Edwin MacPhisto

I'm settled down at home for the summer, and I just found out yesterday that I've been promoted to Senior Writer at the magazine I work for on and off. Which means I'll have full-time work for the summer, my own desk and computer, and will actually be making money writing. Not quite as much as I get freelancing, but as someone who's not out of college yet I'll gladly take the experience. I turn 21 on June 8th and then hit up London for a month a few days later. Then it's back to my 4th year of college at the end of August. Most of the friends I spend time with back home have gotten back from school, so I'm in full gear as far as funtime goes. Go stuff.

But the whole genre is insipid, for the technical reasons Agent offered above and the general discontent everyone else has justly levied. The finest shit you've ever taken still shouldn't be cast in bronze. If you want angry whining, just pick up a copy of The Downward Spiral or Broken. Trent Reznor did that whole thing well before the nu-metal nonsense, and though "God is dead and no one cares/If there is a hell I'll see you there" isn't going to win any writing accolades, he at least created some weird-ass, provocative soundscapes and crafted a fgoodnumber of genuinely excellent songs out of them too. I want my angry whining with spinning pig's-heads and mutilation, not with Gundams and weird CGI flowers, thank you very much.

Liz Phair is an interesting case. I suppose it's a bit better to be like her and actively say "I want a top 40 hit, dammit, I'm going to do everything I can to get one" than just immediately hop on the latest style and hope no one notices. I really don't like much of Liz Phair past her debut, though I do think she's still uber indie-rock hot.

If you have to give ground on something, this seems like exactly the wrong place to give it. Yuck.

I disagree with so much of what's been said in this thread that I think my head is going to pop. I know it's fun to make the "blah blah subjective, of course Collective Soul is 5 stars" argument, but what's the point of doing so in a thread that expressly set out a different purpose? That said, you fuckers need more Tom Waits. Rain Dogs, bitch.

Inc, is that a legit copy of Secaucus, or just a download? I've had a hell of a time tracking one down. Motherfucker probably got at the same place you got that Gang of Four album a few eons back. Anyway, this is going to be a long-ass post. I just drove down from the Outer Banks to the west coast of Florida, and this is everything I listened to along the way. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News Next is the Jesus Christ Superstar original concept recording. Outkast - Stankonia Jay-Z - The Black Album Blondie - Parallel Lines GZA - Liquid Swords Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle Elvis Costello - Get Happy!! TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes Slint - Spiderland The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? Prince - Dirty Mind. The board won't let me post 12 images, but this is probably the best album I listened to on the trip. What I've learned: Get Happy!! might be my favorite Elvis Costello album. "99 Problems" and "December 4th" are far and away the best songs on The Black Album. There are definitely moments when I prefer Stankonia to Aquemini.

Late visitor to the thread, but I'm going to be really interested to see Interpol and the Rapture in a festival-type setting. Fantastic in a club, and hopefully just as compelling on a big scope. I'm thinking that the Cure's audience will be the type of people who appreciate these smaller acts even if they're not terribly familiar with the catalog.

This is pointless now. Morrissey loses to no one.

The best rating since around the beginning of the season, if I recall. I really, really liked this ep. I agree that the lack of push towards THE apocalypse is a little disappointing, and that the weird transition that LaParkaYourCar pointed out before was a big pain. After the odd ending to last week's episode, this one opened without a whole lot of explanation to what was going down. I assume Gunn's talk with Angel in the teaser was him being miffed about Angel doing the "evil" thing last week, but eh. No real focus on that at all. Overall, it was one of the most fun episodes I've ever seen of this show, and also one of the most interesting. The Illyria stuff always keeps me going and has consistently been my favorite part of this season since it began. Flashback Dru and Darla were fun. The Immortal is the best unseen character evah. Altogether, this felt like a love letter to the fans. Would have been nice to get some more push towards the end of the season, as this now feels like Buffy S7 in terms of "too much shit to wrap up," but if you're going to stumble on the overall arc I can't think of a better way to do it.

It's a weird choice, but I think it'll still do all right. It's not even like Pitch Black made a lot of money - IMDB says it pulled in just under $40 million, admittedly on a crappy February release. I thought it was fun, especially the opening crash sequence. There's really no downside to making a sequel to a generally below-the-radar movie though, because the majority of people aren't going to see this r not see this obecause it's a sequel to Pitch Black. If they want to see a Vin Diesel sci-fi action movie, they're there.

That's the biggest drop I can recall. Did he take anything for it and I've just forgotten, or has he just been toughing it out? I hope they just let it slide and don't try to do an even lamer version of last year's "omg Jack's heart attack bet u forgot!!!1" in the last couple episodes. Also, man, where the hell has Chase been? I know he's been there, but he doesn't seem to do anything but run around silently these days, after being such a huge part of the season's first half. That's what happens when you step it up for Michelle and Tony, I guess.

