What I'm Listening To: Wilco - A Ghost Is Born

I'm ashamed to say I never gave Wilco a chance until last year, when they released "Sky Blue Sky." Since then I have been working my way through their back catalogue. "A Ghost Is Born", released in 2003, is the latest addition to my Wilco collection. For some reason I had never really gotten around to this album but after hearing songs off of it at the Wilco show I attended on Saturday, I had to give it some attention. This album displays Wilco at the peak of their experimentation with layered noise, loops and discord. The album is a great rock record and won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album, although there are a few times when the experimentation is taken a little too far, such as at the end of "Less Than You Think."

Even with all the experimentation, the old Wilco still makes appearances, with songs like "Hummingbird" and "Hell Is Chrome." Jeff Tweedy still comes through with great lyrics, such as:
"So he slept on a mountain
In a sleeping bag underneath the stars
He would lie awake and count them
And the gray fountain spray of the great Milky Way
Would never let him
Die alone"
and
" I looked like someone
I used to know
And if I ever was myself,
I wasn't that night
Oh it's okay for you to say
What you want from me
I believe that's the only
Way for me to be
Exactly what you want me to be
Exactly what do you want me to be?"

I feel like Wilco is one of those bands that anyone could fall in love with if given the right album. Although this is not the first Wilco album I would recommend to anyone unfamiliar with the band, it definitely needs to be heard at some point.

OSCAR PICKS

Alright, I figured I would post my picks for this weekend's Oscar Ceremony.  I decided that best way to do it would be to put what I want to win and what I think will win, because we know it never really works out like you want it to.  I got Greg's and Steve's picks as well, so without further ado, here are our 2008 (for the 2007 year in Movies) Oscar Picks.

1) Best Picture:

Nominees:

There Will Be Blood

Atonement

No Country For Old Men

Michael Clayton

Juno

John-Paul wants to win: There Will Be Blood

John-Paul thinks will win: No Country For Old Men

Greg wants to win: No Country For Old Men

Greg thinks will win: There Will Be Blood

Steve wants to win: No Country For Old Men

Steve thinks will win: No Country For Old Men

2) Best Director

Nominees:

Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men)

Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)

Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton)

Jason Reitman (Juno)

Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

John-Paul wants to win: The Coen Brothers

John-Paul thinks will win: The Coen Brothers

Greg wants to win: The Coen Brothers

Greg thinks will win: The Coen Brothers

Steve wants to win: The Coen Brothers

Steve thinks will win: The Coen Brothers

3) Best Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees:

George Clooney (Michael Clayton)

Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)

Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd)

Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah)

Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)

John-Paul wants to win: Daniel Day-Lewis

John-Paul thinks will win: Daniel Day-Lewis

Greg wants to win: Viggo Mortensen

Greg thinks will win: Daniel Day-Lewis

Steve wants to win: Viggo Mortensen

Steve thinks will win: Daniel Day-Lewis

4) Best Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees:

Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth:The Golden Age)

Julie Christie (Away from Her)

Marion Coutillard (La Vie En Rose)

Laura Linney (The Savages)

Ellen Page (Juno)

John-Paul wants to win: Laura Linney

John-Paul thinks will win: Julie Christie

Greg wants to win: Ellen Page

Greg thinks will win: Julie Christie

Steve wants to win: Elle Page

Steve thinks will win: Marion Coutillard

5) Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford)

Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War)

Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild)

Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

John-Paul wants to win: Javier Bardem

John-Paul thinks will win: Javier Bardem

Greg wants to win: Casey Affleck

Greg thinks will win: Javier Bardem

Steve wants to win: Casey Affleck

Steve thinks will win: Javier Bardem

6) Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There)

Ruby Dee (American Gangster)

Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)

Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)

Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

John-Paul wants to win: Amy Ryan

John-Paul thinks will win: Cate Blanchett

Greg wants to win: Tilda Swinton

Greg thinks will win: Amy Ryan

Steve wants to win: Amy Ryan

Steve thinks will win: Cate Blanchett

7) Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Nominees:

Juno (Diablo Cody)

Lars and the Real Girl (Nancy Oliver)

Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)

Ratatouille (Brad Bird)

The Savages (Tamara Jenkins)

John-Paul wants to win: Juno

John-Paul thinks will win: Juno

Greg wants to win: Juno

Greg thinks will win: Juno

Steve wants to win: Juno

Steve thinks will win: Juno

8) Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Nominees:

There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Atonement (Christopher Hampton)

Away From Her (Sarah Polley)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Roland Harwood)

No Country for Old Men (The Coen Brothers)

John-Paul wants to win: No Country for Old Men

John-Paul thinks will win: Atonement

Greg wants to win: No Country for Old Men

Greg thinks will win: No Country for Old Men

Steve wants to win: No Country for Old Men

Steve thinks will win: No Country for Old Men

There you have it folks.  We'll see what happens after this Sunday! Happy Oscars everyone!

John-Paul, Greg & Steve

What I'm Listening To: Chuck Ragan - Los Feliz

I'm going to attempt to post on a semi-regular basis from now on. I will mostly be concentrating on music and letting everyone know what is currently occupying my ipod, cd player, itunes, turntable, etc. The first installment of the series is Chuck Ragan's debut album "Los Feliz" which was released in May of last year. Ragan is best known as singer/guitarist of Hot Water Music (HWM). I never really got into HWM so this release flew under my radar until recently. Last month I saw one of my favorite singers, Ben Nichols of Lucero (more Lucero in a later post), open a show for Chuck. The plan was to leave after Ben to avoid getting home too late. The decision was made to stay and watch some of Chuck's set. I wish I could have stayed for the whole thing because I immediately fell in love with his music.

I picked up Chuck's debut release, not realizing it is a live album. I have also heard his debut studio album, "Feast or Famine" and must say that although he sounds great in the studio, the live setting is where he truly shines. Ragan constructs tails of the blue collar struggle of making it from day to day, using his gravelly delivery. He does it all with such emotion that you can't help but identify. The lyrics are reminiscent of bands like the Dropkick Murphys, documenting the hardships of the working class and at the same time creating hope. Chuck's voice is similar to the above mentioned Ben Nichols and may take some time to grow on people (it was one of the reasons I never got into HWM). The music is just Chuck on an acoustic guitar with a harmonica. It's obvious how much fun Chuck is having throughout the recording and it makes for a great listening experience. I highly recommend giving Chuck and/or Hot Water Music a listen.

Comics You HAVE to Read: Y The Last Man

Y The Last Man
Originally uploaded by waggy182

Like The Sandman and Preacher before it, Y The Last Man has taken on the title of the defining adult comic series of its era. Set in a world where every mammal on Earth with a Y chromosome has dropped dead as a result of a mysterious plague, the book follows Yorick Brown, (you guessed it) the last man alive. Now if that sounds like some wish fulfillment/fantasy comic, you could not be more wrong. With half the population of the planet suddenly wiped out and the potential for reproduction gone, the remaining people on the planet have a near endless list of complications to overcome, including the loss of 85% of government officials, 95% of commercial pilots, and 99% of mechanics, construction workers, and electricians. I’d stop short of saying society has collapsed, but things are bleak. Needless to say, there are hundreds of reasons (biological, political, and scientific to name a few) people would want to get their hands on the last living man, and the book is primarily a “man on the run” (pun not intended) story with various mysteries running concurrent (specifically “What killed all the men?” and “How is Yorick still alive?”). Amazingly enough, despite how dire the world without men depicted here sounds, Y is actually a great book for female readers too. Our hero Yorick is exceptionally average. He isn’t particularly strong, brave, or smart. Truth be told, he’s kind of a dumbass. The truly remarkable characters in the book are the women who are responsible for keeping our man alive, as well as preserving what’s left of the world around them and putting the rest back together again. And if that’s not enough to entice you, the book is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, particularly in its fantastic dialogue. It’s a dark book to be sure, and the stakes and suspense are always high, but writer Brian K Vaughn (whose name you will be seeing a lot in future installments of this column) always manages to deliver a healthy amount of humor with the drama. If you’ve ever had the slightest curiosity about comics, Y The Last Man is the book I would recommend above just about anything as an excellent place to get started.

Movie Review - The Savages

The Savages marks the return to filmmaking by director Tamara Jenkins, whose ten year departure from the business took many by surprise after the critical acclaim that came for her last film, The Slums of Beverly Hills.  She may have been disappeared for ten years, but it certainly doesn't seem like she missed a beat as she has come back stronger than ever with a brilliant tale of life, death, and all the moments in between.  From a script written by herself, Jenkins directs two of the best actors in the business today (the incomparable Laura Linney and the man that doesn't seem to know how to pick a bad script lately... Mr. Philip Seymour Hoffman).  The Savages tells the story of Jon and Wendy Savage, the products of a faulty marriage, who are faced with the decreasing health and impending death of their Dementia ridden father.  While the advertisements for this film may have led viewers to believe they were going to see a dark comedy, they drastically understated just how serious this film turns out to be.  A character piece, this wonderfully written story is unforgettably brought to life through the utterly brilliant performances of both Mr. Hoffman and Ms. Linney.  In a role that quiet possibly could garnish a golden statue by the name of Oscar, Laura Linney shines are the eccentric Wendy, a struggling play-write, who fails to be able to accept the choices that need to be made when dealing with the failing heath of a loved one.  Her work opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman just may be the best she has ever shown, which says a lot when one glances over her career resume that includes stellar performances in The Squid in the Whale, Kinsey, Love Actually and Mystic River. Ms. Linney's performance is wonderfully matched by that of her co-star, as Philip Seymour Hoffman stands tall, rivaling all of her on screen moments.  Tamara Jenkins has touched on something that everyone goes through at one point in their life, and really drives the message home when she tells audiences that no matter what troubles you have, don't let them tear your family apart, because in the end it is that family that helps you to get through the worst of times.

The Savages

* * * *

Dir. Tamara Jenkins

Movie Review - Vantage Point

It seems like eons ago that the advertising campaign began for the political action-thriller Vantage Point.  Boasting an ensemble cast of Hollywood heavyweights, including the likes of Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, William Hurt, Forest Whitaker, and Sigourney Weaver; Vantage Point tells the some cliched story of an assassination attempt on the President of the United States in a not-so-cliched way.  What is the gimmick?  Look no further than the title, as director Pete Travis tells this tale of intrigue through the vantage points of each of the movie's characters eyes.  Dennis Quaid plays Thomas Barnes, a secret service agent assigned to President, who harbors the demons presented from a recent incident on the job.  His friend and partner, Kent Taylor, is played by the highly underrated Matthew Fox whose recent success with the television show Lost has finally garnered him the movie offers he deserves.  The movies strong points (acting wise), however, are given by all-star Oscar winners Forest Whitaker and William Hurt.  The idea behind the multiple perceptions of this single event was no doubt inspired by the Akira Kurosawa classic Rashomon, but that certainly isn't a bad thing.  In a day and age where theaters seem to be dominated with sequels and remakes, maybe using an old formula to inspire something new is a positive thing.  From start to finish, the movie is a non-stop action thriller that lives up to the trailer that has been advertising the film for close to year now.  This trailer, however, is what ultimately hurts this film the most.  The trailer for Vantage Point pretty much tells the entire story in the short 2 and a half minutes that it runs, and for those who pay attention to details, even ruins plenty of twists and surprises.  That having been said, Vantage Point is definitely a film worth seeing,even if it is only for the performances turned in by Hurt and Whitaker.  It truly is exciting from start to finish, something that doesn't happen too often in film nowadays, but then again it did come from an unproduced script for a 24 movie and we all know Mr. Bauer loves his action.

Vantage Point

** and a half

Dir. Pete Travis

Comics you HAVE to Read: The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead cover
Originally uploaded by waggy182

Anyone who’s seen these knows that zombies have been the big thing in comics for a little while now. If the Romero “Dead” series represents the pinnacle of zombie movies, then The Walking Dead holds that title in comics. The series was conceived by writer Robert Kirkman, a noted zombie fanatic who always wanted more from the genre. Specifically he wanted to see what happened to the characters in those movies after the credits rolled. Even zombie sequels have a tendency to switch leads and tell self-contained stories that really only share a universe with previous installments. With The Walking Dead, Kirkman has constructed an ongoing tale of survival in the midst of a world overrun by zombies. In a way, it’s almost akin to a show like Jericho. The world as we know it may be over, but life goes on. Death is around every corner you turn, and the way people cope with this new way of life is a really fascinating read. There are scares aplenty, and when the shit starts hitting the fan, you’ll scarcely find a comic whose pages you turn faster, but it’s just as interesting watching the fireworks that erupt between the human characters who know that everything they love is now dead. These are all fairly conventional components of zombie fiction, but the change in medium, effectively erasing the sense of an impending conclusion, puts an entirely new spin on everything. Top it all off with moody black and white art that perfectly sets the atmosphere of the book, and you’ve got a tremendously addicting comic that will constantly have you guessing where the band of characters will go next and who will make it there alive.