Elsewhere, 2/6

This fantastic video of an impromptu Arcade Fire performance/encore is just a little bit more proof that they’re one of the most vital bands around (as if you needed any more proof). Their second album, Neon Bible, comes out March 6.

Bill Van Loo is now taking preorders for Raindays, his collaboration with J. Schnable. Pre-orders will also receive a bonus disc containing a live performance of the duo.

Wow, those ALA fellows just keep pumping the issues out. This time, the focus is on embedding Flash and a cleaner approach to multi-column web layouts (which, conveniently enough, applies to a project I’ve just started).

Matt Winslow reviews Jeffrey Overstreet’s Through A Screen Darkly: “If you’re a Christian wondering how you can watch film and not compromise your soul, this book’s for you. If you’re someone like me who enjoys movies and who also enjoys reading deeply, this book’s for you. And if you’re an experienced film critic wanting to dialogue with another experienced film critic, this book’s also for you.” You can read the opening chapter here.

Garrett Murray has just released SimpleLog 2.0, the latest version of his streamlined blogging application. The new version is packed with new features, including a souped-up admin interface.

Christianity Today posts their top movies of 2006.

Jaman is a new online movie distribution service that focuses on foreign and indie cinema. Films can either be rented for 7 days (with unlimited viewings) or purchased outright, and are then watched via Jaman’s downloadable player (and wonder of wonders, they have a Mac version). And of course, this being the Web 2.0 era, users can then rate and comment on the films. Jaman’s library isn’t huge, but it is growing due to filmmaker submissions, and they already have a nice collection of classic Shaw Brothers titles. Twitch has a bit more info.

Boring Machines has been turning me onto a whole ton of new music lately. I recently downloaded The Dandelion Council’s The Mysteries of Bioluminescence, which is a must-hear if you’re into Boards of Canada’s brand of broken, wilted, nostalgic electronica, and now it’s onto 12Rec’s catalog.

Filter offers up their first impressions of the new Dungen album, Tio Bitar: “Whereas Ta Det Lugnt was anthemic, Tio Bitar is airy, with sprawling ambient sections that sound like they come from Brian Eno’s trippy doppelganger.”