Okay...

So Blogger took down my last post because it said I infringed on someone's copyrights, but hasn't told me which item I posted infringed. That makes a ton of sense to me. But until I can figure it out here is a picture of me in Spain...with my twin.


Here's the background story to the picture. While we were in Spain this summer the political race for the European Union chair of Spain was underway. During our last days of the trip we were in Barcelona and we saw numerous signs for the two candidates. Oriol Junqueras must have been from Barcelona because his were everywhere. I didn't take any notice of the pictures of him until we were riding an escalator up to the exit of a metro station and I heard one of my students yell "Mr. Pope! Your picture is on the wall over there!" They quickly gathered around and made me stand next to "my" picture. I can admit now that with a suit jacket on, I could probably have been a stand it for good old Oriol. At least for this picture.

Wow...I haven't posted since the 26th of June

Sorry for the extended hiatus to those of you who I haven't lost due to my long break from posting. But I have returned and I plan on picking up where I left off talking about music, movies and what-not.

Tunes:

I found this song the other day. I remember watching Sesame Street growing up and hearing Ernie sing the song "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon"...well here is Joseph Gordon-Levitt singing it.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - I Don't Want to Live on the Moon

He's also in a new romantic comedy with Zooey Deschanel called (500) Days of Summer that looks like it might be enjoyable, if only for the reason that they are the two stars.


Manchester Orchestra is a band that I have listened to on and off for about 3 years. Recently they have been on heavy repeat on my iPod and computer. Their lead singer Andy Hull has an amazing voice, the range he goes through in most of their songs is astounding. One of the reasons I never got into them is their tendency to be a little to screamy(?). I know it's not a word but it is how I would describe quite a few of their songs. Those of you who read the blog know I'm more into mellow slower paced music. So I was excited when I found Andy Hull's side project Right Away, Great Captain! Here are a couple of songs from both.

Manchester Orchestra - Everything to Nothing
Manchester Orchestra - I Can Feel a Hot One
Right Away, Great Captain! - Cutting Off the Blood to Ten
Right Away, Great Captain! - Down to Your Soul


Here are some other songs I've been listening to:
The xx - Crystalised
Jon Crocker - Moved to Nebraska
The Balconies - 300 Pages
Grand Archives - Oslo Novelist <----Highly Recommend!!!
Washed Out - Feel It All Around
Dirty Projectors - Knotty Pine



Movies:


Here are a few movie trailers to check out:
Ben showed me this one, which looks really cool
9

And Ang Lee's new movie, which could be good. (Mostly because Dimitri Martin is in it)
Taking Woodstock

That's it for this time, I should have another this week or weekend.

i hate michael bay

quick post, no music today, just ire. found this on the web...michael bay is an idiot.

music you "need" and some music articles

it's been a while since my last post, i'm not sure if i have just been lazy or if i have been busy. i guess that because i have to ask that question...i've probably been lazy. i have been working at the school all day doing grounds work and now i'm also cooking out at the country club a few nights a week so i am also busy with work.

i have had some time to find some tunes that are worth checking out...so here they are.


first is a band called fanfarlo. they are currently offering their newest album for $1 on their website if you click their name in the previous sentence. it is good album...and it's only a dollar until july 4th, at which time it will go on sale for regular price. they are obviously trying to get their name and music out there so give them a buck and check it out.

fanfarlo - ghosts


second band today is dark mean. go to the link, give them an e-mail address, they give you a four song ep. does it get any better than that? now i've only heard four of their songs, but what i've heard i like and i'm waiting for the next two eps to come out which will form their first album. if you like this don't worry i'll let you know when they come out.

dark mean - happy banjo
dark mean - lullaby

third...bowerbirds. i know i've talked about them before, but i'm gonna do it again. their album upper air comes out on the 7th of july, but if you order it now...you get a code to digitally download it. i have it, it's good.

last but not least here are two songs that i have been listening to. i may try to go see tiny vipers in denver at the end of july...it'd be fun.

tiny vipers - dreamer
grand archives - silver among the gold

keep sending me any bands you find, i promise i am listening to them and checking them out...i'll do a post of bands people have sent me soon. enjoy

movies and tunes

last night i finally watched "Paris, je t'aime" i had been told to watch it by no less than 10 people so i decided it was time...and it was great. the movie consists of 18 short films, some by directors and actors you know...and some you don't. each film is right about five minutes long and each of them tell a story of love...in the city of love.
a few of the films are just okay but the majority are engrossing, which is amazing to me that a director can make you feel such a strong connection to a character or an emotion based on what you see on-screen in less than five minutes. this is a film i recommend to everyone, even if you don't like one particular film, it's done before you know it and you're on to the next.

another good movie that i watched recently is gattaca, starring ethan hawke and uma thurman. based in the not too distant future where parents can genetically engineer unwanted traits out of their offspring, this movie poses questions about discrimination and what humans are capable of. this one is also worth a watch.

sufjan stevens held a contest in 2007 and gave a newly recorded track to a fan, that fan is alec duffy...here is how he is sharing the song, not conventional...but interesting none the less.


bowerbirds have a new album coming out on july 7th called "upper air"...this is a pretty good band you can check out some videos of them here or listen to them below.

bowerbirds - northern lights
bowerbirds - beneath your tree

that's it for today, enjoy...

and i'm back!!

i just returned from lovely spain, it was an amazing trip...and it was just nice to be back there. i don't have a camera so i don't have any pictures yet. as soon as i do i'll post a few. it has been quite a while since my last post and i haven't had much time to check out new tunes so here we go.

director david lynch has an interesting new project on his website. he has a few interviews up right now...but there will surely be more. keep your eyes on this site.


the new pornographers are a band that got a lot of playtime on my ipod while i was in spain. they are a canadian rock/pop group who have 4 albums. most of their songs are catchy and they have a pretty good variety of different sounds in each album...unlike many of the other bands i have put on here. you may recognize neko case the beautiful ginger in the middle of the picture above. she just released an album not to long ago titled middle cyclone, it is also worth a listen.

here are some tunes:

the new pornographers - the bleeding hearts show
the new pornographers - sing me spanish techno

that'll be it for today, but i will try to do a good job of updating every day or everyother day. enjoy

added @ 11:00 p.m.

p.s. -

if you don't have bon iver's album for emma, forever ago it is on sale on amazon mp3's for $5 i guarantee it is the best $5 you'll spend on an album.

last post...for a bit

as i will be traveling to spain on monday, this will be the last post i will put up until i get back. due to this fact, this post is all over the place...music, movies, youtube, whatever is on my mind. enjoy!

okkervil river is one of my favorite bands, they play great music and their lyrics are very...lyrical. not sure how to explain it other than their lyrics are similar to the decemberists, but they don't tell a story or folk tale in every one of them.

my favorite song is titled plus ones, it takes songs with numbers in the title and adds one to them and is put together with wit and charm here is the song and a link to the titles used in the song.

okkervil river - plus ones plus ones analysis

okkervil river - lost coastlines

here is a youtube video that has been making me cry at the back of my classroom for the last couple of months. actually it is a series of videos in which a person who knows about a historical event in the united states becomes inibriated and retells the story...in short i give you 'drunk history'



there are 5 videos in all and they are each worth watching.

ben found this movie trailer and had the insight to remind me that no matter how good it looks...there is still no chance of it ever coming to my lovely little village of sidney. thanks buddy.

rudo y cursi



and finally...new tunes. i found this group today on a blog that i read. mewithoutyou are a band from philadelphia who sing songs that tell stories. i'm a sucker for that type of music. the song on here is based on one of aesop's fables. as always check 'em out and let me know what you think.

mewithoutyou - the fox, the crow and the cookie