tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83546440480166648822012-02-03T07:50:03.068-08:00“We cannot therefore judge the degree of extinction only by the magnitude of the reflex or its absence, since there can still be a silent extinction beyond the zero.”Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.comBlogger641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-15220409491762214282010-05-06T11:36:00.000-07:002010-05-06T11:44:04.798-07:00

Sometimes I’ll walk into a bookstore, run my fingers along a shelf, and buy the first book whose cover takes my fancy (I know, I like to take risks). While this is often disastrous, inevitably I’ll stumble upon a work that reinforces the art of literary risk taking. This is how I discovered the recent memoir A Common Pornography, which details author Kevin Sampsell’s upbringing in suburban

RBnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-18292133109625563402010-05-06T10:06:00.000-07:002010-05-06T10:19:54.911-07:00

Congratulations, MGMT I'm officially tired of you. That's not too hard; I'm a sour person in general. But if you can't even inspire leg movement (often called dancing) fom a group of Long Island hipsters with their bubble guns in tow, then you have failed. I could rehash what's been said before: your new album is a half-assed (non)effort with no danceable/rockable tracks to speak of (this, mind

RBnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-15912331537989409622009-12-23T02:09:00.000-08:002009-12-23T16:09:37.323-08:00

As you can tell, this blog has suffered the fate of its predecessors and fallen to the wayside. I will update again someday when I'm not so busy. In the meantime, please enjoy the sixth installment of the yearly Christmas Mix from yours truly. To download, right click "save file." To stream, click the little arrow on the left. Happy Christmas everyone!|Maria Taylor | White Christmas||The Vandals

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-59727847935627124662009-10-06T19:15:00.000-07:002009-10-06T19:19:41.919-07:00

Took him a second to get it.Via Wonkette.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-33232428680473228502009-10-04T17:55:00.000-07:002009-10-04T18:42:32.726-07:00

All songs taken from Bazan's latest agnostic treatise, Curse Your Branches. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. Do yourself another favor and check out Dave on tour with a full band for the first time in a few years.| David Bazan | Hard to be (via Daytrotter) || David Bazan | Curse Your Branches (via Daytrotter) |P.S. Liner notes and lyrics are worth checking out too.P.P.S. Thought I might as

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-53850360081236735312009-09-30T19:42:00.001-07:002009-10-04T18:37:24.596-07:00

CMJ is reporting that David Bazan will release another Christmas EP, this time veering from his usual carols to covers of Lennon/Ono and Wayne Coyne's own Christmas tunes. Tis the season!Bazan Sings Lennon And Flaming Lips Classics For Christmas

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05803947338592718720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-13196920160469585722009-09-30T13:26:00.000-07:002009-09-30T13:27:40.574-07:00

Creepy, yet epic.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-57061954742177634042009-09-29T10:35:00.000-07:002009-09-29T19:17:16.448-07:00

With everything going on in the Middle East (secondary uranium enrichment facilities, rocket testing, Qaddafi...), it's pretty easy to forget that a country in the region is currently denying citizenship rights to residents. No, I'm not referring to Palestinians in Israel: this is about the Bidun Jinsiya of Kuwait.The Bidun people are those who did not register themselves with Kuwaiti officials

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05803947338592718720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-74677289866462550962009-09-29T08:42:00.000-07:002009-09-30T13:37:24.818-07:00

The Simon and Garfunkel of our generation release their second video of the month, "Mrs. Cold", which happens to be the first single from their latest album, Deceleration of Dependence. I like this track better than "Boat Behind", but I think I prefer the latter's visuals. Unfortunately embedding is disabled so, go here to watch it.Or stream/download the track below:|Kings of Convenience | Mrs

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-59337113567557447032009-09-29T08:34:00.000-07:002009-09-29T08:41:55.971-07:00

I previously posted Karen O and the Kids' first single from the WTWTA OST a little while ago, and now you can stream the entire thing here (via stereogum cause I'm too lazy to embed it).

