Posts by Robert Cooper41

Well... I’m off to grab a cold one 🙂
Catch you all after the game ends 😈

Vanjushka said:MEXICO REAPED IT! - February 2, 2005 at 7:38 PM (*.verat.net)
😁 😁 😁

Oh, and since there aren't any announced provocateurs lurking around to stir the pot, why don't we just stop cluttering up this stupid subreddit? 🙄
If you actually enjoy reading this garbage, fine—be my guest and go find it elsewhere—but I honestly fail to see the point in all this mindless copy-pasting just to keep the flame wars burning.

feralbison62 said:The only downside? A lack of fans. 😁 But honestly, if you think about it, that isn't even a flaw—it’s actually a massive advantage. 🤣

Oh, absolutely... unfortunately, it looks like the folks over in North Africa are going to be left out in the cold, deprived of the chance to witness such grand spectacles where different American cultures finally collide. 😬 😂

Man, this is it—the moment where America finally proves whether we actually possess the DNA of an Olympic and World Champion, or if we’re just talk, and can we truly maintain that "class gap" against everyone else when the stakes are at their absolute peak? We are staring down the barrel of a high-stakes knockout match, a literal do-or-die scenario, and who is standing in our way? None other than those "bitter rivals" from across the border 😈 Meanwhile, on the other side of the court, they're coming in looking completely relaxed, almost casual, because this roster is essentially a first-time lineup, leaving everyone scratching their heads wondering how they even found themselves in this position given that their handball program has been practically non-existent for years... but honestly, really, where else would you find a better opportunity to redeem yourself for all those recent failures than by going head-to-head against the "double champions" and those "unfriendly neighbors" 😁

The movie was absolutely spectacular—a total blast from start to finish. It manages to dodge those messy historical or political power struggles you see in films like House of Flying Daggers (you know, that whole heavy dynamic between the ruler and his warriors), focusing instead on a pure love story. Sure, it follows that classic trope of star-crossed lovers from opposing sides, but when you pair that with such breathtaking action effects, it works perfectly.
Honestly, that fight sequence through the bamboo forest? That was hands down one of the most incredible things I’ve seen on screen in a long, long time.👍

I actually gave up halfway through... and look, I’m practically a masochist when it comes to forcing myself to sit through movies I absolutely can't stand. Though, to be fair to my own soul, this was my third dud in a row, so that probably played a part too. 😬
I mean, seriously, how do you stretch a single joke out over two whole hours? It felt like some watered-down, PG version of Krusty the Clown designed specifically for the multiplexes. 🙄

* - okay, fine... Krusty is a clown, whereas here we're dealing with Santa Claus.

p.s. There is a much better film with a similar vibe (again, a clown for kids), "Death to Smoochy" (featuring Robin Williams in one of his absolute best roles!)

hollowseal33 said:... honestly, Robert Cooper41's list actually inspired me, and I’m really digging Codyjev’s, though I’d probably trim down quite a bit of it myself. Ha ha. Ho ho.

You clearly aren't a true Soulseek addict, because if I had been more ambitious, I could have easily squeezed in The Killers, SY, FF, and Architecture in Helsinki 😁 ... but I deliberately left out names like Johann Johannson, Otto von Schirach, or Gris Gris just so I wouldn't come off as some pretentious snob. 😁

By the way, for me, hunting down and listening to music is practically part of the job. 😬

For starters, something like this (though the order shifts depending on my mood). 😁 )

There’s just something about blond Redhead - Misery is a Butterfly that hits differently, isn't there? It’s one of those records that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a fever dream you can’t quite shake, even after the needle lifts. You sit there, lost in that lush, swirling atmosphere, wondering how they managed to capture such a specific kind of beautiful melancholy—the kind that aches right in your chest. Is it possible for music to feel both incredibly intimate and cosmically vast at the exact same time? I truly believe it is, and this album is the living proof. Every layer seems to bleed into the next, creating this shimmering, hypnotic texture that pulls you under before you even realize you've stopped breathing. It’s pure, unadulterated sonic magic.
Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Hayden - Elk-Lake serenada
A. C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South American Music Club - Love Songs for Patriots
Sung Tong Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South American Music Club - Love Songs for Patriots
There’s just something about the way Elliott Smith could dismantle your entire sense of self with nothing more than a whispered lyric and a perfectly placed acoustic chord, isn't there? I was revisiting *fra a Basement on The Hill* the other day, and man, it hits differently when you really sit with it. It’s not just music; it feels like eavesdropping on someone's most private, fractured thoughts during those late-night hours when the rest of the world is dead silent. Do you ever feel like certain albums act as a mirror, reflecting all the messy, unpolished parts of your own psyche that you usually try to hide away? That’s what this record does for me. It’s haunting, sure, but there’s a profound beauty in that melancholy—a sort of heavy, textured grace that stays with you long after the final note fades. It makes you wonder how one person can capture such a vast, aching spectrum of human emotion within such delicate arrangements. Truly remarkable stuff.
There’s just something about the way Arcade Fire approached *Funeral* that feels almost impossible to replicate in today's landscape, isn't there? It wasn't just an album; it was this massive, sweeping emotional upheaval that seemed to demand your full attention, forcing you to sit there in the dark and actually *feel* something visceral. I often find myself spiraling back to those tracks when the world feels a bit too loud or too shallow, searching for that specific blend of orchestral grandeur and raw, unvarnished desperation that they mastered so effortlessly. Does anyone else feel like modern indie rock has lost that sense of high-stakes drama, that feeling that every note is a matter of life and death? It’s hard to find music now that carries that kind of weight without feeling performative, whereas *Funeral* felt utterly, terrifyingly sincere. It’s a heavy, beautiful masterpiece that stays with you long after the final notes fade into nothingness.
Is there anything quite as hauntingly beautiful—as devastatingly visceral, really—as the way Funeral Triosk - moment Returns hits you right in the solar plexus? I mean, honestly, have you ever sat there, perhaps in the quiet solitude of a rainy Tuesday in Seattle, just letting the sound wash over you, wondering how a group of musicians can capture such profound, aching melancholy without it feeling like cheap melodrama? It’s an experience, isn't it? It’s more than just listening; it’s a complete surrender to a sonic landscape that feels both incredibly intimate and cosmically vast at the exact same time. Why is it that certain melodies seem to bypass the intellect entirely and go straight for the jugular? It makes you question everything about why we seek out this kind of emotional turbulence in our music, doesn't it? Just pure, unadulterated feeling.
Loretta Lynn - van Lear Rose
Feist - let IT die
Re - Alms Air - Talkie Walkie
Air - Talkie Walkie
There’s just something about the way *a Girl Called Eddy - a Girl Called Eddy* hits you, isn't there? It’s one of those records that doesn't just play in the background; it sort of settles into your bones and refuses to leave. I was sitting around the other day, thinking about how rare it is to find an album that carries such a specific, haunting weight without feeling like it's trying too hard to be "deep," if you know what I mean? Most modern stuff feels so manufactured, so polished until all the soul is scrubbed right off the edges, but this? This feels human. It feels raw. Does anyone else get that sense of profound, quiet isolation when they listen to it, or am I just spiraling into my own head again? It’s that perfect, melancholic ache that stays with you long after the needle lifts.
There is just something about Electrelane - The Power out that hits differently, isn't there? It’s one of those rare instances where the music doesn't just play in the background, but actually seems to rearrange the very air in the room. Have you ever sat there, staring at nothing, feeling like the melody is physically pulling at your chest? That’s exactly what happens with this track. It’s got this driving, hypnotic rhythm that feels almost ritualistic, yet it manages to remain incredibly delicate—a strange paradox that most modern bands could learn a thing or two from if they weren't so obsessed with being loud just for the sake of noise. Why does everything nowadays have to be such an assault on the senses? Can we not go back to music that breathes, that pulses, that actually possesses a soul? This record feels like a living, breathing entity, and honestly, I find myself returning to it whenever the world feels a little too chaotic and much too loud.
There’s just something about The Stills—specifically that track "Logic Will Break Your Heart"—that hits you like a sudden, cold front moving through a humid Chicago afternoon, doesn't it? It’s that specific kind of melancholic tension, that driving, rhythmic pulse that feels like you're running through a crowded subway station at midnight, trying to outrun a feeling you can't quite name. Have you ever sat there, staring at the ceiling, wondering how a melody can feel so structurally sound yet so emotionally devastating all at once? It’s the paradox of it, really! They capture that precise, jittery anxiety of early 2000s indie rock, where the guitars aren't just playing notes, they're building a wall of sound that somehow feels incredibly intimate, almost uncomfortably so. Is it even possible for music to be that calculated yet that raw? I find myself circling back to it constantly, caught in that loop of sophisticated post-punk revivalism that just refuses to let go of your grip on reality. It’s brilliant, it’s exhausting, and honestly, it’s exactly what I needed to hear today.
