Going to town on SoulSeek

At one point in my life I was very ashamed of downloading music. It's utter theft. I know this, you know this, the artists know this. Probably your mom knows this.

Furthermore, I fought the urge to burn CDs for the longest time because I wanted the album art. I'm a completist nerd--this cannot be helped.

But something changed when I started to learn more and more about music--I really, simply, couldn't afford to buy that much music. I still felt conflicted about downloading, so I'd stick to finding Nirvana B sides or impossible-to-find Far songs on Kazaa on my parent's computer. The fact my parents are still on dialup (given their amazing rural location in the smallest suburb of Buffalo) made this venture all the more spectacular.

Now that I run a music magazine in my spare time though, I feel more and more pressure to get my hands on every CD I can hear, just so I can continue to reassure myself that I might be able to remotely claim that I sort of think I know what I'm talking about. This costs money I definitely don't have.

After weighing my options I decided to use SoulSeek, the place I figured I'd be able to find the stuff I haven't heard yet by bands like Arab on Radar, Yaphet Kotto, Nation of Ulysses, The Coughs, Ex Models, Karp, Shellac, etc. that I've wanted for years but couldn't afford. You know--those bands you have one album of but couldn't afford anything else.

It was probably the best decision I've ever made. Every single band I've looked for has been on there, and now I have it all. For free. (to be read with a pang of guilt--not gleefully)

I understand this downloading comes with responsibility. That responsibility is to turn the music knowledge I'm gaining by the minute and pounding it straight into www.auralminority.com, not only for the bands but for the readers. (I can also live with myself given the fact that 80% of the bands I've downloaded the past few days have broken up.)

I dunno. Maybe my argument's bunk. Maybe I should be slapped. Maybe I should suck it up and get a 9 to 5 corporate gig so I can afford all the CDs I want.

I didn't think so. I buy what I can, when I can--usually when I see a band live. Then I know exactly where the money's going anyway. I also feel compelled to buy stuff from bands in trouble, like Genders (arrest warrant out for one of them because of too many drivings with suspended license) and The Mae-Shi (who had shitloads of copies of Heartbeeps stolen from them). Supporting smaller local labels like 31G, Deathbomb Arc and Not Not Fun are also priorities.

so, um yeah. downloading.

umm...how many fake Coachella lineups are necessary?

Now, this first one is actually probably pretty accurate. Most of these bands have been rumored, yadda yadda. However, the misspellings kinda give it away. And there are probably 10-20 too many bands listed. I think I'd have to go to day two, if I had to pick. This, on the other hand, is pure genius. I think I'd actually go.

happy birthday to me

First and foremost, before you do anything else, watch this video: www.blacknasty.net/HI5.mov and love it.

In the past week I've seen Busdriver (January 21), Vetiver (January 22) and Dmonstrations (January 24--incidentally my birthday.)

Busdriver played at some strange diner place called The Metaphor Cafe in Escondido. There is no proper way to describe the venue, but I'm going to try numerically:

1) When I told Dan from Kill Me Tomorrow I saw Busdriver there he said, "Where?" I described it and he said, "Why didn't he just play Cane's?" I had no good answer.
2) The place was run by a bunch of barely 21-year-olds and a few way-too-olds. One of the way-too-olds referred to himself as a "Cracker Rapper."
3) Cracker Rapper and his group "L.I.E." refused to get off the stage, and people actually started to leave the stage area after Cracker Rapper continually asked if they'd like to "hear a freestyle." 'Cos that's what he was all about. Freestylin'
4) Of the 13 rappers/DJs who comprised the four groups who opened for Busdriver, one person was black--and he was the weakest rapper. The rest were grimy white trashy and/or frat types, strange little Asians and a Mexican. This struck me as odd.

Anyway, Busdriver's delivery is uncanny, and I'm so glad I saw him at a tiny venue, whether it was a wannabe shithole or not. Oh yeah...I also went to a funeral for one of Jen's neighbors this day, the highlight of which was this big ol' Samoan lady singing like Bessie Smith at the end. (It was one of those "celebration of life" funerals, which, in my opinion, has got to be the best way to deal with a tragedy. People smiled and laughed more than they cried. There's something to be said for that.)

Vetiver was boring hippy stuff (another thing I talked to Dan about) so the best part of that evening was watching everyone slowly discover that Devendra Banhart would not actually be playing with the band, as the venue had advertised for months. This was also Jen's birthday day...we spent most of it walking around this outdoor mall in La Jolla (that's where the seals are).

