Tuesday, May 31, 2005

CAKE - Motorcade of Generosity

It's been more than 10 years since I first heard the song Rock 'N' Roll Lifestyle on the radio. It was sung in monotone, the tone was biting sarcasm, funny, relevant. It conjured up images of the rock and roll fan, who wasn't really a fan, who was more concerned with image rather than appreciating the music. It was revolutionary. I loved it.

Now tickets to concerts and drinking at clubs,
Sometimes for music that you haven't even heard of.
And how much did you pay for your rock'n'roll t-shirt
That proves you were there,That you heard of them first?

Excess ain't rebellion.
You're drinking what they're selling.
Your self-destruction doesn't hurt them.
Your chaos won't convert them.

Man, those were great lyrics, especially the "Excess ain't rebellion" part. Now after I heard it played a couple more times, I eventually found out the band's name was CAKE, and of course rushed out to buy the CD. Trouble is, no one had heard of them. When I mentioned to the salesgirl that I was looking for CAKE she gave me a funny look, and chuckled that this wasn't a bakeshop. I had to go to CD Warehouse, order one, then wait a couple of months before I finally got it.

This is a great CD. CAKE has a very unique style. Their first album, same with all their releases, looks very low budget. The CD cover booklet is printed on what looks like newsprint, and appears to have been produced with a cheap typewriter and mimeographed. No lyrics are included. The band gives no dedication, no acknowledgement, just the list of songs, that's it.

My favorite songs are of course, Rock 'N' Roll Lifestyle, as well as You Part The Waters -

You part the waters,
The same ones that I'm drowning in.
You lead your casual slaughters,
And I'm the one who helps you win.
You've got your grand piano.
You don't even play piano.
I'm the one who plays piano.
You don't even play piano.

Casual slaughters? Who leads whom? Who gets the piano? We don't know.

Jolene is also good, as well as Ruby Sees All, Pentagram, Mr. Mastodon Farm, and others. The music is in its raw form. No frills, just basic simple instruments. Every song is subject to interpretation. The lead singer and main songwriter John McCrea has a knack for writing some of the strangest lyrics you will read. Lots of biblical imagery which I suspect is about something entirely different. CAKE's songs revolve around society's excesses, human frailties, and emotion in its pure form. 10 years later I'm still a CAKE fan and it all started with this CD.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars * * * *
Excess ain't rebellion. You're drinking what they're selling...

Monday, May 30, 2005

Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (rob review)

Watching this made me finally appreciate the rich story and characters of the Star Wars Universe. I've always been lukewarm about anything Star Wars. I liked the original trilogy, found The Phantom Menace boring, and enjoyed Attack of the Clones. But with this one, I finally 'got it'. I had fun from beginning to end, watching the story unfold, seeing the master politician Palpatine manipulate both sides, observing Anakin's final transformation to the dark side.

Lots of good action, the story was interesting. I think George Lucas would have been better served to let someone else write the screenplay, but I guess wooden dialogue will always be a part of Star Wars, no big deal. My main issue with the movie was that I found some events to not be believable and consistent. I found Padme annoying. Some of Anakin's actions were not logical. I understand this is a fantasy movie and all, but I believe the plausibility of the events leave much to be desired.

Best characters: Obi-Wan and R2D2! That little droid had a lot of good scenes. Palpatine too, almost forgot. Hey they didn't give Jar-jar one funny line?

Despite all its flaws, I had a good time, and you don't need me to tell you to go watch this if you haven't already. For a surreal experience, try watching Episode IV 'A New Hope' again after seeing Revenge of the Sith. Mr. Lucas sir, can we have some more?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars * * * *
Best movie among the prequels both action and story-wise.


--- SPOILERS BELOW ---
Don't read any further if you haven't watched the film. I'll discuss some of the parts I didn't like, plot holes, and the plot elements I didn't find believable.
---o---o---o---o---o---



- The whole 'Anakin wanting to save Padme's life so he had to give in to Palpatine' was kind of lame. I would have preferred if it were more of a slow descent to the dark side as Anakin is seduced by power and out of frustration with the Jedi Council.

- Max and I debated this issue. Was Palpatine's disfigured face a result of his battle against Windu? Or was Darth Sidious wearing a Palpatine mask all along. From the movie you are led to believe that his face changed from the battle. What I didn't like was that immediately afterwards, he addresses the Republic in his disfigured form, and receives cheers? The transformation was too sudden.

- I found it too convenient that Obi-Wan would leave Anakin to die in the lava. A better way is for Anakin to either get saved by Palpatine in the nick of time. Or perhaps the lava gets in the way of the battle, preventing Obi-Wan from finishing him off.

- C3PO's memory getting erased at the end seemed like an afterthought by Lucas.

- I found this to be utterly unbelievable, it almost spoiled the movie. The scene where Padme 'loses the will to live' was just too precious. I mean, wouldn't giving birth to twins give you a new reason to live?

- Yoda acknowledging Chewbaca was entirely unnecessary. I liked the scene with the Wookies but it just felt too convenient. And I always thought Chewie was more of a trader/smuggler rather than war hero.

- Max mentioned this (which I didn't find to be a big deal), the proud Jedi were too easily defeated after Palpatine's double-cross. You'd think they would have given a better fight. Only Yoda was able to fight back.

- A minor gripe: Count Dooku's role was too limited. I actually felt bad that he went down so quickly.

- I liked the ending, I thought it was perfect. But I found it unnecessary for Darth Vader to shout out after learning of Padme's death. It seemed out of character for a Sith Lord.

- And lastly... what happened to Jar-jar? Just kidding.

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Frente - Shape

This was Frente's second and last album. I have a feeling the band had more artistic free rein in creating this one because the songs are a lot more different, darker lyrics, different emotion.

It has one of the most original songs I've ever heard, 'Horrible'. I was fascinated with this track because it's a bit of a tongue twister with a fast tempo. After some practice I'm happy to say I can actually sing along with this, it's not easy. I also like the song 'Jungle', probably the only feel-good tune in this album. It has a 60's feel and you will love Angie's voice with the volume on full blast.

Other tracks speak mostly about emotions, life, as if Angie is narrating events that took place with her friends. 'So Mad', 'Safe From You' (about a battered wife or girlfriend), 'The Destroyer', and What's Come Over Me (a song I think is about regret and losing oneself) are the notable ones in this CD.

The lyrics are very personal and still maintain the Frente style of cute but meaningful. Some of the songs are a bit weird, but that's what makes this band unique. Angie Hart would later form a new band called Splendid with her then-husband and she even has an online blog on the web. Recently I found out the two split up and broke up the new band. So I'm hoping she goes back to recording a new album, a solo would be great.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars * * *
Cool album though a bit weird.

Frente - Marvin the Album

I was pleasantly surprised with this CD. Frente was big in the early 90's before this Australian band disbanded later on.

Angie Hart has one of the sweetest voices you will hear. The lyrics are like poetry. The songs are cute, dark, deep, and innocent at the same time. You will get a feel for the band's love of music through the well designed and carefully crafted CD booklet.

'Labour of Love' and 'Ordinary of Angels' are my favorite tracks. The atmosphere of the two songs are very unique. It is very folk music-ish, but with catchy beats and what I would describe as vocals that mocks the listener. They will instantly sound familiar as both received considerable airplay a decade ago. I also have a thing for the quirky track 'Pretty Friend' which I guess is about an ugly girl jealous of her 'pretty friend'.

But there's more, 'Lonely', 'Cuscutlan', 'No Time', 'Explode', and 'Dangerous' are some of the other cool tracks. You'll also find the familiar 'Accidentally Kelly Street', one of their hits, and which gained infamy as one of the most sickeningly sweet songs of all time. In one of her later live performances, Angie Hart jokingly announced "I hate this song!" to the cheering and laughing crowd.

Oh yes I almost forgot, the CD also includes Angie's rendition of 'Bizarre Love Triangle'. I'm sure you have heard this song once or twice before. Kind of weird that this great band would be most known for a cover song even though their original compositions were much more interesting.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars * * * *
Nice!

Monday, May 23, 2005

The Blue Pill

Roehl and I have this on and off and on again debate about The Matrix and the concept of reality, what is real and what is not. Here's my take on the subject.

First of all, how do you define reality? How do you know if something is real or just in your imagination? I'm drinking a cup of tea now and I can tell it's real because I can taste it. And I see the tea bag swirling in the water, yes it's definitely real. Is the liquid cold or hot? I can feel it's on the warm side, so yes it is hot.

Let's conduct a thought experiment. Our goal is to find out who is more handsome, myself (rob) or Brad Pitt. Let's drag Mr. Brad over here and ask the first ten ladies on the street which of us is more good-looking. I will bet you that all ten of them will choose Brad Pitt, it is no contest. The reality is Brad Pitt is more handsome than a skinny, scruffy-looking guy like myself.

