My name is Terry and this is my blog.
I am currently living in Los Angeles.
I like films, music, and don't even get me started on long walks on the beach.
I don't read a lot of books, but am always fishing for book recommendations.
My parents are Vietnamese and I was born in America.
That's all you really need to know upfront.
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mood: I seriously don't know how to put on the brakes
Today I brought a sleeping bag into work.
In light of this, here's the new Yeah Yeah Yeah's song Cheated Hearts from the AOL sessions. I think it's pretty fucking good.
terry on 01.30.06 @ 08:11 PM PDT [link]
I just won an autographed CD by The Elected. My KCRW membership is starting to pay off. Thanks, Nic Harcourt.
I think I may be seeing them live on my birthday, Feb. 11th. They are playing with Stars at the Avalon. Any takers?
Also - I'll be seeing Jenny Lewis on Feb 2 and Cat Power on Feb 22nd. Yeah for girlie-shows!!!!
I'll be updating soon enough about "Journey From the Fall." I haven't heard any major news yet. If any of you are at Sundance I suggest you sneak into a screening as I hear they're all sold out.
terry on 01.26.06 @ 12:11 PM PDT [link]
mood: reflective
Today marks the start of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Those of you who are acquainted with me, know how passionate I am about film. Fuck, I spent 4 years of my life studying it in college and spent a good deal of time volunteering for and later running the DC Asian Pacific Film Festival. When I started this blog, I hoped to create dialogues surrounding the world of celluloid.
"Journey From the Fall", the film I worked on during the autumn of 2004 is having its festival premiere at the prestigious film festival. Festival organizers are touting this year's fest as a return to tradition, focusing on the independent spirit of cinema. Journey will be a part of the Spectrum screenings (which are not eligible for the prizes, unfortunately). But, I heard that all the screenings for the film have sold out, which is awesome because this is a huge film for the Vietnamese community.
In light of the film's forthcoming success, I'll be posting stories and pics in celebration of the film in the following days and will keep you updated on any news. This is not an easy task, however as I myself have mixed feelings about the film and my experience working on it. In short, you end up sacrificing a lot of yourself (i.e. your relationships, finances, friendships, and health) for the sake of great art. And I'm not speaking only for myself, here. Ultimately, I am still honored to have worked on such an amazing film and I continue to tell those who shared the experience with me that the 2 months that I spent in Thailand were some of the happiest times of my life.
The photo below was shot with a Holga Camera with attached Polaroid back, on B&W medium format Polaroid film. This was taken on one of the few days I was allowed to go to set (asst. editors rarely need to go to set), as it was the day that they shot the fall of Saigon scene (April 30, 1975). The baby is actually asleep and the woman is its nanny. The blood is fake. The people in the background were townfolk who came out just to watch the filming. There must have been 300 people behind the ropes on all sides of the set. I took two photos of nanny and baby and I gave her the copy where she was actually smiling. Personally, this is one of my favorite photographs that I've taken.
terry on 01.19.06 @ 11:55 PM PDT [link]
Good Weather For Air Strikes has posted their 25 songs of 2005 and Derek wrote this nice little ditty about "Poison Oak" by Bright Eyes, which was number 10 on my top 30. I was very moved by his statement, so I decided to post it here. Support MP3 blogs!!!!
"Poison Oak" is one of the saddest songs of this, or any year. In fact, it is one of the most heartbreaking, emotionally touching, and moving songs of all time. There was a period of this year when I even thought that this may have been the best song I had ever heard. While that proved to be not quite true, "Poison Oak" is an amazing ballad no less, an ode to his brother whose confused childhood led to a troubled young adult life and ultimately his suicide. However, Conor's experience with his brother helped him to strengthen his own life, and his dead brother is representative of the "yellow bird" (when mining still existed on a large-scale basis, canaries were sent down to check for signs of danger, and if the canary returned it was safe) referenced in this as well as "We Are Nowhere, And It's Now" that showed him that the path is safe for Oberst to continue down. When the first "single cell on a serpent's tongue" chorus hits, the listener is overcome with sweeping emotion, one of the most powerful moments of any song this year, and Oberst manages to pull it off not once, but twice, repeating it on the second chorus to equal affect. Emmylou Harris' beautifully worn vocals are the perfect compliment to Oberst's emotion in the song, her final appearance on the album, and everything in this track comes together perfectly to form what might be the most beautiful and moving song of this, or any, year."
terry on 01.10.06 @ 01:12 PM PDT [link]
Since coming back from PA, I've decided to hit the ground running. I've also picked up a bad habit - killing time with Sudoku.
So here's the list. This is merely the opinion of the VKLJ, so don't take it as gospel. I'll be posting links to the songs for download sometime this week. Maybe.
Top singles/tracks:
Three-way tie for Number 1 -
Death Cab "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" Maybe the most affecting song I heard all year. Honestly, I cried the first time I heard it. The lyrics are brilliant and the line "From Bangkok to Calgary" . . . so on the mark.
Gwen Stefani "Cool" Normally in any other year I could care less about Gwen Stefani. But in the midst of my break-up with my GF, this one makes perfect sense. A great pop song with charm to spare. Gwen is also very hot in the video.
