the people's republic of socialist Romanistan

Freaks and Geeks

Didn't realize how much dancing is featured on this show.

Best Coast

Drew Barrymore directed a supervideo for Best Coast with an all-star (for me) cast. It's got Hit Girl, iCarly, Maeby and Childish Gambino.

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

She directed the feature, WHIP IT. I enjoyed it, but I'm a sucker for roller derby as well. Drew's a competent director, but nothing overly flashy or stylish. I felt some performances were left on the table in WHIP IT, but still pretty good, especially for a first time director. In this video, the post-modern West Side Story is kinda timeless and cool, but you can see the twist from a mile away, which makes it super irritating. It's a bit silly (only Donald Glover could make being a Day Trotter look cool), and I think the length hurts it. If the titles are removed and condensed it a bit, it could flow much better without losing any of the story or emotion.

Just for kicks, he's another Best Coast video. This one starring cats. With stellar casting like this, I feel like they're speaking to me personally. Time to go find more of their stuff.

"I Predict a Riot"

Raves: still alive & kicking after all these years.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0728-electric-daisy-20110728,0,57469.story

-dk

Casablanca

I'm watching _Casablanca_. I'm drinking whiskey. I have a cane by my side.

I am an 80 year old man.

-dk

CC Rider Riding

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/endorsement/charlotte-gainsbourg-trick-pony-010410

-dk

Childish Memes, Reprised

School has been kicking my ass lately but I'm resolving to increase my post output in this little private corner of the interwebs.

Hat tip to PD, one of your faithful editors, for both the template upgrade & the Childish tumblrage.

-dk

LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrslf Clean (Muppet version)

Another great Muppets clip. Especially enjoyed because now I can hear a bit of Kermit-ness in James Murphy's croon.

Though it's sad to hear about LCD's recent retirement, it's a good thing in the sense of an act stepping away from the limelight at the height of their powers.

-dk

Thank you, Charlie Rose

This is my first recollection of _The Charlie Rose Show_ at the tender age of 17. I've been a devoted follower since. One of the best American interviewers in the history of television, the show is an entertaining & easy way to keep up on the latest current event journalism of the day.

Kudos to the CR team for the in-depth repository of information that is charlierose.com.

-dk

PS: I ended up watching "Summer of Sam" during its theater run; it was my first exposure to "Baba O'Riley (Teenage Wasteland)" which I remember illegally downloading off Napster 1.0.

Pearl Jam - Dirty Frank

This song is going on twenty years old at this point. I particularly enjoy the early-90s loping funk of it all (Jeff Ament's bass is especially notable).

Pearl Jam lyrics are often hard to decipher (ex: Yellow Ledbetter) but I had heard "Frank" enough times to understand the gist: that the song was about a killer who ate his victims ("Dirty Frank Dahmer / he's a gourmet cook, yeah"), although the tone is goofy & not serious (ex: Shaft joke).

I couldn't have pieced together the entire narrative without the invaluable resource that is pearljam.com. From reading the official lyrics the complete story is that of Frank Dahmer, imagined tour bus driver for Eddie & the band. The song is written from the point of view of Vedder about how his insane tour bus driver is in fact a cannibalistic serial killer luring victims under cover of the nation-wide tour ("Wanted a pass / so she relaxed. // Now the little groupie's gettin' / chopped up in the back").

I know the single was released in the US as a b-side to "Even Flow" & later on the 2003 Lost Dogs compilation. I wonder if the grim subject matter has anything to do with its relative anonymity.

-dk