tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37634263976433951892023-11-16T06:33:19.137-05:00The DirtywhirlDirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-25141094324828822952010-09-07T19:35:00.000-04:002010-09-07T19:35:13.850-04:00It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1S7xCETN6gO542WeN0fvN0jg1dQEAnIe_SjjUwGQOsm__jp7RVZWWV9D9fFE9WUrAHjtaiSOstesbAI7dGY59R1GI9lY0HbQHS9VNtBf01CT-GVjkr8gFzV_WY71LZqnw9jq5NKLt0k8/s1600/Sons+Of+Anarchy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1S7xCETN6gO542WeN0fvN0jg1dQEAnIe_SjjUwGQOsm__jp7RVZWWV9D9fFE9WUrAHjtaiSOstesbAI7dGY59R1GI9lY0HbQHS9VNtBf01CT-GVjkr8gFzV_WY71LZqnw9jq5NKLt0k8/s200/Sons+Of+Anarchy.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Football season has started, there’s a crispness in the Pennsylvania air, and fall television season is back. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. The season officially kicks off tonight and begins with a trickle before the full flood of shows hits the week of September 20. Debuting this week are two FX dramas, one returning (<i>Sons Of Anarchy</i>) and one new (<i>Terriers</i>) and both have the potential for badassery and awesomeness. Now entering its third season, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Sons Of Anarchy</i> saw a quantum leap in quality with its sophomore set in 2009 and became, in many ways, the new <i>Shield</i> for FX which isn’t surprising seeing as series creator Kurt Sutter was on the writing staff of the late cop gem. The show is brutal and isn’t for everyone (the fulcrum of the second season was the gang rape of a lead character by a group of Nazi skinheads) but if you can stomach it there isn’t a pulpier and more badass show on the air. <i>Sons Of Anarchy</i> returns tonight at 10 on FX. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG2jSnzgLOWBguZHAtv2l0msbF6IcPJT55Hzyj3GzbB2ueADipeQ-F4wkIziYPpKiGml8yUvh9icKpaU-G9ZUlB_y7hILtsr5cguDGa9Pcf3cRw9gI44psVsEXIaaZz1VXE4cnsWoWJw/s1600/Terriers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG2jSnzgLOWBguZHAtv2l0msbF6IcPJT55Hzyj3GzbB2ueADipeQ-F4wkIziYPpKiGml8yUvh9icKpaU-G9ZUlB_y7hILtsr5cguDGa9Pcf3cRw9gI44psVsEXIaaZz1VXE4cnsWoWJw/s200/Terriers.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Speaking of <i>The Shield</i>, one of two new shows (the other being Fox’s <i>Ride Along</i>) from that series’ creator, Shawn Ryan, hits the air tomorrow night in <i>Terriers</i> (Wednesday, 10PM) on FX and it’s been garnering some of the <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/tv/terriers">best reviews of the fall</a>. Starring Donal Logue (<i>Grounded For Life</i>) and Michael Raymond-James (<i>True Blood</i>) the series is set in San Diego, CA and follows two unlicensed PIs. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6DIYXWYBT0">trailer </a>looks amazing and gives the show a strong cinematic feel. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQsIenq_yQePuvg6lUDFznYqZBmoSRK7s2YOuVVqZjx_OmE1nB-KUZseHWZR4WnP6xMTEbiwS_UDi_CP3lEIvgHPLYbmkukWVdlp4ZI3Fl43P3ThvIykc62Xqw-1mgQFRRY4Tm1gvGLE/s1600/The+Vampire+Diaries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQsIenq_yQePuvg6lUDFznYqZBmoSRK7s2YOuVVqZjx_OmE1nB-KUZseHWZR4WnP6xMTEbiwS_UDi_CP3lEIvgHPLYbmkukWVdlp4ZI3Fl43P3ThvIykc62Xqw-1mgQFRRY4Tm1gvGLE/s200/The+Vampire+Diaries.jpg" width="138" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Along with the opening of the NFL season, Thursday brings two CW dramas in the return of <i>The Vampire Diaries</i> (our top TV guilty pleasure -- don't judge us) and the debut of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1903248183">promising </a><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1903248183">La Femme Nikita</a></i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZKGyuBggcQ"> reboot</a>, <i>Nikita</i>, starring the kinda hot Maggie Q (<i>Mission: Impossible 3</i>). The shows may be few but kickoff week looks to be quality packed.</span><br />
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</span>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-4597435932044914862010-09-06T19:37:00.000-04:002010-09-06T19:37:10.183-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Band Of Horses | Infinite Arms<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at The Dirtywhirl:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now... onto the review:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3w63DNKqmhKjZEbswNox0Od8jpmnOi3GppuMlUEBnGWzM769wRIQUHmXnS8O80hS-XEAJYG8jwKGv0AGI-VLNzbD0C7OGbDO_duxyAOunvjIjuRLfZeGH9IcNFRNIpHdYb7Dtm-oZcQ/s1600/Band+Of+Horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3w63DNKqmhKjZEbswNox0Od8jpmnOi3GppuMlUEBnGWzM769wRIQUHmXnS8O80hS-XEAJYG8jwKGv0AGI-VLNzbD0C7OGbDO_duxyAOunvjIjuRLfZeGH9IcNFRNIpHdYb7Dtm-oZcQ/s200/Band+Of+Horses.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Band Of Horses | Infinite Arms</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A bit of initial full disclosure: Band Of Horses is one of my favorite bands to emerge in the past five years. There really isn’t anything about them that I dislike and I count both of their previous records among any “favorite albums of all time” list that I could compile. Thus, this might play a little less like review and a little more like a rant. Indulge me, if you will. With that being said, I’m having a difficult time understanding why it’s suddenly become trendy to hate on them. “Bland Of Horses”? Really? And what’s more frustrating than that is that their third record, <i>Infinite Arms</i>, feels like a natural extension of the sounds that they’d explored on their previous albums but for some reason they’re being ripped left and right by almost everyone with a laptop. I don’t get it. Lead vocalist/guitarist Ben Bridwell has been quoted as saying that this is the first true Band Of Horses album and, in many ways, he’s not far off the mark. There’s a confidence to this record that’s born of the unity that Bridwell feels with this incarnation of the band. Evolving from a de facto solo project (albeit with help from former Carissa’s Wierd bandmate Mat Brooke) on <i>Everything All The Time</i>, to the more band-oriented <i>Cease To Begin</i>, to now the totally collaborative <i>Infinite Arms</i> shows just how fully realized the band has become (Bridwell even cedes lead vocal duties to Ryan Monroe on “Older”). They’ve opened up and expanded their sound more than ever before on <i>Infinite Arms</i>, creating a cinematic landscape on much of the record. It also has a strong autumnal vibe like much of their previous work did and, I’ll admit, I am a sucker for that kind of atmosphere. Right off the bat, “Factory” employs strings and Bridwell’s familiar golden voice to instantly create the standard Band Of Horses atmospherics very well. “Laredo” (the sound of summer 2010 to my ears) is one of the band’s strongest singles to date as Bridwell laments, “Oh, my love/ You don’t even call/ Oh, my love/ Is that you on the phone?” over rollicking guitars from Monroe and Tyler Ramsey. Another absurd criticism lobbed at the band is that they’re stagnating but where lazy critics see stagnation, I see expansion. There are richer textures of sounds on <i>Infinite Arms</i> than anywhere else in their catalog. To that end, look no further than the title track. Any record that features waves of warm beauty heard on a track like “Infinite Arms” (which could be the sonic sibling to <i>Cease To Begin</i>’s breathtakingly beautiful “Detlef Schrempf”) should not have its relevance called into question. Admittedly, the record does take on a dad-rockish feel at times but that shouldn’t always be a pejorative. Why should tracks as moving as the Brian Wilson-influenced “Blue Beard” (“I used to see the night so anxious/ But now I know/ The only thing it ever taught me was a grand illusion that comes and goes/ The city blanketed in snow”) or the gorgeous “For Annabelle” be dumped on simply for appealing to a mature audience? I suppose that, in many ways, they are this generation’s Eagles. While some hated the Eagles (and some people REALLY hated them), they stand as a classic band in the rock ‘n roll pantheon. Time will tell whether Band Of Horses will eventually take their place there as well but after their first three albums it’s easy to envision a time when they will.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Standout Tracks</b>: “Laredo;” “Infinite Arms;” “Blue Beard;” “Factory;” “For Annabelle”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 93/100</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><object width="400" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YH8QICzCO8g?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YH8QICzCO8g?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-19625123732913680422010-08-29T15:21:00.000-04:002010-08-29T15:21:43.097-04:00Dirty Review: UFC 118 | Edgar vs. Penn 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhka8GhdM-EGQrU2h4vDIArshIaycUNoz8_9DuT875ZhPWnzAEEcnG6veGAtKsqS_-maEFSp-MPLs6jJ2BGFfb47Yv7-eDyyiegk5j6Wx7zZy3SUez0r-iYEDjNhM3u2pLYkX4PbIBS0Wo/s1600/UFC+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhka8GhdM-EGQrU2h4vDIArshIaycUNoz8_9DuT875ZhPWnzAEEcnG6veGAtKsqS_-maEFSp-MPLs6jJ2BGFfb47Yv7-eDyyiegk5j6Wx7zZy3SUez0r-iYEDjNhM3u2pLYkX4PbIBS0Wo/s400/UFC+118.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Admittedly, review of a mixed martial arts event like <i>UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2</i> is outside the wheelhouse of what usually gets covered on <i>The Dirtywhirl</i> but here’s the deal… we like MMA and we write about what we like, thus we’re writing about a UFC event. Indulge us, if you will. Onto the review.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately, the UFC’s streak of hot events ended with a thud with last night’s debut Boston show, <i>UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2</i>. While there were entertaining moments (boxing loudmouths being put in their place by Captain America AKA Randy Couture, Joe Lauzon’s destruction of douchebag Gabe Reudiger) too many contests went to the judges’ scorecards and the styles of some of the fighters were, to be kind, less than entertaining with no fight (other than the prelim battle between Lauzon and Reudiger) garnering more than a three and a half out of five rating. Let’s go match by match with the main card:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>MAIN EVENT: LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Frankie Edgar (12-1; #1 Lightweight) (Champion) vs. BJ Penn (15-6-1, #2 Lightweight)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Prefight Pick: Penn<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Result: Edgar | Unanimous Decision, Round 5</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In a five round title fight, champion Frankie Edgar dominated BJ Penn like no one has dominated Penn in his MMA career by winning all five rounds en route to defending his title for the first time. Edgar seemed on a mission to prove that his victory over Penn at <i>UFC 112</i> in Abu Dhabi back in April was no fluke. It started out as a chess match (much like their first fight) before Edgar just completely took over, taking Penn down more than anyone else ever has in his career and seemingly doing it at will. The frustration was all over Penn’s face throughout the fight as this seemed to be the type of matchup that signified one fighter just completely having the other’s number. It wasn’t pretty but it was impressive and, after taking back-to-back fights against Penn (maybe the best lightweight ever to compete in the Octagon), Edgar solidified his standing as the best 155-pounder in the world and set up a match with another <i>UFC 118</i> winner, Gray Maynard, who just so happens to be the man responsible for Edgar’s lone loss. Color us intrigued, albeit slightly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Match Rating: 3.5/5</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>HEAVYWEIGHT: Randy Couture (18-10) vs. James Toney (0-0)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Prefight Pick: Couture<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Result: Couture | Submission, Round 1</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This was the sideshow portion of the event as years of hearing boxers claim that they could take MMA fighters out with one punch if they were so inclined went by the wayside as UFC Hall Of Famer Randy Couture (47 year old Randy Couture, that is) took out five-time boxing champ James Toney without hardly breaking a sweat. Toney didn’t even have a chance to throw hands as Couture took him down with ease early in the opening round, pounded him on the ground for a bit before sinking in an arm-triangle choke and putting Toney to sleep. There was a loud “UFC” chant from the Boston crowd during the fight and Couture was gracious (as always) in putting the boxing vs. MMA war to bed in his post-fight interview. Also, according to UFC president Dana White, Toney is done in the UFC following this performance. Fun for what it was, but not anywhere near Couture’s top matches.