Pop Culture

TV vs. The World, Jack Bauer vs. My Brain

Recently, Megan and I finished watching the last season of 24. If you’re not familiar with this television program, let me sum up the general plot for you.

There’s bad guys who want to bomb something (or somehow kill a lot of people). There’s Jack Bauer who works with/for/or against Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), depending on government morality. CTU has a terrible human resources department.

Jack will also usually torture, or at least be tortured once per season. Chloe O’Brien, Jack’s right-hand helper, somehow manages to stay alive throughout the series. There’s usually a storyline revolving around a US President. Everyone else dies. Jack always wins. Events occur in real time. 

So I’m done with the series. I’d love to take a whole day to break down all the psychological, philosophical, and political issues I came across watching 24. (more…)

Monopoly vs. Poker: Greed, Ill-Will, and Manipulation

Recently some friends and I sat down to play a game of Monopoly. As you can imagine, we are not friends anymore. I haven’t spoken to my wife since.

Monopoly holds special powers. It’s like Jumangi that way. Emotions burst out with each roll of the dice—we scream and yell. People to your right and left, they are not your spouses, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends anymore. They are landlords, tourists, and prisoners.

This last game, a friend of mine gave her boyfriend an ultimatum: continued friendship for Baltic Avenue. What kind of game is this?

Monopoly makes me curse. It’s like Halo that way. There’s something about going to jail early in the game, or landing on the same owned property every time, or having two people land on your Boardwalk right after you mortgage it because your dumb friend just added another stupid house on the spot you landed on right before that.

It gets ugly fast. (more…)

I Love Goooollldd… mund (and Narcissus)

urlLast night, I finished my first Herman Hesse novel, Narcissus and Goldmund. A friend gave me this over Christmas; I may or may not be a slow reader.

Lay off me.

It was amazing. Not an easy read for me. It’s more detail oriented than plot focused, which means it had to win me over. Despite the book’s slow start, Narcissus and Goldmund is a beautiful tale worth every bit of your time.

Instead of a full review you probably won’t read, I’ll just share my favorite passage. If you feel interested in reading it, just google the book and you’ll find the synopsis.

For those needing to be sold, here you go: It has tons of sex! Also, death, traveling, and philosophical discussion regarding the difference between artists and thinkers.

My favorite passage (kind of grim, but beautiful still):

Perhaps, he thought, the root of all art, and perhaps also of all intellectual activity, is the fear of death. We fear it, we shudder at the ephemeral nature of all things, we grieve to see the constant cycle of fading flowers and falling leaves and are aware in our own hearts of the certainty that we too are ephemeral and will fade away.

So when as artists we create images, and as thinkers we search for laws and formulate ideas, we do so in order to salvage something from the great Dance of Death, to create something that will outlast our lifetime.

-Herman Hesse

That’s all for today folks. Are there any fans of this book out there? I’m still processing it, and would love to hear other thoughts regarding its themes.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Better Than ‘Pinkerton’: The Case for ‘Maladroit’
Weezer

Weezer vs. Weezer

In 1996, rock band Weezer released Pinkerton, a follow up to their multi-platinum, smash-hit debut record.

Everyone hated it.

But like Rocky IV, there was a comeback. Now, we all love it. I’m not sure what exactly happened. Somewhere along the line, we Weezites had a change of heart.

It is now the fan favorite. Anyone who knows anything of the Weez knows of this album. You could even make the case it paved the way for today’s indie music scene.

While, as I mentioned, Pinkerton is a great album. There is a bit of, may I dare say, under-appreciation of their other material? Fans aren’t just stand-offish about their other albums, they’re down right elitist—blind to anything other than what they’ve deemed as cool.

url-1So what have we done? We’ve turned on our own Weezer makers and set ridiculous standards to expect and judge them by.

Meanwhile, Maladroit slipped right through all our fingers. Which is sad, because it is a very special album and it deserves a chance to sit alongside Pinkerton and Blue as their best work. I’d even say it’s better. (gasp!). At least, better than Pinkerton.

First, let’s discuss how we got here:

Why People (May) Like Pinkerton

The album connected to them and they genuinely love it. 

It’s angst ridden and rebellious: “It was like they didn’t care.

It has, Tired of Sex, El Scorcho, and a song about lesbians.

