Spotlight On:

They Might Be Giants
Apologies for the delay, all 1 of you who read this. But I'm back, and I've got another band to hastily review for you. Today, I bring you They Might Be Giants. TMBG is the brainchild of John Linnell and John Flansburgh. Formed in 1982, the Johns started out playing shows around New York City with J.F. on guitar and J.L. on accordion and saxophone, usually accompanied by a drum machine or other recording. They first got their music out in an ingenious way- Dial-A-Song, an answering machine people could call and listen to their songs. Their first, self-titled album was released in 1986 and quickly became a hit among college radio stations. Around 1992, under pressure from their label, the Johns recruited a supporting band, which caused mixed feelings among fans. TMBG has gone on to produce not only studio songs, but theme songs for movies, children's shows, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Their music is mostly alternative rock, humorously dealing with themes such as death, obsessions, mundane jobs, or no job at all. Their most recent album, The Else, was released July 10, 2007 , and the band is currently on tour. (Again, information taken from the Brain of Austin and Wikipedia.)
Video Time:
"Ana Ng"
"Don't Let's Start"
"With the Dark"

New Favorite Tool

It's called, simply enough, Rotoscope. What does it do? Well, it rotoscopes images. If you don't know what rotoscoping is, look it up. The tool is also free to download and use, so get to it.
Rotoscope.

Spotlight On:

Talking Heads
Welcome, all, to a new weekly segment I'm doing in order to motivate me to make new posts every once in awhile. Every Wednesday, I'll be letting you know about an artist or group I happen to like. I've decided to start with one of the most creative bands I know of, Talking Heads.
Talking Heads was formed in New York in the mid-70s by front man David Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz, bassist Tina Weymouth, and guitarist and keyboardist Jerry Harrison. They combined elements of punk, pop, funk, art, and world music. Their first album, "Talking Heads: 77" was released, obviously, in 1977. Despite poor sales, it gave the band the jump start they needed. The group went on to make 7 more studio albums before breaking up in 1991. Chances of a reunion are slim, seeing as David Byrne and the rest of the band are at opposing ends with each other. (Information taken from Wikipedia and the Brain of Austin.)
And now, for some videos of the group in action.
"Psycho Killer" at CBGB's, sans J.H.
"Life During Wartime" live.
"Sax and Violins," Talking Heads' last song.

PSA

I like eBay. But, if used improperly, a once happy place of auctions and reasonably-priced items can turn into a world of high prices and general discomfort. Case in point: earlier today, I was looking at Talking Heads albums (more on them in my next post). I happen to come across two albums for $7.90. Good deal, right? I go to ring up my purchase and I happen to look at the total cost, with shipping and handling charges. Total price: $29.90.
(Head explodes.)
Turns out, the records are from Brazil. And apparently, S&H from Brazil come to $22.00. So, take some advice from old Austin, and read all the product details.
-Austin

Pure, uncut awesome.

Some videos are absolutely epic, some are very bad. Other videos are just good. But there is a select group of videos that stand the test of time. This is one of them; it involves a dog, an old man, and an unruly squirrel. That is all I will say. You will have to watch it to see how it all unfolds. Brace yourself.

Graffiti: It isn't so bad.

Ok, my first post that means something. Most graffiti you see is pretty boring and standard: "I love (name) forever.", "(Name) means nothing to me anymore.", "Wesside 4 lyfe." But there is some humor hidden in that big steaming pile of vandalism, and these links prove it.
Part 1
Part 2

If anybody reads this, welcome.

Hello, world, and welcome to my blog. It still has that new blog smell.
Here's what you can expect on this blog:

• My random thoughts, musings, and ideas.
• Interesting things I pick up on my adventures through the Web.
• Music, movie, and book reviews.
  
• Tips to get more flavor out of your holiday birds.
  

So sit back, grab an icy cool beverage, and make yourself at home in my mind. Just use a coaster, though.