Thursday, October 26, 2006

"I can’t take the smell, I can’t take the noise. Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice...Don’t push me, cause I’m close to the edge. I’m trying not to lose my head. It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under." ~u2

Our apartment smells. It's been smelling for over a week, but it seems to be getting worse. It's not a normal smell, and it's not going away. A facilities worker came today and confirmed the fact that it smells really bad, but he couldn't figure out why. So now he's calling in backup; housekeeping and the air conditioning/heating people have to come check it out. I'm almost getting used to it by now.

I was really looking forward to the movie Running with Scissors. I loved the book, and the trailer made the movie look pretty good. So I'm disappointed that it's getting bad reviews; now I don't think I want to see it. It has a 30% on RottenTomatoes, which is generally a very good, dependable barometer of a movie's quality. It's a shame that it's a bad movie, because it had so much potential. The source material (Augusten Burrough's memoir) is fantastic. The cast (Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Jill Clayburgh, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Chenoweth, Patrick Wilson, Joseph Cross, I could keep going) is stellar. They could have done so much with this. Arg.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

"No need to know what you're doing or waiting for: But if anyone should ask? Tell them I've been licking coconut skins and we've been hanging out. Tell them God just dropped by to forgive our sins and relieve us our doubt." ~Damien Rice

That quote is from a song on Damien Rice's new album, "9." This is another album that I've been anticipating for a loooong time. I've been listening to it all day. Now I'm trying to decide what I think. I don't like it as much as "O" right now (DR's first album). But "O" is so fantasmic that I would be floored if "9" were better. I really like "9," though. There are some really strong tracks on it. The highlights for me so far are "9 Crimes," "Me, My Yoke and I," and "Coconut Skins." I think my main issue is that "9" doesn't seem as intense as "O." It's not quite as creative overall. There are a few tracks that seem weak compared to the rest, whereas on "O" I feel like every single song is incredible. Still, there is no denying that Damien Rice is a genius, and his brilliance is evident on this album. I heard Damien play in Central Park this summer and he played a few songs from this album, which sounded great live. "9 Crimes" was definitely a highlight of the concert. So, in conclusion, go listen to Damien Rice. If you're a little late hopping on the DR bandwagon, start by buying "O" and then "9." If you have "O," check out "9." You won't be sorry.