May 9, 2009, 9:54 pm : For now, just follow my Twitter…

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [1]

Around this time every year I get super duper ultra mega busy. Apart from the stressy-fun times at my day job I also have new releases with Missing Words Records to worry about. Because of all of this I probably won’t have time to make a proper blog entry any time soon but I do update my Twitter fairly regularly so to keep up with my goings on follow me over there. Just in case you’re wondering what is going to be keeping me super busy this summer, here’s a breakdown…

• May 26 - Monsters and Bird Monsters by You Just Don’t and The Ashtray Life released on MWR
• June 26-28 - Manning the MWR booth at the Vans Warped Tour
• June 30 - Peacecreature by Ocoai, Generation of Vipers, Panzer and Dormia released on MWR
• July 18-19 - Azkatraz Harry Potter Symposium in San Francisco, CA
• July 22-26 - Manning the StarWarsShop booth at Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA
• August 8 - MWR’s super huge 10th Anniversary show in Camarillo, CA
• August 18 - Devour by End Transmission released on MWR
• August 19-23 - Manning the MWR booth for more Vans Warped Tour

I’ll do my best to blog, or at least post of pics, from the events but who knows. So yeah, Twitter it up, Oprah style.

Just to make it easier, I added a little widget to the sidebar on here that shows my latest Tweet. –>>

February 10, 2009, 12:51 am : 2008 Musical Year in Review… only a little more than a month late .

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [4]

I suppose this should be an annual thing for my blog, as it’s a really easy thing for me to write and I tend to get some interesting comments soooo here’s Matt’s 2008 musical year in review!

This year is the year the music made me feel old. I’ve always been able to listen to upcoming bands and find at least a few new, somewhat popular, bands that I can really get into… not this year. It made me come to the conclusion that I’m officially too old to appreciate new music. A month or two ago I had this conversation with my bestest buddy and ironically he’s come to the same conclusion about himself. I really hope we’re wrong and it’s not us getting old but rather that the emerging artists of 2008 were sub-par. Fingers crossed.

Speaking of getting old, the teeny tiny indie record label I started is having its 10 year anniversary later this year! Wow! I can’t believe I’m still doing this. I also can’t believe it’s really not any bigger than it was a year or two after I started. That’s never been what this is about though. Missing Words a way for my-musically-inept-self to be a part in the creation of great music and in 2008 I like to think I accomplished this. We had three releases last year, in May we put out “Breatherman”, the full-length debut by instrumental metal/post-rock act Ocoai. Then for the first time in the history of the label we released two albums in one month, an EP by power-pop band End Transmission and a split CD by the two bands I went on tour with in 2007, Gamenight and Mouth Movements, entitled “Blue Green”. After almost 10 years of releasing music, “Blue Green” is my favorite release and probably my favorite album of all of 2008… but since I feel weird about putting my own releases in a list, here are my top 10 other favorite albums of 2008 (last year I did top 20 but I couldn’t even find 20 releases I really loved in 2008).

Top 10 Albums

10. The Hawk Is Howling by Mogwai

I have to say, it felt really weird buying a Mogwai record at Target. Good for them, but still, weird. I’ve been a fan of these Scottish post-rockers since before I even knew what post-rock was. They’re one of the first instrumental rock bands I got into. “The Hawk is Howling” is really just more of the same, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. Mogwai sound like Mogwai and that’s cool. In a year full of sub-par releases this one was par… and that’s good enough to hit #10 on my list.

9. Razia’s Shadow: A Musical by Forgive Durden

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m a sucker for concept albums. “Razia’s Shadow” is the very definition of concept album. After the rest of his band quit (ego issues?), Thomas Dutton continued under the Forgive Durden name, enlisting his brother to help him complete a musical, and that’s exactly what this is, complete with narration. The story is in two parts, the first half tells of the creation of the world and how it’s divided into light and dark. The second half is about how the dark and light are brought back together. Each character in the story is voiced by a guest vocalist including Max Bemis of Say Anything, Chris Conley of Saves the Day, Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter/Receiving End of Sirens and Brendon Urie of Panic at the Disco. This record probably could have been brilliant with a higher production budget and a real orchestra but it’s still pretty impressive. If you like rock music and Disney musicals give this a try.

8. Meanderthal by Torche

It feels almost weird to put a metal record on my list. I listen to my fair share of metal but typically it’s something I have to be in the mood for, not something I really get into, but “Meanderthal” is something different. This band isn’t held back by the lack of creativity that is a major problem with most metal and hard rock acts nowadays. Their influences range from punk to southern rock and it shows in their songwriting. Wrap that up in a positive, almost uplifting, sound and you’ve got a really solid record.

7. The Ocean and the Sun by The Sound of Animals Fighting

I almost completely wrote this band off after 2006’s “Lover, the Lord has Left Us…”. They hit a such a level of pretentiousness that the record was unlistenable. It took several friends to convince me to give “The Ocean and the Sun” a try but I’d glad I did. They scaled their sound back to something closer to their first release, relying more on their original progressive rock sounds and less on random obnoxious noises and falsetto wailing. There are even a few songs on this record that you could almost picture hearing on college radio. Not bad for a band who chose to use animal names for all of their members (even though everyone knows who’s in the band).

6. Take Me to the Sea by Jaguar Love

Made up of two parts The Blood Brothers and one part Pretty Girls Make Graves I had very high hopes for this record and I’m happy to say it doesn’t disappoint. Johnny Whitney’s unique vocal styling (a.k.a. the sound of a child’s temper tantrum coming out of the mouth of a little blonde guy) will take some getting used to for the uninitiated but it’s worth it. The minimalistic approach to indie pop rock is something this band does better than anyone else.

5. Stay Down by The Smoking Popes

That’s right, The Smoking Popes! They’re back and they’ve picked up right where they left off. When they broke up back in 1999 a little poppy part of my heart died. They sort of came back as Duvall but it just wasn’t the same and when it was announced the Popes would be reforming a few years ago I really didn’t have high hopes. I expected another bland release similar to Duvall but what I got with “Stay Down” is an album nearly as good as 1997s “Destination Failure”, which is one of my favorite records of all time. Quite possibly the first really good straight-up pop-rock record of this millennium.

4. Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles

The first electronic act to enter my list, Crystal Castles have a unique sound that combines sampled and distorted female vocals over dance beats that sound like they’re coming from out of a broken NES. This self-titled album is 16 songs and almost 75 minutes of music and I’ve yet to get bored with it. This has become my new “keep me from falling asleep at the wheel” record.

3. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust by Sigur Rós

On this record Sigur Rós move further away from their older ethereal style and into a more poppy and uplifting direction; though still very Sigur Rós. “Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” isn’t my favorite record by the band but it’s a solid addition and still has that certain something that makes me deep down happy in a way only Sigur Rós can.

2. Sometimes Things Just Disappear by Polar Bear Club

Sometimes Things Just Disappear is the first really great punk record I’ve heard in a long time. And at its core that’s really what it is, punk, although their hardcore and indie roots shine through in each song while their choruses have pop sensibilities that would put Blink to shame. Finally something I can let loose and rock out to. And look, I made it through that review without a Hot Water Music reference… wait… oops.

1. Captain Love by Mock Orange

I feel like I’ve been waiting for this record forever, and I guess I sort of have. Mock Orange have been one of my favorite bands since they released “Nines and Sixes” back in 1998, although looking back that feels like a completely different band. Actually, to this point every record has felt like a completely different (and, remarkably, always awesome) band. “Captian Love” is the follow up to 2004s “Mind is Not Brain” and this is the first full length that actually sounds similar to the previous. Mock Orange have further defined their unique blend of mathy-indie-rock meets the Flaming Lips into something truly remarkable. The fact that this band isn’t better known is still a mystery to me, but don’t worry Mock Orange, I still love you.

Most Disappointing Album
Agony & Irony by Alkaline Trio

It’s not horrible really, but come on, you guys are better than this. Matt, quit hanging out with Jeffree Star and write some good Alkaline Trio songs.

Guilty Pleasure Album
Bring Me Your Love by City and Colour

I only consider this one a guilty pleasure because City and Colour are a solo project by Dallas Green of Alexisonfire, who I really dislike. But hey, when he’s not making unoriginal and tripe screamo songs he’s actually a really talented singer/songwriter. I’m happy he stepped out of his box and put out an excellent album (for the record, if I would have done more than a top 10, this probably would have been #11).

Happiest Un-break-ups

Last year I had a saddest break-ups section but this year I’m VERY happy to say that one of my favorite bands ever announced that they’re getting back together in 2008 – The Get Up Kids. I’ve loved TGUK since high school and I’m beyond excited that they’re back! Come to California, boys.

That’s it for music. I was going to do a whole separate movie blog but then I realized that, since I don’t have many friends up here, I missed a lot of (potentially) good movies in 2008. At least I’m fortunate to work in a place that shows a lot of free movies. So anyway, just in case you were wondering, here is a list of my favorite movies (that I saw) of 2008, without longwinded commentary…

1. Wall-E
2. Iron Man
3. The Dark Knight
4. Let the Right One In
5. The Clone Wars
6. Indy 4
7. Cloverfield
8. Nick and Norah
9. Repo! The Genetic Opera
10. Prince Caspian

Did I miss any good records or movies? PLEASE leave me some recommendations in the comments! I’m desperate for new music!

That’s all folks. I know I don’t blog very often anymore. If you want a bit more of a Matt-fix, follow me on Twitter, where I actually make regular updates!

Oh, and scroll down for some random photos I took today.

February 9, 2009, 5:42 pm : So I got a shiny new Deadpool action figure in the mail…

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [0]

… and he proceeded to beat up my poor clones.

November 21, 2008, 3:26 pm : A straight guys review of “Twilight”

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [5]

Wow. I’ve been so disappointed in a movie that it’s inspired me to blog for the first time in months. It’s biased and inarticulate but I need to get this out of my system…

I’m sure by now you’ve all been bombarded with enough marking for the movie Twilight that you probably have a vague idea of what it’s about… or at least you’re aware that it exists. The very general, top-level synopsis is that it’s a love story involving a human girl and a vampire. Nothing too original but it had potential. It’s based on the first book in the hugely popular Twilight series. As a fan of vampires and hugely popular book series I really wanted to like this movie but from most everything I was hearing the odds seemed stacked against me. But honestly, I wanted to like it. I wanted to blog in defence of the movie.

