Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Back in 2009, no one was more excited than me to get my hands on the Beastie Boys' eight studio album, Hot Sauce Committee Part One. Then MCA announced that he was diagnosed with cancer. Needless to say, my year was ruined and I was very scared that one of my musical heroes was not going to be around much longer.

Finally, after beating the cancer like the indestructible rapping machine that he is, the Beasties decided to push back Part One for a future release date. Before I could dismay for very long, however, they announced that Hot Sauce Committee Part Two would be dropping in May. Nice!

The clean version of the album was leaked online not too long ago, and the Beastie Boys decided that they weren't going out like that. So in an act of love and adoration for their fans, they released the entire uncensored version of the album on their website to stream free of charge. And it is incredible.

I have been waiting for a Beastie Boys album like this since 1998's Hello Nasty. 2004's To The 5 Boroughs was decent, but it was missing the old-school flair and reckless rap anthems that the Beasties are known for. 2007's The Mix Up was phenomenal in that it showcased that the Beastie Boys could also play instruments better than most bands on the radio today, but it was completely lacking lyrics. Finally, we have a solid rap-oriented album that calls to mind the golden age of rap.

If you are a fan of 1992's Check Your Head, you are going to love this album. If you like to dance, you're going to love this album. If you have any affinity for what real hip hop is, you're going to love this album. And don't worry. If you're cold, MCA will get you a shawl.

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Okonokos

When I first heard of the band My Morning Jacket back in the early 2000's, their name threw me off. I figured they were just another crap wannabe band like My Chemical Romance or My Bloody Valentine or any other band starting with the word "my." Boy, was I wrong.

When I watched Okonokos 2 years ago it was the first time I actually heard My Morning Jacket songs. The band members themselves were a sight to behold: half of them looked like they came to this band after a long haul in a heavy metal group and the other half looked like Grizzly Adams. But it was the music they played that hooked me, as well as the surreal stage they were playing on.

If you haven't heard of this band before, I definitely recommend checking them out. The film itself is extremely mellow and every time I watch it I feel like I'm dreaming. Check out "One Big Holiday" from Okonokos via the link below. Try not to get too hypnotized by Jim James' amazing reverb.

My Morning Jacket - Okonokos - One Big Holiday

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

I've been a Foo Fighters fan since 6th grade. The first rock album I listened to was 1999's There Is Nothing Left To Lose. To this day, I credit that album as single-handedly turning me on to rock music.

Now, 12 years later, it brings me a warming sense of pride and joy to see the Foo Fighters still rocking as hard as when I was a kid. Their new album, Wasting Light, is pure classic Foo. If you like their first four albums, you're going to love this. Don't look for epic ballads like "Best of You". This is straight, melt-your-face-off hard rock with no chaser.

The whole album is on their website to enjoy. Free of charge.

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

Insomnia

Al Pacino. Robin Williams. Christopher Nolan. Wow, what a crew. I remember seeing this movie quite awhile ago, and I hated it. Now that I am actually able to pay attention to a movie that doesn't have lightsabers in it for more than 15 minutes, I get it.

Robin Williams as a villain is just plain creepy and Al Pacino as the good/bad cop chasing him down is actually a good fit. The movie is set in Alaska, and the whole 24-hours of sunlight thing makes for a very surreal and spine-tingling setting. This is The Silence of the Lambs if... well, if Christopher Nolan directed The Silence of the Lambs.

After seeing this movie, I have seen every one of Chris Nolan's directing efforts. And man, can that guy make a movie! Let's go down the list:

1. Following (1998) - Great indie flick. Only an hour long but definitely entertaining and suspenseful.

2. Memento (2000) - If you haven't seen this by now I don't know what's wrong with you. Guy Pearce's best movie since L.A. Confidential.

3. Insomnia (2002) - See above.

4. Batman Begins (2005) - Are you kidding me?

5. The Prestige (2006) - Hands down one of the greatest science-fiction/fantasy stories ever told. The way history and technology is blended with pure imaginative storytelling is absolutely fantastic.

6. The Dark Knight (2008) - See number 4 and multiply by 100.

7. Inception (2010) - One of my favorite movies ever made. It may be the greatest original story to ever hit theaters in my opinion.

Conclusion: Christopher Nolan is the greatest director ever and not even Scorsese or Spielberg can reach this guy's success rate. If The Dark Knight Rises turns out to be a total bomb (which I'm betting it won't), Nolan still has a 88% rate of success which is just stunning for a director.

Trailer for Christopher Nolan's Insomnia

The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing Dark Side of the Moon

I think the title pretty much says it all. If you like The Flaming Lips, you're probably going to like this. If you like Pink Floyd, you're probably going to like this. Not to mention the album cover is extremely awesome.

I'm not sure which band performs which parts, but when you're listening to an album with the depth of The Dark Side of the Moon it doesn't really matter. Pink Floyd made it very clear to us that the album is a whole. Even though it may be broken up into individual tracks for radio play and commercialization, the entire album is meant to be heard as one entity. That being the case, the Flaming Lips tribute to this legendary piece of musical art is spot on. Enjoy.

Any Colour You Like

Money

The Hudsucker Proxy

Here's another Netflix instant-watch gem that Adam and I discovered today. The Hudsucker Proxy is probably the only comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen that I can safely say I enjoyed other than The Big Lebowski.

Although this 1994 film bombed at the box office, it has a certain charm to it and its vaudeville/art deco flair is actually pretty cool. Not to mention Paul Newman's in it, and he's the man.

Scene from Joel and Ethan Coen's The Hudsucker Proxy

Ima Robot - Another Man's Treasure

If you were to listen to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and then immediately move on to Ima Robot's Monument to the Masses you would be very confused. Alex Ebert in Monument sounds nothing like the rock and roll messiah that he is in Edward Sharpe. In fact, the sheer party-friendly poppiness of the album alone might make you want to give up on music all together.

That said, Ima Robot's latest effort, Another Man's Treasure is quite amazing. Released in 2010, just one year after Edward Sharpe's Up From Below and four years after Ima Robot's Monument, the maturity and musical genius that Ebert emits is incomparable. Click the link below for a taste of David Bowie mixed with Talking Heads.

Ima Robot - Sail With Me