Spin's latest issue was pretty audacious (and a little self-serving, I think). They listed the "Top 100 Albums from 1985 - Now," and the results were kinda sketchy. Pretty much anyone is going to disagree with about half of the albums they included, and then debate the rankings of the rest. It was like all of the writers and editors got together and said, "Hey, let's pull out our ten favorite CDs that no one else likes that much and wax poetic." Still, I think the selection of OK Computer as number one was spot on, and Chuck Klosterman's review did it justice in the eight years since its release.
BUT, the best thing about the issue was the fact that a DVD of the pilot episode of Stella (starring Michael Ian Black's sketch comedy team) was included. If you don't know about Stella, I suggest you check it out on Tuesday night on Comedy Central. Or you can check their site out, which has lots of funny stuff on it as well. It's bizarre, but the guys are charming enough, and Mr. Black is one of the funniest guys on the block right now.
Last night, I saw an ad for some sort of soy milk product or something, but it featured a stuntwoman on a motorcycle. This stuntwoman's name happened to be Jennifer Caputo. Pretty cool... perhaps some distant cousin of mine? Who knows?
Wish I had more interesting things to talk about.
It's been another week filled with boxing... we've finally started playing the big boxing event on Channel 11... the one from two or three months ago. I haven't had a chance to set my VCR, of course. On Tuesday night I saw Cinderella Man, which was very good. Russell Crowe was good, but Paul Giamatti once again made the movie his. One of the better boxing movies I've seen, mostly because the hero wasn't a scumbag (like Jake Lamotta in Raging Bull) and the ending was uplifting (unlike Million Dollar Baby). Last night, I watched the Tyson v. McBride fight with Nicky and some other peeps. Mike decided not to come out for the seventh round. I'm not a Tyson fan as it is, so the result was pleasing, and the fight was better than I expected it to be.
I recommend Coldplay's X&Y to anyone who has enjoyed their music so far. It's big... I think that's the best way to describe it. They've shown flashes of 'big' sound before, but not 'big' in an overblown sort of way. Not many bands can accomplish such a thing; like Radiohead, they are able to create songs that are expressive on many levels. Each instrument seems to have its own personality, and it comes together very well. Sure, a lot of their stuff can get sappy and sentimental, but it's very strong music that can win a Grammy and still be embraced by rock-elitists like myself.
However, I more heartily endorse The White Stripes' fifth album, Get Behind Me, Satan. Jack and Meg keep on keepin' it real. I wasn't quite sure of how to look at Get Behind Me because a lot of the songs are piano-driven and lack Jack's incredible guitar skills. But once I gave it a couple of extra spins, I found that it keeps getting better. Their most eclectic album since De Stijl, but that never hurt anybody, now did it? Great stuff once again... check it out.
Greg and I did manage to get out to the driving range the other day. My new clubs are very nice... I've got to get used to using the driver it came with, but with enough practice it should be a formidable weapon. Greg was afraid of it. Tomorrow night is going to be a blast... a bunch of guys from work as well as myself have organized a wiffleball game, and if all goes according to plan, things should go over pretty well. It's been a long time coming, and I'm hoping that it spawns a new 'league' for us.
Tuesday should be cool, as well... two of my favorite bands, Coldplay and The White Stripes, are putting out new albums. I have to admit that the Stripes album has me more excited, but that might be because I just found out about it about a week ago. How does that happen, anyway? Oh well... I expect that both will be pretty damn good.
Hey now! It's been a pretty long time since I posted a real NP1 Film, and after hitting a couple of snags on my way to the "4th Anniversary Spectacular," I've decided to scrap that idea and just make more (and probably better) videos. So forget the anniversary stuff, here's the return of NP1 Films, with what I think might be the best offering to date, technically speaking. Sure, it's all done like an episode of Jackass, but this time around, thanks to Dean and Mike, I was able to use TWO cameras to get footage. Also, I put more tricks to use while editing that made the whole thing flow pretty well. I hope you all enjoy it. Just click the screengrab above and you'll be on your way!
By the way, if anyone wants to participate in future NP1 Films, just let me know. Please. I'm begging you.
Well, it's June now, and I still haven't had the opportunity to play any golf. I've got brand new clubs and they've still got the plastic wrap on them. Hopefully, that'll all change today, as long as the weather clears up. Greg and I are hoping to hit the driving range and get our swings back.