Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Rise Together...from the OKC Bombing to the Western Conference Finals
...and here is the link to the article:
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
THUNDER UP!
So, I have a new favorite team. The people who know me best know the University of Oklahoma Sooners have always been number one...not any more. The Oklahoma City Thunder have captured the hearts of not only yours truly, but the entire state of Oklahoma. Forget what the team has done to this point in the playoffs; if the Thunder go on a Playoff drought for the next 45 years, I will still Thunder Up as loud as humanly possible.
See to understand my love, we must first look back to the 1990s. I’ll try to limit my emotional nostalgia, but most of my childhood was spent watching the Chicago Bulls--more importantly, his Airness, Michael Jordan--with my ever-youthful, single mother. Every night the UnbelievaBulls played you had better believe our massive, 27-inch TV was tuned in to WGN. It wasn’t about a team for me, I was awestruck by a singular entity. Michael Jordan meant the world to me, and I would never find another athlete who rose to his Airness. Or so I thought...
...instead of finding a new player, I found a team. The now three-years-removed Seattle Supersonics (who also played the Bulls in the 1996 Finals) became my new love. I will proclaim right now: I have never loved anything as much as this team. The way they work with the community, give maximum effort every game, and carry themselves with complete humility trumps everything I’ve come to expect from a sports team.
But for a minute, let’s take a short look at the three years they have been in our community--wait, even more importantly, let’s retrace our steps to one of the most tragic attacks on American soil. On April 19, 1995, 168 lives were unjustly taken in downtown Oklahoma City. Since this fateful day (and yes I’ve chosen my words carefully), our city has been on the rise. No team, or city projects, will ever replace the lives lost. Yet somehow fate has brought our city to this climactic juncture. Yes it is just a sport where men shoot an orange ball into a hoop...but maybe--just maybe--it’s more than that.
I read an article at the beginning of this season in Sports Illustrated which detailed the initiation process of new Thunder recruits. Royal Ivey was acquired in the offseason and was also the focal point of this story...
“Now every new player is taken to the memorial, usually in the weeks leading up to training camp, and sometimes more than once. When guard Royal Ivey came to Oklahoma City for his free-agent visit this summer, he asked Presti about the crowd at the Ford Center, how such a small market generates the most noise in the NBA...Presti ushered Ivey to the memorial. ‘It took my breath away, Ivey says. ‘After that I called my agent. I wanted to be a part of this.’”
This may seem ridiculous to non-sports fans, but this team has corralled OU and OSU fans into a single arena, they’ve relocated big-businesses to downtown OKC, and they’ve brought financial support to a once-suffering downtown. Wins and losses may seem important, but when 50+ fans show up at 3:30 am to suport the team after a triple-overtime win in Memphis, I would say this team means more than winning a gold trophy.
At this point, I’ve been lucky enough to attend five of the eight playoff games witnessed in our hometown over the past three years. I’ve seen us lose to the defending-champion Lakers in Game 6, trump the Denver Nuggets in five games, and struggle against a battle-hardened Memphis Grizzly squad sifting through their own recent catastrophe. Yet, still I find myself expecting more. I know this team can do even greater things for this city. I don’t expect a championship--hell I don’t know what to expect at this point, but the potential of our hometown Thunder is if nothing else, optimistic. But I do know one thing; the Thunder will be here for years to come, and I will always be here to support them. In short, THUNDER UP!
-jh
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Best Music of 2011...already?
After 2010's epic run, I expected a bit of a let down. I knew that many critically-acclaimed groups were releasing follow-up efforts, but the year is already beyond my highest hopes. Not only will 2011 trump everything 2010 had to offer, we are about to witness the evolution of music in a single year.
Destroyer's music escapes almost all genres, yet still covers most. Kaputt's sounds are an amalgamation of soft-rock, jazz, 80s pop, 70s disco, and even big band; or in other words, two generations of junior high dances, proms, break-ups, marriages, and mid-life crises. Somehow Destroyer have covered more genres than most musicians will in an entire career--within a single album. Kaputt is ever-changing, yet oddly seamless within a haze of 1970s, 80s, 90s, 2000s to 2192 bliss. Destroyer has honed the most distinctive sound you will ever witness: and done so with ease.
