Jesus Christ, it’s almost March. I hope nobody had developed hope that I’d forgotten about this just-a-little-overly-long countdown, as I hate to disappoint. But in any case, after a long, chaotic month, I’m pleased to continue with this Best-of-2011 list according to some random guy you’ve never met. As we all know, however, the only thing better than reading pointless pop culture countdowns is not having to read the even more pointless paragraph that precedes it. So… let’s continue, shall we?

75. Amon Tobin – ISAM

When a guy can not only make an album out of random samples he put together himself (and we’re not talking vocal hooks from old, obscure R&B songs, I mean shit as random as electrical feedback and painstakingly recorded movement of insects), but make it absolutely phenomenal as well, you know there is some ridiculous talent on your hands. Or in your headphones, rather. With ISAM, Amon Tobin has toned it down just a bit, keeping the adventurous, wild beats but with a bit less of the eccentricity. Which is not to say that the random nature has been completely thrown out the window of course (this is still about as leftfield as it gets), simply that it’s just a bit more accessible. And leave it to someone this clever to pull the juggling act off without a hitch.

Recommended Tracks: Kitty Cat, Dropped from the Sky

74.  Skindred – Union Black

It only took seven years and more than a few iffy efforts, but Skindred have finally mastered their reggae-metal blend, and sounds as good as anybody could have hoped. The Welsh quartet haven’t lost any of their aggression or heaviness to achieve this, either; just some serious tightening in the songwriting department, and having a few more tricks up their collective sleeve this time around, particularly their dabbling with electronics. The fist-pumping choruses of stompers like Cut Dem and Bad Man Ah Bad Man are tremendously rousing, not just in how animated the music is, but how much soul is behind it.

Recommended Tracks: Warning, Living a Lie

73. Ulver – Wars of the Roses

Probably the most diverse band in existence with such consistent success, and albums embracing genres as disparate as trip-hop and black metal, Ulver has proven themselves to be impossibly good at just about everything they try their hand at, and this time around Garm and co. have got their fingers in a few different pies. From the unexpected poppiness of opener February MMX to the haunting ambience of closer Stone Angels, Wars of the Roses is a thoughtfully crafted piece of work, not only with shades of nearly everything they’ve done up to this point, but making a cohesive unit of it all to boot. Even without the beautiful songs, that alone is a massive triumph.

Recommended Tracks: Providence, Island

72. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation

Something about The Year of Hibernation feels as if it should be permeating sadness. And indeed, melancholy is abound in the dreamy waves, but there’s just something so life-affirming about Trevor Powers’ debut under the Youth Lagoon moniker; just how gentle and fragile this album is. Lines like “When I was seventeen, My mother said to me, ‘don’t stop imagining, the day that you do is the day that you die’” can be found up and down the eight stellar tracks, and one can’t help but smile at the charming innocence behind it all. Powers has an endearingly childlike wonder in how he expresses himself, both lyrically and musically, and that is what makes this such an audible treat.

Recommended Tracks: Cannons, Montana

71. Loss – Despond

As heavy with its guitars as it is with its melancholy, funeral doom act Loss’ long awaited follow-up to 2004′s Life Without Hope… Death Without Reason has proven more than worthy of its predecessor (as well as the teasing splits released over the past seven years). Taking a bit more of a melodic path without sacrificing any of the unyielding bleakness, Despond is a cohesive and pitch-black slab of sorrow, yet with songwriting and production so sharp that aurally speaking, it’s tremendously enjoyable. Like taking a trip through the nether regions of the soul with excellent in-flight service.

Recommended Tracks: Cut Up Depressed and Alone, The Irreparable Act

70. Deaf Center – Owl Splinters

Cleverly blending neo-classical with ambient, Owl Splinters places gorgeous piano pieces alongside captivating soundscapes to create a downright haunting package. Then there are moments where the two elements are combined, namely on the wonderful The Day I Would Never Have, with its astonishingly powerful build-up and fiercely morose atmosphere. This isn’t rainy day music so much as it is end-of-the-world music; at times it practically paralyzes the listener in its tenebrous beauty. Sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but… fuck, just listen to the thing.

Recommended Tracks: Time Spent, Close Forever Watching

69. The Kills – Blood Pressures

2008′s Midnight Boom was a certainly an enjoyable affair in its own right, but Blood Pressures finds the duo back at what they do best; good old fashioned gritty, bluesy rock. This is the dirtiest and most aggressive Jamie Hince’s guitars have sounded in a while, and it’s a large part of why The Kills came out head and shoulders above The Black Keys this year. Not to mention that Alison Mosshart’s vocals are as venomous and sexy as ever; maybe it was their time apart, maybe it was Mosshart’s time with The Dead Weather, but whatever the reason, the duo is back at the top of their game.

