Scary Shit.

7. Dagnaski comments:
October 16, 2008
To Commonsense: I'm not out to prove anything to you or anyone else. I'm also not blind to reality. Obama is going to win handily. There will immediately be outbreaks of violence nationwide. This is the way the afircan american community celebrates. How many dozens of examples would you like me to provide? The only saving grace is that most of the violence will be limited to the urban core. A fair warning to all malcontents. In my suburb we're aware of you, we're realistic about you, and we're prepared to deal with you. Come into my neighboorhood, and you're going to die.

Taken from a Hollywood Reporter story about the World Series being pushed back due to Obama's thirty minute ad buy.

edit: now with somewhat related video.

JCVD

'JCVD' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

Let's face it: for the past decade or so, the Muscles from Brussels has been on the receiving end of a lot of jokes. In the post-YouTube world, it has been really tough to take Van Damme and the lot of his action B-movie colleagues seriously. Which is why this trailer really caught us off guard. Van Damme gets meta? Say it ain't so, Joe! The conceit is an interesting take on the state of action stars, and action movies in general. We hope that the idea stays fresh for more than the first act and plays out more like Dog Day Afternoon (except with Van Damme), rather than ninety minutes of "JCVD is old and broke" jokes.

Guilty Pleasure of the Week: Katy Perry

In all honesty, we should have named this post "Guilty Pleasure of The Year". But since it's sort of a kick-off for something we've wanted to do for a while, we might as well go straight to #1 on our list. Our favorite bi-curious, anti-guyliner, ex-Christian pop songstress of the moment (if there's another one that fits that description out there, let us know) caught our eyes by looking a lot like a trashy Zooey Deschanel. That is usually enough for most people, but after secretly listening to her entire(!) album a couple of times, we thinks she makes catchy shit too. We can't hate on that. Plus she has a cat and a blog named Kitty Purry, which hints at her having a sense of humor and being somewhat clever. Holla. Check out her recent cover of MGMT's "Electric Feel" here.

Distractions and Bluegrass

Last night I caught a great show at Alex's Bar in Long Beach. Tijuana Knife Fight, Johnny Madcap and the Distractions, Mike Watt and the Secondmen, Old Man Markley and everybody's favorite old man punk group: Youth Brigade. All the bands had lots of energy and managed to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Two bands in particular caught my attention: Johnny Madcap and the Distractions and Old Man Markley (above).

Led by former Madcap guitarist Johnny Madcap, the Distractions deliver a great blend of catchy one-liners, harmonized music and a stage presence that's the mark of years of experience. Admittedly biased, I've been a fan of Johnny's work since the early days of Madcap and can definitely hear the influence in the Distractions. Their songs feel like anthems and easily draw the crowd in. While they aren't the next Rolling Stones, they have an endearing quality that's sure to attract many fans as they hit the road and tour. When asked about the new band, Johnny had this to say, "Music's the only thing I know, so I felt like I had to do this." Check 'em out, tap your toes and enjoy.

Similarly to the Distractions, band Old Man Markley proves that harmony is key. Don't let the name fool you, Old Man Markley isn't a solo act, in fact, its far from. This eleven-member punk-induced bluegrass act has enough vivacity to make even the toughest brute jump up and jig. Using unconventional instruments to their advantage, Old Man Markley has a sound uniquely their own and leaves you wondering why more haven't picked up the train whistle. They're like a bigger, fuller, faster version of the Knitters. While I must admit that their singles don't pack nearly the punch as their live show, you should definitely check this group out. Most fun I've ever had watching a grown man strum a washtub, swear.

Both bands will be perfoming on the 17th of this month at the Way Out West Fest in Pioneertown, California.

p.s. Youth Brigade was awesome.

Lykke Li & Bon Iver: "Dance Dance Dance"

The weather in Los Angeles has been a real bitch lately. It was drizzly when we went to Detour, but then it got all maverick-y and turned up the heat for the rest of the week. We guess it's summer's last gasp. There's no real reason to complain, really, as Lykke Li came out with the perfect video to end the summer (shaddup, we know it's technically fall). The video feels too perfectly serendipitous to be completely man made. God probably came down and introduced her to the boys of Bon Iver so that they can be the backing band for her live rendition of "Dance Dance Dance". Sit back and watch her be all goofy and Swedish. It's guaranteed to make you swoon just a little bit.

Let The Right One In.

We've been waiting for this one for a while. Coming to theaters soon is one of the most buzzed movies of the year, Let The Right One In. It's part romance, part coming of age story, and part fantasy. Well, we don't know about the fantasy part, but the idea of asking a vampire to be your girlfriend is, at least to us, bat shit crazy. Dude's trying to get some 'tang, but that chick is out for his sweet neck blood. The movie comes out in Los Angeles and New York on October 24th, but if you're in the City of Angels, you can check out a special screening next Tuesday at The Montalban as part of Flux/Nike Sportswear's Cinema Tuesdays series. The trailer can be seen on purty HD over at Apple.

Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals.

Further proof that Andy Samberg is the only one keeping SNL afloat.