Hurry Home Dark Cloud

Finally, a meme worth your time. . .

2009-01-14T18:56:00.003-06:00

Where The Hell Is Matt?

Evening Mix Follow-up: Track Details

2009-01-09T11:42:00.000-06:00

This post refers to a previous one.

1) The Middle East - Blood (5:27)

from the album The Recordings of The Middle East (2008)

2) Okay - My (3:11)

from the album Huggable Dust (2008)

3) Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree (3:13)

from the album Soft Airplane (2008)

4) Langhorne Slim - Restless (2:17)

from the album Langhorne Slim (2008)

5) The Acorn - Crooked Legs (5:07)

from the album Glory Hope Mountain (2007)

6) Sailmaker - Build a Fire (4:15)

from the EP Build a Fire (2008)

7) Peasant - The Wind (3:17)

from the album On the Ground (2008)

8) Russian Red - Cigarettes (2:01)

from the album I Love Your Glasses (2008)

9) Liz Durrett - We Build Bridges (3:54)

from the album Outside Our Gates (2008)

10) The Tallest Man on Earth - The Gardener (3:57)

from the album Shallow Grave (2008)

HHDC Evening Mix

2009-01-08T21:35:00.004-06:00

"He who hears music, feels his solace peopled at once."

- Robert Browning

1) The Middle East - Blood (5:27)

2) Okay - My (3:11)

3) Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree (3:13)

4) Langhorne Slim - Restless (2:17)

5) The Acorn - Crooked Legs (5:07)

6) Sailmaker - Build a Fire (4:15)

7) Peasant - The Wind (3:17)

8) Russian Red - Cigarettes (2:01)

9) Liz Durett - We Build Bridges (3:54)

10) The Tallest Man on Earth - The Gardener (3:57)

Top 50 Songs of 2008

2008-12-21T13:05:00.004-06:00

First of all, I can't stress this enough - the order is entirely random - I couldn't hope to ever select a single song that defines an entire year. These are fifty songs that consistently made it into my playlist, songs I have trouble forgetting (even if I want to). These songs are taken from anywhere - full-length albums, EPs, singles, etc. and cross nearly all genres. The one rule is that only one track per artist/band was allowed.

I thought 2007 was a banner year for new music, so many great albums were released from the likes of The National, Jens Lekman, Dolorean, Josh Ritter, Architecture in Helsinki etc. But this year was more of a singles year. I found only a scant handful of records worthy of a complete buy. The majority of the year was spent purchasing a track here and another there.

You may find that many of the "it" artists who are tearing up the charts across the blogosphere such as The Dodos, Girl Talk, Foals, Wolf Parade, No Age, and TV on the Radio aren't featured on this list. That's because, be honest with yourself, they're bloody awful. When there are melodies they lack any sort of coherent structure and when these acts rock it's simply bone-jarring noise. I realize this is their aim, but this sort of music only makes me cringe and laugh....like listening to a Patton Oswalt record.

Also, a couple of these were released in 2007, but made it on the list because I only just discovered them this year. Other songs, like Bon Iver's "Skinny Love", aren't on the list because I heard them last year (even though Bon Iver had a higher profile re-release this year).

1) MGMT - Kids (5:03)

2) Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire (4:52)

3) Joan as Policewoman - To Be Loved (3:03)

4) Sun Kil Moon - Lost Verses (9:43)

5) Neon Neon (ft. Cate Lebon) - I Lust You (3:00)

6) Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance (Chromeo Remix) (4:03)

7) Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating (3:30)

8) Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree (3:13)

9) Frightened Rabbit - Backwards Walk (3:31)

10) Vetiver - The Swimming Song (2:40)

11) Passion Pit - Cuddle Fuddle (4:32)

12) Samamidon - Wedding Dress (4:34)

13) The Boy Bathing - The Questions Simple (4:10)

14) The Little Hands of Asphalt - Blue & Green (3:04)

15) The Middle East - Blood (5:27)

16) The Low Anthem - Ohio (3:19)

17) Chairlift - Bruises (4:01)

18) Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele - Pierce Avenue (3:05)

19) Taj Mahal - Never Let You Go (4:45)

20) The Hold Steady - Sequestered in Memphis (3:32)

21) The Acorn - Crooked Legs (5:08)

22) The Bird & The Bee - Birthday (3:29)

23) Shearwater - Rooks (3:21)

24) Micah P. Hinson - Sunrise Over the Olympus Moons (4:21)

25) The Decemberists - Valerie Plame (4:58)

26) Port O'Brien - I Woke Up Today (3:21)

27) Bowery Boy Blue - Great Dead Town (3:40)

28) Russian Red - Cigarettes (2:01)

29) Brooke Waggoner - Live for the Sounds (2:35)

30) Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes (3:41)

31) Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why (3:21)

32) Olivia Broadfield - Fool Today (2:44)

33) Ladyhawke - Magic (3:27)

34) Sam Sparro - Too Many Questions (3:56)

35) Kleerup (ft. Marit Bergman) - 3AM (3:57)

36) Drive-By Truckers - Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife (3:05)

37) Headlights - Cherry Tulips (3:28)

38) Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer (3:28)

39) Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy (3:33)

40) Langhorne Slim - Restless (2:17)

41) Laura Marling - Ghosts (3:01)

42) Deerhoof - Agoraphobia (3:22)

43) Mother Mother - Hayloft (3:03)

44) Centromatic - I, the Kite (3:04)

45) Anna Ternheim - To Be Gone (2:48)

46) Band of Horses - The Ends Not Near (The New Year Cover) (3:34)

47) The Lodger - The Good Old Days (3:23)

48) Young Coyotes - Momentary Drowning (2:36)

49) The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight (5:04)

50) Kitty Hawk - Bear in the Morning (2:05)

Fallout 3 - Game of the Year

2008-12-06T13:39:00.000-06:00

The original Fallout, the one that started it all, was released well over a decade ago. The sequel? Ten years ago. Load up either of the embryonic entries in this franchise and todays gamers are likely to be less than impressed. There's the primitive SVGA graphics, turn-based combat reminicent of a board game (not to mention the top-down isometric perspective), and only a scant handful of characters with full voice dialogue.

It would, however, be a disservice to dismiss these games so easily. The mechanics may be vastly outdated, but both games contain a vast, complex world in which your every action directly affects the future of the wasteland at large. The dialogue trees alone could fill a book, the map was massive with plenty of secrets to discover, and that's not including the clever strategies you could devise with a combat system that is turn-based.

Then came a few more forgettable entries, the cancelled Van Buren project, the bankruptcy of Interplay, and finally Bethesda saved the franchise by announcing they would be developing the third installment. Despite the fact that both Fallout 3 and Oblivion utilized the same engine, and contrary to the many pre-release conjectures and even some reviewers, you should know that Fallout 3 never feels like an "Oblivion mod".

The only manner in which Fallout vaguely resembles Oblivion is during conversations with characters, as the mechanics are nearly the same. Though it should be noted that Fallout features more interactive dialogue trees whereas Oblivion had simple, typically one-word topics. Unfortunately, perhaps due to every character being voice-acted, their replies sometimes aren't much varied. For instance, you'll often find a character will reply with nearly the same response to all three dialogue choices.

Fallout 3 was not a rushed release either, as is also often claimed by some reviewers. There was a very long development cycle for this title covering many years. In fact, the press release for Fallout 3 pre-dated the one for Oblivion, which was released in '06. Look it up. Fallout 3, without a question, contains the most impressive 3D world I've ever seen. It's simply astonishing the detail that went into crafting this world, from the ruins of Washington D.C. to the vast wasteland itself - rest assured it will take at least 100 hours to explore it all.

The only major complaint here is that there are relatively few developed cities to explore. Essentially, there are only two major settlements - the rest are merely small "trading posts". Also, Fallout 3 fails to replicate the "outlaw spirit" in *any* of their cities. For instance, Fallout 2 players will recall how seedy and dangerous the cities of The Den and New Reno could be. There were no guards and no one really cared if you offed a drug dealer or killed a shopowner. Not so in Fallout 3, as the wasteland cities are remarkably civilized.

The character development is top notch and utilizes nearly all of the elements from the previous games - most notably the perk system. Other than leveling, stat gains can be had by finding various skillbooks or collecting bobbleheads. These are unique items hidden all over the wasteland, akin to the intel pieces in games like Call of Duty 4. When you obtain your home in the game there's a display case on which you can place your bobblehead collection.

One serious, glaring flaw is the level cap. At level 20 your character will cease to gain experience from anything, effectively halting his or her development. I suppose this was something implemented to encourage creating multiple characters, but it mostly serves as a killjoy. Critics may argue that having a character who is proficient at a dozen or more skills is "unrealistic". Honestly, nothing is realistic about any game, it's all fantasy. For instance, every RPG ever made has allowed your character to carry many, many more things than a single person ever could. So if I want to make a level 78 character in Fallout 3 with every skill maxed - I should be able to do that, provided I gain enough experience.

Turn-based combat is simply not technically feasible in a 3D environment, but the developers recreated this experience as best as possible with the VATS system - which freezes the game and allows you to target any point on the enemies body. As many have mentioned here, there is one large flaw with VATS. In spite of what the percentage may say, there are times your shot may be blocked by the environment and there's no way to prevent your character from wastefully unloading twenty rounds into a concrete wall!

Fallout 2 had an astonishing array of various weapons and types of armor, and while Fallout 3 certainly hits all the high points - there isn't as much variety as the previous title. Still, there is a nice selection of ballistic weapons and energy weapons, in addition to a launcher that can fire tiny nukes! And that's not even including the weapons you can build yourself. . .

The radio stations present in Fallout 3 add a great dose of immersion. Galaxy News Radio, helmed by the colorful Three Dog, plays pre-war music in addition to commenting on what's going on in the wasteland. He'll often broadcast what your character has been up to - with occasionally amusing commentary. Some have complained that the station lacks song variety. I find this interesting, as the developers licensed some twenty songs from the forties and fifties. Besides, I'm sure most of the world's vinyl burned in that massive armageddon deal!

An amazing feature of the original Fallouts were the ending sequences. The narrator would explain in detail how all your actions affected each locale in addition to explaining how the world will progress forward. A small decision early in the game could have lasting ramifications for your characters ending sequence. Despite some early previews hinting at a similar system, Fallout 3 basically has two endings - one with good karma and one with bad karma. The rest are just very, very slight variations.

One last note: the Securom software, in this case, is NOT a big deal. The version here is limited to a simple disk check. I despise draconian DRM as much as anyone else (which is why I did not purchase Bioshock or Mass Effect) but Bethesda does not make use of the more extreme measures. Besides, if you dislike even the disk check - you should buy a console. PC gamers need to understand that malignant software like Securom (and DRM in general) is not going anywhere.

Top 50 Songs of 2007

2008-11-26T19:34:00.001-06:00

First of all, and I can't stress this enough, the order is entirely random - I couldn't hope to ever select a single song that defines an entire year. These are fifty songs that consistently made it into my playlist, songs I have trouble forgetting (even if I want to). These songs are taken from anywhere - full-length albums, EPs, singles, etc. and cross nearly all genres. The one rule is that only one track per artist/band was allowed.

1) St. Vincent - Marry Me (4:41)

2) The Low Anthem - The Ballad of the Broken Bones (3:56)

3) Band of Horses - Detlef Schrempf (4:29)

4) Architecture in Helsinki - Lazy (2:55)

5) The Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running (3:29)

6) The National - Fake Empire (3:25)

7) Dolorean - Heather Remind Me How This Ends (2:44)

8) Feist - 1-2-3-4 (3:03)

9) Jens Lekman - Your Arms Around Me (Acoustic Version) (3:12)

10) Josh Ritter - To the Dogs or Whoever (3:02)

11) Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining (3:36)

12) Beirut - A Sunday Smile (3:35)

13) Athlete - Flying Over Bus Stops (4:28)

14) Basia Bulat - Before I Knew (2:50)

15) The Rosebuds - I Better Run (3:49)

16) The Avett Brothers - Die Die Die (2:50)

17) Shout Out Louds - Normandie (3:23)

18) Sambassadeur - Between the Lines (2:44)

19) Rocky Votolato - Postcard from Kentucky (2:56)

20) Corb Lund - Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier (5:12)

21) Chris Garneau - We Don't Try (3:37)

22) Against Me - Thrash Unreal (4:17)

23) Brooke Waggoner - Hush If You Must (4:17)

24) Club 8 - Jesus Walk With Me (3:09)

25) Sea Wolf - The Cold, the Dark, and the Silence (4:25)

26) Great Lake Swimmers - When It Flows (3:34)

27) Illinois - Alone Again (3:11)

28) Magnet - Gospel Song (3:32)

29) Math & Physics Club - Nothing Really Happened (3:24)

30) Seabear - Libraries (3:18)

31) matt pond PA - Taught to Look Away (2:49)

32) Oh No! Oh My! - The Party Punch (3:59)

33) Loch Lomond - All Your Friends Are Smiling (3:47)

34) Marisa Nadler - Diamond Heart (3:47)

35) Ferraby Lionheart - Small Planet (3:14)

36) Andrew Bird - Heretics (3:33)

37) Honeycut - Shadows (3:38)

38) David Gray - One With The Birds (5:21)

39) Arctic Monkeys - Flourescent Adolescent (2:57)

40) Vandaveer - However Many Takes It Takes (2:31)

41) The Rumble Strips - Girls and Boys in Love (2:33)

42) The Cribs - Men's Needs (CSS Remix) (4:13)

43) Okkervil River - Plus Ones (3:43)

44) Mew - The Zookeeper's Boy (4:43)

45) Dappled Cities - Fire Fire Fire (3:48)

46) Interpol - Rest My Chemistry (5:00)

47) The Frames - True (5:14)

48) Spoon - The Ghost of You Lingers (3:34)

49) Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (4:39)

50) Eluvium - Radio Ballet (3:12)

Brooke Waggoner

2008-08-30T12:36:00.027-05:00

Two months. It's been two months since the last update here on HHDC. How can that be? Is there not a wealth of material to cover?

It is theoretically possible to cover a new act every day for the duration of a lifetime without ever repeating - so why has it been two months?

In that time, dozens of new releases have hit the streets and a horde of new acts have uploaded their demos to the world at large. The bloggers have waxed poetic about new offerings from Owen Pallett's forthcoming EPs (he typically records under the moniker Final Fantasy), the latest news on new records from The Walkmen and The Broken West, and pretty much anything Bon Iver does.

There is certainly plenty of material to write about - as long as the parameters concerning quality have the bar set quite low. For instance, Mr. Pallett displays impressive technical talent with the violin, but the compositions themselves are clinical and mundane. His debut is more of a chore to work through, despite the scattered splotches of brilliance amidst the debris.

Both The Walkmen and The Broken West are wholly derivative acts, completely soulless entities that remain pleasant yet utterly passable. Now that I think about it - there was one track from The Walkmen I listened to a few times and found rather interesting. Though it should be noted I later discovered the song, "Another One Goes By", is actually a note-by-note cover of a song by the band formerly known as Mazarin.

As for Bon Iver, there's no mistaking his showmanship - one listen to "Skinny Love" is an instant hook...yet to delve deeper into his works is to reveal that nearly every song is built from the same mold. His debut record is like the Terra Cotta army of China - all different in some way or another, yet if you've seen one you've seen them all.

I cannot advocate covering a band simply because they exist.

If a group of people come together with some proficiency musically: an apt vocalist, inventive melody structures, and a smattering of bizarrely staged publicity photos - they're primed for the indie spotlight.

Theoretically, this would cover all the bases for a successful career in the music industry. Yet simply because these people are capable of miming the prerequisites it doesn't automatically follow that they will be compelling artists.

Still, if the act is capable of giving off the illusion of prowess, critics and bloggers will run wild with praise. A prime example of this phenomenon, unheard of until the internet age, is prominent indie act Black Kids.

Stupid headwear? Check. Empty, too-cool-for-school expressions? Check. Then they have to be awesome!

Black Kids are talented, as their single "Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)" stands to boast. The track is hopelessly upbeat and accessible. And yet it sounds exactly like something The Go! Team would produce, and worse - it sounds like a song we have all heard before a thousand times over.

Their first single, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend to Dance with You", has helped to propel their debut record to the top ten spot in the UK. Evidently the public adores the "clever" song title, as you can find countless bloggers who've devoted part of their gushing reviews to that alone. Taken on its own merits, however, the song is solidly mediocre at best.

This recalls the hype surrounding the act Ok Go, who can only credit the inventive video for the song "Here It Goes Again" for selling thousands of copies of their debut Oh No. The song is a by-the-numbers pop-rock ice cream cake, a simplistic song derivative of nearly any other band in their genre.

Oh boy, this makes me wanna buy their record!

And yet, again thanks to the massively popular video, the song is featured in numerous commercials, has inspired countless parodies, and is a playable song in Rock Band. (I can personally attest that the track is a dull, tepid chore to cover in the game.)

In some ways I'm torn. If someone truly thinks an act like Black Kids are the highlight of Summer 2008, part of me wants to exclaim "God bless, enjoy"....while another part feels as if they're simply buying into the hype or subscribing to the sellout conundrum. That is summarily just as bad as listening to whatever the radio or television forcefeeds you.

I cannot advocate covering a band simply because they exist.

HHDC could cover material from the past during the intervals in which there is little in the way of fascinating new music. In fact, the majority of the entries here are devoted to such - from reviews of the legendary discography of The Smiths to the outstanding (and nearly forgotten) debut record of Martin Page. Many other bloggers use this technique in some form or another.

And what is that but an exercise in favoritism? A highly subjective jaunt into the favorites of someone half a world away. To a certain extent any blog by definition conforms to that description, yet I believe the primary purpose should be to extoll the virtures of emergent artists who can use all the exposure they can muster.

HHDC was created for the singular purpose of presenting innovative artists who are crafting the most sublime music of our generation. It was never intended to be a hype machine or a bandwagon - it was to be instead a beacon on the darkened corridors of the independent music world.

Those hidden crevices where Seabear resided, the craggly oak tree underneath which Josh Ritter strummed his guitar, and the cramped studio apartment where Brooke Waggoner rehearses were the only sort of places HHDC wanted to be.

This missive could continue until the end of this decade, but in the interest of saving time, I would like to return to the namesake of this entry - Brooke Waggoner.

I've been replaying Miss Waggoner's debut Fresh Pair of Eyes for the past month now (the entire six-track EP is available for free download on her website) and marveling at how inventive and beautiful the damn thing is.

Yes, it could be asserted that the work is derivative of other piano-based chanteuses such as Vanessa Carlton, but when an artist is as supremely talented as Miss Waggoner and performs with such divine conviction - it is an arduous task to simply dismiss the work out of hand.

So it was with great joy that I received the following Brooke Waggoner newsletter earlier this week, which read as follows:

Hi my friends,

So, next week is jam-packed with deals, steals, and freebies:

Tuesday (sept. 2), my new album Heal for the Honey will be available on iTunes for an exclusive offer of $7.99 - for the album in it's entirety! This will only take place for one week... AND, in the spirit of celebration, I am giving each of you a song from the album for FREE, entitled "Live for the Sounds." This is one of my favorite songs on the record. Full of string stabs, plural words, key changes, and romping drums - all tightly wound into a 2:30 package.

Tours promoting the new album are currently in the works, and I can't wait to get to your city and share with you all.

Much love!

Brooke

Beneath that was the link for the exclusive download "Live for the Sounds". After the inaugural listen I was once again overwhelmed with enthusiasm for this emerging artist, as there is a certain clarity to her work that is practically unparalleled by her peers.

If you doubt this, why don't you find out for yourself. . .

"Hush If You Must" from Fresh Pair of Eyes EP (2007)

"Live for the Sounds" from Heal for the Honey (2008)

Fourth of July!

2008-07-04T05:59:00.005-05:00

"Born in the U.S.A."

Taken from Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

In honor of the 4th of July, we here at HHDC salute the classic Bruce Springsteen album Born in the U.S.A. - which was released exactly fourteen years ago today. With it's anthemic title track and lengthy list of singles (which extended for more than a year after the release), it remains the biggest selling Springsteen album and one of the finest records of the eighties.

Though not exactly a patriotic song, the title track is nearly always associated with the holiday (particularly since the release was deliberately timed to coincide with it) and so we present it here. Eat, drink, and be merry!

Bonus Track

"Star Spangled Banner (Live)"

taken from Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Experience (1993)

Stereolab

2008-07-02T18:55:00.008-05:00

Stereolab's new record, Chemical Chords, is slated for release in mid-August. It's been four long years since their last LP and anticipation has been rapidly growing amongt fans of the avant-garde electronica/rock group.

While no material from the album is available at present, I couldn't help but think back to 1996 - specifically Stereolab's breakthrough work Emperor Tomato Ketchup.

It's a testament to the considerable talents of the group that, twelve years on, the music sounds just as fresh and inventive as the day it was released.

"Metronomic Underground" & "Cybele's Reverie"

Both taken from Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

2008-07-01T08:49:00.007-05:00

In 1972, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band released the landmark triple LP Will the Circle Be Unbroken. The young, shaggy haired band (best known, at the time, for their cover of "Mr. Bojangles") traveled from California to Nashville to create what they hoped would be a meshwork between two generations of musicians ensconced in the tradition of country and bluegrass music. What unfolded surpassed anyones wildest expectations.

The band was able to secure studio time with the giants of the genre, including: Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, and Maybelle Carter. In total, there are an incredible thirty-seven songs (thirty-eight if you count the dialogue track) - nearly all of which is indispensible material.

In the years to come, the band released two subsequent volumes in the same grand tradition, sometimes even featuring younger artists such as Alison Krauss and Vince Gill. Although none quite reached the artistic heights achieved on the first volume, there are still outstanding highlights to be found on both.

In 2003, roughly a year after the release of the third volume, the complete trilogy was released in a compact boxed set. It assembled the remastered version of the first volume (including four bonus tracks, though only one is a complete song), both successive volumes, and a DVD - comprising six discs in total.

Two booklets are also included: one details the song credits and performers for each track, and the other contains an interesting essay concerning the formation of the entire project.

The DVD is perhaps the best reason to purchase this set, even if you own one or two of the albums already. It contains an outstanding hour-long concert, a brief documentary about the band, a music video for the track "The Lowlands", and three bonus concert performances not included in the final version.

One of the highlights of the concert is the performance of "Catfish John" featuring Alison Krauss (pictured below). Others include a spirited rendition of the mad-cap instrumental "Earl's Breakdown" and a very fun, nostalgic performance of "Fishin' Blues" featuring Taj Mahal.

I've included some of my favorites from each album below, clicking on the pictures will direct you to each album's listing on Amazon. A click on any of the above photos will take you to the Amazon listing for the complete trilogy.

"My Walkin' Shoes" (w/ Jimmy Martin)

"Earl's Breakdown" (w/ Earl Scruggs)

Both taken from Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume One

"Mary Danced with Soldiers" (w/ Emmylou Harris)

"The Valley Road" (w/ Bruce Hornsby)

Both taken from Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two

"Mama's Opry" (w/ Iris Dement)

"Catfish John" (w/Alison Krauss)

Both taken from Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Three

Neil Young

2008-06-30T09:05:00.003-05:00

On my way to work one recent, misty morning I heard this track on the radio. Still half-asleep and bleary-eyed, my mind was entirely focused on the road ahead until this song appeared. Somehow, it all came together wonderfully.

Neil Young "After the Gold Rush" from After the Gold Rush (1970)

HHDC Mix EP #4

2008-06-29T08:25:00.007-05:00

"The joy of music should never be interrupted by a commercial." - Leonard Bernstein

Morcheeba "A Well Deserved Break" from Fragments of Freedom (2000)

Sam Amidon "Wedding Dress" from All is Well (2008)

Mark Mallman "Knockout on 22nd St." from Between the Devil and Middle C (2006)

Voxtrot "The Start of Something" from Raised by Wolves EP (2005)

The Gray Brigade "Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" from Fanfare (2007)

David Gray

2008-06-28T16:05:00.005-05:00

Although entirely adequate for any season, this record lends itself best to quiet winter moments. In the midst of summer, the somber melodies appear slightly out of place - yet ultimately still inviting. Unquestionably Gray's finest work to date.

"Slow Motion" from Life in Slow Motion (2005)

Santogold

2008-06-14T21:06:00.010-05:00

According to an interview on MTV, Santogold indicated the goals she had established for her self-titled debut album:

"I hope that I help break down boundaries and genre classifications. (People think that) If I’m a black woman I’m just about singing R&B. I guess with those producers (Timbaland, Mark Ronson) I’m supposed to be making club music. I’m not one dimensional and my music isn’t. I want the most people as possible to connect to it."

She needn't worry. Santogold, while often compared to contemporary M.I.A., is solidly within a league of her own. "Lights Out" will unquestionably factor within most (if not all) year end song-of-the-year lists.

It's already on mine. . .

"Lights Out" from Santogold (2008)

Frightened Rabbit

2008-06-08T17:06:00.004-05:00

2007 was a banner year for new music. There were outstanding releases from the likes of Architechture in Helsinki, The Arcade Fire, The National, Andrew Bird, Rilo Kiley, Dolorean, The White Stripes, Interpol, Feist, Maroon 5, Eluvium, The Frames, Spoon, Josh Ritter, Jens Lekman, The New Pornographers....I could go on for quite some time.

Near the tail end of that year, a re-release raised quite a few eyebrows on the independent scene. It was Frightened Rabbit's first effort Sing the Greys. There was promise in the songs, but it did little for me and I moved along.

Now comes The Midnight Organ Fight, a record light years beyond their previous effort. There have been scant few heart-achingly beautiful albums released this year, Sun Kil Moon and Headlights leap to mind - and now Frightened Rabbit takes the lead.

Don't miss this one.

"Backwards Walk" from The Midnight Organ Fight (2008)

Over the Rhine

2008-06-04T13:08:00.002-05:00

File Under: Music for an Overcast Day, Hopeful for Spring, The Picnic Beneath a Willow Tree or the Room with a View

"Born" & "I Want You To Be My Love" from Drunkard's Prayer (2005)

Neon Neon

2008-06-02T09:50:00.003-05:00

Acts as diverse as Pacific! to The Killers have proven that adding an eighties edge to modern pop/rock arrangments can be highly successful fusions. It is a refreshingly original trend, despite that implicit fact that the bands are merely taking their influences to a literal extreme.

Neon Neon, for instance, utilized many instruments manufactured in the eighties to create the sound on their debut effort Stainless Style. The record is a unique concept album conceived around the high-profile playboy lifestyle of John DeLorean.

The eighties tribute theme is noticably prevalent on the album's strongest tracks: "I Lust U", "Raquel", "Belfast", and "I Told Her On Alderaan".

Unfortunately, the other half of the record is constructed with more pedestrian fare. Tracks like "Trick for Treat", "Luxury Pool", and "Sweat Shop" tread typical modern R&B blueprints with yawn-inducing results.

"I Told Her on Alderaan" from Stainless Style (2008)

Aphex Twin

2008-06-01T16:59:00.005-05:00

"Avril 14th" from Drukqs (2001)

Classic Film Collections: Part 1.5

2008-06-01T12:43:00.007-05:00

As a small addendum to the previous post, I've provided a couple of photos to illustrate the particular attention Warner Bros. paid with the period-authentic cover artwork for their classic dvd releases.

Classic Film Collections: Part One

2008-05-31T13:23:00.003-05:00

Since the inception of the digital video disc, classic film has seen a vital rebirth thanks to the high-profile releases of obscure, nearly forgotten cinema. The most exciting aspect of this rebirth has been the thoughtfully assembled multi-disc collections centered around a vague theme.

For this installment, I've brought together the best of the hard-boiled noirish/gangster film collections - and added a couple of grand box sets of films based on literary classics. There are a wealth of other collections, including the "Signature Collection" line and a heap of musical box sets - some of which will feature in the next installment.

As one might expect from Warner Bros, the presentation of these sets is impeccable. As a general rule, the titles released prior to 2007 come packaged in standard dvd cases. For the ones released during or after 2007, such as the Literary Classics Collection, they are packaged in the slimcase format. I personally prefer the standard size dvd cases, but the slimcase format is definitely a "greener" way to go.

All of the films are on a single disc and packaged in standard dvd cases with some notable exceptions. The Film Noir Classic Collection Volume Four has ten films on five discs (two films are on each double-sided disc). Also, both the Film Noir Classic Collection Volume Three and Literary Classic Collection are packaged in slim dvd cases.

Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume One

1) The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Introduction by John Huston derived from an Archival Interview.

Commentary by Auther/Film-Noir Specialist Drew Casper & Co-Star James Whitmore

Theatrical Trailer

2) Gun Crazy (1950)

Commentary by Auther/Film-Noir Specialist Glenn Erickson

3) Murder My Sweet (1944)

Commentary by Author/Film-Noir Specialist Alain Silver

Theatrical Trailer

4) Out of the Past (1947)

Commentary by Author/Film-Noir Specialist James Ursini

5) The Set-Up (1949)

Commentary by Director Robert Wise and Martin Scorsese

Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume Two

1) Born to Kill (1947)

Commentary by Eddie Muller, author of The Art of Noir

2) Clash by Night (1952)

Commentary by Filmaker Peter Bogdanovich

Theatrical Trailer

3) Crossfire (1947)

Commentary by Film Historians Alain Silver and James Ursini

Featurette - Crossfire: Hate is Like a Gun

4) Dillinger (1945)

Commentary by John Milius, director of the 1973 Dillinger

Theatrical Trailer

5) The Narrow Margin (1952)

Commentary by Filmaker William Friedkin

Theatrical Trailer

Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume Three

1) Border Incident (1949)

Commentary by Film Historian Dana Polan

Theatrical Trailer

2) His Kind of Woman (1951)

Commentary by Film Historian Vivian Sobchack

3) Lady in the Lake (1947)

Commentary by Film Historians Alain Silver and James Ursini

Theatrical Trailer

4) On Dangerous Ground (1952)

Commentary by Film Historian Glenn Erickson

Theatrical Trailer

5) The Racket (1951)

Commentary by Film Historian Eddie Mueller

Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume Four

1) Act of Violence (1948)

2) Mystery Street (1950)

Film Historian Commentaries by Dr. Drew Casper on Act of Violence and Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward on Mystery Street

New Featurettes - Act of Violence: Dealing with the Devil and Mystery Street: Murder at Harvard

Theatrical Trailers

3) Crime Wave (1954)

4) Decoy (1946)

Commentaries by James Ellroy and Film Historian Eddie Mueller on Crime Wave and Writer Stabley Rubin and Film Historian Glenn Erickson on Decoy

New Featurettes - Crime Wave: The City is Dark and Decoy: A Map to Nowhere

Crime Wave Theatrical Trailer

5) Illegal (1955)

6) The Big Steal (1949)

Commentaries by Nina Foch and Film Historian Patricia King Hanson on Illegal and Film Historian Richard B. Jewell on The Big Steal

Vintage Behind the Cameras segment with Edward G. Robinson from the Warner Bros. Presents series

New Featurettes - Illegal: Marked for Life and The Big Steal: Look Behind You

Theatrical Trailers

7) They Live By Night (1948)

8) Side Street (1950)

Commentaries by Farley Granger and Film Historian Eddie Mueller on They Live By Night and Historian/Critic Richard Schnickel on Side Street

New Featurettes - They Live By Night: The Twisted Road and Side Street: Where Temptation Lurks

Side Street Theatrical Trailer

9) Where Danger Lives (1950)

10) Tension (1949)

Film Historian Commentaries by Alain Silver and James Ursini on Where Danger Lives and Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward with Audrey Totter on Tension

New Featurettes - Where Danger Lives: White Rose for Julie and Tension: Who's Guilty Now?

Theatrical Trailers

TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume One

1) Baby Face (1933)

2) Red-Headed Woman (1932)

3) Waterloo Bridge (1931)

Introduction by Robert Osborne

Baby Face Theatrical Trailer

TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume Two

1) The Divorcee (1930)

2) A Free Soul (1931)

3) Night Nurse (1931)

4) Three on a Match (1932)

5) Female (1933)

Documentary Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood

Commentaries on The Divorcee and Night Nurse by Film Historians Jeffrey Vance and Tony Maietta

Theatrical Trailers of Female, Night Nurse, and Three on a Match

Warner Gangsters Collection: Volume One

1) The Public Enemy (1931)

Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1931 with Newsreel, Comedy Short The Eyes Have It, Cartoon Smile, Darn Ya, Smile and Theatrical Trailers

New Featurette - Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public

Commentary by Film Historian Robert Sklar

1954 Rerelease Foreword

2) White Heat (1949)

Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1949 with Newsreel, Comedy Short So You Think You're Not Guilty, Cartoon Homeless Hare and Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - White Heat: Top of the World

Commentary by Film Historian Dr. Drew Casper

3) Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1938 with Newsreel, Musical Short Out Where the Stars Begin, Cartoon Porky and Daffy and Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?

Commentary by Film Historian Dana Polan

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Production with Films 2 Stars

4) Little Caesar (1931)

Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1930 with Newsreel, Spencer Tracy Short The Hard Guy, Cartoon Lady Play Your Mandolin and Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Little Caesar: End of Rico, Beginning of the Antihero

Commentary by Film Historian Richard B. Jewell

1954 Rerelease Foreword

5) The Petrified Forest (1936)

Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1936 with Newsreel, Musical Short Rhythmitis, Cartoon The Coo Coo Nut Grove and Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - The Petrified Forest: Menace in the Desert

Commentary by Bogart Biographer Eric Lax

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Adaptation Starring Bogart, Tyrone Power, and Joan Bennett

6) The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies with Newsreel, Musical Short All Girl Revue, Comedy Short The Great Library Misery, Cartoon Thugs with Dirty Mugs and Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - The Roaring Twenties: The World Moves On

Commentary by Film Historian Dr. Lincoln Hurst

Warner Tough Guys Collection (a.k.a. Gangsters Collection: Volume Two)

1) Bullets or Ballots (1936)

Warner Night at the Movies 1936 with Newsreel, Musical Short George Hall and His Orchestra, Classic Cartoon I'm a Big Shot Now, and Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Gangsters: The Immigrant's Hero

Commentary by Film Historian Dana Polan

How I Play Golf by Bobby Jones No. 10: Trouble Shots

Breakdowns of 1936: Studio Blooper Reel

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show with Robinson, Bogart and Mary Astor

2) City for Conquest (1940)

Warner Night at the Movies 1940 with Newsreel, Oscar-Nominated Short Service with the Colors, Classic Cartoon Stage Fright, Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Molls and Dolls: The Women of Gangster Films

Commentary by Richard Schnickel

Breakdowns of 1940: Studio Blooper Reel

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show with Alice Faye and Robert Preston

3) Each Dawn I Die (1939)

Warner Night at the Movies 1939 with Newsreel, Documentary Short A Day at Santa Anita, Oscar Nominated Classic Cartoon Detouring America, Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Stool Pigeons and Pine Overcoats: The Language of Gangster Films

Commentary by Film Historian Haden Guest

Breakdowns of 1939: Studio Blooper Reel

Bonus Cartoon Each Dawn I Crow

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show with George Raft and Franchot Tone

4) "G" Men (1935)

Warner Night at the Movies 1936 with Newsreel, Comedy Short The Old Grey Manor starring Bob Hope, Classic Cartoon Buddy the Gee Man, Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Morality and the Code: A How-to Manual for Hollywood

Commentary by Film Historian Richard Jewell

How I Play Golf by Bobby Jones No. 11: Practice Shots

Breakdowns of 1935: Studio Blooper Reel

5) San Quentin (1937)

Warner Night at the Movies 1937 with Newsreel, Oscar Nominated Broadway Brevity Short The Man Without a Country, Classic Cartoon Porky's Double Trouble, Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Welcome to the Big House

Commentary by Film Historian Patricia King Hanson

Breakdowns of 1937: Studio Blooper Reel

6) A Slight Case of Murder (1938)

Warner Night at the Movies 1938 with Newsreel, Oscar Nominated Drama Short Declaration of Independence, Classic Cartoon The Night Watchman, Theatrical Trailers

Featurette - Prohibition Opens the Floodgates

Commentary by Film Historian Robert Sklar

Warner Gangsters Collection: Volume Three

1) Smart Money (1931)

Warner Night at the Movies 1931 with Newsreel, Musical Short George Jessel and His Russian Art Choir and The Smart Set-Up, Classic Cartoon Big Man from the North, Theatrical Trailers

Commentary by Film Historians Alain Silver and James Ursini

2) Picture Snatcher (1933)

Warner Night at the Movies 1933 with Newsreel, Musical Short Plane Crazy, Classic Cartoon Wake Up the Gypsy in Me, Theatrical Trailers

Commentary by Film Historians Jeffrey Vance and Tony Maietta

3) The Mayor of Hell (1933)

Warner Night at the Movies 1933 with Newsreel, Musical Short The Audition, Classic Cartoon The Organ Grinder, Theatrical Trailers

Commentary by Film Historian Greg Mank

4) Lady Killer (1933)

Warner Night at the Movies 1933 with Newsreel, Movie Retrospective Short The Camera Speaks, Musical Short Kissing Time, Classic Cartoon The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives, Theatrical Trailers

Commentary by Film Historian Dr. Drew Casper

5) Black Legion (1937)

Warner Night at the Movies 1937 with Newsreel, Musical Short Hi De Ho with Cab Calloway, Technicolor Historial Short Under Southern Stars, Classic Cartoon Porky and Gabby, Theatrical Trailers

Commentary by Film Historians Patricia King Hanson and Anthony Slide

6) Brother Orchid (1940)

Warner Night at the Movies 1940 with Newsreel, Musical Short Henry Busse and His Orchestra, Classic Cartoons Busy Bakers and Slap Happy Pappy, Theatrical Trailers

Commentary by Robinson Biographer Alan L. Gansberg and Bogart Biographer Eric Lax

Literary Classics Collection

1) Madame Bovary (1949)

Vintage Pete Smith Specialty Short Those Good Old Days

Classic Cartoon Out-Foxed

Theatrical Trailer

2) Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)

Vintage Oscar Nominated Short My Country 'Tis of Thee

Classic Cartoon Captain Hareblower

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show Adaptation with Gregory Peck and Virgina Mayo

Theatrical Trailer

3) The Three Musketeers (1948)

Vintage Fitzpatrick Traveltalk Short Looking at London

Classic Cartoon What Price Freedom

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Promo

Theatrical Trailer

4) The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 & 1952 Versions)

Pete Smith Specialty Short Penny Wisdom

Cartoon The Wayward Pups

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Adaptation with Ronald Colman

Fitzpatrick Traveltalk Short Land of the Taj Mahal

Oscar Winning Cartoon Johann Mouse

1952 Theatrical Trailer

5) Billy Budd (1962)

Commentary by Terence Stamp and Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh

Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection

1) David Copperfield (1935)

2 Vintage Technicolor Musical Shorts: Pirate Party on Catalina Isle and Two Hearts in Wax Time

Classic Cartoon - Poor Little Me

Audio-Only Bonus "Leo is on the Air" Radio Promo

Theatrical Trailer

2) Marie Antoinette (1938)

2 Vintage Shorts: Another Romance of Celluloid and Hollywood Goes to Town

Theatrical Trailer

3) Pride and Prejudice (1940)

Oscar Nominated "Crime Doesn't Pay" Short Eyes of the Navy

Classic Cartoon The Fishing Bear

Theatrical Trailer

4) A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

Oscar Nominated Short Audioscopiks

2 Classic Cartoons: Hey Hey Fever and Honeyland

Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show Adaptation Starring Colman

Theatrical Trailer

5) Treasure Island (1934)

Vintage Dramatic Short The Spectacle Maker

Oscar Nominated Short Strikes and Spares

Classic Cartoon Tale of the Vienna Woods

Theatrical Trailer

Sigur Ros

2008-05-30T08:10:00.009-05:00

Since the late nineties, Sigur Ros have established themselves as the premier purveyors of delicate orchestral melodies ripe for feature film soundtrack inclusion. Who among us can forget the lilting piano strains that signal the beginning of "Hoppipolla" or the explosion of sound that "Saeglopur" bursts into mid-stride?

If nothing else it's impossible to forget the titles. The band themselves are nearly as inscrutable as their music, particularly since the members are notably boorish in dealing with the press.

Case in point: last years disastrous NPR interview (which can still be seen online, replete with "director's commentary") during which the band is somewhat polite yet awfully reticent for radio.

One wonders why they even agreed to render the interview. Publicity? Contractual obligations? Free coffee at the studio?

Granted, the majority of the questions are approaching inane, yet there's little question the band could have been more gracious. Instead they come off as bleary-eyed sedative addicts.

Though, personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. It is so very droll to read the comments of the fans as they blindly defend their precious heroes and decry the career choice (among other things) of the interviewer.

But I digress.

Since news of Hvarf/Heim broke mid-2007, it's been no secret the band has been crafting a new record for months. So it was with great fanfare that the band recently released the first single from the new album on their website, titled "Gobbledigook".

Believe it or not, I spelled that correctly. "Gobbledigook". I really wish this was an April Fools post, somehow that would make this whole entry even more amusing.

The album cover and music video are also readily available on the web. Sigur Ros has a grand tradition of gorgeous disc packaging and thoughtfully crafted video clips. So what majestic aesthetic are we presented with this time?

Naked people running and/or dancing. Lots of naked people.

Why? Because we all know naked bodies equal poetic art. By this logic the AdultCon conventions should be worthy of highbrow review in the New Yorker.

Were he still with us, I'm sure Helmut Newton would love this new direction. As for me, I'm simply pleased to behold a group so wonderfully bizarre.

Thanks Sigur Ros, for providing beautifully eclectic music with a hearty serving of unintentional hilarity. What will you guys think of next?

Wait, don't tell me. I want to be surprised.

"Gobbledigook" from Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (2008)

[Yeah, I had to copy and paste that title.]

Al Stewart

2008-05-29T09:17:00.005-05:00

Today we honor two vastly different English gentlemen: the well-read modern troubadour Al Stewart and the Elizabethan naval commander Richard Grenville.

In 1976, Stewart released his song "Lord Grenville", which somewhat fictionalized the final days of Grenville's life in addition to touching on the specifics.

Though the accounts of Grenville's exploits and inevitable demise are somewhat speculated upon, depending on the source, the following is the version from Al Stewart's own website:

Sir Richard Grenville (1542-1591)

English Naval commander. He was sent with a fleet of 13 ships to intercept a Spanish treasure ship in the Azores. On August 31 they received news that 53 Spanish ships were headed out to meet the treasure ship. Other ships in the fleet weighed anchor and headed out to sea.

Grenville's ship, the Revenge, was delayed and cut off. The ship was becalmed in the lee of a large galleon. After a hand to hand battle lasting 15 hours, involving 15 ships and 5000 men, the Revenge was captured. Grenville was carried aboard the Spanish flagship, where he died a few days later. The exploit is commemorated in a poem by Tennyson titled "The Revenge".

The following excerpt from Cornwall Calling offers a few more details:

On August 31st 1591 the Revenge with about a hundred men fought a battle against some fifty Spanish ships. Battle ceased as darkness fell, and the next day the Spaniards were surprised to see the Revenge still floating. Its mast and sails were gone, its holds were flooded. Grenville ordered his chief gunner to sink the Revenge to stop it falling into enemy hands, but the survivors wanted him to surrender.

Grenville agreed provided the Spanish would grant them full honours of war, and return them to England immediately. The Spanish commander agreed and the battle ended. The Revenge was captured, and Grenville, mortally wounded, was taken on board the Spanish Admiral's ship San Pablo, where he died a few days afterwards. Shortly afterwards an enormous storm sank the Revenge and 14 Spanish ships.

"Lord Grenville" from Year of the Cat (1976)

Gus

2008-05-28T22:49:00.005-05:00

"Floodlights" from Word of Mouth Parade (1999)

Curtis Stigers

2008-05-27T18:15:00.005-05:00

Adult contemporary radio stations briefly flirted with Curtis Stiger's album Time Was back in '95, as they had three years earlier with his self-titled debut, but ultimately mainstream stardom was to elude Mr. Stigers.

Aside from being a quite talented saxophonist with an ear for crafting radio-friendly pop melodies, Mr. Stigers also possesses a distinctive voice most notably suited for jazz. Today we revisit his finest album with two time-related tracks culled from the aptly titled Time Was.

"This Time" from Time Was (1995)

"Time Was" (Duet with Shawn Colvin) from Time Was (1995)

Sam Cooke

2008-05-25T09:38:00.004-05:00

British singer James Hunter once recounted a story concerning the universal appeal of Cooke's music:

"I was on a train once, uh, comin' home from somewhere that night. And there was a few - lots of tired commuters, and somebody a few seats down had a... a whatcha call it...a little stereo playin' Sam Cooke stuff really softly on it there. And normally when somebody's got music going on in the train somebody gets irritated. But that trip, no one, there wasn't anyone on the train that didn't dig it."

I hardly need re-tell the oft-told tales of the legendary life of Sam Cooke. One only need initiate a brief search engine jaunt to bring up detailed articles of his life, career, and untimely death.

Still, even if unfamiliar with the specifics of Cooke's life, who hasn't heard his work? Classic tracks like "Bring it on Home to Me" and "Chain Gang" are mainstays on oldies radio. Here, however, we'll focus on lesser-known but equally sublime masterpieces from Cooke's storied canon.

"Just For You" from Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 (2003)

"Rome Wasn't Built in a Day" from The Man Who Invented Soul (2000)

"Sugar Dumpling" (Original Version) from The Man Who Invented Soul (2000)

The Alan Parsons Project

2008-05-24T06:13:00.005-05:00

What better way could there be to kick off the 2008 Memorial Day weekend than with the first two cuts from Eye in the Sky by progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project?

The first three cuts?

Absolutely!

The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky (1982)

1) "Sirius"
2) "Eye in the Sky"
3) "Children of the Moon"

The Pogues

2008-05-23T01:39:00.013-05:00

The Pogues debut record Red Roses for Me signaled a new era in Irish pop music with its brilliant fusion of traditional Irish folk music and the youthful potency of punk music.

Though the novelty was certain to eventually wear off, as such things are wont to do, The Pogues continued to reinvent their style with two successive albums.

Rum, Sodomy, & the Lash is unquestionably their greatest achievement, boasting both heartbreaking ballads ("A Pair of Brown Eyes") and raucous drinking songs ("The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn").

Third effort If I Should Fall from Grace with God maintains a close second position to the previous album. Though not quite as memorable, it contains the Pogues most cherished entry in their canon - "Fairytale of New York".

