Halloween Fest, Pt. 4

Zombie

While this movie was originally marketed as a sequel to Night of the Living Dead, it was not. It was an Italian-made film (as noticed in some of the actors having to be dubbed) that nevertheless would have made a fine sequel to Romero’s zombie original. The plot is pretty standard for a zombie film – there are zombies and they want to eat people. That’s pretty much it. This film does an excellent job, though, of ratcheting up the tension throughout the film leading to the big zombie attack climax. It does this by parceling out the zombie appearances in small but very impactful ways – the two most memorable scenes involve a zombie attacking a shark(!) and a zombie attack on a woman that involves some sharp pieces of wood and an eyeball. Added to this is a classic 70’s synth soundtrack which is exactly the type of music I think of when I see a slow-moving mindless zombie on the attack. The gore factor is pretty good in this one too. I recommend this if you are a fan of zombie films to see how they can be done well without just bombarding you with zombies.

Halloween Movie Fest, Pt. 3

Blood Sucking Freaks

This movie was completely not what I was expecting. I had heard of this movie before but I didn’t know anything about it other than the title. Also, I apparently read the Netflix description but didn’t REALLY read it, because the description is pretty accurate. This movie isn’t really about any blood sucking freaks at all (according to Wikipedia, that wasn’t the original title, so that explains that). It really is a combination of an old-school version of Hostel and a soft-core porn. I don’t think more than 2 minutes passed at any time without someone being naked onscreen. Like most of the current crop of the so-called “torture porn” movies out there (like Hostel, Saw, etc.), Blood Sucking Freaks doesn’t really set out to scare you – it just wants to disturb and revolt the hell out of you. Most films try and do that by turning up the gore factor and seeing how grossed out they can make you. Not this one. There was not a whole lot of blood used. Instead, this flick attempts to disturb you by abusing women and treating them like objects (literally, as in one scene the main antagonist uses a woman as a foot stool), while at the same time weaving a black humor throughout that instead of being funny, really adds to the depravity. Movies involving abuse and torture are disturbing enough on their own, but, by throwing in attempts at humor, this movie seems to be saying “Sure, we just cut that woman’s fingers off, but look! We are using them to bet at backgammon. Isn’t that funny? Torturing women is fun!” That, at least for me, made the movie all that more creepy (and not in the way that I normally look for in a horror movie) and uncomfortable.


The Old Dark House

This is a classic horror film from the original Universal horror heyday. It was the next release by the same team that made Frankenstein. That includes Boris Karloff (I love Karloff, but I can’t ever hear his name now without thinking of this great line by Bela Lugosi in “Ed Wood” – “Karloff? Sidekick? FUCK YOU! Karloff did not deserve to smell my shit! That limey cocksucker can rot in Hell for all I care!”) as a hulking, mute butler. The story involves some travelers who, while searching for a place to escape the storm, come across a creepy old mansion inhabited by a family that acts weird the whole time. That’s really about the extent of the plot. Reading that, you would think this was a boring movie, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is something about old black and white horror films, set in musty, ill-lit gothic mansions that can convey a sense of tension and foreboding that keeps you locked into the film no matter what is happing with the characters. Fortunately, the characters who reside in the house are odd and creepy enough that, even if they are just sitting around, talking and acting weird and suspicious, it adds to the overall atmosphere of the movie. This is the type of movie that couldn’t be made effectively today – our modern, slick way of filmmaking would just make this film boring.


13 Ghosts

This is one of those types of movies to which Popcorn (from my last post) was paying tribute. During its original release, moviegoers were given special glasses which allowed them to see the ghosts in color (the film was black and white) if they looked through 1 lens or not see the ghosts at all if they looked through the other lens. Maybe if it was 1960 again, and I saw the movie with that gimmick, maybe I would have liked it more (although probably not). It just sort of fell flat with me. The story is about a down on his luck family man who inherits a house from his uncle that turns out to be haunted (and also his uncle hid money in the house somewhere). The film couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be spooky, somewhat campy, or (as I saw someone comment on IMDB) an episode of Scooby-Doo. Or maybe they tried to be all those things at once. I don’t know. All I know is that it resulted in a movie that was just there. I didn’t hate it, nor did I love it.

Halloween Movie Fest, Pt. 2

Drag Me to Hell

After Plan 9 From Outer Space (in the last installment of my Halloween Movie Marathon), I decided to go for something a little more recent. Drag Me To Hell was released this year and is Sam Raimi’s return to the horror genre for the first time since the Evil Dead movies. If you have ever seen those movies (and if you haven’t FOR SHAME), then you know a little of what you are getting into with Drag Me To Hell – over the top gore, some black humor, and a pretty entertaining movie. It’s about a woman who is cursed by an old gypsy after denying her a loan. The curse involves being tormented by a demon for 2 days before the demon comes to drag you, body and soul, into Hell. Since only the main character can see how she is being tormented, of course everyone thinks she is crazy. There are a lot of fun things in this movie. The original attack by the gypsy woman was crazy and creepy (and very Evil Dead reminiscent), as was every other appearance by her – living or dead – throughout the rest of the movie. Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of the gore (at least in the Unrated Version I watched) was over the top, but in a good “Ugh! I can’t believe they did that!” way (for example, check out what happens when the old lady attacks in the tool shed). While I didn’t find it really scary overall, there were a couple of good, innovative cheap frights (one involving a cell phone) that keep you on your toes. Drag Me To Hell is by no means a GREAT film, but it is pretty good.


Graduation Day

In my first blog entry about scary movies, I mentioned that I loved them all - campy, gory, suspenseful and even the bad ones. This movie definitely falls into that last category. Graduation Day was released in 1981 and was an obvious attempt to cash in on the slasher film craze of the late 70's-early 80's that was kicked off after the success of Halloween and Friday the 13th (and a cheap attempt at that). The plot involves a killer knocking off members of a high school track team the day before and of graduation. I know what I am getting into when I watch slasher films - I am not expecting No Country For Old Men. I usually only want a few things when I watch these movies: blood, cheesy 80's scary music, a few imaginative kills and some cheap attempts to scare the audience. That's really it. This movie hits some of those points, but not all. There really wasn't much blood. The methods the killer uses to dispatch the victims are, other than 2 examples (one involving a football/fencing sword combo and the other involving the landing area for pole vaulters) are pretty run of the mill. There really weren't any attempts to frighten you, either, as every kill is telegraphed for about 30 seconds before it happens. However, the main problem I had with the movie is that the scenes in-between the kill scenes were BORING. Mostly just lots and lots of talking. BORING talking. If there is one thing a "bad" horror movie can't be, it's boring. Many slasher films will keep the interest up between the actual kills by setting up fake kills in an effort to spook you. This movie doesn't do that - if it looks like someone is going to get killed at that moment, they are. This film could have used a few more cheap spooks and a little less dialog concerned with pointing you towards the wrong suspect. If you haven't seen it, I would pass on this film.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a tribute to those cheap horror films from the 50's that would set up gimmicks in the theater in order to scare the audience (like electro-shocks in the seats), since the films were really too cheesy to do it themselves. The plot involves a horror movie festival at an old theater involving those types of movies and a killer that is stalking the staff during the showing of the films. For this movie, rather than use existing films in the fake festival, they made their own. I thought they did a really good job capturing the right sense of style for these films - phony-looking creatures, white-bread characters and very cheap gimmicks (one of the films is enhanced by "Odor-Vision", where they release different smells into the theater to correspond with what is happening on the screen). They also did a good job of capturing that old-school horror feel in a modern (for the time, which was the early 90's) way. Popcorn is a little cheesy, but there is some good tension at times and the plot was just crazy enough to keep my interest throughout the whole movie (in addition to the film festival, it involves a crazed film maker who may have come back from the dead after committing a Manson-esque killing spree back in the 60's).

October

Overall, summer is my favorite time of the year. I love the hot weather, cookouts, sleeping with the windows open, long daylight hours, my birthday is in August, etc. However, my favorite month of the year is October. October has pro and college football, the baseball playoffs, the leaves changing and, most importantly of all… HALLOWEEN! (side note – I refuse to include that apostrophe between the two e’s that has been showing up more and more lately. This isn’t a case of reverting to the non-anglicized spelling of something in order to respect the culture of an existing people. Halloween is derived from a Celtic Pagan festival. Are there a lot of Celtic Pagans around these days embracing their cultural history? NO. So that apostrophe can suck it.)

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it – dressing up, passing out candy to trick ‘r’ treaters, carving pumpkins, haunted houses and scary movies. I LOVE scary movies; although they don’t scare me (the only time I was ever really scared by a movie was the Exorcist – watching that move when I was 12 by myself with no lights on wasn’t the brightest idea). I love all kinds of horror/scary movies – campy, gory, suspenseful and even the bad ones. I always take time off from work at Halloween to stage my own personal horror movie marathon (yes, I am 13). This year, Halloween falls on a Saturday, so college football will interfere with my laying on the couch and watching movies. As a result, I have decided to both designate the 30th (and probably the night before) as my movie day and also to try and watch movies throughout the month (I meant to start at the beginning, but it has been a busy month, which also is to blame for my lack of blog posts).

The first movie up is one that I have always wanted to see, but it has managed to elude me until now – Plan 9 From Outer Space. Yes, the film universally renowned as The Worst Movie Ever Made. And, oh my, does it live up to its reputation. The acting is terrible. I mean, terrible as in they could probably go get the cast of the local high school production of Our Town, they would look like the cast of Mad Men compared to the chumps in Plan 9. Even the greatest screenwriters in Hollywood would have a difficult time coming up with dialog that would sound natural being delivered by these hacks. Unfortunately (or I guess fortunately for fans of terrible-in-a-good way movies), those screenwriters are nowhere to be found for this flick. It is usually stated that voiceover narration or extended exposition in a movie are the signs of a lazy screenwriter. The first 10 minutes of this movie are ALL narration, and the last 15 minutes are almost all exposition, so that should give you some hint of what you are in for with this movie. However, if you love bad movies, you owe it to yourself to see this one. It was time well spent.

I will be posting blog posts on my other movie-watching experiences throughout the month…

MY Top 20 songs of 2000 - 2009 - Part 2

And away we go!

