The Chicken Or Egg?

The Monitor - Titus Andronicus [2010]

Sometimes in college you have these professors that want all of their students to be more like a family rather than classmates. So what do they do? They instruct you to break up into small groups on that first day of class and answer what are called “getting to know you” questions. One of the questions I distinctly remember was, “Of all the fifty states which state is the least likely you would ever visit, and why?”. Without hesitation I blurted out, “New Jersey…they all tan, the accent is annoying, MTV’s Jersey Shore (while extremely entertaining) is everything I hate about human beings, and Garden State was a horrible, horrible movie.” However, despite its poor depiction in the media, New Jersey continues to shock me with the high level of musical talent it has nurtured and released into the world. Are you ready for this list? Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, The Fugees, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, The Bouncing Souls, The Sugarhill Gang and a few we’ll forgive them for like Jon Bon Jovi and Whitney Houston. So with all this rich musical history, how can you grow up in New Jersey and not become Titus Andronicus.

The Monitor, the sophomore album from Titus Andronicus, picks up right where The Airing of Grievances left off.  It’s anthemic, it kicks like a mule to the throat, and although they stray from their lo-fi production, Patrick Stickles still seems to fuzz up my car speakers with his growling declarations. The album is centered on The American Civil War, its lasting impressions (mostly in a negative sense), and of course the famous warship battle between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. Like the previous album, this one too includes many voiceovers of famous orators including Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln, and Walt Whitman and features the talents of several artists includingThe Hold Steady’s Craig Finn.

As a big TA fan, I must say upon first listen I found myself getting impatient. Their first album, The Airing of Grievances, was chocked full of rememberable moments, riffs, repeating one-liners and all-around charisma; it didn’t waste anytime. It hit hard and fast, but after two tracks on The Monitor it just wasn’t sinking in. But upon hearing Titus’ “No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future” it dropped the sound I was so desperately searching for like a ton of bricks.  The first single “Four Score And Seven” is sonically, a beautiful journey and “To Old Friends And New” features Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner in a way that is so necessary I don’t believe the song would be as effective any other way. As the album progresses, it truly evolves and matures, reflecting the bands own advancing development.  Titus Andronicus continues to raise their anthems to the ceilings, requesting nothing less from listeners than bleeding ears and bleeding hearts.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Liszt

Best Favorite Albums Of 2009:

Another year has come and gone like the hazy layer of fog on a morning windshield. In those 12 short months hundreds of albums have been released, thousands of songs have hit the charts, and the average number of skinny jeans sold is still on a steady increase. 2009 in my mind was a year full of a lot of debut albums. If not “debut” as in a bands first full release but also a bands first release that people actually acknowledged … and then were surprised to find two prior albums upon research.

To be honest the only album from last year’s lists that I remember is TV On The Radio … and at the moment I’m drawing a blank as to what it’s called. Case being, a year is a long time. Going through my iTunes sorted by year I found myself picking my jaw up off the floor upon the realization that albums such as Dear John - Loney, Dear and Lost Channels - The Great Lake Swimmers came out this year. It’s amazing how quickly music can seem like it’s been around forever.

With that said I have come up with my list. This list is not a “Best of 2009” but instead I must insist that they are my personal favorites. Their rankings were the tricky part but were formed based on how much I like them and how much I actually listen to them. I mean if you make a masterpiece but I only want to listen to it every once in a blue moon … should it be on a list? Honestly, should it?

Buckle up cause we’re going to run through these pretty damn quick!

No.10 Noble Beast - Andrew Bird
To all those who say Andrew Bird keeps making the same album over and over … kindly remove your head from your bottom end. The bird man continually impresses me album after album with his insane use of the violin, who knew you could get so many different sounds out of that thing, and his ridiculously, almost confusing at points, lyric writing. The guy has quite the imagination to say the least. Also, credit must be given to Martin Dosh who somehow understands Bird’s writing style better than anyone and knows exactly how to compliment it with his use of percussion, samples, and keys. Finally, I would be lying if I said I can’t stand the integration of whistling throughout Bird’s songs.

Favorite Tracks: Anonanimal, Not A Robot But A Ghost, Tenuousness.