Wolfman "For Lovers" In any other year this would have been my lone single of the year. It doesn't sound quite appropriate when I listen to it now and with all the shit that went down with Pete and Kate, it seems a bit spoiled. Still a great love song in the end, poetic.
And the rest:
4. Okkervil River "A Stone" From my favorite album of the year. They played this one live when I saw them at the Echo and it felt very nice. Will Sheff is one of the best songwriters out there. Great alt-country when Wilco failed to impress me with "A Ghost is Born"
5. Animal Collective "Grass" My favorite off the album "Feels." When I saw them live this was the only song that the two teenage girls behind me sang along to. Afterwards some guys asked them what the song was all about and they said they didn't know, but added that they didn't really care either.
6. Beyonce "Check On It" Girl can do no wrong. This is the song that you want to listen to after the unstoppable "Crazy in Love." Makes me want to go dancing or something like that.
7. Supergrass "Low C" I'm always surprised at what these guys can do. The lyrics here are fitting: I wonder if I'd care / If I saw you again / Would you hurt me like before / Or would happiness be there / We were younger / Oh the way you turned my head, ooooh
Listening to this song makes me want to forgive her for everything.
8. Cat Power "The Greatest" I'll admit that I only became a fan of Chan Marshall after hearing this song. You can hear tings of "Moon River" in this one. Makes me want to walk along the beach at night.
9. Weird Sisters "Magic Works" From the Harry Potter movie. Jarvis Cocker proves he's still got it. Solo album is in the works I heard, though I hear he's trying to direct now.
10. Bright Eyes "Poison Oak" Not a proper single per se, but this is the one that gets me every time I listen to it. I never thought Conor could best his "Lifted" effort or write anything as good as "Nothing gets Crossed Out," but this one does it for me. Solid album, too.
11. The Killers "All These Things That I've Done" This song is one reason I still listen to modern rock radio and keep KROQ as one of my presets.
12. GoldFrapp "Number 1" Simply sexy.
13. Kanye West "Gold Digger" The reason I have KDAY as one of my presets. A friend of mine noted that Kanye is one of the few rappers where you can appreciate the brilliance of his lyrics because you can actually hear them.
14. Game "Hate it or Love It" Possibly one of my favorite rap songs of all time. Too bad about the beef between him and 50.
15. Arcade Fire "Cold Wind" Sure, "Wake Up" and "Rebellion (Lies)" may be better songs, but this one is haunting and appropriate for my state of mind. "If they ever find me . . .tell the papers . . cold wind blowing . . " A nice reminder that everything ends.
16. Gorillaz "Dare" My friend Liam said this should be the single of the year. Dangermouse does it again under the guidance of Albarn.
17. Youth Group "Forever Young" As heard on the OC in the episode when Ryan and Marissa make up. She decides that "their song" will be whatever comes on the radio. After disqualifying a raucous rap number, this cover comes on and they start dancing. I know what you're thinking - that this is horribly cheesy and another marketing ploy by the OC and record label to sell a band endorsed by Death Cab for Cutie. But think about all the appropriate coincidences you've had in your life, when something fell perfectly into place and you might be able to forgive the show.
18. Spoon "I Turn My Camera On" Catchy as hell.
19. M.I.A. "Bucky Done Gone" I prefer this one to "Galang." It was like a shotgun went off the first time I heard it.
20. Sleater-Kinney "Entertain" I heard this one coming through my window during their Barnsdall concert and it shook me a bit.
21. My Morning Jacket "Off The Record" The new Radiohead as some have said. This is the best one off the album and the one that's most fun to sing along to.
22. Pete Doherty "Killamangiro" Again, Pete Doherty shows he can do without Carl Barat on this pop-rock number in the tradition of "Time For Heroes."
23. Trail of Dead "Worlds Apart" Follows on the promise of "Source tags and Code " and "All Saints Day" from "The Secret of Elena's Tomb" The poppiest song from a band who still destroys their instruments.
24. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s "Y Control" I'm pretty sure this is a 2005 single, though I didn’t see it on any other lists. Video by Spike Jonze is great too.
25. Sigur Ros "Glossoli" These Icelanders never cease to impress me.
26. Antony and the Johnsons "Hope There’s Someone" Mercury Music Prize winner, which only proved them to be better than Coldplay. Antony had one of the most distinct sounds of the year and this track is a gem.
27. Raveonettes "Ode to LA" Great pop rock in the tradition of Spector's girl bands. Samples "Be My Baby" AND features Ronnie on backing vocals. Makes me proud to be an Angelino.
28. The Like "Bridge to Nowhere" This was the last concert I saw with the frmr missus. I think "June Gloom" was the proper single from the album, but I relate more to this one.
29. Against Me! "Don’t Lose Touch" These guys put on my favorite concert of the year at the El Rey. I keep thinking that they can’t top their previous efforts (see "Reinventing Axl Rose," "T.S.R" and "Disco Before the Breakdown"
30. Wolf Parade "I’ll Believe in Anything" Everybody calls them the new Arcade Fire. I don't see it. But this track is excellent.
terry on 01.08.06 @ 05:05 PM PDT [link]
