Off

I'm just sitting around, watching a little MTVU (swear, I'm addicted) and what should come on? A new Brother Ali video for "Take Me Home." That's one of my favorite tracks off of his last release, The Undisputed Truth, so I was pleased. The whole video centers around this voyage through a downtown area and every time the character that Ali is playing walks off screen, a new character comes on, also played by Ali. I was happy to see Ali's DJ, BK-One, making an appearance in the video. Good stuff.

Right after it came Aesop Rock's video for "None Shall Pass" off his new album of the same name. I'm digging the new record. He continues to do really interesting stuff with hip-hop (like having John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats guest on the closing track). "None Shall Pass" has one of the best beats I've heard Blockhead produce in awhile.



A friend of mine showed me a preview for the movie Across the Universe today. It's a new movie/musical made up of all Beatles songs. The trailer looks absolutely amazing. It's about a kid who goes to New York in what seems to be the middle of the Vietnam protests. He's an artist and is being criticized for not acting out in the same manner as those around him. I'm excited, I think we're going to go see it this weekend.



We may go see We Own the Night too. That's the new Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg flick. This looks like a great action/suspense movie. I'm excited.

Also, I'd been reading about this short film by Wes Anderson (of Rushmore/Royal Tenenbaums/Life Aquatic fame) called Hotel Chevalier. Granted, most of the things I read just talked about Natalie Portman's nude scene, but I found on site that talked about the short itself. I downloaded it off of iTunes (it's on their for free) and it's great stuff. Wes Anderson knows what he's doing. Apparently, this is a sort of opening scene that was included in the movie it was filmed for. That movie's called The Darjeeling Limited. It stars Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, and Adrian Brody. I really want to check this film out, but being an artsy independent, I don't know if it'll make it Iowa. Fingers crossed though.


There's this song in Hotel Chevalier by Peter Sarstedt called "Where Do You Go To My Lovely?" I'd never heard this track before, so I immediately went out and downloaded it. It's really beautiful. I've got to find myself some more of this guy's stuff.

Fall break is this weekend. Chicago, here I come.