Fleet Foxes are among many artists competing with the sophomore album hype in 2011. Since 2008, the band from Seattle have been on hiatus which many critics believed to be a retooling of their medieval folk perfection in their self-titled debut. Instead, Fleet Foxes have built upon their folk origins with a heavier acoustic influence. Every track is more structured, more harmonized, and more unified than their previous effort. Robin Pecknold's lyrics are still the pinnacle of the group's potential, but in Helplessness Blues Fleet Foxes have found solace as a cooperative force.
Destroyer's music escapes almost all genres, yet still covers most. Kaputt's sounds are an amalgamation of soft-rock, jazz, 80s pop, 70s disco, and even big band; or in other words, two generations of junior high dances, proms, break-ups, marriages, and mid-life crises. Somehow Destroyer have covered more genres than most musicians will in an entire career--within a single album. Kaputt is ever-changing, yet oddly seamless within a haze of 1970s, 80s, 90s, 2000s to 2192 bliss. Destroyer has honed the most distinctive sound you will ever witness: and done so with ease.
Fleet Foxes are among many artists competing with the sophomore album hype in 2011. Since 2008, the band from Seattle have been on hiatus which many critics believed to be a retooling of their medieval folk perfection in their self-titled debut. Instead, Fleet Foxes have built upon their folk origins with a heavier acoustic influence. Every track is more structured, more harmonized, and more unified than their previous effort. Robin Pecknold's lyrics are still the pinnacle of the group's potential, but in Helplessness Blues Fleet Foxes have found solace as a cooperative force.
 |
Maybe it was James Blake's ability to reshape time signatures and rhythm into a coherent beat, or his contortion of sound to the point of elegant infraction that won the praises of critics in his 2010 post-dubstep, electronic-mash-up EPs. Whatever the reason, James Blake stared down a massive hill of hype entering 2011 upon releasing his debut album. But here, in his freshman effort, he's redirected his focus on samples of his own voice and piano, creating a simplistic, emotional, eclectic, phenomenon of an album at the most important phase of his career.
Although Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) has released seven of the final eleven tracks of his latest album over the past seven months, the buzz created from his work with Animal Collective's massively acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavilion is at cataclysmic heights. Yet even now, before the final mixes of the album have touched the ears of the masses, I promise there will be no meltdown. Noah has found a way to make his music even more approachable at this stage in his career. His music is hard to label--even more so with my rudimentary writing--but just know this: Tomboy will be the album of 2011.
Although Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) has released seven of the final eleven tracks of his latest album over the past seven months, the buzz created from his work with Animal Collective's massively acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavilion is at cataclysmic heights. Yet even now, before the final mixes of the album have touched the ears of the masses, I promise there will be no meltdown. Noah has found a way to make his music even more approachable at this stage in his career. His music is hard to label--even more so with my rudimentary writing--but just know this: Tomboy will be the album of 2011.
 |
Radiohead have waited years to release their follow-up to the fan-favorite In Rainbows, and the maturity shows early on. Each track is light, tight, seamless, and focused. Radiohead have layered their sound to the heights of an entirely new soundscape. It's no coincidence that Jonny Greenwood's recent film orchestration has seeped into the Radiohead conscience. Dislocated time signatures, evolutionary simplistic loops, and constant abstract rhythms have only evolved Radiohead's sound into a futuristic eargasm. The Radiohead we've come to know and love is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
 |
-jh
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Top 10 Films of 2010
Well, I finally got around to it, and just in time for the Academy Awards this weekend. 2010 Started off with a bang and never looked back. Before the 2009 Oscar winners were even announced, Scorsese started off strong on a year to remember. From Shutter Island to Inception to Black Swan, 2010 provided a more than promising start to a new decade.
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| 10. Animal Kingdom Dir. David Michôd |
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| 9. Exit Through the Gift Shop Dir. Banksy |
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| 8. Toy Story 3 Dir. Lee Unkrich |
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| 7. The King's Speech Dir. Tom Hooper |
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| 6. The Kids Are All Right Dir. Lisa Cholodenko |
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| 5. Shutter Island Dir. Martin Scorsese |
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| 4. Inception Dir. Christopher Nolan |
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| 3. Blue Valentine Dir. Derek Cianfrance |
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| 2. The Social Network Dir. David Fincher |
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| 1. Black Swan Dir. Darren Aronofsky |
Best of the Rest:
127 Hours
Enter the Void
The Ghost Writer
Greenberg
I Am Love (Io sono l'amore)
Inside Job
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
True Grit
Waiting for "Superman"
Winter's Bone
The Ones That Got Away:
45365
Another Year
Biutiful
A Film Unfinished
The Way Back
-jh
-jh
Friday, January 14, 2011
More Music: A 2009 Retrospect
After finishing my Music of 2010 lists, I wanted more; So, I set my sights on the year prior. Instead of writing another long-winded Top 10 list, I've decided to overview a year bursting at the seams with fresh potential.
Grizzly Bear created their most accessible folk album to date. Raekwon found his masterpiece in a long-awaited sequel. The xx debuted with enough sensuality to make Chris Isaak blush. Dirty Projectors refined their bizarre sounds to a crystal point. Girls proved that surf rock can be more than just The Beach Boys. Passion Pit stormed the scene in a whirlwind of jovial electropop. Muse established their M.O. Yeah Yeah Yeahs audaciously, yet triumphantly, shifted genres. Phoenix mastered their virtuoso pop-rock album. And Animal Collective blew my collective mind.
But lets stop here for a minute. This may ultimately seem a foolish statement, but Merriweather Post Pavilion is the greatest album of our generation. After witnessing the perfection of "My Girls," I had to rethink the entire ranking process. Time and key signature changes are nothing new, yet Animal Collective create layers upon layers and simultaneously rewrite music. Animal Collective collectively brought me to my knees in astonishment. The Baltimore quartet dominated a year chock-full of fun and inventive sounds. While "fun" can often be mistaken for inferior, 2009 proved to be definitive, and more importantly, energetic.
-jh
Grizzly Bear created their most accessible folk album to date. Raekwon found his masterpiece in a long-awaited sequel. The xx debuted with enough sensuality to make Chris Isaak blush. Dirty Projectors refined their bizarre sounds to a crystal point. Girls proved that surf rock can be more than just The Beach Boys. Passion Pit stormed the scene in a whirlwind of jovial electropop. Muse established their M.O. Yeah Yeah Yeahs audaciously, yet triumphantly, shifted genres. Phoenix mastered their virtuoso pop-rock album. And Animal Collective blew my collective mind.
But lets stop here for a minute. This may ultimately seem a foolish statement, but Merriweather Post Pavilion is the greatest album of our generation. After witnessing the perfection of "My Girls," I had to rethink the entire ranking process. Time and key signature changes are nothing new, yet Animal Collective create layers upon layers and simultaneously rewrite music. Animal Collective collectively brought me to my knees in astonishment. The Baltimore quartet dominated a year chock-full of fun and inventive sounds. While "fun" can often be mistaken for inferior, 2009 proved to be definitive, and more importantly, energetic.
 |
| 10. Grizzly Bear Veckatimest |
 |
| 9. Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II |
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| 8. The xx xx |
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| 7. Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca |
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| 6. Girls Album |
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| 5. Passion Pit Manners |
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| 4. Muse The Resistance |
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| 3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! |
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| 2. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix |
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| 1. Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion |
-jh
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Top 10 Albums of 2010
Sorry for the delay, now on to the meat and potatoes...
The Top 10 Albums of 2010
10. Arcade Fire
The Suburbs
Growing up is difficult, yet with The Suburbs, Arcade Fire have set out to make it easier. Beginning with Funeral and Neon Bible, the Canadian orchestra (call them what you will) have transgressed to this moment of complete clarity. Through Criticizing the youth ("Rococo"), losing friends ("Suburban War"), and falling to commercial corruption ("Sprawl II"), Arcade Fire have finally found their masterpiece; here, in the place we've grown up.
9. Band of Horses
Infinite Arms
Band of Horses have spent years perfecting their hybrid of country and indie rock. In 2009, the band from Seattle found themselves touring, recording, and replacing members in small locales around the country. It's only fitting then to find these visuals littered throughout their third album. From hotel rooms ("Factory") to campfires ("Infinite Arms") to bitter break-ups ("Evening Kitchen"), Band of Horses create comfort in uncomfortable places.
8. The National
High Violet
Matt Berninger's voice has always been the star of The National. The band from Ohio have built a career on uncertainties. From "Sorrow" to "Bloodbuzz Ohio" to "England," a band once led by a voice is now led by even the smallest drumbeat: and it is resonant to the core. All 11 tracks are deep, lamenting, profound--and even still--hopeful. From the darkest of places, The National shine like the furthest star: never bright, yet never insignificant.
