Some rapid fire randomness ...

Another buried treasure from Elliott Smith has been generously offered up at Sweet Addy. This one's called Placeholder. Not sure how much more of this beautiful bittersweetness I can take.


In case you hadn't heard, Donnie Darko is getting re-released to theaters in a new director's cut. Not just additional footage, but new music and effects as well. So I get to see it for the billionth time, and buy yet another version on DVD. Hey, that's not a complaint.



Audio Learning Center's second album is out, and there's not a trace of a sophomore slump in sight. I'll write more later, but suffice it to say, I can't stop listening. The packaging is ace, and their website has been revamped to match. Head over there, have a look around, and check out the excellent new video clip for the song Stereo. Bowling = video gold. A few days ago, the trio opened for the Pixies in Eugene, and odds are they knocked some socks off. (and no, I'm not just saying all this 'cuz they linked me, they linked me 'cuz I've been saying stuff like this for awhile :) ).


I must say, this Codeine fan site is top-notch. Downloads, videos, photos. Glad to see that band get the web-affection they so-deserve.


I am completely obsessed with Far Cry. Even while sitting in sunshine I'm tempted to retreat to my cave and take on more mercenaries. Beautiful graphics, seamless gameplay, incredible level design. I'm just floored. Half Life who? Doom what?


A first look at Christian Bale as Batman. The costume's looking a little rubbery, but mercifully nipple-free. My hopes for the film are sky-high.


The 2004 Independent Film Festival of Boston starts tonight, so get over to their site and plan your schedule. I'm hoping to catch Saved! tomorrow night, but that depends on a timely return from out of town. I'm pretty psyched for Azumi as well. That's just the tip of the cinematic iceberg.


Out of town, I said? Yes, we're jumping in the car and heading out to the sleepy west of the woody east this afternoon, to Northampton and the Autism Benefit. Performances by Sonic Youth, J. Mascis, acoustic Sebadoh, and more. Bringing the dog and staying overnight, exploring NoHo some more during the day tomorrow. Weather looks perfect, I'm rarin' to go...

posted by brad at 10:04 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Didn't want this to get overlooked by fellow Elliott Smith fans ...

In an earlier comment, Melissa was kind enough to direct me to a thread on the excellent Sweet Addy, the official Elliott Smith fansite. Out of the blue, webmaster Charlie has shared an unreleased song from the "Either/Or" recording sessions called Pretty Mary K (an entirely different one from the same-titled track on "Figure 8"). In my unending quest to track down everything he's ever done, I never even knew this existed.

On it's own, it's a remarkably beautiful song, but given the circumstances in which we finally get to hear it, it's just heartbreaking to listen to. But I can't stop. We lost a man whose artistic cast-offs are better than other people's best.

Pretty Mary K
by elliott smith

Pretty Mary K
Walks along the dock
With some sailor's pay
Shoved down in her sock
Pretty Mary K
With some little boy in blue
He can't stay away from you

Pretty Mary K
Took him back to town
I'm down here by the bay
Where the water pounds
Up against the wall
Cryin' black and blue
Keeps me away from you

Pretty words that you whisper
Maybe I misunderstood
Somebody's not paying attention what they promise
And their word isn't good

Oh Mary K
I can see her face
Down there in the waves
Painted and erased
But I know it's just the reflection of the moon
A big fake resembling you

I'm gonna go down in the water
Fill my mouth up full of sand
I'll be waiting, still impatient with my dead imagination
While you're with some other man

Pretty Mary K
Is off in somebody's room
I'm down here by the bay
With my arm around the moon
But I'll be with you soon
Just as soon as I pay
I'll walk across the water with Pretty Mary K
Walk on the water
Pretty Mary K

Thanks again, Melissa.

posted by brad at 9:31 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

As tough as I figured it'd be to take in a late Sunday show (insert Danny Glover-style whining here), it ended up feeling like the perfect day of the week for Sodastream at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Inman Square. Relaxing, captivating, mellow in the best way. Easing me softly into a new week.

Sodastream are two gents from Australia who've been spreading their gentle-pop across the U.S. since Austin's SxSW fest in mid-march. It's apparantly been an up n' down journey for Karl and Pete, disappointing at times, rewarding at others, buoyed by people they've met and fans they've made. On this part of the tour they're playing a few dates with Chris Ziter from the Essex Green, and joined by locals Shumai for the Boston show. When Pete hopped on a laptop during a little pre-show meal at our place, I asked if he was going to update their tour diary. "No, it's been abandoned I'm afraid. No reason to write when there's little good to share," he replied jokingly, with a slight shade of seriousness.


It may have been the road-weariness talking, but his momentary bout of doubt certainly didn't impact their performance that night. It was just wonderful. Ashamedly, I'd only heard a few of their songs before, so I was ready to love their set... but in a live setting it brought on the major chills. They really make the most of their two-man setup, with Karl's stunning voice and light acoustic, Pete beside him on a stand-up double bass. He had the low-end covered, either plucking the notes or beautifully drawing a bow across, and his baritone backing vocals contrastedly strikingly with Karl's highs. A bonus for us, the Zeitgeist had a grand piano, so Karl sat down for a couple songs. I'm a sucker for strings... throw a piano on top of that and I'm gone.


The high point of the night by far was "Constant Ships", off their latest cd "A Minor Revival". Wow. Rise and fall, Karl's voice alone for a moment, then the instruments come back in and it builds to goosebumps. Pete kindly offered me the disc after the show, but I'd have paid generously for a recording of that one song alone.

Chris Ziter is a friend that does me the favor of writing songs I genuinely like, so I'm never tempted to offer up half-sincere post-set compliments. I've never had the chance to hear him alone like this, just his songs, his guitar, and a harmonica. His band, the Essex Green, is about the variety of multiple songwriters, a Jeff song here, a Sasha song there, a Chris song in between. In this solo setting, my appreciation for both his voice and songwriting skills swelled... he was right on, despite a bit of a cold. His slightly-lowered range actually allowed him to more-easily treat us to an old Guppyboy song, instantly bringing me back to Burlington days. He appreciated the crowd's ultra-attentiveness enough to thank 'em for it, and I do as well. No mumbling, no background rustling, just the songs and the occasional whoosh of a car on the wet, rainy roads outside. Pretty much perfect.


Shumai had what they referred to as an 'off night', and it musta been tough following up the beauty of Sodastream with some full-on louder pop, but I was glad to finally see 'em all the same. We've got a few friends in common, and as a Boston pop-fan they were always on my 'should probably catch them' list. Yeah, they were a little loose, and the sound was a little rougher since it was full-bandish, but the catchy moments came through, and I really dug Collin's vocals. They debuted a new song by the bass player, and her bass line is still sorta stuck in my head. Speaking of bass lines, when one started a particular song, I was ready to cry "Shenanigans!" and call them on their Small Factory-stealing... until the guitars kicked in and I realized they were in fact playing the Factory's "Valentine" (technically a Lois cover, I know, don't indie-nitpick me). Nice to hear the sounds of Small Factory living on beyond our own meager attempts.


All in all, such a great night of music, and one that should have been better attended. Blame the Sunday night, blame the rain, blame the non-club location... but hopefully when Sodastream returns the stars will align and bring them the crowd they deserve. Fingers crossed that it will be soon, too.

posted by brad at 12:49 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Couple of fine evenings of music on deck at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Cambridge this weekend, so heads up...

Tonight, Friday the 23rd, gives us Seekonk and Tiger Saw, two excellent Kimchee Records bands. They're playing with Picastro and Viking Moses.

Sunday night brings the highly recommended Sodastream, currently on their first U.S. tour, over from Australia. They're playing with locals Shumai, and Mr. Christopher Ziter, an old friend of mine who plays in the Essex Green. I'm really, really looking forward to this one.

See ya at the Zeitgeist.

posted by brad at 2:45 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Making the rounds today is this Atlanta-area Fox channel video capture of a poor woman's morning mishap while stomping grapes.

Ok, um... ouch. This thing is not for the faint of heart, and I've got some reservations about sharing it. Audio is required... I actually watched it without sound and wondered what the hoopla was about. After the headphones? Not so much. I don't think I've ever heard those noises come out of a human being before. Hope she's alright, and that it really is just a 'wind knocked out of her' kinda thing.

Uh, maybe they could have set the baskets on the ground, at least for the demo? And Lucille Ball made grape-stomping seem so funny.

posted by brad at 1:30 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

So I dug up a couple more songs from the 2nd Burlingtonitus fest, back in 1995...

the Van Pelt - His Saxophone Is My Guitar - A second song from the Van Pelt, the studio version of this one can be found on a 7'' that Colin put out on Sudden Shame Records. I'm still waiting to find out if frontman Chris Leo has been working on any music lately, though I do hear he's been spotted behind brother Ted's merch table. "I hear ya...!"

Sleepcrash - It's About Time - Sleepcrash, aka Swoon, aka Rob, Shawn, & Jason. These guys were kind enough to open up the second night of the second fest, and I think it was actually their very first show. It was always rough being the first band out of 5 or 6, so early in the night. Guitarist Rob is currently in Dialogue for Three, drummer Jason fronts the Halogens, and bass player/singer Shawn (my former Starlight compatriot) headed west long ago. Where the hell are ya, captain?

I'll keep searching for more recordings... I think I have old videotapes, and the audio might not be half bad. Getting it onto my computer might take awhile, but I've got some springtime motivation going on ...

posted by brad at 9:40 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." - Anne Bradstreet

Which explains why I'll always be a northern boy.

Such a great weekend. Some quality time on the new back porch, book in one hand, Corona with lime in the other, food on the grill, dog at my feet. Got my exercise on, too... a long walk along the river with Nina, a longer bike ride on marathon day, from home to downtown Boston, then all the way down the middle of Beacon street towards Coolidge Corner. The runners were on the northbound side, while I sped southbound, dodging drunk students and other cheering spectators. It was in the 80s, my first bike ride of the spring, and I was feeling it in the best way. I found Amie and Nina in the crowd, got chastised for my total lack of bike helmet (sorry, mom), but promised I wouldn't "forget" it again. I have no defense... just wanted to feel the warm wind in my hair. Yeah, I'm lame, but it felt so good.


Saw Kill Bill Vol. 2 at the Boston Common theater yesterday, and wow, did it ever put Vol. 1 to shame. An improvement in so many ways. The first part entertained me but felt so empty... dissolved quickly in my mind like cotton candy in yer mouth. The second one had much more character depth, better performances, sharper dialogue, more memorable moments. Loved it.

What I didn't love so much was the crowd. It's no surprise that punctuality is dead... it died a long time ago. Lay the blame squarely on the inconsiderate offenders, or on the half hour of ads and previews we've all come to know and loathe. "How about Kill Bill? It started 20 minutes ago, but we can probably still catch the beginning." People were streaming in right up until the title sequence. Grrrr.

So the place is packed, and after suffering through ads for soda, cars, & furniture, after previews of Soul Plane (ouch) and Hero (hot damn!), Kill Bill finally kicks in with a black & white flashback scene. Popcorn in hand, I'm so ready for this. But awww crap, here they come.

Yeah, straight up the aisle trudges a five member family. A massive dad, a bloated, mouthy mom, two toddlers leading the way, a baby in a stroller dragged along behind. And the toddlers are totally talkin', of course. "Mom, there's no seats up here!" "Where do we go?!". "I can't seeeeee!". It's a freakin' moron parade. I wish I could say I was surprised. But I wasn't. I tried to tune 'em out. Wasn't happening.

They pause next to us, still full-on blabbing, debating where to find five seats in the dark. So far we've missed the first couple minutes of Tarantino dialogue. Amie, suffering no fools gladly, says "SHHHHHH!". Other people join in "Sit down!", "Come on!". Nothing works. So Aim follows it up with "Y'know, you could try getting here on time." Uh oh.

