:: jeffmradio ::

Bernard Pras is a French contemporary artist born in 1952. His work is made from junk like dishes, toys or anyhing he can get his hands on. With them he re-creates famous paintings and portraits.

The movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is almost definitely going to rule. So should the soundtrack.

NPR's Fresh Air interviews comedian Louis C.K., whose new show is pretty great.

here comes love

2010-05-23T10:24:00.003-05:00

I'm really digging these "Dozens" on eMusic, especially this Kompakt mix by Philip Sherburne.

You Ain't No Picasso's favorite songs of April 2010

God bless the internet for inexplicably awesome stuff like this Pulp Fiction infographic.

Caribou, Toro Y Moi In Concert (stream)

This is a little late (the fest ends today), but still -- impress your friends with these Sixteen Films Everyone Will be Talking About at Cannes.

The Music Industry & Online Piracy by the Numbers

I'm not really a podcast person, but A History of the World in 100 Objects is pretty cool.

I will never stop promoting VBS.tv as long as they keep making things like The Vice Guide to Film: Palestinian Filmmaking.

kids all jumping bonfires on the heath

2010-05-02T15:03:00.002-05:00

NPR is streaming a jeezum TON of music: The Fall's Your Future Our Clutter, Broken Social Scene's Forgiveness Rock Record, The New Pornographers' Together, The Clientele on World Cafe, and Hot Chip and The xx live in DC!

I'm probably the only person who got excited about this Nashville Taco Truck Roundup.

Ditto this over-analysis of Lady Gaga.

Check out these insane pictures of the volcano eruption in Iceland. Language Log helps us pronounce Eyjafjallajökull.

The Madlib consumer guide is a welcome primer on the prolific producer.

Isabella Rossellini is back with Seduce Me, another series about animal attraction. It is awesome.

Super Mario Bros. Crossover lets you play the NES game with some of your other favorite video game characters.

Time Out New York interviews Daniel Clowes about his new graphic novel.

Trailer - The Complete Metropolis

please don't confront me with my failures

2010-04-18T21:39:00.002-05:00

It turns out that surrealist filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky also made surrealist comic strips.

I don't really know how to describe this.

Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth covers Burt Bacharach.

Slate continues their effort to shed light on "revolting creatures" with the hyena.

I Love Country is a great blog for someone new to the pleasures of country music.

Prefiguration of Lalo Cura by Roberto Bolaño

Preview a few pages of Daniel Clowes' new graphic novel.

2010 Cannes: Surprises & Snubs In The Official Lineup

if you refuse me

2010-04-08T17:28:00.003-05:00

This periodic table is cool. Please stay friends with me.

American Mensa's "Top 50" Web Sites 2010 (Thanks, Lilla!)

Top 10 Shows That Overstayed Their Welcome

YouTube's 50 Best Videos

You Ain't No Picasso's favorite songs of March 2010

NPR talks to David Simon and Eric Overmyer about Treme

How Hard Did Liquid Liquid Liquid Kill It on Jimmy Fallon? Very hard.

Critics' Picks over at The New York Times are pretty cool. Start with The Seventh Seal.

Caribou - Swim (album stream)

Top 100 Films of the '90s?

oh oh ohhhhhhh

2010-03-31T06:56:00.002-05:00

An introduction to A Sunny Day in Glasgow, one of my favorite new(ish) bands

Why Women Don't Want Macho Men

How Lady Gaga Became the World's Biggest Pop Star

Black Tambourine (album stream)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way (album stream)

Check out this fourteen-minute Making of Tremé, the new series by the people behind The Wire.

David Byrne and Fatboy Slim - Here Lies Love (album stream)

Harlem - "Hippies" (album stream)

Ask a Nuclear Physicist: What Exactly Did the L.H.C. Do [Yesterday]?

and all the planets are aligning

2010-03-28T12:13:00.002-05:00

Gwyneth Paltrow visited Nashville and wants you to check out a bunch of stuff.

Stella Artois has teamed up with The Auteurs to offer free streams of nine Cannes Film Festival selections. I highly recommend Harakiri.

Spike Jonze released a short film on the internet this week.

How the Health Care Overhaul Could Affect You

Metacritic presents The 25 Most Anticipated Albums of the Spring.

Top 25 Most Ancient Historical Photographs (stupid title, great list)

Slate examines why so many colleges are teaching The Wire.

NPR is streaming an absolutely stunning concert with Joanna Newsom.

you sexy little swine

2010-03-16T18:35:00.002-05:00

How the Movie Studios Got Their Logos

Vulture mathematically proves that these were the Most Boring Oscars Ever.

Watch the Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts, All in One Place

The White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights (album stream)

Star Wars, as Cast by the Coen Brothers

Because you care and are interested, these are the movies I want to see at the 2010 Nashville Film Festival: Hoop Dreams, Blue Beard, The Good Heart, Art House, Saturday Night, Do it Again, and Ne Change Rien.

Werner Herzog: a Primer

She & Him - Volume Two (album stream)

The New Yorker features new short fiction by Junot Díaz.

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Here Lies Love (album stream)

some kind of nature

2010-03-07T10:07:00.003-06:00

The Morning Benders - Big Echo (album stream)

Film Industry by the Numbers

I am absolutely fascinated/terrified by the Mariana Trench and all of its bizarro creatures.

Have an hour and an interest in survival skills? Heimo's Arctic Refuge is for you.

In anticipation of Swim, his new record out next month, Dan Snaith shares some Caribou mixes and remixes.

It's Oscar night! Here's what I've been rolling around in this week:

Academy's 'best' choice often isn't

The four rules of action movies Kathryn Bigelow breaks every time

Tarantino will win best picture, if history can be believed

How to Judge the Best Art Design Oscar

Everything you wanted to know about The OSCARS

ringer

2010-02-25T18:50:00.002-06:00

Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me (album stream)

Vulture's Guide to the Ten Still-Competitive Oscar Categories

This page is dedicated to the character actors collectively known as "That Guy".

How to Judge the Best Sound Editing Oscar

Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks (album stream)

Oh, and while you're at it -- compare these two FR videos.

Alphabet Shoot is a good time-waster, if there is such a thing.

The Best Music of the Decade at MetaCritic is a good read.

George Lois Tells the Stories Behind His Twelve Favorite Classic Esquire Covers

when the sky looks like a road

2010-02-22T20:41:00.003-06:00

How to Judge the Best Editing Oscar

Has the fight gone out of Martin Scorsese?

Time Out New York names The 50 most-deserving Oscar winners of all time.

Criterion starts their Hulu channel with the first six installments of Zatoichi.

Wolf People - Tidings (album stream)

Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself (album stream)

New Pornographers - Your Hands (Together) (mp3)

You Ain't No Picasso's favorite songs of February 2010

I could listen to Charlotte Gainsbourg talk about her new record all. day. long.

The Numbers Behind the Academy Awards

David Cross, Will Arnett, and Spike Jonze filmed a pilot for British television. Watch it here and tell me if I should.

circled the earth twice

2010-02-17T19:01:00.002-06:00

Yeasayer's track-by-track guide to Odd Blood

The 5 Directors Who Could Direct the Christopher Nolan-Supervised 'Superman'

Field Music - Measure (album stream)

Yes, these 30 Awesome Rare Movie Star Photos are a hassle to click through, but there are some real gems in there.

Swansea: A Love Story is a six-part documentary about the effects of the major influx of heroin in a Welsh city. Exploitative? Maybe. Gripping? Definitely.

I don't know much about Filastine, but I like his We Are Experiencing Turbulence mix.