I think you're underestimating a bit. Maryland's returning a ton of starters and will probably go 10-3 like they always seem to do. Virginia's missing a strong QB, but they have a young, fast defense that can run with any team in the ACC and two really good running backs in Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman. Clemson is going to be huge as long as Charlie Whitehurst is healthy - I don't think Kotz overestimates their potential at all with his top 15 call. Virginia Tech is always decent, though they are coming off a pair of really disappointing seasons. NC State without Rivers is questionable in the same way that UVA without Schaub is, but moreso since he was *such* a huge part of their team. Everybody else is pretty middle-of-the-road, and a couple of these teams are obviously going to have to disappoint, but I think you sell the 11-team ACC way short if you limit its all-stars to just FSU and Miami.

I don't watch the previews. Haven't since the middle of last season, when they very obviously revealed that Evil Sister was going to shoot Reza. Tonight's episode was Tony's real fall into the darkside. He fucked up once letting Saunders go, but now he's crossed the line. Michelle will get out of this okay; Tony will not. He's cruising towards nothing but death now, or a horrid resignation and jail for treason. There was no mole in CTU this year, but there didn't need to be: Saunders created one on the spot. It's so weird - every season of 24 has changed a lot throughout, especially from the first half into the second (Teri and Kim hostage/assassination --> Drazens, Nuclear bomb --> Strangely dull conspiracy for war) but I think Day 3 takes the cake. Who would believe that Jack was still undercover with the Salazars just 10 hours ago?

Okay, since you're all looking at this thread and not actually saying anything, I'm going to help you along. Go here to get a free copy of the song "Satellite." And click this link to get a free copy of the song "Staring at the Sun." These are the first two songs off the Young Liars EP. For some reason I'm compelled to make you hear these guys. Bastards should be paying me.

So Inc is the only other person on here I remember ever saying anything about these guys, and I wanted to see if anyone else has been listening. Their EP, Young Liars, came out last year and received pretty much universal acclaim, and for good reason - it's probably the most self-assured and exciting 25 minutes of music I've heard in a long time. Their first full-length, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, came out a few months back and is almost as good, if not quite as consistent as its shorter counterpart. The one single you might've heard is called "Staring at the Sun" (incidentally, why does every goddamn band name a song that if you give them long enough?). It's urgent, driving synth, kind of momentum put to music, and a great vocal. I don't know how to really label 'em - experimental noise rock bluesy gospel soul music? Whatever you call it, it's fucking aces. Recommendations include that track, "Young Liars," a doo-wop version of the Pixies' "Mr. Grieves," and "The Wrong Way," the big-time opener to Desperate Youth. If you're a lyrics man they're all over the place good and nuts, maybe peaking at the immaculate "Cover your balls, cause we swing kung fu" (which every review of them to this point has noted, thereby making me a tacky little dickbag). I haven't really heard interplay between vocals and instrumentation this immediately affecting since My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. Big claim, I know. I might regret it in a few months. Anyway, these albums are cheap ($5-6 for the EP, $8-10 for the LP) and great. I especially point fans of Interpol in the direction of TV on the Radio, because despite definite differences in sound I think they're working on the same level of atmospheric excellence. Buy them. If I'm not enough, just let the fro-beard guide you.

Lemonparty isn't nearly as bad as a distended poop chute or scat porn. They probably won't remember it in a week anyway.

::smacks forehead:: I still can't comprehend how Austen could have glossed over the fact that the balcony scene really loses most of its urgency when ROMEO HAS FUCKING WINGS. ::grumbles, watches West Side Story::

Fuck you for making me think of Genesis.

Agreed. "99 Problems" is going to be the next single and I'm happy to hear Rick Rubin production back on the radio. On Jet: I don't know if the "they're a glorified cover band" criticism that everyone throws around is fully justified, but they don't do a helluva lot for me. There are some definite chinks in their retro-armor. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" was a bit catchy at first, but then I listened to "Lust for Life" three times in a row and forgot about it entirely.

"Twist and Shout" was actually first made famous by the Isley Brothers in 1962 (the guys who also did "Shout," if you'll remember). 80's movies were good to them.

What the hell was that song playing at the end of the episode? I've heard it a million times and can't pin it down. I really should watch this show more. I just catch episodes on and off and really suffer for it.

I thought this thread would be horrendous, but it was fun. More jizz please!

Using this phrase repeatedly has really been the best thing I've ever taken from this board.

Awesome episode. I'm falling for Illyria. I loved pretty much everything about this one after being a bit disappointed with last week's offering.

Man. Saunders tests Jack, he passes. Saunders tests Chappelle, Chappelle passes with his frickin' life. He tests Palmer, still resolved. And Tony crumbles. Perfectly done, especially with the way this episode seemed to center around family - Jane's disbelief at her father, Adam's collapse at the news of his sister, and Tony finally hitting the breaking point. This is the rare season of 24 where the second half of the season greatly exceeds the first, I think.