New Talib Kweli Album

I missed the new Talib Kweli album that just came out last Tuesday 11/22. But I just figured this out and it's downloading right now. I will write it up but need to take some time to listen to it first. Usually takes some time for his material to sink in. For anyone that knows Talib and wants it right now, click the link below. Otherwise I will report back in the next few days. Until then, you can also read the review of his last album that I wrote last year.

Talib Kweli: Right About Now (The Official Sucka Free Mix CD)


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Cleaning Up The Tivo

Yesterday, after a holiday weekend filled with way too many commitments, things finally went my way. My wife jumped out of bed and into the shower. I had no such intentions. So I popped in a DVD and grabbed the remote. Nothing like watching The Player while lying motionless in bed at noon. Not that The Player is about an over-achiever as its title might suggest. It's about the bad guy who gets away with it. So naturally, it's on my top 10 all time best movies list.

And needless to say, its theme set the tone for the rest of the day. A day that was supposed to be filled with hiking, and revising my database, and getting my call list ready for a December rally of deals to close out the year strong. All of that might have happened too. But it turns out that the shower sapped my wife's steam. So she grabbed some chocolate cupcakes we had leftover and joined me for a TV-watching marathon in the making.

Here's what we watched...

The Player:
One of the best crime dramas ever. If you have the patience. Similar to The Usual Suspects in that you have to wait till the bitter end for the payoff. But I have obsessed over this movie for years. I read the screenplay and the book, both by Michael Tolkin, who is the master of story structure. So it's only fitting that he mastered a story about telling stories.

Steal This Movie:
I had no interest in seeing a serious movie yesterday. But the cupcake provider insisted, and I was pleasantly surprised and enlightened. It was the story of Abbie Hoffman, a political activist of the 60s and 70s. Someone who was so relentless and effective in anti-war and civil rights campaigns that the CIA and FBI ruined his life and forced him underground for six years until he could prove their justification for his arrest warrant wrong. It was painfully relevant to learn about Hoffman's struggles against an autocratic war-happy administration. And the fact that Vincent D'Onofrio plays Hoffman and also plays a key role in The Player gave extra meaning and purpose to my slacking day.

Clear & Present Danger:
The DVD phase ended there, and it was freestyle surfing. Transition from a government-intrigue documentary to a government-intrigue blockbuster. Can't go wrong with boy scout Jack Ryan -- the original, not the Afflesque abberation that ruined the role in recent years -- going up against drug lords down below the border and Robert Ritter down the hall. Speaking of bad guys that get away with it ... perhaps no movie scene depicts it better than when Ritter, relaxed in his office, is watching as a satellite feed of an aerial bomb. As he eats carrots from a housewife-standard plastic bag, he says "boom" under his breath as the bomb decimates a drug dealer's summit. So sinister. So worth giving up a day hiking to watch for the 150th time.

Cleaning Up The Tivo:
After that, we decided to hit the Tivo, which is only on the main TV in the living room. It was monumentally hard to leave bed, but it was worth it to catch up on 2 Daily Shows, 3 Seinfelds, 1 Showbiz Show, 1 Simpsons, and 2 Sex & The City's. As we've said many times: one should feel no guilt when watching shows on the Tivo. It's like you're cleaning up.

Only it's much more entertaining to watch Carrie Bradshaw slink around her bathroom wearing almost nothing than it is to clean your own toilet. And on this topic: I love how they dress Carrie in stripper clothes, and it's passed off as totally acceptable. No serisously, I really love this.

Full House True Hollywood Story:
Next up was Dude Where's My Car, this generation's Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. But we toggled between that and the Full House True Hollywood Story. Turns out Bob Saget and John Stamos were at odds most of the time. No wonder. I mean, speaking of Players, I don't know how there was enough room on screen for both of those juggernauts at once. The only other time two screen legends appeared together, one of them killed the other shortly after.

As for Dude Where's My Car, what can I say. I may have to save that for a separate entry. There's so much to say. For now, I will mention one thing. I'm probably the last to know, but I can't believe that dude David who lost to that tool Jessy on the first (I think it was the first) MTV VJ contest is now hosting DVD on TV for FX. Not that I was wondering where he was. But I almost felt sorry for the guy while I was ripping on him. The dude who lost to Jessy.

