It was about 15 minutes into 21 Grams last night that I realized I had no idea what it was about. At first I thought it was about a guy recieving a heart transplant from someone else’s dead husband, and then that guy trying to woo the widow, but then I remembered that was a David Duchovney/Minnie Driver romantic comedy, so I must be confused. Guess not. ‘Cept 21 Grams had gunplay. Before anyone gets all up in arms, I’m not mocking the film. I actually found it very effective, particularly the use of short, non-sequential scenes for maximum emotional impact leading into the climax of the film – they were like precisely placed kidney shots, each inflicting a carefully measured dose of misery on one of the three main characters and bringing the audience along for the ride. Even when something good seemed to happen, the fact that you already know how things turns out makes it that much more bitter. It’s for the sole reason that I didn’t feel emotionally manipulated that I think this was a good film, albeit one I doubt I’ll ever need to see again. Not even for naked Naomi Watts (let’s see how many google hits I get for THAT phrase… though most of them will probably be from me. Or Kyle).

Lighter viewing was provided by the Belle & Sebastian Fans Only DVD which has been sitting on my shelf for almost a month now. It’s a really-well assembled package, combining videos, live performances, interviews and general videotaped antics to give an idea of the wonderful world of B&S. While it is overwhelmingly twee at times (enough with the stuffed animals!), the sheer joy that most of the band seems to take from their lives touring the world and playing music really comes through. Even departed cellist Isobel Campbell looks like she’s having fun despite herself. Poor thing. The one thing that did alarm me was that after around the 1-hour mark, the sound and video started mucking up on my DVD player with glitches and dropouts and whatnot, but when I ran it on my computer it played fine, while the 21 Grams DVD played for its full two hours without a hiccup. Whassup with that?

I rarely have any of those textbook-type dreams, but last night I could have sworn I was in university English class about a week before finals and coming to the realization that I hadn’t been to class for the past three months. This is curious for a couple reasons – one, I never took English in university, and two, I am certain I had a dream some months ago where I actually made the decision to stop going to said English class. So somewhere, in my subconcious, is a dream-me who is living in real time, still in school and about to fail English class. Serves him right, the slacker.

np – Calexico / Convict Pool

Tanya Donelly’s third solo album Whiskey Tango Ghost is coming out in late July, if all goes according to plan, with a late summer tour to follow. Fort Apache has a tracklisting of the new record.

Another year, another Guided By Voices album. Half Smiles of the Decomposed is out August 24 on Matador. Possible tracklisting here. As with all things Bob, expect the album title and tracklisting to change several dozen times more before release.

Yep Roc has some unreleased tracks from the sessions that yielded The Minus 5’s Down With Wilco album last year. It’s one of five extra songs that will appear on an EP included with the vinyl release of that album June 1. I never really got into this record – it was alright, but it never clicked for me. Pretty much a case of the whole not equalling up to the sum of its parts or some such nonsense. It’s pleasant and clever and all, but there’s not that alchemical spark. I’d trade fifty discs of this for just one more Golden Smog record. You can download an mp3 of one of the unreleased tracks, “Formerly Hail Centurion”, here.

Get yer full-length, full-size Spider-Man 2 trailer while it’s still fresh. Which should be another thirty minutes or so.

It hasn’t quite sunk in that I have today off – this long weekend totally snuck up on me, but I’m not totally unprepared. I’ve got some movies to watch, some books to read, some mushy foods to eat. Doin’ alright.

np – American Music Club / 1984-1995

Matador will be celebrating their 15th anniversary this autumn with a double-disc retrospective in the spirit of What’s Up Matador and Everything Is Nice. Matador At 15 will feature “one disc of much-beloved songs by Matador hitmakers circa 1999-2004, along with a second disc comprising unreleased or too-tough-to-find tracks by many of the same superstars”. This will be hot on the heels of Merge’s 15th anniversary multi-disc collection Old Enough To Know Better, out July 13. Two indie label powerhouses, both celebrating fifteen years in the biz? I know a prospective steel cage match when I hear one, thank you… And Merge has a new website. Most of it still doesn’t work, but it’s somewhat prettier than the old one.

Elvis Costello has two albums coming out this Fall – one rock album and one orchestral album. The former will be recorded with the Imposters and be released on Lost Highway, the latter, entitled Il Sogno with the London Symphony Orchestra and be released on Deutsche Grammophon. Obviously the rock record is more interesting to me, but I did like the album he did with the Brodsky Quartet so I will be paying attention to the orchestral release as well. What catches my eye is that the Imposters record is coming out on Lost Highway – does that mean this’ll be a country-inflected record? And how about despite putting four records out on four different labels (Island and Decca for When I Was Cruel and North respectively), they’re really all the same company? It blows my mind.

