Employee Picks

So, this is basically a "what I'm into these days kinda post". I'm giving these the G Wax Seal of Approval. And I thought I'd mix it up with the rest of the stuff I'm going to be posting soon.

MUSIC:

She & Him - Volume Two

Rating: Three pairs of big blue eyes out of Four

This one is kind of a no-brainer. Anything that involves really sweet and catchy lyrics with a sometimes bass-driven darker instrumentation ("In the Sun") makes me very happy indeed. This album sounds like eating dark chocolate in a sundress. Plus, the reference to the Orpheus myth in "Don't Look Back" tickled me. Ms. Deschanel has a really cute country-esque lilt to her voice that I really like. I'd put this on if I was babysitting.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM

Rating: Four brain scans out of Four

I might be biased because I got to interview her (!!), but I really liked this. I'd heard a lot of Serge Gainsbourg thanks to my slightly off-kilter grade eight social studies teacher. Apparantly, dirty French pop is good study music for thirteen year-olds! Anyway, I really liked how everything was arranged on the album, and you can really hear Beck (both literally and a little less directly) in the production. When it translated live, it surprised me that it worked so well. It was really good to hear something different than the recording.

Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Rating: Two cartoon solar systems our of Four

Okay, so I'll probably need to give this another few go-rounds, but I wasn't blown away. Life in Cartoon Motion was a hard act to follow. It became my go-to cooking/cleaning/working out soundtrack for months, and I couldn't wait for his next one. The anticipation gave me huge expectations. The CD comes with a disk of live tracks, which do sound quite good.

BOOKS:

The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith

Rating: Four accidental geniuses out of Four

So, this is something I'm re-reading, so it qualifies as current AND I am also able to review it. The premise is that Nathan Nelson, a seventeen year-old who has so far not been able to live up to his parents' expectations, is in an accident that results in his ability to recall pretty much anything. He becomes a living encyclopedia. What I liked was that the book addressed the intelect and human virtuosity in any field by showing its utility and its beauty. It's just good.

TV/FILM:

Mad Men

Rating: Four chain smoking men in suits out of Four

This. Show. Is. Amazing. What I love is that it is so quiet. According to script analysis, which we've just studied, there are few events in this show. Characters tend to go through their own personal plotlines, but there are few things that completely change the world of the show. I adore the women of the show, and I actually like the sexism. The show doesn't hold back or make nice with how people were, and though we still have a long way to go, we've made major progress as a society. Don Draper is probably the best written character I've seen on television, perhaps ever. I think we need a break from getting dazzled by flash and action and look at people. This show does this the best of much of what I've seen or read recently.