Jimmy and Some Other People: The Official Blog

Atonement is not a bad movie, it’s actually fairly good.  I just don’t know why it was nominated for Best Picture at this Oscars earlier this spring.  The fault of the movie is that it suffers from what many dramas suffer from: stoic, impassionate characters.  There was not a single character I cared about in this movie, because they’re all too busy being British to actually develop unique personalities.  I know that Keira Knightly and James McAvoy are in love because they kiss and whisper sweet nothings to each other, but I don’t really care about their love.  And this applies to an assortment of characters in the film.  So the movie functions on the level of television drama, or perhaps one of those Masterpiece Theatre presentations, but not as an Oscar caliber picture.

So yes, some of you will actually enjoy this movie.  But not those of you with standards.

Perhaps if Atonement hadn’t been nominated, a better picture, Zodiac, could have been nominated in its place.  Oh well…

Oh, there is one redeeming scene, that almost made me give the film 3 stars over 2 at Netflix.  It’s a continuous tracking shot of a make-shift military encampment in war-torn France that lasts over 5 minutes.  It is an incredible piece of cinema, and very emotionally affecting.  I’d almost recommend the film just for that five minutes.  Incredible stuff.

HEART STATION - Utada Hikaru

New York-born Utada is pretty much Japan’s Imogen Heap, writing, singing, programming and layering all her songs herself.  Previous videos have bordered on hallucinogenic fantasies and even been as plain as footage of her washing dishes.  This video is on the conservative side, where she sings of lost love, and a desire to send her feelings out over the airwaves to communicate across the distance.  Like the Madvillain video I just posted, this is another cleanly shot piece of work.  Just enjoy the simplicity, and the emotion.  Look forward for her second English-language album to drop late this year.

And try to ignore the crappy fan-made subtitles.  Those are shit.

Madvillain - Accordion

This video is great, because it’s essentially the anti-hip-hop video.  No bling, no champagne, no club. Just an empty, dark hallway.  No DJ at the deck, just a guy on an accordion.  Sure there’s a girl, but only one, and she’s not dancing on Madvillain, just in the background, nothing that could really be considered overtly sexual.  And Madvillain doesn’t wear any visible bling, just shorts, a polo shirt.  And the signature mask.  It’s so simple, and completely badass.  You respect and fear this man for his skill with words and flow, not wealth and gold.

On a side note, an MF DOOM (who produced the Madvillainy record) mask is spray painted outside below the windows of the Sandwich Factory windows.  It’s awesome.

F*&K YES.

http://www.bobanddavid.com/2007/10/an_open_letter_to_larry_the_ca.html

Yeah, it’s kinda old, but it’s a wonderful letter anyways.  I’ll just mark that down as number six on my list of “REASONS TO MOVE TO CANADA”

REASONS TO MOVE TO CANADA

1. The Arcade Fire lives there.

2. McCain might win the presidency.

3. Obama might win the presidency.

4. Hilary Clinton still alive.

5. Degrassi re-runs on basic cable.

6. Larry The Cable guy still admired by portions of American society / is still alive.

7. I can start a sweater collection. 50% L.L. Bean, 50% Gap.

8. CN Tower

9. International cred.

I’m sorry, I’m busy talking on my iPhone.  You can watch this video while you wait for me to finish talking on my iPhone.

iPhone.

HOLY F*&K.  THIS GAME LOOKS SO GOOD YOU KNOW IT’S GONNA SUCK.

http://www.ew.com/ew/video/exclusives?lineupId=1155151521&videoId=1655717469

What if the director of Transformers and Armageddon wrote a Batman script?

http://my.spill.com/profiles/blog/show?id=947994%3ABlogPost%3A355506

via slashfilm.com from spill.com

Try to be unhappy while watching this video.  If you’re still bummed out, get your head together.

Sweet.

Hands Free Safe Drivers - Watch more free videos

http://www.break.com/index/hands-free-safe-drivers.html

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Episode 15: Dedicated to Drinking This Daiquiri
People: Jimmy Koman with Daniel Holliday, Brandon Froelicher, and CJ Wunsch
Length: 1 Hour, 12 Minutes, and 02 Seconds.

