It's XMAS EVE, but you knew that. If you didn't, you're probably dead.




TALES FROM THE SHUFFLE:

Gettin' a lil' spotty with this shit, I know, but if I don't write the shit down right away in the mornin', the brain farts all day. I try, for the life of me to remember, but I hear waaayyy too much music during the day to try and bring it back from the haze sometimes. So here is a sampling of some shit that I heard over the last few days...

12/24/09


1. "Kiss On My List" - Hall & Oates - Yes. For real.


2. "American Flag" [Live] - Cat Power - From Bernal, Switzerland, November 26 1998. My bud, Jr. hooked me up with this recording of the show. I've never seen her live, and I'm sure it's a lil' different now that she is 'happy', but you can't beat this old shit. I love that it's not all polish. It's what it is. You're in a smokey lil' hole-in-the-wall joint and Chan is pouring her shit out pure and raw.


3. "Sam" - Massive Attack - Another track off of the "Danny The Dog" (aka "Unleashed") soundtrack. I love that this album can stand alone and doesn't rely on the fact that it is a soundtrack from a Jet Li flick, and doesn't have all kinds of shitty, cookie cutter hip-hop like you might expect.


4. "Out The Way" - Ghostface Killah feat. Wigs - Off of the double-billed album "Put It On The Line" featuring Ghostface and Trife Da God. 'Course the Ghostface shit is the good shit. I'm not sold on all of the lil' Wu affiliates. There a few like Killarmy, Sunz Of Man, Street Life & Black Knights that are solid. But some of these other cats are so-so.



5. "Take Up Space" - Lord Superb feat. Solomon Childs - Another one of Ghostface's cronies. Sick beat but not big on his delivery. Too loose for the beat.

12/23/09


1. "Numb" [Live] - Portishead - From 'All Tomorrow's Parties, UK', December 8, 2007. Cool show with some of the new shit off of the 'Third' album and other classic 'P'.



2. " Vexed & Glorious" - Kenna - Off of the 'New Sacred Cow' album.


3. "Fistful Of Peanuts" - Spacemonkeyz Vs. Gorillaz - A reworking of Gorillaz' biggest hit, 'Clint Eastwood' off of the album 'Laika Come Home', a brilliant collabo that reconstructed tracks off of the Gorillaz first album and transformed them into laid back 'dub' joints.


4. "Tribute To Monk & Canatella" - Portishead - A rather dope-like jazzy instrumental track from the 'P' off of the 'Glory Times' EP - which combined two import maxi-singles (With remixes of 'Sour Times' and 'Glory Box' and other b-side material.) into one package.


5. "Sound Of Fear" - Eels - Lyric sample: "Some people like to call me Chuck. It's Charles and you are shit out of luck." Good shit, to say the least.

A lil' sampling of other missle anal-ous tracks that I heard...

"Streets Disciple" - NaS

"Oh Donna" - Cappadonna feat. Ghostface

"La Feme d'Argent" - Air

"Big Acts, Little Acts" - Afu-Ra feat. Gza

"Saturday Morning" - Eels
"Let Me See" - Morcheeba

"Go Slowly" - Radiohead

B

Art Gallery: Two religious-themed sketches fo' that ass. "Gabriel" and "Father". Still workin' on the some new shit and hope to have a sampling sooner rather than later. Chickenjoy!!!






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Catchin' up real quick-like fo' I hit up the new Milpi IHOP!!!



TALES FROM THE SHUFFLE:


12/18/09:


1. "Please Stay [Yesterday]" - El-P - The main dude behind underground hip-hop group Company Flow, and the founder of the Def Jux record label. This dude is brilliant. Hard, dirty, synth heavy beats (Heavily influenced by 80's synth soundtracks ala John Carpenter.) and never baking with cookie cutter lyrics (He's worked with the likes of Aesop Rock, Cannibal Ox, Mr. Lif, Trent Reznor, Cat Power, Del The Funky Homosapien and many, many more...). This is off of his jazz-fusion album, 'High Water'. Peep it!


2. "Natural Mystic" - Bob Marley - Bob is God, but spelled B-O-B.


3. "Bachelorette [Live]" - Björk - Another great one from the 'Live Box' version of the 'Homogenic' album. I saw her at the Shoreline a couple a few years ago. I'll tell you, she does not half-ass it one bit.


4. "When Something is Wrong With My Baby" - Sam & Dave - From the second volume of the Hughes Bros' "Dead Presidents" soundtrack. Years and years and millenia ago, Criterion had a sweet laserdisc of this flick. So how come the dvd (out for years) sucks ass when it comes to special features. Haven't bought this flick yet because of it.


5. "Show" - Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man - Dark, moody song from the Portishead vocalist's solo joint. Would be perfect for a movie soundtrack (My idea, so fucker take it so I can use it in the [distant?] future.

Have a good weekend. Finish that Xmas shopping, asses!!! (I wear XL tops & Size 11-12 shoes. I'll also take gift cards and CASH, if you're not feeling original or creative...)

B

Art Gallery: Nada para hoy!

I Ron, Man...

Here it is! The trailer for IRON MAN 2. Lookin' pah-ritty good, thus far.

Wat'cha tink?!




B

>>>>>>>>>>> * <<<<<<<<<<<

WhuTiTizz???

Just checkin' in wif you real quick, mother folkers.



TALES FROM THE SHUFFLE:

12/15/09


1. "Absolutely Nothing" - Lily Allen - B-side from the "Smile" single. I'm a sucker for chicks with British accents... and third nipples.


2. "Wrong 4 Dat" - Redman - Constantly entertaining.

3. " Get Together" - Beastie Boys feat. Q-Tip - Classic. Sick ass beat. It's like sitting in on a freestyle session at like 4 in the morning. Eastern time.


4. "Take It There" - The Roots - Quest?Love is a maniac on dem drums.


5. "Brush Descends The Length" - Stereolab - It's repetition pounds its way into your head and causes you to float into the atmosphere. Singer Laetitia Sadier's voice is poppy perfection. I need to explore this group some more in the future...

12/16/09


1. "I Will Not Apologize" - The Roots - One thing about The Roots is that their albums are always consistent. There's rarely any filler or 'skits'. It's cool that they are constantly exploring and evolving. I think it comes from actually being 'a band' and not just a rap act.


2. "New Life" - Depeche Mode - Upbeat Depeche Mode.


3. "Distant Land" - Madlib - Brilliant album. Madlib gets open access to the Blue Note Jazz catalog and is given free reign to remix and reinterpret as only he can. Peep it and chill.


4. "Strangers" - Portishead - This track hits hard. Off of P's debut album, "Dummy". One of my faves groups of a.t.

5. "Here Comes The Judge" - Ol' Dirty Bastard - I love me some Wu, but this "album", which the Wu had nuthin' to do with, is garbage as it's mostly remixes and old shit, unreleased shit set to whack ass gangsta beats. The best is the 'skit' where ODB is actually taking a shit and it's being recorded!



I'ma try to make all next week (Time allowing, o' course.), XMAS FLICK WEEK. The wife and I checked out Vince Vaughn's "Four Christmases" a couple of weeks ago. (Not bad! Nothing mind blowing though. I miss when Favs & Vince had a lil' edge. Like in "Made". Or Vince Vaughn in the underrated "Clay Pigeons" from a years back.) I busted out three Xmas classics from the dvd vault - "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", "Bad(der) Santa" & the Will Ferrell, Jon Favreau directed modern Xmas classic, "Elf". That should do me till Xmas eve. I might work in a couple o' more.

On the immediated flick agenda for the weekend is... (To finish) "Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince", Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" & (I know. I haven't seen it yet! Get off my nards!) "The Hangover" [Unrated].

B

Art Gallery: "Mission To...". A pencil drawing that I might take to a more advanced stage somewhere down the road. I like his Euro-mustachio.




Click me, please. Make me big...

Whut up on this fine Moon Day?

Don't forget. Out on DVD & Blu-Ray tomorrow, Quentin Taratino's latest gourmet cinematic offering...

Brilliant fucking film! Saw it twice in the theaters when it came out earlier this year and I plan on taking it in a few more times when I get this bad boy home. Always new lil' things to catch and feast your eyes and ears on when watching a QT flick. This is one is no different. A definite return to form after "Death Proof", his half of "Grindhouse, which some perceived as a lackluster effort from the writer/director following "Kill Bill" (I, personally, loved the 'giallo' homage in the first part of "Death Proof" and only liked the second act which features killer car stunts, but I think veered (No pun intended.) too far from the tone of the first part. A trick which worked better in the Tarantino scripted "From Dusk Till Dawn".)

Check it out people!!!

TALES FROM THE SHUFFLE:


1. "Red Rain" - The White Stripes - I dig Meg White. What?!


2. "Lovefool" - The Cardigans - Without a doubt, the bands biggest hit in the US, but it is by far the "poppiest" song on this rather dark album. There's even a cover of Sabbath's "Ironman" on this one. The Cardigans are one of my favorite bands, and I always try to give anything they do a listen to. Singer Nina Perrson also has two solo albums under the moniker, A. Camp. (Although, I haven't gotten my hands on the second album yet.) Everybody knows "Lovefool" though.


