Saturday Bonus Track...

In honor of having to explain to someone what a 'Buffalo (AKA B-Boy) Stance' was yesterday.

You thought I was going to come w/ that wack Neneh Cherry video? Seriously, this K-os track is the jam. Believe that.

The Sport of Kings...

That's right....Bowling. I can't recall if I said this before, but i'd really like to put together a team and join a league. Seriously.

The shirts...shoes...BEERS...and everything else. Who's with me?!

I *Heart* Jesus Jones...

R.I.P. Red and Norm...

'Stormin' Norman' Van Lier

1947-2009

Johnny 'Red' Kerr

1932-2009

Wow. I can't believe that these two Chicago Bulls players/broadcasting legends passed on the same day. Like anybody else who experienced those golden years of Chicago basketball between 1991-1998, both Johnny and Norm were key broadcasting voices throughout it all.

I don't know how many times over those seven years I chuckled at Jordy's pre-game ritual of heading to the broadcasting booth to clap talcum powder in front of Kerr and Norm's colorful pre-game and post-game analysis...but I do know, that they'll both be missed.

Unemployed...but Busier than Hell?!

Way too much stuff going on today, but more poop tomorrow. Oh, cool pic above...NARA!

M. Ward Bonus Party Cut...

The most awesome vid, for the cool little ditty from his earlier release 'Post-War'...it's 'Chinese Translation' fool!

M. WARD

'Hold Time'

I'm a total 'Johnny-Come-Lately' when it comes to the musical stylings of Matt Ward. It ain't for lack of trying, but i've just never really been able to get into his music enough to add any previous releases to regular rotation. Suffice to say, that I didn't dislike 'Transistor Radio' and 'Post-War'...in fact, I could totally get why my friends were drooling all over both albums.

Don't know what it is, but something really clicked w/ Ward's latest, 'Hold Time'. A perfect mix of Tom Waits-inspired Americana and Brian Wilson-esque California sun that would seem right at home nestled comfortably in Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound'. The tempo ebbs and flows from tune to tune, but there is a fantastic continuity that makes it a wonderfully cohesive musical package.

'She & Him' collaborator, Zooey Deschanel, sounds great guesting on two cuts, a bouncy cover of the Sonny West nugget 'Rave On' and the almost flat-out rocking 'Never Had Nobody Like You' (one of my favorite tracks). Grandaddy's Jason Lytle doesn't sound at all out of place lending a little ELO-inspired jam on 'To Save Me', but i'm not as much of a fan of the weepy 'Oh, Lonesome Me' w/ Lucinda Williams. Other faves include the bluesy 'Epistemology' and breezy 'Shangri-La'.

It was released last week and getting a lot of good buzz in most of the blogs and music mags. You should have no issues tracking it down and, really, you should track it down. Get a taste in the AMBFAD jukebox and see if you can tell me i'm wrong.

It's Clobberin' Time!

Too freaking funny. 'Thingo' and George AKA 'The Invisible One'...thumbs up to PopSmash on this one.

Where Has the Time Gone?!

We just celebrated their third b-day this past weekend and this morning...i'm taking the boys to visit their classrooms for preschool. They start tomorrow and I think i'll probably get a little misty seeing them get on the school bus.

I'm afraid i'll wake up in a few weeks to two teenagers asking for the car keys.

Saturday Bonus Track...

It's a Famous household tradition to crank this on the stereo every 21-February and the kids really bug out to it.

Altered Images 'Happy Birthday'...for Lo and O!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Me boyos are 3 years old today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, O AND LO!

Another AMBFAD PSA...

A couple of Screwdrivers can be a great way to kick off your morning routine! Just remember...don't use too much Orange Juice!

I've got a lot to do today, so everybody have a great weekend.

They Still Got It...

...more later, but suffice to say my ears are happy.

I'm a Total Sucker...

I really wasn't that much of a fan of the trio of X-Men flicks. The first two weren't horrible, but the third installment was barely entertaining. The whole lot of the films were just a little too over-stylized for my old school tastes and only scratched the surface on some of the main characters w/ more complex (and interesting) backgrounds. Really, like 'Spiderman 3'...they ended up throwing too many good guys/bad guys into the mix and ended up w/ something of little to no depth you could connect with.

So, when I heard they were doing 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', I wasn't all that excited. Don't get me wrong, I thought Hugh Jackman did a nice job w/ the role...for such a great character, it just wasn't written that well. Well, after seeing a few more trailers and the stills above of the 'Weapon X' team and below of protagonists, Sabertooth and Gambit, i'm officially kind of geeked...

I was even more stoked to learn a similar film is in the works for one of the biggest (and best) baddies in the Marvel Universe...MAGNETO! I thought Ian McKellen did a great job w/ the role and it'll be fun to see him get more time on screen. Until then, watch all three of the most recent trailers for 'Wolverine' HERE and see what you think.

Paul's Boutique Bonus Party Cut(s)...

VIDEO TWO-FER Y'ALL!

Ask For Janice...

Don't have a lot of time today, but if you haven't procured a copy of the re-mastered 20th Anniversary version of the Beastie Boys opus, 'Paul's Boutique', you need to fix that. The audio levels are finally on point and it comes w/ a 9-track version of 'B-Boy Bouillabaisse'. One of the greatest albums of all time...period.

Don't believe me?! Head on over to Beastie Boys Dot-Com and listen to it in it's entirety. I'm serious...don't make me go for my egg-gun.

Asobi Seksu Bonus Party Cut...

A beautiful vid for the tune 'Goodbye' from their last album, 'Citrus'. Great tune, too.

ASOBI SEKSU

'Hush'

It's been a while since I actually posted up w/ an actual record review, but this particular release was worthwhile enough to give a proper shout-out. Anybody who's followed the blog, knows i've been a fan of Asobi Seksu since they dropped 'Citrus' on us back in 2006. Their most recent album, while decidedly different, is no exception and continues the trend of big-time sonic quality.

Where previous albums sailed upon on a sea of My Bloody Valentine and Lush-like distortion and feedback, 'Hush' is a major departure from the band's shoegazey wheelhouse...w/ pleasant results. Guitar player, James Hanna, knocked down the 'great wall of guitars' prevalent in earlier material and shifted focus to tight, shimmering ambient pop arrangements that will give you the chills. More importantly, singer Yuki Chikudate's swirling (yet supple) vocals have been pushed to the front versus being buried amongst layers of noise.

So, earlier comparisons to MBV and Ride have been justifiably replaced w/ the Cocteau Twins...but, in my opinion, w/ an edge. A beautiful body of work from start to finish, but standout tracks for me include 'Sing Tomorrow's Praise', 'Sunshower' and 'Glacially' (featured in the AMBFAD jukebox). A perfect audio companion to keep you company until Winter turns to Spring, it's available as of today...pick it up and enjoy.

These Are The Damned(est Cool Posters)!

Way cool. 'Friend of the Blog' and fellow music/sci-fi/pop culture geek, 'The Jesus', has decided to share his collection of ORIGINAL vintage British Horror Film Posters w/ the world-wide-web via his Flickr Page. To reiterate, these aren't reproductions, but the real deal...some of which actually hung in movie houses back when they were first released.

I've posted some of my favorites from his collection here ('Red Death' is one my favorite posters EVER), but you should pop over and see the real thing pronto. Nicely done, Chris...and i'm sooo jealous.

Not Enough Hours in the Day!

Sorry kids! All over the place today, first chance i've had to get online and it's only for a few minutes...more e-meat and potatoes tomorrow. ZOOOOM!

Saturday Bonus Track...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Give that special someone a big slap on the ass and tell 'em you la la love 'em.

...or you could just play them the above Pixies video from the reunion gig at the Paradise in Boston a while back.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Full day today, so not a lot of time for e-stupdity. Gotta' clean the house, pick up the kids, head to Deerfield for an all-afternoon class on resumes and then Poi Dog Pondering at Durty Nellie's tonight. Whew.

BIG STAR, Little Book...

Cool. Talk about synchronicity, I just saw today that, after my post on the band a few days ago, that the awesome 33 1/3 series from Continuum has an upcoming book focusing on Big Star's 'Radio City'!

Synopsis: 'Bruce Eaton examines the key ingredients of 'Radio City's lasting appeal - and through extensive interviews with all of those involved, gets to the heart of the cult of Big Star.'

Sweet! I guess Eaton played w/ Alex Chilton at some solo gigs and the man 'children by the millions scream for' is interviewed heavily for the book. Great series if you've never checked it out...i've got some reviews of previous editions in the 'Wayback Machine'. Looks like books on The Clash's 'London Calling' and Madness' 'One Step Beyond' are set to drop soon as well!

You Invented Space Paranoids?

How in the hell did I miss these? Adidas/Adicolor TRON-flavored Stan Smiths! Looks like these were limited edition of 25K and came out a year or two ago...but i'd be remiss if I didn't post them up in all their beauty. Velcro nonetheless!

I bet Mr. high-and-mighty Master Control doesn't have kicks this fresh!

MY FLIPPING CAR...

...is kind of going back and forth from Schlep to Wonderbug this morning. This happens once very 3-4 months, it'll start...then decide not to when i've parked it some place...then after waiting a while...it'll start and cause me no problems for another few months.

Owen and I got stuck at the Comic Book shop last time this happened. Hopefully, it'll decide to behave enough for me to go see my tax accountant this morning. NEED THAT REFUND!

I Would Like to Salute...

Trailer for the upcoming live Wilco DVD, 'Ashes of American Flags', hit the web yesterday and will drop on 18-April. Looks pretty good actually. Filming took place on the band's February '08 tour and includes material from Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, The Ryman in Nashville and more.

It was filmed by the same folks at Trixie who did Tweedy's live solo DVD, 'Sunken Treasure', which is really worth checking out as well...

...and, finally, if you've never seen the amazing documentary on the band's recording of their seminal album 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' from 2002, 'I Am Trying to Break Your Heart', fan or not, you need to remedy that with quickness...

Dude, That's My SKRULL!

I totally missed it, but it looks like the TPB for Marvel's 'Secret Invasion' finally came out last week! This was their big 'event' series for 2008, where everybody's favorite shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls, secretly infiltrated every super-powered organization on Earth with one goal - full-scale invasion of the Marvel Universe!

I've purposely kept from reading any of the articles on it in Wizard magazine or wherever, so I could enjoy it as much as possible when it came out in collected form. Brian Bendis and Francis Yu look like they really let loose w/ a fun, yet expansive body of work here!

The story arc crossed-over a good majority of their titles, but this dilly just collects the actual 'Secret Invasion' comic #1-8. Should be available at your local comic shop, maybe even the big box guys.

Bad Things With It...

'Money' from N.A.S.A....killer track and killer video. David Byrne, Chuck D and Shepard Fairey?! It may be the root of all evil, but this freaking owns!

The Filth and the Fury?

...okay, as this was snapped just after bath time, maybe not so filthy. Come to think of it, 'Sid and Johnny' weren't that furious at the time either.

I hadn't posted up w/ any pics of the boys in a while and can't believe they are going to be THREE YEARS OLD in two weeks!

A Little BIG STAR...

Whoa. Thanks to my buddy and power pop aficionado, Bradley, I am currently enjoying a collection of alternate mixes and outtakes from the sessions for Big Star's '#1 Record' and 'Radio City'. For those of you unfamiliar w/ the group, they're pretty much the best band you've never heard of. A key influence on bands that include The Replacements and REM on down to the Jayhawks and Wilco...they are the purveyors of some of the most amazing power pop to grace a stereo.

I'm sure they've come up several times on here over the years, so i'll spare you a long-winded history lesson. I will, however, demand you at least add their first two albums from which these nuggets were pulled from to your playlists. Then, after savoring each tender rock'n'roll morsel, stroll over to Wilfully Obscure and DL this wonderful side-dish.

I've put an awesome unreleased (and as Brad put it 'zeppelin-esque') instrumental titled 'Another Time, Another Place and You' from this joint in the AMBFAD jukebox, along w/ their p-pop opus 'September Gurls' from album #2 to give you a taste of their greatness. Enjoy, cool kids!

Now that I Have Some More Free Time...

...i'm finally devoting an hour or two each day to my new hobby of splitting atoms and creating an army of mutants to carry out my bidding. I thought about brewing beer instead, but I don't have the patience.

Atomic, Dawg?

I Didn't Watch The Grammy Awards...

...but I did watch this YouTube video of U2 opening the show w/ 'Get On Your Boots'. Not too shabby and much better than the semi-wack music vid for the tune (see it HERE).

Still excited for the album. *Fingers Crossed*

Saturday Bonus Track...

I know it isn't even Spring yet, let alone Summer...but this little power pop nugget from the UK just seems appropriate.

It's Cosmic Rough Riders 'Justify the Rain' for those keeping score at home.

More UK Sci-Fi 'Telly Talk'...

Huzzah! The BBC trailer came out yesterday for 'Torchwood: Children of Earth'. Versus a full weekly series, Season 3 will be done as more of mini-series, w/ one story arc, told over five nights and will air on BBC One in the UK and BBC AMERICA in the states later this year. I'm still waiting on Season 2 from the library, but it'll be in my hands next week! Can't wait!

They also released the new cast photo for Season 3 of 'Primeval', w/ what looks to be some new faces, but no word yet on when it'll come to the Beeb America...

...something else to look forward to as well!

QUICK!

Oi! The entire Famous family is headed for a little indoor Wisconsin water park weekend getaway w/ some friends tomorrow and i've developed a cold from hell. I've chugged three bottles of Listerine already and it doesn't really seem to be helping. Ugh.

I Sincerely Love Yahoo Headlines...

'BILL GATES RELEASES SWARM OF MOSQUITOES ON CONFERENCE CROWD'!!!

The actual story is HERE...but I like to picture him monologuing all evil genius-like ala Doctor Doom or Lex Luthor prior to releasing the little bloodsuckers on his unsuspecting victims.

A Blast from the Past...

I got an email this morning that the wonderful item above is on it's way to my house, not via time travel...but Fed-Ex. I ordered it pre-unemployment over a month ago and had completely forgotten about it.

Oh well, a nice addition to the menagerie until I can afford stuff like this again.

Now, THIS is Art...

By way of Electronic Cerebrectomy, a couple of pieces featuring pretty much a TV 'who's-who' of my youth. You can check out more cool stuff from the artist, Dusty Abell, at his DeviantArt Gallery.

That Stuff Will Kill Ya...

He rode bare-assed on top of the shpinx and even had a gorilla on the slopes of kismet...but, today, it's R.I.P. Lux Interior of the Cramps. Stay sick.

When Gods Walked the Earth!

So, yeah, i'd really love to be able to drop the $100+ for the hardcover omnibus right now...but i'll claim a small victory under current budgetary constraints in finding both TPB's, mint-condition, for Jack Kirby's amazing run on 'The Eternals' at Half-Price Books yesterday.

Truly amazing stuff that everyone should have on their bookcase. Excelsior!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Swamped w/ trying to get myself all organized for the new job search and the whatnot. Aside from that, the start of the second half to Season 3 of 'Heroes' last night was pretty good. They really reset everything after the 'Villains' arc, but it looks like they may be taking a more focused approach to the storyline...hopefully it'll help.

WHOA! JOE!

A lot of fun ads during that equally as fun-to-watch Super Bowl last night, but (surprisingly) I ended up really excited to see the first teaser trailer for the upcoming live-action 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' flick. Some of the posters have been making the e-rounds for a little while, like the one above and these...



...but the trailer finally sold it for me. Looks like it'll be fantastic Summer blockbuster popcorn and big FX-type fare, which is fine by me. I like the prospect of Christopher Eccleston as Destro and wow...how hot is Sienna Miller as The Barroness?! Check it for yourself and see what you think...