No.9 The XX - The XX
Here is a band that came out of nowhere and is already selling out shows just months after their debut release in August of 2009. They have that tempo that live makes you want to bounce around but on headphones is passible with a slight head sway. The songs consist of very simple instrumental parts that really put into perspective that saying, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Simplicity being used so uniformly that you aren’t distracted by the little that is going on. I am very interested to see what The XX has in store for their sophomore release.

Favorite Tracks: Intro, Islands, Shelter.

No.8 Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
Before the arrival of this album I couldn’t understand why everyone was going so crazy about this band of trigger switchers. My eyes, or should I say ears have now been opened. It took a method of listening that I hadn’t really focused on before. Listening to an album over and over even after not being that impressed within the first 3 or 4 listens. I am now hooked. Their use of loops and “squishy” sound effects is attention grabbing and what used to sound like idiotic chaos now computes as well formed sound scapes.

Favorite Tracks: My Girls, In The Flowers, Summertime Clothes.

No.7 Tribute To [EP] - Yim Yames
The majority of people with a pulse and half a brain have come to know and love the great work of My Morning Jacket and now can find peace in their front-man’s first solo project. Jim James brought us a quant six track EP under the ever creative name Yim Yames. The EP is a collection of George Harrison songs that James has recorded in his own voice. It is easy to imagine James sitting on a porch in Kentucky singing these songs with a couple friends and then half jokingly saying, “I should record those.”

Favorite Tracks: All Things Must Pass, My Sweet Lord, Long Long Long.

No.6 Reservoir - Fanfarlo
Though their album starts off in a somewhat cliche way, feet marching and chains clanging, this debut is solid all the way around. Formed by Simon Balthazar, in 2006, Fanfarlo was on a mission to sound like something that had never been heard before. I am not sure if they captured that goal yet but it’s only their first full length release and it’s absolutely great. They remind me of a mix between Arcade Fire, Beirut and their own originality. This band of intellectuals is going to be around and strong for years to come. It’s almost as if they are creating a new sub-category of folk music.

Favorite Tracks: Ghosts, The Walls Are Coming Down, Finish Line.

No.5 Up From Below - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
An album full of people … literally … and nobody named Edward Sharpe. The brilliance that is Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros was created by Alexander Ebert after breaking up with his girlfriend and joining Alcoholics Anonymous. He began writing the story of Edward Sharpe who he has said is, “sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind…but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love.” Ebert would later meet Jade Castrinos and with 9 other musicians they would tour in a big white school bus. Their music is full of percussion and horns and almost has that Polyphonic Spree kind of groove to it.

Favorite Tracks: Home, Come In Please, Om Nashi Me.

No.4 Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix
This album I must admit took me by surprise. I am pretty convinced that the reason I got into it was because I wasn’t physically handed a copy by someone. Instead it was consistently on the stereo at one of my favorite bars. After days of playing drums on the bar I finally asked who it was and somewhat shocked when the answer was “Phoenix.” Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is an album that brings track after track of catchy beats and lyrics and oddly enough flows even with the two parts of Love Is A Sunset that split the album. Busting out of the gates with Lisztomania, 1901, and my personal favorite Fences this jumpy beast delivers from start to end. If this is what pop music has now become I might have to turn the radio back on.

Favorite Tracks: Lisztomania, Fences, Love Like A Sunset Part II.

No.3 Bitte Orca - The Dirty Projectors
This piling of songs is absolutely awesome. I can’t believe the drummer remembers half his parts after recording this record. Bitte Orca ranges from chaotic distorted guitars to R&B sounding tracks to acoustic ballads. It is one total package. They have brought the use of vocal layering as an instrument back to the front of our attention. Dave Longstreth comes up with some of this year’s wildest guitar parts on this album and somehow still manages to sing over top of them. I now find myself at a loss of words to describe this piece of work … listen to it … get blown away … and we can talk about it later.

Favorite Tracks: Temecula Sunrise, Cannibal Resource, No Intention.

No.2 Why There Are Mountains - Cymbals Eat Guitars
One of the year’s most captivating albums. Muscling guitars roaring like lions over and over and then dropping to simply recorded drums. Fuzz in your face to broken melodies to sweet chorus filled picking. This is an album! I can’t believe these guys have only been around a mere four years. If you get scared by the yelling of the first track … push through, I promise it will not disappoint.

Favorite Tracks: Wind Phoenix (Proper Name), …And The Hazy Sea, Living North.

No.1 Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear
If there is a “Best Of 2009” list that doesn’t include this album somewhere near the top … close the window and walk away slowly. Soaked with tasteful reverb, fantastic guitar parts that sound simple at first hear and drum parts that maybe some of the best out of the last decade. [Note: Originally this was my No.3 album until this point in writing … then I snapped out of it and realized this is my favorite album of the year]. The bouncing piano part and John Bottom-esque drum finale of Two Weeks sold this album for me. Chris Bear knocks out some of the most sly and slightly tweaked drum parts I’ve heard in those 53 glorious minutes. The reverb is so intense. It’s as if they recorded the whole album in an old tiled locker room. I dare to say Grizzly Bear may now be the best band to come out of New York since The Velvet Underground … and yet they do share some common threads. I apologize for this writing, I’m getting to excited listening to the album to concentrate at the moment.

Favorite Tracks: While You Wait For The Others, Two Weeks, Ready Able.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

This list exists because these are also on my list of favorites of 2009 I just couldn’t bring myself to write about all of them. Again what a year to have working ears.

Logos - Atlas Sound
To Willie - Phosphorescent
Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk
Dear John - Loney, Dear
The Blueprint 3 - Jay-z
Vacilando Territory Blues - J. Tillman
The House That Dirt Built - The Heavy
Lost Channels - The Great Lake Swimmers
Summer Of Hate - Crocodiles
I And Love And You - The Avett Brothers
The BQE - Sufjan Stevens
Hospice - Antlers
Person To Person - Foreign Born
Rain Machine - Rain Machine

Top 10 Christmas Albums

Happy Holidays from The Chicken or Egg!  My personal New Year’s resolution for 2010 is to revive this site and what better way to start then to share a top ten list of holiday music.  Ho, Ho, Ho, here we go:

10.  Carpenters- Christmas Portrait [1978]

If I had a childhood curse, it was Karen Carpenter (although, possibly the most underrated drummer of all time). My parents always had this brother/sister duo in the 5-disc CD changer. Unlike Karen’s attitude toward holiday ham, you can’t pass up “Merry Christmas Darling”. What? Too soon?

9.  The Beach Boys- Ultimate Christmas [1964, 1977]

If you at all doubt that The Beach Boys are the most influential American rock band in history, listen to “Morning Christmas”. Oh yeah and “Little Saint Nick” ain’t half bad neither.

8.  Burl Ives- Have A Holly Jolly Christmas [1965]

If Christmas has a voice, its Burl Ives. “What the what is Burl Ives?” you ask. He’s “Sam the Snowman” that’s what!  That’s right. Our friend and narrator from the stop animation Christmas classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.  Who doesn’t want a whole album of that!?

7.  Elvis Presley- Elvis’ Christmas Album [1957]

The King has left the manger (booooo, bad joke). This is only Elvis’ fourth album, but it serves as compelling piece of evidence for a kid that could howl and croon with the best of them. “Blue Christmas” and “Santa Claus is Back in Town”, case and point.

6.  Various Artists- A Very Special Christmas Vol. 1 [1987]

The first volume in a series of Christmas compilations to benefit the Special Olympics gave us hits like The Eurythmics’ “Winter Wonderland”, Madonna’s rendition of “Santa Baby”, and the classic Run-D.M.C. jingle, “Christmas in Hollis”.

5.  Bing Crosby- Merry Christmas/White Christmas [1945]

Does this really need a caption?

4.  The Jackson 5- The Jackson 5 Christmas Album

Michael Jackson was probably history’s best entertainer even as a child. Most artists performing today will never have half the voice that Michael had at nine years of age! This family of Jehovah’s Witnesses sure knows how to serve up some toe-tapping holiday irony.

3.  Nat King Cole- The Christmas Album [1963]

Nat King Cole is about as big as a hero gets; a civil rights activist, jazz pianist, big band leader and pioneer in the recording industry. His recording of “O, Holy Night” set the bar for future artists. To this day the only Christmas song to ever bring a tear to my eye is Cole’s rendition of “The Christmas Song”.

2.  Vince Guaraldi Trio- A Charlie Brown Christmas [1965]

Every time i think about Pig-Pen and the whole gang flailing about on that auditorium stage my lips slightly curl.  “Linus and Lucy” is instantly recognizable and even “Christmas Time is Here” has Wes Anderson curling up in a Snuggie, drinking Swiss Miss, with visions of Anjelica Huston dancing in his head (see: The Royal Tenenbaums).