3. "Groove Holmes" - The Beastie Boys - Killer funk instrumentals. One of my fave Beastie projects.


4. "Torn Curtain" - Television - One of the unsung bands of the 70's punks scene. This, their first album, is pretty kick ass. The guitars pierce and rip, tearing through your mind and soul. Obviously a big influence on bands like Interpol and The Killers and the like.


5. "Human Behaviour" - Björk - The video with the giant teddy bear stomping through a crazy ass forest. She rocks all kinds of shit!



B

Art Gallery: "The Castaway". Hey. Guy's in better shape than I am. I'm jealous of his beard, too.

Prepare yourselves... Wait for it...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh, man. That was scary.

...

Thursday, it is. Means tomorrow, Friday, it will be.

Flick Pick O' The Week:

"Carriers" - Written & Directed by Alex and David Pastor.

America (Perhaps the world. I don't recall it being specified.) has been decimated by a pandemic outbreak similar to the very recent bird flu scare of a few years ago (And the more recent H1N1 flu.). Amidst all this two brothers Brian (Chris Pine, Capt. Kirk in the new "Star Trek") and Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), with Brian's girlfriend (Piper Perabo) and Kate (Emily Van Camp), a companion they have picked up on their travels, are headed to Turtle Beach, a childhood vacation spot, to find refuge in an abandoned hotel.

Of course, it's not as simple as that.

Along the way, they encounter various dangers. For not only must they avoid becoming infected with the deadly disease, but they must also deal with other survivors in a world where socitey has broken down completely, and one's morals compass is constantly tested in situations that are literally of the 'life and death' kind.

This is not a typical 'pandemic' film. The infected are not flesh-hungry zombies. The disease is dealt with in a very real way, thus making it all the more timely in today's world.


The film is extremely atmospheric. With a lot of warm color hues that slowly, but surely turn more cold and dark, the further we get into the it. It isn't high on action, but the character dynamics and the tension build up in certain scenarios more than make up for any lack of the shoot-em-up-bang-bang shit. But don't get me wrong, there is blood, but it's never gratuitous or over the top and services this PG-13 film just fine.


The performances are solid all around, led by Pine (Who's star turn in "Star Trek", hah! has helped finally get this movie out there. It only had limited release here in the states way back in September, but has just come out on dvd this week.) and Perabo. There is also a memorable turn by "Law & Order: SVU's" Christopher Meloni as a father of an infected 8-year old girl, trying to get his daughter to a place that might have a cure. (I tell you, as a father, and as a father of two girls, there is one scene that is absolutely heart breaking.)



It's not really a feel good time on the couch, but if your in for a solid lil' flick, give it a rent.

TALES FROM THE SHUFFLE:



1. "Theme From Hong Kong" - Lee Perry, The Mighty Upsetter - Kick back reggae instrumentalizmsssssss!


2. "Beautiful Lie" - Esthero


3. "The Name Of The Game" [Instrumental] - Reflection Eternal (Hi-Tek & Talib Kweli) - Actually since it's the instrumental, I guess it's just Hi-Tek. Tight beat.


4. "Simple Rules" - Massive Attack - From the soundtrack to Luc Besson scripted, Jet Li flick, "Danny The Dog" (Released in the states with the more mainstream title, "Unleashed".) This is a cool lil' soundtrack that features mostly the instrumental score by Massive, plus extra tracks from RZA and Thea.

5. "Anticipation" - DJ Krush feat. DJ Hide - Another cool track from Krush's "Mesio" album.

Peazzzzze

B


Art Gallery: "Therapy". You think I might need some? ... Nah!!!




Click for a larger session...

A Quickie...

Hola!

Not too much for today, but I did wanna get on so peep it...

Tales From The Shuffle:



1. "Like A Tattoo" - Sade - The most soothing voice in the world.


2. " 20 Dollars" - M.I.A. - Incorporates The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" (Of "Fight Club" fame.) into the chorus. Catchy.


3. "Redman" - Kenna - Possibly the most underrated dude on the whole music scene (Next to Kanye. Oh wait. He would be the most overrated "artist" in the world!). This is 2003, peeps! And still there are folks who have never heard of this guy.


4. " Troubled Waters" - Cat Power - Cover of a Helen Merrill song from her first covers album. Haven't heard the o.g., but if I only ever heard Chan's version, there would be nothing wrong with that. Love this song.

5. "Where I End And You Begin" - Radiohead - Off of the "Hail To The Thief" album. Which was a return to form (of sorts) after two back to back experimental albums, "Kid A" & "Amnesiac".

That's all, folkers!!!!

B


Art Gallery: Photos of two big sketchbook pieces, "Johnny Luna, Robot Fighter" & "Wolverine In Battle".





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