"Now who are you talkin' to?!" asks the lady hell-beast, rhetorically, as they pass in front of us towards the other side of the theater.

"I'm talking to you, who do you think?" replies Amie, as they get further away.

"Oh, I'll see you after the show."

"Oh great!", Amie and I say in unison, as they head towards the front row to the only remaining seats.

Awwww yeah. Post movie rumble! I pay close attention to Pai Mei's training, filing away some tricks for later. I'll never defeat the dad based on size alone, so I'm going to have to count on superior skills.

Seriously, who would have thought these people meant business? I figured the crazy woman was just mouthing off, idle threats born of frustration. Even if she wanted a confrontation, what's her point? She deserved whatever words she got. And how could she even know who Amie was? It was pretty damn dark.

Well, maybe the movie fed her revenge fantasies, because as soon as the credits rolled, she stood up and started scanning the theater. Oboy.

The crowd rises, the freak-family moves to the bottom of the stairs, where we're headed. Amie's a few people ahead of me, and she passes right by them. Looks like they missed her, but they head out between us, still looking around. I catch a glimpse of Aim heading into the bathroom, and there I am, standing right next to the fools. They have no idea who I am, so I listen in.

"Where is that bitch!? I thought I saw her." "She's gotta be around here somewhere." "Are you sure you know what she looks like?" "Yeah, she's got black hair and a pink-ish top." Whoa! These people really want to throw down with the Searles! And with their three kids on the sidelines (or tag-teaming it?). I'm torn between feeling giddy at the total novelty of this whole thing, depressed that these people are allowed to raise children, and being slightly freaked out by the sheer size of the dad.

So they're dead-set on finding her, to do whatever it is they want to do, so they're hanging back watching the rest of the crowd come out. It slows to a trickle and the guy wants to get moving. "She mighta gotten by us, let's go to the lobby." I follow. "Where is that bitch?" the she-demon cackles again. Mixed in, I hear more than a couple people say, quietly, "I can't believe they brought their kids to that movie." Exactly.

I head back towards the theater, Amie's outta the bathroom, and I fill her in. "You're kidding!?" Nope, I'm not. "Oh my god, what are we going to do?", she asks. I feel like we're in high school and the 3 o'clock bell just rang. Is it out to the parking lot, or out the back, across the football fields, into the woods?

Turns out we're standing next to a mystery elevator, so we jump in and... it only goes up? One floor later and we have no idea where we are, but there are stairs so we take 'em. Four flights down and we hit the street, out an unmarked door on the other side of the block. We're clear, confrontation avoided. Alas, our tale has no payoff, no final fight, no nuthin'. I'm almost disappointed. But I think of those losers, standing in the lobby with their kids, watching the escalator in vain. Waiting to ... do what exactly? We'll never know.

Unless, of course, they end up reading this. Doubtful, but hey, if you're out there... Boston Common gazebo, this Saturday, at dawn. Amie says to bring your Hitori Hanzo sword. Oh, it's on.

posted by brad at 9:24 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

It was 10 years ago this weekend that my friend Colin and I put on the first annual Burlingtonitus independent music fest.

In April 1994, Burlington, Vermont was crawling with jam-band spawn (crunchy-hippy bands and the college kids who loved them), so our fest was really an excuse to bring indie bands we knew and loved to town, to share stages with 'em, and to have friends come out for a weekend-long party. More than a dozen bands over two days at 242 Main (the local non-profit teen center), all ages invited, and five bucks a show. It was strictly for fun, about as far from a money making venture as it coulda been. If we were lucky, the bands would get a little more than gas money... the further they drove, the more we tried to give 'em.

It was really a fest of necessity; doing it ourselves was the was the only way to see some of these bands without driving for hours. We naively hoped to kick off a trend, maybe bring some of the (imagined?) indie kids outta their rooms, get people motivated to put on their own shows, maybe get a few new bands to add our little town to future tour schedules. To a fairly minor degree, that actually happened for awhile.

Even though the people in the bands occasionally outnumbered the crowd, the first fest was such a success that we ended up hosting three more of 'em (in '95, '96, and '98), growing a bit to include more invitees and other clubs. Friends were made, stories were shared, but mostly, lots of pretty great live music was played for receptive ears. We owe a lot of the fest's success to the support of the staff at WRUV, the UVM radio station where you'd find me between classes, and to CKUT, the McGill station that helped spread the word to all the Montreal kids that drove an hour and a half south for our little indie experiment. We also couldn't have pulled it off without the labels who sent bands our way (Sonic Bubblegum, Pop Narcotic, Harriet Records, the Proteen guys, Teenbeat), and all the bands who liked the thing enough to play more than once (the Stand GT, Chisel/Ted Leo, Tulips, the Van Pelt, Tizzy, Tugboat Annie, the Smiles, and more).

Here are the complete lineups for all four Burlingtonitus fests ...

(Naturally, I couldn't find links for all of these, so I tried to reference a related artist, a review, or another download)

Burlingtonitus One
Friday & Saturday, April 15th & 16th, 1994 at 242 Main
New Radiant Storm King, Tuscadero, Rollercoaster, Pest 5000, Driver UFO, Morning Glories, the Stand GT, Snowplow, Buddy Sevaris, Madelines, Chisel, the Smiles, Yum Yum Tree, Tulips, Green Magnet School, and other random guests

Burlingtonitus Two
Friday, April 21st, 1995 at Club Toast: the Stand GT, Tuscadero, Pest 5000, Eef, Tizzy
Saturday, April 22nd at 242 Main: Tulips, Yum Yum Tree, Blast Off Country Style, huffy, Tugboat Annie
Sunday, April 23rd at Club Metronome: Chisel, the Van Pelt, Radio to Saturn, Madelines, Buddy Sevaris, the Smiles, and Sleepcrash

Burlingtonitus Three
Friday, April 19th to 21st, 1996 at Club Toast
Sugar Plant, Pirate Jenny, Babe the Blue Ox, Saturnine, Lindy Pear, Daviess County Panthers, the Van Pelt, Tugboat Annie, Catapult, Me Jane, the Smiles, Tizzy, Starlight Conspiracy, Scrap Douglas, Soup Sandwich, The Stand GT, Goldfish, and Gladly

Burlingtonitus Four
Friday, April 24th, 1998 at 242 Main: Syrup USA, the Fan Modine, Sarge, the Wicked Farleys
Saturday, April 25th at Club Toast: the Stand GT, the Sin Eaters, the Four Color Manual, Pilot to Gunner, the Parcels
Sunday, April 26th at Club Metronome: My Own Sweet, Victory at Sea, the Swimmer, Stupid Club, Jumprope

To mark this little tenth anniversary, I've dusted off and digitized some old unreleased live recordings from the first two years. I tried to pick the best stuff, and though they vary quite a bit in quality, I hope some of the spirit behind them comes across. I had such a good time digging through 'em...

