nada surf's new album, "the weight is a gift," is, much like the new pornographers' "twin cinema," a slower, more melancholy and more nuanced album than its predecessor, but still impressive and likeable. it doesn't ever really reach the incredible poppy highs of "let go", and many of the melodies aren't as memorable, but i think it'll make a pretty good autumn cd.

of course, the mp3 i'm posting is incredibly poppy and catchy, but not necessarily reflective of the rest of the album. but still awesome.

nada surf - "blankest year"

FYI: the official trailer for "the goblet of fire" is up here, and if you look real close, you can catch a glimpse of ralph fiennes as voldemort at the end...and lemme tell you, he doesn't exactly look as good as he did in "the english patient." well, let me rephrase that: he actually looks QUITE similar to how he spent half of "the english patient." the gross-looking half. maybe that's how the director knew to cast him. (UPDATE: a still of voldemort in the film is here, if you're interested in how he looks.)

anyway, the movie looks pretty great, well, if i'm going to base my opinion on the 45 seconds of clips. let's hope it takes after #3 and not #s 1 and 2.

quick report from the bloc party show at the congress theater: