The Riff: May 2007 Archives

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May 31, 2007

500 Years Of Women In Art

May 25, 2007

Top Ten Stuff 'n' Things: 5/25/07

While the rest of the country gets ready to kick off the summer this weekend, with barbecues or swimming or whatever you do, we in San Francisco are just battening down the hatches, as the fog rolls in and dampens our spirits that were so recently teased with a summery come-on. Appropriately enough, this week's Top Ten is a mish-mash of top-down party jams and huddled-in-a-blanket dirges, and if you can't handle the, um, mixture of heat and cold, then, uh, get out the kitchen.

10. Editors – “The Weight of the World” (from The End Has A Start, out July 17th on Epic) (mp3 via Hayat Bayat)
The Birmingham combo’s excellent, Joy Division-reminiscent “Munich” from 2005 unfortunately wasn’t equaled by any track on their album, The Back Room, and I kind of wrote them off. However, a now-legendary performance at Coachella (opposite Madonna!) and some leaked tracks from their upcoming album are making me reconsider. This ballad, taking off from a “Just Like Honey”-style beat, is both quieter and more ambitious than anything they’ve done before

9. Simian Mobile Disco – Live DJ Set on BBC Radio 1’s “Essential Mix,” Sunday, May 20th, 2007 (mp3 via BBC Essential Mixes)
Okay, yes, I was in LA last weekend, and I upgraded to a rental car that had Sirius Satellite Radio, and I’m sorry, but rather than enjoy the soothing sounds of KCRW or the indie jams on, er, Indie, I stayed locked on Sirius Channel 11: BBC Radio 1, which was broadcasting live from their “Big Weekend” concert event. The broadcast was so compelling that I even listened to a whole Scissor Sisters live number (“Comfortably Numb”) and I really, really hate them. But it was hearing this storming DJ set (from the duo currently vying with Justice for the title of Reigning Kings of Electro-skronk) that made the upgrade worth it

8. Common – “The People” (from the apparently forthcoming album Finding Forever on Geffen)
Class-consciousness is sorely lacking in... well, jeez, in America in general, so it’s nice to see prog-rapper Common taking up the cause. More importantly, he rhymes “Botswana” with “Obama.” All this happens over a quirky sample, produced by Kanye West (in an apparent attempt to be reminiscent of J Dilla), with oddly cut-off vocals and infectious synth lines. He’s no Dilla, but what are you gonna do

7. Bjork – “Earth Intruders” (Spank Rock remix) (mp3 via Chazology)
Just as Mark Bell’s clattering remix of “Hyperballad” seemed to lead the way to his production work on Bjork’s next album, Homogenic, one can only hope that Spank Rock’s rerub of “Earth Intruders” might lead to a new Bjork album infused with their hyper Baltimore style. Oddly, this mix turns the tempo down a notch, but still manages to feel freer and, well, more fun

6. Spoon – “The Ghost of You Lingers” (from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, out July 10th on Merge)
Depire the fact that this track from the Austin indie rockers is basically just piano, voices, and and some funky reverb, it sure reminds me of ELO. Maybe it’s the minor 7th chords? Either way, it’s not surprising everybody’s jumping over themselves to grab (and give away) the leaked mp3s from the forthcoming album

5. Al Gore giving the smackdown to Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America on Tuesday

While I have to say I’m getting a little tired of hearing some of the same phrases from Mr. Gore over and over (“I’m engaged in a different kind of campaign”), his gentle but firm calling-out of Diane Sawyer is awesome and totally deserved – I mean, he’s talking about the media’s fascination with the trivial and tendency to overdramatize, and then what does she do but go right to overdramatizing the trivial. With this and his telling John Stewart that his show is ironically one of the best places for real news, Gore is speaking so much truth right now it’s freaking me out

4. Booka Shade vs. M.A.N.D.Y. – “Body Language” (Senor Coconut remix) (mp3 via Batteria Ricaricabile)
Following on the heels of his Kraftwerk cover album, Senor Coconut applies his cha-cha shtick to a more recent German electro jam, last year’s deservedly massive “Body Language.” Turns out Mr. Coconut is the alter ego of the German electronic artist Uwe Schmidt, and his Latin-inspired interpretations are as artificial and synthesized as the originals, somehow making them all the more awesome

3. Trailer for "Control," the new Ian Curtis movie

Reports are filtering in from Cannes that this biopic on Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division, is getting a big “thumbs up,” and if the trailer is any indication, I can see why. First time director Anton Corbijn brings the simple majesty of his black-and-white photography to the film, and boy, at moments Sam Riley looks so much like Curtis it’s creepy

2. Clientele – “Bookshop Casanova” (from God Save the Clientele on Merge)
Coming after ten lovely, laid-back almost-ballads, “Casanova” comes as a bit of a shock. It’s pretty much a straightforward disco track, complete with swirling violins and a lyrical sentiment that basically boils down to “Let’s have sex”: “You got my name, pick up my number / Come on darlin’, let’s be lovers.” Okay!

1. Rihanna feat. Jay-Z – “Umbrella” (from Good Girl Gone Bad out June 5th on Def Jam)
While Barbadian singer Rihanna’s 2005 reggae/hip-hop hit “Pon de Replay” (released when she was 17!) was one of my favorite tracks of the year, I admit it was a bit of a trifle, notable mostly for its infectious Carribean rhythm track. But now, at the ripe old age of 19, Rihanna emerges with this majestic, Beyonce-like performance, a whole order of magnitude more mature and accomplished than “Replay.” It’s all about the chorus, an emotional declaration of (apparently) friendship, and after singing “You can stand under my umbrella,” she gives us a little echo-ey remix: “ella, ella, ay, ay, ay.” A superb song, and if its position atop the iTunes chart is any indication, it will likely be the hit of the summer. Now if the fog would just clear away for a minute...

Rosie O’Donnell Leaving “The View” A Little Early

ABC announced today that Rosie O’Donnell, controversial co-host of “The View,” has permanently left the show three weeks earlier than planned, following a surpremely uncomfortable argument with her co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck on Wednesday. O’Donnell’s upcoming departure had already been announced, and attributed to contract negotiations failing, but her often-combative presence on the show was clearly troublesome as well. On Thursday, co-host and producer Barbara Walters announced O’Donnell wouldn’t be joining the show that day since it was “her partner Kelly’s birthday;” today’s announcement just stated she had now requested an “early leave.”

It’s difficult to sort out the competing sentiments about this. First of all, “The View” has always been an eminently mockable show, with Walters presiding over her brood like a demented queen, and interviews seeming more like four-on-one attacks. On the other hand, its freewheeling format gave the hosts a platform rarely available to women on network television. O’Donnell herself brings up mixed feelings: her comedy has often been hilarious, but staying closeted on her talk show now seems kind of hypocritical; and while her gay-families cruise and subsequent film are admirable, otherwise her post-coming-out career has seemed hysterical and unhinged.

Bringing her on board “The View” was a brilliant move, ratings-wise, by Walters, but whether it was good television is hard to say. O’Donnell’s outspoken insistence on bringing up serious topics often made the show riveting, but her inability to focus or sort out facts from conspiracy theories was infuriating. Oddly, she seemed perfectly matched with the ditsy, conservative Hasselbeck, who parrots Fox News slogans like a cheerleader. Their argument on Wednesday seemed symbolic – it was difficult to follow (something about whether Hasselbeck believed the apparent misinterpretations by conservative pundits of an earlier anti-war statement by O’Donnell), but contained in its blurted accusations the pain and confusion of a nation torn apart by a foolish war and an all-too-recent terrorist attack:

"I asked you if you believed what the Republican pundits were saying," O'Donnell said to Hasselbeck. "Did I say yes?" Hasselbeck replied. "You said nothing and that's cowardly," O'Donnell shot back. "No, no, no. Do not call me a coward because I sit here every single day, open my heart and tell people exactly what I believe," Hasselbeck shouted "So do I," retorted O'Donnell.

What's this argument about? Who’s a coward? The one who didn’t speak up when partisans made false accusations, or the one who won’t stand by a statement that appeared to call our guys the bad guys? Of course, the right wing's continual attempts to portray criticism of the war as "anti-troops" is despicable, but O'Donnell stumbles right into it. I don’t know if there’s cowardice here, but there’s fear everywhere: fear of being on the wrong side, fear of being unpatriotic, fear of being weak, fear of being misunderstood, fear for the future. The co-hosts' inability to extract the political from the personal isn’t so much a failure on their part, as it is endemic to the issue at hand: our beliefs about Bush and the war and 9/11 are so inextricably linked to who we are, that any argument immediately becomes about our relationship, our personhood.

