No really, here's why Twitter is great.

I know what you're thinking and I already get the sense that you will feel like that me talking about the goodness of Twitter is old hat. And it is, quite honestly. The journalistic reasons of breaking news isn't really valid when most of the breaking news is too apathetic-sounding anyway, and I didn't get on Twitter with the intent of knowing what Demi Moore ate this morning. That said, there are moments that do make me smile and do give the feeling of community in Twitter and warm, fuzzy, cold, internet-based feelings of happiness for my fellow man:

- Amanda Palmer's Twitter account (twitter.com/amandapalmer)

Ms. Palmer is the engenue behind the wildly fascinating punk cabaret group The Dresden Dolls and released a fine solo album last year. And in the past three months, she has taken to Twitter as something of a respite. Currently, she is in a fight with Roadrunner Records due to their poor efforts at promoting her work as well as an incident where Palmer's weight was questioned on the set of a music video. And yet because of her Twitter, you don't get the vibe that she's consistently angry about this, in fact, she's used it to better her career. She currently has around 25,000 followers, uses the account to inform about secret concerts, a high school play she is doing based around The Diary of Anne Frank and Neutral Milk Hotel (seriously), or to even bring up that she's drinking wine.

- Awesome Kong's Twitter account (twitter.com/awesomekong)

Might as well geekily explain, Awesome Kong is a female professional wrestler whose gimmick on TV is that of a pure monster. She never speaks and simply beats people up with no guilt about what she does. Which even in the world where she is obviously playing a character on TV is more strange when perusing her Twitter. She obviously speaks, and more than that, she's ACTUALLY FUNNY. A lot of it will be greek to non-wrestling fans, but eh, it's my blog and she's still funny to me, dammit!

- Eddie Argos (twitter.com/eddieargos)

A great man with a great semblance to myself. Only I haven't been involved in three great albums of music and might not entirely be excited about everything like Mr. Argos is. I'm also not 28 yet. I don't know where this is leading to, other than the fact that Argos once admitted that he shaved his mustache because it made him look like he was 40. Oh, and a friend tells me that he is great live. Take that for what you will.

Enough of this. Look up Twitter. Yes, even I'm on it.

Narcissism!

Again in lieu of meaningful content, I will give you links to all of the music review work I've done for the CW in the year so far, just in case you missed it or you wanted to have intense disagreements about the quality of music. Anyways, here we go! (And this is in chronological order, even.) Also, remember the star ratings are out of four.

(January 21st, 2009) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (***1/2)

(January 29th, 2009) Andrew Bird - Noble Beast - (***)

(February 6th, 2009) The Fray - Self-Titled - (*1/2, which is the actual grade)

(February 12th, 2009) Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You - (***1/2)

(February 19th, 2009) Special Feature on Winter's Hidden Treasure

(February 26th, 2009) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (***1/2)

(March 12th, 2009) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz (**1/2)

(March 26th, 2009) Chris Cornell - Scream (*)

(April 24th, 2009) Silversun Pickups - Swoon (**1/2)

(April 30th, 2009) Bob Dylan - Together Through Life (**)

And obviously, on to the summer and next semester, there will be more reviews being done. Hope you enjoy what has come before, though.

A start to a lament on the film industry.

When I was in my early teens, you do not know the obsession that I had with movies. I watched dozens and dozens of movies in those days with an intent of having an opinion on them, and dammit, if anybody was going to ask me about the quality of Swimfan, then I would have a great answer for them. This I knew for certain.

Then I guess I grew up. My habit was plagued by poor economic circumstances mixed in with frankly having no desire to watch crappy movies. I once had a free ticket to Doom which I used. Also, I forgot how much I hated that movie until I reminded myself of that just now. But either way, I just lost it.

Worse yet, this year was the true moment of uncare. I finally realized at the ripe old age of 19 something that's been obvious for years, that films have simply lost their cahones. None of the major releases seem to take chances that lead to successful results. Tropes like the ridiculous action movie or even the film that takes a chance are the last bastions of true artistic expression we have as a society. Everyone's favorite movie when they were a kid was the Schwarzenegger/Stallone action films. Were any of these features smart? No. But they showed one guy killing a bunch of guys and things that only exist in the tropes of action movies. These things made two funny Hot Shots movies possible and made millions smile.

However, we're dawning into scary times. The Rambos of the world are dying off, and action movies that embrace pure ridiculousness are being seen by lesser and lesser people. And yet, PG-13 horror films, PG-13 comic adaptations that forget that the basic essence of the character is R-rated (Wolverine), and PG-13 genre flicks have ruled the roost, trying to pass themselves off as serious entertainment and taking no risks. Where is the cahones, guys?

Crank 2: High Voltage came out a month back to zero fanfare whatsoever. This movie is exactly the perfect hate it or love it film, however, because it is non-stop violence, non-stop depravity, and a complete embrace that everything that has happened in the film is completely ridiculous. It is disturbing at times and wonderful at barraging the senses with pictures that are hard to turn away from, all the while Jason Statham continues to add to a reputation as secretly one of the funniest guys in film. Crank 2 has made all of $14 million at the U.S. box office.

Watchmen would be another example of putting true cahones to an idea of making the exact film that you want. And yet, Warner Brothers has lost money on the project and even the same critics that would normally be impressed by a literal adaptation felt that the film was just not good enough.

A laundry list of these films could be placed: Next Day Air, which actually has the wherewithall to make its stoner leads unlikable, is currently getting beaten by the stunningly casual Star Trek. Observe and Report failed because Hannah Montana is more popular (and okay, a dark R-rated comedy doesn't beat a G-rated family pic). I'd even go so far as to say that Battle for Terra was a risky picture that just unfortunately failed (and was oddly message-filled for a kids film, similar to another risky failure in 2008's City of Ember). 

Either way, I'm a little disappointed for the future. I won't suddenly hate movies or anything, but please, someone, I'm begging you, take that risk and just go out there. I don't know if I'm fully ready to swallow another Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Things that are good right now:

- Bat for Lashes

The latest album from the British chanteuse is entitled Two Suns, and my god, it is wondrous music. There is not enough music these days that mixes a sensual atmosphere with heartbreaking lyrics and makes everything work. It isn't even too woe-is-me in comparison to Portishead (and I love Portishead). All the raves Two Suns has earned in the American and British press are pretty well justified, it's a solid contender for record of the year.

Video for "Daniel," the first single from Two Suns.

- St. Vincent

Since I got a listen to St. Vincent's second full-length record Actor, I found myself falling in love with this delicate woman named Annie Clark. Annie Clark is the curator of St. Vincent, a project that managed to come out of the ground after Clark toiled in obscurity with indie rock titans Sufjan Stevens and The Polyphonic Spree. Before, I mentioned that her first album was a great buried find in the recurring feature (recurring as in once) The Hidden Stuff on this very blog. However, Actor is a natural evolution in a good way. Clark's quirky instincts make her experimental instincts make sense. And Actor is just awesome.

And now, other things that I'm too lazy to write about, but that if you look up, you'll love:

- Stereolab

- Deerhoof

- Joakim Noah's perplexing behavior

- NewsRadio on Hulu

- the WHO's idiocy causing 300,000 pigs to die because the thing is called SWINE flu

- women, if they criticize guys for going to movies fully intent to see attractive women in it, when the only reason any of them enjoyed Wolverine was for eight-pack Hugh Jackman

- The Bulls/Celtics series, except for the last game

- Crank 2

- I'm out of things to write.