Kevin Garnett has the monkey off his back..

they of course didn't say this, but basically his exuberation and RELIEF after finally winning an NBA Title tonight had as much to do with a huge weight finally being lifted on his career and life.

I've been a fan of his ever since he was drafted by the Wolves out-of-nowhere in June of 1995..a pretty significant month/time for me anyway. And even tho this accomplishment didn't happen for my hometown club, it did feel like part of it was won for my team and town. All those years, games, radio broadcasts, sports talk shows discussions, etc, etc..

When he made the analogy of conquering a bully finally..how it felt, I see it as basically all the people seeing him as the NBA Heir-Apparent to Jordan. KG-NBA, etc..dynamic, happy, energetic, marketable..but he never won, never had Jordan's clutch-abilty, killer-instinct. He wasn't the god that people expected him to be, especially after the league/all-of-sports changing $121 million contract.

But now, he has respect, and he's in history.

Now it's just a matter of how much of a historical statement he'll make the rest of his career and so on.

My Wolves, well, Kevin McHale who drafted him and deserves credit, very well may never find what our fanbase deserves..but then again the biggest team in this town hasn't either so it's not that surprising. But maybe, the monkey will find a way off their backs in my lifetime, given some changes happen. But without the #1 pick in the NBA draft, ever, that could be 1 change that could do that.

Psych TV Show Podcasts Available

Understand, I LOVE this show..can't wait til it returns, and I'll likely have more to write about it soon as to why. But the podcasts actually illustrate a lot of that itself.



a new blog was posted here

or for non-myspace this blogger account also was setup.

They're from last Summer, and not the highest of quality, but my apologies for such a long delay. They really are fun to do/hear at times, at least for myself and friend. I would say, it does help to REMEMBER or know the episodes to understand them better, but regardless, I hope some folks will get a kick out of them.

Men In Trees RIP

Well the Series finale of this show happened tonight. Long after it was announced it was cancelled of course on ABC. At the same time, this episode and the way the show ended pretty clearly was at best a SEASON finale, and I can imagine some of the way they had a lot of the romantic twists the last 5mins happen were written-in on the last day of shooting.

But the things to say about this show, it's funny how I really am not one to get too attached to shows like Desperate Housewives and even Grey's Anatomy. Sex and the City as well. Gilmore Girls being one of the big exceptions, but that show had a lot more to it than all the soapy lovey-dovey crap, so the chic-show romantic-focus of that show was tolerable given the payoff with the writing, characters, and humor.

Men In Trees, sorta seemed this decade's renewal to NORTHERN EXPOSURE on the surface, and while it probably did not get to nearly the level of quality or character development of that show, it certainly grew on me and others. But ABC, not unlike some other networks, never gave it any stability or a chance to really get the viewers attached. Not finishing the 1st season, then making the May Sweeps episodes part of the 2nd Season's beginning (not airing them in the Summer like they could have of course). Not advertising it at all either.

It was put on after GREY'S ANATOMY the Spring of '07 and of course the ratings were very good. But of course when the fall lineups were announced it was moved to FRIDAYS, which of course is often a dooming night for a show.

But still, when it did air, I couldn't help enjoy watching it, even if it was a marathon of catchup from the DVR last March.

Very much reminds me of another similar kind of ABC show the same thing happened to just last year.



not given a chance, this show was addictive, especially the Spring it premiered. JJ Abrams was behind it, etc..for some reason the suits at ABC weren't impressed enough by it to even run ads that Summer/Fall and then it didn't even manage to have a proper Series finale as well, airing the final episode in March. It's really too bad, the writing, drama, subtle comedy, and characters you became attached to. Not to mention they managed to have a handful of eye-candy. I still felt Brian should have got together with Marjorie, but it would have been hard to skate-past the whole conflict with him killing his best-friend's wedding and marriage to her. Thankfully Sarah Lancaster is now on CHUCK, and a regular guest star/looker in Rachel LeFevre is to star finally (she has a good recent list of guest-appearances) in the borrowed British TV--premise of LIFE ON MARS as well. My friend thinks the show started shark-jumping when they killed off Angelo anyway. I need to see the DVDs now as there is an unaired episode included.

So..2 years in a row..SHARK and MOONLIGHT are also gone and I mourn their loss as well. But this does not seem surprising 2 consecutive seasons with an ABC Dramedy. Suppose I'll come to expect it every year from now on. Hey, some of the best tv only have short-runs as Judd Apatow remarked on the FREAKS AND GEEKS DVDs.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with some of the MiT's cast. Anne Heche?..maybe movies again. Nicholas Lea will go back to KYLE XY next Winter. Maybe they could get the actress who played Sara to appear on the KYLE-show. And maybe John Amos will guest appear on PSYCH again, which is only about a month away from coming back!

on deck: Battlestar Galactica Season 4.0 finale, more tv season wrap-ups and fall speculation.

The Rocker

imdb

Caught this (and Iron Man) tonight despite the intermittent storms we had here in Minneapolis. The cast wasn't bad with besides Rain Wilson, Christina Applegate, Teddy Geiger (in a film he plays a musician he wasn't bad), Emma Stone, Jane Lynch, and even a bit part for Howard Hesseman. The other good things I can say about this was it did have some good lines and the story wasn't entirely boring. But, it very much seemed derived from a few things. For one, Wilson basically is channeling Jack Black. The writing and direction seemed almost borrowed from Judd Apatow, which kinda amazes me they managed to get a PG-13 rating. You see more than enough of Wilson's back-side that he could have been related to Jason Segel's character in the SARAH MARSHALL movie. The plot, while kinda different with the story being Wilson was a drummer for an 80's Hair Band who when they get signed have to dump him. And he's never gotten over it due their fame and fortune. He loses his job when his old band releases a new album and is going into the RnR Hall of Fame in his hometown of Cleveland (convenient of course). He then goes to his sister and learns his nephew is in a band and needs a drummer.

Ok for a parody flick, but somewhat mediocre for originality among other factors. But then again, I felt somewhat the same about SUPERBAD and many others loved that, so maybe this will turn out a lot better than my review suggests. I would say the best thing I've ever seen Rain Wilson do is still when he hosted the IFP Awards, so I suspect much like Jack Black, he can be good when given the writing and material to work with. Sadly, this one doesn't quite compare (or the fact he isn't even Jack Black, and this isn't even an Apatow movie anyway).

Also 2 things puzzled me in the credits in that I guess Pete Best makes a cameo as himself, but I must have missed that along with when they used the Mute Math song "Typical" which I noticed listed in the credits.

It hits theaters the 1st weekend of August.

6/10

IRON MAN btw, was pretty good. Action/Superhero flick. Downey had enough clever lines to keep it interesting. Not a film of the year candidate, but maybe a top 5 Multiplex Picture for 2008. Paltrow as a redhead was good eye candy..and a lot different than in "The Good Night."

6.5/10

TV Thoughts: In Plain Sight

Just watched the pilot episode..long story short, USA Network promoted the fuck out of this show last Winter like it was to air within a few weeks. The ads looked decent, but not amazing.

Last year the network totally won me over with the new insider-FBI plot show Burn Notice. The show was clever, it had a good cast, and more or less it lacked much if any dull moments. In other words, it was a winner and probably at times a show I enjoyed even more than Psych last Summer.

This show sort of seemed to take a similar slant, aim towards a similar audience. Mary McCormack plays a US Marshall working for the Witness Protection Program. Her partner seemed worth watching, including the back-and-forth.

The result of the pilot I hate to say is maybe a bit too many misses in the writing, ACTING, and plot. I can't help but wonder a bit if the Writer's Strike had something to do with the results, even just in the casting. However, the fact it's been like 3 months since those ads were being aired every 2mins on USA may make that point moot.

I'm not gonna give up on this of course as it was just the 1st episode and the fact is, it is Summer tv; thus not too much (new and original tv) else is on anyway over the Summer. And the fact Kyle XY is n/a due to being pushed back to the Winter. And there were a few scenes that worked I felt; the interrogation and the banter with her partner namely. But I question if Mary McCormack can be half as clever as Jeffrey Donovan..maybe she can try and get to a Kristen Bell/Sarah Michelle-Gellar level, but sadly that is gonna require some better writing among other factors. Also beyond McCormack and Fred Weller and the boss Paul Ben-Victor, I mean some of the acting just seemed half-assed. You know the point where you watch an actor and start to wonder if it's them rather than the character they are playing. I can't take too much of that before saying goodbye. On the positive side, like some other shows, they did have some fun pop-culture references to TV and movies.= more of that and I'm gonna want to tune-in.

And on that note, not now, but soon..a whole slew of blogs or BLOG about my love of current television hopefully will happen..especially given the reduced schedule. The fall lineups of course. But just for now, I have to make note of a few cool tv-related things.

2 more weeks of Battlestar Galactica and Men In Trees. Dr.Who I imagine will go on til mid

edit: no..June 14..geez..soh..and I did just learn I believe Scifi Channel never aired the Season (Series) 4 premiere episode "Time Crash"..that sucks..I will have to seek that one out.

edit 2: so the "Time Crash" is on youtube and was an 8min special with Peter Davison reprising his role as the 5th Doctor. I don't follow why they didn't tack that on the Christmas Invasion episode other than maybe for rights from the BBC.

Ok so basically, if Scifi does the Stargate Atlantis/Eureka/Flash Gordon thing this Summer. Than at the end of next week, basically all the regular TV Season shows will be done. I.e...a good time for a review, ranking, etc, etc. And a fall preview.

But, wow, now learning that, the Summer tv schedule looks to be pretty thin unless one of the new shows like "Masters of Horror" comes through.


Switching tv topics, I am just about to finish watching a show I have wanted to watch for many years but never got around to in FREAKS AND GEEKS. Great show, I very much have grown attached to it, the characters and the pop-culture circa-1980 from it. And Samm Levine is GOLD in this show. My gawd, the guy is a laugh-a-minute. Priceless at times are his lines. Martin Starr actually as well is more than worth watching each scene. They had lightning in a bottle in 1999..less-is-more or shorter-run is greater suppose. Now And Again, Dark Skies, Brimstone, Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me..there are a lot of them. Chalk up F&G's up there.


Another one perhaps as well in Firefly I have also finally gotten around to watching. I question if I'll fathom how big a cult-following it has/had/still has, but I'll admit, I enjoyed the series a fair amount now having seen it. I need to watch "Serenity" now of course too.

The DVDs I'm seeking out:
MissMatch
Ed
Undeclared (naturally after getting so into F&G's)
My So-Called Life (also supposedly worth seeing for fans of F&G's)

revisiting:
Babylon 5
Dead Like Me

some others.

So expect some tv writings soon..a bunch of new shows next fall to look forward to. Some to say goodbye to of course too.

And some other movies should be reviewed around the corner.

King's X - Moonlight vs Tones

King's X - Manic Moonlight

ok I have grown to LOVE this album, and the below comments..hell even just THE AMOUNT TO SAY about each song and this record is evidence how good this album is. And to briefly explain, when it came out I didn't even know it did; and then I got it and I was sour on it..it didn't compare to BULBOUS..all Doug songs..groove-slanted. "Skeptical Winds" was just not anything I'd expect from them..it almost sounded lazy and mailed-in. The only track I really enjoyed was "Vegetable" and that was the 1 I played on KFAI at the time.

But, it's funny and awesome how when you go away and then comeback to something how it can completely change your mind. I think maybe part of it was an interview I read in 1 of the Metal-zines around that time with Ty..the interviewer was asking..or maybe telling Ty how he and the fans want them to make another GRETCHEN..and esp Ty's responses were very much about how with GRETCHEN they were able to experiment and be successful at it..but their goal was not to make another GRETCHEN..just to make a new record..a good record but a DIFFERENT record. And I even recall some stuff about how MM was maybe their most experimental but also the band felt they succeeded with it even if the fan reaction wasn't as high as they hoped. But maybe over time it could be..that's all they were hoping and trying to do.

So I dunno when exactly it was before or after that..but I would guess maybe around 2005 or late 2004 I went back to MOONLIGHT and it suddenly clicked. Maybe not as much as it eventually did, but I realized it was more than a 1- or 2 song record.

Fast-fwd..so I find this record one I go back to pretty regularly. The ENERGY and FLOW..the composition and vibe from it. It's a trip..and it's NOT LONG..it's really about the perfect length album..esp for them. It has it's big moments and quieter moments sure..the looping really connects the songs perfectly..and maybe one of the biggest things about it is the fact IT IS DIFFERENT..I hate it when bands get in their comfort zone. If you're an artist and you relax, aren't you just going through the motions?..the changes worked..the experiments and even with Doug doing all the vocals on every track on it doesn't make it bad..in fact it makes it STAND OUT EVEN MORE. And there's NO FILLER..the last track "Water Ceremony" doesn't count..and even gives a brief and ending comic relief.."Skeptical Winds" while still odd..I have grown to like and notice the subtle melody and groove working very well.

Maybe the fact it was a 2nd assessment and a grower enhances it's stature to me..or the fact I just love playing it regularly. BULBOUS I really liked, but this one has reached me maybe even more. And I really don't think it's a coincidence those 2 records came back-2-back.

Believe - great starting, methodical groove sets the tone for the album..it's a different kind of album, but you still can't help get into the vibe..."in yourself..believe it's alright"..upbeat/uplifting/inspiring..has a live feel..funky guitar.."believe in yourself"

Manic Moonlight - love the harmonies in the middle..such great groove

Yeah - more of the looped..almost synth rhythm from the drums..mystical..great vocal doubels and groove from the guitars..music speaks without lyrics.."please forgive me for my attitude..tight groovy rhythm throughout the transitions in this song..very flowing

False Alarm - starts out with hand drums..great melodic guitar part..Dugs vocals are so clean and clear.."guess it was a falllllse al-armmmm"..great..rich use of echoing..ballad.."if I could wave a magic wand"..love the bridge

Static - more opening hand drums..this song has a great build..fucking awesome crescendo..emotional as hell.."i don't want to do this anymore"...I love how they add a rhythm or layer each few bars..much like the row row row your boats gang-vocal thing..err barber/beauty shop..but just with the instruments in this case..or a sustain-pedal
.."give you address I'll send you my life in a jar"...

Skeptical Wind - maybe the weirdest song I ever heard from them at 1st..at least in many years..but I grew to dig this..such a great mystical and groovy vibe here..almost like if you are watching some narrative doc or something.."ride on..skeptical wind"..some great lead bass..telling a story..random observations..poetry..like yours or just THE WIND'S journey, what it sees..its a very unusual mixed song..but in a good way..like the responsive guitar/bass towards the middle..lots of layers you notice after repeated play usually..'ride on ...skeptical winds..ride on..ride on"..

The Other Side - this song jumps out at aggressively you when you don't expect it to..I love how it does that..slower and then right in your face..great dynamics from the guitar..the melody is very king's x..whispered vox allow the music to take the front..another song with effective mixing work

Vegetable - another catchy, flowing, funky song..the hook just floors me..my fav track "if I didn't have a brain, then i couldn't feel no pain".."I would give it all away..give it all away-ayyyyy"..awesome bass-line for the rhythm..i often think about the process of a Lobotomy with the lyrics..also an escape..

Jenna - bluesy..I love the chorus in this one.."i can't wait to see you smile..shining like a diamond"..great vocal distortion

Less is in fact very much more

9.5/10



King's X - Ogre Tones

This album I wanted to like and found myself struggling for reasons to go back to it. That great year of 2005..which even seems greater a few years later with many of my top albums from '05, unheard by my ears. But this one, even when I have occasionally gone back to it, really never has demanded any head turning. It has a few good songs "Freedom" and "Fly" probably being the best, but I even saw them do the whole thing live. It was not in my top KX shows honestly..a lot of it is slower, bluesy, ballads which suppose for what they are, are ok..but they don't rock out and most of them don't even have those great trippy melodies I just love about this band.

Quite sleepy and hit and miss album..very much noticed in my notes..or lack-their-of..I GET BORED with this album. And to be honest, I think it's probably their 2nd worst album aside from the throwback BLACK LIKE SUNDAY. I mean suppose just on paper, if you compare it to TAPEHEAD it's not a heck of a lot different or even EAR CANDY..but I'd say at least with both of those records..the strong songs are quite strong..and they have less boring tracks.


Alone - Energetic.."no one should be made to feel alohhhhn"

Stay - like the little psych harmonic-vox

Hurricane - "yeah just like a hurricane, that's just like a hurricane"..repeated chorus throughout

Fly - good song!..nice vocal harmonies "fly above the rainbow, fly across the sea"..harmonies and groove really work

If - "if i only could move to the middle"

Bebop - experimental.."be bop be alive ya'll"?.."watcha gonna do?"..lot of simpler parts..stripped down

Honesty - ballad..Ty vox..it almost builds well toward the end but doesn't

Open My Eyes - "what does it take to get to the point where you want to kill someone"..minor-key..repetitive

Freedom - good song..from Ear Candy-era..has a good, groovy hook. Ty's vox work "blame it all on god"..nice, tasteful guitar solo..I'll always think of the song by the kx-inspired mn local band "Mojam" "talking about some freedom"

Get Away - slower balldy song "hey god...".."whereeeee..do you gohhhhhhhh" decent vox harmonies "awayyyyyyyy"

Sooner Or Later - another slower bluesy song "no I'm not sad about it"..sounds emotional..introspective..sleepy..slow..meditative..trippy psych guitar section toward the end

Mudd - slow tempo.."you said you were tied..then you want away up into the sky"..Ty's vox harmonies..repetitive chorus over and over

Goldilox (reprise) nice to bring a classic back..not sure why they did it?..moving to Insideout?

Bam - turntable instruction samples

Some highlights but not without a good chunk of filler

5/10


So all these peeps on the boards who keep claiming how bad MOONLIGHT is and how outstanding TONES is...I must belong in some parallel dimension or something because I couldn't view the 2 of them more differently. Maybe down the road some more people will surface..and ya know if TONES does click with me 1 day, cool..but to dismiss how incredible of a work MOONLIGHT is..I wonder if those people had and still have pre-conceived ideas or expectations about the band which when that happens, I sorta feel sad. But hopefully I'm wrong.

I'll add though, some people like MM..and the response to XV is pretty good..but the comments I mention above seem to find their way into a lot of these discussions about XV even.

For me, XV is the 1st challenger to MM this decade and maybe even since the Sam Taylor-period. However, if it doesn't get more of a push for AOY, I dunno how I'll be able to regard it better or even quite at MM's level. MOONLIGHT is basically flawless, whereas XV still has a small chunk of stuff I could do without. But it's great to see them put out a record that even belongs in that discussion.

Demians - Building an Empire

myspace

k..so yeah, this is it. What all can I add to the below notes/simul-observations other than the fact I wrote that like 2 weeks ago I think either my 3rd or 4th time hearing it. Well for 1 just, that it has been like 2 or 3 weeks and I probably haven't invested enough time with this album yet to get a fully-formed opinion on it. But what I can conclude right now is, I like every song on it, 'Sand" is a classic progressive/art rock epic and I suppose I will stand by still that it supports the quality and depth on this album. "Temple" I still love after a long time listening to it. I get why "Sapphire" made sense as a 2nd sampler track off the bat. Suppose this is one of those albums that may get better with a lot more play. The atmosphere and textures kind of are distinct for Demians, even though one could point to other artists like Devin Townsend or Peter Gabriel..even the Porcupine Tree one does make some sense. I also think it could be stressed more the fact this not only is a DEBUT album, but it was all written and performed as I understand it, by Nic himself. Plus, to my knowledge, the material on BaE is a few years old, and there are already some plans for the next record. Kinda reminds me of artists like The Dear Hunter/Casey Crescenzo and even Pain of Salvation/Daniel Gildenlow..always thinking ahead. Very much looking forward to that.

