I'm back

So, I disappeared for a while. Sorry about that, avid reader. Apparently it took me longer than expected to settle in after my move.
Here are some highlights from the months I didn't post:

Shows
-Magnetic Fields at the Somerville Theater: The show was on Valentine's Day and was absolutely delightful. Who wants to listen to songs about people who are happily in love?

-Daniel Johnston at the Roxy: Awesome! Just an all-around fun show that let out just in time for me to catch sight of a full lunar eclipse over Boston.

-Luminescent Orchestrii at the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham: The more I see them, the more I love them. I'm a sucker for gypsy music and Lumi puts on a fantastically warm and welcoming show. The space was a converted firehouse.

Film
-Ratatouille and Horton Hears a Who: I'm always a bit skeptical when it comes to "children's" movies. I think that most of what is being made for the under 4-foot set is generic crap. On the contrary, these films give me hope. Rataouille is just a sweet, whimsical tale of "don't dream it, be it!" and Horton is just... oddball, surrealist fun - which is exactly what Dr. Seuss SHOULD be when it is adapted for the screen.

- Run Fatboy Run: In some ways this is a generic redemption tale, but it gets a pass because it was written by Micheal Ian Black and Simon Pegg. Simon Pegg stars and as always delivers a strong comedic performance. Hank Azaria co-stars as Pegg's competition to douche-y perfection. And the film is well-directed by David Schwimmer which will hopefully not scare you all away.

- Young at Heart: I cried on average about once every ten minutes at this screening.
This is a simply lovely documentary about Northampton's Young at Heart Choir, a group of senior citizens who sing songs by modern artists like Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, and Coldplay. Here's a clip from one of the most moving parts of the doc (and you need to see the film to understand why it is so moving):


Books
-Love is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield: Rolling Stone writer and Boston Native Rob Sheffield's quais-memoir is out in paperback and I highly suggest picking it up. It is an easy read, but it is full of heart. Rob writes about his all-too brief relationship with his wife Renee who passed away five years into their marriage. When she died she left behind hundreds of mix-tapes that tell the story of their love affair. They are also a document of what was going on musically in the early-to-mid 1990s which is an era I find fascinating, at least literally speaking.

-Woman's World by Graham Rawle: Collage artist Graham Rawle took on the seemingly impossible task of writing a story entirely out of found words. He found the words in early 1960s women's magazines, snipped them out, and arranged them to create coherent story. The book is not only fun to read, but it is beautiful to look at.

-Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn: I waited for this much lauded Vertigo title to end its run before diving in because I knew it would be like comic-crack. I have trouble patiently waiting each month for my favorite titles to arrive at the comic store. I've only read the first trade, and I am SOLD. There are so many things I already love about the series, but I don't want to ruin anything for those of you who haven't started. Also, please no spoilers for me.

Blogs
-Modish: I'm pretty into DIY and this is a great blog if you are too. There are countless pictures of hand-made items. There are also spotlights on artisans and eco-friendly creations. I'm really not doing it justice. If it helps, the blogger updates WAY more than I do.

And that's all I've got for now.