the count is 0-0

on average there aren't that many good Mondays in a year, but today is one of those rare glorious ones. Indeed baseball's opening day is upon us, and with it the return of all that is good for us fans. Johan Santana's starting on the mound for my beloved Mets, and that's pretty much all that's gonna matter for the next few hours.

OK, let me run through the official Opening Day Success Check List:

Beer? Check.

KFC? Check (fast food on a Monday night, the recipe for success).

Blackberry off? Check.

Good times? Most definitely, check

parting shots

after spending 5 years in Paris as the bureau chief for the New York Times, Elaine Sciolino is about to move to a new post and last week filed her leaving piece, called A Guide to the French, about things she learned in the City of Lights. Even though she seems appreciative of her time there, the article doesn't exude too much warmth warm, toward the country or its inhabitants. From harping on France's obsession with history, to underscoring French women's evergreen sexiness, the list reads more like a jumble of slightly amusing observations than a true attempt at describing what makes the French so, well, French.
Where New Yorker correspondent Adam Gopnik had managed to make light of the tons of small annoyances one encounters when living in France in such a breezy and enjoyable way in his book Paris To The Moon, Mrs Sciolino sounds mostly like an outsider who never really figured out how to adapt to the charms and frustrations of this old country. It's far from bad, and she actually nails some of the details about life in France that generally take some time to understand (for instance the air-kiss thing, one of the big mysteries to Americans when they move to France), but there is unfortunately no sense that she understood the country beyond those details. Not to say it's an easy thing, in fact it's not one I'd necessarily try to describe myself even after spending nearly 10 years there, but if you're going to try, moving beyond the cliches might be a good start. Stating that no one says "bon appetit" before a meal make me wonder what type of French people she encountered during her stay. Methinks a lot of Varenne-St Germain-Montorgueil types and perhaps not too many of the 99.5% of those she's trying to describe. I might be incredibly dismissive here, but that's the feeling I got from reading her article.
In the end the reader's response to this piece will depend on their initial opinion of the French. Which means that publishing it will have had no positive impact whatsoever. And that, unfortunately, is fast becoming the norm when it comes to the traditional news media's cultural relevance.

random Monday nights are the best

gee, I wonder if they mean that in a good way

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

so, Vampire Weekend. What to say that hasn't been said 36 789 times in the past few weeks on music blogs around the world? Actually, it's pretty simple: this is fantastic music. Beyond the "new Strokes" labels being banded about, at the heart of their debut album is a desire to give it their all, to meld their influences (afro-beat and indie rock with a varnish of Ivy League preppiness) in a way that is neither overbearing nor self-indulgent, and to basically make music that is fun to listen to, yet rewarding after continuous listens. A lot of what's on this record has been heard in various forms before (Paul Simon's Graceland, Talk Talk), but the freshness and sheer exhbuberance of the songs makes worrying about the orginality of this work a moot point. What's most satisfying is that the songs on here bounce around, yet never have that sticky-candy attribute that many pop songs seem to acquire so fast.

In a year where winter has never really happened, it seems fitting that January would see the release of a great summer album. There are songs to drive to Hyannisport to, to reminisce about your college days and to wish for the weekend to last forever. And if the summer never really comes around (see: last year), what better way to tide us over to the next one than this pretty little gem of a album?

striking gold

dragging his body across the screen after falling into the oilpit he was digging Daniel Day Lewis has already done more in the first few minutes into the haunting There Will Be Blood to present a character than other actors will ever accomplish in their entire careers (made even more impressive by the fact he really fell and kept acting even though he had broken his ankle). And that's without uttering a single word. What follows is 2 1/2 hours of pure acting bravado, on a level that reminds us why we bother going to the movies in the first place. DDL is Daniel Plainview, a scheming, opportunistic, hard-working, evil and undeniably charismatic oilman building his fortune in early 20th Century California. Through his story emerges a portrait of American capitalism itself, in its relation to others, to nature, to religion.

What makes the movie so palpably exciting is the way director PT Anderson captures this energy with other tremendous actors (most notably Paul Dano as the flawed small-town pastor, and Dillon Frasier -in his film debut!- as Plainview's young son) to craft an enthralling tale of greed, dedication and family bonds. There is a lot of the great Stanley Kubrick in the restrained way in which the movie unfolds, and I'm not talking about Eyes Wide Shut-Kubrick. But at its heart, this movie is about what is, simply put, one of the great performances of all time. It might take a few years for Mr Day Lewis to make a new movie, as he has never been one to rush into projects, but when you create something this extraordinary, you're allowed all the time in the world. And one Oscar too, it goes without saying.

shortcuts - 17/02/08

listening: Vampire Weekend. Is it summer yet?

watching: The Bothersome Man, easily the best Norwegian black comedy I've ever seen

buying: vinyl rhymes with joyful

eating: gratin dauphinois, the perfect comfort food for these cold February nights

reading: Bill Bryson - I'm A Stranger Here Myself. Aren't we all Bill, aren't we all?

who goes out on Friday nights anymore?

When you've got back pains, a mosh pit is probably not the smartest place to hang out. Matter of fact, if you've got a backache, you're possibly too old to even be loitering there. But shortness of breath and achy spine aside, yesterday's Queens of the Stone Age show at the Hammersmith Appolo was a great reminder of how brilliant this band is on stage. They might sound a tad less "heavy" since bassist Nick Oliveri was fired from the band, but they still RAWK, no doubt about it, especially with Joey "the Hulk" Castillo manning the drum kit.

With that said, having today off from work was a most welcome respite from the corporate grind. As far as I'm concerned rock n roll might not be dead, but it does need a day to recover.

chug chug chug

so travel/hustle-blog gridskipper asked Brooklyn wunderkind Zach Condon from Beirut and his buddies from mp3 blog La Blogotheque to come up with a list of the best watering hole for indie types in Paris, which resulted in this interesting post. The thing is, all of the spots they came up with are located in the northeast corner of town. Which makes total sense considering it contains the hipper-than ever 11e, 19e and 20e, which is where I'm guessing most of those compadres live. To be fair, it is also what I would consider to be the epicenter of indie Paris these days, what with the great concert venues (le Nouveau Casino, la Maroquinerie), record shops (Ground Zero) and afore-mentioned bars. But since the list is supposed to be about the entire city, it would have been nice to branch out beyond the Bastille-Republique-Belleville triangle. For instance the rue Mouffetard area has a few interesting bars, including the decidedly-indie Shebeen. And not too far from that there are a few cool bars near St Michel with the kind of music and atmosphere that would not seem out of place in the backstreets of the 11e.

But hey, at least the list doesn't have le Truskel, le Pop-In or le Point Ephemere (who are like the Bloc Party of the Paris indie bar scene) on it, you gotta give credit for that. And really, if La Blogotheque really wants to keep things edgy and cool, they should try to come up with a list of taverns in the barren landscapes of the 14e-15e, now that would be an interesting read.

too close

although most of the media coverage on the death of Heath Ledger today has been yet another debilitating example of the sensationalization of news, I found Belinda Luscombe's article for Time magazine to be an interesting and nuanced homage to an immensely talented man. It evokes some of his personal issues while still staying away from the wild speculation seen today, which has become norm in today's gossip-led mainstream media. To be sure, plenty of other important things happened in the world today, but since this is a subject people are going to talk about, at least this piece gets the tone right. I didn't check my coworker's copy of the Sun, but I have a hunch their commentary was slightly less subtle.

southward-bound

planning a trip to Australia, as easy as

1

2

3

Okay, not quite, but it definitely is a great excuse to enjoy a delicious nutella crepe from Crepe Affaire. Although nowhere near as delicious as the ones made by the French guy at Exmouth Market (and certainly not in the same universe of deliciousness as the ones made by my mom). Something tells me a lot more trip planning sessions are going to be necessary before this thing gets off the ground...

"only in London" is the new "only in America"

today at work, while crossing paths with a coworker:

me (sorta-French guy, American accent): "hi mate"
him (British-educated Sri-Lankan): "what's up dude"

hip hip

Well it was bound to happen eventually: I've started up the (meager) vinyl collection again. Now I need to figure out how to get my stuff that's in Paris. And possibly get a turntable too, so I can, you know, listen to the records and stuff.

perfectly acceptable existential questioning

if I get asked "do you have a Boots card?" enough times, will I just break down and get one?

majestic

Sad news from New Zealand this morning, with the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first two men (with sherpa Tenzing Nagay) to successfully climb Mount Everest. From all accounts he was a simple man who happened to do something extraordinary, and it is to his credit that he apparently never let that go to his head. A kiwi coworker was telling me today how revered he is over there, and a great source of pride for a country which, besides its tremendous rugby team, does not have a very visible international profile. His lifelong friendship with Nagay, modesty about his exploits, as well as his continued work for the communities living around the Nepalese Himalayas (helping build schools and other badly needed infrastructure through the Himalayan Trust), speak to the quality of a man who led a great and fulfilling life. The fact that he will be getting a State funeral seems highly fitting.

