All Consuming : Apollo L

Mystic! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:39:12 GMT

by K-Os

Conscious and mystic hip hop buzzed on my headphones with K-Os’ new release, Atlantis: Hymns for Disco. More introspective, rich beated and lyrically impressive than his first two, this album immediately seduced me. Appearances by Buck 65, Sam Roberts and Kevin Drew (of Broken Social Scene) are also a treat. I think it’s safe to say that K-Os has cemented himself at the forefront of the hip hop world, and it’s hearting to have some “Knowledge of Self” pulling folks up.

Brilliant! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:37:42 GMT

Knives Don't Have Your Back

by Emily Haines

I’m entirely in love with Metric, Broken Social Scene and the other projects Emily Haines has worked on, and her solo debut, Knives Don’t Have Your Back is on the same level as those. Intimate, graceful and exquisitely crafted, it’s become a perfect fit for this autumn. It’ll no doubt be accompanying me during my walks through dead leaves throughout November.

As Sharp As Before (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:36:51 GMT

Major Lodge Victory

by Gin Blossoms

I loved the albums The Gin Blossoms released in the 90’s and was pleased to find their new album picks up where those left off. Major Lodge Victory is everything I’d expect from the band, with wonderful rock, alt-country and pop tunes that easily become a soundtrack to lives. The band hasn’t lost any of their sharpness and offer nostalgic hints and sweet hooks that had me from the first listen.

A story about "Detrola"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:35:39 GMT

Detrola

by His Name Is Alive

Over at Lists of Bests I’ve been working my way though Pitchfork Media’s “Top 100 Albums of the 1990s” (I’m at 90/100) and discovering many artists and albums I was unaware of before. His Name Is Alive has been one band that has completely captured my attention. Diverse, beautiful and surprising, this music was well described as “Like dating a star-crossed werewolf behind your parents’ back.” I’ve been enjoying each of their albums, with the recent Detrola being my favourite. It’s a superbly produced, moving and fresh album that has been in my headphones for a couple weeks now. “Sometimes Screw” is the highlight for me and I’ve had the erotic chorus stuck in my head for a while now.

Mysticism and Hip Hop (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 05:11:00 GMT

Slam

by Marc Levin

I’ve become an admirer of Saul Williams through is talks at Integral Naked, his brilliant hip hop and mind-blowing poetry. Strangely, it took me a long while to finally see his breakout performance. Though it was overall a great movie, it was Saul’s performance that absolutely gripped me, pulling me deep into the heady mix of hip hop, crime and mysticism. A hip hop film with the assertion, “I am before, I am before before. Before death is eternity, after death is eternity, there is no death – there is only eternity,” couldn’t have been more surprising or more right.

Getting Personal with Todays Most Important Mind (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:03:50 GMT

One Taste

by Ken Wilber

Ken Wilber has created a philosophical framework that includes more truth than any other in history and is, I believe, the most important thinker of our time. You get a dose of his unparalleled cognitive brilliance in One Taste, but also are exposed to a highly realized spiritual practictioner, an art fan, a lover and much more as you step inside Ken’s head. One Taste is a beautiful, intimate and radiant expression.

Why I recommend "The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 05:35:23 GMT

The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature

by Loren Eiseley

I’ve been reading The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature for the past couple days and have been enjoying it a great deal. Loren Eiseley wrote in a manner that brought evolution and related studies to life as an enjoyable read rather than the dryness many treatments of naturalism and evolution carry. I was heartened to find such a creative voice and even more so to share in his love of the Mystery, however limited the scope of inquiry. Though dated, it’s a compelling and worthy look at evolution, including some comical early interpretations of it.

