Birthdays Come & Go

So here I am 34. Yesterday another 24 hours went by marked by the remembrance of a birthdate March 9, 1973. I was born in the 70s how swanky & trippy is that - when music loud, proud, & birthed forms like disco, rock anthems, some really bad country, reggae, and of course punk (because rock n roll hadn't gotten too mainstream).

Then came the 80s - when neon lights determined the clothing (not sure where mesh, pleather, or acid wash came from) we wore, when hair got not only long but big & spiky thanks to hairspray (which we all know is what really is responsible for Global Warming & the hole in the ozone), thankfully we experienced U2 amidst the rebirth of pop crap music, some glimmers of hope in hard rock (VH), and of course Tom Petty! The 90s were marked for me personally by U2's Achtung Baby & Nirvana/Pearl Jam and other forms of alternative rock which eventually became mainstream, so in the 00s we've had to go back to New Wave, Punk, etc.

Music styles come and go - as do birthdays apparently. Thank God for Johnny Cash - who once said, "All music is God's music." The question I have is - what is music? I know Dylan, Cash, U2, Petty, & other greats belong in that category but there is a lot of undeserving dribble out there that claim they are worthy of titles like musicians.

So to mark my birthday - we (Wendy & yours truly) went out for some Italian food & came home to watch Stranger Than Fiction. Wow! From my perspective - best movie I've seen this year...amazing script, amazing acting (yep Will Ferrell can act in this one!), and amazing soundtrack (Spoon, etc)! I even uttered out loud my utter profundity at one scene - getting a poke in the ribs from my lovely wife (with child). So yeah - here's a shout out - see this movie if you have any love of quirky scripts that bite you back! Ironically, 34 sure doesn't feel a whole lot different from 33, just another number to quantify stuff. The bigger questions are what is this year going to bring, what adventures will I face, what will I learn & experience?

Favorite Instrumental Albums

I used to collect movie soundtracks because I love to study with background music. That love to work with music continues and I do find that instrumental stuff still works best as it allows a person to not be distracted with lyrics. I have discovered over time that music allows me to be more easily inspired & creative than simply just focusing on my work.
The Last of the Mohicans is one of those soundtracks that captured me back in 1992 - interestingly it was also background music to some of my dates with my then future wife! I also enjoyed soundtracks a little on the weird side - like the soundtrack from Twin Peaks.
If everyone remembers that David Lynch produced series, you will know what creative weirdness the music supported. It has a cool laid-back jazz feel to it and I find I still play it when I'm in more of a bluesy-jazz mood.
A recent soundtrack that I listen to from time to time is from the movie The Motorcycle Diaries - the Spanish-influenced music matches the incredible story & cinema photography of the film.
I mentioned in my previous post the powerfulness of Friday Night Light's soundtrack which was performed by Explosions in the Sky. Interestingly, as I post this - I'm listening to a similarly styled atmospheric electronica band - God Is An Astronaut - great ethereal quality to it! I think my love of the instrumental began with Joe Satriani's masterpiece Surfing With The Alien back in 1988. Satch's music may not be the trend of the 2000s but it still resonates with me how he allows his guitars to be a conduit for creative wanderings - musings if you will! Track 4 "Always With Me, Always With You" was played at our wedding by my friends Mike Janzen & Jay Kehler. Also coincidently, as I check out the cover of the cd, I have a ticket stub of when I saw Satch & guests perform at the Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall on July 13, 1990.

Other instrumental albums/artists that I have collected (note the variety of styles) over the years include: Phil Keaggy, Bruce Cockburn, Moby, Sigur Rós, The Album Leaf, Andy Hunter, Daniel Lanois, Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame), and of course my multiple jazz cds like Coltrane, Robin Nolan Trio, etc.

Any favorite instrumental albums or soundtracks that you treasure and would want to have with you on a desert island?

Friday Night Lights

One of my favorite movies about football is Friday Night Lights. It is a dark movie in someways, even the lighting at times is eerie, and the soundtrack is so emotional, by an amazing instrumental band - Explosions in the Sky. I heard in the fall that a spin-off tv series was going to be made but I never bothered to check it out until now. I watched the first episode and was blown away - it actually had a movie feel to it and the character development for a pilot was pretty amazing. There is a bit of a spiritual resonance to the series without it being preachy - it just sort of captures life in a Texas town that is focused on high school football to the point of fanaticism...it definitely is worth the peek and you might just stay hooked on the show like I seem be becoming!

The Rise & Fall of the Hit

I came across this fascinating article that deals with the death of the so-called blockbuster or hit. I personally have never cared for the one-hit wonders or the mega-blockbuster type of movies (there are some exceptions of course) and have had some similar thoughts about the impact the Internet and other emerging technologies have had on radio, television, music & movies. What the Internet clearly has done has placed the control back in the hands of the consumer. It used to be that whoever had the money to promote a particular movie or album would determine whether or not it would be successful. You create a buzz about something and people through curiosity (and the need to fit in) will buy in. But now buzz comes from us - the average internet-savvy consumer who through exploration finds/discovers music or movies that we like.

I don't like anything that is too trite or simplistic. I don't always want the hero in a movie to survive - especially when the hero escapes what seems to be death inexplainably or unrealistically. The rise of reality television shows (it is debatable about how "real" these shows are) has in part been due to the audience taking back control through voting whether or not we actually like a contestant or not. I am not a big Canadian Idol fan but apparently, the celebrity judging panel were shocked by Canadian fans' choices of who should be eliminated in the most recent episode.

I like the closing comments of the article:

"The mass market is yielding to a million mini markets. Hits will always be with us, but they have lost their monopoly. Blockbusters must now compete with an infinite number of niche offerings, which can be distributed just as easily. Justin Timberlake still makes albums, but today he has thousands of bands on MySpace as rivals. The hierarchy of attention has inverted – credibility now rises from below. MTV and Tower Records no longer decide who will win. You do."

And it is about time!

Celebrity Family Pics

Jer found this cool site that matches faces to celebrities. It turns out I don't resemble too closely any celebrities but I apparently share some characteristics with people like Ewan McGregor, Sean Astin, Bono, Johnny Depp, & a few other interesting actors.

I took the liberty of uploading a few other family members with some other matches. The site requires registration but allows you for free to upload a picture and then its software scans your face for similarities with celebrity pictures. I'm skeptical of the results but it results in at least a chuckle!

Rewind ten years..that's right our anniversary this June!

Family of Celebrities - I got a chuckle out of this result!

New Movies

The two latest movies I've seen in the theatre have been the 3rd episode of Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith and the newly imagined Batman movie - Batman Begins. Revenge of the Sith definitely is the best of the prequel - with a facinating storyline which traces the fall of Anakin Skywalker and rise of Darth Vader. The actual turning point from good to evil was a bit awkward but the second half of the movie proved to be both interesting and finally hooked me into the story. The whole meeting of the Jedi council in all three movies reminded me of some dull board or faculty meetings I've attended and I quite liked seeing Yoda kick butt rather than sitting on his butt and giving his advice!

Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne is definitely the best interpretation thus far and his Batman probably as well. It's been awhile since I have viewed any of the other Batman attempts - I never could believe Michael Keaton as a superhero, Val Kilmer generally is an amazing actor but even his attempt didn't find the persona like Bale has. The least believable Batman/Bruce Wayne was definitely George Clooney, who in the majority of movies he has "acted" in plays himself.

What made the movie so good was the "reality" of it - Gotham and Bruce Wayne were actually believable. The backstory to Batman is such a good one and to finally see on the screen done correctly definitely was rewarding. It was great to finally have a Batman that had a fully developed character and not be overshadowed by a more interesting nemesis. Jack Nicholson as joker in the first Batman movie cleary stole the focus away from the Dark Night - his classic Joker line is forever etched in my brain, "Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

Of the two movies - my favorite lies with Batman Begins! I'm interested in seeing War of The Worlds and really hope Cruise doesn't mess it up and turn the classic story into Independence Day. I have to admit to chuckling during the Dukes of Hazzard trailer - it'll either be really good or really bad. We'll see! Apparently summer has started...

G