Dorks And Losers

Argus Hamilton On George W. Bush’s Tour Of The Damage Caused By The Recent U.S. Midwest Flooding

Tan The Man — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:31:51 +0000

“President Bush visited flooded farms and small towns of Iowa Thursday where he met with flood victims and consoled them. It was an eye-opening experience for the president. He’s been in over his head for seven years and he never thought of sandbags.” — Argus Hamilton on George W. Bush’s tour of the damage caused by the recent U.S. Midwest flooding

Argus Hamilton On The Recent U.S. Midwest Flooding

Tan The Man — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:40:05 +0000

“The Weather Channel showed scary footage Wednesday of Mississippi River levees breaking downstate Illinois. Many of the houses and towns on the river are built on bluffs. One guy financed a six-bedroom home by convincing Countrywide he had a job.” — Argus Hamilton on the recent U.S. Midwest flooding

Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords

Tan The Man — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:08:52 +0000

The true beauty of Flight Of The Conchords is in knowing that the band is actually a comedy act. Without being in the know one would probably listen to the Wellington, New Zealand duo and think them to be the worst band ever. I refuse to believe that effect is by design, since it completely defies the traditional logic of being in a band to make good music. Who practices the guitar — or any instrument for that matter — just to evoke that common facial expression of utter disgust and contempt, for what their ears were just subjected to?

To this writer’s amazement, there is a huge market for The Conchords‘ brand of music. From the earliest beginnings, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement struck the right chord with listeners. This cult audience later expanded with the help of a self-titled HBO show that perfectly visualized the band’s humor and sensibility.

Having previously watched the show, listening to The Conchords’ self-titled LP feels more like an audible refill of my Conchords on the rocks. Despite my seeming lack of enthusiasm for listening to something I’ve already seen with my eyes, there is still much to be enjoyed with the combination of McKenzie’s clueless and Clement’s deadpan vocal stylings; as experienced through the pseudo-techno apathy of “Inner City Pressure,” the sympathetic feel-good joy of “Think About It,” and the sort-of-gritty ghettoness of “Mutha’uckas.”

It was difficult to listen to many of the songs without having my brain constantly trying to refer to the episodes each was featured in. The series opener began with what has to be both the most romantic and unromantic — maybe even insulting — song ever in “The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)” that has Clement vie for the affections of a gorgeous blonde, only to be rejected and later on — in the episode “Sally Returns” — wonder whether she was the one that got away. It is perfectly serenaded in the honest and genuine marital romance of “Business Time”. The offbeat, yet steady lyrics of “Hiphopopotamus Vs. Rhymenoceros” grace the episode “Mugged” where the two get, you guessed it, mugged and later confront their attackers, which is also my favorite.

Flight Of The Conchords showcases their brilliance on two fronts. One is musical, because each song is undeniably pleasant, while the other is conceptual, because each song is filled with the most amusing storytelling.

[photo via Comedy Central]

[photo via Sharp Notes]
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Track list:

Kaskade - Strobelite Seduction

Tan The Man — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:05:16 +0000

The U.S. has never been much of a hotbed for electronic music. Well, a more accurate statement would be the U.S. has never been much of a retailing hotbed for electronic music. Clubs play electronic music. People go to clubs. There’s an audience, but are drunken people really going to remember that striking track after hours of boozing?

I guess the biggest problem for electronic music is the specific sound that must accompany radio tunes (arguably the biggest musical outlet). Most of the terrestrial radio stations that catered to electronic or techno music changed tunes after mere months. Talented DJs and their music would have to find success elsewhere.

Chicago-born Kaskade was determined to entrance the world with electronic techno, utilizing his skills to craft the type of music that makes body-moving, body-rubbing, and body-uncontrolling possible. Kaskade now makes his home in San Francisco, but that hasn’t helped him forget his Windy City roots: “I was molded by the city that I grew up in: Chicago” (press release).

Strobelite Seduction is the fifth album in Kaskade’s electrifying catalog. The most impressive aspect of his music is the fact that no two songs ever sound the same. From the traditional electronic opener “Move For Me” (listen here), to the disco-tinged “Angel On My Shoulder” to the Hilary Duff-inspired “Back On You,” to the Enya-like “Borrowed Theme,” to the sensually mellow “I’ll Never Dream,” Kaskade finds the right beats to go along with the right melodies with the right lyrics at the right times.

But it should be noted his fundamental underlying theme is having fun.

With streaks of frenetic joy to moments of relaxed comfort, Seduction almost perfectly encapsulates a night on the town, especially the inclusion of the ever-present exciting desire for uncertainty and surprise. It’s no wonder the album is titled what it is, which Kaskade declares as “a justification of my weekends in big dark rooms with flashing lights and pounding sound systems. I was seduced by the strobelite” and its ever-changing existence.