One-Button Bob is an addictive time-killer.

fall in fall out fall down get ready

2010-02-08T19:08:00.003-06:00

Five (Semi)-Big Snubs & Other 2009 Oscar Facts

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here (album stream)

Sight & Sound "introduces 30 key films that illuminated the last 10 years."

I spent more time with this Batman & Robin Comic Generator than one should.

If Filmmakers Directed the Super Bowl

Every Zach Galifianakis Clip from Tim and Eric

Even if you don't care about them enough to read this interview with Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, you should still click for the picture.

Newsweek's Oscars Roundtable is a decent timekiller.

enough congratulating each other

2010-01-31T18:57:00.002-06:00

The Los Angeles Times put James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, Kathryn Bigelow, Lee Daniels, and Jason Reitman in a room together.

The Magnetic Fields - Realism (album stream)

8 Amazing Octopus Videos

Passion of the Weiss put together a 2010 Preview that is very necessary.

You and I don't know Nicholas Felton, but Everything Nicholas Felton Did With Other People in 2009 is fascinating.

Ten Completely Random, Obscure Box-Office Records

Slate explains the Bring it On franchise.

The Ex-Factor Battle: Breaking Down the James Cameron-Kathryn Bigelow Oscar DeathMatch

the opposition says

2010-01-20T20:35:00.003-06:00

The three tributes to Éric Rohmer (1920-2010) that I have enjoyed the most have come from Dana Stevens at Slate, Geoffrey O'Brien at The New York Review of Books, and Wesley Morris at The Boston Globe.

What do we sing about, when we sing about the body?

Four Tet - There is Love in You (album stream)

Crayola Evolution: 1903-2010

Beach House - Teen Dream (album stream)

Soderbergh, Coppola & The Cycle Of Fogeydom (if none of those excite you, I give this essay my highest recommendation)

Charting the Beatles

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM (album stream)

James Franco Finally Fully Explains How His General Hospital Plan Came to Be

my destination was unknown

2010-01-12T20:47:00.002-06:00

Wrapping up my 2009 coverage, Passion of the Weiss offers up a zip file of their 50 favorite songs of 2009.

Oh wait, I forgot my favorite favorite year-end thing -- Slate's Movie Club.

Village Voice welcomes the new decade by saying goodbye to The Decade in Music Genre Hype.

The Last Decade According to 9-Year-Olds

The Economist goes in search of the world's hardest language.

Spoon - Transference (album stream)

The Playlist speculates about the Directors, Actors, and Actresses Who Could Reboot the Spider-Man Franchise.

Owen Pallett - Heartland (album stream)

i thought i loved you then

2009-12-24T07:26:00.002-06:00

Here is the first draft of My Favorite Music 2009. I'd love some feedback.

You Ain't No Picasso hooks us up with Belle & Sebastian's Peel Christmas Party bootleg.

Vulture's Best Performances of 2009 is a fun slideshow.

A.V. Club breaks down one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, Jean-Luc Godard's A Woman is a Woman.

The Auteurs has been talking Posters of the Decade.

The FADER presents ... Listmania 2009!

hell yes

2009-12-18T08:51:00.002-06:00

It's the end of the year, so wrap-ups abound. My own list of Albums of the Year will be up shortly, but until then, please enjoy:

The 2009 Year-End Google Zeitgeist is an interesting read.

The Literary Review's Bad Sex in Fiction Award 2009 is pretty funny.

Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2009 is nice because it includes mp3s.

Said the Gramophone's Best Songs of 2009 is nice because it includes a zip file.

Same thing goes for The 50 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2009 over at Passion of the Weiss.

Maxmillion Dunbar's '09 Cutz Mix is for all you dance/electronic heads.

The Music Club at Slate is always my favorite year-end read.

4AD is giving away a free 12-track sampler of their 2009 output.

The Best (and Worst) Movies of the Decade over at Metacritic is worth your time.

Oh, and some other stuff happened on the internet besides year-end stuff:

Pop Dose reminds us of Ten Great Title Sequences.

My favorite album art of the decade was for Person Pitch by Panda Bear. Sleevage has an interview with the artist.

Syfy is streaming the pilot episode of Caprica, the prequel series for Battlestar Galactica.

you leave me speechless

2009-11-27T15:35:00.003-06:00

The next issue of McSweeney's looks awesome.

Twenty Questions with Eric Skillman, graphic designer for the Criterion Collection

Seth Meyers' Sunday Routine is pretty interesting.

Stereogum's 25 Most Anticipated Albums of 2010

2009 Darwin Awards

The 50 most interesting articles on Wikipedia

The AV Club names the best comics of the '00s.

The Film Talk invites all listeners to watch a movie for free on The Auteurs

i've got a ghost frown

2009-11-20T19:00:00.002-06:00

The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings, according to NPR's All Songs Considered.

PopMatters' inaugural Director Spotlight series kicks off with Pedro Almodóvar.

Girls perform a few songs for Minnesota Public Radio.

Lindstrøm's FACT mix is pretty cool, as is Merry Swankster's third quarterly podcast.

The New Oxford American Dictionary has declared the Word of the Year to be "unfriend", while Merriam-Webster has anointed "admonish".

i'm out

2009-11-12T17:06:00.003-06:00

Need some good Music While You Work? Try Philip Sherburne's latest ambient mix. Or maybe you just want to dance? Aeroplane's mix has you covered.

NPR's All Songs Considered has some good coverage on the decade in music. Be sure to check out the timeline.

The New York Times has a neat interactive graph that shows the jobless rate for different demographics. Sobering stuff.

Sonic Youth share their favorite Criterion releases. (Speaking of Criterion, Barnes & Noble is having an awesome sale right now.)

FACT magazine lists the essential Four Tet.

Overthinking It "found an interesting parallel between the decline of rock music quality and, of all things, the decline in US oil discovery and production".

The AV Club lists The best TV series of the '00s.

How John Cassavetes' Shadows changed American movies forever

call the police

2009-11-04T18:27:00.002-06:00

Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be (album stream)

100 Things You Should Eat Before You Die (Thanks, Aki!)

Fever Ray's self-titled debut is easily one of my favorite albums of 2009. She recently contributed a Halloween-themed podcast to Resident Advisor. It's spooky good.

Here's another great podcast, this time from the people behind We Love You So (aka the people behind the Where the Wild Things Are film adaptation).

PS Where the Dirty Hipsters Are

trailer - Mammoth (I don't think either Gael García Bernal or Michelle Williams will save this one, but...)

Slate has fun with the Google search box.

The Playlist lists The Little Quentin [Tarantino] Movies That Never Happened.

Black to Comm - Alphabet 1968 (album stream)

sooner or later you're payin' for it

2009-10-15T16:22:00.003-05:00

Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land (stream)

W magazine interviews "Bergman's muse" Liv Ullman.

Nicolas Jaar makes great music. He's a nineteen year-old sophomore at Brown. Ugh.

I love Best of Nashville, especially Food and Drink.

Can you handle this behind-the-scenes video of The Women of Nine? I couldn't.

Where the Wild Things Are opens tomorrow. Celebrate by reading this round table interview with author Maurice Sendak, screenwriter Dave Eggers, and director Spike Jonze. Or this round table interview with Jonze, Eggers, Catherine Keener, and Max Records. Or listen to this interview with Jonze.

life is getting worse

2009-10-05T17:28:00.002-05:00

I swear I didn't plan this.

Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy (album stream)

Karen O and the Kids - Where the Wild Things Are (soundtrack stream)

Mission of Burma - The Sound, the Speed, the Light (album stream)

Built to Spill - There is No Enemy (album stream)

Yo La Tengo - Washington, D.C. 9/17/09 (concert stream)

i remember my face turned red

2009-09-28T17:15:00.002-05:00

trailer - The Maid

25 best book to film adaptations

Philip Sherburne is a really smart music writer who has made a 97 minute mix for Unsound. I like it.

Yo La Tengo on La Blogotheque

5 Directors Who Made Great Remakes of Their Own Films

The Clientele - Bonfires on the Heath (stream)

Thanks to Brandon for pointing out this neat project from Ólafur Arnalds -- Found Songs were written and recorded one day at a time for a week.

Roman Polanski FAQs

i don't know what it is

2009-09-16T21:06:00.005-05:00

Trailer - Blind Date (dir. Stanley Tucci)

A Not-So-Fast Flip Through Google's Shiny New Toy

I can't believe you're already stressing over what to get me for Christmas. It's obvious -- The Merge Records Companion!

Islands - Vapours (stream)

How much does Jay Leno's worthless comedy cost?

Vice profiles Spike Jonze

Dan Brown's 20 Worst Sentences

double duty

2009-09-14T19:22:00.002-05:00

Masaki Kobayashi's nine-and-a-half hour The Human Condition is a work of unparalleled power.

Pedro Almodóvar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown might be coming to Broadway.

A Single Man just won Colin Firth the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival (he accepted the award with a speech in Italian).

Girls - Album (stream)

I enjoyed reading about the cover art for Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Are you aware of all the TV Shows Premiering This Week?

that's funny

2009-09-14T19:13:00.002-05:00

You may have heard that the Beatles' catalog was remastered last week. To celebrate, I present some related links:

- NPR helps you decide between the Mono and Stereo releases.

- Slate points out the missing songs that would have made the new box set a classic.

- The Telegraph uncovers 20 things you did not know about the Fab Four.

- Chuck Klosterman pokes a little fun.

let's go let's go let's go

2009-09-05T09:15:00.002-05:00

You Ain't No Picasso has updated the Spoon covers archive.

Nothing like a three day weekend to watch Pitchfork's Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s.

Scarecrow Video has put together an unofficial and in progress footnotes companion to Inglourious Basterds.

Who wants to lend me their printer and scanner so I can make a font from my own handwriting??

NPR is streaming Yo La Tengo's Popular Songs, out on Tuesday. The story behind the album's cover is pretty awesome.

Fox (!) Searchlight's new featurette has me pretty excited for Wes Anderson's stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox.

The New York Times profiles Spike Jonze and his live-action adaptation of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.

sound good?

2009-08-29T23:12:00.002-05:00

What Made the Wedding Present Great

The iTunes Playlist: Jason Schwartzman

An Old Person's Guide to "No Homo"

The Books Spill Details of Highly Anticipated New Album

Best of Wikipedia

Sight & Sound names The Wild Bunch -- 50 directors that "make films that are uncategorisable, in which cinematic language, taste, and even reality itself are bent to their will".

inglorious bastards [sic]

2009-08-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

In commemoration of Quentin Tarantino's new movie opening across the country tomorrow, I've devoted an entire post to weeding out the goings-on all over the internet.

QT's 10 Best Music Moments

QT's Favorite 20 Movies From 1992 to Now

Inglourious Basterds - The Cast Discuss Their Characters

Artist on Artist with QT and Eli Roth

Tarantino Talks Basterds Soundtrack

Has one of the most overrated directors of the '90s become one of the most underrated of the aughts?

who made the goods

2009-08-18T19:45:00.002-05:00

Will Arnett is set to star in another Mitch Hurwitz comedy on Fox. Let's hope it's more Arrested Development and less Sit Down Shut Up.

The Over/Under: Lou Reed

The Evolution of the Squirt Gun

Minimalism With 216 Guitars

Kate Winslet + Todd Haynes + noir = Mildred Pierce.

Tony Danza may teach public high school for reality show

Stock Your Bar for $100

i can turn a one into a billion

2009-08-10T18:33:00.002-05:00

Destroyer - "Bay of Pigs" (stream)

The American Time Use Survey asks thousands of American residents to recall every minute of a day.

There are several free games to play at SuperMarioBrothers.org.

Mount Eerie - Wind's Poem (stream)

No Age - Losing Feeling (stream)

Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Destiny Street Repaired (stream)

FactCheck.org is a good place to set the record straight.

Why Neoconservative Pundits Love Jon Stewart

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair on DVD/Blu-Ray in 2010? Maybe.

Here is where I recommend Scenic Routes, another A.V. Club feature that's worth exploring.

Pitchfork traces the history of German techno label Kompakt, including a free mp3 sampler.

there is nothing like the summer time

2009-08-03T16:10:00.002-05:00

PopMatters lists the 100 Essential Male Film Performances.

Was 1984 the greatest year in movies ever?

Spoon are selling high quality, multi-track soundboard recordings (including new material!) from their three-night residency at Stubb's a few weeks ago.

You should watch "She Wolf", the new video from Shakira. If writhing Colombians don't do it for you, at least read the hilarious caption below it.

Trailer - Beeswax (dir. Andrew Bujalaski)

This list of Best Cannes Palme d'Or Winners is a pretty good place to start if you're looking to expand your art film knowledge.

I enjoyed reading about this 1993 encounter between Akira Kurosawa and Abbas Kiarostami.

A.V. Club's Gateways to Geekery are great primers on how to break in to sometimes intimidating oeuvres.

The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love (stream)

Dr. Oz points out What YOU Can Do About Health Care Reform.

You do not want to miss this: Passion of the Weiss has begun his list of the Top 50 Rap Albums of the '00s.

Check out this short film fantasy about psychedelic rock pioneers Os Mutantes narrated by Devendra Banhart.

it's such a clear and certain hell of a thing

2009-07-30T15:19:00.002-05:00

You Know These NPR Voices -- But What Do They Look Like?

When I was 24, I was lucky if I finished a bowl of cereal without staining a t-shirt. Ray Tintori has directed some awesome music videos and been given movie rights by Spike Jonze.

These Politically Incorrect Cartoons are pretty cringe-worthy.

Trailer - A Serious Man (the Coen brothers)

The Baader Meinhof Complex was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, won the BAFTA in the same category, and is finally out in the US later this year.

Superfan Fail: I had no idea that one of my favorite songs ("Hot Wire My Heart") by one of my favorite bands (Sonic Youth) was a cover.

What do The White Stripes, Gorillaz, T.Rex, Beck, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Johnny Cash, The Raconteurs, and TV on the Radio have in common? I like them and they have songs featured in Guitar Hero 5.

Trailer - Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson)

(that is bad, j)

2009-07-26T19:23:00.003-05:00

You haven't watched the featurette for Where the Wild Things Are yet?!

Steve-O's "gay marriage" for the noh8 campaign is ... well-intentioned?

If you love The Wire, you will love these drawings. Maybe I'll get an Omar tattoo.

The Fiery Furnaces - "Charmaine Champagne" (video)

Planning a European vacation? BBC's Languages page is a good first stop.

Chicago Public Radio's Wikipedia Files features videos of bands reacting to their Wikipedia pages.

All Songs Considered reveals Discoveries from The Pitchfork Music Festival.

Both seasons of Spaced (starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) are available to watch for free on Hulu.

we fell in love with all these kids

2009-07-22T16:33:00.002-05:00

Even though I was a bit underwhelmed with their performance Sunday night, I can heartily endorse these new Flaming Lips mp3s.