Recommended Tracks: Satellite, Pots and Pans

68. Arms and Sleepers – The Organ Hearts

Like so much of the trip-hop of old, Arms and Sleepers’ latest has a sweetly dark way about it. The charm doesn’t lie so much in traditional hooks or melodies nearly as much as in how alluring it all sounds. At times it can be a bit despondent and at others a bit swelling, but there’s never too much of one thing going on at any given time to disrupt the cool, wispy air about it. Everything is smooth and controlled, with just enough liveliness to keep things from getting dull.

Recommended Tracks: A Smile in Sofia, Airport Blues

67. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse

A sardonic baritone can make just about anything (in this case, “Oh America!” comes to mind) sound brilliant, but Bill Callahan’s witty lyrics and laid back delivery already do that to the man’s music all on their own. Not to mention the masterful subtleties sprinkled throughout Apocalypse‘s delightfully americana-drenched brand of folk, from seemingly random tempo changes to startling musical progressions, all of which can be found on early album highlight Baby’s Breath alone. Callahan’s soothing voice is enough, but the broad instrumentation and gentle sound brings it all together quite nicely. A lovely listen.

Recommended Tracks: Baby’s Breath, Riding for the Feeling

66. Jehst – The Dragon of an Ordinary Family

As he asserts on the closing Two Point Four, “Yeah the kid spits flames, you’ll have to call the fire brigade to fix this place.” With his latest, Jehst places himself comfortably alongside Orphans of Cush and Klashnekoff as the premier voices in modern UK hip-hop. Clever line after clever line fly from this guy’s mouth, the least of which off the top of my head is how he uses A Tribe Called Quest’s infamous call-response “Can I Kick It?” only to respond “no, you can’t” on The Illest just to illustrate how lyrically untouchable he is. And really, any listener would be hardpressed to disagree.

Recommended Tracks: Zombies, England

65. Wormrot – Dirge

One of the joys of listening to grindcore is that if you’ve got eighteen spare minutes, you can listen to a fantastic album in its entirety. Which is exactly what Singapore based trio Wormrot give us with their second full-length; eighteen blistering, screaming minutes. More importantly, however, is the (relative) versatility shown. Yeah, it’s harsh and in your face and all that, but the mere fact that these guys don’t have to limit themselves to simply thrashing away as fast as they possibly can for the entire duration of the album says more than anything else – after all, when you can tell the songs apart on an album like this, that alone is a huge step forward! As the shortest song here not to be a Napalm Death reference proclaims, “Fucking fierce, so what?”

Recommended Tracks: Overpowered Violence, Principle of Puppet Warfare

64. Austin Peralta – Endless Planets

Despite the lack of electronic influence, Endless Planets fits right in on the label that Flying Lotus calls home; the meticulous layering, the prodigious songwriting, and that knack for capturing a mood and not letting go until the album’s dying strains. As stunningly clean and beautiful this smooth, jazzy affair is, it’s all the more impressive when you consider the fact that the man behind the piano leading this lovely music was a tender twenty years of age at the time of recording. When I was twenty, I remember (vaguely) writing term papers, waiting tables, and finagling alcohol by whatever means were available to me; not exactly much of a comparison there.

Recommended Tracks: Capricornus, Ode to Love

63. 2562 – Fever

From the get-go, Dave Huismans shows off a remarkable skill with manipulating samples on the third release under his 2562 moniker. Playing almost like a dubstep equivalent of a Pollack painting, Fever takes a good few listens to digest; there’s a constant sense of familiarity, yet without being able to easily place the origin. The styles implemented range from disco to eighties pop to nineties rave along with numerous others, and Huismans makes them all work together far better than anyone would ever expect. As scattershot as the overall album feels, everything begins to make sense in its own way, and all while keeping the listeners nodding their heads.

Recommended Tracks: Aquatic Family Affair, Brasil Deadwalker

62. Septic Flesh – The Great Mass

The Philharmonic Orchestra, the Choir of Prague, and gothic death metal, a combination which normally spells out an overly bloated, symphonic mess. And to write off Septic Flesh’s latest as such would be completely understandable, but a gross oversight as well. Not only does the band avoid the cheesiness that bands like Cradle of Filth (I’m a fan, but let’s be honest here) are infamous for, but there is such attention to detail in balancing the metal, neo-classical, and melodicism, and fantastic interplay among all these elements. Too often do extreme metal bands’ efforts collapse with overwrought ambition, but here it’s quite possibly been done as well as it’s ever going to be.