"Streams of Whiskey" from Red Roses for Me (1984)

"A Pair of Brown Eyes" from Rum, Sodomy, & the Lash (1985)

"Fairytale of New York" from If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988)

Josh Ritter

2008-05-21T15:57:00.009-05:00

American folk singer/songwriter Josh Ritter built a steady following on the strength of his first two albums, but his artistic growth did not reach copious fruition until the release of Hello Starling in 2003. Second track "Kathleen" has become such a prominent icon that Ritter's handwritten lyrics were recently auctioned on eBay for charity.

"All the other girls here are stars, you are the Northern Lights" brilliantly introduces the track, though it is true the album is also suffused with sharp subjective thought as well. The solemn lamentations of "Man Burning" illustrate that quite well: "I regret the things I've done, bitter words and fiery tongues."

In 2005, Hello Starling was re-released with an extra disc that contained a four song live set including "Kathleen", "Golden Age of Radio", "You Don't Make It Easy Babe", and "Snow Is Gone." It's highly recommended, as Mr. Ritter is legendary for his colorful live performances.

When The Animal Years appeared swiftly on the heels of that re-release, pre-release samples from the album were snapped up faster than doughnuts at a weight loss convention. Mr. Ritter suddenly featured in multitudes of music periodicals, including a grand write up in Paste - and there was bounteous reason for this fervor.

"Girl in the War" fronted a delicate, yet brutally honest anti-war stance, "Wolves" featured a rolling piano intro and called to mind a successor to Neil Young's throne might be at hand, while the lyric "Best for the Best" suggested a burgeoning songwriter who has the chops to rival Dylan.

As if the world needed any more proof of Ritter's inimitable talent, fourth record The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter arrived in stores in August of 2007. The minute the jangly, excited guitar strum of "To the Dogs or Whoever" strikes the eardrum, it promises something ambitiously extravagant. It is distinctly Ritter, name dropping historical figures and following it up with profoundly mystic lines like "The stain of the sepia the butcher Crimea."

"Right Moves" could have been a hit single were the masses not hopelessly superficial, "Empty Hearts" contains one of the most accessible singalong choruses of the year, while "The Temptation of Adam" serves to exemplify Ritter's songwriting prowess.

The track is a distillation of a romance between a soldier and a woman named Marie hunkered down in a missile silo, described as a "top secret location three hundred feet under the ground." The lyric is hauntingly beautiful as it treads the course of the courtship amidst the foreboding intonations of "W.W.I.I.I.", the soldier's answer to Marie's question of "what five letters spell apocalypse?"

Occasionally, in order to fully understand an artist, it is helpful to read a bit about their background and lifestyle. Writer Josh Jackson, in the aforementioned Paste article, assists with this sufficiently with the following excerpt:

"With his curly mop, scraggly beard, sweater and secondhand corduroy jacket, Ritter looks more like a college professor than either of his parents, who both teach neuroscience at Washington State University, just across the state line.

Though he left Idaho after high school, he’s at home in the woods of the Northwest, where he first began writing songs. He points out the different types of trees—enormous cedars, cottonwoods, ponderosas, willows and Douglas firs.

Further up the mountain from Ritter’s childhood home, his best friend Rocky Weitz’s family owns hundreds of acres.

'I could disappear into those woods for hours,' Ritter says. 'Just take a book and spend the day by myself.'"

"Song for the Fireflies" from Golden Age of Radio (2001)

"Kathleen" from Hello Starling (2003)

"Wolves" from The Animal Years (2006)

"The Temptation of Adam" from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (2007)

BONUS TRACK

"Peter Killed the Dragon" from Live at the Record Exchange EP (2007)

The Hiatus Comes Full Circle

2008-05-21T13:28:00.003-05:00

The long wait is over. After being lulled into a coma by now resolved circumstances (the particulars of which are protracted and uninteresting) HHDC is back and ready for semi-regular postings!

Dolorean

2008-04-22T20:55:00.003-05:00

De Lorean. The quintessential automobile icon of eighties wealth and excess was also one of the finest American sports cars ever conceived. In 1980, it was a safe bet that anyone with a lingering partiality to some abstract exotic carmaker would immediately dissapate that partiality upon viewing a stainless steel DMC-12. The swanky machine just exuded speed, even when utterly immobile.

But I digress.

Portland-based act Dolorean is a five piece band which serves as the primary vehicle for singer/songwriter Al James. Their earliest proper album, Not Exotic, is a glorious vestige of Midwestern Americana encapsulated into beautifully structured melodies. There are elements of country and bluegrass present, but it is first and foremost a folk record.

Album opener "Morning Watch" subtly sets an appropriately serene mood before jettisoning the dawn for the more convivial "Traded for Fire" and "Jenny Place Your Bets". Both are wonderfully envisioned tracks that, at least stylistically, seem to serve as companion pieces to each other.

The real gem of the album, both lyrically and musically, is "Sleeperhold". With it's Biblical intonations and intricately delicate melody, "Sleeperhold" ranks quite high in the top twenty tracks of 2003.

With sophomore record Violence in the Snowy Fields, James and co. expounded upon their Americana slant and added a harmonious CSNY vocal element to the mix. The title track and "The Search" stand as some of their finest work - and perhaps the closest Dolorean ever comes to letting loose.

"My Grey Life (Second Chances)" would fit magnificently in the closing credits of some darkly bitter drama. "I believe in second chances, for everyone. . .but you." Brilliant.

You Can't Win, with its artistically chic cover shot, has become perhaps the most successful of Dolorean's records - at least from a critical standpoint. "Heather Remind Me How This Ends" is a song so hauntingly alluring it will stick with you for weeks afterwards.

The ninth cut from the record, titled for the coordinates of the area where ex-Beach Boy Dennis Wilson's ashes were scattered, is absolutely spellbinding. Its construction consists of merely scant instrumentation and wordless singing, but the execution is nothing short of sublime.

Dolorean is a phenomenal act with few contemporaries that can even approach their mastery of the nearly-lost Americana genre.

If their previous work is any indication, it can only get better from here. . .

"Sleeperhold" from Not Exotic (2003)

"Violence in the Snowy Fields" from Violence in the Snowy Fields (2004)

"Heather Remind Me How This Ends" from You Can't Win (2007)

Pinetop Seven

2008-04-16T18:00:00.005-05:00

Perhaps the closest Pinetop Seven has come to mainstream attention came in 2005 when "Witness", a cut from their album The Night's Bloom, appeared on a Paste Magazine sampler disc. A year later, National Public Radio featured a track from rarities compilation Beneath Confederate Lake on the "Song of the Day" segment, a track for which this weblog is named after.

Though popular success has eluded Pinetop Seven, the band has been immensely active in the Chicago music scene since at least the mid-nineties. Mid-Western Americana is perhaps the most apt genre description of the band's work, as their rustic sound is reminicent of a film score to a dark, moody Western.

Their eponymous debut displayed a firm grasp of the Western genre, replete with a cover depicting a bristling battle between two gunslingers. "Tennessee Pride", with its ominously foreboding amble, is the final and best track on the record. The track could be seamlessly placed in an episode of Deadwood...in fact, I'm surprised none of the band's work wasn't enlisted for use in the HBO program.

Sophomore record Rigging the Toplights is unquestionably Pinetop Seven's finest work to date. First of all, the album features "Drying Out", a song that could possibly induce tears from the dismal tone alone - add to that aching lyrics such as "The winter here has not been kind", and you have a simply sublime piece of work.

Their latest LP, The Night's Bloom, displays dramatic creative growth - particularly in tracks like "Born Among the Born Again". A supporting banjo has never been utilized so masterfully, I would argue, as in this album. "Witness" is another standout, once again featuring haunting lyrics that remain with you long after the track is over.

In addition to the offerings here, the band has a detailed website which features numerous downloads of some of their best songs.

"Tennessee Pride" from Pinetop Seven (1997)

"Drying Out" from Rigging the Toplights (1998)

"On The Last Ride In" from Bringing Home The Last Great Strike (2000)

"Born Among The Born Again" from The Night's Bloom (2005)

"Hurry Home Dark Cloud" (Alternate Mix) from Beneath Confederate Lake (2006)

Kings of Convenience

2008-04-12T11:54:00.002-05:00

Almost single-handedly, Simon & Garfunkel took the folk music playbook and modified it to create a sound deeply rooted in folk yet immediately accessible to casual radio listeners. Their 1964 album Wednesday Morning, 3 AM is a landmark recording in the furtherance of popular acceptance of folk.

Though the album was not an overnight success, within two years the group would shoot to stardom under the momentum of fans who could not get enough of the airy acoustic guitars and lyrical witticisms. Part of the credit is due to Paul Simon's exceptional songwriting prowess, and part of it is due to the otherworldly harmonizing between Simon and Garfunkel.

Over thirty years later, up and coming acts are still working off the S&G folk modifications, many of them adding their own enhancements and alterations to the mix. Belle & Sebastian are perhaps the most notable of these ardent folk followers, but an oft-overlooked outfit is the duo comprising Kings of Convenience.

Norwegian musicians Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek Boe, playing together since their mid-teens, formed the band in 1999 and managed to release their debut Quiet is the New Loud only two years later.

The beauty of KoC songs is in their simplicity. "I Don't Know What I Can Save You From", with it's soothing, hushed vocals that would become trademark, sidles along amiably despite the ominous overtones of the lyrics.

"Toxic Girl" gained the twosome significant attention, featuring both in a wireless advertisement and in the film Shallow Hal. What strikes the listener most about the album is that though there is some scoring to the songs, and scant percussion here and there, the bulk of their work is straight acoustic singer/songwriter stylized folk music.

It is a refreshing sound free from the noisy overproduction and needless instrumental meandering that permeates the sound of many modern indie acts.

After a diverging remix album called Versus, Kings of Convenience released sophomore effort Riot on an Empty Street in 2004.

With this release Oye and Boe built upon the folk tradition, displaying extensive creative growth and expanding the scope of their sound by leaps and bounds. "I'd Rather Dance With You", unquestionably the poppiest track on the record, excitably bounces along with a danceable beat. It was the second single culled from the record and potentially misleading to newcomers as to the overall characteristics of KoC's sound.

The first single, "Misread", showcases the duo at their absolute zenith. The breezy acoustic guitars and mellifluous vocals are rarely in finer form, and this alluring dynamic is displayed in other tracks such as "Live Long", "Cayman Islands", and "Gold in the Air of Summer."

Leslie Feist, who herself released an album that year, features on two tracks: "Know How" and "The Build-Up".

The folk genre is crowded with acts who attempt to emulate what Kings of Convenience have done, but the honest truth is that Oye and Boe are peerless. Any skepticism to this declaration can be quelled by simply listening to their work, both of their albums are highly recommended.

Let us hope 2008 holds a new one from Kings of Convenience. . .

"Toxic Girl" from Quiet is the New Loud (2001)

"Gold in the Air of Summer" from Riot on an Empty Street (2004)

BONUS MP3

Erlend Oye/Phoenix "If I Ever Feel Better" from DJ-Kicks (2004)

April 8

2008-04-08T01:07:00.001-05:00

Celluloid

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

Lions for Lambs (2007)

Resurrecting the Champ (2007)

Reservation Road (2007)

P2 (2007)

Music Within (2007)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)

The 6th Day (2000)

Music

Nine Inch Nails Ghosts I-IV (2008)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (2008)

Fleet Foxes Sun Giant EP (2008)

Man Man Rabbit Habits (2008)

Colin Meloy Colin Meloy Sings Live! (2008)

Jonathan Richman Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild (2008)

The Long Blondes Couples (2008)

Tapes N Tapes Walk It Off (2008)

Cloud Cult Feel Good Ghosts (2008)

The Smiths: Strangeways, Here We Come

2008-04-06T01:23:00.003-05:00

Strangeways, Here We Come, the fourth and final album by seminal eighties band The Smiths, was released in September of 1987. If the volatile relationships within the band were unclear after the release of third album The Queen is Dead, they were certainly at the forefront in the months leading up to the release of Strangeways.

Lead guitarist Johnny Marr had already departed the band a month prior to its release and vocalist Morrissey was becoming increasingly frustrated the dynamic of the band as a whole.

Strangeways proved to be a hit in the United Kingdom, striking the #2 spot in the charts, and also saw moderate success in the United States. Three singles were culled from the record, including "Girlfriend in a Coma", "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", and "Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me."

These tracks, indeed the whole of the album, presented a slightly evolved template from which the band created their ambiguous, subterranean odes concerning humanistic observations and literate ruminations.

The lyrical tone was more tongue-in-cheek than previous releases, as if Morrissey was poking fun at the journalists who criticized his typically melancholy demeanor. The compositions were trademark Smiths work, yet showed growth with their expanded synth arrangements.

This decision dates the album considerably, especially compared with their earlier work which is mostly composed with the standard guitar/bass/drum setup, yet the synths did lend a slightly fuller sound to the tracks on Strangeways.

In the wake of the dissolution of The Smiths, Morrissey embarked on a highly successful solo career and Johnny Marr became one of the most sought after session musicians of the nineties. As for the two other members. . .well, who cares about them?

Previous HHDC articles on The Smiths:

The Smiths (Debut)

Meat is Murder

The Queen is Dead

"A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours" from Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)

"Girlfriend in a Coma" from Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)

HHDC Mix #2

2008-04-05T04:07:00.005-05:00

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence." - Leopold Stokowski

M.I.A. "Paper Planes" from Kala (2007)

This shouldn't work. Shamefully posturing vocals combined with the monotonous chorus effects of gunshots and cash register ring...really, what is this? What is it? Aside from a absurdly ridiculous and gloriously catchy song. . .I have no idea.

Hymns "C'mon C'mon" from Brother/Sister (2006)

C'mon. A bit generic, yet entirely palpable. Goes down easy with a few shots. Nice.

Basia Bulat "Snakes and Ladders" from Oh, My Darling (2007)

Outstanding. This is the sort of music that binds memories. This is the sort of song you'll play twenty years from now and smile. This is why we listen to music. Onward, Basia Bulat.

Belle & Sebastian "Piazza, New York Catcher" from Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)

Despite being available on album number six since 2003, "Piazza, New York Catcher" has recently gained significant fandom for Belle & Sebastian since the song was featured in indie blockbuster Juno late last year. There is no question it's one of the finest songs in their collective canon, and the track is at last receiving long overdue recognition.

Sigur Ros "Hljomalind" from Hvarf/Heim (2007)

I have to lend Sigur Ros all due credit, these guys have a formula and they stick to it with vehement devotion. This isn't a bad trait, especially when the formula is one borne of incredible originality. Still, any schtick gets tiresome after a few plays. It's in this dilemma that Hvarf/Heim suffers the most. If "Hljomalind" is any indication, however, there is still every reason in the world to look forward to their next work.

The Cure for a Rental Drought

2008-04-04T03:09:00.003-05:00

If you're a fan of avant-garde, classic, or unheralded films in general The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never Heard Of is an excellent suggestion resource for those weekends when little in the way of interesting new releases are found. I've selected ten of my favorite selections from the book to present here:

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) [Criterion Collection]

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

The Duellists (1977)

Two-Lane Blacktop (1972) [Criterion Collection]

The Battle of Algiers (1967) [Criterion Collection]

Red River (1948)

Hard-Boiled (1992)

The Missouri Breaks (1976)

The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Withnail & I (1987) [Criterion Collection]

As the cover declares, the book offers ninety more "hidden treasures, neglected classics, and hits from bygone eras." The bulk of the suggestions are sound and nearly all are worthy of watching. Best of all, this little tome can be had for a little over ten dollars:

The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never Heard Of by David N. Meyer

Gee, thanks Radiohead.

2008-04-02T22:02:00.007-05:00

Radiohead, the over-hyped art rock outfit from Oxfordshire, are again grabbing headlines for their most recent publicity whoring strategy. Apparently the band has divided their latest single, "Nude", into five seperate tracks and made them available for download on iTunes for a dollar apiece.

