Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Friday, January 13, 2017
Reel Reviews
Straight Outta Compton -- Entertaining and accessible enough that this movie could probably make some rap fans--or at least N.W.A. fans--out of people who really aren’t all that into rap music. The only real complaint about this flick is that the story is too big for one movie; there’s no way the whole tale has been covered in full in this treatment. Nevertheless, this movie makes the case that these young guys deserve even more respect than they ultimately got, not just making cool music, but for being brave, sharp, and for seeing the big picture, too. Definitely worth a look, and a listen.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Reel Reviews
Whiplash -- Again with the jazz. If jazz is as wonderful as everyone who likes it says it is, why does it only feature in films like this? Seriously, try to find a real jazz station on the radio these days. But I digress; the more pertinent question raised by this movie may be, what’s up with these people? The film actually undercuts its own argument; since precious few viewers will be able to tell the good playing from the bad while watching this one, one wonders if the obsessive attention to perfection is in any way valid. Whom are you trying to impress? Five other people in the room?...or in the city? If that’s all there is, just your own little knowing circle, and you act like this...aren’t you just being a dick? Do movie viewers care about dicks? Perhaps I’m just being contrarian, because this film is in fact entertaining, interesting, and worth watching. Just don’t expect to find any new heroes here.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
No Contest: The Real World Wins Hands Down
Lately, I've been on a run selling my old CDs--not because I've grown tired of my music, but because I no longer have the space to accommodate 100+ discs and their containers. At first I went the online route, selling my discs via sites like "selldvdsonline.com" and "mx123.com." (I'll name them, but I won't provide links, for reasons that will become obvious below.) I thought using the online sites would be an advantage to me: you enter the disc's bar code for pricing, so you know right away whether a disc will sell or not--no lugging any duds to the store; the online vendors pay for shipping, so it's just a case of packaging the order up and getting to the post office; and (important for people-shy types like myself) you don't have to deal with any of the music store weirdos face to face. Seemed like a good way to go.
Alas, not so much. While it is true that I was ultimately able to make approximately $37 selling old, unwanted CDs online, the process was a pain in the ass.
Many CDs were rejected out of hand, because the bar code did not show up in the vendor's database.
Packaging the orders meant finding a suitable box, packing the discs properly, and securely sealing the box--and then I still had to get the thing to the post office. Not horrendous, but still a pain.
But those issues paled in comparison to the actual process of completing the sale. The worst indignities came after the vendor received the order. Of four separate orders sent by me, three of them had "problems" according to the vendors.
In two cases out of three orders sent to selldvdsonline.com, the vendor informed me that a disc was "missing" from my order. This despite the fact that, by their own assessment, the package seemed undamaged, and I certainly had no spare discs lying around at home. I was particularly assiduous about double-checking the order after the first "missing" disc issue. The fact is, I KNOW that each order included all of the intended discs. But who's going to haggle--long distance--over 25¢? In both cases, the payment I received was marked down by the value of the "missing" discs.
Worst of all was my experience with the execrable mx123.com. It took almost 10 days for them to acknowledge receipt of my order. After several days with no payment, I had to nudge them via email. This led to a response telling me that my order had "quality" problems, that several of the prices for my discs would be marked down because the discs or packaging did not meet their standards. (Funny, the other place never had a problem with the quality of my discs.) Again, I was told I would be paid "within 3 business days." It was only after the fourth business day, when I was ready to send another, considerably angrier email, that I received my payment. And finally, to add insult upon insult, my payment was reduced by 57¢ for PayPal's transaction fee. (None of the other payments from the other site--or indeed, any other payment I've ever received via PayPal--had a fee deducted from them.) I feel lucky to have gotten away with any money at all from those turds.
Contrast those experiences with what I got when I took two grocery bags full of CDs to my nearest Rasputin outlet. I had some trepidation about taking a big chunk of my music collection into the store at once, but two paper grocery bags full of discs (had to be about 70-80 CDs all told) was no problem for them. I had to wait while the (very friendly) clerk went through my discs one by one to assess prices, but the experience wasn't at all uncomfortable. Ultimately, I was offered $55 cash for my discs--without any of them rejected for "quality" reasons. (They offered $63 store credit, but I didn't take that, since I had other things to buy.) The entire process, including the drive to the store, probably took no more than 45 minutes, I got rid of my CDs, and I walked out of the store with $55 cash.