I was impressed with DJ/Rupture, however, who provided illuminating interview fodder for NPR.

Mick LaSalle defines "favorite" when dealing with movies. (My answers, for the record, are 1) Pulp Fiction, 2) Talk to Her, 3) Vagabond, 4) California Split.)

This time-lapsed video of Wilco's set-up in Lowell, Massachusetts is pretty impressive.

There is a lot of Classic TV on YouTube.

This trailer for Jane Campion's Bright Star makes the period piece look genuinely exciting.

If Jay-Z is the US, does that make The Game North Korea?

Sesame Street has been on the air for 40 years. Celebrate by brushing up on your Muppets knowledge.

Have you pre-ordered the new Destroyer 12" yet? Hint: I have.

Speaking of Destroyer, his 2006 album makes #6 on The Washington Post's list of Top 20 Merge Records.

I really, really like "Dominos" by Big Pink. Maybe you will, too!

101 Simple Salads for the Season

she uses tangerines

2009-07-20T07:46:00.002-05:00

Tomatoes don't grow in your neck of the woods year round, you know. Just put in your state and your season, and you can Eat Seasonal and Shop Sustainable.

Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian shared his 10 Favorite LPs with The Observer ... four years ago.

I really like these posters for Turner Classic Movies' Summer Under the Stars.

Wes Anderson talks music with This Recording (with tons of mp3s!).

I basically agree with New York magazine's assessment of the Harry Potter film franchise.

My favorite record label turns 20 this year. Pitchfork talks to some of the people that kept it going.

Speaking of Pitchfork, this interview with the director of the Pitchfork Music Festival is indispensable.

schooldays

2009-07-13T09:48:00.002-05:00

Passion of the Weiss has been killin' it with mixes lately -- DJ Sach's Halftime '09 Rap Mix and The Cory Matthews Mixtape are both so necessary.

After Brüno, Hollywood depictions of gays may never be the same.

What the Hell Is Really Going Down in Honduras?

Did you know that PBS's NOVA is streaming for free on YouTube?

My favorite film critic's favorite movie is the year 1999.

Stream The Dead Weather's Horehound over at NPR.

The language teacher in me can't resist posting this English pronunciation poem.

minimaliminalism

2009-07-08T15:22:00.003-05:00

Aquarium Drunkard continues with their Neil Young excavations -- A Perfect Echo vol. I part 2 and vol. II part 1.

What stuntmen think are the best stunt films of all time

Those 24,000 DVDs that come through Nashville's Netflix center every day? Yeah, 18 people deal with them.

Magnet gives Belle & Sebastian The Over/Under treatment.

Check out this mix that highlights Michael Jackson's influence on break beats and hip-hop.

Beck interviews Tom Waits interviews Beck

How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit

Those Darlins - "Red Light Love" and "Wild One" (mp3s)

trained to diffuse nuclear bombs

2009-07-05T16:11:00.002-05:00

Steven Soderbergh - The Informant (trailer)

Julian Temple is directing a documentary about my favorite British Invasion band, The Kinks.

Anthony Bourdain talked about music and food on this episode of Sound Opinions.

Who knew that Gael García Bernal had such solid taste in movies?

The New York Times excerpts Werner Herzog's Conquest of the Useless, his new memoir about the filming of Fitzcarraldo.

Spoon - "Got Nuffin" (mp3)

There, I Fixed It is a funny blog that collects pictures of jury rigging.

you're not my dream girl

2009-07-01T18:59:00.002-05:00

You Ain't No Picasso offers up a new mix: 46 Songs No One Should Grow Up Without.

Nashville's Top 5 Neighborhoods for Dining Out

You're not watching David Lynch's Interview Project?!!?! For shame.

Remember when I couldn't come up with anything to ask Werner Herzog? Well, a bunch of other people did.

Dirty Projectors - "Stillness is the Move" (video)

Björk chats with All Songs Considered about some of her favorite artists and spins an eclectic mix of music.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Micmacs à tire-larigot (trailer)

Soul Sides compiles a mix of Michael Jackson deep cuts.

Did you buy Wilco (The Album) yesterday? Wash it down with Wilco (The Takeover).

a woman becomes a predator

2009-06-26T13:11:00.002-05:00

Mark Bittman shows how 10 ingredients can last you a whole week.

Here's a glossary of summer drink ingredients.

And rounding out the food trifecta, we have this informative Q&A for "organic" food.

ReadTheWords will read aloud any text you feed it.

Intershame looks back at the times Fox News has mistakenly mislabeled Republicans.

If Everyday Life Was Directed by Michael Bay

NPR is streaming Wilco (The Album), out next Tuesday.

RIP Michael Jackson. Greg Kot counts down the essential albums.

so this is gonna make me happy?

2009-06-23T19:55:00.003-05:00

Help Polyvinyl Save 10,000 Records From Destruction

I don't have an iPhone or care about sports, but the fact that you can now stream MLB games is pretty awesome.

Aquarium Drunkard offers up an alternative to the Neil Young Archives -- A Perfect Echo, Vol. 1 Part 1

Thanks to Stephen for pointing out Wikipedia's List of common misconceptions.

MUST WATCH: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Reports on Bonnaroo

Yesterday was Meryl Streep's 60th birthday! Celebrate with this montage.

David Cross shot a pilot with Spike Jonze and Will Arnett.

Why can't I think of anything to ask Werner Herzog?!

Old Folks Review Dirty Projectors, Interview Fiery Furnaces

NPR is streaming Björk's Voltaic.

this is hardly a terrible punishment in life

2009-06-17T10:25:00.004-05:00

The Playlist compiled 10 Trailers You Haven't Seen From Cannes.

Sasha Frere-Jones profiles Sonic Youth for The New Yorker.

Terry Gross chats up Woody Allen for Fresh Air.

Seven Civil War stories your teacher never told you

The 10 Best Recut Movie Trailers

Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) reflects on the life and work of Charles Schulz (Peanuts).

David Berman (Silver Jews) is back on the scene with a book of illustrations.

AMC is streaming several BMCs (B-Movie Classics!).

MSNBC's interactive tour of the White House is pretty impressive.

maybe these days are over over now

2009-06-14T13:52:00.002-05:00

How Many Balloons Would It Take to Lift a House?, ponders Slate.

Google Street View Introduces Double-Click "Pancake" Navigation; Jeff spends even more time on the internet.

Save the Salinger Archives!, cries Slate.

I cannot even begin to explain this Amazing Sculptural Book Art.

My grandmother actually sent me these 50 Strange Buildings of the World. Thanks, Mamaw!

Stream Sunset Rubdown's Dragonslayer, out June 23rd.

The Fiery Furnaces - "The End is Near" (mp3)

30 ROCK is a rip-off of THE MUPPET SHOW!

Nashville's Nolensville Road is one of America's Tastiest Streets!

when you go back to your good home

2009-06-04T16:18:00.002-05:00

Esquire interviews Larry David; hilarity ensues.

New York Press interviews Stephin Merritt; sarcasm ensues.

Randall Roberts interviews Will Oldham; inscrutability ensues.

13 Places to Eat Before You Die by Anthony Bourdain

I actually dug last year's Quarantine, the US-remake of the Spanish [Rec]. Check out this trailer for the sequel to the latter.

Need to meet up in the middle? Mezzoman to the rescue!

Coming September 8th: Yo La Tengo's Popular Songs

"I ain't shoot nobody in like... since the early 90's, man." - Ghostface Killah

The Most Powerful Food Combinations

good news for you

2009-06-02T17:52:00.002-05:00

Check out this tour of David Byrne's office: part 1, part 2, part 3.