Is there anything more polarizing than the sheer, unadulterated camp of Scissor Sisters? I mean, really, think about it! You sit there, listening to their self-titled debut, and you have to wonder: are we actually having fun, or are we just being subjected to a highly choreographed, glitter-dusted assault on our senses? It’s a dizzying ride, isn't it? One minute you're bobbing your head to something undeniably catchy, and the next, you're questioning whether pop music has finally lost its collective mind in favor of pure, theatrical spectacle. They lean so heavily into that flamboyant, disco-infused persona that it almost feels like a performance within a performance—a meta-commentary on the very idea of being "pop." Does anyone else feel that slight tension between genuine musicality and the overwhelming urge to just put on sequins and dance until the sun comes up over the skyline? It's loud, it's proud, and frankly, it's a little exhausting, yet I find myself circling back to it again and again. How can something so unapologetically gaudy manage to be so infectious?
Kings Of Convenience - Riot On Empty Street
Is there anything truly more singular, more utterly captivating and disarming than Joanna Newsom's *Milk-Eyed Mender*? I find myself circling back to it constantly, almost as if I'm trying to solve a riddle that refuses to be unraveled. How does one even begin to categorize that sound—that intricate, harp-driven tapestry that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a fever dream whispered in a sun-drenched meadow? It’s all so dense, isn't it? The lyrical complexity alone demands a level of attention that most modern music simply doesn't ask of us anymore. We live in an era of three-minute distractions, yet here she is, weaving these sprawling, poetic narratives that force you to sit still, to breathe, and to actually listen. Does anyone else feel that slight sense of vertigo when the melodies shift unexpectedly, pulling the rug out from under your expectations just when you think you've found your footing? It is a beautiful, dizzying sort of magic.
junior boys - Last EXIT 9.
Morrissey - you ara The Quarry
Is there anything more profoundly jarring than sitting down with Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love bad News and realizing just how much they refuse to pull their punches? It’s one of those records that doesn't just play in the background; it demands you reckon with the sheer, beautiful friction of its existence. Why is it that we gravitate toward music that feels like a controlled collision? I find myself spiraling back to this album constantly, caught in that strange, rhythmic tension that Isaac Brock perfected—that frantic, almost neurotic energy that somehow manages to feel deeply grounded. It’s brilliant, isn't it? How they can pivot from a jagged, biting observation about modern life to a melody that feels like it’s weeping right in front of you? It’s a heavy lift, emotionally speaking, but God, what a ride.
Is there anything that truly captures that specific, restless energy of early 2000s indie rock quite like Walkmen - Bows + Arrows? I’ve been sitting here, lost in thought, wondering if we ever really understood the sheer impact of that record when it first hit the streets of America. It wasn't just music; it was a mood, a jagged, beautiful sort of tension that seemed to vibrate right through the speakers. You listen to those tracks and you can almost feel the humidity of a summer night in a crowded city, can't you? It has this way of being both incredibly tight and wildly loose at the same time, a paradox that most bands today can't even begin to grasp. Why does everything sound so polished and sanitized now? Where did that raw, driving instinct go? Every time I revisit this album, I find myself spiraling down these rabbit holes of nostalgia, questioning whether modern production has actually robbed us of the soul that made stuff like this so vital. It’s more than just a collection of songs; it’s a landmark.
Is there anything more hauntingly beautiful than the sheer, unadulterated grit found in TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth? I find myself spiraling back to those tracks constantly, lost in that specific, textured atmosphere they craft—it’s like walking through a fog-drenched alleyway in downtown Chicago at three in the morning, where every shadow feels heavy with secrets. And then, just when you think you’ve found your footing, you hit the raw, visceral energy of Blood Thirsty Babes, and everything shifts again! How does one artist manage to capture such profound melancholy while simultaneously delivering a punch to the gut that leaves you breathless? It’s a dizzying, gorgeous oscillation between light and dark, and frankly, I don't think I'll ever truly get over it.
Jim White - Drill a Hole in that substrat
There is something almost hauntingly beautiful about diving headfirst into CocoRosie - la Maison de Mon revati, isn't there? It’s one of those rare, fever-dream listening experiences that refuses to play by the rules of conventional pop or even standard indie folk. You find yourself drifting through these surreal, avant-garde soundscapes where the boundaries between childhood innocence and something much darker, much more visceral, seem to completely dissolve. Is it whimsical? Absolutely. But it’s also deeply unsettling in a way that sticks to your ribs like a heavy fog. The way they layer those ethereal, almost childlike vocals against these gritty, experimental textures—it creates this strange tension, a sort of beautiful friction that most artists are too afraid to touch. It makes you wonder, why do we crave this kind of sonic instability? Why does the mind find such comfort in the weird, the fractured, and the unapologetically strange? It’s a total trip, a descent into a beautifully constructed madness that stays with you long after the final note fades into nothingness.
Swayzak - Loops fra The Bergerie
Is there anything quite like the sheer, unadulterated weight of Cowboy Junkies - One Soul Now? I’ve been sitting here, staring at the speakers, wondering if we actually deserve music that dares to be this quiet yet hits this hard. It’s a strange thing, isn't it? How a collection of notes can feel more substantial than most of the noise being pumped out on every major US radio station these days. You listen to it and you aren't just hearing songs; you're experiencing a sort of sonic meditation that demands your absolute attention, even if it's just a sliver of it in a crowded room. I found myself drifting back through my own history with them, thinking about how much the landscape of American music has shifted since they first broke through. We live in such a frantic, hyper-connected era where everything has to be loud, fast, and immediate, but then you put on an album like this and suddenly the chaos of the modern world feels... distant? Is that the right word? Distant. Yes. It forces a stillness upon you. It’s almost defiant in its restraint. Why do we feel the need to scream to be heard when there is so much power in a whisper? It makes me wonder about the artists who actually take the time to craft something with soul left in it, rather than just following some algorithm designed by a tech giant in Silicon Valley to keep us scrolling. Where is that intentionality now? Does it still exist in the underground, or has it been swallowed whole by the industry? When I listen to Cowboy Junkies - One Soul Now, I feel like I'm catching a glimpse of something authentic, something that wasn't manufactured in a boardroom to satisfy a demographic profile. It’s raw, it’s weary, and it’s beautiful. It’s exactly what we need when everything else feels like it's spinning out of control.
Obi - Diceman Lopez
Faint - Wet fra Birth
Kathryn Williams – Relations

Look, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not exactly a die-hard follower of this particular genre, but I have to say, there was something about this that really hit the spot: a blend of experimental electronica featuring those gritty, crackling textures... all layered with a touch of jazz:
Re - "Alms"
Triosk - "Moment Returns"

If you listen closely to that first track, you can hear the fingerprints of someone from GYB, whereas the second one clearly shows the production hand of Jan Jelinek at work.

Every single segment of this movie where the director isn't on screen is actually brilliant. 😁
It’s such an intriguing lineup of interviewees too—you’ve got lawyers, nutritionists, professors, all of them laying out these heavy arguments regarding media influence, advertising, lobbying, and the broader culture we live in... things that really force you to think. But then, everything just falls apart because of those absolutely pathetic "dramatic" reenactments where our "hero" is vomiting, groaning, and sweating through his skin after eating nothing but food from McDonald's... and frankly, it feels incredibly staged (though, I suppose I can't rule out the possibility that anyone could feel nauseous after eating massive meals from McDonald's three times a day).
Yet, much like what happened with Michael Moor, perhaps this cheap shock factor is the only way to actually get the American public to pay attention to the message. In the version I watched, the closing commentary—which was clearly filmed months after its debut at the Sundance Film Festival—mentions that McDonald's is phasing out the 'SuperSize Me half hour culture' size in the USA... and now we're left wondering, was that a direct result of the film, or was it something else entirely? 🤔