My birthday seemed to come and go without incident. I woke up. I ate oatmeal. I went to see Underworld: Evolutions, which was to Underworld what The Matrix: Reloaded was to The Matrix, except worse because Underworld wasn't all that good anyway. Jen came home from school bearing Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We ate London Broil. We left to go see Dmonstrations at this dude Wilson's house. We got lost. We arrived just in time. Said hello to many folk. Got wished happy birthday by Grm from Mr. and Mrs. Tribute to Ugliness. Got scared for a minute, then realized he had seen the Myspace announcement about it. Got home and was treated to the following text from my brother: "Hey only 4 more years till your thirty fag. Haha. happy b-day."

And thus and suchforth ends my post.

Currently Listening to: Ruins

A news and notes post, I suppose

1) I Returned a bunch of shitty ass promos to Lou's Records the other day and got $47 in credit, which sucked because I returned about 35 CDs or so. There's one young dude there who appears not to know anything about music and always rips me off.

Whatever. I decided I'd look around all of the miscellaneous sections in the used department because I've had luck finding gems there in the past (TV on the Radio's Young Liars for $1.99, Wives' Erect the Youth Problem for $3.99 and D. Yellow Swans' Bring the Neon War Home for $5.99, Le Tigre's Feminist Sweepstakes for $6.99) so I thought I'd look a little more carefully. The resulting haul:

a) Weird War's If you Can't Beat 'em, Bite 'Em ($5.99--way better than Illuminated By The Light)
b) The Scissor Girls' We People Space with Phantoms ($6.99--check out it's used price on Amazon)
c) Liars' They Were Wrong So We Drowned ($6.99--I had it burned)
d) The Eternals' The Eternals ($5.99)
e) White Magic's White Magic ($6.99--on recommendation from a former writer)
f) Parts & Labor and Tyondai Braxton's Rise, Rise, Rise ($4.99--would have been the gem of the collection, had I not grabbed The Scissor Girls)
g) Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Sings Greatest Palace Music ($8.99--the only bust--way too country for my taste)

The only problem is I picked them clean. The only other things I considered getting were the Rahim Jungles EP for $3.99 (I have the burned promo only) and a couple Legendary Pink Dots CDs. I'll just have to get new stuff for a couple months.

2) Caught the official debut set by The Prayers (feat. Brandon, Willy and Brian from The Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower) Tuesday night at The Casbah. There was no one there (I'm assuming they were all at the house show the band played for 40 people this weekend). Before the show Brandon told me he was really nervous before the first show because he'd never really sang and played guitar before live. I really liked their songs though; the set fluctuated between punk, pop punk, surf punk, rock and blasphemy. Andrew (the other guitarist's) amp kept fucking up causing a few delays, but other than that the show went off hitchless.

3) I've decided to ditch the January 21st Some Girls, Cattle Decapitation, Kill Me Tomorrow show in order to catch Busdriver (!!!!!) in Escondido. Do yourself a favor and pick up his beautiful avant-hip-hop masterpiece Fear of a Black Tangent.

4) On the topic of Lou's, they have a few decent CD's in the used section everyone should be glad to have: Kill Sadie's Experiments in Expectation, These Arms are Snakes' Oxeneers or The Lion Sleeps when the Antelope go Home, mewithoutyou's Catch for us the Foxes and A-->B = Life, Kill Me Tomorrow's The Garbageman and the Prostitute and amazingly, TV on the Radio's Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes.

5) Has any show lost it's lustre moreso than Lost? They really hemmed themselves into a corner. I can't see this show lasting more than three years. Invasion on the other hand has left so many doors open so widely (both dramatically and plot-wise) that it could last years...especially if it goes global after a season or two concentrated in southern Florida. It's also the first show I've seen that has the potential to kill off all of its main characters and still have a show to expand on.

Currently Listening to: Weird War

I'm eating Necco wafers

About halfway through the Golden Globes I realized it was the first time I had ever watched them. That means I've sat through the drudgery that is the Oscars probably about 15 times, the Grammy's 12 and the Tonys, well, I've never seen them either, in the same amount of time. I've even seen the VMA's a couple times and I'm pretty sure I saw those weird Canadian Grammys at some point too. I think they're called the Juno Awards.