Dying Hard:
Fatigue set in after about 8 hours of non-stop TV, but the pizza delivery guy helped matters, and Die Hard taught us that we needed to see this through to the end. So we flipped around for the rest of the night. Fastlane, the Maxim-for-TV cop show was the perfect balance for the grave Collateral. Then came blips of Chapelle's Show and Desperate Housewives. Malibu's Most Wanted and Octopussy, which was the low point in Roger Moore's portfolio, which isn't saying much since Moore was the low point in the Bond portfolio. Honestly, I think even Timothy Dalton was better than Moore.

Put To Sleep By Zach Braff:
The final, final stretch of my TV marathon Sunday was the first 30 minutes of Garden State, Zach Braff's self-written and directed movie that was almost as over-rated as Sideways. Don't get me wrong here. I am not saying I didn't like it. It was a good movie. Just not as good as the reviews said it was. And as a music snob, I was underwhelmed by the soundtrack that got even more buzz than the movie. All that said, I fully respect Braff for what he has accomplished. And the first 30 minuntes of Garden State are brilliant. For me, it starts to fall off when Natalie portman comes into the picture.

So that's when I finished my marathon. The guilt set in pretty heavy, so I actually read for a couple hours. It was a book called Under Radar by Michael Tolkin. It was only fitting to finish the day with the same writer that started it. Reading his book helped with the TV guilt, but I'm already sensing there's no way he can top The Player, or even his last book Among The Dead. So now that's where I am once again. Still blowing off my database and my calls. Hoping I will get to spend the day cleaning up the Tivo again soon.

Ballpark Peanut Laden Turds

The more I look at different sports media, the more I’m glad we’re shifting away from it. It’s probably a mild case of snap back resentment, but that stuff seems increasingly obtuse, formulaic and generally uninteresting. The commentary on sports coverage, etc. does nothing but make things worse. So much anger, resentment and unbridled shirt shirtery running amok.

I’m glad we got GS up to get things moving, but that was likely a misguided use of time and energy trying to attract an audience that pretty much sucks donkey nards. That feeling really congealed for me during the course of this past fantasy baseball season, with some exchanges with shirts of 100% pure combed cotton. I kept thinking, ‘damn, I’m spending time and effort trying to produce content to aggregate an audience comprised of you ballpark peanut laden turds?’

All that aside, I’m excited about our new course of action, and am putting a lot of thought into content concepts. Still need to congeal things from a stream of thoughts in my head, but there are so many more opportunities with the broader scope. I also feel confident that the different demo we’re attacking will be a lot more receptive to what we put out there.

I’m prepared for long haul to get going, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we gained traction quicker than expected. There are legions of people out there like us, or at least somewhat similar, who spend a good couple of hours a day banging their heads against their monitors, in deep despair for what they have to do to earn a paycheck every other Friday. If we can get them engaged enough to spend some of that time with the Sphere, things could be good.

Anyway, just some vented hostility channeled into energy for forward positive momentum.

On The Scene But Not With The Herd

Chiming in with another update from my music journalism class. Turns out that I missed the class where we were workingshopping our music review assignments, so I never got any formal feedback on my Blackalicious Review. But some people in class last night said they liked it. Anyway, we're on to the next assignment: feature writing.

We were asked to interview someone in class as though they were an artist, and write a 300-word profile. The main instruction from our teacher was that it had to tell a story, rather than just report biographical information. I found it very difficult to come up with a storyline on someone who is just a regular person, and also to do it in 300 words or less. But anyway, here's my assignement; it came in at 296 words. We're reviewing it on Saturday, so I will report in if I get noteworthy feedback.

Andrew Casden: On The Scene But Not With The Herd

This story is about a 24 year old San Francisco kid named Andrew Casden. But I must warn you, it lacks the malaise and self-pity hooks that drive most twenty-something story plots. It lacks the angst and drug abuse hooks too.

It’s not that Andrew hasn’t had his share of sex-addled benders and life-questioning hangovers. And it’s not that he’s obliviously happy at his day job at a video production firm.

It’s just that he keeps on pushing. With a sharp, blue-eyed stare and a genuine connection with any scene he’s involved with. Like when I met him, he was drowning his burrito in ketchup, telling me how it was nice to catch up with the corner store clerk while his dinner-on-the-run was microwaving.

And it’s no wonder there’s no room for a proper meal. As day transitions to night, Andrew transitions from video editor to club promoter for Ten15 to film production designer for the Academy of Art to writer for nightlife bible NightVibe.com.

Yet, amidst all the commitments, Andrew has no sense of entitlement, and no aura of defeat. If these perspectives are the opposite ends of a 24 year old’s mind, Andrew is dead center. And his motivation is appropriately undramatic: “When it comes to life and work, I just want to be in the right environment, and make enough money.”

Wise and humble words. Something you might hear from a seasoned media player who’s spent decades collaborating and creating. Making piles of cash. Befriending all kinds. And fostering an environment ... a scene with the right vibe.

Andrew’s story is only in it’s first chapter, but you can start to see where it’s headed. The nice guy who finishes first. The man who is on the scene but not with the herd.

Business Cards

Soon my wallet will brim with new business cards, and with them in my arsenal, you can rest assured that I'll be conducting a hell of a lot of business. Below, you can see the press release I sent out so that news organizations worldwide can report on this life-atlering event. Please stay tuned for the actual acquisition of business cards. We will issue a follow up press release at that time.

GUERILLASPHERE ORDERS BUSINESS CARDS

LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO/LAS VEGAS (November 17, 2005) – Guerillasphere, a global entertainment solutions provider, today announced plans to secure business cards within the next week and a half. The company plans on utilizing old school Swedish stylized technology, in the form of rubber stamps and ink, to create custom cards for every business occasion.

real tight crew

Guerilla crew members met at an undisclosed LA safehouse over the weekend, hashing out plans for the next major score. A consensus has emerged ... it's worth the stretch - GS is gonna stay and take down the bank.

Review of 'The Craft' by Blackalicious

I started a music journalism class last night. It's taught by Oliver Wang, a prominent music writer and also a devoted blogger on music and culture. Someone I've been a fan and follower of for a long time ... because he's a guy who is all the way committed to his craft. More than I can say for myself. Since I fancy myself a writer, but I spend most of my time at a day job so I can feed my greed for houses and cars and travel and hundred dollar bills.

Be that as it may, I still try pretty hard to write as well. So besides taking the opportunity to meet someone who's had a lot of influence on me, I am taking the class to improve my prose. Our first assignment was to pick an album that came out in the last six months and do a "capsule review" of 100 words. It's a lot harder than I thought, because it's not much space to report on the album and also entertain the reader.

So I am placing the review below. It will be interesting to see what happens after Oliver and my classmates have a chance to shred it. I will post the revision as well. But for now, I should mention that I picked a great album. So I am also placing the iTunes link in here for anyone that might want to download it after you read the review (which came in at exactly 100 words). It's well worth your short stack of one dollar bills.

Blackalicious: The Craft (Quannum/Anti, Sept. 2005)
On their aptly named third album, NorCal MC/producer duo Blackalicious continue their monastic pursuit of creative precision. Gift of Gab “didn’t come to rhyme about using a Smith & Wesson” as his meditative lyrics prove. His breakneck meter rhymes every line, and often every word (“Your Move”). Chief Xcel builds songs by layering live instrumentation on top of subtle samples and deft scratches. The Craft updates 80s new wave (“Powers”) and 70s soul (“Black Diamonds & Pearls”), but its timeless sounds are rooted in deep space funk (“Give It To You”) and as a whole, it delivers head bobbing enlightenment.

Buy 'The Craft' by Blackalicious

There Are Germs Everywhere

When I went to bed last night I felt safe and secure. And then I turned on the local news and learned that there are germs everywhere - germs, bacteria and even fecal matter (shit, for those of you that didn't study science). Now I don't feel quite so safe anymore.

This news report, which fell between a nice piece on a new set of traffic lights installed at a highly dangerous intersection, and the weather forecast for tomorrow (could be rain, but keep your fingers crossed), got me thinking about germs. Way too much thinking about germs.

There are germs everywhere. Chances are the very monitor you're looking at now is coated with germs and bacterial. The cup of coffee you're sipping out of? There could very well be trace elements of fecal matter from your office's cleaning crew, and that skivy guy from the IT department.

Germs, bacterial and fecal matter are everywhere, and there's nothing you can do about it. This stuff is probably only moments away from killing you.

At least there's only a 30% chance of intermittent showers tomorrow. If I'm going to be killed by something I caught from fecal matter, then it better happen on a relatively sunny day.