My first real hint at the enormity of the Twilight phenomenon was at this years Comic-Con, when the Twilight panel was completely swamped by screaming teenage girls. For some reason I thought “if teenage girls like this, maybe I will too”… since I’m not exactly the manliest dude in the world and some of my favorite entertainment properties are big with the teen girl market (Harry Potter, Buffy, Angel…). I did my best to investigate the upcoming film without delving too far into the spoilers so when I eventually had the chance to the see the film I would be prepared but surprised.

It seemed like the fandom of the series was really part of what made Twilight cool. The communities built around these stories were huge (twilightteens.com, twilight20somethings.com, twilightmoms.com… seriously) and I felt that to get the full effect I needed to see the movie with these people rather than the average theater-goer so I bought tickets to the opening day midnight showing at the Metreon in downtown San Francisco. I figured of all the midnight showings around the US this one should be one of the craziest, it’s San Francisco, everything is crazy here. I was sadly mistaken.

I arrived at the theater around 9 thinking that would probably be early enough to get a seat that isn’t complete garbage and arrive at a time when the fans (read: tweeny girls) would be getting ramped up and crazy. My only basis for comparison for midnight showings of this magnitude are Star Wars and Harry Potter so my hopes were set high. I was expecting to see costumes, tents, lawn chairs… maybe even a parking lot BBQ like we had in Ventura (represent!) for Episode I. What did I see when I approached the line? Fifty or so girls sitting around talking quietly or reading. Occasionally I’d see the standard-issue Hot Topic Twilight t-shirt but nothing costume related (I know it’s not really a costume-type story but I thought maybe some girls would be wearing prom dresses or something like at other Twilight events that I read about). These people weren’t trying to make the most out of the absurdity of waiting hours for a movie, they weren’t trying to have fun… they were just sitting around waiting quietly and patiently. How boring!

They let us into the theater about an hour and fifteen minutes before the film started, I was hoping for a screaming girl stamped but all I got was an orderly single file line straight to my seat. As I waited around somewhat awkwardly watching teenage girls take boring MySpace pictures on their cell phones the theater gradually filled and by the time the movie was ready to start the theater was only about two thirds full. Yup, good thing I showed up early.

Then the moment came, the lights were dimmed and I sat on the edge of my seat waiting to see… the trailer for the next instalment of the Harry Potter series! I’ll admit it, I was more excited to see the trailer on the big screen than I was for Twilight and they didn’t even show it! I read it was supposed to be attached to Twilight but I guess not. My disappointment only continued as the movie began.

This is where my review of the film itself starts but not without a few disclaimers. First off, this review will be sparkling (unfortunately this will not be the only use of that word in this review) with spoilers. If you don’t want to hear the occasional plot point you probably shouldn’t continue. Next, I’m not by any means a professional reviewer and can only give you my personal and unsophisticated opinion. Some slight vulgarities may be used (such as “this movie sucks balls”) so if you’re easily offended turn back now. And finally, I have NOT read the books and have no real knowledge of the plot and characters aside from what’s given in the film and as such I may have taken things in the wrong context or missed something important in the plot because I lack any prior knowledge. I’m going into this with the assumption that the book is far better than the movie and I hope that’s the case or the legions of Twilight fans are just retarded.

The film begins, as so many films do, with a young girl, Bella, moving to a new city. In this case from Phoenix, Arizona to the rural and perpetually foggy town of Forks, Washington to live with her dad while her mom goes traveling with her new husband. It has a bland voiceover where Bella explains all of this. The whole time I couldn’t help but think “who’s she talking to?”. I guess I don’t like voiceovers without some sort of plot devise to make them work (something like writing in a journal or talking to another character or whatever). I don’t like being personally addressed by a character, as if she knows she’s in a movie. But anyway, that’s the least of this movies problems.

On Bella’s first day in school she is remarkably well adjusted and content for a teenaged girl. There’s no angst at all, no real social awkwardness or anything that you would expect for the first day in a new school, especially considering that she’s starting halfway through the second semester of her junior year. By the end of the day she has a completely new group of friends, complete with high school stereotypes such as the jock, the editor of the school paper, the artsy photographer girl, the wallflower girl and… the black kid! All of these characters are likeable enough, I suppose, but then in walks the Cullen family and the focus turns to sexy vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson and from here on forth referred to as Cedric Diggory). There’s an instant attraction between Bella and Cedric which is signified by creepy staring and bad music. Over the course of… I don’t know, a week? These two characters are suddenly in love. And not in a realistic high school way, or in an elegant painful Notebook kind of way or even a slightly cheesy Sleepless in Seatle way but more like the kind of “love” you would see on a show like The OC, Dawsons Creek or, heaven forbid, The Hills. I didn’t understand what exactly was going on between these characters aside from a deep down animalistic attraction. This is made all the more annoying by the fact that dear Bella all but ignores Jacob, a guy who clearly has a thing for her and who also happens to be one of the few likeable characters in the whole film. But enough about that, I’m just trying to say the plot is a two hour love story between two people who don’t understand what love is and the movie is clearly geared at girls who also have no clue how real love works so they’re happy with this substance-free version. Just to be clear, I knew this was a love story going into it, I’m not saying it sucks because of its lack of action or the fact that it’s a bit of a “chick flick”. It sucks because it’s an unexplainable romance between two characters that are hard to care about at all. Oh, and one final note on the “love” between these two. Before their first (and only) kiss, Cedric says something to the effect of “I’ve always wanted to try this”… am I to believe this guy has lived for over 100 years has never kissed a girl? Come on! What has he been doing this whole time to have never met a girl he liked within 100 years. Especially considering the fact that he’s been repeating high school in different cities for most of his life.

Moving on to the “vampires”. I know vampires are not the point of this film but if you’re going to do a genre movie do it right. In this movie they seem to keep the more positive parts of vampire lore such as their strength and speed while doing away with the more inconvenient things like the fact that they can’t go out in the sun. These vampires are more like bloodsucking X-Men than bella Lugosi-esque creatures of the night. I was willing to accept the fact that it’s really super foggy all the time in Forks and that’s why these vampires can wonder around during the day. It’s a cop-out, sure, but I’ll let it go. And then one of the defining scenes in the movie happened. A scene I will remember vividly for the rest of my life due to its complete and utter absurdity. Cedrid decides that his new love needs to see him how he really is, in the monstrous form that all vampires take in the sun. In the forest as he walks slowly into a beam of sunlight that’s shining through the trees I’m expecting to see something hideous. I assume that since the sun doesn’t kill these vampires it must at least make them appear deformed in some way. Cedric starts to unbutton his shirt with his back toward the camera and slowly turns around to reveal that in the sun his skin… SPARKLES!!!! It sparkles!!! That’s the big hideous disfigurement that all vampires are forced to live with if they go out into the sun! They have glittery skin! No joke, it looks like they just sprayed him with silver glitter paint. And he stands there, perfectly serious and calls himself a monster. This might be one of the most idiotic moments in the history of cinema. Sparkle? Gah. Needless to say, at this point I had pretty much lost all faith that this movie would turn around and redeem itself.

Dude. Seriously. He sparkles.

Just when I thought we’d hit an all time low Cedric invites Bella to umpire a friendly game of baseball between his vampire family. Yup, that’s right, a superpower sports scene. It’s exactly what you’d expect so I’m not going to go into it… but really? Fortunately though, at the tail end of these scene the “bad guys” show up to spoil the family’s game and the movie gets… I don’t want to say “good” but it gets tolerable for about 10 minutes as the family is working together trying to help Cedric save Bella from the vampire tracker guy (who, by the way, looks like Axl Rose on the current GnR tour). This ten minutes of tolerance isn’t brought on by the fact that it’s the most action packed part of the movie, although that helped. It’s more because it takes the focus away from the boring lust between two flat, boring characters and puts the spotlight on the entirety of the Cullen family, who are all slightly more likeable that Cedric. This ends in a slightly predicable superpower fight sequence between Cedric and Axl Rose.

And, like so many other high school movies (including the vampire themed Buffy) this movie ends at prom. Where, of course, Cedric and Bella attend together, slow dance and… that’s it. She spends some time trying to convince him to turn her into a vampire, which sounds like a solid life decision based on a love that built over the span of four months at the most.

My apologies to teen girls everywhere but… this movie sucks balls.

Vampires do not sparkle.

P.S. PLEASE feel free to disagree with me and point out the errors of my ways in the comments section. Maybe I really am just missing something. If someone (or several someones) can give me some good reasons I’ll give this movie another chance. With all the hype around this movie I have to feel that maybe I really am missing something.

October 7, 2008, 11:10 pm : Since I went through the trouble of writing it anyway…

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [0]

First off, I started a Twitter and I update it far more often than this so follow me on there!

In leu of a proper blog post, which I should do soon, I thought I would post this. After the premier of The Clone Wars a friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook asking for some clarification. Honestly, I LOVE answering Star Wars questions, it allows me to sound all educated (about something fictional) and feel like all of that time I spent watching and reading Star Wars things had a bit more of a point. So feel free to ask me questions anytime, BUT for the really hard and/or interesting questions I recommend you submit your questions to Leland, who writes the Ask Lobot section of the Star Wars insider… not to mention works for Lucasfilm as the “Keeper of the Holocron”. But this was an easy one sooooo…

Why does Anakin have an apprentice? I thought he was still an apprentice at the start of Revenge of the Sith?

I’ll nerd out on you for a second. Actually, Anakin is a knight at the beginning of Ep3. He gets knighted in the first episode of the second season of the original Clone Wars micro-series (it also happens in the novel “Jedi Trial”… maybe even somewhere else too!). The problem in Ep3 was that Anakin, as a knight, shouldn’t be on the council since that’s a privilege reserved typically for masters.

Still though, the new series does have it’s share of continuity issues but most of them are very minor and would probably only bother people who read all the comics and books that were released between 2002 and 2005 (such as myself).

I’m interested to see how they explain Ahsoka when the series ends. She’s not mentioned in Ep3, obviously, so they probably have to make it a gradual transition. Maybe she gets knighted and fades out of Anakin’s life, maybe her and he have a falling-out and he doesn’t mention her out of spite or maybe something else. Either way, odds are she doesn’t survive Order 66!

And that’s that. I probably left out some extra specific details but I wasn’t using some sort of giant Star Wars database, just my brain. Hope that helped any of you… and seriously, I love The Clone Wars. I won’t lie. I love droid banter, I love Jedi awesomeness, I love seeing how human the clones really are and I love the art. So all you nay-sayers can suck it.

August 24, 2008, 10:50 pm : How is a raven like a writing desk?

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [0]

My poor estranged blog! You didn’t think I was ever going to write again did you? You know the standard excuse, “I’ve been busy”… well, I’ve been busy. You haven’t been far from my heart though. In fact, I’ve had ideas for some great posts that I never got around to writing. Here’s a quick summary of what you, the viewing public (A.K.A. Mom) have missed out on…

• Why I liked Indiana Jones IV and my theories on why the rest of the world didn’t.
• A summary of my time in Tennessee back in May.
• My top 10 most influential/favorite albums of all time (I’m sure I’ll do this at some point).
• An in-depth post about my time in Japan and Comic-Con.
• A history of Missing Words Records and some info on my biggest influences for that (I’ll probably do this next year).
• A detailed post about my few dates manning the MWR booth on the Warped Tour and how I feel about it.
• Why I liked The Clone Wars and my theories on why the rest of the world didn’t.

Anyway, I don’t have the time or energy to write all of those now but I did want to come back and assure the world that I am, in fact, still alive and that things have been going pretty well. So here’s a quick little catch-up on what’s been going on since my last post.

In April my work launched IndianaJonesShop.com. That was a ton of work on my end, as I had to get something like 100 products up on the site by the time we launched… but I did it and the rest is history. Also in April, Missing Words released its twelfth release, Breatherman by Ocoai. It’s awesome, check it out if you’re bored (or if you need background music while you read the rest of this).

I had a chance to visit some of my bestest buddies in Tennessee at the end of May. I was the ring bearer-bearer in my friend Jenn’s wedding and I spent the rest of the time hanging out with my friends there. It’s still really weird to feel like I have more friends in Knoxville than I do anywhere else. Well, maybe not Ventura, but definitely more than I have here in San Francisco. I love Tennessee. I could really go for some Cracker Barrel right about now. Also in May, I saw Indy 4, it was cool. Shut up.

The first few dates of the Vans Warped Tour were in June and Missing Words had a booth at two of them (should have been three but Jordan and Zeke needed their beauty sleep). I was only able to attend the Ventura show. It was fun I suppose. I think I’m officially too old to really enjoy Warped… or maybe it’s because I only like a couple bands on the tour this year.

July was a hectic month. I spent 12 days away from home, the first 6 were spent in Japan and the rest in San Diego. In Japan I spent a day at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, both of which were cool but DisneySea really took the cake. It’s the best Disney park I’ve been to so far. It’s really killer. Check out the pictures here. The primary reason I was in Japan was for Star Wars Celebration Japan, which was fun, although not as epic as the American Celebrations have been. Those photos are available here. And of course, I did get to wonder Japan a bit outside of the convention and Disneyland, check it out. I could write so much more on the subject but I just don’t have time. Sorry, for not doing you justice, Japan. It was amazing though.

Two new Missing Words releases came out in July. End Transmission’s Head Over Heels and a split by two Tennessee bands, Gamenight and Mouth Movements, called Blue and Green. I’m really happy with how they both turned out. Yay!

And here we are in August. Last weekend was the end of the Vans Warped Tour, which was… about the same as the beginning. We also saw the release of a new Star Wars movie, the computer animated feature The Clone Wars. I’d actually seen an unfinished version several months ago but seeing the completed film on the big screen was a nice experience. It felt really odd not being home waiting in line for the midnight showing, I missed out. It’s a cool movie though and I’m really excited for the TV show.

Okay, that’s it, a very brief synopsis of my last few months. I know, it was boring, even for me, but how witty can one be when one’s summing up whole months into a paragraph each? But now that I’m caught up maybe I’ll start posting more interesting things again… maybe.

March 10, 2008, 12:06 am : An interview with a nerd-lover

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [0]

In an effort to make this blog a little less Matt-centric I’m trying to think of some new content and this one just fell right into my lap. A friend of mine, Melissa, has recently taken quite the liking to “nerd boys”, a phenomenon that seems to be growing in popularity. As a nerd myself, I find this trend especially interesting so I thought I’d run a little interview with Melissa to see if I could get to the bottom of this…

Matt: Okay. I’m only somewhat prepared so there may be some improv involved… so, why nerds?

Melissa: Wow, okay…

Matt: if you think that’s a hard question just wait until the last one.

Melissa: Its’ not hard its just funny…

Matt: If you think that’s a funny question just wait until the last one.

Melissa: People seem to underestimate nerds. The typical stereotypes that are completely irrelevant to the person the really are…I don’t see what it so wrong about those damn sexy glasses (my perfect nerd boy would wear) or their obsession with movies, comics, etc… nerds are simple unlike many other guys…or girls and are just flat out sexy. I love nerds. I just realized.

Matt: When did you realize all of this and decide you want some nerd action?

Melissa: Well, I remember I had a secret crush on my neighbor… we would make random Lego models and watch Goosebumps all the time. I lost interest in nerds after he moved, but now my eyes only focus on them in a crowd of people.

[Several minutes pass]

Matt: Are you talking to hot nerd right now (aside from myself of course) and is that why you’re taking forever to reply?

Melissa: HAHAHAH NO! ………which one are you referring to? There’s a few :]

Matt: Oh snap. Feel free to go into further details but be aware that the tape is rolling… the IM tape… I say that like there’s going to be so many people reading this.

Melissa: Well thank you for making that clear. A lot of people better read this! I am pouring out my love of nerds… slowly but its getting there.

Matt: Shall i move onto the next question?

Melissa: Please.

Matt: Do you like a specific type of nerd (i.e. Star Wars Fanboys, Comic Books nerds, Tekkers, Browncoats…)?

Melissa: Not to eliminate a whole type but I’ve had experiences with Trekkers and so far, not impressed. If I had to choose, comic book nerds definitely grab my attention in a heart beat.

Matt Are you physically attracted to them or is it all personality?

Melissa: Not to be completely shallow, but physical attraction usually reels me in but once I actually converse with them, I don’t even care what they look like anymore.

Matt: Can you describe your ideal nerd?

Melissa: We would wear glasses, have shaggy hair, can easily make me laugh with his random outbursts of movie lines.

Matt: Do you think you could have a good relationship with a nerd?

Melissa: Are you kidding?! That would be the best relationship! I would have a permanent smile on my face (not that I don’t already :] ). It’s just something about them; they seem to have this way to win me over every time.

Matt: Do you think you could survive a comic convention?

Melissa: I hope so! I have a plan though! I would walk in with my hands over my eyes, carefully peak through and check the scene out and once I see my perfect nerd boy(s) I will quickly put my hands down and THEN I would probably have a heart attack and one of them will help me. That would be awesome.

Matt: Okay, now assume you already found your nerd boy and you were going to the convention with him. If you had to dress up, what costume would you choose?

Melissa: I’ve always wanted to wear the wonder woman outfit! id fill it out pretty damn well too

Matt: Do you think this is just a phase or are you likely to be into nerds for life?

Melissa: I am sticking to nerds. No doubt.

Matt: And how is the nerd hunt coming?

Melissa: Oh you know…

Matt: Are you pleading the 5th?

Melissa: For now.

Matt: I’ll allow it this one time. Please note this is not a court and I’m just being merciful.

So, if some sexy nerds out there want to contact you, what’s the best way?

Melissa: hell you can have all my info! Here’s my cell ___-___-____, my address ___________, Newbury Park, CA, www.myspace.com/LOVEryhmeswithpity, mf_reckless@yahoo.com, suupMELISSAFACE [AIM].

Matt: I’m not going to post all that, just in case. But the last three are good.

And the final question, what’s the going rate for a Hyperdrive on a J-Type 327 Nubian?

Melissa: HHHAAAAAA

Matt: Well, thanks for the interview. You may want to study up on the pricing of fictitious space cruiser parts.

Melissa: I’ll get right on that.

Have at her, nerds.

February 21, 2008, 9:03 pm : Toy Fair Round Up! (Blog+Video+Photos)

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [0]

Hi everyone. So I was at Toy Fair in NYC this week and, on top of my normal duties, I acted as a pseudo-reporter for StarWars.com. Below are links to my blogs, video and photos. Enjoy.

Field Report Day 1 (Blog)

Field Report Day 2 (Blog)

Field Report from Toy Fair: LEGO Clone Wars (Pics)

Field Report from Toy Fair: LEGO Indy (Pics)

Toy Fair Video Coverage

WonderCon this weekend! I may or may not blog about it. We’ll see if time permits.

February 12, 2008, 1:35 am : New Star Wars Movie 08.15.08!

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [1]

Okay, yeah, I’ve known about it for a little while but still, I’M SUPER EXCITED!!! Yay! Clone Wars!

If you didn’t hear about it check it out at starwars.com.

… aaaaaand while you’re all excited about Clone Wars, be sure to check out these exclusive shirts. Maybe even buy them so you can say “I totally know the guy who designed these”.

(I don’t work on commission kids, so I’m not just trying to peddle my wares. I’m just really excited!)

… and yes, I plan on coming home and camping out.

December 20, 2007, 7:11 pm : 2007 Musical Year in Review (A.K.A. Thing’s Matt listened To This Year)

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Discussion: Comments [4]

I love music. It’s one of the main passions in my life and unfortunately, since I have no musical talent, I’m forced to do anything else I can to explore my love of music. This is what led me to starting a record label, Missing Words Records (over 8 years ago!).

Several years ago my BFF, Kai, and I ran a somewhat successful indie magazine called “Three and a Half”, which was essentially 30 something pages of inside jokes, ads and record reviews that came out a couple times per year on a very irregular schedule. Honestly, I don’t have any idea why anyone would read it since it couldn’t have made much sense to anyone but us, but apparently people did read it. In a way, I miss doing Three and a Half. While it caused me a lot of unnecessary stress, it was fun to write such non-sense. It was nice getting free CDs in the mail, getting into shows for free and getting to interview great people. Most of all it was really great being able to hang out with Kai and get all of this done. I don’t get to see him much anymore and I miss him.

So anyway, to bring me back a bit to my old “zinester” days, and to honor a year when music didn’t totally suck for me (the first year like this in a while) I decided to write this list of my musical highlights of 2007. I’m writing this in my personal bloggy fashion, not from a pseudo music journalist angle, so I may mention things you don’t understand or people you’ve never heard of and not offer any explanations. Deal with it. That’s what Wikipedia is for.

By the way, I left out all the Missing Words releases from my lists since that didn’t really seem fair. But just to be clear, I put out three records this year, Mouth Movements, The Return and I was a Lover DeLorean was a Dealer, and I love them all.

And now your feature presentation…

Top 20 Albums

20. We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank by Modest Mouse

I’ve been a fan of Modest Mouse for years but I never really feel like their albums live up to their potential. They always seem to be missing something. I think maybe the addition of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr might have been exactly what they needed.

19. All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone by Explosions in the Sky

Explosions are one of the premier instrumental post-rock bands, a genre that seems to be gaining more and more ground lately. “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone” expands further on their previous sound. An interesting side-note: their primary line-up features three guitars and no bass.

18. Self Recorded Demos by Ryan Grisham

While not officially released in any capacity, Mock Orange frontman, Ryan Grisham, released a full albums worth of solo songs on his MySpace page. Mock Orange is one of my all time favorite bands so this is exactly what I needed while I wait for them to get their next album out.

17. Sospiri by The Winston Jazz Routine

I discovered this band by chance while I was on tour and staying at someone’s house in Ohio. He had the WJR’s first album in his ITunes library and when I heard they were putting out something new I had to buy it. Despite the name, the WJR are not jazz at all, but a slow, almost ambient, indie rock band that relies heavily on piano and multiple vocal tracks featuring male and female vocals.

16. New Moon by Elliott Smith

Ever since Tupac it’s been all the rage for dead guys to put out new records. This is Elliot’s second postmortem release and it features two full CDs of unreleased and demo songs. A must for the serious music fan… or pretentious post-emo high school kid.

15. On Letting Go by Circa Survive

There’s something about Anthony Green’s voice that I just can’t get enough of. It’s so unique and fits Circa’s music so perfectly. “On Letting Go” picks up right where “Juturna” left off and doesn’t really show a lot of growth. But hey, if it ain’t broke…

14. Hvarf/Heim by Sigur Rós

One of those bands that I feel can’t do any wrong, Sigur Rós still holds the record for the best show I’ve ever been to. Hvarf/Heim is two discs of not-entirely-new music. Hvarf features new recordings of previously unreleased tracks and Heim is demos of songs from past albums. While it’s not as amazing as a new Sigur Rós full length, it’s enough to get me by… for now.

13. Scream & Light Up the Sky by The Honorary Title

On “Scream & Light Up the Sky” The Honorary Title traded in their mostly-acoustic style for a more full sound. It took me a few listens to completely accept it but now I have trouble going back to the old stuff. I’m surprised these guys aren’t bigger, they’re probably one good single away…

12. The Shepherd’s Dog by Iron & Wine

At first “The Shepherd’s Dog” sounded to me like just any other I&W record but the more I listened the more I realized it is far more complex and well put together. Sam’s songwriting seems to get better and better with each album.

11. A New Canvas by Le Meu Le Purr

I’m really excited to be able to put a local band on this (well, local to where I call home, not to where I live). The Ventura music scene has been a pretty big mess for years, with very few listenable bands and even less really good ones. Le Meu has been one of the exceptions and “A New Canvas” puts them on top of the Ventura scene and has potential to make them far bigger than that.

10. The Alchemy Index, Vol. 1 & 2 by Thrice

“The Alchemy Index, Vol. 1 & 2″ is a dual EP concept album. The first disc, “Fire”, features hard-hitting metal influenced rock while disc two, “Water” slows down the tempo considerably and focuses more on electronic instruments. It’s a somewhat risky move by Thrice to make an album that’s two halves are so radically different. I’m sure there are a lot of bros out there who are completely confused by “Water”, but for those of us who can appreciate both sides of this band, this album is great.

9. Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow by Coheed & Cambria

As this list proves, I’m a sucker for concept albums. While I still can’t follow the storyline of the Coheed albums (despite the fact that I’ve read all of the accompanying comic books), just knowing that that level of thought went into the album scores them extra points with me. I enjoy this album less than any of their previous records but it seems to grow on me every time I listen.

8. Under the Boards by Saves the Day

Ahh, Saves the Day, a staple in my musical life for many years. This is one of those bands that I always depend on and they never let me down. While “Under the Boards” lacks the youthful charm of “Through Being Cool” or the absolute brilliance of “Stay What You Are”, it’s still a very solid record. It’s nice to see that a band that’s been through so many line-up changes can continue to put out good music.

7. The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

I’m still amazed by this band, or more accurately this guy. I can’t believe that a New Mexico native who is younger than me is writing music like this. While it still fits into a indie sort of category it borrows very heavily from Eastern European and folk music giving it a distinctly gypsy-like sound. It’s safe to say this is the only record on my list that features the ukulele as one of the primary instruments.

6. Autumn of the Seraphs by Pinback

I feel like I’ve been waiting years for this record… probably because I have. This is Pinback’s first new record since 2004 and it further broadens their unique indie rock sound. Pinback writes almost oddly danceable songs that are tons of fun to rock out to in the car. Oh, and one of the track titles is a Star Wars reference, so bonus points for that.

