Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová play nameless characters with a special musical connection

The film that should have been nominated for dozens of awards, but of course was snubbed for the most part, came out on DVD this week. Once is an awry romance about a heart broken singer-songwriter and the girl who follows him home with her broken vacuum.

The acting is great, but the music performances really put the film out of the reach of such duds as August Rush. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová have amazing chemistry despite their Irish-Czech differences.

If anyone is looking for a romantic movie to watch during the Holidays, Once is your best bet if you have already exhausted your copy of Love Actually.

Or Listen Up to the soundtrack!

The following is an account of what more less took place during my visit to guitar center today:

I walk in carrying my shitty yet endearing acoustic, looking to get it restrung because my savvy friend Brian told me it was delivered with steel strings when it needs nylon.

Upon entering I am confronted with a subway turnstile and an obviously half baked seventeen-year-old. He stops me and asks to see the guitar.
After recording its serial number to make sure I walk out with the same one he asks me for my name.
“Matt” I say.
“I need a last name too” he says.
Fuck, I knew this was going to happen.
“Fender”
He looks up at me, grins. He has braces. I hate him.
“Dude, are you relat-”
“NO”, I grab my guitar and walk towards the string and accessory counter.
Some jackass is playing Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” over and over on a test amp. I need to get out of here quickly.
I walk over to the counter and ask if the dude will restring my guitar if I buy strings from him.
“We don’t do that”
Who is we? Guitar Center’s union of under-paid pimply clerks?
“Well can I pay for you to do it?”
“Nah man, we just don’t do it”
I stare at him for a couple seconds before lifting up the guitar and telling him I need nylons for a classical.
He proceeds to show me 8 different kinds I can get.
“Just ring up the cheapest”
“You sure you don’t want these, they work really well for me”
Apparently he didn’t notice the piece of shit I have in my hand. It has a fucking sticker on it.
“No, sorry, just the cheapest”
As soon as I have the strings and receipt in my hand I check out some guitars then make for the door. Braces boy is still there, staring at the wall. When he sees me coming he checks my guitar but not before calling to his manager.
“Hey Dan! This kid’s last name is Fender!”
I want to kill him.
After cringing at the jokes hurled my way by “Dan”, the manager man-boy stuck in his punk rock days, I escape to the parking lot, never to return.

*End Scene*

Lesson Learned. Guitar Center, while seeming aptly named is actually a misnomer.

Johnny Cash is probably the coolest American ever to live, besides Bob D. His country was the best country. It truly brought out the woes of the working man and even the man who took the wrong path in life.

Johnny Cash is better than you

This video is so valuable. The last time J. Cash was ever in the recording booth!

Check it out. ; ) hehe

If you didn’t catch the inaugural lift off of WFFM a couple of weeks ago, now is your chance to make up for your mistake!

They will be playing tonight at the Canopy Club at 10 pm for the first round of the weird but interesting gimmick “Fall Semester Showdown”.

Tonight’s showdown is between Tall Tale and Hotel Ahead! May the band with the best alcohol sales win!(?)

I received my one cent guitar in the mail today, and no, it wasn’t a scam. The guitar is admittedly a piece of shit that was probably made in about one total hour of work. I have not yet tuned it so I don’t know what kind of sounds it is going to make but let’s just say I don’t have my hopes up.

Regardless of the quality of my instrument, now that I have one I will immediately become the next great virtuoso! Having wasted $8 on the new “feel good movie of the season”, August Rush, I now know all it takes is an annoyingly wispy attitude towards life and a Fagan-esque mentor to become the world’s next Mozart. Seriously, did anyone actually get through that movie without throwing up all over the middle-aged women crying in front of them?

Speaking of musical genius, if you were at the Canopy Club last night you saw the first showcase of Brian McGovern’s project Green Ghost Red Ghost!

Green Ghost Red Ghost @ Canopy Club 12/9

The show was fun and Brian has an excellent repertoire of songs ranging from GGRG originals to Saturday Looks Good to Me covers! Anne Rufa was excellent on trumpet and without the help of guest Thomas Lowery the show could not have gone on.

Brian plays guitar and has short hair

Further neglecting my ten page music business paper with this post, I fear I’m totally fucked this year.

I might as well forget studying tomorrow night and play Glockenspiel for Brian McGovern’s project Green Ghost Red Ghost at the Canopy Club.

If you saw Brian play in World’s First Flying Machine a couple weeks ago, you know this show will be kick ass.

FREE ADMISSION - CHEAP DRINKS - FINALS HEADACHE RELIEF

9 pm this Sunday the 9th of December

Ghosts and Butterflies will be on hand

Here it is. My list.

FYI, I take this very seriously. This is one of the only things that gives me some sort of solace during the week leading up to finals every year.

I’d like people to leave their own favorites in the comments section. Those of you preparing to flame my list, I don’t care what you think.

The following albums remind me that having to sift through disappointing music all year is worth it if you manage to find the gems.

25. Graduation by Kanye West

24. Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner by Shapes and Sizes

23. Person Pitch by Panda Bear

22. The Con by Tegan & Sara

21. Spirit If… by Kevin Drew

20. Sky Blue Sky by Wilco

19. Living With The Living by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

18. The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

17. Alive 2007 by Daft Punk

16. Cassadaga by Bright Eyes

15. We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank by Modest Mouse

14. Cease To Begin by Band of Horses

13. The Shepherd’s Dog by Iron & Wine

12. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon

11. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? by of Montreal

10. Strawberry Jam by Animal Collective

9. Icky Thump by The White Stripes

8. Kala by M.I.A.

7. The Reminder by Feist

6. Mirrored by Battles

5. In Rainbows by Radiohead

4. Neon Bible by Arcade Fire

3. † by Justice

2. The Stage Names by Okkervil River

1. Boxer by The National