The Jeff Hostetler of Blogs

I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Being the pop culture fiend that I am, I want to get out and see more films. The problem is, typically, I don't like movies. No, let me rephrase that. I don't like "good" movies. Now when I say "good", I'm talking about the kind of movies that people usually commend for conveying some profound message or being artistically ambitious. More often than not, after viewing such films, I end up feeling either slightly underwhelmed by the whole experience or just flat out annoyed by it when I step back and realize how self-serving and manipulative most films, especially the "good" ones, are. I don't want movies to teach me anything. I don't want them to enlighten me. I don't want to have to examine them as some kind of cultural touchstone that helps me get a better grip on today's world or some other similar BS. I have music to do all this (much more subtely and discreetly I might add). :)

After that rant, it may be hard to believe that I like any movies at all. That's really not true. Generally, my favorite movies are those that don't take themselves too seriously, but aren't comedies. I find most comedies to be crap unless there's an apparent hard-core cheese factor ("Disorderlies" is godly, Tim was on the money with that one). The movies that I enjoy usually contain a sort of sensible, but likeable disposition that seems to erase the overt pretentiousness that I find in the films that I dislike. Take, for example, my favorite movie ever. I love almost everything about "The Postman". The whole science-but-mostly-fiction storyline. The preposterous subplots. The unique main conflict between slacker-hero Kevin Costner and a ruthless copy machine salesman turned general. I love it all. It's genius. My enjoyment of this film isn't even a camp or kitsch type deal, like one might expect. "The Postman" has a big heart. It's satisfying to see a story where people with such idealism, enthusiasm, and ambition change their lives for the better. Best of all, the film presents it all in a way that isnt overly clever, just different enough to keep the movie from becoming a cookie cutter feel good story. I can't say it enough. This movie is great. Too bad most everyone else hated it. It tanked. I think I remember it getting either a D- or F grade from the newspaper movie critic. It wasn't until recently that I realized that my enjoyment of this movie might be due in part to it's unpopularity with the general public, an idea that some people have brought up to me before. I orgininally dismissed this, because deep down inside, I know I don't choose my preferences just for the sake of being contrary. However, now, I have to admit that there is something special about thoroughly enjoying something in spite of blind public opinion. While my love for "The Postman" certainly isn't BECAUSE of others hatred for it, I do take additional comfort in seeing that someone as ignorant about film as I am can not only resist the educated, critical consensus, but can also have a solid understanding as to why this is. Without getting all philosophical and heady, I'll just say this. I don't like the idea of trusting other people's opinions based solely on the idea that they're SUPPOSED to know better. That's why I've decided to try a little experiment. Like I stated up above, I want to see more movies. At first, I thought the best way to start would be to sort through the canon and start watching films that everyone agrees are good. After my extensive explanation, you now know that the suggestive influence of film critics is something I'm beginning to resent. Therefore, I've decided to go the other route and see all the movies that are supposed to be bad. So this is my new goal. From now, until the rest of the year, I'm going to see every single new movie that gets a rating of D or less in the Rocky Mountain News entertainment section. I'll keep you updated on how it turns out. Screw the consensus. I'm going to find the next "The Postman".
- posted by Shane @ 2:58 AM
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I might as well get this out of the way while my mind is still on Oz. I'd really like to know what happened to Reverend Cloutier. There hasn't been any mention of him for four episodes or so. I never thought I'd be jumping on the bandwagon of a former 90210 star, but I think I'll be more than a little miffed if they don't bring Luke Perry back and finish what they started.
- posted by Shane @ 2:19 AM
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Tonight's episode of Oz was just wrong. Other than the one surprise at the end, the show didn't at all feel like a normal season finale. Instead of introducing brand new issues or resolving old ones, this episode seemed to just cut off all the current storylines mid-stream. Sure there's the shock of knowing that one of the most beloved characters is no longer around, but I can't see this leading to an intense fall-out next season like Said shanking Adebisi or the whole prison blowing up thing did. When those events happened, it gave the viewer the sense that everything had changed, that Oz had been completely turned upside-down. Those old season finales were standard cliffhanger fare, that I for one, completely bought into. It looks like the writers are going for a new strategy this time around. In not focusing the start of the next season on just one central plot development, they've forced themselves to leave just about every single storyline wide open. I'll tell you this, with six or seven different conflicts currently unresolved, it's now even more unbearable waiting for the next season to arrive than it was before. Argh. In my mind, Oz is still the best show on television, but eight episodes per season with eight to ten months between seasons is enough to drive any die hard fan mad.
- posted by Shane @ 2:00 AM
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I was feeling pretty lazy today, so I didn't listen to any newer albums at all. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to put in the effort to try to fully absorb unfamiliar music. Yup, today it was just a bunch of old favorites like Flaming Lips Soft Bulletin, Kelis Kaleidoscope, and Orbital Snivilization getting play. I don't really know why, but the Orbital album sounded a little less exciting than I remembered.

I think I'll finish off the night with that Beach Boys box set that's been gathering dust in my room.
- posted by Shane @ 12:23 AM
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I've only listened to the first couple tracks, but from what I've heard so far, the new Lambchop album, Is A Woman, sounds far more remeniscent of Nixon than all the early reviews suggested. I read that the lush orchestration of Nixon had been replaced with quiet, understated piano, and I suppose I just assumed that that would result in the new songs sounding more spacious and relaxed than before. Surprisingly, at least in the first couple songs, the backdrop for Kurt Wagner's ramblings remain as busy as ever. Well, maybe busy isn't the right word, as it doesn't properly convey how calm this music sounds, but there's definitely a lot more activity than I had expected. It'll take a few more listens to identify exactly what I'm talking about. For what it's worth, I can say that the neat swirling noises from Nixon make a reappearance here.

The important point is that the songs have maintained that comfortable Lambchop feel, despite the change in instrumentation. Like much of Lambchop's work, the different components of the music seem to gently slip in and out, never begging for the attention of the listener, but just serving to sustain the sound. Vocally, other than the fact that the goofy falsetto introduced on the last album seems to have disappeared, Wagner's delivery has essentially remained unchanged. It's still mostly whisper-talk with Wagner, in his own strangely delightful way, stressing certain words and phrases seemingly at random. The lyrics also maintain the same type of stream-of-consciousness feel that Lambchop is notorious for.

I must say that what I've heard of Is A Woman sounds a bit more intimate than previous work, though I suspect this is probably just due to me paying extra attention because the material is new. I'll have more to say about this after I get a better chance to give the album a proper listen.
- posted by Shane @ 1:20 AM
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New albums by Lambchop and Boards of Canada are out tomorrow. This is going to be a good week.
- posted by Shane @ 12:22 AM
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I thought I was going to go recordless for the rest of the month, but thanks to a surprise $200 University of Colorado refund, that has changed. I've been looking for New Pornographers Mass Romantic for months now, and I finally found it at Media Play of all places. Cheapo Discs doesn't even have a section for them and Twist and Shout has had that album out of stock for as long as I can remember. Let's just say that I'm now nicknaming Media Play "The Answer".
- posted by Shane @ 12:16 AM
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What?

Dug up from www.dennisgreen.com:
Denny Green stated, "NASCAR Winston Cup Racing is gaining ground on the NFL as the most viewed sport in the country today. My friend, Joe Gibbs, has been very successful making the transition from the NFL Head Coach to NASCAR team owner. And, although I enjoyed coaching the Minnesota Vikings and have every intention of returning to the NFL, I have always had a passion for NASCAR - the planning, the strategies, the pure adrenalin rush of having 750 horsepower engines and great athletes racing around the track, bumper to bumper, lap after lap. I am confident and committed to making the Denny Green Racing Winston Cup entry competitive on a weekly basis and I know that Darwin and I will work hard together to secure the best sponsors, talent and equipment to insure consistency and excellence both on and off the track."

So it's been confirmed that Dennis Green has a passion for drums, bass fishing, and now NASCAR. I wonder what's next...

Not that it's really relevant, but if you're familiar with the controversy, note the quote. "NASCAR Winston Cup Racing is gaining ground on the NFL as the most viewed sport in the country today." I guess the question is, who has more credibility? Jason "Platypus" Schickli or "Smilin' Super Shill" Dennis Green?
- posted by Shane @ 3:19 PM
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Jim Haze-let is entertainment.
- posted by Shane @ 3:06 PM
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I know it's only been a couple of years, but I have to say that All Saints "Pure Shores" has been aging gracefully. This must be the millionth or so (ok, maybe thousandth) time I've heard this and it still sounds fantastic. Strange too, as I usually don't go for pop that sounds this tasteful. The soothing radiator hum, the exaggerated whirlwind pick-ups, the rhythmic twangs..the whole otherworldly atmosphere...it just connects. The vocals, while light and breezy, are still playful, keeping the song from sounding too heady or too much like embarassing "mood" music. I yearn for more pop like this. Besides "Black Coffee", the closest I've heard to "Pure Shores" was that Madonna single from a few years back, which I think was also William Orbit produced if I recall correctly. Too bad that song didn't flow as naturally. I think it also had the problem of being too Madonna-centric. The vocals weren't understated enough and it killed some of the ambiance, some of the mystery. Ah well. Maybe it's worth digging up that last All Saints album again to see if I missed some gems the first time around.
- posted by Shane @ 3:05 AM
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Here's a fun little article. While I disagree with the notion of The Marshall Mathers LP and Graceland being hipster wanna-be albums, some of the others, especially all the British rock and "trip-hop" ones, I can kind of see. It's funny how there aren't any token classical, country, or metal albums. I guess those genres are just too uncool these days, at least for people "in the know". If I were to make a list like this, I'd probably have to throw on an R.E.M. album (Automatic for the People or Out of Time) and Daft Punk Homework, though Moby (kinda, sorta, not really) already covers this territory. Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, or Jamiroquai if I wanted a more American demographic. Oh, and just in case Eli ever reads this, Gorillaz too. Of course, no offense intended if you own any of those. Heck, I own eight off of this guy's list, not including CD-R's. I guess that makes me 2/3 Dido zombie. No shame though, as I absolutely love six of them. Out of the others, I like one and am ambivalent towards the other. If you're good, maybe you can guess which ones I'm talking about.
- posted by Shane @ 2:14 AM
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I never, even in the deepest recesses of my imagination, thought that I would see Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Matthew Broderick, and Belle and Sebastian all referenced in the same television program.
- posted by Shane @ 11:16 PM
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Just a side note on the Oscars... Any film award that neglects to nominate Paul Bettany for his performance in this film has absolutely no credibility in my book.
- posted by Shane @ 3:09 PM
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Today was not a good day. I overextended in my buying, gambling that further investment in my pineapple canning industry would be enough to turn around my sagging economy. Obviously, I don't know much of anything. Pineapple canning flopped, my debt spiraled out of control, and the international community made a decree that lowered the maximum wage I could pay employees. As a result, my educated workforce left the country, industry stalled even more, and the military became restless because I couldn't afford to pay them. One of my generals became power hungry enough to start a coup and that was it. The revolters outnumbered my loyalists 2:1 and I soon found myself on that lonely run-down rowboat out of town.
- posted by Shane @ 12:31 AM
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Unbelievable. There's only so much a man can take. I've given these people affordable housing, open elections, free religion, and all the pineapple they can eat. What thanks do I get? Year after year, all I hear is the sound of the environmentalists banging on my door telling me how much my SINGLE fruit canning factory is polluting the island and what a bad person I am for letting it happen. I'm tired of it and enough is enough. I've tried to be nice, but it's now time to do what my buddy Castro would do. ELIMINATE all opposition. This could really start to get ugly...
- posted by Shane @ 1:50 AM
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It was a long time coming, but I finally decided to haul the CD's from my car back to my room. Albums that eventually wear out their welcome in the car changer sometimes end up stranded in the dreaded 24 slot binder, the bane of every CD's existence. Depending on how lazy I am, these poor cats can spend weeks, even months stuck in there, out in the car trunk. Today, many of these long-time victims are finally coming home.

Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Timbaland and Magoo - Indecent Proposal
Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized - Pure Phase
Stereolab - Dots and Loops
Mogwai - Rock Action
Bubba Sparxxx - Dark Days, Bright Nights
Mogwai - My Father My King
Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Basement Jaxx - Rooty
Low - Christmas
Slowdive - Just for a Day
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
Saint Etienne - Foxbase Alpha
The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
N.E.R.D. - In Search Of...
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Xenogears Original Sound Version

This listing is not in any way an indication of quality or lack thereof. And just in case you're wondering, there is absolutely no point to it at all. Just an excuse to update...
- posted by Shane @ 12:23 AM
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Looks like Kylie Minogue is going to be on Kilborn tonight. That might be entertaining.
- posted by Shane @ 12:50 AM
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I hate it when people resort to the criticism that "all the songs sound the same" when discussing an album, because it usually just means that they didn't expend enough effort to try to identify exactly why they didn't like it. That's why I feel so bad in thinking that all the songs on The Low End Theory sound the same. Well ok, that's not entirely true. MOST of them do, especially on the first three-fourths of the album. I just get tired of the same formula, song after song. The vocal delivery rarely deviates from the path established on the first track, a sort of lazy lyric recital so controlled that it almosts sounds robotic. Many of the tracks share a similar sounding dirty bass rhythm that continues on and on with little to no variation or shift in momentum. I'm also beginning to despise the technique of cutting out the music mid-song and having the rapper finish his line in silence for a few brief seconds. It's especially annoying when you can count on it happening once or twice on EVERY song. I wish I could say more, but there just isn't enough going on in the music to explore any further. Based on these and previous comments, it would seem as if I hate this album, which really isn't the case. I'm just trying to get across how unexciting it all sounds. An album like this can only work if the rapper has an engaging voice, or if the beats and rhythms are interesting enough to carry you through the long stretches where there's nothing going on. A few of the tracks, like "Butter" and "Verses From The Abstract" succeed at the latter on some level, but I'm really not in much of a mood to talk about those right now.

I think "The Low End Theory Week" was a bad idea. I thought that given time, I would be able to understand what other people liked about it, and maybe come around to an artist that I had unfairly neglected. I've listened to The Low End Theory five times since Monday and I haven't really discovered anything about the music that I wasn't already aware of. This just seems to be a case of dislike by preference rather than dislike due to ignorance, like I had originally thought. I've gotten so used to the idea of an album "growing" on me, that I forgot my first impression is allowed to be right every once in while.

Ok, so that's enough. No more Low End Theory. This thing is going back on the shelf to collect more dust.
- posted by Shane @ 12:46 AM
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"The Low End Theory Week" still in progress...nothing of interest to add at this time.
- posted by Shane @ 11:14 PM
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I think my goal for this week is to try to understand why A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory is supposed to be such a great record. Most of the hip-hop that I really like sounds so much more daring than this. I think I should clarify that when I say daring, I'm not talking about how confrontational or rebellious it sounds. What I'm talking about is a certain audaciousness that surrounds the music. There isn't a strict formula for developing this type of atmosphere, but there are certain traits that I usually find myself actively seeking and latching onto. The Low End Theory contains very few of these. For one thing, the production is too low-key for my tastes. I've always prefered a sound chalk full of timbres that tickle the ear or beats that feel overpowering and authoritative. Most of the songs on this album just sound muddy and dull, meandering and groove-oriented without a real groove. The lyric delivery is equally uninteresting, as the rappers choose to methodically follow the rhythm rather than interact with it. It also doesn't help that they sound so terribly unenthusiastic, lacking in both the charisma and confidence department.

Being that I'm far from a hip-hop expert, I'd just like to figure out what people find appealing about this album. That's why I've unofficially dubbed this "The Low End Theory Week". For the next few days, The Low End Theory is going to get heavier rotation in my stereo than it ever has before. I'm hoping that by the end of the week, with mass overexposure, I'll be able to work out what's so special about this album and the whole "subdued rap style" thing in general.
- posted by Shane @ 12:56 AM
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Just because it's the evening before the Super Bowl, here's a few more classic Walsh quotes.

"We were set to go with Shaun King (of Tulane), and Joe Germaine (of Ohio State) was our alternative."
"I really had an affinity for Shaun because I saw him play in college and I thought, 'Wow, what a dynamite player this guy is.'"

-Bill Walsh on Shaun King
- posted by Shane @ 11:29 PM
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Last night I listened to the Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go as I went to sleep. This isn't really something most people would consider as music to fall asleep to, but I find that this album ends up pissing me off if I play it at any other time. I've heard critics of the Manics complain that their lyrics, especially in their recent work, are too wordy. I used to believe this, but I'm beginning to think that the opposite is closer to the truth. If anything, the Manics are guilty of trying to get too much mileage out of half-baked slogans and attempting to write verses that make a powerful statement through simplicity, but ultimately come across as being a bit too forced. Because of this, post The Holy Bible, the Manics' songs have been littered with awkward phrasing, which has resulted in James Dean Bradfield's vocal delivery becoming even more stilted than before. On Everything Must Go, that's basically the entire problem. The clumsy vocals are enough to interfere with what would otherwise be a wholly pleasant listening experience. "The Girl Who Wanted To Be God", a "Motorcyle Emptiness" rehash, would be almost as grand as the song it rips off, if only it were easier to overlook embarrasing moments like, "But see through the future and forget all the lie-ie-ie-ies / Black out the words for the blind have eyyyyyyyes". Boy is that ever terrible. It's probably even enough to get most listeners to forget about what comes soon after, an absolutely thrilling accelerating guitar line that launches into a blissful, string-filled climax. Similarly, the song "Everything Must Go" sounds far too earnest. Though this is partially because Bradfield isn't a a vocalist who can extend himself effectively, I have difficulty believing that ANY vocalist could pull off the "memory, MEMORY!" or "happy, HAPPY!" thing without looking completely foolish. It's a shame too, because the song has such excellent momentum and again, the strings hint that this could have become something great. Even the songs that I actually like quite a bit, "A Design For Life", "Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky", and "Australia" are not particularly articulate or fluid from a vocal standpoint.

That's why listening to this album while half-asleep is the only way to go. The Manics' music has an energetic recklessness about it that appeals to me, but it is something I can't really appreciate unless stripped of the more cringe-worthy moments. It's only in the most unfocused listening environments that I can dig to the real heart of the music without being bombarded by the amateurish sloganeering. I guess the funny thing is, aside from a handful of moments, I'm still not sure exactly WHY the music appeals to me enough that I'd go out of my way so much to like it. I suppose that's something I can try to figure out and write about at another time.
- posted by Shane @ 11:21 PM
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"I think (Central Florida quarterback) Daunte Culpepper is the best pick in the draft out of everybody. Period. Best pick in the draft."
"He's got everything. He does everything well. He's active, he's fast, smart. He does everything beautifully. I think he's the pick of the draft."

-Bill Walsh on the 1999 NFL Draft
- posted by Shane @ 12:24 AM
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