Hey, comics bloggers! Want a surefire way to increase traffic to your blog? Simply use the phrase “ball busting” in the title of an otherwise normal blog post! The hits will soon be rolling in by the dozens from various dark and seedy corners of the internets. Enjoy!
No comment | Categories: Randomata | PermalinkLast night I had grandiose plans to post reviews of some awesome things that have gotten me excited about comics again. But something came up. And it’s kinda sorta comic related.
I love John Pham’s comics. This has been documented at least once on this blog. And through buying stuff from John Pham on his website, I stumbled across a musician named Daedelus.
But back to my slacking…
Daedelus swept through Seattle last night. In a last minute decision, blogging plans were avoided for a night filled with game boy based music (Truckersaurus), hip-hop breakcore (Thavius Beck), a set capped with an insane remix of My Bloody Valentine (Caural), and a lot of dancing to clicks and beats and samples from Daedelus.
So, as my love for comics and music come full circle, I am amazed by how energized I am with what is happening in both genres right now. And I swear some actual content will elbow it’s way through sometime in the near future.
No comment | Categories: Randomata, Slacking | PermalinkFantastic Four - not only am I late to the game on this movie, but I am joining the chorus. There are only two things that don’t bring out the rage in me about this movie. One is that I checked this movie from our library, so I didn’t spend any money to watch it. The other is that the actor who played Doom at times looked like Morrissey. Other than that, the steaming pile of dung was a waste of time to watch. Dylan seemed a bit more amused than I did at the movie, but overall it sucked. Don’t make our mistake and stay far, far away from this movie, even if it’s at the risk that you don’t see Jessica Alba skimpily clad.
In other more exciting news, we are taking the long and arduous three hour trek down to Portland in a few weeks for Stumptown Comics Fest. If any of you are going, we should get a drink. We also need to remember to stop and congratulate Farel Dalrymple on his shift to the darkside in his move to the Pacific Northwest. And pick up Meathaus 8.
Oh yeah, sorry for not posting so much. We’ve been busy with an electronic music festival and Halloween costume shopping and stuff.
No comment | Categories: Randomata, Reviews | PermalinkChris “Lefty” Brown, being the super awesome person he is, challenged fellow bloggers to a mix cd challenge. See my director’s notes post if you wish, but here is what I thought of the discs I received from the other participants of the Mixed Bag #4: Death and Taxes.
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
Chris “Lefty” Brown - DISC #1 ROCKIN’ LIKE DOKKEN
Highlights: I loved the Ben Folds song “Get Your Hands Off My Woman”, The Police to Prince transition, and the inclusion of my super secret (though not so much anymore) favorites, the Beastie Boys. There was a nice variety in tempo and styles throughout the mix.
Constructive Criticism: I am a fan of odd transitions - as long as the music flows into each other. But the Sufjan Steven’s “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” movement into Dokken’s “Tooth and Nail” wasn’t my cup of tea.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs
Chris “Lefty” Brown - DISC #2 I SEE DEAD PEOPLE
Highlights: I was so excited to see this mix, because I was thinking of using this same theme for my mix. But I had problems trying to go from Otis Redding to Elvis to Notorious B.I.G., so Chris proves far superior in this talent than I. The enclosed list of birth and death dates is a nice nerdy touch.
Constructive Criticism: I would have liked enclosure of some other musical genres, like rap, but that’s just me. I know I have ecclectic taste.
Requisite Grading Scale: 9/10 awww-yeahs
Eddie - SOUNDS ED-CLECTIC
Highlights: Apparently everyone got together to discuss my love of The Clash, as this is one of a few mixes to include the iconic band. But seriously, how could one go wrong starting off a mix with “Know Your Rights”? I also liked the fact that Eddie used his entire disc. It’s nice to know there are other neurotics out there. And thanks to my Grandpa I have a deep rooted love for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, so that was a nice sentimental touch (even if it was unintentional).
Constructive Criticism: When I complained about lack of variety in some mixes, apparently Eddie read my mind and went running off in the other direction. At times, this mix feels really disjointed and unfocused. But I guess that supports his theme, so more power to him. It just made me feel like a crazy person. Nice hidden track too.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8/10 awww-yeahs
Gordon - …THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS
Highlights: I love, love, love, love the mid-section starting with The Breeders and ending with Television. It’s like a Serene’s favorite music sandwich. This feels like a good soundtrack to a beer party with political friends. I’m not sure what that means, other than this is a very smart mix, while still being low-brow.
Constructive Criticism: The U2 song didn’t fit very well in the last half of the mix, but that’s just my opinion. I liked the variety of generations represented on the mix, but most of the songs had the same feel and tone. It would’ve been nice to reach out a little further, but I liked the sound, so it didn’t bother me much.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs
Greg - THE TOTALLY UNSAFE FOR WORK CD
Highlights: Any mix that includes Prince, the Magnetic Fields, Scissor Sisters, and the Beastie Boys is alright in my book. While I am admittedly lukewarm on Cinderella and the entire genre it is in (hair metal gone ugly), I appreciated it on the mix for tapping into my inner fourteen year old who finds dirty words and loud guitars funny.
Constructive Criticism: There are some questionable transitions (ie. From the Magnetic Fields to Suicidal Tendencies) that feel really abrupt, but considering the variety there really isn’t room for gentle movement.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs
Kelly Brown - MAN VS WOMAN
Highlights: I really liked this mix for two very different reasons: her dedication to the theme throughout the mix and the use of Motley Crue. The use of a washed up rock band from the 80’s may seem to be a silly reason to like the mix, but it’s used in an unironic way. And it’s fun.
Constructive Criticism: Since it was a gender defined mix, I would have liked to see more females on the mix. It feels a little masculinated, so apparently the men win this time around. But you best watch your backs…..
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs
Kevin - (FOCUS)
Highlights: I was lukewarm on Saint Etienne until this mix. Perhaps I should give them another chance. This mix deserves to be listened to in a stark, hip martini bar with sexy people dancing around. Fantastic music choices paired up with a nice spring-jazz feel to the mix made me feel very sophisticated and worldly just listening to it.
Constructive Criticism: There isn’t anything sticking out at me, other than the fact that Kevin obviously is a snob and thinks he is better than everyone else by using such a high-brown theme with his arty photograph cover and hoity-toity music. Pfft.
Requisite Grading Scale: 10/10 awww-yeahs
Logan - DISC #1 - THE GOOD
Highlights: Opening with a quote from Mystery Men is a way to get in on my good side. In addition, the theme being clearer on this disc and a wider variety of music made it my favorite of his bunch. Also, though I hate Rollins Band, I appreciated the nod to The Crow with the inclusion of the song.
Constructive Criticism: There is never an excuse to use Creed on a mix - in my world, anyway. They are nails on a chalkboard for me.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8/10 awww-yeahs
Logan - DISC #2 - THE BAD
Highlights: I really liked the Prince track “Partyman” in this mix and the inclusion of Green Day’s “Nice Guys Finish Last” (random trivia: this reminded me of my brief stint as the bass player in an all-girl pop punk band which was basically a Green Day cover band). I enjoyed the wide WIDE variety of ‘bad guys’ on this mix.
Constructive Criticism: I previously mentioned two of my mix cd cardinal rules: odd transitions okay if music matches up and no repeats of an artist. Both were violated on this mix (Green Jelly to Prince - riddle me this and two GNR tracks - though it’s a tough one to call since both tracks were covers).
Requisite Grading Scale: 6/10 awww-yeahs
Logan - DISC #3 - THE UGLY
Highlights: This was the first of his three discs I listened to because I love the MC Chris song “White Kids Love Hip-Hop” and I really really love Rocky Horror Picture Show. Plus, I liked the Dangerdoom album, which tapped into the eternal Adult Swim fan in me. Looking over the rest of the list, I was startled by the sheer variety of songs on this mix. In such a good way.
