A few months ago, iTunes went DRM-free, as you know. This is the most brilliant move they made. Here’s why:

My iTunes purchases during the DRM era (3 years): $2
My iTunes purchases since DRM-free (2 months): $203

Enough fucking said. Numbers talk by themselves.

Sunday night, on the way back home from our weekly shopping I heard in the car a song on LIVE 105’s “SoundCheck” radio show. I fell in love with the song in an instant. Unfortunately, I missed the bit about who’s performing the song, so I had to wait two days for the LIVE 105 webmaster to update their page with the playlist. But hey, I now know what the song was: “Heads will roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In my opinion, this track is better than their first single from their new album, and all the songs they have on their MySpace page. Another great but lesser known song from this same album is “Hysteric”.

On the same show I heard Metric’s “Help, I am alive“. Great song too, using the same musical style.

If you also enjoy that style of alternative electro-rock music, check the LoveShot too. This brand new Canadian band is giving away their first EP for free. I learned about them via Vimeo, as their first music video is shot with the EX1 and the new Canon high-end consumer camera, HF-S10 (I have blogged about the camera before, and it proves to be an extremely popular topic over at HV20.com — as it’s seen as the direct next-step over the HV series).

Update: If I die of a heart attack tonight, it will be because of that “Heads will roll” song. I can’t stop dancing like a maniac in my office. And the lyrics of the song are too appropriate:

Off with your head
Dance ’til you’re dead
Heads will roll
On the floor

I gave the thumbs up for the Twilight movie the other day. But I have to say that I have a big problem with the novellas, especially the fourth one. Twilight was on the road to have a permanent place in my left brain hemisphere, along other sagas. Until I read the synopsis for the fourth book (spoilers below).

I immediately felt that there was trouble. All the romanticism, all the love for the forbidden, all the mystery, all what makes Twilight great, completely falls apart in the plot of the last book. Indeed, a quick read on reviews online, solidified my fears that this fourth book was not really needed and that the story should have simply be different in the third book; and should have ended the story at that time.

The fourth book is a disaster: Bella wants sex, and wants more sex, and some more too (let alone that Edward can’t handle it without injuring her because of his super-human strength). She gets pregnant, the hybrid child is killing her during a gruesome birth, and she becomes a vampire — along some other illogical and definitely non-romantic things going on.

Instead, what should have happened in the third book, is have either her father or Jacob die, and have Bella re-evaluate her desire to become a vampire. Eventually, she stays with Edward, but she grows old. The deeper meaning of the novels should have been about what it means to be human and that we don’t realize how valuable it is until the very end. There should have been no children plots (vampires have dead sperm anyway), and especially not Bella becoming a vampire — because the whole romantic thing about this story is about two different species fall in love, and the SACRIFICES they have to make to be together. What makes women’s socks rock off with Twilight is having Edward being in so much pain just so he can be with her! Women are suckers for such things! When you transform Bella to a vampire (or Edward to a human for that matter), it all becomes a pedestrian sitcom.

Hollywood is well aware of the disastrous, cheap, fourth book, and I honestly hope that they will change the story in the third movie and make it a trilogy. Completely ignore the fourth book, and the ending of the third book. Make it a different third story, one that makes sense and doesn’t crumble under its own weight. I don’t have my hopes high though.

Much disappointed.

We watched “Twilight” with JBQ last night on Blu-Ray. We both really liked the movie. We liked it so much, that we also watched all the extras too, and started re-watching the movie too. I don’t believe we have EVER in our 8 years together we re-watched a movie within hours from the moment we finished watching it the first time!

The movie was very entertaining, romantic and well-paced (especially the first half). It was interesting to see that the author, script writer, director and editor were all women. The movie just felt genuine about the feelings it strives to awake. I think this is the best romantic movie I have ever seen in my life. It coupled my love for fantasy with romance elegantly (something that other boring Hollywood romantic dramas don’t do).

The movie deserved a much better average rating on IMDb. I think it’s so low (6.1/10) because the people who mostly vote on such sites are young males, and they probably felt that the movie was too girlie for them. The IMDb forums is full of smart-asses writing posts like “oh… I have my man period right now”, and another one replies “me too!”. Ultimately, I think they feel threaten somehow. Who can compete with fast, strong, handsome vampires if the girls at school only dream of such creatures — even if they don’t exist?

These are three rock bands you should check out:

* Blitzen Trapper
Hailed by some as the most important independent rock band out there. Their albums make top-20 in many “album of the year” lists usually. They play alternative rock/americana music, but their skill is mostly in the lyrics. I was so surprised to see that their song “Sci-fi Kid” (legal mp3) is not very popular on iTunes, as it’s one of their best. Legally download three more songs of theirs here.