Absolutely must-watch: Ants! (heats up around the three-minute mark ... be patient!)

Boy chosen by Dalai Lama turns back on Buddhist order

Stream two albums coming out next week: Sonic Youth's The Eternal and the Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca

Everyone on Earth is in Greg Mottola's Paul: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader ... and now Sigourney Weaver?

I love The Field's Yesterday and Today. The Field loves kraut rock.

you were a blessing and i was a curse

2009-06-01T23:56:00.002-05:00

Esquire posted a lot of stuff about drinking last week. Most of it was good.

Trailer: '77

Bill Maher interviews M.I.A.

Carl Erik Rinsch has been tipped to direct a new Alien film for Ridley Scott. Who?!

Q & A: Mirah

Easter Eggs in Pixar's Up

What will losing Leno do to Dave?

But is Brüno Good for the Gays?

wonderful rainbow

2009-05-25T13:29:00.002-05:00

John Hillcoat's The Road finally gets a (bombastic) trailer!

Check out the Inglourious Basterds soundtrack and reflections and Cannes prize! Regardless, there's a chance that Tarantino is heading back into the editing room ...

John Cameron Mitchell Talks Rabbit Hole; Jeff dies.

David Lynch's Interview Project LOOKS AWESOME.

You can watch all ten parts of PBS's excellent Carrier mini-series online.

Sam Raimi, director of Spider-Man: "I would have done everything differently."

Profile in Style: Pedro Almodóvar

RIP Jay Bennett

and you'll never see it coming

2009-05-12T18:24:00.002-05:00

The president of Maldives may try and move the entire population of his archipelago nation.

Top 25 Star Trek Characters

I'm really digging Alabama Public Television's We Have Signal, especially this show from Magnolia Electric Co.

Stream The Field's Yesterday and Today before it comes out next week.

7 Tips for No-Fail Fried Chicken

10 Nursery Rhyme Interpretations

Why Was Young Kirk Listening to the Beastie Boys?

it's great to have you here

2009-05-10T15:51:00.002-05:00

The 25 most important movies ever made about war and diplomacy

30 Rock's weird conservative streak

God Help the Girl - "Come Monday Night" (video)

PostSecrets Through History

I'm going to be pretty annoying about Inglourious Basterds until it comes out in August.

hit me with those hazel eyes

2009-05-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

Have you had the best burger in your home state?

95 Old School Games You Can Play Online

PopMatters is streaming The Best Covers of Leonard Cohen's Best-Known Songs.

Sugar Stacks shows you exactly how many sugar cubes are in your favorite foods.

The Tarantino Mixtape is pretty cool if you're a fan of the man. If not, avoid at all costs.

I'm really digging this collaboration between Burial & Four Tet. Too bad I don't have a turntable.

Beer Cocktails for Cinco de Mayo and Springy Weather

i said it's not real

2009-04-29T18:54:00.005-05:00

Essential reading/listening: Dan Love deconstructs Jay-Z's debut Reasonable Doubt (parts one, two, and three have been posted -- I anticipate the final chapters tomorrow and Friday).

PopMatters has their own brand of anthology posting in the form of Summer of Same: The 2009 PopMatters Summer Movie Preview.

mental_floss has scored a couple of hits this week: Scotch for Beginners and Ranking 10 Peppers on the Scoville Scale.

Sonic Youth. Nashville. July 11th.

NPR follows "one pop song, as it travels from '60s Memphis soul to Staten Island mid-'90s rap — and almost all the way back again."

Haha: 100 days of Barack Obama's Facebook news feed.

Another Björk box set? Sign me up!

I will not stop listening to this song:

this maudlin career has come to an end

2009-04-25T13:51:00.003-05:00

There's almost no chance this can be good -- Pedro Almodóvar is adapting Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown for television.

20 smart ways to discover new music

Sonic Youth's New Album The Eternal Reviewed Track-by-Track

Roy Blount Jr. recommends his favorite books of Southern humor

The Globe and Mail explains the best ways to find cheap wine.

One of my favorite film critcs explains why "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" is just really stupid.

How cost-effective is it to make homemade pantry staples?

Six classic Werner Herzog movies are streaming for free on YouTube.

Did The Dana Carvey Show Have One of the Greatest Comedy Writer Benches Ever? (hint: yes)

the more that i do

2009-04-22T20:42:00.002-05:00

Reduce Your Footprint this Earth Day

Watch out, Giada. Jill Santopietro of Kitchen 4B is hot on your tail. Hot on your tail? That's funny ...

Slate has been knocking it out of the park lately: How Jason Statham became the world's biggest B-movie star and The thrill of exploring Warner's archive of previously unreleased films are just two of the many that have piqued my interest lately.

PopMatters examines Why Biopics Just Don't Work. Hear, hear!

Isabella Rossellini is back with Green Porno 2! It's so weird/amazing!

The Over/Under: Pavement

10 Latin Phrases You Pretend to Understand

What Do Real Thugs Think of The Wire?

stay away from open windows

2009-04-16T16:47:00.004-05:00

Camera Obscura's My Maudlin Career is streaming over at NPR.

The NY Times gets to the bottom of why that Turkish TV anchor wore blackface to address Barack Obama.

A "collection of mostly London-based comic-artists, illustrators and writers" is attempting to turn all of the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs ... visible.

25 Years of Growth in Las Vegas ... from space!

YouTube Symphony Orchestra: from idea to reality

Trailer - The Hurt Locker

I haven't seen documentarian Erroll Morris's first fictional feature film, so I have no idea what to expect from his second one.

Don't forget about all the goodies available at Record Store Day this Saturday!

just say you don't know

2009-04-14T15:38:00.002-05:00

This Easter, Smaller Percentage of Americans Are Christian

I am really digging Magnet Magazine's online features lately -- Lost Classics digs up some Calvin Johnson gems, while The Over/Under tees up the Kinks.

Woody Harrelson claims he mistook a photographer for a zombie

Top 10 Ridiculously Common Science Myths

How hard was it for the Navy snipers to shoot the pirates from 100 feet away?

15 Film Production Credits Explained

To commemorate (?) his murder conviction, the Nashville Scene lists Twelve 'Killer' Phil Spector Tracks. Art before the artist?

here comes your man

2009-04-11T12:07:00.002-05:00

An Interview with Film Critic Glenn Kenny About David Foster Wallace

Your Critical Piracy News Roundup

Archaeologists unearth a female 'vampire'

Director Michel Gondry has a new DVD coming out on Tuesday, among other things.

Photographs of great church signs

My birthday is in four months and four days. Get me this.

Only a few sweet hours left to get your Cadbury Creme Egg fix!

I just really like these Umbrella Art Installations.

hard wait

2009-04-08T20:45:00.002-05:00

The World's Healthiest Foods include olive oil from Spain, soy from Japan, yogurt from Greece, lentils from India, and kimchi (!) from Korea.

5 Reasons I Love Working with Amy Poehler by Aziz Ansari

Robert Crumb set to publish 'scandalous' Bible satire

Long-awaited Beatles remasters coming in September

Magnet magazine looks at the five most overrated and five most underrated items in the Merge catalog.

Thanks to Danielle for pointing me toward this USA Sitcom Map!

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but certainly not this -- Netflix at work, a gallery.

We have further confirmation that an Arrested Development movie might actually happen -- David Cross says the idea is "awesome".

Someone please motivate me to follow through on this one -- How to Grow Herbs Indoors.

