Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Portland and Beer Fridge
I've kind of had this stuck in my head the last few days.
This would be kind of cool to have...
This would be kind of cool to have...
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Movie Preview
There is a funny joke about The Wire at the end, don't miss it!
Sorry for that really sad documentary I posted yesterday, but it really is an amazing piece of work.
Sorry for that really sad documentary I posted yesterday, but it really is an amazing piece of work.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Last Minutes with Oden
ok so this is really sad but such a good short film...
Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.
Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Everything is so small
The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.
Coachelletta from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.
I like both of the songs used for these videos but I can't find them anywhere. Dang.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Fitz and the Tantrums
About a week ago my cousin mentioned on Facebook that he couldn't stop listening to Fitz and the Tantrums. I had never heard of this band but was intrigued and proceeded to buy their album. Now that I have repeatedly listened to it for a couple of days I am very happy that I checked it out. Fitz and the Tantrums is a six person band comprised of drums, saxophone, keyboard, and bass. One noticeably absent instrument? Guitar. Lead singer, Michael Fitzpatrick (he looks like David Bowie to me), has said that he is sick of the sound of guitars and doesn't want them in his band. Did I get that from the wikipedia page? Yup, now back off.
Fitz and the Tantrums have that old school R&B sound. Almost every song is about some girl break Michael's heart and taking his money. From the music you wouldn't guess the depression and forewarning of cheating and stealing women, all you wanna do is dance when hearing this. They have released one album - Picking Up the Pieces, and it is awesome. All great songs that you can rock out. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
Here is some more new music to check out:
DJ Blowgun
Macklemore
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Guest Blog!
Danny's little brother, James, is currently in Hong Kong (I don't think that place really exists) and has sent theSSHH his 2010 Top 10 albums. If you would like to read about Jame's conquests in Hong Kong check out his blog. His blog is about his conquests right? If not, I'm not reading it. Hong Kong Blog. Without further ado...
10. Gorillaz, The Plastic Beach
10. Gorillaz, The Plastic Beach
For a band that doesn’t exist outside of super-scary-in-a-rape-you-kinda-way-loony-toon-land, Gorillaz make really good music. Actually, they make good music in general, regardless of where they exist. The Plastic Beach handed down some unmistakable Gorillaz style sounds, along with enough artistic growth (and by that I mean some really confounding instrumental choices), that the album fell into that magical space of expected, yet enjoyably unpredictable. Like a Girls Gone Wild video. Except not a waste of money. And instead of being riddled with herpes, it was riddled with catchy melodies. Also Snoop Dog was in it.
9. The Black Keys, Brothers
This album is showing up in a lot of top albums of the year things. There is a reason for that. Mind control. Yup, that’s right, these guys rock so ridiculously hard that listening to them turns you into their mind slave puppet plaything. Now if you don’t mind I have to go buy 10 more copies and then make a solid gold monument to the almighty Dan Auerbach.
8. The National, High Violet
The National’s High Violet probably would have made it higher on my list except it followed their 2008, Boxer. Which is kinda like having to be the guy that follows Jesus in a magic show. Even if your name is Criss Angel (Mindfreak), you are pretty boned. Which is how I felt about this album. Still really amazing, just in the shadow of its predecessor. And yes I did just liken Criss Angel (Mindfreak) to the next messiah.
7. Hoodie Allen, Pep Rally
With a name like Hoodie Allen, you might think that this white rapper is just more sophomoric clichéd adolescent jibber-jabber. But you know what? Fuck you. This Mixtape/LP was incredible. If they gave a Grammy for best use of indie samples in rap songs I would totally bitch about how Lupe Fiasco’s use of Modest Mouse was bullcrap and Hoodie Allen should of won. Also the album was free for listening on them there internets. Like, legally.
6. Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon II
As a college student am contractually obligated to love everything Kid Cudi does. I am pretty sure that was in my acceptance letter, along with something about using French politics to make myself feel special better never actually doing anything, and always talking about how great the show Community is. Good stuff Cudder.
5. The Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
I don’t really care about all this post-post-indie hype about this album. Or the big band indie music versus the small band indie music argument. It is just always nice to have albums that can be listened to all the way through. Which this album has become for me, but it wasn’t that way at first though. When I first heard The Suburbs I was disappointed because I wanted a more mainstream sound and feel. But the more I listened to it the more I understood the subtly of its musicological reasoning. I felt like I was a jury member, and The Arcade Fire was Jack McCoy, and this album was his final speech at the end of an episode of Law and Order. Final verdict: One count of touching my ears in ways they haven’t ever been touched before, in the first degree.
4. Pretty Lights, Making Up a Changing Mind
Remember RJD2 like 10 years ago? Remember DJ Shadow like 10 years before that? Consider Pretty Lights the next in this branch on the linage of awesomeness. He is pretty clearly the grandson who has inherited all of the talent in the family and made all of his siblings jealous. Pretty Lights released three albums online for free. I think that Making Up a Changing Mind was the best, but honestly they were all great. You really can’t beat those trumpet samples. I’m looking at you “I can see it in your face.”
3. Beach House, Teen Dreams
Hey lead singer of Beach House, I am not really ever sure what you are saying. But please, by all means, keep saying it. Also are you man or a woman? What’s that? Oh. You’re an angel you say? I guess that makes sense. What’s that now? You say that you have come here to deliver me from crappy indie albums that have one-hit wonders on them? And to break open the seventh seal, you say? God’s vengeance, you say? Neon Trees, you say? Oh, dear, dear, dear.
2. Macklemore, Everything he did this year
My oh my, it has been a good year for Macklemore. (See what I did there?) Pre-2010 I was a fan, but now I am a devote follower. I went from music equivalent of a casual catholic to the music equivalent of that lady in Jesus Camp. Macklemore is truth. His diversity of sound, excellent samples, use of instrumentals, all with great lyrics that have range and meaning. Bonus: He played baseball with Danny. Double Bonus: At all times more trumpet.
1. Childish Gambino, I Am Just a Rapper Mixtapes and Culdisac
He’s Donald Glover. The black guy on Community. He raps. And I hope to God this is the direction rap is headed. He did two mixtapes of rapping over indie songs I like. By far he is the most played new artist on my ipod. Listen to him. Seriously. I don’t have anything clever to say about it. Just listen to him. Everyone listen to him. Do it.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Latest Hertzfeldt
These aren't often shown streaming on the web, so I thought I would share this one with you:
Have a delicious day.
Have a delicious day.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Its Snowing!
Sure Seattle isn't Telluride but this is pretty cool...
[scattered flurries] from felt soul media on Vimeo.
[scattered flurries] from felt soul media on Vimeo.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
True Grit (1969) v True Grit (2010)
I saw the new True Grit on Christmas and it blew me away. I thought it was a fantastic movie, another Coen brothers great. Of course I then wanted to see the original 1969 True Grit staring John Wayne. I finally watched it last week and thought I would give my humble opinions on the two. Here we go...
I will first off say that I am sure I would have a totally different opinion if I had grown up watching John Wayne films in the 50s and 60s and had the experience of being alive while he was one of the biggest movie stars. My father in law did grow up during this time and after watching True Grit (2010) told me that if I saw the old True Grit I would have a hard time picking one as better than the other. Now that I have seen both I can give an opinion on which one I like more, and that is definitely the new one. I do want to make it clear though that I did like the old one but the new version is a much better overall film.
True Grit (1969): No matter what the characters went through their clothes were always clean. They were the cleanest cowboys I have ever seen. John Wayne was always wearing a freshly washed shirt, it became kind of distracting. This is probably due to the technology at the time but every scene except for two took place during the middle of the day. There were a number of scenes where you were supposed to believe it was night time, as there was a campfire going, but it was totally light out with blue sky in the background. John Wayne was a very good actor, even if totally typecast. His performance as Rooster Cogburn was good but everything was done with a rose colored lens. In the original film Rooster Cogburn is an old drunk but one of those "silly drunks that really means no harm." His drunkenness is more for comedic relief than showing that this old man is getting near the end of his rope. He plays a couple of scenes where he is drunk but other than that you don't get much depth. The other big distraction for me with this film was the music, it is terrible. It is a great stereotypical old time western where the good guys win in the end and life is good. There is one or two twists thrown in to kind of bend the western film rules but overall it follows the traditional story line. What I am saying is that you just need to embrace it. There are also some good scenes with a young Dennis Hopper, and Robert Duvall.
True Grit (2010): This sounds dumb but the new True Grit is a grittier way of telling the story. The acting by Hailee Stanfield as Mattie Ross is far superior to the performance by Kim Darby. Kim Darby's performance could have easily been done by one of the Brady Bunch kids and seemed like it should have been. The Coen brothers version just goes deeper than the first while still paying homage to the original. Much of the dialogue is the same and some of the scenes are shot very similar but overall this is just a much better made film. Characters actions have consequences and their faults are shown. I think a big part of watching this film if you are older is it brings back the memories of what it was like to watch the original. I believe that is what really drew my father in law to it. The Coen brothers are much better directors than Henry Hathaway was. I would like to believe that part of that is simply because the Coen brothers came a number of years after Hathaway and the art of film making has progressed. A big part is also that the Coen brothers are just extremely talented and make good films. Their comedic sense of timing is really amazing. They were able to bring in some pretty humorous moments when the film was overall somber. Jeff Bridges also did a great job as Rooster Cogburn and really let you see that this old drunk definitely had some skeletons in his closet. To sum it up, True Grit (2010) is a great modern rendition of the original that overall stays true to the old film but is told from a different angle and without the rosy lens.
John Wayne did win an Oscar for his performance in True Grit. It was his only Oscar.
I will first off say that I am sure I would have a totally different opinion if I had grown up watching John Wayne films in the 50s and 60s and had the experience of being alive while he was one of the biggest movie stars. My father in law did grow up during this time and after watching True Grit (2010) told me that if I saw the old True Grit I would have a hard time picking one as better than the other. Now that I have seen both I can give an opinion on which one I like more, and that is definitely the new one. I do want to make it clear though that I did like the old one but the new version is a much better overall film.
True Grit (1969): No matter what the characters went through their clothes were always clean. They were the cleanest cowboys I have ever seen. John Wayne was always wearing a freshly washed shirt, it became kind of distracting. This is probably due to the technology at the time but every scene except for two took place during the middle of the day. There were a number of scenes where you were supposed to believe it was night time, as there was a campfire going, but it was totally light out with blue sky in the background. John Wayne was a very good actor, even if totally typecast. His performance as Rooster Cogburn was good but everything was done with a rose colored lens. In the original film Rooster Cogburn is an old drunk but one of those "silly drunks that really means no harm." His drunkenness is more for comedic relief than showing that this old man is getting near the end of his rope. He plays a couple of scenes where he is drunk but other than that you don't get much depth. The other big distraction for me with this film was the music, it is terrible. It is a great stereotypical old time western where the good guys win in the end and life is good. There is one or two twists thrown in to kind of bend the western film rules but overall it follows the traditional story line. What I am saying is that you just need to embrace it. There are also some good scenes with a young Dennis Hopper, and Robert Duvall.
True Grit (2010): This sounds dumb but the new True Grit is a grittier way of telling the story. The acting by Hailee Stanfield as Mattie Ross is far superior to the performance by Kim Darby. Kim Darby's performance could have easily been done by one of the Brady Bunch kids and seemed like it should have been. The Coen brothers version just goes deeper than the first while still paying homage to the original. Much of the dialogue is the same and some of the scenes are shot very similar but overall this is just a much better made film. Characters actions have consequences and their faults are shown. I think a big part of watching this film if you are older is it brings back the memories of what it was like to watch the original. I believe that is what really drew my father in law to it. The Coen brothers are much better directors than Henry Hathaway was. I would like to believe that part of that is simply because the Coen brothers came a number of years after Hathaway and the art of film making has progressed. A big part is also that the Coen brothers are just extremely talented and make good films. Their comedic sense of timing is really amazing. They were able to bring in some pretty humorous moments when the film was overall somber. Jeff Bridges also did a great job as Rooster Cogburn and really let you see that this old drunk definitely had some skeletons in his closet. To sum it up, True Grit (2010) is a great modern rendition of the original that overall stays true to the old film but is told from a different angle and without the rosy lens.
John Wayne did win an Oscar for his performance in True Grit. It was his only Oscar.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Get Money!
More great German music. Dirty South Bavarian Rap! Represent Stuttgart son!
The homeless guy with the sweet voice that I posted right below has now been hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers and given a house.
Unbegreiflich wie viele Idioten denn gut finden...
1 week ago 24 
The homeless guy with the sweet voice that I posted right below has now been hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers and given a house.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Post number 1000!
balloons! confetti!
This guy really has an awesome voice. I hope somebody hires him.
This guy really has an awesome voice. I hope somebody hires him.
Monday, January 3, 2011
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