Blast Off Country Style - Buttercup / Cutie Pie - Probably the only Burlingtonitus band with coordinated rock-wear, B.O.C.S. brought their Teenbeat bounce-pop all the way from D.C. just for us. Even though Cutie Pie is a little loose, I put it up here just for Colin. You'll hear why.

Buddy Sevaris - My Girlfriend is an Astronaut - Along with Driver UFO, these guys were Philly's ambassadors to Burlingtonitus, part of the Proteen records crew. (note: unfortunately this song has some really nasty, super-loud digital fuzz in a bunch of spots, so i'll spare you the ear damage... if i can find the original, i'll post it later on.)

Chisel - Hip Straights - Wow, was I ever blown away by these guys. Ted Leo, Chris Norborg, & John Dugan. Colin would always say, about random bands he'd invite, "I'm friends with them and they'll totally play and they're great!", but I'd take that last bit with a grain of rock-salt. Well, Colin was never more right than he was with Chisel. I've been a fan of Ted's since the first time I saw him on stage, and this song is just one of the reasons why.

Huffy - Carry - Tim, Jeff, & Nate. These guys, along with our own bands, happily played for free, hoping to help bring in more kids so we could pay the travellers. Not that we were huge draws, right? It's the thought that counts.

Lindy Pear - I Could Say Anything - At least I think that's the name of that song. I'd have to dig out my old tapes to be sure. For the ongoing adventures of singer Craig Gurwich, check out Summer at Shatter Creek.

Madelines - Blemish - Colin, Kurt, Pat, & Scott, batting cleanup at Burlingtonitus 2. Ah, the early days. "Wooden Lips with a Kickstand." This recording is so damn good. Glad I found it.

New Radiant Storm King - Phone Call - What a great band. I'm really psyched to find out they got a singles/rarities collection coming out later this month. Peyton now plays with the Pernice Brothers.

Pest 5000 - Cold Feet - I'm such a sucker for violin in my pop-rock. Across the border from Montreal, Pest played the first and second Burlingtonitus fests. This recording is from the second one.

Radio to Saturn - (We're Sorry) - I actually don't know the name of this one, but the made-up title fits once you get to the end. It's ok, RtS, we forgive you.

the Stand GT - Mary's Favorite Number - Straight outta Ontario, my Canadian pals, Chris, Doug, Colin, Wally, & eternal roadie Johnny McBean. Had some of the best times ever hangin' with these genuinely great guys. Thankfully, Chris is still making music, so give a look and listen. We really have to get together one-a these days, Chris.

Tizzy - A-4 - Jen, Joel, and Teri, three of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and this was my favorite song of theirs. According to their website, Jen just brought a baby, little Josephine, into the world a couple weeks back. Congrats, Jen! She's gonna be the best rock n' roll mom.

Tugboat Annie - Adaptor - From Buffalo, then Boston. Singer Mike gave it all during this set, and by the time this song came around, his voice was a little wrecked. I'll share the song anyway, 'cuz it's a good one.

Tulips - Catch the Cradle - I don't know what was more fun... watching Suzette prowl the stage, or watching fixated fanboys watch Suzette prowl the stage. Drummer Chris is the nicest guy to ever scare the hell outta me. One night, after a set was cut short and Chris hadn't yet released all his pent up drumming agression, he just started chucking his set off the stage onto the floor, piece by piece. Tulips became the Daviess County Panthers, then Chris and Mike went on to be in the Takers.

Tuscadero - Mt. Pleasant - Long drive from D.C. up to Burlington, but I'm so glad they made it. I hadn't heard them before, and was smitten by this then-new Teenbeat band.

the Van Pelt - Turning 20 into 2 - Chris Leo and Co. Such a great songwriter, I owe Colin muchly for turning me onto them. Chris eventually formed the Lapse, but I'm not quite sure what he's up to now. Colin?

Yum Yum Tree - Grey Day - Messy, snot-nosed girl-fronted punk outta NYC. There's hardly any online evidence of their having existed, which would probably suit them just fine.

I could ramble all day about the people I met, the bands I loved, the post-show parties, all the memories that came out of months of planning and weekends of payoff. I'll spare you that, though.

And yes, we made way too many t-shirts... ya want one?

posted by brad at 12:20 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Ten years ago today ...



posted by brad at 12:10 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

I'm am completely blown away by the amount of work (and depth of knowledge) that must have gone into this site. Just when I think "I can't believe they have this character!", I find another one that stuns me even more. I'm in total comic-teevee nerdvana over here.

Some of my faves...


First row is Ash from Army of Darkness, Mathilda from the Professional, John Crichton from Farscape, duh, Elijah Snow from Planetary, Jesse from the Preacher, Death of the Endless, and Spider Jerusalem from Transmetropolitan. Second row is Rorschach from the Watchmen, Lobster Johnson from Hellboy, Fray the Vampire Slayer, Kevin Matchstick from Mage, Sunspot from the New Mutants, Colossus from the X-Men, and Firestorm.