Range Rovers

The new Range Rover is a very attractive car. Sometimes I think about how different my life would be if I owned one. I know some people say that Range Rovers aren't good cars, that you need to own two of them, since one will always be in the shop. Those kind of people are just being negative. They probably drive some other car that's not nearly as cool.

Prices for Range Rovers start at $74,950. I'm not completely sure how many options that includes, but I'm going to look and report back later.

A few things that I do know come standard, includes the quietest cabin ever. To me, that's really important, since when I'm driving my Range Rover, it's critical that the cabin is a quiet as possible. It would help me think more clearly, I believe.

If you'd like to know more, visit them on the web http://www.landroverusa.com/us/en/Vehicles/home.htm

The (corn)Holiest of Holy Days

Today is a holy day. The new, Mike Judge-approved Beavis and Butthead is out on DVD. To commemorate the event, I would humbly like to offer a few thoughts on the matter.

First, to all you Amazon.com reviewers and chat-room whiners everywhere ... you have no idea what you're talking about. You complain about the new DVD is a slap in the face because it does not run in 'seasons' but rather as a 'best of.' Of the hundreds of posts I read through, only one (by 'M. Power' on Amazon) made the correct point: BnB was not written in sequence where storylines build over episodes and seasons, so presenting a DVD collection in episode format is irrelevant.

What's relevant is that Judge has selected his 40 favorites from a pool of 201 episodes of one of the funniest TV shows ever. What's also relevant is that Judge endorsed this collection. For those who got the TimeLife collection a few years back, I am sure you will agree that this will be an improvement, and worthy of an almost-permanent slot in your disc changer.

Second, I'd like to thank MTV2 and TiVo for helping me get through the dry spell between the TimeLife collection and the Mike Judge collection. As though I needed to say that TiVo rules, but TiVo rules. It RULES! It means I don't have to waste my precious TV-watching time on ads for the new 50 Cent movie (which I wouldn't pay 50 cents to see) and the latest cheesball rock band. It means I can watch uninterrupted as Beavis and Butthead are hit on by their chick counterparts in the parking lot of the Creatures of Rock concert.

In addition to Tivo, Creatures of Rock also rule. Say it to yourself a few times: Creatures of Rock. Creatures of Rock. Their videos would surely put Gwar to shame.

Which brings me to point three: Where the hell are the videos? I thought an MTV-endorsed version of the show would include the videos that BnB watch between episode segments. This social commentary was (and is) more incisive and infinitely more hilarious than than anything South Park or The Daily Show or any of VH1's shows with C-list celebrities quipping about pop culture.

Turns out MTV can show video-enhanced episodes on their channels, but they would have to pay hefty licensing premiums to every band/label featured if the videos were spliced into episodes on DVDs. There are 201 episodes, and MTV aired two episodes plus about 4 videos per show. Which means they were looking at individual licensing agreements with 402 bands/labels. Apparently, even the mighty music network didn't want this kind of hassle.

At any rate, the issue of 'Videos vs. No Videos On Beavis and Butthead' is worthy of further examination. This topic alone should be the focus of some aspiring film student's senior thesis, or perhaps be integrated into curricula at all film schools that take themselves seriously.

Until that happens, you can report in here. I will dig deeper into this topic once I've had proper time to watch the new DVD collection. But for now, I'd just like to conclude by saying that I am not proud of spending hours scouring the web for fellow fans of BnB. But it am very proud to have spent the time on behalf of my favorite timeless TV comedy next to Seinfeld. At least now I can put down the mouse, pick up the remote, and enjoy.

I know the cool BnB fans are out there somewhere amidst the whiners.

So on this (corn)holiest of holy days, I bow deeply to all of you. Wherever you may be watching your DVD. And laughing along with me.

Web Pages For The Ages

Our new site will be one for the ages. Whatever that means. I guarantee it. Personally.

Party at the moon tower

GS contributors like me are adding new accounts as we speak. Everybody's gonna be there; you oughta go.

Mind the publishing gap

Guerilla Sports has escaped its earthly confines and will take a new shape in 2006. Until then, GS ¬ underground will drop regular commentary on issues of the day and periodic updates on the new site. It's also a good way to get in touch with us if you're interested in contributing to a new Guerilla hub that goes way beyond sports.