Muzak

Between today and the last time I posted anything I've had the pleasure of listening to a few new(ish) albums, four to be exact:


Daft Punk - Tron Legacy Soundtrack


This album is exactly what it says it is: A soundtrack. It's a movie score, not a sci-fi infused electro album full of bangers, even though that's what I wanted it to be. Did you see Inception? Remember the over-the-top music filled with epic strings and loud drums? This is basically what it is, with distinct sounds of Punk's synths mixed in. It works, imagining light-cycles and disc-battles to the music is made easy with the tone the music sets. Most of the 'album' is simply film score, making it not the most exciting thing to listen to. If you're looking for the next Homework, this isn't it. There are however, a couple choice tracks that may not quench, but at least temporarily satisfy a thirst for fresh music from the robotic duo.

You can grab the leaked album here: nodata.tv. If it asks you for a password at any time, it is nodata.tv.

Check out:

"Son of Flynn", "End of the Line", "Derezzed", "Disc Wars", "TRON Legacy (End Titles)"



Smashing Pumpkins - Teagarden By Kaleidyscope Vol. 2: The Solstice Bare


Let me start this off by saying that I'm a huge Pumpkins fan, and have been listening to them for years. When Billy Corgan 're-created' the band and released Zeitgeist I was excited. And then I listened to Zeitgeist. All my excitement faded and turned to worry. What was this human/martian hybrid doing with my beloved Pumpkins? Kaleidyscope isn't any different. These four songs (apparently out of a possible forty-four to be released later) are a continuation of the same streak of shit started with Zeitgeist. Thirty-seconds into the first track "The Fellowship" and you can tell something is wrong. There's something bizarre and inherently wrong with hearing Billys voice over a storm of electronic music. There aren't any tracks worth checking out, skip this immediately.


Neil Young - Le Noise


Neils newest album helps to drive home the argument that he was in fact, the undisputed "Godfather of Grunge". His newest album is soaked with lo-fi guitars, heavy bass, and has enough Rock and Roll to attract even the most stubborn folk-haters. The first track "Walk With Me" sounds ready-made for large-scale stadium rock. Not to worry, there is enough of the softer Young we all know and love. The somber "Love and War" reminds us of the debt war creates, and the families who must pay it. Neil's passion on the issue of War was shown in his Living with War album that was released a few years ago, and it's obvious that passion has not dissipated.

Check out: "Love and War", "Walk With Me", "Rumblin", "Peaceful Valley Boulevard".


Kanye West - My Dark Twisted Fantasy


Kanye is back with another album, thankfully deciding to skip out on the R&B auto-tune-fest that was 2008s 808s and Heartbreak. I still don't know if that whole thing was a joke or not. Anyways, with Fantasy Kanye has returned to the music that helped make him the biggest name in Hip-Hop. If there were any doubts about Kanyes lyrical prowess, or his affinity for creating great beats, this album should put those to rest. Admittedly I used to think the size of his head did not match up with the quality of his output, but he is certainly making a case for himself with Fantasy. I still think he's slightly over-rated (see pitchfork), but there is no doubt this is an epic hip-hop album. The guest-list reads like an all-star line-up of musics biggest names: Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Bon Iver, the RZA, John Legend, and Rick Ross all make appearances on the album, along with others. Definitely, definitely check this one out, as it will surely be one of, if not the biggest albums of 2010(11?).

Check out: All of it.

*edit: There are a few songs I don't really dig ..namely "All of the Lights", "Hell of a Life", "Lost in the World".

Another quick thought on the Leafs...

Anyone notice how fucking quiet it is inside the Air Canada Centre? Sounds about just as loud as a Coyotes game, and they have trouble attracting 9,000 fans a night. Considering attendance at the ACC is usually an announced crowd of around 18,000, this is just embarrassing.

Can I get a GO LEAFS GO please? The loudest the crowd got last night (other than when the Leafs scored) was when they boo'ed Kovalchuk as he touched the puck, and in the last twenty seconds of the game after they had it in the bag. Seriously Toronto, make some NOISE! There's no doubt players feed off the crowd, and the fans in there aren't exactly giving them much.

Surely this can be attributed to the 'suits' which make up most of the lower bowl seating, trying to hammer out their next business deal. Perhaps a lowering of ticket and beer prices would get the crowd going, but there's no way MLSE would ever be interested in that. How unbelievably frustrating...

Netflix Gems (continued)

Continuing to browse through the Netflix selections, I came across the classic 1987 action-film Predator. Then I noticed what could possibly be one of the best descriptions I have ever seen for a film:

"Two real-life governors -- Arnold Schwarzenegger (Dutch) and Jesse Ventura (Sgt. Blain) -- use their muscled intellects to pursue a force more sinister than a state budget crises: an otherworldly creature deep in the jungle."

Looks like I won't be heading to the library for another couple of hours.