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Match Rating: 3/5</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>LIGHTWEIGHT: Kenny Florian (13-4, #5 Lightweight) vs. Gray Maynard (9-0, #8 Lightweight)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Prefight Pick: Florian<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Result: Maynard | Unanimous Decision, Round 3<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Gray Maynard lived up to his moniker of “The Bully” as he bullied Kenny Florian around (in Florian’s own hometown, no less) for three rounds, in the process earning himself a shot at Frankie Edgar’s lightweight title. After a long feeling-out process to start the fight, Maynard began to take over due to his superior wrestling ability and Florian’s seeming lack of urgency. Florian has long been a top contender in the 155 weight class but has a history of choking when there’s a lot riding on a fight (see his title fights against Penn and Sean Sherk) and with a lightweight title shot on the line in this one, his gag reflex once again became apparent. Maynard has a victory over Edgar in his career but neither fighter’s style is that dynamic so that title fight has the potential to be a snoozer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Match Rating: 3/5</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>WELTERWEIGHT: Nate Diaz (12-5) vs. Marcus Davis (17-6)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Prefight Pick: Diaz<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Result: Diaz | Submission, Round 3<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nate Diaz came out and played his familiar role as villain against Marcus Davis (another New England native fighting on the card) and Diaz’s usual taunting and Davis’s hometown boy standing lead to a rather loud “Diaz sucks” chant early on but those chants quickly turned to cheers as both men seemed more than willing to swing away in what was largely a standup war. Diaz eventually began picking Davis apart with strikes, opening up a NASTY cut on Davis’s right eye that required medical attention throughout the fight. Diaz got a takedown late in the final round, took Davis’s back, and sunk in a guillotine choke to take the victory.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Match Rating: 3.5/5</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>MIDDLEWEIGHT: Damian Maia (12-2, #5 Middleweight) vs. Mario Miranda (10-1)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Prefight Pick: Maia<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Result: Maia | Unanimous Decision, Round 3<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Coming off an incredibly lackluster showing against middleweight champion Anderson Silva at <i>UFC 112</i> that tarnished the standing of both men, Damian Maia seemingly had a lot to prove against Mario Miranda but the fight was the equivalent of watching paint dry as neither man seemed to want to do much. Maia eventually did just enough to secure the judges’ decision but it’s possible that after the Silva debacle and now this, his days of fighting on the main card may be coming to an end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Match Rating: 2/5</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Other than the prelim fight where Lauzon absolutely destroyed Reudiger (which was admittedly more entertaining for longtime <i>Ultimate Fighter</i> viewers to see a dickhole like Reudiger get put in his place more than anything else) there were no signature fights that stood out on the card. Sure, Edgar solidified his stature in the lightweight division but the fight wasn’t really what you’d call entertaining and yes, Couture’s victory over Toney will garner some mainstream press but it wasn’t really anything more than a curiosity. Maybe we’ve been spoiled by Silva/Sonnen, Leben/Akiyama, and Lesnar/Carwin over the last few events but UFC 118 really was a disappointment.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-517388013592012492010-08-23T23:31:00.004-04:002010-08-23T23:36:04.873-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: The Hold Steady | Heaven Is Whenever<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at The Dirtywhirl:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now... onto the review:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchXQu3_4LoNUeCwn58gq2N4AE7nf1id3QMHIdWeUsL0roOE4CAV5_IHNXGfGnfGFYQ6RUsErUry9Z2_9VOOamKOv5a6Jb5edkBDXWY-myELJM8E9v82lgwHITFunAKgP5Xz7-7y4umSY/s1600/The+Hold+Steady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchXQu3_4LoNUeCwn58gq2N4AE7nf1id3QMHIdWeUsL0roOE4CAV5_IHNXGfGnfGFYQ6RUsErUry9Z2_9VOOamKOv5a6Jb5edkBDXWY-myELJM8E9v82lgwHITFunAKgP5Xz7-7y4umSY/s200/The+Hold+Steady.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Hold Steady | Heaven Is Whenever</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. The Hold Steady are a grossly overhyped band. Their entire catalog has been decent but nowhere near deserving of the love it’s gotten from critics and fans. Craig Finn’s half speak/half sing vocal affectation is really annoying. They’re not a very deep band. They’re too fixated on Springsteen. Ultimately, they’re the indie rock equivalent of Hootie And The Blowfish (and I say that as an unabashed Hootie fan). They’re a bar band (albeit a hyper-literate one) who hit a nerve and probably grew a larger profile than their talents warranted. With all of that said, you’d think that their latest effort, <i>Heaven is Whenever</i>, wouldn’t be worth the time that it would take to listen to it but surprisingly it’s their best album to date and, more than that, it’s a very enjoyable listen. It’s somewhat ironic that this is the first Hold Steady release to receive lukewarm critical response yet to my ears it’s their most accessible and listenable album yet. It opens with the country-tinged slide guitar of “The Sweet Part Of The City,” where Finn actually SINGS (as he does on a majority of the record – I know, right?) and eventually leads into “The Weekenders,” their best song to date and their most likely shot at a crossover. It’s a very strong track with an incredibly catchy hook as Finn sings, “So if it has to be a secret/ Then I guess that I can deal with it/ You and I both know it’s a negative thing/ In the end, only girls know the whole truth.” Did they write the track hoping for mainstream success? Maybe, but if they did the calculation doesn’t matter because it’s a great track that starts on a mellow and subdued note before building to a cathartic release. Another standout, the catchy and anthemic “Hurricane J,” possesses a hook that’s very similar to “The Weekenders,” which is probably why it's as good as it is. To boil it down to its simplest terms, many of <i>Heaven Is Whenever</i>’s tracks are a variation on the same theme – an examination of problems with girls or with life backed by some very solid guitars. In fact, much of the guitar work on this record is stronger than I remember them displaying on past albums. For example, “Soft In The Center” finds the fortune cookie sentiment of “You won’t get every girl/ You’ll love the ones you get the best” supported by an almost Slash-esque guitar flourish. On a similar note, even the goopy emotions of “We Can Get Together” (“Heaven is whenever/ We can get together”) make the track work in spite of its earnestness. It also shouldn’t go unnoted that their Springsteen fixation is as present as ever but that they’ve integrated it into their own sound to much better effect than on past records and they use it to craft a strong autumnal atmosphere. It’s not without its mistakes (it is a Hold Steady album, after all) but if I’m ever going to feel the urge to listen to a Hold Steady album (rare as that urge may be) <i>Heaven Is Whenever</i> is the record that’s going to be playing on my iPod. This is not an album that I went in expecting or even wanting to like. Damned if I don’t though.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Standout Tracks</b>: “The Weekenders;” “Hurricane J;” “The Sweet Part Of The City”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 78/100</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><object height="385" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VrvEU7IQ2jM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VrvEU7IQ2jM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-82029307637169705472010-08-17T20:22:00.000-04:002010-08-17T20:22:30.063-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Lightspeed Champion | Life Is Sweet... Nice To Meet You<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at The Dirtywhirl:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now... onto the review:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpe_zz2Q9XNjdfguhCKp3k8JxhbIdEjXnnk3gQ6WKnB_ZkuBJ9NJP3V3QFDmscV6BKhxo-rl754GWIljiI6QkIAII2HP-DLZFmBKXzcxSgyKPTYYeY_s6smqu16wbxJRZTW9gHEITvqU/s1600/Lightspeed+Champion.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpe_zz2Q9XNjdfguhCKp3k8JxhbIdEjXnnk3gQ6WKnB_ZkuBJ9NJP3V3QFDmscV6BKhxo-rl754GWIljiI6QkIAII2HP-DLZFmBKXzcxSgyKPTYYeY_s6smqu16wbxJRZTW9gHEITvqU/s200/Lightspeed+Champion.png" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Lightspeed Champion | Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lightspeed Champion’s second record, <i>Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You</i>, comes as a pleasant surprise because there was absolutely nothing in singer/guitarist/do-everything member Devonte Hynes’s past work that suggested he had any idea what he was doing. His post-punk revival band, Test Icicles (yes, Test Icicles… really) was as awful as that ridiculous name suggests and his first album under the Lightspeed Champion moniker was so forgettable that I can’t even remember what it was called. <i>Something Lavender Bridge Something</i>, I think. With <i>Life Is Sweet…</i>. however, Hynes has reinvented himself as something of a curator of British sounds spanning the past thirty years. You like Queen? Try “The Big Guns Of Highsmith.” Fan of glam? Listen to “Faculty Of Fears.” Blur-influenced Britpop? That would be “Middle Of The Dark.” While the record does feel lengthy at 15 tracks, lead single “Marlene” erases many concerns and ends up </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">almost</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">carrying the record by itself. With its infectious chorus and winding guitar line, “Marlene” is one of the year’s best tracks and is the type of song that can inflate the opinion of an entire record on its own as it stands far and away above anything else on <i>Life Is Sweet…</i> This isn’t to say that the entire rest of the album pales in comparison. The beautiful, strings-supported “I Don’t Want To Wake Up Alone” and the hooky “Madame Van Damme” also deserve mention and add to the feeling that <i>Life Is Sweet…</i> is a record that slowly reveals itself upon multiple listens. It’s also the sound of Hynes finding his voice and becoming someone to keep an eye on.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Standout Tracks:</b> “Marlene;” “Madame Van Damme;” “I Don’t Want To Wake Up Alone”</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Dirty Rating: 69/100</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><object width="400" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WCo-U6war6c?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WCo-U6war6c?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-44805821279507231112010-08-15T16:29:00.000-04:002010-08-15T16:29:12.134-04:00Yeasayer + Kristen Bell = We Like<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As if we didn't already like Yeasayer's latest, <i>Odd Blood</i>, enough already (really... see <a href="http://thedirtywhirl.blogspot.com/2010/02/band-we-love-right-now-yeasayer.html">here </a>and <a href="http://thedirtywhirl.blogspot.com/2010/06/quick-n-dirty-review-yeasayer-odd-blood.html">here </a>for proof) they went ahead and cast Kristen Bell (our not so super secret future celebrity wife) in the video for the third single off of the record, "Madder Red." Watch below:</span></span><br />
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</span></span><embed src="http://assets.delvenetworks.com/player/loader.swf" name="delve_playerf41db15d64b449eaa0064d5529d83f23334260e" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="mediaId=eab4fdb3d11249a080a84a4dc365d583&playerForm=88a26316a62d4655a806dda0da4e95ca&=true" height="415" width="400"></embed> <div style="font-size:0.9em;"> <a href="http://vodpod.com/watch/4224370-yeasayer-madder-red">Yeasayer: Madder Red</a><br />
- Watch more <a href="http://vodpod.com/music">Music Videos</a> at <a href="http://vodpod.com">Vodpod</a>.</div>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-48834091577783934022010-08-11T19:42:00.000-04:002010-08-11T19:42:26.867-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Quick Hitters<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Taking a brief look at some recent releases that weren’t really deserving of a full review. Rating scale is as usual.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDPi3hp4Bw6ZJpfrPVXRaiOLtWUF8ADCkV3YWM220yk1vbAP02gvCssbQKnr7vHuCWkJq8qyn-e1PA7P-Y5slfdW6uEDoD-1ci7ITXXyi4VoOS9oIzfrKKb2QB-h7wtrnlb2QjPxP1kE/s1600/Sleigh+Bells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDPi3hp4Bw6ZJpfrPVXRaiOLtWUF8ADCkV3YWM220yk1vbAP02gvCssbQKnr7vHuCWkJq8qyn-e1PA7P-Y5slfdW6uEDoD-1ci7ITXXyi4VoOS9oIzfrKKb2QB-h7wtrnlb2QjPxP1kE/s200/Sleigh+Bells.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Sleigh Bells | Treats</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Not without its charm at points but, not to sound like a septuagenarian, but it actually hurts to listen to at times due to the ear-piercing nature of the production on some tracks (seriously – they put the “noise” in noise pop). That said, “Tell ‘Em” really is as good as everyone says it is and “Rill Rill” is insanely catchy as well. I really expected to like this one more than I did but such is life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Dirty Rating: 75/100</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqc0p5-cfk5I3iyXG96F0gGzt9o3neRhb4lL_n5WorID4rwzCzvInwuw7QgV_cXAN1_inoZImryjWEq43Ha3oMQk8IrQZuyz3hleX4W2MankoaweHptA0oRhZlHwh0u5fE0HzKqd2hq8/s1600/Jack+Johnson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqc0p5-cfk5I3iyXG96F0gGzt9o3neRhb4lL_n5WorID4rwzCzvInwuw7QgV_cXAN1_inoZImryjWEq43Ha3oMQk8IrQZuyz3hleX4W2MankoaweHptA0oRhZlHwh0u5fE0HzKqd2hq8/s200/Jack+Johnson.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Jack Johnson | To The Sea</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you’ve ever heard a Jack Johnson record before, you’ve heard <i>To The Sea</i>. It’s all nice and inoffensive and has songs about the beach and recycling and everything but Jesus, Jack… would it kill you to stretch a little bit? For once?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Dirty Rating: 51/100</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAt-aBGptS6Zck6Je9_UHebLwYa7T2v-IWbASOiy8wRZaScoSr387H22wtP2asxOoxsXIGY3wxxaeZjnHfv3vShAypIL3WxsGR0VlaYvvjLWVwcUAlieZIL5oEAq_vwwprrmbPRJbPC8/s1600/NYPC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAt-aBGptS6Zck6Je9_UHebLwYa7T2v-IWbASOiy8wRZaScoSr387H22wtP2asxOoxsXIGY3wxxaeZjnHfv3vShAypIL3WxsGR0VlaYvvjLWVwcUAlieZIL5oEAq_vwwprrmbPRJbPC8/s200/NYPC.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>New Young Pony Club | The Optimist</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Gone is much of the fun of their debut, <i>Fantastic Playroom</i>, in favor of a darker edged sound. Normally this would be a welcome switch but here it just falls… flat. First single "Chaos" is pretty decent but there's not much beyond that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Dirty Rating: 71/100</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuA1FXiIFU1YlxIS68_gHNdRuzZk8u5Cc5dlZ4tsjBRbowlydzCJn_HeD8Ke3lYlYL0VBJ7Zl9dGJBOzIBaTmHHI1Vq6hLb4VI6djNh9ZUNJSpTGcXydtgiDw59Zp3f1iYsX964Sd3ok/s1600/Nada+Surf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuA1FXiIFU1YlxIS68_gHNdRuzZk8u5Cc5dlZ4tsjBRbowlydzCJn_HeD8Ke3lYlYL0VBJ7Zl9dGJBOzIBaTmHHI1Vq6hLb4VI6djNh9ZUNJSpTGcXydtgiDw59Zp3f1iYsX964Sd3ok/s200/Nada+Surf.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Nada Surf | If I Had A Hi-Fi</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A surprisingly limp covers album from one of the best indie pop acts in the genre, <i>If I Had A Hi-Fi</i> finds Nada Surf struggling on a set of covers ranging from well-known bands like Depeche Mode to more obscure ones like The Silly Pillows. “Electrocution,” as its title would suggest, crackles and their cover of Spoon’s “The Agony Of Lafitte” also stands out but too much is forgettable and of a throwaway nature. This one had potential but can’t deliver.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Dirty Rating: 57/100</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0C0DJLcpqbQ70SFZZRnZMlG2uRccZERnYd08FJHB-Gp8h7Wvdjnv7CAvIJkQNML1aq4WS45aSP_Ulinik7Mtfc9qhtss-iT6OM0suVJQVjndNmL8SUEcEA6E7L6cIywzW-2gI_uzbLU/s1600/Tom+Petty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0C0DJLcpqbQ70SFZZRnZMlG2uRccZERnYd08FJHB-Gp8h7Wvdjnv7CAvIJkQNML1aq4WS45aSP_Ulinik7Mtfc9qhtss-iT6OM0suVJQVjndNmL8SUEcEA6E7L6cIywzW-2gI_uzbLU/s200/Tom+Petty.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Tom Petty | Mojo</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On “Into The Great Wide Open” Tom Petty sang, “The A&R man said ‘I don’t hear a single.’” Tom, buddy, I don’t hear a single on <i>Mojo </i>and while that in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, when the rest of the record is boring and lifeless so maybe a single or two would have been a good idea. If we're being honest, Petty hasn’t really released a good record since <i>Echo </i>in 1998. His output in the years since have been mediocre at best (<i>Highway Companion</i>) and downright bad at worst (<i>The Last DJ</i>). <i>Mojo </i>probably falls somewhere in between but I’m afraid that Petty’s career might rapidly be approaching its expiration date – that is, if it hasn’t already reached it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Dirty Rating: 51/100</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-24799850524048312792010-08-09T16:11:00.001-04:002010-08-09T16:53:03.780-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: True Blood<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at The Dirtywhirl:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100-95 - Classic Show; (In best Bill O'Reilly voice) "WE'LL DO IT LIVE!!"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">94-85 - Upper Echelon Show; You Should DVR This And Watch It The Same Night</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">84-75 - Very, Very Good; You Should Make An Effort To Watch This Within A Few Days Of Airing</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">74-65 - Not Bad At All; Let These Shows Pile Up On Your DVR But Watch 'Em Eventually</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">64-55 - Fold The Laundry While You Watch These</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">54-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now... onto the review:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJq0foofchDPIB1O_0t90IH0G4Y3Psi9FW_FzJqEyI3QeH5q0_I0Lb3QIvlvqNBphQhMFbruFo7LpjxVyACO1ot-8UhO-qXH9bovZ7Szv0NQuS_YaS1oZfBXa41k5CZ-Y3S274p6SPqE/s1600/True+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJq0foofchDPIB1O_0t90IH0G4Y3Psi9FW_FzJqEyI3QeH5q0_I0Lb3QIvlvqNBphQhMFbruFo7LpjxVyACO1ot-8UhO-qXH9bovZ7Szv0NQuS_YaS1oZfBXa41k5CZ-Y3S274p6SPqE/s400/True+Blood.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>True Blood | Season 3</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Conscience off. Dick on.” Andy Bellefleur to Jason Stackhouse<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh, <i>True Blood</i>, you almost had me at Nazi werewolves. Actually, no, not really. HBO’s breakout hit vampire drama, <i>True Blood</i>, has returned for its third season and after the first half of its 2010 run of episodes I’m left wondering why I’m still bothering to watch it. Following last season’s incredibly weak season-long arc about Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes), the Maenad (explanation <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maenad">here</a>) that took over and possessed the town by forcing them into orgies by shaking her body or some such shit, I’d hoped that the series would return to something more closely resembling the somewhat tight plotting of season one’s whodunit serial killer angle but those hopes have been dashed in very short order, while greatly exposing some of the major flaws that have existed since the show’s debut season.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">More than anything else, it’s becoming clear that series creator Alan Ball (<i>American Beauty</i>, <i>Six Feet Under</i>) doesn’t care much for character development. There’s literally no investment in any of the characters’ well-being which makes it impossible to care about anything that’s happening on screen. Do I care that central couple Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) have been separated, pawns in a power grab by newcomer Russell Edgington (Denis O’Hare, <i>Milk</i>), the Vampire King of Mississippi? Nope. Am I interested by heartthrob Eric Northman’s (Alexander Skarsgard) mysterious quest for revenge that leads him to play both sides of the struggle between Edgington and Evan Rachel Wood’s Sophie-Anne Leclerq? Not particularly. How about Tara Thornton’s (Rutina Wesley) decent into a disturbing relationship with creepy vampire Franklin Mott (James Frain, <i>The Tudors</i>)? Nuh-uh. All of this is because, frankly, we haven’t been given any reason to care about these characters in the slightest. All of the storylines ring incredibly hollow. Even new characters like werewolf Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello, <i>How I Met Your Mother</i>) and mysterious Crystal Norris (Lindsay Pulsipher, <i>The Beast</i>) were introduced in intriguing fashion only to fall flat in subsequent appearances. And I haven’t even mentioned what could realistically be described as the series’ nadir, bar owner Sam Merlotte’s (Sam Trammell) discovery of his shape-shifting, white trash birth family who use their shifting abilities to compete on the dogfighting circuit. You can’t make this shit up. Really, I wish I had made it up. It would make it easier to swallow.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s also frustrating that the series has largely abandoned the intriguing allegorical look at vampires as a stand-in for gay culture in mainstream America that initially gave the series more than a little promise. Unfortunately, that promise went unrealized as <i>True Blood</i> has morphed (much like its resident shapeshifters and werewolves) into a complete trash series that piles on its most prurient elements of blood and sex to exponentially high levels. Now, before I’m labeled a prude, understand that I don’t have any problems with the boobs and blood approach per se. Boobies make almost everything better. It’s only when that’s all the depth that there seems to be on <i>True Blood</i> (after seeming to set the bar higher) that I have to take a step back and wonder whether this is a show that’s still worth my time. There’s a place for trash TV but when a series like <i>True Blood</i> bows with as much potential as it showed in its first year and then largely abandons that approach for a lowest common denominator appeal, you have to wonder whether with all of the choices available to viewers these days if it’s still worthwhile viewing.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>True Blood</i> can’t even get out of its own way when it comes to the things that it does right. In one of the more promising storylines, town idiot Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwantan), after shooting someone in the head (somewhat in self defense) has had a revelatory moment and has decided to become a lawman. Really. It’s just as dumb as it sounds, but it’s played for laughs and is at least somewhat successful in that regard as the dumb cop/dumber cop pairing of Jason and Andy Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) does have potential even as it’s entirely unbelievable. The series also grossly underutilizes two of its best talents, Debra Ann Woll as Jessica Hambly, a newbie vampire struggling to deal with her new lifestyle, and Nelsan Ellis’s Lafayette Reynolds, the flamboyant drug dealer who in many ways is the series’ conscience. Funny that the writing staff has abandoned the previously mentioned allegory yet gives Ellis such strong material to play as an actual gay character. Ellis completely nails what he’s given, even if both he (and Woll, for that matter) are not given nearly enough to do.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Frankly, the fact that the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the Emmys nominating body) has deemed <i>True Blood</i> as one of the five best dramas on television (over much more deserving shows like <i>Friday Night Lights</i>, <i>Justified</i>, <i>Sons Of Anarchy</i>, and <i>Treme</i>, just to name a few) by giving it a Best Drama nod this year would be infuriating if the Emmys themselves weren’t already a joke. Lack of character development and pandering to the basest of instincts does not a Best Drama make. I suppose if <i>True Blood</i> draws eyeballs to HBO and thereby introduces audiences to better fare like <i>Treme</i>, <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i>, <i>The Ricky Gervais Show</i>, <i>Boardwalk Empire</i>, or <i>Luck </i>then I guess it’s served its purpose but really, there isn’t any more redeeming value in the show than that anymore. And that’s a shame because it coulda been a contenda. So, I’m pretty sure I’m out. Yeah… I think I’m out.