Don’t Just Blame Wall Street Douchebags (Or, On Why We're Fucked)
If you think the looming economic depression is a result of Wall Street douchebaggery (they certainly haven’t helped, to be sure), well, think again. Why is the U.S. fucked? It’s rather simple – because we don’t make anything anymore. From the current issue of Technology Review:

"After decades at the technological frontier, the United States now faces increasing competition from Israel, Taiwan, Finland, Ireland, and parts of the developing world. A U.S. high-tech trade surplus that reached $22.4 billion in 1990 melted into a $134.6 billion trade deficit by 2005. Meanwhile, annual U.S. productivity growth has slowed since 2000, and fewer American small businesses are being formed in every high-tech sector. These shifts are especially troubling given that economists credit new technology with half of America's economic growth from the late 1940s to 1985.

Although decreased science funding is partly to blame, the main source of the problem appears to be a drastic decline in the number of competitive American workers and entrepreneurs in scientific and technical fields. Fewer U.S. college students pursued engineering degrees in 2005 than in 1985, despite a rising undergraduate population. In 2000, more than 20 countries had higher percentages of 24-year-olds with degrees in science and engineering. The number of Americans earning PhDs in science and engineering peaked in 1997 and then declined steadily over the next five years. Although U.S. PhDs increased between 2002 and 2005, the number of new PhDs is still nearly 6 percent lower than it was in 1997. As a result, even top U.S. high-tech firms now look abroad for talent, moving R&D and production operations to countries like India, Israel, and China. As an Intel spokesperson recently put it, "We go where the smart people are." A 2006 Duke University survey of American firms that outsource such jobs abroad found that approximately 40 percent considered the U.S. supply of engineers inadequate."

That’s right folks, the nerds are our only hope. So break out the calculators and periodic tables and hit the books kids, because we don’t need any more marketing majors, we’ve got all the baristas we need.
- posted by Liebs @ 11:47 PM 0 comments

 
Favorites of 2008
What a year it’s been. Anyway, on with tradition, my favorite music of 2008. Albums first, as always in no particular order.

The Duke Spirit - Neptune
It’s sinister, it’s sexy, it rocks. Liela Moss is hands down (pants down?) the sexiest voice in rock, and the band gets down and dirty with sludgy guitars. By far the record I played the most in 2008, and one of my favorite live shows of the year as well at Bottom of the Hill.

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
They still haven’t broken here in the US the way they have overseas, and this is the record that should have done the trick. But fuck, 40 million people voted to put Sarah Palin a heartbeat from the White House, so why should I be surprised? There’s not one track on this album that I don’t enjoy. The most complete, all killer no filler record of the year.

Emiliana Torrini - Me And Armini
The first of two Icelandic records on my list, where Liela Moss is sexy, Emiliana Torrini is just cute. But sometimes you just want to cuddle. Well, not really, but you do it anyway because you want to get back to the down and dirty stuff at some point down the line. Where was I? It’s a fun record, and on "Gun" cute gets sexy, as her snarls and exhalations steam up the speakers.

The Walkmen - You & Me
The New York indie veterans returned with a record that most will likely find depressing and dark. But since something has gone horribly wrong with my wiring, I found it one of the most enjoyable records of the year – note that Edward Hopper paintings and nighttime rainstorms also make me happy.

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
L.A.’s indie princess gives us another great solo record. Her Laurel Canyon music club is trust fund-bohorific, and there are a lot of flavors in the broth: rock, country, torch songs, gospel, blues. "Pretty Bird" is my favorite track.

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Don’t ask me how to pronounce the title of this one, though apparently it translates as "With Buzzing in Our Ears We Play Endlessly". The second Icelandic record on my list, and a very organic and mostly acoustic offering from Sigur Rós. Right from the start with "Gobbledigook", the ethereal electronic effervescence you’re used to is absent. There’s hand claps, for crying out loud. Be advised if you’re picking up a copy at your flyover-country Walmart, there’s a bunch of naked man-ass on the CD cover, thanks to photographer Ryan McGinley.

Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
They’re not a band anymore, but the final record from Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet brought the garage rock thing to the Deep South. Jemina Pearl wails her way through a pummeling of punk nuggets (three of which were removed from the US release by Universal’s lawyers for being too violent). I love chicks who might haul off and punch me in the face at any moment, so there was never any doubt I’d love this record.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
I didn’t want to like these guys, Columbia preppies who play African pop via Nantucket Island (they refer to it as "Upper West Side Soweto" – see what I mean, pretentious as fuck). Somehow it works, though. Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
The Prolific One dialed it down in 2008, releasing only one record. But it was a really good record. It would definitely be in the jukebox at the bar I will someday own back home down the Shore.

Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
You may know her as the voice of Zero 7, but Aussie Sia Furler is making a name for herself on her own. Serious vocal chops, and if you haven’t seen the costumes she and her band wear for performances of album closer "Buttons", you are missing out on some incredible black light fluorescence splendiforousness – think Crayola acid trip.