That's just the tip of the avatar iceberg. The site is just mind-boggling, every version of every character, and the most obscure ones you could imagine. I'm totally floored. Hats off to the people behind that place. Whatever game you're playing, you win.

posted by brad at 2:50 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Well, it's hard to imagine a much better weekend than that one. A Friday night relaxing at home, an ideal Spring Saturday spent hiking through the Blue Hills and the Arnold Arboretum, followed by dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. A Sunday that started at the Breakfast Club, then off to a movie, and even more at-home chillaxin'. Throw in a Red Sox extra-inning win on the tube, some intense online multiplayer action, and several chapters of a good book... it nears perfection.


Speaking of near perfection... Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was damn near the perfect film. It's images & words are still bouncing around my brain, and I hope I don't shake 'em loose for awhile. I was completely lost in it, fairly deeply affected. I saw it alone (Amie had seen it while I was in London), and in an almost-empty theater, which only added to its impact. It was simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful, melancholy and joyful. Just a beautiful work of art.

There's this scene where Clementine says "Well, this is it, Joel. The last of it. It will all be gone soon." and he asks "So what do we do now?". She simply responds "Enjoy it." And they do. It was just one of those brilliant moments that will stick with me. I can't imagine myself enjoying any other film more this year.

Actually, I finally got to see the preview for Garden State up on the big screen, and if it lives up to it's promise, I might take that statement back. It looks downright magical.


On the other end of the movie spectrum... out of a sheer sense of obligation, we netflixed the last Matrix film. Bleh. Well, it wasn't nearly as terrible as the second one, but that certainly isn't saying much. Again, it felt like a video game. Action, cutscene ("go here next"), more action, cutscene, action. Left me cold. They could have tried throwing a little emotion in there, considering it was man vs. machine. Would have made the fight seem a little more clear. We need more than earth-toned knitwear to tell our humans and programs apart.

Ok, so the entire final battle was semi-thrilling... even I can't dismiss some of those special effects. Still, it was hard to overcome the tedium of the previous scenes (and, um, the entire second film). Before it started, I said "Please, no rave scene... and please, no shirtless Morpheus." Thankfully, Mr. Fishburne stayed fully clothed, but when they descended into the Frenchman's club, and the slow-motion dancing (and, um, nipple squeezing!?) started... my meager hopes were dashed.


Our super-cute dog Nina turned 1 year old on Saturday, and we took her on her first hike up into the Blue Hills, just south of Boston. Suffice it to say, it was one of the best times ever. We went further into the woods than we had before, on some pretty great trails. Since it's so early in the season, the place was relatively deserted, so we were able to take Nina off leash... for a few minutes. She was in pure sniffing heaven, but her nose was leading her a little too far away for comfort. The last time we were in the hills, Amie said "I'd love to come here someday when we have a dog... I dream of that." And so we did.

So here's to Nina, a puppy no-longer. Hard to believe she was once this tiny ...



posted by brad at 9:31 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

It's a beautiful spring Friday here in Boston. The sun is shining, work is relatively quiet, Fenway Park will be filling up shortly, and the weekend is looking so good. Figured we needed something sorta special for lunch today, so I drove from Copley across the river to pick up some Pinocchio's in Harvard Square. Best pizza around. Square, Sicilian-style perfection.

I'm placing the order for it this morning and my workmates overhear me.

"One 15-piece sicilian, half cheese, half pepperoni. 11:30 pick up. Thank ya." (click)

One of my co-workers appears in my cube...

Whoa, hold on there. Did you just ask for pepperoni?.

"Um, yeah... isn't that what we got last time? Half and half?"

Well, um, it's Good Friday. No meat for us.

The look on my heathen face shows my surprise. "Seriously?".

Now, of course I'm vaguely familiar with the 'no food on certain days' thing, but I've rarely thought about it, and certainly never made a faith-based faux-pas like this one. I didn't even realize these co-workers were all that religious. I mean, it's not like the subject comes up much at work.

While I was raised Roman Catholic (a label that now sounds fairly alien to me), I've followed my own disjointed, disillusioned, then curious, then semi-spiritual path since I was confirmed in my early teens. I'm not what you'd call a "fan" of organized religion in any form, although I've got many friends who follow their own religious stylee. Thing is, they don't preach it to me, don't shove it in my face, and I respect them for that. It makes me value their beliefs and their individuality even more. I'm of the mind that faith is a deeply personal practice, and those who shout the loudest are usually those sporting the biggest crutches. Too often those who blindly follow are those who shun serious self-reflection, who find it easier to live by a set of pre-existing precepts than to calibrate their own moral compass.

If forced to define my religious beliefs (or lack thereof), I wouldn't go so far as atheist ("One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods."). I've seen too much weirdness, too much coincidence, too much sporadic magic in my life to believe there's not something going on behind the scenes. I can't be so presumptuous as to know there's no one out there, or in there, or wherever there is. So I'd have to go with agnostic, a phrase that it seems my co-workers equate with athiesm, but it's a far different animal. Most of you know this, but for those who don't... "Agnostic, n., 1. a) One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God. b) One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism." That would be me. I'm a firm believer in the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy, but I don't know who or what is running the show. When it comes to a higher power, all I know is that I simply don't know. I can live my life by the golden rule, and still keep clear of arbitrary, rigid, sometimes discriminatory, and occasionally insane guidelines from some dusty book.

So there I am this morning, the agnostic amongst my anti-pepperoni peeps. They take their 'meat-free-friday' pledge seriously, didn't even want those slices anywhere near their plain cheese pieces. So I called back Pinocchio's and changed the order... only three pepperoni slices please. The guy on the phone says "Oh, Good Friday, right?". Exactly.

As I bit into my first piece, contented grin on my face, co-workers around me, I couldn't resist one last heretical ha-ha. "Take that, Jesus!", I exclaimed, looking upwards. If I'm going to hell, I'm already well on my way. One piece of pepperoni pizza isn't going to make the difference. But it sure tasted good.

For my Christian friends and family, have a good Easter weekend. For my Jewish pals and in-laws, I hope you had a wonderful, peaceful seder earlier this week.

