OKAY THANK YOU

Patton Oswalt and "Going"

2011-08-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

I need this shit right now. From the new AV Club interview:

"It took me until my 40s to realize it: There’s no destination. There’s no getting anywhere. There’s just the going. The key to life is to make the going really fun. Because people that are like, “If I just get to this, then boom!” And then they get there and there’s this dawning of an afterwards. Whereas I’m just always in the going. And it’s not a frantic going like, “'I gotta keep going or I’m gonna go nuts!' I can not do anything for weeks or months if I need to and just sit and read books or watch movies. I’m just as fine consuming and absorbing new art as I am trying to make it. But it’s all in the going."

@robdelaney is a funny dude.

2011-08-24T18:27:00.001-07:00

NSFW. His schtick rips off Louis CK a bit, but this is a pretty good set.

MusicTime: Rachel Toups

2011-08-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Corinne and I went to the Hecho Local craft fair to support our buddies Danielle (aka Bunny Dee) and Annie (aka Hummingbird Girls)-- we got a lot of drinks, comics, a sketch from Danielle, Corinne bought some new outfits from Annie, and we got one awesome chicken:

The event also had quite the variety of musicians, everything from folky singer/songwriters to old people playing what sounded like "Big Bottoms" by Spinal Tap over and over again. Unfortunately for the vendors placed directly in front of the stage, the music got louder and louder as the day went on.

I ended up seeing two pretty amazing artists/bands that day: one of them is Rachel Toups, a singer/songwriter and an incredible guitarist. Her playing and voice reminds me a lot of St. Vincent, and her EP Creature is actually available for free via Bandcamp. She sold copies at the event, each one decorated differently with puff paints, marker and whatever else. I bought the one covered in googly eyes.

She's one of those musicians that are so good, they make everything they're doing look effortless. Everything pretty much slowed to a halt during her set-- impressive stuff and I hope we get to see her again.

Here's one of my favorites of the five songs on the EP, called "Foxes":

Foxes by rachel toups

Richard Phillips' Fancy Fashion Fiasco

2011-06-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

These kinds of videos can be very stale, there's nothing to them other than vanity and just staring at a celebrity. Something about the cinematography in this is captivating. Also, hey, hot girls.

STYLE

2011-04-27T18:12:00.001-07:00

judging books by their covers.

2011-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Open Letter knows how to design books.

"The Library" by Sergey Stefanovich

2011-03-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Spotted at the Green Apple Blog.

Maurice Binder

2011-03-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia: Maurice Binder (August 25, 1925 – April 4, 1991) was a famous title designer best known for his work with Stanley Donen's films from 1958 and on 14 James Bond films including the first, Dr. No in 1962. He was born in New York City, USA, but worked mostly in Britain from the 1950s onwards.

Fathom:

Barbarella:

Thom Yorke @ The Low End Theory

2011-03-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

Thom Yorke showed up at the Low End Theory and did a DJ set of music that most of the time, I don't particularly care about (Burial, Modeselektor). There are times when I think I like it, though. But then I'll have to start embracing that culture, and that's just a whole thing.

Smashing Pumpkins, "1979"

2011-02-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

I love this video. It perfectly encapsulates growing up in the suburbs-- wrecking shit just because you feel like it, driving around aimlessly, going to parties where shit goes wrong-- and because this is a video I watched over and over again in high school, this is like Nostalgia x10.

La Bionda, "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

2011-02-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

La Bionda on Discoring in 1981. This is the JAM.

Nas x Damian Marley, "Patience"

2011-02-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Directed by Nabil Elderkin (who did the amazing video for Kanye West's "Welcome to Heartbreak", and many other giant artists), this borrows very heavily from Marco Brambilla's works like Civilization and his own Kanye video for "Power."

This is a lackluster song with visuals that borrow liberally from another video that came out only last year. Boo, Nabil, BOO.

Friends of Quik

2011-02-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

MusicTime: Das Racist

2011-01-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

I really love these dudes. They are stoners, weirdos, and yes, brown (it's racist that this appeals to me, but that's a whole other entry). There aren't that many brown dudes (read: Asian, mixed nationality) in current music that aren't afraid to transcend genres and stereotypes while addressing them. I like their sloppy, goofy style-- Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man are definitely a couple of cobbled together, strange mixtapes, but there's something really charming about these guys.

Here's them on the Pitchfork series Selector, where they do a quick interview, pick a beat, and freestyle over it. Obviously, they aren't the most gifted MCs, but again, they bring a goofy charm, and they're funny as hell.

Desperately trying to be funny

2011-01-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

At work, we've been wasting hours with this website that reads whatever you type with different accents and languages. Of course, we use it to be as filthy as possible. I took the opportunity to write a bunch of lines. I think they're pretty funny.

Living with your best friend is really difficult. Especially when your best friend is a giant squid.

My grandfather was a fine man. He once told me that he shot down twenty three Japanese pilots in World War Two. But I know that it was ten Chinese guys and it was last Wednesday.

Some people like to put on romantic movies when they're making love with their woman. Personally, I like Rocky Five.

My priest told me that a wise man doesn't measure his riches in material wealth. Then he kept fucking me.

When i'm alone, i like to sing about dead black people. if you think that's racist, you just don't understand art.

I'm saving up to open my own sporting goods store. we specialize in tennis, football, and filling four-square balls up with cum when no one is looking.

If i were a millionaire, I would own an island. then I would bury all of the kids i fuck there.

I hope you will join me for breakfast. I'm going to make an omelette full of tears and screaming. I call it, “The Dad.”

I once fought a man with nothing but my bare hands and my raging erect member.

I once went to the zoo and challenged the monkeys to a jerk off. I won. I won a night in prison.

Late at night, I like to pretend I'm a superhero. A superhero with a big dick and no pants who hangs out in the library.

Percee P feat. Chali 2na, "No Time For Jokes"

Project Song: Stephin Merritt

2011-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

This was on NPR's Vimeo channel from two years back. I hope they do more. Other participants in the Project Song series include Ben Kweller and Nellie McKay. On this edition, the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt is given the task of writing a song in two days with photographs and phrases to pull inspiration from.

I WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING.

VideoTime: Scissor Sisters, "Invisible Light"

2010-12-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

Directed by Nicolás Méndez, and produced by CANADA, the same production company that created the El Guincho video for "Bombay." It's like Jodorowsky, Argento, and Buñuel all at once.

These videos are really hot.

Lena Dunham, Louie, and "Write What You Know"

2010-11-12T23:07:00.000-08:00

This is both a movie I could like, or hate more than anything on Earth. I really don't want to be that guy who hates everything "new", or any kind of new filmmaker who is legitimately making something about what they know --in this case, being a well-to-do, displaced college graduate trying to figure shit out-- but I can't help but wonder why movies like this get noticed, I feel like there are at least 500 of these in every single film festival in the past ten years. Displaced college grad, who's usually in New York, trying to figure out what he or she is going to do with their life.

If you want to see something that does the "write what you know" shit right, it's Louie on FX, starring Louis CK. It's unlike anything on television right now, it's funny, poignant, and fucked-up. Nathan Rabin from the AV Club says it best:

I’d initially pegged Louie as Seinfeld meets Curb Your Enthusiasm but it’s actually much deeper and more daring than that reductive description suggests. Sure, Louie revolves around wry comic vignettes rooted in C.K’s stand-up and scenes of C.K unconsciously alienating everyone around him but the second, third and fourth episodes defy that kind of easy categorization. C.K is doing something new and exhilarating and fearless.

Seriously. Watch it now. Here's a scene that's a great example of the show's balance of comedy, honesty, and drama. Best of all, it's all comedians playing themselves:

i don't even care if this is real or not.

2010-11-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

So many things going on here. The American flag pants. The dumb maze with the Exorcist face that scared the crap out of all of us the first time we saw it. The dude hiding under the table with a mask on who gets smashed in the face with a lamp. Breaking a window with a printer, and climbing to safety. Best GIF ever.

Wark!

2010-11-08T16:31:00.000-08:00

Dee-licious. You can find more at artist Jude Buffum's blog here.

He also made this, which is fucking awesome:

Sputnik sweetheart

2010-11-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

Imagine 'The Greatest Hits of Bobby Darin' minus 'Mack the Knife.' That's what my life would be like without you.

UGGGHHH. FUCK THIS BOOK.

'ello, gov'nah

2010-10-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

comic fromfrom Hark, a vagrant

Apparently I really like NBC...?

2010-10-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

1. I have a problem.

2. This is the best episode of Community ever.

today's song stuck in my head is...

2010-10-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Gonna bust this out during Amy's birthday party. Hopefully this and White Town on the same playlist doesn't clear the room.

so this is what i did tonight

2010-10-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Um, it really, really did. Holy shit. It was so good, I'm going to start downloading season five.

I don't watch movies anymore, I don't finish books anymore. I just watch tv shows. Fuuuuck.

Parp...?

2010-10-25T23:29:00.001-07:00

Read this blog: HYPERBOLE AND A HALF. Laugh your ass off. It's got great stories with fantastic, vivid writing and amazing illustrations.

Big ups to AdamD for posting this on the facebook.

not that big of a kid cudi fan, but...

2010-10-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

this album art is the shit.

2010-10-14T02:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's 2 am and I'm watching Conan promos while editing. Yes, I own a Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien shirt. Yes, I bought the Conan O'Brien 7" off of Jack White's website. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Now that that's out of the way, TBS has been promoting the shit out of Conan, which is airing in just a few weeks. They have a fucking BLIMP with his name on it, traveling down the East Coast. He's answering questions on Facebook. Conan is a crazy hip new rebranded commodity.

scott pilgrim gets it together

2010-08-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

SUPERCHUNK!

2010-08-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

2010-07-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE CAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE NOT EVERYTHING IS YOUR BED

2010-07-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Q-Tip, Consequence, No I.D., and Kanye West in the studio, watching Q-Tip's amazing "Needle Drop". Incredible!

2010-06-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

i don't really care about Eminem, but this is great. go Roots go! *beep*

2010-06-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

chris found this. lucky for you, this is a still.

2010-06-11T17:13:00.001-07:00

not my cat.

2010-06-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

can't stop playing this song. we're doing a video for them.

2010-06-09T00:25:00.001-07:00

"In a state hard hit by the recession and beset with ongoing budget deficits, Poizner and Whitman, both 53, tangled over such issues as illegal immigration and abortion."

2010-06-03T01:14:00.000-07:00

2010-05-24T02:08:00.000-07:00

The National, "Bloodbuzz Ohio"

2010-05-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

This is the first single off the National's amazing new album, High Violet. Really, this video is nothing more than the lead singer (Matt Berninger) posing, shuffling and generally killing time in various places. This is a case where a music video doesn't have to do much to sell the song. D.A. Pennebaker makes an appearance as a bartender, presumably to reinforce the video's cinema vérité-like characteristics.

What I've Seen (or "Jonzin'")

2010-04-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Today's entry is an homage to Ms. Raridan's awesome blog.

I'm Here (2010) Jonze - Sponsored by Absolut Vodka and available to view via their website, I'm Here is a disappointing revisit to the current trend of Mumblecore films, except this one features robots. Instead of tackling fertile material like robots coexisting with humans, or other sci-fi staple themes a la Battlestar Galactica, Ghost in the Shell, or Blade Runner, Jonze (who wrote, directed, and has a minor, pointless "quirky" role) chooses to simply replace the main characters with robots and nothing else. There are some nice touches here and there-- the robots have to charge their batteries, they break easily, they're given boring jobs just like us-- but really nothing is explored. We're stuck watching another quirky Mumblecore film, from the "Pixie Dream Girl" to car crashes to the obligatory party scene, all from a director who should really know better.

Where the Wild Things Are (2009) Jonze - Despite its lush cinematography from Lance Acord, jaw-dropping art direction, and gifted cast, this movie is muddled with shoddy storytelling and characters' motivations are unclear. The setup for the film is hurried; Max and his mother will be laughing and cooing in one scene, then snap to conflict in the next. Max's reaction to run away into the fantasy world seems rash and unnecessary. Once Max is introduced to his tribe of monsters, he finds that each one has a dilemma. But none of them are resolved. The movie simply plateaus once we get to the fantasy world, and we find ourselves just hanging out, instead of moving forward. Every time Max and his Monsters decide they want to do something, we get a montage... and there are many. While the movie is riddled with problems, I still enjoyed it and how it conveyed the joys of childhood, even if the moral of the story took some digging to find.

2010-04-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

How do I get rid of all these spammers??

2010-04-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the new video we did for Tempo No Tempo.

2010-04-14T01:55:00.000-07:00

so many late nights of editing. looking forward to a day of time to myself and some money in me bank account for once.

this songggggg rulez

I don't even care

2010-04-04T21:02:00.001-07:00

"you post so many pictures of your cat."

Eff you, my cat's adorable.

"540 Reasons To Drink"

2010-03-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

A short documentary by Richmond regular (and now 540 bartender) Sean Sullivan. I can't help but be an asshole filmmaker and point out that this is riddled with sound and editing problems (it could definitely use some music), but it's heart is in the right place, Sullivan knows how to tell a story, and it's nice to see Jamie (the owner) spilling his guts.

I admittedly haven't been to the 540 in a long time. Its heyday for me has passed --I'd be in there every other day with Jon when I first moved to the Richmond, and most of the staff I was friends with have since moved on-- but this definitely got me pretty nostalgic.

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, "Moanin'"

2010-03-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

The title track off of one of my all-time favorite jazz albums. I got introduced to this album at Green Apple while working in the music Annex with Alfred. Alfred got me way, way into jazz and so many different kinds of music. Check out the trumpet solo from Lee Morgan. Haven't heard this song in a long time.

Donald Glover is awesome.

2010-03-19T01:35:00.001-07:00

"...I was really into Sailor Moon as a kid, so that was pretty nerdy. I loved Sailor Mars. That was my thing. You know that weird teenage thing where you kind of dabble in, 'What if you could make a cartoon real? Maybe she could be my girlfriend.' It was sadness."

Basically reason #2086 why I'm obsessed with Community.

araabMUZIK on the MPC

2010-03-17T10:10:00.001-07:00

This shit is INSANE. Usually anything metal and rap is just a recipe for disaster, but this shit is... well, insane. His other video features him doing more standard hip-hop fare on the MPC, including a remake of "Building Steam With A Grain of Salt". See, this is why we need to shoot shit on 7D.

Lootpack!

2010-03-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

YESSSSSSS. A compilation of Lootpack's "Soundpieces: Da Antidote". I want to bring back lo-fi video. OXNARD!!

2010-03-08T22:11:00.001-08:00

This statue belonged to my Dad. I remember seeing it a lot when I was a kid. My Mom gave it to me this past weekend while going through her things. Bisley gave the statue a warm welcome.

When you come to our house, you sit on the couch and drink.

Chris and AJ in the Mission during a gorgeous day.

Kid CuDi feat. Ratatat & MGMT - "Pursuit of Happiness" (Version 2)

2010-03-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

Definitely the better version of the two videos they've made for this track. It's imaginative (check out the lady with the galaxy face toward the end) and goes enough with the lyrics of the song without making it too obvious. Kid CuDi is kind of all over the place - first it sounds kinda meh, then it pops up on shuffle one day and I can't get it out of my head. You'd think that having both MGMT and Ratatat is a desperate attempt to get some hipster love, but they've actually put together something good.

Edan is good.

2010-03-02T21:04:00.001-08:00

Work

2010-02-22T00:22:00.001-08:00

Couple of genuine moments from Raekwon's latest interview with (go figure) Entertainment Weekly:

"It just gets tiring when you know that you can’t really be around your loved ones the way you want to. Sometimes I see my moms, or I see my lady. I only get a chance to be with them for maybe a couple of days. That’s where it gets strenuous, when your mom is like, 'I want to cook for you,' and the next thing you know, 'Damn ma, I gotta break out.' You know what I mean? It’s just those fun times of being around your family, your children, that we miss. But we have to go pay the bills. That’s just the life right now...

...One thing about my company, we all try to communicate every day. I feel like if we don’t, that’s going to be the weapon to destroy us. Even if it’s holidays, we still gotta check in. I gotta be involved every second of the day. Maybe that’s some of the shit that makes my days a little harder to sleep. We’re signing different artists, and I always gotta cater to my fans on the Internet. All this type of shit is always in my head to remember. It’s like, 'Oh, shit, I gotta do a blog for my people, let ‘em know where I’m at.' 'Oh, shit, I gotta send this music over to this DJ.' It’s constant work."

HEY!

2010-02-17T13:02:00.001-08:00

Going to Portland this weekend for Mikey and Gina's wedding... so stoked. First, I'm so excited to see two of my friends that I've been rooting for as long as I've known them finally together and in love. Second, I'm so excited to finally get to spend some time hanging out in Portland. Last time I was there was for Decibel Festival, and we were just there for half an hour to eat pizza with Saxon and watch a naked bike race. AJ was mad because all the women he saw had bras on. I saw some full-on boobage. But then that was followed by peenage. On a bike seat. Ugh.

Anyway, just started reading Journey to the End of the Night, and already digging it. I've been jumping around a lot of books lately, especially after finishing the meh-fest Atmospheric Disturbances. Went to the Neil Young bio, Shakey, but soon lost interest when it seemed even Neil Young himself couldn't figure out why anyone would want to read about him. Harvest and After the Gold Rush just got reissued onto vinyl and are two of my favorite albums of all time, so I figure that it would be better to get those instead of combing through his life. Also tried starting The Black Brook by Tom Drury, but for whatever reason, kept glazing over it. I'll come back to it sometime. My pile of books keeps screaming at me for attention.

Corinne and I took the Jejune Institute for Valentine's Day. Don't really want to give away too much, other than the fact that it's the most fun I've had exploring the City in a very, very long time. Definitely looking forward to the next installment. CHECK IT OUT NOW!!!!

2009-12-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

Oh, Oakland. When I have more time, I'll actually explore all of your hip-ness and will stop resenting you so much.

Here's a very well-shot, super detailed and informative tour of the hipness Oakland offers. I've started compiling a list of things in the Bay Area I need to eat. The chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty's is on the top of the list.

Pooping with Flannery O'Connor

2009-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

So. Fucking. Busy. Working constantly on the Sungevity project w/the film dudes has taken its toll physically and mentally. My cold is three or four weeks strong, and I'm pretty sure that a breakfast burrito at Halfway Cafe gave me food poisoning, as I've been fighting nausea and the poops all day. The staff there are so nice though, I almost feel bad. Oh wait, my stomach says otherwise.

So, there's that. I've been reading Flannery O'Connor's Complete Stories and it's awesome, with the exception of being totally afraid to read it on public transportation. Oh, racial epithets! Hey, if you like the n-word, this is the book for you. It's like reading Birth of a Nation. Okay, not really. I have my explanation already worked out: "No, she's writing from a stubborn Southern character's perspective!"

Well, gotta go force some food down now.

i heart momofuku

2009-11-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

AeRi sent me this. David Chang is under 40 and runs the Momofuku empire in New York City. Here you can watch him get wasted in K-Town, NYC with Vice TV and talk about how they got started.

OB and Hite FTW.

Spike Jonze & Kanye West - We Were Once A Fairytale

2009-10-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

Kanye West took this video down on his site, I imagine because it came out after the VMA fiasco and the last thing his public wants to see is him playing an even more exaggerated drunken version of himself.

It's definitely not a flattering portrayal, and it goes into some bizarre territory. While Kanye isn't the greatest actor in the world, it's a pretty great short and hopefully they do some more stuff down the road.

2 Things

2009-10-14T02:13:00.001-07:00

1.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead was gorgeous enough. As Ramona Flowers, it's just not even fair.

2. We made this:

BookTime: And Here's the Kicker

2009-10-13T01:05:00.000-07:00

I've been devouring this book every time I get a chance to open it up. It's loaded with incredible interviews with the likes of Stephen Merchant, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, and way way more, as well as advice from long time writers of some of my favorite shows, including Late Night With Conan O'Brien and The Daily Show.

I'm not the only one nerding out about this. Click here to see Nathan "Backhanded Compliment to that one French Press Films Commercial" Rabin raving about it.

Alison Silverman, a former writer for Late Night and now a writer and co-producer of The Colbert Report, even discusses the Kilmanjaro Expedition sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Fucking awesome.

The Chef

2009-09-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Raekwon the Chef speaks on KanyeGate and how "ODB pioneered it". Get Raekwon's new album. It's hot fire.

Hi!

2009-09-14T22:49:00.001-07:00

Here's how I feel right now!

Them Crooked Vultures!

2009-09-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, & John Paul Fucking Jones are Them Crooked Vultures. OMG.

Fuck you, Fisher Stevens.

2009-08-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

AV Club: How did you feel about playing an Indian character?

Fisher Stevens: Back then, I loved it. I went to India and I studied Hindi. I got into yoga. And this is in 1985. I lived with Indian people. I really immersed myself. I used to be a total Method actor, so I was really deep in the deep end. And I had a great time. And the malapropisms, they worked. I thought they were great. So I really loved it.

Wow. Just. Wow. You can read the rest of the interview here. It gets even douchier.

Finally.

2009-08-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

I really took my sweet time with 2666. I read about 10 books while moving through this 900 page monster. But it ends right where Archimboldi's gonna set shit straight. Bolano's estate allegedly found a sixth part back in March. I hope to Christ it's true.

So now I either (a) learn how to read Spanish, or (b) wait for Natasha Wimmer's upcoming translations, or (c) blow through all of Bolano's back catalog.

Here's an awesome essay by Ms. Wimmer about translating 2666.

Or maybe I'll just read this Nick Hornby galley I got today and relax my brain.

This is fucking ridiculous.

2009-08-05T01:07:00.001-07:00

We will not be quiet! We will not try to blend in! We will not disappear in the background or play second fiddle! We’re not like the others, we won’t ever try to be!

See, while you mix your tuna salads with your bullshit, we're living life the way we want. Fuck the rules! We're playing guitar on a rooftop with our stubbly beards and flannels with MIRACLE WHIP!

On a similar note:

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2!!!!

2009-08-01T09:32:00.001-07:00

Here's Raekwon's "House of Flying Daggers" (zShare) featuring Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, and Method Man, all over a Dilla beat. This wrecks shit.

can't sleep (clowns will eat me) x1000

2009-07-30T02:01:00.001-07:00

bad alt. comedy with great alt. comedy with hip-hop and ORGANIZED KONFUSION GETTING BACK TOGETHER WHAT THE FUCK?!? TOOL?!? This is weird.

From the Inbox

2009-07-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

"I am a local san franciscan who recently got cast in ********, a weekly dramatic series about the lives of six young men and women entering college - and the beginning of adulthood. Their journey is guided by you the viewer who will be able to interact with the cast, the crew, the management and even the characters through www.*********.com social network, a virtual world and a very unique way of creating the next generation of entertainment. I play Little John (male, 17): a gregarious, pleasant-looking Karuk Indian; He is a painter and is Alice’s only real childhood friend; modern, but simultaneously intensely respectful of his tribe’s traditions."

But in more awesome news, check out I Know the Ledge for this rad video of Dave Chappelle in Portland.

Another Bad Video

2009-07-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

The guy from Panic at the Disco, the guy from Fall Out Boy, the guy from Gym Class Heroes, Cee-Lo and Janelle Monae make a corn syrupy song for the kids. Bad green screen abounds. Does the song sound familar? Wait for the last 2 seconds.

Enjoy!

2009-07-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

Yeah, he's dead.

2009-06-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

So this is pretty fucking awesome (click to enlarge):

And J.Period has already assembled a mix for the occasion, "The Man or the Music". This dude was responsible for the incredible Q-Tip mixtape that came out a few months back. J.Period often puts a spin on the standard retrospective. It's worth a listen.

The best movie-video game ever?

Pete Rock on In Control, circa 1989

2009-06-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

While I was five years old and experiencing my first earthquake, over in New York nineteen-year-old DJ Pete Rock was spinning records for WBLS's now-legendary mix show In Control With Marley Marl.

The show cemented Pete Rock as one of the greatest DJs out there, and with the help of his cousin Heavy D, he eventually caught the producing bug while hanging out with Hev's peers in the studio.

Here are two parts of In Control from 1989 to go with this beautiful weather (zShare):

PART ONE

PART TWO

I got into this after reading Wax Poetics Anthology, Vol. 2. Definitely worth a read.

