The Politics of the Pool Hall

My head is killing me and I detect inklings of a heartburn storm on the day's horizon. To the best of my recollections there were bottles of OV, pool, and a lot of crappy 90's music.

I'm a victim of my own devices.

To commemorate the weekend I think I'm taking the day off. You know, kick my feet up and relax after all the hard work I've been doing.

Try some King Khan and BBQ Show on for size, it goes down nicely with the day.

Yes sir, Saturday it is.

Maybe The Young Just Ain't Listenin'

Just finished reading an interview Pitchfork did with frontman of The Strokes and recent solo-adventurer, Julian Casablancas. I'm in the midst of finishing a review of Casablancas' solo effort, Phrazes for the Young, for Boom Box so I've been scanning a lot of his interviews lately. This month's issue of SPIN had a similar vibe (save for the talk of video game design and Ben Franklin) with another bleak standoffish comment in regard to the future of The Strokes and more so the struggle to record this illusive followup to 2006's First Impressions of Earth - which was also considered the least commercially and critically received album in the band's discography.

Anyways the interview with Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal was fairly run-of-the-mill until the last few blurbs. Take a look:

Pitchfork: I read in a recent interview in the Guardian that Benjamin Franklin is one of your heroes and that you have dreams of inventing things. What kind of inventions do you have in mind?

JC: I don't know why I say these things in interviews. I'm just talking about practical, silly stuff. For example, a piece of luggage that also turns into a luggage cart. I might sell stuff on a website in the near future and see how it goes.

I've always had a serious desire to design video games, too. Mostly because there are a few things about video games that drive me nuts. Like, when you're playing a car game and you think, "Why can't I make a right turn here?" Or when you're James Bond and you can't turn around and shoot the guy because you aim at the ceiling and then the floor.

Pitchfork: Maybe you're just not that good at these games.

JC: [Laughs] No, I'm not explaining myself well.

Pitchfork: Do you have an idea for your own video game?

JC: No. I mean, yes...but I can't bring myself to get into it. It's embarrassing.

Pitchfork: C'mon.

JC: I have this one crazy idea. Do you remember Mario Kart for Nintendo 64? Well, something like that but the cars would all be from movies and TV shows, like the 60s Batmobile or the "Knight Rider" one or the "Dukes of Hazzard" car. Stupid ideas like that. You end up playing a lot of video games on the road.

Posted by Ryan Dombal on November 6, 2009 at 8 a.m.

I'll admit I was never one of those huge fans of The Strokes. Not that I had anything against them it was more a matter of never finding the opportunity to dive right in. You know there are those prototypical "Stroke fans" that give off a certain vibe? I used to have a weird appreciation for those types for some strange reason. Finally a couple years back I dove into their discography head first by dedicating a solid two weeks to nothing but their garage rock revival playing through my iPod. It was enjoyable, surprisingly so actually.

Afterwards I dabbled in Strokes' guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr's solo efforts which were likewise great albums. They had this sort of dreamy, calmness about them which, at the time, I thought was a big evolution from his work with the band.

The cover art for Phrazes is pretty rad though - it's a rendition of the old RCA logo.

Well, sort of.

Since listening through Casablancas' album I'm wondering what the future of The Strokes will even look like - if there is one, of course. Phrazes was recorded in three different studios (NYC, LA, and Nebraska - seriously) which is noticeable between the jumbled tracks. I'm not really diggin' it too much which is a downer cause I was hoping for a lot more order to it.

Check out the video for "11th Dimension", it reminds me of a cheap 80's beat sure to catch your ear at first but gnaw at it by repeat play. Maybe that's a lil' too harsh but I think the album in it's entirety is kind of frustrating. Just sayin'.

Well, you can't win 'em all.

(I really screwed up the formatting on this thing today - apologies folks)

The Art of the Deal

Applying for jobs the past six months has given me a keen eye for what not to do.

I consider myself a maven of the misspelled company name, a connoisseur of cover letter typos, and above all a reputed offender of irrelevant resume accomplishments (Prom King 2005). It isn't easy being this good at being bad but I think it's safe to say I've cut enough teeth getting here.

One time I applied for a job at a magazine specializing in law and policy change to which I accidently sent my cover letter from CBC applying for a production assistant gig on "The Hour". Needless to say I didn't get a call back. Offering my musical taste and appreciation for George went fairly unappreciated in terms of Canadian law. Well, I assume anyhow.

Another fine memory was when I was going through a phone interview for a receptionist job at Cirque du Soleill (okay, okay, just picture how hilarious your work day would be walking to your desk dodging midget twins doing backflips off each other while on fire...I'm guessing) while I was waiting inline at the sketchy Mcron's on Queen and Spadina. I've got a pounding headache from the night before and to top it off the staff can't seem to solve the complex game of the Xtra Value Menu I was ordering from. Again, the interview was a lil' awkward for both of us seeing as I have some of the craziest McDonald's lovers Toronto's downtown core has to offer yelling overtop of me while the poor woman is trying to ask about my experience in the arts community (which I was winging because I don't really have any). Long story short, I grabbed the next greasy brown bag they put on the counter and hightailed it out of there to finish this godawful conversation. I didn't get the job and ended up with someone else's meal. That's a pretty epic fail even in my books.

Not my finest moment, but then again not my worst by a long-shot

Now, jobs are one thing but when you're dealing with the idea of unpaid internships you've got to remember it's you in the driver's seat - well, kind of. This summer I got offered a four-month internship with hours ranging from 40-70/week without so much as a dime passed my way. To make things worse it was with Moses Znaimer's latest project, Zoomer Media the brains behind Toronto's IdeaCity. Maybe it was an excellent opportunity or MAYBE their offices on Queen and York gave the impression that they were cashing in (pun!) on the latest and greatest batch of naive post-secondary graduates. For purely cynical reasons I'm going with the latter. They didn't even offer to pay TTC fees. That's cold, baby.

If I can't get a job with Cirque du Soleill or Moses than I don't want nothin'. Luckily we're in a time when one can afford to learn from their mistakes. Fast-food interviews and bargain-basement internships have no place in the job market. Trust me.

Now hiring.

Have you ever felt so goddamn strong?

Today is a good day.

I finally got my grubby mitts on a copy of The Wooden Sky's latest release, If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone. I'm roughly halfway through it at the moment and let me say it is ONE SAD BASTARD album. Don't get me wrong, it's really good but these Torontonians are not known for their poppy beats.

The guys' last album, When Lost at Sea, was similarly folky but didn't have the same breadth the new one feels like having. Both excellent records by the way, sure to tug away at any any all heartstrings. No joke- consider yourselves warned.

Take a listen for yourself.

From their latest effort

So, the numbers on this thing are gettin' pretty high these days. That can only mean there're freeloaders amidst the blogosphere snaking wit and wisdom without as much as a comment to contribute. Luckily Songs & Cigarettes doesn't offer too much so, ugh, I guess we'll just call it even...?

Too bad about those Phillies by the way. Fortunately I became a Yankees' fan by the bottom of the sixth so I guess that sorta makes me a wagon burner, huh? Can I even say that?

It's all in context people, all in context.

Get Happy.

You know, things aren't so bad. The weathers gone to shit but that's expected.

Here, this one's on me.

It's getting colder. No doubt about that but hell, we've got synthesizers to keep us warm.

Wagons East

I'm the biggest Phillies fan EVER.

For realsies.

I decided halfway through last night's game that I now bleed Philadelphia red. I don't watch baseball save for the latter half of the World Series (hence my newfound love of the Phillies). Consider this the jump on the proverbial bandwagon and let me be the first to say it is mighty comfy onboard.

In all honesty I'd say I actually watched two innings with some sense of attention. Otherwise I was far too occupied hunting for a wet-nap among the mountain of chicken wings before me. You know, the one thing you can count on while eating wings is the mess at the end. Napkins just don't cut it, you need to hunt yourself a wet-nap or two if you've got any chance of surviving the night greasy-hand free.

Sorry, started to wander a bit there.

I pretty much learned everything I know about baseball from this lil' gem a la 1989.

Awesomely enough it was three years prior that Tom Berenger and Charlie Sheen were killing each other in Oliver Stone's "Platoon". Luckily, "Major League" is pretty much the same movie based in Cleveland instead of Vietnam. Well, close enough anyways.

Here's more looks at my education in baseball...

Basically Tom Selleck's mustache vs. Japan.

This one sucks about as much as you'd guess.

Did anyone actually watch "Joey"?

And rounding off my modest fandom in baseball is one of my favorite film scenes of all time. Robert Redford in "The Natural" - who can top that?

I'm not new to hitchhiking on bandwagons by any means. I'd say two or three times a year I'll pick a seemingly successful franchise in sports to call my home. More of a drifter of these wagons than anything else. Remember in grade 7 history when you learned about the two basic types of aboriginal cultures: one stayed in the same spot building long wooden shacks to sleep in while the other just used teepees and wandered all the time? Us bandwagoneers (new word, it'll catch on - trust me) are the latter. We scour the lands of sports entertainment in search of the next big victory as opposed to facing the pressures of staying in one city for the duration of a season.

So, I hope MY Phillies defeat the...Yankees (that's a thing, right?) to win the...Stanley...World...Cup...? Wait. Is this the one where they have to drink milk if they win, or is that a horse race thing?

Go Phillies go.

...or don't. I couldn't really care less.

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Be sure to check out the brilliant, talented, Filipino, concert connoisseur Desiree's recent article on the trials of making something wholly "artful".

What Makes an Artist?

It's featured on the Ladies Making Art Through Philippine Culture blog, which has some pretty interesting content otherwise too.

Products of a strange generation

Just another confusing 80's video. Is it me or was that entire decade a series of inside jokes we'll never understand or have explained to us?

Although the sexually suggestive talking guitar is something to appreciate, the jumpers are a lil' too much Roth for anyone to see.

Maybe it's just me after all.