Slanted & Enchanted
Zurich is Stained
Here
Perfume-V

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Silence Kit
Elevate Me Later
Range Life

Woowee Zowee
Rattled  by the Rush
Black Out
Grounded

Brighten the Corners
Date with Ikea
Embassy Road
Starlings of the Slipstream

Terror Twilight
Spit on a Stranger
The Hexx
Carrot Rope

*album top 3
Woowee Zowee
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Brighten the Corners

I haven’t been at the theaters lately – yes, even in this Avatar-world. I had enough fun behind my laptop though. A selection of what hit my screen.

Away We Go: 3
A movie that should’ve been a love fest for the indiecrowd, but it didn’t go over that well. All the ingredients are in place though: writing credits go to Dave Eggers, it stars Kim Krawinski (Jim from The Office) sporting a beard, nice acoustic tunes by Alexi Murdoch and sober but smooth directing by Sam Mendes. It’s about a couple expecting a baby and are looking for a place to settle down. So they go off on a trip around the US and visit cities and their friends to make a decision where to settle down. It begins as a quirky comedy and touches some dramatic tones at the end. I liked that the characters are pretty unique for a movie (just regular people with no big problems, just dealing with life as it is) but it felt a bit pointless at the end. Hmm, maybe that’s the point of life as well…

The King of Kong: 4,5
Hilarious documentary about the arcade game scene. A science teacher wants to break the world record of Donkey Kong and this leads him into an extraordinary world full of nerdy gamers who are even weirder than your worst expectations. World champion Billy Mitchell stands out as the haughty All American Champ. A classic character in my book and a real life version of David Brent. Give this man his own show!

Crumb: 4
Fascinating portrait of cartoonist Robert Crumb. He talks at length about his upbringing, his work and his obsessions. His cartoons are as funny as they are shocking (portrayals of fat women, dark women). It’s very interesting is to compare Robert with his dysfunctional brothers, as a case for the importance of art and having a creative outlet. Director Terry Zwigoff went on to direct fictional dramas about outcasts such as Ghost World and Art School Confidential.

Funny People: 3,5
I can’t stand Seth Rogen (that monotonous voice!), and I can say the same about Adam Sandler. So I was pleasantly surprised by this dark comedy/bittersweet drama by Judd Apatow in which these two guys play the lead characters. The flawed second part, where the story suddenly only concentrates on the love angle, doesn’t diminish the strong opening act. It gives an intimate view on the stand-up comedy world of L.A. and Sandler gives a great performance as a narcistic, self loathing-comedian. The movie doesn’t want to be liked and that’s what makes it good.

Some of the music I have been listening to lately and like to mention.

Jackson Browne – For Everyman
I don’t know why I downloaded this album. I put it on during my train ride from Brussels to Dordrecht on my trip back home. The Netherlands was covered in snow and it just fit perfectly (even though Jackson was the prodigious son of the Golden State in the 70’s). This record includes ‘These Days’. Nico might have recorded the definite version, but I’m sure liking this one. Jackson has a great voice and I love his melancholic lyrics. Time to dig through his catalogue.

Nick Cave – The Boatman’s Call
What a great winter record. I remember I borrowed this one from the library in ’97 during the Christmas holiday. It’s very minimalistic, yet exudes a warm feeling. ‘Into My Arms’ has to be one of the most beautiful love songs of all time.

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Last year, Iver was all the rage. I heard some songs but never cared much about them. High pitched vocals, sparse arrangements, mundane strumming. Next! But reading all these ‘best of the decade’ lists, I gave him another try. I stand corrected. Hauntingly beautiful.

Passion Pit – Manners
Listening to this record makes me feel old. I don’t know what teenagers like these days, and I don’t care either. But Passion Pit is one of those rare bands that are popular with a young crowd and get a lot of critical claim from the ‘revered’ indie media (like Paste Magazine) that I follow. So, I thought I’d check out to see if I could connect with the 17 year olds. Ain’t happening. It sounds like the musical equivalent of one of those Japanse watch-me-jump-300ft high-cartoons they showed in the mid 90’s: chaotic, non-linear, in your face. It just makes me itchy. However there is one song that needs to be singled out, cause it provides good vibrations: ‘Little Secrets’.

Since my move to Brooklyn I have watched quite some movies – what else are you going to do, right?
Lots of them I played on my computer, but nothing beats the theater experience. The great thing about New York is that it has a lot of special screenings where they show classics and cult favorites.

The ones that I saw in the past months on the big screen.
Rating: 1 to 5

The Loop: 3,5
Political satire with razor sharp and witty dialogue. Could’ve used some subtitles with this one. Especially the British slang was hard to decipher.

A Serious Man: 4
Can the Coens ever do something wrong? (eh yes, Intolerable Cruelty.) Here they take on Jewish culture in the 60’s. Full of suburban anxiety. Beautiful photography once again by Roger Deakins.

The Shining: 4
This was shown during Halloween weekend. It was the third time I saw it. I’m not that of a fan, but on the big screen the spooky, chilled atmosphere felt really frighting.

Where the Wild Things Are: 3,5
Probably the most anticipated film of the year. I really liked it. The setting is magical and fascinating. Unfortunately the story dragged on a bit too long.

