Top Ten Albums of 2007

As the end of the years comes, so do the best of the year lists. Here is my own. The best albums of 2007.




10. Boxer by the National





9. Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon





8. Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire




7. The Stage Names by Okkervil River





6. The Flying Club Cup by Beirut





5. Mirrored by Battles





4. Random Spirit Lover by Sunset Rubdown





3. Person Pitch by Panda Bear





2. Kala by M.I.A.





1. In Rainbows by Radiohead


Others to consider: Emerald City by John Vanderslice, Rise Above by Dirty Projectors, A Place to Bury Strangers by A Place to Bury Strangers, Untrue by Burial, Strawberry Jam by Animal Collective, From Here we go Sublime by The Field, Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem, Fort Nightly by White Rabbits, The Sheperd's Dog by Iron & Wine, The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse by The Besnard Lakes, Friend EP by Grizzly Bear, Marry Me by St. Vincent...

Futbol Argentino!

This week has been a crazy one in Argentine Soccer. Juan Roman Riquelme, the second greatest player every to play for Boca Juniors has returned again to his homeland and to the club of first love. The midfielder for the National team has expressed his desire to return to Buenos Aires to his family. It's a great day for Boca Juniors, and all of argentine soccer.


Also this weekend, Lanus soccer club won it's first Argentine championship. The small club in south Buenos Aires was created 92 years ago and finally has a trophy.

Democracy in Action

Let's just say that our prayers were answered. There's a lot of things to do right now but this is a huge step for Venezuela and for democracy in Latin America.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7126308.stm

New Website - Check it out!

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like to hear one of your favorite bands walking through the streets playing music or just jamming in their apartment? Well, I've found a website that does just that. The Take away shows website gives us a glimpse of various musicians walking through the streets of paris playing for all to hear. http://www.blogotheque.net/takeawayshows/

Here is a an example. Beirut. If you've never heard of Beirut, you should check them out. They're great.

Favorite new Radiohead song

As we all know, Radiohead released their latest album digitally through their website available for whatever price you wanted to pay. Excellent. The album will be available in stores on December 31st. They have been releasing various webcasts of songs from their new album, In Rainbows. We get to see Radiohead in a close, intimate setting. This song, Reckoning, is my favorite from this album. Here is the webcast of their performance.

A couple of new music videos

Just thought I would put up a couple videos that I've seen recently by two very talented female artists. The first is Bat for Lashes and the other is Annie Clark (the singer for St. Vincent). I especially like the smooth, simple voice of Annie. Judge for yourself.

Joy Division

So, recently I've re-discovered the post-punk band Joy Division. I always knew who they were and was familiar with their music but in the past couple of weeks I've had a new found appreciation for their music. What helped spur this is the release of a movie on the life of Ian Curtis and Joy Division. It is also the 30th anniversary of their first album Unkown Pleasures, which is being re-released. Joy Division helped pave the way for the alternative bands of the 80's. After the suicide of Ian Curtis, the remainder of the band members founded New Order. Enjoy these two videos.

Fall Semester 2007 - 1st half

So, the semester is half done. I've been super busy and for that reason I haven't posted any blogs recently. The semester has been great so far. I'm enjoying my classes a lot. Yesterday, I was able to teach in my Elena Garro class. It went very well. I talked about themes in two short stories, Busca mi Esquela and La Culpa es de los Tlaxcaltecas. This Elena Garro class has definately been my favorite. It's a small class (12 students) where everybody participates. Plus, the subject is very interesting. In my Nobel Prize course we've read Borges, Marquez, Neruda and Asturias. We're starting Octavio Paz next week. I started my applications and will hopefully finish them before the end of the semester. Besides BYU, I'm also applying to ASU and Arizona. BYU is the ideal choice, but we'll have to wait and see.

