Skins

Call me a twat, but I fucking love this show. In spite of (or maybe due to) the fact that I have no cable, and don't really watch TV when I do. Especially comedic dramas. Or dramatic comedies. Or whatever.
Anyway, I haven't been this into a program since I was all about Ikebukuro West Gate Park whilst living in Japan. Somewhat akin to that show, Skins is a bit of post-Larry Clark (parents have all skipped town) youth scenario. High tension (dual Japanese meaning here) dramatic scenes countered with frenetic hilarity or action. Here, IWGP's bowling and gang fights replaced with pill-popping and house-trashing. At any rate, well-written and paced, often laugh-out-loud funny, good soundtrack, and a brilliant coda to season one (I think I mean that somewhere between the American and British meanings). I almost like English people again.

(Any yeah that's the chubby kid from About a Boy.)

Rest Comfortably

I was saddened to hear the news today that the brilliant George Carlin had passed away. I can remember sneaking around at night to catch a glimpse of Carlin doing his now famous “Seven words you can’t say on TV” routine while my dad watched it on cable. It was more than the adolescent fun of hearing a comedian repeatedly cussing and getting away with it. My young mind was truly entertained and enlightened by the insights of this potty-mouthed philosopher. From that day on I was hooked and gradually learned the power of words.

Good books, good God.

Man has screwed things up for himself; he will devolve, perhaps, and become but a beast, so he better start learning how to talk like one.

R.I.P. to one of E.S.T.

So sad to hear that the pianist and founding member of Swedish jazz group e.s.t. (Esbjorn Svensson Trio) died recently at the age 44 as reported by Giant Step.

Esbjorn Svensson and his group were credited with bringing jazz to younger artists and it made me wonder what makes jazz music like the above (that I was put onto by the always trustworthy Gilles Peterson) more accessible to more than just the "jazz cat" aficionados? Is it the focus on the bass? Is it the heavy drums like in Roy Hargrove’s Forget Regret and The Bad Plus’ Flim? To me it’s just good music and a sense of emotion that draws me in and makes me think things like “This is how it should be done!”

“Where are all my real life (jazz) documentarians at?” ~ Mos Def

A day late, but...

A DJ friend challenged me to a quick re-edit contest last week. Figured I'd post a little post-birthday love, so have a listen.

I am a happy semi-hypocrite.

The Sondre Lerche concert at Joe's Pub was 70 minutes of constant smile, chills every song, intimate fan-fucking-tasticness.