Constructive Criticism: It was hard for me to follow the theme because there wasn’t a lot of “ugly” in this mix for me, other than the Bubba Sparxxx “Ugly” track. I thought maybe it was implied that the artists are ugly, but then I thought maybe it was that the songs were ugly or about ugly people. And as far as I’m concerned, this could have included at least one female artist .
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs
Mike - DO NOT BRING YOUR EVIL HERE
Highlights: I was told to expect crazy from his mix, so I was sort of prepared. Even with the warning, I was still startled by the opening track being a soundbite from The Swamp Thing television show. Overall, the mix has fun and unpredictable, which made it entertaining to listen to. My favorite off the mix was the Devo track, which delivered a punch only the awesomely costumed men of the synth-pop 80’s can deliver.
Constructive Criticism: One of my cardinal rules is to never use a band more than once on a mix. In Mike’s defense, Young Fresh Fellows are pretty awesome. But three times was too much for my taste.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7/10 awww-yeahs
Roger - IT AIN’T EASY BEING GREEN
Highlights: The Nick Cave and Johnny Cash song is phenomenal and I’m so happy to hear it on this mix. I was also happy with the variety, from Talking Heads to Etta James (both great musical touchstones). Also, knowing that most of this mix is a autobiographical exercise makes this mix awesome by default.
Constructive Criticism: The Jeopardy theme seemed to be a bit much and not really needed, but I would probably brag a bit too if I were on the show. And in my final display of nitpicking, I really didn’t like listing of “Drive My Car” by the Fab Four rather than The Beatles - even if we all knew who it was.
Requisite Grading Scale: 9/10 awww-yeahs
Thom - IN ONE EAR: MY OWN CHAPTER
Highlights: The cover caught my attentions and the track listing kept it. I really liked the Elbow song “Forget Myself” and I know I cannot be alone in loving the Welmore Mile’s “The Bee Song”. My overall impression of this disc is that it was well put together and fluid.
Constructive Criticism: I wasn’t sure what the Eric B. & Rakim song was doing on this mix. I enjoyed it for a change of tempo and flavor, but both the transitioning song in (Elvis Costello’s “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror”) and out (a very awesome “Under the Sun” by Sound Transmission) made it stick out like a sore thumb to me.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs
Yay for Free Comic Book Day 2006! We’ll be spending our Saturday at Zanadu Comics in lovely downtown Seattle fighting my way to the front to get the Scott Pilgrim freebie.
And in more free loving cheers, yay for Dave at Yet Another Comics Blog! He’s giving away free stuff. Check it out.
Seeing all this free-lovin going around makes feel a little misty eyed. Or maybe that’s an allergic reaction to this nice sunny day. Either way, it’s nice to see folks getting to know each other a bit and getting free stuff in the process.
No comment | Categories: Randomata | PermalinkA “Mixed Bag” challenge by Chris Lefty Brown was cast and I took the bait. The challenge was quite simple: make a mix cd and send it to some of your fellow bloggers. The theme could be your choice.
I took it upon myself to do a Washington state themed mix. To me, this meant every musician had to be from the state of Washington. And I elminated anything grunge because that seemed too obvious. Since I’m a newly minted Seattlite, I took this as a challenge to learn more about local music. And my fellow bloggers got the final result. There is a little bit of everything from alt-country to hip-hop a la electronic glitch-pop.
Track List:
1. Sera Cahoone - Last Time
2. Damien Jurado - Tragedy
3. The Posies - Last Crawl
4. Mirah - The Sun
5. The Microphones - My Body Holds Songs
6. Pavement - Grounded
7. 764-HERO - Photographic Evidence
8. Built to Spill - The Plan
9. Pedro the Lion - Of Up & Coming Monarchs
10. Love as Laughter - In Amber
11. Band of Horses - The First Song
12. Minus the Bear - This Ain’t a Surfin’ Movie
13. Modest Mouse - Polar Opposites
14. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - May This Be Love
15. Sleater-Kinney - Milkshake N’ Honey
16. Death Cab for Cutie - Photobooth
17. Mercir - You Won’t Walk Alone
18. Matthew Shaw - Currency
19. Scientific American - UnAmerican Activities
20. Fell - Dash-Dot
21. Common Market - Re Fresh
To top of this nod to my adopted home state, Dylan carved my design and pressed it so the mixes were sent with a hand painted wood-block cover. It was a fun challenge. And even if I end up scaring everyone with my eclectic taste, I got a lot out of it. So thanks Lefty! It was fun!
POSTSCRIPT:
Lefty recommended I scan in the cover art, so here it is.
Akin to a toddler being potty trained, I have passed a major indicator of comic fan maturity. In my arrested development, there is something that I’ve been meaning to do, that I should have done a long time ago, and am finally doing. Partially inspired by Sophie’s tackling of the book, and partially due to it constantly staring at me from Dylan’s bookshelf, I am knee-deep in Watchmen territory.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to share any amateur opinion or “revelation” about it. Anything that is noteworthy about the book has already been beaten to death. Because it’s so damn good. And now I can say that I agree.
The only tidbit I can add to the chorus of comments is to note that listening to kid606, or any other type of fast-tempo electronic music should be discouraged as reading music. I found myself rushing my reading while listening to it. Instead, a suggestion might be something closer to Broken Social Scene: smart, even tempos, and not terribly distracting.
2 comments | Categories: Randomata | PermalinkI’m sure there are a lot of bloggers out there talking about this already, but I had to mention something about the Jeffrey Brown animated video for the band Death Cab for Cutie. If you don’t love Jeffrey Brown you are a cold-hearted bastard and if you don’t like Death Cab for Cutie you are…well…entitled to your opinion. But beacuse I love both, I thought I would pass the love on. Thanks Beaucoup Kevin for the link!
Check it out. Now. Or your heart will wither away out of neglect and the opposite sex will be unexplicably repelled by your presense.
No comment | Categories: Randomata | PermalinkIn a brief respite from Cerebus blogging, I’d like to thank a few kind souls in the teeming metropolis of the comic-blogging community (i’m still not sold on the word “blogosphere”…please, some better term must exist!) for sending some traffic our way.
And so, Clandestine Critic, Chris “Lefty” Brown, and Progressive Ruin, we owe y’all one!
Cerebus blogging continues once I’ve had a chance to revise my entry on the behemoth that is Church & State 2. And maybe we’ll see some non Cerebus material if Serene’s package from John Pham shows up…And it looks like this Wednesday will be the first time in 3 weeks I’ve been to my local shop, so hopefully there will be something for me other than the latest installment of Andi Watson’s Little Star to write about. The Cerebus re-read is fun, but it’d be nice to have some respite…
Stick around!
3 comments | Categories: Randomata | PermalinkBeing a modern day gal I subscribe to a awesome feminist magazine called Bust. If you read my previous post about female characters in comics, you get an idea why I feel a bit conflicted at times defending my title of comic fan to some of the non-comic reading feminists out there. It can be a hard title to defend, with the typical person thinking women in comics = big racks and not much more. So with this in mind, imagine my surprise when my favorite feminist magazine has a feature on a comic book artist *gasp*!
Bust compiled a list of “Men We Love” for various reasons and various backgrounds. For example, they had Chuck D. and Spike Jonze and Dim Mak records owner Steve Aoki listed as some kick-ass guys for various reasons. Contained in one of these pages I found a feature on Brian K. Vaughn who is most known for his work on Y: The Last Man.
In the feature Brian K. Vaughn talks about scouring feminist literature to get an idea of why armies of women would want to fight the last man on earth. He either is, or came across as the sensitive gender equalist, which can be hard to do. While I have heard lots about the series (if you haven’t you have been living under a rock), I was never totally inclined to pick it up. I now am willing to change my mind and am unashamed in saying that I will probably pick it up now (or borrow some of Dylan’s). Does that make me a follower? Sure, why not.
Oh yeah, now that it’s been optioned as a movie, it will be interesting to see how this story unfolds. A comic book based movie that women AND men will want to see? That would be history in the making.
No comment | Categories: Randomata | Permalink