I won't be doing these every day or anything, but for the sake of getting some content up sometimes I'll just post a cover or page that I really enjoy. Today is a cover that I really enjoy from Geoff Johns' run on The Flash.
This was a "modern story" with a cover that just feels nice and old school. That "here comes a wacky story that we'll explain on the cover" thing is really sweet compared to just a portrait of the hero on the cover or whatever.
It was just in recent times that I got into DC characters beyond just Batman & Superman. Green Lantern has developed into one of my favorite characters ever and I decided I needed to give some of the more modern runs of Flash a try. Something about Flash just always felt lame to me because his rogue gallery was dorks like Captain Cold. However, I have since learned that Captain Cold will freeze and punch your goddamn jaw off:
Comics :: Cover of the Day - August 3, 2009
Comics :: The Only Exciting News Out of Comic-Con - Miracleman
Hi, I'm Brent! Long, long, looong time friend of Aj and now the resident comic nerd of this here blog. My goal when it comes to writing about comics is always to not be such a gigantic nerd that it's hard to follow along unless you're already a comic fan. Plus, I'm not exactly an all knowing fanboy myself...just a dude that likes comics.
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Coming out of Comic Con the only news that really jumped out as "OMG! NERD BONER!" worthy was the news that Marvel had purchased Alan Moore's Marvelman (Miracleman) stories and was looking into possibly reprinting them as a nice hardcover set.
While "deconstructing the superhero" is just standard operating procedure in the comic world now, Marvelman was one of the first times (if not THE first time) it was done really well. Alan Moore is a nutjob with an amazing mind for comic book writing and it truly is a shame that this story hasn't had a beautiful reprint treatment to this point. The truth is the story behind why this hasn't happened is just long and boring. If you want to read about it (and the history of the character pre-Alan Moore), just go here.
The important thing is that it may be happening sometime in the future and everyone with any interest in comics should read these stories. Miracleman features deep subject matter and graphic art (including a birth scene showing the baby emerging from the vaginal canal) that trumps most everything you get from anything in the modern comic world. The amazing thing is that for all the graphic moments it is not a "shock" tactic. The birth scene is just to bring you closer to the moment, the classic Kid Miracleman attack on London is meant to be brutal in its dipiction, shock is needed to get the point across...etc.
Speaking of Kid Miracleman (or Kid Marvelman if you prefer), he is one of the best villains in the history of comics. He is just pure evil. See the image to the right for proof.
Anyway, I could write a complete recap of the series but I'd rather hope that SOMEONE reads this and either seeks the books out once they're released in hardcover format or if you can't wait there are always torrent sites...not that I'm advocating such a thing.
Music Video :: "Crying Lightning" by Arctic Monkeys
My heart all aflutter from the new La Roux album, I managed to lose the new Arctic Monkeys single in the mix. This is big on the youtube seek and destroy list it seems, so we'll see how long this one hangs around.
I'm sold.
Music News :: Panic! At the Disco vs. The Young Veins
Blur vs. Oasis, it ain't, but the teenage myspace flame-war over the Panic At the Disco split has reached a head today as ex-Panic guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker announced their new band and song via myspace. The duo seemly have adopted a style reminiscent of their retro-60's psychedelia work on Panic At the Disco's 2008 sophomore release Pretty. Odd.
Meanwhile, Panic! guitarist Brenden Urie and drummer Spencer Smith re-added the infamous exclamation point to the band's name and have released a new track of their own via myspace, "New Perspective", that's also available on for purchase on iTunes. The song itself is yet another departure for the band, though not nearly as interesting of a departue as one might expect. A song I'd post as well, but the youtube terms of use violation gods are already all over it. You can, however, check it out at their site, and keep up with the endless stream of comments from crying high-schoolers over at The Young Veins' myspace.
Music Review :: Modest Mouse - No One's First, and You're Next
Album :: No One's First, and You're Next (EP)
Release :: 2009
Label :: Epic Records
Genre :: Indie Rock
I probably have more fond memories of Modest Mouse dating to when they were half the band they are today. Long before they were unlikely hit-makers, they were a weird vacation destination somewhere inbetween pervy post-grunge and the wontobulous world of Dr. Seuss, and a decade ago I was listening to "Never Ending Math Equation" in my car for the first time wondering what the hell was going on. What was this dude who's voice sounded like an off-key trumpet going on about, exactly? From there it was midnight shows, glorious weirdness, and that moment in 2004 when we all were left scratching our heads when "Float On" became an instant radio classic.
Being a permanent member of the thrift store Gestapo, I've seen a lot of bands be pronounced dead by the underground after a dramatic shift in what they were doing in favor of commercial success, but, with Modest Mouse it was different. With Modest Mouse, I think none of us really understand it. Isaac Brock is truly one of the least loveable front-men to ever live and America doesn't usually go in for chubby weirdos as hit musicians anymore. Like Guided By Voices before them, it seemed kinda obvious that Modest Mouse was going to be one of "our" bands forever.
Quickly closing in on twenty years of THE MOUSE, the guys have slapped together a mess of songs that weren't good enough to be b-sides to anything on their last two major releases for their new kinda-compilation EP No One's First, and You're Next, and, from that description, you might have a guess as to how it sounds.
There's very little that matches up together here. From some very classic Modest Mouse-sounding guitar noodling in fits and starts of shouting through reverbed murkiness ("The Whale Song") to the gimmicky apocalyptic ragtime jazz that started to surface from time to time on We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank ("Perpetual Motion Machine.") The EP almost serves as a career retrospective that's told through unreleased material.
Coming in at 34 minutes long and about a track short of qualifying as a proper album, No One's is probably better suited for devout fans than casual Modest Mouse listeners. It'd be easy to say "There's probably a reason this stuff never got released!" ...but in truth it's just a nice little collection of extras. Nothing more. Nothing less. 3/5
Music Review :: La Roux - La Roux
Album :: La Roux
Release :: 2009
Label :: Polydor
Genre :: Pop / Electropop
While I couldn't explain to you the exact process, as I'm not as skilled in my understanding of human anatomy as a med student (or any given commenter on Photoshop Disasters) ...but something happens between childhood and adulthood that causes your taste buds change and start to develop a favor for bitter flavors instead of just sweet ones.
Pop music is much the same way. There's plenty of one-dimensional sweetness geared more for children and teenagers, which, there's absolutely nothing wrong with. I enjoy a good pack of Starburst candies every few months or so. Just like between my stints of listening to M. Ward or Elliott Smith, I like to sometimes kick on some Fall Out Boy or Gwen Stefani and rock around in my computer chair lip synching (as to not let my roommates know about what ridiculous nonsense is taking place in my room.)
On rare occasions, every once in a blue moon or so, something comes along that's the perfect amount of both. ...The Heath Bar (or Skor bar, if that's your game.) A grand combination of childish sweetness and pretentious sophistication.
With so many cheap electropop-revival acts floating around, La Roux actually come off as though they've been unearthed from a time capsule. Some opening act for The Human League that were locked in a cryogenic chamber and thawed in a time period where there would be flying cars and a cure for terminal boneitus.
And, as an added bonus to that authentic feeling, they're really fucking good as well. Go figure.
Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid pack their self-titled debut full-length with a bundle of instant dancefloor shout-along classics including "In For the Kill" "Colourless Colour" and the impossibly memorable "Bulletproof," which, even in living under a rock for a few months, I managed to hear.
Personally, any time I hear a catchy electropop single, I immediately think about "Ice Cream" by New Young Pony Club, and assume it's one decent track meant to sell to TV ads and the rest of the album is trash, but the bulk of La Roux more than holds itself up under the weight of "Bulletproof."
Now, it's doubtful that La Roux will change you in some deeply spiritual way. If you didn't like the sound of synthesizers before, one quirky redhead with terrible 80's make-up and a good voice isn't going to change your mind. But if you're tired of Lady Gaga being the only viable pop act floating around this year, and can manage to listen to a record without a T-Pain collaboration on it (I can, but it's hard,) then it's definitely worth your time to check out. 4/5
Music Video :: "Bulletproof" by La Roux
Kind of a weak year so far for good pop singles, but my fiance threw this one my way tonight. With everything going on the past couple months I've sort of been off step with my jams, but this is pretty instantly memorable though. Fantastic video as well.
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