21st Century Breakdown: Or, How Depo learned to stop worrying and get pumped about Green Day again

With the Oscars only a week away (and my yearly top 10 list near completion) I don't have a whole lot to post about these days. Or do I?

Since Wig was the first to mention them on here, I don't feel as annoying as I normally would about randomly discussing Green Day...but we've got a new album coming out in May people and Depo needs to talk about it with someone. He is very excited/worried. Excited because he's read about how good it's going to be. Worried because he's read about how bad it's going to be.

Most of the major music networks/publications (Pitchfork has more "important" news to talk about) have written about six unmastered tracks that were sent to them. They talk a lot about new things (ie. Billie Joe singing falsetto, hand claps, more acoustic based rock and roll) and a lot about old things (punchy three-chord punk pop, snarling lyrics, groovy basslines, and politics). I'm anxious to hear how it will all sound. You can hear this weird 1 minute clip on their website here where, after a muffled lyric about the century we hear Who-like acoustic strums and Edge-friendly crap in the background. Supposedly this is from the first track and it sounds nothing like a Green Day tune. I'm assuming this is just a loop and not a minute of the same thing over and over again.

Anyways, as I've said before, I'm a bit worried Bono might have rubbed off on Billie Joe Armstrong. All that buddy buddy stuff at the Grammy's, the cover they performed together for New Orleans, and the general hanging out they've reportedly been doing makes me think we might get something that sounds more like Angels and Airwaves and less like...you know...Green Day. On the flip side, everything I read makes it sound great. They say it's ambitious, bold, and catchy.

Now, my zeal for 21st Century Breakdown is only beginning, but I thought maybe I could use this to segue into your thoughts. Is there an upcoming album you are excited about?

Linksauce

The mind fuck that was Phoenix v. Letterman explained. [Cinema Blend]

One of the best systems ever. [College Humor]

Miss the Grammys? Here's the good stuff. [Stereogum]

I love me some cross-over pop culture. The all-time best movie baseball team. [RootZoo]

I feel like no one is talking about this. Tarantino + WWII = must-see. [Unreality]

Best. Goal celebration. Ever. [Youtube]

If you own a Wii and don't buy this, I will punch you in the face. [Game Trailers]

If the the movie is as good as the viral marketing, this movie will be epic. [Youtube]

Space Cadet

I'm not sure if he's acting or not, but this is hilarious.

Life is Beautiful

Great, great man. Greatest man to ever live.

More Proof that Science Often Seems Like Fiction

The worm one is insane.

Roidin'

As the resident Yankee fan, I feel obligated to comment on a certain A-Rod. First off, I hate him. Secondly, I'm not surprised. I thought I would be plagued by Joe Torre book questions during every game telecast, now I get to hear about steroids at least 162 times. A-Roid did the right thing by admitting his mistake, now MLB must admit theirs.

Releasing the remaining 103 names of those who tested positive in 2003 testing will remove any doubts. While it may hurt the MLB in the short term (Big Papi and Albert are going down) it will allow us to officially clothes the chapter on the Juice Era. I would cry if Derek Jeter or Mariano tested positive, but I think they have a little more character than a certain choke artist.

As for the Yankees, how do they overcome this? Two words, sign Manny. It would remove a decent amount of attention from A-Hole, hurt the Red Sox, and you know he would love the NY spotlight. I've convinced myself that this is the right thing to do, and you know you want to see it. Do it Hank, do it.


side note: If I'm A-Fraud, there is no way I'm wasting my time banging an old hag like Madonna. What a moron.

How Do You Dooooooo?

I was listening to Uncle Tom's radio show last night, and he played a Shel Silverstein clip, and then he busted out this gem:

Shel Silverstein was the writer of the Johnny Cash hit "A Boy Named Sue". In retrospect, it kind of makes sense, given the style (poignantly humorous) of the song, but I would have never guessed it.

Far out man, far FUCKING out.

Wig Critic

Only two orders of business I could think of today.

The first being, Blink 182 back together?

I heard this yesterday, and although I think it might be nice for some die hard old blink fans to enjoy hearing them again, I hope they don't take this too far.

For instance, making a new album would be a horrendous mistake I feel.  Stick to the old stuff, take a tour, maybe two.  But all I can think of in this situation is Green Day.  Green Day, fuckin great band.  Many may disagree, but I don't see how you can deny their classics.  Now, Green Day had a resurgence with American Idiot and I hear tell of a new album Foxboro Hot Tubs?  However, to me at least, I hated American Idiot and Green Day is pretty old.  Their resurgence was enough to get the old fans out of the wood work for a listen and young teen girls to acknowledge an old band.  So back from my tangential analogy, I just hope Blink doesn't try anything too crazy.

WigCritic Score on Blink's reunion: 50, time will tell

Second order of business:

New Friday the 13th coming out this weekend.  I don't know about my horror buff friends (Cook I'm thinking of you), but I remember fondly the Jason movies of old.  The first one being legitimately good, and every successive one getting more and more ludicrous.  The series became more of a comedy than a horror film.  Jason in the city? Jason in space?  All hilarious.  Freddy vs. Jason was a GREAT idea, which although I haven't seen all of it, seems awesome.  Alright, past the nostalgia, I have high hopes for this weekends new release.  A complete remake by a different director with a different take.  It seems like they are attempting to make it a legit scary movie.  Now although I think this will be extremely hard, I applaud the attempt.  They seem to be playing to all the cliches.  Young lovers, GETTIN OWNED!  All I know is I will be going friday to check it out!  More news, WILL COME...

Temporary WigCritic Score: 75, and hopeful...

The week that weren't

What I was into this week plus some random thoughts.

Video games

Call of Duty: World at War: I had never played any of the ubiquitous WWII shooters until some glowing recommendations for this one. In a few words: the multiplayer is great, the campaign (what little I've played) has some great moments - such as Japanese banzai troops popping out of the grass bayoneting your boys - but is very hard and the multiplayer is great. You level up by using different guns or performing certain kills and it's a rush being able to level up in a non-RPG setting. Overall, solid game.

Team Fortress 2: For my money this is the best multiplayer game ever. Better than Halo 2. Neck and neck with Left 4 Dead. From the cartoony graphics, to the ethnic stereotype characters, to the ridiculous balance between the nine classes, it's all great. The Orange Box remains the best deal in gaming ever. Buy it and support the greatness that is Valve.

Music

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - S/T: Despite having one of the worst names ever, the debut from this NY four-piece is the first non-Animal Collective album of 2009 I've picked up that I've enjoyed. They remind me of My Bloody Valentine/Sonic Youth and are just lo-fi enough to appease indie kids while remaining listenable. Listen to "Hey Paul" on iTunes to get a feel for what they're about.

A.C. Newman - Get Guilty: I got this after reading a few solid reviews and to me it'll just be New Pornographers lite - minus Neko Case, who is great. Completely meh.

Randoms

• A-Rod steroids - No name will shock me anymore. Pujols? Whatever. David Ortiz? Yup. Chase Utley? Why not. I agree with pretty much everything Larsen posted yesterday. I don't think anyone should be omitted from the Hall of Fame for possibly using roids. That place is already fucked up beyond recognition anyway. When we look back twenty years and see that Barry, McGwire and Palmeiro aren't in, we will all wonder why. The HOF isn't some holy ground, it's a place for the best baseball players. Until we find out roids turn shitty AAA players into HOFers upon use, put them in.

• The Grammys - They are a joke. The only good moment was Radiohead + USC marching band, that was rad. Everything else was stupid. I didn't watch it all (who did? Three+ hours?), but I saw Lil Wayne's Katrina song (good), the ridiculous Jay-Z, Wayne, M.I.A., that other rapper performance (shitty), Coldplay + Jay-Z (what?!) and Radiohead. Most of the winners were lame except for Adele, who is pretty talented. I have no idea how to fix it (I thought about it) and although they had some relevant nominees, it remains as pointless as ever. It's like if the Oscars only awarded popcorn action movies.

• Sports in general - How the hell has someone not signed Manny? If you're the Nationals or Giants how the hell do you not sack up and give this guy three years? What do you have to lose? Only selling 50% of your capacity instead of 40%? He is a monster and a Hall of Famer, craziness and all. ... The Celtics lost again, this time to the Spurs, who I think are being way overlooked in all this LeBron/Kobe slobberin. Roger Mason Jr. is a cold-blooded killer and all the old dudes still got it. They came into Boston and flexed in the fourth. I'd be afraid if I was the Bynum-less Lakers. ... The Pro Bowl (highlight) is pointless. But this year the AFC ran some fumbleruski (go to about 2:25 in the above video) variant that was totally kickass.

• Trash T.V. -I watched MTV's new Sunday line-up last night and it was as disappointing as I thought. Rob Dyrdek's (of Rob and Big - T.V. greatness - fame) show was probably the best, but also the most decadent. He just has this big warehouse full of skating shit and his business offices. It's just him dicking around, but still funny. College Humor's show was bad, the main plotline of the episode was unfunny and the re-hashed clips from the site were all old to anyone who reads the site. Stick to writing articles and collecting Youtube vids, dudes. Nitro Circus is people doing crazy X-games-like stunts and was entertaining, mainly due to Death's imposing shadow around every corner. Oh, and big wheel flips. How's Your News - a news show featuring the mentally handicapped - just made me sad and guilty for watching. I guess the message behind it is good, but it still feels like exploitation. Although that one no one can understand is awesome.

Top 5...Songs of 2008

5. "Collapsing At Your Doorstep" - Air France

4. "No Lucifer" - British Sea Power

3. "Feel the Love" - Cut Copy

2. "Hercules' Theme" - Hercules & Love Affair

1. "White Winter Hymnal" - Feet Foxes: