Media & Reviews

Most people should by now have realized that I love Haruki Murakami, a Japanese author, and that I especially love his translations into German in the Dumont edition. A couple of weeks ago I came along his newest book/story and even though I'm usually not such a big fan of his shorter stories, this one is a clear exception. Not only is the story great, being a typography and layout nerd, I was even more amazed by the book itself. Everything, from the dreamy duotone illustrations by Kat Menschik, to the font and the paper of this edition screams work of art right at you. I hope you'll remember it next time you pass by your local book store and have a look at it. If you're not sold after this, it's ok.

This weekend, we watched (for the first time actually) this 80's classic featuring a very young Matthew Broderick. This definitely is one of the funniest movies I've seen in quite some time. While loaded with classic slapstick scenes, it's also packed with a more refined sense of humor and existential problems of young adolescents. I can only highly recommend it!

I wanted to complain about farmers spoiling milk or our "Grand" Duke receiving a prize by the vatican for being a good christian and protecting religious freedom (anybody say contradiction?) but then I found it's much more fun to talk about which music I recently bought. Usually buying music comes in waves, and although iTunes may suck at times, it sometimes helps you find great music as well. Anyways, the albums I bought recently are:

• Cass McCombs - Dropping the Writ - Nice album, just discovered this artist. Has a great beat, is melodical and shows many different faces
  
• Denison Witmer - Of Joy & Sorrow - definitely on the more quiet side. Not bad if you're in the mood
  
• Muse - The Resistance - Regardless of what anybody else says, I like it. Well at least the couple of good songs it has.
  
• Nick Castro - Further from Grace - Great style, more folky
  
• Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, the World lays me down - Also has a nice rhythm
  
• Physics of Meaning - Snake Charmer and Destiny of the Stroke of Midnight - Goes in the Andrew Bird spectrum, whatever that means, but great album.
  
• Proud Simon - Night of Criminals  - Death Cab for Cutie-like
  
• Roddy Woomble - My Secret is my Silence - Also folky at times, and a tad quiet, but overall also quite nice
  

One of my favorite music artists, especially live, is indie rocker John Vanderslice. I covered previous albums and concerts on this blog, now there's a new album out, called Romanian Names. You can tune into it at his site, and when you pre-order the album, you'll get an immediate free download of the complete album as well, which I find quite welcoming. So far the album seems quite good, less noisy and a bit calmer; maybe better than Emerald City but not as good as my all-time favorite Pixel Revolt. Also saw that he's doing the European Tour next fall, let's see if he keeps his promise of visiting Luxembourg this time. (I had a short chat with him during the amazing concert he gave in Heidelberg)

Kevin Smith about talk Superman. Via

Since we're talking about birds: Adam Savage: TED talks - My quest for the dodo bird, and other obsessions. Gotta love that guy!

Isao Machii - Never mind the stupid TV show, that guy is pretty impressive.

The Decemberists, one of my favorite bands just released their latest album, The Hazards of Love. And it is gorgeously magnificent! I can't figure out how one single band can produce such an immaculate record of fantastic albums, each one feeling a bit more mature and refined. I hope this release also means that they're considering a European tour at some point, something I've been waiting for ages. Go to iTunes and sample it already!

Yesterday I watched the latest (and for now last) Futurama movie, Into the Wild Green Yonder. The other 3 movies that have been reviewed on this blog were at times a bit disappointing, the jokes flat but still good enough to be enjoyed. This last addition however stands out as being better, funnier, full of pseudoscientific jokes. Go out and watch it! ... now I will go back to the money shower...

I try to refrain from posting all too many idiotic youtube movies, but this one was particularly funny/stupid

Last weekend was a good weekend. I went to see Line in Brussels and made it there without major train perturbations (if you don't consider the woman next to me dislocating her knee in an utterly painful way as a perturbation). Furthermore, I got to see two very good movies, considering what I missed so far on Chris' list. First off was Paranoid Park, the story of a 16ish boy/skater who struggles through major an minor catastrophes of life, reminding me somewhat of the boy portrayed in Nick Hornsby's book Slam. Then I also finally saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which just has to be the best movie to come out last year and probably needs no further description. If you haven't seen them, do so! 

Here are the dates, I haven't decided on one yet, but I can guarantee you that I won't miss this one!
Apr 24      Bourges, Fr      Theatre Jacques Coeur
Apr 25     Rennes, FR     Ubu
Apr 27     Paris, FR     La Cigale
Apr 28     Nancy, FR     L'Autre Canal
Apr 29     Nantes, FR     Olympic
Apr 30     Lyon, FR     Epicerie Moderne
May 01     Cologne, DE     Luxor
May 03     Stockholm, SE     Strand
May 04     Copenhagen, DK     Lille Vega
May 05     Hamburg, DE     Uebel & Gefahrlich
May 06     Berlin, DE     Admiralsplast 101
May 07     Amsterdam, NL     Paradiso
May 09     Brussels, BE     Les Nuit de Botanique Cirque Royal
May 10     Bristol, GB     Thekla
May 11     London, GB     Shepherds Bush Empire
May 13     Manchester, GB     Academy 2
May 14     Glasgow, GB     Oran Mor

I'm usually not a huge fan of these blog memes but this one sounds like fun. Basically the question in the Luxembourgish blog scene arose whether or not mix tapes are still the way to go. So I just got the request from Joel to add the 4th track, and it wasn't an easy decision. Should I go with something weird, something classic, something alternative... I desperately wante to add some John Vanderslice, Andrew Bird, Decemberists or Sufjan Stevens, however, I went for something completely different. So here comes, Moondog with Bumbo from the Rare Materials CD (incidentally also the 4th track). Some Luxembourgish stuff following to keep the meme integer. Here's the link to the meme btw.

Lidd Nummer Eent

kennt vum Thorben

heescht Je temmène au vent vu Louise Attaque

bedeit him laang Owenter bis moies em véier am Flying mat sou villen Leit an esou villen gudden Momenter.

an passt heibai

Lidd Nummer Zwee

kennt vum Chris

heescht Skinny Love vum Bon Iver

bedeit him e wonnerbaren Album, deen en am Dezember 2008 entdeckt huet a bis well rop a rof läuschtert.

an passt heibai

Lidd Nummer Dräi

kennt vum Joël

heescht There Are Some Remedies Worse Than The Disease vun This Will Destroy You

bedeit him een Lidd, waat wéi gemaach ass fir dobai ze schreiwen, am Reen mam Auto ze fueren an dobai ze fëmmen, fir dGedanken op dRees iwert groniweleg Länner ze maachen, iwert denen en Zeppelin schwiewt.

an passt heibai

Lidd Nummer Véier

kennt vum Charel

heescht Bumbo vum Moondog

bedeit him een Lidd, waat ee fesselt an dobäi an eng parallel Welt eranzit, déi wäit eweg an dach nobäi ass. Eppes lieweges fléisst duerch seng musikalesch Oderen, de systolesche Rythmus erënnert mech un draam-ähnlech Sequenzen, déi ech nëmmen aus Lynch Filmer an Luciden Dreem hier kennen.

an passt heibäi:

Komm mir probéiren mol de Bengel weiderzeschéissen un de Staater

baton4.mp3

Yesterday I watched "W" by Oliver Stone on TV, because I thought nothing better was on... I was probably wrong. What's up with that movie? It's just one of the worst I've seen in some time! Did I just miss the point or what? Bad actors, worse script... nothing decent about it...

During my breakfast, I like listening to classical or jazz music. I always tune in on a German radio station that features a good selection of music (right before they turn to the "Wort zum Tag" by some church dude) and it sort of gets me in the right mood. A couple of months ago, I heard a fantastic Jazz song but forgot to look the artist up soon afterward. Then, this Monday they featured another song by the same guy and I immediately grabbed my Moleskine and marked down "Look up Moondog"... which I did, and I came across an very interesting wiki article and album selection on iTunes. Moondog or Louis Thomas Hardin was a blind jazz musician / philosopher / instrument inventor / hobo spending most of his days in the streets of Manhattan wearing his homemade Thor (the god, not the protein, sorry to disappoint you) costume. I can highly recommend him to any avant-garde jazz percussion fan!