Kanye, Spike Jonze

This is a great video. It proves that Kanye West is an asshole for real.

Behind the Scenes With Kanye from We Love You So on Vimeo.

THIS GUY GETS IT!!!

I had the pleasure of seeing "Where the Wild Things Are" last night at a very public screening with two of my friends, for the low fee of eleven dollars.

From the first title card - complete with illustrations from Max, the boy who would be king of the wild things - I was enthralled. Start to finish the movie had me, hook, line and sinker. If you're interested in seeing a film that is really good, I suggest you go and see WTWTA.

What made it so special? It all comes down to the man himself, director Spike Jonze. His vision was unique and utterly complete. I could tell that everything had been thought of, from costumes to the inner working's of all the character's minds (I'm sure my boy Dave Eggers - who co-wrote the script with Jonze - had something to do with this), and was considered in terms of the movie as a whole. HOWEVER, I don't think Spike's vision made it to the screen entirely. That's right, I suspect the muckety mucks made him cut the film down so that it would run shorter and faster, thus ensuring a quicker, more audience friendly flick.

Which isn't all that bad. The real drawback was that I wanted to see more. The movie makes sense as is; though I can't help but feel that it was a tad rushed. It needed a little more time to marinate; let the monsters develop more of their character; let Max develop.

The acting was superb. Max Records, who plays Max, was phenomenal - and it's really tough for a kid to win me over on screen. All of the wild things were beautifully constructed: that mix of live action and CGI really was tasty as a motherfucker. The actors providing the voices were all dynamite, adding so much humanity - and humor - to monsters!

By the film's end I was moved to tears. The relationship between Carol (head Thing) and Max, from its start to its finish, is life in a nuteshell. The way you interact with others, the frustration and the love - and the times you can't distinguish between the two - is in that relationship. It's not tangible, but how could it be? We're talking about WILD THINGS! It all comes down to the ahOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

AhOOO, indeed. I was proud of this movie for living up to my high expectations - and in the way the film dealt with the resolutions between its characters. Rarely does a movie say so much by saying nothing at all.

AhOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen...

The Flaming Lips.

To me, these guys have meant different things. So let's start at the beginning.

I read about The Flaming Lips on amazon.com a few months after Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots came out, at the end of 2002. The site had so many positive reviews posted by listeners, and amazon's editors ranked Yoshimi one of the top five best albums of the year or something like that, so I bought it. Truthfully, I don't remember exactly how I felt about it when I first heard it, but I did like it enough to seek out The Soft Bulletin and Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell soon after.

I enjoyed all three albums, though I wasn't enamored. At that time there seemed to be something silly about the Lips - and there most certainly is something silly about the Flaming Lips, I wasn't wrong about that. What I was wrong about, or, more accurately, what I didn't realize, was the genius in their silliness and, ultimately, in their music.

So after those first few months in 2002 and early 2003 when I was into the Lips I didn't really pay that much attention. I saw them open for Wilco on New Year's Eve back in 2004. They put on a kick ass show. In fact, I was rocking so hard, enjoying the giant balloons landing on my head so much, that I didn't notice images of George W. Bush flashing on the screen during their cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" until halfway through the song. Now, I'm neither advocating or criticizing President Bush and his actions. That doesn't matter to me. I just don't want to see it at a rock concert. It turned me off. The politics made me lose my buzz. I couldn't just rock out anymore. It was complicated now. Damn.

In general, for a few years I just felt they were overrated. Stupid. Not that great. Mediocre, even. I tried Zaireeka and it was more trouble than it was worth (that's 4 discs intended to be played simultaneously).

But lately I've come to my senses. The Flaming Lips are as good as people say they are. This realization was sparked - this past Tuesday, in fact - when they released their newest LP, Embryonic.

I fell in love the first time I heard them play "Convinced of the Hexx" on The Colbert Report. They totally rocked - and they freaked me out in the best sense of the word. When I downloaded the album I was amped, ready to go. And the album delivered. It's 70 or so minutes of Bitches Brew like freak outs, mixed, of course, with the Lips' distinct sensibilities. The bass is mesmerizing. The keyboards - it sounds like Hancock and Corea but don't be fooled, it's only Steven Drozd! Damn. So fucking good. I can't say how great this album is. It really is a masterpiece, and one of those casual masterpieces. Where the band is just fucking rocking for themselves and they inadvertently deliver a fucking gem. It's the kind of album you bust out the pipe for, you know? But, what's cool is, even if you're not stoned it's still fucking freaky and psychedelic as shit.

After listening to Embryonic a handful of times, I moved on (back) to The Soft Bulletin. My first thought: How could I dismiss this band even in the slightest when they have produced an album that sounds like this? The Soft Bulletin is craft incarnate - without loss of emotion. Sonically speaking, can there ever be another album that sounds like this? I don't think you hear too many Flaming Lips wannabes nowadays because most everybody realizes you can't do what they do so don't try. TSB is moving. The sounds move you. The songs move you. The album as a whole moves you, in its humble, effortless greatness. Their are some bold moves on this album but it's all pop music. It's honestly like a Pet Sounds. Innovative. Beautiful. Awesome. Epic.