Trailer - Extract (dir. Mike Judge, stars Jason Bateman)

quiero que me quieras

2009-04-04T10:47:00.002-05:00

Who knew James Franco was so arty? Or so psychotic?

You haven't seen the trailer for Brüno yet?!

Ann Coulter falls for fake Obama NASCAR story

Gabriel García Márquez, literary giant, lays down his pen

Vanity Fair has an exclusive gallery of Inglourious Basterds.

Trailer - Rudo y Cursi

got lost in your eyes

2009-03-30T16:59:00.002-05:00

My favorite blog continues their coverage of upcoming superhero fare with Iron Man 2 and More Part II - A Look Into the Potential 2012 Marvel 3.0 Schedule and Beyond.

One of my favorite film critics explores great director-actress relationships.

Michael Chabon tells Newsweek about some of the books important to him.

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) talk about their latest feature and their other projects.

TIME looks at the celebrity Twitter phenomenon (note the writer, Vandy people).

This cassette tape art is pretty incredible.

Spoon covers Destroyer. I cover the world in ... well, this is a family blog.

waiting for you to embrace me

2009-03-28T17:42:00.002-05:00

You haven't watched the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are yet?!

This Recording counts down the Top 10 Battlestar Galactica Moments.

The Neil Young Archives look SO COOL.

Mark your calendars. April 18th. Record Store Day 20 09.

Slate explains how forensic handwriting identification works.

Weirdest cast of all time: Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro will be The Three Stooges.

The Smoking Gun reveals how Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Brüno) tricks people into letting him film them.

Trailer - Hunger

James Cameron talks about the Terminator.

PopMatters reflects on The 60 Most Memorable Films of 1999.

If you're going to create a piece of art with women in it, you better be sure that it passes Bechdel's Rule.

Saved by the Bell: The Grad School Years is pretty funny.

i never liked that sad look

2009-03-20T08:57:00.004-05:00

Happy Vernal Equinox 2009!

Trailer - Away We Go (dir. Sam Mendes, stars EVERYBODY)

Five Irish Bands That Rock Harder Than U2

Poster - Where the Wild Things Are (dir. Spike Jonze)

The 20 Graphic Novels You Should Read (After Watchmen)

Trailer - Merry Gentleman (dir. Michael Keaton?)

An undersea volcano erupts six miles off the coast of Tonga yesterday, awesomely.

i ate hearts of sharks

2009-03-15T12:43:00.003-05:00

Aquarium Drunkard reviews Ashes of American Flags, the live Wilco DVD out next month.

Trailer: Alexander the Last (dir. Joe Swanberg profiled here along with Noah Baumbach)

The Books played in Massachusetts last week and debuted some new material.

Periodic Table of Typefaces

I am so excited to see The Human Condition (all nine hours and forty-seven minutes!) next week!

Dude who made Aretha's inauguration hat? Yeah, he's made almost a million dollars from that thing.

My favorite blog (ugh) delivers again! Iron Man 2 and Beyond: A Look into Marvel Studios and Fabled Nine Film Plan

I am completely unoriginal because I love Russell Brand.

RIP Tullio Pinelli

Trailer - Tyson (yes, that Tyson)

If you have 81 free minutes, I highly recommend Sita Sings the Blues.

you can't be free

2009-03-11T19:04:00.003-05:00

It was only a matter of time -- Nashville has been named America's Manliest City ... by the makers of Combos.

All four stars of Seinfeld will be featured in a multiple-episode story arc on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm this fall.

7 Brilliant Ideas Scribbled on Cocktail Napkins and Toilet Papers

Check out this (fake) profile of (fake) band The Condo Fucks, who are putting out a covers record this month (psst it's really Yo La Tengo).

Did you see the 25 DVDs that Obama gave to Prime Minister Brown? I find this way more interesting than I should.

mental_floss offers up some beer factoids in honor of next week's St. Patrick's Day holiday.

How to Japanese speculates on 1Q84, the Haruki Murakami novel due later this year.

AC Newman reviews the reviews of Get Guilty, his latest solo album.

David Byrne + Sonic Youth = Jeff's Death by Happiness

Man, I really want the big screen adaptation of Michael Chabon's Mysteries of Pittsburgh to be good. Judging by the new trailer, it could go either way.

a silent gesture for princess' pleasure

2009-03-04T16:03:00.003-06:00

Has Beck covered the entirety of EVOL, Sonic Youth's 1986 album? Results inconclusive.

"People who do things badly ... are usually supremely confident of their abilities."

Check out this timeline for The Other Side of the Wind, a "lost" Orson Welles movie that may see the light of the day at Cannes 2010.

The Eisenhower Highway System (simplified)

Save the Date : Sonic Youth - The Eternal preorders begin March 24

Magnet lists Wilco's most overrated/underrated songs; I have a few quibbles.

Despite what your Facebook might tell you, most people have an average of 150 friends.

BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY IS FINALLY PLAYING NASHVILLE. JUNE 10TH.

Lil Wayne's video for "Prom Queen" is like a car crash -- I dare you to look away.

another woman

2009-02-26T18:21:00.002-06:00

Two trailers with two amazing casts: Observe and Report stars Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Patton Oswalt, and Aziz Ansari. Gigantic stars Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman and Ed Asner (it had me at "from the producers of Junebug").

How will Obama's presidency change hip-hop?, wonders Slate.

If you click one link today, make it this one. Alan Taylor has gathered 45 photographs simply of people at work, ostensibly to remind us that so many of us aren't. Beautiful.

Wilco has a new album coming out in June, and YANP has tracked down live mp3s of some of the new songs.

tautology

2009-02-25T19:08:00.003-06:00

Turns out a couple of those fancy math Oscar predictions were wrong. Here's why.

10 Reasons Why We Love Making Lists (Thanks, Lilla!)

The New Yorker has new poetry by Leonard Cohen.

Slumdog hottie Freida Pinto has joined the cast of Woody Allen's next movie, already featuring Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins.

Appropriately Named is a blog about people and places that are ... well, you get it.

Repetitive redundancies and other ridiculous nonsense

before i printed it out

2009-02-23T13:24:00.003-06:00

Variety's Anne Thompson dishes on Entertainment Weekly's controversial list of the Top 25 Active Directors. I mostly agree.

One of my new favorite blogs is essay collection This Recording. Yvonne Georgina Puig writes a recent highlight about the weirdness that is Facebook.

New Clientele album!

Google Ocean watchers may have found Atlantis ... as long as you don't read the comments at the bottom.

just let me live

2009-02-22T16:29:00.004-06:00

Check out three posters for Inglourious Basterds (see, I told you I wasn't mistyping that title), due in theaters August 21st.

Pedro Almodóvar's Los Abrazos Rotos (~ Broken Embraces) may come out in Spain on March 20th, but we're going to have content ourselves with the teaser trailer for almost a year.

Nate Silver, the brains behind fivethirtyeight.com, which used math to predict Obama's victory, has put the last thirty years of Oscar results into an equation. Go Penélope!

Wesley Morris (my favorite film critic) profiles Kate Winslet (everyone's favorite for Best Actress tonight).

just jealous

2009-02-18T14:02:00.002-06:00

Sonic Youth. The Eternal. June 9th.

Björk. Voltaic. Next month.

TIME has named the 25 Best Blogs 2009, and there's some really good stuff on the list.

What is magenta?!?!

In anticipation of Sunday's ceremony, Slate has rounded up all of their Oscar coverage.

Swan Lake - "Spanish Gold 2044" (mp3, interview)

that's a lot to take in

2009-02-16T15:16:00.002-06:00

A Presidents' Day Round-Up of Presidential Facts

Oh, 21st century... Quentin Tarantino provides commentary on the Inglourious Basterds teaser.

The New York Times profiles Neko Case, in anticipation of her forthcoming album.

Werner Herzog remains one of my favorite humans.

Michel Gondry directed last night's episode of Flight of the Conchords.

one day baby

2009-02-11T14:45:00.003-06:00

Pedro Almodóvar talks about Penélope Cruz for the NY Times.

Hear the leader of the free world curse like a mug. (Thanks, Rios!)

For you science nerds out there -- The University of Texas (!) is working on redesigning the evolutionary Tree of Life. Click and zooooooom.

Your childhood is coming out on DVD in April. That is, Fox's Saturday morning X-Men cartoon is coming out on DVD in April.

Teaser Trailer - Inglourious Basterds (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

hey snow white, it's gonna be alright

2009-02-09T14:07:00.003-06:00

Trailer - Sugar (dirs. Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, Half Nelson)

11 Great Hidden Things Google Can Do That You Should Know

Brian Michael Bendis' Powers may be coming to the small screen.

In honor of this weekend's holiday ... How to Say (and Pronounce) I Love You in 10 Different Languages

Miss the Grammys last night? Curmudgeon Robert Christgau live-blogged.

Dark Was the Night, an AIDS benefit compilation coming out next week, features new songs by Yo La Tengo, The New Pornographers, and Stuart Murdoch, among others. You can hear the NPs track (a Destroyer cover!) over at Stereogum.

An Inglourious Basterds teaser trailer will be airing on Entertainment Tonight (?!) this Thursday.

There's a new Akron/Family record coming out in May.

I am really excited about this David Lynch-produced, Werner Herzog-directed "psychological thriller" that's in pre-production right now.

take a crack at Hollywood

2009-02-04T14:35:00.003-06:00

Notable in this year's Bonnaroo lineup: Beastie Boys, David Byrne, Wilco, Al Green, Snoop Dogg, Elvis Costello, Erykah Badu, TV on the Radio, Andrew Bird, MGMT, The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Bon Iver, of Montreal, Lucinda Williams, Animal Collective, Neko Case, Santogold, Femi Kuti and the Positive Force,
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, Grizzly Bear, Okkervil River, and Yeasayer. I don't care about the rest.

This year's Oscar ceremony is going to be so weird.

Great High School Documentaries

Trailer - Tokyo! (dir. Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, Bong Joon-Ho)

Trailer - Crank 2: High Voltage

Sasha Frere-Jones examines the enigma that is Beyoncé.

This Recording features four new Mirah mp3s.

a user's manual

2009-02-02T12:55:00.003-06:00

YANP previews Bishop Allen's Grr... with a couple of mp3s.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: an annotated discography

The lineup for the 2009 SXSW Film Festival has been announced -- notable appearances include Andrew Bujalski's Beeswax.

Raekwon - "Back from the Slums" (mp3 featuring Method Man & Ghostface Killah)

Julian Schnabel's (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) next film will star Hiam Abbas (The Visitor).

my lucid dreams

2009-01-30T15:15:00.003-06:00

RIP, Silver Jews

My BFF Ryan Gosling is doing OMG-so-many-things!

Progress Report: Spencer Krug

That Wilco DVD has some artwork!

The producers of Battlestar Galactica are working on a prequel for John Carpenter's The Thing.

concrete walls

2009-01-22T14:12:00.003-06:00

The nominees for the 81st Academy Awards were announced today. The Playlist catalogues some of the snubs.

I'll say it again -- Wikipedia is weird. Check out this List of United States Presidential nicknames. My favorite is John Adams: His Rotundity.

The Village Voice has posted the results of its annual Pazz + Jop critics poll.

Jay-Z sez he's "gonna take [his] time with" The Blueprint III.

docks docks docks

2009-01-21T09:54:00.002-06:00

There are a few more details about Amy Poehler's upcoming NBC series.

Idris Elba (The Wire) will be on The Office later this season!

The Best and Worst Moustaches on film

Quentin Tarantino's Official Top 20 Grindhouse Movies

Speaking of Tarantino, he still insists that Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is coming to DVD.

This Is Your Life, Carl Newman (of the New Pornographers)

Turns out he's not perfect -- The error in Obama's inauguration speech

Still, you can't beat this bird's-eye view of yesterday's proceedings.

everyone's had the happiness i have

2009-01-14T14:41:00.005-06:00

On the eve of his farewell address, Slate presents the top 25 Bushisms of all time.

17 Sensational, Free and Downloadable Graphic Novels

Stream M Ward's new album over at NPR.

Sonic Youth! The Eternal! June!

Stream "You Can't Hurt Me Now", from Will Oldham's upcoming Beware, over at I Am Fuel You Are Friends.

Amy Poehler has a new NBC series coming out! It's NOT a spin-off of The Office!

Quentin Tarantino's Top 20 favorite Spaghetti Westerns

Mirah - "Gone Are the Days" (mp3)

A Rational Conversation Between Two Adults: Is Animal Collective The Great Band Of Our Time?

if i could turn back time

2009-01-12T14:21:00.002-06:00

Did you miss the Golden Globes last night? Here's a list of the winners. Here are 8 Moments That Transcended Cynicism. Here are the snubs. And here is the Photo Dump.

7 Tips for Starting Your Own Vegetable Garden

Magicistragic is hosting a free download of Destroyer's Streethawk: A Seduction, one of my all-time favorite albums.

Mirah! (a)spera! March 24th!

Trailer - I Love You, Man (Paul Rudd, Jason Segel)

against the day

2009-01-09T14:30:00.003-06:00

Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna (Y tu mamá también) have teamed up again in Rudo y Cursi, to be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

Universal Pictures has begun to hold test screenings for Brüno, Sacha Baron Cohen's follow-up to Borat.

This Saturday night, Jan. 10th, another perigee Moon is coming. It's the biggest full Moon of 2009, almost identical to the one that impressed onlookers in Dec. 2008.

The Origins of 10 Curious Phrases

It's official -- Barack Obama has now been on the cover of every publication in circulation. He's on The Amazing Spider-Man, for Christ's sake.

I know I said I was through with 2008 lists, but I couldn't resist Pajiba's The Five Most Overrated Films of 2008.

the lazarus project

2009-01-07T14:18:00.002-06:00

Let's drive the last nail in 2008 with a list round-up: Best 50 Astronomy Pictures of Year 2008 (sic), Slate's The Movie Club, and Paste's Best Lists of 2008.

Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) has a new movie coming out in America this summer!

So does George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, etc.). Unfortunately, I think it's literally called ... of the Dead.

So does Quentin Tarantino. Inglourious Basterds. August 21st.

I like M Ward, but I might buy his new album just due to the cover art alone.

of Montreal have been bringing out the covers like WHOA on their current tour. On Saturday, I saw them do "Let's Spend the Night Together", "Immigrant Song", "American Girl", and "Smells Like Teen Spirit"! Check out YANP's archive.

The Wilco DVD coming out soon features footage from Nashville! Too bad I missed that show...

You can watch all seventeen episodes of the classic cult TV show The Prisoner FOR FREE over at AMC's website.

just to look at her as god

2008-12-19T12:44:00.003-06:00

The Smoking Gun has posted the 2008 Mug Shots of the Year.

Trailer - Adventureland by Greg Mottola (Superbad)

Cinematical gives The Flight of the Red Balloon its due in their list of Sleepers of 2008.

David Simon (The Wire) sounds off on his favorite DVDs for NPR.