The Perfect Symmetry - clean, crisp acoustics..gradual build..symphonic elements work well with the vox..'you let me drown, just one more time...i wear my crown"..nice use of samples..tone of the power-chords works well..eventually double-bass..middle gets quite epic..ambience..ethereal synths

Shine - message..acoustic beginning..powerful rhythm from the guitars..transitions to Sapphire

Sapphire - epic..been up for quite awhile..I often remember the vocal distortion part in this one. 'See the man I've become"..personal song for Nic?..'follow me here on my back"..character-driven like a dialog and narrative lyrically?..dynamics.."memories and expectations"..warm vocal doubles..like the vox harmonies later..intense build

Naive - starts out acoustic..kinda poppy ballad..gets layered and complex in the 2nd half "thank you for making me feel so real"

Unspoken - whispers at the beginning..ballad..vocal doubling again..slower..beautiful "silence means so much more"

Temple - great use of MLK samples..'We shall overcome"..dreamy mood..a song to escape..'imagine now"..is later repeated..warm..mystical..transitional..like something's changing

Empire - looping synth opens..the lyric "remember now" is repeated.."contemplate now, this temple in your " is brought back also at a different tempo..so Temple and Empire are connected in that way in the concept..really like how big the ending gets

Sand - long epic..drums sound jazzy toward the beginning..brushes?..'fasten seatbelt homeward bound"..like poetry..'swore on the downside"..the grinding..chugging guitars are a tm of Demians and this record with the soft-synths in the background."she was drawing lines in the sand...that I was holding in my hand..holding in my haaaaaaand"..the 3rd movement..awesome section where the synth gets mixed higher..then its gets rather emotional and heavy..driving vox and guitars..soul-bearing....complex vocals..".in the outside world" segues into a brighter section "everything that we have been..we were holding in our hand..now we can hold it in our hand"

8/10

and #3 on my top albums for 2008 currently. Only behind Ours and another record that is released on 5/20/08, King's X - XV.

John Rutsey RIP

listened to it today..RIP John :(

now that the tv lineups are all almost out and the season finales are almost done..there should be a good size writeup about them soon.

5-star Albums by Year

An interesting look..I just posted this on the 5/8 forums..
this is just based on what I have currently rated, in my rym. I'm sure I'm missing some and/or need to go back and re-rate some others.

3

Genesis - Selling England by the Pound (1973)
Yes - Yessongs (1973)
Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (1973)

2

Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick (1972)
Genesis - Foxtrot (1972)

Yes - Relayer (1974)
Jerry Goodman and Jan Hammer - Like Children (1974)

Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)
Rush - A Farewell to Kings (1977)

Dream Theater - Awake (1994)
Marillion - Brave (1994)

Soundscape - Discovery (1997)
Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray (1997)

Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I (2000)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)

Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever (2001)
Ours - Distorted Lullabies (2001)

Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane (2002)
Dredg - El Cielo (2002)

The Receiving End of Sirens - Between the Heart and the Synapse (2005)
Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005)

1

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)

Queen - A Night at the Opera (1975)

Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976)

Rush - Hemispheres (1978)

Marillion - Misplaced Childhood (1985)

Marillion - Clutching at Straws (1987)

King's X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)

Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990)

Dream Theater - Images and Words (1992)

Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight (1995)

Angra - Holy Land (1996)

Marillion - Marbles (2004)

Kaddisfly - Set Sail the Prairie (2007)

2008 Albums List

here's a semi-update on my list:

9/10
Ours - Mercy...Dancing for the death of an imaginary enemy

see the blog..but it still holds as the closest to a classic record this year. But I've also said it before and will hold to if this ends up the top dog come late December, 2008 will be regarded as a disappointing year. dredg, Pure Reason Revolution, Marillion, Mew among many others are gonna take some cracks at knocking it off I imagine.

8.5/10
King's X - XV

see the blog as well.i dunno how much it'll go up, but I am quite pleased with this album. very likely top 10 candidate.

8/10
Sculptured - EMBODIMENT
the 1st solid album out of the gates. But that's it, it's *just solid*..the closing 10min title piece is goosebumpy, and there is no material here I ever skip. less-is-more..progressive Metal done well..with some black/death hints. But at the same time, it's not one I foresee going any further..save for maybe trying to get familiar with their backcatlog a bit.

Arsis - WE ARE THE NIGHTMARE ...the other "less-is-more" Metal album..this certainly has got better and better over repeated play. I can't say anything bad about it..catchy, melodic, tight..they did nothing wrong here. And maybe best, totally caught me offguard since I was a bit sour on this group after the concert I saw the blastbeats drowned out their sound, but not at all on this 1.


7.5/10
Protest the Hero - FORTRESS ..good..a couple of tracks are impressive..and had I not fallen in love with KEZIA or even heard it more than the 2 or 3 times back in '06..I might have really been more into this one...but I did and KEZIA remains a slightly superior record. Still..it's 1 of the better albums out this year, just not really a breakthrough that it was anticipated to be.

The Gutter Twins - SATURNALIA..impressive..a lot of well-written songs..pretty popular as well. Didn't know the Screaming Trees history with Lanegan going-in. I suppose it's fair to say I need to play it a bit more to get a full idea of where it stands. It feels like a top 20-30 album, but not a classic really.

tbc..later...

7/10
Opeth - WATERSHED
Darla Farmer - REWIRING THE ELECTRIC FOREST
Hills Like White Elephants - HIMALAYA
Apes and Androids - BLOOD MOON
Gloria Morti - ERYX
Black Mountain - IN THE FUTURE
Cloud Cult - FEEL GOOD GHOSTS

6.5/10
The Mars Volta - THE BEDLAM IN GOLIATH
Foals - ANTIDOTES
Panic at the Disco - PRETTY. ODD.
Agalloch - THE WHITE
Russian Circles - STATION
Genghis Tron - BOARD UP THE HOUSE
Ebu Gogo - WORLDS
Textures - SILHOUETTES
The Jealous Girlfriends - THE JEALOUS GIRLFRIENDS (re-release)
dEUS - VANTAGE POINT

6/10
The Big Sleep - SLEEP FOREVER
The Helio Sequence - KEEP YOUR EYES AHEAD
!Forward, Russia - LIFE PROCESSES
Porcupine Tree - WE LOST THE SKYLINE
Muse - HAARP

5.5/10
Blowing Trees - BLOWING TREES
Youthmovies - GOOD NATURE
Monolith Deathcult - TRIUMVIRATE

5/10
Colin Meloy - COLIN SINGS LIVE
In Ruin - A GHOST TO BE FORGOTTEN
This Will Detroy You - THIS WILL DESTROY YOU
Mt.Helium - FACES
Fleet Foxes - SUN GIANT (EP)
The Sword - GODS OF THE EARTH
Brain Drill - APOCALYPTIC FEASTING

4.5/10
Grand Archives - THE GRAND ARCHIVES
Kayo Dot - BLUE LAMENCY DOWNWARD
Murder By Death - RED OF TOOTH AND CLAW

.5/10 - 4/10
Elbow - THE SELDOM SEEN KID
Island - ORAKEL
White Hinderland - PHYLACTERY FACTORY
Klimt - KLIMT
Idiot Pilot - WOLVES
Tiles - FLY PAPER
RPWL - THE RPWL EXPERIENCE

Unrated
Eluveitie - SLANIA
Ihsahn - ang L
Hate - MORPHOSIS
Meshuggah - obZen
Zero Hour - DARK DECEIVER
Vampire Weekend - VAMPIRE WEEKEND
The National Bank - COME ON OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE
Pat Metheny - DAY TRIP
Annuals/Sunfold - WET ZOO (EP)
Hate Eternal - FURY AND FLAMES
The Dresden Dolls - NO, VIRGINIA
Secret Chiefs 3 - XAPHAN: BOOK OF ANGELS VOLUME 9

TV: PILOT WEEK 2008

so..
ALIENS IN AMERICA supposedly 86'ed..REAPER possibly as well..= FAIL

E! Online's story

the lineups from that are gonna be announced each day
Tuesday 5/13: ABC, CW
Wednesday 5/14: CBS
Thursday 5/15: FOX

FOX may have a reasonable number or shows to watch now if this JJ Abrams "Fringe" thing is any good, the Sarah Connor TERMINATOR show coming back, and the new Joss Whedon show "Dollhouse" getting greenlit.

I will have more..a LOT more to elaborate on this soon, but I have a car to get maintenanced and then a huge, long night of progressive rock concerts and activities to attend to.



Dream Theater, Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, 3..and Margot and the Nuclear So and So's.


Oh and this is the 5th Anniversary of the famous show where Pain of Salvation recorded the all-acoustic 12:5 on May 12th, 2003.

The Jealous Girlfriends - THE JEALOUS GIRLFRIENDS

Edit: expect some edits..but this is my notes from last week with this re-release:

I like this band and album..not spectacular, but nothing bad about it. I went back to it like 3 times a few weeks ago. Remind me at times bands like The Ebb and Flow, Black Mountain, Menomena, and some of those Shoegaze bands of the early 90's like The My Bloody Valentine and The Raveonettes. I found out about them via another blog and realized they were playing in town in June, opening for Sea Wolf. Suppose when I do see them, my impressions may change. But certainly a good discovery for myself, especially in the past few weeks.




The Jealous Girlfriends - The Jealous Girlfriends

myspace

Secret Identity - distorted guitars..wall-of-sound..female vocals remind of many shoegaze bands

How Now -

The Pink Wig - NA NA NA NA NA NA NAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..melodic CHANTING harmonies

Roboxulla - like the piano and psych layers w/ vox and guitars. FEMALE SINGER REMINDS ME OF THE FEMALE SINGER FROM THE EBB AND FLOW A LOT...great whoahhh whooah whooahhhh harmonies toward the end

I QUIT - fuckinG IT UP FUCKING IT UP IN THE VERY WORST WAY..THAT'S OK BECAUSE"..NEW WAVE GUITAR ALA eDITORS OR bLOC PARTY

Organs...-key-lead..bluesy..'if you love something set it free and if it comes back"..sax rhythm is nice..builds

HIEROGRLYPHICS..delayed guitars..dig the ending with the piano

sOMETHING IN THE WATER - NICE RIFF..reminds me of Broken Social Scene

Gift Horse - one of the best riffs and guitar work on this album

Machines - great song!..higher..love the "there's hole in your soul and man you've got nothing" with the piano..kinda like a Menomena-thing..it repeats and lasts over 2 mins which could have been even longer

Carry Me - ending ballad..almost sounds like a Bend Sinister ballad..vocal inflection and feel

3 1/4 stars
6.5/10

New Films: The Visitior, The Wackness, The Good Night, Paris Je' T'aime

The Visitor

imdb

Here's my review I posted on mp.com like a week ago.