The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
Jack White and his Detroit supergroup make the marketing blunder of the year (releasing the record ahead of schedule with no press push – and no record sales – behind it). But it still rocks. The music is a lot more interesting when there’s a full band behind him.

Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
Gregg Gillis returned with another dose of mashup insanity. Come on, Lil Wayne rapping over Sinead O’Connor? How can you not love this? A little heavier on the cheese than his last release, 2006’s Night Ripper, but cheese is tasty.

I realize that was 12, but that’s my list. On to my favorite songs of the last year.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - "Dawn Of The Dead"
Part of the flood of dance punk bands out there, this track doesn’t really sound like anything else on their album You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into. Which is a good thing, because their other stuff pales in comparison to their genre contemporaries Justice and Daft Punk. The steel drums in the chorus is my favorite riff of the year.

Phantom Planet - "Do The Panic"
Mediocre band, mediocre record (Raise The Dead), fantastic single. Enough with the B movie horror film style videos, please.

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - "Around The Bend"
Winner of the Will Ferrell award for best use of cowbell in decades, you’ve heard this one in yet another iPod commercial. They don’t make particularly robust devices, but you’ve got to hand it to Apple, their soundtracks are darn catchy.

The Black Keys - "Strange Times"
Jack and Meg take note, this is how a guitar and drums really rock. The Akron duo, with production from Danger Mouse, KILL IT. Off of the excellent Attack & Release.

The Magnetic Fields - "California Girls"
My unofficial theme song for most of 2008. Brings to mind a quote from a friend I heard over New Year’s: "I had to seriously lower my standards since I moved to San Francisco." I miss NYC so bad.

MGMT - "Time To Pretend"
The opening track off of every hipster’s album of the year, Oracular Spectacular. It’s trippy (the music video, my god, words can’t even begin to describe the strange), and the lyrics are fantastic. Let’s find some more models.

Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"
The harmony in this amazing track from Seattle’s latest breakout band can hang with the best of the Beach Boys. Yes, it’s that phenomenal.

Ray LaMontagne - "You Are The Best Thing"
Out of character, the downer folkie goes off and cranks out this gem of white-boy soul. Soon to be a wedding staple.

The Knux - "Bang! Bang!"
The New Orleans rap duo dropped my favorite hip hop record of the year – the last cut from my albums list. This single was the standout track on a killer LP.

The Raveonettes - "Aly, Walk With Me"
Off of the excellent Lust Lust Lust, the Danish duo returned with their unique brand of spacey surf rock. This track is sexy as Scarlett Johansson, and then devolves into a mass of guitar fuzz.

Kings Of Leon - "Sex On Fire"
The second great carnal-themed song from Kings Of Leon ("Soft" was the first), I can listen to this one over and over and over. And have done so. It’s hard to keep under 100 mph with this blasting on the truck stereo – a true sign of greatness.

Ryan Adams - "Fix It"
Straightforward throwback Southern rock, with some of my favorite lyrics of the year.

Van Morrison - "That’s Entrainment"
Van The Man is still around, and still cool as hell. Do you know what entrainment means? I do, but I’m a nerd.

My Morning Jacket - "Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2"
For the most part, I didn’t really get the falsetto Prince-wannabe thing on Evil Urges, but it worked for me on this hidden track.

Cold War Kids - "Something Is Not Right With Me"
A little bit whiney from this SoCal indie band, off of Loyalty To Loyalty, but I dug it anyway.

Sigur Rós - "Gobbledigook"
Any notion that the new Sigur Rós record was going to sound like the others was obliterated 2 seconds into this opening track, a giddy blast of hand claps, acoustic guitar strums, and pounding tribal drums. The Ryan McGinley-inspired music video is extremely NSFW (n00dZ aplenty), so get on the interwebs at your own risk.

Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
Maybe the most undeniably goofy, fun track of the year. As I asked earlier, who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?

The Duke Spirit - "You Really Wake Up The Love In Me"
If you really are able to wake up the love in Liela Moss, then it’s over, what else is there left to prove? Not one fucking thing, mission accomplished.

There’s the list, a pretty good year for music, not so much for Wall Street douchebags. That makes me very happy, by the way. So, as Kiddo drunk texted me last week, happu new yeaf everyone!
- posted by Liebs @ 10:50 PM 0 comments

 
New Year’s Rundown
Here’s hoping you enjoyed yourself this New Year’s. Did I? You decide:

Anchor Steam
Sierra Nevada
Jager shot
Cheeseburger
Sierra Nevada
Jameson shot
Radeberger
Jager shot
Marina ramble/Pac Heights uphill stumble
Framboises Lambic
Rockstar-vodka ice shot
Jack and coke
Fireworks
Mojito
Sleep
- posted by Liebs @ 11:53 AM 0 comments