February 6th, 2009 / February 8th, 2009: The Week in Literal Review

Here's that Friday action, plus a few weekend developments.

MUSIC:

On RCRD LBL, a little atmospheric angst from DJ Hell (far less intense than it sounds).

Fader's also got some fun freeloads. Miss Banks can kick a pretty rad verse, she's refreshingly rude, and rapping over Ladytron is pretty excellent regardless. Then, I usually won't bring up non-2009 music on this blog, but when it's brilliant proto-punk left unjustly unreleased, and the freeload comes with news of a forthcoming release, you set the rules aside.

Hey Morrissey please play at my birthday party?

The video for PB&J's "Nothing to Worry About" somehow out-weirds their current train of brilliant weirdness. I literally cannot estimate what's next for them.

This Kanye blog post brings us one step closer to the incredible Kanye/Passion Pit collaboration I always hear in my dreams.

FILM:

Incredible films sound incredible.

/Film saw, and enjoyed, a portion of Up!. They saw, and didn't enjoy, Push. They also report on some disconcerting trends that point to a less meaningful Academy Awards recommendation.

AICN gives Chocolate a hearty endorsement. And Capone gives The Class some love! Word, man!

Christian Bale apologized. Can we please move on now? Y'know, to cinema an' stuff?

Dreamworks and Universal are breaking up.

Oh sweet Jesus, let the Inglourious Basterds trailer rumor be true!

Oh Watchmen details, you know how to please me.

Observe and Report gets all redbandy.

WEIRD:

I'm not the biggest fan of Fox, but their Abba-covers-for-Putin story is undeniably premium weird.

Weezy seems to be taking up a permanent residence in the Weird section. He does deliver a mean top ten.

WORLD:

As Democracy Now reports, Obama has signed the long-awaited child health insurance program that taxes cigarettes, and under his executive order, the last Gitmo trial was shut down.


Now, it's time to review some week.


Most Interesting, Music:

Pitchfork de-snobs a bit, giving Viva la Vida some love and sticking up for bands with visible influences.

Most Interesting, Film:

I really can't not give it to the Bale fiasco.

Weirdest:

It was a weird week, but Badu takes the friggin' cake with her birth-twittering antics.

Biggest World Event:

The violence in Sri Lanka warrants the world's attention.

Reviews

Franz Ferdinand, Tonight
Much ado about the archduke! I feel like the buzz here is, on both ends, unwarranted. The people heralding Tonight as a masterpiece are getting far too excited, and the people slamming it as a misstep could be accused of the same. If you take off the rose-colored headphones and respect their debut and sophomore albums as what they really are, Tonight reveals itself as a great album by a consistent outfit.
Franz Ferdinand are at their best when they're at their least pompous (a trait which made You Could Have It So Much Better a problem-listen for me) and they keep their proselitizing to the minimums present on their debut - they keep a few "Jacqueline"-style jabs at masculinity (See: "No You Girls Never Know") and a few "Auf Achse"-style melodramatic rushes (See: "Live Alone") and the requisite "holy shit, they're allowed to do that?" moment. (See: the electronic breakdown madness of "Lucid Dreams")
This is not going to be the album of the year. This is not Earth-shattering. What it is, though, is solid, quality music. Maybe it isn't going to define your days like their debut did, back in 2004 when it blindsided you from out of nowhere. But this release is, if a little less tight, made of the same stuff, and deserves the same respect. Franz Ferdinand are always at their best when bending strong melodies through sharp, arch song structures, and in this regard, Tonight doesn't disappoint.

Matt & Kim, Grand
I read, in some sort of interview or other, that this duo spent what they considered an inordinate amount of time on the album, and that they were awarded perhaps too much freedom. Under these conditions, a band tends to have a great opportunity of finding their identity, and we can be glad about what they keep from before - sunny bliss - but even more excited about what their new sound suggests - a kean sense of lyrical introspection.
That introspection may not reveal anything shocking - you get the anthemic hipster chanting of "Don't Slow Down" and the bare emotion in "Spare Change" - but it suits the music perfectly, and the two components gel into perfect proportion.
This is perfect music for mornings, frankly. It's the perfect music to get up, get moving, and get on with a productive day. In some ways, this association limits the album's range. Unlike broader albums, this is a record for a very particular state of mind, which hinders it's turnability. But since when is specificity bad? And anyway, if you've got the blues, just pick up Hegarty or Fever Ray (or hell, the blues?) to do the work for you.
Overall, it's a solid effort that takes a band pointed purely towards freakout-dance giddiness and suggests a more insightful exploration of the sun.

Personal

It's been a hell of a week. I've caught up on sleep this weekend, and I'm ready for another hell of a week.

I'm watching the Grammys at my sister's friend's apartment. There've been ups, downs, and a few WTFs. The rap pack was pretty premium.

SXSW... hit me up, guys.

2009 FILMS SEEN: 1.5
2009 SONGS ON MY ITUNES: 297
Current Computer Situation: MacBook Pro, jittering with anticipation.