Raves: March '09

America, f*ck yeah!

Neko Case – Middle Cyclone - It’s cliché at this point to call Neko Case’s voice “a force of nature,” but some things become cliché for a reason. Case’s vocals sound like a massive electrical storm chasing you down a Kansas freeway, and her penchant for singing about wild things (animals, weather, serial killers) only enhances the analogy. On her latest CD, my third favorite ginger indie rock songstress (behind Jenny Lewis and Red, natch) mixes new hints of girl group and soul into her Americana songwriting, and her lyrics are fabulous as ever. I mean: “I carved your name across three counties / ground it in with bloody hides / Their broken necks will lie in the ditch ‘til you stop it, stop it / Stop this madness,” if that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

Jamie Bamber’s hair – OK, honestly I could rave about all of Jamie Bamber, but there is something about his hair that I find just delectable. Bamber plays tried and true Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica, the penultimate episode of which airs tonight. The show’s hairstylists do a fab job on all the men (not so much the gals, what’s up with that?), but since they shaved Anders’ dome for the final episodes, I’ll give it all up for Capt. Apollo’s dreamy locks.

"The Watchmen" Opening Credits – Red already mentioned this in her Watchmen post, but I think its worth noting again. While The Watchmen itself was a bit flawed but still very enjoyable, the opening credits were an absolute work of art. They might not look as cool on the small screen, detached from the rest of the film (or if you haven’t read the book) but if you want to check it out you can see it here. With subtle glances, gorgeous color and one perfect song, it conveys all the background you need on this alternate America where costumed heroes are all too real.

Maria Vitakis’ Typewriter Jewelry – This lady in San Diego makes jewelry out of old pre-WWII typewriters. She sells them (exclusively, as far as I know) at a farmer’s market near my house. She makes necklaces, cufflinks, bracelets, you name it, and I think they’re just the raddest. They’re not too expensive either; I got a necklace and a ring for a total of $30. I don’t think she has a Web site, but if you wanna know more, you can email her at gotoanylength@aol.com

Winning – My office has a co-ed kickball team, and we started the season 0-3. Last Sunday, we got our first win. And it was awesome. Here’s hoping we get at least one more!