Credit to Newark88 here.

2009-06-23T09:44:00.001-07:00

Aaron rules:

TrailerTime: "Cold Souls"

2009-06-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

The first feature by Sophie Barthes, Cold Souls is the story of Paul Giamatti (played, um, by Paul Giamatti) who is having a sort of existential crisis. He finds a facility that extracts and deep-freezes souls and figures this is the solution. Of course it isn't, and he goes on a quest to get his soul back.

While I love Paul Giamatti, and I love this cast --David Strathairn, Emily Watson, Lauren Ambrose-- and I love the themes that this movie is touching on, it feels like Charlie Kaufman-lite. This trailer presents the film like Eternal Sunshine for souls instead of memory (Lauren Ambrose even looks like she's been placed exactly in Kirsten Dunst's role in Eternal Sunshine). Also, the fact that Emily Watson was also in Synedoche brings up comparisons. Hopefully this movie ties together differently at the end.

The movie does look interesting, but I hope this spells the end of films about upper-middle class twits going through "what does it all mean" phases.

Two things

2009-06-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

1. There is someone who is Tweeting about their Sims. (ie. My Sim got married. My Sim went to work today.) Are you kidding me? Like my life isn't boring enough that I'm reading fucking Tweets about new flavors of ice cream and the upcoming issue of Dark Avengers, and now I gotta read this? And are you telling me that your life is so boring that the most exciting thing going on is what your SIM is doing??

And now here I am blogging about it. I need to process this horrible circle of awfulness my life has become.

2. If you go to Las Vegas, or are planning on going to Las Vegas, you are not allowed to say "Vegas, baby!" Seriously. That's it, no more, it's done. Swingers?? Are you fucking serious?? That shit is played out! It wasn't even that good of a movie! Quote anything else relating to Vegas. Quote Vegas Vacation for all I care. Just no more Vegas Baby. The End.

Show all

These Chains

2009-06-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

Follow along:

This Needs to be on television.

2009-06-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

"Between Two Ferns" with Jon Hamm:

And Bradley Cooper. I thought this one wouldn't be as good because it's a shameless plug for The Hangover. It's probably the best one yet:

2009-05-29T19:23:00.001-07:00

From Dave's Livejournal:

I might have to read some Asimov

2009-05-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I found this while shelving at Green Apple:

"The word 'robot' originally appeared in Karl Capek's [sic] play R.U.R., which was first staged in 1921 in Czechoslovakia... R.U.R. stands for "Rossum's Universal Robots." Rossum, an English industrial, produced artificial human beings designed to do the labor of the world and to free humanity for a life of creative leisure. The word 'robot' is from a Czech word meaning 'compulsory labor'.

Though Rossum meant well, it didn't work out as he planned: the robots rebelled, and the human species was destroyed."

-- Issac Asimov, in the introduction to Caves of Steel

Note the robot on the far right above, wearing a human suit and trying to blend in with humans. Crazy. It's awesome that these ideas were explored so long ago. I really never took the time to think about it. Now we're stuck with shit like this:

And even worse, this (which now that I think about it, is just a fucking horrible reimagining of Čapek's R.U.R.):

OMG PHO

2009-05-21T15:44:00.001-07:00

There is a pho truck.

I will find you, Pho Truck. I will find you.

Conan video #13249723597523

2009-05-18T15:00:00.001-07:00

Recent De La Soul/Nike mixtape

2009-05-15T12:07:00.001-07:00

Are You In? is a collaborative mixtape between De La Soul and Nike. Whatever-- new De La Soul!

"Forever" makes me want to ride on buses all day with my headphones. So GOOD.

Click the cover for the mixtape (RAR file).

Raekwon the Chef's Cooking Show

2009-05-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Raekwon and hype man cook up a storm in the kitchen... guess what they're making?

"It's sizzlin', that's why it's bubblin' and shit!"

Someone needs to pick this show up now! And get a goddamn tripod!

Namusfdotcom

2009-05-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Namu Restaurant Bio from Mohammad Gorjestani on Vimeo.

Jeunet x Chanel

2009-05-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Jean-Pierre Jeunet has done a commercial for Chanel No. 5 with his muse Audrey Tautou. Watch for the Amelie references:

Here's the 60-second tv spot here.

Related: see Chris Cunningham's Gucci ad here.

Coolest album cover in awhile...

2009-05-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Caught this at Nah Right & illRoots.

Early Mike Judge Shorts

2009-05-05T13:48:00.001-07:00

Chris found this. It's awesome.

Cucumber. Paprika.

Let the Beat Build

2009-05-05T01:10:00.000-07:00

New York MC Nyle and his band tear up a nice version of Lil Wayne's "Let the Beat Build". This was done in one shot.

Exile in the Mission

2009-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love the look of this video. Exile makes beats in the Mission, right here in SF, and talks a bit about how Radio was made. If you haven't heard that album yet, get it now!

You can check out more of locals Yours Truly here. Their videos include shit with Cut Copy, Wavves, and rap blog favorites U-N-I.

Video: Oi Va Voi, "Everytime"

2009-04-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

Stop motion videos are getting out. of. control. I don't know how to say this band's name, and the song is kinda whatever, but this video is insane.

Korean Burritos, dude.

2009-04-26T11:34:00.001-07:00

Foodhoe's Foraging has an excellent, detailed review of John's Snack & Deli's "KimChee Burrito". I had it myself a couple of weeks ago and found that I had the same complaint that she did... that damn tortilla.

I'd like to see Namu give the Korean burrito a shot. I think it would destroy everything.

Amazing

2009-04-24T18:46:00.001-07:00

http://lookatthisfuckinghipster.tumblr.com

I pray to God that I am not this awful.

(looks at entry below)

Fuuuuuck.

Roman Stops Sitting On His Ass Pt. 1

2009-04-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

This has been sitting in our building's garage for about a year now, so I put up a note on our front gate along the lines of, "Hey, if you don't use this, I'd love to have it. SELL IT TO MEEEEEEEE!" That night, while chugging beers on a balmy night at Jon's house, I got a call from my neighbor saying he'll sell it to me for 125 bucks. Not too shabby.

So I checked out the bike and it needs new tires and the seat needs to be lowered, but that's really about all I can see before I take it out for a test ride. I hope it's not too tall, and I hope that I can manage with those weird racing handlebars.

Now I'm looking into the Bike Kitchen and annoying my friends with dumb questions like, "Can I borrow your bike pump", "How do I lower a seat", and all that. This is probably just the beginning.

I finally decided to take initiative with buying a bike because this last week I've made a solid effort to GET. IN. SHAPE. The amazing weather in the City was persuasive, as well. I've gone jogging in the park twice this week. Golden Gate Park is like a free gym-- everyone wearing headphones, cute girls, and sweaty dudes in nothing but tiny, tiny shorts trying to impress them.

Chris Cunningham x Gucci

2009-04-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

Insane/amazing director and recluse Chris Cunningham has made his first public work in about three years for Gucci's Flora perfume:

Fucking awesome!

Zion I - "Geek to the Beat"

2009-04-11T00:14:00.000-07:00

Crazy video for Zion I's meh track "Geek to the Beat" off of The Take Over, directed by M.A.Y.O. (Mind All Your Outsides).

I Love AJ

2009-04-08T09:36:00.001-07:00

AJ had this as a link on Gmail, so I clicked it. This is what it lead to:

I am laughing so hard right now.

More About Late Night Television

2009-04-04T01:27:00.001-07:00

Jimmy Fallon is so boring that he makes me think Craig Ferguson is funny.

While up late scouring crap on YouTube, I came across an old clip of Late World With Zach, Zach Galifianakis's late night talk show that aired on VH1 for a mere nine weeks:

Sure, he's doing his ol' big notepad bit, but who else would do this?? Oh wait, yeah, Demetri Martin. If you like him, UGH WHY??

WE ARE SEX BOM-OMB! ONE TWO THREE FOUR!

2009-04-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Production has started on the SCOTT PILGRIM movie, starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth "I Am So Hot" Winstead, Jason Schwartzman and Mae "Mayon-Egg" Whitman, and directed by Edgar Wright. These are my favorite comics right now. I AM SO STOKED! NOM NOM NOM NOM