Recommended Tracks: Five-Pointed Star, Apocalypse

61. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise

Another absurdly talented young man, Nicolas Jaar’s debut album takes funky basslines, garage rhythms, chopped up samples, and a harrowing ambient feel to create an atmosphere entirely his own. The middle portion of the record alone, from the gloomy, Ray Charles sampling I Got a Woman to the strangely danceable-yet-unsettling Space Is Only Noise If You Can See, exhibits just about everything Jaar has to throw at the listener, all bundled up in a tasteful little package. It serves as a great sample of its parent album, as it’s probably the best ambient music of the year to not even really be ambient at all.

Recommended Tracks: Colomb, Keep Me There

60. Ash Borer – Ash Borer

The mere fact that forty minutes of black metal crammed into three densely packed tracks doesn’t get old after the first five minutes is proof enough that Ash Borer’s self titled debut LP is something special. But beyond that, there’s so much going on here; for one, the raw, ear-scraping production lines up perfectly with the intense emotion driving the music, as opposed to the poor production so many black metal acts fall victim to, presumably under the impression that that’s simply what it’s supposed to sound like. The music is crushing, the vocals are piercing, and everything is just so fucking loud. As nature intended.

Recommended Tracks: In the Midst of Life We Are in Death, My Curse Was Raised in the Darkness Against a Doomsday Silence

59. Steffi – Yours & Mine

Quite possibly the best love letter to early house music since Zomby’s near-classic Where Were U in ’92?, Steffi’s first full-length release has a delightful no-frills approach. Both pretty and fun, while being deliberately dated to the point of sounding modern, Yours & Mine is too inoffensive to dislike, yet carries none of the boredom that an adjective like “inoffensive” often carries. This is just an extremely adept DJ doing her thing, spinning modestly crafted house music that wriggles its way into your ear and gets you dancing before you even have a chance to think about how inherently lovely it is.

Recommended Tracks: Yours, Mine (yes, I realize this looks like a lame joke)

58. fLako – The Mesektet

Trippy, and almost sad. Almost, because you can just imagine the half-baked freestyle sessions that this album has likely played host to since its release. A charmingly mixed bag of instrumental hip-hop, The Mesektet is something that any J Dilla fan would do well to give a listen; a hodgepodge of thirty mini-tracks, all with their own allure yet unquestionably all parts of the same entity. With all the different styles and moods that fLako visits here, nothing ever feels out of focus or forced, but rather a smooth, fun trip through the imagination of its creator.

Recommended Tracks: Wedjit, Shake It Harder

57. A Winged Victory for the Sullen – A Winged Victory for the Sullen

In a word, breathtaking. Ordinarily, music that sounds as tragic as this is only able to convey so much beauty, but A Winged Victory for the Sullen’s self-titled debut exceeds overwhelmingly on both counts. The music is so delicate, so fragile, and almost seems to tell a tale so heartbreaking that it could only be told through something this arrestingly gorgeous. It’s no surprise that half of the duo which crafted this ambient work of art hails from Stars of the Lid; in fact, what would be a surprise would be if it had been produced by two no-names just putting out their first piece of music. There is so much emotion, so much power behind Sullen that, well to be perfectly frank, I wouldn’t judge you if it made you weep a little bit.

….pussy.

Recommended Tracks: We Played Some Open Chords and Rejoiced for the Earth Had Circled the Sun Yet Another Year, Requiem for the Static King, Part One

56. Dela – Translation Lost

Mainstream hip-hop isn’t quite as bad as many purists would have you believe, however it’s undeniable that there are a few too many so-called MCs getting by with simply mumbling like an idiot over bad techno, calling it rapping, and collecting a paycheck. A source of frustration, to be sure, but when a guy who grew up listening to all the right hip-hop comes along and does it right, it’s all the more rewarding. On Transition Lost, Dela employs the best things about the nineties east coast sound: impeccably placed samples, a smooth, jazzy sound, and gentle melodies with an upbeat presentation. The tracks that don’t already feature somebody on the mic are begging to be rapped over, underlining one of the most important qualities one can have in the game, whether a rapper or producer – just being hungry.

Recommended Tracks: Lucy’s&LooseLeaves, Jay Electropietricus

55. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972

Where A Winged Victory for the Sullen seems to mourn the loss of beauty, Ravedeath, 1972 seems to revel in its destruction. So much of this album is warbled, distorted, and with more than a hint of menace, yet with the strains of a sense of longing dying underneath it all. And with as densely packed as this ambient tour de force is, the imagery conjured up by these sounds is hardly set in stone; several people I’ve discussed this album with have walked away with something entirely different. This is largely what makes Ravedeath so remarkable, that there is so much being said here, yet not enough to cleanly define it. Not exactly, anyway. And really, that’s one of the best things a piece of music can offer.

Recommended Tracks: Analog Paralysis 1978, In the Air: II

54. Roman Flügel – Fatty Folders

Rarely is such adventurous house music this lovely. Everything about Roman Flügel’s first full-length is an absolute pleasure to listen to, from the laid back moments awash with gentle synths to the more complex tracks ridden with almost haphazardly paired melodies. Then there are the most aggressive moments, particularly The Improviser, a bass-heavy number with a definite animosity bubbling just beneath the surface, yet subdued enough to keep it fitting in smoothly with the rest of the album. Everything ties together quite nicely on Fatty Folders, and its greatest strength is that gentle sound woven into the music’s inherent ability to make you want to dance.

Recommended Tracks: How to Spread Lies, Krautus

53. Demdike Stare – Tryptych

A compilation of three vinyl-only releases from the previous year (though it does contain a fair amount of bonus tracks), including Tryptych is probably cheating just a tad, but the dark ambient here in this sprawling set is just too good to be excluded. This isn’t haunting so much as it is downright frightening; there are horror films with scores that have nothing on the Forest of Evil disc alone, much less Tryptych in its entirety. And while there’s over two and a half hours of meandering, uneasy ambience, there’s always something new being thrown in to keep it from growing stagnant… though to be honest, the music has such a presence to it that it probably wouldn’t have been necessary anyway. Fun trick to play on your roommate #427: just as they’re drifting off, put this on, then in the morning listen to them go on about the weird dreams they had.

Recommended Tracks: Forest of Evil (Dusk), A Tale of Sand

52. Maybeshewill – I Was Here for a Moment, Then I Was Gone

Maybeshewill has always been a band who does post-rock that gets right to the point, without sacrificing any of their intensity in the process. Their ability to condense ten to fifteen minute songs to a length of about five has always been a calling card, and with as rapidly as this band has progressed, it’s great to see that they haven’t lost this. While I Was Here for a Moment isn’t perhaps the largest leap forward, it finds them honing their skills just a bit more, with the only real loss being the movie samples which popped up rather frequently in the past. Those were always a nice touch, but when compared to a superior flow and song layers that compliment one another better, it’s hardly much of a loss.

Recommended Tracks: Farewell Sarajevo, To the Skies from a Hillside

51. Radiohead – The King of Limbs

The King of Limbs has drawn quite a bit of flak from fans old and new, what with its brevity and somewhat minimalist sound. And following the somewhat sprawling In Rainbows, it’s not a complete surprise. But if this band has taught us anything, isn’t it to not expect the same thing twice? No first listen to a Radiohead album has ever bored me; I remember loving trying to wrap my head around the uncompromising bizarreness of Everything in Its Right Place and Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box, getting a little startled when the distortion kicked in halfway through 2+2=5, and finding my head bobbing along to the infectious rhythm of 15 Step. So when the shuffling piano and drums against that pitch-black backdrop of Bloom filled my headphones, there was only one thing I expected: another great album, and that’s exactly what we got. At the end of the day, Limbs is a flat out fantastic record. Yes, even by Radiohead standards.

Recommended Tracks: Little by Little, Lotus Flower

AWOLNATION has announced a string of tour dates in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Canada this April leading up to the band’s performance at one of the premiere music festivals, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California April 14 and 21. Tickets for the new dates go on sale this Friday, March 2 and fans can visit www.awolnationmusic.com/events to purchase.

AWOLNATION’s latest single, “Not Your Fault,” now the band’s second consecutive top 5 single, is one of the hottest songs at radio in North America and is currently #4 on the charts at Alternative in the U.S. and Canada. “Not Your Fault” is also available on iTunes for $.69. The surreal, animated video for “Not Your Fault” can be seen at www.youtube.com/AWOLNATION.  The band’s debut single “Sail” is nearing platinum sales in the U.S. and double platinum in Canada, after recently being certified gold and platinum respectively.

Performing hundreds of live shows throughout a breakout year, the band’s debut full-length release Megalithic Symphony (Red Bull Records) was the #1 Billboard Heatseekers album of 2011 topping the chart several times over. Featured on iTunes as one of the “Great Albums of 2011,” as well as Amazon’s “Top 100 Albums of 2011,” Megalithic Symphony has sold over 160,000 copies in the U.S. and Canada, and is currently available in stores and online.

Led by musical architect and vocalist Aaron Bruno, AWOLNATION features David Amezcua on bass, keyboardist/guitarist Kenny Carkeet, drummer Hayden Scott and Christopher Thorn on guitar.

AWOLNATION 2012 confirmed tour dates:

DATE               VENUE                                                 CITY/STATE

March 2            X102.9 Birthday Blowout                        Point Verda Beach, FL

March 3            97X Freebie Weebie                              Tampa, FL

March 16           KTCL Area 93 Kegs & Eggs                   Denver, CO

April 1               West End Cultural Center                       Winnipeg, MB

April 2               Louis’ Pub                                            Saskatoon, SK

April 3               Edmonton Events Centre                       Edmonton, AB

April 5               Commodore Ballroom                           Vancouver, BC

April 6               The Showbox SODO                             Seattle, WA

April 7               McDonald Theatre                                 Eugene, OR

April 9               Ace of Spades                                      Sacramento, CA

April 10             The Senator Theatre                               Chico, CA

April 14             Coachella Music & Arts Festival             Indio, CA

April 21             Coachella Music & Arts Festival             Indio, CA

April 28             The Pavilion – EDGEFEST                     Albuquerque, NM

* additional dates TBA

Official Site: www.awolnationmusic.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/awolnation

YouTube: www.youtube.com/awolnation

Red Bull Records: www.redbullrecords.com

Big Black Deltatoday announced that their single “IFUCKINGLOVEYOU” will receive limited-edition vinyl release treatment. Beginning April 30th in the US, the song will be available on seven-inch vinyl with a B-side and also on 12-inch with new remixes of the song included. The track will be released via a joint venture between K7! Records & Nerve Management on behalf of Master of Bates Records and will also be available digitally.

The brainchild of Los Angeles based multi-instrumentalist and former Mellowdrone frontman Jonathan Bates, Big Black Delta crafts experimental electronic music backed by dueling female drummers Mahsa Zargaran and Amy Wood. Originally released as a fan piece through the band’s website, the band’s forthcoming album entitled BBDLP1 will be released this coming Fall and feature several new tracks.

“If you didn’t have standard pop music as a reference, what would your pop music sound like?” Jonathan Bates asked himself this very question, and the answer, he found through his discovery of his solo project, Big Black Delta.

After a hugely successful run of residency dates at The Satellite, Big Black Delta went on to support M83 on numerous dates (with more ahead), winning over audiences nightly. As put by BuzzbandsLA, “The former Mellowdrone frontman’s bombastic take on ’80s synth-pop has turned more than a few ears in the months since he began leaking songs, and his two-drummers-and-a-barrage-of-LEDs live show is darned near seizure inducing.”

Feeling as though he was drowning after the last Mellowdrone record, Bates decided to take a long break from the “band” aesthetic. He felt the need to create something different, without any rules, in hopes it could expand his consciousness. He bought a used laptop from close friend, Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails, SONOIO) and began sound-designing and circuit-bending to make original, simple music. By doing everything slightly wrong in the studio, on purpose, Bates set out to make music that wasn’t bound by gravity. He didn’t limit himself instrumentally either. “Give me anything, and ill make it work. Especially if it’s stringed,” Bates noted. This musical re-discovery, combined with Bates’ favourite dinner table conversation, UFO folklore, and the Big Black Delta project was born.

Outside of constantly envisioning new songs for Big Black Delta, Bates continues to be called upon to collaborate. He has been extensively involved with M83, having been a part of the band as a touring guitarist, recording vocals for most recent album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, as well as teaming up with the group for a remix of Daft Punk’s “Fall” featured on the Tron Legacy Soundtrack: R3CONFIGU3D. Bates also co-produced “Mountaineer” and “Lady Killer” for the band White Sea (Morgan Kibby of M83) and often writes and performs with them. As for other collaborations with friend Alessandro Cortini, Bates was featured on his solo project SONOIO’s track, “Houdini,” and also did a remix of the song which was released on SONOIO’s remix album.

BIG BLACK DELTA LIVE DATES

3/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent (with The Joy Formidable)
3/13 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent (with The Joy Formidable)

3/14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box (with The Joy Formidable)

Cheers, my friends. On a personal note, this may be the push I needed to go full hipster and get myself some vinyl. We’ll see you at the LA show!

~

Ohio

Amanda Seyfried isn’t one for shying away from portraying a semi-psychotic (see: Jennifer’s Body), which is why her latest role as Jill Conway, a victim of abduction, is rather ideal for honing the actress’ skill. After escaping an unidentified man who kept her captive in a hole in the recesses of Forest Park (and yes, I realize how sexual that sounds), Jill begs the police to find him before any other women are subjected to his insanity. Insisting that there were already victims of his crime because she saw human remains buried next to her while she was trapped, the police search the park for a week before assuming the man was a figment of Jill’s imagination (she has a history of mental illness, like so many people living in Portland).

Promotional poster for Gone

Now that Jill lives with her sister, Molly (Emily Wickersham), she feels slightly less afraid/paranoid, but still makes it a point to go to Forest Park on a frequent basis so that she can figure out where her abductor took her. Molly chastises her for being so obsessed and uses the analogy that if Molly started drinking again Jill would “lose her shit.” The closeness between Jill and Molly is exhibited in the dialogue created by Allison Burnett (also responsible for the Diane Lane psychological drama Untraceable), who displays a natural talent for the thriller genre.

Bitch ain't playin' no games.

When Molly tells Jill to wake her up early so that she can study before her final, Jill promises to be back home at 6:30 after her graveyard shift at The Lucky Star Diner. When she mentions to one of her co-workers, Sharon (Jennifer Carpenter, who has very little range beyond Dexter), that a customer that usually sits in a different section left her an insulting tip, Sharon insists that he’s usually more generous. Suspicion begins to arise within Jill as she heads back home to find Molly missing. Frantic, she immediately goes to report it to Lieutenant Powers (Daniel Sunjata), who takes it in stride, considering that Jill often comes to the police station to tell them that her abductor has returned.

Paranoia, paranoia. Everybody's coming to get her.

With no one on her side except a creepy new edition to the unit named Peter Hood (Wes Bentley), Jill takes matters into her own hands by pounding the pavement with her gun in tow. Being that someone involuntarily committed to a mental institution isn’t allowed to carry a gun, the Portland Police begin an extensive manhunt for Jill as she tries to clandestinely question anyone who might be able to lead her to her sister’s captor. Because she tells a different scenario to everyone she meets (to a hardware store clerk it’s that her grandfather has gone missing, to a skateboarding slacker it’s that she’s looking for the man who dinged the side of her car), it’s difficult to gauge if maybe Jill is a little bit off the rails.

How it all plays out in the end is nearly perfect, as Jill is finally able to throw the police’s adamancy about her mental instability back in their face by telling them, “It was all in my head.” Had this been the final scene of the movie, it might have been one of the best female vengeance stories of the year. Unfortunately, the cap to close out the film is more of a cautionary tale about how one can never get away with anything.

Alright, so I’m all for gross-out, mindless fodder, especially when David Wain writes it. That being said, Wanderlust is more like one hour and thirty-eight minutes of perverse strangeness that, rather than making you feel like you’ve taken the same peyote as Jennifer Aniston’s character, Linda, you’ll feel more like taking a scalding hot shower to cleanse your mind and body from this moviegoing experience.

Promotional poster for Wanderlust

The premise of the film alone is rather thin, hinging on Linda and George (Paul Rudd) as a Manhattan couple looking to buy property in the West Village (best suited for chic gay men and affluent single white females), in spite of that property being a “micro-loft” a.k.a. a studio apartment. Although they both have misgivings about making such a huge investment with rather uncertain career paths (George is waiting on a bonus, Linda is waiting for HBO to pick up her documentary about penguins), the allure of the West Village is too powerful to ignore.

Surviving in the city can be quite tiring.

After packing themselves and their furniture into the sardine can, George and Linda are both doled out heavy blows to what they assumed were burgeoning careers: The CEO of George’s company is arrested and the executives at HBO show little enthusiasm about a tale of penguins with testicular cancer. With their finances in disarray, the pair tries to talk to their real estate broker about reselling the property at a loss, but she essentially laughs in their face, saying that no one is interested in buying a studio apartment (a label that prompts George to say he knew it wasn’t really a micro-loft).

Linda and George find unexpected comfort in the leadership of Seth (Justin Theroux).

With no one to turn to except George’s douche bag of a brother, Rick (Ken Marino), for shelter, the couple grudgingly leaves the not so fair city of New York to head to Atlanta. Along the way, they decide to stop at the closest “hotel” available to them, Elysium (where the overt hippie slogan is, “Dreams dispensed daily, bring your own cup”). Greeted by a nudist named Wayne (Joe Lo Truglio), George and Linda are initially averse to the bizarre nature of those who live on the commune–or what they call “intentional community.” A few inhalations of the best pot they’ve ever smoked changes that perception right away.

The next morning, everyone, including Seth (Justin Theroux), their–for lack of a better word–leader, helps George and Linda turn their car right side up (George flipped it the night before in an attempt to escape Wayne’s nudity by backing out of the woods at an indelible speed). Seth then suggests that they should stay. George and Linda politely decline and carry out their original plan to go to Rick’s.

Fast-paced and shit.

The only truly amusing part of the movie is provided by this one subplot of the film, the daily life of Rick’s wife, Marisa (Michaela Watkins). Her lines are, hands down, among the best of the film, particularly, “I have mixed feelings about being a parent.” Unfortunately, when Linda and George decide to go back to the commune because of Rick’s assholery, our brief time with Marisa is cut far too short. Other than that, everything is awkwardly absurd to an extreme degree (and not in the good Wet Hot American Summer sort of way), rendering the movie not even remotely palatable (e.g. Lauren Ambrose playing the pregnant Almond–yes, Almond–and birthing her own baby by pulling it out of her vagina, Kourtney Kardashian style). As for Jennifer Aniston’s chemistry with Paul Rudd, one would think that after working together on eighteen episodes of Friends and on the 1998 movie The Object of My Affection (actually much easier to watch than Wanderlust), there would be a more visible rapport. There isn’t.