Or is he? Let's step back for a moment and consider that thought. If we delve deeper we will see that Pitt and I are composed of billions and billions of molecules, atoms, cells. These particles combine to form a huge mass that resembles Brad and myself. When a woman judges which of us looks better, she focuses her eyes on our faces. Her eyes receive lots and lots of light signals containing signals representing information on how we look. The brain takes all these signals and processes them as a whole. Then thousands of years of evolution and conditioning kicks in. Brad Pitt looks stronger, more youthful, more symmetric face, more confident, no doubt more capable of reproducing offspring than a scrawny computer programmer. The brain processes all this information fast and comes up with the conclusion that yes, Brad is the better looker, it is so obvious. If you ask me, Brad Pitt wins on a technicality: human evolution.

Think of another scenario. Picture yourself sitting on a dinner table. Then you are presented with a thick juicy porterhouse steak, dripping with juices and gravy. Is this good or bad? You say it sounds good? Well it depends of course. If you haven't eaten a meal in three days, your brain will tell you this steak is the best thing in the world. If however, you are a vegetarian, or if you just came from a heavy meal, being forced to eat the steak is more pain than pleasure. Essentially, it is the exact same object (steak), but its effect is different depending on your perspective.

Some other examples. Tell me if these are good or bad: (a) losing your job (b) wife leaving you for another man (c) an unexpected thunderstorm. It all depends on your perspection. A rich and accomplished man would not mind losing his job. A man who can't stand his wife might even rejoice if she had left him. A farmer facing drought would celebrate a thunderstorm. Each person's reality depends on the specific neurons popping in sequence in his brain. Makes sense right? OK here's the weird part: that perception is entirely manufactured. If you were a poor man, but convinced yourself that you were rich and accomplished, then you would react to things the exact same way a rich, confident person would.

And this is the crux of my entire argument. Reality as we know it may not even exist. We tend to think of things as fact or fiction. But what is the difference between things that have occured and things that occured only in the minds of individuals? Ultimately, everything can be simplified to its basic forms: molecules, light, signals. That memory I had ten minutes ago of myself sipping tea is no more real than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They now only exist as electrical signals in the brain, nothing more, nothing less.

So what is reality.. really? The answer below.


Perception is reality.


Read that line again. Those three words are very powerful. Think about it, our perception controls our reality. It is the pure form of self-empowerment. Any item, any event, is purely relative depending on your perception. This becomes your reality.

Now of course I'm not suggesting that anything can be true and that there are no absolutes. Some things are just right, and other things are just wrong. Some historical events have indeed occured in the past, while other events such as The Lord of the Rings obviously took place in one man's imagination. I am not advocating living in a fantasy world oblivious to the reality that surrounds us. But what I am saying is that the whole fantasy -vs- reality debate does not matter, only your thoughts and perception does.

These are not actually new ideas. Many authors have written about it. James Allen introduced the concept in his book As A Man Thinketh. Napoleon Hill has also written extensively about the topic. My favorite line from Napoleon Hill is reproduced below.


Thoughts are Things


Very simple, yet so revolutionary. Everything starts with a thought. George Lucas built a multi-billion empire based on one script. Our thoughts are solid objects. They eventually become real, they become our reality. Negative thoughts in particular become real. Defeatist ideas find their way into reality. Your thoughts become your world. Take care.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Suzanne Vega - Self-titled CD

I found this to be Suzanne Vega's most personal work. And I didn't realize this was her debut album until much later. Initially I was very underwhelmed. The songs were pretty, nice melodies, very folksy, soft ballads dominated. After going through each track I put it down and didn't pick it up again until several weeks later.

On the next listen, I must have been in the right mood, because I now understood the meaning of each song. This album is a piece of art, masterfully written and composed. The songs were rich, overflowing with beauty. It's about Knights, and Queens, and Dragons, and medieval times when travelling minstrels would wander from town to town entertaining people with their music and legends. To set the right atmosphere for listening to this, try an overcast day with a view of a garden or park. Prepare a cup of coffee or tea, take a deep breath, and flow with the the music.
The sequencing of the tracks is genius. Ms. Vega tells a story in each of the songs, and I can't help but feel that each tale is related to the next. The last three tracks are just perfect, they are the best songs in the CD. I had to listen to them over and over again.

'The Queen and the Soldier' is one of the best ballads ever written. It narrates the fable of a medieval soldier who tells his queen he no longer wants to fight wars, and questions her motives for fighting in the first place. There is high drama, the song builds up, and ends tragically in the soldier's death as the battle continues on.

'Knight Moves' immediately follows 'Queen and the Soldier'. On first listen, you might even think it's part of the previous song, but they are actually separate tracks. This is an extremely powerful, emotional song with some of the best verses ever: "Watch while the queen in one false move turns herself into a pawn... Do you love any.. do you love none.. do you love many.. can you love one.. do you love me?" It's a desperate plea of a scorned woman, acting irrational, losing control of her senses. The writer bargains for the object of her affection to return her love, but it ends up being futile, and you can sense the growing desperation and bitterness of her voice: "And if you wonder... What I am doing .. As I am heading .. For the sink .. I am spitting out all the bitterness.. Along with half of my last drink .. I am thinking of your woman .. Who is crying in the hall .. It's like drinking gasoline to quench a thirst .. Until there's nothing there left at all." It has such explosive impact, no wonder it's my favorite song in this compilation.

