My Ten Favorite Albums....Ever!

It's so hard to put a list of only ten. Tell me what you think.

10. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
9. The Beatles - Abbey Road
8. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - BloodSugarSexMagik
6. The Beatles - The White Album
5. Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
4. The White Stripes - Elephant
3. Radiohead - OK Computer
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
1. The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band


Honorable Mentions:

- Sublime - Sublime
- Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
- The Doors - The Doors
- Radiohead - The Bends
- Pixies - Doolittle
- Outkast - Stankonia
- Daft Punk - Homework

Twin Sophomore Success

I explained in an earlier post of the disappointing sophomore albums in the past few years, and how it looked as if Gnarls Barkley might nullify the streak with their upcoming album, 'The Odd Couple', based on the first single they released 'Run'. The release date for the disc was said to be April 8 but because the album leaked over the web, they changed the date to March 18 for Amazon and iTunes and March 25th everywhere.

When I first listened to the album my first thought was that it was a bit scary. 'The Odd Couple' is filled with..well...odd music. Danger Mouse mixes in beats that show more of a dark side to the duo, and Cee-Lo fills it in with beautiful lyrics. The album comes across as different, but I feel that is what the music scene is lacking, originality. Gnarls Barkley is definitely not afraid to show their originality and they pull it off with excellence in a CD that maybe doesn't match up with their brilliant debut, but still reserves them a spot in my mind as a praise worthy group today.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Jack White is one of the supreme musicians left on this earth today, being the lead for both The White Stripes and his "side project" The Raconteurs. The Raconteurs debut album 'Broken Boy Soldiers' has to be one of my favorites in the last couple years, and even with the success of the new band, there were speculations of them not releasing a second album. Even recently I hadn't heard any news on the band releasing a new record until..well...it was released! I was hoping dearly that this band wouldn't be another sophomore failure, but as you can probably speculate by the title of the post, it wasn't! Jack White and The Raconteurs 'Consolers of the Lonely' is filled with bangin' garage tunes and that classic vintage sound. They pulled of a sophomore album that I can say impressed me, and it isn't an easy feat to follow up 'Broken Boy Soldiers'. Every song flows well and leaves you with more than a satisfied feeling when the album closes out with the excellent"Carolina Drama". I give major props to the band as they set the bar pretty high for 2008 with this sophomore release.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Amazing

This is art, so I'm not going to write anything about it. Just observe and create of it what you will.


By: "Punkadelic"

Update

I haven't been writing posts as frequently on this blog as usual, due to my extremely busy schedule. Haha. No, seriously, life has been throwing a lot of things my way and I haven't been able to sit back and watch a flick or read a book or hear a new album. But I am sure things will calm down and I can enjoy some of the things I love...and write about them, right here! New posts will be coming soon!

Ultra Music Festival 10

My spring break was very eventful so I this post is coming a little later than I wanted it to, but I guess it's better late than never.

Living in South Florida and being a huge fan of electronic music it was pretty much a necessity to attend Ultra. Ultra Music Festival is the biggest electronic music event in the country and among some of the most popular in the world. It has featured artists such as Daft Punk, Tiesto, Benny Benassi, Dieselboy and Infected Mushroom. This year was the festival's tenth anniversary, located in Bicentennial Park in Miami, and the headliners included Underworld, Benny Benassi, Tiesto, Carl Cox, Paul Van Dyke and Planet of the Drums. The first day lasts 8 hours long and the second day 13 hours.

I had the pleasure of attending the second day and I can say that hands down I had the best time of my life. I met people from all over the world (Australia, England, Russia, Israel), I had never been in one place with so much diversity, and I live in South Florida! The sound system there was unbeatable and every performer played great. They also usually feature a band every year and this year it was the Bravery. I honestly can't say anything bad about it, except maybe that the water was 5 bucks a bottle. The experience was an incredible way to start my spring break and I will definitely never forget it. I recommend to anyone reading this that if you like electronic music, to attend this next year. You won't regret it. The only thing I regret doing is not getting my tickets when they first went on sale, because that way I could afford both days.

Horton Hears A Who

These days, traveling to the movie theatre and purchasing a ten buck ticket to see a animated family movie is an extremely rare occasion for me, but when I heard that Dr. Seuss' 1954 classic 'Horton Hears A Who' was being adapted into a animated film starring the hilarious Jim Carey and Steve Carrel I immediately penciled it down on my list of movies to watch. Considering I am on my spring break at the moment, I had the opportunity to join a couple friends and go see the flick. Now, I have always loved Dr. Seuss' books. The creativity and imagination he uses is incredible and he always ties in life lessons that are crucial to understand, not only for children but for any age. This story was no exception. The plot is about a comical, charismatic elephant, named Horton (Jim Carey), who comes across a miniature town, Whoville, that lays inside of a spec of dust. No one but Horton can hear the town mayor's (Steve Carrel) cry for help as he knows his town is in grave danger. Horton's world is run by a callous kangaroo who views Horton as a nuisance and convinces the community that Horton is crazy, while in Whoville the mayor is trying to warn the city of the dangers and the towns people consider him foolish and ignore his warning. The characters in the story teach you to never underestimate someone based on outward appearance. I didn't expect the movie to have such a meaningful life lesson. Going to see 'Horton Hears A Who' really made me think about life and how I treat other people; I not only consider this movie to be an excellent family flick but in over all film as well. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good story.

