video: Frank Ocean - Lost
Frank Ocean captures some of the moments in his career so far, including his first London show, his Grammy performance and general travelling (think escalators, the Eiffel tower, planes) around the world in this Fransico Soriano-directed video for Lost.
Its unheroic hero is a fictionalized young ad man, René Saavedra, well played by the charismatic Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal. Soulful, yet politically unengaged, René comes up with a marketing campaign designed to get ordinary folks to vote “No” — thereby removing Pinochet. His ideas horrify many in the Vote No camp. You see, they want to use their allotted 15 minutes of nightly TV airtime to chronicle the dictator’s many crimes — murders, disappearances, the crushing of unions.
In contrast, René insists on going Lite. Using a rainbow logo and a catchy theme song, he sells funny, upbeat images of a future, democratic Chile in the way we’ve earlier seen him sell soft drinks.
Image of Gael Garcia Bernal courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
I think I would like to live in the corner of Fascination Street with Street Fighting Man so I can be within walking distance of the Strawberry Fields Forever, the Cemetery Gates, the Crystal Lake, and Running Up The Hill.
By the way, I am considering buying this litho print. Cool stuff
"…in some ways, the US is worse (macro-economically) than Greece"
“Central Park from 2500ft”
there’s also a discussion going on in reddit
Top 10 Albums of 2012
#1 - Passion Pit - Gossamer
#2 - Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
#3 - Django Django - Django Django
#4 - Tame Impala - Lonerism
#5 - The Cribs - In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull
#6 - Grizzly Bear - Shields
#7 - Tanlines - Mixed Emotions
#8 - Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
#9 - Beach House - Bloom
#10 - Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Honorable Mentions: Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man, Chromatics - Kill For Love, Sleigh Bells - Reign Of Terror, Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves Of Destiny - “Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose”
Top 10 Songs of 2012 and 6 honorable mentions
- Dirty Projectors - Impregnable Question (listen). Because the Dirty Projectors finally decided to make a pop song and they came out with this gem. Hard not to be moved by it.
- Passion Pit - Constant Conversations (listen). Because the lyrics are great and the tune evokes sad and happy feelings.
- Twin Shadow - Five Seconds (listen). Because it makes me feel like I am driving on a U.S. highway, after midnight, in 1985.
- Benjamin Schoos - Je Ne Vois Que Vous (feat. Laetitia Sadier) (listen). Because it was the first song in French in a long time that I loved at first listen, because Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier sings parts of the songs, and because it helps me practice my crappy French in the car.
- Blur - Under The Westway (listen). Because I was not expecting a Blur song as good as this one in 2012 and because if you feel like taking a walk, watching the stars, this is the song you probably want to be listening to.
- Passion Pit - Take A Walk (listen). Because it makes me happy and Philly is featured in the video.
- The Cribs - Glitters Like Gold (listen). Because The Cribs at Johnny Brendas was the best show I attended in 2012 and because this song is my favorite on In The Belly of the Brazen Bull.
- Tame Impala - Elephant (listen). Because it sounds as if I am listening to John Lennon and because Tame Impala is one the most talented bands around.
- Tanlines - All Of Me (listen). Because if I want to dance, I would beg the DJ to play this.
- The Walkmen - Heartbreaker (listen). Because in Summer 2012 I loved to played this one out loud while driving through the streets of Philly.
Honorable Mentions: First Aid Kit - Emmylou (listen), Fort Romeau - Theo (listen), Beach House - Lazuli (listen), Grizzly Bear - A Simple Answer (listen), Grizzly Bear - Yet Again (listen), Django Django - Hail Bop (listen)
My Top 20 songs of 2011
- metronomy - the bay (video) “great video - it reminds me of the Tampa bay - I love Metronomy”
- holy ghost! - jam for jerry (video) ”dedicated to Jerry Fuchs, drummer of The Juan MacLean - happy song in a pretty sad way”
- cashier no 9 - lost at sea (video) “soundtrack to my job interview flights”
- the horrors - still life (video) “the return of Simple Minds”
- unknown mortal orchestra - how can u love me (video) “insanely catchy”
- patrick wolf - the city (video) ” Patrick Wolf is happy and it shows”
- the strokes - taken for a fool (video) “best song on Angles, the comeback album of The Strokes”
- the kills - future starts slow (video) “love the video and how it starts similar to their song What New York Used To Be”
- arctic monkeys - reckless serenade (video) “favorite for karaoke - arctic monkeys are one of my favorite live bands”
- kurt vile - jesus fever (video) ”not into Kurt Vile that much but this song is seriously great”
- cass mccombs - the same thing (video) “soundtrack to driving my new car”
- real state - it’s real (video) “another one that belong in the soundtrack to driving my new car”
- arctic monkeys - suck it and see (video) “another great one from the new Monkeys album - the end reminds me of The Stone Roses”
- pj harvey - the words that maketh murder (video) “what if I take my problem to the United Nations??”
- girls - honey bunny (video) “i think i like better their first album but this song rocks”
- holy ghost! - wait and see (video) “can’t believe i still dont get to see them live when ive coincided with their shows in NYC twice”
- class actress - all the saints (video) “charming and sexy”
- stephen malkmus and the jicks - tune grief (video) “Malkmus still rocks”
- cut copy - need you now (video) “according to Last fm, cut copy is my Top 1 artist, nuff said”
- arctic monkeys - the hellcat spangled shalalala (video) “just because i love to sing another fuckin’ shalalala”
"-Es un hombre pecador. Pero fíjese que el Señor se vale de repente de un pecador para hacer una obra fantástica."
~ Alicia Romo, rectora de la Universidad Gabriela Mistral, sobre Marcial Maciel.