* Longwave
Shoegazing/alt.rock band. They had a contract with a major label, but they blew it somehow, they were never able to become really popular, even if their previous albums are pretty good. But it’s their latest album, released a few months ago, “Secrets are Sinister”, that makes Longwave sound amazing to my ears. This album, released under an indie label, is their best yet.

* The Raveonettes
If you like modern rock’n'roll coupled with some shoegazing, you would love this Danish duet. “Love in a trashcan” is one of my favorite songs of all time, and make sure you check out “Black/White” (only on iTunes). They have a contract with an indie label in Denmark, but it’s Sony who distributes their music in the rest of the world.

There is a specific kind angle to rock that I enjoy in particular. That’s ambient/progressive alternative rock. I am a sucker for Very melodic hook-y tunes that take you into another dimension without the need for psychotropic drugs. These songs have a unique atmosphere. Coldplay is one of the bands that write such music, but find below some of the lesser-known and favorite songs of mine in that genre. Check these songs on iTunes.

* Fleet Foxes – Mykonos (free, from their label)
* Feist – One Evening (I first heard it here)
* Loquat – Swingset Chain (watch a live performance of the song)
* J. Ralph – One Million Miles Away
* Midlake – Head Home
* Midlake – Roscoe
* Jane Vain & the Dark Matter – C’mon Baby Say Bang Bang (youtube)
* Loquat’s whole album “Secrets Of The Sea”
* Longwave – Sirens In The Deep Sea (and the rest of that album)
* Band of Horses – Funeral (free, from their label)
* Faunts – What I’d love to hear you say
* The Coral Sea – In This Moment’s Time
* Faunts – Memories of places we’ve never been (free)
* Elk City – Los Cruzados (free, from their label)
* Early Day Miners – All harm
* Blind Divine – Something Magical (free)
* Matti Paalanen – Here comes the rain (free)
* Radiohead – Reckoner
* Malbec – Home (new Malbec songs are free)
* MGMT – Of Moons, Birds & Monsters
* Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal (free, from their label)
* J. Ralph – Thrift Shop Warrior
* Loquat – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
* Midlake – Young Bride
* Midlake – It Covers the Hillsides
* Zoe – Corazón Atómico
* Malbec – Anwering Machine
* Malbec – Dancing The Night Away
* Malbec – Pictures In Magazines
* Brightblack Morning Light – Everybody Daylight
* Britta Persson – This Spring
* House of Fire – Don’t go to hell without me

I only wish if iTunes’ Genius could find for me more such magical music (apparently it’s algorithm doesn’t analyze tunes).

And make sure you download the Malbec EPs from their site. These guys are really cool. They also shot three amazing music videos on their own too, using a Canon HV20!

Update: Apparently, part of that sub-genre of moody alternative rock that I like so much, is called “shoegazing” (also “dream pop”). It was popular in the late ’80s and beginning of the ’90s, but it’s considered underground these days.

After three months, I am re-opening my personal blog. I won’t be blogging a lot like before, but I will possibly be publishing a few posts a month.

First issue to rant about: TV shows. I am unhappy with both “Lost” and “BattleStar Galactica”, among others.

The finale of BSG left me with a sour taste in my mouth. I have written all that is to be written in the discussion here. In a recap, my problems with BSG:
1. The dreaded God element.
2. Too many boring drama queens.
3. Too many loose ends because of poor planning by the writers.
4. The pointless flashbacks in the finale.
5. The technophobia in the finale.

Then, there’s the new spin off of BSG, called “Caprica“. That show, I already hate it more than anything. It’s a fucking family melodrama rather than sci-fi, trying so desperately to find the golden rule between geeks and their girlfriends. Thing is, I don’t have a girlfriend. I hope the show burns and dies.

Here’s another new show, that’s complete drama nonsense: “Kings“, on NBC. Boring like hell.

And then there’s “Lost”. Which as you know, I am a big cheerleader for. Well, I am kind of pissed off with Lost in this season. The show is just not very addictive anymore. No, it’s not because of the dreaded time travel (that drove lots of viewers away), but because of the shift in the show’s direction, and subsequent misdirection of the viewer away from the real heart of the show: the survivors.