My Generation

The past two weeks I haven't been logging onto this blog as frequently because of failed Internet connection at my house. I am lucky that I attend a technical high school which uses an online course for their 'Health/Personal Fitness' class (yes, I know, personal fitness over the Internet. haha.) or else I wouldn't be able to write on my blog. But something I can't do is download music! I am, like most of the people in this world, an illegal file sharing user. I would pay for music, because I don't think it is a waste of money, except it's so expensive. I have a pretty big library of music and I can't possibly afford to pay that much for a single album, so I rely on the Internet to fulfill my musical needs. My school server blocks file sharing sites and consequently I haven't heard anything new for two weeks.

As I stepped onto the school bus this morning I gazed at my young high school peers and what I saw was not students studying for their mid-terms or reading a book but instead, jamming out to the iPod and texting on the latest cell phone. After I sat down I then looked at myself, with my iPod head phones fitting snug in my hears and I realized at how much I was connected to modern day technology. I understand that this is a new age where technology is the future and I do agree that the Internet and computers are an amazing invention that are very important to society but I thought about that last two weeks and how much mental suffering (self created) I was going through because I didn't have Internet connection. It sounds and is ridiculous! I do read often and write as much as possible and I have not completely engulfed myself in the world of Myspace and texting but I still find it sad on how connected I was to my computer. Like the other day, a girl in my class was caught texting during a test and had her phone confiscated. I watched her plead and beg and eventually start crying because she was separated from her phone until the next morning when her mother came and picked it up from school. At the time it didn't even cross my mind as not-normal behavior and that is what really makes me disappointed.

I really want to get away and go travel. I have never been out of American culture and I am getting sick of it. Maybe it's not the luxurious lifestyle that most of us live (because who doesn't love that?) but the people and how spoiled and rude we are. Like how we think that we are somehow entitled, as if it's one of our rights, to have these material luxuries and do whatever we want with them.

I am not going to give up talking on the phone or stop checking my e-mail but what I will do is keep in mind how important these things are to me and whether or not I can live without them. Because I know I can. And hopefully not, but maybe, some day we will all be forced to live without them and then what will we do? Who knows? I do know that I don't want to look like that pathetic, spoiled girl in my class who is so connected to her cell phone that she would give her life for it.

Into The Wild

Sean Penn's directing debut 'Into The Wild' released on DVD recently and I had the opportunity to watch it this weekend. When the film was showing in the theatre I had read numerous reviews praising the movie and Penn's talent, not only as one of the best actors in the last 25 years, but now as a director. Jon Krakauer's story of a young man who abandons his possessions and family to live a life in the isolated Alaskan wilderness is truly touching and inspiring and Emile Hirsch, being one of my personal favorites, didn't disappoint me here as he played the role of top student and athlete Christopher McCandless superbly. With a heart-rending story, impressive directing and exceptional acting coming from not only Hirsch but a surrounding all-star cast including Catherine Keener, Oscar nominated Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn and William Hurt, 'Into The Wild' is most definitely one of my personal favorites.

A Clockwork Orange

I just completed Anthony Burgess' 1962 classic 'A Clockwork Orange' and the novel is hands down the best book I've ever read. Anthony Burgess' story truly impacted my way of thinking. Stanly Kubrick's film adaptation is undoubtedly one of my favorite movies and I have to honestly say that the book was even better as I was disappointed that Kubrick didn't add in the last chapter of the book into the film, considering it changed the whole story. The writer's way of portraying an evil and corrupt future is magnificent and the language and dialouge are incredibly original. 'A Clockwork Orange' is an amazing piece of literature that deserves to be recognized as one of the great pieces of the last one hundred years. The next novel on my list, recommended by my english teacher, is 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac and I'm pretty psyched to read it.

Gnarls Barkley...Still Look Good To Me

The hip duet Gnarls Barkley's 2006 debut album, St. Elsewhere has become one my favorites. The originality of the music was extremely impressive, especially among some of the popular artists of today's music scene. I have been hearing some buzz about their sophomore album, set to release on April 8th, and am a bit anxious considering some of the disappointing sophomore albums released in the past few years. The Arctic Monkeys, for example, had a magnificent debut album with 'Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not' but I was disappointed when their sophomore album was released last year, not nearly as great in comparison to the previous record. Other bands including Bloc Party and The Strokes also let me down, although The Strokes made an impressive comeback in my mind with the underrated 'First Impressions of Earth'. So when I heard that Gnarls Barkley's sophomore album, titled 'The Odd Couple', is coming out in April, I tried not to get too excited. Recently listening to their two new singles 'Run' and 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul' , a feeling of relief swept over me, hearing some pleasant tunes coming from my speakers. Gnarls Barkley seem to not be a second year let down and I hope the album is just as impressive.