5. Remains by Alkaline Trio

“Remains” is a compilation album that gathers together all the tracks that were previously available on various compilations, splits and 7-inches since their last compilation of this sort, 2000’s self-titled record, as well as a few live tracks. Although I had nearly all of these songs already, it was nice having them all nicely bundled together. The majority of these songs represent their slightly less refined pre-”Crimson” sound. Also, the timing on this records release was very convenient and helped me a lot though a tough time.

4. Planet of Ice by Minus the Bear

While I still really miss the finger-tap-heavy sound of their albums like “Highly Refined Pirates”, MTB continue to put out some of the best experimental rock in todays music scene. Their new sound probably springs from their original keyboardist/producer, Matt Bayles, leaving the band and not being involved in the writing process. However, Matt did still produce the record so it’s not without his touch.

3. The Con by Tegan and Sara

Like many guys out there, I initially hated the strange sounds emanating from this Canadian singer-songwriter duo, but my opinion of them has changed greatly. I almost hate to admit it, but it was when I heard their song “I know, I know, I know” in one of my favorite TV shows, Veronica Mars, that I decided to give these girls another shot (with additional pressure from the amazing AJ). And I’m really glad I did. While their previous albums are great, “The Con” is by far more complex and better written … and really catchy too.

2. In Rainbows by Radiohead

“In Rainbows” is yet another amazing album by Thom and company, and while it may not be pure brilliance like “Kid A” or even “OK Computer”, it’s still great and far better than most any other modern band is capable of. I was also intrigued by their method of distribution of this album. And for those who are curious how much I paid (since the digital version of the album was sold in a “name your own price” manner)… I paid $80 and bought the spiffy disc-box version. By the way, it came this week and it’s super cool and definitely worth the money.

I’m almost shocked to be listing Radiohead, who are probably my favorite band, as number two, but there just hasn’t been a record in many, many years that I connected with like…

1. In Defense of the Genre by Say Anything

Brilliant. Amazing. Aw-inspiring. This ranks up there with “Kid A” and “Clarity” as one of my favorite albums of all time. “In Defense of the Genre” doesn’t just defend the genre, it re-defines it (I’m sure some real reviewer probably used that exact line). It’s two discs full of songs that lyrically and musically follow directly where they left off on their previous record, telling a slightly dramatized story of Max’s real life since the release of “… Is a Real Boy”. From his time abusing drugs, going crazy (literally), meeting a girl, losing said girl and doing everything he can to either get her back or fill the void she left. This has album has everything I love about music. From fast, up-tempo, poppy songs to depressing slow songs from serious lyrics to clever lyrics to hilarious lyrics. This album, with the help of the other albums on this list, helped to restore my faith in music, which had been slowly dwindling over the past few years.

Most Disappointing Album
Chase this Light by Jimmy Eat World

What can I say. I wasn’t expecting another “Clarity” but I know these guys can do better than this. You had your time in the spotlight, you’ve written your hits, can’t you step back a little and write some more songs with integrity? Really though, this album isn’t awful, they’re just capable of so much more. More songs like the title track would have been nice.

Surprisingly Good Album
Bone Palace Ballet by Chiodos

I knew these kids had potential. They’re last album was pretty much your run-of-the-mill boring screamo album but it had slight hints of something more. When this new album came out I told Amanda, “let me know if they grew up, I might want to check this record out” and guess what? They did. Right on Chiodos. I look forward to even better albums in the future. Don’t let me down.

Guilty Pleasure Album
Roit! by Paramore

I plead the fifth.

Saddest Break-up
The Blood Brothers

I really didn’t see this coming and only recently heard about it. I’m just glad that I had the opportunity to see them live before they called it quits. At least they’re not completely going away. Johnny and Cody have formed Jaguar Love, which from the MP3s I’ve heard, has a whole lot of potential. The rest of the guys, along with the original BB guitarist, have started a band called Past Lives, which I’ve yet to hear. Hopefully we’ve lost one good band and gained two.

Albums that Could Have Made the List but for Some Reason I Haven’t Bought Yet
Our Love to Admire by Interpol
Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo by Rivers Cuomo
In Your Dreams by Gregory and the Hawk
Feast or Famine by Chuck Ragan
The Last Little Life by The Rentals

It seems like if I don’t get a record the week it comes out it takes me forever to pick it up. Maybe I’ll get some of these for Christmas?

Best Unsigned Bands I Heard This Year
Generation of Vipers (Tennessee)
Stiletto (Ohio)
Fromanhole (Nebraska)

Artists I Really Hope Put Out an Album in 2008
Alkaline Trio
Brand New
Damiera
Death Cab for Cutie
The Faint
Flight of the Conchords
Jaguar Love
The Jealous Sound
Mock Orange
MU330
New Amsterdams
Owen
The Roots
The Slackers
Justin Timberlake
The Velvet Teen

Well that was a lot of fun, I’m really glad I got to share all that with you. I usually don’t care if people comment on my blog (it’s nice, but it’s something I sit around waiting for) but this time I’d love it if you could throw in your thoughts, either on my list or recommendations for albums I may have missed this year. I’m always looking for new music so it would be great for people to reply. Thanks for reading, I heart you.

P.S. If I get a chance sometime in the next month or so I’d like to write a similar list about the movies of 2007. Stay tuned.