Three Cats

Few things currently lingering in the back of my head.

1. This song by The Moldy Peaches called Anyone Else but You-one of the few songs that plays in the Juno trailer,awh this song is just too sweet.Oh,back to Juno-I'll definitely catch it,anything with Michael Cera can't be that bad (I'm watching Superbad this weekend,the reviews have mostly been negative but we'll see how it goes),and don't you think Jennifer Garner has the most adorable dimples?

2. I just recently watched Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother-it's a tad melodramatic,what with all the lesbian scandals,prostitutes and transsexuals and people dying all the time-but it deals with the adult themes very intelligently,and the film tells a nuanced,touching story about a group of women who have too much heart to their character to be loathsome.Random note-the guy who plays Esteban,Manuela's teenage son-dies very early in the story,only reappearing in brief flashbacks and pictures-played by actor Eloy Azorin,who's very handsome although a bit skinny-he plays a small part in the film,but there's something deeply moving and sad about his character' face,it's like everytime he appears onscreen there's this huge overwhelming grief and gloom that settles over.

3. The Gossip's finally decided to visit small,modest Melbourne but in December.Ah,I'm sure they'll come here within the next three years or so,thus giving me plenty of time to develop a strategy to court the Beth Ditto.And I have a feeling The Strokes will be coming here next year for sure,and when they do-I'll be ready to murder anyone who gets between me and the tickets.

Can't wait for uni to start,so we can all get this semester done with and go home.

Parade

I'm going through this phase,state of mind of whatever you call it-I don't think it requires an official term anyways-there's been a huge reduction in blog posts,and unless the occasional weird euphoria that comes with naive optimism takes over me,I usually avoid talking about personal stuff or even sharing the smallest things through this blog-the reason is that I don't want to be one of those people-sure calling them 'those people' sounds condescending,but I don't think of them that way even when I do reference them in a way that distinctly creates an area of 'us & them'-who seem to be posting everything,every single detail about their lives,online-perhaps it's a normal teenage thing to do,to want and share your life with friends or whoever,and yeah it sounds fairly harmless and petty-but I feel that I reached a point where my life felt like it was stolen,like it was shared,it didn't feel personal or as if it truly belonged to me-sometimes I would contemplate before doing something,think to myself if the thing I was about to do was really something interesting according to what everyone else thought,and if I were to relate or share it with someone else-would it inspire interest,or would they respond with bored faces?

It wasn't a matter of whether I was turning into one of those teens-whose very purpose to life was to display to the rest of the world,through every possible medium (most popular being blogs,or Facebook accounts,or MySpace,or whatever fad emerges next) how exciting and enviable their lives were-because I'm just not that kind of person,and I can confidently say without having to worry about feeling embarrassed that I was never born to be a cool person,or hey,maybe I am cool in my own respect,thus the sentence above makes little sense especially when you put light to the term 'cool' and question if society,or the people you hang out with,have a very narrow list of characteristics,or preexisting and unchanging idea about being cool or acceptable,and if it really means anything at all.

So nowadays I do things because I really want to-not to prove anything to anyone,and I know these things can be hard because we were brought up in schools and in a society that values people who commitedly follow rules and guidelines-do this and you're something,do something else and you're something,be this,be that,do this and you'll be happy,you'll have a lot of friends,friends who are really friends and you know this because they do some things true friends are naturally supposed to do-thus it's all been set in black and white,it's relatively simple to conform to all these silly thoughts and ideas-for example,you'd think that a girl going through a break-up is something sad-why?-because it's always been that way,it's been depicted so in books,movies,etc and you've seen girls who break-up do what they do-so,if you're a girl and you suddenly go through a break-up,you might immediately feel sad-woah wait,I have to stop here and say I have no misogynistic motivations behind any of this,let's be safe and avoid misapprehensions,moving on-you see what I mean,it's not only the general rules which have dictated,but specifics-down to responses and the like,say if you receive a scholarship you're supposed to feel proud and happy-why shouldn't you?-but maybe,just maybe,under careful inspection and once the nice,pretty castles have been neatly dissected and reviewed-it all amounts to nothing much.

And no,I'm not going through another bout of depression,nor do I feel sad at all-as I said,this is something I've been thinking about,not over lonely nights or therapy sessions,but just time in general,day night-easily said,emotion doesn't necessarily come into the mix this round.So now I do things that I personally enjoy,even if it means something that might be considered weird or something that might earn myself a brand of unsavoury societal archetype-weirdo,loner,stuck-up bitch,pretentious twat-whatever it may be,I remind myself people are always going to be critical of me,even with my best intentions and the purest of heart,people tend to see the worst in you and always find an excuse to somehow hate you-so who gives a fuck,I'd rather be myself,cos' I see very little benefit in trying to be this small person just to be accepted into a social circle consisting of small-minded conformists who have delusions of being very important people-they don't matter if you say they don't matter,so hey,stop fighting,accept people as they are but don't try to form for yourself a rosy reality where everyone's nice and forgiving,because you know in your heart it's not a pretty picture and honestly quite gruesome,but come to terms with that,and be happy with what you got (I don't mean this in a material sense-because I know I'm quite materialistic,so going around preaching a life of minimalism would be downright hypocritical) and learn to walk on.

But being happy isn't a prerequisite to happiness itself.Am I getting too abstract here?Is anyone still reading?Oh,this has turned into a one-person conversation,and I'm the one deluded-but I'm not doing this for you or anyone,but for myself,because I like writing stuff out-it helps me put my thoughts in order,helps me think deeper,helps me discover and learn part of myself that otherwise wouldn't be achieved with idle daydreaming alone.Getting back-I don't beat myself up when I'm sad-like anybody else,I do have my down days,days when I want to bury myself a grave and live in there until the rest of the world dies or forgets I exist-okay usually it's not that bad,but occasionally it can come to that-so,what do I do?Sweep it all under the rug,ignore it,meet some friends and just smile and joke and laugh until it all seems to disolve.Sometimes.Or do I bravely confront it head-on and assert to myself that nothing can bring me down and that I'm a strong person.Sometimes.See,I'm not making myself out to be this huge Oprah-like figure of confidence,self-respect and teenage rebellion-I'm not the bravest person,I cower in fear towards some things other people would see normal,bla bla,it's really not about being something (ie being strong,being determined),to me it's about being myself-holding to heart my personality and choices and principles even it means taking some punches and losing some things in the way,and the characteristics you get in the process-like,you learn to become more mature and adult-are bonuses and what comes after.It's not about reaping certain benefits that supposedly make you a more desirable person for society,it's about being who you are-if you're a douche,be a douche who gives a fuck-the universe runs on anyhu,and all those suckers with too much time on their hands with days busily spent rattling on about how everyone's so bloody imperfect and how this is wrong and they shouldn't do this and that,well the world's too broad to accommodate the meaningless rantings of a tiny few,so at the end of the day what's significant and what's not,you decide for your own.

I hope that all made sense,but if not,if you think it's all a bunch of nonsensical philosophical bullshit,hey,I don't care-this ain't a debate,not an argument,but just one person relating his thoughts to another.Disagreements are bound to exist,politics are vital,my thoughts,your thoughts,his thoughts,oh man I could go on this train forever,her thoughts-your universe,your control.If things suck,that's not cos' you're doing something wrong,but cos' it's all in your mind and something needs fixing there,or not.So I try to do things my way-I want to have friends who I love and admire and whose company I personally enjoy,I want to engage in things that give me satisfaction,even if it means doing small things like spending an hour in the park just staring at children and parents pass by and look at all their happy,sad,interesting,fascinating,colourful faces-I appreciate that I can choose,rather than have to confine to this and that-and that everything that happens,or most of it anyways,are results from my own choices,bad or good,it's not about bad or good,it's just knowing I can choose what to do and just be happy my own way,in my own time,in my own body and mind.

Tubs

Wow,what a terrific weekend it was.

I'm still laughing about someone said about how she found Teletubbies crude because they put a baby's head as the sun.The more I think about it,the less funny it becomes,the more crude and creepy it actually sounds.I'll be having some pretty funky nightmares tonight.

I've been listening to nothing much else but Placebo in the past week.There's this part in Without You I'm Nothing (the newer version with David Bowie is just beautiful)-such imagination seems to help the feeling slide (I'll take it by your side) Instant correlation sucks and breeds a pack of lies (I'll take it by your side)-that's currently stuck in my head.I would put them on the same level as Radiohead,because both vocalists Brian Molko & the Godlike Thom Yorke have that rare,ethereal quality to their voices,and both bands produce the kind of music that feeds what's left of my poor soul.

Soulmate dry your eyes.

+New posters for I'm Not There & the Narnia sequel are up at FirstShowing-what's up with Disney and casting plain-looking blond-haired boys (who probably can't act-let's just hope they don't turn out like Fox's Eragon-damn that was just unspeakably horrible) and giving them main roles?That's such a late 90s thing to do.For anyone looking to be amused,just start with the many bad reviews for Good Luck Chuck you can find online-I definitely won't be watching the film-Jessica Alba wreaks of mediocrity,and that undesirable Fantastic 4 stench hasn't quite left-but how strongly the critics hate it,hilarious.

Blanket

Is there more truth
hidden neatly behind your brick-hard smile
or perhaps an ounce or two
tucked in sweet pouches of water
forming rivers flowing out of your eyes
Is there any truth
left in this room full of laughter
and merry,happy faces
Am I contemplating my own thoughts
or have I stumbled upon something dangerous
usually obscured from plain sight and feel
Is this a journey downhill,a slow corrosion
or the simple removal of a dark blanket
Is this going to destroy me,
consume me in it's hedious,merciless inevitability
or simply touch me with a cold finger
leaving a shiny trace of evil under my skin that grows patiently
only to have the enemy
be birthed from within?
Either way,the truth is now out,
and I must confront it
only with this once-powerful blanket
for this world cannot contain or face such darkness
one that is not really an enemy
but reflects to the one lying in places we never did expect.
There is no truth,
there is no darkness,
there is no nothing,just our rich everything
in this colourful room of laughter,
we'll stay forever warm in our cosy blankets.

