Criminally Underrated 4.0

If you've been following my blog, you know how much I love sharing music, movies, tv shows and other assorted things that I find to be underrated.  Not just underrated but criminally underrated.  This is the stuff that should be way more popular, so I decide to make it my own personal mission to share them with the world (or at least my readers who will share it with two friends who will share it with two of their friends and so on and so on).

You can read previous incarnations here, here, and here.

On with the underrated...

Music: Walk the Moon
I downloaded the song Anna Sun as one of iTunes' free downloads a while back, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since.  It is such a fantastic and epic song that I bought their entire album the day it was released solely on the strength of the one single.  And let me tell you the rest of the album doesn't disappoint.  They're the band I wanted The Killers to become.  Powerful and catchy pop songs that make you want to sing along.  They have a somewhat electronic sound on some of their songs that I don't usually like, but somehow it just works on their songs.  Ultimately they're just a killer band that has some earworms that you can't help but enjoy.  Try listening to Anna Sun, Tightrope or Shiver Shiver and not sing them the rest of the day.  Impossible.  Also they'll be on Conan tonight.  Tune in.

Music: Matt & Kim
Speaking of earworms.  I'm not sure if you remember the music video of the two people stripping naked in Times Square.  That was Matt & Kim.  The video garnered the attention, but the music is really what remains and stands up.  Daylight is probably their most popular song.  You know it and don't even know it.  What is most impressive is it's literally just Matt & Kim making all this great music.  They incorporate so many styles from hip-hop to disco and any other genre you can imagine.  But once you start listening to them, their sound is so distinct and unmistakable even with all these different influences.  They have a new album coming out at in the fall.  I'll be buying it.

Movie: Bottle Rocket
This movie came up the other day thanks to State I Am In.  She posted a picture to Instagram of new picture frames on a book shelf.  I saw her DVD collection underneath and couldn't help but comment on a few of the movies.  Bottle Rocket being one of them.  You've no doubt heard of Owen and Luke Wilson, and you're probably aware of the director Wes Anderson after Moonrise Kingdom just came out this summer and is being lauded by critics.  This was the directorial debut of Anderson and the feature film debut of the Wilson brothers.  It has all the flourishes found in Anderson's later films: eccentric characters, an old-timey feel, great music, complicated schemes hatched by the characters, missed love connections, quirky comedy, etc.  It's just a fun and enjoyable movie.  If you like The Royal Tenenbaums or Rushmore, you'll love this movie.  If you've never seen Tenenbaums or Rushmore, start with this one and watch all the Anderson movies because they're really fantastic.

TV: Freaks and Geeks
18 episodes.  One of the best television shows of the last 20 years only lasted 18 episodes, but it launched the careers of so many people.  Judd Apatow.  James Franco.  Seth Rogen.  Jason Segel.  Apatow and Paul Feig (who later went on to direct Bridesmaids) were the men in charge, and this show has a lot of the Apatow themes: angst, lovable losers, underachievers, mismatched love interests and the perfect mix of drama and VERY funny comedy.  It's just excellent television.  And the thing that Apatow and Feig did so well was making it feel so real and relatable.  So many shows and movies focus on the popular and beautiful kids.  This show was all about the kids that 90% of us were in high school.  It's the same reason we still look back fondly at the John Hughes high school movies of the 80s.  These are characters we could see ourselves in.  With the advent of DVD and streaming media, you can go back and watch the entire run and wonder what the hell NBC was thinking when they cancelled it.

That's all for this round.  Go and listen, watch, enjoy all these things.  If you don't think the stuff I like is that great that's fine.  If you do, share it with someone.

Small Bump

I wrote about Ed Sheeran in my Criminally Underrated post from last week.  I've been looking forward to his album + coming out in the US for months.  Last night I figured that it was past midnight on the east coast, so I went to iTunes to download it.

I absolutely love it.  From start to finish it is fantastic.

One song in particular has grabbed hold of me.  It's called Small Bump.  Give it a listen and read on below.

When I first heard the song, it pulled back all the old memories of finding out I would be a dad.  It brought back the joy and wonder that goes into preparing to be a first time parent.  Sheeran put into song almost every thought and feeling I had when I first heard that Erin was pregnant.  You may think that he cheapened it and just threw in the last section about losing the child.  And it would feel tacked-on and cheap if you hadn't gone through the experience too.

We knew that we wanted to have children from the moment we were married.  I actually knew I wanted to have children with Erin the moment I first kissed her.  We tried to be as responsible as possible and didn't start trying until we were married and were in the position to bring kids into our life.

I remember my heart absolutely soaring when we found out Erin was pregnant.  I was so excited to be a dad.  I had a chance to pass along all the things I learned to this innocent little child.  It was all possibility like a sculptor with a fresh hunk of clay.  I had names ready whether it was a boy or a girl (although I'm sure Erin had different names in mind).  I found myself wondering what he or she would look like and all the things we'd do together.

I could hardly contain myself when we went to the ultrasound appointment to hear the heartbeat for the first time.

Then the doctor said "This isn't good" and my heart fell into my stomach.

We both were like zombies for the rest of the appointment.  The doctor told us that our child just stopped growing at 8-10 weeks.  This little perfect being didn't even make it to three months before being taken from us.  We didn't even have a chance to meet him or her.  We never got to hold him or her in our arms.  We were just sitting in his office staring through him as we discussed the DNC procedure.

We walked out of his office, rode the elevator downstairs and I just held my wife and cried in the lobby.  We went home and cried some more.

There was no explanation besides "These things happen," and that does nothing to make the hurt go away.  In fact it just makes the hurt worse knowing that there was no plan in something so precious being taken away from us.  It was just random theft that could happen at any moment.  This is where the song got it perfectly.  It comes out of nowhere and blindsides you.  You don't ever expect to lose a pregnancy.  A part of you knows it can happen, but you never actually see it coming.  You track it and hope it goes well.  You get excited and plan, but everything can be taken away in the time it takes to snap your fingers.

We actually had a chemical pregnancy after that which made us start to wonder if we were going to have troubles like this every time we tried.  It taught us cautious optimism because the excitement could disappear like fog on a windy day.

When we walked into the ultrasound appointment on our third try, all I wanted to hear was a heartbeat.  The doctor lightened the mood significantly when he told us "Here's the heartbeat...and here's the other heartbeat."  I loved the "Oh shit" face Erin had when he said it.  And the lump in my stomach that was my heart was now soaring.  We prepared ourselves by tempering our enthusiasm, but we didn't prepare for twice the babies.

I never told Erin, but my first thought was that this was God giving our first child back to us.  I've looked at Grace and Ana as a blessing ever since.  If I learned anything it is that life is so precious, and we were entrusted with two lives to protect and shape.  I've loved every moment of being a dad to these girls.  I know I would have loved them no matter what, but I truly appreciate every moment because I know that there was no guarantee that I'd ever meet them.

I wouldn't trade what I have for anything.

Also if you can listen to that song and not bawl, you are heartless.

Criminally Underrated 3.0

One of my favorite things to do is point out music, movies or television shows that aren't getting the love they deserve.  Because really part of the joy of finding some new or underappreciated entertainment is sharing it with your friends.  And we're all friends here, right?  Okay maybe insomuch as you're like a friend because you tolerate my inane bullshit for the slight possibility that I may coax a laugh.  But I think I'm doing you a solid here, so read on.  Maybe you'll find your new favorite artist.

You can read the previous editions of Criminally Underrated here and here.

Music: Ed Sheeran
You may have actually heard of Ed Sheeran at this point.  His song The A-Team is getting a bit of radio play recently, and his number one album from the UK is finally getting released in the states on June 12th.  I started doing research on him when I saw that he was opening for Snow Patrol during their tour this spring.  I thought we may be going to that show, so I downloaded a few songs from him.  I was blown away.  He's like a wonderful combination of Brett Dennen, Jason Mraz and Damien Rice with hints of David Gray.  Essentially right up my alley in every way possible.  If you can listen to his some of his songs and not find yourself humming the tunes throughout the rest of the day, you're a better person than me.

Movie: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
I just want to first point out that I love me some RDJ.  I've always loved just about everything he's been in.  Erin and I had a conversation after seeing The Avengers about how ridiculously rare it is for someone to ruin their career and then bounce back with an even better career.  People often point to the first Iron Man movie as Robert Downey Jr's redemption after squandering his career through drug and alcohol use, but that wasn't his first step back.  His first step was Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which lead to A Scanner Darkly and Zodiac and eventually Iron Man.  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was his announcement that he was back and better than ever.  It is total Noir in the vein of John Huston and Hitchcock.  It has some of the sharpest and snappiest dialogue of any film I've ever seen.  The interplay between RDJ and Val Kilmer is fantastic.  The story is great and totally meta with RDJ serving as the narrator that actually points out how unreliable he is.  Just know that Shane Black was picked to write and direct the third Iron Man movie because of what he and RDJ did in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  Rent it tonight.

Comedian: Bill Hicks
As far as I'm concerned Bill Hicks is one of the top five funniest comedians of all time.  So why have you never heard of him?  Well he died of cancer 28 years ago for one.  He also got banned from NBC because a joke about a classmate he had in a wheelchair.  Apparently NBC had rules that comedians couldn't tell handicapped jokes, so he was banned from David Letterman.  Obviously humor can be very subjective, so he may not be up your alley.  But if you like Dennis Leary's stand-up, you'll love Bill Hicks.  Mostly because Leary stole whole chunks of Hicks' routine.  He was angry and controversial and forced you to think about things that make you uncomfortable.  And he was damn funny.

Music: Andrew Bird
When I saw the bands that were scheduled to perform at Outside Lands this year, I was for the most part apathetic.  Dispatch getting back together was a big deal, and I like The Walkmen and Fun right now.  The one name that really excited me was Andrew Bird.  His influences run the gamut.  From classical to folk to rock and roll, he is all over the place, but it doesn't feel schizophrenic when you listen to his music.  Somehow all of these influences find a harmony in his hands.  What would you expect from a guy who can just as naturally play a guitar as a violin.  He'd probably be worth the price of admission if I was the type to go to a three day music festival again.

Music: Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter doesn't write songs.  He writes epic poems set to music.  When one of his songs starts, you know you're starting a journey.  He's one of the few songwriters whose music has character development and a beginning, middle and end.  I feel like he could take any moment in history and turn it into a compelling and interesting piece of music.  There is something so American about his songs and what he writes about whether it be Southern Pacific railroads or discovering new worlds.  The only difference between Bob Dylan and Josh Ritter is that Ritter's voice isn't grating.  Lyrically he is right on par with the greatest songwriters ever.  If you like well-written songs that tell a story, make your heart ache and stir your soul, give Josh Ritter a try.

Oh and as a reminder, have you entered my contest yet?  Seriously what is the damn hold-up?  Go now.  Enter.  It's free swag.

Criminally Underrated 2.0

I wrote a post in the past about music that I find criminally underrated.  I feel like it's time to breach that topic once again and expand it to all of pop culture.

So below is my list of bands or movies or books or whatever that should be enjoyed by so many more people.  If you've already given these a chance, good for you.  If you haven't, do yourself a favor and give these a shot.

Music: We Are Augustines
I listen to We Are Augustines' first album and hear so many emotions coming from the lead singer, Billy McCarthy.  Mostly a lot of pain and uncertainty comes through.  Come to find out that the concept was inspired by his mother and brother both being diagnosed schizophrenic and his brother later committing suicide.  Now I really get it.  McCarthy bares his soul on this album.  His lyrics only hit home that much more because of the incredible voice belting them out.  He is incredible.  I hope this is just the first of many great albums by this band because I plan on being a huge fan for many years to come.



Music: Telekinesis
Telekinesis reminds me of all the things I love about The Cure.  Catchy hooks and pop chords that grab hold of your ears like they're holding them hostage.  All the while the lyrics stem from a bad relationship or losing out on love.  But isn't all great pop music a result of some relatable pain?  Powerful and catchy all from a one-man-band.  His second album (12 Desperate Straight Lines) is all I've heard to this point, but I'm definitely ready to give anything he's put out there about 50 listens.



Movie: The Iron Giant
There are a lot of people that have seen The Iron Giant, just not nearly enough.  Everyone I know that has seen it, loves it.  It doesn't dumb itself down just because its an animated movie.  It respects the intelligence of the audience and understands that a kid's movie needs to appeal to the parents too.  It has themes that work for kids: friendship, not fitting in, respecting those who are different, etc.  It also has some very adult themes: fear-mongering, respect for life, war, paranoia, etc.  The voice acting and animation is fantastic.  You could see that Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) was headed for greatness when you watch this movie.  I'll just warn you that you should be ready to shed a tear or two when you do finally give it a shot.

Movie: The Salton Sea
The description of the movie via IMDb reads: After his wife is murdered, a man drifts into a world populated by thugs and speed junkies.  To tell you anymore than that about the plot would ruin it.  I guess that's part of the reason it failed at the box office.  Just know that it has Val Kilmer in a phenomenal performance.  It features Vincent D'Onofrio in a crazy role as a manic, tweaker, drug dealer.  Luis Guzman, Adam Goldberg and Peter Sarsgaard also give fantastic supporting performances.  I know what you're thinking: "All these great actors are in this movie?  Why didn't I see this one?"  Exactly.

TV Show: Sports Night
There are many shows that don't find an audience that they truly deserve and get cancelled long before they should have been axed (see: Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, Arrested Development).  But few are as good as Sports Night.  The West Wing was Aaron Sorkin's greatest work, but Sports Night isn't far behind it.  It's a show about the inner-workings of a fictional sports show like SportsCenter on ESPN.  The dialogue is hilarious and very smart.  It also comes at the viewer at breakneck speeds.  All the Sorkin-isms are there from the walk and talks to banter you'd expect in a Howard Hawks movie to perfect pitch dramedy.  It also has a wonderful ensemble that you'd expect from a Sorkin show.  Everyone brings their A-game throughout the run of it's 45 episodes.  I never understood how it didn't stay on the air, and you can wonder that yourself since it is available on Netflix Instant Queue.

That's it for now.  Go out and listen or watch.  If you give a chance to anything I've listed here and enjoyed it, let me know.  If you hated it, let me know.  At least they'll get some sort of audience.

Criminally Underrated

I love music.  I've written many times before how music has always been a huge part of my life.  I can associate a particular song or songs to every point in my life.

Like most people, I derive a great amount of joy from sharing songs and bands that may not be very well-known or popular with anyone who will listen.  There are hundreds of songs and bands that are underrated and haven't captured the audiences that they deserve.  I'm here to share some of mine favorite criminally underrated songs with you.

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Exit - Susan
This particular song was on the American Pie 2 soundtrack which strikes me as more than a little strange that this particular song was on the soundtrack of a teen sex comedy.  It doesn't fit the tone of the film at all as you can tell by the lyrics.  It's so heartbreaking.  It's a song about a girl who thought she was ready to have sex, but she didn't know how much that one decision could change her life.  She wasn't ready for the ridicule.  She wasn't ready to give all of herself to someone else (especially someone she didn't love).  It also turned me on to The Exit.  Their music is eclectic, mixing a lot of different genres.  This song is only a hint of how good their songwriting is. 

Ben Kweller - Magic

Ben Kweller is such a great song writer, and I can't really explain why he isn't more popular.  I love every song that I've ever heard by him.  The number of his songs that I could have chosen for this post is somewhere in the high teens.  I picked this one because its fun and I sing it to Grace and Ana all the time.  I just like telling them that they'll never be in second place.  Either way you should just type his name in iTunes and download 10 random songs.  You'll love them.  I promise.

Field Music - You're Not Supposed To

Field Music reminds me of a lot of old bands.  Like they were sent here from the past in a time machine to make infectious pop songs with catchy hooks and great harmonies.  You will be humming this song for days after hearing it.  It boggles my mind when a band that makes such perfect pop songs doesn't have a huge following, yet Field Music isn't a household name.

Gillmor - Hey

This is not only about pointing out an artist that should be more popular but also about showing some love for a guy from my home town.  You may or may not recognize the name Ryan Gillmor.  He actually wrote the song David Archuleta performed during the American Idol finale.  Unfortunately that hasn't translated to more popularity for his own music.  I'd prefer to post California Summer which is just a fantastic song, but there just aren't any good videos that do that song justice.  Look it up.  You'll be tapping your toes and singing along in no time.

Kate Miller-Heidke - Caught in the Crowd

I love this song.  I can't even put into words how much I love this song.  Erin and I saw Kate Miller-Heidke open up for Ben Folds last year, and we both were beyond impressed with all of her songs, her range and her stage presence.  But this song may have been the best thing we heard that entire night (no offense to Folds).  It just makes my heart hurt how perfect it is.  I don't want you to think I'm being hyperbolic.  Listen to it and try to disagree with me.

Aqualung - Outside

You may already know Aqualung.  You've no doubt heard the song Brighter than Sunshine.  It was a good song that gained the band (more accurately one guy) some mild fame.  The unfortunate thing about gaining a little popularity from one song is that people stop paying attention to everything else you do.  This is one of my top five favorite songs of the past 10 years.

That's all for this time around.  I hope you enjoyed my underrated songs.  Give new music (or newish in this case) a chance.