Those of you who don’t know, this past week & weekend was Comic Con. A 4 day gathering of all things Comics, Video Games, Toys, Fantasy & Sci-Fi… just overall dorkdom. The best part about the convention are the panels which range from chats with comic artists/writers to partial Movie screenings to question and answer sessions with some of your favorite TV Show casts and crews. This year marked the last ever Lost panel since the show is entering it’s final season.
I wasn’t able to attend because there are so many other things all happening at once and I really didn’t feel like camping out for hours of my day for what has now been graciously uploaded to Youtube.
I know there are a lot of Lost fans on the Bloglin, so above is a fake America’s Most Wanted segment about Kate (shown at SDCC 09) while below is the entire (in 4 parts) Lost Panel from SDCC 2009 with Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Michael Emerson (Ben) and producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. Questions get answered!!!
Ohio’s Party of Helicopters were one of the more interesting Post-Hardcore bands to come to up earlier this decade. The band was epitomized by their Shoegazer inspired melodic sweeps over very prominent guitar licks that would range from Mathcore, Prog and even Stoner rock. They were quite eclectic, ambitious and really stood out from the tide of other Post-Hardcore bands. I liken them to a mix of My Bloody Valentine, Unwound & Queens of the Stone Age.
Formed by guitarist Jamie Stillman (perhaps best known as the drummer for cult fave Harriet the Spy/New Terror Class) in the mid 90s, Party of Helicopters released a handful of EPs, 7″ and debut LP Abracadaver before releasing this in 2000 (after Harriet the Spy’s breakup).
Unfortunately I don’t think Party of Helicopters really got the attention or credit they deserved and called it quits in 2004 after releasing 4 albums with members going on to play in a variety of other bands. They do however reform sporadically for the occasional show in Ohio it seems.
I’m super psyched it’s no longer called T2on or whatever the fuck it was named a little while ago, and this teaser for Tron Legacy is the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. Clu, muhrafuckers, Clu.
This movie looks completely retarded with the exception of Craig Robinson. I was pretty bummed until BLAM Craig popped up with that lovable coke face of his. It reminded me of his Superbad cop car confessional out take:
Seattle lo-fi quartet The Intelligence have taken off their dark shades with their newest release, Fake Surfers, and embraced pop references over the doomsday tendencies of 2007′s Deuteronomy.
While past releases found the band mingling post-punk roots with garage execution and a healthy dose of noise, Fake Surfers lives up to its title, full of fuzzy ambiance and distorted surf rock. To limit description of the album’s sound to a single genre would be selling this release short. Elements of noise pop and British rock mix with surf stylings and just enough of the lo-fi punk meets garage sound the act is known for to keep long-time fans from crying foul.
Those unfamiliar with The Intelligence might feel Fake Surfers is more noise than pop, but this is a band with a knack for hiding melodies underneath a wall of sound. Both “Warm Transfers” and “Thank You God For Fixing The Tape” are perfect examples of this dynamic at play. The music of The Intelligence has always required a bit of patience to fully process, and Fake Surfers, with its wide range of reference points, is a complex album that necessitates several listens.
Reality is tough. And relationships with breathing humans can just be the pits. So why not fall in love in 2-D?
This here is Nisan and Nemutan. Nemutan is a pillow. Nisan met her at a comic book convention and has been in love ever since. Nisan says “When I die, I want to be buried with her in my arms.” I wonder what Nemutan thinks about this.
The guru of the 2-D love movement, Toru Honda, has said “Pure love is completely gone in the real world. As long as you train your imagination, a 2-D relationship is much more passionate than a 3-D one.”
I don’t know about you guys but I’m done with humans. Get me a pillow boyfriend now!
A lot of public access programming consists of unhip squares with nothing interesting to contribute to society. They pay their $25 bucks a month and the station is required to show whatever they dump out. I interned for the public access station in Salem, MA and the plethora of nonsense we were forced to air was physically painful (see: backyard wrestling set to Green Day). But there are those diamonds out there that rise above and use the format for the greater good of mankind. Case in point: The Uncharted Zone, “the most important music program on the Gulf Coast.” It’s based out of Florida, but the vibe is more like it’s being beamed down from a space station, shaped like a flying-V. The hosts, Phil Thomas Katt and Tommy Robinetti bring viewers “uncharted” music from across the U.S. while looking like methed-out versions of Ric Ocasek and Billy Bob Thorton. Here’s some choice cuts from ‘da Zone:
Mark Gormley: “Without You”
If Mark Gormley looks a little under the weather, it’s only because the dude’s gone VIRAL! “Without You” is on it’s way to a million hits, garnering Gormley media attention and a horde of groupies in Pensacola. Gormley even declined an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. In your face Kimmel! In the video, Gormely appears to travel from Bermuda to Mordor in search of his true love: a woman.
Mike Diamond: “Our Freedom’s Fading Fast”
Mike Diamond is a man on a mission: to bring the U.S. back to its Puritan, God-fearing roots. He stresses the importance of going back to the way “things used to be” and uses images of the moon, tree branches, and tents to really drive this message home. At 3:09 it looks like he’s in an anime. He also recorded the “Ballad of the Uncharted Zone” because he thinks he’s better than Mark Gormley.
G2 and JD Eyebrows: “Go Up To Your Room”
Don’t worry hip hop fans, the Zone didn’t leave you out in the cold. This video was “put together” by Katt himself and it reflects the impact of divorce on an only child. Just remember G2, it’s not your fault! Katt cuts in at 2:00 to drop some behind the scenes info on us, then he cuts in again at 4:00 to state: “Documented the music. I’m Phil Thomas Katt.” Yes you are, Katt, and don’t ever change.