Passion of the Weiss continues his generous week with his list of The 25 Best Non Hip-Hop Songs of 2008.

National Geographic prepares you for December 26th and January 1st with their list of Hangover Helpers from all over the world.

but it's swimmin' wit a limp

2008-12-17T13:09:00.002-06:00

The internet has gone into hibernation. The only non-year-end news items of the day are the release of another AC Newman mp3 ("Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer") and the recording of another live of Montreal cover (Tom Petty's "American Girl").

Slate has begun the back-and-forth on The best music of 2008. These conversations are always fun to keep up with.

Tiny Mix Tapes has all sorts of fun in their Year End Fest.

Passion of the Weiss has posted mp3s for The 50 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2008 -- Part I and Part II. This is especially useful if, like me, the only hip-hop record you bothered to pick up this year was Tha Carter III. Instant cred!

a symbol of what?

2008-12-15T14:12:00.002-06:00

Hey, Nashville! The Silver Jews are playing a show (their last?) UNDERGROUND at the Cumberland Caverns on January 31st.

Chromewaves went a little crazy with his favourite albums of 2008 -- he glazed a plate for each one!

Trailer - Steven Soderbergh's Che. By the way, all 262 minutes will be screened at the Belcourt for ONE WEEK ONLY starting January 23rd.

Hugh Jackman's hosting the Oscars.

Said the Gramophone's BEST SONGS OF 2008 features mp3s of all fifty tracks.

i just came here to dance

2008-12-11T14:15:00.005-06:00

Hey Gmailers -- now you can send free text messages from your e-mail.

12 Things You Might Not Know about A Christmas Story

TIME has published The Top 10 Everything of 2008.

What do you think of the Golden Globe Nominations? I'll never get over how weird they are.

HBO will air a live telecast in the spring of Will Ferrell's Broadway show "You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush."

Said the Gramophone lists their Ten Favorite Albums, with a friendly batch of mp3s for you to try.

i wanna find out who put you up to it

2008-12-10T15:16:00.003-06:00

Download Belle & Sebastian's Peel Christmas Party.

Passion of the Weiss names The Best Reissues and Compilations of 2008.

The Duplass brothers (they of "mumblecore" fame) are making their big studio debut with a movie featuring John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, and Jonah Hill.

What do you think of the new trailer for Terminator Salvation?

The Daily Routines of Interesting People

ZOMG LOOK IT'S BRITT DANIEL!!!

we do what it says -- kick with our legs

2008-12-09T15:25:00.002-06:00

PopMatters has begun their coverage of The Best Music of 2008.

You Ain't No Picasso has put together a Christmas 2008 Mix, if you're into that sort of thing.

4AD Records also has a free mix up for download -- it contains one song from every album they released this year.

With an eye toward the future, Michel Gondry is going to have a massive 2009. Check out all the stuff he's putting out!

AC Newman is playing the Mercy Lounge on March 21st! Download "Submarines of Stockholm" to celebrate!

The complete series of Deadwood comes out on DVD today -- check out the all-new bonus material!

Thanks, Caroline -- now I can make Samoas ANY TIME I WANT.

maybe she's wrong and maybe i'm right

2008-12-05T14:27:00.003-06:00

Happy 21st Amendment Day! Seventy-five years ago today, Prohibition was repealed. Celebrate by reading these 10 great moments in beer history and these 5 Drinking Stories That Put Yours to Shame.

The Stories Behind Hollywood Studio Logos

Thurston Moore interviews Spike Jonze for Interview magazine.

LCD Soundsystem - "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" (video, awesome)

Get your Gmail stickers

gorilla vs. bear's songs of 2008

Still can't figure out what to get me for XMas? This will get you some points.

boy it ain't long 'til the morning arrives

2008-12-03T15:50:00.002-06:00

Webster's New World Dictionary has declared "overshare" the Word of the Year.

Download the new Clipse mixtape for free.

Hey, Nashville! Of Montreal is playing the Mercy Lounge on January 3rd! A Prairie Home Companion is coming to the Ryman on May 2nd!

Speaking of oM, Kevin and Nina went shopping with Venus in Athens.

I can't even begin to sum up Steven Soderbergh's new movie in one of these little blurbs. Read it for yourself.

This Recording has a very generous list of The Top 20 Albums of 2008.

man, you got a lot of jokes to tell

2008-12-01T15:02:00.003-06:00

Hey did you know that of Montreal's Kevin Barnes is a big Cleveland Browns fan? Yeah, neither did I.

MIA talks to the LA Times about her contributions to the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, as well as a possible "alternative soundtrack" -- 10 songs that she would have placed in the movie.

HBO's painfully truncated Rome may get the conclusion it deserves ... on the big screen.

Download the gorgeous theme from Synecdoche New York ("Little Person", with lyrics by Charlie Kaufman himself!) over at IGIF.

It's the hap happiest season of all -- gorilla vs. bear's albums of 2008 and Largehearted Boy Favorite Albums of 2008 both feature handy mp3 downloads from most of their picks!

swagger like us

2008-11-21T14:28:00.002-06:00

Ten Reasons Why Teddy Roosevelt is the Coolest President Ever

McG talks Terminator Salvation.

According to this website, I will live to 84. Shenanigans?

Slate has a very interesting article about a new translation of the Quran.

My new favorite blog debates the decision to include "meh" in the upcoming edition of the Collins English Dictionary.

Er ... this Arrested Development movie might actually happen?

Remember 2007? By this time last year, almost all of the Best Picture nominees had come out. We seem to have very few to look forward to this year, including The Wrestler.

but you're just a boy

2008-11-19T15:12:00.002-06:00

Merry Swankster has an interview with Ryan Schreiber, one of the editors of The Pitchfork 500.

South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are taking a comedy musical about the Mormon faith to Broadway.

Ain't It Cool News has an exclusive interview with Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) about his upcoming (and delay-plagued) film version of Where the Wild Things Are.

I have eight of (my favorite label) Merge's 20 Greatest Albums, according to Prefix.

Oh, 21st century. I love this Flickr mosaic of The End screencaps.

Vote in the most important election this year -- the 2008 Gummy Awards.

Hey, GMailers! Now you can Spice up your inbox with colors and themes!

soul to soul

2008-11-17T16:08:00.002-06:00

Marc Forster, the two-steps-back Swede responsible for Quantum of Solace, has signed the dotted line to direct an adaptation of World War Z, a recent zombie novel.

Will Oldham is releasing another Bonnie "Prince" Billy record. Beware comes out in March.

The Alternate History Theme Park Where Dinosaurs Fought in the Civil War

If you haven't caught the Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour, Merry Swankster has a fantastic piece complete with mp3s, YouTube clips, etc.

From Pickin' Cotton to Pickin' Presidents

The New Yorker's Farley Katz challenges XKCD's Randall Munroe to a CARTOON-OFF.

THIS IS SO COOL.

The world's most difficult word to translate loses much in translation

Name the Monopoly properties in 5 minutes.

Special thanks to Lilla, for pointing me in the direction of this list Ranking the Bond Theme Songs.

the last ten minutes have taught me

2008-11-13T14:38:00.002-06:00

Steven Soderbergh's Che will be released by IFC in two parts -- the first half will be in theaters New Year's Day, and the second part will follow six weeks later.

I think that everything that is wrong with humanity is summed up in this article.

The Men Behind Your Favorite Liquors

End-of-the-year lists are already popping up! Time names Roberto Bolaño's 2666 The Best Book of 2008, while on Amazon, it's just #24. Either way, the man is really interesting.

Amazon also has their Best Music of 2008 section up, which is a little underwhelming.