Blonde Redhead – 23

Been faintly obsessed with this song the past couple of days; all soaring vocals and sonic washes.

Some Youtube commentor calls them the new Lush, and I think that’s pretty apt. You should check out the 5 Mike Mills-directed videos, frankly all quite genius.

puddle-skipping with strangers

Finally did my first official run with this morning’s Mizuno Wave Run, and my once pristine pavement-and-asphalt-only adizeroes are now well and truly muddied and gravelled, or as we might have said in NS – no more ver-jean liao.

Have to say the run was terribly disorganised, with an incredibly chaotic first 2km that can only be described as a clusterfuck with mud, though I had fun doing my best impression of a ninja skipping over puddles. The middle stretch actually got supremely calming as I relaxed into a good trot with Ryan Adams’ Easy Tiger on my iPod. Went into shuffle after the record ended and it got really ironic when Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble‘s cover of Radiohead’s The Tourist came on with the refrain, “Hey man, slow down, slow down…“. I didn’t lah, but it was funny.

But the end leg was like the mother of all fuckups cos there were at least 4 different finish lines catering to simultaneous events, so my rather pussy time of 1:o5:46 can’t really be confirmed as I still don’t know whether I stopped at the right place. Not to mention the multiple tents extolling the virtues of imminent upgrading in Aljunied GRC but no water stations to be found. Then of course I spend 45 min queuing up for my free shoebag and running singlet. But that’s just me being Singaporean lah.

Notwithstanding the messy organisation, I actually really enjoyed waking up in the dark to go run in the mud with a thousand strangers. I’m definitely signing up for more races, beginning with the Singapore Bay Run (of which closing date is today and website is wonky, dammit!) and ending with Standard Chartered at the end of the year, I think.

Flight of the Conchords – The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room

I’m really digging what I’ve been seeing of HBO’s new musical comedy, Flight of the Conchords.

You’re so beautiful; like a tree, or a high-class prostitute.

You’re so beautiful; you could be a part-time model.

Who needs Barry White, man?

P.S.

Sharper-eyed, indieflick-loving readers will recognise Jemaine Clement from Eagle vs Shark.

here come the fuzz

Just watched Hot Fuzz, and it’s easily the best film I’ve seen (will see) this year. Forget Die Hard 4 and Transformers, boys and girls, this is the most handsdownballsup awesomest action movie I’ve ever seen, as well as the most sincere, funny homage to American cop flicks ever. I hate Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in at least fifty different ways, but I’m itching to rent Bad Boyz II now simply because of Hot Fuzz‘s lovingly recreated shots. I’ve always loved Point Break, so no issue there. Director Edgar Wright claims to have watched every cop movie ever made, and I totally believe him.

There’re so many throwaway bits and jokes that I pretty much lost it for the second half of the movie. My favourite bit is the blinkandyou’llmissit “Ding Dong!” in the first of the 4 (count ’em) final showdowns. In case I’m not really making sense, its cos I want that you should watch the film yourself. Hot Fuzz is definitely going up in my permanent Top 5 films now.