were victorious. I love Eli. I will always love Eli. I know many people have a problem with that. If you're one of those folks, you can eat it. We didn't look great in the second half, but as I've discussed with others, I think our core is very strong. Despite the fact that we're not made up of superstars, we're going to be a contender this year. Can't wait for next Sunday already.*
Sent poems out on Thursday to a bunch of places. If I get a few hits I wouldn't be surprised, but I also wouldn't be surprised if every place said no. They're weird poems, even for me I suppose. Maybe som
eone will dig 'em.*
Like others, I'm gearing up for fall contests. Scanning others' blogs, and knowing how good some of those first books are going to be, I feel less confident, but then again, after working on this sucker for a year, and going through many drafts, and like everyone else, taking out poems, changing sections, giving it a new title, there's no reason I shouldn't be confident. As always, I'm not holding my breath, but many contests will be seeing it, whether they like it or not.
*
Kabluey isn't out on DVD yet, but I downloaded a rip of it and was kind of blown away. Scott Prendergast
didn't only write it, direct it, and star in it, but he managed to make a pretty original and touching comedy, with many legitimate laugh-out-loud moments. I could see how Salman's kind of saccharine and bumbling aloofness could get people very sick of the movie very quickly, but I loved the world he created. In the scope of movies now everyone's clamoring for something original, and to me, this really was. Many fine moments, and it may end up being one of my favorites of the year. You should check it out.*
The new Kings of Leon, "Only by the Night," finally leaked, and I don't know after a few listens. It has more melody, and like my brother Eric was saying, he's worried about the moments where the rhythm section goes all out, and there are certainly those moments, but it does have more of a modern arena rock feel. Still, I love pretty music, I always have, and I always will. So I'm digging the melody, but it'll be interesting to see what happens with it.
Other records I've been listening to and digging:
Jeff Hanson - "Madam Owl"
Don Caballero - "Punkgasm"
Mogwai - "The Hawk is Howling"
Max Tundra - "Parallax Error Beheads You"
NOMO - "Ghost Rock"
Stereolab - "Chemical Chords"
The American Dollar - "A Memory Stream"
The Gutter Twins - "Adorata"
The Broken West - "Now or Heaven"
Lots of good stuff has come out lately, or is still officially coming out, and there's still a few months to go in the year. Hammock, The Silent Years, and Girl Talk will most likely make an appearance on the ol' top ten list at the end of the year, but I'm not sure who else will be on there yet.
