Great Expectations

I want to hate Gaslight Anthem, I really do. At first listen their music seems like what it is - a rip off of Bruce Springsteen, punked up a bit. Then I found this acoustic version of "Great Expectations":
The Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations (acoustic on AP)

Which led me to give them another chance. Their stuff grows on you - quickly. The more I listen the better they get.

And for the record - The Boss is a bit of a guilty pleasure, so that may bias my opinion here.

The Impossible Cool

Here is a blog dedicated to awesome photos of "cool" icons. All of them are celebrities in some way but photographed in a fashion that is lost today. Each photo is a link to wiki info about the particular person. Worth a look.



The Impossible Cool

Let the Right One In...

Summer is sucking up all of my time between obligations, work, traveling and having good times overall. Thus a lull in production here...

Just watched a great Swedish movie last night. About vampires. I know what you're thinking... Swedes make movies? Good ones? And a good vampire movie? Isn't that an oxymoron? Don't get me wrong; I enjoy the occasional vampire movie, but by definition they are usually cheesy and cliche. If that's what you're in the mood for then they're great.

But I digress, this movie was genuinely good - great plot, great directing and incredible acting by some talented kids. A little slow in spots but one of the best movies I've seen in quite a while...

B-boy...

I've always wished that I could breakdance. It's on that list of "cool" stuff that just isn't something I'll ever be good at due to a combination of natural clumsiness and poor balance. (see also: skateboarding, surfing, etc.) But I still enjoy it and this guy is one of the best. Who knew Italians were good at breakdancing?

Hip Hop

I'm a lover of all intelligently crafted music, no matter what genre. Hip hop is one genre that I have to be in the mood for. With warm weather around the corner, my latest mix has the perfect feel for enjoying sunny days with the windows down and the sunroof back...
http://8tracks.com/idinspired/hip-hop-mix-1

Plastic Jesus

On with my love of intimate live performances... I was reminded the other day of the scene in "Cool Hand Luke" in which Paul Newman plays this song after learning of the death of his mother. An amazing scene from one of my all-time favorite movies...

Astral Weeks

Van Morrison, especially his early stuff, will always hold a special place for me. Discovering his music represents a part of my life that I'll always hold dear,and I have Jannette to thank for that. While I'm not a huge fan of the Frames, and I'll admit I haven't seen the movie "Once", Glen Hansard has blown me away with his reinterpretation of Astral Weeks. I love covers, especially when the artist makes it his own and Glen has managed to do just that with one of my favorite Van songs from his first solo album, which is incredible from start to finish if you've never experienced it. Here's a clip from one of his solo shows: