R.I.P. LAUSD Music

Matthew EilarLeave a comment

As a musician, and a classical one at that, I don’t feel like the world is obligated to support me. But it’s hard to watch videos like this and not think that the world doesn’t value what I want to spend my life doing.

Everybody Loves Hugo

Matthew EilarLeave a comment

Let me start by saying that I wasn’t particularly excited about this episode. While Hurley seems to have become a fan favorite, he’s never been one of mine, and I thought that the Libby/Hurley romance was deadweight in season two, much less when it’s come back. I don’t particularly care about his function as audience surrogate, and I think the pithy pop culture references are better handled by Sawyer and Miles.

Even though Libby returned front and center this week, I really enjoyed this episode. I’ve given up on wanting big revalations and action during this season, which frees me to enjoy these character moments. I thought Jorge Garcia did a great job with his spotlight (and one of the bittersweet things about this season is that every episode is the last _____ episode).

While I don’t have any complaints about last night’s episode, I do think it revealed some weaknesses in the LOST showrunner’s master plan. The big line that they’ve been pushing is that after bad episodes in season three, they got the greenlight from ABC to plan for the show to end after six seasons. Supposedly everything that we are now watching was planned out in broad strokes back then.

Illana’s death and Sun’s bizarre soap opera language barrier cast doubt on that story. Illana and the Ajira characters are now all dead, without revealing anything or serving any function to the story. Now I’m wondering whether Frank Lapidus will ever enter into the story. And after Jin and Sun’s great episode a couple of weeks ago, it seems wasteful and cruel that they’re barely even background characters. The writers have said that this season is intended mirror season one. I guess it’s a season one where Jin and Sun have receded into the background.

The only other note I have is that after the mini-revelation about the whispers, I hope that the series finale doesn’t end with an idea that’s predictable.

Jónsi Go

Matthew EilarLeave a comment

Most of the reviews of Go that I’ve seen in passing mention how different it is from Jónsi’s work with Sigur Ros. I thought that I would have fresh ears because I’ve only heard like one of their albums (()? Vekatimest?). Still, this album is a big contrast from the music journalist shorthand for Sigur Ros’ sound; atmospheric, etheral, post-rock.
I’ve always gotten an art rock vibe from Sigur Rós, in terms of marketing and their place in the indie rock pantheon. Go is much more upfront about being conventional pop, in terms of songwriting. One thing that is retained from SR is the epic ambition of the songs. There’s a tasteful amount of glitchy production that, coupled with Arcade Fire-esque tom-heavy propulsive drums, give the upbeat numbers a kind of apocalyptic, end-of-the-world-party energy.
Go is a fun album. It’s impossible to listen to it without getting caught up in its ambition and energy.
But. [Read more for the old sad bastard view on this album.] Continue reading “Jónsi Go” →

Jónsi Go

Matthew EilarLeave a comment

Most of the reviews of Go that I’ve seen in passing mention how different it is from Jónsi’s work with Sigur Ros. I thought that I would have fresh ears because I’ve only heard like one of their albums (()? Vekatimest?). Still, this album is a big contrast from the music journalist shorthand for Sigur Ros’ sound; atmospheric, etheral, post-rock.

I’ve always gotten an art rock vibe from Sigur Rós, in terms of marketing and their place in the indie rock pantheon. Go is much more upfront about being conventional pop, in terms of songwriting. One thing that is retained from SR is the epic ambition of the songs. There’s a tasteful amount of glitchy production that, coupled with Arcade Fire-esque tom-heavy propulsive drums, give the upbeat numbers a kind of apocalyptic, end-of-the-world-party energy.

Go is a fun album. It’s impossible to listen to it without getting caught up in its ambition and energy.

But. [Read more for the old sad bastard view on this album.] Continue reading “Jónsi Go“ →