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 48/100</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div></span>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-4848064126866219642010-08-05T22:55:00.000-04:002010-08-05T22:55:26.779-04:00What We've Been Listening To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCwuJN4hKt77HXAAZldiU-twxibRznXFOz1Zm2Dvlxtj91d7UBukQzKEjhUi3UmQptMzQ0_z-ARoAsOWEKX8I0b4x4X0vwlRxfxejczKVEDmwn6ZCr9_Tad0rVcPWwlk5-hn2h2m2rW8/s1600/Playlist+Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCwuJN4hKt77HXAAZldiU-twxibRznXFOz1Zm2Dvlxtj91d7UBukQzKEjhUi3UmQptMzQ0_z-ARoAsOWEKX8I0b4x4X0vwlRxfxejczKVEDmwn6ZCr9_Tad0rVcPWwlk5-hn2h2m2rW8/s200/Playlist+Image.png" width="188" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Not that anyone asked, but here's a playlist of what we've been listening to lately at <i>The Dirtywhirl</i>'s home offices:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Roots, "Right On", <i>How I Got Over</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Suckers, "Before Your Birthday Ends", <i>Wild Smile</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Paramore, "When It Rains", <i>Riot</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Active Child, "I'm In Your Church At Night", <i>Curtis Lane (EP)</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, "Hot Body Rub", <i>Before Today</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Def Leppard, "Hysteria", <i>Hysteria</i> (*)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Def Leppard, "Love Bites", <i>Hysteria</i> (*)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Skid Row, "I Remember You", <i>Skid Row </i>(*)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Pierce The Veil, "Bulletproof Love", <i>Selfish Machines</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">The Bird And The Bee, "She's Gone", <i>Interpreting The Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall And John Oates</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Pierce The Veil, "Caraphernelia", <i>Selfish Machines</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">We Have Band, "Divisive", <i>WHB</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Active Child, "When Your Love Is Safe", <i>Curtis Lane (EP)</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Pierce The Veil, "Stay Away From My Friends", <i>Selfish Machines</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Pierce The Veil, "The Boy Who Could Fly", <i>Selfish Machines</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">*What? We were in an 80s pop metal mood. It happens.</span></span>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-58492152908293138952010-08-03T21:37:00.001-04:002010-08-03T21:41:29.710-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: The National | High Violet<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0YOpRORR28zisVJul71be0Irr6SU_V8wlq8ipfH_jQ6o_UfL52XtRbDeaEL5jL5C_JHzzGbUhyphenhyphenXto9B57AKr_X3GhGLLvEtrekHwB4vBgD1iIBt1tjnv9mZBG7xM7uWNGzE3IsJ0gO8/s1600/High+Violet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0YOpRORR28zisVJul71be0Irr6SU_V8wlq8ipfH_jQ6o_UfL52XtRbDeaEL5jL5C_JHzzGbUhyphenhyphenXto9B57AKr_X3GhGLLvEtrekHwB4vBgD1iIBt1tjnv9mZBG7xM7uWNGzE3IsJ0gO8/s200/High+Violet.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The National | High Violet</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Crafting one of the best albums of the past twenty years is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the feeling of creating an indelible work of art that will stand as a musical high water mark must be indescribable. The National did that with their 2007 breakthrough record, <i>Boxer</i>. The other side of that sword, though, is that you’re going to create impossibly high expectations for a follow up which is unfortunately the case with the band's latest, <i>High Violet</i>. From any other act an album like this would be revelatory. The problem is that The National have proven that they’re capable of better. Sonically, the Dessner brothers have created a similar aural texture as heard on past records so where does the fault lie, then? Why does <i>High Violet</i> fall slightly short of the band's potential? Sadly, it’s with singer Matt Berninger’s lyrics. Berninger has never been the most straightforward lyricist in music but he’s even more obtuse than usual on more than a few of <i>High Violet</i>’s tracks and frankly, that’s to their detriment. I’m not one to need to have things spelled out lyrically but when the imagery that’s presented is extremely abstract at best and silly at worst, it takes power away from the music. “We’ll play nuns versus priests until somebody wins,” (“A Little Faith); “I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees/ I never married, but Ohio don’t remember me,” (“Bloodbuzz, Ohio”); and perhaps the worst offense, “Vanderlyle crybaby cry/ Man, it’s all been forgiven, swans are a-swimmin’/ I’ll explain everything to the geeks;” (“Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks) are just a few of the inscrutable sobriquets tossed by Berninger on the record. Many times, as on “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” (not only the record’s worst track but one of their worst overall – it's just ridiculous on so many levels), “Sorrow,” and “Lemon World,” the lyrics just kill dead any chance that the tracks would have had. Others, including “Conversation 16” (with its great textural instrumentation), “Runaway” (a track that feels tossed off but not necessarily in a bad way), and even the aforementioned “Bloodbuzz, Ohio” are able to overcome their clunky lyrics to affect something approaching respectability, while the opening “Terrible Love,” “Anyone’s Ghost,” and “Afraid Of Everyone” (the album’s best track that features Sufjan Stevens making a guest appearance for the second consecutive record and sees Berninger wailing “I don’t have the drugs to sort it out” and “In a way she’s swallowing my soul, soul, soul, soul”) are just straight triumphs. The album does close rather weakly and this could be a contributing factor in how it plays overall, but all of this is more than a little nitpicky because <i>High Violet</i> really is better than almost 80% of what’s been released so far this year. It’s the fucking National, fer chrissakes. It’s dark... it’s brooding... it’s what we want out of the band. While its faults are magnified due to the fact that this is a record by one of rock’s best bands, <i>High Violet</i> is still a very, very strong album and that speaks to the talent of The National in that they can overcome the obstacles presented in particular by the record’s lyrics to deliver such a solid (yet not spectacular) effort.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Standout Tracks: “Afraid Of Everyone;” “Terrible Love;” “Anyone’s Ghost;” “Bloodbuzz, Ohio;” “Conversation 16”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 84/100</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></span></span></span></div></div></div><object height="385" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1m1qCcjDk6Q&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1m1qCcjDk6Q&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-84053629822910654482010-07-26T21:09:00.001-04:002010-07-26T21:10:11.259-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Gigi | Maintenant<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DsUox0XCPdr2NOEU5g5y7WvRSmWnxPvuAEZYBWsb0auCUwy0NsuADD5933hm8S7fT8PVPBVCMhhKFc3SW2J9Gtuz2caekzrQCqlsGaYYEwBfAOmswkX4BLEPEY1XCLaX94nUJKt2buY/s1600/Gigi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DsUox0XCPdr2NOEU5g5y7WvRSmWnxPvuAEZYBWsb0auCUwy0NsuADD5933hm8S7fT8PVPBVCMhhKFc3SW2J9Gtuz2caekzrQCqlsGaYYEwBfAOmswkX4BLEPEY1XCLaX94nUJKt2buY/s200/Gigi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Gigi | Maintenant</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There’s comfort in examining the past. We get so caught up in the latest gadgets and in the newest advances that make our lives easier while simultaneously creating more problems for ourselves that it’s often comforting to think of a simpler time, even if you yourself never personally experienced that actual era. Speaking as a thirtysomething who grew up during the transition from Gen X to Gen Y, I wasn’t alive during the 60s but I’ll admit that I have at times wondered what my life would have been like had I lived during that decade. Gigi’s debut record, <i>Maintenant</i>, thoroughly re-creates the sound what I imagine this bygone era to be with stunning precision. Unlike many of the other notable releases of the retro-60s pop genre (Amy Winehouse’s <i>Back To Black</i>, Duffy’s <i>Rockferry</i>, Adele’s <i>19</i>) that were solely sung from the ladies' perspective, <i>Maintenant </i>mixes both male and female voices, giving it a fresh take on the re-examination of classic pop. The nature of a 40-member (really… 40 MEMBER!) project likely leads to the disparity of sounds found on the record. The Brill Building sound of the first single, “No, My Heart Will Go On” stands next to the bossa nova of Parenthetical Girls leader Zac Pennington’s “Dreams Of Romance,” which shares space with the airy French pop of Katie Eastburn’s “The Marquee.” <i>Maintenant </i>runs the gamut of 60s pop styles yet manages to feel fresh. True, there’s nothing that can really be considered “new” on the record but the sound is pitch perfect for what Gigi was targeting. <i>Maintenant </i>creates atmosphere more than anything else – it’s easy to imagine any one of these songs playing over <i>Mad Men</i>’s closing credits, for example – but the lyrics are just as noteworthy for how they create a striking visual palette. You can almost feel the orange shag carpet under your feet and see the art deco walls as Pennington laments, “I showed up early to your costume party/ Dressed up like a pharaoh/ I really should have come as Robin Hood/ And done myself in with the arrow,” over skittering bossa nova on “Dreams Of Romance.” “Some Second Best” conjures an image of a trio of girls in poodle skirts cooing outside an ice cream shop while the lonely nature of “I’m Not Coming Out Tonight” and “Alone At The Pier” also shine. <i>Maintenant </i>is the sound of a band not really attempting to challenge its listeners per se, but instead providing them with a thoroughly accurate means for a comfortable escape to a simpler time.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Standout Tracks</b>: “No, My Heart Will Go On;” “I’m Not Coming Out Tonight;” “Won’t Someone Tell Me?” “Alone At The Pier;” “The Marquee"<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Dirty Rating: 88/100</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></span></span></span></div></div></div><object height="385" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rpKbdwRCgzQ&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rpKbdwRCgzQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-49344808034535201232010-07-22T22:09:00.003-04:002010-07-22T22:20:56.813-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Deftones | Diamond Eyes<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJvu7aMzRiXvo1OBBETpvh6aCqGfQUJWAU6rn2y3NAE-dsDaEOZRq-FLJtdZKxo8D8Q8_bvP70E-WCARePW6ONhYPGwarAgqlqDT2ctiJLSSwngPgGgL_-n_ByNgUbGrZOOWEw52-p3c/s1600/Diamond+Eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJvu7aMzRiXvo1OBBETpvh6aCqGfQUJWAU6rn2y3NAE-dsDaEOZRq-FLJtdZKxo8D8Q8_bvP70E-WCARePW6ONhYPGwarAgqlqDT2ctiJLSSwngPgGgL_-n_ByNgUbGrZOOWEw52-p3c/s200/Diamond+Eyes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Deftones | Diamond Eyes</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There’s no way to sugarcoat it – the Deftones’ <i>Saturday Night Wrist</i> was a bad album. Like, really bad. Like girls talking about poo and um... other things bad (seriously, listen closely to “Pink Cellphone”… or better yet don’t). Not only was it bad but it was the kind of record that calls a band’s right to exist into question. Should the Deftones even bother continuing if an effort like that was the best they could muster? This is why it’s heartening to see Chino & Co. headed back in the right direction with their latest record and first in four years, <i>Diamond Eyes</i>. The Deftones have always been smarter than your average meathead hard rock band and that’s long been their calling card. Their willingness to take risks and challenge the norm has always worked to their benefit, but that ethos failed them on their last go-round. Whereas the risks didn’t necessarily pay off on <i>Saturday Night Wrist</i>, it’s a return to basics on <i>Diamond Eyes</i> that has them balanced back on their axis. “Diamond Eyes” is immediately stronger than anything on the last record with its catchier chorus and self-titled record feel. Not far behind is “Rocket Skates” which is so heavy and so good as vocalist Chino Moreno screams, “Guns, razors, knives/ Fuck with me” over granite strength guitars. It’s four minutes of raw and naked emotion and energy and it’s an impressive thing that they have a track like this in them over twenty years into their careers. To anyone who’s hoping that the Deftones might be stashing <i>White Pony II</i> somewhere in the back of their collective subconscious, it’s probably time to give up that dream and just embrace what the Deftones have become – simply put, one of the most solid hard rock bands in the music business. That’s not to say flashes of <i>White Pony</i> brilliance aren’t still present. Albeit less experimental than their high water mark, “Beauty School” shares elements in common with “Passenger” or “Digital Bath” as Moreno howls, “You’re shooting stars/ From the barrel of your eyes/ And it drives me crazy/ Just drives me wild.” Another standout is “Sextape,” the record’s prettiest track (and yes, it’s more than a little strange describing a Deftones track that way) that piles layers of atmosphere on a steady build to a great chorus. Really, it’s easy to make a case that Moreno himself had become a metaphor for the band. He’d allowed himself to bloat (I mean, Jesus… dude was effing fat during the videos off of <i>Saturday Night Wrist</i>) but now he’s leaner and meaner, much like the band as a whole on <i>Diamond Eyes</i>. After hearing the band drop the fat and put out likely their hardest record since <i>Around The Fur</i>, clearly the Deftones should consider sticking around for at least another few records. And that’s a great thing. A really great thing.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Standout Tracks:</b> “Rocket Skates;” “Sextape;” “Diamond Eyes;” “Beauty School”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 77/100</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div></span></span></span></div></div></div><object height="385" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/woR6ohiFeYE&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/woR6ohiFeYE&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-33212229882296081352010-07-20T21:52:00.000-04:002010-07-20T21:52:13.385-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Broken Social Scene | Forgiveness Rock Record<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT72Bhyphenhyphenj6CtG8y6uLAqktyD99nAJZ8t3gMBKfploacCHWfyWmYwSInYABXbDvYMAGJTc2XoQekZv0mKY69EhtVrl59sObM1nLRODGZvgsqV1-_6um9amgSc7tBqsDMP86DmUoWoYgY6A/s1600/BSS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT72Bhyphenhyphenj6CtG8y6uLAqktyD99nAJZ8t3gMBKfploacCHWfyWmYwSInYABXbDvYMAGJTc2XoQekZv0mKY69EhtVrl59sObM1nLRODGZvgsqV1-_6um9amgSc7tBqsDMP86DmUoWoYgY6A/s200/BSS.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Broken Social Scene | Forgiveness Rock Record</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No band in Canadian indie rock has a bigger profile than Broken Social Scene and I mean that both figuratively and literally (the band has included up to 19 members at various points). Due to the collective nature of the group, almost anyone who’s been involved in the Canadian indie scene has at least some tenuous connection to BSS over the years. After releasing a number of records by members of the band in the past few years that were de facto BSS records (including Kevin Drew’s <i>Spirit Is</i>, Brendan Canning’s <i>Something For All Of Us</i>) not to mention records by other members of the collective (Feist, Stars, Amy Millan, k-os, Jason Collett), <i>Forgiveness Rock Record</i> is the first one in five years to actually be a labeled as a proper BSS record. Was it worth the wait? Results are mixed. At this point in their career it’s becoming painfully obvious that the career heights of <i>You Forgot It In People</i> will never again be scaled by the band. And that can be fine, so long as the band is still producing quality tracks at a high level. And true, there are highs on <i>Forgiveness Rock Record</i>, but not enough to sustain the album. “World Sick<b>” </b>is a strong opening salvo from the record that speaks to the collective nature of the band as Drew sings; “We got a minefield of crippled affection/ All for the borrowed mirror connection/ That’s why I’m leaving this spoken protection/ I’m a romance addict so I can confess that” before what feels like the entirety of the 19 person membership chiming in for the chorus. “Texico Bitches”<b> </b>is very upbeat and lively and is definitely one of the stronger efforts here while the moody “Sweetest Kill” and the Eastern influenced “Ungrateful Little Father”<b> </b>also stand a cut above. However, it’s never a good sign when you’re constantly checking the tracklist to see how far into the record you are and I did that more than once through the record’s one hour running time. “Chase Scene” is appropriately titled as it sounds like it could be backing a 70s cop show chase scene and the track’s OK but it feels oddly lifeless, and that’s not the worst of it. “Art House Director” is too cutesy by half, “Forced To Love” feels like a limp rehash of Canning’s “Hit The Wall,” and “Meet Me In The Basement” and “Romance To The Grave” are just straight boring. Maybe everyone in BSS is so preoccupied with their own shit that, even though this is the first group record in a half decade, they don’t care as much about the band as a whole anymore. It wouldn’t be the first time that a band, even one as talented as BSS, fell prey to this kind of trap. But still, with the collective talent involved, it’s hard to call <i>Forgiveness Rock Record</i> anything other than a mild to medium disappointment.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Standout Tracks:</b> “Sweetest Kill;” “World Sick;” “Texico Bitches;” “Ungrateful Little Father” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 74/100</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div></span></span></span></div></div></div><object width="400" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qfufvT_hHC4&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qfufvT_hHC4&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-75963312007470091062010-07-18T15:33:00.004-04:002010-07-18T15:42:48.273-04:00Weekend News Dump<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_eT2cCYC4HBVdli8QgjCZeQWTq8hXLZw8MwyeFeWTeCW8eQCNHa9V6172uIgZy8Ztx5fzW07HYHEb7FBf8mchb3RtIos0lOxTqVPFiYE_wtPoq2Y70garE724yYHIoaXpp5tFKoqty8/s1600/Friday+News+Dump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_eT2cCYC4HBVdli8QgjCZeQWTq8hXLZw8MwyeFeWTeCW8eQCNHa9V6172uIgZy8Ztx5fzW07HYHEb7FBf8mchb3RtIos0lOxTqVPFiYE_wtPoq2Y70garE724yYHIoaXpp5tFKoqty8/s320/Friday+News+Dump.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's the Weekend News Dump.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Because it's the weekend. And we're dumping news. The Weekend News Dump.</span></span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">In surprising yet highly welcome news, <a href="http://warmingglow.uproxx.com/2010/07/tosh-getting-bigger-ratings-than-stewart-and-colbert">Daniel Tosh has officially become the most-watched host on Comedy Central</a> as the ratings for the summer season of <i>Tosh.0</i> have eclipsed those of both Jon Stewart's <i>Daily Show</i> and Stephen Colbert's <i>Colbert Report</i>. Clearly the reason is that <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDX9Mxzpzik">Tosh.0</a></i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDX9Mxzpzik"> features more puke</a>. Never doubt the ratings power of puke. Oh, and also because it's damn funny. That's probably part of it, too.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">HBO has <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1671104427">ordered </a><i><a href="http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/hbo-orders-horseracing-drama-starring-dustin-hoffman.html">Luck</a></i><a href="http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/hbo-orders-horseracing-drama-starring-dustin-hoffman.html"> to series</a>, which seemed to be a mere formality given the Milch/Mann/Hoffman/Nolte core of the show. <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/in-the-news-fx-premieres-hbo-s-luck-and-amber-tamblyn-on-house">Alan Sepinwall raises a good point</a>, however. What will the show's shelf life be once the notoriously overprepared Dustin Hoffman begins receiving new pages of dialogue from series creator David Milch in the midst of shooting a scene, a stunt that Milch is legendary for pulling on a regular basis? Maybe we should enjoy the first season while we can when it premieres in early 2011.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">My fifteen-year-old self loves this. MTV has announced that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/14/beavis-and-butthead-comin_n_645715.html">Mike Judge is at work on new episodes of </a><i><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/14/beavis-and-butthead-comin_n_645715.html">Beavis And Butt-head</a></i> that will air on the cable outlet sometime in the near future. The structure will stay the same as the show's 90s heyday -- scripted episodes that also include the characters commenting on contemporary music videos. The biggest news here, surprisingly, isn't the resurrection of the series but that, shit, <b>MTV IS GOING TO BE PLAYING VIDEOS AGAIN</b>. Kinda.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Discovery Channel's <i>Deadliest Catch</i><a href="http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/ratings-deadliest-catch-sets-record-plus-hills-finale.html"> attracted a whopping 8.5 million viewers</a> (without question a record for the network) for its season premiere on Tuesday night which dealt with the death of Captain Phil Harris. Not to be crass but we'd venture to guess that those numbers will stay as a series high seeing as the show's star is, to put it delicately, an ex-human.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Community </i>is the <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/community-the-latest-show-to-deny-betty-white-her,43124/">latest series to get into the Betty White business</a>. And by latest we mean the 268th.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK2bBfuepKk">Sharktopus</a>. Just saying.</span></li>
</ul>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-39048225829148467412010-07-14T20:14:00.000-04:002010-07-14T20:14:24.428-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: The Radio Dept. | Clinging To A Scheme<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VDjStUjaSulWVOlgPF0rEPpqfE6V5yhoH02Oii-cAO_7vDlLyxreGiS6-0PrqoT-wBzWHJaP83HHlNvtXgChVJFrg0s8TxsVxqC6STliA5Tz_EJBFwK688bnH4hTnMCxd3iAxiqAZtY/s1600/The+Radio+Dept.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VDjStUjaSulWVOlgPF0rEPpqfE6V5yhoH02Oii-cAO_7vDlLyxreGiS6-0PrqoT-wBzWHJaP83HHlNvtXgChVJFrg0s8TxsVxqC6STliA5Tz_EJBFwK688bnH4hTnMCxd3iAxiqAZtY/s200/The+Radio+Dept.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Radio Dept. | Clinging To A Scheme</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like a lone daisy springing from inner city concrete, the soundtrack from the entirely forgettable 2006 film <i>Marie Antoinette</i> was the one highlight of an ill-advised look at the child Queen Of France. Its soundtrack (because Sofia Coppola for some reason chose to back 1700s France with 80s new wave and post-punk) likely served as the iPod generation’s introduction to acts like The Cure, New Order, and Siouxie And The Banshees, while also highlighting lesser known bands like Windsor For The Derby and Sweden’s The Radio Dept. On an obviously stellar collection, The Radio Dept. stood apart with shoegazey pop tracks like “I Don’t Like It Like That” and “Pulling Our Weight.” (Side note: Say what you will about Sofia Coppola’s filmmaking talent but damn, does she ever have good taste in music. From getting Air to score her debut film, <i>The Virgin Suicides</i>, to using The Jesus And Mary Chain’s classic “Just Like Honey” to close <i>Lost In Translation</i> to hell… even dating Thomas Mars from Phoenix and now introducing the masses to The Radio Dept. through their use in <i>Marie Antoinette</i>, she deserves major props.) Returning with <i>Clinging To A Scheme</i>, their first long-player since the soundtrack’s release, The Radio Dept. expands on the promise that they showed on the <i>Marie Antoinette</i> collection. They hop from genre to genre but they really know what they’re doing and they incorporate all of the sounds (using dream pop/shoegaze as their base) to create something truly remarkable. “Domestic Scene” is a natural progression from the <i>Marie Antoinette</i> tracks and it sets the table for what’s to come on the rest of <i>Clinging To A Scheme</i> – very lazy (in a good way) and breezy vocals from Johan Duncanson with an airy dream pop/shoegaze bent to the instrumentation. The bouncy and summery “Heaven’s On Fire” follows and hearkens back more than a little to British Invasion pop while it grows more with each listen. It sounds like a paradoxical statement but The Radio Dept.’s sound can really be described as a cool warmth. This feel is heard best on tracks like “A Token Of Gratitude,” (without question one of the record’s standouts) where Duncanson coolly sings, “Do I love you?/ Yes I love you/ But easy come easy go/ Don’t let me down,” as the track evolves into ambient beauty that would have been at home on David Bowie’s <i>Low</i>, or on the absolutely gorgeous “You Stopped Making Sense.” <i>Clinging To A Scheme</i> is all about the creation of mood and atmosphere through incredibly lush instrumentals. “David” is more synth-heavy than most of the record and turns into almost an Enigma-esque track that closes with a guitar break that sounds like birds soaring into the sky, “The Video Dept.” morphs from its post-punk influences into a Smiths-like 80s alternative jangle, and the skittering pace and production choices on “This Time Around” recall <i>Faith</i>-era Cure. The results are mindblowingly good. The Radio Dept. utilizes many of the conventions of dream pop and shoegaze to create not just an unbelievably enjoyable album, but one of 2010’s very best as well.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Standout Tracks:</b> “You Stopped Making Sense;” “A Token Of Gratitude;” “Heaven’s On Fire;” “David”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 94/100</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></div></span></span></span></div></div></div><object height="385" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/76ULJDimqKc&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/76ULJDimqKc&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-38104268847441126712010-07-13T22:18:00.000-04:002010-07-13T22:18:28.891-04:00Jon Benjamin Has A Van. Not Sure If It's Down By The River.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSc3pYfykWqHZA_wxocYLzxbPe2rOxaZpQvcCikPylgFxz08-nAb2EBhcfyndB3R-0_OtA-JJyirTy3NvEiT4Tj-TgsgSyorMq8z4Gd8Nl42tw139kMlEYGwTvw0DdBxPDXHIawairg4/s1600/Jon+Benjamin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSc3pYfykWqHZA_wxocYLzxbPe2rOxaZpQvcCikPylgFxz08-nAb2EBhcfyndB3R-0_OtA-JJyirTy3NvEiT4Tj-TgsgSyorMq8z4Gd8Nl42tw139kMlEYGwTvw0DdBxPDXHIawairg4/s200/Jon+Benjamin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is certainly welcome news. <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2010-7-12-comedy-central-orders-jon-benjamin-has-a-van">Comedy Central has ordered a sketch comedy series from H. Jon Benjamin</a>... excuse me, <b>EMMY NOMINEE*</b> H. Jon Benjamin (that's right, bitches, nominated for the funniest show on TV that you're not watching, <i>Archer</i>) called <i>Jon Benjamin Has A Van</i> that will premiere next summer. The show will see Benjamin travel in a van to do newsmagazine-style interviews (think <i>Daily Show</i> field pieces). Between the new animated <i>Bob's Burgers</i> midseason on Fox, the second season of <i>Archer </i>in early 2011, and now this Benjamin is officially all over the tube. And that's a very, very good thing.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*And yes, we realize the Emmys are a farce (for example, the just cancelled <i>Flash Forward</i> received three nominations which is more than the entire five season run of <i>The Wire</i> combined) but the fact remains that they gave <i>Breaking Bad</i> a chunk of noms, Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton of <i>Friday Night Lights</i> were both nominated (finally) for the first time, and fucking <i>Archer </i>got a nod. Credit where credit's due. But you still suck, Emmys.</span></span>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-78472643002612163222010-07-12T21:43:00.000-04:002010-07-12T21:43:18.549-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: The Good Guys<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at The Dirtywhirl:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100-95 - Classic Show; (In best Bill O'Reilly voice) "WE'LL DO IT LIVE!!"</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">94-85 - Upper Echelon Show; You Should DVR This And Watch It The Same Night</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">84-75 - Very, Very Good; You Should Make An Effort To Watch This Within A Few Days Of Airing</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">74-65 - Not Bad At All; Let These Shows Pile Up On Your DVR But Watch 'Em Eventually</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">64-55 - Fold The Laundry While You Watch These</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">54-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now... onto the review:</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAsJhgbjyFwr6hZmW-_yIYmTrLqdV-lZg_6qg2TVxGn8_z_c0e4WHpR1Z_o1ccWQp0XlGTa3tGeA91J4P_iPR1G2Kj05WiuBIeymel1LpV41Nwx5FRVovYjvtheTXAo9-9zdGXyhQweo/s1600/The+Good+Guys.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAsJhgbjyFwr6hZmW-_yIYmTrLqdV-lZg_6qg2TVxGn8_z_c0e4WHpR1Z_o1ccWQp0XlGTa3tGeA91J4P_iPR1G2Kj05WiuBIeymel1LpV41Nwx5FRVovYjvtheTXAo9-9zdGXyhQweo/s400/The+Good+Guys.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Good Guys | Season 1</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> “The work we’re doing here could save someone’s life. Maybe a woman. Maybe even a hot one.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The landscape of summer TV has undergone a sea change in recent years. For eons, summer had been a dumping ground for failed pilots and reruns of police procedurals. It’s still that, in large part, but the success of <i>Survivor</i> upon its debut in 2000 proved that first-run programming did have a place during the calendar’s hottest months. During the following half-decade, networks were content to air cheap (albeit fresh) reality shows in order to attract eyeballs during a time when viewership was traditionally down. This summer, however, Fox has taken the approach one step further and has begun airing <i>The Good Guys (</i>a series already given a place on the network's fall schedule) this summer in hopes of building an audience before the crucible of September commences. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">From creator Matt Nix (<i>Burn Notice</i>), <i>The Good Guys</i> stars Bradley Whitford (<i>The West Wing</i>) and Colin Hanks (<i>Orange County</i>) as mismatched Dallas police detectives assigned to the property crimes unit who somehow always seem to stumble onto bigger cases. The series’ hook is that Hanks’s Jack Bailey is a by-the-book detective who hopes for some upward mobility but who’s saddled with Whitford’s Dan Stark, an old school cop perpetually stuck in the early 1980’s (read: Stark’s lack of tech knowledge leads him to scream at a computer, “Tell me where my partner is!!;” Stark infects his department issue laptop with a porn virus) who's stuck on his glory days with his old partner, Frank (who’s mentioned so many times that he’s surely going to pop up in a future episode in a key spot). Hilarity sometimes ensues. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>The Good Guys</i> is not deep television, but that’s about what you’d expect from the creator of <i>Burn Notice</i>, the television equivalent of a beach read. It has a very tongue-in-cheek summer sensibility and, while it’s currently airing on Monday nights, Fox has made the savvy decision to air it on Friday nights paired with <i>Human Target</i> (another lighthearted 80s throwback actioner) in the fall, so not only does it have a tonal partner but also lowered expectations when it comes to ratings. It will probably have to start drawing more than its current four million viewers if it’s to even make it to September because Fox probably has yet another cooking show where Gordon Ramsay screams at people in a kitchen just waiting in the wings somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That said, the concept of a modern detective saddled with a comedic relic does have its potential but the trick is to make sure that the Dan Stark character is not treated as a complete joke (see Michael Scott in <i>The Office</i> or Leslie Knope in <i>Parks And Recreation</i> – both of those series excelled when they decided to humanize their leads instead of treating them as total farces). It does seem (at least in the five episodes we’ve seen) that <i>The Good Guys</i> is heading in that direction, which is a good start. For example, Dan does seem to be a bit of a savant with the ladies, however inexplicable that may be.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On the downside, the series does subscribe to too many TV cop show tropes and its self-contained nature is limiting (basically, if you don’t buy into the case of the week there’s really nothing for you here) but the tangential approach to its storytelling that sees a scene play out only to have a title card appear, taking you chronologically back to a previous viewpoint that explains the future scene, all the while punctuated by a gunshot sound effect is different and mildly interesting. Early on at least, much of the comedy is not that funny and if the series wants to stick with that kind of lighter tone, it’s going to have to have more luck in finding its comedic voice. Also, the developing trend of Whitford and Hanks working a menial case that somehow ends up tying into a much larger one is already contrived and tired. The writers need to find a better way of tying the characters into the more important cases.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As far as the cast is concerned, Whitford, early on, seems to be struggling to find the right balance between comedy and pathos (he’s good in half of the episodes and less than good in the other half) even while clearly slumming on a show like this, while Hanks is more than competent playing the straight man. They do seem to be building a decent dynamic, for example the scene in “Broken Door Theory” where Whitford wildly tries to kick a door open only to have Hanks calmly open it since it’s unlocked is one of the funnier moments thus far. Dan’s cryogenic freezing in the 80s also allows the creative team to pack the soundtrack with late 70s/early 80s rock (“Rock You Like A Hurricane,” “Barracuda”) which adds to the fun of the series.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>The Good Guys</i> is much more lighthearted than what I normally go for, particularly in a cop series, but it often feels like there’s a good show in there somewhere that’s just struggling to get out once the writing staff finds its voice. It has Friday nights written all over it so, if it can strike the right tonal balance between its comedic elements and dramatic moments, it could ultimately prove to be a halfway decent way to cap off the week assuming its ratings allow it the chance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>What’s Good:</b> Tangential storytelling; Potential of the Dan Stark character; Lighthearted nature; Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>What’s Not So Good:</b> Self-contained storylines; Inorganic storytelling; Whitford’s balance thus far with the Dan Stark character<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 57/100</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><i>The Good Guys airs Monday nights at 9PM on Fox before moving to Fridays at 9PM in the fall.</i></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-44854672714830211082010-07-06T22:40:00.000-04:002010-07-06T22:40:12.692-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Adam Green | Minor Love<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeVMuNMOawaA7JhW3ek9cjtu2c3QctTIezkEiS2lxooCX3lWiiHEpg-TODAB_w7mBrxdDQbTqxRrN02PHkd6et95ZfESPN489gL1MQRhl6R6c25CPvrzz5mE7Y3_xcIcJoVxPqRMF1J8/s1600/Adam+Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeVMuNMOawaA7JhW3ek9cjtu2c3QctTIezkEiS2lxooCX3lWiiHEpg-TODAB_w7mBrxdDQbTqxRrN02PHkd6et95ZfESPN489gL1MQRhl6R6c25CPvrzz5mE7Y3_xcIcJoVxPqRMF1J8/s200/Adam+Green.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Adam Green | Minor Love</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After seeing Kimya Dawson, his former partner in freak folk duo The Moldy Peaches, break into the mainstream with her work on the acclaimed 2008 film <i>Juno</i>, Adam Green returns with his bid for success in the form of his sixth solo record, <i>Minor Love</i>. While the poop jokes and songs about Jessica Simpson from previous records are largely gone, a large part of <i>Minor Love</i> suffers from Green’s insistence on emulating Lou Reed but ending up sounding like Reed if he was less of a musical genius and more like some dude who just decided to put out a record. He’s a storyteller pitching a tale that no one really wants nor needs to hear. “Breaking Locks” is the most successful Reed-influenced track with Green’s loping voice singing, “Breaking locks and getting shocked/ No one should ever hold me up/ I’ve been too awful to ever be thoughtful/ To ever be nice.” Another highlight is the Strokes on Quaaludes sound of “What Makes Him Act So Bad” but too much of <i>Minor Love</i> is a messy detour from the road that Reed tries to pave. “Goblin” doesn’t fit at all with the late night NYC vibe of the majority of the record, “Boss Inside” borrows much too liberally from Johnny Cash, and “Castles And Tassels”… well, I don’t really know what to make of that one with lyrics that include “Castles and tassels/ And flatulent assholes/ I love you/ Always.” Uh, yeah. That unpleasantness aside, <i>Minor Love </i>is pleasant enough at times but it’s fair to describe it as (pardon the word choice) a minor album. There’s nothing really special or dynamic about it. It’s Lou Reed For Dummies and it looks like Green’s going to have to find some measure of satisfaction in his old partner’s success ‘cause he ain’t seeing much of his own after a record like this.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Standout Tracks</b>: “Breaking Locks;” “What Makes Him Act So Bad;” “You Blacken My Stay”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Dirty Rating: 45/100</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></span></span></span></div></div></div><object width="400" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EGUcS5Auiac&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EGUcS5Auiac&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-39575600715248330782010-06-28T21:51:00.000-04:002010-06-28T21:51:30.449-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: She & Him | Volume Two<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gqQHI8OJGXJtrDyth4Q_2mA_WSef6HgZYssnWmeOjDOZjaUTf-8zK8v8690xERMOKtHHJ_SzUEeaka71AGZlt_1nulay_m9qtdkxQDJ37pj3xRnr7TQAAZQ56WuJ2kct4racQqyMAqo/s1600/She+%26+Him.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gqQHI8OJGXJtrDyth4Q_2mA_WSef6HgZYssnWmeOjDOZjaUTf-8zK8v8690xERMOKtHHJ_SzUEeaka71AGZlt_1nulay_m9qtdkxQDJ37pj3xRnr7TQAAZQ56WuJ2kct4racQqyMAqo/s200/She+%26+Him.