Elln's Top Ten May '09

This month's cover is from Partie Traumatic although Brain Heart Guitar was a close second. They were just too cute to not do. I'm a sucker for unicorns.

1. "Tina"/Louis XIV-these modern glam rockers are back, and they seem to have grown up. They've progressed from lyrics like "I said hey short girl you're like a midget/You can turn a phone cord into a widget/She said you son of a bitch you little bitch" to "well I saw you leaving the other night/with a dark haired guy on a motorbike/and all my friends say they saw you drunk in the clubs/talking really loud about how you're in love." They're one of David Bowie's favorite modern bands, and Bowie might as well be singing (although maybe he actually is since he has guested with them before). The tune is highly infectious, however, so I'd suggest talking it out.

2. "Impossible Germany"/Wilco-to switch gears entirely we have the most laid-back modern and somewhat popular folk-rock act of the era. Wilco delivers the comfortably mellow tones they're known for, and the lyrics are deliciously cryptic.

3. "Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)"/Black Kids-I'll end up reveiwing Partie Traumatic at some point, but for now I'll do the song that's been stuck in my head for five days straight. Black Kids have been nothing but wild, nostalgic fun throughout their short career. This song is no different, mixing lyrics which aren't particularly clever (or make much sense) but they're freakin' catchy for some reason (such as the girls singing "you say baby, we say bump it, all you wanna hear is Gabriel's trumpet). Dance beats are liberally layered over electronic guitars and sliding basslines for a very shiny, polished sound.

4. "Add It Up"/Violent Femmes-Here we have the exact opposite, a totally unpolished sound from a group that's been around forever but hardly gets recognized outside of Wendy's commercials. This garage-band misanthrope rite-of-passage music is lots of fun if you can get past the incestual themes.

5. "Cannibal Queen"/Miniature Tigers- They're back with a much pop-oriented sound than their earlier EPs, and I must say I'm not sure how much I dig it. But "Cannibal Queen" has clever enough, strange enough lyrics to merit a listen.

6. "Dropkick Queen of the Weekend"/The Dudes-They're as strangely addictive as ever with this alt rock confection. I mean, for starters what the hell is a "Dropkick Queen of the Weekend"? But it's still a damn good song with interspersion of some heavy guitars.

7. "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)"/The Clash-Ah yes, The Clash, one of the only survivors from the early Punk movement and just about the only band from that time period to produce songs with meaningful, political messages...except not this one. "Train in Vain" is just frickin' catchy, and it's about the same-old-same-old love and betrayal. I think it might be Strummer's howling vocals which actually lend qualification to the heartbreak, and I do love that harmonica.

8. "Dreaming of You"/The Coral-The Coral's music is anything but traditional; in fact, this song is a mixture between a kooky circus band and folk with doo-wop chorusing vocals. They had massive hype at one point, although that died away fairly quickly as they're not prolific by any means. Anyway, "Dreaming of You" is a gem of a song, with a range of eclectic influences packaged together neatly and beautifully.

9. "Talk Amongst Yourselves"/Grand National-From the sparse, pared down sound of The Coral we migrate to lush electronic collaborations. "Talk Amongst Yourselves" is a wildly addictive sort-of dance number which screams mellow but catchy. It's completely synth except for delicious strumming guitars, also electronic and not in the least bit acoustic. This is a very shiny song, and I wish I had better words to describe it.

10. "California (All the Way)"/Luna- It may take a while for "California" to grow on you, but it's a real treat once it does. Luna mixes classic california rock with a tinge of pop, and lyrically folksical words (I love making up words). The song is a slow build-up to the main guitar line, but seriously worth the wait.

-elln

STAR TREK

You know those big-budget films that come out every once in a while that restore your faith in Hollywood's production companies? This is one of those, ten-fold. Sure it's still technically a remake/incarnation/alternate retelling, but it'd be pretty damn hard to do it better than this.

