All right! (I'm not really that enthused/psyched, but I want to keep up this trend of starting posts with exclamations. It provides the reader with a sense of urgency and excitement. [A feeling that immediately dissipates once he or she finishes an extensive parenthetical aside, such as this.]) There!
So, thanks to Adam's input, I was all ready to go see The Avett Brothers Saturday night. But then, the next day, I received the new Lucero album. And, as Adam said, it's "so goddamn good." Knowing that they're probably going to play a majority of the new record really makes this a tough decision. In addition to the songs Adam mentioned, "What Are You Willing to Lose?" is perhaps the catchiest tune on the CD. If that song doesn't end up on the radio -- and it probably won't -- the radio is seriously missing out on a huge hit. I also thoroughly enjoy "Hey Darlin' Do You Gamble?" Maybe I just like song titles with question marks in them. But yeah, wow. I, too, lament the loss of some kick-ass lead guitar, but this is probably my favorite album by them. And, as much as I love the new Avett Brothers record, I think I like the Lucero album better... Damn it, why do they both have to be playing on the same night?
I saw Inglorious Basterds yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I realized, about two-thirds of the way into the movie, that Tarantino does a fantastic job of creating tension in small, quiet scenes. Meaning, there aren't many epic shots of combat, ala Saving Private Ryan. Instead, it's usually two, three, four people talking. But the situations are so ripe with power (who has it?) and secrets (who knows what?) that it makes for a very tense scene, even though nothing much happens. Also, he raises a The Wire-esque question: What's the difference between the two sides? They both operate in essentially the same manner. What really separates the "good guys" from the "bad guys"? Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, I'd recommend checking it out.
In two days, I'm finally seeing The Gaslight Anthem live. Can't wait. In the mean time, I'm going to continue debating who to see on Saturday night.
I think we should comment on our posts all the time. It makes us look cool when we have comments. Aside from that, though, I have the following things to say:
ReplyDeleteI'm prepared at this point to say Lucero's new album is their best since Tennessee. Honestly, I'm surprised it's so good. The last few albums have been solid but not exceptional. This one is absolutely exceptional. It really sucks that bands supporting two of the best albums of the year are playing on the exact same day there.
I also saw Inglorious Basterds and my review is the same. There wasn't as much Nazi killing as I thought there would be, but no one in the world can put as much tension into watching two people talk as Tarantino. His movies are always essentially people sitting around not doing much, but there's something about them that makes them much more than that.