Very good..and well worthy of the awards and high praise it received at SUNDANCE and ever since. Funny at times..good story. A man goes to his NYC apt for the 1st time in a few years and finds a minority couple living in it. As it turns out the guy is in NYC from Syria..playing his music on hand drums. But he's also an illegal alien but doesn't know it. The older fella learns to play the African hand-drums from him..which is cool and funny at the same time. Really a subtle, yet charming tale of a man who finds friendship in his midlife with an unexpected couple. Also stresses about the tru stories about the illegal aliens in this country and how they are treated post-9/11

7.5/10

I did catch it a 2nd time this past week and the only things I can add I suppose are the somewhat ambigious ending leaves you wanting some resolution. I do really like the dude who played Tarek. And I think some of the best moments are the humor of him playing drums, and even behind the table trying to sell the jewelry. I haven't seen Richard Jenkins before that I know of, but I'll certainly be interested in his future work. Much like the woman who played Tarek's mother. She was also quite good.



The Wackness
imdb
Caught an advanced screening of this one this past week (4/29/08). Ben Kingsley and Olivia Thirlby were 2 of the faces people will recognize. The lead actor reminds of a few other actors, but I can't claim to remember seeing him specifically in anything before. Set in 1994, he's 18, a HS senior whose family is struggling in NYC to make ends meet. Luke, finds his way by selling weed and bonding with his pothead school-shrink played by Kingsley. Thirlby, known for JUNO, but probably the best thing I've seen her do, sorta plays the encapsulated love-interest that seemed to be too good to ultimately help Luke out. She is enough eye-candy to see this one alone. Kingsley's character has enough funny moments where you grow to care about him. This isn't one I would say everyone out there will go for, but it's hardly mailed-in. The 1994 18 y/o thing kinda hits home since, I was 18 in the Summer of 1994. I wished they'd at least have had 1 Beavis reference, but maybe they did and I missed it?

6.5/10



The Good Night

imdb

Richard Roeper mentioned this film like 2 or 3 weeks ago as a under-seen or under the radar film that nobody saw last year. I wouldn't disagree, but I'd also add others to that list (FIRST SNOW, WRIST CUTTERS to name a few). Martin Freeman I have yet to see do anything bad, and I wouldn't say this would qualify for that either. However, this was certainly a picture that is a bit more rewarding from the ending. His love interest is played by Gwyneth Paltrow, as it turns out the director is the brother of in fact. The thing about their relationship is, they aren't the most happy couple, which is intentional on the part of the story. Which to some may be a bit of a job to get through watching. Paul (Freeman) in the process of his disappointing life apparently due to lack of career and romantic happiness, is drawn into a more fulfilling situation in his dreams, where he encounters the pleasure of an alluring lady (Penelope Cruz) that seems pretty much just a *fantasy*. So this leads him to investigate more about those dreams in his waking-life. He meets Danny Devito's character, who now in hearing the commentary from the director, is in many ways a potential reflection of what he'll become..for better or for worse. Devito's character Mel I would say is the most enjoyable character, which doesn't surprise me. He's a lucid-dreaming junkie so to speak, but also one that gets by with odd-jobs and experiences that don't necessarily show so much in his waking life. Why the ending helps this film out is, in the dramatic event which involves his relationship with Dora, *spoiler*...the classic tale of a boy loses girl, then experiences a life-threatening situation and the girl comes back to him. Except, in this case, Paul goes into a Coma and is then left to be in his fantasy state for an uncertain amount of time. Although, he ends up having to choose in that case whether to be with the *fantasy* girl or stay with his longtime relationship. The ending made you care more about him, which actually is not that uncommon in many romantic dramas. But it was told in a cool way. Also the fact most of this movie was shot in London was pretty surprising to learn.

7/10



Paris, Je T'aime

imdb

Didn't see this originally, but decided to rent the DVD. Liked much of it, some of the stories were quite amusing. The cast was pretty good. Suppose my original reason for not seeing were justified in that like LOVE ACTUALLY or some others I've seen, it's sorta not enough of each character to get into, but for brief moments it can work as "less is more." Something like 14 5-10minute little films take place in Paris that the theme of love is used as a basis. My favorite probably being the Elijah Wood vampire seduction one, the Juliette Binoche losing her son but seeing a cowboy as well. The Bob Hoskins one was certainly good..the point where that woman slaps him had me cracking up a bit. I did like the way some of the characters met at the end, but if they could have, it might have been neat to have all of them at some party at a table or something, but I can only imagine that being next to impossible with the ensemble cast that were all in this.

5/10

Opeth - WATERSHED (early) notes/review

Here's my early review of this guy..I honestly don't expect it to go much further..it's hardly a horrible album and it has some new and diverse elements; but ultimately..like Porcupine Tree's album from last year, I ask myself, how often do I want to go back and play this?..I'm doubting it'll be that often, and I also doubt if it'll end up not top 10, but even top 20 for 2008. Not sure if that says more about depth and quality of this year, or the album itself. "Lotus Eater" at least is one of the best songs the guys have done, I'll give it that much at a minimum.



Opeth - Watershed

Coil - clean..sorta an acoustic prelude track..'I can see you running through the fields of sorrow"..female vocals

Heir Apparent - nice piano from heavy riff beginning..nice mellotron textures..then flute..love the acoustic guitar phrasing in the middle..big guitar melodies..interplay is awesome

The Lotus Eater - very different for them in a good way..clean vox over blast beats?..great transitions..love the jazzy key solo in the middle..catchy as hell..great vocal performance..interplay between the guitars and vocal toward the end stands out..the crescendo is intense..no clue about the voices at the end

Burden - Clean, folky, psychedelic ballad..with spanish kind of acoustic guitar at the end

Porcelain Heart - single.."I cling to my past..I promise to stay..I went far away"..like the guitar leads..the rhythm reminds me of REVERIES "ah ah ahhhh, ah ah hhhh, ah ah ahhhh, ah ah ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"..bassoon?..."don't ever ask the reason why"

Hessian Peel - acoustic intro with a light electric guitar lead..mellotron melody is good..jazzy drums..crushing part about 5:45 in..'lock the children away from home...years of trial"..lot of subtle cymbals..intensity picks up around the 9minute mark

Hex Omega - teasing builds that last for 20 seconds and go quiet..more mellotron-happiness or sadness rather..big, grandiose, slow guitars.

3.5 Stars
7/10

King's X - XV

King's X - XV

strange title based on actual *releases* which include 1 Best Of and 1 commercially release double live record, and 1 online-only live album to come up to the 15th in their career's discography

best album since 2002's experimental classic "Manic Moonlight"..short diddies like ZZ Top did back in the 70's..Sam Taylor also worked with ZZ Top actually

Pray - heavy lead bassline..religious themed lyrics, great groove. "Don't forget to pray for me"..love the 3rd verses harmonies

Blue - sounds like a OGRE TONES track..which in a way makes it one of the weaker songs on the album..still it's not bad. Bluesy Ballad "yes it is" a classic dug soulful scream..slower song, and being the 2nd cut kinda kills momentum from the good energy of "Pray"

Repeating Myself..awesome harmonies..Ty sounds great..great vocalm harmonies..the vocal echoes work really well

Rocket Ship..great energy..'Would-you-like-to-spend-the-night-in-my-new-rocket-ship?"..line repeats..reminds me in that way of "A Box"

Julie - great melodic song..Jerry on vox sounds really good..his voice reminds me a bit of Roger Manning Jr from jellyfish..love the "doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doooooo" after the guitar solo..great power-poppy..sorta mystical

Alright..1st single I guess..another high energy track..like 'pray"..I love how Dug gets up in the vocals as the song progress..catchy guitar bridge..echoing vocals work really well

Broke..big guitar sound.."na na nahhh"..preachy.."put your hand on the record player and say I'm going to get my freedom"

I Just Want To Live - Ty sounds different on this song. I like the harmony vocals in the 2nd half. ...."it's a little bit scary but it's wonderful"..almost makes sense about the struggles of life.

Move - great groove..lead bass..the chorus rules.."i'm gonna move into the light...and spit out the disease...."..'Force ethical standards"..kinda political statement

I Don't Know - Ty song..the ending makes this one worth it..the guitar and vocal harmonies are great the last minute or so..reminds me of early, psychedelic KX.

Stuck - "Love. is on. the line."..lot of tracks as this one goes on...maybe just multiple guitars..more vocal harmonies and dug with his classic soulful chants

Go Tell Somebody - win win win..this track kicks ass..the basslines and the vocal echoes are all heavy and catchy..'if you like what you hear, then go tell somebody..go tell someone"..awesome groove in the rhythm.."shout it from the rooftops"

Love and Rockets (Hells Screaming)..continues the groovey mystical vibe on some other tracks earlier..along with the doubled vocal chorus..the guitar solo is so much about goosebumps..almost demonic at times the mood and vocals..the "love and rockets" chorus almost sounds like Faith No More

No Lie - bluesy..the guitar solo almost sounds like Brian May..'something's gotta hold..got ahold of me"..this sounds like a Southern Blues song..or Texas since they are from there and it's mentioned in the song.

It's found it's way to the 2nd spot on my 2008 albums list and a 4.5-star rating on rym..altho that is mainly due to the fact I give it a

8.5/10

it's a very strong 4-star or a slight reach at 9/10 so 8.5 feels right, at this point. In all likelihood will make my top 10, but who knows.