* “Likable characters are for weak-minded narcissists.”–Daniel Clowes. That quote just really needed to be present on this blog. (Hat tip: Matthew Perpetua.)
* Frank Miller is totally blogging on a regular basis. That’s so awesome. I can’t find an RSS feed but there’s gotta be one, right? (Via JK Parkin.)
* Recently on Robot 6:
* and the comics arguments you never want to hear again. So far, I think I agree with the listing of almost every such argument in the comment thread.
* Am I crazy to think that the guy suing Heroes for ripping off his dopey comic may have a case?
* Now that’s shelf porn. I think the most entertaining shelf porn is the sort where you can’t imagine living the life that would lead you to compile this particular shelf-porn configuration but find it hugely impressive nonetheless; that’s certainly the case for me here.
* I can’t really imagine that anyone reading this blog has any interest in the music of Eric Whitacre, and it’s not like I’m gonna front and say I know a whole lot about contemporary choral music–my knowledge and fandom begins and ends with Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen–but the guy is stupid talented and makes the most heartrendingly beautiful music I’ve ever heard. He’s forming his own ensemble and recording a complete choral works album with them, which is terrific news and will serve as a great gateway into his stuff for interested parties beginning this autumn. In the meantime, I think you can listen to everything he ever wrote on his site; start with “Lux Aurumque.”
* Speaking of music, boy, did I ever need this new Underworld song.
he’s got the action figures in front of corresponding comics!
Huh. Guess I’m a weak-minded narcissist.
I suppose I’ll have to learn to live with that.
I am not yet prepared to give the all-clear signal for Underworld – that last album was pretty dire, and this is coming from as dyed-in-the-wool of an Underworld fan as you’re likely to find – but it is a definite improvement over anything on the last album simply for having a tempo that could be described as anything above asleep. The proof will be in the album version – hopefully longer and harder? (Wow, that’s an unintended sexual metaphor, but strangely apt.)
David: I know!
Matt: I know!
Tim: There’s a bizarrely disproportionate number of Underworld superfans among comics-internet types. You apparently, me, Andy Khouri, Sam Humphries, Kevin Church…Anyway I love Oblivion with Bells to pieces, so I have to part ways with you there. I first heard Crocodile, Beautiful Burnout, and Glam Bucket during a UW concert in Central Park and was pretty floored by the new sound, and I think it holds up great as a record. (Boy, Boy, Boy is another highlight.)
Here’s the full length version of Scribble–starts around the 38:30 mark. It incorporates more recognizable elements of You Do Scribble, if you’re familiar with that from live shows.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s9xjf
Yeah, I guess we part ways – Boy, Boy, Boy was my go-to example for just how *bad* that album was. I mean, I guess we can agree to disagree, but putting that album up against Beaucoup Fish or Dubnobass seems to me to be an exercise in cruelty. I mean, bad albums do happen to good artist – REM released Around the Sun and it was such a shocking load of crap that it resulted in a violent course-correction for the better. I think OWB was pretty terrible, and as long as the newer material is better than that I’ll be pleased as punch. You have no idea how painful it was for me to come to the realization that I really hated an Underworld album, but I really hated OWB.
But still, it’s not a concept album about Imelda Marcos, so it’s at least got that going for it.