Music
Vancouver/Montreal DJ Kid Koala’s single Skanky Panky (mp3) is in constant rotation, and I’m also reading his “paperback movie” (large comic book) with accompanying CD, Nufonia Must Fall. Architecture in Helsinki’s In Case We Die is overall just excellent. It’s on right now. I also love the opening track from their Fingers Crossed album.
The new Xiu Xiu singles are just what I wanted from him, and the new Books’ Lost and Safe will do just fine. I introduced my Visual Communications professor to The Books with this album and he thinks they are very smart. Fiery Furnaces EP is like, almost prog rock, and I’ve grown to like it quite a bit, too, esp. the first five tracks.
And on this workstation at school where I write, some fine young student left a couple albums on the harddrive, Massive Attack’s 100th Window, DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing and two albums by an intriguing hip-hop act called Clouddead. I rather like all these albums a lot, as of two three listens through. Would this be considered illegal listening? Cover thyne ears?
Oh almost forgot I saw Dan Bern in concert earlier this month. It was excellent, he is a very good New American Folk Singer with lots of energy and originality and faith.
Reading
That same professor who digs The Books recommended I read some Umberto Eco fiction after I brought the semiotician up in class. The Name of the Rose was OK, but I bet reading it again would enlighten some of the deeper signs in it. It’s still sinking in, anyways.
I read both the Malcolm Galdwell musts, Tipping Point and Blink; the former I thought was rather great, but I find myself thinking about both when discussing a cultural theory or like, why Flickr is so popular, or how we can read a personality indirectly in 15 seconds.
The Moms lent me Joe Simpson’s mountain climbing epic Touching The Void and the actual writing was OK in addition to the compelling true tale of survival. I like how, on the pragmatic end, it all came down to not bringing enough fuel. I am currently reading Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.
Film
Got both the Harry Potter’s under my belt. Significant the time period it’s set in. You know that Jonathan Strange and Dr. Norrell novel? It really is like the adult’s HP. Anyways, the movies were alright. Made me wish I was a kid again.
Cremaster III The Order was extremely interesting and I’m constantly thinking about it. Esp. the custom resin prosthetics. Listen to the director’s commentary to get more out of it. Hope to watch all the film’s in the series soon.
I think I watched Rushmore another couple times. When I feel overwhelmed or under-involved at school I think Max Fischer. On a similar note, have you seen the Intern Documentary on the Criterion release of Life Aquatic? I watched it for a third time the other day and it is a perfect little student film to aspire to. Oh hey, if you buy/rent Life Aquatic, get the two disc Criterion version. Not the one disc Criterion version. It is hard to tell the two apart.
Saw Akira for the first time and I didn’t expect it to be the most epic sci-fi ever. “So the movie is about a cool motorcycle gang, right? It is, and it’s also about the source of the human soul.”
OK so Do the Whirlwind by Architecture in Helsinki just came on and did I mention this is a very good album? Oh, and now, an hour later, The Books are on. No more talking or moving about until tomorrow.
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