Seriously, does every end of the year "Best Albums" list has to have Radiohead's In Rainbows as #1?
The totally innovative, out of this world and brilliant method of distribution * must have blown everyone's mind, and let this overshadows the music. Not that I hated In Rainbows, but I just never find it so excruciatingly amazing. Maybe it was because everyone went on and shouts: "OMG, In Rainbows is totally fucking awesome!" because that sort of stuff tends to annoy me and alienates me. I tried to love In Rainbows and "get it", but I just never did. Sorry. I completely understands that some people truly loves this fucking record, but I just didn't get the big deal about the music**.It's certainly better than a lot of crap that came out this year, but was it really that extraordinary and such a masterpiece? Maybe it was because I'm not sophisticated enough to like +(some) songs that has no hooks and no dynamics. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that this album was so fucking overrated.
And now every time I read that In Rainbows is #1, I just roll my eyes. And if any Radiohead fans reads this, they probably wants to curse me. Hey, I'll still buy the CD version of In Rainbows and continues to like Radiohead, but shut up about
"In Rainbows is not only the best album of the year, but maybe the decade."
*This statement was totally exaggerated and sarcastic.
** Despite saying this, I will continue listen to "In Rainbows" and try to "get it".
+ This is not to say that all of the songs have no hooks and no dynamics.
Friday, December 28, 2007
RIP Bhutto
When I heard about Bhutto's death last night, I was shocked. Even though I figure that she will be assassinated sooner or later, but it still came as a shock.
I'll admit I'm no expert on the going ons in Pakistan. But somehow, there was some sort of sadness after I heard her death. With her death, Pakistan is going to be even more chaotic and violent,the future of elections will be unclear and whether Musharraf will benefit from this is still hard to say. And Bhutto was a strong woman, and it seemed to me that she was not afraid to die. Maybe my reaction to her death was more of a sympathetic approach than a political one.
As my mother heard about it, she said: "another legend has fallen."
The grim reaper always get someone before the year ends.
I'll admit I'm no expert on the going ons in Pakistan. But somehow, there was some sort of sadness after I heard her death. With her death, Pakistan is going to be even more chaotic and violent,the future of elections will be unclear and whether Musharraf will benefit from this is still hard to say. And Bhutto was a strong woman, and it seemed to me that she was not afraid to die. Maybe my reaction to her death was more of a sympathetic approach than a political one.
As my mother heard about it, she said: "another legend has fallen."
The grim reaper always get someone before the year ends.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
When You're Really Bored (Make Your Own Calendar)
During the Christmas break from school, I basically have nothing to do. As the new year approaches, I became really bored and began to do crazy things. Like making a calendar myself, with album arts that I re-drew as visuals.
I can't quite remember how this idea came to me, it was one of those things that just jumps out. It didn't occur to me there wasn't a lot of great album art that I can draw from. Most of the albums that I own have some really simple and/or abstract art that was not easy to recreate. But I did managed to pick out a few, here is four of them:
The cover from Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero
The reason I drew this was mostly because it's one of the only album cover that has some sort of clear image on it. After I drew it, it looked too plain, and still weird.
And here's my favorite one, the cover of Era Vulgaris by Queens of the Stone Age. It's easy to draw and it's an interesting picture.I guess this was the album cover that gave me the idea of doing a calendar with album arts.
Another one that was great to draw because it's distinguished and interesting was the album cover of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. I love the drum-faced lady, it's creepy in a good way.
The fourth one is also from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, this time is the back cover. I'm running out of materials, but it's an awesome picture to draw.
I'll be drawing more, next stop should be some pictures inside the booklet of OK Computer. Yay!
I can't quite remember how this idea came to me, it was one of those things that just jumps out. It didn't occur to me there wasn't a lot of great album art that I can draw from. Most of the albums that I own have some really simple and/or abstract art that was not easy to recreate. But I did managed to pick out a few, here is four of them:
The cover from Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero
The reason I drew this was mostly because it's one of the only album cover that has some sort of clear image on it. After I drew it, it looked too plain, and still weird.
And here's my favorite one, the cover of Era Vulgaris by Queens of the Stone Age. It's easy to draw and it's an interesting picture.I guess this was the album cover that gave me the idea of doing a calendar with album arts.
Another one that was great to draw because it's distinguished and interesting was the album cover of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. I love the drum-faced lady, it's creepy in a good way.
The fourth one is also from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, this time is the back cover. I'm running out of materials, but it's an awesome picture to draw.
I'll be drawing more, next stop should be some pictures inside the booklet of OK Computer. Yay!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry X-Mas to Me
I don't celebrate Christmas.