It was no contest: the real life, bricks and mortar, actual building on the street Rasputin store won hands down over the online outlets. I only wish I'd gone there sooner. If you find yourself in the same situation, got some music or movies or such that you'd like to sell, give your local store a shot. You'll be glad you did.
 |
| The mad monk is your friend |
Many CDs were rejected out of hand, because the bar code did not show up in the vendor's database.
Packaging the orders meant finding a suitable box, packing the discs properly, and securely sealing the box--and then I still had to get the thing to the post office. Not horrendous, but still a pain.
But those issues paled in comparison to the actual process of completing the sale. The worst indignities came after the vendor received the order. Of four separate orders sent by me, three of them had "problems" according to the vendors.
In two cases out of three orders sent to selldvdsonline.com, the vendor informed me that a disc was "missing" from my order. This despite the fact that, by their own assessment, the package seemed undamaged, and I certainly had no spare discs lying around at home. I was particularly assiduous about double-checking the order after the first "missing" disc issue. The fact is, I KNOW that each order included all of the intended discs. But who's going to haggle--long distance--over 25¢? In both cases, the payment I received was marked down by the value of the "missing" discs.
Worst of all was my experience with the execrable mx123.com. It took almost 10 days for them to acknowledge receipt of my order. After several days with no payment, I had to nudge them via email. This led to a response telling me that my order had "quality" problems, that several of the prices for my discs would be marked down because the discs or packaging did not meet their standards. (Funny, the other place never had a problem with the quality of my discs.) Again, I was told I would be paid "within 3 business days." It was only after the fourth business day, when I was ready to send another, considerably angrier email, that I received my payment. And finally, to add insult upon insult, my payment was reduced by 57¢ for PayPal's transaction fee. (None of the other payments from the other site--or indeed, any other payment I've ever received via PayPal--had a fee deducted from them.) I feel lucky to have gotten away with any money at all from those turds.
Contrast those experiences with what I got when I took two grocery bags full of CDs to my nearest Rasputin outlet. I had some trepidation about taking a big chunk of my music collection into the store at once, but two paper grocery bags full of discs (had to be about 70-80 CDs all told) was no problem for them. I had to wait while the (very friendly) clerk went through my discs one by one to assess prices, but the experience wasn't at all uncomfortable. Ultimately, I was offered $55 cash for my discs--without any of them rejected for "quality" reasons. (They offered $63 store credit, but I didn't take that, since I had other things to buy.) The entire process, including the drive to the store, probably took no more than 45 minutes, I got rid of my CDs, and I walked out of the store with $55 cash.
It was no contest: the real life, bricks and mortar, actual building on the street Rasputin store won hands down over the online outlets. I only wish I'd gone there sooner. If you find yourself in the same situation, got some music or movies or such that you'd like to sell, give your local store a shot. You'll be glad you did.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Shins Shine
Back in the old crescent & crossbones days, I used to do much more in the way of music reviews, along with the still chugging along (barely) book and movie reviews (Recently Read and Reel Reviews, respectively). I abandoned that habit, both because I just don't dive into the new music pool very often, and because I came to the conclusion that I don't have much to offer in the way of music criticism. It's easy to say you like, or don't like, a song or album, but it's not nearly as easy as it is with books and movies to say why you should or shouldn't like any particular piece or collection of music. To me, it really does come down to a matter of taste, and who's to argue about that?
Nevertheless, once in a while a new musical work comes along that just compels me to speak up--and that happened earlier this year with the release of the latest from The Shins, Port of Morrow. I've been a Shins fan ever since Chutes Too Narrow, or perhaps even earlier with the big breakthrough hit "New Slang" in the movie Garden State. The arrival of Wincing The Night Away back in 2007 cemented The Shins as my favorite "now band"--a hip, current outfit I could point to as at least one example of a group I like that is relevant today, to complement my gigantic stable of favorites from back in the day.
Imagine then, my disappointment when over four years passed with nary a whisper from The Shins. Of course, front man James Mercer--at this point, Mercer is The Shins--had a foray a couple of years ago with Broken Bells, but the one song I heard from that project ("The High Road") never sparked for me. Soon enough, I resigned myself to the inevitable and assumed I'd have to be satisfied with a couple of really good albums, and leave it at that.
Thankfully, I was wrong. Port of Morrow came along back in March, heralded by the pre-release single "Simple Song"...and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I could tell, on first listen, that there were a few songs that would grow on me, but nothing leaped out the way, for instance, "Gone for Good" or "Girl Sailor" had from the previous albums. I was almost willing to chalk it up as a loss--another album from a favorite artist that, for some reason or other, just bombed with me, like Imaginary Kingdom from Tim Finn. (Sorry, Tim. IK's no Before and After, that's for sure.)
Eventually, though, I had the good sense to burn the album onto a CD--they're still useful for some things--and started playing the thing in my car as I drove. The breakthrough came, not as any snap! "Eureka!" moment, but more as a slow-motion immersion into the heart of the music. After numerous listenings, during which I could feel the songs growing on me, I'm ready to declare Port of Morrow a triumph, maybe even the album of the year--even better than the recent release Wrecking Ball from my longtime favorite, Bruce Springsteen. Mercer's words and music offer something so unique that you really do need to give them repeated hearings before you can understand what's going on. It's only after hearing these songs enough to get the echoes ringing inside your head that tunes such as "For A Fool," "Fall of '82," and "40 Mark Strasse"--the song trio that delivers as the album's late, illustrious crescendo--can have their greatest impact. Their 'bright melancholy,' paired with more ebullient tracks like "Bait and Switch" and "Pariah King," run the listener through an entire gamut of musical expression like few other artists working today can achieve.
So my sincere thanks to James Mercer for giving us at least one more piece of greatness to add to the Shins' catalog. Or, to counterpoint the plaintive cry that ends both "Pariah King" and the album, "Yes, Jimmy, yes."
 |
| Port of Morrow by The Shins, available now. |
Imagine then, my disappointment when over four years passed with nary a whisper from The Shins. Of course, front man James Mercer--at this point, Mercer is The Shins--had a foray a couple of years ago with Broken Bells, but the one song I heard from that project ("The High Road") never sparked for me. Soon enough, I resigned myself to the inevitable and assumed I'd have to be satisfied with a couple of really good albums, and leave it at that.
Thankfully, I was wrong. Port of Morrow came along back in March, heralded by the pre-release single "Simple Song"...and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I could tell, on first listen, that there were a few songs that would grow on me, but nothing leaped out the way, for instance, "Gone for Good" or "Girl Sailor" had from the previous albums. I was almost willing to chalk it up as a loss--another album from a favorite artist that, for some reason or other, just bombed with me, like Imaginary Kingdom from Tim Finn. (Sorry, Tim. IK's no Before and After, that's for sure.)
Eventually, though, I had the good sense to burn the album onto a CD--they're still useful for some things--and started playing the thing in my car as I drove. The breakthrough came, not as any snap! "Eureka!" moment, but more as a slow-motion immersion into the heart of the music. After numerous listenings, during which I could feel the songs growing on me, I'm ready to declare Port of Morrow a triumph, maybe even the album of the year--even better than the recent release Wrecking Ball from my longtime favorite, Bruce Springsteen. Mercer's words and music offer something so unique that you really do need to give them repeated hearings before you can understand what's going on. It's only after hearing these songs enough to get the echoes ringing inside your head that tunes such as "For A Fool," "Fall of '82," and "40 Mark Strasse"--the song trio that delivers as the album's late, illustrious crescendo--can have their greatest impact. Their 'bright melancholy,' paired with more ebullient tracks like "Bait and Switch" and "Pariah King," run the listener through an entire gamut of musical expression like few other artists working today can achieve.
So my sincere thanks to James Mercer for giving us at least one more piece of greatness to add to the Shins' catalog. Or, to counterpoint the plaintive cry that ends both "Pariah King" and the album, "Yes, Jimmy, yes."
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