Wednesday, October 29, 2003
10+ Hours of Tolkien
Trilogy Tuesday is coming to Canada!. Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers shown back-to-back, followed by the premiere of Return of the King -- total geek-fest! Tickets go on sale on Halloween. I am *so* there, and imma recruit :-)
NP: (Daily Show)
posted by Hanson |
11:14 PM
Pop From Tha East Side
Shaye is this new pseudo-super group (think the Thorns or Cry Cry Cry) featuring three semi well-known singer-songwriters from the Maritimes, namely Damhnait Doyle, Kim Stockwood, and my favourite PEI-ite, Tara MacLean. It's been three years and two days since Tara's last LP, so it's really cool to hear new stuff from her again. I picked up Shaye's new album today entitled The Bridge (more east coast imagery for ya), and the first track off of it is a cover of Crash Vegas' On and On. Hotdiggity I love that song! When Tara started into the first line, I was like: "gee, this sound familiar." After she sang the second like, it was like *click* -- that's Crash fucking Vegas! Needless to say, I was delighted. The rest of the album sounds OK, though I'll need to give it more spins before a full pronouncement. Supergroups like this are seldom the sum of their parts, but we'll see.
NP: Metric - Raw Sugar
posted by Hanson |
12:30 AM
Monday, October 27, 2003
G-E-E-K
The local rag ran an article today that proclaimed "geek is chic." Bleh. More bull crap sentimentalization/novelization of the Other. This is just like when Rolling Stone or whoever declared that it was the "Year of the Women in Rock." Pure and utter pile of steaming horse shit. The only reason such proclamations are made is because geeks and rock chicks will never truly dominate mainstream. For them, it's like "oh, there are several slightly non-cookie-cutter things/people that are popular now, so those geeks must be taking over," all the while listening to their Nickelback and watching their Friends. Puh-lease. Until Adam Brody is hailed as a true Hollywood icon and hot chicks with classes get in their fair share of wet dreams, geek is still a four-letter word. NEXT!
BTW, The O.C. was back on CTV tonight. Julie Cooper is still beeyatchy, and good music is still played. That's how they do it in the O.C.!
NP: Beulah - I'll Be Your Lampshade
posted by Hanson |
11:04 PM
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Fond Farewell
I did not know Elliott Smith personally, but neither did most of his fans who have gathered at memorial site all across America for the last couple days. With sadness in their hearts and candles in their hands, they mourned the tragic passing of their fallen hero, a life cut short by a single self-inflicted stab to the chest. Even in death, Elliott is extraordinary.
The summer of 2000 was a cusp in my life in terms of music appreciation. It was then that after much prodding from fellow fans of Mary Lou Lord, I picked up the latest album by a singer-songwriter called Elliott Smith. Elliott was a friend of Mary Lou's and her fans regularly rave about his work on her mailing list. She even covered his song I Figured You Out on her Martian Saints EP, a track that I adored. At that point in my life, my musical preference can be summed up by the phrase "chicks with guitars." You see, that was all I listened to -- the only band that doesn't have female vocals that I liked was Our Lady Peace. But on that summer day, I walked into the HMV in Coquitlam Centre and bought two CDs: Catatonia's Equally Cursed and Blessed and Elliott's Figure 8.
Tearing the shrink-wrap off the CD as soon as I got into Wing Kee's car, I wanted to find out what the hype was all about. We listened to a couple of songs off of it as we drove from the mall to the Esso station, but it didn't really hit me. That soft, whispery, but most definitely masculine voice wasn't something I was used to. It wasn't pretty, at least not in the sense that Julia Hatfield's was, so I switched the CD to my other purchase: good ol' chick rock, the Ho status quo. It wasn't until I got home later that day until I began peeling back the layers and discovering just what everyone else was going on about.
Lush sonic textures overlaid with a singing voice that gushed melancholy, lyrics morose and beautiful at the same time: I've never heard such moving compositions. The more I got into it, the more I got into it. It wasn't long before I had all of his albums, and began lamenting the fact that I had missed his show only weeks earlier. Still, discovering Elliott's music was a life-changing experience for me. It opened my eyes to another universe of possibilities; from that point on, I was open to the idea of embracing more than just chicks with guitars.
Back then, the radio was my main source of discovering new music (even though I despised the vast majority of what was on it). On the radio, there were hardly any male-lead bands that were any good, and therefore, I had basically stopped paying attention to anything with male vocals. That all changed with Elliott. After discovering him, I found indie rock -- indie rock fronted by guys. Sebadoh, Built to Spill, Belle & Sebastian: none of this would've been possible were it not for Elliott. He was single-handedly responsible for opening up my musical kingdom to dudes. Granted, a large chunk of my current CD collection still fits the "chicks with guitars" mould, but at the top of the heap, a bunch of guys with guitars from Bellingham ruled supreme. My appreciation of Death Cab, or the Four Elliotts, as someone once said, was a direct result of my discovering Elliott Smith. It wouldn't have been possible had I not bought Figure 8 on a whim that summer day.
Thank you, Elliott. You were one of the good guys, not to mention my favourite singer-songwriter of all time. Your music changed my life, and I hope it'll be remembered for generations to come. It's unfortunate that you had to become the next Nick Drake or Jeff Buckley; I'd much rather you be the next Bob Dylan. Good-bye, Elliott -- we'll miss you.
NP: (a moment of silence)
posted by Hanson |
2:02 AM
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Gimme More Time
No time to feel bad. No time to feel anything. Wow. And I thought I would be less busy this week.
NP: Elliott Smith - King's Crossing (eerie lyrics.....)
posted by Hanson |
11:00 PM
No Words Can Say
The tributes keep pouring in: Pitchfork, Chart, and Slate. My own will come shortly after my midterms and assignments wrap up, but as a tribute, last night, I wrote on a blank t-shirt using a black permanent marker and wore it to school today. It was ugly as hell, and it was geeky beyond words, but the swelling of emotions I felt last night compelled me.
I'm feeling better now than I did last night (thanks guys!), but I'm still dazed. Maybe it's because of the 3 hours of sleep I got last night or the long-ass day I've had, but I've got these other emotions stirring inside me that, well, lets just say that the totality of what I'm feeling right now is really bizarre. Really.
NP: Elliott Smith - Fond Farewell
posted by Hanson |
12:01 AM
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Goodbye Elliott
Steven Paul Elliott Smith: August 6th, 1969 - October 21st, 2003
No puns. Nothing ironic. Just pure and nearly infinite sorrow.
NP: (stunned silence)
posted by Hanson |
1:16 AM
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Uniforming
Bah. I wish I can go to just *one* of these LoT things in my regular clothes. Damn the Man and his expectations of "proper" attire.
NP: Danny Michel - Straight to Hell (live Clash cover)
posted by Hanson |
2:11 PM
Monday, October 20, 2003
Say What?
Burfday shout-outs to Val. My Indie World celebrates with you in spirit :-)
NP: Some Girls - The Prettiest Girl
posted by Hanson |
11:38 PM
Limbs, Limbs, Everywhere
I beseech you: go see Kill Bill. It was bloody fantastic, and I mean that literally. The plot, the fighting, the pacing: it was like watching an anime come to life. I've waited a long time to see something like this: a well-funded heroic action epic that is dead serious. The style is reminiscent of the old-school kung-fu revenge genre, except in place of the masculine-yet-asexual Chinese male protagonist, you have Uma Thurman. Lucy Liu's gang of yakuza was very believable, at least to a non-Japanese. That dude with the messed-up dyed hair in her entourage... very authentic. Although a bit of a walking cliché, Gogo, the bad-ass Japanese school girl look-alike, was nevertheless spot on as one of those deranged videogame/anime characters. And that ball-and-chain she used! Fudge yeah! That totally took me back to the early 90s Jet Li movies where he fought with long wet towels. Tres cool.
The most pleasant surprise was finding Gordon Liu (aka Lau Ga Fai) playing Johnny Mo, another one of Lucy Liu’s underlings. I’ve seen this guy play many-a bald evil fighting monks in Hong Kong TV serials and movies. To see and recognize him from behind that Kato mask was pretty damn cool. I hear he’ll come back in Vol. 2 even though his character dies in this one. Perhaps in a flashback?
If you want to see epic American cinema at its best and you can stomach a bit of gore, I insist you go see Kill Bill. It was one of those movies where you look down at your watch midway and get pissed off that there was only a half an hour left. I think I need to see it again, as it is My Favourite Movie of the Year (so far).
NP: Sarah McLachlan - Stupid
posted by Hanson |
12:37 AM
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Viewings
The school was rocked yesterday, and Bill will be killed later today. JB blew the hizzy off the schizzy, and I hope Uma will kick the shizzy outta assizzy. No, I don't know what I'm talking about either.
Last night's SNL: another meh show. Halle Berry was competent, but I'm not a fan in general. The Gilmore Girls shout-out was cool, albeit slightly insulting to its straight male fanbase. Without Will Ferrell, the show lacks the anchor it needs to be consistently good. I hope someone steps up soon.
NP: ([American] Football)
posted by Hanson |
3:14 PM
Friday, October 17, 2003
Yes, I Said Tit(ular)
I watched all my "important" TV for this week, that being Gilmore Girls (Dean gets married!), Angel (titular character gets werewolved!), and Survivor (hot-as-hell Michelle gets the boot!). Now I'm cranking the new Belle and Sebastian and doing by BUS 445 homework. Multiple Access queries = boring routine. Gah. At least it's not hurting my head.
Grandaddy last night was pretty good. All three bands shone, and I really enjoyed the playful Starlight Mints this time (much more than last time). Upon closer inspection, the keyboardist really does look a bit like Liz Phair, as I've mentioned before in this space, and therefore wasn't bad to stare look at. Elbow was a bit shoegazy and sounded (and looked) very Britishy. Grandaddy didn't seem entirely into their set, probably turned off by the usual anemic Vancouver crowd. Still, Grandaddy was Grandaddy (a tautology), playing their wicked songs with much proficiency. Afterwards, I came home and worked on 307. Lets just say I enjoyed the show much more than the after-show activity. Blah. It's handed in. Good riddance (Emm Gryner shout out!).
NP: Belle and Sebastian - Lord Anthony
posted by Hanson |
11:57 PM
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Solo Action
Grandaddy is tonight. Yeeep! It'll be my first solo show since the New Pornographers, though I found out afterwards that Aisling was there too. Coincidentally, tonight's show is also at the Commodore. Funny how these things line up as they do. Despite the lack of company, it should be frickin' awesome show. A full Grandaddy set, along with openers Elbow and the Starlight Mints (from England and Oklahoma, respectively), should provide an evening of much-needed relief.
Some of you might be thinking: yo Ho, I thought you were busy and stuff? Why sacrifice a night of studying for rock and/or roll? Well, first of all, my whining of late has been merited. Exhibit #1: I have the new Gilmore Girls and Angel taped and unwatched. If you know me, that should say plenty. Also, my ticket was bought weeks ago, and to not use it would be wasteful. And lastly, it's FREAKIN' GRANDADDY!! A cost/benefit analysis would prove me right.
Anyway, back to studying for tonight's midterm. Memorization sucks the big one.
PS: I hope I can make the Danny Michel/Matt Nathanson show next Tuesday *crosses fingers*
NP: Grandaddy - The Go In the Go For It
posted by Hanson |
2:14 PM
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Action Blogging
Tranatlanticism debuts at 97 on the Billboard Top 200... *pumps fists*
Cubbies continuing to choke.... *shakes head*
Queue of homework and studying shortens slowly.... *drinks Mountain Dew*
NP: Grandaddy - Broken Household Appliance
posted by Hanson |
10:35 PM
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Doh!
I missed a meeting today for a presentation in my HR class. I've *never* missed a meeting unintentionally in my 5+ years here, and that just goes to show how crazy the last week has been. Ugh. Almost over.
NP: Dressy Bessy - Just Once More
posted by Hanson |
11:40 PM
Monday, October 13, 2003
Straw Lifted From My Back
My code is all done. All I have to do now is study for two midterms (Thursday and Friday), figure out the 3 or so of the 307 questions that have been boggling my mind, read 3/4 of a novel in time for Wednesday, and do research for a paper.
Yup. No time for *anything*.
*fingers crossed* Please let me make the McGill team. I'm sure I can kick a pretty big chunk of ass!
NP: Grandaddy - I'm On Standby
posted by Hanson |
10:55 PM
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Why Can't I
School of Rock and Kill Bill.
That is the answer to the question: "what are two movies out now that I've been looking forward to seeing for months but haven't seen because my life has turned into one big school-infested turd-ball?" This is lame. Being holed up at home during Turkey Day weekend, figuring out AVL tree deletions, writing code for red-black tree rotations, *and* studying for two midterms really takes the fun of having an extra day off. Bleh.
NP: Dressy Bessy - Baby Six String
posted by Hanson |
2:07 PM
Friday, October 10, 2003
2 Hot For TV
Emogame 2 has been released. It goes a little too far at times, but if you're into indie rock and the thought of Chris Carrabba impaling Enrique through the eye socket with a certain stiffened body part makes you laugh, check it out. Hehe.
NP: Belle and Sebastian - Piazza, New York Catcher
posted by Hanson |
12:20 AM
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Terminus Awaits
Please, please, please don't let them screw this up! As much as I love LoTR (and I do, it being my second favourite series of all-time, having read it six times over), Asimov and his Foundation trilogy-plus-two-sequels-two-prequels (not including the "new" trilogy by Benford, Brin, and Bear) is my all time fave. I just hope they don't cast a bunch of big shots and turn it into the next Bicentennial Man. I am extremely excited and morbidly afraid.
NP: The Flairs - Perfect One
posted by Hanson |
10:32 AM
Pain and Gain
That sense of dread is here again. 307, my new old foe. I still have a week and two days left, but it feels far, far less. Thanksgiving will have none of that, as 307 will beat the stuffing out of me. God damn I hate this.
Yesterday, I managed to head downtown early before the LOT orientation to hit up Scratch. I picked up the new Dressy Bessy and Stars' Nightsong, along with the newish Magnet. Believe the hype: this Dressy Bessy is the best yet. Top ten maybe; top twenty definitely.
My Azure Ray pre-order from Saddlecreek arrived today along with five new buttons. More for the bag! I can't wait until my Barsuk load gets delivered.
NP: Dido - White Flag (on Leno)
posted by Hanson |
12:48 AM
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Rejoice!
If I hadn't already pre-order Death Cab's Transatlanticism and Azure Ray's Hold On Love, I'd be hitting the record stores today, looking to scoop up the latest releases from these fine bands. The new Belle and Sebastian is also out today, supposedly with a slightly different tracklist than the version available on your favourite P2P network.
Hmm... maybe I'll head downtown earlier today to pick up the new Dressy Bessy, Some Girls, and B&S. Maybe I'll even re-buy the Liz Phair that those wankers stole from my broken-in car. Oh yeah! And the new Pretty Girls Make Graves record! I hadn't even downloaded that one.
So much music, so little time.
NP: Dido - See the Sun (underwhelming version)
posted by Hanson |
2:35 PM
Monday, October 06, 2003
Tomorrow, I Will Lead
You see, I've been so busy whining here for the last little bit, I've basically ignored all the good things that have been happening to me recently. Well, that changes now.
From this cloud of despair that has engulfed my being for the last couple weeks emerged a shiny beacon of wicked bright goodness. No, it's not the Cubs winning its first playoff series in 95 years, though I must admit to some degree of gladness. It's not even Michelle and the Drake tribe putting the smackdown on those tossers in Morgan on Survivor. No, this is something closer to home: my being accepted into the Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program.
LOT is a program set up by the Vancouver Board of Trade to prepare soon-to-be university graduates for the real world. Each participant is paired up with an industry professional who will act as his mentor throughout the year, helping the participant develop leadership and networking skills, two qualities not generally cultivated in the classroom setting. To that end, he program organizes networking events, luncheons with senior members of the Vancouver community, and other similar activities. For our part, we do a bit of volunteer work to keep the program going and promise to meet with our mentors. Gee... I guess we're *obligated* to network and participate in rewarding endeavours. How ever will I cope? ;-)
This is going to be some pretty damn good shizznit. I'm totally psyched for this, and my busy schedule notwithstanding, I'm going to make the most of it. As part of the program, we get a year-long membership to the Vancouver Board of Trade, and as a result, we'll get a chance to hear some pretty cool speakers and be part of some pretty cool events. And what makes this especially cool for me is the fact that my mentor is from Crystal! In product marketing, no less! Hehe... this will be sweet. I'm in dire need of networking skillz, and this should do wonders in that department.
Yippee to more (good) commitments!
NP: The Gay - Robert Smith
posted by Hanson |
9:41 PM
Pop the Cork
Oh so done. Oh so done! That is untill next Friday, when 307 will kick me squa' in the nuts once again, but until then, it's semi-party time, as I only have readings and a 445 assignment due next Wednesday! *happy dance*
NP: My Morning Jacket - Dancefloors
posted by Hanson |
1:37 AM
Sunday, October 05, 2003
One Small Step for Ho
One more question to go on my CMPT 300 assignment -- a very long question, that is. Should I sleep or work some more? It depends on how badly I want to go curling and/or see School of Rock tomorrow. The answer to both: pretty damn badly.
So. Where's the (American) Mountain Dew?
NP: The Gay - You Know the Rules
posted by Hanson |
2:18 AM
Friday, October 03, 2003
I'll Take That!
So it turns out that my CMPT 300 assignment can be handed in on Monday at the cost of a 10% deduction on its grade. Considering the fact that I probably have no way of finish the programming portion before then, I'd say this is a pretty sweet deal! This gives me the weekend to mull over pipes, forks, and shells. Yippee! That essentially means I've sacrificed a Friday night and a weekend (or at least part of it) for this, but considering the alternative, I'll gladly take it.
As for the other assignment, the nastier, longer CMPT 307 sucka, I still have one questions that I have no idea on, and one more that I want to get some feedback on before finishing. Suffice it to say, I'm fairly happy with the progress I've made, especially considering where I was just 24 hours ago.
Phew. I think I can sleep now, and it's not even 4 am yet! Wicked pissah!
NP: (bzzzzzzzz)
posted by Hanson |
3:30 AM
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Checking the Clock
Yes, I'm still awake. The chances of my being awake 24 hours from now is pretty good too. 25h? Still good. 26? 27? 28? Non-zero, the lot of them. *Sigh*... and this is only week five. Brand Wars has really screwed with my work schedule.
Oh! While I was taking a break, making instant noodles, I flipped on the TV, and there it was, probably my favourite movie of all time: Chasing Amy. I watched for a bit while eating, but didn't finish it, because: a) I've seen it a zillion times; b) I own it on DVD; and c) I HAVE NO FUCKING TIME!!! That's all. Back to work.
NP: (nothing)
posted by Hanson |
4:21 AM
Math, Guy!
When you work this hard in an upper division marketing course, you end up with a paper that's worth 40% of your course grade. When you work this hard in an upper division computing course, you end up with half the questions in an assignment that's worth 6% of your total grade. This fucking blows like Monica on speed.
NP: (whine you often hear later in the semester)
posted by Hanson |
1:30 AM
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