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">She & Him | Volume Two</span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal">There’s no denying that we’re in a bad spot right now. The BP mess. The economy still lagging. The dog days of summer rearing their ugly heads. In the midst of all of this, a respite to brighten the mood would be welcomed with open arms. Music, for one, can serve that purpose better than most. The term “feel good record” gets thrown out a lot but in many ways that’s exactly what She & Him’s second collection, <i>Volume Two</i>, is. It’s music that brightens the mood as it spins and in the summer of 2010 there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The movie career of singer Zooey Deschanel (the She) has been picking up following 2009’s breakout indie hit <i>(500) Days Of Summer</i> so you couldn’t help but wonder if, after their debut record, She & Him might fall by the wayside so it’s an encouraging sign that <i>Volume Two</i> shows up on shelves a scant two years after their debut and at the perfect time to boot. In a lot of ways there isn’t much deviation from <i>Volume One</i> but when the decision to title the record <i>Volume Two</i> is made that’s probably to be expected. With any other band it might be fair worry that they’re repeating themselves because the sound is so similar to their first record but no one really sounds like She & Him right now. A throwback to the Brill Building sound of “Don’t Look Back.” The surf-style guitars and imagery of the cover of NRBQ’s “Ridin’ In My Car.” The honky-tonk of “Lingering Still.” Deschanel and M. Ward (the Him) are classicists who know what they’re doing and they do it well. Ward’s arrangements are exceptional as usual and Deschanel has a uniquely gorgeous voice that’s not given nearly enough credit. It’s a winning combination that worked on <i>Volume One</i> and is employed with great success here as well. “Thieves” makes for a beautifully longing opener as Deschanel laments, “And I know/ And you know too/ That love like ours is terrible news/ But that won’t stop me crying over you,” while their 50’s pop sound envelops the catchy chorus of “Over It Over Again,” the lightness and carefree nature of “Me And You,” and the jaunty first single “In The Sun.” “In The Sun,” perhaps more than any other track that She & Him have put to tape is the perfect example of what this band really is. Breezy and fun, it was a very strong initial statement from <i>Volume Two</i> and it speaks very well to the magic that the Deschanel/Ward combination is capable of. True, the band can sound as precious at times as its name would signify but, again, they’re so enjoyable that it doesn’t matter. Surely it sounds trivial to some to suggest that in the face of a horrific oil spill or bills piling so high that you can hardly breathe that music can play such a significant therapeutic part, but it’s true. It’s a powerful medium and lest anyone doubt that, we’ll let Deschanel have the last word via “Sing”: “Open your arms and sing/ The world’s been waiting, it’s been waiting for years/ And they’ve just gotta hear it/ The kids are waiting, they’ve been shedding tears/ So open your arms and sing/ For us.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Standout Tracks:</b> "In The Sun;" "Thieves;" "Over It Over Again;" "Don't Look Back;" "Me And You"</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Dirty Rating: 89/100</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div></span></span></span></div></div></div><object height="385" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pZ3cTwI9bIw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pZ3cTwI9bIw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-70605187349415297252010-06-24T21:57:00.000-04:002010-06-24T21:57:12.373-04:00The Dirtywhirl Tips Its Cap To... Breaking Bad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRksPD2e5P7jKZc9kQR4oOs8udA-PQlivdIBZqSabjEjZTUX3QVjIReBc_FT3Eb2aDzH96XZ1D4AxElRRtmYwfAJ1GQBUHXR1OzBWzF2z8IOLey7vPY_uzOXBQOkxkeRsVzH2g2N3ljUg/s1600/Breaking+Bad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRksPD2e5P7jKZc9kQR4oOs8udA-PQlivdIBZqSabjEjZTUX3QVjIReBc_FT3Eb2aDzH96XZ1D4AxElRRtmYwfAJ1GQBUHXR1OzBWzF2z8IOLey7vPY_uzOXBQOkxkeRsVzH2g2N3ljUg/s400/Breaking+Bad.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I watch a lot of television (some would possibly replace the words "a lot" with "an obscene amount" and they wouldn't be wrong) so it's no small measure of praise for me to say that <i>Breaking Bad</i> just finished one of the all-time great seasons that a television show has ever had. AMC's original drama slate right now consists of <i>Mad Men</i> and <i>Breaking Bad</i> (with a few more in the pipeline) and while <i>Mad Men</i> deservedly gets an immense amount of critical acclaim and Emmy love for being artfully executed, <i>Breaking Bad</i> just crushed any season of <i>Mad Men</i> hands down with its own third season. A series that once seemed very closed in due to its premise of a high school chemistry teacher who turns to cooking meth in order to provide a nest egg for his family after he's diagnosed with terminal lung cancer has opened up into an even darker examination of the toll that the drug trade takes on a man's choices, soul, and psyche. Each of its three seasons has topped the previous one with season three being far and beyond anything the series has done to date. There are no less than four or five jaw-dropping moments throughout the course of its 13 episodes, one moment in particular that had me just saying, "Wow!" over and over to Mrs. Dirtywhirl over the course of a five to ten minute span. We're keeping this as spoiler-free as possible for the uninitiated because the shocks are part of the enjoyment of watching <i>Breaking Bad</i> (along with the expertise of its acting and writing) but believe me when I say that there is no wasted member of its ensemble cast. Bryan Cranston is every bit deserving of his two (and soon to be three) Emmys for his portrayal of Walter White, a man becoming addicted to the power provided by a world that he had no intentions of living in, but this season saw both Aaron Paul (as White's partner and former chemistry student Jesse Pinkman) and Dean Norris (as White's DEA agent brother-in-law who's unaware that the elusive "Heisenberg" drug dealer that he's been tracking is actually family) step up to the plate and absolutely nail the material they were given. Come December, I'd be very, very surprised if any show has a stronger season than this. It really isn't often that a year like this one comes along for a single series so if you're a fan of quality television at all, you owe it to yourself to check <i>Breaking Bad</i> out.</span></span>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-6973621568783802282010-06-23T21:57:00.000-04:002010-06-23T21:57:18.641-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Johnny Cash | American VI: Ain't No Grave<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h3bqeNQiv9a9-Z9fB4auvCOPUeKPRvBXsinXpAWZZNDsSt5RPE7MYul53-kFhM6xdOSRC43s4X-9pGtM27RDpCQPgEBf1JWZ-7gMHnHu2C-C6A4KVDtR27RgTNh3jTWUsAMmvawxRDQ/s1600/Johnny+Cash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h3bqeNQiv9a9-Z9fB4auvCOPUeKPRvBXsinXpAWZZNDsSt5RPE7MYul53-kFhM6xdOSRC43s4X-9pGtM27RDpCQPgEBf1JWZ-7gMHnHu2C-C6A4KVDtR27RgTNh3jTWUsAMmvawxRDQ/s200/Johnny+Cash.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Johnny Cash | American VI: Ain't No Grave</b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal">As a music fan, it feels somewhat blasphemous to bash a Johnny Cash record but I think that’s what I’m about to do. The first (and hopefully last) posthumous Cash release, <i>American VI: Ain’t No Grave</i>, is the sixth (and hopefully last – I’m stressing this, in case it wasn’t already painfully obvious) volume in his series for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings label and the blame for this record’s existence rests squarely on Rubin’s beard… er, shoulders. Seemingly trying to turn the Man In Black into country’s answer to Tupac is offensive on many levels as <i>American VI: Ain’t No Grave</i> has the stink of cash grab all over it. Since the majority of the record was recorded during the <i>American V</i> sessions it quickly becomes clear why they weren’t included on that set: they’re just not that good. Sure, there are moments when you remember that you’re listening to Johnny Cash for all that entails. Take “Ain’t No Grave” for example. The track may be one of the only songs on the record that deserved to see the light of day. Pairing Cash’s ragged voice with Rubin’s production that employs a dragging chain sound effect creates the feeling that Cash is a specter singing from beyond the grave, “When I hear that trumpet sound/ I’m gonna rise right out of the ground/ Ain’t no grave/ Can hold my body down.” This is a bleak, death obsessed record as “Redemption Day” and “Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound” flirt with poignancy but there are just too many songs here that feel unfinished which seems to justify the theory that this is work that should not have been released. In some ways, it feels like you’re peering in on a part of Cash’s life that’s off limits and that you’ve been sullied because of it. And, honestly, the way that Rubin structures the album (good track/bad track/good track/bad track) implies that HE knows the record isn’t that good either. The American Recordings series has been a powerful final chapter of Cash’s legendary discography, but <i>American VI: Ain’t No Grave</i> was unnecessary. Cash is an icon – no question – which is why it’s sad that this record could end up as the postscript to an otherwise brilliant career.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Standout Track: "Ain't No Grave"</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Dirty Rating: 47/100</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0MIFHLIzZY">"Ain't No Grave" Video On YouTube</a></b></div></span></span></span></div></div></div>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-64524355155649347522010-06-21T21:48:00.000-04:002010-06-21T21:48:50.063-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Surfer Blood | Astro Coast<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dirtywhirl</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDW1kOyoIMagOVHNtEkEnKK_M7T8-Tuf86MpfZHe-BOTFC5crWADyNlMnuy3hEeL1lQDI9tygs6A9OCq8sFM2s1nGtFNs-3RB2tYpmkmAn-M4MzGszF6_AayfZdgOtv_FN4opobr591aI/s1600/Surfer+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDW1kOyoIMagOVHNtEkEnKK_M7T8-Tuf86MpfZHe-BOTFC5crWADyNlMnuy3hEeL1lQDI9tygs6A9OCq8sFM2s1nGtFNs-3RB2tYpmkmAn-M4MzGszF6_AayfZdgOtv_FN4opobr591aI/s200/Surfer+Blood.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Surfer Blood | Astro Coast</span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Silly band name aside (although one that does befit their beach-ready sound), West Palm Beach, Florida’s Surfer Blood has delivered one of the year’s best debuts thus far with <i>Astro Coast</i>. Innovative? No. Deep? No. <i>Astro Coast</i> is nothing more than a strong example of no frills, workmanlike indie rock that makes for a very enjoyable listen. As many successful debut albums do, <i>Astro Coast</i> serves as a blueprint of sorts for where Surfer Blood could guide their career after some honing and polishing of their sound, a sound that draws from a variety of influences. As a part of the current Afropop fad (see Vampire Weekend and Local Natives), they’re probably the rawest of those acts but one that incorporates the Afropop influences with the most success, particularly on the bouncy “Take It Easy.” They also pull liberally from 90s indie (particularly Pavement) on “Anchorage” and on the album’s best track, “Floating Vibes,” which could be the jam of the summer in some parallel universe where good music actually ruled that part of the calendar. It’s easy to picture “Floating Vibes” pouring out of a car with the windows down in June thanks to its beachcomber guitar vibe and singer John Paul Pitts singing, “When you told me you were leaving/ I wasn’t thirsty for revenge/ No, I wasn’t disappointed much at all/ ‘Cause you’ll be back again.” There’s also a hint of <i>EVOL</i>-era Sonic Youth crossed with The Police on another standout, the dark “Harmonix.” Will some other band put out a stronger first effort than Surfer Blood by the time December rolls around? Possibly, but that would do nothing to diminish the promise displayed by the band on <i>Astro Coast</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Standout Tracks</b>: "Floating Vibes;" "Harmonix;" "Slow Jabroni;" "Swim"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 83/100</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></span></span></div></div></div><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wSVXPvXb10M&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wSVXPvXb10M&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-80280403687526912092010-06-17T22:24:00.001-04:002010-06-17T22:24:54.558-04:00Record We Love Right Now: Band Of Horses | Infinite Arms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzTZAKB6G6wyZLwXCCmAeAjS7-C5VGuiIpMPAARyTaGCsXGnz1s2z2SDLz9A0Ql4GM884K-xALEcCbO_03H2rUFhfV6KvyBk6VV_nHjYnvqjMand19bzman3d0ewxs2qDmXRsFrWhOSs/s1600/Band+Of+Horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzTZAKB6G6wyZLwXCCmAeAjS7-C5VGuiIpMPAARyTaGCsXGnz1s2z2SDLz9A0Ql4GM884K-xALEcCbO_03H2rUFhfV6KvyBk6VV_nHjYnvqjMand19bzman3d0ewxs2qDmXRsFrWhOSs/s400/Band+Of+Horses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We’ve heard the “Bland Of Horses” tag online and you know what? Shove it. Band Of Horses is one of the best acts to surface in the past five years. If gorgeous pastoral rock isn’t your thing, we get it. You’re missing out, but we get it. Doesn’t make this band any less talented. We’re kind of taken aback that their third record, <i>Infinite Arms</i>, has gotten such middling reviews because, from where we sit, it represents an expansion of their heretofore well-received sound. Admittedly, it’s a little dad-rockish at times but that doesn’t detract from Band Of Horses taking the winning combo of singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell’s golden voice plus waves of reverb (that resulted in no small measure of critical praise on both of their previous records) and opening it up even more so than in the past. Alternately relaxing and adrenaline pumping, <i>Infinite Arms</i> stands toe to toe with the band’s best work. Haters gonna hate, but this is one of 2010’s best records halfway through the year.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div><br />
<object width="400" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wv28o2c4gD4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wv28o2c4gD4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-4233614142322306852010-06-15T19:51:00.000-04:002010-06-15T19:51:40.357-04:00Quick 'N Dirty Review: Yeasayer | Odd Blood<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time<br />
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This<br />
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This<br />
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time<br />
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh<br />
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either<br />
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now... onto the review:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2fsB9S3ghl2Y5ok6PQEniV_mpyz8X0EOdi-PYi0Zee2TOyfbCPBEWmaU6ACyf6rAboscb3ckX3zitxZEZupiQuB5pq3Mfsz2C9LH7o1qZ8Ok7lobqtWsYVJJDA7opPeeM0g__64OqrY/s1600/Yeasayer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2fsB9S3ghl2Y5ok6PQEniV_mpyz8X0EOdi-PYi0Zee2TOyfbCPBEWmaU6ACyf6rAboscb3ckX3zitxZEZupiQuB5pq3Mfsz2C9LH7o1qZ8Ok7lobqtWsYVJJDA7opPeeM0g__64OqrY/s200/Yeasayer.png" width="200" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Yeasayer | Odd Blood</span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Statements. They often come when you least expect them. Yeasayer was on our radar somewhat after their 2007 debut, </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All Hour Cymbals</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, was released but it wasn’t until their brilliant “Tightrope” was included on last year’s </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dark Was The Night</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> benefit album that they demanded our attention. Owning perhaps the standout track on that compilation (amongst such luminaries including Iron & Wine, Spoon, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, and The National) but was no easy feat but “Tightrope” was just that – THE standout. Logically the news that they were at work on a new full-length was welcomed with open arms and high expectations. The resulting record, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Odd Blood</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, delivers immeasurably. It is infectious in a way that no other album this year has been. Imagine a more accessible Animal Collective with a dash of the day-glo sound of </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oracular Spectacular-</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">era MGMT and you’ll have a pretty close approximation of how </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Odd Blood</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> plays. After the anachronistic and Animal Collective-recalling “The Children” opens the record, Yeasayer unleashes a sequence of tracks that rivals the exemplary opening quartet from Beach House’s extraordinary </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Teen Dream</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. “Ambling Alp,” the record’s teaser single, was released in late 2009 with its accompanying very NSFW video (available in censored form <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6VatNuR_Uk">here</a>), is the first song in the run, and is one of the band’s strongest tracks to date. In the hands of a lesser act the lyrics like, “And if anyone should cheat you, take advantage of, or beat you/ Raise your hands and wear your wounds with pride” over top of bottoming-out synthesizers could feel too sticky and messagey, but it never does here which is a testament to Yeasayer’s talent. Co-vocalist/guitarist Anand Wilder’s “Madder Red” is next and accomplishes Wilder’s goal of creating a John Lennon “Jealous Guy” vibe as his confession, “Never gave much thought to an honorable living/ Always had sense enough to lie/ It’s getting harder to keep pretending/ I’m worth your time” accompanied by a wordless hook that takes up residence in your head and refuses to leave. The closest thing to a love song that Yeasayer will probably ever attempt, “I Remember,” follows and has already been described facetiously by Keating as “the four and a half minute long mixtape love ballad of 2010.” If any track is going to cross over to a mainstream audience, this is it. Like “Ambling Alp,” the beautiful “I Remember” is another track that could have gotten lost in its own sentiment in less talented hands. Closing out the stretch is the bombastic “O.N.E.,” which sees Wilder leading a track that’s closest in tone to MGMT and holy shit – if I could or was inclined to dance, this track would do it. It’s contagious like some kind of fun virus (if fun viruses actually existed) with its underground 80s feel, topped off by Keating’s coda, “If you please stop feeling, tranquilize/ I know the separation kills the soul/ But I won’t stop falling like raindrops/ Because I like it when you lose control.” All four of these tracks have top-20 of the year potential and represent an astonishing leap forward for Yeasayer. The back end of the album is not without its charm (“Mondegreen” and “Grizelda” in particular), but this is without question a front-loaded record, which isn’t at all a bad thing when the first half is this good. Yeasayer in many ways feels like a band who’s finding their way and beginning to hit their stride and when they hit… damn do they ever HIT.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Standout Tracks:</b> "O.N.E.;" "I Remember;" "Ambling Alp;" "Madder Red"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dirty Rating: 95/100</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div></span></div><object width="400" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-mpqHi9RFew&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-mpqHi9RFew&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="385"></embed></object>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763426397643395189.post-87603490322074178192010-06-13T12:02:00.000-04:002010-06-13T12:02:12.764-04:00Weekend News Dump<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq52O_xh7l9hOUwJrRxnlZYJU8nlrQzC22YUhrRD6tDzF9gcIu9X93ROLVQsH-wYqLO6bHbLguqaqbhJ80Mcy9aBGUPpuDwmtD3LJPisRmjSNkjbCLvbsFzesn_jcWOGzLb62qnwBiVec/s1600/Friday+News+Dump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq52O_xh7l9hOUwJrRxnlZYJU8nlrQzC22YUhrRD6tDzF9gcIu9X93ROLVQsH-wYqLO6bHbLguqaqbhJ80Mcy9aBGUPpuDwmtD3LJPisRmjSNkjbCLvbsFzesn_jcWOGzLb62qnwBiVec/s320/Friday+News+Dump.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's the Weekend News Dump.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Because it's the weekend. And we're dumping news. The Weekend News Dump.</span></span><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The deluxe reissue of The Cure's </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Disintegration</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (AKA The Greatest Album Of All Time) was released this past Tuesday and is an incredible package for anyone who has even a passing interest in great music. The set consists of a remastered version of the album itself, a disc of home/studio demos and rarities, and a third disc of the album performed in its entirety at Wembley Stadium in 1989. The rarities disc is the hidden gem as it's fascinating to hear tracks like "Pictures Of You" and "Prayers For Rain" go from Robert Smith solo instrumental home demos to instrumental studio tracks by the whole band to rough drafts with vocals and then finally to the classic versions on the record itself. Apparently, <a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14288-disintegration-deluxe-edition/">Pitchfork agrees</a>. Seriously -- go buy this right now.</span></span></li>
<li><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Friday Night Lights</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> has long been one of the most underappreciated series on television. Sure, it has a small but rabidly loyal following but the series itself has never been recognized by the industry during awards season. <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/lets-get-friday-night-lights-zach-gilford-an-emmy,42009/">Its fans are trying to rectify that injustice by starting a grassroots movement</a> to get Zach Gilford, who plays mild-mannered Matt Saracen on the series, an Emmy nomination for his work on last week's episode, "The Son" where Saracen deals with the death of his father who's killed in combat in the Middle East. Gilford has always been great in the series but he took it to another level in "The Son" as his performance was one of the most powerfully human and affecting that we've seen in years. It's not possible for us to love</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Friday Night Lights</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> more than we already do and it's performances like Gilford's that are the reason. See for yourself. <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/153783/friday-night-lights-the-son">Watch the episode on Hulu</a>. We promise you that you won't be disappointed.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">AMC is without question doing some incredible work right now. Their original series slate consists of two-time Emmy winner for Best Drama, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mad Men</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, and what's been quite frankly the best thing on TV in 2010, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Breaking Bad</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (and more on that later this week) so we're granting a ton of rope to their two new series, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rubicon</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Walking Dead</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rubicon </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is a conspiracy thriller that's getting a special airing after tonight's </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Breaking Bad </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">finale before settling into its Sundays at 8 slot on August 1. It stars James Badge Dale (fresh from his impressive stint on HBO's excellent miniseries, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Pacific</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) as a think tank analyst who believes he's uncovered a worldwide conspiracy perpetrated by his employers. <a href="http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/06/amc-rubicon-trailer-.html">The trailer is here</a>. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Walking Dead</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is an adaptation of the Image Comics series about a zombie apocalypse that's being helmed by Frank Darabont (</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Shawshank Redemption</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Green Mile</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">). <a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45429">Production photos have started leaking</a> and, damn... this could be good.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Despite the fact that our Philadelphia Flyers came up short against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals <a href="http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/06/stanley-cup-final-ratings.html">this year's edition was the most watched NHL final round in 13 years</a> and Wednesday night's clincher was the most watched single game in 36 years, drawing 8.3 million viewers. Hey, Gary Bettman... now that we've proven that we can draw an audience can we get some of that Pittsburgh Penguins special treatment, please? Thanks.</span></span></li>
</ul></div>Dirty Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752233312014696166noreply@blogger.com0