The Neko Case show on the 28th at the Horseshoe doesn’t seem to have The Sadies on the bill – just Carolyn Mark and Kelly Hogan in what’s being dubbed, “Lipstick & Dynamite”. Tickets are $18 and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Good Brothers showed up anyway.

Still trying to find out specifics on the Neko/Sadies shows at the Matador this weekend. Well, ‘trying’ might be too strong a word. ‘Waiting for someone to come by and tell me’ might be more accurate. Looks like it’ll just be a matter of showing up at 2AM Friday or Saturday and hoping to get in.

Hayden will be opening both Toronto shows for Sarah Harmer at the Winter Garden Theatre April 26 and 27 after all. He had originally been scheduled to open, then pulled, and now has been put back on. His Elk Lake Serenade comes out May 11.

The San Francisco Chronicle tries to puzzle out why Wonderfalls got the axe and reflects on the inanity of television scheduling in general. Perhaps I should recap the reasons – Fox are dumbasses, stupidheads and other epithets involving the words ‘dumb’ and ‘ass’. Use your imagination, they’ll all apply.

A day and a half after wisdoom tooth extraction and I still look like Marlon Brando in The Godfather. And, it seems, so does everyone else who has dental surgery.

np – Metric / Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?

Okay, that wasn’t so bad I guess. The dentist was nothing if not efficient – three wisdom teeth in under 30 minutes. I didn’t get a general anaesthetic, just novocaine and some nitrous oxide to take the edge off. I remained pretty damn lucid through the whole thing, with the drilling and the grinding and the yanking, but yeah – relaxed. That laughing gas is pretty good stuff. I remember coaxing my contact lenses out of the dixe cups of saline solution they were floating in (forgot to bring a case), going “here, fishie fishie fishie”. The bleeding is pretty much done now and it’s just swelling and a general ache, like I got punched in the face a couple times. Pain is perfectly manageable right now but half my face is still (!) numb and swollen, so I’m not assuming I’m getting away with anything just yet. At least I can feel my tongue again. I haven’t eaten in nearly 24 hours. Funny how some things can take away your appetite.

Oh yeah, this is what they’ve prescribed me – Toradol. I don’t think it’s that legendary Tylenol 3 or codeine that I’ve heard so much about. A little disappointed there.

Pitchfork interviews The Shins. Isn’t it interesting how non-smartass and just… nicer? Pitchfork is when they’re acually talking to their subject rather than reviewing a record or writing up a news story?

As much as I’ve lost interest in Radiohead on the whole, I’ve still put their Japanese b-sides collection on my shopping list. They’re pushing it as follows: “To coincide with their tour of Japan in April, Radiohead have agreed to release a limited quantity of a special Hail to the Thief-related CD of B-sides entitled COM LAG. This B-sides compilation CD also contains a “live” audio version of “2+2=5 and is enhanced with a “live” video clip of “2+2=5”. This is a “Japan only” CD release that EMI Music Canada is importing in a ONE-TIME ORDER for Canadian Radiohead fans”. Damn the completist in me. Old habits die hard. I guess that means I can sell off the Hail To The Thief singles I own.

Paul Atkinson, guitarist for 60s British invasion group The Zombies, has died. (Name corrected).

Tim Story, director of Barbershop, has apparently been confirmed as director of the Fantastic Four movie. Some are assuming from his resume that this will be a comedy… Er. They’re also reporting casting rumours of Michael Chilkis (The Shield) as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Tim Robbins as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. Which would make for an uncomfortable age difference if Jessica Simpson is cast as Sue Richards/The Invisible Woman. I don’t understand that last rumour, though – isn’t Jessica Simpson the sort of girl you want seen and not heard, not the other way around?

I’ve finally figured it out – this season’s 24 is actually Die Hard 3. Think about it. The bad guy turns out to be linked to the plot/villain of the first season (Jeremy Irons/Alan Rickman) and has a personal vendetta against our hero. He exacts that revenge by putting him (and the President) on a wild goose chase of sorts around the city by putting innocents at risk, etc etc. Granted, Jack’s no John McClane with the smart quips, but the parallels are there. Which means, of course, that the finale is going to take place in Candada somewhere… Final showdown in Victoria! But while the link between Jack and Saunders was a little disappointing to me as being kinda predictable, the twist with Palmer being ordered to kill Chapelle was a nice one. This week’s episode didn’t turn things up a whole notch, but did offer a good, steady climb.

np – Laura Cantrell / When The Roses Bloom Again

Listen to A Ghost Is Born, officially and with the blessings of the band.

A little later than expected, but my info was good after all.