{Case of the Mondays}
It's Monday and as we all know, Mondays suck! So here's some picks guaranteed to make yours a little brighter...joining me is Bethanne of Clever Titles Are So Last Summer. She's got impeccable taste and her site should be added to your daily read...
BETHANNE OF CTASLS PICKS:
1. Adult Swim's Friday Night Fix
On the rare occasion that I don't go out to a show or to the bar on a Friday night, I feel thankful that I can hop on my computer and watch the Friday Night Fix. For those who don't know, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim only runs Saturday through Thursday, but on Friday, you can go to their website and watch streaming episodes of edgy animation from 11PM to 6AM. Some of the episodes featured get web-only premieres until they air on TV on Sunday! Amazing. I've gotten some of my friends hooked on this and though it's a weekly thing, it's a fine way to spend your Friday night if you're stuck at home.
2. Giant Drag
My new favorite band as of late (and a band I have wrote about on CTASLS many many times), coming out of California, this two-piece churns out some of the best music I've ever heard. I can't stop listening to their album Hearts And Unicorns and their EP Lemona because they are filled with distortion, melody, and heart. Simply brilliant.
3. Animation on DVD
Looking through my DVD collection, most of the box sets I own are animated TV shows. And I love them because I can simply put in a DVD and watch all of the episodes on that disc any time and any place. Some of the DVD sets I own include volumes from South Park, Family Guy, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Eventually, I would like to add Sealab 2021, Home Movies, and Mission Hill to my collection as well as other volumes of shows I already own because I just love animation so much.
4. FourFour
I found this blog via Best Week Ever's blog and it's been an immediate must-read on my blog list. The guy who updates the blog, Rich, has a fresh and unique take on pop-culture that is way better than Stereogum or Pink Is The New Blog. What hooked me was the recaps for America's Next Top Model (complete with screenshots and bitchy comments) and what's kept me is his keen observations on pop-culture and horror movies. I read this on a daily basis - besides all of the fine blogs I have linked up on CTASLS - and laugh every time I read it.
One of the few bands that have won me over with their live show, this band (from Mt. Plesant, Michigan) is indie pop with a down-home sensibility. I've seen them live three times (four in March) and they just impress me every time. What's really cool is that you can go to their website and download seven songs from their new CD Knocked Out - which is due to hit stores sometime this spring. This is another band I have written about a lot on CTASLS and a lot of people I know have been won over by this lovely group.
JAY OF CAFFEINE-HEADACHE PICKS
1. Eros
I got this dvd for x-mas and I love it! Let me re-phrase...I love the first segment from Wong Kar Wai titled "The Hand". The second segment from Steven Soderbergh titled "Equilibrium" is funny and visually stimulating, however the last segment from Michelangelo Antonioni is downright awful. The 15 minute featurette felt like watching one of those horrible Zalman King Red Shoe Diaries programs. Sadly not even tons of nudity could save this story. Despite it's flaws this is worth viewing for the Wong Kar Wai story alone. When you watch the three stories it's interesting to note how Wai's is much more sensual and erotic despite (like the others) not having any nudity. View the trailer here. Psst...this hasn't officially been released in the states, but you can purchase it (in the proper format) at your local Asian movie store.
2. Richard Hawley's Website
Former Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley released Coles Corner last year. It was one of the best albums of the year and was all but ignored in the states. Listen to Hawley croon like Roy Orbison and download exclusive tracks recorded just from his site...only offered for a limited time. Listen to "Darlin", "It's Over Love" and more...
3. I read about this foreign Mp3 blog called Gummijoh.net from Gorilla Vs Bear and I've been lifting far too many songs to mention.
4. I recently tuned in to Radio Indie Pop and I've been listening ever since.
5. As part of my Audible subscription I listened to The Moth: Lost in Translation. The Wall Street Journal called The Moth’s events as "New York’s hottest and hippest literary ticket". Guest readers Flash Rosenberg (photographer, cartoonist, writer, and performer), Eric Bogosian (award winning playwright and actor), Edith Grossman (translator and critic of literature in Spanish) and many more share funny stories of communication breakdowns. This show was recorded live at The New York Public Library in New York City as part of an ongoing storytelling series, produced and directed by The Moth. Click here to hear a sample.