Gimmie More

So I'm listening to Chris Broach's newest band (to my knowledge) Life at Sea, and they sound pretty damned good. I just might have to get their album.

First Day Back

Do you realize that tomorrow, Braid (one of the finest indie bands of the 90's for the uninformed) will play their first show since 1999? They broke the hearts of fans everywhere when they broke up in 99, but now they're back together, playing their reunion tour. Check out the link at the side, and be sure to see them.

Not to confuse children with angels

It’s funny; I was going to say, “Sidewalk Star” is actually kind of neat sounding (in a weird way). But now that I know where you lifted “Matter of Chance” from, I’m all the more enthused about the team name. Maybe years from now we’ll be the top Phoenix production studio, Matter of Chance productions. Heh heh… Yeah, I realized we should have a link since it is a Phoenix cultural event. Maybe some of you readers are planning on entering the event too!

Prepare the Sidewalk Star

Tomorrow I send off Brock and my team's registration form for the 48-Hour Film Challenge (thanks for the link at right, Brock). So far, the team consists of Brock, me, Alex Rotundo and Kevin Ross. We will be called "Matter of Chance" which was repeated several times in the beginning of Magnolia. So, I kind of lifted it from there, though it is a general phrase.

Brock, I'd imagine that someone, somewhere, would have used that split-screen or picture-in-picture technique, but I can't think of any off hand.

Stay outta town

It might be at a Greyhound bus station. Don't tell them either.

P.S. Gabe, has anyone ever used the mini screen (like on TV's when you're watching two shows at once) in a music video?

P.P.S. And yes! I want to see The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

Good News for the Bad and the Ugly

I just picked up the two disk Collector's Edition of Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Can't wait to sit down and watch. I'll have to have you over to view it, Brock.

Brock and I plan on doing our first music video. Just one for fun, to get experience. It will be "Leaving Town" by The Casket Lottery. Shhh, don't tell them!

Just a Reminder

I have to admit, I’ve been a bit taken back recently by the tremendous surge of re-releases. Legendary groups from all eras of the sonic landscape like Jawbreaker, Weezer, Pavement and Modest Mouse have spent time releasing special editions of some of their most famous (or infamous) works to date. In fact, when I was at Coachella Gabe told me that Dinosaur Jr. would soon join the fray with reissued editions of their two masterworks, Bug and You’re Living All Over Me.
With that in mind consider this frail form limping among giants. Picture an album only a few years old getting a face-lift and being tossed into the fray with serious contenders like Mascis and Malkamus. I am of course talking about Reggie and the Full Effect and their re-released debut album, “Greatest Hits”.
Punctuating this revisiting of their old stomping grounds, The Full Effect has retouched the album with new artwork and 7 new songs not found on the original release. Those songs, aptly titled the Lord of the Blings saga, as well as other recordings, could have easily fit on an EP or some other Vagrant compilation. But here they are, along with the original Full Effect songs that gained the band infamy a short while ago. Don’t think for a second though that I’m reprimanding Reggie and the Full Effect for this re-release, don’t even consider it. You see, these songs, clever and so typically Reggie in their own unique styling, are far better then anything to be found in the Moon and Antarctica’s extra recordings. They’re fast, synthy, and in some cases absolutely ludicrous. In other words, they’re Reggie and the Full Effect at their best. Some of the song titles practically drip in overly enthralling dramatics (like “Raining Blood”). Meanwhile, the album itself is the same as always, if not a little better then the first time I heard it. Reggie and the Full Effect have never been better then on their first effort, and I’m beginning to think that no matter how great future releases are they never will be. That’s what makes this re-release so relevant.
Yet, with the lack of reason behind this re-release I fear I’ve found perhaps the biggest Reggie joke of all. The Greatest Hits re-release was never meant as a serious re-issuing of a classic album. You see it only serves to mock albums that consider themselves as such.

Year of the Rabbit: Failure

We never really talked about them (as they weren’t exactly one of our favorite bands), but just so you know, Year of the Rabbit recently broke up. Why, I have no idea. I didn’t expect them to last too long though. I guess that means that Failure remains the longest running project Ken Andrews has been involved in.