Neat Effects

BAND: Nine Inch Nails
SONG: Only
RATING: A

I hurried online the day I heard you could download Mr. Trent Reznor's latest creation (http://theslip.nin.com) at your own price. I wasn't dissapointed to find his new album continues that unmistakable sound that appeals to millions: perfected electronic hate.
It ranges in terms of song structure, veering in and out between dark dystopic ambiance to those solid verse-chorus-verse chart-knockin' thumpers. My mind has been engineered by years of radio and ADD medication, so it shouldn't come as a suprise that I prefer the latter.

It might be, like, two albums old now, but "Only" falls into that category with the classic simple-but-cool guitar riff that ties together a grabbag of synths and the obsessively talky vox of Reznor.

It's a good song, but it's a damn genius video. The coldly quaint office setting getting stirred up by a push-pin Reznor might be serving an obvious kind of message, but I'd be damned if I wasn't aesthetically pleased with my force-fed message. By seeing those pins rise and fall, push and pull; it's cool! It looks cool. I've got to give credit here; this video cost quite a few nickels to put together, but it was well worth skipping out the Dollar Store for.

A quick jaunt to Wikipedia reveals the director to be master of the eye-catchingly uncomfortable, David Finch. Figures.

The Man Who Wasn't There

Holy shit.

I find Vladimir Putin to be a fascinating characther, a man who definitely earned Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" award, but this article seems to stamp away at the fact that he is a manipulative, power-driven leader who'll do whatever it takes to keep him and his party in office and out of the line of questioning.

This particular "behind-the-scenes" censorship has hit home for me, the budding, unjaded journalist. What good is any kind of media that doesn't constantly question authority? It appears as if this crackdown has even resulted comical criticism being barred from the airwaves, done away with the puppets and actors poking fun of administration leaders.

Here's a pro-quote from current president Dmitry Medvedev, straight from the NY Times article:

“Our television is very often criticized,” Mr. Medvedev said in April. “They say it is boring, it is pro-government, it is too oriented towards the positions of state agencies, of those in power. You know, I can say that our television — in terms of quality, in terms of the technology used — is, I believe, one of the best in the world.”

Gotta give it to the guy, the quality of Russia television would bring tears to any Kremlin-proud eye. They even remade Grace Under Fire. Lack of dissent and pumpkinhead children do not make for quality programming Mr. Medvedev.