You see, “Lost” was always about 48 survivors, and how to get away from their crash island. On season 5 instead, they killed off about 40 out of the 48 survivors, and they didn’t show us at all if Rose and Bernard survived or not. Instead, all they show us is island mythology and nothing else. We have invested FOUR FUCKING YEARS on the survivors as a WHOLE, and now it’s like they don’t matter anymore. I mean, what was the fucking point of having Jack trying to get back to the island, if there are no survivors left to save, and in order to get there he had to crash land MORE innocent people, and most importantly, not even having him ASK Sawyer once: “what the fuck happened to the rest of the people I left you with?”. Nothing! Nadda! Like there were never survivors in that island!

And don’t forget that Rose and Bernard, while not major characters, even had their own flashback episode back in season 2. They spent $4 fucking millions on that episode! We invested in their storyline too! And the writers haven’t made a fucking peep about them!!! And the actors are not listed as guest stars in the upcoming episodes either. This is simply a disgrace to our expectations. The Lost forums are FULL with questions about Rose and Bernard! Now, after 4 years, we have to somehow switch our brains towards another goal?

I often rant against the over-the-top melodrama of BSG, but Lost has lost all of its drama this season — drama which made it so successful back in season 1. Now, it’s just some crazy stuff happening, one after another. It’s like someone pushed the fast forward button.

And don’t get me started about the NUMEROUS production errors in this season. I usually find 1-2 myself for each episode, and I am not even trying. From the bad editing on Desmond’s face when he sees Ms Hawking, from the crew woman caught in the frame and appearing behind Sun! From Charlotte’s real age fiasco, to the “numbers” heard on the Ajira radio (they should not be broadcasting in 2007), this new season is just plain SLOPPY. No wonder Lost lost 25% this year in ratings. Even the actor who plays Sayid doesn’t even try anymore to hide his British accent.

You might say “well, Lost is a complex show, so errors will happen”. Sure, but thing is, “The Wire” was also a very complex show, and by God, I have never witnessed a single production or continuity error! Very solid writing, planning, and shooting. There are many people out there who say that The Wire is the best show ever. That maybe true (it’s also Obama’s personal favorite). While I enjoy The Wire, I can’t get into it too much because: a. its plot is truly depressing, and b. I don’t take drugs, so the whole ghetto thing doesn’t represent me. But aside my personal nuances, The Wire has some no-nonsense writing. Lost doesn’t (anymore). In fact, I feel that the two main Lost writers lost the plot this season.

In the episode titled “316″ we saw the protagonists “zapped” away from the plane, rather than seeing the plane actually crashing. On the same episode it was revealed that the Oceanic 6 must re-create the circumstances of the Oceanic 815 flight as much as possible in order to make it to the island.

What if the island was “pre-programmed” to search for certain “patterns” on flights that happen to fly above the invisible island? Just like the “grep” command on UNIX. In the flight 815 there were these few special people on it that the island expected them to arrive for a long time. The plan was to zap them out of the plane in order to have them fulfill their destiny on the island. Instead, the plane crashed. So, what happened?

Desmond happened.

The “expected” timeline was changed by the only person that is able to affect timelines, Desmond. By not entering the numbers on the computer in time, the island released a big amount of electromagnetism affecting the operational abilities of the island itself. This temporary interference disabled the “zapping” abilities of the island, and the electromagnetism broke the plane in pieces instead. The island only had enough time to make sure the safety of as many people as it could, hoping that among the survivors the special persons will survive too. In the series it was said that no one should have survived that crash, and yet, enough of them did. Because the island intervened just in time.

This theory also explains why the red-shirts Oceanic 815 survivors ultimately died. It’s because they should have not survived (or crash there) in the first place! This is also enforced by Ben’s “who cares?” in the episode “316″ when Jack asked them what would happen to the rest of the people in flight 316. The island is not interested in them, and so it’s possible that flight 316 never crashed anywhere. The co-pilot took over when Frank zapped out of there along the rest, and no one noticed anything more than a temporary disturbance. This is what it should have happened in Oceanic 815 too, if it was not for Desmond.

Because more people than it was required survived, a different timeline emerged. The original plan might have been for the Others to pick up the people zapped in the island (people who were in “the list”, like in the case of the abduction of some of the tailees), give them a tutorial as to what the heck happened to them, and then let them fulfill their destiny (which according to some it will be a “saving the world” scenario). Instead, we had many survivors, they created their own little team, and combated the Others. Coupling this with Ben’s behavioral shortcoming to give up the leadership to Locke early on, the Others and the Losties created a scenario that didn’t serve anyone. The island right now is probably not happy with any of the two sides…

Some will ask why the island was pre-programmed to search about these special people, but given that time travel is possible on Lost, it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy plot: someone from the future (Jacob?) went back in time, in the ancient era when Egyptians colonized the island, and made sure the island knows about these special people that it needs to bring together when it recognizes some patterns in the sky. The island might just be a big computer (or a spaceship) of a sort. And Richard Alpert is the ageless keeper of the island making sure it’s safe, while it’s waiting for these special people to arrive and fulfill their destiny. Alpert and Ben do not know who the special people among the survivors are (except for the case of Locke), they only know what Jacob allows them to eventually know via “the list”.