7. Beach House
Teen Dream
After two modest albums, Beach House went big...really big. Teen Dream was recorded in a church, and it may as well been the Westminster Abbey. Here the duo find their dream pop beginnings soaring to the heights of futuristic skyscrapers. From "Zebra" to "Take Care," Alex and Victoria tour the adolescent relationship, from heartbreak to love. Beach House don't make music, they create dreams worth relying on.
6. LCD Soundsystem
This is Happening
Improving upon David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Iggy Pop's past is not an easy task. Through This is Happening, James Murphy has finally perfected the dance-punk genre. Taking a narrative approach, Murphy has laid out the entire relationship process from pleading for love ("I Can Change") to driving yourself "Home" after it has long ended. Although Murphy has made his last LCD album, it's one that will redefine relationships and genres.
5. Sleigh Bells
Treats
If you've never taken a trip outside the realms of mainstream pop, here is your ride. What Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller create in 30 minutes is nothing short of fate. Meeting in the most unlikely of circumstances, their hunger for complete euphoric perfection never falters. Every track hits harder than a tackle from Ray Lewis and perseveres until the final whistle blow in "Treats." Just one tip: Set the volume to 11.
4. The Black Keys
Brothers
From the first hit of "Everlasting Light," Dan and Patrick blew me away. The onslaught of discouraging and uplifting blues never hits a rut. Here, The Black Keys have found their balance between garage-rock and twentieth-century blues. Every song is a rallying cry for love and truth between two sexes at constant intersections. The Black Keys have finally created their tour de force while continuing to be the sexiest group ever.
3. Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye has been through a lot: most, his own doing. Two years ago he leaped forward with his minimal 808s and Heartbreak effort and showed he's always at his best in his darkest times. Whether it be breakups or Taylor Swift-ups, Yeezy always puts his heart into anything he produces. Although his "Dark Fantasy" ends when he shows he's "Lost in the World," Kanye finds solace through his self-destruction and egotistical nine-minute epics.
2. Big Boi
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
After years of record company turmoil, Big Boi's solo album has ultimately found it's home: above all other hip-hop albums. Although Outkast may be the critical darling, Big Boi has proved to be the true talent. The sound mixing is incredible; the skits are hilarious; and Big Boi's lyrical timing is nothing short of perfection. He shines--and ultimately, blinds--in every track. From his first words in "Feel Me" to his final ones in "Backup Plan," Big Boi uses simple beats to create complex rhythms and there is no better example in 2010. Big Boi, take your bow.
1. Deerhunter
Halcyon Digest
The fact that I had never heard of Deerhunter a week ago--then listened to their album four times in succession--should give you an idea of their nostalgic perfection. Inspired by decades of social revolution, counterculture, and self-awareness, Halcyon Digest pays homage while consistently pushing the envelope. An album of peerless perfection couldn't make my own top ten songs because of its own superiority among all other albums of 2010. No tracks stand out; all stand alone in a sea of retrospect, opportunity, and loss. Deerhunter have created the most seamless album of the year. Beginning with an eccentric ballad ("Earthquake") and ending with an ethereal tribute ("He Would Have Laughed"), Deerhunter grabs your attention early and never let go. Yet, it's in their finale where they prove their complete dominance in an ever-changing genre; while cutting their album short, Deerhunter will continue to strive for perfection. Through a combination of dream pop and shoegaze, the young quartet from Atlanta have raised the indie rock bar. It's an undeniably transcendent album; and the best of 2010.
The Most Honorable of Mentions
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
The Besnard Lakes - ...Are the Roaring Night
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Drake - Thank Me Later
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
MGMT - Congratulations
Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Vampire Weekend - Contra
-jh
The Top 10 Albums of 2010
The Suburbs
Growing up is difficult, yet with The Suburbs, Arcade Fire have set out to make it easier. Beginning with Funeral and Neon Bible, the Canadian orchestra (call them what you will) have transgressed to this moment of complete clarity. Through Criticizing the youth ("Rococo"), losing friends ("Suburban War"), and falling to commercial corruption ("Sprawl II"), Arcade Fire have finally found their masterpiece; here, in the place we've grown up.
Infinite Arms
Band of Horses have spent years perfecting their hybrid of country and indie rock. In 2009, the band from Seattle found themselves touring, recording, and replacing members in small locales around the country. It's only fitting then to find these visuals littered throughout their third album. From hotel rooms ("Factory") to campfires ("Infinite Arms") to bitter break-ups ("Evening Kitchen"), Band of Horses create comfort in uncomfortable places.
High Violet
Matt Berninger's voice has always been the star of The National. The band from Ohio have built a career on uncertainties. From "Sorrow" to "Bloodbuzz Ohio" to "England," a band once led by a voice is now led by even the smallest drumbeat: and it is resonant to the core. All 11 tracks are deep, lamenting, profound--and even still--hopeful. From the darkest of places, The National shine like the furthest star: never bright, yet never insignificant.
Teen Dream
After two modest albums, Beach House went big...really big. Teen Dream was recorded in a church, and it may as well been the Westminster Abbey. Here the duo find their dream pop beginnings soaring to the heights of futuristic skyscrapers. From "Zebra" to "Take Care," Alex and Victoria tour the adolescent relationship, from heartbreak to love. Beach House don't make music, they create dreams worth relying on.
This is Happening
Improving upon David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Iggy Pop's past is not an easy task. Through This is Happening, James Murphy has finally perfected the dance-punk genre. Taking a narrative approach, Murphy has laid out the entire relationship process from pleading for love ("I Can Change") to driving yourself "Home" after it has long ended. Although Murphy has made his last LCD album, it's one that will redefine relationships and genres.
Treats
If you've never taken a trip outside the realms of mainstream pop, here is your ride. What Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller create in 30 minutes is nothing short of fate. Meeting in the most unlikely of circumstances, their hunger for complete euphoric perfection never falters. Every track hits harder than a tackle from Ray Lewis and perseveres until the final whistle blow in "Treats." Just one tip: Set the volume to 11.
Brothers
From the first hit of "Everlasting Light," Dan and Patrick blew me away. The onslaught of discouraging and uplifting blues never hits a rut. Here, The Black Keys have found their balance between garage-rock and twentieth-century blues. Every song is a rallying cry for love and truth between two sexes at constant intersections. The Black Keys have finally created their tour de force while continuing to be the sexiest group ever.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye has been through a lot: most, his own doing. Two years ago he leaped forward with his minimal 808s and Heartbreak effort and showed he's always at his best in his darkest times. Whether it be breakups or Taylor Swift-ups, Yeezy always puts his heart into anything he produces. Although his "Dark Fantasy" ends when he shows he's "Lost in the World," Kanye finds solace through his self-destruction and egotistical nine-minute epics.
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
After years of record company turmoil, Big Boi's solo album has ultimately found it's home: above all other hip-hop albums. Although Outkast may be the critical darling, Big Boi has proved to be the true talent. The sound mixing is incredible; the skits are hilarious; and Big Boi's lyrical timing is nothing short of perfection. He shines--and ultimately, blinds--in every track. From his first words in "Feel Me" to his final ones in "Backup Plan," Big Boi uses simple beats to create complex rhythms and there is no better example in 2010. Big Boi, take your bow.
Halcyon Digest
The fact that I had never heard of Deerhunter a week ago--then listened to their album four times in succession--should give you an idea of their nostalgic perfection. Inspired by decades of social revolution, counterculture, and self-awareness, Halcyon Digest pays homage while consistently pushing the envelope. An album of peerless perfection couldn't make my own top ten songs because of its own superiority among all other albums of 2010. No tracks stand out; all stand alone in a sea of retrospect, opportunity, and loss. Deerhunter have created the most seamless album of the year. Beginning with an eccentric ballad ("Earthquake") and ending with an ethereal tribute ("He Would Have Laughed"), Deerhunter grabs your attention early and never let go. Yet, it's in their finale where they prove their complete dominance in an ever-changing genre; while cutting their album short, Deerhunter will continue to strive for perfection. Through a combination of dream pop and shoegaze, the young quartet from Atlanta have raised the indie rock bar. It's an undeniably transcendent album; and the best of 2010.
The Most Honorable of Mentions
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
The Besnard Lakes - ...Are the Roaring Night
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Drake - Thank Me Later
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
MGMT - Congratulations
Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Vampire Weekend - Contra
-jh
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