10. Another Sunny Day - Belle & Sebastian
My second favorite song by Belle & Sebastian (number one is "Lazy Line Painter Jane). The opening chords of this song always put me in a good mood when they come on my iPod. It starts out a nice song about new love and ends up a song about that love going completely to shit, but it does it in such an upbeat-sounding way that I want to roll down the windows, drive around and blare it on the stereo every time it comes on. Although that may be because there is something wrong with me.

Another Sunny Day - Belle & Se...

9. Stuck Between Stations - The Hold Steady
I have written about this band before, but I can't say enough about how cool they are. Every song of theirs manages to tell a story while coming from a band that looks (except for keyboardist Franz Nicolay - that dude is something else) and sounds like your local bar band (only light years better). The best live show around...

Stuck Between Stations - The H...

8. Good Fortune - PJ Harvey
This song was always one of my go-to's on the jukebox at the st. James Tavern (best jukebox in the city of Columbus... its not even close). PJ Harvey is one of my favorite female singers. she can sound so raw and terrifying (like in "50 ft. Queenie" or at the end of "Down By The Water") or she can belt out some beautiful tunes like this one, my favorite song of hers.

Good Fortune - PJ Harvey

7. Neighborhood #3 - The Arcade Fire
This band came out of nowhere in 2004 (well, technically they came from Canada, but that might as well be nowhere) and blew everyone (including David Bowie) away based on the strength of this song. They had a sound unlike just about every other band around - sort of a baroque pop sound, but (as this song shows) they can rock it out too when they want to...

Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - ...

6. Banquet - Bloc Party

This is another band that sort of came out of nowhere in 2004 with a sound that, at least for bands that got airplay on alternative radio at the time, wasn't like anything else. In this case though, it was dance rock. This song is great for kicking off a party or getting you keyed up for a night of going out (this song and on of their other songs from this same disc - "Helicopter" are two of my favorite party songs).

Banquet - Bloc Party

5. National Anthem - Radiohead

This is a song that I never hear anyone else mention on their list of favorite Radiohead songs, except for me. Too bad, this is my list. I love everything about this song from the grinding bassline that appears throughout the whole song to the crazy, jazz-like brass section in the middle. Wikipedia says that Thom Yorke wrote this bass riff when he was sixteen. SIGH...

The National Anthem - Radiohea...

4. PDA - Interpol

Interpol may not be the best band to come out of the 2000's, but they were certainly the coolest looking (as long as you ignore bassist Carlos D's silly mustache that he was sporting for a while). When I saw them in 2004, they all had on black suits and they all smoked like fiends (back when you could still do that indoors here) and just gave off the vibe that they were the coolest guys in the place, without also giving off the "we're the biggest douchebags in the place, too" vibe. Don't go trying to find any meanings in the lyrics of this song (or in any other Interpol song) - I once read an interview with lead singer Paul Banks and he said he doesn't even know what his lyrics mean (he just picks words that sound good together).

PDA - Interpol

3. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart - Wilco

My favorite song from one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time. Much like Interpol, I think Jeff Tweedy sometimes just picks lyrics for his songs because they sound good, but don't really mean anything, like "Take off your band-aid 'cause I don't believe in touchdowns" (although, with all the migraine problems he has had over the years, maybe that meant something to his scrambled brain at the time). This song is about someone who regrets ending a relationship and then regrets starting it up again, hence the title.

I am trying to break your hear...

2. Idioteque - Radiohead

This song epitomizes Radiohead's transformation from a straight alt-rock band to one that was willing to push the boundaries of their music in every direction possible and show everyone that there was no limit to the innovative music of which they were capable. This album pushed Radiohead to the level of top band in the alternative music world (they won a Grammy for this album, not that doing that means anything, but still...).

Idioteque - Radiohead

1. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio

The coolest song ever written about a werewolf (knocking off the former champion in this category, "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon). This song epitomizes what TV on the Radio is all about - it combines rock and funk into a blistering song that's, as the song says "gonna teach you tricks that'll blow your mongrel mind." They absolutely kill this song live, too. There aren't a whole lot of indie rock songs (that aren't considered "dance rock") that will make you want to dance like this one. I think that I am going to blare this on a continual loop this Halloween while giving out candy (my first year in my new neighborhood) to see what kind of reaction I get...

Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio


And let the complaining begin!

MY Top 20 songs of 2000 - 2009 - Part 1

Last week on Pitchfork.com, they released their list of the Top 500 songs from this decade, with the Top 20 being announced Friday- here's the link . For those that aren't familiar with Pitchfork, they are a music website that caters to mostly alternative music fans (like me) with news, interviews and CD/song reviews. Sometimes they exhibit a little TOO much music snobbery, even for me (I know, SHOCKING!). When I read the list, there were some songs I agreed with, and some that I totally did not. Here is their list...

Pitchfork Top 20

20. The Walkmen - "The Rat"
19. R. Kelly - "Ignition (Remix)"
18. Hercules and Love Affair - "Blind"
17. Annie - "Heartbeat"
16. The Rapture - "House of Jealous Lovers"
15. The Knife - "Heartbeats"
14. Jay-Z - "99 Problems"
13. LCD Soundsystem - "Losing My Edge"
12. OutKast - "Hey Ya!"
11. Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
10. Arcade Fire - "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"
9. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
8. Radiohead - "Idioteque"
7. Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"
5. Daft Punk - "One More Time"
4. Beyoncé [ft. Jay-Z] - "Crazy in Love"
3. M.I.A. [ft. Bun B and Rich Boy] - "Paper Planes (Diplo Remix)"
2. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
1. OutKast - "B.O.B."

Here are a few thoughts on their list - first, my main problem with their list overall is the same problem I had with their book on the top 500 songs from the punk era to the present (an excellent book, despite any disagreements that I had with it) and that is the fact that they placed too much importance on dance music. I mean, come on - TWO LCD Soundsystem songs in the top 20, and neither of them is even "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House"? No way. Second, I wouldn't include Jay-Z, Beyonce or Missy Elliott on my list, but that's mostly due to the fact that I don't listen to Beyonce or Missy (I like Jay-Z, but he wouldn't make my Top 20) or their type of music.

I decided to go through my collection and pick out my Top 20 favorite songs from the decade (I can't believe that it is almost over...):

20. Can't Stand Me Now - The Libertines
The Libertines were, sadly, a flash in the pan group, mostly due to the out of control drug use of Pete Doherty (he is the crazy ex-boyfriend of Kate Moss that was involved with most of HER drug problems a few years ago). Its a shame too - they showed just the right mix of talent and that sneering British attitude of "I don't give a fuck" that the best punk bands had in the 70s. I would have liked to have seen where their music would go as the band matured, but, despite to hundreds of rumors of a reunion, it doesn't look like it will happen.

Can't Stand Me Now - The Liber...

19. Hello Sunshine - Super Furry Animals
This is one of those songs that starts out one way and then changes into a different song. It starts out with a woman's voice singing in a fairly ethereal way about saying good bye, backed up by lush strings. Then, abruptly, it switches to a man singing about happiness ("sunshine") coming into his life. It is a incredibly simple, beautiful song about new beginnings that would be perfect on any mixtape you gave to your new girlfriend/boyfriend (if people still did that. Which they don't).

Hello Sunshine - Super Furry A...

18. Have A Nice Day - Stereophonics
Stereophonics are one of those bands that never really hit it big here (aside from a few songs, including this one, that made it to indie radio airplay) despite being pretty huge in England. This song is a pretty straight up pop-rock offering that always makes me think of summer (with lyrics about being on vacation in San Francisco and lazily sitting around and drinking) and never ceases to put me in a good mood when I hear it (despite some of the lyrics sounding like they are disappointed with their choice of holiday - I don't care, it always lifts my spirits).

Have A Nice Day - Stereophonic...

17. Fell In Love With A Girl - The White Stripes
This is the song that put The White Stripes (and Jack White) on the map and sent them to indie rock (and sort of mainstream) popularity. Thi was probably due to the fact that this song is so different than most of their other music. Their songs are much more blues rock oriented than this one, which is face-paced, even almost frantic. It was accompanied by one of the all time coolest music videos - Jack and Meg White as stop-motion animated Lego characters.



16. The Seed 2.0 - The Roots
A little bit of a departure from the norm from the second best hip-hop group (see #11 below) out there today. The Roots always have had a little different sound than other rap acts because of the fact that there are also a band - they play their own instruments (they are currently the house band on Jimmy Fallon's talk show, which I thought would be kind of odd, but has turned out to be pretty cool because of the different other groups the Roots have been able to play with that have been guests on the show). However, adding guest vocalist/guitarist Cody Chesnutt and amping up the tempo on Chesnutt's song "The Seed" resulted in a sort of countrified-hip hop -soul fusion that was the catchiest song of 2003, despite the songs lyrics being about purposely knocking up your girlfriend (although, depending on what lyrics website you read, there are a few other meanings for what this song is really saying).

The Seed (2.0) - The Roots

15. Abel - The National
I already wrote about (and posted this song) on my The Bands Making the Best Music Right Now blog, so I am not going to add anything to that entry or post the song again. Oh what the hell (this song is awesome...)

Abel - The National

14. Golden Age - Beck
This from the album "Sea Change", which was Beck's "break-up" album. Up to this point, Beck's music was, for the most part, electrified, sample-laden, groovy white boy funk. This album was a WILD departure from those songs. All the songs on this CD are stripped down, both musically and lyrically, leaving a raw, painful portrait of a man who had just come from a relationship that could not have ended well. Beck poured a lot of himself into these songs, got it out of his system, and then was back to his old tricks with his next CD.

The Golden Age - Beck

13. Twin Cinema - The New Pornographers
I have also written before about the New Pornographers, so there isn't really much to add. I think they are the best pop-rock band around right now. Because they rotate 3 singers - Carl Newman, Neko Case and Ban Bejar - they are able to mix up their sound and play to the strengths of each vocalist, which keeps them sounding fresh.

Twin Cinema - The New Pornogra...

12. Black and White Town - Doves
This song is from the third album by Doves, "Some Cities". It was a number 1 hit for them in the UK, and also received quite a bit of airplay on CD101, which is how I first heard of them. This is a fairly upbeat sounding song with some truly down and out lyrics (the song is about despair and needing to escape). In a case of marketing people only listening to the melody of a song and not the lyrics this song has been used for a lot of sporting events over in England...

Black And White Town - Doves

11. B.O.B - Outkast
Now, I agree this is a great song, probably the best song by the #1, most innovative hip hop group around. BUT... I don't see it as the best song of the decade. That said, there is no denying the greatness of this sng. It should be called "Machine Guns Over Baghdad", as "Bombs" doesn't nearly do justice to the speed that both the bass line and the lyrics assault you. One of the things that always set Big Boi and Andre 3000 appart from other rapper is that they were willing to step out of the "money, drugs, booze and ho's" lyrical trap that makes most rap today so terrible. They still sound boastful, but in a way that uses rhymes that sound great together as well as manage to get across their point.

B.O.B. - Outkast

Part 2 will follow later...

The John Hughes Soundtrack

When John Hughes passed away last week, I can't say I was saddened (I mean, come on, I didn't know him) but I was a little bummed. I really loved his movies when I was growing up (I think I watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off about 40 times with my friends Jeff and Chris). I am not going to write about the movies - there have been 1000 articles and blogs on that subject in the last week. Also, I haven't watched these movies in a while, so I am not sure if I will like them as much now - my tastes have changed as I've grown older. However, there is one big aspect of Hughes' movies that I know I still love and that was the music. A lot of these movies involved characters that were either outsiders or on the fringe of the popular groups, and the soundtracks were filled with songs by 80's bands that were not in the mainstream to reflect this. Back when I used to watch these movies, I wasn't really that in to New Wave or alternative music - at that age, I was just into what ever was popular at the time, but I knew that there was something about the songs I was hearing that I really liked - it wasn't until I was much older, and much more adventurous in music listening that I realized 80's New wave and alternative are my favorite musical genres. I wish that I would have dug a little deeper at the time into the songs I was hearing in a movie like Pretty in Pink. I deprived myself of many years of listening pleasure. Oh well...

I have a list below (and I am posting the actual songs when available) for what I feel are the best songs from John Hughes' movies (plus some added information about a few of the songs):

"True" - Spandau Ballet (Sixteen Candles)

True - Spandau Ballet

"Little Bitch" - The Specials (Sixteen Candles)
Technically, this isn't an "80's" song, since the album on which it was originally released came out in 1979, but I don't care. I am including it anyway because 1.) 1979 is close enough to the 80's, and 2.) I think The Specials are a cool band.

Little Bitch - The Specials

Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds (Breakfast Club)
Just because this song has been somewhat played out over the years doesn't mean that it isn't a great song (often times, just like the old saying, familiarity with a song breeds contempt).

Don't You (Forget About Me) - ...

"Weird Science" - Oingo Boingo (Weird Science)
I don't think anyone would have guessed when this song came out that Danny Elfman, the lead singer of this group (which was also responsible for "Dead Man's Party", which was in another 80's comedy that was a favorite of mine growing up - Back To School), would turn out to be the #1 driving force behind classical movie scores in Hollywood. He was just too weird to even think he could play anything but music that sounds like what Oingo Boino was putting out.

Weird Science - Oingo Boingo

"Tenderness" - General Public (Weird Science)
For some reason, I really love this song. However, I realize it may not be the manliest of songs, but once, I saw a UFC fighter (I cannot remember who for the life of me) use this as his entrance music.

Tenderness - General Public

"Eighties" - Killing Joke (Weird Science)

Eighties - Killing Joke

"Beat City" - The Flowerpot Men (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)
I have never heard anything else by this group, but they have a special place in my heart. Back when I was in college, I had a friend that worked at the college radio station. For some reason, he thought it was a good idea to let his jack-ass friends hang out in the booth with him during his shifts and occasionally get on the air. He would bring in a few of his own selections to add to the station's discs and this song on 45 was one of them (yes, back when I was in college the station still had turntables). Since I really liked this song, I made him play it EVERY TIME he was on the air. Not surprisingly, he didn't last long at that job...

(Song not available)

"Desire (Come and Get It)" - Gene Loves Jezebel (She's Having a Baby)
"Haunted When The Minutes Drag" - Love and Rockets (She's Having a Baby)
I have only seen this movie once, and it was a long time ago, so I don't remember if it was any good, nor do I remember these songs from the movie. However, I like both bands and these are good songs, so they are being included.

Desire (Come And Get It) - Gen...

Haunted When The Minutes Drag ...

"If You Leave" - OMD (Pretty in Pink)

If You Leave - Orchestral Mano...

"Pretty In Pink" - Psychedelic Furs (Pretty In Pink)
The Psychedelic Furs have become one of my favorite 80's bands. they are coming to Columbus in October and I am really pumped to see them live.

Pretty In Pink (Original Versi...

"Shellshock" - New Order (Pretty In Pink)

Shellshock - New Order

"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" - The Smiths (Pretty In Pink)

Please, Please, Please Let Me ...

"The Hardest Walk" - Jesus and Mary Chain (Some Kind Of Wonderful)

The Hardest Walk [Single Versi...

That would make a pretty good 80's playlist on your iPod.