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-63246573997917636672009-09-25T12:08:00.000-07:002009-09-25T15:35:54.400-07:00

Live from Ithaca, the Suf premiered new tracks last night as he kicked off his 'intimate' east coast tour with fellow Asthmatic Kitties, Cryptacize and Castaways. Below are high quality videos of two three said tracks "There's Too Much Love", "Age of Adz", "Impossible Love", and an mp3 of "There's Too Much Love". Enjoy the newly-synthesized (PUN!) Sufjan Stevens, emerging from his dark lair in

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-54452692502289955032009-09-24T16:26:00.001-07:002009-09-24T16:35:54.219-07:00

I have mentioned that the Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse/David Lynch/et al collaboration Dark Night of the Soul is one of my favorite albums of 2009. NPR did a stream for the album a while back, and it's still up and running. I thought I'd embed it here for those of you who haven't heard the album featuring the likes of The Flaming Lips, James Mercer (The Shins), Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Julian

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-56893684488642609642009-09-24T16:14:00.000-07:002009-09-24T16:16:53.366-07:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/21/the-funniest-protest-sign_n_292342.htmlYou'll laugh, I promise.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-37773690107228030112009-09-23T12:20:00.000-07:002009-09-23T12:33:56.040-07:00

I wrote a news item on this a while back when I worked for Filter. I'll just copy paste it here for those who need to catch up on the Kerouac project:Ben Gibbard And Jay Farrar To Collaborate On Jack Kerouac Projectby Staff | 07.20.2009Last year, Jay Farrar (of Son Volt/Uncle Tupelo fame) and Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie/Postal Service/Zooey Deschanel fiancé fame) collaborated on the

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-69374446078079973022009-09-23T12:12:00.000-07:002009-09-23T12:32:16.624-07:00

"The Right Place" video:Don't have the album yet, but I will review it as soon as I do. I'm digging "The Right Place". And Conor's beard. And the solo in "Say Please", although the song doesn't wow me much.Also, check out a free stream of the album in its entirety at the MoF myspace.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-32666691444645726472009-09-18T14:49:00.000-07:002009-09-18T14:57:04.844-07:00

Kings of Convenience are back, and as good as I remember.Absolutely lovely. Below is an mp3 from the new album, Declaration of Dependence.|Kings of Convenience | Mrs Cold|

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-9664147537840893372009-09-15T18:15:00.000-07:002009-09-15T19:33:57.293-07:00

From Throw Me The Statue's latest release, Creaturesque, out now via Secretly Canadian.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-78908451538301691392009-09-15T13:48:00.001-07:002009-09-16T11:58:27.886-07:00

Father of Green Revolution Dieshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8253005.stmAs I read about Norman Borlaug's recent death, I couldn't help but revisit a conversation I had last week with a peer of mine. We were discussing Robert Kaplan's classic article, The Coming Anarchy (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199402/anarchy) . While contemplating whether Kaplan's anarchy is inevitable, not, or

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150971689423708450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-15143608985706574162009-09-14T21:11:00.000-07:002009-09-14T21:26:11.180-07:00

Catch Canada's Great Lake Swimmers on tour in the U.S. this fall supporting their latest album Lost Channels. Also, since we're in GLS mode, I thought I'd post this live session of "Pulling on a Line", filmed back in May:

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-58051796245642036812009-09-14T18:06:00.000-07:002009-09-15T19:32:54.081-07:00

After a leak of their new album Time to Die left the band scrambling to give fans a reason to wait to buy it, The Dodos will release ToD officially tomorrow, and we're going to see just how affective those reasons were. I may or may not have already gotten a hold of the album in its entirety, but the stream that the Dodos provided on their website a couple months back proved that it's definitely

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-86159907606749602612009-09-13T14:13:00.000-07:002009-09-13T14:14:18.307-07:00

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-30060574010427626942009-09-10T09:29:00.000-07:002009-09-13T18:57:18.917-07:00

Who needs acid when you've got Sunset Rubdown? Via p4k.A friend's take on the name: "'Sunset Rubdown' sounds like either a Hollywood bath house or an adult film for vampires."

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-41874251235778991222009-09-10T08:32:00.000-07:002009-09-10T08:38:39.145-07:00

I'm telling you, the swedes know what's up.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-65436053700036527812009-09-10T08:29:00.001-07:002009-09-10T08:38:54.556-07:00

Interlude I—Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.Also, he's playing Seven Swans in its entirety at ATP this year. New Yorkers are spoiled.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-58100497095594297302009-09-09T21:19:00.001-07:002009-09-14T21:31:01.745-07:00

I was unsure myself at first of the rumor, but tis true:Gradually evolving away from fundamentalism, the Weiss brothers and three friends formed mewithoutYou, whose lyrics—screamed, muttered, chanted, or Beat-istically declaimed by Aaron—are the chronicle of a sustained personal push me/pull you with one’s Maker: “You might seem too strong to surrender, boy,” warns a voice in 2002’s “The Ghost.”

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-52444767720581180012009-09-09T08:25:00.000-07:002009-09-09T11:02:50.681-07:00

The Swedes have done it again! No, but seriously, when I first heard the ethereal and sophisticated music of Fredrik a few months back via the video below, I tried very hard to get my hands on anything I could by them (which ended up being two songs, for lack of funds). They have the potential to do some serious damage on this side of the Atlantic, and I'm very much looking forward to the release

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-70140591121217746402009-09-07T10:45:00.000-07:002009-09-07T10:56:46.688-07:00

Filmed for Yours Truly's Cut From a Different Fur series, Crocodiles show us rock and roll is still very much alive in this video for "Hollow Hollow Eyes". If you've never heard them, it's a convincing mix of 60's/garage rock with a punk attitude. Very cool. And they are pretty much everything that makes San Diego wonderful. See below.Crocodiles "Hollow Hollow Eyes" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-71281430524575523522009-09-06T10:03:00.000-07:002009-09-06T10:14:10.082-07:00

With the current hullabaloo surrounding the supposed imposition of "death panels" by Barack Obama and his SocialistFacist allies, I'm surprised that Sean Hannity and the Knights of Freedom haven't crusaded against this proposal:Wall Street Pursues Profit in Bundles of Life InsuranceThe same basic scheme that got all of us into our current economic mess may soon be applied to the life insurance.

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05803947338592718720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-71530217158264248442009-09-02T16:43:00.000-07:002009-09-02T16:52:35.748-07:00

A welcome comedownSep 2nd 2009From Economist.comOpium production and cultivation in Afghanistan continue to fallOPIUM poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has fallen by a fifth since 2008 to 123,000 hectares, according to the UN's annual survey released on Wednesday September 2nd. The biggest reason for cheer is Helmand province, where cultivation has decreased dramatically from 103,590 hectares to

Richiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05926934304339915467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-82067412363292721942009-09-02T10:55:00.000-07:002009-09-02T11:04:40.095-07:00

MYTH:The Democratic health care reform proposal will not let you choose your own doctor.FACT:You will have a wider-than-ever range of doctors to choose from! In order to accommodate 45 million new patients, the plan expands the definition of "doctor" from "medically licensed professional" to now also include:• Morning radio DJs who have adopted the moniker• Televised bullies (Phil, Laura)• PhDs

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-22761722874780683332009-09-01T23:24:00.000-07:002009-09-01T23:37:43.453-07:00

Aquarium Drunkard is offering a limited time download of a 1967 Beach Boys recording session. It's absolutely stunning. I'm posting a taste of it below, but if you want the whole thing, make sure to go here. I suggest doing it soon--while this is the second time these mp3s are posted, it might be last.|The Beach Boys | God Only Knows (via AD)||The Beach Boys | You're So Good To Me (via AD)|

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-63441239944622100512009-09-01T19:37:00.000-07:002009-09-01T23:39:57.924-07:00

Plants and Animals - A Take Away Show - Feedback in the Field from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.I like it. A lot.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-28919131798184424832009-09-01T18:41:00.000-07:002009-09-01T18:50:15.480-07:00

...because I'm obsessed with them right now.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-58675101339429906092009-09-01T14:00:00.000-07:002009-09-01T14:08:20.419-07:00