Leafs vs. Devils (3-1)

The Buds claimed victory over a fellow basement-dweller last night, continuing some of the good things exhibited during their last game: Solid power-play, cutting down of the defensive lapses, and another great performance from Nazem Kadri. Versteeg continued to live up to his 'Verbeauty' moniker, with another goal on the PP. Speaking of nicknames, Jonas 'The Monster' Gustavsson was just that last night, turning away 29 of 30 shots while filling in nicely for an injured J.S. Giguere.

Coach Ron Wilson must be an avid reader of this website, because Lebda was a healthy scratch for the game and Gunnarsson was in his place posting an even +/- with zero points. What a coincidence the Leafs just happen to win after that change. You're welcome Ronnie!


*end-note: Kessel scored last night too, but it's not worth mentioning him in great extent unless he plays poorly or has a stellar performance. Anything less than a decent performance is insulting considering what we gave up for him. Yeah, I said it.

Trio of Terror

I was browsing through the 'New Arrivals' section on Netflix last night, and came across three films that were somehow overlooked at the 2002 Oscars. Three straight-to-DVD masterpieces that include stars such as Jeremy Renner, Michael Reilly Burke, and Mark Holton! What do these three have in common? No, they weren't all in The Hurt Locker. They all had the prestigious honor of starring as three of Americas most notorious serial killers! Jeffery Dahmer, John Gacy, and Ted Bundy were all immortalized in 2002 with a trio of films aptly named Dahmer, Gacy, and Ted Bundy. Creative huh? Judging by the trailers, this is b-grade, perhaps even c-grade cinema at its finest. It would be safe to say my schedule for next week is pretty busy.

I would have posted the actual trailers here, but they're in wide-screen and this layout isn't friendly to those videos...perhaps a move to another blogging site is in order. Right-click that shit and open a new tab bitches. Enjoy!

Dahmer
Gacy
Ted Bundy

Notice how the music in the Gacy and Ted Bundy trailers are nearly identical? High production value is the name of the game here.

A Victory!

The Leafs were finally able to pull out a win last night after losing eight games in a row. The game itself wasn't exactly the prettiest of tilts, but I'll definitely take the win. I almost turned the game off, seeing as the Leafs were down 3-0 within the first twelve minutes of the first period.

On any other night this would be a guaranteed loss, but with the help of Nashville's extremely undisciplined play, the Leafs were awarded three straight two-man advantages in which they capitalized on, and would eventually lead to a 5-4 Leafs win. Again, something that was pretty out of the ordinary, considering they have one of the worst man-advantage percentages in the league. On those power-plays, Versteeg was able to finally show that he might actually be worth what he's being paid by scoring twice, something that hasn't been seen up until this point. Whether or not he, and the team for that matter, can keep up the effectiveness of their PP remains to be seen.

The rest of the team played reasonably well, and Schenn potted his first goal of the season, along with Kadri getting his first point with an assist. Schenn has been one of the few shining lights for the team, leading the Leafs in the +/- category. One glaring issue with the team though, is the play of that plug Brett Lebda. Too many times have I seen him cough up the puck, or make a very poor defensive play resulting in the other team scoring. Case in point: Last night he had the puck on the offensive blue line, fell over, coughed up the puck, and handed a breakaway goal to Nashville. Why isn't Gunnarsson playing? He at least has an even +/- and an assist while Lebda continues to have a team-worst minus 9, and zero points. Needless to say I continue to question Wilsons decisions, but we're stuck with him for the foreseeable future.

Restrepo

Today, President Obama awarded Sgt. Sal Giunta the Medal of Honor, which hasn't been bestowed on any living person since the Vietnam War. It's the highest honor a United States soldier can receive.

What's most interesting about Giunta receiving the honor, is that filmmakers Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington were following his platoon making a documentary while they fought in the Korengal valley, which is considered to be the most dangerous place in Afghanistan. They were able to document the very actions which led to Giunta receiving the honor. The documentary itself covers an entire year in the Korengal valley, and the fighting that Giuntas platoon had to endure.

Below is a segment telling Giuntas story. The footage they've acquired looks amazing, I can't think of any other full-length film that features such footage of combat from the ground. This ground-breaking footage coupled with the human emotion in the film will be what sets it apart, as it will surely garner plenty of attention. Restrepo airs Monday November 29th on the National Geographic Channel.

The Sal Giunta Story from Sebastian Junger on Vimeo.

If you want to watch that in a bigger size, click on "The Sal Giunta Story" just beneath it. If you want to know more, check out the films website.

This is what 100 million dollars looks like.

Just one more reason why both Russia and New Jersey suck.

I know the Leafs lost last night.

Again.



I don't want to talk about it.

South Park + Jersey Shore

I think this screen shot from South Parks episode "It's a Jersey Thing" sums up why I enjoy Jersey Shore so much. Their depiction of Snooki really evokes the same thoughts and emotions created by watching an episode of Jersey Shore: It's a horrific, ugly, nauseating, trashy train-wreck. But no matter how hard I try, I just can't look away.

Reversing Falls

No, I'm not talking about the natural phenomenon out in St. John New Brunswick. I'm talking about the face-melters being pumped out of a small studio somewhere in Montreal. Less than two minutes is all these guys need to bring you to a state of listening euphoria.



You can buy the album for whatever price you wish here, or you can just stream it for free on that very website.

I'm With CoCo

Last night, Conan O'Brien made his triumphant return to the airwaves. After what seemed like an eternity he finally was able to come back on the air and stick it to NBC. Other than Letterman, O'Brien is the only talk-show host I can stand. Jay Leno is beyond unbearable, and Last Call with Carson Daily features, well, Carson Daily. If I wanted to watch an aging pop culture icon trying to grasp onto his last few moments in the spotlight, I'd turn on The Hour with George Strombolopoasdfojnweklj. At least George has interesting guests and usually has something relevant to say. I don't actually hate the guy or his show, there's just something about his refusal to accept that he's thirty-eight years old and the whole punk vibe makes it hard to take him seriously. You're not on MuchMusic anymore George, no need to continue being that 'edgy' VJ.

Wow I got a little carried away there.

Click the link below to enjoy Conan's premiere.

Check it.

State of the Maple Laughs

I use the title "Maple Laughs" because that's what we are at the moment. The laughing stock of the NHL. The way things are going right now, it doesn't seem as if things are going to change. I looked at a post I made 353 days ago, and it sounds as if things are exactly the same. No scoring, no future picks to look forward to, and only one legitimate prospect in the system.

On top of that, Burke said today that Ron Wilson's job is safe and continued to put 100% of the blame on his players. Really Brian? Maybe it's time to try and forget you two were such good college buddies, get your head out of your ass, and look at what's happening on the ice.

The Leafs lost to Buffalo on Saturday night after holding a two goal lead after the second period. Wilson, in all of his wisdom put the 4th line on the ice during the last 45 seconds of a one-goal game only to end up being scored on and subsequently losing the game in a shootout. It's the coaches decision who goes out there, and the coaches decision for who shoots in the shootout. Kaberle shooting over Kulemin? MacArthur who is 0-9 in his career for shootout attempts, and now 0-10? Maybe I'm missing something here, but all three coaching decisions cost us the game.

Now that I'm sufficiently pissed off, I will go and drown my sorrows in a few games of NHL 11, where my Leafs team can actually pass itself off as a well-run organization.

Food Inc.

This is one of the best documentaries I have seen since The Fog of War.

Well done, and well argued. A cry for sanity and regulation when it comes to the food industry and the way we consume, this film is impossible to ignore after you've seen it. It has inspired me greatly to shop at my local farmers market as regularly as possible and maybe, just maybe avoid fast-food. Though I wouldn't put money on the latter.

The Three E.P.'s

I finally gave this album a well-deserved listen while actually paying attention. Surprising, since I got it about four weeks ago after watching High Fidelity. Cusak mentions the album and the band during a great scene in the film. Anyways, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Released in 1998, The Beta Band's The Three E.P.'s is a compilation of three E.P.'s (Champion Versions, The Patty Patty Sound, and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos) that had been previously released. Creative title eh? The album plays all three E.P.s in succession, seamlessly. It doesn't sound like three albums smashed together into one at all, so don't worry. I have bascially had it on repeat for the past two days, trying to imagine why the fuck I hadn't heard this before. Maybe all of you had heard this previously, and are currently pointing at the computer screen cursing my lack of knowledge concerning lesser-known bands. Maybe not.

I honestly cannot recommend this album enough. I am not a music reviewer, so I'm not going make an attempt at explaining the 'sound' with strange terminology that when read slowly actually turns out to be non-sense. That's what Pitchfork.com is for. Listen to these two tracks and decide for yourself if you want to download/buy it. If you like Beck even in the slightest, this one should be for you.

In space, no one can hear your synth.

Nicolas Cage: Marathon Man

Lately I've been noticing something. Something that defies logic. Something...strange.

That something, ladies and gentleman, is Nicolas Cage. It seems to me that Mr. Cage, basically ever since 2006 has been plastered all over the place. Ironic, considering 2006 is when his most widely panned movie The Wicker Man was released. I don't know how after watching that film, anybody would hire this man.



Yeah.

Since then Cage has starred in nine films, four of which came out in 2009. Next year is no different, as he is slated to release five films in 2010. Not to mention he has another three in pre-production. Thank you IMDB. The strangest part about all of this? A very small percentage of of these films are actually any good. Let's list them off, shall we?

World Trade Center (2006) Got a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. I don't know how.
The Wicker Man (2006) Possibly the lowest score I have ever seen on RT. For more evidence, refer to video above.
Ghost Rider (2007) (Just click on the movie title to view it's score, I've gotten lazy)
Grindhouse (2007) We can omit this one. Tiny role.
Next (2007)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
Bangkok Dangerous (2008) I just watched this a few days ago. It could be said it inspired me to write this post. It could also be said that it's one of the least action-packed action movies ever made.
Knowing (2009)
G-Force (2009)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) Haven't seen this one, and it seems to be getting decent reviews. I guess one out of ten isn't so bad?

Notice how almost all of these movies don't make it past the 40% mark? Another thing, how can he even be in all of these movies in a year? Maybe there's an army of Nicolas Cage's somewhere underground, all with varying haircuts to differentiate between the characters.

Seriously though, what's with the hair?

Here's a taste of what's coming in 2010:



Looks like a real winner.

So what to make of all of this? Does Nicolas Cage have some horrible hidden addiction that he has to pay for? Or could his addiction be starring in shitty movies*? I guess we'll never know.


*Anything made before 2004 is omitted from this statement.

Here are my favorite Cage movies:

The Rock (1996)
Con-Air (1997)
Face/Off (1997)

These three films might actually be the greatest action movies ever made.

Twilight Fever

Over the weekend the new film in the Twilight crap-fest (or saga for some of you) was released world-wide. New Moon is what they're calling it, and it has broken the world-record for the largest-grossing film in an opening weekend of all time. This record was held by The Dark Knight when it was released two years ago. Or was it one year ago? Doesn't matter. What does matter is what can be learned from this: Create something that women want. Something goes off in their brains and they have to have it. It's like they turn into zombies (the kind that can run fast) and won't stop until they get what they want. Remember all those girls screaming and fainting for the Backstreet Boys? Yeah. Anyways, the product you put out apparently doesn't even have to be good. In fact, it can be rotten. Apparently of all the tickets bought for this film, 80% of the tickets were bought by women.

What is wrong with everyone? This isn't some boys vs. girls argument. I realize we have different tastes when it comes to these things. However, the books are continuously panned by literary critics world-wide, not to mention the films have been met with pretty negative reactions.

Seriously, what the fuck is going on in this world?

I could honestly go on for pages and pages about why this should not be a world-wide phenomenon, but someone already said it better than I ever could:

http://theoatmeal.com/story/twilight

Look at the Positives

I had around five or six paragraphs typed out bashing the Leafs (after watching the collapse last night), explaining how they are the worst Leafs team to be assembled, blah blah. You don't need to hear that. You already know it's a fact.

I feel like a huge fool for writing this back in July. Sure Kessel is a proven top-5 first rounder. But two? I don't know. The way things are going, I'm having a hard time believing the Leafs will be out of the basement in the next two years. Komisarek and Beauchemin are so overrated it's impossible to fathom what Burke was thinking handing Komisarek a 5-million dollar a season contract. I'd rather have Kubina over both of them. Now that's saying something.

Luckily Gustavsson is showing promise, even though he's looked quite raw over the past few games. But let's at least cut him some slack, it's his first year in the NHL on the worst team in the NHL.

There is one positive to take away from all of this though: Ron Wilson and Brian Burke are running the U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey Team in Vancouver. Good news for us Canadians.

About Last Night

If you didn't see what happened, here:




That goal put France in the lead over Ireland in extra time giving them the win, which means France is going to the World Cup instead of Ireland. I could not be happier.

You can call the play, or Henry whatever you want. Cheat, cheap, scum, vermin. He's been called worse. Hell, he's had bananas thrown at him on the field for fucks sake. He really does not seem to give a shit about what anybody thinks.

See?



Let's be realistic: Had an Irish player pulled the exact same stunt, it would be the Irish celebrating, and the French calling them cheaters. Suggesting that the Irish would be so righteous in demanding the goal be called back, is ridiculous. As a Frenchman I will openly say that Henry cheated. If you ask me, there has never been a stronger case for video replay to be implemented into footy matches. But the fact is there isn't video replay, and we'll never know what the referee really saw. Fair goal if you ask me. Ref can't call what he can't see. Even if it was one of the greasiest plays in football history.

But you know what? Sometimes life is greasy.

See you in South Africa.

This is England

Watched the film This is England last night, and I can safely say that I was blown away. It's story of lower-middle class English youth in the early 1980s, revolving mainly around a young boy and his search for acceptance. In his search he meets a gang of skin-heads, some of which are simply part of the 'scene' and others are actually racist nationalists. It's a very intense film, and is shot beautifully. The soundtrack is also great, with everything from The Specials to Toots and the Maytals.

Trailer:




*Edit: For anyone who wants to know, the song playing at the end of the trailer is "Never See the Sea" by Gain Clark.