Just Like Getting Old...

Last night, as I was driving home, I was flipping through the radio stations and I came across "Just Like Heaven", which is one of my favorite Cure songs. Normally, that is no big deal, since both CD101 (the local alternative station) and 106.7 (the local pseudo-alternative station) both play The Cure once in a while. However, it wasn't either of those stations - it was 105.7 (The Brew!), which is a classic rock station that leans a little more towards 80's rock (the song played after The Cure was "Home Sweet Home" by Motley Crue). I was pretty shocked - I have never head The Cure played on a classic rock station. I didn't know that they were that popular in those circles. Now, I know that in terms of alternative music, they are extremely popular - maybe one of the most popular alternative bands of all time. But I didn't think they were "mainstream" popular, and I certainly didn't think that they were popular with people that listen to classic rock stations. And, they would have to be, right? I mean, those types of stations don't play just any old song. Some company somewhere had to have done some research and determined that "Just Like Heaven" would fit in on a station like The Brew. I know that people who liked The Cure back in the 80's are getting old now. However, are all of them now listening to classic rock stations? I mean, I know I was listening to a classic rock station, but that was because I didn't have my iPod with me - I think it is pretty apparent from this blog that I listen to some pretty modern music. So, my question is - have the type of people that used to listen to bands like The Cure back in the 80's become full-time classic rock listeners or are they like me, and still trying to find the music that is out there that is outside the mainsteam? I am guessing that I am probably in the minority in this case...

Just Like Heaven - The Cure

The Bands Making the Best Music Right Now

Most of the music that I listen to is of the "indie" variety and the bands don't usually last too long. They are on small record labels, they usually don't sell a lot of records and hipsters are so damn fickle that they are always looking for the next new thing and will drop their interest in bands that they just loved 6 months ago. For example, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's first CD was one of my favorite discs of 2005. They released a not as good follow up disc in 2007, and then there were rumors that they were breaking up in 2009. Because of these and other factors, its really enjoyable when an indie band that you like happens to string a few good discs together and starts to show some longevity. Below is the list of the top 5 bands that I think are putting out the best music right now. The criteria I used for this list is that they have to have at least 2 really good CD's released in the last 4 years (1 excellent disc and 1 mediocre disc do not count) since every 2 years seems to be the cycle for releasing CD's these days. I picked that timeframe because I wanted bands that are putting out music on a fairly regular basis so you can enjoy their music more often. This is why Radiohead is not on the list - its obvious that they are still excellent, as In Rainbows proved. However, that CD took 4 years to come out after Hail To the Thief and who knows how long it will be until their next one comes out. Also, the band still has to be together - this list is about bands that are making great music and hopefully will continue to in the future.

5.) Animal Collective

Animal Collective (as I wrote about in my 2009 Top 10 entry) put forth some of the most eclectic music out there today. Some of their songs sound like they are being played on your back porch by a jug band at a hoedown. Others sound like you should be listening to them in a dark room with only a blacklight and some glow in the dark posters. Their output is pretty prolific, too - since 2005, they have released 3 albums (Feels, Strawberry Jam and Merriweather Post Pavilion) and 1 EP (Water Curses). I will admit that their sound is not for everyone, but they manage to consistently impress me with each new release.

Brother Sport - Animal Collect...

The Purple Bottle - Animal Col...

4.) The National

The National play pop/rock with a little bit of a darker edge. However, I think even if they tried to play a little lighter-sounding fare, their music would still sound dark due to the deep baritone voice of their lead singer Matt Berninger. His voice adds a little something extra to their sound that helps achieve the kinda "chamber pop" sound that their music leans towards - there's just something about a lot of their songs that sounds like you should be listening to them in the parlor, with some gaslights and a glass of scotch.

Fake Empire - The National

Abel - The National

3.) TV On the Radio
TVotR's sound is pretty hard to pin down. Their songs mix alternative rock, jazz, and soul in a way that very few bands could pull off. Their last 2 discs - 2006's Return To Cookie Mountain and 2008's Dear Science - were both critically praised by both the indie music press and more mainstream publications, like Rolling Stone. In fact, Rolling Stone (along with Entertainment Weekly, Spin, MTV and a few others) named Dear Science as the Best Album of the Year (thank you Wikipedia). This band knows how to groove and they know how to rock. And they can blow you away with either. "Wolf Like Me" from Cookie Mountain my be my favorite song released this decade.

Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio

Halfway Home - TV On The Radio

2.) Spoon
Spoon plays rock music, but they mix up their sound with a little more pop sensibility than the other bands on this list. They have shown that they know how to groove too, as evidenced by "I Turn My Camera On" from 2005's Gimme Fiction and "Don't You Evah" from 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Their 2007 disc was one of the best released that year and has me really looking forward to their next disc. They released an EP this year that really only served to tease me. DAMN THEM!

I Turn My Camera On - Spoon

Don't You Evah - Spoon

1.) The Hold Steady
I know that I have previously written about this band, but they really are my favorite band currently. They have one of the most fun, high-energy live shows around (I have seen them live 3 times, including once in a bar in Las Vegas where the stage was outside next to the back alley). In the last 4 years, they have released 3 great discs (Seperation Sunday, Boys and Girls In America and A Positive Rage) as well as one live CD (which sounds great but doesn't hold a candle to the experience of seeing them in person). They are just a great, straightforward rock and roll band, making music that has some heart and doesn't sound like it came out of some cookie-cutter rock band template (there are far too few of those bands around these days).

Stuck Between Stations - The H...

Your Little Hoodrat Friend - T...

5 Discs That Should Be On Your Summer Playlist

Sure, summer is half over, but there are still 6 weeks or so until the beginning of September (although, honestly it's still summer to me until the weather changes; around here that could be until October). So, while summer lasts, here are 5 discs that you should be listening to this summer, whether it is a cookout or just hanging out on the deck or at the beach. I think all 5 of them are the kind of music you want to listen to in the summer - upbeat, sunny day kinda songs that just make you feel good...

1.) Discovery - LP

This is a band made up of one of the guys from Vampire Weekend (who I like) and Ra Ra Riot (a band I have only heard of, but never heard their music). It has a kind of new wave, synth pop sound to it, which of course is right up my alley, mixed with a little bit of R&B. Its an interesting combination (they even do a Jackson 5 cover). The songs are all short, 2-3 minutes like most good pop songs, so you can listen to the whole disc on a short drive - it is the perfect soundtrack for a sunny day of driving around town.

Favorite Songs:

"Orange Shirt", "Osaka Loop Line", "So Insane", "Swing Tree", "Carby", "It's Not My Fault (It's My Fault)".

2.) Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Dirty Projectors are a band that I had heard of for a few years but never had a chance to check out their music until now (they had a lot more CD's than I thought). They are an experimental rock band, which is really just a catch-all term for a band whose music doesn't quite fit into any particular genre (or bands that just make weird music). This band is a little of both. On this disc, the songs lean a little more towards pop, and the results are very enjoyable. Since the band hasn't completely shed their "experimental" sound, it might not be for everyone (especially since singer Dave Longstreth has an unusual voice). However, if you are a fan of bands that don't try and sound like every other band out there, you should dig this.

Favorite Songs:

"Canibal Resource", "The Bride", "Stillness is the Move", "Useful Chamber", "No Intention", "Remade Horizon".

3.) Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

I already talked about this disc in my "Top 10 CD's of 2009 (so far...)" post, so I am not really going to go on any further about it. Also, just because it is the only CD from that list to make it on to this one doesn't mean that I have changed my mind and now think it is better than the discs I ranked above it. It just means that this CD has some really catchy songs that I find myself listening to a lot this summer.

4.) We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls

This is the only real "rock" CD on this list (maybe music that is more pop-oriented just lends itself better to summertime...). These guys are from Scotland and this is their first disc, so I really don't know much about them (even their Wikipedia page is pretty sparse). They have a pretty straightforward indie rock sound for the most part, but there is something about the lead singer's Scottish accent that adds a little extra to their songs. There are songs on this disc that are both uptempo and low tempo, so it would be great for those later hour patio or deck gatherings. Plus, I think their name is cool...

Favorite Songs:

"It's Thunder and It's Lightning", "Ships With Holes Will Sink", "Roll Up Your Sleeves", 'Conductor", "This Is My House, This Is My Home", "Quiet Little Voices", "Moving Clocks Run Slow", "Short Bursts".

5.) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair

This is the only disc on this list that didn't come out this year - it is from 2008. This is another one of those bands that I had heard of, but didn't get around to getting my hands on the disc this year. Their sound is sort of like a modern take on disco - a lot of horns and disco-like bass lines along with vocals that sound like they came right out of Studio 54. A couple of the songs have guest vocals by Antony Hegarty of "Antony and the Johnsons". If you have ever heard their music, you know that Hegaty has one of the most unusual and, I'll say it, down right WEIRD singing voices I have ever heard. However, on the songs which he appears on this disc, his voice melds perfectly with the type of music and is almost like another instrument.

Favorite Songs:

"Hercules' Theme", "Athene", "Easy", "Time Will", "You Belong".

The Top 10 CD's of 2009 (so far...)

Usually, I find myself playing catch up at the end of the year trying to get all the discs that have come out during that year ("Wait, they had a new CD this year? When did THAT come out?"). This year however, I have been pretty on top of getting the discs I want right as or after they come out (or *ahem* before they come out). I am still missing a few that I really wanted, but you can't get everything. So, I decided to post my list of my top 10 favorite discs of the first half of the year. I know 2009 isn't technically half over, but since not many new discs come out in December, I figured June was a good cut off point. Here they are, with a short blurb about each one and a few songs I really like from the disc:

10.) Iron & Wine - Around the Well
This is a compilation disc from the alternative folk band. While there were other compilation discs that came out this year that I decided to not include on the list, I left this one in because it contains mostly unreleased songs. Like most folk music, the songs on this disc are pretty straightforward musically - just a guitar, some drums and a story. Sam Beam (Iron & Wine is pretty much him and whatever band he puts together to go on tour with) manages to craft some very pretty songs that musically lend themselves to just sitting out on the porch, tapping your foot along and generally just enjoying a nice summer's day, as long as you don't listen to the lyrics - he manages to make some upbeat sounding songs about pretty sad subject matter. So, the songs can serve two purposes - put you in a good mood or allow you to wallow in a good depression. Your choice.
Favorite songs from the disc - "Dearest Forsaken", "Belated Promise Ring", "Love Vigilantes", "No Moon", "Carried Home", "Arms of a Thief".

9.) Passion Pit - Manners
Passion Pit are an electronic pop band that I just discovered this year, although they had an EP that came out last year. The lead singer has a high pitched voice that may turn some people off, but I think it fits right in with their style of music, almost like an additional instrument. Their songs are catchy pop songs, but they are just short of dance-y. So, if you are looking for a song to bob your head along to, check this one out.
Favorite songs from the disc - "Make Light", "Little Secrets", "The Reeling", "Eyes As Candles", "Folds In Your Hands", "The Seaweed Song".

8.) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
As part of the New Pornographers, Neko Case sings on some of the catchiest pop songs you will ever hear. Her solo songs, however, are in a whole different vein. She sings a very soulful alternative country that sounds like it belongs in a backwoods country bar, with a haze of cigarette smoke in the air.
Favorite songs from the disc -"This Tornado Loves You", "People Got a Lotta Nerve", "Middle Cyclone", "I'm an Animal", "Don't Forget Me", "Red Tide".

7.) Grizzly Bear - Vekatimest
Its not very easy to describe Grizzly Bear's music (they play a psychedelic folk music - try and describe what THAT sounds like). The band has said that they set out to make a more accessible record, and they succeeded - this disc has a very dense sound (due in large part to the fact that everyone in the band contributes to vocals and allows them an added dimension most bands aren't able to manage), but they have managed to make it a rewarding listening experience without sacrificing their signature experimental sound.
Favorite songs from the disc -"Southern Point", "All We Ask", "Cheerleader", "Ready, Able", "About Face", "While You Wait For the Others".

6.) The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
A great disc from the band following their disappointing sophomore record. This disc added a throwback 1980's synthpop sound to the band's signature garage rock, which really appealed to me since I am a big fan of that type of music. It was great to see that the band still has something left and wasn't just a flash in the pan.
Favorite songs from the disc - "Zero", "Heads Will Roll", "Soft Shock", "Dull Life", "Shame and Fortune", "Dragon Queen", "Hysteric".

5. ) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Similar to Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective is another band that has a hard to define sound. They play a sort of psychedelic folk as well, but they don't quite sound the same as Grizzly Bear. True to the second part of their name, their music sounds like a bunch of people sitting around a campfire singing, although some sort of drugs would probably be involved on this camping trip - either with them for singing or with you for listening.
Favorite songs from the disc -"In the Flowers", "My Girls", "Summertime Clothes", "Bluish", "Taste".

4.) Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years
In what seems to be a continuing theme, Super Furry Animals is another band that has a hard to pin down sound (can you tell that I like bands that take chances and don't try to sound like everyone else?). However, unlike the other 2 bands in this "category", Super Furry Animals put forth the most rock-oriented and catchy songs, at least on this disc. This disc definitely has a more upbeat sound than the Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective discs - songs more suited for the middle part of the party than the end.
Favorite songs from the disc -"Mt", "Moped Eyes", "Inconvenience", "Helium Hearts", "White Socks/Flip Flops", "Where Do You Wanna Go?".

3.) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
This disc was a very pleasant surprise. I had read some things on the internet hyping this band up way before their CD was released, which usually means that there will be a let down when you actually are able to hear them (it doesn't mean that the disc you are expecting isn't good - it's just that usually the internet hype machine inflates things to such a degree that there is no way the band can live up to the expectations). However, in this case, the CD was so much better than even I expected. Phoenix's upbeat dance rock will be a staple of my car rides all summer long...
Favorite songs from the disc -"Lisztomania", "Love Like a Sunset", "Lasso", "Countdown (Sick For the Big Sun)", "Girlfriend".

2.) Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
Camera Obscura has been around since 1996, but I didn't discover them until after a few years ago. I really enjoyed what I had heard from them before, but I think this newest disc is their best effort to date. "My Maudlin Career" often has the sound of a very literate 60's girl group music, as if the Supremes or Martha and the Vandellas went to college and decided to let what they had learned seep into their lyrics (pretty amazing when you realize that this is a white lady from England singing...).
Favorite songs from the disc -"French Navy", "You Told a Lie", "Away With Murder", "Swans", "James", "My Maudlin Career", "Honey in the Sun".

1.) Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
I was totally not expecting how good this CD turned out to be. I had only vaguely heard of this band previously (although its really just a woman named Natasha Khan and not really much of a band) and I got their 1st cd a few weeks prior to the release of Two Suns. I liked "Fur and Gold" a good deal, but there was nothing on it that blew me away. That was definitely not the case the first time I listened to "Two Suns" - it was one of those rare occurences where I immediately thought upon first listen, "Wow, this is a really fucking good CD." It is a great mix of rock and electronic pop, along with an ethereal quality, due mostly to Natasha's voice, that is at the same time upbeat and chill. A great disc.
Favorite songs from the disc -"Glass", "Sleep Alone", "Daniel", "Piece of Mind", "Pearl's Dream".