Obviously, I’m not going to fool anyone with illusions of objectivity – my comic book geek-bias is well known and long-standing. I would submit, however, that that makes me an even harsher potential critic of funny book adaptations – I’m not just looking for entertainment from these flicks, I’m looking for, like, validation of my existance or some such nonsense. So I’m quite pleased to report that Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins does indeed kick some serious serious ass. Fanboy or no.

Some of those praising the film (and they are legion) are calling it the definitive Batman flick, and I won’t go against that. Some of those damning the film are calling it overly serious and dark – that I will contest. Is it dark? Yes, relatively speaking. Darker than Spider-Man, anyway, Spidey being the current benchmark for comic book film adaptations. It’s gritty, violent, etc etc. But there was far more humour in the film than I’d expected – they even went so far as to throw in jokes where it wasn’t really necessary or appropriate (“Excuse me”). It does help lighten the mood just a touch, which is otherwise fairly (though not overly) intense. Not for nothing was the original title for this film Intimidation Game – the whole film is based around a study in fear. The Scarecrow may seem like a somewhat odd choice as a baddie, b-list bat-villain that he is, but he fits perfectly in the role assigned him.

Interestingly, Nolan and scriptwriter David Goyer have succeeded with this film by deconstructing the Batman mythos instead of embracing it. Bruce Wayne’s backstory and motivation is completely laid bare. His suit, his equipment, everything is given a very matter-of-fact explanation. There’s no question of “where does he get those wonderful toys” – they show you making them. Whereas Tim Burton’s vision played up the mystery of Batman, Nolan demythologizes it – It’s as though they want to un-comic book him as much as possible. Obviously Batman has no superhuman abilities and neither do his enemies (I don’t count Scarecrow’s fear gas), but even Ra’s Al-Ghul is stripped of his comic book powers (though his schtick is given a very clever nod). The Demon’s Head is still given plenty to work with as the leader of an assassin guild bent on destroying Gotham City. The film concentrates on what made Batman and what drives him, and even without out the conventional comic book trappings, it still makes for a compelling story.

Christian Bale, and really the entire cast, is excellent. Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon is really a treat to behold. Only Katie Holmes’ character seems superfluous, thanks in no small part to the fact that she speaks in monologues rather than engage in conversation. And if I have to file a complaint, I’ll pick a) the costume’s cowl – it’s a little too thick and rubbery for my liking, and b) the fight scenes – darkness + many fast cuts = hard to follow.

Much has been made of how the film is inspired by Frank Miller’s seminal Year One storyline, but while it take the premise – Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham after years away and beginning his battle against the underworld – that’s really where it ends. I think that’s what I liked the most about the film – Goyer has written a completely new origin tale that stands up to anything the comics have ever presented. It was infinitely more enjoyable to get wrapped up in the story rather than just play “spot what they got right/wrong or how faithful they’ve been”. I think comic fans have been so conditioned over the years to expect the worst from films that when someone actually gets it right – and even improves on it – it’s cause for celebration. Obviously with the huge box office gross Batman Begins has pulled in this weekend and will no doubt continue to do so, sequels are inevitable. I say bring em on. As long as this creative team remains intact and true to their vision, I have complete faith that the successive installments will meet the high standard set. It remains to be seen if they can keep the tone so real-world with villains like the Joker or Catwoman – the comic bookiness will inevitably have to creep in – and I’d like to see them play up the “Dark Knight Detective” angle, show Bats using the brain as much as the brawn, but whatever they do, however they do it, I’m there.

Obviously there’s craploads of Batman-related links out there right now so trying to list them off is a fool’s errand. This Seattle Times piece is pretty good, but otherwise, I’ll point you to this handy little site.

The White Stripes just keep finding bigger and bigger stages for two people to try and fill. Next up? The Molson Amhpitheatre on September 16.

Said The Gramophone enlists Tim Kingsbury of Arcade Fire to offer a farewell to Three Gut Records.

So for anyone who cares, here’s the next chapter in my (rocky, not rocking) journey into the world of vinyl… So I did as suggested and brought my parent’s 35-year old Dual 1210 into Bay Bloor Radio for a free tune-up/evaluation and was quite pleased that they seemed to be able to get it working and all – some cleaning, a new cartridge (a Grado Black, if anyone’s wondering) and it sounded great in the store. It plays about 4% fast at 33-1/3 and the auto-return doesn’t really work, but I could live with that. Happy, I hauled the thing home and took it for a ride. The copy of Murmur I bought the other day sounded good though there was a little skipping here and there, natural for a twenty-year old platter, I figured.