The audience to this exchange was reportedly uncomfortable (as were the co-hosts, who tried to go to a commercial), and so am I, watching it on YouTube. I want to scream at both of them to stop being so foolish and fearful, and I just want the argument to go away. But, really, because their argument picks at all edges of the scar on America’s psyche, it may be one of the most compelling – and real – moments of television this year. O’Donnell and Hasselbeck are, for better or for worse, America: short on facts, terrified of saying anything negative about "the troops," trying to be friends, but locked in a spiral of offense and anger, and deep down inside, baffled by each other. I can’t say I felt like O’Donnell was a good spokesperson for gays, liberals, women, or anyone, and I don’t know if her aiming the show’s discussions at politics actually helped anything. But, to paraphrase John Mellencamp: it sure was something to see, and ain't that America.

May 24, 2007

Neato Viddys on the Intertubes

Hmm, not sure if there's a theme with these five. Things that are either slightly or very disturbing? An exploration of the roles we all play in society? Cool new music? Whatever, just watch.

UNKLE feat. Ian Astbury – “Burn My Shadow” (via Stereogum)

In which a regular guy awakens one morning to find, well, something’s been installed in his body. Creepy factor: 7/10

Ciara – “Like a Boy”

In which the young pop singer wonders about gender roles, and dances around with some butch gals. Groundbreaking factor: 5/10

LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends” (via Cliptip)

In which James Murphy gets painted up, rained on, and then apparently shot fireworks at. Adorable James Murphy factor: 8/10

Queens of the Stone Age – “Sick Sick Sick” (via Pitchfork)

In which the members of the raunchy rock combo are feasted upon, one by one, by a very hungry lady. Gross shots of meat factor: 9/10

Bonde do Role – “Solta o Frango”

In which a couple portly guys dress up in, ahem, rooster outfits, and stage a mock battle on the street. Brazilian party factor: 10/10

Shoot an Iraqi from the Comfort of Your Own Home Computer

It's not just a video game. A performance artist has been holed up in Chicago with a webcam and paintball gun trained on him. Right now Wafaa Bilal is out (late lunch?), leaving just a bedroom splattered with paint, so Web snipers are aiming for the plant instead. It's a statement on that American combination of high-tech trigger-happiness and apathy toward Iraqis. I was going to suggest Bilal was inspired by this technology, "computer-assisted remote hunting." But it's much worse. According to his bio, Bilal grew up in Iraq, and his 21-year-old brother still there was recently killed by stray American gunfire. Maybe he's trying to heal by reenacting the trauma, as they say. Black humor heals all wounds. Thank you, Goode, for the tip.

Dem or Repub? Half of the Answer is in Your Genes

A new study from New York University shows that your political preference is more than just a preference: part of it is written in your DNA. "40, perhaps 50 percent of our political beliefs seem to have a basis in genetics," said Josh Hibbing, political science professor at University of Nebraska, who contributed to the study.

Hibbing's research showed that identical twins were more likely to share political beliefs than fraternal twins, regardless of how they were raised. But DNA does not "hardwire" the belief itself, it merely affects how a person responds to a given situation. A control-happy neat-freak is far more likely to be a conservative because he or she prefers order and the comfort of the familiar in their life, whereas a touchy-feely, globe-trotting artist is more likely to be a liberal because he or she enjoys new experiences.

But the environment is just a strong a factor as genes, especially when personal security is threatened. Thirty-eight percent World Trade Center survivors, said they grew more conservative after 9/11; only 13 percent said they were more liberal.

—Jen Phillips

May 23, 2007

Live Earth Making Enemies

Al Gore’s Live Earth concerts (the lineup of which I controversially dissed a while back) are getting some more negative publicity. First up, last week, a surprisingly coherent Roger Daltry of the Who told England’s The Sun that “the last thing the planet needs is a rock concert.” Well now! How do you feel, Mr. Daltry, about using a notoriously wasteful type of event to raise environmental awareness? “I can’t believe it,” he says, “let’s burn even more fuel.” Daltry did of course play both LiveAid and Live8, which were apparently not powered by fuel but by magical unicorns on treadmills. Speaking of LiveAid, Sir Bob Geldof himself was even more harsh on Live Earth, saying “everybody” already knows about global warming. Knows about, and rejects, Sir Bob, just like that crazy idea we evolved from monkeys.