Back to School

This entry is a little late but I thought it was worth posting anyway. Two weeks ago, I started school again. I've decided to go back and study Latinamerican Literature. This semester I'm taking 4 classes, 3 graduate courses and a teaching instruction course. I've really enjoyed the first couple of weeks so far. I'm surprised that my Spanish hasn't worsened from not being in school for about a year. I'm taking a class about the Nobel Prize authors from Spain and Latin America and a class dedicated to the Mexican author, Elena Garro. I'm especially enjoying the Elena Garro course. In the next couple of weeks I will also be taking a one week course dedicated to Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. It's going to be a taught by a visiting professor, Sara Poot Herrera from UC-Santa Barbara. I'm excited about that.
I was really nervous coming back to school this semester but I feel much better. I like my courses and my professors. I also know a few people in my classes which makes things a little easier. While in the library last week, I saw a few kids taking practice LSAT tests and I didn't miss it at all. I've made the right decision in not choosing law school but instead doing something that I'll really enjoy.

Okkervil River Concert

This is a video from the Austin, Texas band, Okkervil River. Beckie and I saw them play on Wednesday in Salt Lake. There's nothing much better than 8$ concerts, especially from bands you really enjoy. We had a good time listening to the passionate lyrics and playing of Will Sheff and bandmates. We recommend their latest cd, The Stage Names, along with their previous album, Black Sheep Boy.

The Final Mouse Update

Yes, this is the final mouse update. You know what that means, the mouse is dead and the carcass has been found. There are a few more things worthy of mention. On Tuesday, I got to work around 12 because I had class in the morning. My boss tells me that Nathan, the technician had come earlier to look at the printer more, and that upon removing more of the components, found two live mouse babies. I was totally grossed out. The babies were still alive and in the trash can. I couldn't do anything except throw them out into the dumpster.
On Tuesday, a smell of death started to permeate through the back. The mouse was dead. But, we could not find it. Finally, a co-worker found the dead mouse in the adjacent room to my desk, where we have the cleaning supplies and tools. We got rid of it and the smell was soon gone. I was thankful for that. I thought that was the end of the mouse saga until today.
The technician came again this morning to replace a few wires that had been chewed on by the mouse. He took apart more of the printer and made a discovery, and hopefully the last discovery we'll have. A dead mouse baby. It had this very distinct stink to it. Very gross.
The mouse saga is over, well, until the next mouse comes along and decides to have offspring inside our printer. A very odd couple weeks and I'm glad it's over. Maybe I can now start doing my real job.

Mouse Update: Friday August 31st

I thought I would give everyone an update on the mouse living in my printer. A couple of days ago we put out several blocks that contain mouse poison in them. Yesterday, I found that a couple had been chewed on but still no sign of the mouse. My boss put out a trap with peanut butter on it and this morning the peanut butter was gone. The trap hadn't gone off. Either the trap was defective or we are dealing with a very smart mouse. I've heard him quite a bit in the past few days. I'm not sure if he is being extra vocal or because I know he is in there, my ears are ultra-sensitive. Let's just hope that the cubes work and we see a dead mouse very soon.

The New Dream Team

The 1992 Olympic Gold Medal USA basketball team was probable the best ever. No team had ever dominated so much. But, what do you expect with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and a roster full of hall of famers? Ever since the 2002 olympics where the US team was dominated by Argentina in the Olympics they've never looked the same. Was the world getting better or was US basketball getting worse? This is the question that many are still asking today. Right now in Las Vegas the US team is participating in Olympic qualifying against teams from the Americas. They've looked dominate and many are thinking that this may be the team that gets the US the gold medal again. What is the difference this time? First of all, Kobe Bryant is on the team for the first time. He brings the intensity, leadership and defense that this team needs. We also have a true point guard in Jason Kidd. Last of all, we have some shooters, Michael Redd and Mike Miller, two of the best shooters in the NBA. I'm really excited about this team. Along with the players previously mentioned, we have 'Melo, Lebron, Amare, Dwight Howard, and Tyson Chandler. I'm confident that this team will bring the USA what is rightfully theirs. Here is a video of the original Dream Team and one of the new team against Brazil.

