Preparing to Break Up With 'Breaking Bad'

With a premise built on terminal cancer, rampant drug abuse, violence, and constant emotional distress, you might wonder how 'Breaking Bad' has managed to take over my TV as one of the most impressive and depressive shows on cable today. There are times I am so shocked by the way the plot moves that I literally gasp, cover my eyes, and start trying to figure out a way to forget that I ever heard the name "Walter White". Other times I find myself feeling so sorry for Jesse Pinkman that I want to take him out of the pit of despair he lives in, make him a nice warm meal, give him a hug, and tell him I love him.

Yep, I'm in that deep.

The smart writing and tricky camera work force the actors to climb out of their comfort zone and find a place to land that is more often than not just as desperate and desolate as the desert they spend their days in. As a Southerner who spent most of my life in the mountains, that landscape and mind frame sound hot and uncomfortable, kind of like a really bad date at a theme park.

Sadly, this is not the first time I managed to fall for the bad boy - in this case we are talking TV Land in which the "bad boy" is a mean, mad anti-hero and his sweet, sad sidekick. I can’t stop watching it, even though instead of streaming it on Netflix as part of my bundle, I am forced to buy this last season online just to keep up. Even ‘Mad Men’ didn’t hook me that hard! Don’t get me wrong, it did its damage alongside other high-drama shows such as ‘Six Feet Under’ and “The Wire’ which sucked me into their twisted worlds and made mush of my heart. Though unlike those heavy hitters, where I felt like I went through a horrible break up every season, and especially when the show ended, I am ready for this one.

I love it, and I can’t get enough, but when I get to the season finale of 'Breaking Bad', I will be ready to hear the words, "It's not you it's me", and this time, I will actually believe them. Besides, I know we will still be friends; I’ve bought them all on iTunes.

The Rapture - Music Hall of Williamsburg

I waited too long to buy myself a ticket before the show sold out, but I really wanted to go out dancing and see some music, so I showed up on a chilly April night hoping to find an extra ticket to The Rapture.  I hung around outside the Music Hall of Williamsburg, unaggressively, and eventually grabbed an entrance about 5 songs deep into the set.

I beelined for the elevated portion of stage left to solidify a view of the band and scope the scene. Officially warm and in the depths of a smooth, solid sound, The Rapture had the crowd staggering about in a sea of blue light. Bodies deep in sway increased the heat, so I stripped myself of extra layers, shoved them between my feet on the dingy floor, and commenced to dancing.

It can be awkward to appear within a crowd, seemingly out of no where, and dance alone. Most of the time people assume you are drunk. Or at least I do. But then again, I'm a judgmental drunk in the company of nothing but live music and my thoughts. (To be fair, other times too).

So there I was, gyrating clumsily and postulating. The Rapture draws strange emotions out of me for many reasons. The lead singer is a recent Catholic convert, and I strayed from that path long ago. The religiosity of their latest album In the Grace of Your Love does not go unnoticed, but it is so damn catchy that I try not to burst into flames in my sinful skin. The people around me appeared to be outrageously smashed. Maybe not everyone yet, but there was this lanky dude who continued to fall over the hand rail into the crowd below. A disgruntled man caught him over and over, protesting his sloppy behavior. The lanky guy was clearly having a really good time and couldn't care less, and was likely on drugs, I thought with a smile. I was already feeling devilish, so when my smile crept into a snicker, I found myself feeling unapologetic for the angry guy for some reason.

As Luke Jenner belted the line "aren't we all children" from one of my favorite songs on the album, a lingering thought floated around in the loud, dusty air. I closed my eyes and danced a little harder to try to remove myself from expressing unwarranted unkindness toward this stranger. It passed quickly, and not too long later, after one fall too many, the angry guy and I exchange a "what can you do" look before he and his date moved on to more a more comfortable space.

As less Catholic guilt and more staggering pleasure set into the beats, I moved silkily, happily. Somehow the lanky guy landed his focus on me in the crowd, though I don't know how as I couldn't see his face through the glare of the blue light-scape and the blur of my own dancing. Perhaps he could see better than I and thought the whatev-half-shrug-with-a-smile I gave Dude was meant for him. Whatever the motivation, his thoughts brought him to me at that moment, and he leaned over and kissed me deeply on the mouth. I stepped back and we separated briefly, bewildered. A second later, as he picked up courage from himself, but not support from his friends, he went in for another. A burly guy (who looked like he might be named Dan) reached over and grabbed him cautiously and pulled him away from me, mouthing an apology in my general direction.

At that point, not sure what to make of the strange world I had stumbled into, I refocused my efforts on a more proper sway, and began to enjoy the band again. They played "Sister Savior" and I tried to refuse to be reminded of my ex, though I could see his stupid face clearly in the darkness. I turned my thoughts to the kid who kissed me, smiled in appreciation for the anonymous distraction and sang along. At the end of that song, I decided to grab a drink and see if the sound was any better on the other side (it is not any different in fact). When I returned to my nook, the burly guy and some other folks had maintained their turf, though lacking the lanky lip-locker.

Better for it, I thought. I came to dance, so I got back to it, abuzz. My mind racing, limbs adjusting to the pace, and me, there, pushing and singing. They closed out the night with "How Deep is Your Love?" and I am truly glad I made it out, for all its awkward glory.
     

Some How Lamer Than Creed

Seriously - what the fuck is this? If this is where the music industry is headed, I am glad no one makes videos anymore.

Shit yeah, Sleigh Bells

I mean,seriously, you had me at hello. Sleigh Bells have released their official first single from Reign of Terror, and holy crap - it.is.so.good.

Best of 2011

Oh christ, its almost time to compile my "Best of 2011" list. Since I am not ready to quite yet, how about you check out the following:

Merge Records favs.
Or Sterogum.
Pitchfork has a Top 10 list for just about EVERYTHING (including worst album covers, ha!)
My friend Michael Hall sent this list from Fluxblog over to me as well as Gorillavsbear.
Or you can vote for your favorites at NPR.
Despite missing Gonzo, Rolling Stone has a fairly solid list of albums and singles.
AV Club too!!

An I'll get back to you, I promise. MMMMMKAY?

The Golden Age

For W.B.


All I know is that
There were rumors he was into field hockey players
There were Rumours.

I guess they're more for Gold Dust Wom[e]n
they know how to pick up the pieces and go home
in time to see the Jigsaw Falling Into Place.

Oh, Stop Breaking Down -
Oh! You Pretty Thing!
Find The Book of Love and read it to me
I hear it's supposed to be long
and boring.

But I love it when you sing to me.
If You Want to Sing Out, sing out!
It's easy.
It's So Easy.
Please
          Please Me.

I know you're no good, Heartbreaker.
Dream maker, love taker.
You don't have to go away.
Baby Please Don't Go
(and I Feel Fine).

Well, tell your mom, "I'm stuck on this lovely girl".
And that Maybe I'm Amazed.
And that Possibly Maybe,
Probably maybe, I am Feeling Myself Disintegrate.
Because.
In The End,
the love you take is equal to the love you make.

Nurses and Dominant Legs

Every time I go to the Red Palace I am reminded why it is one of my favorite DC venues. It's a bitch to get to if you are carless (like yours truly), but so worth whatever effort you must make to get there. The beer is cheap, the selection is good, the bartenders are nice, and sometimes you get to see things like The Big Lebowski while hanging out between sets. 

And that's just the booze. 

In addition, the set up is perfect for either a low key night with a mild and unpacked house or a filled to the brim rager. The sound is high quality (not great, but usually very good), the stage is propped up high so you can see no matter where you stand (with the exception of tall people directly in front of you), and the bands they attract are always good, and sometimes great.  

Last night was no exception. While we sadly missed the opener Dinosaur Feathers, we got there just in time to settle in and watch Nurses set up. This little three-piece from Portland, OR is awesome. They have a blend of sound that rivals Animal Collective, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and maybe even a little Wolf Parade. Plus the lead singer looks like a Hipster version of Tim Roth.  

They played a nice full set, mostly complied of songs from their new record Dracula, which I didn't mind at all. They are great live, and seem to have a lot of potential to grow their sound into something truly new. I'm pretty judgy when it comes to bands that steal each others sound, but its getting harder and harder to sound like an original, and I have hope for these guys. They are really talented and catchy! The West Coast sound is starting to steal my jam sessions almost exclusively, with lead singer-drummers coming in a close second.

Dominant Legs was the headliner, though I must say I enjoyed Nurses more. DL originally began as a twosome, and has sense expanded into a foursome, which sadly still needs to grow some legs. Their sound is choppy, the drummer is too aggressive, and the new songs aren't all that new. Overall, I enjoyed watching them play (and my friend enjoyed the legs of the singer/keyboardist - dominant indeed), but I would have liked to close the night with Nurses. Maybe next time they will headline, I have a feeling it is in their future.