Normal

So,I watched this film-2003's made-for-tv Normal starring Jessica Lange & Tom Wilkinson,about this man who passes out during his wedding anniversary party-wakes up,and comes to a sudden revelation that he was really born as a woman in a man's body-and what follows is his slow but carefully mapped out transformation into that new persona,while the rest of the world watches disgustedly and disapprovingly.

I did the usual bit of research and read few reviews on the film-most of which were mercilessly harsh,often pointing out that they thought the main character was too unrealistic and a bit of a joke.I wouldn't go so far as to call him a joke,but his motivations for changing gender are pretty much left unexplained and before you can get a hint of logic or reason to his intentions he's already wearing earrings and growing boobs.But there's a stellar quality in the relationship between the wedded couple-most notably the wife's reaction,as she first deals with the issue with denial,then as she slowly comes to a realization that it's all not going away-added with the fact that her husband's determined to change himself-she embarks on this lonely journey of trying to detach herself from her husband.

Then what happens next,is just so beautiful.She slowly comes to an acceptance,and realises that the heart works on it's own accord-her husband,whose character in this film is seen as an outsider and we're left to try and understand him from a frustrating distance,at least has some humanity to his presence-he knows what he wants and the consequences,but he also knows without a doubt that he will never stop loving his family.It's a bit bewildering at first,like when his wife asks him why he needs a vagina if he doesn't want to fuck men-and he says it'll make him feel complete-you can see he's confused about few things and prefers to leave matters uncertain,but you know there's nothing more sure and real than this man's love for his wife and kids.

And there's this bit where the priest tells the wife that he gives her permission to leave her husband "without worry or regret",and that God would be forgiving-she looks to the priest with this look that conveys utter shock-then she smiles,although her eyes display a deep sadness-and says "Walk away?....He's my heart..my heart..my heart"...and that moment got me bawling like a child.It's not a great film,there a couple of scenes that can be edited out-this part near the end when they suddenly bring in his Alzheimer-stricken father and try to score few points with the audience there is a bit pathetic,and again,the characters a bit vague,sometimes their personal problems overpowering the characters themselves-but the essence it loyally holds in the centre,this tiny bit about the relationship between the married couple,how the family members approach the problem differently but ultimately come to a peaceful consensus (even it means a lot of shouting and crying is involved in the process) and how you can change everything around you,even how you look or who you are,you can't alter emotions with equal ease or chaste-it's not something you can decide,not something you can discernibly control,it's an immortal life on it's own-is something worth praise.

And I found that particular bit touching,so do give the film a chance if you happen to tune in to HBO one day and find the movie playing.

About a Boy

So,a third of the holidays have passed and I haven't done anything particularly productive or exciting-but it's been great anyways.

Hu cha cha!

Anyhu,I'm sure all of you have either read or heard of Nick Hornby's work-I think three of his books were adapted into films: High Fidelity,About A Boy & Fever Pitch-High Fidelity was a great film,they nailed the characters right-on although the main character turned out a tad self-indulgent (because he's in the narrator's position,so he's in your face all the time),but John Cusack pulled it off nicely anyway-and oh,Jack Black's AMAZING renditon of Let's Get It On at the end will make you wet yourself.I've been avoiding Hugh Grant movies like an STD,so I haven't seen About A Boy-but I intend to,because he's not too bad and I actually liked Two Weeks Notice.

Back to the books! I started with High Fidelity last week,and that was a hoot!-I've never had so much fun reading a book since...Sue Townsend's 'Adrian Mole & The Weapons of Self-Destruction'-it was poignant,interesting but above all,funny as hell.I've only started on About A Boy-it's equally hilarious and fun to read,just overflowing of humour.

Well,any of you Nick Hornby fans-I'd appreciate other book recommendations,other books that I might like-or,what was the last good book you read,care to share?Anyhu,I recommend High Fidelity to anyone who's been through a disastrously bad break-up,it'll give you a lighter perspective on things,although the main character incessantly,obessesively rants about getting back with his ex and contemplates all sorts of inane things you'd expect a guy going through a bad break-up would,it's still extremely hilarious and a wonderful read.

+Hilary Duff is invading my Ipod.Yes,deep inside me lies a 12-year old dimwit who adores Zac Efron and wants to grow up to be Barbie.Plausible.

The Perishers-Sway
Rilo Kiley-Under The Blacklight
Beck-The Golden Age
M.I.A-Paper Planes
Babyshambles-Delivery
Foals-Mathletics

Take it easy,peeps.

Juno

So,I don't know much about this film,Juno-but the names in the cast:the adorable Michael Cera,Rainn Wilson and Jason Bateman,who,although I totally admire for his excellent work on Arrested Development-is evidently pretty limited as an actor,his performances are painfully awkward and out-of-pitch when he's not playing that well-suited,office-type character.Anyhu,Juno's the follow-up to director Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking-which,I personally found to be more full of talk and style (the sharp cuts & pristine,clean storyline) than substance,and almost anything with Katie Holmes is automatically unfortunate-but reuniting tv dad-and-son should bring good karma.Recently shown at the Toronto Film Fest,here's the trailer for Juno (via FirstShowing).

Supposed to insert some sort of witty segue here-but I can't muster the energy for that shit at 2am.