James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), son of a dead revered commander who died saving the lives of James and James' mother, is convinced to go to the star fleet academy where he first butts heads with superior officer half-Vulcan half-human Spock (Zachary Quinto). Soon, however, the inexperienced cadets are called on an emergency mission and James stows away on the USS Enterprise, a ship which comes face to face with the Romulan ship who annihilated James' father the day of James' birth.

This package is very bright and shiny, and the action just keeps on coming. J.J. Abrams is directing, and though I haven't seen any of his other work he's earned himself a fan in this girl for solid edge-of-your-seat pacing, and the right balance of character development time interlaced with all the action. Of course he was working with friends Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who wrote the excellent script. There was minimal exposition and great snappy dialogue, not to mention barking moments of brilliant black comedy.

Then there's the nod to be given to the technical stuff. This is what we should be using it for, not crap films where Will Ferrell is running away from a giant CG T-Rex. The special effects were awesome (my favorite scene has to be their crash landing on the giant drill). Also this is my nod to the soundtrack.

And finally ERIC BANA!! That's right bitches he gets his own section. He plays Nero and he's basically Hades combined with an evil version of Caesar with some sexy mixed in (ooh...that gravelly voice). First of all props to his costume/look designer because it took me half the film to recognize him. He actually had a good reason for why he wanted to kill James & co. (and no, it wasn't because he wanted to take over the world) and he made me sympathize with him in the fifteen seconds of explanation he got.

So even though this felt like a prequel and explained how James became captain of the USS Enterprise and got his crew together, it was amazing. One thing I was particularly impressed with was the character developments of Spock and James, and the choice of love interests. While I'm sure James' love interest is truly just around the corner, the choice was daring by the writers to leave her out in this film. It left time for James to focus on himself and only himself, on why he was doing what he was doing and what he wanted to accomplish. In contrast, giving Spock a human lover (even though he's a slightly secondary character to James) when he was struggling with his being half-human and half-Vulcan brought out his humanity.

This is a must-see.

-elln

Harry Mulisch's THE ASSAULT

The Assault is a haunting, fascinating look at the effects of one traumatic event on a single life. The novel traces the events of a small neighborhood in Holland at the tail end of WWII. Anton Steenwijk is a twelve-year-old boy living with his mother, father, and brother Peter; his neighbors include the reclusive Aartses, the Kortewegs, and the kind elderly couple the Beumers. However one night before the end of the war a highly unpopular local S.S. officer, Fake Ploeg, known to be the perpetrator of many heinous crimes, is shot in front of a neighbor's house by the Underground (the resistance). Anton's neighbors, the Kortewegs, move the body in front of Anton's house (ironically named Carefree), and thus Anton's house is burned to the ground and his entire family is executed by the S.S. in retaliation.

The book follows Anton's life after the incident-his attempt to lead an inconspicous life, his conscious burial of the past, and his repression of his memories. There is a distinct struggle between fate and existentialism as over the course of Anton's life he comes into contact by chance with the people involved in that night-first the Beumers, who witnessed the execution; Fake Ploeg's son, blinded by love for his father; the man who shot Ploeg knowing the potential consequences for a family in Anton's neighborhood; and finally a member of the Korteweg family who helped move the body.

The book is translated, but the style comes through as stark and crisp. Metaphors are spare but effective when used, however symbolism is rampant (e.g. key, stone, boats).

Anton's unintended exploration of the past is just as riveting as the ultimate conclusion he reaches about the events of that night, and we can only sit, captivated, watching his unwanted journey. Anton's own ambivalence and unwillingness to judge others creates an environment where we can only take things as they come and be just as perplexed as Anton. The book blurs the lines of morality completely, throws right and wrong into chaos by presenting entangling situations, and challenges the concept of who we blame for events which happen in life.

-elln

Doves' LAST BROADCAST

You can't really ask for a sophomore album better than The Last Broadcast; in fact, it's my favorite Doves album to date. Doves are newprog rock simply because their range of influence and sound is so huge, they don't really fit anywhere else. They experiment with the synth and electronic effects of space and psychadelic rock, yet other songs hum with folk or alt rock influence.