It was also about halfway through the Golden Globes that I realized they're at least partly what awards shows should be like: the speeches are however the fuck long they want, everyone's hammered and people like Felicity Huffman can actually beat Gwyneth Paltrow and Charlize Theron in a "Best Actress" award. Better still, Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson can beat Cynthia Nixon, Halle Berry and Mira Sorvino for Lackawanna Blues. The terribly underrated Mary-Louise Parker can beat three egomaniacs (and the out-of-place Huffman) from Desperate Housewives for her portrayal of a suburban weed-selling angst-driven hot mom. Let's not forget Steve Carell's crushing victory over Larry David, dickhead of all dickheads Zack Braff (if you've seen his Punk'd you know what I mean), Jason Lee and Charlie Sheen (where was Jason Bateman, by the way) for his role as Michael Scott.

In other words, it's fucking bedlam.

Because it's got two winners for best picture (Comedy or Musical AND Drama) you get two fucking contenders in the top 3 categories...like Ali vs. Frazier, Tyson vs. Holyfield, and, let's say, Mac vs. Tyson.

If you go just by the winners, the Oscars should look something like this:

1) Phillip Seymour Hoffman vs. Joaquin Phoenix
2) Walk the Line vs. Brokeback Mountain
3) Reese Witherspoon vs. Felicity Huffman

Let's see how this one plays out:

1) Hoffman, the greatest character actor this side of Paul Giamatti, and Phoenix, who truly became Johnny Cash for Walk The Line are more evenly matched than you might think, even with Hoffman's girth. Why? Because Phoenix has that psychotic look. After seeing him in Gladiator I realized he should have played the Anthony Perkin's character in the remake of Psycho, not Vince Vaughan (much too goofy). Yet, I still can't see Phoenix walking away unscathed. After a brutal cat fight (including Hoffman mocking River Phoenix's death and insisting their match occurs outside The Viper Room) I think Phoenix comes out on top--albeit with another hairlip. Truman Capote was, simply, too weird for most people.

2) Movie vs. Movie: Walk The Line in a landslide. Who's to say which movie is better, but you can predict how the voting's going to go: Ang Lee will win best director, and Brokeback will get best screenplay, but Walk The Line is significantly better than Ray, it's genre's most recent litmus test so voters will feel compelled to vote for it. Phoenix and Witherspoon became two American icons--that they actually sang the songs and sounded perfect? Icing. That's what Oscar wants...not groundbreaking love stories between men. Same old song and dance for those folks...

3) Reese wins. Huffman, a career TV personality, doesn't stand a chance. Reese's strongest competition are the other ladies Huffman beat, I'm sure...

Since I can't be overly critical of the awards themselves, because they actually went out on a few limbs, I'll just note a few other high/lowlights:

1) Reese Witherspoon acting surprised when Walk The Line won for best musical or comedy. Come the fuck on.

2) Will Ferrell losing his shit when Geena Davis delivered this line: "That didn't actually happen" when she told this heartfelt story of some little girl tugging on her dress before the awards began and saying that Davis playing the President made her realize she could be president some day. An instant comedy classic.

3) During Davis's convincing, yet fake, story, Gwyneth Paltrow was witnessed looking at Davis googley-eyed saying, "Awwww" as in "See, we actors really can make a difference." Unfortunately, they didn't cut back to her..

4) Until they showed her in some in depth conversation with some dude who touched the puffy shoulders of her dress. I've not seen such a dismissive death look in my life: "OK. It's enough that I let you talk to me. Why are your hands on me?"

5) Camryn Manheim's Grand Canyon cleavage. AT LEAST a foot long.

6) Harrison Ford hammered, wobbling and misprouncing Tony Kushner's name (Kirshner) and Diana Ossana's FIRST name. I think he said Dana.

7) Scarlett Johansson (Jo not Yo--Adrien Brody) and Laura Linney (Linley. Can't remember who) actually looking visibly peeved that people misprounounced their last names. Pierce Brosnan didn't flinch when someone called him Pierce Bronson.

8) Anne Hathaway's whorish bright red lipstick. All I could think of the whole time was that line from Anchor Man: "You've got a dirty whorish mouth"

9) Mariah Carey's whorish dress. All I could think of was George Steinbrenner forcing Derek Jeter to "dump the whore." That, and "Why don't you go back to your home on Whore Island."

10) Finally, Emma Thompson, Johansson, Mary-Louise Parker, Keira Knightly and Ziyi Zhang all looking particulary gorgeous. Lost's Evangeline Lilly's dress was a tremendous disappointment, but my lady of the evening, Kate Beckinsale, saved the night, looking more elegant even than Queen Latifah.

