Living the Dream...Or Not (Book Review)

Juliana Hatfield - When I Grow Up B+

Publication Date: September 2008

Juliana Hatfield was buzzworthy in the early nineties. Her first solo album, Hey Babe, was one of the top selling indie albums of 1992 and the follow-up one year later, Become What You Are, spawned two successful singles - "My Sister" and "Spin the Bottle".

These days Hatfield is less popular but just as relevant. As a fan of her music I enjoyed the insight into her rocknroll fantasy and sequential reality. In this memoir she tends to get a little bogged down in mundane details and I would've preferred more about the albums/songs. Nevertheless it's still an interesting glimpse into the life and pressures of an indie rock musician who was once the "next big thing".

Rock Crowd Put Your Arms Around Me (Music Review)

First Impression Music Review
Pete Yorn - Pete Yorn B-
Release date: September 28, 2010
Could Pete Yorn have come up with a less original album cover and album title? And what about the second track on the album- Rock Crowd? The first time I heard it I thought it could be the cheesiest song he'd ever written.

My first spin of PY left me feeling less than impressed but Yorn has an uncanny way and growing on me and really getting under my skin. After about 4 or 5 listens I can't get Rock Crowd out of my head even though I still think it sounds a little cheesy.

I read that he recorded the album while fighting the flu, knowing this gives the album an element of suffering yet determination. Sorta like Game 5 of the 1997 NBA championship between the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls when Jordan had the flu but still managed a very memorable 38 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. PY may not be that remarkable but it has its moments.

Favorite tracks- Precious Stone, Velcro Shoes, Stronger Than & Future Life

My Eternal Flame For Sonic Youth (Concert Review)

Sonic Youth w/Caldera Lakes @ the Ogden Theatre B

Tonight was my 6th Sonic Youth show and probably the must understated one that I've seen. With a wave and a smile the band walked on stage and kicked off their set with Bull in the Heather from 1994's Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, followed by Sacred Trickster from their most recent album, The Eternal.

Fans expecting to hear a heavy dose of the ever popular (and classic) Daydream Nation were probably disappointed because almost half of tonight's set consisted of songs from The Eternal. Nevertheless you can't go wrong with a Sonic Youth show, they're easily one of the greatest bands and live acts of all time.

Here is tonight's set list:
Bull in the Heather
Sacred Trickster
No Way
Calming the Snake
Mote
Antenna
Schizophrenia
Catholic Block
Anti-Orgasm (dedicated to the Tea Party)
Poison Arrow
What We Know
Massage the History
Encore 1
The Wonder
Hyperstation
Encore 2
Shadow of a Doubt
Expressway To Yr Skull

Easy A - Movie Review

Easy A (PG-13) 90 minutes B+
A high school sex comedy minus the sex

Starring Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Thomas Church, Patricia Clarkson, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell, Aly Michalka, Stanley Tucci, Fred Armisen, Juliette Goglia and Jake Sandvig

Easy A is the story of how a little white lie can snowball into an avalanche of lies (despite temporarily enhancing your social and financial status). On the surface it may seem like just another teen comedy... and it is more or less. But it's also clever, smart and funny.

Directed by Will Gluck the film also pays homage to 80's cult favorites like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Say Anything giving it a certain amount of cinematic street cred so to speak.

Great cast, lighthearted and recommended. Get your popcorn and enjoy!

Le Noise Sounds Fresh But Will It Stick? (Music Review)

First Impression Review
Neil Young - Le Noise C+
Release Date: September 28, 2010

Sonically I love the way this album sounds, lyrically I'm not sure if it really breaks new ground. The more I listen to Le Noise the more I like some songs and the less I like others.

For whatever reason I'm afraid I might shelve this one sooner rather than later, however I've yet to listen to it on headphones which I think will add another dimension.

Not a bad album but once you're pass that initial excitement of raw, electric gutiar fuzz I'm not sure Le Noise has long term staying power...

Favorite tracks: Rumblin, Hitchhiker

The Town - Movie Review

The Town (R) 124 minutes A-
A Gritty and Compelling Crime Drama with Heart

Starring Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper and Jon Hamm

The Town grabbed me from the beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Based on Chuck Hogan's 2004 novel Prince of Thieves and directed by Ben Affleck the film brilliantly takes an old theme (one last heist/an honorable thief) and creates something thrilling, fresh and humanistic. Affleck proves that his first directorial feature, Gone Baby Gone was no fluke. The Town cultivates the gritty, blue-collar Boston formula of his last film and delicately balances adrenaline filled action with heartfelt melancholy.

The Town is short for Charlestown, Massachusetts, a place reportedly known for its bank and armed car robberies. Doug MacRay (Affleck) was a local kid, from a broken home, who had a shot at playing pro hockey but instead he inherited the family business - robbing banks. He and his band of brothers were a well-oiled machine until MacRay fell in love with Claire (Rebecca Hall), a hostage from one of their heists.

Ultimately (without knowing) Claire became MacRay's “Yoko Ono”, motivating the ringleader to turn away from a life of crime and live an honest life. However, he must complete one last job, and we all know what happens when the criminal with a heart of gold vows to do "one last job".

Nevertheless this is an excellent film and one that might require a bit of patience from moviegoers expecting nonstop action. Small performances by Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite are tight and on point. While Jeremy Renner is just as good here as in the Hurt Locker. Jon Hamm (Mad Men) seemed a little out of place at first, yet by the end he and his five o’clock shadow will grow on you... as will this ambitious film.

Recommended!

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - Movie Review

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (PG-13) 127 minutes B+
Greed is back and better than ever.

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Susan Sarandon, Josh Brolin and Frank Langella

A rare sequel that's better than the original, that's the case with Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. A timely film about greed, revenge and of course, Wall Street.

It's not essential that you see the first Wall Street film from 1987 but if you have it makes the sequel more enjoyable.

The performances are solid all around and the film maintains a nice balance of serious drama and light-hearted moments. It feels a little long at 127 minutes but rarely is there a dull moment.

Gordon Gekko (Douglas) is back and he's as smooth as ever!
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Bonus DVD Review
Wall Street (R) 126 minutes B
Rise and Fall of a Hustler

DVD Release Date: November 2000
Starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, James Spader, Daryl Hannah and Hal Holbrook.

Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a young broker from a working class family. He has big dreams, big ideas and nothing gets you there faster than money- lots of it! . Wall Street is really an age old story of greed and corruption, ironically that's pretty much the story 23 years later in real life.

Watching it now the film is a little dated (in a good way) and a little long... it also helps if you understand all the Wall Street mumbo jumbo. All in all it's a solid film that gets better as it goes along not to mention an Oscar winning performance by Michael Douglas.

You Can Get With This or You Can Get With That (Literary Event Review)

Dave Zirin w/ David Sirota @ Mercury Cafe A-

Tonight I gave up seeing the ultra-talented and very beautiful Koren Zailckas (at the Tattered Cover), she's the author of one of my all-time favorite books, Smashed: the Story of a Drunken Girlhood.

To see an equally talented, but not as visually appealing (no offense) writer, Dave Zirin... and I can't say I was disappointed. Zirin, the author of a new book, Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love made a tour stop at the Mercury Cafe with special guest David Sirota.

His new book is very enlightening and a little scary. Do I really want to know about the politics behind sports? Why owners, teams and cities are motivated to do the things they do? Big business, shady deals, yadayadayada... It's all very thought-provoking but is ignorance bliss or does knowledge equal power?

Check out his book and decide for yourself.
http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/book/9781416554752

I'm Still Here - Movie Review

I'm Still Here (NR) 108 minutes INCOMPLETE
PUNK'D!

Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck

Back when I thought this documentary was real (for a week after I saw it) I was going to give it a solid "B". I thought it was a striking exposé of a troubled and tortured soul, not too mention the crazy beard, whores, blow and excrement- pure entertainment!

But now that I hear it was all a hoax, I'm not sure what to think... Much like the Blair Witch Project circa 1999 and the Crying Game in 1992, this film was better when I didn't know the "secret". Nevertheless Joaquin Phoenix deserves credit for such a convincing performance, many of us truly believed he was really that f*cked up. Touché.

Read more about this hoax at Chicago Sun-Times.com Robert Ebert's Journal
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/09/casey_affleck_levels_about_im.html

Range Life (Concert Review)

Pavement w/ Jenny & Johnny @ the Ogden Theater C

I will admit that I have a pet peeve about bands who "goof off" too much on stage and it overshadows the music. I'm not trying to be a buzz kill, I love witty rock star banter between songs and interaction with audience. But when it comes to the music it's serious business. I've spent hours upon hours marinating in these songs and losing myself in the lyrics so at a live show I want to soak it all in.

I was stoked about seeing Pavement tonight, one of the seminal alt-rock bands of the 90's. For the past week I'd been listening to Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and Slanted and Enchanted, albums that sound just as good today as they did 18 and 16 years ago. But maybe my expectations were too high or maybe I just missed the boat (both the Westword and the Denver Post raved about the show).

This stop on their highly touted reunion tour was light-hearted and fun, yet it felt uninspired and forgettable. There were moments of brilliance and moments when I thought that euphoric feeling was about to kick in... but no, instead my feet started to ache from standing and I grew less and less enthusiastic. It made me wish I'd seen them in the early 90's when they still had something to prove.

It wasn't that Malkmus and Co. were being goof balls all night, it was more that the songs didn't resonate. I didn't feel that rhythm in my soul when they played my favorite songs. At times it seemed like the band was rockin their balls off but songs were sung half-heartedly, other times it seemed like Malkmus didn't care about singing at all while Bob Nastanovich did his best Flava Flav impression.

It pains me to sound so negative about a band who has provided me with so much pleasure but I guess you can't win them all. For a more positive spin check out the reviews below.

Westword http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat/2010/09/last_night_pavement_at_ogden_t.php

Denver Post

http://blogs.denverpost.com/reverb/2010/09/10/live-review-pavement-the-ogden-theatre/