Topics include…
-Strike a Pose
-My first call-in ever
-Summer job options
-I’m in Moebius. Get it if there are even copies left.
-Barstow sucks
-Grown men drink daiquiris?
-Can you say that on the internet?
-People I liked and hated whilst working retail.
-Hands-free law.
-Jet Li is stupid
-Movies I saw recently

Music clips featured… Erykah Badu’s “New Amerykah Part I - 4th World War”. Smooth experimental soul. Tracks featured are “Me” and “Honey”.

If you’d like to be a guest on the next episode, you must let me know when you’re available before I’ll tell you what times work for me. I want to record with you, but I’m busier than you are!

I need ideas to promote my podcast on campus. However, the best promotion is for you to invite your friends to the group! Whoever invites friends to the group gets nothing. Maybe an old pair of socks. Sorry.

Let it be known to all the world that my blog has reached 1000 views on June 28th, 2008.

F*&k yeah.

Everybody celebrate by striking a pose:

But seriously, there ain’t no lion heaven.

Wait, you think you’re too mature or something to see Pixar’s WALL-E?

Guess what, everyone secretly thinks you’re an asshole.

What a f&*king great movie.

So February Album Writing Month (FAWM) has come up with a summer challenge, called 50/90.  It’s basically write 50 songs in 90 days, from July 4th through October 1st.

You can sign up at 5090.fawm.org, and they have over 1600 applicants so far.  It should be a fun personal challenge.

My artist name is The Polygamist Kids.  It was inspired by news reports about the polygamist cult in Utah who got their children taken away.  When the kids were actually returned to their parents, the 24-hour news networks so elequently coined them The Polygamist Kids, as if the children were the ones engaging in the polygamy.

Yes, I know this is a solo effort, despite the fact that Kids is plural.  Shut up.

And if any of my songs wind up decent, I may post them on the blog.  I won’t attach them to the podcast, I already force my opinions down your throat with each episode, you don’t need my personal music endeavors.

It recently came to my attention that you made attendees at one of your Glow In The Dark Tour venues wait until 4:30AM for you to perform.  Beyond that, the onslaught of daylight then removed the Dark, and hence the Glow from  the title of your performance, thereby turning your tour into the In The Tour.

In response to that: You are a son of a bitch, and a f&*king child.  You asshole.

In response to your music: Thank you for Flashing Lights and other incredible hits.  Please keep making music.

Bunny ravages Crow.

http://videogum.com/archives/animals-on-film/finally-a-bunny-rabbit-kills-s_010677.html

The Arcade Fire released a new album, which is great, because any new material from those guys is totally awesome.  It’s called “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”.  Now let me get this straight, while these guys have been ripping off Coldplays previous efforts, Neon Bible and Funeral, profusely, they’ve finally put out  some real original material that emulates Coldplay, while still keeping the heart of their previous material.

The album starts off with a refreshing instrumental track, before launching right into the fray of the music with Cemetaries of London, an opener that is reminiscent of the effect Politik gave “A Rush of Blood to the Head”.  The other tracks are all very solid, with the Arcade Fire’s iTunes commercial track Viva la Vida being the centerpiece, but other tracks holding their weight against it.

Recently, Snow Patrol and/or Keane got really angry at The Arcade Fire for using the melody line of their song This Is So Not A Coldplay Ripoff for their song Viva La Vida.  Win and Regine were prompt to say “Shut yo face” in response to this heresy.  They also told them to stop ripping off Coldplay, and then promptly told Coldplay to stop ripping off their stuff.

——-

But seriously, Coldplay’s new album is really, really good for being a blatant Arcade Fire knockoff.  Way better than that “X&Y” sappy shitfest.  I’m so adding Viva La Vida to my Arcade Fire playlist in iTunes.

——-

And in case you missed it, here’s my review of Viva La Vida’s first single, Violet Hill:

http://jimmyandsomeotherpeople.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/random-reviews-iron-man-and-new-coldplay/

The Bird and the Bee at Coachella ‘08.  I’m in the red hat.  Watch me get sprayed by the waterguns.

BTW, the song is “Man”.  It’s an incredible song, and I love the background harmonies her two background singers make.  Bravo.