Tim Kasher "The Game of Monogamy"

Tim Kasher is best known for his work in the prog/art punk band Cursive, and also some work in band called The Good Life. With "The Game of Monogamy" Kasher melds these two worlds together. The music sounds more like The Good Life than it does Cursive, but its not nearly as down tempo as most of what I've heard from The Good Life. Lyrically, Kasher is as bleak as ever, and that is most definitely when he's at his best. This album chronicles his life from the start of his "grown up" life through the beginnings of a new relationship, to the monotony of marriage, and the disillusionment of where his life has ended up. "Now all we wrestle with is indifference, 'til we both give in, did we both give in? I thought love was supposed to spill from our hearts." This line, for me summarizes the entire album, its Kasher with an image in his mind of the perfect life, and learning to deal with the fact that that never happens. Tim Kasher hasn't been more personal or more searingly honest than he is on this album. "Writers are selfish, writers are egotists. I'm afraid i'm as bad as it gets. I keep forgetting to censor the truth." Kasher declares in the beautiful "Strays". Musically this album is quite lovely, but once you start paying attention to the lyrics, you'll need a strong will to make it all the way through. This is a wonderful record, however, i think for some people the subject matter may be a bit heavy for repeated listens. But if you can make it through a few times, you'll find yourself falling in love, which if you pay attention to the lyrics of this album, is hard to come by.

The Human Centipede

The Human Centipede is marketed as a "midnight" movie because of its extreme subject matter. The movie is about a German surgeon, specializing in siamese twin separation, who retires and decides to basically do a reverse operation. He decides to connect three peoples gastric systems. And those of you who have seen "Clerks 2" know you never go ass to mouth, so of course this is an extreme taboo. At one point in the film, the doctor, (played by the super disturbing, Walken-esque Deiter Laser) explains what he plans to do to the three patients. Its the point in the movie where you realize, there is no plan for any sort of suspense, its just a gross out movie. The big payoff happens about halfway through the movie when you see the "human centipede" actually put together. After this happens the movie drags quite a bit. As disturbing as the premise is, the actual execution of it is a bit lacking. I may just be desensitized to so called "shocking" movies after having seen about 10 or so of Takashi Miike's films. (nobody does it better than Miike) Its a fun movie for people who are into extreme horror and strange movies, but its nothing too terribly exciting.

The Social Network

I cannot do this film justice. I don't have the experience nor the skills to review a movie like this, that cuts through the current social experience as this film does. The opening scene throws its hooks in you and just never lets up. There are quite a few instances in this film where you find yourself laughing... sometimes because its funny, other times because you've had these "facebook" conversations with other people before. Relationship status, "why does your relationship status say "single"?''...Arguing about the passive aggressive nature of posting a comment or blogging on something rather than saying it straight to someone's face. Even posting this blog after seeing this movie for a second time feels a bit trivial and somewhat inconsequential after seeing the massive impact "facebook" has had on our generation. Think about it, everyone you know is on it. People ask you, "did you see that thing i posted on facebook?" To paraphrase a line from the movie, "...you wrote it on the internet, its what the angry do nowadays." There are a number of lines like this in the film that really make you think about the importance or even the values we have in our society today. Its not necessarily a negative thing that we post things on the internet. We use it to keep in contact with people we otherwise would never speak to again. It seems i'm getting off topic. However i warned you that i could not do this movie justice. This movie cuts to the core of my generation. Its fucking brilliant.

"Wake Up" -John Legend and The Roots

I have to admit, my knowledge of old soul and R&B music is lacking, however, it is growing. So its hard for me to really compare this music to the original songs, but I can say this, John Legend and The Roots have put together a collection of updated R&B/Soul songs that is just amazing. The two entities alone are extremely talented in their own right. The Roots has got to be one of the best funk/hip hop bands on the planet... or just one of the best bands there is period regardless of genre. John Legend on the other hand, is one of the smoothest voiced R&B singers of the past decade or more. You'd be hard pressed to find a better singer these days. So what happens when they come together to jam out some old standards? Pure and simple greatness. Being of the generation I am from and not knowing the original songs, Its hard for me to imagine hearing them and feeling the same kind of excitement I experience when I hear these versions of the songs. "I can't write left handed" is probably the best example of all of these talents fusing together and, lets be honest, showing off a bit as well. But who cares?! The result is just mind blowing. On the other side of things, aside from the musicianship, is the lyrics of these songs, most of which are protest songs of some sort, that ring just as true today as they did in the '60's or '70's. Its music to make you think, but also something you could groove and dance to as well. ITs the best of both worlds really. So do yourself a favor and buy this album.

Devil

M. Night Shyamalan has gotten a somewhat bad reputation as of late. At least with moviegoers I've spoken to, and from viewers comments on sites like www.metacritic.com and so forth. I suppose these thoughts by the fans may have gotten to him, so he decided to give one of his stories to another director and see how they could do with it. Devil is a story about 5 people who get stuck in an elevator after a suicide, which has nothing to do with the people, it just allows the devil to enter this world. He punishes them for things they've done in their lives and tortures them, kills them, and then takes their soul to hell. At least this is the tale that is told at the beginning of the film, setting up what will happen later on. The movie is pretty solid as far as these types of movies go. There is never really a blatant "tell" if you will from any of the characters giving away any evil that may be lurking inside of them. The film makers did make a small mistake in giving away who may be the one torturing all these people, but it was very small and the person who saw it with me didn't notice it at all. I will say this though, they did keep me guessing up until the end when my suspicion was confirmed. All in all Devil is a pretty intriguing movie with a good bit of suspense. No real scares in the movie, a few jump out of your seat moments, but not much more. Its more a story of redemption and faith than it is about the devil just having his way with people on earth. ITs a fun movie, and it kept me quite interested. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a way to kick off the halloween season. Its got a great creepy feel to it, ominous and dark throughout. Go check it out if you've got a spare dime.

Southern Star Buried Hatchet Stout

Southern Star is not a brewery I'm very familiar with. However, this beer suggestion by my local beer guru will change that. Southern Star is a brewery that is based in Conroe, TX, which is about a half hour north of Houston for those who don't know. The Buried Hatchet Stout is the first beer I've had the pleasure of trying from this tiny brewery in south Texas. (They're still so small they don't have their own delivery trucks, they deliver in a rented Ryder truck) So getting to the beer; Stout is a very dark, usually very heavy and somewhat syrupy beer. The hops and malt are roasted, which gives it its dark color and roasted coffee and molasses flavors. This particular beer is a bit heavier on the carbonation that say a Guinness or Old Rasputin. I'm not sure whether this is natural or if its been added artificially. The flavor is still definitely there, coffee, molasses, toffee, and some other earthy flavors that some might find a bit off putting, but they aren't so strong that its undrinkable. This is a great beginners stout in my opinion. The excess carbonation dulls the flavor just a bit, but isn't overpowering. This brewery packages their beers in 4 packs of cans. At about $10 per 4 pack, its a bit pricey, but its worth a try if you're into good beer and supporting local businesses.

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D/Imax 3D

For those who don't know already, the Resident Evil movies are based off of the capcom video game saga. Having not played any of the games all the way through, I can't comment on the films continuity with the games. Having said that, the stories in the films flow nicely into each other. This addition to the saga picks up just about where the third movie, Extinction left off. The story starts off quite slow, and is pretty much just shots of Alice, Milla Jovovich's character, walking slowly through abandoned landscapes and narrating with very poorly written dialogue. Luckily the movie picks up about halfway through, and ends with tons of mindless action and slow motion scenes shot specifically for the 3D cameras that were used to film it. There is very little story here, and the action seems to have very little to do with what the original story was. The villain in this movie is only present for about 5 total minutes of screen time. ON the positive side, the film looks amazing. The 3D is wonderful. It was actually shot specifically to be in 3D, unlike so many movies lately that have been shot, and then turned into a 3D film just to cash in on the 3D craze. On the whole, this movie is really just aimed at fans of the franchise. It definitely won't win over any new fans, but people who enjoyed the first three should be sufficiently entertained.

The Arcade Fire "Suburbs"

"The Cops shone their lights on the reflectors of our bikes and said 'Do you kids know what time it is?' ...'well sir its the first time i've felt like something is mine, like i have something to give'" Win Butler proclaims this to the fictitious suburban cop that pulls he and his friend over on their bikes. To me this speaks volumes about the mindset of the band on this record. This is an album that is perfect for the times in which it has been released, and perfect for the 20 something young adults that are buying this album. It can be interpreted in many ways, as can any art, but in my interpretation, its an album about that time in your life where you feel like a kid still, but you know you aren't, and you are coming to terms with growing up. This album illustrates these feelings in profound and fun ways, and actually never manages to feel pretentious of contrived. Even though this album clocks in at over an hour, it feels brief and concise, and makes you want to play it back over and over because you feel like you've missed something. Or maybe you feel like you already miss the music, like new lovers who miss each other the second they're apart. Either way, you want to hear more of the music, and the only way to do that is to play it over again. The music is so beautifully layered, that every time its played back, you discover new things, whether it be a theme lyrically or a textured sound that unveils itself like a sunrise over a suburban neighborhood. This is the type of music that will stand the test of time and only become better over the years. This is the music that in a few years will make you feel nostalgic for the time we're in now. Definitely buy this album.

Dangermouse & Sparklehorse with David Lynch "Dark Night of the Soul"

Dangermouse has been responsible for some of the best music over the past few years. Gnarls Barkely, Broken Bells, work with the Gorillaz, and now this album with the late Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, and film auteur David Lynch. Dangermouse has collected a group of singers/songwriters to come in and sing and write lyrics for this new album which he and Mark Linkous did the music for. Linkous does sing on a few tracks of his own, as does David Lynch who is mainly responsible for the visuals presented in the album artwork. Guest artists include James Mercer of the Shins, The Flaming Lips, Julian Casablancas, Iggy Pop, and Vic Chestnutt just to name a few. The albums name "Dark Night of the Soul" is absolutely a fitting title for this album. Every song on this album is a dark, dreamy landscape where some pretty sinister and creepy things tend to appear. Especially in the title track on which David Lynch sings. These songs were all written by different people, yet they come together in a way that is just about as eerie as the music itself. One thing Dangermouse is particularly good at is producing music that will absolutely showcase the artists talents, he lets them be themselves, and on this album he adds a bit of himself to the mix as well, creating something wholly original and absolutely rewarding. Don't download this album, buy it in the store so you can experience the haunting visuals first hand.

Shiner Oktoberfest

Shiner has begun to reissue, if you will, some of their anniversary beers over the past year. Shiner Black Lager was Shiner 97, and now they're re-releasing Shiner 96, which is their version of a traditional Marzen-Style seasonal ale. When poured into a glass, this beer has a beautiful golden amber color, which is very appropriate for an Oktoberfest beer, since they're released just before fall. The aroma of this ale is actually quite weak, but does offer up a malty somewhat musty smell but is not off putting in the least. The bitterness is very low, there is no IBU (international bitterness unit) rating on this beer, which usually means that its less than 50 IBU. The caramelized malt in this beer give it a bit of a sweet flavor and add a spice not to the beer that is not too overpowering. In fact, unless you wanted to notice it, you probably wont. Like most other shiner beers, the flavors are all pretty mild, but very pleasant. I happened to get a pack of this beer a bit early, so you probably won't see it in stores for about a month or so, but when you do, be sure to try it out. Its a great warming beer for cool fall nights. Which depending on where you are, might not happen for a while.

The Notorious XX "wait what?"

When you hear what this album is, a mashup of Notorious B.I.G. songs and the new album by British indie band The XX, you can't help but immediately compare it to the grey album the Dangermouse did a few years ago where he mixed Jay-Z's Black album with the Beatles white album. The Notorious XX is quite different once you get past the initial similarities of simply being mixed with a different album. Dangermouse was a bit more creative with the gray album because he fused two genre's and era's that really wouldn't normally go together. The Notorious B.I.G and The XX aren't really that far removed from each other. That being said, the Notorious XX works much better in some places than the grey album did. The intro song "dead wrong intro" is one of the most disarming songs on the album. IT sets up a mood that is not normally associated with rap music in general. There is no big beat, or over the top hook. Its a sedate, and in parts, because of the backing music by the xx a sorrowful sound. This may sound a bit unusual because of the style of music Notorious B.I.G. is known for, but this mix actually really works. The DJ who made this mix used certain lyrics from the XX album and incorporated them quite well into specific parts of these other songs and completely changes the mood of these songs. This album is a free download from a few different sites and is most definitely worth the download.

The XX "xx"

The XX is a British indie electronic group who formed in 2008. They have a sound somewhere between massive attack or tricky and other somewhat "dream-pop" bands like Beach House. This being their debut album, one doesn't really know what to expect, however, this band focuses heavily on mood and atmosphere rather than building to an exciting and ultimately fulfilling climax. Its like all foreplay with no sex. I'm not sure if this is what they were going for, but it really works on some levels. Their music isn't as layered and ominous as bands like massive attack or portishead, but they lay down some pretty good beats, and have fallen into a groove, or sound if you will, much sooner than most bands do. "XX" is an album that will definitely take you a few spins to fully absorb, but once you do, it'll have you and your ears aroused. Check it out.

Yeasayer "Odd Blood"

Yeasayer's sophomore album "Odd Blood" is a strange mix of european dance and some of the best indie rock of the U.S. Sometimes sounding like Daft Punk, sometimes sounding like Vampire Weekend, and occasionally throwing in some Oingo Boingo, you can't help but love the retro vibe of this album. "Ambling Alp" is the first single from the record and delivers some wonderful hooks, and sublimely electronic riffs. Most of the album follows a very 80's dance pattern, but there are a couple of tracks, like "I remember" and "Madder Red" which take back the upbeat dance mood and are shockingly emotional ballads. "Mondegreen" is probably one of the best songs on the album and i dare you not to at least tap your foot while that song is on. Pick this album up, its definitely a fun listen. But the more you delve into it, the more the songs will reveal. They're layered and focused, and damn good!

Jonah Hex

Jonah Hex is apparently based on a few short graphic novels. From what i understand, this movie tries to incorporate a bit of them all. After seeing the preview for this movie, it looked like a really fun movie, possibly in the same style as Planet Terror or Death Proof. However, when i got into the movie, most of the time was spent leading up to the exciting parts you see in the preview. When you see the preview, just add about an hour of walking to and from places, with very minimal dialogue and there you have it. The full length movie! Ta Da! Really the parts you see in the preview are pretty fun to watch when they're drawn out a couple more minutes, but they aren't much different. With such great actors as John Malkovich and Josh Brolin, you'd expect a little more, even from a movie like this. One plus though, was the fact that the movie was only about an hour and fifteen minutes long. Something i found a bit strange, since most comic book movies these days tend to lean more towards the three hour mark (i.e.- Watchmen) So bottom line, if you liked the preview, i'd leave it to that and not waste the $10 it costs to see this in the theater. Rent it on DVD in a few months, because i guarantee it won't be in theaters long.

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

The Stone Brewery in San Diego is known for making powerfully flavored beers, with a bit of an attitude. They have every right to have this attitude, because their beers aren't for the casual beer drinker. Every beer they make is a behemoth of flavor. This Sublimely Self-Righteous beer of theirs is no exception. Upon pouring, one may think this is a porter because of the black color and the malty roasted scent. Upon further investigation of the bouquet, you get hints of spice, chocolate, a bit of a floral aroma, and just at the back, a bit of a pineapple odor. This pineapple scent is by no means present in the taste. The texture is light and smooth and surprisingly thin compared to the look of it. It does drink like a porter, however, the strong roasted flavor you normally get with a porter isn't quite as prominent. Compared to Stone's other beers this one has a more subtle taste initially. It actually hits you in just the opposite way their Ruination beer does. The Ruination lets it all hang out front, and you get all the flavor immediately. The Sublimely Self-Righteous is a little more devious, saving its kick for the finish. There is a somewhat piney flavor to the finish that is a little uncommon with beers this dark. The finish is very long and sustained, i found myself discovering new flavors in it about a minute after my first sip without taking a second. Yes its that complex. It does have the roasted flavor as most beers this dark do, however, its quite understated. Oddly enough, this beer was quite refreshing, and i'd recommend it to any serious beer drinker looking for a more quirky eccentric beer to drink during these hot summer months. Stone never disappoints with their beer, and this is probably one of their best. Not quite as pleasing as the Ruination, but its a very very close second.

Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

If you haven't yet heard of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, you're in for a real treat. The band and their wonderfully talented lead woman, singer/songwriter Grace Potter spin off some great vintage style americana rock and soul, with a bit of southern rock thrown in every now and then for good measure. Ms. Potter's voice lies somewhere between Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley and Janis Joplin, but the music definitely leans more toward the latter. Very similar to Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, any fans of that soul r&b style rock will love this new updated version of a classic sound. "Tiny light" is a great song that builds and builds to a screaming climax by Potter and some wild guitar work by her backing band. "Only Love" has an "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks feel to it. Potter's songwriting is most definitely a woman's perspective on life and love. This may sound strange, because of course she's a woman, but so many women today tend to emulate the more dominant, and lets face it, more successful male style of songwriting. But its very refreshing to hear a woman, holding onto her femininity and sexuality, while still sounding like a strong woman who will fight for what she wants, but isn't afraid to admit when she gets her heart broken. She's the musical equivalent of Deborah Morgan from the show Dexter. Strange reference i know, but anyone who's followed the show will know what i mean, and if not, just ignore that comparison. All in all, this album has about 9 very strong songs, and a few that are passable, but on the whole, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals new self titled album is a home run. Go check it out for sure!

Shiner Hefeweizen

I've yet to try everything Shiner has to offer, but recently i decided to make an effort to try everything they had available. Since i'm in Texas and Shiner comes from Texas, its pretty readily available. They make some of the most pleasant every day beers around in my opinion. None of them are mind blowing in a good or bad way, but most are decent and easy to drink. Their contribution to the Hefeweizen style is no different. This beer initially has a stronger flavor than most beers shiner produces, which is a welcome change. This flavor becomes less pronounced as you drink however. The beer is brewed with citrus, i.e. orange and lemon. The citrus is not very evident on its own, but add a wedge of lemon or orange and they become quite a bit more pronounced. Hefeweizen beers contain a good deal more yeast than most other beers, which tends to settle at the bottom of the bottle. This requires a certain pouring technique which some people may overlook. You should pour about half of the beer in a glass, swirl the other half in the bottle a few times to disturb the yeast and then pour the rest into the glass. This makes sure you don't end up with sediment in your beer and also ensures all the flavors are present. Shiner Hefeweizen is a great beer to drink on a warm summer day. Its refreshing and not too heavy. The flavors don't linger very long, but the flavor you get with each sip is pretty good.

Shiner Smokehaus Sommer Bier

Shiner isn't known for making strange, powerfully flavored beers by any means. They do make a lot of fun, easy drinking beers though. The Smokehaus Summer beer is one that may be a bit strange for some people. The hops in this beer are smoked over mesquite wood chips for a while before the beer is brewed, which gives the beer a smoky flavor that some people might find off putting. However, if you're out grilling with smoke flowing into your nostrils anyway, you may not even notice the smoke flavor. Its not an overpowering flavor, but it is no doubt there. Aside from the smoke flavor you'll find a nice, pleasant light pilsner style beer underneath. This beer goes well with pretty much anything you might cook on the grill. I had it with bratwurts and also with steak grilled on a charcoal fire, and it was a perfect compliment. So if you're feeling a little adventurous, but aren't up for trying a full fledged German Smoke bier, give this shiner smokehaus a try.

Splice

Splice is one of those movies that can be taken one of two ways. IT can either be another stupid monster movie. Or you could take it as a fun way to get a conversations started. The movie has a strong ethical dilemma at its core. Human gene splicing. OF course this is a very serious topic in the real world, but movies like this make the discussion more fun. They do for me anyway. The ethical issues don't overpower the entertainment value though. Splice is still a monster movie with plenty of gross out and weird moments. May very well make some people a bit squeemish. This is more of a sci-fi movie than a horror film, so don't go in expecting to be terrified. But if you're looking for a fun monster movie, this is definitely a good one.

Get Him to the Greek

Jason Segel created one of the most memorable characters of the past decade when he wrote Aldous Snow into the script of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". People loved the character so much, a spin-off movie was created with Aldous as the main character. By now you've seen commercials for "Get Him To The Greek", which show off the movies more ridiculous, funny moments. But at the heart of this movie is, well, a heart. Under all the ridiculous humor and excess that is portrayed in this movie is really a story that is centered on its characters and their issues with themselves and others. And who knew Russel Brand could be serious long enough to get some real acting done! Get him to the greek definitely provides plenty of laughs, but don't write it off as just another stupid fun movie, which it is. But don't forget to pay attention, because you'll probably find yourself actually caring about these characters. Plus the soundtrack by "Infant Sorrow", Aldous' band in the film, is pretty kick ass.