curmudgeonliness Archives

Long Beach's Crystal Antlers Face Critics, Aren't Obliterated

Tuesday, Apr. 14 2009 @ 9:35AM
By Spencer Kornhaber in curmudgeonliness, long beach
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It's a surprisingly rare that a band in the Weekly's Orange County-Long Beach-Glasshouse jurisdiction has enough heft to get its debut reviewed nationally. On the strength of their 2008 self-titled EP and a few rounds of live performances at industry showcases like South by Southwest and CMJ, Crystal Antlers passed the buzz threshold, bringing their full-length debut (officially released last week) to the attention of taste-making websites and wish-they-were-taste-making magazines.

The snotty local alt-weekly thought that Tentacles was fun overall, a little tiresome, and not quite as cool as the EP. What did everyone else think? We scanned Metacritic for highlights and for sentences to nitpick out of context...

Continue reading "Long Beach's Crystal Antlers Face Critics, Aren't Obliterated"...

 

I Ain't Tha One

Friday, Apr. 3 2009 @ 9:00AM
By Ryan Ritchie in curmudgeonliness

I work with this girl. I'll call her Mandy. Two days ago, Mandy was telling me some story about a dude she went to Sizzler with. When she told him there was nothing between them, he broke down in the parking lot.

Apparently, homeboy didn't have enough paper for Mandy's tastes.

My co-worker began telling me how she needs a man with cash to buy her stuff. She rattled off all sorts of brand names that she wanted and I failed to recognize any of them. Just so I could add something more than "uh huh" to our conversation, I explained how any female looking at me for money was barking up the wrong tree (ladies, not only do I have a girlfriend, I'm broke). To further explain my point, I dropped a prime Ice Cube rhyme from "I Ain't Tha One."

"You want lobster/ha/I'm thinking Burger King."

Mandy, 22, had no clue what I was referencing. I don't suppose anyone going to know that line or any other N.W.A/Ice Cube rhyme, but Mandy is a rapper.

WHO LIVES IN FREAKIN' COMPTON.

What is this world coming to? Have I become the old man I swore I'd never be? Is N.W.A not cool with the kids?

 

The Pissed Off One

Monday, Mar. 30 2009 @ 2:33PM

I got my taxes done yesterday. After paying $1,300 last year, this year I should feel lucky getting away with somewhere near the $700 mark. Of course, it cost me $400, so I guess I still lose.

And just like last year, I got real angry thinking about how hard I work and how much the government comes and steals my life's savings away. So it's back to the poor house for me.

But I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Shit, George Harrison was ranting about this decades before my parents met.


 

Trying to Make Sense of the OC Music Awards Nominees

Thursday, Feb. 26 2009 @ 2:25PM
By Albert Ching in curmudgeonliness, scene politics
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Everyone I've talked to about the OC Music Awards nominee list, released yesterday, seems to have the same reaction: Huh? Why are young, unsigned bands like The Jakes competing against veteran, internationally known acts like The Offspring, who had Billboard's #1 Hot Modern Rock Track for 11 weeks last year?

Continue reading "Trying to Make Sense of the OC Music Awards Nominees"...

 

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