Now I see on BoingBoing that if you want to organize a house party or other event in support of Live Earth, you’ll have to follow restrictions that make the hoop-jumping required to just buy a ticket look like a walk in the park. Hey, Al, can I call my event “Friends of Live Earth?” Well, not exactly:

“Friends of Live Earth” cannot, directly through visual or other communications, be linked with any organization, including sponsors/broadcasters of your event. “Friends of Live Earth” should only be used as a supporting message.

Oh, OK. As soon as I understand what that means, I’ll start baking cupcakes for my party.

As far as the rest of the lineups are concerned, Sydney, Australia looks okay, if only for the presence of Wolfmother, and the only two artists I’ve heard of on the German lineup are DJ Sasha and Snoop Dogg. This negative press having an impact on the event’s success seems unlikely, but on July 7th, I still think I’d rather just change some of my light bulbs to fluorescents.

A Breakthrough in Electric Slide Deregulation

Good news for dancers and copyfighters: the creator of the Electric Slide has just taken a step back and agreed to allow non-commercial use of the disco-era dance which, as Wikipedia helpfully explains, "is still done frequently at social occasions to virtually any music." Ric Silver, the man behind the moves, had been sending legal notices to people who posted videos of the dance, asserting his copyright over it. Now, he's going to license the dance through Creative Commons (which apparently includes letting Spiderman and a Transformer do it, as they do in this image from his website). There's no word, however, on the Funky Chicken patent dispute.

See Mother Jones' roundup of intellectual property run amok.

May 18, 2007

Top Ten Stuff 'n' Things 5/18/07

Back in New York City, and I wish I could say this week's list is influenced by the hot new trends sweeping the metro area, but unfortunately I've been hard at work the whole week and haven't really been hitting the Williamsburg night spots or anything. Sorry, Riff readers. So, the New Yorky stuff in the Top Ten is pretty superficial, but the music is good, I promise.

10. DJ Medhi - "Signatune" (Thomas Bangalter edit)
France is making my favorite electro jams right now, and one hopes Sarko won't quash the locals' efforts in a misguided attempt to Americanize the music scene. This track from Paris's DJ Medhi is an exhilerating take on the hyper-compressed cut-up sample-based techno style pionneered by fellow Frenchmen Daft Punk, and in fact one of the Punks himself gives it an extended edit that allows the song time to build.

9. A cool picture of lightning striking the Empire State Building on Wednesday 5/16
At the time I was safely ensconced at the CBS Upfronts at Carnegie Hall a few blocks uptown (which, unfortunately, I can't really cover, ethically at least, because I was hired by them for some music production and DJing, but I have some really good stories if you buy me a beer). It was still an exciting storm. Amusingly the rain kind of ruined the CBS after party at Tavern on the Green, where all the suits and CBS stars were forced to squeeze into the limited indoor spaces, while a couple of the video crew and myself huddled outside under an umbrella with some bartenders, desperately trying to smoke our damp cigarettes, as the rain poured down and the wind seemed to bring the topiary elephants to life.

8. Rhythm Scholar vs. Queen vs. The World - "Another One Bites the Dust" (Blasted Breaks mix) (mp3 from his site)
This stuttery, extended mix uses Queen as its basis but then launches off into samples from Rob Base, Spin Doctors, Joan Jett, and many others. It ends up not being a mashup so much as a kind of acid-house approach to classic rock: recognizable clips reorganized over an insistent beat, aimed at the dancefloor.

7. Ratatat - Remixes Vol. II (self-released CD)
The New York electronic duo jump into the mixtape world again with this fantastic compilation of their takes on the biggest names in hip-hop. Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, and Kanye all make (unauthorized) appearances, and their reworkings of the backing tracks are often revelatory, giving rockist "oomph" to the insistent rhymes from the rappers. Grab an mp3 here of their take on Notorius B.I.G.'s 1993 hit, "Party and Bulls***."

6. Low - "Hatchet" (Optimimi version)
The Minnesota trio's recent album, Drums and Guns, is turning out to be one of the year's highlights; its move towards more quirky, electronic production hasn't changed the band's signature emotional intensity. Low remixes have always seemed kind of strange -- like the Smiths, their songs seem somehow untouchable and perfectly formed. But this simple rework of "Hatchet" brings a plaintive, soulful vibe to Mimi's vocals, making Low sound almost... funky?

5. Spotting David Boreanaz getting into a cab outside of the Ritz Wednseday night
I never see celebrities. Ever. So how awesome is it that the one celebrity I see randomly in New York is frickin' Angel. Sweet, sweet Angel! The vampire hottie who went to hell and back on the best show ever! I was going by in a cab at the time, in the rain, in the dark, so I'm not sure how I managed to spot him -- I suppose my Angel-detectors are set on "high."

4. Fujiya & Miyagi - "Ankle Injuries" (video)
Okay, the White Stripes really did this first and better with legos, but this English rock trio's video (using dice instead) is an oddly appropriate accompaniment to the tense, spare track, reminiscent of, I dunno, Can or something.

3. Various Artists - Kitsune Udon (compilation mixed by Gildas & Masaya)
Back to France for more electro, this time with some Japanese input. This DJ mix never lets up, intense from beginning to end, featuring tracks from the Presets and Simian Mobile Disco (their "Hot Dog" has the most ridiculous lyrics ever, something about "dance to the rhythm of the hot dog," I think). Honestly I can't remember now where I found the mp3, and since this thing is only released in Japan right now, I feel like a bit of jerk for posting about it. Bear with me and I'll try to track it down again.

2. Cool Kids - "Black Mags" (stream at Pitchfork here)
Chicago hip-hop sounding remarkably Southern. This duo delivers their lines like they're giving you an insider's scoop, over a glacial beat and Casio-style bassline, using a slowed-down vocal loop as the chorus (one of my favorite hip-hop tricks these days). Pitchfork points out their retro style, but this track is 100% 2007.

1. Dungen - Tio Bitar (new album on Evilive)
While these Swedes tour as a four-piece, on record it's basically just a one-man show: Gustav Ejstes, the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who does almost everything. Rock records made by one guy are kind of interesting: for instance, Foo Fighters' debut album, a pure blast of emotion from a clearly grief-stricken Dave Grohl, or Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream, on which Billy Corgan (allegedly) played most of the parts. On Tio Bitar ("Ten Pieces"), the instrumentation is even more wide-ranging, with piano, horns, flutes, and, um, is that a sitar? It's Hendrix-style psychedelia, for sure, but focused and never noodling. Ejstes' voice, often multi-tracked into three- or four-part harmony, rings out over the top of the heavy riffs and rolling drums, like some sort of madcap folksy wizard leading us to a better life of cheap modern furniture and lingonberry juice. Hooray, Sweden.

May 16, 2007

How Gullible Is Christopher Hitchens?

He's gullible enough to believe that Orthodox Jews have sex only through a hole in the sheet, and gullible enough to repeat that myth in his latest book. Ok, ok, a lot of people fell for this one, including Hitchens' editors, reviewers, Larry David, and me. But we're not Christopher Hitchens, and we didn't write The Missionary Position: Mother Theresa in Theory and Practice. Mark Oppenheimer blogs:

As a lie, it's not as bad as the blood libel, but it's not so far from the old tales of sexual perversion in Catholic monasteries and convents -- it's a lie meant to discredit a whole people by making them seem sexually bizarre and far outside decent society.

One possible derivation of the urban legend:

Seeing Jews in religious neighborhoods hanging their "talitot katan" out to dry. This poncho-like garment is about two feet by four feet, has a fringe on each corner, and a hole in the center for the wearer's head, and it looks somewhat like a small sheet with a hole, and many people have vivid and warped imaginations.

Hey Hitch! Did you know "gullible" isn't in Wikipedia?

May 11, 2007

Top Ten Stuff 'n' Things: 5/11/07

Do not fret, my sweet liberal media blog enthusiasts -- I have not deserted you! Yes, yes, I sauntered off to Coachella and then galavanted halfway around the world for a silly DJ gig, and yes, I know, I could have used my shiny new laptop to post something for you, but these other places had piña coladas, by the pool, see, and what do you, oh Riffers, offer me, besides angry comments? Which are not refreshing or coconutty, by the way, and do not get me sloshed! But I still love you! Never think I don't love you! I love you so much, that I want us to share the following Top 10 Things, which this week are vaguely influenced by Jamaica, which is where I was for a couple days, and yes next time you can come.

10. Nicky Van She & Dangerous Dan – “Around the World Again”
So the concept isn’t so new: there’s already been at least one rock cover of a Daft Punk song, and Who Made Who shot to novelty prominence in '05 with their B-52’s-reminiscent take on Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction,” but this is still awesome – a simple, guitar-based instrumental version of the toweringly great “Around the World." I'll dance to that

9. Sunshine (upcoming film from Danny Boyle, director of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, out this Fall at the earliest, from Fox Searchlight)
My motto, as far as B-movies are concerned, is “The Earth Must Be Destroyed.” Any scenario that involves the potential destruction of humanity or our planet or our solar system, and I am so there. I mean, I dragged everyone I know to see The Core, on opening night, on IMAX, and that may be the worst movie ever made. So finding out that the inventive director Danny Boyle is taking on a film about an (ill-fated?) voyage to re-start our dying sun – how am I going to wait six months for this?!?!!!

8. DJ Joven – Live at Zizek, Buenos Aires, Argentina (mp3 via Disco Shawn)
My expat buddy Shawn has written some intriguing things about the new avant-Cumbia scene in Buenos Aires, but I didn’t really get it until I heard this brief but awesome set that includes a crazy version of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love,” as well as some oddly ambient-sounding electronic reinterpretations of this traditional Latin style

7. Verka Serduchka

Apparently this Ukranian drag sensation (real name, Andriy Danylo) is set to win the Eurovision Song Contest, an event that continues to amaze me with its, um, existence. In any event, this bonkers performance appears to be mostly in German, with some Ukranian asides (“Dance,” “Where are your hands, hands, hands?”). IT doesn't make any sense to me at all... but I can’t… stop… watching...

6. Interpol – “The Heinrich Maneuver” (from Our Love to Admire, out July 10 on Matador)
Okay, in my Coachella preview, I got the album title wrong, so sue me. But really, this track is so great, they could have named the album after it. With a seemingly in-joke title, a weirdly casual intro line (“How are things on the West Coast?” Um, on fire, thanks, Interpol), and what appears to be a stuffed leopard on the cover, this song from the most Joy Division-y of indie bands makes some counterintuitive moves but still ends up majestic

5. Pole – “Achterban” (from Steingarten on ~scape)
This German electronic artist has already been reviewed well (if a bit overdramatically) by the music lords at Pitchfork, but I must say I’m especially enjoying this track, the darkest and possibly most straightforward on this atmospheric, creepy album. Sure, it’s based on dub reggae, but the textures are crunchier, the loping beat more insistent, and the feeling less stoned, more transmission-from-space

4. Scientist & Jammy & Roots Radics – “Flash Gordon Meets Luke Skywalker” (from Johnny Greenwood is the Controller on Trojan)
Speaking of dub... and, er, space. I haven’t smoked weed in like 10 years, but boy does music like this bring back some memories. This track (from the Radiohead guitarist’s compilation of “lost classics” from the Trojan Records back catalog) is my favorite kind of reggae: stripped down in the studio to its basic elements, then revamped, with triple-time echo threatening to overwhelm its throbbing, muggy sound. Does anybody have any cheese snacks?

3. The Bird and the Bee – “La La La” (from the self-titled album on Blue Note)
How predictable I am. I’ll go for anything that kind of reminds me of Air’s “Moon Safari,” (although I’m still mad at the Frenchmen themselves for messing up Coachella). This track from the LA duo, with its unexpected chord changes and reverb-saturated tambourine jingles, is straight from the School of Lounge, but it’s a lovely addition to your mellow dinner party CD

2. The White Stripes – “Icky Thump” (from the forthcoming album, Icky Thump, out June 15th on Warner Brothers)
Is there anything Jack White can’t do? Masturbatory guitar-hero worship is way, way out my window (see, I dunno, Yngwie Malmsteen), and this track is 80% noodling guitar ridiculousness, but my God, does it freakin' rock. The lyrics have some good lines (“Well, Americans / What, nothin’ better to do? / Why don’t you kick yourself out?/You’re an immigrant too”) – but mostly it’s all about the massive riffs, which, like almost everything White plays, seem dredged out from a place in humanity’s common genetic memory; melodies that have always been there, waiting to be discovered

1. Mega Jamz 98 FM, Jamaica (Listen online here... if you can get it to work)
So, let's say you get booked for a corporate DJ gig, in Montego Bay, and you go there, and you end up kind of trapped at this resort way outside of town for the weekend, but you have a lot of work to do anyway and so you make the best of it and move the laptop out onto the balcony, and for the sake of argument, say you like reggae but not the cheesy stuff, and so you turn on the radio, and stumble across a station that alternates unexpected classics (like a classic extended mix of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough”) with bonkers ragga dancehall tracks; the latter's syncopated, distorted beats and incomprehensible lyrics sound like a million even-nuttier MIAs, and they're all amazing, and it's interrupted every once in a while with a station ID that just goes “MEGAAA!!” Would you love it as much as I did? Answer: Yes. Yes, you would.