The album ends with 'Neighborhood Girls', a light-hearted song to sort of ease you out of all the imagery of Knights and Queens, and desperate love. I'm pretty sure this song is about a madame, offering her call girls for hire. Cute song, nice ending to cleanse the palette.

I'm still not tired of this CD. A musical masterpiece.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *

Suzanne Vega - Days of Open Hand

Suzanne Vega's songs grow on you. After enough listens, you get hypnotized by her voice, the odd lyrics, the raw energy of her music. I ended up listening to this CD continuously for several days.

I thought 'Book of Dreams' would have been a more appropriate title for this album, since the songs appear to be coming from a series of dreams and hallucinations. But I guess 'Days of Open Hand' had some special significance since the lyric booklet prominently displays different artistic still shots and drawings of hands. I wish I knew what they meant though.

Some of the song lyrics are... creepy. You will slip through a steady stream of consciousness and unconsciousness. For instance, the track 'Tired of Sleeping' repeats the verse "The dreams are not so bad. It's just that there's so much to do. And I'm tired of sleeping." I think it's about depression or something.

The track 'Rusted Pipe' contains the stanza "Having waited this long of a winter.. I fear. I only. Croak and Sigh." I don't know what it means, but it sounds scary. The upbeat, positive-sounding song 'Book of Dreams' is a song about hope and resilience. OK, more creepy stuff, 'Institution Green' has some interesting lyrics: "I wonder if she'll take a look. Find my name inside that book. Lose me on the printed page. Where to point the aimless rage." I guess it takes place inside a mental asylum.

One of the songs scared the shit out of me, 'Fifty-Fifty Chance'. It's about a patient in a hospital room given a 50-50 chance to live. She's in a delicate situation. Fortunately she survives and is released... but there's a twist: "She's going home.. Tomorrow at ten.. The question is.. Will she try it again?" uh-oh.

My personal favorite is the song 'Men in a War', it narrates some verses about men going to war, losing limbs, and still feeling the limb even though it was already lost. I think it's a metaphor for losing something that meant a lot to you, occasionally forgetting she was lost, then realizing she's gone forever. Brilliant song.

All in all, a very dark CD. And a very cool one.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars * * * *
Great lyrics. A different listening experience. Fifty-fifty chance.

Swimming Pool

This was advertised as a 'psychological thriller' and got a lot of good reviews from respected critics. It also seemed to be the type of film I might like so I got the DVD to see if it was any good.

The plot revolves a popular british mystery author who is sick and tired of writing the same formula over and over again. So she decides to go for a vacation at her publisher's house in France. Everything goes well until the publisher's sexually promiscuous daughter unexpectedly drops by, destroying her peace and quiet. Lots of weird stuff happens and there is a plot twist that takes place in the end.

Ludivine Sagnier is hot in this movie. She has several barechested scenes and a couple of simulated sex acts to break the monotony. Her character was the one who drove the story, and is the main selling point.

The ambience of the movie is very subdued and laid-back. To appreciate this, you have to relate to the mindset of the heroine, her sense of isolation and lack of inspiration. It is her feeling of desperation that leads her to escape familiar surroundings for a different kind of world.

I really wanted to like this, but alas it is just an ordinary film. Nothing really special takes place. Even the ending twist, I found underwhelming. The story and character development is quite limited. Nothing special.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars * *
She has nice breasts though.

Monday, May 09, 2005

About a Boy

I watched this movie three times already and laugh out loud every time I see it. It's about a shallow, carefree, single man in his late 30's (Will) who is happily content living by himself, avoiding relationships and other people in general because of the pleasures of 'island living' as he calls it. His perfect life hits a snag when he crosses paths with Marcus, a 12-year old boy, which leads him to start caring for other people.

I would like to get a copy of the screenplay for this movie as it has a lot of good quotes. The Nick Hornby novel it is based on looks interesting too, have to read that someday. The movie alternates between the thoughts of Will and Marcus, showing off lots of interesting and funny commentary on life by the two unlikely heroes. The characters are very realistic and you can probably identify yourself, or some of the people in your own life to those characters.

The soundtrack is very good, the theme song captures the heart of the film. It is rich with feel-good moments, cringe-inducing scenes, and a great climax. One of my favorite movies of all time. Most highly recommended.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *