed to see what's up and when he has a show coming. You'd do well to keep your ear on the ground.

Noses in Books

...and so ends Book Worm Week.

It's been a fantastic journey into the imagination, gang. I love reading, there's nothing quite like sitting down with a great book and whiling away an afternoon, especially when it's raining outside or if you've opened a nice bottle of wine. You just kick your feet up, sit back and get lost in a world that assembles gradually in front of your mind's eye, bit by bit. As much as I enjoy TV or a good movie, the written word is so simple and essential, such a vital part of being human that has such a profound effect on how we see the world. Books are able to transport us, both through stories and new ideas, to places we would never dream of. It brings me so much joy to know there are people out there who still love a good book. Hey, doesn't even have to be a book - the first thing I bought for a kindle was The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, appropriately enough. Although I suppose my phone would be The Guide, instead of a kindle. Regardless, people (even American people) still love to read. To wrap up Book Worm Week here's everything I've posted about the written word:

Sleepwalk With Me - Mike Birbiglia's hilarious and touching stories about sleep disorders, interspersed with comedy.

Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis - a bizarre and super-fun comic that sees two great things mashed together.

Calvin & Hobbes - the smartest comic strip ever to grace the funny pages, in my humble opinion.

A Dirty Job - Christopher Moore at his best, in a tale of a man having to do horrible things to save the world.

The Stand - Stephen King's take on an American Lord of the Rings. Simply phenomenal.

Fluke - Another Moore novel, this time about whales and secrets and hidden evolution. Mind bending.

Sin Titulo - A free web-comic that tells a trippy and engaging story, absolutely worth a look.

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami, the rock star of Japan, tells a sad and poignant tale of loss and love.

A Wild Sheep Chase - More Murakami, this time a surreal gum-shoe story about missing sheep.

Dance, Dance, Dance - The sequel to Sheep Chase, just as good and just as weird.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Still more Murakami, now even weirder and more emotional.

House of Leaves - The trippy meta narrative about a book about a book about a movie about a house.

Bossypants - Tina Fey's hysterical and insightful memoirs about being the boss of everyone.

Next - Michael Crichton's bleeding-edge look at a harrowing future full of ethical genetic dilemmas.

Batman: Year One - The best Batman comic ever, told in a believable fashion. Really. I swear.

The Long Halloween - The followup, which served as a basis for The Dark Knight. Phenomenal.

World War Z - The best damn book about Zombies and the end of the real world you'll ever read. I swear.

That is the full list of my verbal devotions. I love reading, as long as I have time for it. I hope you do, too. It feels like, when you really get hooked by a good book, you're feeding your brain, giving it sustenance that TV and pop culture can't. Then again, half of that list is comics and comedians, so what do I know? Regardless, I'm happy to know anyone would take a recommendation. Thanks for sticking out another themed week. Tomorrow it's back to the usual tricks. I'll see you on the flip side!

Console Nation

Kids, it's time we say goodbye to Video Game Week.


This most likely comes with a rounding cheer from a heart segment of my audience, while coming from a heavy heart. I really do love to apply analysis and critical thought to my gaming. Whether its the simplest indulgence, like button mashing and rhythm games, or the headiest, most convention defying experience to date, I love examining the phenomenon that occurs when we play games. I really appreciate the fact that anyone here would read my thoughts on a field that has no shortage of self-righteous essays and pretentious diatribes, not just from me but from much more talented, witty writers. 

I could honestly fill pages upon pages with content devoted to my love of gaming but in the interest of not shedding any more readers, I'll just round up the few posts on the subject that I have done and get back to what I do best - heartfelt examinations of the music that makes people tick. While there may be the occasional post on games in the future, they will much more sporadic, that's for sure. For example, I hardly mentioned the unsung hero of games - soundtracks. Someday, kids. Some day. 


Here's anything and everything I've written about button mashing:


Zombies Ate My Neighbors - an old post about a sublime SNES game, which is a love letter to B-Movies.
Silent Hill 2 - the scariest and most captivating experience I've ever had with a game, bar none.
Gamespite - a look at the most funny and intelligent gaming community I've seen, headed by Jeremy Parish.
S.T.U.N. Runner - a whimsical tale about lost memories from my childhood. And Chuck E. Cheese!
Scribblenauts - I wrote about this smart little game after a pre-flight happy-hour and some in-flight DS time.
Grabbed By The Ghoulies - Rare's black sheep that's really not too bad, worth the few dollars it goes for these days.
Maniac Mansion - a groundbreaking classic, as fun then as it is now. Another of many loving homages to Horror.
ToeJam & Earl - Co-op ahead of its time, a stealth masterpiece of the Sega Genesis.
Link's Awakening - The secret-best Zelda game which goes undeservedly neglected these days.
Dragon Warrior 4 - In which I wax nostalgic about exploring and having a curious mind as a child.
Virtual Bart - The hidden redemptive qualities of minigames and the mindless pleasures they afford.

That wraps up Video Game Week for me, kids. Starting tomorrow I get back on my grind with the more traditional music-based posts and articles. Down the line we'll have more themed weeks, like Book Worm Week and a special Halloween themed series. Until then, I'll see you guys on the flip side. Thanks for reading.

It's Free & Legal Entertainment

Do I really need to tell you this?


Dude, it's Saturday night and I have to tell you what's up?


Alright, well...here's the deal - I'm getting married and have little time. My DVR is handy but fills up too damn fast. Really, it's mostly full of shows preferred by my better half. While I have little free time to kick back, especially in the coming weeks, it is important that my time be consolidated and used wisely.

Basically this post is just a short little reminder to use Hulu while you can. I recall the confusion over their bizarre ad campaign featuring Alec Baldwin and jokes about aliens and the atrophy of brain cells. Here I am, years later, with a long-standing account with play-lists and subscribed shows despite having cable and Netflix. It's fantastic, in a word. I can't always catch stuff as it happens and often times forget to record shows in order. Hulu has my back. Not only that, its modern and up to date - basically the only way I found time to watch Fringe and SNL this year was through their presence on Hulu. Now that they have my two faves back (The Daily Show and The Colbert Report) I make even better use of the site. 

Honestly, it sounds like whoring and maybe it is, just a bit. But to be blunt, Hulu is awesome if you take advantage of it. It's free and incredibly convenient. Do yourself a favor and peruse the sheer volume of shows they have on tap before the pay wall becomes larger and more enforced. I'll see you, along with a more fleshed out post, tomorrow. Happy Saturday Night Viewings, kids.

12 Gracious Melodies

Hey, hey, what do you know? 

My older brother, as I've written before, has been directly responsible for introducing me to most of the music that I love. By either overhearing his stereo around the house or simply pilfering his collection I was exposed to a great deal of choice music. Had it not been for his influence I would have no doubt been cast adrift into a sea of mediocre pop punk with no context for anything and no appreciation for anything that came before my time. Granted I say this with the knowledge that he is just barely two years older than me, but there was a bit of a generational divide, as well as an understanding of what we were just coming out on the other side of in the 1990s. While we both endured the ubiquity of Alanis Morissette and Hootie & the Blowfish at their respective career highs, he was savvy enough to have picked up on, say, Faith No More's sadly forgotten but nonetheless monster tune 'Epic'. Right there is an example of a song that throngs of people adore, yet no one really had heard when I was off at college. It was one of those songs that, when it would play on my ipod, people would cock their heads and grin a little bit, like they knew the song but were only then realizing how awesome it was. That was the kind of thing I was constantly witnessing due to the influence of the older brother. 


As we grew older and he eventually went to college while I finished high school, we found we had similar but divergent tastes. We both were all about the single 'Got You Where I Want You' by The Flys, but he couldn't stand when I got into the likes of The Deftones and Fenix Tx. He loved Guster, I loved Method Man, we both loved The Living End. There was so little rhyme or reason to it. One band that has always been an easy call for the both of us, though? Stone Temple Pilots. As much as we both love guitar driven alterna-rock from the mid 90s, this band was a special highlight, a group that just wrote songs a certain way with which we both clicked. 

While the dreary grunge of Core is energizing and the experimentation of Tiny Music... is boundary pushing, the sweet spot, the creme de la creme, has to be their sophomore effort, which was initially untitled. Eventually dubbed Purple, due to the Mandarin character featured on the cover, the album saw Stone Temple Pilots realizing what would become viewed as their sound, the signature style of writing and delivery. There's a mix of the heavy riffage of Core, but only the best elements and citations. There are hints of the out-there experiments from Tiny Music..., but reigned in just enough to be engaging and unique. Tying these elements together is the fact that, while notoriously troubled frontman Scott Weiland may have been under the influence of heroin at the time of writing, the music created by the band was fantastically hooky and capturing. The guitar and bass players, brothers Dean and Rob Deleo, are chiefly responsible for the actual music, with Weiland supplying lyrics and melodies. What the band created here within that dynamic is fantastic. 

You almost wouldn't know it was happening, though, from the dirge of an opener that is 'Meatplow'. It's a powerful riff and a decent song, but melodically there's not much indication that the band would be doing new things here. It's only when the next track kicks in, the insanely syncopated 'Vaseline', that we get a sense of what the band is capable of. All behind-the-beat rhythms and off-kilter swing notes, the riff is an instant head bobber, while Weiland sings an infectious melody over the top. It's here you realize that Core was the band finding their feet, this album was them finding their voice. 'Lounge Fly' splits the difference of the first two tracks - the verses are fairly rote but the chorus is moving and heavy, with Weiland's vocals driving the song alongside Dean Deleo's expressive guitar accents. The stand out of the album by far, though, is obviously the mega hit 'Interstate Love Song', a song whose feeling and atmosphere conjures different things for different people. I've always found the melody and chord changes to be a bit sad and melancholic, with a hint of nostalgia balancing the equation. For others it seems to be more upbeat, for some it's about the end of a relationship. I can't put my finger on what it is, but I know that it is a phenomenally written song with a killer hook. If one knows the words, its almost impossible not to sing along. The guitar lick that drives the song is memorable and instantly recognizable, a sure sign of a great riff. 

The rest of the album continues to be excellent like the first half. 'Still Remains' is a shimmering, rolling piece of music that washes out of your speakers in waves. The band, having seen unanticipated success with their Unplugged show, tried their hand at an acoustic number, the gorgeously haunting and simple 'Pretty Penny'. The juggernaut riff that lies central to the massive 'Silvergun Superman' is a heavy, driving affair. Showing their talent and knack for writing, the band balances out the metal of the verses with a poppy, wistful chorus that would feel mismatched by any other band. A proven hit from their unplugged performance, 'Big Empty' is another piece of superb, somber music balanced out by dynamic shifts. The verses are almost morose bits, with bluesy steel guitars sliding over Em and C7 chords. The chorus, though, is a lovely set of chords that shifts the tone of the song to a more uplifting key but maintains the same underlying sense of sadness. 'Kitchenware & Candybars' closes the album with an intriguing acoustic riff that amps up when plugged in (no pun intended). 

I really can't tell you enough how great this album is. It's one of my favorite 'albums', not just a couple singles but rather how the whole thing plays together, the complete structure as opposed to peaks and valleys. To boot, it always makes me think of my older brother and what a great influence he's been. I'm lucky to have him in my life.

Modern Sounds

Hello, hello.


This is it, friends and neighbors. My last round up before I start writing regular content again. I must confess it has been nice not to be under the perpetual self-imposed deadline of fresh, charming content every day. On the flip side, I've begun to itch, not having that full release of the creative mind. I've had a chance to reboot and restock. Watched a few movies, listened to some music, dl'ed some podcasts and am in the midst of another book. So starting tomorrow I'll be doing my usual columns on things you SIMPLY MUST KNOW ABOUT but may already be well aware of. At any rate, we will soon be back at equilibrium. Until then, feel free to look back at some of the more modern selections from the first 100 posts of sekrit awesome things:


Das Racist - The craziest post-modern, da-da rappers around. DL their mixtapes. NOW. 
Simple Science - The Get Up Kids return from the grave with renewed vigor!
Spoon - Their freshest single is a sick, sick mess full of off kilter drums. It's a knockout.
Sleigh Bells - Noise-pop electro duo from New York making some of the most popular music in some circles.
Atmosphere - Minneapolis' legends of hip hop put out a crazy good free album a couple years ago.
The Strokes - In light of their new album I offer a look back at the album that shaped the decade.
Childish Gambino - A look at the multi-talented career of Donald Glover and his musical exploits. Not long after that article was written he released a brand new EP. Check it out.
Gayngs - The mega-group has made huge waves in the music community this year. Find out why.
Analog Heart - American Idol winner David Cook made a phenomenal, hush-hush album before his big win.
The Gorillaz - Damon Albarn and Co. made an entire free album all on the iPad. It's a strange, beautiful thing.


That's it for now, kids. Like I said, I miss the regular grind even if the break has been nice. I just had to take a brief reprieve to build up a little momentum. Tomorrow we're back at it. Until then, read up and sweet dreams.

Gene Splicer

Evening. 


Way too late to be doing this. See how it gets when you let life happen? Things get re-ordered and priorities get in the way, and suddenly I'm frantically typing up a blog post just to get one up and tallied for the day. In the spirit of a frenzied feeling of harried crossed wires, the theme of today's roundup is posts on Mash-Ups and cultural jams, things that are spliced and resequenced for the sake of art. I think the reason I obsess over this concept is that it expresses the sheer possibility of infinite permutations, that even after a thing is created and labeled finished it can still be reconstituted and put into fresh context to become a new thing with new meaning. Peruse these pieces, won't you?


Kids & Explosions - A look at a fantastic mash-up album that doesn't just pair up songs, it creates whole new pieces.
Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis - Just as good as it sounds, honestly. Two great tastes that go great together.
Chronologically Lost - Why my brain melts at the idea of watching Lost in sequential, chronological order.
Star Wars Xmas Invasion - Nothing at all related to the horrible special you're thinking of. Just look.
Fan Edits - In which I fawn over the concept of new & improved versions of films perceived as flawed.
Jaydiohead - Hipster Gods meet Hip Hop Deity courtesy of Max Tannone.
The Hood Internet - Watch these artists reconstitute the amazing work of Felt via Electro records. As dope as it sounds.
Affiliyated - In which the relentless Doomtree re-grind the slow-burn slow-jams of Gayngs.
Girl Talk - The DJ who crashed the internet last fall with All Day, a sick party album.


See what I meant? All these posts are basically accounts of my brain shutting down over the circular, downward spiral logic of these meta-contextual works of art. Read 'em and weep. My brain is fried. Yours can be too, just read up. 

Local Love

Holy Hannah, people.


Super warm today.


Like, warm enough that there are real threats of thunder storms and bad weather. I love storms. Can't get enough of it. As long as it doesn't interfere with grilling, then it's all gravy. Spent the weekend getting things done. Paperwork, errands, cleaning, all that jazz. Spent last night watching Shaun of the Dead and poking around on my iPad. Fun way to watch movies, felt like I was researching it the whole time. But that's beside the point. The point, dear readers, is that you need, I mean NEED to know about Doomtree. These local musicians are masters at what they do. I went so far as to spend an entire week just breaking down their members and respective releases, all the while barely scratching the surface on what this amazing rap crew has accomplished. Talented to unfathomable depths, they comprise the best and brightest Minneapolis has to offer. Check out these posts to get a rough idea of who they are and what they've done:


Hand Over Fist - The unstoppable duo that is Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak.
Ipecac Neat - A look back at the rise of P.O.S. and his debut album.
Sims' False Hopes 14 - The stealth release of a fantastic artist whose ethic is relentless.
Dessa's Scattered Interlude - An examination of the literary genius of song-smith Dessa Darling.
Rebel Yellow Deluxe - How multiple versions of Cecil Otter's superb 2nd album makes an interesting extended mix.
DJ for MCs - The sublime nature of Paper Tiger's False Hopes and why it moves me.
Meatcleaver + Shotgun - MK Larada's Break In Two and some other details of the crew's work.
Affiliyated - A look into Doomtree's re-grinds on the mind-blowing Gayngs album Relayted. Read it.


Thus ended the week-long Doomtree Diatribe. They're abosolute favorites of mine, whose work and crazy live shows I evangelize to any and all who will listen. They made a massive splash at SXSW this year and now Dessa and Sims are embarking on a national tour, so be sure to check them out. I'm gonna cut here, as the temp has dropped a solid 15 degrees and I have a dinner to grill. Gotta beat the rain, son. Shrimp's waiting.

Not A Single Mention Of Flannel

Gang busters.


Been resting and pressing reset. Feels great but I am still mending. Lost my voice a bit but it's coming back. There's no misery like wanting to blow off some steam with a happy hour on Friday but not being able to due to sheer volume of consumed cold medicine. Oh well, if thats the worst I'm dealing with then my life is just fine. My better half and I spent the day running around and filing paperwork for Big Things and we're both exhausted. While she's heading out with her friends, I'm taking time to get stuff done around the apartment, so tonight's post is another roundup of previous posts. Tonight we look at the music from the turn of the century. It seems to be a period that I am particularly focused on, due in part to the impact it had on me as I grew up. Everyone loves the music they listened to when they were like 16-21 and I'm no different. That's probably why I proselytize so much about this awesome era of music that (thankfully) has yet to see an ironic resurgent ascension. Regardless, here are some amazing, if neglected, albums from that time:


Depresso - A tale of my joy in finding a lost gem by the Smashing Pumpkins.
Nirvana - A similar tale, only centering around a sekrit Nirvana treasure.
Portishead - Hands down the best Trip Hop music I've ever heard. Adds a film score to your life.
Siamese Dream - A definite desert island disc, one of my favorite albums EVAR.
Adore - The fascinating and underrated sea-change in the Smashing Pumpkins story.
Garbage - Remember when this band was the hottest ticket around? This was why.
Version 2.0 - In which Garbage one-ups their own sublime debut. Still fantastic.
Neon Ballroom - A sign of the great things to come from a young band, where Silverchair grew the beard.
Dust Brothers - A fantastic marriage of du-jour music and ascendant film style.
Foo Fighters - Before they were the best modern rock band around, they were just one man. Literally.
The Colour and the Shape - Foo Fighters sound even better as a full band. A phenomenal album.
Fiona Apple - Her sophomore album is a beautiful, bizarre thing that surely merits more praise than it gets.
Homogenic - I swoon for Bjork; this envelope-pushing album was years ahead of it's time.
Check Your Head - My favorite Beasties album, feels like a cohesive band wrote & played it because they did.
Is This It? - Wherein The Strokes changed the landscape for the next 10 years.
Can't Change Me - Chris Cornell's haunting, absolute tops single that was criminally under-appreciated.
Insomniac - When a band like Green Day feels persecuted, they go deeper into depression, with great results.
J.A.R. - How did this awesome single hit #1 and I never really heard it? I look into why this is.


There we go. As you can see, I have a bit of a fixation on this time period in popular music. I guess you write what you know. So it goes. You take a look through here and see if something doesn't strike your fancy. I've got an apartment to clean and a hungry self to feed. I'll see you tomorrow. Till then, kids. Till then.

Web Slinger

Friday, kids. Good gawd.


Took long enough to get here. It's quickly become patio weather here in MPLS and I've even seen more than a share of kids rocking the shorts already, despite the fact it's only 60 at the moment. Considering how cold out it was just 10 days ago, though, I'll allow it. Myself, I can never wear shorts. Just don't care for them, plain and simple. I know that sounds nuts. But that's me, not you. You should enjoy short pants all you want. You should also enjoy your Friday night. If, like me, you're still shaking off the grip of a nasty little virus, you might not be out and tearing it up tonight. That's just fine, I dig. To improve your Friday night entertainment options take a look at this collection of posts I wrote about online content. I put online content in your online content so your online content will...never mind. Just peruse at your leisure.


Webcomics galore - A series of absurd and hysterical webcomics, all highly respected.
Nerdist - The best podcast also has a fantastic site now! Go and see!
Gamespite - A repository for retro/2D gaming with a great community to boot.
The Ricky Gervais Show - Also available in podcast form. Witness the insight of Karl Pilkington.
WTF With Marc Maron - An amazing series of interviews with the best, most notorious comedians alive today.
Nostalgia Critic - Tearing apart the best and worst of your childhood entertainment
Think Geek - Coolest shop I've been on.


I think between these posts you should be able to find something funny or insightful to help you relax and unwind this weekend. Take a look and enjoy coasting into Saturday.

Page Views

Hey there, friends and nieghbors.


Short post today, still fighting the lovely bug I picked up in the aeroplane. Weather is gorgeous (for this time of year) in MPLS. Tomorrow is Friday, super excited for that after an exhausting week. Been reading on the bus a lot (and my lunch break when I can sneak it in) and working my way through the stack of books my loved ones were kind enough to impart on Christmas. Shows you how busy I've been and how many books I received if it's April and I still have a few left. I don't want to just chew through them though, blindly flipping pages and glossing over developments in a desperate quest for completed titles. To quote The Simpsons "I would be morally remiss to display these books on my shelf if I hadn't read them, all". So in the interest of encourage more torrid affairs with the written word, secretive nights with reading lights and hardcovers, I offer these posts I've written in lovely ode to the written book:


Sleepwalk With Me - In which Mike Birbiglia breaks our hearts and funny bones with personal anecdotes.
Calvin & Hobbes - Hands down the funniest, smartest strip to emerge from the newspaper.
A Dirty Job - How the gift of this book introduced me to this amazingly funny and twisted fiction author.
The Stand - King's magnum opus, an American Lord of the Rings, inspiration for the amazing Lost.
Fluke - Another of Moore's insane, funny and astounding novels, this one about whales in Hawaii.
Norwegian Wood - Murakami blowing my mind with his touching, nostalgic work about (not his) youth.
Wild Sheep Chase - Another amazing Murakami work, this one a hard-boiled detective story.
The Long Halloween - The best Batman you'll find, other than Year One. An crazy good tale, inspired the Dark Knight.


That's all for tonight, folks. I'm gonna cut loose here. Gotta rest up and get plenty of fluids and rest. Tell you what - I'll make a deal. You read some of these and I will too. How's that sound? Good? Cool. See you tomorrow.

Sunday Evening Post

Yeah, yeah, yeah.


Sunday evening and I have nothing.


Another week has come to a close with spring seemingly no closer. It's a load of crap! Next week, though. Next week it gets warmer. I can feel it.


In lieu of genuine content I present you one of my favorite online shops - the eccentricity and brilliance that is Think Geek. Described as Stuff for Smart Masses, the site is a repository for all things nerdy and brilliantly designed. You name it, they got it - detachable joystick for your iPad? Check. Bad Robot Statue? Check. Combination NES/SNES player with controller? Check. Vinturi Wine Aerator that I wrote about two months ago? Check.

The site is a geek's haven for all things gadget related. There are tons of products for the kitchen, your home office and your car. There are even decals to turn your child's (or your own) room into the first level of Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Kong.  There are great deals on nerdy clothing, as well. Hoodies with hidden pockets and lines for headphones are a highlight, as is my personal favorite - the 8-bit tie. 

I know it's not much of an update, but I just wanted to put the love out there for the site and all the awesome products they have. I'll be back tomorrow with a proper update but I wanted to make sure there was an awesome thing posted for the day. Head over to their site and see what's available.  I guarantee if you look around you'll find something you can't live with out!

Dischord

Feeling funky today, kids. One of the joys of working in an office is the sharing of germs. Hopefully the sickness and ensuing medicine won't make me too groggy but I'll try to get this written as quickly as I can, regardless, so forgive any cold/flu induced delirium.

I spent yesterday's post writing about a guilty pleasure, so I figure why not keep a good thing going? Today's post is about a piece of music's forgotten lore, Garbage's self titled debut album. I only use the term guilty pleasure here, though, because of the fact that it seems to be largely forgotten by the quickly shifting focus of our collective media-memory. I suppose there was also the stigma of being in a small town where it was considered unusual to like music that wasn't country or any kind of oldies, but that's really beside the point. Rather than bore you with my own tales of growing up in the middle of nowhere I'll settle for telling you about this awesome and neglected album that deserves more attention and respect. 

A sekrit favorite band of mine over the years, Garbage has origins that belie the typical 'friends jamming in a garage' story we've all heard so many times. Formed by a collection of veteran producers in the early 90s, the band was essentially a passion project for all involved, creating demos of their material in the spaces between regular production work. Butch Vig, whose work and reputation I've written about before, started the group with fellow Smart Studios producer Steve Marker and longtime mutual collaborator Duke Erickson, of the groups Spooner and Firetown. Rather than rob their own coffers for remixing other people's work, the three kept the material they were recording for themselves, all while keeping an eye out for a unique voice to compliment the sound they were creating. They found it in Scottish singer Shirley Manson, who left her own floundering career in the UK (mildly successful acts Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie and Angelfish) to audition for the group. Having made a good impression, she was welcomed to the fold and the group set to work on what would be their first album, written and recorded largely in Wisconsin. 

The self titled album was an unexpected success. Riding in on the post-grunge alternative wave, Garbage had a refreshingly pop sound that brought the group widespread acclaim with massive radio hits like "Stupid Girl" "Vow" and "Only Happy When It Rains". By the mid 90s the country was tired of the dreary, angry tunes that had swept the 80s away. Grunge was on its way out, strange things were coming in. Pop punk was making huge waves with the likes of Rancid and The Offspring, Oasis released their career-defining What's The Story Morning Glory, and (good god) Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morrisette came out that year, if that's no indication of the change. See what happened? Kurt Cobain died and took a lot of the self-loathing attitude with him, apparently. I wince at typing that, but the fundamental shift in popular music just a year after his death is remarkable. Radiohead released The Bends, No Doubt put out Tragic Kingdom, The Foo Fighters' excellent (and also under appreciated) first album debuted. Man, crazy year. In the midst of it, Garbage came out swinging with music that feels like it wasn't just written but designed from the ground up to catch you off guard. Almost lost in the sea of amazing music released in 1995, their debut album instantly clicked with my musical tastes, both fitting into them and expanding them. 

The whole record is a fantastic piece of buzzy, edgy pop music that I still thoroughly enjoy today, 16 years later. Having veteran musicians backing the sultry Manson, it's no surprise the album has such a polished and fully realized sound, all buzzing guitars and thumping percussion. The bass bubbles just under the surface on every track. From the agressive and pushy album opener "Supervixen", to the throbbing "Heaven Is Wide", the songs breathe with their own lives. "Queer" was my bumping and humming intro to trip hop. The power-pop of "Not My Idea" punches you right in the ear. I remember hearing it at 13 and being amazed at the strange sound - a total shift from the angry grunge I loved but not the insipid pop on the local radio stations, it was a bizarre hybrid of the two. "Vow" has an disorienting intro of guitars flying from one headphone to the other, leading into a crunching chorus of crazy catchy chords. The single "Stupid Girl" is heavy disco drums and a leaping bass line, covered by a light and hooky, jangly guitar line over the top. Through all this Manson coos and growls, hisses and snaps. Never sticking to a single style, she gives every song her all, the passion of a band's make-or-break opportunity going to full throttle. The album ended up selling over 4 million copies and starting the band down their twisting path of group tensions followed by uneven, if at times amazing, follow-ups. 

This album, while a mega seller, gets little to no love today. Sure, you hear one of their early singles on the radio once in a blue moon but it seems to be one of those albums that came, made a big impact then faded into the woodwork all too soon. It really deserves another listen, I'm sure it's in your itunes or kicking around your cd collection - put it on and see what sold in 1995. It's phenomenal.

Light Hearted Night

Evening!

Tonight I'm doing an early Valentine's celebration and you probably are too. So here's a light and  easy post of some of my favorite web comics that will be good for a laugh. If you have no V-Day plans, screw it! Here's some links to make you laugh and feel better!

First and foremost, XKCD is one of my favorites. Insightful and witty, you can expect lots of math and coding related jokes with a fair amount of acerbic wit.

The Oatmeal is another fantastic site with less frequent but amazingly funny material. Anything from fresh takes on air travel to advertising and why your cat is trying to kill you.

Penny Arcade are legends on the web. Known mostly for their work in the medium of video game critique and praise, they have  a storied and amazingly charming backlog.

Looking for quick bites of insanity and absurdist humor? Check out Toothpaste For Dinner and their sister sites, Natalie Dee and Married To The Sea. They all have independent if equally skewed senses of humor.

Like I said, short but sweet update with lots of love for amazing web comics. These sites are all well known in their respective fields, but the more love they get, the merrier. Give them a read and see what strikes you as funny. Something in there will, I guarantee.

Tomorrow may be another truncated post, depending on what I can get accomplished with another project. Stay tuned and check back in on Sunday night!