![Felina // Breaking Bad’s Epic Finale]()
by Miné Salkin | Oct 1, 2013 | interviews, live action, news, song of the day, technology, television, Uncategorized
After 6 years of painful Breaking Bad related stress and anxiety, AMC’s dramatic story of a high-school teacher gone bad came to an end.
When I say gone bad, I mean really bad – probably the worst imaginable transformation of a person. From Walter White, the family man, sweetheart, high school chemistry teacher, downtrodden by circumstance but upheld by a good heart; to Heisenberg. Vengeful murderer and leader of a massive meth empire. It’s the kind of opposite Bildungsroman that sends shivers all over.
For the first time in a long time, I felt satisfied. I didn’t think that would happen.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpGwRlH_HF4]
![Felina // Breaking Bad’s Epic Finale]()
by Miné Salkin | Sep 26, 2013 | interviews, live action, news, song of the day, technology, television, Uncategorized
Besides the fact that this guy looks like a rounder, friendlier version of Gustavo Fring – I’m finding myself drawn to this TED talk for so many reasons.
2013, a time when most people in a social setting can be seen together, sitting, not speaking – smiling vacantly at a glowing spot by their crotch from under the table. Depressing but true! The last time I forgot my phone and went out I felt a gaping hole not being able to reach out to the Internet world and search for a meme that would add to the present conversation. My pockets never felt so empty. With smartphones there comes this big social cost, and more people are recognizing the shame of it, not living in the moment and opting for a handheld version of spending time with others. Last month a YouTube video called “I Forgot My Phone” caused waves on the Internet, a sad portrait of a woman’s day shadowed by gadgets and technology.
At the same time, this speech makes some valid points in favour for how social interaction is evolving in a different way.
In 14 minutes, linguist John McWhorter tears down the notion that the casual language of texting has ruined literacy, and has created a generation of young people who just don’t “get” the idea of how to communicate with each other. Rather than that, it’s created a new form of literacy that will undoubtedly evolve in broader and more subtle ways.
“And so, the way I’m thinking of texting these days is that what we’re seeing is a whole new way of writing that young people are developing, which they’re using alongside their ordinary writing skills, and that means that they’re able to do two things. Increasing evidence is that being bilingual is cognitively beneficial. That’s also true of being bidialectal. That’s certainly true of being bidialectal in terms of your writing. And so texting actually is evidence of a balancing act that young people are using today, not consciously, of course, but it’s an expansion of their linguistic repertoire.“
[ted id=1718]
Best talk I have seen for a while.
by Miné Salkin | Sep 25, 2013 | interviews, live action, news, song of the day, technology, television, Uncategorized
The first thing I saw when I woke up this morning was that sister trio HAIM have covered Miley’s latest offering, “Wrecking Ball,” which has become more iconic than I would have ever imagined.
The LA sibling indie rock outfit delivered a raw performance on BBC’s Live Lounge, an equally emotional version of the tune sans the surprising hammer licking and overly literal wrecking ball swinging on set. They were also fully clothed.
Please watch this, it’s really something special.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FCAzeMXln0]
If you don’t know HAIM here’s a crash course of 22 things you should know courtesy of BUZZFEED.
![Felina // Breaking Bad’s Epic Finale]()
by Miné Salkin | Sep 19, 2013 | interviews, live action, news, song of the day, technology, television, Uncategorized
I’m not quite sure where to begin when it comes to explaining my love for MrSuicideSheep, the ultimate tastemaker in EDM on YouTube, perhaps even the universe – though maybe that’s contested.
In any case, this song is truly incredible. Produced by a lone wolf in Melbourne, Mark Zito, aka FRACTURES, this man has so much potential, an old soul and a lush voice that lulls you into that warm safe place. MrSuicideSheep’s endorsement has done very well for Zito, giving him much deserved exposure for his track “Twisted.” With heartfelt lyrics and an amazing beat, the song is both depressing and uplifting, touching on the demon of loneliness that plagues each and every one of us from time to time. Amazing.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3EMzMQ1w58]
Here is another track just because he’s that good 🙂
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/106123888″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
by Miné Salkin | Dec 19, 2012 | interviews, live action, news, song of the day, technology, television, Uncategorized
FOR EXCLAIM! MAGAZINE
Finishing off a tour in celebration of their latest offering, The Sticks, Mother Mother are finally home.
Vancouver singer-songwriter sweetheart Hannah Georgas started off the night with some of her sugary-sweet tunes, mostly from her self-titled second album. The latest has Georgas singing about what she knows best, heartbreak and the like — though her sound is evolving into a new creature with some beautiful electronic moments, which were also shown off onstage.
Headliners Mother Mother came on and played a generous set of songs from across their varied and almost schizophrenic discography. Hailing originally from Quadra Island, the Vancouver-based quintet have carved out a sonic niche for themselves that’s hard to pin down or describe.
Playing some rockier tunes such as “The Sticks” and “In Verbatim,” Mother Mother displayed they have their finger on the pulse of what makes good indie rock. They were perky and driven by a solid bass and rhythm section, which occasionally left a real hip-hop aftertaste. Transitioning to slower ballad like “Ghosting,” singer/guitarist Ryan Guldemond crooned and belted out lyrics in a pseudo defiant way, happy to be home, his faux hawk bobbing in the strobe.
Jeremy Page’s bass lines propelled everything forward, like their rebelling against much of the dream pop that’s infiltrated the indie soundscape over the past few years. Socially conscious and aware, the group played “Little Pistol” in dedication to Amanda Todd, the BC teen who took her life earlier this year due to bullying. Unafraid of sounding like either a brute or an emotional misfit, Mother Mother spanned a massive emotional gambit lyrically.
The Sticks is an elegant but diverse album — something that was further amplified in a live setting. The fact that Mother Mother don’t really have a definitive or self-referential sound comes to a head in many ways. At one moment, it recalls ’90s alternative staples like the Pixies, Violent Femmes or New Pornographers, but can seamlessly transition to into a soulful acoustic ballad of a different variety altogether, with no introduction needed. And therein rests so much of Mother Mother’s charm.