People are told it’s the best and they want to be cool too (not everybody, but some).

Why People Don’t (Usually) Like Maladroit

It’s not Pinkerton.

They never gave it a chance.

It lacks the instant gratification of Blue, Pinkerton, & Green.

What I Propose:

Maladroit>Pinkerton

The Case for Maladroit

urlJust like Pinkerton was an angst ridden and rebellious “shrug off” to the pop-rock sensation that was the Blue album, Maladroit was a diverse and deep response to the sparse, under-achieving simplicity that was the Green album.

Though Maladroit lures in fans with a couple upbeat radio singles in “Dope Nose” and “Keep Fishing,” it is indeed a dark album which, no-doubt, pushed listeners away. “Slob,” “Death and Destruction,” and “Take Control” hold more raw emotion and darkness than anything found in their catalog. Though dismal, this is where the album shines lyrically: exceeding expectations by leaving the listener in awkward, uneasy places.

“Every time I call, you find some way to ditch me. So I learn to turn and look the other way.” –Death and Destruction

What Maladroit lacked in accessibility, it made up for in musical diversity and depth.

Patrick’s drumming is the best and most diverse of any album. Check out “American Gigolo,” and “Possibilities.” Even my least favorite track, “December,” holds some interesting drum patterns.

River’s guitar work diverges from power chords and leans instead on irregularly placed solos and frills, with phenomenally crafted chord progressions: “Love Explosion,” “Death and Destruction,” “Burndt Jamb,” and “Take Control.”

For those seeking composition diversity, Maladroit was their first album to feature not one but two songs without an official chorus: “Burndt Jamb” and “Death and Destruction” (when considering Blue, Pinkerton, and Green). “Space Rock” is also a tune worth noting for it’s diversity in composition among the Weezer catalog.

Closing Thoughts

I know, this is the argument you never asked for. Sorry. Regardless, I’d love to hear from the Weezer fans out there. What do you think? Are you ready to give Maladroit another chance?

NAMM Show 2013, or How I Spent $20 On 2 Pizza Slices

photo copyLooking for something non-Super Bowl related to fill your morning with? Since the big game doesn’t start till 2ish (I think), I thought I’d make good use of the day and finally process the NAMM show.

What is NAMM you ask? Well, to be honest, despite having attended the convention four or five times, I had to look it up. It stands for, the National Association of Music Merchants. Basically, a long time ago, somebody asked: How much leather can we fill the Anaheim Convention Center with?

Actually, the NAMM Show is the place to be if you are involved in music retail in any way. There are booths (sometimes entire rooms or floors) from every brand of gear you’ve ever heard of. For gear heads, this is like Disneyland—yes Disneyland is literally right across the street, but you get the idea. Even the most motivated gear head could probably spend all four days of the event without seeing everything. It’s that big.

NAMM is a member only event, or closed to the public, and I generally get in through connections. I’ll give you a hint, it’s definitely not my Uncle.

What makes NAMM interesting for non-gear heads, like myself and say, my wife, is that whenever a musician is “sponsored” by a company, they generally are contracted to come to these events. In another words, you run into a lot of interesting people. Well actually, you just run into people. Especially on Saturday, holy geez, that’s a lot of people.

But B-list music celebrities autographs was not my thing this year. I actually did enjoy some of the gear exhibits. My wife and I spent half the day at Disneyland and half at NAMM. Yes, that is a lot walking. What is my point? We prioritized our time and saw the good stuff.

So here are my top 5 reflections of the NAMM Show:

AXL Guitars. I was completely surprised by this brand. Their guitars were gorgeous and felt great. AXL is on the cheap side, though that’s not exactly a drawback. I would compare them to Ibanez as far as the quality. Another great feature: Made in ‘Merica! http://www.axlguitars.com

JAMHUB. It was great to run into these entrepreneurs. Last year, my former band looked into Jamhub as a way to solve our practice-volume dilemma. You can check out the website but here is a quick gist: It’s a practice box that everyone plugs into. Each band member has their own monitor level and there is no external noise (unless you are playing with acoustic drums). Pretty cool. http://www.jamhub.com

Airborne. This is not a fancy new music company. No, I’m talking about the actual vitamin induced tablet you drop into water. This is what we should’ve taken. My wife was sick all week after NAMM and we didn’t put two and two together until a friend posted on Twitter about the “NAMMthrax” virus going around. Next year, be prepared! That many musicians should never be in one building.

Duesenberg Guitars. I may or may not ever be able to afford a guitar from this American made brand, but a boy can dream can’t he! I don’t really know much about these guys other than their guitars stopped me dead in my tracks. I’ll take the Starplayer III please. http://www.duesenbergusa.com

Tim Armstrong Fender Acoustic. There is so much to like and not like about this statement. Tim Armstrong acoustic? Fender makes acoustics? I’m not so sure about this. Yeah, I don’t know why, but this was awesome.photo

Bonus: The food left something to be desired. In another words, it was disgusting, super expensive, and the lines were longer than the new Cars ride in California Adventure. Note to self: Sneak in a granola bar next year.

One last photo:

photo copy 2

Best of 2012: Books. Movies. Musics.

Another year. Yayyyyy. I’ll think I ‘ll just get to it.

Movies:

For the record, I don’t see a lot of movies. At least when they come out. Either way, here are some I really liked.

MV5BMTc3MjI0MjM0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTYxMTQ1OA@@._V1._SY317_CR0,0,214,317_Argo

It’s insane. Ben Affleck is one of the best directors in Hollywood. Who’da thunk it?

This movie wasn’t perfect but it was still pretty close. John Goodman and Alan Arkin were enough to make the movie for me. The last hour left me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

MV5BMjM1MzMzOTA3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTE3NzA1OA@@._V1._SY317_Skyfall

Is there anything worth saying that hasn’t been said? Probably not.

My personal favorite aspects of this film though? There was too much to like: The skyscraper assassination/fight, Javier Bardem’s introduction monologue, Q, and of course the 1965 Aston Martin DB5.

Still, what was up with that scorpion scene?

imagesSafety Not Guaranteed 

This movie really flew under the radar. I absolutely loved it. It may even go as far as being my “favorite of the year” (Though I’m a sucker for 007).

Mark Duplass and Aubrey Plaza are absolutely incredible in this film. The “campfire-song” scene between the two of them is beautifully shot, not to mention the song itself was quite impressive. If you haven’t, go see this film now!

MV5BMTM3MDUzMDQwNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDk1NjM4OA@@._V1._SY317_Sleepwalk With Me

This fun little film was produced by the This American Life crew, and was written, directed, and starred by Mike Birbiglia, who inspired the true events in the movie.

It’s not exactly a “pro-marriage” movie, but I don’t think it’s necessarily “anti” either. Just be aware that it paints marriage in a funny light. (I wrote a blog on this type of thing already here)

Despite my reservations on that topic, it is still a film worth viewing. It’s quite hilarious and very heart-warming.

MV5BMTk4ODQzNDY3Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODA0NTM4Nw@@._V1._SY317_The Dark Knight Rises

Any body who doesn’t have this movie in their end of year favorites is just lying to themselves. Get over your expectations! This movie rocked. Was it the best in the trilogy? No. Does that make it a bad movie? Of course not.

Christopher Nolan delivered just enough to cement his trilogy among the greats. With that being said, I do hope that Nolan returns to a smaller scope in whatever his next film is. The grand scale moments of TDKR are definitely enticing, I can’t help but enjoy the more human aspects of all his films a bit more.

Still, that airplane scene at the beginning? The Bane-Batman fight sequence? The cat burglar? That Ending? Too good.

Music

51kdATs+Y7L._SL500_AA280_Matthew Perryman Jones- Land of the Living

This is such a great record. For a full review, check out American Songwriters take on the album here.

It’s dark, swoony (is that a word?), uplifting, deep, and poetic. Stones From The Riverbed is probably my favorite; his eerie chanting of “the stones from the city wall are pulled from the riverbed,” give me chills every time. Waking Up The Dead is worth mentioning as well. It PUMPS ME UP MAN.

51uehPYp-eL._SL500_AA280_Dirty Projectors- Swing Lo Magellan

It took me a little while to jump on the Dirty Projectors band wagon. But once I did, I was curious as to what took me so long. This album is absolutely wonderful. It’s surprisingly catchy and could be easily categorized as a pop record; though I would never fully agree.

The hooks are unmistakable and the lyrics are positively thought-engaging. Sometimes the production work is a bit too “purposely messy” for me, and I could use a bit more main vocals from the female side of the group. Still, it’s great. The title track is wonderful, Impregnable Question is probably better, and The Socialites is my favorite. The album closer, Irresponsible Tune, feels like it comes straight out of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band. 

51uCk8LoGtL._SL500_AA300_The Gaslight Anthem- Handwritten 

This was a Spotify favorite for me, and then I finally gave in and bought it. In the midst of indie mania (I’m not excluding myself on this i.e. Dr. Dog & Dirty Projectors) it’s hard to find bands that can still simply just… you know… rock?

Gaslight can rock and they do it well. Frontman Brain Fallon’s songwriting is just getting better on each record. You can almost sense the confidence he has in his craft. I’m sure records like this aren’t for everyone these days, but man, if you need something to keep you awake on a long drive, plug in Gaslight and turn it up. My favorites: Here Comes My Man, Too Much Blood, National Anthem. 

51o+P0uSdfL._SL500_AA300_Dr. Dog- Be The Void

I love this record for the same reason I love the Dirty Projectors: every song offers a unique sound and each sound holds it’s own weight.

Sadly, Void was my first real introduction into Dr. Dog. I tend to get turned off by some indie people you find on “best-of” lists year after year. Finally I put my guard down and picked up this record after a close friend recommended it.

Get it now! It’s one of the few records that literally get better as each song plays. As soon as you think it can’t get better, it does. It was hard to pick favorites, but I did. Check out: Big Girl, Vampires, Warrior Man. 

51waS91VgdL._SL500_AA280_Lovedrug- Wild Blood

Wild Blood was a great turn around After Lovedrug’s last weeiiird album. There were a couple other records I wanted to mention here, but I thought I’d end with Lovedrug since they probably wont get a lot of love on other lists.

Yes, the Lovedrug guy is in love. At some points, this record is almost too cute. As a Lovedrug fan, I never thought I’d say that. Still, it’s a great album and a very worthy mention. Check out: Wild Blood, Dinosaur, Anodyne.

Books

Love_Does2Love Does- Bob Goff 

Yes, it’s a Christian book. Turns out, it’s a really good Christian book. I love the emphasis: “be available.” The stories in this book make you laugh, tear up, and shake your head. In terms of conventional faith books, it’ll take you outside your comfort zone.

There is no formula, no big plan. Goff just says that love does things. It’s available. It’s Jesus.

232324Platform- Michael Hyatt

It’s exactly what the cover says. A step-by-step guide on creating on online platform. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to start a blog, launch a product, or simply find out more about social media.

Obviously, it hasn’t turned me into an online success, but that’s ok, there’s always next year. (I’m still working on that whole ‘be consistent’ thing)

Once you read the book, plug in to his podcast This Is Your Life. It’s a good way to keep motivated and inspired on the ever present empty page.

9780307888907_custom-566a7991b87d68a3881514af980c49cca6095091-s6-c10The Start Up of You- Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha

I actually just finished it today. Not just for those with an entrepreneurial mindset, but also for those curious on how to cultivate a career in today’s ever changing market. The main idea? Treat your life and career as a start up venture. It’s actually a cool concept.

Hoffman is the guy who co-founded LinkedIN, so a lot of the advice is to go on to LinkedIN. Nonetheless, there are nuggets of wisdom in here I wouldn’t have found anywhere else that made it worth the read.

If you’re not into these business books, I can’t guarantee you’ll like it. Though I do think the idea of “personal beta” is a concept everyone could use to better their lives. Check it out!

781998The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis (1942)

I didn’t read as many new books as I was hoping to this year (thank you Calculus) so I thought I mention an older one.

This is a classic. It took me a few chapters to buy into the story (demons writing letters to each other) but eventually, like all of Lewis’ work, I fell in. I don’t necessarily agree with everything in the book. For instance, I’m not sure if demons write letters…. but there are ideas that can and should change your life.

My greatest takeaway? Don’t miss the present. It’s God’s gift to us and we are all prone to miss it. Some focus on the past, others (like myself) worry too much of the future. Today, this moment, is a gift.