Enough. You can tell I think the album's diesel. Next stop: The Fearless Freaks, the documentary about The Flaming Lips. I watched it last night and was riveted. It started out as me just wanting to catch a scene or too but by 11:30 I wished it wasn't over. The Lips are weird, but they're sweet guys. They believe in family. They believe in the good things, even though they come from families where a lot of fucked up stuff has happened, i.e. suicide, drugs and jail. Still, they press on.

The entire flick is great because it's so honest. Nothing seems contrived. True, Wayne Coyne comes off a little strong, but he's Wayne Coyne. He's the face of the Lips. It's honest, man, I loved it. Best/Worst scene: watching Steven Drozd talk about his heroin addiction while cooking up some dope. The camera rolls as he searches for a vein. Cut away. Cut back: he's high. So good. Well made. True. Watch it.

So that's it. I'm excited to listen to more shit from earlier on in their career. I've been ignoring so much music. I even can't wait to try and Zaireeka again!

I'll leave you with two things. One, make sure you have really given The Flaming Lips a fair shot. Don't dismiss them like I did cuz they're silly. They're the real deal. Why? Because they're honest guys making the music they know how to make. I've come full circle since dismissing them. Thank god. Two, The Fearless Freaks:





Enjoy, you freak.

The Quest for the Perfect Drink

There are so many drinks out there. There are millions and millions of drinks just waiting to enter my mouth, waiting to be savored, waiting to quench my thirst.

Now, when I say drink, I mean, you know, a drink. Not Gatorade or Fresca. I'm talking alcoholic beverage. This is not say that those other drinks aren't drinks. Quite the contrary: they are drinks. But who cares what sodas I like or wanna try? It's a little fem and fruity (hey, that sounds like a great drink name, the Fem and Fruity).

I enjoy the art of the cocktail. I enjoy trying new, exciting, creative, and - sometimes - frightening drinks, like, you know, a pickle juice martini (verdict: not bad). Why? Because there is so much art in it. There's an art in making these drinks, especially in creating them. How does one do it? Why is one compelled to mix ingredients A and B together? Why are some people better at making a drink than another when all you gotta do it follow the instructions?

Who knows. You see, there's so much to it, and it definitely goes beyond the desire to loosen up and get drunk. That's only the by product of the drink, getting drunk. I like everything behind it. I love the appreciation. That might be the word. Appreciation. Because it's one thing to try a drink, another thing to drink it to get drunk, and yet another thing to try it and appreciate it for the beautiful thing that it is.

What got me thinking about this? Well I've been reading this book called Shaken and Stirred, by William L Hamilton, which is about different cocktails. And this man appreciates a good cocktail. It's his living. It's like any other food or beverage - there should be no taboo involved (if you're over 21!). Enjoy it like you would a good steak or something.

And then I stumbled upon this video. David Cross sharing a drink that he likes. Now I want to try it. It sounds great. I am privileged to know about it because, I am sure, one day I will make it and it will hit the spot.



So that's it. Just wanted to share that. Maybe I'll post stuff about drinks as I experience them or hear about them, or -

Oh, OK, here we go. I made a martini last night, and we finally had olives in the house. Green olives, not stuffed with anything - I think that's a crime. And we also had gin. Hmm. I decide to go with a dirty martini. I had tried it once and it was a disaster. Didn't like it. Dumped the whole damned thing in the sink (I know, crazy). But that was a while ago, so I decided to do it up, since I have more experience making drinks now. I made it and boy was this motherfucker tasty. I put two splashes of the brine in the shaker and it added this very subtle taste to the drink, really gave it a little kick, you know? Two splashes of olive brine and you totally transform the drink. I don't know about you, but I think that's cool. It's like a science. This is the closest I will come to being a scientist, making drinks - but it's also much different; there's a lot of feeling in making a drink. I don't like to measure out anything, I just go with my gut. Cuz I think people just have the knack for it. I got the knack. (Note: I think a dirty martini suits gin better than it does vodka. The taste of the brine really compliments that edge that gin has, you know, the one that tastes kinda like Christmas or your grandpa? With vodka I think you're better off going with a cocktail onion, or a twist. A vodka martini with a twist is pretty refreshing.)

So now I've got another drink in the arsenal, something else to enjoy, depending on how I'm feeling. FDR loved his martinis dirty. Now I do too!

But the quest for the best drink will still continue - it has to! If you have a unique drink leave the recipe as a comment. I'll definitely be jazzed and will definitely try it out. Then I'll blog about it! Oh man, how fucking sweet, right?!