Fenchurch

What did I just watch?

Is anyone else excited about Karen O's solo album, Crush Songs?

I've always been a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's scream-dance sound but Karen O's voice is what I've always loved the most about them. Her solo album really allows her voice to shine through, albeit more quietly. All the songs are stripped down to just Karen with her guitar and ukelele.

"Crush Songs has an immediacy and earnestness akin to Kimya Dawson and a ukulele-driven poignancy reminiscent of Magnetic Fields." Ah, yes, the earnestness I lived through in my late teens, early 20s, mid 20s, and uh late 20s.

NPR is streaming the album in its entirety. Check out the first track here.


Edit: Oops, I suppose I should let y'all know what the album is about if you're not inclined to read the NPR article.

I already know what Sawall's hippie hair storm looks like but I demand (actually, am asking nicely) to see a bearded, side-parted Chimp.

I was telling Sawall that I'm pretty certain my lack of wrinkles work against me during job interviews. Think I'll pick up smoking at 32.

I'm sorry to be the one to tell you they are killing off the Green Burritos in California! One day, I noticed they were just gone, and I never got to eat my farewell fish taco.

Are you still enjoying Continuum? I'm still catching up on Les Revenants and series 2 of Utopia!

Who woulda thunk it? Ireland is officially the 'best country in the world'.

Thanks! I held off but ended up purchasing Bastion.

It cracks me up that Lena Headey pretty much trolled everyone with her Instagram photo hinting at the appearance of LSH. So annoying that Winds of Winter won't be published until 2017 — I really want to know where Arya's headed.

Has anyone played Broken Age? It's on sale right now but don't know if I want to throw down $17 to have it sit in my Steam queue and have me ignore it for a year.

Next you're going to say you're too good for Hamster Dance.

With your 1% karma, I thought you were the internet!

Damn, my (limited) access to the Steals shows no Double for me quite yet.

Submarine was extra medium.

PROS
I liked that the main characters were like real kids. They weren't beautiful, heroic, or deep.

CONS
The movie was quirky and dark (usually my thing) but I just couldn't make myself interested — the movie felt too sterile. I couldn't relate to the awkward boy teen wanting to get laid or his pyromanic love interest. It was pretty enough, though, and seemed to try to be Wes Anderson– esque with its nostalgic melancholy and peculiar characters. 2/5

Any dissenting voices? I still haven't seen it, though I may soon so people will stop telling me, "Omg, it's so great. You NEED to!!!"

Everyone kept raving about this and now I'm glad I didn't bother shelling out $10 to see it. People are also obsessed with the minions from Despicable Me and I just can't wrap my head around it.

Watch Season 5. Some episodes were decent, though not great. It's also the last season! You can always put it on in the background as you do chores.

The library is lovely. So are finding the comics online!

I've gone back and forth on Jennifer Lawrence's acting in the Hunger Games movies. At first, I thought she was bland. Then I thought maybe it's because Katniss and Peeta aren't supposed to have any chemistry! Now I'm back to her being a bad actress. I haven't seen her other movies, though — the ones she has won awards for.

Fantastic!

"Final Score 8/10
You may remain on the World Wide Web!"

I would like to share that I had the Real Ultimate Power book.

Don't you have children?!

Well... they're a quick read and I love dystopian fiction, but how the trilogy ends feels like a cop out to me. It's very disappointing but, in the end, it is a young adult series so it can't be too grim. With the books, though, you don't have to deal with Jennifer Lawrence's lack of acting!

Also, going several posts back, I too watched Snowpiercer! 3/5 sounds about right; the movie just made me want to read the graphic novel which they have translated into English.

Anyone a Ghibli fan? This guy certainly is.

I feel like such a poser for having a "Jessica Nguyen" card and not even owning Cards Against Humanity.

I've already read it and enjoyed it. Thanks, Sawall! You should hurry up and watch True Detective so I can text you about it.

Saga previously won the Best Graphic Story Hugo Award in 2013 and is now nominated again in the same category. Saga artist Fiona Staples has also been nominated for Best Professional Artist category.

I'm devouring comics like crazy right now. If anyone (Pat?) has suggestions, I'll gladly take them. My current reading roster, besides Saga and Overture, include:

Black Science
Grant McKay is an ex-member of the Anarchist Order of Scientists and he is bouncing around alien words trying to access Black Science so that he can return home. The story started off kinda slow but it's starting to get interesting. The art is very pretty.

Not sure I'd recommend this to anyone unless they like the pretty illustrations and have time to kill.

East of West
A "science fiction Western set in a dystopian version of the United States whose fate rests with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Death is Clint Eastwood-esque and the other three Horsemen are chasing after him. I don't want to give too much but I'm really loving all the different characters (not just the Horsemen)! And, no, it does not remind me of Firefly at all.

I am so easy. Apocalypse, dystopia, and a deadly, ass-kicking (and murdering) Asian woman? I'm hooked! The first issue is free for download. Recommended.

Five Ghosts
Fabian Gray has the power to harness the abilities of five literary characters. Just started this but want to see where it'll go. I'm a sucker for a literature tie-in!

The first issue is free for download.

Lazarus
I really do love dystopian societies... "In a dystopian near-future, government is a quaint concept, resources are coveted, and possession is 100% of the law. A handful of Families rule, jealously guarding what they have and exploiting the Waste who struggle to survive in their domains. Forever Carlyle defends her family's holdings through deception and force as their protector, their Lazarus. Shot dead defending the family home, Forever's day goes downhill from there..."

Art is pretty generic and it's very obvious where the storyline is headed, but that doesn't mean I'm not intrigued. Have time? The first issue is free for download.

Nowhere Men
"Science is the new rock 'n roll". We're introduced to four scientists who change the world with their technological advances. Blah blah. I'm not a fan of the art and the first issue was so boring I almost didn't bother reading any other issues. But(!) something explodes and things get exciting. It's my least favorite comic series on this list but other people seem to really love it.

Eh... (I'm still reading it to see what happens.) First issue is free for download.

Pretty Deadly
Not to hype this up too much but... From Comics Alliance:


Just read it and then read the review above. Go!

Private Eye
WHY ISN'T EVERYONE READING THIS? Probably tied with Pretty Deadly as my current favorite series. Brian K. Vaughan, author or Saga, and Marcos Martin are putting out a digital only, DRM-free comics. Pay what you want/can and it goes directly to the two creators.

"In this future, the most cherished thing is privacy. Everyone has a secret identity, an inner self, that they hid with anything from simple masks to high-tech body suits and holograms." Ugh, this series is so good; I don't want to give anything away! I'm not familiar with the artist (I don't read superhero comics), but dude knows how to draw cities!

Download it all here. This series is potentially free, so read this one first!

Am awaiting Al's review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. *taps foot*