The idea is for fans to remix the track utilizing some sort of ACID-like program and obtain the most online votes for some sort of contest, the point of which is unclear at present.

Just to make it clear, a potential remixer must buy all five tracks to have access to the program that will enable that person to actually do any re-working of the track. It is also made clear on the terms page of Radiohead's website that the remixer is not entitled to any control of the track and should not anticipate the slightest reward for their work.

This is brilliant. This easily trumps the "name your own price" download stunt of last year. Now, it essentially appears that the band is enlisting their fans to do their work for them. Not only that, Radiohead is being paid for fans to do their work for them.

While other bloggers may wax poetic, falling over themselves to extoll the virtues of such an idea, I find it more than a little insulting. What, are we just supposed to be thankful some wealthy big name band will put down their golf clubs for a bit to listen to remixes by us common folk? Please.

Oak

2008-04-02T19:57:00.001-05:00

Though not remotely music-related and located nowhere near the West Tennessee hometown of HHDC, a beautiful shop has recently opened in Boston that caught my attention.

Oak is a boutique that deals nearly exclusively in handmade items. Judging from the photographs on the store's blog, the place looks fantastic. Next time I work my way to New England, I certainly hope to stop in.

Sadly, there simply aren't enough places like this down South, with the notable exception of The Neely House.

HHDC Easy Eighties Mix

2008-04-02T02:36:00.006-05:00

"Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life." - Jean Paul Richter

Bryan Ferry "Slave To Love" from Boys and Girls (1985)

Danny Wilson "Mary's Prayer" from Meet Danny Wilson (1987)

Fiction Factory "Feels Like Heaven" from Throw The Warped Wheel Out (1984)

Breathe "Hands To Heaven" All That Jazz (1988)

Johnny Hates Jazz "Turn Back The Clock" from Turn Back The Clock (1987)

Styrian Spirit

2008-04-01T01:04:00.000-05:00

When Styrian Spirit burst onto the eighties rock scene, many fans expected the act to fetch a high bounty in the fallout immediately following a label war and sell enough copies of their debut to topple giants like Def Leppard and Poison. Touring primarily in Europe since their formation in 1981, the band had gained a significant following yet still did not garner the attention of a major label.

Unconcerned, the band opted to record their own album in a rented house near the ocean. However, more than a year before the scheduled release of their independent debut, Triumph Over Old Age, lead vocalist Chuck Gottlieb died of a massive overdose. What few vocals Gottlieb had performed were rehearsal takes recorded on a thirty dollar handheld cassette recorder.

With the vocal tracks laid down on shoddy equipment and essentially unusable, the remaining members realized their ticket to stardom had just been revoked. Gottlieb embodied the heart and soul of the band, and without him Styrian Spirit was just another run-of-the-mill hair band.

As a tribute to their fallen bandmate, the band went ahead and recorded the entire album as it had been originally conceived - sans the vocals. Lead guitarist Randy Westmore incorporated an edgy, driving rock sound - hence the title of the leadoff single "Drive Rock".

Typical for bands of their time, Styrian Spirit also penned dreamlike ballads such as the wistful "Last Dance." The cut presented here is a demo version, which originally featured as the b-side for the single "Drive Rock."

Upon it's release in April of 1986, the album proved a universal flop. In fact, sales were so poor that the band themselves removed the record from printing. Copies of the album are extremely rare and usually in cassette format. After the record went bust, the band went their seperate ways and never reformed.

Of course, the burgeoning "instrumental guitar rock" genre would flourish with the release of Joe Satriani's landmark album Surfing with the Alien a year later. Though many would carry on the torch and arguably handle it with superior skill, Styrian Spirit are unsung pioneers in this field.

Today we salute the bold deeds of Styrian Spirit, even if they did not pay off in the long run. . .

"Drive Rock" from Triumph Over Old Age (1986)

"Last Dance" from Triumph Over Old Age (1986)

April 1

2008-03-31T04:08:00.005-05:00

Another week, another hearty bounty of new entertainment choices - including the anticipated home video release of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Though many seemed to feel Johnny Depp was robbed of a Best Actor Oscar, it's difficult to believe anyone other than Daniel Day-Lewis should have hefted the golden statue last month.

Still, Sweeney Todd is a fast-paced, fun horror-musical with all the Burton-esque earmarks we've come to expect. As might be expected, there is the gloriously gloomy, yet oddly beautiful, cinematography and the characterizations are all nothing short of bizarre. Naturally, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Also of notable release is absolutely ridiculous children's film Alvin and the Chipmunks. While I would enjoy tearing apart the film and pointing out why this sort of tripe is hardly helpful to the developmental growth of our youth, such ruminations would fall on deaf ears. Considering the film broke the two hundred million mark, it's safe to suggest that Americans simply wish to give their children what they want.

Here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, two new under-the-radar releases we recommend are The Good Night and Fiorile. The Good Night revolves around a former pop star who now composes commercial jingles for a living. Naturally, a mid-life crisis is inevitable. Fiorile, actually released in 1993, is a warm Italian film about a unique family curse.

Films released for the first time on high-definition Blu-Ray discs are Unbreakable, Coyote Ugly, and Hidalgo.

Musically, the new releases are even more diverse this week. First of all, R.E.M. offers their first new record since 2004 with Accelerate. Sun Kil Moon officially releases April, their first record of original material since 2003. Electronica maven Moby released his ninth album and Van Morrison trumps Moby with his thirty-third studio album.

Hard rock and heavy metal fans will surely pounce on new ones from Sevendust, Theory of a Deadman, In Flames, and The Sword. For country fans, both Josh Gracin and George Strait are presenting new albums, as well as brilliant country-tinged musician Jackie Greene.

Alternative-country singer Matthew Ryan, who has a song featured on the latest Paste Magazine disc, releases his new one today. The blues-rock of The Black Keys gels into another solid new album, in addition to a rarities release from seasoned singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. Finally, instrumental indie outfit Unwed Sailor and rock band Foals both have new ones. The official U.S. release for Foals is April 8, but impatient fans can opt for the import release today.

Theatrical new releases this week, beginning April 4, are: Leatherheads, Nim's Island, and The Ruins.

Leatherheads is a screwball/comedy/football film set in the mid-twenties, Nim's Island has been described as an "Indiana Jones film for girls", and The Ruins is a by-the-numbers horror flick (is there any other kind?)

Celluloid

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)

The Good Night (2007)

Fiorile (1993)

Unbreakable (2000) [Blu-Ray]

Coyote Ugly (2000) [Blu-Ray]

Hidalgo (2004) [Blu-Ray]

Music

R.E.M. "Sing for the Submarine" from Accelerate (2008)

Sun Kil Moon "Moorestown" from April (2008)

Moby "Alice" from Last Night (2008)

Van Morrison Keep It Simple (2008)

Sevendust Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow (2008)

Theory of a Deadman Scars and Souvenirs (2008)

In Flames Sense of Purpose (2008)

The Sword "Fire Lances" from Gods of the Earth (2008)

Josh Gracin We Weren't Crazy (2008)

George Strait Troubadour (2008)

Jackie Greene Giving Up the Ghost (2008)

Matthew Ryan Matthew Ryan Vs. Silver State (2008)

The Black Keys Attack & Release (2008)

Robyn Hitchcock Shadow Cat (2008)

Unwed Sailor Little Wars (2008)

Foals "Cassius" from Antidotes (2008) [Import]

Treasure!

2008-03-29T05:29:00.009-05:00

I've always been a fan of shipwrecks, pirates, lost treasure, early exploration, and the history of Earth in general. There are times when I find myself purchasing obscure documents and historical periodicals in the hope of finding something curiously unique.

Typically the most interesting articles are found in thick history tomes or defunct magazines such as Great Battles and Lost Fortunes. Imagine my surprise, then, to find a "Lost Treasures" article in an issue of childrens magazine Disney Adventures dated January of 1994.

The magazine quizzed three top treasure aficionados on what shipwreck would be the most valuable if found. These people included Marco Meniketti, the project director of San Agustin Institute of Marine Technology; Denise Lakey, marine archaeologist; and Jim Lima, marine historian.

The following text is taken straight from the article:

La Gallega - Sank in a Panama River, 1503.
The Treasure - a priceless Christopher Columbus ship.
Columbus was on his fourth and final trip to the Americas when he sailed up a Central American river he called Rio Belen for rest and to resupply. He and his men were attacked on shore by natives; Columbus and his crew made it to another ship but had to leave La Gallega behind. Shipwreck hunters simply can not find this wreck.

Las Cinque Chagas - Sank in the North Atlantic off the coast of the Azores, 1594.
The Treasure - 1,000 tons of spices, silk, gold, and jewels worth $500 million.
Las Cinque Chagas, one of the richest Portuguese treasure ships, was returning from India when she was attacked by English warships; only 13 people out of 1,000 survived. They were spared from execution by flashing jewels at the English sailors in return for rescue. Why hasn't anyone found the ship? No one knows where she went down.

San Jose - Sank off the Columbia coast, 1708.
The Treasure - Gold coins worth about $30 million.
This is the Big One: the richest Spanish galleon ever lost in the Western Hemisphere. The San Jose was bound for Spain from South American. She was nearing Isla del Tesoro ("treasure island") off the coast of Columbia when she was attacked and blown up by English warships. She's 2,000 feet below the ocean, too far down to get to - even if anyone knew where to look.

Grosvenor - Sank off the coast of South Africa, 1782.
The Treasure - Gold bars, gold coins, 19 chests full of jewels, and a jewel-encrusted gold throne called the "Peacock Throne of India" worth $10 million.
You'd think a 729-ton ship would be hard to wreck, but the captain did just that: he got lost, took a wrong turn, and ran the Grosvenor up a reef. The shark-infested waters - the world's most dangerous - keep treasure hunters away.

Yankee Blade - Sank off Point Arguello, California, 1854.
The Treasure - Gold Rush booty.
During the California Gold Rush, the Yankee Blade ferried food, supplies, and gold miners up and down the West Coast. On one trip, she drifted into a fog and hit a reef. Water rushed in from a 30-foot gash in her bottom, and she sank two days later. All the ship's gold is said to lie in a rusty steel vault that went down with her. Today, heavy currents and year-round bad weather keep the treasure hunters away.

I hope to eventually confirm the veracity of these accounts, and discover if any of these vessels have been at least partially located in the fourteen years since this article was published.

We shall see!

John C. Reilly "My Son John" from Rogue's Gallery (2006)

Bryan Ferry "The Cruel Ship's Captain" from Rogue's Gallery (2006)

Acid House Kings

2008-03-27T18:09:00.011-05:00

Swedish indie pop group Acid House Kings, by the year 2002, already had two albums under their collective belt. But it wasn't until third album Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays that the band honed their distinctive twee style into a cohesive mixture of delirious hand claps, sunny guitar melodies, and late night fireside lyrics.

You probably wouldn't guess that from their moniker, which admittedly recalls some obscure stoned seventies garage rock group rather than a cheery European twee band.

Though founding member Niklas Andergard provides much of the vocals, some of the best tracks are helmed by relative newcomer Julia Lannerheim. Lannerheim's assuaging voice trickles along the melody of the song like creekwater, lending an already soothing track an airy springtime feel.

"Say Yes If You Love Me" is rife with lyrics that would typically induce eye-rolling in the hands of another artist, which makes covering the work of Acid House Kings a tricky business at best. Within their artful hands, however, the track instead induces a knowing smile. It's a song that should be pegged as a one-off soundtrack single for a children's film, but it is so blissfully pleasant adults will keep it for their own.

Sing Along with Acid House Kings displays an even more dramatic creative growth for the band. Nearly every track is a standout, and as a bonus the album comes packaged with one of the most uniquely tailored companion dvds in recent memory.

Continuing the "sing along" theme the title suggests, the dvd features the band performing mundane tasks such as reading the newspaper and making coffee while a karaoke-style lyric banner assists the viewer with the sing along. Also included are a couple of promotional music videos.

With the consistently lengthy period between albums and many of its members extending themselves into outside projects, such as the excellent Club 8, it's unlikely we will hear from Acid House Kings until somewhere deep into 2008. The last post on their website, dated eight months ago, suggests just that.

Until then, we will wait anxiously. . .

"Say Yes If You Love Me" from Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays (2002)

"London School of Economics" from Sing Along With Acid House Kings (2005)

BONUS MP3

Club 8 "Jesus, Walk With Me" from The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming (2007)

HHDC Mix #1

2008-03-25T18:38:00.030-05:00

"He who sings scares away his woes." - Cervantes

David Gray "One With The Birds" from A Thousand Miles Behind (2007)

"When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds. When we hide our feelings, we may as well fly away."

"One With The Birds", a sublime piano-driven ballad, is absolutely one of the most beautiful songs in the Oldham canon, and this version is superbly handled by Gray. It is a rare artist that can strike all the intended nuances inherent within a song written by another, yet Gray displays true finesse for crafting a cover with profound respect to the original work.

In many ways it is akin to finishing a book written by another, which in my experience is generally disastrous. Anyone read Spider Robinson's horrid take on Robert A. Heinlein's unfinished novel Variable Star?

But I digress.

The cover album "One With The Birds" is taken from features quite a few curious choices, including Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" and no less than three Bob Dylan tracks. It is available exclusively from Gray's official website, yet it is not quite worth the staggeringly high amount of money demanded. That's no less than twenty-six dollars for the cd and eighteen to twenty-two for the digital download. Way to give back to your fans, Mr. Gray.

Ben Lee "We're All In This Together" from Awake Is The New Sleep (2005)

"Ask a scientist, it's quantum physics, we're all in this together."

"We're All In This Together" is a pop song in the grandest fashion. The deceptively simplistic lyrics give rise to uninhibited sing-alongs, and the bouncing beat of the melody harkens back to a time when the music was a bit sunnier, in addition to being hopelessly catchy.

These days, pop musicians are created in a labratory by the record label. The artist is propped up and airbrushed to picture perfection. It's all light and mirrors. Pop artists with blazing originality are becoming increasingly scant, and Ben Lee is one of the last remaining standouts in this field. As a side note, this track was recently used in a Kohl's Advertisement.

The Avett Brothers "Die Die Die" from Emotionalism (2007)

"You can try to swim the sea, but say goodbye to you and me."

At first listen "Die Die Die" recalls Pernice Brothers, specifically compared with "Amazing Glow" from Live a Little. Partly because of the tight acoustic instrumentation, but mostly because of the beautifully harmonizing vocals.

At second listen, all the glorious subtleties surface and with them comes the gift of a truly charming song. Aside from that, these guys can sing.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" so said Keats. Songs like "Die Die Die" serve to prove that declaration.

Arctic Monkeys "Flourescent Adolescent" from Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)

"You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress."

The video clip for this one is gloriously camp, with its entertaining yet uninspired battle betwixt men and clowns. Somehow, the band is even able to interject a bit of true emotion in such a cornball scenario.

Brief flashbacks are seen in which one of the men and one of the clowns are both children, gleefully playing together. Later during the battle, when the clown has the man pinned, he implores "How did it come to this?" Tragic, isn't it?

Raveonettes "Aly, Walk With Me" from Lust Lust Lust (2008)

"Aly, walk with me in my dreams, all through the night."

Hooray for distorted guitar reverb and high volume feedback! Thanks Mr. Lou Reed, really, I mean it. If you had not fashioned an album of utter ear-shattering noise, where would songs like this be today?

The Raveonettes have taken the Velvet Underground playbook and run with it, though it would be a severe discredit to unload their creativity wholly at the altar of Reed. There are shades of eighties new wave in the mix as well, not to mention the stunningly excellent balance between melody and misrule.

March 25

2008-03-24T17:31:00.011-05:00

It's Tuesday, and time for another new release report!

This week the term "new release" is a bit relative, as the majority of new film releases are reissues, but there are a couple of anticipated albums that are in stores now.

The classic 1967 gangster film Bonnie & Clyde, previously only available on a bare bones single disc, has been re-released in a typically extravagant Warner Brothers two disc special edition set. Also getting the deluxe re-release treatment is Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

After languishing in relative obscurity for years, one of the definitive films of David Lynch's career, Lost Highway, is at last receiving a proper dvd release. An unquestionably bizarre murder mystery film, it has inevitably become something of a cult classic. Fans will be especially interested to know that the dvd will ship with an in-depth director interview.

Also seeing release today is mediocre horror film The Mist, Sundance favorite Wristcutters: A Love Story, and weepy drama The Kite Runner.

Counting Crows have a new album dropping today, and if the pre-release cut of "Cowboys" is any indication, it will be the hardest rocking Counting Crows record since Recovering the Satellites. Remember "Angels of the Silences" anyone? Rounding out the list this week are punk-turned-pop fashionistas Panic at the Disco and indie newcomers Plants and Animals.

Celluloid

Bonnie & Clyde (1967)

Walk the Line (2005)

Lost Highway (1997)

The Mist (2007)

Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)

The Kite Runner (2007)

Music

Counting Crows "Cowboys" from Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings (2008)

Panic at the Disco "Nine in the Afternoon" from Pretty Odd (2008)

Plants and Animals "Feedback in the Field" from Park Avenue (2008)

Sun Kil Moon: April

2008-03-23T11:12:00.018-05:00

Recording under Red House Painters since the early nineties, Mark Kozelek has fashioned a career out of reinventing the once tired singer/songwriter genre into a veritable melange of genre-bending conventions.

The latest offering from Kozelek, now working under the title of Sun Kil Moon, will hit stores the first of April. Those who pre-ordered the album, however, received the album sometime last week.

The first two thousand and eight copies were hand signed by the man himself and included a four track bonus disc of alternate cuts from the album, including: "Tonight In Bilbao", "The Light", "Like The River", and "Tonight The Sky."

Longtime fans will knowingly smile at the play length: approximately seventy-five minutes spread over eleven tracks. As rumored, providing supporting vocals are Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard and Will Oldham (also known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy).

Stylistically, whether recording under Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters, or just simply Mark Kozelek - the end result is always the same. Brilliantly evocative, impassioned instrumentation is set to Kozelek's wry, penetrative lyrics. The sound has become something of a trademark, so much so that Kozelek's music has been recognized even during an unheard, instrumental cut.

This consistency makes April an easy decision. Anyone who has enjoyed an album of Kozelek's is practically guaranteed to adore the latest. It is perfect music for spring, for April, for anyone with a heart - broken or otherwise.

Sun Kil Moon "Moorestown" from April (2008)

The Public Enemy

2008-03-22T01:24:00.023-05:00

From left: James Cagney (Tom Powers), Jean Harlow (Gwen Allen), Edward Woods (Matt Doyle), and Joan Blondell (Mamie).

Tom Powers. Today, the gangster archetype is typified on a scale of comparison to performances by either Robert De Niro or Al Pacino. Whether set up against the white hot adrenaline of Pacino, or built up around the brooding intensity of De Niro, modern gangster films have become a classic staple of American cinema second only to the western.

Scorcese and Coppola merit the bulk of the credit for their masterful weavings of, respectively, the Goodfellas and Godfather sagas. Yet a string of directors have helmed such recent cult gangster films as Miller's Crossing, King of New York, Carlito's Way, Donnie Brasco, Romeo is Bleeding, Hoodlum, Mobsters, and Road to Perdition.

But prior to all of this, there was Tom Powers. The protagonist of The Public Enemy was an ambitious, cunningly intelligent, borderline misanthropic mobster. It was a role no different from the gangsters in other pre-code era films, such as Scarface or Little Caesar, except for one aspect - James Cagney.

Cagney's energetic performance in The Public Enemy decisively established his career and gave birth to scores of mob-related films, many including Cagney. Tight scripting and top gear acting (with a few exceptions, Jean Harlow is a significant low point in that department) ensure a never dull picture, and the cinematography is astonishingly picturesque at times.

Watch the montage of city life at the beginning and marvel at the rather long tracking shot that introduces the two main characters as children. Another early scene involves Powers, as a teenager, getting himself into trouble with his strict, diciplinarian father. The father slowly walks to the kitchen to retrieve his lash as his mother looks on sympathetically.

The camera remains stationary as the father, ever so slowly, strides into Powers room to punish him. The scene is shot with such delicate care in regards to the subject matter that it is every bit the equal to modern portrayals of castigation.

The attention to detail, curiously adept for such an early film, is breathtaking. A later scene has a camera hidden in the ground so that a gangster's car drives over it ominously. When a police officer is killed during Powers first big heist, the film depicts his death by displaying a hand clutching a revolver - smoke still subtly trailing from the barrel.

I could expound on the amount of deftly shot scenes endlessly. Perhaps most notably, the infamous grapefruit scene became so iconic that it's still parodied to this day.

And the chilling climax, in which Powers seeks revenge for the death of his best friend, remains one of the preeminent symbols of early pre-code cinematic violence.

His gang weakened by the accidental death of its primary enforcer, Powers finds himself outgunned and essentially aloof. Paddy, the gang's leader, strives to protect what's left of his outfit by sequestering them in an apartment, replete with a mistress to take care of them.

After barely a day, Powers grows restless (and incensed at the mistress who seduced him in a drunken state) and storms out. Matt Doyle, ever Powers intrepid companion, accompanies him.

Not surprisingly, rival gang members are lying in wait and immediately open fire as they depart. Doyle is struck and nearly instantly killed, while Powers is able to seek cover around a corner. Beside himself with fury, Powers plots a devious retribution.

Alone in the rain he stands silently, watching the rival gang's automobiles arrive at a popular hangout for the gang. One by one they scurry inside as Powers glares at them. Though an malicious grin escapes his lips, it's clearly evident his rage is rapidly reaching a boiling point. That's when Powers shoves both hands in his coat pockets and marches inside the building.

From here, the only thing the audience witnesses is the anterior of the building. No score is played, only the unnerving sound of gunfire and a few grisly screams. We do not see the firefight and we do not see men fall to the ground clutching their abdominals. Powers emerges a minute later, noticably wounded, and tosses both his pistols through the windows of the building.

Powers staggers down the street a bit before collapsing in the gutter, torrential rain descending around him, only managing a weak "I ain't so tough" before losing consciousness. The screen fades to black, and only then is the tension dissolved.

What makes this series of events so remarkable is that no actual violence is seen. The entire episode takes place within the recesses of your own mind, and that can often be more terrifying that any cinematic sequence could ever be.

It's brilliantly executed and boldly shot with such a detached sense of realism that you feel as if you're standing right there on the corner next to Powers. . .and still there as he commits murder.

The Public Enemy, in the humble opinion of Hurry Home Dark Cloud, is the purest exemplification of the gangster film. In the years since its release, all others have served as naught but pallid facsimiles.

The National

2008-03-21T02:56:00.008-05:00

It has been reported that this summer The National and Modest Mouse will support R.E.M. on tour to promote their latest album Accelerate, which hits stores April 1.

Modest Mouse is a palette thing, you simply either have a taste for it or you do not. Outside of their hopelessly accessible Good News for People Who Love Bad News, Modest Mouse possesses the unique ability to craft obtuse, nearly inscrutable songs that, nevertheless, appeal to the masses.

The National, on the other hand, should provide a perfect foil to the alt-rock-lately-leaning-towards-adult-contemporary R.E.M.

With frontman Matt Berninger's rich baritone drenching already melancholy songs in an even deeper shroud of obsidian fog, it will contrast nicely with Stipe's trademark robotic murmur covering more diverse topics such as deceased comedians and passenger trains.

The National's eponymous debut showed promise, but it was evident the band had not found its footing yet. With sophomore outing Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, however, the band found solid ground with a teary-eyed outlook on relationships and life itself.

But mostly relationships.

This leering love life outlook was expounded upon in spades with the subsequent release Alligator. The record would finally earn the band critical accolades and a major tour. Just when it appeared as if the band had reached its artistic peak, along came Boxer in 2007.

"Fake Empire" alone is worth the purchase price of The National's fourth LP. A cautiously quiet piano begins the song and, in its brief three minute span, expands into something progressively tense.

Piercing single "Mistaken for Strangers", which finds the band punishing their guitars more than ever, contains one of the catchiest choruses of last year.

The album garnered high praise, including a Best Album nod from Paste Magazine. Demos from the recording sessions are floating around the 'net, countless live bootlegs abound, and many tracks culled from the record have found their way into television spots - namely the NBC program Life.

Try out a track from each album below, buy a record or two, then head over to their myspace for the latest tour dates. You will not regret it.

"Cold Girl Fever" from The National (2001)

"Cardinal Song" from Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003)

"Daughters of the Soho Riots" from Alligator (2005)

"Apartment Story" from Boxer (2007)

Battlestar Galactica: Season Three DVD

2008-03-20T01:15:00.005-05:00

The penultimate season of Battlestar Galactica was released this week and in addition to all twenty episodes the set is loaded with special features, including:

Showrunner Ronald D. Moore's podcast commentaries for every episode.
Deleted scenes for every episode, including an extended cut of "Unfinished Business" (colloquially known as "the boxing episode") with an incredible twenty-five minutes of extra footage.
Tons of Producer David Eick's Video Blogs.
Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance webisodes.

This is sufficient enough to whet the appetite of BSG fans in anticipation of the fourth and final season premiere April 4!

BONUS MP3

Bear McCreary "Wander My Friends" from Battlestar Galactica: Season One Soundtrack

Duncan Sheik

2008-03-19T20:58:00.003-05:00

If you judged Duncan Sheik's debut by the cover shot, you'd probably think he was some sort of ex-New Kid on the Block who raided his hair gel stock and sheepishly posed for his major label solo outing.

That would be a shame, and were it for for lead-off single "Barely Breathing" engaging pop radio in a stranglehold for much of 1996, it's likely the album cover alone would've repelled potential impulse buyers.

"Barely Breathing" struck a chord with audiences in the same vein as the typically upbeat guitar pop of the late nineties did with hit singles like Eagle-Eye Cherry's "Save Tonight" and "Wonderwall" by Oasis. Interestingly, Sheik's self-titled debut was constructed of more organic, baroque pop rather than radio-friendly hits.

"She Runs Away" kicks off the album classically and provides a more suitable blueprint for the remainder of the record than "Barely Breathing" suggests. The beautifully morose offerings "In the Absence of Sun" and "Out of Order" lead into one of the albums' more trite yet tranquil tracks: "Home".

The following two records, Humming and Phantom Moon, were more experimental and attracted little mainstream attention. With fourth album Daylight, however, Sheik strode back to his pop roots and fashioned a record every bit the equal to his debut.

"Genius" will ring a familar tone with those who have endured a luckless relationship, "On Her Mind" treads the same ground as James Blunt's "Beautiful" without causing involuntary cringing, and "Good Morning!" is perhaps one of the more clever lyrics Sheik has penned.

His last record, White Limousine, carried both a single that sounded as if it was a lost cut from his debut sessions and an extra dvd disc that allowed listeners, with a simple download of an Acid-like program, to completely deconstruct the record and remix any song in any way the user wishes. It was a brilliant concept that I wish more artists would follow.

With Sheik's burgeoning creative branches into broadway composing, it's unclear when (if ever) we can expect a sixth album. If his previous releases are any indication, it's a safe bet that whenever Mr. Sheik steps back into the studio we will be first in line to hear it.

"Out of Order" from Duncan Sheik (1996)

"Alibi" from Humming (1998)

"The Winds That Blow" from Phantom Moon (2001)

"Good Morning!" from Daylight (2002)

"White Limousine" from White Limousine (2006)

The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead

2008-03-18T20:53:00.005-05:00

In 1986, The Smiths were responsible for developing one of the most lyrically ornate, musically brilliant albums of the past thirty years. The Queen Is Dead represents a milestone in the furtherance of more complex pop records and served to unequivocally establish The Smiths as the most meaningful band of their era.

The burgeoning eighties indie scene gave rise to artists as eloquent as Elizabethan poets while still musically proficient enough to fashion those words around catchy, hook-filled songs.

The DIY aesthetic that permeated early punk rock recordings also fueled like-minded indie musicians who desired to branch outside of the limited confines of popular radio, Top 40 countdowns, and cheap dancefloor programs.

The Queen Is Dead commences with the rip-roaring title track which very nearly sounds like an early punk recording, before branching off into the whimsically astute observations on dealing with spiteful industry types with "Frankly, Mr Shankly."

"I Know It's Over", which essentially parallels a breakup with death, stands as a bleak testament to both the internal turmoil of its author and his ability to sum up a lifetime of agony in a few brief minutes. "Cemetry Gates", another whimsically droll melody, is a clever response to critics who accused Morrissey of outright plagiarism.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" proved to be an exceptionally popular single, with its war-cry of "Now I know how Joan of Arc felt" and relentlessly energetic guitar work. Immediately following the intensity of "Bigmouth" was the impassioned "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", a favorite here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud.

The final highlight is "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", which has over time became known as The Smiths signature track. Darkly elegant in feel, the timbre of Morrissey's voice accentuates every sympathetic syllable. It is small wonder fans have embraced the track as an anthem.

Curiously, despite the universal critical acclaim this record received, both Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr consider their next album to represent the peak of their creative output as the collective Smiths.

Check back soon for a review of that final album: Strangeways, Here We Come.

"The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" from The Queen Is Dead (1986)

"I Know It's Over" from The Queen Is Dead (1986)

March 18

2008-03-17T22:39:00.006-05:00

"Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction listen to weather forecasts and economists?"

- Kelvin Throop

It's March 18 (or close enough) and time for another virgin tuesday roundup!

Perhaps the most anticipated film making its home video debut is I Am Legend. Leading man Will Smith, who is steadily fashioning a career of portraying classic science fiction characters, spottily displays a bit of geniune acting prowess in Legend but otherwise his performance is par for the course.

The two-disc dvd release is advertised as having two endings, one of which is "controversial", but truthfully both are disappointing and grossly negligent with respect to the original Richard Matheson novel.

In the book an ironic barb is uncovered at the climax, in which it's revealed the protagonist (Robert Neville) has become to the vampire race what they were once to humanity. With the essential extinction of mankind already certain, Neville becomes the feared legend - a man who stalks and slays the vampires while they sleep.

Granted, it was important for the filmmakers to change entire sections of the novel both for translation to the screen and to modernize ideas that were slightly outdated. Still, by tearing out the heart of the novel, the film is dumbed down until it dissolves into an illogically pastoral - even cheerful - ending.

Aside from Legend, a couple of films directed at children are now available: Enchanted and The Seeker: The Dark is Rising.

Enchanted is a by-the-numbers kid flick, while The Seeker is more action oriented and features diverting performances from Deadwood-alumnus Ian McShane and former Dr. Who Christopher Eccleston.

Best Picture nominee Atonement is certain to send drama fans flocking to their dvd outlet. Though a bit self indulgent, it is unquestionably a fine film and a worthy addition to any home library. As an added bonus, the dvd comes with more green dress goodness!

Lastly, to the great gratification of us here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, the third season of Battlestar Galactica hits the streets today.

As for music, a few new albums from major indie acts are in stores today, including the excessively prolific Joseph Arthur. The new EP, Could We Survive, is among at least three others coming out this year in addition to a possible LP release.

Quasi-veteran Dan Bejar (who records under the stage name of Destroyer) and newcomers She & Him also have albums coming out today. She & Him consists of folk superstar M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel, and with their solid debut Volume One, they're certain to have many already clamoring for the second one.

Two rogue acts who have both, curiously, benefitted greatly from hit indie films also have albums due today. Devotchka featured prominently in Little Miss Sunshine, and Adam Green (formerly of The Moldy Peaches) had tracks than ran throughout the course of Juno.

That's it for now, it's time to catch up on Battlestar before the new season premieres April 4!

Celluloid

I Am Legend Two-Disc Special Edition (2007)

Battlestar Galactica: Season Three (2006-07)

Enchanted (2007)

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007)

Atonement (2007)

Music

Destroyer "Dark Leaves" from Trouble in Dreams (2008)

Joseph Arthur "Rages of Babylon" from Could We Survive EP (2008)

She & Him "This Is Not a Test" from Volume One (2008)

Devotchka "Transliterator" from A Mad and Faithful Telling (2008)

Adam Green "Leaky Flask" from Sixes & Sevens (2008)

Sera Cahoone "Only as the Day Is Long" from Only as the Day Is Long (2008)

Math and Physics Club

2008-03-16T13:38:00.003-05:00

Jangle pop. Unfamiliar readers will find that Hurry Home Dark Cloud has a multitude of issues with typical genre conventions. Predominantly, we find they are too confining and often pigeonhole an act unfairly.

However, despite the laughably absurd genre title, jangle pop fits Seattle crew Math and Physics Club quite well. So well, in fact, that a cut from last years EP sounds eerily similar to influential eighties band The Smiths - perhaps the most celebrated purveyors of pop that jangles.

"Nothing Ever Happened" appears to be distinctly fashioned as a homage to the work of The Smiths, seeing as the carefree guitars and utterance of lines such as "I must be terribly lonely" are textbook Morrissey trademarks.

It's sunny, upbeat music that sounds awfully pleasant during a long Saturday afternoon. Considering the depressing dearth of music this breezy and blissful, we've composed an open letter to the band:

Dear Math and Physics Club,

More, please.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Hurry Home Dark Cloud

"Nothing Really Happened" from Baby I'm Yours EP (2007)

The Sellout Conundrum

2008-03-15T19:38:00.003-05:00

Ingrid Michaelson, currently one of the most popular targets for venemous "sellout" accusations.

Sellout. The very mention of the term curdles the blood of music fans and bloggers. It symbolizes the death of original music and avant garde creativity. It is the harbinger of massive success and profits, high profile media tours, and sold out big venue concerts. A sellout is a very bad thing.

Suddenly the casual music consumer has the audacity to enjoy a band and not even consider the fans who listened to them "before they were cool."

Ingrid Michaelson, formerly an artist struggling to get her music heard, propelled her single "The Way I Am" from backpage release to breakout hit by drafting the track into an advertisement for Old Navy and a showcase spot on hit program Grey's Anatomy.

These savvy business moves gained her national exposure and are directly responsible for the success of her debut Girls and Boys.

So why has Miss Michaelson become anathema in the eyes of many fans and bloggers? It's quite simple, really.

Human nature. The fabled scorpion and frog deal.

We revile an artist if he or she becomes successful, though we constantly extoll his or her virtues to the masses when they're languishing in obscurity.

We rack our minds pondering why people will not stand up and recognize what is clearly amazing work, but we are disgusted by fans who only first discovered the band because of their breakout, major label record.

We're tired of listening to classic rock and pop staples on television, yet we are disappointed when an artist accepts money and widespread publicity by having a song featured on mainstream, nationally syndicated programs.

We eagerly accept an office promotion or pay raise, yet we spurn an artist who seeks to market their music commercially.

Here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, we applaud the accomplishments of indie artists who have broken into the mainstream.

So here's to you sellouts, rogues, charlatans, scalawags, reprobates, ye swindlers of indie cool!

Here's to you!

Ingrid Michaelson "The Way I Am" from Girls and Boys (2007)

Eiffel 65

2008-03-14T16:12:00.003-05:00

Europop. Denoting both the given genre of the group and the title of their breakout record, Eiffel 65 enjoyed an extremely successful year in 1999. With lead single "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" hitting the number one spot on charts in nearly every civilized nation on Earth, there was a point in which the track became such a ubiquitous staple on radio it became as reviled as James Blunt's "Beautiful."

To the everlasting joy of thousands, "Blue" hasn't been heard from since at least 2002. It's the sort of track that will invariably (if it has not already) appear on Time Life produced Remember the Nineties discs along with dance-oriented essentials like "Macarena" by Los Del Rio and "Wannabe" by Spice Girls.

Europop was unabashedly accessible, almost to a fault. This accessibility was enhanced by trendy (well, at the time) gimmicks such as extensive use of vocoders. I don't believe a single lyric was sung though anything but a voice synthesizer.

Granted, it was a dance record, and as American Bandstand proved back in the seventies, people will pretty much dance to anything as long as there is a discernible rhythm.

The bulk of the record is composed of nitwitted by-the-numbers dance melodies for club hopping automatons. "Move Your Body", "My Console", "Hyperlink". . . .those are probably three parts of the same song.

Still, Europop did have its flashes of astuteness. "Too Much of Heaven" is a damning statement on rampant consumerism, while still strangely encouraging dancing to lines like "No love, no friendship, nothing else."

At best, Eiffel 65 will remind you of Violator-era Depeche Mode. At worst, they will recall everything vile about the nineties' fascination for provisional dance pop.

"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" from Europop (1999)

"Too Much of Heaven" from Europop (1999)

The Smiths: Meat Is Murder

2008-03-13T18:23:00.002-05:00

Meat Is Murder, the sophomore effort from pioneering English band The Smiths, found the act experimenting with a myriad of genre bending styles. First of all, Morrissey's long time penchant for Elvis-esque rockabilly is in full gear (i.e. "Rusholme Ruffians") as well as more sensitive, introspective ballads ("I Want the One I Can't Have").

Not immediately accessible, and with no standout radio single, the record would remain one of The Smiths least favored records. It's remarkable, then, to recall that Meat Is Murder is the only original album to chart at #1 in the U.K. The inclusion of the immensely popular "How Soon Is Now" on the U.S. release ensured that Meat Is Murder would also sell reasonably well stateside.

The politically charged ideology is abjectly confrontational but never quite approaching tiresome. Lettuce love lullaby "Meat Is Murder" is, like veganism, an aquired taste. Though a bit preachy and self-righteous, the lyrical content does hold some sad truths. Just recently, to the shock of no one, it's come to light that some slaughterhouses routinely employed torture.

"Barbarism Begins At Home" and sister song "The Headmaster Ritual" serve as compelling odes decrying the stringent disciplinarian tactics of English schoolhouses.

Perhaps the most amusing track is "Nowhere Fast" with it's giddy declaration of "I'd like to drop my trousers to the Queen" amid typically dispiriting reflective imagery such as: "I think about life and I think about death, and neither one particularly appeals to me." Brilliant.

Meat Is Murder is primarily regarded as an important step in the creative growth of The Smiths which reaches its peak with the monumental third release The Queen Is Dead. Check back soon for an upcoming discourse on that album as we continue our spotlight series on The Smiths.

"Rusholme Ruffians" from Meat Is Murder (1985)

"Barbarism Begins At Home" from Meat Is Murder (1985)

Crash Test Dummies

2008-03-12T16:45:00.002-05:00

Crash Test Dummies frontman Brad Roberts (seated, blue shirt) at home with his family.

Annoying. What other adjective could wholly express the baritone, monotone drone of Crash Test Dummies frontman Brad Roberts?

That voice permeates the song without regard for harmony and selfishly squats on every note.

That voice wrenches into the instrumentation with reckless abandon until it consumes your ears like ravenous pirahna.

In essence, it's like listening to Ben Stein on a bad acid trip.

If songs like "Afternoons & Coffeespoons" were all Crash Test Dummies had to offer us, the loyal music consumers, I'm confident God Shuffled His Feet would've tanked and vanished beneath the depths of obscurity.

So how did it sell over five million copies since its release?

That second album, you see, contained the gloriously peculiar "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm", a song which inexplicably plants itself in your mind and refuses to leave. You plead with it, try to reason with it. Yet all it does is cross its arms and vigorously shake its head at you.

Despite the danger infectious songs present the melody-susceptible public, I'm offering the infamous track here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud.

But heed my warning: listen at your own risk. . .

"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" from God Shuffled His Feet (1993)

Deep Blue Something

2008-03-11T14:19:00.002-05:00

Home. With that record, Deep Blue Something forever cast themselves as the guys who sung "Breakfast at Tiffany's." From the guitar strum that commences the track to the sing-along chorus, what unfolds is a pleasant yet pedestrian pop song.

Akin to Goo Goo Doll's single "Name", which was released just a few months before Home, it's a song that never quite fulfills its inital promise of being something great.

In lieu of greatness, we're left with something closer to adequate.

What comes as a surprise, then, is to realize a good deal of Deep Blue Something's work is entirely pleasing. "Josey" is every bit the equal to "Breakfast at Tiffany's", if only a bit lacking in enthusiasm.

"Enough to Get By", from 2001 album Byzantium, is subdued in tone yet awfully assuaging. Especially when the trumpet kicks in.

According to the band's myspace, the band rejoined in late 2007 and have plans to release new music through iTunes.

I, for one, anticipate something approaching excellence yet only reaching adequate.

Sometimes, that's all I need.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" from Home (1995)

"Name" from A Boy Named Goo (1995)

March 11

2008-03-10T20:03:00.002-05:00

It is Tuesday! For film and music fans across the nation, this is the busiest (and sometimes most expensive) day of the week. Here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, we are proud to introduce Virgin Tuesdays, in which the latest releases share the spotlight and subsequently seek a spot in your collection.

For starters, a new double-disc release of Gattaca hits stores today. A brilliant character study disguised as a science fiction film, Gattaca remains a lushly-realized achievement with more than a few things to say about humanity.

Aside from the radiant scripting and top drawer acting, Gattaca also sports one of the finest film scores in recent memory - which is almost as underrated as the film itself. Under Michael Nyman's skillful direction, the orchestration fully captures the foreboding feel of the movie in all its grandeur.

Also readily available on dvd is pedestrian family film August Rush, the amusing yet banal Bee Movie, brainless actioner Hitman, 2007 Best Picture winner No Country for Old Men, and quirky romance comedy Dan in Real Life.

Gattaca Two-Disc Special Edition Re-Release (1997)

August Rush (2007)

Bee Movie (2007)

Hitman (2007)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Dan in Real Life (2007)

BONUS MP3

"The Departure" by Michael Nyman from Gattaca Soundtrack (1997)

The Smiths

2008-03-09T17:11:00.002-05:00

"It's time the tale were told of how you took a child and you made him old."

So begins the eponymous debut album by seminal eighties band The Smiths. From there, the record unravels to reveal layer after layer of complex lyrical arrangements that touch on everything from distresses concerning social economics to denouncements of abject murder.

In defiance of their contemporaries, The Smiths adopted a back-to-basics approach - which their very name suggests. They dressed down in t-shirts and denim, rather than gaudy costumes or stage outfits. They utilized the standard structure of guitar/bass/drums at a time when synth was everything.

Frontman Morrissey wasn't afraid to wordlessly vocalize or display an almost comical falsetto on tracks like "Miserable Lie." Guitarist Johnny Marr was just coming into his own as an accomplished arranger, as if he was only then realizing the power his instrument held to impel tracks like "This Charming Man."

In short, The Smiths were young yet eloquent, and what they lacked in experience they made up for with surprisingly erudite sentiments.

Take "This Charming Man", for example, an early single penned with such ace insight that an inscrutable line like "Why pamper lifes complexity when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat" doesn't pan out as obtuse but rather quite fetching.

The bulk of the album continues this trend of shrewd awareness for humanity's darker recesses: "Pretty Girls Make Graves" is a sexually-androgynous ode to romantic frustration, and "Hand in Glove" continues this theme with lines like "No, it's not like any other love. This one is different."

The Smiths was a landmark album and a sign of great things to come. This album and the ones proceeding it would influence acts as diverse as Belle & Sebastian, Radiohead, Doves, and Suede in the years to follow.

Check back soon at Hurry Home Dark Cloud for upcoming reviews of the remainder of The Smiths catalog, including the oft-forgotten live album Rank.

"This Charming Man" from The Smiths (1984)

"You've Got Everything Now" from The Smiths (1984)

Headlights

2008-03-08T19:58:00.004-06:00

Wow. Headlights' sophomore album Some Racing, Some Stopping is hands down the best new release thus far this year.

Consumate pros at their craft, which happens to be solid indie pop, Headlights came out of nowhere to offer Earth the moonstruck beauty of "Cherry Tulips". One listen is practically guaranteed to have you downloading their latest within minutes.

Be sure to stop by their myspace for upcoming tour dates, I hear they put on a hell of a show!

"Cherry Tulips" from Some Racing, Some Stopping (2008)

Snowden

2008-03-08T08:26:00.002-06:00

Snow! A veritable rarity here in the southern United States, the recent heavy snowfall has caused a few remote areas to be inaccessible. Fortunately, I've a powerful shovel to render the driveway snow asunder.

Pitiful frozen water is no match for iron and brawn. To war!

But not before breakfast. . .

In the meantime, if so inclined, please enjoy two stellar snow-related songs from artists soon-to-be featured here:

Doves "Snowden" from Some Cities (2005)

Mew "Snow Brigade" from Frengers (2003)

Jaymay

2008-03-07T14:59:00.001-06:00

Dames. It has been noticed that since the inception of Hurry Home Dark Cloud not a single female artist has held center stage. Further, there has been a distict lean towards music from bygone years rather than more recent releases.

Lest it be said that we are stuck in the past or, worse, misogynistic: it is with great pleasure that I introduce the exceptionally talented Jaymay.

Her debut Autumn Fallin' was released a few months ago and has been steadily gaining momentum, culminating in an expanded March 11 re-release of the record.

Album highlights "Blue Skies" and "Gray or Blue" showcase the complexity she is capable of, channeling both a touch of Missy Higgins and a bit of Alela Diane.

Highly recommended.

~~"Blue Skies"~~ from Autumn Fallin' (2007)

Better Than Ezra

2008-03-06T23:29:00.001-06:00

"Good." With that single syllable song, Better Than Ezra firmly established themselves as one of the premier alt-rock bands alongside such illustrious contemporaries as Blind Melon, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dishwalla, Gin Blossoms, and Collective Soul. Debut Deluxe was a surprise hit and spawed at least two other successful singles.

From there, Better Than Ezra crafted an equally grand sophomore record. The release of Friction, Baby saw newfound fans across the globe embracing one of the most reliably crowd-pleasing songs in Better Than Ezra's catalogue: "Desperately Wanting". However, despite the success, no new ground was broken because the band opted to utilize the exact same mold they'd used for their debut.

The debate between releasing a roster of straight rock records and experimenting with a style a bit deeper than the average alternative album has torn apart lesser acts. Granted, it is a crucial decision that can make or break a band.

Do you cater to the greatest common denominator and give the people what they theoretically want - another piece of the same rock record? Or do you alter your present style to something less mainstream yet still have the album solidly land within the field of pop music?

Better Than Ezra's conceptualization of third album How Does Your Garden Grow set about to regenerate the dormant creativity long-time fans knew they were capable of. It begins with quirky opener "Je Ne M'en Souviens Pas", which essentially establishes this will not be BTE Rock Record #3.

The record really kicks off with "One More Murder", which adroitly highlights the senselessness of random killings. "At the Stars" recalls late nights that seemed as if they could last forever. "Under You" unfolds beautifully as a love paean, while adjacent track "Live Again" suggests a more complex relationship replete with worries and woes.