Dirty Projectors made their network TV debut last night with "Cannibal Resource" on Letterman. The performance is a bit sloppy/unfocused, almost like they were nervous--then again, they probably were nervous. Since I do believe they win a spot on my list for "best albums of 2009" with Bitte Orca, I'm letting it slide. Giving the girl on the left(Angel, I believe?) a guitar was a little too much

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-77134728876869748962009-09-01T11:50:00.000-07:002009-09-01T11:53:35.971-07:00

Discovered these guys via NPR. It's something about the witty song crafting and scratchy vocals that get me:NURSES IN RHYTHM from Left | Right Hand on Vimeo.For more on Nurses, go here.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-43116679449540698082009-08-31T14:47:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:34:32.895-07:00

Brooklyn Vegan will be streaming David Bazan's house show (in Brooklyn) live tonight at 8pm (est)--that's 5pm for us West Coasters. You can watch and hear it all here. I wouldn't miss it for anything. *EDIT* Here's the session in two videos. It's pretty epic:

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-71634474113377266802009-08-31T14:36:00.000-07:002009-08-31T14:47:22.266-07:00

Scored some free tickets to go see The National at the Wiltern in LA on Saturday. Although I don't have the time to write a proper review, suffice it to say the show was absolutely stunning. If you get a chance to see them, take it. I'll leave you with a live video of a new song they opened with:

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-55492767860260793512009-08-28T09:16:00.000-07:002009-08-28T09:45:42.073-07:00

What would bloggers do without Daytrotter? The music site that hosts mp3's (and now videos) of live sessions from their studio out in the middle of god-knows-where, Illinois, offers some exciting stuff this month. How they got Mew to make the trek from Denmark to the Midwest is beyond me, but I'm sure glad they did. Then there's HEALTH. These guys are making a lot of noise in the blogosphere/LA,

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-14038254874743109462009-08-28T09:11:00.000-07:002009-08-28T09:20:45.107-07:00

Abuse Issue Puts the C.I.A. and Justice Dept. at OddsWhy is Panetta, the head of the CIA, trying to prevent investigations into that organizations interrogation techniques? As an Obama appointee, he should have little to worry about considering that the President has declared the end of torture as an interrogation technique. Unless of course, that hasn't been happening.Please put a "Maybe" next

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05803947338592718720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-69365662143259797702009-08-27T23:54:00.001-07:002009-08-28T00:07:00.488-07:00

Malvin Vien went to my school (Johnston Center) a few years back, so I decided to watch this season of PR. And tonight he was eliminated, so there goes my viewership. I could rant about why I genuinely think he should have stayed on the show, Johnston Alum or not, but I'll just post a Newsweek blog piece on him and Johnston (since the press on Johnston seems to be few and far between):As it turns

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-67624199518412033062009-08-27T15:46:00.000-07:002009-08-28T11:49:54.362-07:00

So I've had a lot of people ask me what I've been listening to this year, and whether or not there was anything worthwhile going on in 2009. Although we've still got a few months left (and a few albums I'm really looking forward to--David Bazan, for one), here's a little mix from artists that have released new material this year. Click the play button to stream and/or the actual text to

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-38336964369921579052009-08-26T00:51:00.000-07:002009-08-26T00:57:59.031-07:00

...via GPS. If this is true, I will go out and buy a GPS just so I can have Bob Dylan tell me to make a left.Read here.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-62692358926730928812009-08-26T00:17:00.000-07:002009-08-26T00:23:20.325-07:00

Barack Obama is close to brokering an Israeli-Palestinian deal that will allow him to announce a resumption of the long-stalled Middle East peace talks before the end of next month, according to US, Israeli, Palestinian and European officials.Key to bringing Israel on board is a promise by the US to adopt a much tougher line with Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons programme. The US, along with

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-77153240952006667792009-08-25T14:10:00.000-07:002009-08-25T15:26:44.510-07:00

The New York Times reported today that that Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has announced a plan by the PA to build the outlines of a Palestinian state within two years. While this move is remarkably ambitious, it is undoubtedly influenced by the recent Fatah congress and an effort by that organization to create a facade of progress in the Occupied Territories.Fayyad's plan is still a