We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, where most people seem more interested in Britney’s latest meltdown than in what’s going on in Pakistan, and in which so many celebrities are famous because they are famous, with nary an apparent skill to account for it besides being media-savvy. In this world a person like Sir Edmund Hillary is a definite throwback. Not to go all Ayn Rand (yeech), but hopefully stories like his can remind people of how greatness can be simple. The point is not to worship people, but to celebrate their actions, especially when they are so eloquent. Actions speak louder than words goes the saying, and no one was a better example of that than Sir Hillary.

NY Times article
The Guardian obituary

The Times Obituary

TIME profile on Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay

pick me! pick me!

while the US presidential elections are still months away, that hasn't stopped the media coverage from shooting into overdrive before the Iowa primary was even held. So far most of the articles have read as so: OBAMA WINS! OBAMA MANIA SWEEPS THE NATION! OBAMA TO BE NEXT US PRESIDENT! HILLARY WINS! HILLARY NOW FAVORITE! OH, WAIT, AND THAT OLD GUY, HE WON TOO!

And that's just in the foreign French and UK media I read. While I was sort of expecting it from the NY Times (whose coverage, it has to be noted, has been pretty stellar so far), it does tend to grate to read almost as much about it in Le Monde or The Guardian, often done in a very personal fashion, as though this directly concerns the audience. Last time I checked, French and British citizens don't vote for the US president. And while it's often a fascinating subject, especially in a country where the political system is so different (get ready for about 14 billion articles on that wild and wacky electoral college system come October, not to mention the voting machines) from ours, there are still plenty of other things going on in the world. Then again, if that means less articles and reports about Sarkozy and his women (ministers of otherwise), maybe it's for the best.

I get it, the United States are still a major superpower, and the last 8 years not having been the best (to say the least) for its stature, there is a sky-high attention to the results from the vote. But it still doesn't change the fact that whatever discourse and analysis is done throughout the world media, 99.9% of their audience will not get a say on Election Day. There's nothing wrong with being interested in this whole circus (I sure am doing my part in my daily readings), but a little added distance might not be so bad.

shortcuts - 08/01/08

listening: This Will Destroy You - S/T. I don't know what it is with Texas but they sure churn out some fantastic post-rock bands

watching: The OC season 1. Seth Cohen rules.

buying: Jinga trainers. Finally, Veja gets some competition.

eating: New Covent Garden Food's Thai chicken soup

reading: considering re-reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road, easily the best book I read last year, if not longer

what's next

side-note: Let's hope that BR gets it right where many of its US clothing store chains brethren haven't when opening outposts in the UK. Witness £90 shirts at Brooks Brothers, or £70 jeans at Abercrombie & Fitch: thanks but no thanks.

2007 - the year in movies

Despite living in a city where a movie ticket costs half a kidney (only half a kidney if you're a student), I tried this year to keep my movie-going as close to my Parisian habits as I could. I probably ended up seeing a bigger proportion of big-studio movies than usual, but did manage to keep things relatively eclectic enough to not suffer from popcorn-exhaustion.

10. Sunshine (directed by Danny Boyle)
A epic feat of meditative filmmaking - until the last 20 minutes, although admittedly the ending wasn't as bad the second time around. Another stellar (hey-O!) performance by Cillian Murphy

9. Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)
A throwback to the politically engaged flicks Hollywood used to churn out in the 70s, this had some of the strongest ensemble acting I saw this year. Even some of the overly self-conscious aspects, such as the ending shot, do not seem too grating thanks to the calm and assured way in which the movie unfolds

8.The Bourne Supremacy (Paul Greengrass)
Edge-of-your-seat action, from start to finish. And not a single CGI shot, hurray

7. La Mome (Olivier Dahan)
Edith Piaf's story might seem too tragic, even as far as musician biopics go, yet Marion Cotillard's ballsy performance never lets this fall into MOW territory

6. I Am Legend (Francis Lawrence)
Fantastic acting by Will Smith to go along with a decent script, and some directing choices that seem bold when compared to the average blockbuster (no music during the suspenseful scenes? Yes please)

5. A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints (Dito Montiel)
Directed by first-timer Montiel, based on his book relating his childhood in the Bronx during the 80s. It all sounds self-referential, but a tremendous young cast (Shia LaBeouf and Channing Tatum in particular) and some interestingly varied directing make for a mesmerizing trip down memory lane

4.The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik)
Possibly the most beautifully-shot movie this year, the story of Jesse James' assassin unfolds ever so slowly, yet captivates throughout. Casey Affleck eclipses Brad Pitt, even though he's far from a slouch himself

3. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant)
Actually this might be the best-shot flick this year, thank to visual genius Christopher Doyle (he of the many Wong Kar Wai collaborations). GVS finishes up his teenagers-in-peril trilogy in style

2. The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson)
I've always felt Wes Anderson's movies were quirky for the sake of being quirky, but with this tale of three brothers going on a train-trip through India, everything came together for me. Epic, touching, funny and never boring

1. We Own The Night (James Gray)
People have been hailing this as a neo-classical gem, a descendant of the kinds of movies Scorcese and De Palma used to make in their heighday. People are right, and when you consider that Gray has only made three movies in 13 years, something doesn't seem right. This deserves The Departed-level hoopla and awards, now.

2007 - the year in music

After a terrific start to the year with some fantastic releases from the likes of The Shins, Bloc Party and The Arcade Fire, some observers (ahem) were noting that 2007 could end up being a banner year, at least for rock. In the end it didn't quite reach that status, but overall most year-end top ten lists were still among the most quality-laden of recent years.
So without further ado, here are my top 20 albums for 2007:

20. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
19. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
18. Patrick Watson - Close To Paradise
17. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
16. Band of Horses - Cease To Begin
15. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Boat Even Sank
14. Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
13. Holy Fuck - LP
12. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
11. Radiohead - In Rainbows

10. Justice - Cross

Initially I was gonna put Holy Fuck's debut album here, but after listening to Justice's again over the holiday, and recalling their sweatily fantastic gig at Koko, I had no choice but to include the guys from le Tryptique in my top 10. Thanks to them and Daft Punk's summer tour, electro is back in the mainstream, and everyone seems to be having fun.

9. Kanye West - Graduation

The biggest ego in hip-hop (if not the universe) decides to step beyond his patented production style, and comes out with one of the most refreshing albums in years, in a genre that sorely needs it.

8. Bright Eyes - Cassagada

Conor Oberst is a man of many talents, who never seems to stay too long in a single direction. For this one he played up to his strengths, though, coming up with a very solid collection of folk-rock and soul influenced tracks that confirm how close he is to his much-noted Springsteen heritage.

7. The National - Boxer

With the so-called rock revival in the past 5 years, much has been made of the influence of 80s bands like The Cure and Joy Division. And not many bands have managed to reuse the influence of JD like these guys, while still maintaining a modern and fresh-sounding outlook

6. Jeremy Larson - Jeremy Larson
Great songs and a fresh sound from this promising new talent

5. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Did they manage to top the brilliance of their debut Funeral? Tough to say, but sophomore slump this was definitely not

4. Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
It's amazing how much the best post-rock bands manage to express, without uttering a single word

3. Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida

Let's be honest, there was no way I was going to be able to resist the debut album from the guy who scored David Gordon Green's All The Real Girls. Very delicate, but never boring, he deserves to be heard by a lot more people. Quick, somebody get one of his songs on an episode of Grey's Anatomy

2. Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir

2007 was the year when everything seemed to go right for Loney, Dear's Emil Svanangen, and he didn't even need to have his music in an ad for a television to do so

1. Eluvium - Copia

Ambient can be a tricky genre to make a mark in, as so much of it lies in slow progressions. But Eluvium's Matthew Cooper manages to stay within the confines of the style while coming up with fantastically beautiful and heartbreaking sonic landscapes. If Terrence Malick ever makes a sci-fi movie, we've got the ideal composer right here.

best songs:
The Arcade Fire - (Antichrist Television Blues)
Band Of Horses - Marry Song
Andrew Bird - Scythian Empires

Boys Noize - &Down
Bright Eyes - No One Would Riot For Less

Eluvium - Ostinato
Explosiong In The Sky - It's Natural To Be Afraid
Feist - 1234
fennesz+sakamoto - haru
Jeremy Larson - More Than You
Justice - Phantom pt. II
Kanye West - Flashing Lights
Kevin Drew - Tbtf
Kings Of Leon - Knocked Up
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
Lil' Wayne - Ride For My N***

Los Camposinos - You! Me! Dancing!
Loney, Dear - Saturday Waits
Lovedrug - Everything Starts Where It Ends
Modest Mouse - Missed The Boat
The National - Fake Empire
Ola Podrida - The New Science
Paramore - When It Rains
Phosphorescent - Cocaine Lights
Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Rogue Wave - Chicago X12
Sea Wolf - I Made A Resolution
The Shins - Sleeping Lessons
Stars - The Night Starts Here
Valerie Leulliot - Caldeira