So,anyone watched the Emmy's?I managed to catch a few bits here and there,read all about it online and U-tubed a couple parts.The Family Guy animation played at the start was brilliant,though right after that Ray Romano's unfunny segment brought us back to a somber state.Overall a pretty good show,Ryan Seacrest did a decent job-but let's talk about the nominees-what's this constant asskissing of really shitty,drainwater-quality shows like Ugly Betty & Boston Legal?Okay,I'm willing to accept the latter because it features an exceptional ensemble,though consisting mostly of old,unnaturally horny and probably impotent douchebags trying to realistically create 'sexual tension' and that alone is ridiculously entertaining enough (if not pitiable)-but...Ugly Betty?Given that all the other winners were deserving-and even nominees who lost out had reason to be there,shows like Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives may not be my favourites but I have to admit they excel at particular game and know how to satisfy their prime audience-whereas Ugly Betty's just downright silly (that WilAmina woman or whateverthefuck her name is-is so bloody pathetic and possibly the most foolish-looking and nonthreatening tv villian ever) and America Ferrara emerging as champion from a list in which the significantly-more-superior Felicity Huffman,Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tina Fey stand?Bitch,please.

Ah,finally Terry O'Quinn (Locke on Lost) wins an award,and for that I'll pretend he didn't wear that flamingo-pink shirt-although there were other award-deserving members of the show's cast,namely Michael Emerson who I swear to God has the most stabbing,disturbing stare and who's character exudes that kind of dangerous,bone-chilling aura even when he's practically doing something dull like sipping tea.Moving on,the Soprano's musical thingy was completely out-of-place and uncalled for,but there were more highs and lows-guests hosts in pairs were reliable to deliver the goods-Tina Fey & Julia Louis-Dreyfus,Stephen Colbert & Jon Stewart.And 30 Rock's win was expected-which reminds me,I have to get the first season DVD set.

Watched Ratatouille yesterday-it was,enjoyable.Was it?I keep thinking that there's something really huge (potentially nuclear) missing from that movie-although it mostly had it right:the voice-over's were perfect,especially Paton Osswalt in the titular role and Peter O'-Toole as the food critic.I'm no big fan of animations-but Toy Story,Finding Nemo,The Incredibles and The Iron Giant (the latter two were from Ratatouille's writer-director,so I knew before going in I was in good hands) were spectacular-and Ratatouille firmly beats out the competition (with rubbish like Shrek 3 or Shark Tale-Pixar can safely claim to be best,noone's going to refute that) but,there was just something missing.I can't effectively put my finger on it-but,I just found the film-though it had terrific animation and will probably be the best animated film I watch in the next two years or so,at least until Pixar comes up with another-a bit unremarkable.Maybe it's the fact that Remy,though essentially a rodent-was spending most of his time with a human,surrounded by humans and therefore existing in a human world-even in the scenes with rats per se,the rats were depicted living like humans (i.e:drinking in a place looking like a bar/club),engaging in human activities when they're really supposed to be rats-whereas something like Finding Nemo explored the life of a fish (as a fish),and though it dealt with familiar themes like family bonds and common character conflicts,we were pretty much observing Nemo & the other animals in their world and from their own,unique perspective-whereas in Ratatouille it's not really that case-he's a rat,physically,but not much else-and aside from the wonderful animation work,the scenarios and characters weren't too fascinating.Plus some of the parts were too contrived and unbelievable-sure,it's a damn cartoon,but I appreciate if they maintain a certain amount of believability-but (spoiler!) the part at the end where a whole bunch of rats come to help and start cooking,yes,cooking in a kitchen,well,that's pushing it a bit.

But it's still a film you should watch,and will probably like-I did,but,again,I found that there was something missing (this phrase works for this purpose on so many levels,that I'm using it twice).To sum it up-good,but not in that great way you'd expect a typical Pixar product to be.

OK,I'll shut up now.Watch this vid of Rainn Wilson & Kanye West from the Emmy's-wait till' the part where Rainn gets too excited-effin hilarious.

Immune

Limb by limb and tooth by tooth
tearing up inside of me
everyday everyhour
wish that I was bullet proof.

Radiohead, Bulletproof.

Hairspray

I just got back from a late screening of Hairspray.

The problem with Hairspray is very much like the main character herself-big,loud and impossible to ignore.With a film dealing with a few fairly serious issues,the most notable being the racial segregation that parted society in the early 60s-you'd expect a bit of grittiness or realism,maybe not a full-on drama concerning the topic but a couple of subtle touches here and there would do,as to not merely include the heavy themes for the sake of having a plot,a problem to tackle,something to solve,or a song to sing-but instead something tangible,expansive and dealt with sufficient respect.

But no-everything is too squeaky clean,impeccably fixed to perfection like a soulless Stepford wife-things falls so neatly into place,the whole film's arranged to fit a 5 year-old's level of comprehension.Many subplots surface,allowing for a few arguments and sad faces-and every problem is ultimately resolved with a fancy song & dance,nothing more-in the end the film can effectively be summarised as a run of happy,sing,sad,sing,repeat to the point where the routine is so heavily infused with predictability that it starts to become uninteresting-and the ending similarly conforms to the dumbed-down format,that you'd probably see it miles before it's due.

The characters can't be too proud of themselves either-most are too one-dimensional and flatly written,with an exception of the main character (who's naive outpour of joy and blind acceptance reminds me of Reese Witherspoon characters circa 90's) and possibly Travolta's Edna-the rest of the cast are cardboard-thin additions,and in the entire time nearing to two hours none of them take human shape,become emotionally relatable or even have a real purpose or story to their presence-remaining trapped in their poorly characterised selves,ie. black guy with cool moves,teen heartthrob with kind heart,blond overambitious bitch,I think you get the picture.

But musicals often have a strong redeeming factor-exceptionally good music and/or choreography (Chicago),robust lead performances (Jamie Foxx in Ray,Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls,Liza Minnelli in Cabaret),gorgeous visuals and rich sets (Moulin Rouge)-and classics like Grease,Singin' In The Rain,Annie and The Wizard of Oz have heaps working for them-none of them have overly deep,adventurous or complicated plots,in fact-bio-pics about musicians in particular are often uninventive and trite (ie:bad childhood,rise to fame,gets involved in drugs/alcohol/adultery,big career fall,either picks up the pieces or dies) but we pardon these faults only because they're musicals,to give them the opportunity to fascinate and amuse us with any of the elements mentioned above-but Hairspray is a few levels below that,with it's overly formulaic approach and sheer cowardice to try anything new or different.

I don't feel insulted or angry (it's only a film,after all),but maybe a bit disappointed because this movie had so much going for it-the Hollywood heavyweights,namely Michelle Pfeiffer,John Travolta,Christopher Walken and Queen Latifah do best with what they're handed,their performances show they're doing their best with the material-despite the huge number of stars in this movie,it doesn't feel the slightest bit commercial or overblown-but at the end of the day,if you've got shit characters to begin with,there's a limit to what you can do.The songs in the first half are upbeat,lively and they put a large smile on my face,but then the second half strolls in-and as the element of surprise gradually wears off and the pace slows down slightly,things get very tiresome.

A poor effort,a waste of talent,a passable film.

Emmy

I cannot not link this.

http://www.emmyswithjoan.com/

I don't give a rat's ass about the Emmy's (since here in Australia we're lagging light years in terms of getting new shows and shit-although this situation is improving,first it was David Duchovny's Californiacation that arrived to greet our unsuspecting doorsteps-seriously,we never got new shows like this before-then it was announced that the Glenn Close courtroom series Damages will be premiering here this Sunday-okay,neither of the two shows exactly have me peeing my pants from excitement,but it's a good start-oh there's also another show called Life premiering soon,supposedly streamed directly from the US via satellite or something,but the show's title alone is way too offputting and lame for me to muster any interest for that),but Joan Rivers-whom I personally admire for being upfront and non-hypocritical attitude about herself,she takes herself lightly and brushes off criticism with a sense of humour and easygoing approach towards life-so,anyways,she's doing this stint where she blogs about the Emmy's from her home,everything about it-and it's funny as hell,check it out.

My fave part from what's been written so far-
And for Best Comedy, both Melissa and I are rooting for Entourage, simply because Melissa slept with half the cast, and I once spooned Jeremy Piven for an hour after he mistook me for his mother.

Have a peaceful weekend,people.

Submission

Now i'm ready to close my eyes
And now i'm ready to close my mind
And now i'm ready to feel your hand
And lose my heart on the burning sand
And now i wanna be your dog

...

Iggy Pop,I Wanna Be Your Dog.

Best Albums of 2007 So Far,4-1

Continuing from where I left off.

4) The Noisettes-What's The Time Mr Wolf

This album owes a whole lot to vocalist Shingai Shoniwa,who's ethereal energy makes her some sort of modern-day rock legend,single-handedly bringing the band's sound to a new,much higher level-the first 5 or 6 tracks are terrific rock tunes-highlights being Sister Rosetta,IWE & Count of Monte Cristo-while the slower tracks all jumbled up for last are nice but certainly not their forte.An incredibly solid album.

3) Klaxons-Myths of The Near Future

While I found it a bit hard to choose the first 7,choosing the top 3 was relatively undifficult, decided with unwavering conviction.Three other albums from bands producing music that more or less falls in the same genre with Klaxons-Battles Mirrored,!!! Myth Takes & Bloc Party A Weekend In The City-all commit the same unforgivable crime:while they successfully deliver a handful of very strong tunes,the albums are too inconsistent with their energy and simply fall flat.This Klaxons album,however,is massively enjoyable from start to finish-with few standout tunes like Two Receivers,Golden Skans,It's Not Over Yet & Gravity's Rainbow.




2) The National-Boxer

Probably one of most significant albums to come out from the past 5 years or so-I can't say enough about it.It's been more than 3 weeks since I downloaded the album,but not a single day has passed by without me putting it on-the lyrics (which are noteworthy achievements themselves) have pretty much stuck in my brain,and tracks like Slow Show,Ada,Brainy & Mistaken For Strangers are among the many extraordinary songs from this album-there isn't a single bad track,and any one could easily be my favourite.Forget the mothafucking Grammy's,this album should win it's own Nobel Prize.

1) White Stripes-Icky Thump

Listening to this album is like taking a crazy roller coaster ride-taking on unexpected highs,while your adrenalin shoots to impossible heights,and you can't help but feel overwhelmed after.It's too goddamn easy to see how good this album is-it's innovative without losing the essence that first attracted White Stripes' fans,every track holds it own and no two sound the same-You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told),300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues & Rag & Bone being high points,and the album-awhh man,it's just fucking breathtaking.

So,that's the list.

Just Missed

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-Some Loud Thunder,Sunset Rubdown-Random Spirit Lover,Arcade Fire-Neon Bible,Patrick Wolf-The Magic Position,Amy Winehouse-Back to Black,The Cribs-Men's Needs,Women's Needs,Explosions In The Sky-All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone,Ryan Adams-Easy Tiger

Disappointments

Wilco-Sky Blue Sky,Justice-Cross,The New Pornogaphers-Challengers

Major (!) Disappointments

The Shins-Wincing The Night Away,Bloc Party-A Weekend In The City,Architecture in Helsinki-Places Like This

Albums I haven't listened to,but very much intend to

MIA-Kala,Kanye West-Graduation,Foo Fighters-Echoes,Silence,Patience & Grace

So that's my two cents worth,hope all of you have a crazy week.

Best Albums of 2007 So Far,10-5

Ok,so here we go.

No,small talk,let's get right into this.

The albums listed were:

1) Albums I have (99% of which were downloaded),and have given enough listens to give fair judgements.

2) Evaluated as a whole.

3) From 2007 (Greatest Hits albums excluded-for the record,the most outstanding two in this category would be Jeff Buckley's So Real & Garbage' Absolute Garbage)

-Key tracks in colour,best ones also in Bold.

-Album titles link to their Amazon page,where you can find more comprehensive reviews.Wikipedia's an excellent resource too,there you can find links to various professional reviews.

10) Kings of Leon-Because of The Times

Slightly disappointing-there were some sure-fire hits,namely Knocked Up (one of the best songs to come out this year),My Party,Fans & Charmer,but the rest were comparatively mediocre to the tracks on 2005's Aha Shake Heartbreak.They've substituted the kind of catchy,more hardcore tunes for mellow,slower ones-but still really good stuff,just not the kind you'd fall in love at first listen.I thought it'd they'd be perfect at number 10,to start this list.

+They'll be performing a couple of shows here in Melbourne,unfortunately in January-any other time and I'd rush out for tickets in a blink.

9) Arctic Monkeys-Favourite Worst Nightmare

Although 2006's Whatever People Say I Am,That's What I'm Not displays a more untame playfulness and tougher in-your-face attitude,it's FWN that has a cleaner,more relatable sound that's easier on the ears and more suited for mainstream.Brianstorm and Fluorescent Adolescent were perfect choices for first track and follow-up respectively,but this album has heaps more to offer-strong tracks like Old Yellow Bricks,D is for Dangerous and If You Were There,Beware exude the same amount of crazy,fun energy (though maybe more subtle,equally enjoyable) old tracks like Scummy & Mardy Bum did.

+While I don't hate covers,most of them can't stand up to the original,are unnecessary and some are just plain fucking crap.Like the Arctic Monkey's cover of Amy Winehouse' You Know I'm No Good-even really good bands make mistakes sometimes.

8) Modest Mouse-We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

A band you might not have heard of,but too bad-it's that kind of music that you either really,really love or find shitty.With this album,they maintain their loyalty to that unique,beautiful Modest Mouse sound-except this time around it's more upbeat and lively.I was hooked pretty quickly by this album-Parting of The Sensory,Fly Trapped In A Jar,Little Motel & Missed the Boat were particularly good.

+Lyric-wise,this albums easily wins the top prize.

7) Feist-The Reminder

Nothing much to say about this one,except that it's a really good album.Every track resonates emotionally and the album offers plenty of variety,and I'm no big fan of jazz (Norah Jones puts me to sleep) but this one goes light on the cellos etc,and the vocals are so effortlessly powerful and engaging that the songs hit me squarely in the heart (contrary to popular belief,I do have one).

6) Interpol-Our Love To Admire

No idea what the picture on the album cover symbolizes.Prior to this album,I thought the band was a bit pedestrian,their songs passable.Suffice to say,this album changes that perception-it's best heard with really good headphones,or else you can't really enjoy the songs-Pioneer to The Falls & Rest My Chemistry are both some of the best tracks coming off this album,but it's the eerie,guitar-driven The Lighthouse that ultimately seals the deal.

5) Spoon-Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

One word:Catchy.The tracks are catchy to death,all of them really good but Don't You Evah gets extra marks for having a real big kick to it.

To be continued with the Top 4 on a later day.

Ultimatum

So,Ultimatum was superb.

It's amazing how they've carved out Bourne to be such a mature,focused and admirable character without following conventional lines-the agents usually featured on the silver screen are made up to be shameless womanizers,ever equipped with all sorts of complex gadgets and weapons,and are more concerned in impressing with the audience that the story itself is a sham,the characters are often cold and belong to a different universe.Two examples-the Bond and Ocean's (11,12,13) franchise-you can literally see every scene's executed in a way to make them look gorgeous,enviable,unbeatable,all glimmering and snickering behind their dramatic bravado and slicker-than-thou persona's.

Which is where Bourne comes in to change that.I don't think I need to elaborate any further on this.One more thing I really like about Ultimatum (and it's predecessor,Supremacy),is the casting of Joan Allen-usually CIA agents or high-ranking officials of that sort are depicted somewhat flatly and unimaginatively-ones that do try to break the norm often come across as over-the-top,appearing a bit too comically evil or so foolishly theatrical-but Joan Allen hits in spot on.It's perfect casting,and aside from the impeccable choice of Matt Damon (who brings a particular quality of intimidation and humanity that best fits the title character),they made the right pick by choosing Joan Allen and also Julia Stiles-sure they weren't groundbreaking in any way,but they complimented the film well despite merely playing supporting roles (sure besides Bourne,it's these two and the CIA Deputy character the film pays attention to-but the entire story's pretty much devoted to Bourne alone,everything else is secondary).

My only complaint would be the story-it sums up as a series of some very intense and fast-paced action scenes,along with some other stuff,it moves swiftly,doesn't sway to unecessary subplots (there were many points they could've,but smartly decided against it-i.e: Nicky's short statement hinting to the past Bourne and her share is more suggestive than definite,and if this were to bloom into a full romantic story it would've damaged the main story's build-up and become distracting,and it could've possibly undermined Bourne's previous relationship with his now-dead girlfriend and made his character seem fickle and sleezy-so,I thought this particular bit was managed effectively)-but in the entire course of the film,nothing truly substantial crops up and we're left to deal with this tiny story about Bourne,once again,trying to solve another question about his past and identity-the stakes are high,a single slip could cost him his life,yaddi yaddi ya-once it all wraps up at the end,you might see that what lies at the core is nothing more than a typical story that very obviously lacks a certain depth-sure some might argue that because it's the 3rd installment,the relatively trim story and the absence of detailed parts are perfectly understandable-and I think,sure the Bourne trilogy,in it's entirety,stands firm-but Ultimatum,alone,is simply another add-on to the franchise and nothing officially great on it's own.

A nice break from the big popcorn flicks we've had-Ultimatum paves way for the more serious films coming our way as the year reaches an end-so,concluding this:Ultimatum has plenty of action scenes that are above par,Greengrass' doesn't disappoint as a director and overall a terrific film.

Slow Show

Rarely am I moved by the lyrics to songs-in no way can anyone effectively compress years of angst,misery,agony,whatever into a song that lasts mere minutes,and those that try to say too much end up awfully verbose and often try to include too much.But of course,there are songs that work,understandably-by not saying much,but choosing the right words and expressing eloquently a meaningful message that manages to sound sincere and moving.Songs,like books or poetry or art,are subjective and I don't have to like what someone else likes,vice versa,likewise,I don't have to interpret a song as meaning this and that-to me,a song,especially one that personally touches the heart,communicates on a more intimate level and what I might understand from it may vary from yours.Anyhu,back up a bit-one song that's always struck me as having really good lyrics is The Who's Baba O'Riley-here's a snippet:The exodus is here,The happy ones are near.Let's get together,before we get much older.It's a perfect song,and everytime I hear it I get all upbeat and excited in the first part when the piano bit first enters,then when the guitar gracefully steps in along with the vocals.Just so bloody perfect.

I have to refrain from saying too much about how much The National's Boxer is such a FUCKING amazing album-or else I might go on and on,not stopping until my fingers fall off.I'm going on endlessly about how things should be short to be meaningful,and here I am rattling incessantly about whatever.So I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves (I'll post just a part of the song)-urm,one more thing,this song sums up so much and is such a beautiful song-there are live versions you can find on U-tube,but nothing beats the album version.I feel this song,inside & out,flesh & bones,however dumb and cliche that might sound.The messages are mostly indirect,but they don't take much to figure out.

Standing at the punch table swallowing punch
can’t pay attention to the sound of anyone
a little more stupid, a little more scared
every minute more unprepared

I made a mistake in my life today
everything I love gets lost in drawers
I want to start over, I want to be winning
way out of sync from the beginning

I wanna hurry home to you
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I’m very, very frightened
I’ll overdo it

The National-Slow Show,found on Boxer.

One Missed Brain

It's been a wonderful week,though nothing much has happened-this lack of anything worth ranting about can often be interpreted as something good in my book.

Anyhu,here's something I'd like to share with you peeps-the new poster for Tony Gilroy's (the man who penned the film adaptations for all existing Bourne flicks) upcoming film-Michael Clayton,starring Clooney and a few other biggies.The film plot-about a "fixer" working in a law firm who stumbles into something dangerous that predictably changes his life in ways unexpected (here lies the irony) or threatens to end it,or something similarly uninspired if not worse-sounds like nothing new,probably no more than the type of generic crap best avoided unless you like that kind of shit (I'm still trying to get over the trauma that was The Firm-the Grisham novel wasn't particularly intelligent or interesting,so the film adaptation,with Tom Cruise in the main,should've been a relatively simple task considering the original material they had to work with wasn't too dense,complex or challenging,but the end product was so ridiculously dumb it seemed like they didn't take much time reviewing the script before rushing out to make the film).The only thing that interests me about this,is the poster-the minimalistic approach works if only for the single statement written across the poster-bold,intriguing,does what it's meant to do without having to resort to the type of gross,modern stylistic crap witnessed in The Inside Man poster.What they've got is something worth offering a second glance,something that captivates you for a moment,before you inevitably turn away realising it's another hackneyed film about a bunch of lousy,cliche-ridden lawyers no different from those featured on the equally trite crime shows on the idiot box,and angrily ask Who the fuck is Michael Clayton? -and finally decide,despite the nice poster,you'll probably not give a rat's ass after all.

It comes out 18th October,for the half of you still interested in seeing it.Another cool posters that abides the same less is more rule.

Person in ominously expressionless pig mask dressed in a somewhat beautiful but disturbingly-coloured cloak,positioned to be facing something.Humph,nothing we haven't seen before (The Village,anyone?).Typical Saw torture-gadget probably designed for the purpose of inflicting great pain,equipped with all the bells and whistles that might belt out happy circus tunes before abruptly coming to a stop and snapping someone's poor cock off.Yawn. A single dark,sharply-stilettoed boot that's unmistakably feminine and though edgy-looking,slightly on the clown-ish (therefore more theatrical-this calls for blood lust!) side?Ah,now this makes things a whole lot more interesting.Overall,a simple poster that knows,at this point of maturity in the Saw franchise,it need not include any explaining,just put in a few subtle references and lookers will be left wondering-nice one,lame tagline notwithstanding.

Trailer for the Hollywood remake for One Missed Call.I expect this to be the kind of brainless horror full of screaming,helpless ladies (and maybe some men too,so they can throw in a couple of unnecessary sex scenes that usually lack steam and take place in the most awkward moments,ghosts reappearing on cue so the story can get back on track right after the characters have conveniently climaxed,or after the director's inserted some quick boob shots,so few will be momentarily distracted from how lame the movie is) running around trying to solve some silly boy scouts mystery that dubiously concludes with an unlikely twist,and jam-packed with what was that sound moments.Take the trailer for instance-it starts out like this:

Phone rings.Girl says "That's not my ring-tone".
...

You changed it yesterday,fish brain.

One of those two was made up,go figure.Any horror film with a line as hopelessly pathetic as the above shouldn't be one attracting high expectations.In the trailer,the male protaganist,is played by Edward Burns-who's idol must strangely be Keanu Reeves,both of em' seem to display the emotional range and acting capability that's marginally superior to that of a frog.And I hear frogs are really bad actors.Oh,I'll probably still watch it if I can anyways-nothing beats the comedy you get from this type of lousy horror flicks.

Lastly,I'd like to recommend everyone to listen to this album:The National,Boxer.It's just fantastic.Prior to this album (which I found on many lists of Best 2007 Albums,So Far-I might do my own soon,once I properly listen to the ones I have as to give fair reviews),I hadn't heard about the band.Doesn't matter,it's a really terrific album (thanks Schien for helping me download it).

Must be The Moon

I don't know what you've been listening to,I just pray to God it isn't any of that House bullshit.Anyhu,here's a band worth listening to-!!! (chk chk chk),their music's certainly not everyone's cup of joe,but if you find that you do like that kind of stuff I recommend listening to Battles & Klaxons too.They're a bit like Bloc Party (who's shooting into mainstream really fast),except BP's a bit more adult and much less eccentric. And download the rest of the tracks from their awesome 'Myth Takes' album.Click on the pic for the vid for 'Must be The Moon'.Other stuff worth Y-tubing: I'm too lazy to post the links up here,so if you're interested go over to Ytube & search for, 1)Feist' recent performance on Letterman (which turns out to be really similar to Bjork's Letterman performance of 'Earth Intruders' couple months back-both have that whole gospel/army of backup singers in potato sacks thing going on), and 2) The National singing 'Fake Empire' on Letterman back in July,and 3)Yeah Yeah Yeah's vid for Maps in which Karen O sheds a tear.And anyone into The Shins can finally hear them sing a song that,I personally thought,was made for them-The Weeds theme song,'Little Boxes'-it's neat how they get someone new to sing a personalised version of it every ep-The Shins' version is awesomely Shins-y (mellow,but not in that gloomy,funereal way),but I urge you to listen to Death Cab & Regina Spektor's cover as well.Link to that here,via Stereogum.It's already Sunday and I've a couple things lined to get all this shitty stress that's been building up out of my system-call it my own relaxation retreat-,to prepare for the even more gruelling,assignment-rich fortnight ahead.A friend says,Denial helps! (lately this been's a tagline for my artificial enthusiasm & excitement for most things,especially my Global Business lecture,how excruciatingly mundane that is I can't possibly describe-urm,I'll try-it's like staring at a TV turned off for an entire hour,it makes you restless and relentlessly itching for something,anything to happen-last week God was nice,there came this tiny ant to my table to entertain me,unfortunately Antone-yes,I named it,and even invented some crappy backstory to how this ant and I came to cross paths-got his adorably tiny head accidentally cut off with a pencil tip while unsuccessfully tried to sketch a Sesame-Street version of my lecturer).Well,that's it from me,I have to get some sleep-I intend to wake up early to go for a morning walk,I probably/most definitely won't,but the intention itself constitutes of something vaguely worth holding on to.