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05803947338592718720noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-65520638085069054632009-08-24T11:36:00.001-07:002009-08-24T11:49:26.186-07:00

I heard a rumor circling around the internet a few years back that there was going to be a film adaptation of one of my favorite children's books, Where the Wild Things Are. Not only that, I heard that Dave Eggers was going to write the screenplay and Karen O was going to write the score. Both of those rumors turned out to be true, and while I can't bank on Eggers' screenplay-writing abilities (

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-45697739144260165432009-08-21T13:52:00.000-07:002009-08-21T13:59:00.759-07:00

The conclusion is obvious: while paying lip-service to the two-state solution, Israel is busy creating a situation on the ground that will render such a solution impossible. The dream underlying Israel's plans is encapsulated by a wall that separates a settler's town from the Palestinian town on a nearby West Bank hill. The Israeli side of the wall is painted with the image of the countryside

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-84186648351003747922009-08-18T18:37:00.000-07:002009-08-18T18:57:37.262-07:00

Julian Koster (whom you should recognize from Neutral Milk Hotel) got a bunch of elementary school kids from Athens, Georgia to contribute vocals to the singing saw-driven track "For the Planet Pluto", from his latest project, Music Tapes. The video features heartwarming low-budget nostalgia as well as Kevin Barnes. You'll love it, I promise.The Music Tapes - For the Planet Pluto from Merge

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-28063088692253259422009-08-18T12:36:00.000-07:002009-08-27T18:58:42.260-07:00

Although the Once costars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have split ways romantically, they haven't stopped collaborating on their folk project The Swell Season. Below is a new song titled "In These Arms" for your downloading pleasure from their next full-length Strict Joy due out this Fall.|The Swell Season | In These Arms.Mp3 |

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-50331888033859059272009-08-17T01:41:00.000-07:002009-09-17T00:11:05.691-07:00

I saw District 9,the movie sci-fi nerds everywhere are fapping over and critics are gushing over, and I can honestly say the buzz at the box office is well-deserved. The premise of the film (without giving anything away) goes something like this: an alien race lands on earth and is segregated into slums at their landing place in Johannesburg, South Africa (as if the apartheid analogy weren't

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-29531003513650735162009-08-16T18:51:00.000-07:002009-08-16T19:09:42.069-07:00

Israeli police have evicted nine Palestinian families living in two houses in occupied East Jerusalem.Jewish settlers moved into the houses almost immediately. The US has urged Israel to abandon plans for a building project in the area. Read it all here.This is relatively old news, but I was reading through some old articles on Israeli human rights violations, abuses, etc. All I ask is for people

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-23992463350411506602009-08-13T13:12:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:42:18.593-07:00

From the upcoming documentary by Davis Guggenheim, It Might Get Loud, which chronicles three generations of rock gods: Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White. Trailer below.

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-10110824756018629652009-08-13T11:17:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:42:43.732-07:00

One argument I hear a lot in the Israel/Palestine debate, and most recently during the Gaza offensive, is that Israel is simply "protecting" itself from terrorists--that civilian casualties are unfortunate but Israel doesn't "target" civilians, and therefore should not be blamed for their deaths. Besides some of the more obvious holes in this argument (you can't allege that segregation of an

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-65642990336535266402009-08-13T10:57:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:49:31.748-07:00

She and Him déjá vu, anyone?

