1st Annual Irwies

Many of you probably considered the Oscars the climax of the award season. Those of you who know better have been anxiously anticipating this moment. The birth of the Irwies! The Irwies are cyber awards given out to figures in the world (entertainment or otherwise) that I consider worthy of recognition in honor of the late Steve Irwin: entertainer, educator, funny accent- talker, and friend to us all.





So without further ado, let the Irwies begin!








The first award is for Redemptive Moment. And the Irwie goes to...





R. Kelly for his surprisingly uplifting Obama Anthem "I Believe." After it appeared that the falling apart of his career would culminate in his part of Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" remix. On the remix, Kelly sings the shockingly disrespectful lyrics "So I go to clubs with the guys and sometimes flirt with the girls/ I should be able to roll out as long as I'm coming home to you and give you the world." Does he honestly believe that? Either way, "I Believe" should draw comparisons to "I Believe I Can Fly" for reasons beyond it's title. It's really good, and if it had that soundtrack that "Fly" did it would get its recognition.





Continuing in the world of music the Irwie for Best Hook goes to...





That part in "I Luv Your Girl" by The-Dream where he goes "I'm sorry I got it in for your girl, your girlfriend." The beat remains as cool as ever, but the layered vocals drive the chorus to a gorgeous R & B moment.


- Honorable Mention: The part where Dragonforce sings "Glorious! Forever more in us..." on the track "Heroes of Our Time." Unfortunately, the British rockers lose points for only including the hook once in the entire seven minute song.

Most Improved Band:
Kings of Leon: Their sound got a lot bigger, deeper, and more engaging. "Only By the Night" is a pretty tight album.

Honorable Mention: Augustana for trading in piano for guitars. Some of their "Can't Love Can't Hurt" album still features the keys, but it's strong points ("Sweet and Low" and "Still Ain't Over You") have some pretty sweet guitar melodies.





Onto the world of film. the Irwie for the greatest movie moment of 2008 goes to...





Simon Brand dir. "Paraiso Travel" - The bus scene.


I have to admit that I watched this movie and Spanish and understood very little of it. But the scene in which Marlon, riding on a bus through New York City, sees Reina, his lost lover for whom he has been searching the entire movie, and begs the bus driver in Spanish to stop the bus. He gets out of the Bus, running and shouting her name, the city swirling about him. The tension is thick, the Sigur Ros music in the background is perfect, and the result in any language is goosebumps.



Disappointment of the Year:

The Office. I'm just going to say it... "The Office" got a whole let less interesting now that Jim and Pam are together. I know I couldn't help but root for them and was excited to see them together, but once it happened Jim became kind of- well- a douche. At this point nothing would make me happier than to see Jim catch Pam and Michael together. If it happens remember you heard it here first!




Which brings us to our the final Irwie: Stone Cold Fox of the Year.


And the Irwie goes to...





Nastia Liukin. I mean honestly, does anything get your water boiling more than the All- Around Gymnastic Olympic Gold? And when she sat there pouting because her tie for first somehow landed her in second place, who among you could deny the desire to comfort her, but also recognized that you would lack the courage to face those icy eyes? Ice Woman, yes please! A fierce, strong competitor with a reluctant smile that could warm up the world. Permission to gush? As if I can help it.





Honorable mention:
Anna Poppelwell. Queen Susan of Narnia herself. When did she become such a fox? How she wielded that bow and slyly tells Prince Caspian to keep the horn because he might need to call her again. Well done Ms. Poppelwell.



Thanks for joining the First Annual Irwies in recognizing things that I liked and didn't like in 2008. See you next year and then some.

"Where You Belong"

I made a terrible mistake.  On my Best of 08 List I forgot to include "Where You Belong" by Kael Alden on my singles list.  I have been anticipating the release of the full length song after I first heard the song on a commercial.  Allow me to explain.

A Pebble Beach Lexus RX commercial that ran last year was backed by the most beautiful electronica track.  After some research I found out that the song was written for the commercial by Kael Alden (one of three members who Faded Paper Figures- whose debut album was number 5 on my 08 list).  I really got into the Faded Paper Figures and then noticed on their website that Alden petitioned Lexus for the rights to make a full length version of the song (probably because so many others were fans of the commercial).  Due to legal issues the release was very delayed- until now- or a month and a half ago anyway.  "Where You Belong" was released on www.fadedpaperfigures.com on December 5 2008 making it 100% eligible for my Best of 08 List, but I didn't discover it until today!

Luckily, the full length did not disappoint in any way.  It actually surprised me and rocked a little more than I expected it to.  The restrained yet intense drums drive the song once they kick in.  The juxtaposition of choppy vocal samples with flowing synth riffs creates a delicate atmosphere perfect for musical immersion.

Between this song and Faded Paper Figures' album "Dynamo" there is so much worth praising.  I can't wait to see what these guys do next.  they show so much musical promise, Faded Paper Figures and Kael Alden are names worth remembering.  But in the meantime LISTEN TO "Where You Belong"!!  

Best of 2008!

Here it is, my best of 08 list! There are some movies and albums that may have made it on to my list if I saw/ heard them, but I didn't. So after my lists I included a "Wish I would have..." list.


Top Albums

1. "For Emma, Forever Ago" Bon Iver - A break up album for the ages. Not a minute on this record doesn't deserve to be on it. The songwriting is so intimate, the heartbreak is so palpable, and the instrumentation achieves such rich musical textures with a very acoustic sound. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better place to be than wintry Wisconsin.
2. "Robyn" Robyn - Everything pop music should be. Before this album I always considered pop music with violins to be a recipe for sappy disaster, but the strings in "Be Mine!" and "Handle Me" cut to the heart like a razor. This album is catchy, funny, danceable, sometimes delicate, and always impeccably performed. The vocals on "Eclipse" are especially top-notch.
3. "Departure" Jesse McCartney - My guilty pleasure pick. This guy got good in a hurry. He has a bright future ahead of him as an R&B artist. He puts the vets (Usher) to shame. I love the peppy songs, I love the serious songs, I can't wait to see what he does next.
4. "Saturdays = Youth" M83 - The French electronic shoegazer outfit has done it again with its most complete album to date. You will be hard-pressed to find more tender music these days, especially amongst such distortion. The gorgeous "Graveyard Girl" mixes dark lyrics like "she worships Satan like a father" with music that brightens up the like the sun ringing in a brand-new day.
5. "Dynamo" Faded Paper Figures - Imagine The Boy Least Likely To and Stars birthed a musical lovechild. The result: Faded Paper Figures who put together a light, fun debut album. Standouts "Logos," "I Fell Off My Name," and "North by North" really rock in a laid-back sort of way.


Wish I would have...
"Dear Science" TV on the Radio
"Elephant Shell" Tokyo Police Club


Top Singles


1. "Whatever You Like" Weird Al Yankovic- #1 if only for its timing. With T.I.'s song of the same title at the top of the charts and the U.S. economy in the toilet "Weird Al" delivers a hilarious parody about thrifty living. This song and "White and Nerdy" are the only two songs of his to make me laugh out loud since 1999. Maybe he should look into the rap thing. I also think Weird Al achieved a level of musicality superior to T.I.'s original.
2. "Crush" David Archuleta - I didn't regard either David as champion material on this past season of American Idol, but Archuleta's first single is terrific. From the heavy opening piano riff to the chorus that you can't help but sing along with (or at least attempt to) this song is a winner. I can confidently say that my crush on this song 'aint goin' away.
3. "Sirens in the Deep Sea" Longwave - Maybe it's because I've only recently discovered it, but maybe it's because the chorus is just rousing enough to give me a reason to believe in the indie rock scene when I am finding so little to listen to.
4. "I'm Not going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" Black Kids - One! Two! Three! Four! It sounds like the chant of high school cheerleaders, but don't be fooled, this song can bring the inner-child out of any listener.
5. "Disturbia" Rihanna - What can I say about this song other than for however many times I've heard it I still refuse to turn it off. It makes me want to move like no other.