Unwanted Neighbor

The most interesting and quite gross thing happened at work yesterday. The printer technician came in the morning to check out a problem with our printer. He opened the printer and to his surprise, saw the head of a mouse peaking out of the inside. He saw it once again before it disappeared for the day. I didn't see it but saw some of the wires it had chewed on. According to the technician, there were signs that it had been in there for quite some time. Kind of creepy. I was sent to a local farming store to get some mice bait and then planted that in various parts of the warehouse. There is still no sign of the mouse but hopefully he has stopped living in our printer.

Manufactured Landscapes

Last Saturday Beckie and I went to the Broadway Theater in Salt Lake and saw the documentary Manufactured Landscapes. This documentary is based on the photography of edward burtynsky. His photos are aimed at showing the effects of industry and globalization on nature and the environment. He stated his purpose in photographing these things. He wants the viewer to see the photographs and decide for oneself what is important. The documentary was very well balanced with an absence of any politics. The politics come from the viewer and their thoughts and beliefs. There is problem many of us face. We care about the environment but we are not willing to give up the luxuries we enjoy. We have to find a way to solve this problem according to our beliefs and values. I recommend the photography of edward burtynsky and this documentary. If you have the opportunity, go see it.

It's Been Awhile

It's been awhile since I last posted something on this blog. Work has been crazy and I haven't been at my desk for very long periods of time. I have some time now to make a post though. I don't have much to write. Beckie has included most of the things we have been doing with our lives, including our trip to San Francisco. Although, I didn't fall in love with the city, our trip was great fun. It's the first time either of us have been to Northern California. I especially liked the time spent with the family, and especially the little one. One of the other reasons I was excited about our trip to San Francisco was the prospect of visiting Amoeba records, the largest independent record store in the country. A place where you can find anything you like, not just the popular radio tracks. The only record store we have in Utah County is FYE, which is not exactly a record store but more of a media store. Amoeba was about 4-5 blocks from Haight & Ashbury on Haight St. A very interesting neighborhood. You could still see the hippy influence in nearly every shop. When we walked into Amoeba it was like stepping into the past and the future at once, another world even. The vinyl on the walls, the rows and rows of cd's, the posters covering every inch of wall, and everything I was looking for. We even saw singer/songwriter John Vanderslice, who did a in-store performance that afternoon. Here is a video of one of my favorite songs of his, Exodus Damage.



Well, after a couple of trips to Amoeba, I was very happy for what I had found. Thank you beckie for bearing with me and thanks emily for taking me a second time. You are all too nice. I look forward to maybe going to the Hollywood store after Christmas while we are in So. California.

Fat Cat

I think the picture and article speak for themselves.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=473581&in_page_id=1770

And they say football players are tough

I saw this clip last week and was pretty stunned. This fall shows just how tough skateboarders and extreme athletes are. Crazy

Fun with Photo Booth

Probably the most fun that Beckie and I have with our new computer is Photo Booth. You can take pictures of yourself using an array of colors and effects. The results are quite funny sometimes. I love just trying to come up with the craziest thing possible. Here are some of the them.

The National

In less than two weeks, Beckie and I will be in San Francisco to visit some family and to see a city neither of us have seen before. One thing I'm especially excited about is Amoeba Music, the largest independent music store in the US. The first thing I'm going to buy is the new National album, Boxer. I fell in love with their music after their last album, Alligator. I especially love Matt Berninger's vocals. Here is a video of their first single off their new album and a second video of them on the Letterman show. I don't particularly like Letterman, but he definately has some great musical guests.

The Simpsons Movie

The Simpsons Movie, after many years, has finally arrived in theaters this friday. But Why am I not that excited to see it? The Simpsons was always one of my favorite shows. But, something happened. Right around the 12 or 13th season, it became less funny. I haven't watched a new Simpsons episode in a very long time. They aren't as funny as they used to be. When I was a kid I could watch it twice a day on tv during the weekdays and 3 times on sundays. Sadly, I did this often. I probably will go see the new Simpsons movie because, well, it's the Simpsons. But, I'm not expecting much from it.