Next, I dashed out and bought a new copy of Saturday Looks Good To Me’s Every Night (The LP version contains different mixes from the CD so it’s practically a new album). Brought it home, threw it on. Side A played fine. Side B? Skiped all the way through. Sonofabitch. I tried adjusting the arm counterweight and whatnot (as well as I could) to no avail. I figured the world is against me and I just got a bum copy, although I could see nothing amiss with the playing surface. So I brought it back to the store yesterday and tried listening to it there? Perfect, of course. Not a skip or anything. Again – sonofabitch. Best I can figure is that the LP has shallow enough grooves that the old player can’t track properly, even with a new cartridge. The arm setup/mass/whatever is just wrong? I dunno. Colour me annoyed. On the plus side, I hadn’t put any money into the table that I couldn’t use on a new deck. On the negative side, well, I’m annoyed. I guess trying to resuscitate this old beastie just wasn’t going to work. I am going to go on the hunt for another turntable – maybe something less than 20 years old, maybe even something new if I can get a good deal. I’ve already got a decent cartridge now…

Yeah, you don’t care but I felt like venting a bit. I just want to play a record, for pity’s sake.

np – The Wedding Present / Take Fountain

Pause & Play reports The Cardigans’ new album has a title and a (European) release date. Super Extra Gravity will be out in the old world on October 17. If memory serves, Canada got a domestic release of Long Gone Before Daylight sometime around the same time as Europe, so hopefully we won’t have to wait for the inevitably long-delayed US release. The first single will be wonderfully titled, “I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to Be Nicer”.

Here’s an interview Nina Persson did for Swedish radio last month. When asked how the new record compares to Daylight, she says “it’s not quite as sad as that one. If that one was sad this one is kinda whiny, and angry. Or, not angry but more grumpy.” Keep in mind this is translated from Swedish and may not be 100% accurate. Bassist Magnus Sveningsson has been keeping a photo-diary of sorts over the course of the recording sessions with producer Tore Johansson, who produced all their previous albums (excepting Daylight). I really liked the sadness and melancholy that enveloped Daylight – I hope they’ve managed to make whiny sound as lovely.

Oh, and if you’re wondering about the title of this post…

Prefix talks to British Sea Power about the softening of their sound between The Decline Of and Open Season and being compared to Interpol (“The bass player in both bands is the most stylish in the band”).

This interviewer for the LA Weekly seems a bit of a dick, first asking if Britt Daniel of Spoon is an asshole (Britt denies it) and then trying to shoehorn the band into a Wilco analogue. He does offer up some useful information, however, in revealing that Britt Daniel is 6’1″. That was my guess a while back but others were insisting he was, like, 7’4″, played centre for the Dallas Mavericks in his off time and terrorized the countryside while feeding on flocks of sheep. Not so much. Filter also tried to play the analogy game, likening the band to 60s counterculture icon Ken Kesey. Whatever happened to the good old days of just being a rock band?

Jay Farrar talks to Pitch.com about Son Volt Mk 2 and the new album Okemah and the Melody of Riot, out July 12.

The State lays praise at the feet of Iron & Wine.

Chart finds Stephen Malkmus isn’t principally opposed to a Pavement reunion, he just has other things to do – like shill his new solo album Face The Truth.

Various links today – as with most days – courtesy of Largehearted Boy.

The Modfather – Paul Weller – will be at the Kool Haus on September 22. With all the reunion fever going around, I am quite amazed that The Jam hasn’t gotten it together to cash in. Maybe when Weller needs to overhaul the fleet of Vespas.

Popmatters analyzes the shit out of Batman. Which I’m seeing today.

And last night I saw Closer. What truly fucked up people. Whew.

np – Starflyer 59 / Talking Voice Vs Singing Voice

The New Pornographers have fleshed out their Fall tour dates a little bit, including a show in Toronto on October 9 at a venue to be determined. My money is on the Opera house. Destroyer and Immaculate Machine support. Man, I remember my old band playing with Immaculate Machine a couple years ago at Wavelength. Now they’re opening for the New Pornographers and we… sigh. ANYWAY, The New Pr0n’s Twin Cinema is out August 23, but has leaked to the interweb. Find a link somewhere else, you know I don’t play that game. Thanks to Erin for the tip-off. Photo by Steven Dewall via the New Porn website.

Finally, a release date! Broken Social Scene’s Windsurfing Nation, the follow-up to the (approximately) gazillion-selling You Forgot It In People, will be in stores October 4, roughly a year after it was initially promised. More details here.

SF Weekly finds out how Feist found herself (musically speaking). Her American label has also been keeping a little scrapbook of Feist’s press clippings and whatnot in the US. Nice gams in that one pic. Via Largehearted Boy. Fluxblog has a totally deconstructed remix of her “Inside & Out” up for grabs right now. In fact, I have to take his word for it that it’s actually a Feist remix.

Bob Mould tells Billboard he has no interest in jumping on the reunion bandwagon and that Husker Du will remain a thing of the past. That doesn’t mean he won’t be dusting of the old Du material on his Fall tour to promote Body Of Song, it just means he won’t be doing it with Grant Hart or Greg Norton. The rumour mill went nuts last Fall when Mould and Hart got onstage together for the first time in 17 years to perform a couple of Huskers numbers at a benefit for Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller, but that was a one-time deal only. Sadly, Mueller passed away from throat cancer yesterday.

Chart refuses to be the odd publication out and gets an interview with Sleater-Kinney to lead up to their show at the Phoenix tonight.

Behold the strangest Live 8 Toronto rumour yet. Barges in the lake? I hope there’s some truth to this because the opportunity to dispose of Bryan Adams and Celine Dion in one fell swoop is too tempting. Organizers are still debating venues though The Toronto Sun insists that Barrie is a done deal. Oh the suspense! The intrigue! And Dan Ackroyd? Puh-leaaase. Does the man not have a job anymore?

I bought vinyl yesterday! Got a used copy of REM’s Murmur for $2.50. Sweet. How does it sound? I’ve no idea – bringing in the turntable for a diagnosis today. It works – huzzah – but doesn’t sound very good. I’m hoping it doesn’t cost me TOO much to get up and running again.

np – The Airfields / The City-State EP

For the record – I have no problem whatsoever with Live 8. Nor do I have a problem with Canadian music. And I don’t even bear any emnity towards the good people of Barrie. But put all together, I can’t help but shudder.

So as you probably know, Sir Bob announced yesterday that we’re getting a Live 8 show here in the Big Smoke on July 2 (even though he’s openly said he didn’t want to and it’s just to put pressure on the government. They’re going to rock us into shame! Thanks Bob, we love you too). This has bumped my interest level in the whole thing from non-existant to barely-existant – after all, now that it’s happening in my burg, I can’t help but pay a little more attention. The way the media is going to be all over this like a fat kid on Smarties, I won’t have a choice.

The official announcement isn’t until Tuesday, but the rumours have been flying fast and furious over the past day and it’s fun to speculate. Here’s some of the key rumours going around – the event will be happening at Molson Park in Barrie, an hour north of Toronto proper. The Rolling Stones whom everyone expected to take part since they do love doing benefit shows here apparently have scheduling issues and may not appear. Annoying Canucks Bryan Adans and Billy Talent are confirmed and the likes of Barenaked Ladies, Jann Arden and Our Lady Peace are also expected to be pencilled in, as well as usual suspects such as Blue Rodeo and Rush.

Know what all this says to me? LAME. First the venue – Barrie? Come on, all the other countries are having their shows in the heart of the cities hosting them. We have to farm ours out to cottage country? What’s wrong with Downsview Park, where they held SARS-fest last year and POPE-fest the year before? Is there some immovable logistical issue that’s preventing it from happening there, because that’s the only excuse I’d accept.

Second – the lineup. It was only when trying to think of who they could have on the bill that I realized how wide the chasm between the the Canadian indie and mainstream worlds are. On one side, acts like Broken Social and Arcade Fire (neither of whom are booked for anything on the 2nd) are world renowned within a certain demographic. Let’s face it, in the indie world, Canada rules. But as I mentioned in my little blurb in Salon last week, this isn’t about hip and their audience isn’t necessarily the crowd Live 8 wants to appeal to. For that, you need to dip your feet in the mainstream. I didn’t really get why people were complaining before (and instigating the Salon piece), but now I sort of get it.

So who are the Canadian artists with an international profile? Barenaked Ladies? Shania Twain? Alanis? Celine Dion? None of these are acts I’d feel any nationlistic pride for – they’re more like punchlines. Nickelback? I’d sell my passport on eBay first. Philadelphia has already bogarted Sarah McLachlan. Neil Young would certainly be respectable but I’m not sure how his brain is doing. After those names, we’re left with acts that are big in Canada but who have little international profile. I realize it’s not supposed to be comparing lineups with other countries, but it’d be nice to be in the same league. The Tragically Hip, Sloan and Our Lady Peace are no U2 or Coldplay. A Guess Who reunion or Bill Priddle rejoining Treble Charger won’t make headlines the way Roger Waters getting onstage with Pink Floyd again will. Sadly, we’ll probably have to count on the international ringers to make the Canadian show worthy of bragging rights – but again, who’s left? I guess the point of all this rambling is why doesn’t Canada have any international-calibre acts who aren’t cringe-worthy?

And yes, I realize this has just been a MASSIVE exercise in the good ol’ Canuck inferiority complex. Whatever. All I’m saying is that while there’s no way on earth they could assemble a bill that would make me actually want to attend this thing (not that I could – no cellphone = no text messaging lottery), it would be nice if they could at least put one together that didn’t make me feel embaressed. Nickelback. Just watch. Maybe they’ll get Mitsou to come out of retirement or reassemble the whole Northern Lights lineup. Mike Reno’s not doing anything these days.

But really, it doesn’t matter. No matter who ends up on the bill, tens of thousands of people will attend, everyone will pat themselves on the back for being socially conscious, there will be dubious tangible benefit to those the concerts are meant to help and life will go on. Oh-bla-di, oh-bla-da. Cynical much? Sure. But now I’ve gotten that all out of my system and am back to not caring. Aaaah.

And now for something completely different.

John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats explains The Sunset Tree to WWeek, song-by-song, in haiku form.

Via Largehearted Boy.

Transform Online talks to the thus far ignored member of the Dinosaur Jr reunion, drummer Murph.

How Stuff Works gives you the low-down on Christian Bale’s batsuit. I remember seeing Adam West’s costume at the EMP in Seattle. The utility belt was made out of felt! Bale’s is better.

24 – The Motion Picture. The ticket better come with a catheter. Talk about missing the point…

This Personality Disorder Test has made for a better MySpace “about me” than anything I could have written myself. Maybe that’ll scare off all those people wanting to be my friend. What’s that? You didn’t think I was such a headcase? Oh my goodness gracious, YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

np – Calexico / Hot Rail

Excellent Online reports that ex-Ride frontman Mark Gardener is trying to raise funds to complete and release his first proper solo album this Fall. By pre-ordering the record through Oxfordmusic.net, you not only help him finish the record, you also get a limited edition DVD documenting his evolution as a solo artist over the past two years. If you want in on this, you better hurry though – as of yesterday, only 64 of the 2500 available were left.

While the track record of post-Ride projects has been, quite frankly, abyssmal (hello Hurricane #1 and The Animalhouse. Please go away), I would like to hope that Mark has managed to put together a worthwhile album that can break that particular curse. The premier Ride fansite on the web, Ticket 2 Ride, put together a Mark Gardener minisite a while back to document his North American adventures and there are a number of live shows available to download and enjoy. Or you can check out this track that Gardener contributed to Excellent’s Flirt compilation a couple years back as well as an oldie but a goodie…

MP3: Mark Gardener – “See What You Get”

MP3: Mark Gardener – “Chrome Waves” (solo acoustic, live at the Kitting Factory, NYC – April 13, 2003)

Also be sure to check out the two live shows that Mark Gardener and Andy Bell played together in Stockholm in the Fall of 2003. Barring a full-blown reunion – and I honestly think they’d still sound great, even ten years hence – that’s about as good as it’s going to get.

Cheers to Magnet, who had the guts to put Ride on their cover a couple of years ago, for once again daring to go against fashion and make Husker Du the cover story of their July/August issue as part of a feature on the 1980s Minneapolis scene.

Sleater-Kinney scores the triple-crown of local media coverage in advance of their show at The Phoenix this Saturday with pieces in NOW, eye and The Toronto Star. Update: Make that the quadruple crown – The Toronto Sun also has a piece.

Check out some behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the video for Longwave’s “There’s A Fire”, the title track from their new album due out in a fortnight. It was shot by new keyboardist and all-around cool frood Jeff Sheinkopf. Note – I could only get it to work in IE. Some plugin nonsense wasn’t cooperating with Mozilla.

Tiny Mix Tapes compiles a list of musicians they deem worthy of hero worship. Apparently singing ability is not a prerequisite.

Of Montreal should just buy a house here. For what I think is their third show in the city in the past 12 months, they’ll be at Lee’s Palace on August 30. Also, FOC (Friends Of Conor) Neva Dinova are at the Horseshoe on July 18. And Sufjan tickets go on sale next Tuesday the 21st. No pricing info yet.

Once again, I’ve rounded up some of the shows going on in town over the next seven days for Torontoist. I will be at the Eisley show at Lee’s next Wednesday, but that’s about it. You know, I thought this was going to be less work than reviews, but it’s really not…

Behold the new trailer for Mirrormask. Still with the awful music and voiceover, but the visuals are great. It’s due for limited release on September 30.

I just realized that I’m missing most of the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Boo. I will be around for the first few days, though, so hopefully I’ll be able to get tickets for at least one screening. A book of ten like I did last year, however, is right out unless I find someone to split them with.

I need to get a mouse for my laptop. This touchpad thing ain’t cutting it for me. I need my center wheel button!

np – Pernice Brothers / Discover A Lovelier You