"Beautiful Mistake" is nudged near the end of the album when many bands are tacking on filler songs and half-hearted tracks. Concerning a father who has abandoned his family, the track was immediately seized upon by fans who understood the pain of loss. For years it could be found next to Everclear's "Father of Mine" on oft-pressed melancholy mix discs.

Though Better Than Ezra has released two albums since Garden, with some notable high points, they have yet to reach the creative heights they scaled so seemingly effortlessly in 1998.

~~"Good"~~ from Deluxe (1993)

~~"Desperately Wanting"~~ from Friction, Baby (1996)

~~"Beautiful Mistake"~~ from How Does Your Garden Grow? (1998)

~~"A Lifetime"~~ from Closer (2001)

Enigma

2008-03-05T20:41:00.001-06:00

1994. It was, perhaps, impossible to view VH1 at any given moment during that year and miss the memorable clip for Enigma's "Return to Innocence". Opening with the peaceful death of an elderly man beneath a tree, the video unfolds in reverse exposition (a la Coldplay's "The Scientist") to weave the tale of that man's life all the way back to birth - the literal return to innocence.

Inspired by recent revisitations to the work of E.S. Posthumus and simultaneously reminded of the mid-nineties by dusting off my copy of In the House of Stone and Light, I felt compelled to remain in flashback mode and review the early works of prominent electronica musicians Enigma.

Fronted primarily by the gifted Michael Cretu and an insanely awesome bamboo flute, Enigma burst onto the electronica/new age scene in the early nineties with impressive bravado. For a few precious years, they accomplished the improbable and made new age sound rather swell.

Then, as fate would have it, Yanni had his Acropolis deal in '94 and Enya released an album a year later. New age sunk back into its former state of what could be described as "cotton candy" music. Though it should be noted Enya did win a Grammy for her record, but a new age Grammy is pretty much a Gimme Grammy. Enya has racked up a win for nearly every album released. At last count, she is up to at least four or five.

You see, it's not exactly a hotly contested genre.

But I digress.

With the release of MCMXC a.D. in 1990, Enigma catapulted themselves to stardom with a brilliant cohesion of Gregorian chants, sweet synth beats, and the aforementioned insanely awesome bamboo flute. Their work would be drafted into dozens of films, trailers, and television ads and have the distinction of featuring on my fifth grade mix tape.

Their early albums, perhaps inevitably, sound a bit prosaic at present. It is probably difficult for first-time listeners to recognize that in 1990 the sound of Enigma was both edgy and stylistically nouveau.

Fourteen years after release, there is still something innately special about "Return to Innocence" - indeed, the whole of Cross of Changes is an impressive piece of work. Never, before or since, did Cretu and crew combine their stock of worldly chants and electronica beats with such pitch perfect effect.

That's why it will always remain a mainstay in my collection, and that's why it should remain in yours as well.

~~"Mea Culpa"~~ from MCMXC a.D. (1990)

~~"Return to Innocence"~~ from The Cross of Changes (1993)

Pacific!

2008-03-04T12:28:00.001-06:00

Disco. I'm not entirely certain why that was the first genre that struck me upon listening to Reveries by Pacific!, but it seems to fit rather well. Reveries is unquestionably retro in spirit, and there is a certain charm in revisiting a long lost friend from the past - but the term disco is still too tainted with seventies absurdity to take it seriously again.

And yet, I'm bereft of a more decorous summarization.

Reveries just recently hit the streets and a few tracks are already burning up my playlist. Specifically, I simply cannot get enough of "Sunset Blvd". At first listen, it sounds like a track from a lost seventies soundcheck. Each successive listen reveals a firm root in the present, while still ringing with all the best intonations of that bygone era.

Call it disco, retro, old-soul, whatever. Suffice it to say Pacific! is in fine form. Pick up the single below, stream a few more tracks at their myspace, then buy the album here.

If "Sunset Blvd" doesn't immediately sell you, I'm willing to bet one listen to "Love Isn't Always On Time" will!

~~"Sunset Blvd"~~ from Reveries (2008)

Martin Page

2008-03-03T21:04:00.001-06:00

Genesis. An admiration for that particular progressive rock band is perhaps one of the few commonalities Martin Page and I share. Though, now that I consider it, Page harbors a partiality to the pre-Collins Genesis records and I definitely fall into the post-Gabriel realm of fandom. Apparently the distinction between the two is still fiercely debated, with many fans still referring to Collins as the "new guy."

But I digress.

Aside from a mutal partiality to Genesis, I have an absolute adoration for In the House of Stone and Light, the first and (so far) last album from Page. Released in 1994, the album gained significant buoyance from the success of its album-titled track and subsequent single "Keeper of the Flame."

The video clip for "In the House of Stone and Light" was played endlessly on VH1 (back when they actually rotated music videos) during the summer of '94 and could still be seen deep into 1995 (usually adjacent to the outstanding Annie Lennox clip for "No More I Love Yous"). The track also spun heavily on radio and featured on adult contemporary playlists for years afterward.

Despite a default categorization as a "one hit wonder", I find the record an endless source of indulgence I return to at least once a year. This is partly because of the polished, superlative songwriting and partly because of the exceedingly intricate care given to the instrumentation.

Prior to recording his debut album, Page had written songs for acts as diverse as Go West, Tom Jones, Earth Wind & Fire, Heart, and Starship. This experience in the music business, combined with Page's involvement in seminal eighties techno band Q-Feel, allowed him to slate such venerable session musicians as Robbie Robertson (of The Band, on guitar) and Phil Collins (of Genesis, on drums) who lent their considerable talents to the harmony of Page's magnum opus.

Spaced throughout In the House of Stone and Light are the ubiquitous love songs ("Light in Your Heart", "I Was Made For You"), yet a variety of disparate topics are addressed on the album, including: domestic violence ("In My Room"), World War II internment camps ("The Door"), and a general condemnation of modern wars and societal ills ("Shape the Invisible").

Curiously, the single version of the marriage ballad "Keeper of the Flame" was coupled with the b-side "Broken Stairway" - which could very well have been written about a divorce. Though this may strike some as a contradictory move to some, I found it a perfect accompaniment to the chugging percussion and amiable tone of the a-side.

"Broken Stairway" is a heartachingly beautiful piano ballad clocking in at a scant two minutes forty-nine seconds. In that brief period of time, what unfolds is perhaps one of the saddest songs I've had the pleasure of discovering.

For those who share my affinity for In the House of Stone and Light and lament the sophomore album that never came, there is light on the horizon. According to Page, second album In the Temple of the Muse is slated for "imminent" release sometime in early 2008. A recent track, "Healing Waters", which Page recorded for the 2007 Abrazos breast cancer benefit album, can be streamed here.

While the tone is certainly reminiscent of his debut album and the track overall is warmingly strong, it's rather evident his vocals lack the robust power they once held. At present, it is unclear if "Healing Waters" will feature on the upcoming record because a track listing is still unavailable.

Page has long had a penchant for quoting historical figures in his works (his myspace blog is adorned with them). In homage to this practice, I'll leave you with the selection he inserted into the liner notes of In the House of Stone and Light:

“Defenceless under the night

Our world in stupor lies;

Yet, dotted everywhere,

Ironic points of light

Flash out wherever the just

Exchange their messages:

May I, composed like them

of Eros and of dust

Beleaguered by the same

Negation and despair,

Show an affirming flame”

- W.H. Auden from “September 1, 1939”

~~"In the House of Stone and Light"~~ from In the House of Stone and Light (1994)

~~"Broken Stairway"~~ from In the House of Stone and Light (1994)

~~"Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)"~~ from Q-Feel (1983)

Seabear

2008-03-02T18:41:00.001-06:00

Iceland. Home to a little over 300,000 people. Home to the popular children's program LazyTown and the magnificent waterfall Dettifoss. Home to the modern progenitors of heartachingly gorgeous melodies. Luminaries such as Bjork, Sigur Ros, and now. . .Seabear.

I could spin a yarn about the subtle complexity of the record, add a couple paragraphs about the existential beauty of the songs, perhaps even the an excessively verbose track-by-track analysis. I could tell you the single "I Sing, I Swim" alone would be worth the purchase price of the LP.

But all of that would only keep you from finding out for yourself one of the brightest new stars on the indie scene today, and you'll want all the time in the world to enjoy this beautiful, exquisitely crafted gem.

~~"I Sing, I Swim"~~ from The Ghost That Carried Us Away (2007)

~~"Libraries"~~ from The Ghost That Carried Us Away (2007)

Klaatu

2008-03-02T13:49:00.001-06:00

Would you entrust these guys with a recording contract?

"Sub-Rosa Subway". Had it not been for this track it's likely Klaatu would not have achieved the success they attained. Formed in the early seventies, the band strove for years to garner attention until they finally landed a deal with Capitol. Klaatu released their debut album 3:47 EST in 1976 to surprising success.

For whatever reason, there was a distinct lack of information about the band and a rumor began that Klaatu was, in fact, the Beatles. The record label and the band did nothing to dispel this rumor, and as a result many avid music consumers truly believed the gossip.

In particular the track "Sub-Rosa Subway", which the band themselves admitted was structured as a tribute to the Beatles, fueled the madness.

It didn't take long for natural sensibilities to quell the Beatles rumors and, as one might expect, the band was subjected to severe backlash from fans who felt misled and essentially duped into buying the record.

Still, Klaatu carried on with four more albums before finally disbanding in 1981.

Perhaps the most favored track in Klaatu's short career, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", was later covered successfully by The Carpenters.

~~"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"~~ from 3:47 EST (1976)

~~"Sub-Rosa Subway"~~ from 3:47 EST (1976)

BONUS MP3

~~"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"~~ from Passage (1977)

Battlestar Galactica

2008-02-25T11:26:00.002-06:00

Battlestar Galactica. Admittedly, the title suggests an embarrasingly puerile space-romp in the same vein as the original series which aired nearly thirty years ago. With that in mind, I can understand how many would question why the modernized "reimagined series" is receiving nearly universal praise.

Since the franchise relaunched in 2003, Battlestar Galactica has become without question the finest cable television program still in production - science fiction or otherwise. The masterful guidance of former Star Trek producer Ronald D. Moore deserves a good deal of the credit for reshaping the framework of the series, but there are a myriad of vital components to that framework.

Battlestar benefits the most from the prodigiously redeveloped characters and tightknit story plotting, which lends the program a much greater depth than it's predecessor. Further, the decision to abandon many stalwart science fiction conventions (i.e. laser weapons, excessive technobabble, etc.) and rely instead on a more realistic depiction of a possible alternative future is perhaps the lynchpin of the programs success.

Battlestar characters still employ ballistic weaponry and do not live in a utopian society. They do not explain problems with lines like "The primary hydroelectric magnetosphere regulator is overloaded" and they certainly do not possess technology that can materialize matter across vast distances. Further, the plot threads are not resolved by hack trickery such as the oft-used deus ex machina conclusion - which Star Trek relied on heavily at times.

With the fifth and final season of The Wire winding down on HBO and many abandoning hope in ever enjoying Lost again, it has been suggested by quite a few bloggers and periodicals (Entertainment magazine, for one) that a perfect solution to the television drought is to pick up BSG.

The penultimate third season will be available on DVD March 18, and the final season will begin airing April 4 on the Sci-Fi Channel. Despite being the resident town crier of the program's merits, I must concede the executives handling of the show tends to repulse many viewers not generally drawn to science fiction. At times, it's even insultingly pandering.

The two-hour film Razor, intended to serve as a bridge episode between the third and fourth seasons, simply did not reveal anything especially interesting - other than to prove they killed the Admiral Cain character off much too soon. Michelle Forbes, herself a sometime Star Trek actress, was simply brilliant in the Cain role.

Unquestionably the worst aspect of the film's inital airing is that between commercial breaks, the powers that be inexplicably felt it was a good idea to insert spots after a major event occured that went something like: "It has been revealed. Admiral Cain is a....lesbian!" Ridiculous.

If the imminent release of BSG:S3 creates a vaccuum of disinterest within, I've helpfully provided a list of many other upcoming DVD releases. It should be noted that a host of wonderful films such as The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 3:10 to Yuma, Michael Clayton, American Gangster, Once, La Vie en Rose, and In the Valley of Elah are all readily available on DVD.

Feb. 26 - Beowulf, The Darjeeling Limited, Goya's Ghosts

Mar. 11 - No Country for Old Men, Bee Movie, Hitman

Mar. 18 - Battlestar Galactica - Season Three, I Am Legend

Mar. 25 - Lost Highway*

Apr. 01 - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Apr. 08 - There Will Be Blood, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Apr. 29 - The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Vol. 3

May 20 - National Treasure: Book of Secrets

* Finally, this bizarre yet brilliant film will see a proper home video release! Now, where's my proper copy of 1492: Conquest of Paradise?

Daniel Day-Lewis Wins Best Actor

2008-02-24T20:29:00.001-06:00

Daniel Day-Lewis rehearses his acceptance speech during a lull in shooting There Will Be Blood.

Oscar #2! Mr. Day Lewis has won his second Oscar for his performance in There Will Be Blood, a film which sprung like a golden sapling from the mad, beautiful head of Paul Thomas Anderson (er, his words, not mine). Mr. Day-Lewis had already won a limey Oscar (BAFTA) for his work in the film, but let's face it, no one really cares about those.

What's next for Mr. Day-Lewis? I'm hoping he accepts a role in the upcoming G.I. Joe film as Cobra villain Destro. I can see him now, silver facepaint and over-muscled onyx skinsuit replete with crimson cape, spouting "Cobra attack!"

Oh, if only. . .

Speaking of upcoming films, here's a list of notable ones for the remainder of 2008:

Feb. 29 - Semi-Pro
Feb. 29 - The Other Boleyn Girl
Mar. 07 - 10,000 B.C.
Mar. 14 - Horton Hears a Who!
Mar. 14 - Doomsday
Mar. 14 - College Road Trip
Mar. 14 - The Accidental Husband
Mar. 14 - Pride and Glory
Apr. 04 - Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Apr. 04 - The Ruins
Apr. 11 - Foodfight!
Apr. 18 - Righteous Kill
Apr. 18 - The Forbidden Kingdom
May 02 - Iron Man
May 16 - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
May 22 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
May 30 - Sex and the City: The Movie
Jun. 06 - Kung Fu Panda
Jun. 13 - The Incredible Hulk
Jun. 20 - Get Smart
Jun. 27 - Wall-E
Jun. 27 - Wanted
Jul. 02 - Hancock
Jul. 11 - Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Jul. 18 - The Dark Knight
Aug. 01 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Aug. 08 - Pineapple Express
Aug. 15 - Dragonball
Aug. 29 - Babylon A.D.
Oct. 03 - Valkyrie
Oct. 10 - Body of Lies
Oct. 10 - City of Ember
Oct. 24 - Igor
Oct. 24 - High School Musical 3
Oct. 31 - Scary Movie 5
Nov. 07 - Quantum of Solace (Bond 22)
Nov. 07 - Madagascar 2: The Crate Escape
Nov. 21 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Nov. 26 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dec. 12 - The Day the Earth Stood Still
Dec. 25 - Star Trek

Christmas with Captain Kirk. Won't that be nice?

E.S. Posthumus

2008-02-24T17:15:00.001-06:00

The Other Boleyn Girl. I caught the television trailer for this film today and recognized the familiar strains of "Nara" running throughout the spot. Since their debut record Unearthed was released in 2001, the work of E.S. Posthumus has graced countless film vehicles and sold countless copies - impressive for a "new age" instrumental record.

It just recently came to my attention that a new release dropped about a month ago. Cartographer is an expansive two-disc release with both vocal and remix versions of each track. You can stream a bit of the new record from their website.

~~"Nara"~~ from Unearthed (2001)