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-63994243654088284142009-08-13T10:50:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:43:15.920-07:00

Les Paul, 94, a Grammy Award-winning guitar virtuoso and inventor who helped bring his instrument, typically assigned to chug along rhythmically and compliantly, to the forefront of jazz performance, died today at a hospital in White Plains, N.Y. He had pneumonia. Full Article Here

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-89613667339031591362009-08-12T10:32:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:44:12.356-07:00

The perks of working at Filter.|Albums|8/4: Fruit Bats, The Ruminant Band (Sub Pop)8/4: Helado Negro, Awe Owe (Asthmatic Kitty)8/11: Esser, Braveface (Chocolate Industries)8/11: Mungolian Jetset, We Gave It All,Now We're Taking it All Back ( Smalltown Supersound )8/4: thecocknbullkid, Querelle (IAMSOUND)8/18: Brendan Benson, My Old, Familiar Friend (ATO)8/18: Inglourious Basterds, Original

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-16892837704084302052009-08-11T20:42:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:44:32.935-07:00

Cotton Jones, formerly known as Cotton Jones Basket Ride, and before that, the now-defunct Page France, is Michael Nau's latest and greatest music moniker. The band is a blend of 60's pop, psychedelic rock, and blues in all it's glory, and they do it in a way that's warmer and more original than the Beatles-reloaded Philly quintet Dr. Dog (although, I have a soft spot for them too). Anyway,

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-21714938788661763732009-08-11T18:54:00.001-07:002009-08-11T19:16:43.716-07:00

So, my roommate is awesome. If you don't believe me watch this film she helped write/produce for my school's 24-hour film challenge.This also pretty much explains Johnston in a nutshell. It makes me proud to be a Buffalo, and impatient to return to complex in a couple weeks. It also makes me grateful to be a part of one of the few alternative education programs in the country, and probably the

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-24815286240337777572009-08-11T13:15:00.000-07:002009-08-12T10:29:07.439-07:00

I'm not sure what this is about, but I like it.*Update* That is in fact Tom Waits playing the devil...

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-12929951068667382882009-08-11T12:04:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:46:01.003-07:00

REALLY interesting article by William Saletan in Slate today on structural causation in biology, and whether or not evolution is to thank for the existence of morals/religion or vice versa.You can't assume that an underlying order constrains biological evolution in the same way that the underlying order of chemistry constrains phase changes. But Conway Morris suggests, based on evolutionary

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-74475810010578259842009-08-11T11:24:00.001-07:002009-08-13T14:45:14.122-07:00

Justin Vernon, better known as Bon Iver, has a new project with members of fellow Wisconsin art rockers Collections of Colonies of Bees. The name of said project? Volcano Choir. The verdict? Really fucking good, but don't take my word for it:For download: Volcano Choir Island, IS

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-36381741222916314302009-08-11T10:46:00.000-07:002009-08-13T14:45:34.033-07:00

The bad news: for those of us eagerly awaiting news of the next state installment by multi-instrumentalist/indie god Sufjan Stevens, we'll probably have to wait a little longer.The good news: we'll have to wait longer for a better reason than an Enjoy your Rabbit remix album, or a hula hoop sporting BQE film project:The Suf is embarking on a tour of smaller venues for a more intimate setting, á

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-79187750194618947872009-08-06T13:21:00.000-07:002009-08-12T12:44:03.693-07:00

"Names in themselves may be empty, but the act of naming..."-Pynchon S (or would it be Saussure P)?Via The Washington Times:It's official. The U.S. is no longer engaged in a "war on terrorism." Neither is it fighting "jihadists" or in a "global war."President Obama's top homeland security and counterterrorism official took all three terms off the table of acceptable words inside the White House

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-7667380055736773112009-08-05T17:29:00.000-07:002009-08-11T13:55:47.400-07:00

After a few failed attempts, and to the relief of the many facebook friends whose minifeeds I’ve bombarded with my cultural criticism, rants, and music video links, I have decided to give this blog thing another shot. You can expect posts on just about anything falling under the flexible rubric of “cultural studies”; including, though not limited to: music news/mp3s/videos, political commentary,

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8354644048016664882.post-6250585450104892032008-08-08T13:13:00.000-07:002009-09-29T17:36:55.346-07:00

Beyond the Zero was started in the summer of 2009, by one very bored college student. It was her intention that the blog serve as a creative outlet for her and her friends, on topics as diverse as noise rock, the two-state solution, and Gilles Deleuze. For purposes of easy navigation, posts are topically organized by tags (Music, Politics, and Cult Studs, i.e., cultural studies, in the navigation

Keliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18288658641690339651noreply@blogger.com