"Introducing Palace Players" by Mew

Okay, this is way overdue.

Fuck, I love this band. As any longtime reader of this blog knows, I'm a huge fan of the Swedish band Kent, and have often lamented the fact that they only recorded two English versions of their albums. And then, three of four years ago, I discovered the Danish band Mew and fell hard for their stuff. I remember thinking at the time how much the sounds and moods of their music reminded me of Kent, and their existence made me feel better about Kent's refusal to record albums in English. So last year Mew released a new album, "No More Stories," and my love for it seems to grow each time I listen to it.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels that way. Curious, I took a peek at the Amazon reviews for the album and found others who felt the same way: "After twenty-five listens, layer after layer of complexly interwoven melody, instrumentation, composition and general aural magic have begun to reveal themselves." ... "While the record might take more than one listen at a glance, it quickly grows and becomes like a flourishing flower, exposing moods, tempos, and rhythms that only MEW could give us."

With all of that said, back when I was posting every day on this here blog, I'd often make music recommendations. If that were still the case, I would've lauded this album a long time ago, but alas, I haven't. So I was walking around downtown tonight in the rain listening to "No More Stories" and it hit me...I had to come home and profess my love for Mew publicly. I should have a long time ago and I feel like I've robbed all of you people of the joy that their music could potentially bring you by having not done so.

So, like I said, this was way overdue. Enjoy...



PS...More songs from "No More Stories" here and here.

And here's a bonus: a live performance of "Comforting Sounds," the powerful song that made me fall for their music. I'm dying to see them perform a live show.



Buy it!

Today is a dark day for Hitler fans

The fucking Germans ruin EVERYTHING! To wit:

Many of the Hitler Downfall parody videos on YouTube that have besieged the site in recent years have been taken down after complaints by the German production company that owns the right to the 2004 film.

The Open Video Alliance reported Constantin films, owners of the rights to the film Der Untergang (Downfall), upon which the parody videos are based, filed the copyright claim.

The parodies, which have become a popular viral meme on the internet, all focus on a single scene from the movie when Hitler screams at his generals upon learning that Germany is about to lose the war.

As the character playing Hitler lashes out in German, the subtitles in English from the original movie are replaced to indicate a completely different reason for the Fuhrer’s rage.

What next Germany? Why don't you do the world a favor and take away your shitty version of chocolate cake?! That's the least you can do after this horror.

Just in case you forgot...

That the Saints won the Super Bowl.

LOL John McCain

Hats off to the McCain campaign in Arizona. What say you J.D. Hayworth?

THIS IS WHY YOU PEOPLE NEED TO LISTEN TO ME!

Almost three years ago, in the infancy stages of this here blog, I wrote the following about my plan to survive a potential terror attack on the New York City subway system:

i always ride in the last car of the train. i've done so as long as i can remember, since my inception of being a new yorker i suppose. my thinking is this...if i were a terrorist and i was going to board a train with a bomb or some other instrument of death and destruction, i would want to get maximum impact for my buck so to speak. where that would be, the honey spot so to speak, would be in the middle to the front of the train because those cars are the most populated.

the last car of the train is, with few exceptions, always going to be the least populated. it's also the quickest exit out of the train and the tunnel should something awful happen, and who are we kidding, it's going to happen at some point. if you're in the last car of the train, you can just pop out of the emergency exit and you'll be down on the tracks and hopefully on your way to safety. if you're in the middle you'll have to go from car to car, more than likely in complete darkness with chaos swirling all around you, until you reach either the front or the back of the train in order to exit.

Now, fast forward to today, where I ran across this nugget in a NY Daily News writeup on Najibullah Zazi's foiled plot to attack the subway sytem with suicide bombers:

Zazi and his two Queens friends allegedly planned to strap explosives to their bodies and split up, heading for the Grand Central and Times Square stations - the two busiest subway stations in New York City.

They would board trains on the 1, 2, 3 and 6 lines at rush hour and planned to position themselves in the middle of the packed trains to ensure the maximum carnage when they blew themselves up, sources said.

SEE! I TOLD YOU!

About "Treme," Episode 1

Whew.

I should've known to just trust David Simon. Mr. Simon, I'm sorry for doubting you, if only for a brief moment in time. I genuflect at your altar.

Treme is, beyond all else, a beautiful work of art. I feel like I know each and every character on the show. They all seem familiar to me. It was genuine and real, almost scarily so. I mean, does it get more New Orleans than the following dialogue exchange?

Davis: "All you want to do is get high, play some trumpet and barbecue in New Orleans your whole damn life?"

Kermit Ruffins: "That'll work."

I think not!

Here are a list of things I loved about the show, in no particular order.

-A bag of Zapps on the kitchen counter.

-The disdain expressed for Chinese crawfish.

-Everything about the characters played by Wendell Pierce and John Goodman (whose character, as previously noted, is based on Ashley Morris). Pierce especially nails it, but he is a New Orleans-born musician himself, so that's to be expected.

-The Mardi Gras Indian.

-A reference to Hubig's pies.

-Davis, the character played by Steve Zahn (whose bare ass I could have gone without seeing), working at WWOZ and blasting Mystikal to piss off his neighbors.

-John Goodman's character trying to toss the British TV guy's camera into the canal.

Did I miss any highlights?

Also, I watched the show at home, alone. I was invited to a couple of viewing parties but decided that I didn't want anything to distract me from soaking it all in. I'm glad I did that. My only regret is not flooding my apartment and hanging a model airplane from the ceiling with a George W. Bush action figure in it to, you know, set the right mood. But I got by okay.

So far this year the Saints have won the Super Bowl, the city elected a new mayor and it's recovery is now being serialized by television's preeminent genius. 2010 looks like it'll be a good year for New Orleans.

(Also, the Times Picayune's Dave Walker put together a handy guide to explain some of the show's more obscure references to non-locals.)

Quote of the day

Last week, Virginia’s governor, Robert McDonnell, jumped backward when he issued a proclamation recognizing April as Confederate History Month. In it he celebrated those “who fought for their homes and communities and Commonwealth” and wrote of the importance of understanding “the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War.”

The governor originally chose not to mention slavery in the proclamation, saying he “focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia.” It seems to follow that, at least for Mr. McDonnell, the plight of Virginia’s slaves does not rank among the most significant aspects of the war.

Advertently or not, Mr. McDonnell is working in a long and dispiriting tradition. Efforts to rehabilitate the Southern rebellion frequently come at moments of racial and social stress, and it is revealing that Virginia’s neo-Confederates are refighting the Civil War in 2010. Whitewashing the war is one way for the right — alienated, anxious and angry about the president, health care reform and all manner of threats, mostly imaginary — to express its unease with the Age of Obama, disguising hate as heritage.

-Jon Meacham

Sarah Palin's botched attempt to show solidarity with/pander to New Orleans results in "Who Dah!"

Yesterday I watched Sarah Palin's speech from the SRLC in New Orleans. At the onset of her address, in an attempt to show the locals some of her unique Wasilla love, she attempted to say "Who Dat...Go Saints." She left off the "T."



Also, why can't prominent Republicans pronounce "nuclear?" Oh, and what's with all the hate for being a "community organizer?" DOESN'T SHE KNOW THAT JESUS WAS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER?

David Simon talks about "Treme" on the Colbert Report, gives a shout out to Ashley Morris

From last night's Colbert Report. Simon talks about the show and in the process mentions the influence of the dearly departed Ashley Morris, blogger, ferocious defender of New Orleans, and frequent commenter to this here blog...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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Bristol Palin got boned and knocked up by Levi Johnston for your sins

You know, I just...I can't...oh nevermind. This actually makes me yearn for Derek Dye the Abstinence Clown.