I don't get bummed out either, I kind of see it as kind of like a burden being lifted.
Christmas is so commercialized right now, at some points it seemed to me that it wasn't so much about the birth of Christ, but just about getting presents. It seems like it is inevitable that you must buy a ton of presents for everyone in order to celebrate this Holy Birth. What does Santa Clause have to do with baby Jesus anyway?
I see students in school dragging bags of presents for their friends and whatnot,even though a part of me was thinking: "It's kind of awesome that they get all kinds of presents," but ultimately I wasn't jealous. I didn't have to go Christmas shopping, spent time thinking who should get what, contemplating how big a budget I have and how much I have left.
Several years back I brought ton of cards to give to friends, but right now, I gave one physical card to a friend, and just gave e-cards to the rest.The closest thing I had as Christmas shopping was buying three books for free-time reading over the holiday break .To match the holiday spirit, I brought The Road by Cormac McCarthy, a tale about a father and a son making a post-apocalyptic journey South. 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, both cannot be categorized as Christmasy.
So because I'm an atheist, I have no Christmas obligations. I guess (a little) money in my pocket is a Christmas gift for me.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Early-Internet Life Crisis
The Internet, a tool and space that is integral part of modern life. A data base so vast and great that it contains unlimited knowledge. A space open for everyone and anyone to share everything and anything. It's great, but with every great thing, there's a downside.
Because people can seal their identities and face, they can take on a alternate personality of sort, and just exploit the potential of being anonymous.Trolls, internet bullies, stalkers, you know it. There are gossip boards and message boards where rumors flies. People can prowl into other people's lives. The net is infested with all sorts of people.
That is why I don't have a MySpace or Facebook, nor do I expose a large portion of my personal life. But once or twice I get fed-up with the Internet, since I prowl the Internet and sees all sorts of things described above. Shoot, I can feel my integrity draining as read some of things on a gossip board. Why do people insist on tearing into the personal lives of celebrities or whatnot, and willingly talk trash and lies about a person if they have only seen their public persona and never know them in person? Why do people attack others relentlessly?
And more importantly, why did I read those things in the first place and be thinking and bothered by them? They weren't talking about me, nor do I have any interest in joining their discussion about whatever-the-fuck. Curiosity kill the cat, and sometimes I got dragged into it.
Sometimes I seriously thought I would be much happier if I don't know half the stuff I know and read.
Because people can seal their identities and face, they can take on a alternate personality of sort, and just exploit the potential of being anonymous.Trolls, internet bullies, stalkers, you know it. There are gossip boards and message boards where rumors flies. People can prowl into other people's lives. The net is infested with all sorts of people.
That is why I don't have a MySpace or Facebook, nor do I expose a large portion of my personal life. But once or twice I get fed-up with the Internet, since I prowl the Internet and sees all sorts of things described above. Shoot, I can feel my integrity draining as read some of things on a gossip board. Why do people insist on tearing into the personal lives of celebrities or whatnot, and willingly talk trash and lies about a person if they have only seen their public persona and never know them in person? Why do people attack others relentlessly?
And more importantly, why did I read those things in the first place and be thinking and bothered by them? They weren't talking about me, nor do I have any interest in joining their discussion about whatever-the-fuck. Curiosity kill the cat, and sometimes I got dragged into it.
Sometimes I seriously thought I would be much happier if I don't know half the stuff I know and read.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
I'm Such A Masochist
I have a habit of reading comments below articles. It's so painful to read yet somehow I can't look away. A few spots that brings out the most entertaining commentators (in no particular order):
Blabbermouth.net
Example:
Well, this is not the worse I've read, but it's the one that I found that qualifies as over-the-top. Then there's one post where someone who posted the same comment like 40 times...But the real haters and crazies come out when a news band that is not "metal".
Youtube.com
Example:
Ramox3 (13 minutes ago) Show Hide Marked as spam
-1 Poor comment Good comment
I don't know what to say. It's easy to find this kind of comments on YouTube. There's more posts that are more maniacal than this, but I'm too lazy to look through the 39,162 comments to find the dumbest comment.
PerezHilton.com
I don't read the site. This is only the third (or something )time I visited the site. I read the comments under this post, as it were linked to a site that I frequent, and was instantly amazed.
Example:
LOL. Then there are a whole fangirl reaction to Reznor being hot. I didn't dare to read the comments under the other posts, but do people on PerezHilton always rave about how a celebrity is hot and how they want to fuck them?
nin.com
Now, I love the blog thing that the site does now, but the comments are scary.
Example
Anonymous said...
What the fuck? Why is the comments to every post have some sort of speculation about Reznor's sexuality? Then there's the people talking about mortgages and how much that want to have sex with Reznor. God. I would not be sad if the comment section on nin.com gets removed.
And ultimately, it's my fault that I read those comments, and spent time talking about them. I still have to do my homework.
Blabbermouth.net
Example:
COMMENT | WOO-HOO GIGANTOUR!!!posted by : MRBIGTIME
12/8/2007 5:16:17 PM
PLEASE,PLEASE LET IT BE TESTAMENT-SLAYER-METALLICA-EXODUS- OVERKILL. \M/ MEGADAVE!!! \M/
Well, this is not the worse I've read, but it's the one that I found that qualifies as over-the-top. Then there's one post where someone who posted the same comment like 40 times...But the real haters and crazies come out when a news band that is not "metal".
Youtube.com
Example:
Ramox3 (13 minutes ago) Show Hide Marked as spam
-1 Poor comment Good comment
(Reply) (Spam)
bad smell is not muslims u dumbass its Indians (some of them) muslims have to wash 5 times a day and are required to shower frequently. Mohamad PBUH said:" Hyegien is part of faith"
I don't know what to say. It's easy to find this kind of comments on YouTube. There's more posts that are more maniacal than this, but I'm too lazy to look through the 39,162 comments to find the dumbest comment.
PerezHilton.com
I don't read the site. This is only the third (or something )time I visited the site. I read the comments under this post, as it were linked to a site that I frequent, and was instantly amazed.
Example:
david-0-selznick says – reply to this
i wonder what his balls smelll like at the moment this pic was taken. I rubb mine at the gym and sniff my hand.
LOL. Then there are a whole fangirl reaction to Reznor being hot. I didn't dare to read the comments under the other posts, but do people on PerezHilton always rave about how a celebrity is hot and how they want to fuck them?
nin.com
Now, I love the blog thing that the site does now, but the comments are scary.
Example
Anonymous said...
ok. I'm going to just say it already. trent, you are coming off gay. are you trying to let us know your gay? or bi? it's ok to be bi or gay. I have bi and gay friends. anyway. first you have that video with the guy drinking from a coffee mug with a nude guy on it and now a pic of a guy siting on your sofa with your dogs. are you going to come out of the closet? I'm sure male and female fans will still like you and nin and buy your music if you admit your bi or gay.
What the fuck? Why is the comments to every post have some sort of speculation about Reznor's sexuality? Then there's the people talking about mortgages and how much that want to have sex with Reznor. God. I would not be sad if the comment section on nin.com gets removed.
And ultimately, it's my fault that I read those comments, and spent time talking about them. I still have to do my homework.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
And There's the Grammys...
This is a bit late, but, I got to say it: The Grammys suck.
It's predictable and totally commercialized. The Grammys does not recognize musical talents but musical commerce. Whatever is on the radio gets nominated. Whoever is the buzz that year gets nominated. Those established Grammy favorites gets nominated every time. I've realized a while ago that the Grammys are irrelevant,it's just a spectacle for the media and give a chance for the labels to pat themselves on the back.
So let see who's nominated:
Amy Winehouse is everywhere this year, so of course she gets 8 nominations. Kanye West won the sale contest with 50 Cents, so he gets nominated. Beyonce, check. Justin Timberlake, check. Fergie, Check. Nickelback, check. Daughtry, check. What you hear on the radio is what you get.
Then there's that awful "Hey There Delilah", and Foo Fighters got some pretty high nominations. I like the Foo Fighters, but "Album of the Year" ? "Best Rock Album"? Foo Fighter's average album is the best, huh? Well, it's better than Daughtry.
Whatever, LOL.
It's predictable and totally commercialized. The Grammys does not recognize musical talents but musical commerce. Whatever is on the radio gets nominated. Whoever is the buzz that year gets nominated. Those established Grammy favorites gets nominated every time. I've realized a while ago that the Grammys are irrelevant,it's just a spectacle for the media and give a chance for the labels to pat themselves on the back.
So let see who's nominated:
Amy Winehouse is everywhere this year, so of course she gets 8 nominations. Kanye West won the sale contest with 50 Cents, so he gets nominated. Beyonce, check. Justin Timberlake, check. Fergie, Check. Nickelback, check. Daughtry, check. What you hear on the radio is what you get.
Then there's that awful "Hey There Delilah", and Foo Fighters got some pretty high nominations. I like the Foo Fighters, but "Album of the Year" ? "Best Rock Album"? Foo Fighter's average album is the best, huh? Well, it's better than Daughtry.
Whatever, LOL.
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