Why I recommend "The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas: Stories"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 21:32:38 GMT

The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas: Stories

by Davy Rothbart

Yesterday I read through Davy Rothbart’s The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas and had my heart broken, lit up and left dizzy. It was everything I had hoped for from the creator of Found Magazine; the stories collected in Davy’s first book resonate with those same emotive vibrations that Found conjured with its collected lost pieces of lives. Though this was fiction, the stories were so raw, real, strange and beautiful that they might as well be the stories of our neighbours.
There were many moments in the stories I was moved deeply by. The first time I had to stop and wonder for a second if he’d been seeing into my own life was in “A Black Dog,” during which I had to scramble to jot down “77” so that I could return to one passage that reminded me of my own experiences so eerily I couldn’t shake the feeling.

I hardly cared what we were talking about, I just enjoyed watching her face. At night, close in bed, she’d chatter like a giddy teenager, then turn soulful and wise as we shared tales of sad things we’d seen. She felt everything deeply. Like me, she never fell out of love with anyone. She kissed with great feeling.

And so it went through the rest of the book, culminating in “Elena,” a gritty, wrenching, ugly and at times tender story of a young man tied up in low organized crime across the US and Mexican border, with beatings, prostitution and theft in contrast and entangled with a sweet young girl and the children she cared for.
Don’t skip the precious few hours of these raw and beautiful stories. The reward for me was so great that I would rank it as the most densely pleasing and moving read I’ve had this year. If any book can reveal the inner turmoil and hope of America in 162 pages, this is it.

Why I recommend "Cream Soda"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 07:49:34 GMT

Cream Soda

by Jones Soda Co.

This is by far my favourite Jones Soda flavour. I go through far more of these than I should, but it’s hard to resist such a wonderful taste.

Why I recommend "Grace and Grit: Spirituality and Healing in the Life and Death of Treya Killam Wilber"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 05:41:26 GMT

Grace and Grit: Spirituality and Healing in the Life and Death of Treya Killam Wilber

by Ken Wilber

Grace and Grit is simply beautiful. It combines a radiant human story with the unequaled insight Ken Wilber possesses. This is the one book I will be recommending to everyone I know for the next year.

Why I recommend "Collective Soul: Home"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 02:33:06 GMT

Collective Soul: Home

Monday, after some training at work, I picked up a copy of Collective Soul’s new DVD Home. A while ago I bought CD version, and I was floored by that. This, however, is an even more exciting experience. The one time I was lucky enough to see the band live was a wonderful experience and this recording is about as close to that as I’ll get without being in the crowd before them. The orchestal accompaniment to their music is exquisite and the band is at its best. The extra footage gave some nice shots of Atlanta and a awesome bonus song, “Georgia Girl”.

Why I recommend "Living Yoga: Creating A Life Practice"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 04:36:41 GMT

Living Yoga: Creating A Life Practice

by Christy Turlington

I started Living Yoga a couple months ago and slowly worked my way though it as I dove through other books. I think it’s an excellent starting point for exploring yoga. Not only does it introduce some practical concepts and techniques, but also includes a wonderfully intertwined story of the author’s own experiences as they relate to the yogic path. I appreciated how she was able to integrate the disciplines of various traditions into her Christian faith. The photos and illustrations throughout are beautiful and bring the book’s grace into focus. Having finished it, I feel more committed to developing my own practice; if I’ve gained nothing else, the book has been a blessing in that way.

Why I recommend "iRiver T30"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 14:34:00 GMT

iRiver T30

by iRiver

I’ve had a 1GB T30 for over a month now and I’ve been very happy with it. It has all the features I look for and is easy to navigate. It also looks quite nice, I think. It’s definitely a great mid-range player.

A story about "Dreamcake"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 06:28:29 GMT

Dreamcake

Jale was a short-lived local band that I’d never listened much to, but I’ve taken a liking to Dream Cake after coming across it at the library recently.

A story about "Let It Die"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:55:16 GMT

Let It Die

by Feist

Sunday night I saw Feist in concert here, at the end of her touring for Let It Die and before returning to the studio. Below is a mini-review of the show, which included a lot of the songs from this album.

Leslie Feist and her band weren’t long in taking the stage. She blew us all away with ease. I was so impressed with every element of her show, from the stunning a cappella performance that had her voice looping from bits recorded on the stage to the flawless performances of such dear songs as “Mushaboom,” “When I Was A Young Girl,” (a highlight of the night for me!) “Gatekeeper,” “Secret Heart” and “Let It Die.” She has such an incredible voice, and her band was very impressive in its own right. It was her stage presence that galvanized the crowd, however; she was as luminous as her voice, and the energy that fed the crowd was palpable. It was one of the most thrilling performances I’ve ever been present for.

Why I recommend "Channel Zero"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:20:59 GMT

Channel Zero

by Brian Wood

I read Channel Zero yesterday and had my esteem for Mr. Wood solidified. It’s a sharp, political and very well told story that focuses on media censorship and the power of errant government controlled by special interest groups. Written in 1997, this work is even more important for post-911 America as media narrowness, government corruption and the influence of fundamentalism mirrors the disturbing events of this book in nature, if not scope. I especially enjoyed the attention to the difficultly involved in judging revolutionary heroes, who risk becoming part of the very problems they oppose and being overshadowed and obscured by the mythologies that rise around them.

Why I recommend "She Had A Taste For Music (Italian Erotic Film Soundtrack Anthology)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:04:31 GMT

She Had A Taste For Music (Italian Erotic Film Soundtrack Anthology)

by Armando Trovajoli

I’m about to tell you about the most unusual album to have ever fallen into my music collection. Please don’t get the wrong idea about me, but it’s She Had A Taste For Music, an anthology of Italian erotic film soundtracks. It’s filled with ecclectic tracks that range from the sincerely romantic to experimental world, bouncy jazz and funk to the downright strange. But it’s actually oddly enjoyable. I want to throw a party and have this in the background.

Why I recommend "Siousxie and The Banshees Gold: Remixes"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 09:56:34 GMT

Siousxie and The Banshees Gold: Remixes

by Siouxsie and the Banshees

During my high school days I discovered Siouxsie and the Banshees as a side-effect of my goth period (I kept the black, the finer aspects of the music and a healthy appreciation for all those dark and gloomy things.) I had Once Upon A Time and the “Dear Prudance” single on vinyl, so when I discovered a remastered album containing a lot of those tracks and some remixes, I pounced upon it. The song all sound so much better this time around, and I barely miss the pop and hiss of a record. Siouxsie Sioux has one of the most recognizable voices out there, and sounds stellar in this rejuvenated package.

Why I recommend "Mirrormask"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 09:44:55 GMT

Mirrormask

For months I anticipated Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s Mirrormask for months now. I’ve been a big fan of both men’s individual and collaborative work for years, and when I learned they’d created a film together, along with the Jim Henson Company, I was thrilled. I was very disappointed when it didn’t receive a wide release and never played in a Halifax theatre. It comes out on DVD on Feb. 14, but I was lucky enough to watch an advance this week. It’s absolutely everything I had hoped for. It’s one of the finest films I’ve ever seen visually and the story is definitely Gaiman at his finest. It’s been compared to a darker telling of Alice in Wonderland, and I think that’s fitting, but it has a depth and appeal uniquely its own. Definitely a neglected gem, this will be a must-have in a month’s time.

How "100% Fun" changed my life

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:08:30 GMT

100% Fun

by Matthew Sweet

This was the second album I bought myself and my introduction to Matthew Sweet, an artist I’ve followed and enjoyed ever since. It was certainly a landmark in the development of my musical taste. To this day this album is one of my favourites. “Smog Moon” is simply brilliant.

Why I recommend "Louis Riel : A Comic-Strip Biography"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Apollo L) — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 05:46:09 GMT

Louis Riel : A Comic-Strip Biography

by Chester Brown

Louis Riel : A Comic-Strip Biography is among the finest graphic novels I’ve had the priviledge to read and one of the finest works of biography done on prominent Canadian figures. One could imagine it as comfortable in the hands of a juniour high student, a history professor or a comics enthusiast. It has the mark of a classic work and, at the very least, elevates Chester Brown to the fore of modern comics creators.