More Soccer

This will be my last blog on soccer for awhile. Unfortunately, the Argentine National team lost to Brazil in the finals of the Copa America. But, to help us forget this, Argentina won the U-20 World Cup, beating the Czech Republic in the final. Sergio Aguero was the player of the tournament scoring 6 goals. We now have something to be happy about.

Aguero's goals against Poland. Incredible!



One of the best goals of the tournament. Aguero free kick against South Korea.

Argentina vs. Mexico

Last night Argentina played Mexico in the semifinals of the Copa America, the largest tournament in South America between nations. Argentina came in the favorite of the tournament and has proved to be so. Last night Beckie and I, along with the Gallegos' watched the game on a large screen at Beckie's work. Argentina started slow but came out and dominated the second half highlighted by this incredible goal by Leo Messi. It's much more difficult than it looks. The other goals scored by Gabriel Heinze and Riquelme were brilliant as well. We play Brazil on Sunday for the final.

Snow in Buenos Aires

I always check out what is going on in Argentina concerning futbol, politics, and even weather. I checked Clarin, one of the largest newspapers in Argentina, when I came across this cover. It's snow in Buenos Aires! It hasn't snowed in nearly 90 years in Argentina's largest city. I wish I could have been there and seen the amazement on their faces and the fun they had playing in it.

New Animal Collective video - Fireworks

Books on Cd

This time of year isn't the busy season at work. I spend a lot of time at the computer making orders and occasionally making some products. I listen to a lot of podcasts, mostly from espn but decided I wanted to try something different. Why not listen to a book while at work. So, the first book I decided to get was the the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, which I've never read previously. I'm enjoying a lot and it makes my days go a little quicker.

Boca Campeon

Yes, I love Argentine Soccer. Boca Juniors won the Copa Libertadores (South American Club Championship) Wednesday in Porto Alegre, Brazil beating Gremio 2-0. Riquelme scored both goals and will be sorely missed. Here is the headline of the biggest argentine sports newspaper and a video of all of Boca's goals in the tournament. Riquelme had 8 in the tournament.

80's Music videos speak for themselves

The Smiths - Stop If you think you've heard this one before
Talking Heads - Once In a Lifetime
A-Ha - Take on Me

Crazy Weekend

Beckie and I are very relieved that the weekend is over. Sunday was the Clark's day at church as Beckie and I both spoke in sacrament meeting and both taught, beckie, relief society and I, elder's quorum. Beckie even said a prayer in Sunday school. And for the icing on the cake, I met with the bishop after church and received two callings, ward mission leader and elder's quorum instructor (3rd sunday). The crazy weekend is over and we are ready for a new week and looking forward to getting our new computer, going to the temple, and going camping.

Boca vs. Gremio video

Here are the goals from Boca's win over Gremio. The stadium is La Bombonera "The chocolate box" in Buenos Aires.

Boca 3 Gremio 0

Boca Juniors, my favorite soccer club in Argentina, is in the final of the Copa Libertadores, which is the biggest club tournament in South America. They have a great history in the tournament and it looks like this year is no different. They beat Gremio of Porte Alegre, Brazil last night in the first leg of the championship. Here is the cover of Ole with Riquelme, the star midfielder of Boca.

Concert Posters = Art

I love all types of art. Everything from architecture to photography, painting and sculpture. I would say my tastes are pretty eclectic. I love classic artists such as Vermeer but also more modern artists like William de Kooning and Mark Rothko. But, there is one type of art that I especially enjoy. It is often overlooked. It is the concert poster. There are many good and bad posters but the good ones are great art pieces. Here are a couple of my favorites.

What is Math Rock?

When Beckie and I got back from New York, I came back with a renewed desire to find new and interesting music. I have done this in the past but am trying to expand my tastes. One day I stumbled across a review for an album called Mirrored by a band named Battles. The review was quite positive and I soon found this album with a great rating on metacritic.com (a site that averages reviews from various magazine and websites to come to an overall consensus of good music, books, and movies). Anyway, this album was described in one review as "a mix of over-the-top whimsy, extreme rhythms, vise-tight musicianship, and a 21st century man-machine interface between live and laptop." I don't suppose myself an expert when it comes to music but I think this album deserves the praise. It's very interesting, loud, and quite fun. Oh yeah, and it's math rock.