We open with a Verve-esque intro, and then go straight into "Words" which is one of the only comfortably rock songs on the album, albeit echoing lovely lush wall-of-sound rock. I mean, talk about a way to start an album; you know those songs that try to be all epic and fail? This isn't one of them. "Words" screams epic, and throws off the melancholia that will blanket the rest of the album. "There Goes the Fear" fits in the category of alt rock, with a surprisingly sunny guitar line and the typically progrock shying away from pop song format (verse bridge chorus repeat). "M62 Song" shows the diversity of the group as it delves into some beautiful, beautiful acoustic/folk. "Where We're Calling From" is a nice little experimental instrumentation, and adds to the ambience of the concept album (though I'm generally unappreciative in this area and prefer full-fledged songs).

What it really should have been is part of one of the album's highlights, "N.Y." a track that opens with mean in-your-face buzzing grunge guitars, and then slides into much prettier strumming guitars. The song is so carefree and optimistic (I sometimes wonder if it isn't a direct answer to Bono's version on All That You Can't Leave Behind, but that's just very far-fetched personal speculation.) Anyway, the song is frickin' catchy and cleverly crafted, and you can just eat up those buzzing guitars. "Satellites" is next, opening with women singing spirituals over synth and clapping; here we have the quintissential example of why prog rock is so awesome--spirituals and blues are seamlessly layered over echoing indie rock. "Friday's Dust" kicks into ballad gear, opening with the lyrics "Friday's dust turning into a Saturday's." The orchestral arrangements such as the tremeloing violins really add here, as do the strange cave-like echoes.

"Pounding" is an absolutely brilliant song; it starts out sounding like Coldplay for the first 3 minutes with Jimi Goodwin sounding substantially like Chris Martin (they are actually sort of contemporaries), and deemphasizing the guitars in exchange for synth effects and a literally pounding drumbeat; then at 2:54 Jez Williams' awesome guitar line makes its entrance. The finished effect is stunning. No offense, Coldplay, but you've been outmaneuvered. The title track is actually fairly subdued compared to earlier tunes, but for all its seemingly lo-fi atmosphere, it actually moves at a pretty fast pace, lending it an air of quiet freneticism to "Last Broadcast"; the track embodies Tragic Gloom, especially thanks to the echoing vocals.

One of my album favorites is penultimate song "The Sulphur Man" which has some of the most direct and best lyrics on the album: "fate brought you next to ghosts/they talk in code looking for a way out/I hope you want to live a day and learn to cope/I hope you find what matters/through the streets and on your own/almost lost and almost home/we'll be looking all we can/we'll be looking for the sulphur man." It begins with a dark orchestral segment, and then transitions to echoing aggrandized alt rock; the melody dips in and out of minor key, leaving the listener unsure as to where its going, but still enjoying the ride.

"Caught By the River" is probably the most commercially viable song on the album, which doesn't make it any less good; it's a nice closer. The lyrics start out folksy, and then transition to a much more general message. The song is simple, layering harmonies and acoustic guitar with the synth and effects we've learned to expect by now. The song isn't complicated, but it's infectious as Doves do what they do best--build the song. They end with crashing waves of sound reminiscent of Oasis or the Verve.

This is definitely one of my favorite albums of all-time, and it's damn near flawless.


-elln

Lonely Island's INCREDIBAD

Incredibad proves a suspicion I have long been harboring in the back of my mind: Andy Samberg is not likely to ever win a Nobel Prize for Literature. If he was on your short list, take him off. I’d recommend reconsidering that bet you were thinking of making in Vegas. Especially in this economy. It’s just not in the cards for him.

Of course, Incredibad also proves the other suspicion I’ve been harboring: Andy Samberg is, in fact, nothing short of a genius of comedy that seems incredibly dumb but actually turns out to be just mostly dumb. The debut CD from Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone is chock full of gems that trigger even the biggest downer’s laugh-out-loud impulse.

I say debut CD because many of the songs on Incredibad have been around for a while. Aficionados of Saturday Night Live or YouTube are likely to recognize “Lazy Sunday,” “I’m on a Boat,” "D*ck in a Box," and "Like a Boss"; and we’ve all heard “J*zz in My Pants” at least once.

We’ve heard the songs, yes–and therein lies the beauty of The Lonely Island’s comedy. We want to hear them again. There is a double test that any comedy number must go through to be successful: it must be novel enough to leave a lasting impression the first time, yet clever enough to reward us for listening more than once. These songs pass the test with flying colors.

For instance, take the real winner on Incredibad: “Punch You in the Jeans,” which is two and a half minutes of three guys mock-rapping about, you guessed it, punching people in the jeans. The lyrics are a mix of the numbingly childish and the genuinely witty: "I'll punch your jeans, I said it before, best believe this is not a metaphor," the chorus advises, and Samberg later snarls that he'll "beat your jeans so bad that they wish they were shorts." Even the music, a nod to real hip-hop beats on legit hip-hop tracks that borders on legit itself, contributes to the juxtaposition, which contributes to the overall comedy.

And while I'd love to divulge some more of this album's gems, I won't. It is the nature of comedy–and especially of this brand of comedy–that the first time is always the funniest. For that reason, I will leave the rest of the album for you to discover yourself.

So don’t listen to Incredibad if you’re expecting to become enlightened and discover the secret to world peace. But do listen to it if you’re looking for a good time.

The Verdict: Worth its salt.

-himlaec

Shows to find new music

So these are some of the best places to find new music.

Chuck:

Premise:

A witty, action- comedy starring Zachary Levi as Chuck a sweet, awkward computer nerd working at the local Buy More with his childhood best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez) and several other socially awkward misfits. Chuck lives with his sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster)who spends a good deal of her time involving herself in aiding Chuck's declining social life and her fiance Devon or "Captain Awesome" (Ryan McPartlin). On the night of his birthday, Chuck receives an email from a college friend that contains a copy of all of the secrets of the CIA, called the intersect and is encoded into his brain. The CIA and NSA both send agents to retrieve the data, Casey, (Adam Baldwin) the staunch, angry, emotionally-distant, republican type (for lack of a better description) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovaki) who is presented as much more compassionate but still is an extremely capable agent. Sarah and Chuck's roles are a reversal of typical action film gender roles; Sarah being the protector and Chuck being the brain or protected. Sarah and Casey are ordered by the CIA to protect Chuck from the Fulcrum (the bad guys) agents who will be after the intersect, or what has been imprinted in Chuck's brain.

The music:

This show knows it's music, ranging through every genre. Loud guitar and drum vengeance anthems for action sequences ("Bite Hard"- Franz Ferdinand), epic, sunshine-bright, songs that force your shoulders back and your chin up for victories ("Around The Bend"- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour), and creamy, heart-breaking, love ballads for the tender moments ("The Earth Has Lost it's Hold"- Calhoun). Although there are some misses ("Toxic" - Britney Spears) the soundtrack is a great place to find new music.

Some good songs from the show:

"Blood Bank"- Bon Iver

"Around the bend"- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

"Signs"- Bloc Party

"God and Suicide"- Blitzen Trapper

"Buildings and Mountains"- The Republic Tigers

"Fake Empire"- The National

"Lake Michigan"- Rouge Wave

Don't You Evah" - Spoon

"See the World"- Gomez

"Foux Du Fafa"- Flight of The Conchords

"Wild Girl"- Matt Pond PA

"Looking at the Sun"- Gramercy Arms

"Shopping for Blood"- Franz Ferdinand

Theme song:

"Short Skirt/ Long Jacket"- Cake

Scrubs:

Premise:

A comedy-drama that follows the lives of 4 employees at Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. The show is primarily seen through the eyes of J.D. (Zach Braff) a warm and effeminate attending physician. He works with his best friend, Dr. Christopher Turk (Donald Faison) or simply Turk and his wife Carla (Judy Reyes) and also, his close friend Elliot (Sarah Chalke). Each character struggles with their relationships and general troubles of life within the crazy schedule of hospital life, which is dispersed by slapstick humor in the daydreams of J.D. and the almost irritatingly constant optimism of J.D.'s voice over which links all the events of the show together.

Music:

Music has a large role in Scrubs, it acts as an emotional compass for the audience, allowing for a more intense experience and even the most emotionally turtled person to feel empathy for the characters. A wide variety of artists are played on the soundtrack and essential has something for most everyone (rap and country fans aside).

Some good songs from the show:

"Please Forgive me"- David Gray

"Good Time"- Leroy

"Dracula From Houston"- Butthole Surfers

"Camera One"- Josh Joplin

"Have It all" -Jeremy Kay

"Something's Always wrong"- Toad the Wet Sprocket

"Come Around"- Rhett Miler

"Bad Day"- R.E.M

"A Murder of One"- Counting Crows

"Winter"- Joshua Radin

"Lost Cause"- Beck

"Blue Eyes"- Cary Brothers

"Learn to Fly"- Foo Fighters

"Half"- G Tom Mac

"Sooner or Later"- Michael Tolcher

"Sideways"- Citizen Cope

"Alive with the Glory"- Say Anything

"The Man"- Pete Yorn

"Missed The Boat"- Modest Mouse

Theme song:

"Superman"- Lazlo Bane

House:

Do I even have to talk about the premise of the show? I absolutely love this show so much.

Premise:

House is a medical drama revolving around Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) a medical genius who leads a team of diagnosticians at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. House is most easily paralleled with Sherlock Holmes. Both were geniuses, musicians drug addicts and for the most part friendless. House suffered an infarction in his quadriceps muscle and now uses Vicodin to control the pain which is a large part of the show. But House with his cynical yet lovable personality manages to figure out a diagnosis every time regardless of whether the patient lives or dies.

Music:

There is a diverse musical background for House but thats all music is in this show, background. Although music plays a much smaller part in the show than in others the quality of the music is still fantastic.

Some good songs from the show:

"Happiness"- Grant Lee Buffalo

" It's Okay to Think About Ending"- Earlimart

"Beautiful"- Elvis Costello

"Delicate"- Damien Rice

"Crystalline Green"- Goldfrapp

"Desire"- Ryan Adams

"In the Waiting Line"- Zero 7

"Ain't No Reason"- Brett Dennen

"Into Dust"- Mazzy Star

"One Big Holiday"- My Morning Jacket

"Slide Away" - The Verve

"Passing Afternoon"- Iron and Wine

"I'm In Love With a Girl"- Big Star

"Lose You"- Pete Yorn

Theme song:

"Teardrop"- Massive Attack

Bones:

Premise:

This drama stars Emily Deschanel as doctor Temperance ("Bones") Brennan, a brilliant yet (as per stereotype) fairly socially handicapped forensic anthropologist who, with the help of her foil Agent Seeley Booth played by David Boreanaz, solve murders. Though the main characters have the almost conventional partnership where only opposites can be a brilliant team, the dark humor and unique visual effects separate this from Law and Order.

Music:

For the most part, Bones gives it's music over to the genre of a sort of techno-y alt. rock. Which feels very right with the concept of the show.

Some good songs from the show:

"Miles from Monterey" - West Indian Girl

"Precious"-Depeche Mode

"Ooh La La" -Goldfrapp

"Feel it Now"- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

"Born"- Over the Rhine

"Cannonball"- Damien Rice

"Running Up the Hill"- Placebo

"A Light On a Hill"- Margot & the Nuclear So and So's

"Be Here Now"- Ray LaMontagne

theme song:

"Bones Theme song" -The Crystal Method

Veronica Mars:

Premise:

Simply, Veronica Mars is a mystery drama about a high school student named Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) who goes to college while moonlighting as a private investigator.

Music:

The music is a jumble of lovable 90s-esque indie tunes and electrifying techno-y songs, all of which is impossible to not enjoy.

Some good songs form the show:

"Insincere Because I"- The Dandy Warhols

"Edge of the Ocean"- Ivy

"What are You Afraid of?"- West Indian Girl

"All that we Perceive"- Thievery Corporation

"The New Kid"- Old 97's

"Slow Hands"- Interpol

"Tulips"- Bloc Party

"Momentary Thing"- Something Happens

"Marc"- Louis XIV

"Long Time Coming"- Delays

"On Your Porch"- The Format

"Where Is my Mind?"- The Pixies

"Nth Degree"- Morningwood

"Oh My"- Mellowdrone

"Lost and Found"- Adrienne Peirce

"Hold on, Hold on"- Neko Case

"Right here, Right Now"- Fatboy Slim

"Rally"- Phoenix

"It Never Rains in Southern California"- Albert Hammond

Theme song:

"We Used to be Friends"- The Dandy Warhols

Buffy:

Yes, yes, I was a HUGE Buffy geek when I was younger. I was absolutely in love with the 90s, the music and Buffy, herself. Part of it was that she was a strong female in the media regardless of the fact that she is fictitious. Either way, music from this soundtrack fill my i-pod today, still.

Premise:

A supernatural action-comedy following Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) who is "The Slayer", a young woman who was chosen by fate to protect the world against the forces of darkness. Buffy struggles to maintain her life as a teenage girl while battling demons. Most of the early episodes are metaphors for real issues and have real life applications but as the series continued the value and humor was lost in the drama of the later episodes.

Music:

There is a mix of 90s indie, rock and pop which I have found to have had mixed results with many people. Over all this shows music is one of the major facets of my musical taste.

Some good songs from the show:

"Believe"- Sprung Monkey

"Strong"- Velvet Chain

"Pain"- Four Star Mary

"Never an Easy Way"- Morcheeba

"Blue Sun"- Darling Violetta

"Going to Hell"- The Brian Jonestown Massacre

"Fire Escape"- Fastball

"The Good Life"- Cracker

"Praise You"- Fatboy Slim

"Wild Horses"- The Sundays

"Bodyrock"- Moby

"Vivian"- Nerf Herder

"Ok Nightmare"- Caviar

"Tears Are In Your Eyes"- Yo La Tango

"Bohemian Like You"- The Dandy Warhols

"Play It by Ear"- Summercamp

"Even If"- Lift

"I Know"- Tresspassers William

"Out of this World"- Bush

"New Slang"- The Shins

Theme song:

"Buffy The Vampire Slayer Theme"- Nerf Herder

Skins:

Premise:

A British teen-drama following the lives of 10 (not to be redundant) British teens. Tony (Nicholas Hoult), his sister Effy (Kaya Scodelario), his girlfriend Michelle (April Pearson), his best friend Sid (Mike Bailey), and other friends, Cassie(Hannah Murray), Chris (Joe Dempsie), Anwar (Dev Patel (the guy from Slumdog Millionaire)), Jal (Larissa Wilson), Sketch (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) and Maxxie (Mitch Hewer). Each character has episodes devoted to their lives and points of view within the group of friends. The drama and parties just make you want to live one day the way these kids live their lives.

Music:

The music is a huge variety of alternative music that adds another dimension to the story and also is just really enjoyable to listen to I honestly can't think of a song off this soundtrack I don't like.

Some good songs from the show:

"Positive Tension"- Bloc Party

"No Pun Intended"- The Hives

"Limit to your love"- Feist

"You look Great When I'm Fucked up"- The Brian Jonestown Massacre

"Wild World"- Cat Stevens

"New York, I Love you, But you're Bringing me Down"- LCD Soundsystem

"Spread your Love"- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

"Come Pick me up"- Ryan Adams

"Carrot Rope"- Pavement

"Keep the the Car Running"- Arcade Fire

"House on the Hill"- Beach House

"The Information"- Beck

"Shakin"- Dandy Warhols

"Nude"- Radiohead

"23"- Blonde Redhead

"Walcott"- Vampire Weekend

"I Feel You"- Depeche Mode

"K Rhythm Part 2"- Holy Fuck

Theme song:

"Skins Theme"- Fat Segal

-alene