1.  Various Artists- A Christmas Gift To You From Phil Spector [1963]

The “wall of sound” form of production changed music forever.  The Beach Boys used it, The Beatles used it, Springsteen used it, the Sex Pistols used it, but Phil Spector created it.  The single greatest producer of the last century presents a Christmas album full of arrangements covered by dozens of artists to this day. Originally a flop because of its unfortunate release date November 22, 1963 (JFK’s assassination), this album is highly acclaimed as one of the best Christmas albums of all time. The single “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” has since been famously covered by U2 and Mariah Carey. Also, the popular rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” later covered by The Jackson 5 and Bruce Springsteen debuts here.

Well, this list is not exhaustive but nearly so. Christmas music isn’t all bad; just most of it. But hopefully this restores some faith in the highly commercialized genre of Christmas music, and brings a little joy to your heart or at least some noise to drown out your drunk uncle and screaming, half-deaf Great-Aunt Helen visiting for the holidays. Peace.

Year In The Kingdom - J.Tillman [2009]

As the sun shows commitment to retiring for the day I sit outside on the back porch of a house in the northern Seattle neighborhood of Fremont. The weather has finally returned to its normal pattern of warm sun filled skies followed by cool star filled nights. Perfect bonfire weather. Resting hear I couldn’t help but listen to the new J.Tillman album as I take in the last hours of natural light.

J.Tillman is a Seattle native who, much like Damien Jurado, doesn’t seem to gather as large of a following outside of the area. However, through time and seeing them live a few times I can say that they have the real fans. They have forever fans in a sense. Not the ones who like you and if you come to town for a show they’ll go see you just to talk about it the next day. Instead they have the type of fan that tries to read up on everything they can about their music online on creditable sites as well as unofficial blogs. Followers that will wait for two performers to play hour long set and still wait around to hear one of them finish out the night even if they don’t start until 10 or 11 pm.

There is something to say about artists that pull in that kind of person. Those kinds of people I wouldn’t think would wait around for anyone. They want music that is real. No commercialized bottled water … they want it straight from the tap. On the other end is the artists who isn’t concerned with a following, they love their fans, but they are searching for the big time, they strive to make music that they can be proud to put their name on.

Year In The Kingdom is an album that captures once again the heart of J.Tillman. It isn’t soaked with over produced loops and background tracks. It’s generally a man, a mic, and a guitar. He is joined by harps, and pianos, and an army of wooden flutes, but simply to enhance a song, not to cover up slop.

The album kicks off with the title track. This song has a simple guitar chart with slight hammers on the occasional string and Tillman singing in his calm voice. It is so easy to imagine him singing this song on the back porch of a house in the middle of the woods. This soothing song is a nice entry into track to, Crosswinds, which opens with what sounds like a harp and a chaotic army of wooden flutes which slowly but surely ease into unison. It pedals on at a leisurely but steady moving train with the touches of banjo and the constant beat of a gourd shaker.

This album to my ears captures the journey through the back roads of the West or any back roads journey in which civilization is scarce and you are forced to think about nature and its untouched beauty. It brings the idea of “less is more” into perspective. It’s an uncluttered piece of art in an age of space saving bags and storage units full of stuff people don’t need.

I suppose I haven’t really told you much about the actual album or how each song hit me, but perhaps I can’t explain it. There are some albums that if someone described every song to you without you listening to them … you wouldn’t be interested. However, listening on your own the bundle of tracks will leave the listener thinking past the music and long from the lyrics. The collection will leave you thinking about bigger things than itself.

Rating: To Each Their Own

It's Frightening - White Rabbits [2009]

White Rabbits, a band from New York I believe, have come to capture my attention this year. I first began listening to their previous album Fort Nightly in October after skimming through an old Paste magazine looking for a new artist to check out. I had no idea they would, only a few months later, be releasing a new album. Their new album It’s Frightening lives up to it’s name … if you’re an emo kid I suppose. It’s not really frightening but I can feel the dark edge to it.

After a hint of laughter, the album begins. A syncopated rhythm kicks in on a pair of floor toms in unison. The sound is so raw and in your face (or ears) then the vocals kick in and the drums carry them. Soon to follow comes the simple eery guitar riff. The majority of the song is carried simply by the repetitive floor tom beat. You would think it would sound empty not being filled in by all kinds of noises but that is not the case.

What carries this album are the drums and percussion. It’s almost as if they’ve switched it up and the drums actually create the song and the bass, piano, and guitar are just there for accents. Everything tends to stay in unison, almost like a march of the new age.

The piano that takes over, like a flock of seagulls fighting over a bag of Cheetos, half way through the song They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong is one of the characteristics I enjoy from White Rabbits. They like to emulate the same sound but instead of using the same instrument each time they plug in something else. That same piano chaos seems to imitate the sound that is previously heard with an array of reverb sounds earlier in the track. However, using the piano now they have brought it out loud and banging at your door and then they subtly back it down. Later on the guitar comes in and brings the same imitation to the table. It’s damn brilliant.

Another aspect I enjoy in this collection of songs is that I could see these songs being cheery and happy, but they have decided to play them all in minor chords therefore making them all so dark and in the shadows. They create the feeling of running from someone down a dark street in the suburbs or something to that extent.

I highly recommend at least one listen to this album by White Rabbits. Once you’ve gone through them all once you’ll be back for another listen.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Doubt (2009)

Well the only real thing I knew about this movie was that Meryl Streep was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as a nun.  I personally have always found my tastes in line with the Academy although I was leary about this one.

The movie takes place in  a mid-60s Catholic middle school in New York City and features Philip Seymour Hoffman as the head pastor, Father Flynn, and Streep as the Principal Sister Aloysius Beauvier.  The movie opens in a Sermon delivered by Hoffman, about doubt, of course foreshadowing what is to unfold, we are also unveiled to Streep’s character a brash nun, who slaps the back of a student’s head to straighten his slouched self of the pew in front of him.

We come to find Hoffman’s character to almost be the exact opposite in their stance on how to run the school and treat the children, in more ways than one. He wants to be progressive, to relate to the kids on a personal level, as we see him befriending the children acting also as the PE teacher.  We find that he “likes to keep his nails long”  A seemingly dated aspect of education, the Father seats all the children in the gymnasium and flaunts that he can keep his nails long, contrary to suggested protocol, as long as he keeps them clean.  This seems to be unimportant to the story as a whole except to highlight the Father’s ideals about how to run a parrish and school.

The last vital character to the plot is Sister James, played by the ironically attactive Amy Adams.  James is the young and beyond innocent first year teacher, unsure of herself and easily swayed by the influences of Flynn and Beauvier. 

After our character introductions and more brash disciplining by Streep we are led up to the pivotal moment when a young black student named Donald Miller is called to the out of class to meet with Father Flynn.  The suspicious behavior upon his return provokes Sister James to inform the Principal. 

With the less than recent accusations of priests and young boys in the Catholic church I don’t have to go much deeper or use much more colorful vocabulary for you to understand what heinous act this movie was about.  And this smoke and mirror approach to ever coming out and saying it through various dialogues is what makes the scandal evermore enticing, as those of the church are supposedly met with uncharted circumstances. 

The dialogues are what make this movie. First we are met with that of Sister James and the Principal, then a heated meeting with all three of the main characters, and a final exposure of the relationship of Father Flynn and the boy as Streep shows off a raw, stern, and relentless prying at the boy’s Mother, who makes possibly unprecedented remarks for that time (which I will not spoil).

The dialogue is strong and essential and to no suprise as this film was written and directed by John Patrick Stanley who adapted his own play to the screen and directed this movie.  This film was directed with a great focus of a writer who had a clean vision as can be seen by the strongly set scenes, and well informed actors.

It may have helped that Streep of course delivered one of her greatest performances.  Although I would not want Streep to overshadow the performance of Hoffman who we see either caught in a chase of a lie or pleading to deliver his side of the story. He plays his character to pinpoint accuracy leaving the viewer in doubt of his guilt.

Sister Beauvier gets her confession from Father Flynn to have him “promoted” out of the school away from the children.  But throughout the film we are led to follow the Principal as searching for the truth and side with her, although at no point is there conclusive evidence against Father Flynn.  So we are left in the final scene with the Principal breaking down, a sign of humanity from this brash disciplinarian, as she cries out “I have doubt” and the viewer must now share this doubt.