The Men Who Stare At Goats: 3
Very entertaining, nothing more but certainly nothing less. I’m a big fan of Clooney. He always picks out cool projects to do.

The Box: 0 (!)
Richard Kelly is still a one hit wonder (Donnie Darko). This is an awful, boring, and dated piece of crap. Even Cameron Diaz couldn’t keep me from falling asleep.

The Big Lebowski: 6(!)
Favorite movie of all time. What a joy to see it in a theater once again after 11 years. The house was packed with fans. I never really paid much attention to the character ‘The Stranger’, but the American audience loved him. It only shows that you discover something new with every viewing.

Rushmore: 4
Another cult classic. Like every Wes Anderson film it’s just a bit too long, but whatever. It remains very funny and this time the ‘longing for (teenage) love’-theme became more visceral.

Brothers: 3
Good acting, but the movie isn’t as moving as it tries to be. A (military) family deals with the traumas of a soldier who went to Iraq.

Up in the Air: 4
Another Clooney movie and another entertaining one. It tries to say something profound about America today (how lost we all are), but it doesn’t have that much impact to really enlighten you. Nonetheless, it’s a creative, original and funny take on this theme. I highly recommend it.

The Strokes – Paradiso, 2002
It felt like a greatest hits show – in hindsight it was.

Bruce Springsteen – Ahoy, 2005
For 3 hours long, 10,000 people held their breath. It was Father’s Day and Bruce faced some demons.

Pixies – Lowlands Festival, 2005
Festivals shows are rarely very good, this was one of those rare exceptions. What a sound! Tight as hell!

The Arcade Fire – Lowlands Festival, 2005
After the Pixies, the Canadians took over the stage. After that I was floored.

Wilco – Paradiso, 2005
A band that cares as much about details as on playing great songs.

Sparklehorse – Melkweg, 2006
Subdued and constrained to perfection.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – die Kantine, 2006
The first show I saw of Ryan (Paradiso 2001) was awesome (played for 4 hours), but The Cardinals are the best thing that could have happened to him. Jamming is an art.

LCD Soundsystem – Melkweg, 2007
Exhilarating and liberating.

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band – Sportpaleis, 2007
Front row at the greatest rock ’n roll show on earth.

Counting Crows – Ahoy, 2009
Wonderful musicians. The Crows digged through their catalogue and came up with hidden gems from their classic first two records.

In random order (sort of)

You Can Count on Me
The Royal Tenenbaums
Wonder Boys
Donnie Darko
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Mulholland Drive
Lost in Translation
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Gosford Park
Memento

Just as good, maybe even better…:
Adaptation
Sin City
High Fidelity
25^th Hour
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Hot Fuzz

I like sad bastards that play guitar.

Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
The Strokes – Is This It
Josh Rouse – Nashville
Sparklehorse – It’s a Wonderful Life
Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days
Arcade Fire – Funeral
Drive-By Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Blur – Think Tank

Any of these could’ve made the list on any other day:
Gillian Welch – Time (the revelator)
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Beck – Sea Change
Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s – The Dust of Retreat
The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
Ryan Adams – Cold Roses
Stephen Malkmus – Pig Lib
Bruce Springsteen – Magic

It seems that a football coach today spends more time with the media than with his players on a training field. Endless, meaningless interviews and press conferences take place every day. Still, I like to hear certain characters talk nonsense and bend the truth. They have become politicians. The Netherlands provide an endless list of coaches who know how to talk but seldomly turn their words into trophies.

My favorites:
Aad de Mos
Leo Beenhakker
Wiljan Vloet

Gold
New York, New York
La Cienega Just Smiled
When the Stars Go Blue

Demolition
Desire
Dear Chicago
Tomorrow

Rock N Roll
So Alive
Burning Photograhps
Anybody Wanna Take Me Home

Love is Hell
This House is not for Sale
Please Do Not Let Me Go
I See Monsters

Cold Roses (double album, so 3 picks of each side)
Magnolia Mountain
Now That You’re Gone
How Do You Keep Love Alive
Easy Plateau
Let it Ride
If I Am a Stranger

Jacksonville City Nights
Hard Way to Fall
Dear John
The Hardest Part

29
Strawberry Wine
Starlite Dinner
Elizabeth, You Were Born to Play This Part

Easy Tiger
Everybody Knows
Two Hearts
I Taught Myself How to Grow Old

Cardinalogy
Fix It
Let Us Down Easy
Like Yesterday

Despite all the criticism Thierry Henry received last week for making a handball in the WC qualifier against Ireland, he is still my all time favorite player. Solely due to his years at Arsenal, cause for some reason with the French national team he is never able to show what he is truly capable of.

From 2000 to 2006, Henry – and the Gunners for that matter – was at the top of his game. He possessed everything:  speed, agility, power, insight and most of all, he showed a profound love for football. Like his partner up front, Dennis Bergkamp, every play had to be beautiful otherwise it didn’t account.

My favorite players over the years (that played since the day that I understood what offside meant):
Thierry Henry
Frank Rijkaard
Ronald de Boer
Dennis Bergkamp
Cesc Fabregas