Currently Listening to: Liars' It Fit When I Was a Kid

Ripping CD's is about as fun as watching Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger make out

Not that I've seen them make out. But I can imagine it'd be about as awesome as watching Maggie Gyllenhaal ride Tom Arnold. Which I saw earlier today.

I got a hankering to see Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin today, so I wandered over to Hollywood Video. Then I realized I hadn't been in a video store in months and decided to browse around, looking for weird art flicks--the type I've lost touch with since leaving college environments. After shaking my head at all the drivel (Bewitched) I stumbled upon a movie I had forgotten, the critically lauded Happy Endings and decided to get both. Subsequently I witnessed Tom Arnold get some from one of my favorite celebrity crushes--and two of the best films I've seen in a while dealing with humanity in the face of abortion, child molestation, alcohol/drug abuse, homosexuality, etc., despite their completely opposite deliveries.

After both films ended, I decided to enter them into my newly formed pantheon of Americana neo-realism films--movies that are so absurdly real and observant they make casual viewers squirm and critics fawn over them. What strikes me the most is that they are so real they only require the artistic ability of observation to create--yet they're still enthralling and more challenging than intentionally "thought-provoking" films like Vanilla Sky and The Matrix.

Although the successes of American Beauty and Magnolia (which even taught a lesson about the absurdities of every day life vs. fantastical absurdities [frogs raining down]) brought the genre to the forefront of public consciousness, it hasn't really stuck around in the mainstream. Though it had a nasty edge, Closer could probably be included (or at least brought up in the discussion) as the most recent popular neo-realist film to succeed critically and economically. But Weatherman--a certain nominee, bombed. Even Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, which I wasn't ready for when I saw it initially, seems to fit. It's explicit dealings with the inner thoughts of a man consumed with jealousy grow on me each time I watch it.

My first introductions to neo-realism had to have been Vincent Gallo's brilliantly ridiculous Buffalo 66 and Don Roos's The Opposite of Sex--although Trainspotting or Kids certainly played a role too. I was too young to figure out why I was drawn to those movies, but looking back at my viewing patterns it makes sense. I blame the dialogue in Pulp Fiction, primarily, for leading me down this path. Tarantino's characters were so real despite the fact their situations were absurd. They chatted about bullshit, meaningful philosophy and more bullshit. The characters in these movies weren't pompous fucks, or, if they were, they weren't caricatures.

Anyway, since those films, I've been drawn almost exclusively to movies like Happiness, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Gummo, Bully, Storytelling, Donnie Darko (which sorta fits in...), Ghost World, The Ice Storm, The Anniversary Party, Pecker, Requiem for a Dream, Secretary (again, loosely fitting), Me and You and Everyone We Know and even, for comic relief, Napoleon Dynamite.*

Each movie imitates life for me more than even biographical films...or even the brilliant "hood" films like Boys N the Hood and Menace to Society. I think it's the awkward pauses and inherent (often intentionally unintentional) humor that makes them more real to me, a casual observer who has the time to watch the obsurdities of society.

Anyway, comment if you know of other films I might be missing (I know I'm missing tons) that have this feel. And let me know what you think about The Royal Tennenbaums in relation to these films.

*I believe the movement is bookended by Blue Velvet, which has enough surreality to keep it out of the pantheon, but it's surreality comments on the absurdities of small town life--so it, like all David Lynch films, merits consideration. That film alone might even have started the movement.

Currently Listening to: Corm (John from Q and Not U's former band), His Name Is Alive and The Festival of Dead Deer.

Whisky Bloody Marys are simply not very good.

Some highlights of my return trip* home for two weeks, my abbreviated trip* to Vegas and my wee bit too long visit* to Arizona:

1) When I arrived at the Buffalo airport, my good friend Carolyn was there to great me, after I left her a retarded message on her answering machine that morning. She beat my parents. Which makes some sense, considering she lives 5 minutes away and my dad just turned 50 and now drives like he's 70.

2) Second night after I get there (I think. I spent much of my New York time in a drunken stupor--it's just easier that way) my brother and I play pool for what I believe ended up being 5 1/2 hours talking mostly about the bullshit our father has put us through over the course of our lives, our grandfather's recent death and careers. We also managed to polish off a 12 pack of Labatt Ice--after I had had 4 drinks at the local "pub" while watching the Sabres game. (They won 2-1 in a thrilling OT shootout featuring the greatest not-goal I've ever seen by rookie Thomas Vanek. He purposefully whiffed on a shot then rang one off the crossbar over the goalie's left shoulder).

3) More Sabres games, more liquor, more beer. They lose 4-1 against Florida. They're dicks. They crush Tampa Bay (in a game I didn't get to see) 4-1. I love them again.

4) Um, open bar at "The Pub" on Christmas day A Christmas present to the locals. I believe we counted 30-35 drinks between my sister's fiance and me. I wish I was kidding. We decided to try just about everything. I even had Ol' Grandad. Hell yes Bad Santa. I got the extended edition of Sin City, season 2 of Arrested Development, the first Kings of Leon CD and maybe something else. With my grandmother's Christmas money I purchase CDs from 31G (Arab on Radar's singles collection, the only Festival of Dead Deer CD and the Holy Molar CD).

5) Jen, my brothers Micah and Josh and Josh's friend Alex (our other brother was sick) go to the Sabres game in Buffalo on the day after Christmas (known in some cultures as "Jimmy's Birthday"). Our seats are at the very top. We don't care as Ales Kotalik pops off to make the game 1-0 almost six minutes into the game. I start telling Jen, "See! See!" The New York Islanders promptly score 3 goals in the first. Score's 3-1. I'm actually not worried. They've been coming from behind a lot lately. 2nd period: Maxim Afinogenov scores to make it 3-2. Woot. Jen's getting a drink when it happens, sees it on TV, falls in love with Afinogenov. 3rd period: Brian "The Gomer" Campbell ties it up on the Power Play. Inbreeding jokes all around. Then former Sabre and current Islander Alexei Zhitnik takes a stupid penalty. I tell Jen the Sabres have effectively wrapped up the victory because that's what Zhitnik always did as a Sabre. Moments later Thomas Vanek scores. 11 SECONDS later Chris Drury scores. A few minutes after that Jochen Hecht tops it off with an empty-netter. Final score: Sabres 6, Islanders 3. Best hockey game I've ever seen live.

6) More drinking, probably lots of eating. Was supposed to meet friends in Buffalo. Couldn't get a car and didn't feel like driving anyway. More Sabres games. They keep winning. I can't seem to get my tenses straight tonight.

7) My sister (Nikki) gets married. The highlight of this evening, BY FAR, is the retarded child of my sister's husband-to-be's half-brother's girlfriend FARTING. Loudly. Micah (the ring-bearer) starts fucking cracking up right as he's supposed to give Nikki the ring to put on her future husband (Dan. A decent guy. Pros: can drink a lot, can put up with Nikki's bullshit, is an electrician. Cons: drinks too much, smokes around my sister [she's pregnant], hates "Nigs") So do I (cracks up that is, not hates black people). We look at each other and lose it. Nikki yells "Mikes! Give me the ring!!!" Oh, let me tell you how fitting it is for someone to "break wind" at my little sister's wedding.

8) New Year's Eve. Play "Truth or Dare" Jenga with 17-year-olds, the highlight of which was Zack prank calling Josh's manager over speaker phone and telling him he was going to tea bag him. Josh's manager asked "What the hell is that?" Zack said, "That's when I put my nutsack on your forehead, or perhaps your eyelids." Somewhere between here and Vegas we lose our luggage, get it back and decide never to fly America West again.

9) VEGAS!!! Free White Russians while playing penny slots!!!! No open container law!!! Walking around with a water bottle filled with El Tosoro Tequila!!!! Jen and I see at least three men who are 7 feet tall. It scares us. We like Cirque De Soleil's "O." It reminds us of watching The Arcade Fire live--you never really know who to look at, but you're still satisfied the entire show. We might move here.

10) PHOENIX: We go to a bar near ASU and the bartender makes the most convincing argument I've ever seen for breast implants. I note that most Arizona girls are brunettes (a plus) who have no ass (depressing). I read George R. R. Martin's A Storm of Swords almost the entire time. But Jen and her sister get to hang out a lot, which is nice because they never see each other.

*All valid reasons as to why exactly I haven't touched this in three weeks

**The picture is of the baby Skylar, my other sister's child, being tortured by me and Johnny Depp (in the dreadfully boring Finding Neverland). She's adorable and smart and a menace because she's so curious.

Currently Listening to: Japan's Limited Express (has gone?)