Oh, and if someone wouldn't mind, can you refresh my memory on the whole "no meat on Good Friday" thing? What's the story behind that, again? Why exactly can't those Fenway faithfull have their franks? Save me some google time. (update: thanks for the responses... it almost makes sense.)

posted by brad at 12:48 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

From ProtectLiveMusic.org ...

Members of Congress think the American people won�t stand up for their rights. On April 24th we�re going to prove them wrong.

Congress is considering legislation that would hold bands, DJs, bartenders, promoters, venue owners, radio stations and others liable if a patron uses drugs at a nightclub or concert. If enacted, music lovers could soon be unable to see their favorite band, DJ or other entertainment live. The economic impact on the music industry could be devastating.

The Ecstasy Awareness Act (H.R. 2962) would throw anyone in jail who �profits monetarily from a rave or similar electronic dance event knowing or having reason to know� if some of the event-goers use drugs. Similarly, Section 305 of the CLEAN-UP Act (H.R. 834) makes it a federal crime - punishable by up to nine years in prison - to promote "any rave, dance, music, or other entertainment event, that takes place under circumstances where the promoter knows or reasonably ought to know that a controlled substance will be used or distributed."

This makes no sense. Since the government can�t even keep drugs out of our federal prisons, everyone has reason to know drugs may be used at their event. Every music concert attracts some people who may use or sell drugs. These provisions make criminals out of every concert promoter, nightclub owner, and stadium or arena owner.

The language of the Ecstasy Awareness Act is so broad that bartenders, musicians, and anyone else that in any way profited from an electronic music event could be fined or jailed. Section 305 of the CLEAN-UP Act is so broad that every musical style could be affected, including rock, Hip-Hop, country, and electronic music. Indeed, any property owner (including hotel owners, cruise ship owners, and casino owners) could be hurt under the CLEAN-UP Act, since it is reasonable to assume that any entertainment event that draws a large crowd (especially young people) will draw people who will try to use or sell drugs. (It should be noted that Section 305 of the CLEAN-UP Act is the only section of the bill that is problematic. Other than that section, the CLEAN-UP Act is largely a good bill that provides resources to train law-enforcement officers how to dismantle illegal methamphetamine laboratories without hurting the environment).

Disturbingly, it does not matter under either the Ecstasy Awareness Act or the CLEAN-UP Act if event promoters and property owners take steps to deter drug offenses. They can be prosecuted even if they have good security and a strict zero-tolerance policy. Nor does it matter if the vast majority of people attending the event are law-abiding citizens that do not use drugs. These bills criminalize entire events and everyone involved in such events, raising very serious free speech and due process issues. Racist or homophobic prosecutors could also use the laws to target Hip Hop and R&B concerts and gay and lesbian nightclubs.

People should not be punished for the crimes of others, nor should the government be frightening law-abiding businesses away from holding legal events like rock, country, or Hip Hop concerts. The Drug Policy Alliance and its coalition of partners will continue to work to protect the music industry, prevent the further criminalization of dance and music events, and mobilize opposition to these dangerous laws.

For more detailed information on this legislation, click here. Then head on over here to see a few different ways you can help take action.

How many months until the election, again? Can you hear the clock ticking, Bush & Co.?

posted by brad at 8:54 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Go here to grab the new PJ Harvey single, the Letter, from her upcoming album, Uh Huh Her. Sounds so, so good. Aces all around. May 31st is a day to look forward to, indeed.

(thanks, information leafblower)


Boston Dirt Dogs can always be counted on for an amusing Red Sox headline or two, but this morning's are particularly great. Johnny "Unfrozen Jesus" Damon's five-for-five game, and a homer-preventing over-the-wall catch, are responsible. Can you feel The Passion of The Damon? Hallelujah.

update: They removed the Jesus-centric headlines, and hinted at a number of "complaints". Maybe a little Easter-over-sensitivity going on? Give me a break. Too bad to see the Dirt Dogs give in to that.

posted by brad at 11:30 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore shares some words on Kurt in the New York Times Op-Ed page this morning, with a piece titled "When the Edge Moved to the Middle". Check it.


The 2004 edition of the Independent Film Festival of Boston takes place on April 29th to May 2nd this year. Personal preference points me towards Azumi, The Baroness and the Pig, Blind Horizon, Goodnight Joseph Parker... hell, just about everything.

Last year's fest helped me uncover the excellent Melvin Goes to Dinner, which ended up on my 2003 faves list. I'll hopefully find another fave this time around, although I'll be out in Northampton for the Sonic Youth / Sebadoh / J. Mascis show on April 30th. Hopefully my future fave isn't playing that night.

posted by brad at 9:26 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Well hello there.

First, let's get a couple of things outta the way...


The Red Sox lose their season opener, and the media freaks out a little bit. Don't sweat it... it's good to get used to small disappointments early on, and to remember what a bunch of asshats our local sports scribes can be. No worries.

I need a promise to be made, though. Down the stretch, when we're toughing out a close battle towards the playoffs, can we come up with something better than "Cowboy Up"? Seriously, it's hard for anyone, much less a bunch of Boston sports fans, to look good in a cowboy hat. Even cowboys have a rough time of it. I was thinking maybe "Pirate Up!", or even "Spaceman Up!". Much cooler.

Just an hour or so until Curt "the Paladin" Schilling starts his first regular season game. I'll be listening here in the cube.


On the TeeVee front:

This sucks. But it's Fox, so it's unsurprising. Wonderfalls was an excellent show, and therefore had little chance of surviving. Snowball, meet Hell.

On the other hand, this rocks. I got into Farscape way late in its lifecycle, but devoured the repeats and dvds. Glad we'll have some more time with those characters, and to maybe see those loose ends tied up. If only that'd happen with Twin Peaks. Yeah, right. Snowball, etc.


Saw Greg Dulli fronting his post-Afghan Whigs band, the Twilight Singers, on Friday night at the Paradise. Just, um, wow. My expectations were so, so high after the show they played at TTs last fall, and I'll be damned if they met them. What a band. I can't imagine a better live band out there right now. They are the definition of cheese-free rock.

Dear Leader did a fine job of opening up with some solid Perrino-penned songs (he late of the Sheila Divine). I loved the stuff from their EP, great to see it in full-band form. I was surprised to see Tugboat Annie's former bass player Jon up on stage... no clue he had joined up with Aaron. The last time I'd seen him on stage was coincidentally right there at the 'dise, when Tugboat opened for, of all bands, the Sheila Divine. Confluence.

The only thing that might have made the night better would have been a shorter between-band wait. I mean, what's up with the hour-and-a-half action? Just a tad too prima donna for my tastes. Dulli mumbled something about having a 103 degree fever, and (jokingly?) said he'd be hitting the hospital after the show. The excuses didn't matter, because it only took about two songs to forgive and forget it. So, so good.

Snagged a setlist...


Unsurprisingly, personal favorites were the old Whigs songs. Uptown Again killed me, and I got goosebumps when the drum beat for Something Hot started up. We got a fair number of covers and random song-references this time, too. Last October they played most of Outkast's Hey Ya, but not this time. Dulli introduced their cover of Roses with "Hey, remember last time we were here and we played 'Hey Ya'? Well, we're not going to do it again, but have no fear... the second single is here." We also got Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit (with a little Summertime lyrical intro in there) and a cover Bjork's Hyperballad thrown in for good measure. All You Need is Love, the Layla piano outro, and Don't Fear the Reaper made excerpted cameos as well. Yes, we resisted yelling "more cowbell!". That joke is now so old it's growing mold.


The band was so right on, the whole set through. Just top notch players, all around. 'Specially the drummer, Mr. Bobby "Rock Ascot" McIntyre. Totally impressed, once again. Never missed a beat, despite the presence of two overly-flirtateous (with the band, and, um, with each other) tight-clothed young ladies in the front row. Those two were hell-bent on distraction, and Dulli's grin couldn't be contained. "This next verse is for you, ladies!", he said during The Killer. They tried their hardest to get backstage, and I saw them standing by the tour bus after the show. Godspeed, ladies. Keep the dream alive. Sheesh.


Listen, when Dulli returns, whether it's with the Twilight Singers, solo, or as half of the Gutter Twins (his project with Mark Lanegan)... don't miss it. Seriously, just go. We all need a little unfiltered rock n' roll entertainment fix to keep us going.

posted by brad at 1:01 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Sources say that this Pixies reunion is "all about the money". So long as they put on a rockin' show, I suppose I don't really care. Well, to further pad some pockets, they'll be cranking out live recordings of every April show as soon as they walk off the stage. Talk about a quick turnaround time.

From the DiscLive site:

Each night throughout the American and Canadian tour this April, DiscLive will produce only 1,000 individually numbered, foil-stamped, limited edition double-CD copies of each concert. Due to expected high demand for these limited edition products, only 500 copies will be available for pre-order at a special price of $22 (US), with another 500 copies available at the show at $25 (US). 2,000 discs will be available for the Indio, CA show. Orders are limited to two discs per show per customer.

I love that $22 is the "special" price. So what would the "ordinary" price be. $30? Yeesh.

Pre-order copies of the April 13th show are already gone, and I'm sure the rest will shortly follow. I'm almost tempted to order one up, but I might be just a little too jaded (and a little too frugal) to do it. Besides, they'll all be on the trade-vine soon enough.


Hey, look. It's the trailer for Coffee and Cigarettes. The return of Jim Jarmusch, and another stellar ensemble cast. This makes me very happy.

posted by brad at 3:07 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

A whirlwind of work and near-constant activity flew by in a flash. It's been over a week since I returned from my trip to London, and it was a few Wednesdays ago that I wrote about part one of the His Dark Materials stage play. Here it is weeks later with barely a UK update. I'm going to remedy that run-down of the rest of my trip across the Atlantic. A little bit of catch-up, if you will...

Wednesday evening it was a walk back over the Thames to the Hayward Gallery for the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit. I met up with new friend (and fellow BSP fan) Cindy for drinks first at the Royal Festival Hall, then over to the gallery to see the best display of pop art I'd ever seen in person. Pieces I'd only seen on postcards and posters came to life in their original size... it was fairly blown away by the up-close complexity that came across in work that looks so simple when smaller. There were many paintings I'd never seen that I just loved, things I'd wished I could get prints of. And y'know, I never knew that his 'Radio' piece was three dimensional. Now I do.

I was also struck by his different phases, not just by how much he changed over time, but how much he didn't change... there were pieces from the 80s that very obviously and directly referenced his work in the 60s. I really loved the look into his process... seeing the original comic books he based his early work on, seeing notes and pencil sketches, and even a list of his favorite words. (naturally, "Neato!" was in there). Tried to snap a cell-phone photo of the list, but got the security guard smackdown. Closing time came quickly, so we had to leave without a visit to the gift shop. I'd have to return.

Thursday night was a bit of a bust... my plan to head over to comic shop Gosh and a meetup with some unmet acquaintances was squashed by the jetlag. Tried for a brief post-work nap which turned into a four hour snooze-fest. Needless to say, lots of reading was done that night.

Friday arrives, my first full weekend in London begins, and I'm determined to get my sleep schedule on track, or die trying. Well, if one can die while sleeping. Which one can. Knock on old, dark English wood. Some pints at the pub with co-worker Jason and his brother, then an early bedtime were in order. I wanted to be bright-eyed and braced for...

Saturday! Now we're talkin'. I wake in the late morning feeling finally, thankfully, normal. My eyelids opened effortlessly, I'm up and out the door for a light breakfast and a tube ride to the British Museum. Just across the street, there sits Gosh, the relatively small but super-stocked and well-organized comic shop that was recommended to me by someone on the V. Picked up both issues of DC's New Frontiers (flipped through and adored the artwork) along with the latest issue of Powers (because I have no patience when it comes to Powers... sorry, Matt). But enough with the new, it's time for the seriously old... into the museum I go.