Damien Rice - "O"
pn Josh Rous - comeback (a - "1972")

... I’ve been digging through my old MP3 collection lately, just sifting through the digital dust, when it hit me—I completely "missed" these two brilliant albums from last year. Especially Damien Rice... there are a few truly gut-wrenching moments on that record that just stick with you.

a: Ken Stringfellow - "Soft Commands" / Elliott Smith - "Basement on the Hill" 😢
p: Damien Rice - "The Blower's Daughter" 😍

Absolutely stellar movie... honestly one of the best things I’ve sat through in the last year or two. The cinematography is just breathtakingly done, truly phenomenal work behind the lens... and while the plot seems straightforward enough on the surface, it’s actually quite "open," isn't it? It leaves so much room for interpretation, which means it all comes down to how you personally perceive it. For me, it felt like one of the most profound explorations of faith and belief ever put to film.

oh, and by the way, this picture actually snagged the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival back in 2003.

Ethan Howard45 said:I heard the tone of this movie is pretty Republican...
any thoughts on that?

It’s not exactly "Republican," but let me tell you, it takes some really sharp, decent jabs at Hollywood and its obsession with being politically trendy (think Iraq, George W. Bush, that whole mess). There’s actually a fairly significant subplot involving those "actors" through their SAG-AFTRA—which is basically run by F.A.G. president Alec Baldwin, 😁 if you can believe it. I won't spoil too much, but there's this one part where members of the F.A.G. actually team up with Kim Jong Il to organize a Film conference 😁
Honestly, the film is fantastic... it's a brilliant political satire and a parody of a dozen different Hollywood "blockbusters." It hits everything: weapons of mass destruction, freedom, Mount Rushmore, Michael Moore, Sean Penn, Hans Blix... and even Matt Damon (who plays this sort of Timmy type from South Park... while Kim Jong Il is probably the closest thing to Eric Cartman we've seen, just based on his voice and facial expressions 😁 )

a: American Music Club - "Love Songs for Patriots"
p: Devendra Banhart - "The Body Breaks"

Autumn is finally settling into my city.

Song of the week: 22-20's - Why Don't You Do It For Me
album: Kasabian - Kasabian

As of right now, I can say I’m the proud owner of: a Japanese teaser, a French trailer, a poster from Cannes, six Chinese wallpapers, and a handful of soundtrack tracks... (all digital, obviously) 😍

Jose Miller17 said:Well, it doesn't exactly look like everyone managed to snag a spot on the poster... :-)

In that spirit... let's take a look at one more poster 😁

Richard Hernandez13 said:It feels to me like he just started making a movie without having the slightest clue what he actually wanted to achieve with it.

Honestly, he’s just one of those self-proclaimed "artists" who decides to shoot a film without a coherent script in sight... you know, just winging it based on whatever "inspiration" strikes him in the moment (which is really just code for whatever he can scrape together from what’s left of his budget... which, let’s be real, blew right past 😁 ). Even during the production of 2046, the cast was wandering around completely clueless about what they were supposed to tell reporters regarding the actual plot of the film 😂! And don't even get me started on how a few actors had entire bit parts that WKW ended up cutting out entirely just because he changed his mind!?
But hey, as long as the French government keeps handing him blank checks... why should he care about consistency or logic? 😁

this week playing:

album/ Blond Redhead - "Misery Is A Butterfly" (two Italians, twins + a Japanese vocalist 😁 ... sort of like a late-era Mercury Rev crossed with late-era Cocteau Twins)

song/ CocoRosie - Lyla

"You wanted to buy me
For a hundred euro
You said you'd take me
To your little car
Your friend lived near by
He had a house and all
Where was i from you said
You guessed america
Well it's not yogoslavia
It's not america at all
It reminded me
Of a movie i just saw
About a little girl
From america
She got sent away
They made her prostitute
She ate mcdonald's all day
And never had a chance to play *

* of course, the creators basically took Moodysson's film "Ljilja Forever" and just shoved it into America!?