Top Films


1. Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle takes the audience on a journey through the slums of India to tell a story of life's beauty triumphing over the most dreadful of circumstances. Laced with a delicious score, Slumdog made me a believer and it will make you one too.
2. Let the Right One In - Director and Editor Tomas Alfredson meticulously crafts one of the most pleasurable "dark movies" in recent memory. The joy of Oskar, a twelve year-old boy, and Eli, a twelve year-old vampire, discovering much-needed friendships with each other resonates vividly over the bleak Nordic backdrop. The movie pays more attention to human interaction than special effects, but when they are used, the effects are very effective. Also, the score is gorgeous, and the use of sound is as good as any movie I've seen.
3. The Dark Knight - Reminding us that there is more to superhero movies than action. Using deeply interesting characters and effective observation of the modern American Zeitgeist, Nolan and co. created a film that I simply did not want to end.
4. Gran Torino - Though most of the films on my list tug at the heart, Gran Torino gave mine the heftiest wrench. Clint Eastwood carries the movie both as director and star. His young costars seem unnatural in their roles (the one who plays Thao kind of sucks). Maybe Eastwood just seems brilliant in comparison, but he succeeds in getting both laughs and tears (the latter not from me, though- promise!).
5. The Visitor - Perhaps the most compelling piece of propaganda I've experienced. I would love to see Richard Jenkins win the Oscar for his role as Walter (thank God he was nominated!). The humanity that Jenkins pours into the protagonist only adds to the heartache evoked by a story of relationships being damaged by the cruel hand of Uncle Sam.

The Jealous Sound are back! (kind of)

Yesterday greeted me with my second terribly pleasant musical surprise of 2008. The first of course being the early digital release of Bloc Party's "Intimacy" (which I will comment on as soon as I am able to listen to the official, physical LP. What I will be discussing today is the possibly posthumous release of The Jealous Sound's "Got Friends EP."

I first encountered the emo-pop quartet when they opened for The Foo Fighters in 2003. Later, that year I bought their debut LP "Kill Them with Kindness" which remains one of my all time favorite albums. I was anxiously looking forward to the album that they said they were recording in 2004 on their website, but sadly it never came. Due to their lack of material and the fact that their site had not been updated since 2005 I resigned to the idea that The Jealous Sound was no more.

But earlier this year, a post on their myspace announced a new JS release. I was ecstatic. I counted down the days until it's iTunes release, purchased it at the strike of midnight, and listened to it right away. I was a little disappointed. Firstly because it is just a 5 song EP and w of the songs are remixes. Also because two of the non-remixed songs aren't that great. They're not that bad, I just expected that if the Jealous Sound took 5 years to release 3 new songs, they would be three really good songs. "Got Friends," I am happy to say met that mark. It's catchy, deep, emotional, engaging, and did I say catchy? Everything I love about the Jealous sound is in this song. Both remixes sound pretty cool too. And I must admit that all three songs consistently get the JS emo-pop groove (even with the disjointed verse to chorus transition in "Turning Around"). I just wish all the songs could be as infectious as the title track.

It seems that these three songs are all that the JS were able to record for the second record before calling it quits. I am very upset that I will never get to see them live again, and the one time I did, I didn't fully appreciate what I was experiencing. I hope that someday I will have the chance to see them again. It's all I think about right now. The closest thing I can compare it too is being heartbroken by a girl on whom I've been crushing madly. I know that one day I'll be able to get over her. I know it, but I just don't feel it. But all things considered, I am very glad that I can listen to "Got Friends." If you haven't heard The Jealous Sound I can't urge you enough to check them out. You don't know what you're missing.

Bloc Party, Does it Offend You Yeah?, and Friendly Fires at the Mayan 7/29/08

I saw Bloc Party for the 3rd time last night.  It was fun, but perhaps not worth the $40 I paid for the tickets.  Tickets are too expensive to be seeing the same band 3 times, after the same album.  With that aside, it was a good show.

Friendly Fires started off the night with boundless energy and surprisingly catchy synth-laden dance rock.  The highlights of their set were "Jump in the Pool" and whatever song they played before it (it gave me goosebumps).  I asked them what it was on their myspace and they told me it was called "White Diamonds," but the studio recording doesn't sound nearly as good as the live song did.  They put on a good show though.

Next up, the "it" band of the summer: Does, It Offend You, Yeah?.  I don't really like them much so wasn't expecting much, but I was still let down.  The songs were boring and none of the members had much stage presence.  Even "We Are Rockstars" didn't sound very good.