Alternate promotional poster for Wanderlust.

In fact, about the only element of Wanderlust that will make you feel like you haven’t lost precious minutes of your life is the scenes shared by David Wain, Michael Showalter, and Michael Ian Black. I’m proposing to Judd Apatow to produce a spinoff of this movie based solely on the three of them as the newscasters they played in Wanderlust. Also, cast Fred Armisen in it since he was originally supposed to play the character of Wayne.

Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of getting my eardrums blown out by the mighty Big Black Delta. Headed by front man and light enthusiast Jonathan Bates, this isn’t his first rodeo. You might know of a little Los Angeles band by the name of Mellowdrone (shout out to my old coworker Brian Borg) that Jonathan is also the head of.

This time around, he is pairing up with the percussion duo that is Mahsa Zargaran and Amy Wood. That’s right, two drummers.

They have been a busy trio, with their album BBDLP1 recently dropping and some opening sets for France’s own M83 (which yours truly photographed and danced to). The album has a more refined electronic feel to it, with solid production throughout.

For me, the live show is where the trio shines, with Jon preferring the engineers to turn the lights down low, to ensure that all can marvel at his custom light rig. It danced to the music with us, as the front row screamed the lyrics alongside me. Even the most jaded cool kids in the back could be seen tapping their foot in excitement.

I shot Jon rockin it at the M83 show a little while back.

Most people, including me, wondered why they need two drummers, and I think I finally am beginning to understand. With Jon on his laptop, and the programmed sounds booming, I found myself watching each drummer, picking out which part of the incredibly full and layered sound they were contributing. Exchanging smiles to each other throughout the set, these ladies were confident of two things: 1. They’re gorgeous 2. They’re melting faces.

As for Jon, he seems like a quiet dude, but it’s only a matter of time before he can’t help but smile in front of thousands of adoring fans.

At the end of the set, a show goer jumped on stage and grabbed the set list, but at least I know for sure that BBD played my favorite songs, opening with Huggin & Kissin, played BETAMAX somewhere in the middle (one of my favorite music videos from last year), and closed out explosively with everyone’s favorite song, IFUCKINGLOVEYOU.

Jon in front of the mighty light rig.

Seeing Big Black Delta is strange. It’s like they are superstars that no one knows about yet. Then again, I guess that’s the dream of every hipster, innit? This band is doing something very original, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Last night was the most packed, and the most fun I’ve ever had at The Bootleg Theater, and I’ll be ready and waiting for the next show.

Check out their website for tour info, and to pick up a copy of their album. You won’t regret it. Also, shout out to United Ghosts and V for Valente for opening up and bringin’ it.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

P.S. “Aliens?”

ISLANDS RELEASE DARKLY HUMOROUS NEW VIDEO

New Album A Sleep & A Forgetting Garners Critical Praise

Acclaimed modernist pop band Islands have released a darkly humorous and highly atmospheric video for the upbeat and melodic song “Hallways” from their acclaimed new Anti-Records release A Sleep & A Forgetting. The clip features the band’s singer-songwriter Nick Thorburn performing with, and then joining, an exuberant band of skeleton musicians.

The video was co directed by Lex Halaby and puppeteer Toben Seymour. As Halaby explains, “From the beginning we talked with Nick about making a video that’s equal parts funny and creepy.  Nick he brought up the Max Fleischer cartoons of the 1930s as a source of inspiration.  ‘The Skeleton Dance’ (1929) caught our eye and sparked the concept.  We loved the idea of bringing an entire skeleton band to life.  We also wanted an animated world that looked more like stop motion animation. The skeleton puppets were brought to life by four puppeteers; each one controlling the arms, legs, torso, and head.  It was a team effort in every single shot.”

To watch the imaginative video for the Islands song “Hallways” just go: Here

A Sleep & A Forgetting is the much anticipated follow up to Islands’ critically lauded album Vapours. The record continues the band’s penchant for crafting adventuresome state of the art pop music utilizing shimmering sonic textures and irresistible melodies. But this time band leader Nick Thorburn has infused the songs with a sense of personal introspection that gives the album a powerful new emotional resonance.

Acclaim For Islands’ A Sleep & A Forgetting:

“It’s the most cohesive– and, possibly, the out-and-out strongest– Islands record yet, one that retains a singular focus while zooming in on an artist who’s preferred to remain at a distance, obscured by so many stylistic gambits, for so long.” – Pitchfork

“Though the subject of A Sleep & A Forgetting is one of the most common human experiences, the album is not a generic tribute to a breakup. It’s an inspired look at the grieving human heart. And one of the best Islands records so far, to boot.” – Paste

“William Wordsworth wrote “Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting/ The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star, / Hath had elsewhere its setting / And cometh from afar …” The Montreal pop band Islands’ fourth and latest release, “A Sleep & A Forgetting” echoes that sentiment of transition in that it’s a breakup record (and what’s a birth other than the biggest breakup of all time). The front man Nick Thorburn unburdens himself at the piano, and his heartache comes coated in nostalgic pop melodies.” – New Yorker

“Thorburn anchors every note, every contribution with a personal outpouring of emotion and heartbreak, the likes of which we’ve never seen from him before. “- Prefix

Never in the wildest dreams of a Blur fan’s imagination could he have envisioned the wondrous return of Britpop’s most illustrious quartet after nine years without releasing any new material. Although the band reunited briefly in 2009 to perform in Hyde Park for their devoted legion of fans, that reunion was simply transformed into a documentary rather than another album. After being honored at the Brit Awards on February 21st with the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award, Blur created further music history by performing the longest set the awards ceremony has ever known. Tracks included “Girls & Boys,” “Song 2,” “Parklife,” “Tender,” and, one of their lesser appreciated songs, “This Is A Low.”

Though it was hinted at last month by William Orbit (who produced one of their best works, 13) that Blur had been working on a new album together, the collective confirmation from Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, and Dave Rountree has answered the prayers of those who have noticed the visible lack since Blur stopped making music together. But no longer do we have to exist in a world of such darkness–the first new track, “Under the Westway,” has already been performed live and was received quite well by Blur’s audience.

With the legitimacy of a new song already out in the open, it would appear that it’s all finally happening for Blur again (and, this time, without Oasis around as their “competition”). And, as if the promise of a new album was not enough, the group has also been confirmed to play the closing ceremony at the Olympics in August, once again returning to Hyde Park for what will undoubtedly be another memorable performance.

And, if nothing else, Blur can at least rest assured that they hold a prominent place in 2012′s most memorable music moments for being the catalyst that prompted producers of the Brit Awards to cut Adele’s acceptance speech short.

Thrice detailed their upcoming farewell tour this morning.

The band, set to go on an official “hiatus” after the trek, have decided to hang it up for a while, so they can be with families and get away from the rigors of a touring lifestyle. They hinted at the hiatus during their most recent tour, and now the dates have been announced for what is probably the last chance for fans to see them live.

Here are the dates:

05/04 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues-San Diego
05/05 – Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café
05/06 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
05/08 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
05/09 – Dallas, TX @ The Door
05/10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East
05/11 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
05/12 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s
05/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
05/15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
05/16 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
05/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
05/19 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
05/20 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
05/22 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon
05/23 – Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
05/24 – New York, NY @ Best Buy Theatre Times Square
05/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/26 – Boston, MA @ Royale Night Club
05/27 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
05/29 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
05/30 – Toronto, ONT @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
06/01 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
06/02 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
06/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
06/05 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
06/06 – Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
06/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
06/09 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox @ The Market
06/10 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
06/12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
06/13 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
06/14 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
06/15 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
06/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia LA Live
- Animals As Leaders supporting on all dates -

I plan to be at all 3 of the LA-area dates, including both at HOB Anaheim and Club Nokia. A relatively new convert to the world of Thrice and their consistently amazing music, this saddens me about as much as when Rx Bandits called time out last year too.

Presale for the dates on the tour will go live tomorrow at 12 PM Pacific. Click here to view all that information.

We’ve all been wondering if Lindsay Lohan would ever return to her original career as an actress after spending so many years as a professional fuck-up (and I absolutely love her for that). The role of Elizabeth Taylor seems like the ideal role for such a comeback, but how serious can this movie be taken when it’s already slated to air on TV–and on Lifetime no less? Perhaps if it was Logo, an exception could be made to the kiss of death given to TV productions involving stars who typically appear on movie theater screens. And while, Lohan is no stranger to the small screen, the majority of her presence on it was when she was just starting out (e.g. Life Size and Get A Clue for the Disney Channel). Doing it now sort of comes across as going backwards from her rise to the top.

Channeling Liz.

The other clincher about the project is that it is titled Liz and Dick. Is it me, or does that seem ripe to be converted into a porno? Such a title also suggests that the primary focus of the movie will be on Taylor’s torrid on and off romance with Richard Burton, in spite of Taylor’s life being filled with numerous other topics of interest. But then, Lifetime prides itself on female drama, so I suppose the focus on Taylor’s rapport with Burton is what will draw in the viewers. Moreover, Lohan has already gone into self-promotion mode as she will also host Saturday Night Live on March 3rd. Here’s hoping for a sketch of her competing audition with Megan Fox for the part of Liz Taylor.