CBS Fires Anti-War General; MSM: No Comment

Here's a prime example of a story the MSM is self-interestedly neglecting to cover. CBS fired General John Batiste, who had served as a consultant for the network, after he appeared in a VoteVets ad opposing the war in Iraq. CBS claims the ad damaged Batiste's credibility by undermining his apparent objectivity. But CBS has now been revealed to allow consultant Nicole Wallace—formerly of the White House communications operation, now on John McCain's campaign staff—to comment on Bush's policies, McCain's beliefs, and life in general. Not only that, but the ad in which Batiste appeared was pretty objective and analytical. Could anyone seriously be accused of diminishing their credibility by saying that we were led to war on false pretenses and don't have an effective strategy for winning? I mean, these are facts.

May 10, 2007

Political Persecution of Michael Moore!

Michael Moore's latest attack film, Sicko, will skewer U.S. health care: a fitting target at an opportune time, you have to admit. In true Moore fashion, he proves his point with well-executed sensationalism: He takes workers whose health deteriorated after they participated in the 9/11 cleanup to get care they can't get in the United States in Cuba. Take that, conservatives. Only thing is, the Bush administration now has film footage of Michael Moore committing a crime—or, well, violating a trade embargo, but either way, they were not about to pass up an opportunity to make the filmmaker pay for Fahrenheit 9/11. In a letter dated May 2, Moore was notified by Treasury that the department is conducting a civil investigation into his violation. We wish him luck, even though he was a notorious a-hole during his brief tenure as editor-in-chief of Mother Jones.

May 8, 2007

Spider-Man 3 Proves Crappy Movies Make Buttloads

This weekend, Spider-Man 3 had the highest grossing weekend ever. This after last week's reviews promised "The angst-filled Spider-Man 3 is all plot-holes and Band-Aids," describing the movie as "overlong, visually incoherent, mean-spirited and often just plain awful," "[a]esthetically and conceptually wrung out, fizzled rather than fizzy," "ungainly, cumbersome" and inspired by no more than the bottom line. Do Americans not even read movie reviews, or is their taste in movies single-mindedly focused on special effects rather than plot, acting, or even—gasp—meaning?

May 4, 2007

Conservative YouTube Steals Its Smokin' Logo From Philip Morris

There's already some derisive buzz about QubeTV, the video sharing site for conservatives who claim that liberal media giant YouTube won't let them play in its digital sandbox. I haven't had time to wade into its archives, but I notice that it's off to a great start by appropriating part of its logo from Altria (A.K.A. Philip Morris). Are the Qubers just lazy graphic designers or image-remixing copyfighters? We'll see what happens when the first cease-and-desist letter arrives...

May 3, 2007

No Frills For Spike Lee

The 50th San Francisco International Film Festival honored Spike Lee last night with the SF Film Society's Directing Award, and praised Lee as a prolific director not afraid to tackle not just race, but also class and gender issues in his films.

Lee's personality – humorous and political, honest and deadpan – was on full display during his Q&A; with Boston Globe film critic Wesley Morris in San Francisco.

Lee was a tough interview. Wearing his trademark thick-rimmed glasses, his brief and somewhat reluctant responses often left interviewer Morris grasping at straws. Lee chose his words wisely. He playfully teased Morris. He recognized the larger race issues behind the Don Imus incident, and affirmed for audience members that the people of New Orleans are still hurting. He also joked that his wife, who reads all of his scripts, has been influential in changing the depiction of women – a common point of criticism – in his films.

The audience was treated to a montage, featuring clips from the biggies – aka Spike Lee Joints: She's Gotta Have It (1986), Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Malcolm X (1992), Clockers (1995), Four Little Girls (1997), Summer of Sam (1999), 25th Hour (2002), and Inside Man (2006). Lee's latest is the award-winning When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, and judging by the two acts shown at the event, is not to be missed.

—Gary Moskowitz

4/29 an Inside Job

MoJoBlog provoked a hot discussion about the tanker explosion that warped two highways in Oakland at the same time on Sunday. Now two independent Websites are unraveling the case. One brings us this photo of Cheney fleeing the scene of the "accident." My question is, why aren't the mainstream media reporting the fact that NOT A SINGLE Israeli was driving on that part of the freeway when it collapsed?

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No Frills For Spike Lee

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