My Recent Favorites

This month I have come across some great albums; most of them from the last five years. This summer I filled up the hard drive on my computer and wasn't able to afford a new one, considering I quit my job for school related purposes. But this past Christmas, I was given a 360 GB hard drive, which has become my new best friend. I have been discovering a huge amount of truly decent music in the past couple of weeks; mainly consisting of indie rock. I thought I would share some of my favorites:

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005)
Personal Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)
Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Instant Classic

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" is a modern masterpiece; one of the best movies I have seen in the past ten years. Telling the story of Daniel Plainview, a greedy megalomaniac oil miner who takes over the impoverished town of Little Boston, California. The brilliant Daniel Day-Lewis plays the role perfectly, capturing the characters evil and portraying it on screen in one of the best performances I have ever seen. The directing displays the emotion of the story along with a beautiful soundtrack, composed by Radiohead's talented Johnny Greenwood. Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) plays a corrupt priest who, while after a share of Plainview's profit, brainwashes the citizens with false prophecy. The beautifully composed film encapsulates a tale of greed, religion and power with an extremely entertaining ending, making it an instant classic. The film won two Oscars, best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis and best achievement in cinematography. It was also nominated for six others, including Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Director.

Daniel Day-Lewis' Best Actor Oscar at the 80th Academy Awards.

(Right) Paul Dano; (Left) Paul Thomas Anderson

Popular Movies...Why?

Now that Oscar season has ended, the fabulous American blockbusters are taking over. Being a sixteen year old in High School, I am forced to deal with the excruciating reality that the movie buisness' oh so exciting advertising is corrupting my fellow teens minds.

Some classmates and I were discussing some of the recent movies being released in theaters. Titles like Cloverfield, Fool's Gold and Meet the Spartans were brought up. I was disgusted with the fact of how low our entertainment buisness has come. I enter the theaters as I catch a wiff of the overwhelming stench of bad acting and the high budget special effects overrulling what an actual movie is about....the plot!

The reviews:

Jumper: 1 out of 4 stars (Rolling Stone)

Talk about disappointing. Director Doug Liman exuded style and cool in Swingers, Go and The Bourne Identity. He lost his way in the star bloat of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and now his mojo is buried in this amped-up sci-fi chase flick. It took three screenwriters to turn Steven Gould's novel into an unholy mess. Hayden Christensen, the kiss of death in movies since giving us the nightmare wimp version of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, does a lot of posing as David Rice, called Rice Bowl by the bullies of his neighborhood in Ann Arbor, Michigan. David can jump (teleport) himself anywhere in the world, which allows Christensen to pose on the clock face of Big Ben, have lunch on top of a pyramid and rob a bank for quick cash. Hey, he leaves IOUs. Samuel L. Jackson, in scary white hair, wants to kill him. His girlfriend (Rachel Bilson, looking eager to jump back to The O.C.) wants to screw him between jumps. And Jamie Bell, the film's saving grace as a fellow jumper, wants to save him. Got that? It's not worth getting. Everything goes by in a blur. After eighty-eight incomprehensible minutes, all I wanted was for Liman to jump back in time and make Jumper go away.

How much the film grossed:

56.2 Million in 2 weeks.

Fool's Gold: 0 out of 4 stars (Rolling Stone)

It's early in the year, but I defy any 2008 comedy to be as stupid, slack and sexless as Fool's Gold. And I'm counting Paris Hilton's appalling The Hottie and the Nottie, which is marginally better. You want plot? Fool's Gold steals a few pages from, of all misbegotten things, the National Treasure franchise. A topless (brain included) Matthew McConaughey plays Ben "Finn" Finnegan, a treasure hunter who is totally convinced he has found a map to a Spanish galleon that sunk off the coast of Florida in 1715. His about-to-be ex-wife Tess, played by Kate Hudson with the woebegone expression of an actress who knows she's made another bad career decision, thinks he's nuts. But, damn, she still loves the guy, even though they fight. For the record, you're more likely to discover treasure under your multiplex seat than detect any chemistry between McConaughey and Hudson. Clumsily directed by Andy Tenant (Hitch), from a script he co-wrote with John Clafin and Daniel Zelman while presumably incapacitated on umbrella drinks, Fool's Gold is anchored only by idiocy. It's sad to see such excellent actors as Donald Sutherland and Ray Winstone trading audience goodwill for a paycheck. I could swear that Sutherland, as a tycoon with an heirhead daughter (Alexis Dziena), is trying to disguise his voice so audiences will forget it's him. Not so fast. Fool's Gold bores you so breathless you want to take names and exact punishment.

How much it grossed:

52.4 Million

These are just two examples, and I will never forget Transformers huge success. I am scared for the future of movies in America. Although, 2007 did have some pretty impressive releases, (No Country, There Will Be Blood, The Savages.....) the movies didn't come anywhere near the gross of the tragedies. I want to live in the days of great movie making, with popular movies by Scorsese, Kubrick, Lumet.

R.I.P Heath Ledger:

Amazing Photography: OLM

This girl is an amazing photographer who needs to be recognized. She is seventeen and self-taught; A truly rare talent. My baby....Olga.

OLM Photography: