Sigh...

Hola!!! I know, it's been awhile (Like you care!), but so far, 2010 has been a lil' bumpy. At least with certain aspects of "mi vida loca". But I'm tryin' to prepare myself for things. What things? All I can say is... "things". We'll leave that at that and...


On the comic book scene, I recommend that y'all check out writer Cristos Gage's "Absolution" (With art by Roberto Viacava.) from Avatar Press. This is a real solid read, folks. The premise: A serial killer is on the loose. But this serial killer is different. He is a cop. A super powered cop to be exact (He can create a kind of aura that can manifest itself physically around/through him. He wields it like a weapon, impaling and ripping through his victims, a seemingly untraceable weapon.). His name is John Dusk. But he isn't your typical viscious pycho. He is conflicted about the things he does. But he has become so disallusioned by the inadequacy of the justice system, that he slowly comes to the realization that "his work" is the only way to make the scum really pay. He starts to find his mind and his world unraveling, and must struggle to keep his sanity, all the while trying to keep his dark secret from his collegues (There are other super powered cops on the force.) and his lady (Also a detective on the force, though she has no powers.).

That's the gist. I don't wanna get too much into it 'cause I don't wanna spoil anything should you decide to take the ride. The writing is top notch. This is Gage's baby (He currently writes books for Marvel & DC.) all the way. He expertly builds up the tension for the readers, who no doubt will find themselves riveted by Dusk and his dilimma. The design of the characters is strong, but the finished artwork leaves a little to be desired. Viacava style is serviceable to the story, but I find it a little stiff and it just lacks that extra lil' something that this type of story requires.

TALES FROM THE SHUFFLE (Mega Catch Up Styles):

1/6/10:

1. "Hunting Bears" - Radiohead

2. "Weak Spot" - Wu-Tang Clan

3. "The Next Shit" - Pharoahe Monch feat. Busta Ryhmes

4. "Only You" [Live] - Portishead - Live from 'All Tomorrow's Parties'

5. "I'll Be Your Man" - The Black Keys

1/7/10:

1. "The Big Rip-Off" - Augustus Pablo

2. "(Only Rasta Know The) Voice of Jah" - Mikey Dread - Taken from the Madlib mixtape, "Blunted In The Bomb Shelter".

3. "She Said, She Said" - The Black Keys

4. "Redman" - Kenna

5. "Trapped Underfoot" - Led Zeppelin


1/8/10:

1. "Strange Times" - The Angel - From the 1998 "Deep Concentration" compilation.
2. "Tilijem's Forest" - Nobody

3. "Insensatez" - Antonio Carlos Jobim - From the soundtrack for David Lynch's dark film noir, "Lost Highway".
4. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd

5. "House of The Rising Sun" [Live] - Cat Power - In typical Cat Power fashion (Reworked lyrics and all.), this unorthodox cover of The Animals' classic has been stripped down to just a piano and Chan's beautiful voice.

1/11/10:

1/2: "Holden On Affleck" - Dialogue from "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" by Kevin Smith - The funny thing is Holden IS Affleck (Or played by him anyhow.)

1. "I've Been Thinking" - Handsome Boy Modeling School feat. Cat Power - The best song off of the "White People" album, bar none (And the whole album kicks ass!). A perfect collaboration. The stars aligned on this one.

2. "You May Know Him" - Cat Power - I don't what's up. I've got 11,000+ songs on my iPod, and she just seems to keep popping up. I'm not complaining, mind you.

3. "Big T.W.I.N." [Instrumental] - Twins - Not a fan of the acutal group ( They're afilliated with Mobb Deep and have appeared with them on tracks.), but always down for any Alchemist instrumental.
4. "Burning Down The House" - Talking Heads - What's to say? Classic.

5. "Dumb" - Nirvana - One o' my fave Nirvana joints.


1/12/10:

1. "Silence" - Portishead - The opening track of the third album entitled (Wait for it)... "Third".

2. " Still In Love" - Cat Power - And here she is again...

3. "Craig's Overture" - Carter Burwell - From the Spike Jonez/Charile Kaufman mindfuck of a flick, "Being John Malkovich". If you haven't seen it, what the fuck is your problem.
4. "Rocket" - Cat Power - ...and again. This is one of my favorite Chan songs. The imagery it conjures is (Here comes the pun..) out of this world.
5. "Love For Sale" - Freedom Power - From the awesome Italian soundtrack compilation, "Stroboscopia".



That's all for now. I'ma go check out Katherine Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" right about now. Hear nothing but good things. I love me some Bigelow (Expect "K-19: The Widowmaker". Sorry. Harry Ford ain't no Ruskie!)!!!! Let'cha know whats the haps on this flick when next I return.

Have a bad-ass weekend everyperson.

B


Art Gallery: "World's Finest" - Just a lil' Bats & Supes for that azz!!!



POW!!! BANG!!! ZIP!!! CLICK...

2010!!!! (Only two more years left 'til John Cusack really has to go out and dodge those damn natural disasters. Fuckin' Mayans...)


But anyway...

HAPPY EFFIN' NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!

I hope to hell that you all had a great time celebratin' the coming (Hee-hee.) of 2010. I didn't do shit, and had to turn in early 'cause apparently, I'm not on the right page or 'the same page' as I should be with certain people. (Nevermind. Long story. No moral.)



To everyone else, WOO-HOO!!!! And I hope the next 363 days of this year are 'tits' for you and all and your families. (Unless, of course, I hate you. Then in that case, a big FUCK YOU to you and yours!!!)

Sorry. Apologies. That wasn't me... NOT!!!


Flickie Quickie:

Check out:

District 9 - As good as you've heard. The special effects are "something like a phenomenon".

Paranormal Activity - Not as good as you've heard, but probably really effective at home... in the dark... really loud. I'd recommend watching it with the more classically effective theatrical ending. And then watch the much, much, much darker alternate ending as an extra afterwards. I unfortunately saw it for the first time with this ending, and while I usually lean towards darker, I felt in this case, the original ending worked better. Wow. I sure did ramble about that shit. Anyway. Worth a rental. I would have felt ripped the fuck off if I paid to see it the the theater. Suckaz!!!

Public Enemies - Good performances all around (It's fun to peep the great actors that show up in small, small roles.). The action set pieces - jail breaks, bank robberies & tense getaways - are filmed with typical Michael Mann gusto. A little looong at 2 horas y 20 minutos. And I thought, in this instance, Mann should have gone with film over digital. Appreciated the doc feel it gives, but didn't work for me given the time period of the piece. Still say, peep it. Johnny Depp. C'mon!

All are out NOW on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Aaaaaannnnnndddddd...

Here are the last three TALES FROM THE SHUFFLE for 2009:


12/29/09


1. "Rotten World Blues" - Eels - From the four track 'Rotten World Blues EP' included with 2002's 'Souljacker' album.

2. "Dangerous Mindz" - Gravediggaz - The opening track (After the 'Intro' - Hey, it is a hip-hop album, after all. Need those Intros, Skits & Outros...) off of the their second joint.

3. "NYC Everything" - Rza - "Stuck to your ass like a Victoria's Secret wedgie." Rza and Meth trading verses like two champs. Plus, come on, "Stuck to your ass like a Victoria's Secret wedgie." !!!

4. "Rainy Day" - Shuggie Otis - A sick instrumental joint. Cool for just chillin' out on a cold, wet winter's day. (Or fuck it, any day'll work.) Shuggie works the funk.


5. "... Meets His Maker" - DJ Shadow - Off of the 'Private Press'. The companion piece to the album's eariler track, "Mongrel...". Classic Shadow.


12/30/09

1. "Shadows Drown" - Company Flow - From the instrumental album, "Little Johnny From the Hospital". Dark, sonic beatscapes from the dirty underground of New York.


2. " Don't Give Up" - Peter Gabriel feat. Kate Bush - From Gabriel's 1996 album 'So'.


3. "Two Of Us" - The Beatles - The 'naked' version of this 'lesser-known' (By me anyways.) Beatles song.


4. "Lick Samba" - Bob Marley


5. "Do Your Thing" - Lynn Collins - From the 'Kings Of...' series. This is from the 'Kings Of Funk' compiled by The Rza and Keb Darge. This is a bad ass lil' funk diddy.


12/31/09


1. "Nigga Please" - Ol' Dirty Bastard - The title track off of the late 'Big Baby Jesus' second album. Also what I said at Starbucks when I found out they ran out of Caramel Brulee Lattes (Actually, I didn't say that, but now I wish I did.).


2. "Roygbiv" - Boards Of Canada - A sonic soundscape. Some of this shit will make your mind bleed through your ears.

3. "Pretty" - The Cranberries - Shout out to J. Alex Koss out there in Ireland. Get me some of Delores O'Riordan's panties!


4. "Bbydhyonchord" - Aphex Twin - Another Oi-rish laddie (Although, I don't want any of his panties, Alex.). 'Drukqs' (The double album off which this track comes from.) is definitely a unique listening experience. It deftly blends fierce and furious electronic tinged beats and counters them with some pensive, more reflective string and piano pieces.


5. "Phesto" - Phesto - Off of Bay Area hip-hop collective, Heiroglyphics' 2001 album 'Third Eye Vision'. Just a lil' sumpthin' from one of the founding members of Souls of Mischief.

Thasallfonowfokkers.

Still workin' on the 'corndog' pieces and other nifty things. Trying to get back into using acrylics. I like 'em over the slooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww drying nature of oil paint (Which I was never into when we had to use 'em in school.)

B

Art Gallery: "Desert Heat". A photo of a large sketchbook piece. One of my favorites of my older stuff. I was really happy with the varying line weights I got using those Sakura micron pens (Expensive lil' fuckers, but worth it, I think.) You likes?



Click for bigger 'head'... and 'tail'.