Powerpuff Girls Back in Action!

In case you missed it on Monday, the Powerpuff Girls returned to television with a brand-new half hour special to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of their debut. Needless to say, I was super excited despite the fact that I suddenly felt very old realizing how quickly fifteen years goes by once you're an adult. 

From the opening sequence, I confess to being thrown off by the new art style. I hadn't read anything about an updated look being used and having been a huge fan of the original, I found it jolting. By the end, I did enjoy the new look. Part of me thinks it was a strange choice in direction for a anniversary special, but I suppose the original art might look outdated now given that there have been so many imitators since the show aired. Also, it's not the first time the characters have been revamped as die-hard fans will know from Powerpuff Girls Z, the anime based series from Japan. 

Admittedly, my expectations were very high. And while the episode was well done, it certainly won't rank among the funniest or most innovative in the show's history. A lot of the character jokes that make the show great were missing. Bubbles, always my favorite, was wisely made the star, but for some reason her personality went through a lot of changes during the course of the episode. The fight scenes weren't terribly creative either, having the girls rely on one tactic that was pretty basic. And then the girls were basically removed from the plot toward the end, putting the focus on the Professor's past dance fiasco. However, the ending was very sweet and rewarding. It was nice having the Pokey Oaks kindergartners back on the air, even if it was only for one episode.

Weekend Music Roundup

As the year marches on, I find myself being more selective with my listening time as I continue to try and work my way through a pretty intense backlog of records. However my thirst for new music is still never quenched and I took the plunge on three new 2014 albums this week, none of which disappointed. As with the mood of the past few weeks, there's a decidedly winterish vibe to my choices on this list and lots of eeriness. Hope you find something that interests you. Enjoy.

Sleepy Sun - Maui Tears: Due out next week, this is the fourth album from the San Fran psychedelic rock band. As is expected from West Coast psych bands, there's a heavy stoner feel, but it avoids any link to drone. It's a subtle album, one that takes the listener along for a ride that is not at all unpleasant. It reminds a bit of Dead Confederate's first album, but with Dead Meadow influence. Nothing groundbreaking here, but a solid experience nonetheless.

Neil Young - The BBC Sessions: This popped up online this week, it's a remastered version of long circulating bootleg from 1971. It's from a performance that I've seen on television, just Neil and a piano and guitar. This is my favorite era of Neil live recordings. Without a backing band, his fragile voice and delicate songwriting really shine. A beautiful remastering of a wonderful concert. Definitely worth checking out if you are new to Neil bootlegs, or even if you are well-versed. 

Best Coast - Fade Away: Over the past few years, this lo-fi indie dream pop band from L.A. has been growing an audience with their catchy twist on love songs. Though I've enjoyed many tracks on their previous albums, I found this to be their most enjoyable album as a whole. Released in the Fall, this was one of the records I pushed through towards the end of the year with the thought that it might sneak into my best of the year list. And while it didn't, it's still quite good. A more mature sound than their earlier work and it suits them well.

The Lumineers - The Lumineers: The debut from this Denver indie folk band received a lot of love in 2012, and came highly recommended to me by people whose opinions I trust. For whatever reason, I ignored it when it came out, mostly because I was already drowning in wonderful folk recordings. This is a solid album, anchored by the hit "Ho Hey," but as is often the case, I fail to see why this album stood out above other albums with a similar feel. Though I really like it, I didn't fall in love with it, with the exception of "Dead Sea," the best track on the record.

Warpaint - Warpaint: Another L.A. based dream pop band, this is Warpaint's second record, released this week. It's ethereal sound, with psychedelic undertones, works beautifully with the vocals to give the entire thing the feeling of listening to a dream. They manage to capture the effortless appeal of The XX and Mazzy Star, while adding a hint of Joy Division eeriness. "Feeling Right," "CC," and "Son" are my favorites in this atmospheric masterpiece of an album.

Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears: It's sort of rare for a blues rock band to come out of NYC in the late '60s. The city was dominated by the folk movement at the time, but somewhere in that environment this band emerged with one of the first true marriages of jazz and rock. This was given to me in a box of records rescued from a yard sale, and while it feels a little like a poor man's Traffic in some ways, the innovation and risks they take is worth applauding especially when it all comes together. Their rendition of "God Bless the Child" is fantastic, and "Spinning Wheel" is a near perfect blues rock tune.

One Step at a Time

For my new manuscript, I've been following a different course than usual. Typically I allow my characters to create their own arc and the story develops around that. But given the nature of the story I've chosen to tell this time, I decided to adhere to the classical three act structure. The first act being exposition and establishing the world until a dynamic incident occurs to set up the second act where the character attempts to deal with the situation, concluding in the third act.

In the past I've tried to avoid a strict interpretation of this natural unfolding of events. I've always enjoyed a fluid story that can overlap acts in interesting ways. But there are certain types of stories that are just tailored made for the established rules. Having moved into the second act, I feel as though this current tale is one of them. A big part of writing is not only having a good story, but knowing the best way to tell it.

Paddington, Please!

Today is Michael Bond's birthday, the author of Paddington Bear. Paddington was my favorite series when I was in second grade. It was also the first series I remember seeking out on my own to read. I wasn't much of a reader as a child. I was a good reader in school, but did little reading in my free time. I much preferred to play with toys and have them act out stories of my own creation. But something about Paddington spoke to my stuffed-animal obsession. I fondly remember checking out many books from the school library, and buying quite a few at the book fair. 

On a trip to London a few years ago, I bought the Paddington bear in the photo above and took him around with me in my pocket. Then I snapped this picture of him in front of Paddington Station. There's something about the books you love as a child that influences you throughout your life, which is one of the many reasons that I love what I do. So thank you Michael Bond for sharing your imagination with us all, and have a wonderful birthday!

Weekend Music Roundup

Welcome to the first roundup of 2014! This week I'll be reviewing some albums that I listened to over the last month and a half, as well as the first releases from this year that I'm super excited about. At the beginning of the year, there is always a level of intrigue as to what the musical landscape will be in the coming months. As is usual for the winter, the year is starting off with eerie folkish releases, which always seem to match the weather in a perfect way. Enjoy.

Ed Harcourt - Time of Dust: Releasing this week is the eighth studio album from the East Sussex singer songwriter. I was initially exposed to Harcourt's haunting style with his suburb 2000 debut EP, Maplewood and have followed his career sporadically ever since. After several albums that left me on the fence, this short album has really impressed me. It opens with the beautiful "Come Into My Dreamland," a Tom Waits piece of gloom folk. From there, it is populated with sad and beautiful songs, with nice piano work that livens up the bleak spirit. A solid release to start the year.

The Mars Volta - B-Sides: Sometime last summer, this 15 track bootleg surfaced online. Despite the title, these are not B-Sides. According to posts by Cedric Bixler-Zavala (singer), at least some of these are tracks that were apparently intended for an upcoming album before the band disbanded last year. A lot of it is composed of spanning instrumental pieces that feel like Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's solo work, while others feel like more developed songs. Though it's still sad to see them go, it's nice that we were left with this glimpse into what might have been.

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left: For my birthday last week, I made a trip to the record store and picked up a few of my favorite albums on vinyl, including Nick Drake's 1969 debut masterpiece. Though I've had this on CD for 15 years, it's fragile beauty sounded fresh and immediate coming through the speakers from the 180 gram pressing. The stories within the songs are amazing, expressing insight far beyond the 21 years of age that he was when recording this record. One of the most haunting verses comes in "River Man" when he sings "Betty prayed today, for the sky to blow away, or maybe stay, she wasn't sure." The imagery in his music is unequalled.

The Warlocks - Skull Worship: The L.A. psychedelic rock band's sixth album came out in the end of November, their first release in four years and best since 2007's Heavy Deavy Skull Lover. This album takes a stoner feel, even more so than previous albums. The mellow drone influences create wonderful soundscapes and the slow drawl lyrics make the entire thing feel like a strange dream. Truly one of the best albums I heard in the mad rush to wrap up the last year. "It's a Hard Fall" is my favorite track. 

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything: The seventh album from the Montreal post rock band is the follow-up to 2010's Kollaps Tradixionales, and the first 2014 release that I listened to. It has the grand scope I've come to expect from them and reminds me of the more introspective parts of Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. I only wish Reflektor was anywhere near this good. "What We Love Was Not Enough" is a brilliant song on a wonderful album.

Nacho Picasso - Trances with Wolves: Starting on the first of the year, the Seattle rapper began offering his new EP on his bandcamp page for a name-your-own-price download. In my opinion, he's the greatest current rapper around who solidified his presence with two albums with Blue Sky Black Death. The beats are still strong even without BSBD's touch, and Nacho's flow is as impressive as ever. "Red Ridinghood" is one of his finest moments and highlights the darkness that he has grown to do so well. A fun album, even if not completely essential.

Look Out! Here I Come!

When working on a manuscript there always seems to come a moment when I'm unsure what should happen next. I'll be chipping away at a nice pace, knowing that after this chapter or that chapter, my current path will have expired. Not that I would say I'm completely lost, but I've reached the end of what I'd completely thought out. 

These are the parts of a story that one must navigate with care. But they must be navigated quickly. At some point you have to simply barge through, commit to a turn and take it or you risk sputtering out. Today I'm going to reach one of those points in my current novel. Thankfully, I've spent enough time taking the long view before I started writing that I know a lot of things that I want to happen. So it becomes a matter of choosing a direction rather than inventing one.

Perhaps the worst part of dealing with these dilemmas is the way I tend to slow down before reaching them. It's as if I don't want to finish the scene I'm working on until I know the next one. But tomorrow is an off day for me, so I should have plenty of time to plot out my route. Wish me luck.

Year End Music Roundup - The Best of 2013

As the calendar turns over, it's finally time to assess the albums of the previous year into a list of those that are not to be missed. This year it was pretty clear for me to determine which albums belonged in the top ten or so, but as usual, after that it gets kind of murky. The rest of the list could have gone a million different ways. Over the past week I've been spending my time listening to the albums that could make up #11-#25 trying figure out which ones would edge their way onto the list. The one thing that process proved to me was that there were a ton of great records this year. If you feel I've missed anything, which I'm sure I did, please let me know. Enjoy.

#1. Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends: It was really tough to decide on which album would be number one, but this album finally won out. From beginning to end, I completely love it. This is definitely one of their best efforts to date, showcasing their catchy psychedelic indie sound at it's best.

 

#2. Arctic Monkeys - AM: I kept going back and forth on whether this should be number one or two, but in the end it doesn't really matter because it's fantastic. AM maintains the heavier groove of their last album, but adds the eerie elements of psychedelic pop. They're not as angry as they were on their first two albums, but they make up for the lack of angst by upping the musicianship to yet another level.

#3. Beady Eye - BE: Interesting enough this album title follows the same structure as the album above, and also like that album, it's a band who I've admired for a long time who came through with some of their best work. Over the course of 17 songs, the band has finally found its identity beyond Oasis. This doesn't sound like Oasis, it sounds clearly like a Beady Eye record. The band has moved on, and without Noel on board, the other members seem to be hitting their creative stride, quite impressive for musicians with such amazing careers.  

#4. The Icarus Line - Slave Vows: I loved this album upon first listen, but for some reason it fell out of rotation in the last few months. Over the past week, I've been listening to it again and remembering how amazing it is. There is something about their music that captures that seedy L.A. vibe, dark and dangerous and irresistible at the same time. Fantastic stuff.

#5. Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze: A masterpiece of psychedelic folk. This double album plays like a mellow Dinosaur Jr. album washed in a haze of a lazy day. The entire album keeps a consistent groove throughout, making it almost feel like one continuous song. With each album, Kurt seems to improve, and he's well on the way to becoming one of the best songwriters of the moment.

#6. Samantha Crain - Kid Face: Samnatha's voice is easily one of the best around and her songs tell such beautiful stories. On this album, there's a return to the gloom that hangs over her first EP, and which works phenomenally well with her voice. This is a really powerful album.  

 

#7. Kanye West - Yeezus: It would be so easy for someone of Kanye's stature to simply repeat himself and play it safe, which is one of the reasons why it's so commendable that he continues to push himself to give people something they've never heard before. This record, like his last, is the sound of an iconic artist given the space to experiment and succeed. 

 

#9. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Mind Control: A wonderful heavy psyche album. While it lacks the manic frenzy of their last album, Blood Lust, it makes up for it with heavier droning riffs that harken back to Black Sabbath, yet keeps the relentless guitar and haunting vocals of a ghost hidden in the music. 

 

#10. Mazzy Star - Seasons of Your Day: After 17 years, the L.A. dream folk band finally return. Every song on this record is soothingly beautiful, and captures the wonder and worry of being alone. Worth the wait...definitely.

 

#11. Babyshambles - Sequel to the Prequel: Musically, like previous Babyshambles records, this album draws on a wide-range of influences that come together in vagabond brilliance, offering poetic insights on the world through the perspective of a disillusioned and tragic romantic.

 

#12. Low - The Invisible Way: When you've perfected a sound as well as these guys, there's no real reason to mess with it. Their songs are incredibly minimal, but incredibly powerful emotionally. Another truly wonderful album to add to their catalog.

 

#13. Manic Street Preachers - Rewind the Film: For their first album in three years, the Manics seem to be moving away from their more radical politics to a sense of living for ourselves. They no longer seem to be preaching an all out revolution so much as a revolution of perspective and personal discovery.

 

#14. Neko Case - The Worse Things Get...: Neko returns with her best work to date. This album sounds like a coherent folkish version Fionna Apple. The songs are amazing and meaningful. Glad to have her back.

 

#15. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris: Earl has his own easy going style, spitting rhymes about this that and whatever and not caring about the image he projects. It's definitely a stoner rap album, and satisfies that niche to perfection. 

#16. Ty Segall - Gemini & Sleeper: Another year and another wealth of releases from the non-stop Ty Segall (member of Sic Alps). His two solo efforts this year outshine the band's releases. He channeled his garage sensibilities into neo-psychedelic folk rock with an amazing softer sound. 

 

#17. Rob Zombie - Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor: Sun soaked psychedelic metal infused with a healthy dash of psychotic hillbilly horror, without ever managing to feel like a gimmick. The metal version of Trout Mask Replica. 

#18. The Bevis Frond - White Numbers: This is his first album since 2011's phenomenal The Leaving of London. Like that album, this is another double album of fantastic rock. There isn't a bad song among the 24 tracks, and the album ends with a 42 minute monster of a jam.

#19. Lightning Dust - Fantasy: Over the course of their career, the band has progressed from the minimal sound of their debut to a more traditional indie folk sound, even including some electronic elements into this record. Amber Webber (of Black Mountain) has such an amazing and fragile voice that has always made this band stand out among a sea of indie folk rock.

 

 

#20. Dead Meadow - Warble Womb: Another fantastic achievement in fuzzed out stoner bliss from one of the leading bands in the genre. I've always loved the way they meld heavy psyche influences from the late '60s with heavy riffs, yet manage to keep this California easy vibe going.

 

#21. Secret Colours - Peaches: Formed in Chicago, this band describes itself as the seed of 60's psychedelia and '90s Britpop. This album is definitely influenced by both, showing moments of early Pink Floyd and then shifting into Spiritualized type hymns. 

 

#22. Enforcer - Death by Fire: This album is so authentic to the speed metal played in the early 80's that it would fool even the most die-hard metal fans. But it's not simply an ode to that music, or a knock-off, more like a re-birth. It's incredibly great, the perfect mix of pounding drums, screeching guitars and classic NWOBHM vocals.

 

 

#23. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: L.A. based psychedelic folk band with a hippy groove that is heavily influenced by Paul McCartney quirkiness and Beatles mantra of all you need is love. Super enjoyable, and at times, quite brilliant.

 

 

#24. Midlake - Antiphon: The haunting vocals are accompanied by a wash of Pink Floyd rhythms, creating a beautiful sound. Midlake has always been able to stand out among the wave of bands using similar textures and influences, and once again have succeeded in making another outstanding album. 

#25. Nik Turner - Space Gypsy: Teaming up with other members of Hawkwind, this album returns to the space rock roots of the '70s band. This is pretty flawless, and could easily pass for a classic Hawkwind album.

 

Honorable Mentions: Here's some other albums that came close to making the list, and as I said, on other days may have made it.

 

Black Sabbath - 13

The Flaming Lips - The Terror

Kadavar - Kadavar

Dead Ghosts - Can't Get No

Black Spiders - This Savage Land

Brendan Benson - You Were Right

Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork

Terra Tenebrosa - The Purging

The Strokes - Comedown Machine

White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade

Woodpigeon - Thumbtacks and Glue

Psychic Ills - One Track Mind

Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium

Kings of Leon - Mechanical Bull