Insurmountable Opportunities

Jan Brewer Self Destructs During Live Gubernatorial Debate

Tim — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:56:05 +0000

I’m sure the explanation is as simple as she grabbed the wrong notes before hitting the studio, but this is an amazing crash and burn. It would be painful to watch if she weren’t such an awful person.

First, her opening statement to the televised debate:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUPKKbmWMZ8

Then her exit from the studio and the most inelegant ducking of a direct question ever:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL5KQ4Ao0ro

Regarding here unconstitutional immigration laws it should be noted that the Pew Hispanic Center just released a report showing that the “annual inflow of unauthorized immigrants to the U.S. was nearly two-thirds smaller in the March 2007 to March 2009 period than it had been from March 2000 to March 2005.” So what’s the issue?

Cover and MetaCover (The Clash, M.I.A., Built to Spill, and a little Elliott Smith)

Tim — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:54:43 +0000

Built to Spill covering M.I.A.s “Paper Planes” (itself a cover of, or at least inspired by “Straight to Hell” by the Clash.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-G18A-U80

Then, just ’cause it was on the same YouTube page, Elliott Smith covering my favorite Built to Spill song.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw0WcjNjzy8

I Like Pop. Robyn is Pop. I Like Robyn.

Tim — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:05:09 +0000

I haven’t let the kids put Robyn on their iPods yet because I’m not done liking it and as soon as they can listen to her whenever they want without going through me, it will get overplayed and I’ll be tired of it. They did it to me with Little Boots and I haven’t quite forgiven them yet.

Body Talk Pt. 1 is a nice, though very short, collection of poppy electro numbers which inhabit a rather darker, more sparse, landscape than her one-time peers Christina and Brittany. Her plans to release two more records in September and December make up for the shortness of this first release since I her 2005 record that I didn’t know anything about. So there you go, Tim: music reviewer.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX253FmsxJw

Who is Little Boots? I’m glad you asked: http://fiercefamily.com/blog/2010/05/06/little-boots-meddle/

Plastic Bertrand n’est pas Plastic Bertrand

Tim — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:10:36 +0000

Back in 1982, when I saw the movie “Summer Lovers” at Paul Swangard’s house, there were two songs that I determined, at the time, to be awesome. “Ça plane pour moi” was one, and “Just Can’t Get Enough” from Depeche Mode’s first record (before Vince Clarke left to form Yazoo) was the other. That one of these totally awesome songs has turned out to be a cynical media fabrication does, I admit, sadden me ever so slightly. Fortunately,though, it’s also the one that turns out to actually be a crappy song.

Apparently Plastic Bertrand (who is not actually Plastic Bertrand anyway) did not really sing “Ça plane pour moi.” Shocking. Nor did he sing any of the songs on “his” four albums. Wait…he had albums?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVDfmn_TMkI

I wanted to put both videos in here, but Depeche Mode is now also a cynical media fabrication and doesn’t allow embedding the video. Instead, here is the original video for “Don’t Go” by Yazoo. It sounds a lot like it could have been on that first Depeche Mode record. It’s impressive, really, that they survived the departure of Clarke who wrote nearly all the songs on that first DM record.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VML1u8KJjEo

This Pitchform article has all the gory details about the Plastic Bertrand affair.

Ça plane pour moi (English Translation)

“Wham! Bam! my cat Splash
lies on my bed with his tongue puffed out
by drinking all my whisky.
As for me, not enough sleep, drained, persecuted,
I had to sleep in the gutter
where I had a flash
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
in four colours

Allez-oop! One morning
a darling came to my home,
a cellophane puppet with Chinese hair,
a plaster, a hangover,
drank my beer in a large rubber glass
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
like an Indian in his igloo

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This work for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me

Allez-oop! The chick***, what a gas!
what a vibration!
to be sent on the door mat
filed, ruined, drained, filled
You are the King of the divan!
she says to me in passing
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
I am the King of the divan

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This workss for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me

Allez-oop! Don’t mind, don’t worry
Don’t affect me
It’s not today
that the sky will fall on my head
and I’ll be without glue
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This life’s for me

Allez-oop! my chick has gone away,
flew away, finally had enough, to break
the sink, the bar, leaving me alone
like a complete jerk
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
I’ve put my foot in it

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This workss for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me
This workss for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me”

The Gaslight Anthem – ’59 Sound

Tim — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:05:22 +0000

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing your Springsteen on your sleeve. Unless you don’t mean it.~~, or else -- as with~~ And these guys -- REALLY FUCKING MEAN IT. Oh yeah, and they are managed by South Eugene H.S. alum Anna Jacobson-Leong so you know they’re legit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwpSGQavKSY

Menomena – The Pelican

Tim — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:05:59 +0000

I’m not sure what this song has to do with Pelicans cause I just don’t listen to lyrics all that often, but the emotion that comes through the song may be something akin to how Pelicans in the Gulf of Mexico feel right now.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9MMJqb84LE

Lightning Dust – Take It Home

Tim — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:56:39 +0000

I’m trying to fix something on my blog, so here’s another video immediately on the heels of the last. Stick around…there will likely be another shortly. Lightning Dust is a side project of some folks from Black Mountain, whom I’ve not heard.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bARF6hevRrA

Arcade Fire in an Elevator – Neon Bible

Tim — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:37:19 +0000

Not much else to say. Arcade Fire performing Neon Bible in an elevator. I especially like the use of a magazine as percussion instrument.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjxef8AfVQg

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Diablo Rojo

Tim — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:13:42 +0000

If you’re not at least tapping your foot by a minute or so in to this song, well, I just don’t know you as well as I thought I did.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lvMQCmUVv8

Little Boots – Meddle

Tim — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:08:37 +0000

I played this for the kids and they liked it. I bought the record and they haven’t stopped listening to it for weeks and weeks. Oh, and I like it too. She also made an iPhone app that is pretty cool. A song loops and responds to the motion of the iPhone. Shake it around and the song gets upbeat. Hold it still and the beat drops out and it gets very mellow and atmospheric. All the while, the app samples sounds from around you to include in the music. Never the same thing twice. Neat!