Bloc Party proceeded to take the stage and thoroughly tear it up.  When I saw singer Kele Okereke in his Barack Obama t-shirt I wondered if he would wear it in Chicago for Lollapalooza.  He did.  After performing the new single "Mercury" (sounded pretty cool considering I don't like it that much) Kele welcomed this one guy on stage.  The dude proposed to a girl and she said yes.  Everyone clapped.  I knew that "This Modern Love" was coming next, and it did, sounding great.  My favorite moment of the night was during the encore.  The stand-in bass player went over to the synth-board and I expected them to play "Flux."  He started playing a song that sounded like Flux, but was different.  I thought, "Oh no.  The new guy is messing up the song!"  But instead they played a short cover of Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" that went into Flux.  When "Flux" kicked in my jaw dropped.  It was such a dynamic moment of a great show.

I can't wait for Bloc Party's new album and I hope it's better than "Mercury."

Jesse McCartney "Departure"

A friend of mine asked me if I had heard the new Jesse McCartney CD.  I thought he was trying to be funny, but he told me to put my presuppositions aside and give it a chance.  I did.  It was so worth it.

"Departure" is probably my greatest guilty pleasure.  It's so good that it makes me feel ashamed to feel guilty about it.  Compared to "Beautiful Soul" (the only one of Jesse's previous songs that I've heard, "Departure" seems like an attempt at a more grown-up record (a departure from his more child-friendly music).  I still find it very easy to imagine most of this on Radio Disney, though.  "How Do You Sleep?" would sound perfectly at home on a High School Musical soundtrack, except that it's way catchier than anything I've heard in those movies and it has the d-word in it.

"Makeup" is the one dull spot in the record.  Despite it's cool urban feel it doesn't compare to the rest of the album.  I had a similar opinions of "Rock You" and "Freaky" after my first listens, but they kind of grew on me.  They're actually fun songs.  The rest of the album is so stellar, though, that being "fun" doesn't seem like enough.

Jesse's voice sounds very sharp on "Departure" and he succeeds in capturing the emotions of each song in his vocals (listen to "Runnin'" for example).  All the vocal success kind of overshadows the fact that Jesse is an extremely capable songwriter.  He cowrote "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis and actually recorded an even better version of the song himself.  "Departure" is a really special album, that deserves a listen for everyone.  I don't expect everyone to like it as much as I do, but some of you that don't expect to, will.

I finally finished rereading the His Dark Materials series (my favorite books during my junior high years). I wanted to reread them ever since the film adaptation of the first book of the series, "The Golden Compass," came out in last Winter. I went to see it on open night (by myself) because I was so excited to see the story that captivated my 12 year-old mind brought to life on the big screen (and no one else would go with me). I thought the film was average. I loved the casting (except Ian McKellen as Iorek was a little weird). I loved the way the daemons were brought to life. I didn't fall in love with the battle scenes though. Chris Weitz was chosen to write and direct the film. He directed one of my all-time favorites, About a Boy, but has never done anything close to a fantasy epic. I think that really showed during the movie. But I think another reason that the movie wasn't spectacular is because The Golden Compass is the weakest of the three books.

The Golden Compass took me about 4 months to finish (probably because I just watched the movie so nothing in it was new too me), but I finished the Subtle Knife (book number 2) in about a week. The Subtle Knife is the least epic of all the books, but easily my favorite. It introduces Will, a hero to accompany the heroine Lyra and it's the interaction between those two that make the book great. I think that is why Weitz was chosen for the series. He may not be great at big battles, but he will really shine in bringing the magic between Will and Lyra to life.

The Amber Spyglass is the most epic book, but slow at times. It did not captivate me the way The Subtle Knife did. Spyglass (as well as the entire series) did not have as many battles as I remembered. And when there were battles, they were in the background instead of center stage. The conclusion of the series gave me goosebumps even though I knew it was coming. Philip Pullman is a little awkward with words, but the he saves his best work for the finale. Pullman is an atheist and makes the Church the enemy in his books, but he really conveys some Christian themes in the series: free will, self-sacrifice, helping people in need, and love. I love the way that the series ends and how powerful it makes love to be. Especially how it values selflessness.

I think the books are very worth reading. I didn't even remember all the anti-Church stuff from the first time I read it so I don't think parents should boycott the books. The message of free thinking is probably pretty good for the kids. Also, I REALLY hope the Subtle Knife movie will be made (well). I heard that it might not because it didn't do well in the American box office, but Chris Weitz could really make that movie special with the great cast on board.