Sgt. Pepper's 40th Anniversary

Today is the 40th Anniversary of one of the greatest albums in history. I'm not going to give a history of the Beatles or this album. Let's just say that the Beatles paved the way for nearly every musician that followed. Thanks Paul, John, George and Ringo.

The Orem Library

For a couple of years now, I've known about some of the treasures of the Orem library. I started renting foreign and film noir movies for fun and for school. I'm amazed at their collection of dvd's and vhs's in every genre. Their foreign and criterion film collections are especially impressive. Well, Beckie and I went the other day and while I rented a documentary about the Buena Vista Social Club (a group of musicians from Cuba), Beckie found the CD's. I always knew they had quite a few of them but wasn't aware of how diverse their collection was. We went back this past Saturday just to check out some CD's. I was amazed at the collection they had. It included several indie bands that you wouldn't expect to find along with some rock classics like R.E.M. and The Smiths. We're excited to go back and find even more music that we enjoy.

Animal Collective

Last night I went to an Animal Collective concert in SLC. Animal Collective is 'band', I use that word loosely, originally from Baltimore but now residing in NYC. They are on of the most innovative, creative and important acts in music. Look them up on Wikipedia and you can understand more of what their sound is really like. Anyway, the concert last night was excellent. 3 of the 4 members played to a packed house. I was right in front and was amazed at the sound that they could make from a few machines, drums, and vocals. No guitars. They are so original. I posted a couple of videos of them here. The first one is a live show and the song "leaf house". It's not the best video so I posted another with the same song where the audio is much better. The live video is really similar to what I experienced. Any questions about the band just ask me. Oh, and I almost forgot to say that on my current list of best albums now, the Panda Bear cd is a solo release by one of the members of Animal Collective. It's great. His voice reminds me of Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys.

NYC

Beckie and I came back from New York City on Sunday and are glad to be back. We love our vacation there but were pretty tired of all of the walking and the crowded sidewalks. Here's a list of my five favorite things we did in NYC
1. The Manhattan Temple
2. The Museum of Modern Art
3. Cruise around Manhattan and the statue of liberty
4. Greenwich Village
5. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Here are a few pictures from these places.(Beckie has a lot more on her blog)

Las Vegas

Beckie and I went to Las Vegas a couple of weekends ago. Here are a couple of pictures. We didn't get as many pictures as we wanted because got really hot very quickly. And when I mean "it" I mean the weather, of course.

Champions League Hightlights

The tournament that determines the best teams in Europe now has it's finalists. Liverpool of the English Premier League and AC Milan of Serie A in Italy. This is a rematch of the 2005 final where Liverpool made a miraculous comeback from 3-0 down in the first half to win it on penalties. Here are the highlights from the Liverpool vs. Chelsea matchup and the AC Milan vs Manchester United highlights. Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalty kicks and AC Milan manhandled Manchester United 3-0. The final will take place in Athens on May 23rd.

The Decemberists in Vegas

Beckie and I traveled down to Vegas this past weekend for a concert by one of our favorite bands, The Decemberists. The concert was at the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay casino and resort. The venue was excellent and we had a great view on the floor of the band. It was one of the best concerts I've been to. Very fun. Each member played several instruments. The video below isn't the concert we went to but is just a small taste of how it was. The concert we went to, and the version of this song, O! Valencia, was much better than this appearance on the Letterman Show.

RAD!

Here is a clip from the best movie to come out of the 80's. My friend Ryan and I used to love this movie and then after awhile had a very hard time finding it. Ryan found a copy on ebay (a dvd copy of the vhs) and got it for me for my birthday. This clip is the trailer. The dance scene is the best scene in the movie. Oh, and yes, that's Lori Loughlin a.k.a Aunt Beckie from Full House.