Culture Greyhound

For my 10th birthday, my uncle bought me this album, Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy, the debut from Tempe, Arizona natives the Refreshments.  Initially, the artwork excited me more than the music, of course.  But upon repeated listens, I fell in love with Roger Clyne, his crew of outlaws, and their one-of-a-kind brand of Southwestern modern rock (think Gin Blossoms with a spicy TexMex seasoning).

The album became a minor hit for the Refreshments, scoring alternative radio hits with “Banditos” and “Down Together,” both featured below.  The boys released the overlooked and underrated The Bottle and Fresh Horses in 1997, then split ways with their major label, which was consolidating and dropping bands minor bands like flies.

Today, the crew record and tour as Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, and, unsurprisingly, have a huge following in the Southwest and Mexico.  They still play Refreshments songs live, and have two yearly celebration concerts for their die-hard fans, the January Jam and Circus Mexicus, both held south of the border.

More album tracks after the jump…..

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Tonight is the State of the Union address.  As is the tradition, I will sit and watch it along with the rest of informed, educated America.  However, this year I’m likely going with Brian Williams and the fine folks over at NBC.  That’s right – no cable punditry this go around.  Why’s that?  Well, other than the fact that the particular partisan tone of “analysts” can become headache-inducing after about an hour, my favorite indignant commenter will be absent from the proceedings.  I’m talking of course about Keith Olbermann, probably the most popular liberal in the country right now (with Bill Maher, who still claims libertarianism, though no one’s buying it, at a close second).

If you follow the news media at all, you already know about Keith’s decision to split with MSNBC on Friday – the announcement was abrupt, but, according to insiders, no one should be surprised.  Olbermann, who has been described as difficult to work with, had been butting heads with his superiors at the network for some time now.  Many speculate it all came to a head when Olbermann was suspended in November for two days for violating NBC News policy by donating to two Democratic election campaigns.

It has also been reported, in good ol’ NBC fashion, Olbermann’s exit clause has strict stipulations on when he can do interviews and appear on television again – several months for both.  In a twist of irony, the deal was completed exactly one year to the day Conan O’Brien exited the company in a similar scenario, even though Keith is definitely not the A-lister Conan is.  O’Brien even made a joke about it on his show last night, claiming the new industry term for this kind of move is called giving someone “the Conan.”  And it looks like the “I’m With Olbo” campaign is already underway.

Whether MSNBC likes it or not, Keith made their network what it is today, even if that is a second-place channel with under half of the viewers of Fox News.  Olbermann, with his Countdown program, slowly built the progressive voice the network is engulfed in today, and he did it in the nick of time, too; the vitriolic rhetoric of Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly had no clear counterweight on television until Keith came around to set things straight in his own fact-based, mocking, and intelligent way.

Countdown was probably the best written show on cable news, and Olbermann’s delivery, whether you agreed with him or not, gave the act of irascibility a certain charm his conservative rivals couldn’t match.  There’s no doubt Olbermann, with his now-dedicated following, will be back in some form, hopefully television where he belongs (I’m looking at you, third-place CNN….get to stepping!).  There have been talks, however, of a move to Hollywood or maybe a run for the Senate; I hope neither are true.  But in the meantime, while we wait and refresh Keith’s Twitter page constantly, here are a few of my favorite Countdown-related moments.

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Trailers for upcoming movies. Some are good, some not as much.

WARM GHOST // OPEN THE WORMHOLE IN YOUR HEART // OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO from HOLY COW COLLECTIVE on Vimeo.

She & Him – Don’t Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Starting today, and every Saturday, I will post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. The broadcasting bug has bitten again; I can’t stay away from the microphone for very long. Unfortunately, due to music licensing issues, this isn’t a proper “podcast” in the traditional sense – you can only stream it from this page and there is currently not a downloading option. Also, this is my first go-around in a long while, so I sound pretty rusty. Still, I hope you enjoy, and be sure to check back next week.

Playlist:

Times New Viking – No Room to Live
Millionyoung – Replicants
MNDR – Cut Me Out
TV Girl – On Land
Wavves – Mutant

Today I continue a series of posts dedicated to the best albums of the last decade, posting analysis of one album at a time.

43. Jurassic 5 – Power In Numbers

By 2002, the rap game was well aware of the J5 MCs and what they had to offer – a badass EP and the debut Quality Control had established the LA crew as a formidable presence on the scene.  They were certainly getting a lot of attention for their sound – a stripped-down, lyrics-based, old-skool approach, focusing on wordplay and intricate flow rather than heavy beats and sloppy sex rhymes.  As the group said it best on the hit “What’s Golden,” they weren’t “ballin’ or shot callin” but rather taking you “back to the days of yes-y’allin’.”  In the early 2000’s, J5 were a welcome break from the overproduced dreck that was just beginning to litter Top 40 radio (Ja Rule was still a prominent hit-maker at the time).

When their sophomore effort Power In Numbers dropped, the immediate reaction was mostly of praise, but overall the consensus was that, while darker, it certainly wasn’t as good as the previous two efforts.  I disagree wholeheartedly.  With this disc, Chali 2na, Akil, Zaakir, and Mark 7even demonstrated their versatile flow even further, alongside some of the finest work from the then-relatively unknown disc jockeys Nu Mark and Cut Chemist.  Big Daddy Kane shows up for the chorus-less highlight “A Day At the Races,” and Nelly Furtado, who had recently scored her first big hit “I’m Like a Bird,” appears for a commentary on complicated friendships between members of the opposite sex on “Thin Line.”  And stay tuned for the insect-infested and hilarious freestyle “DDT.”

In 2006, the crew released the lackluster Feedback and called it quits.  The majority of lyricists disappeared; Chali 2na continued to disappoint on his own, releasing a weak solo album.  Meanwhile the two scratchers in the background pursued their own projects and came up gold – both DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist are two of the present day’s finest turntable masters.  Still, some of their finest work can be found on J5’s best album.

Jurassic 5 – A Day At The Races (Feat. Big Daddy Kane & Percy P)

Jurassic 5 – What’s Golden

Jurassic 5 – Thin Line (Feat. Nelly Furtado)

Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.

70. Band of Horses – Is There a Ghost

The first track off Cease to Begin is a great introduction to Band of Horses’ second disc – it’s a beautiful rising track with the simple, repeated lyrics “I could sleep” and “When I lived alone, is there a ghost in my house.”  What follows is a near-flawless album that embodies the Southern spirit and indie charm this now-immensely popular group delivers.

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Is this worth $300 and a trip across the country?

No.

Music, Movies, Television, etc. Pop culture reviews for the short-attention-span Internet age.
Enter the Void (2010)

A POV story all the way through, this fascinating film captures the effect of a life’s end through the eyes of a floating spirit over the drug-infested underground of modern day Tokyo.  Everything is spellbinding; the movie itself feels like a giant chemically-induced trip.  Essentially the slow-moving dialogue, drugged-out sequences, and afterlife transitions cause your brain to turn completely off.  Yet the protagonist’s journey is a compelling one, and the characters are well developed in the 130 minute running time.  A splendid mindfuck.

Rating: 8

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Wiz Khalifa – Black and Yellow

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Millionyoung – Replicants

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Nicki Minaj – Moment 4 Life (Star Slinger Remix)

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Wavves – Mutant

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M.I.A. – Internet Connection (Huoratron Rum Aid Rmx)

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