However, if the destiny of these special people was just to be fulfilled as originally planned, we would have not had TV suspense. Every character would just do what they were meant to do and that would be that. But you can’t constraint a twisted TV show like “Lost” is to having the heroes just do what they were supposed to do. There has to be a twist, a twist that changes the rules, and brings chaos to “what was supposed to happen”. That’s the suspense that the show actually brings us: not a boring, canned version of what’s supposed to happen, but what actually happened. And Desmond with his timeline-changing abilities is the plot device for this twist. As in a Greek tragedy, Desmond unknowingly, but ironically, paid back the island –a place that he so much despises– with a huge platter of revenge for keeping him prisoner there for 3 years. This theory makes Desmond the “variable” to the “Lost” saga, another ironic reference as the direct opposite of the popular Desmond-centric “The Constant” episode. “The Variable” is also the title of an upcoming episode!

The beauty of all of it is that both science and faith are important to understand the mechanics of it all. Locke’s faith, and Jack’s scientific disbelief fit perfectly, as this theory entertains both the destiny/fate element in the show (that Locke’s so fond of), and the scientific/technological point of view that Jack will ultimately unveil as being behind it all. So both of the two lead characters are right. And both are wrong, by being blindly devoted to abstract notions (Locke), or disturbingly close minded (Jack).

I am such a “Lost” cheerleader, am I not? Sorry, I can’t help it. Best show of all times! The only piece of art that carries me away.

Adam wrote a very to-the-point review of “Heroes”, which I agree completely. A few moments later, I stumbled upon the following video, a brand new ABC promo for “Lost”. And damn did it bump my adrenaline to the max!

I can’t wait for season 5 to start in January!

< spoilers >
* In this season we will see Radzinsky, the guy who was there before Desmond in the hatch. The guy was only referenced once 2.5 years ago in the show, and here we are, he’s got a major guest role this season!
* How are we going to see him, you ask, as he’s dead? (for those who pay attention to “Lost” the way they should, Radzinsky committed suicide). Well, the island moved in both space and time, and our losties left-behinders will join the Dharma Initiative! In the past!
* You gotta see the leaked pictures with Sawyer in a Dharma suit! “Head of security” no less! And with a pseudonym! It seems that while Sawyer’s role was down-graded in the last season, he becomes the defacto leader of the left-behinders in this season.
* A part of the Oceanic 6 will make it back to the island, joining the left-behinders in the Dharma era. All this will happen before we reach the half of this season.
< /spoilers >

Writing the above it also just occurred to me that translating “Lost” to other languages via dubbing doesn’t work well (e.g. as they do in France), because the show has such subtle references to things, or carefully done sentences that hint things that will happen 30 episodes later, that the people who do the translation can’t possibly know (as they are not part of the writing team of “Lost”). So if you are watching “Lost” via dubbing, stop doing so now, buy the DVDs, and watch the show in English, or you will lose part of what it is “Lost”: the puzzle references and hints. That’s where the whole beauty of “Lost” is. Not in a dry, funny-sounded, dubbing.

Gosh, I hate dubbing more than ironing clothes.

UPDATE: Listen to the embedded promo video above, at the very beginning, mark 00′:02″. You will hear a voice (presumably Locke’s voice) saying something non-understandable. Now, if you reverse the audio at that point, you will hear instead “Am I… when?”. And this is my whole point about “Lost”: even their god damn ads include hints and puzzles to keep people busy decrypting & theorizing. As I said before, “Lost” is the ultimate geek/nerd TV show, if you don’t watch it, you are the one who misses out!

Ewan McGregor describes how it’s like to be Scottish, on the Oscar-nominated movie “Trainspotting“. Best scene of the movie, in my opinion:

This reminds me of the kind of feeling some of us have about Greece. We love our home with all our being alright, but we just hate all the shit around it, plus, we don’t love it for the same reasons every-day Greeks do. So I think is this similar to what the Scottish author of “Trainspotting” had in mind when he wrote that dialogue. It was love, and anger, at the same time.