[photos via Mark Owens]

[photo via Sneak Attack Media]
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Track list:

Delta Breeze Cleans California + Cell Phone Driving Ban Protects California

Tan The Man — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:15:29 +0000

California Delta Breeze

The effect of the dry lightning storm that struck California last week that started some 800 wildfires is finally starting to wear down. Anyone who was in any part of California last week can attest to the terrible air.

The haze has finally started to go away as a good delta breeze kicked in to reveal some of that previous blue sky that Californians are accustomed to in the summer.

The air in Sacramento is only marginally better since our air sucks almost every day, except on holidays.
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California Cell Phone Ban

Tomorrow July 1, 2008 is the official start of the ban on talking on cell phones while driving in California. There are similar laws in many other states, but the millions of Californians and their cars numerically are greatly more affected than those other states combined.

There isn’t much evidence that this law works, see North Carolina.

There is much criticism of the law, especially since there are tons of evidence that relate other distractions such as the radio, food, drinks, etc. as also being factors in car accidents. While not doing much research to support my soon-to-be-revealed theory to the law’s origins, I will suspect that MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) had much to do with the law, since they saw the numbers of how so many teen drivers were getting hurt and killed in accidents while talking on cell phones.

It would have been hard to justify a law specifically targeting them with cell phone bans, so the lawmakers simply made it an all-out ban. Also, enforcement would have been difficult for CHP and police officers to know who is a teen or not (hence discrimination issues). I will also not rule out the lobbying of bluetooth headset manufacturers in the law’s creation.

All I can say is citations and tickets will be issued a plenty…
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Wimbledon 2008

[photos via Ryan Pierse/Getty + Ryan Pierse/Getty]

Nicole Vaidisova (18) beat Anna Chakvetadze (8) 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2008.

What’s wrong Anna?

Deacon Quote From The Wire

Tan The Man — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:07:42 +0000

“I’d be amazed if they gave you $30[000], an HMO, and a bus pass.” — Deacon (Melvin Williams) from The Wire (S4E03)

Jay Leno On George W. Bush’s Possible Regrets As U.S. President

Tan The Man — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:36:00 +0000

“George W. Bush says that he has some regrets. He says you don’t get a second chance in his line of work. Really? What was that second term all about?” — Jay Leno on George W. Bush’s possible regrets as U.S. President

Jay Leno On Whether Women Wanting Rather To Be Thinner Or Smarter

Tan The Man — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:09:07 +0000

“According to a new survey, 56% of women say they would rather be thinner or smarter. The other 44% were models who didn’t understand the question.” — Jay Leno on whether women wanting rather to be thinner or smarter…

David Letterman On George W. Bush

Tan The Man — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:13:36 +0000

“President Bush is traveling in Europe. He’s now in Venice, Italy. When he saw the street waterways, he said, ‘Don’t worry — FEMA is on the way.’” — David Letterman on President George W. Bush’s farewell European tour

Ed Harcourt - The Beautiful Lie

Tan The Man — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:09:27 +0000

Judging by the production of his fourth full-length album in six years, Ed Harcourt has an abundant amount of creativity and inspiration. To that end, Sussex singer-songwriter Ed really is as his press release describes him, “a collector of weird instruments and a musical whore.”

The U.S. is just now getting that fourth album, The Beautiful Lie, which had already been released two years ago in Ed’s native United Kingdom. Depending on your point of view, that delay probably would have gone unnoticed if it had continued.

Ed has been laden with the kind of musical talent that critics drool over; however, the 30-year-old hasn’t been able to please those same critics since they marked his potential from his debut EP Maplewood. His naysayers probably weren’t soothed by Lie, with its lack of immediate stimulation, but were still nonetheless delighted by another Harcourt LP.

“Whirlwind In D Minor” opens as a revelation of true feelings against the backdrop of a natural disaster. Any sense of tragedy is non-existent, especially with the Badly Drawn Boy-esque “Visit From The Dead Dog” that follows. That’s not to say Ed can’t be moving, as in the tale of a terminally ill man (”The Last Cigarette”), in the amazingly soulful tale of a miserable breakup (”Until Tomorrow Then”), and in the stunning duet with his wife, Gita (”Braille”).

Harcourt wanted to tell many stories with Lie, and ultimately that proved to be the album’s Achilles heel. Having too many stories diluted any clear course he wanted to take, highlighted by the staccato-like mixture of slow numbers and upbeat tracks. He could tear your heart with the slow-dance-till-midnight ballad (”Late Night Partner”) and just as quickly inject a chorus that will fill your head for days (”Revolution In The Heart”).

Lie acts more as a collection of stories. These are good stories, mind you, but the overall effect resembles a teeter-totter; bringing you fleeting (but repeating) bits of transcendence, elation, and terror (okay, the latter is a bit of an exaggeration), rather than the escalator to heaven we all craved.

[photos via Sneak Attack Media]
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Track list: