It's cute, "meta-," and "artsy" but thankfully stays just this side of entertaining so as not to be too cloy.
2/19/2011
Rubber
Last night, I headed to the "After Dark" series of the Portland International Film Festival to catch Rubber -- an English-language French film about an abandoned tire who, after becoming sentient, discovers that he has telekinetic abilities: so, he (his name is Robert) travels the country side making various animals and people's heads explode. It's also structured in such away that allows it to be incredibly contained and self-referential.
It's cute, "meta-," and "artsy" but thankfully stays just this side of entertaining so as not to be too cloy.
It's cute, "meta-," and "artsy" but thankfully stays just this side of entertaining so as not to be too cloy.
2/03/2011
Return
...and I'm back.
These days, my spare time is more and more infrequent. And that means things such as blog posts become more and more infrequent as well.
But, to catch up --
-- I spent some time in Alabama, celebrating Christmas with my family. I try to make it down that way once a year to visit and see my niece and nephews.
-- I returned to some *ridiculous* roommate drama, causing me to move out a few weeks earlier than planned. But things have a way of working out, and I'm now sharing a place in SE Portland with a friend of mine.
-- I'm on about halfway through my third term of school. It's currently kicking my ass, but forcing me to be creative. So it works out well.
And speaking of such things, here is my first project from mt Video Production/Editing (Final Cut Pro) class. I did not film the footage used; I simply had to edit a batch of footage together to tell a story somewhere between 45 seconds and two minutes in length.
And that's all the high points I can think of.
More to come soon, I hope.
These days, my spare time is more and more infrequent. And that means things such as blog posts become more and more infrequent as well.
But, to catch up --
-- I spent some time in Alabama, celebrating Christmas with my family. I try to make it down that way once a year to visit and see my niece and nephews.
-- I returned to some *ridiculous* roommate drama, causing me to move out a few weeks earlier than planned. But things have a way of working out, and I'm now sharing a place in SE Portland with a friend of mine.
-- I'm on about halfway through my third term of school. It's currently kicking my ass, but forcing me to be creative. So it works out well.
And speaking of such things, here is my first project from mt Video Production/Editing (Final Cut Pro) class. I did not film the footage used; I simply had to edit a batch of footage together to tell a story somewhere between 45 seconds and two minutes in length.
And that's all the high points I can think of.
More to come soon, I hope.
12/22/2010
Rocket(te) Man
This evening, I leave Portland for a week in Mobile, Alabama; this is the first time in six years that I have been able to visit my family for Christmas. Working retail, I'm not afforded a lot of options, so if I want a nice holiday, I'm usually stuck with Thanksgiving.
But, this year I gave Christmas time a shot.
I fly from Portland to San Francisco to Houston to Pensacola, Florida.
My mom's picking me up in Pensacola, then we're on the road to Mobile.
But, this year I gave Christmas time a shot.
I fly from Portland to San Francisco to Houston to Pensacola, Florida.
My mom's picking me up in Pensacola, then we're on the road to Mobile.
tumbling down
Last week, I had a customer tell one of my co-workers that he "just [was] not a fan of Gary's."
As a response, I have started up a Tumblr "blog," simply call Not A Fan.
As a response, I have started up a Tumblr "blog," simply call Not A Fan.
12/17/2010
12/16/2010
My 2010
My Top 10 Albums of 2010 (in alphabetical order):
Allo Darlin'
A wonderful album by a wonderful band that proves what I've been trying to tell people all along -- when done right, twee pop can make your heart melt and your knees buckle. A beautiful voice, a ukulele, and wonderful, bittersweet lyrics combine to form one of most adept guilty pleasures to come along in quite some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Broken Social Scene -- Forgiveness Rock Record
After a bit of a break, releasing a series of "solo records" that weren't really solo records, BSS return to form with a full-on, family band album that's filled to the brim with everything that makes Broken Social Scene a great band. Given how bloated their self-titled third album was, this album could easily have been a blown-out, over-produced mess. But, with the exception of one or two tracks, Forgiveness Rock Record clips along, leaving this listener wanting just a bit more.
Good thing they also released the limited-run companion EP, Lo-fi for the Dividing Nights -- a collection of mostly instrumental pieces that probably would have slowed the proper album down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diamond Rings -- Special Affections
If you can imagine an alternate reality where Ian Curtis didn't hang himself, but instead went on to become a pop star. That's the reality that Diamond Rings seems to live in: minimal instrumentation, a captivating (sometimes baritone) voice, and lyrics that can cut right to the quick.
Plus -- rainbow eye makeup!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Explode Into Colors -- Quilts
Explode Into Colors, R.I.P.
It's not quite clear why these ladies called it quits, but the Portland music scene is certainly worse off for it.
">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fall -- Your Future Our Clutter
There's really nothing to say about this one -- by now, you're either a fan of the Fall or you're not. Unless you've never heard them. And if that's the case, you could certainly pick a worse album to start with. This one finds Mark Smith more fired up than previous albums, but like most of the recent Fall records, it's not reinventing the wheel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunx & His Punx -- Gay Singles
The lone male in Gravy Train! sets out on his own to record a series of tributes to the girl groups of the 1960s. This collection is nothing but fun. Flamboyant, queeny fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liars -- Sisterworld
A new Liars album is always a cause to celebrate -- especially when that album finds them moving away from the straight-forward, Jesus-and-Mary-Chain-apeing of their self-titled release, and back towards the arty, Einstürzende Neubauten influenced sound of previous records.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scissor Sisters -- Night Work
For some reason, I resisted picking up this album for some time. And, to my surprise, any worries I had about the record were unfounded. While fun in its own right, Ta-Dah seemed like the 'Sisters were kinda going through the motions: it re-covered a lot of the same ground as their first record, only overproduced and more self-aware. Night Work, however, finds the band a bit more sure of itself and attempting to move forward -- out of the rollicking disco of the 70s, into the rollicking synth-pop of the 80s. It's a transitional album, but one that comes across stronger than most transitional albums out there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Butch Walker & the Black Widows -- I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart
As with Liars above, a new Butch Walker is always a cause to celebrate. Sadly, most out there are completely unaware of his genius. Before, it might have been easy to understand how he could be so criminally overlooked -- he started out in hair metal, then shifted to "funk"-pop, then to glam-infused power pop, then on to a solo career in which he has covered over-produced stadium rock, 70s AM radio rock, full-on Bowie/Bolan glam, ELO/Tom Petty-style "roots" rock, and with this latest album, he's now tackled Americana. He's currently at his most appealing for the majority of music listeners, even the casual ones.
Words cannot express my love for this man. If you don't know his work -- do yourself a favor and check him out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watain -- Lawless Darkness
Given all of the old Darkthrone albums I picked up this year, I kinda felt obligated to throw some black metal on to this list. Thankfully, Watain released a killer black metal album!
Problem solved.
Allo Darlin'
A wonderful album by a wonderful band that proves what I've been trying to tell people all along -- when done right, twee pop can make your heart melt and your knees buckle. A beautiful voice, a ukulele, and wonderful, bittersweet lyrics combine to form one of most adept guilty pleasures to come along in quite some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Broken Social Scene -- Forgiveness Rock Record
After a bit of a break, releasing a series of "solo records" that weren't really solo records, BSS return to form with a full-on, family band album that's filled to the brim with everything that makes Broken Social Scene a great band. Given how bloated their self-titled third album was, this album could easily have been a blown-out, over-produced mess. But, with the exception of one or two tracks, Forgiveness Rock Record clips along, leaving this listener wanting just a bit more.
Good thing they also released the limited-run companion EP, Lo-fi for the Dividing Nights -- a collection of mostly instrumental pieces that probably would have slowed the proper album down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diamond Rings -- Special Affections
If you can imagine an alternate reality where Ian Curtis didn't hang himself, but instead went on to become a pop star. That's the reality that Diamond Rings seems to live in: minimal instrumentation, a captivating (sometimes baritone) voice, and lyrics that can cut right to the quick.
Plus -- rainbow eye makeup!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Explode Into Colors -- Quilts
Explode Into Colors, R.I.P.
It's not quite clear why these ladies called it quits, but the Portland music scene is certainly worse off for it.
">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fall -- Your Future Our Clutter
There's really nothing to say about this one -- by now, you're either a fan of the Fall or you're not. Unless you've never heard them. And if that's the case, you could certainly pick a worse album to start with. This one finds Mark Smith more fired up than previous albums, but like most of the recent Fall records, it's not reinventing the wheel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunx & His Punx -- Gay Singles
The lone male in Gravy Train! sets out on his own to record a series of tributes to the girl groups of the 1960s. This collection is nothing but fun. Flamboyant, queeny fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liars -- Sisterworld
A new Liars album is always a cause to celebrate -- especially when that album finds them moving away from the straight-forward, Jesus-and-Mary-Chain-apeing of their self-titled release, and back towards the arty, Einstürzende Neubauten influenced sound of previous records.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scissor Sisters -- Night Work
For some reason, I resisted picking up this album for some time. And, to my surprise, any worries I had about the record were unfounded. While fun in its own right, Ta-Dah seemed like the 'Sisters were kinda going through the motions: it re-covered a lot of the same ground as their first record, only overproduced and more self-aware. Night Work, however, finds the band a bit more sure of itself and attempting to move forward -- out of the rollicking disco of the 70s, into the rollicking synth-pop of the 80s. It's a transitional album, but one that comes across stronger than most transitional albums out there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Butch Walker & the Black Widows -- I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart
As with Liars above, a new Butch Walker is always a cause to celebrate. Sadly, most out there are completely unaware of his genius. Before, it might have been easy to understand how he could be so criminally overlooked -- he started out in hair metal, then shifted to "funk"-pop, then to glam-infused power pop, then on to a solo career in which he has covered over-produced stadium rock, 70s AM radio rock, full-on Bowie/Bolan glam, ELO/Tom Petty-style "roots" rock, and with this latest album, he's now tackled Americana. He's currently at his most appealing for the majority of music listeners, even the casual ones.
Words cannot express my love for this man. If you don't know his work -- do yourself a favor and check him out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watain -- Lawless Darkness
Given all of the old Darkthrone albums I picked up this year, I kinda felt obligated to throw some black metal on to this list. Thankfully, Watain released a killer black metal album!
Problem solved.
12/11/2010
Strange Powers
This evening, I caught the Stephin Merritt/Magnetic Fields documentary, Strange Powers at the Hollywood Theatre. It left out quite a bit of the band's story -- cutting out most between the first album and 69 Love Songs -- but above all else, it was a fun, competent document of a misunderstood modern genius.
11/15/2010
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