4 of 5

The Nerdiest Post Ever

Ok, here’s where I come to terms with who I really am.  I am an art lover.  Art in all forms, audible, visual, perceptual, whatever, if its brilliant I want to be its lover.  Mostly because art can fully embrace a culture and yet transcend all culture.  One example that I’d like to look at right now is Japanese art; more specifically japanese anime.  Now that I’ve tried my best not to be Seth Cohen from the O.C., here are my top 5 anime films:

5.  Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki [1997]

This film follows a prince who has been cursed after killing a demonic boar.  He travels to the land of the boars to find a cure, only to stumble upon a village at war with the creatures of the forest, which they are destroying to produce charcoal.  He must choose a side or attempt to find a peaceful solution before both sides obliterate the other.

4.  Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo [1988]

Akira is the story of a post WWIII Tokyo.  A powerful god-like child named Akira started the war with a large explosion years before, and now, thirty-one years later, another child appears with potentially similar capabilities.  If his powers are not harnessed by the government or the love of his friends, this could mean the end of Neo-Tokyo, or civilization as we know it.

3.  Grave of the Fireflies, Isao Takahata, [1988]

Grave of the Fireflies is the story of a boy and his little sister who are orphaned after the American bombing of Japan during WWII.  It tells the story of their struggle to survive on their own with the far too conservative food and water rationing during the war-time effort.  This is a realistic japanese anti-war story, seen from a side often overlooked in WWII history books.

2.  Howl’s Moving Castle,  Hayao Miyazaki [2004]

This story follows a young teenager Sophie who has a chance meeting with a young handsome wizard Howl.  She instantly takes a liking to him but a witch, jealous for Howl’s love, places a curse on Sophie, turning her into a 90 year old woman.  Sophie seeks out Howl’s help by finding his constantly moving castle and disguising herself as the castle’s cleaning lady.  As Howl and Sophie’s relationship grows closer, the spell begins to fade, but at what cost?

1.  Spirited Away,  Hayao Miyazaki, [2001]

Spirited Away is my favorite japanese anime film.  It is the story of a young girl who’s parents are cursed and changed into pigs when trespassing and stealing food from a “spa” for spirits and otherworldly beings.  She befriends a young gifted boy named Haku who helps her get a job at the spa until she can find away to cure her parents and escape back to the human world.  This film is gorgeous and, rightfully so, it beat out Titanic as the highest grossing film in japanese history.

Well there you have it.  The nerdiest post ever.  But if you find yourself reading this post and thinking, I will never watch any of those movies, or “man that’s gay”, I want to encourage you to turn off sportscenter, put away your live john mayer cd, get off of facebook, and try something new.  You know who you are.

Beards In Entertainment: Part 1

The hair growing off of a man’s (or the unfortunate woman’s) chin is one of the great gifts of God. For years people have been growing beards. As stated in the great Wikipedia:

In the course of history, men with facial hair have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom and knowledge, sexual virility, or high social status; and, conversely, filthiness, crudeness, or an eccentric disposition, such as in the case of a tramp, hobo or vagrant. In many cultures beards are associated with nature and outdoorsmen.

Beards in many colors shapes and sizes all around the world. For some it becomes a winter thing, for others it’s a three day thing, and for some it is based on laziness. For whatever reason a beard is spawned they all have their fine characteristics.

As a beard lover I thought I would begin an on-going post of Beards In Entertainment. Here are this months beards.

No.1 Devendra Banhart - This guy is always growing different beards but tends to keep it in the “I could be an actor in the modern film 300.” Keeping the sides trimmed up to give the appearance of more length.

No.2 Ryan Adams - This was picture is from Ryan Adams short lived “I’m into the Grateful Dead” phase. He sported this beard while constructing the album Cold Roses (which came out wonderfully). He grows a fine beard that is very full and signifies he grows a thick scruff. Well done sir.

No.3 Joaquin Phoenix - Recently decided to grow out his facial hair and join the rap game. Kind of an odd match-up there but I’m down for that. He is currently sporting what best resembles Grizzly Adams if he were still alive. I’m actually surprised people still recognize him.

There you have three fine beards to chew on for the month of April. Get inspired, grow out all the facial hair you possibly can, take a few pictures, tag them on Facebook and share the links.