Wow, it's big. And beautiful. And yes, there's an arse-load of ancient stuff inside. I was especially into the Japanese art display they had going on, as I've got a bit of a far eastern fixation, especially when it comes to Samurai-centric stuff. Lucky me, they had a full suit of armour, a shining sword, and a sparkling saddle and stirrups. Could have wandered that part of the museum all day. I mixed in peeks at the Greek and Roman artifacts, along with the extensive money exhibit as well. Great stuff, but I had to cut my visit short because ...

It was time to meet Jo & Shaun over at the London Bridge tube station, where they took me to the whoa-inducing Borough Market. Overwhelmed by the blend of aromas, and how just plain huge the place is, spread out underneath the southern end of the bridge. Super-fresh vegetables, cheeses, meats, all kinds of food. Some veggies I'd never even seen before. Nuts, candies, dried fruits, rich, aromatic coffee beans (which you could have scooped, ground, and filtered straight into a cup in front of you... I had the best Costa Rican dark roast of my life, hands down). The market was so easy to get to... if I lived here, I'd be at the Borough every weekend stocking up and getting caffeinated.

After picking up some real chunks of English chocolate for Amie (including some chili-chocolate... just to see the expression on her face when the burn kicks in), we wandered towards the riverside for a walk along the Thames. Down Clink street (so named for the location of the definitive London Prison in old times) to the river, past the relocated Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, by the museums and theatres, towards the massive London Eye.

This skyline-defying ferris wheel was built for the millenium celebration, and has been given longer life through popularity (i.e. the amount of cash it must bring in). On our way over I ducked back into the Hayward Gallery to pick up some Lichtenstein cards, but we had to rush to make our 5:00 "flight" (as they call 'em) aboard the Eye. The long lines moved quickly, and before we know it, we're taking in the bird's eye view of London. Freakin' gorgeous. Yet another perspective on the city that I'll never forget.

After the Eye, and a quick international call to Amie, we caught a red double-decker bus back across the river and up into Soho for drinks and dinner. Our destination was the Angel, a really comfortable, relaxing pub where we remained for most of the night. Many drinks and tasty bar snacks were had before we ventured over to Fopp for some cheap DVD/CD action (for Jo, not for me... curse you, evil exchange rate!), then down into the Leicester Square underground for a quick trip back to my hotel.

Jo and Shaun had generously invited me to stay over at their flat in South London, giving me a much-needed break from my hotel-life, so we caught the train over to Brockley station. We were entertained on our walk from the tube stop by some cringe-inducing karaoke drifting from a pub. I swear, the local dogs may have been joining in... it was so horrifyingly bad that we almost couldn't walk away... a siren-from-hell surely sang inside. We made it safely to their place, though, and after a bit of requisite email-checking, we dove into a perfectly nostalgic Housemartins TV documentary I'd never seen. I'd been dying to check it out since Jo told me of it earlier that day... I swear, that band was truly one of pop's best.

Next thing you know, it's Sunday morning. After a fitfull sleep I was treated to some near-perfect scrambled eggs courtesy of Shaun's cooking skills and yesterday's visit to the Borough Market. MmmmMMmm good, from my head down to my legs. Before long it was time to get touristy with it, so we hopped another bus to Lewisham where we boarded the D.L.R. That's the "Docklands Light Railway", and there's nobody at the controls, kids. Fully automated, totally computerized, passengers jockey for that prime spot at the front of the train for an unobstructed view of the rails ahead. Not an engineer in sight, and it's quite a novelty.

The trip was over quickly as we got off at the Island Gardens stop on the Isle of Dogs. From there we headed down into a foot tunnel that leads underneath the river Thames into Greenwich, namesake of Greenwich Mean Time, and home to the Meridian Line.

Past the Cutty Sark, through the Old Royal Naval College, straight into a riverside pub to escape the ever-increasing rain. After soaking in some atmosphere and a couple pints, it was onwards to check out the Meridian Line. It was still raining like hell, so rather than trek across the park to the Royal Observatory and the official exhibit, we decided to be underwhelmed by one of the "markers" that designated zero longitude. Oboy.

Time to get undercover again, so off to the sheltered Greenwich Market we go. Thanks to the asstacular exchange rate, I mastered the art of browse-but-not-buy... at least until I got to a stall with dozens upon dozens of little animal figurines made out of pistachio nutshells. I was on the hunt for a tchotchke (first time I've ever written that word) for Amie, and these cute little suckers would fit the bill. I picked out a few I thought she'd like, and we continued on.

After a bit of thought, and despite the weather, we decided to book passage on a riverboat and take in yet another perspective on the city. We timed it just right and jumped aboard at the Greenwich docks for the hour-long cruise upriver to Westminster. We toughed it out above deck, in the chilly wind & rain, for as long as we could. Got slightly soaked as we snapped a few under-bridge photos, and took breaks downstairs behind glass, looking towards the riverbanks. A great little ride, and very worth just 6 pounds... if and when I return to London, I'll do this again on a nicer day for sure.

We disembarked at the Westminster docks, right next to Big Ben and the houses of Parliament. My first time seeing them up close, and as engrained as their image is in our brains, it's still striking to take it in.

Past a statue of Churchill to the bus stop, we grabbed another bus to Soho, then a quick walk over to Wardor Street. Jo led us to a place called Wetherspoons for cheap lunch and a little less atmosphere. Still, even the "Denny's of London" has more accented dark wood moulding and antique furniture than your average U.S. eatery. Post-meal pints were had over at the Spice of Life pub, until we were frightened off by the imminent arrival of karaoke action (plus, we were kinda knackered). The time had come to call it a night, but not before we almost lost Jo in a foolhardy attempt to play hide and seek. (sorry, jo!)

After a long weekend of wandering London town, my gracious hosts and I parted ways at the Leicester Square tube stop, so it was back to the hotel for me. A bit of ironing and an early evening was in order, as my second week of UK-based work was looming ...

(last London update coming soon. go here for jo's words on the weekend, too.)

posted by brad at 3:23 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |