tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287238003524502092024-03-18T23:02:30.208-04:00Marginal MindsOff-center culture from Philly and Beyond!Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-22927977096979041062011-06-30T17:55:00.008-04:002011-06-30T18:29:35.646-04:00Dinosaur Jr. Plays Bug in Philly<span style="font-style:italic;">Article and photos by Paul Tsikitas.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFsmEs_r8kvsZIOd2aX_z8mVOTyt7BuHwbIdsfWWdCAyR6P-rL_go3OaWgpgf20ndLjOEKLSoo45IGX_ToUHY1ZwAeNdoj9GqexGjVOqK5EnAMxs9MxPnHdiWG_y2pdehGm1sW15IUC8z/s1600/Dinosaur+Junior+Philly+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFsmEs_r8kvsZIOd2aX_z8mVOTyt7BuHwbIdsfWWdCAyR6P-rL_go3OaWgpgf20ndLjOEKLSoo45IGX_ToUHY1ZwAeNdoj9GqexGjVOqK5EnAMxs9MxPnHdiWG_y2pdehGm1sW15IUC8z/s400/Dinosaur+Junior+Philly+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624137633432278306" border="0" /></a><br />This past week, Philly was treated to Dinosaur Jr. playing through their seminal 1988 album <span style="font-style:italic;">Bug</span>, in it's entirety. Touring a 23-year old album with Henry Rollins in tow may seem to some like either something out of a slacker's cream dream or something that just doesn't make any sense. However, Dinosaur Jr.--having been re-energized since re-uniting their original line-up back in 2005--has unleashed two of their best albums, 2007's <span style="font-style: italic;">Beyond </span>and 2009's <span style="font-style: italic;">Farm</span>. Having listened to those two albums extensively, it makes more sense that <span style="font-style: italic;">Bug </span>is being resurrected for a full tour.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidreVs-wns7cOseVro5GRLaAyMtxrzmAVQqXXPnckI8C4eBrbmEifn_RPY6lXU4d-ChRtfo0bjG_CdGHVnmAbbsSetImkas1sMrF1I9rijd5jTdYTiJD1uE7ciFyK5UZM2ihQM8jHj3sHQ/s1600/Dinosaur+Junior+Philly+Rollins.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 157px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidreVs-wns7cOseVro5GRLaAyMtxrzmAVQqXXPnckI8C4eBrbmEifn_RPY6lXU4d-ChRtfo0bjG_CdGHVnmAbbsSetImkas1sMrF1I9rijd5jTdYTiJD1uE7ciFyK5UZM2ihQM8jHj3sHQ/s200/Dinosaur+Junior+Philly+Rollins.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624142800709707938" border="0" /></a>Before Rollins could sink his hooks into Dinosaur Jr., punk rock supergroup Off! got to unleash a furious set. Seeing members of Black Flag and Philly's own Burning Brides slay through 10 or so songs was the perfect starter. Then Henry Rollins took over, and the Electric Factory crowd was going nuts. In fact, when J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph strolled out shortly after, there were still people chanting for Rollins. Rollins interviewed the band asking questions like a giddy school girl. He even proclaimed to be the biggest Dinosaur Jr. fan out there. It was kind of obvious that, as usual, Rollins was right. There was one wistful moment when Lou Barlow recollected having written some negative things about J and Murph and it was a touching moment, if not ruined by that guy screaming "ROLLINS" every 27 seconds. The band left the stage and the real moment of truth came.<br /><br />Before launching into <span style="font-style: italic;">Bug</span>, Dino J kicked off with "The Lung" and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedfmkkXHP5n6dFa4cdIMqnfqPtukblnVZ2UQErFZiND7r9PLuUlC7aPAC1yRtRvu5U7bIvv8p_fXxPCvdtShYXrFfv6HXM4DJAx73gKtZmHD9T0SduVnof4U5XAO6JMSqdCsH6ZETHUGx/s1600/Dinosaur+Junior+Philly+3.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedfmkkXHP5n6dFa4cdIMqnfqPtukblnVZ2UQErFZiND7r9PLuUlC7aPAC1yRtRvu5U7bIvv8p_fXxPCvdtShYXrFfv6HXM4DJAx73gKtZmHD9T0SduVnof4U5XAO6JMSqdCsH6ZETHUGx/s200/Dinosaur+Junior+Philly+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624140501458878370" border="0" /></a>"The Wagon", keeping in pace with the album's intensity. Nothing slowed down from there. "Freak Scene" is a show stopper. The guys, who resemble dinosaurs themselves, had a relentless energy. "Let It Ride" was my personal favorite highlight. J's guitar was in full tilt. Album closer "Don't" usually screamed by Lou Barlow was pawned of to a local fan. It was an intense ride. They came back for a two song encore highlighted by their biggest hit "Feel the Pain." The night was a blur of sound and pure rock ferocity. A perfect rendition of an intense album.<br /><br />Other than the few overly intense Henry Rollins fans, this was purely a night of celebrating Dinosaur Jr. They may not have the star power of, say, Soundgarden, their grungy counterparts (who are also touring this year), but they have a relevance and sound that is equally as powerful. Even after seeing Dinosaur Jr. a handful of times, my excitement never lagged. This was a night of pure punk rock fury that I will never forget.Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-85474500198173999242010-08-09T01:33:00.005-04:002010-08-09T14:08:48.647-04:00Garage A Trois<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSrTQVpgHuOkS4Y4t8BZeYBgaKtPKQtJcycgwVBR2VMg11YHpX4RW2AZabPZJz5GTCOQN6mxVgHEgbFoxhVfyayyxO8fNL8gXrjH2pm6ubjU_QHwGjjhTDt-jPeV7a9TqlGk9fQz50x4K/s1600/Garage.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSrTQVpgHuOkS4Y4t8BZeYBgaKtPKQtJcycgwVBR2VMg11YHpX4RW2AZabPZJz5GTCOQN6mxVgHEgbFoxhVfyayyxO8fNL8gXrjH2pm6ubjU_QHwGjjhTDt-jPeV7a9TqlGk9fQz50x4K/s320/Garage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503305841032235650" border="0" /></a>This was my first time seeing Garage A Trois since they replaced power-genius acid-jazz guitar-god Charlie Hunter with avant-garde golden-boy piano-prodigy Marco Benevento. I wasn't sure what to expect, especially considering that I was always 'so-so' on the few Benevento projects I had the opportunity to see. But I gotta hand it to him. Marco may have stole the show.<br /><br />I'm not sure exactly why I was half expecting MB to be all over the place. If they can keep Skerik on a tight shock-collar, the brash young organ talent should be more than happy to stick to the script despite his flair for bragadociery. But if his improvisational flow is a garden hose, then Garage has put a thumb over half the spigot to make the concentrated stream burst forth with twice the force, and thrice the effectiveness. Benevento's solo's were truly electrifying. Mesmerizing. Every other adjective used to describe major motion pictures. Getting a primo spot on the balcony gave me a compelling view of his dancing fingers which tore through stratospheric scales and satanic modes at bullet-train speeds. By comparison, Marco shredding through octaves and sevenths makes lightening bolts look like molasses. My mind was effectively blown. Dancing ensued.<br /><br />As for the rest of the crew? Well Stanton Moore is a figurehead for far more than all of apocalypse-era New Orleans music. He is an innovator of far more than the preferred drum method of percussion instructors around the country. He is a live and session favorite of--well, probably everybody. He smiles when he plays and makes the skins sing. And I'd like to note that if there ever was a modern jazz act dearer to my heart than Garage A Trois (as well as the aforementioned Mr. Hunter's albums), it would have to be the Stanton Moore Trio.<br /><br />Skerik, whose awesome sax wrongdoings have echoed in the halls of Olympus as having been part of Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, plays gymnast-tight bluesy lines and isn't afraid to even sit out for breaks while Marco dominates the higher registers. Hell, he's probably exhausted because his other band, The Dead Kenny G's, was the opening act and that's where Skerik does his real brutalities. At one point during the Gs' set, he actually beat-boxes into his sax mic and loops the effect for some hip-hop breakdowns. Meanwhile, the last Garage-man and also a member of the G's--percussionist Mike Dillon--does demonic things with the vibraphone and operates effects pedals and pads coming out the wozz. Mike D seems to represent the more inappropriate emotions that can be associated with instrumental music and I definitely wouldn't have it any other way.<br /><br />I haven't had a chance to hear their new album, Power Patriot. But the two new tracks from their myspace are succulent, especially 'Germs'. Check that out, fast: http://www.myspace.com/garageatrois. There's not all that much else for me to say about these guys... get all their albums, see them live, Marco Benevento rocks, it's a continual cavalcade of Yes.Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-21166773403138433542009-06-06T16:04:00.014-04:002010-09-27T10:40:12.908-04:00Psychedelphia<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0O6GH3WCSMBFUtC1NfKfG4k3GhAly4UumJdkUxTRwOzTGQJydAwPOiUIqfF199ishY6YLC2jPIeL2rpSR7N-lCBamdPci4nw_m1mqUqixezF1t-vaW9wM9aBMId6V2r0GKZ0cBFoe4zQ/s1600-h/psychedelphia.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344316489828761682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0O6GH3WCSMBFUtC1NfKfG4k3GhAly4UumJdkUxTRwOzTGQJydAwPOiUIqfF199ishY6YLC2jPIeL2rpSR7N-lCBamdPci4nw_m1mqUqixezF1t-vaW9wM9aBMId6V2r0GKZ0cBFoe4zQ/s320/psychedelphia.jpg" /></a> I got to sit down at Chris's Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia just as Psychedelphia was setting up shop. I was excited to check them out based on their name and venue alone, but I wasn't sure what variety of jazz/psychedelic music I was going to get. When they took the stage, what I ended up getting was a well-organized, tonally pleasing jam-band that managed to skirt past predictability without getting inaccessable. Think of a less over-ambitious Phish, with Greatful Dead major chord optimism and an occasional splash of King Crimson-esque segeuways and time signatures. Not willing to let these guys slip by, I cought up with lead guitarist Kenn Mogul after the show, for a chat.<br /><div><br /><strong>MM:</strong> Who are all the band members? How long have you guys been playing together?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> Alden Parker plays rhythm guitar, John Olsen plays bass, Adam Pasqual plays drums. We’ve been together since last August. </div><div><br /><strong>MM:</strong> How did you guys get started?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> Alden is from Tennessee. Adam, John, and I are all from the Pottstown area in PA. I got back from a 7 month spiritual retreat. There was an open jazz jam at this venue called Chaplans. We played together at this weekly, free form jam session for a few weeks, and we decided to start working on original material in mid-August'08. Our HQ is this place called the Nuke Farm near the power plant in Limerick. </div><div><br /><strong>MM:</strong> What are your influences?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> We have all different influences. The most common amongst us is the Beatles. You probably would HEAR that as much from our finished result though. Alden’s big in to Widespread Panic, Bela Fleck and the Fleck Tones, Phish… one of my biggest influences is Steve Kimmock. We have a heavy San Francisco, Denver influence, what we’re doing isn’t really done in Philadelphia.</div><div><br /><strong>MM:</strong> What’s the songwriting process like?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> I write 95% of the music. I write melodies in my head; I think every melody tells a story, so when I think of something, I write the melodies down with words in story form. </div><div><br /><strong>MM:</strong> If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell me a little bit about your 7 month spiritual retreat?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> I had just got out of the band Mogul’s Brew. Some people achieve a decent amount of success, then when the shit hit’s the fan, ya kinda go a little crazy. I sorta went the Jack Kaeroak route, Denver was the first stop. I wrote a lot of songs. Every player has to realize what they’re capable of... And then deal with the fear of what you’re capable of.<br /><br /><div><strong>MM:</strong> Forgive the stereotypical question based on your guys sound an appearance, but… do guys, uh.. partake?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> That was a big part of the past for a few of us, but we’re all clean now and just enjoy a few beers.<br /><br /></div><div><strong>MM:</strong> How long have you been playing guitar?</div><strong>Kenn:</strong> I picked it up at ten, and eventually I dropped out of high school to tour with Face Down Angels. My family wasn’t thrilled, but they weren’t terrible about it either--they were just like, “you’ll learn…” and they’re right. I am learning. I know about a million ways to do it wrong, Pychedelphia is my attempt to do it right.<br /><br /><div><strong>MM:</strong> Do you guys have any CD’s to offer?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> We record all our shows live. We have an EP that we recorded about a month after we started. We’re currently working on an LP that’s half live, half studio. </div><br /><div><strong>MM:</strong> Have any labels approached you guys?<br /><strong>Kenn:</strong> Yea, we’ve been approached a few times but we’re trying to keep it very DIY at the moment. On the horizon, we plan to look for a band to dour with on the east coast, then maybe head out west.<br /><br /><a href="http://marginalminds.googlepages.com/Psychedelphia-Submerged.mp3">Pychedelphia - Submerged.mp3</a><br /></div><br /><div>Check out Psychedelphia:</div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/psychedelphiamusic">Myspace</a></div><div><a href="http://www.psychedelphia.com/">Psychedelphia.com</a></div></div>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-84959683263949932442009-04-10T06:31:00.005-04:002009-04-11T19:18:02.666-04:00Mastodon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhj3KhtGJgpVtgUQ59bRLGItVHAj_WbEicTVd8oD4C7cTeoGdmS6dbAjdYAr4b2eJp3Qd6221Vf4LqAwk0vV76D-bBlv9BLjAxIt8uF-S_BrbVCj1GnS25WYEbuwEoYy2nqFfkyFn8C8O1/s1600-h/mastodon+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhj3KhtGJgpVtgUQ59bRLGItVHAj_WbEicTVd8oD4C7cTeoGdmS6dbAjdYAr4b2eJp3Qd6221Vf4LqAwk0vV76D-bBlv9BLjAxIt8uF-S_BrbVCj1GnS25WYEbuwEoYy2nqFfkyFn8C8O1/s320/mastodon+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323009079419811746" border="0" /></a>When a band is pigeonholed into a genre, it sometimes makes it extremely hard for that band to grow. And when it comes to metal music, the one huge thing a metal band needs to fear is pissing off its fan base. Metal heads are some of the toughest sells to change. They want speedy riffs, heavy vocals and overall brutality. In the case of Mastodon, the band's past few efforts have showed winds of change, but were still essentially brutal, metal. Mastodon has decided to do the unholy shift in scope and sound on their new record, Crack the Skye. From the perspective of a non-metal head, this album is a transcendent piece of spaced out prog metal that shows the band at it’s most coherent and precise. The shift in production and sound may piss off some metal heads, but to be honest, if they can’t get down with this record, fuck em.<br /><br /> Crack the Skye is a revelation. Mastodon has always written intricate stories within their brand of metal. Leviathan took a stab at Melville’s Moby Dick and Blood Mountain tells tales of strange forest creatures and paranoia. Ambition is something that Mastodon has in spades and Crack the Skye may be the most ambitious yet. A story of astral travel, golden umbilical cords, usurping Czars, Rasputin, the devil and lofty out of body experiences pervade the story arc of the album and with that, we have easily the strangest and most unique concept album in some years. Their past records are said to represent one of the elementals and this time around, the element of aether, the space between the heavens and Earth, is definitely executed not just thematically but musically.<br /><br /> Album opener and stellar single “Oblivion” rockets through a chugging riff and launches the listener into this world. The vocals, which in exchange for Mastodon’s usual screams and howls, moves to melodic harmonies and lamentations. Although the mood and structure of songs is somewhat different, with touches of Tool style prog and Pink Floyd melodic guitar soloing, Mastodon’s signature booming rhythm section and multi-vocalists still prevails. “Divinations” is a superb rocker with a howlingly fast guitar passage and bone crushing drumming.<br /><br /> The second half of the record houses some of Mastodon’s finest work to date. The loud and technical “Ghost of Karelia” is the albums high point. Structurally, the song is a workout of epic proportions. A pulsating riff with a hypnotic bass line that is constantly swirling and changing, it’s dynamic, fast-paced metal that is a welcome change to the bands thrashy goodness. “Crack the Skye” is where we hear Mastodon at their more traditional with the help of Scott Kelly of Neurosis. His beckoning screams a backed by a furious drum beat that pummels your ears and a deep chugging guitar part that is relentless and loud. The album closes with “The Last Baron,” a lofty 13-minute metal epic that never eases up and spazzes out from time to time. It has movements that are an all out assault on the ears. It’s the pinnacle of the albums intensity.<br /><br /> The complaints are sure to flow, but at the same time, Mastodon has definitely topped themselves. This brand of audacious space prog from a generally brutal metal band comes as a pleasant surprise. The band is embracing the album format more so than before with a seamless flow and a theme, although ambitious, very intriguing and coherent. Masterfully crafted, Crack the Skye is a fitfully brilliant rock record that takes no time to get into. It isn’t a sellout record by any stretch. Major label success has yet to ruin Mastodon’s integrity and this disc is nothing short of dazzling.<br /><br />by <a href="http://cropulis.blogspot.com/">Paul Tsikitas</a><br /><br />Mastodon on:<br /><a href="http://www.mastodonrocks.com/">The Internet</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastodon">Wikipedia</a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-42145532040043083332009-03-11T12:37:00.011-04:002009-03-11T17:35:09.940-04:00Duane Swierczynski<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggY3UJJG_WRyAhihl7ilu0-8Iwogd3a5HXvAdazOYqec97AtFDKvNwZ2z7nQc3TyMODlbvSaq54DL6D9SHdk1wZrQAXXZ4fRhTxvto8yh6jk-aQD62g7M8M5L4DfNWBeRg4zT70C6hIAC3/s1600-h/wheelman.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggY3UJJG_WRyAhihl7ilu0-8Iwogd3a5HXvAdazOYqec97AtFDKvNwZ2z7nQc3TyMODlbvSaq54DL6D9SHdk1wZrQAXXZ4fRhTxvto8yh6jk-aQD62g7M8M5L4DfNWBeRg4zT70C6hIAC3/s320/wheelman.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312028139016357026" border="0" /></a><strong>A timely review of Duane Swierczynski's 2005 crime-noir thriller, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wheel Man</span>.</strong><strong></strong><br /><br /><div>Progress with regards to my list of to-reads didn't receive any particular shot in the arm this year as things like relocating to Collingswood, my introduction to podcasts, a personal video game rennaisance, beer blogging, and youtube on the projection screen of my new man-cave largely took over the main focus of my culture-time expenditure. The fact that I actually read all 220 pages of this lightning fast thriller smack in the middle of Philly Beer Week--a week when very little ought to be getting accomplished--should illustrate exactly how quickly this book moves.</div><br /><div> </div>The protagonist is a mute Irishman who serves as a getaway driver for a bank robbery. The book opens with him getting ready to make a getaway, when--take a guess.. Something goes wrong? Bango. And things continue to go so wrong for the next two days as an assortment of characters vie for the loot, the guns, the girl--it's basically a classic noir clusterfuck all Swierczynski'd up for a Philly free-for-all.<br /><div><br /><div>It seemed as though the odds were stacked in my favor to love <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wheel Man</span> because: it serves as a noir-tastic travelogue in and about my nearby metropolis--including a few stops in at my old dorm; it features characters with (at best) blurred ethical compasses; and it reads like a transcript of Tom Waits muttering in his sleep. On top of all that, the author himself is my former journalism professor, which, in a way, makes him partially responsible for quality of this website. hAHAHAHA FART@@<br /></div><div> </div><br /><div>A lot of common adjectives are used to describe Duane Swierczynsky's works--gritty, sharp, violent, pulpy, clever, dark, slick. I'm going to pitch a few new ones: Funky, soulful, jazzy... Is Swierczynski the Herbie Hancock of modern crime-noir? It would be rude of me to say "definitely, yes" having only gotten around to reading a pathetic (1) of his prolific (5) fictions per presidential term. But there definitely is a certain rhythmic quality to this heisty shoot-em-up.<br /></div><div> </div><br /><div>Just as Guy Ritchie will slow a bullet down so you can admire the art on the wall behind it, Swierczynski goes from cut-the-crap plot-points to savoring the little details... then right back to business. This creates a pace that would be dizzying, but the narrative has enough meat to dig into that you never spin out or lose comprehension of a plot-twist. The arrangement of these pace-change-moments add just the appropriate amount of flesh and never seem merely like sprinkles of humanity-dust atop a 90-foot steel nihilism-coaster.<em></em><br /></div><div><em></em> </div><br /><div>By the way, Swierczynski never lets us forget that he's in love with heistery on a grandiose scale. The closest that this theft-loving romp comes to being boring is when Duane stops to lists six or ten of his favorite bank robbery books that a particular character (read: Duane) read when he was growing up. But I admire Duane's indulging in his passion (as well as--most likely--the passion of many of his readers!). Besides, the only reason this seems boring to me is because the titles are all about bank robbing, instead of, say, the history of dry-hopping.<br /><br />I think the coolest thing about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wheel Man</span> is that so many different characters come and go--a total quantity which, normally, would be overwhelming. Swierczynski manages to weave your interest into the fates of these different characters like a lazer surgeon. But he never over-does or under-does a particular character's development, and that includes characters we only meet in the final pages. On back cover, Duane thanks his editor "Marc". I can tell that "Marc" had a big hand in helping Duane look good, because this book could be a 700 page project to read. Instead I got a huge novel's worth of thrills and depth, but it took me a day and a half. This "Marc" seems like a good professional, and I look forward to sending him a few of my still-up-for-grabs manuscripts such as, <em>The Over-Eater</em>, <em>The Problem Drinker</em>, and <em>Unemployed: Mom, would you like to buy a Young Writer Bond?</em><br /><br />Las thing I'd like to mention is how flat out funny this book is at times. Duane's blend of humor, which I like to call SophistiFrat<b>™<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></b>suits the over-all tone of the work just about perfectly. The characters are a fun array of archetypes that sometimes rely on cheap laughs just so as not to wander off-topic, and other times work the context of their relationships to humor's advantage. Even though I wouldn't call this a comedy by any stretch, there were certainly at least a few out-loud-laughs (or "oll", for those of you who are hip to texting).<br /><br />What's next for my Duane-queue? Might as well start with the titular book from his blog, <span style="font-style: italic;">Secret Dead Men</span>, although I'll certainly have to czech them all out at some point. Only worry is I hope I can get to finish before he cranks more out, and no, that wasn't meant to sound dirty!<br /><br /><br />Visit Duane on <a href="http://www.duaneswierczynski.com/">the Internet</a>!<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Duane%20Swierczynski">Buy</a> his Books!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 204);">editor@MarginalMinds.com</span><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><br /></div></div><div> </div>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-76130043099399863622009-02-05T18:43:00.008-05:002009-03-11T16:40:18.016-04:00Josh Garza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMVsmrH386bSPUArU5VV2fi4rEcp-5DHalQg4cjLCJ_hNPFI7a68UTOpFmvIbykYa8ICkmKfKwQJFBiki0wXxmy6DpJ0bhL08YoRX9r5MvRrQBDmf-8kd4KhXj8l2H47We-1N-r71TpGP/s320/secret+machines.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMVsmrH386bSPUArU5VV2fi4rEcp-5DHalQg4cjLCJ_hNPFI7a68UTOpFmvIbykYa8ICkmKfKwQJFBiki0wXxmy6DpJ0bhL08YoRX9r5MvRrQBDmf-8kd4KhXj8l2H47We-1N-r71TpGP/s320/secret+machines.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Secret Machines Drummer Discusses New Album</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.</span>: Josh, the new album is self titled... Why is that?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh</span>: I know it sounds pompous, but the truth is there were really no stand-out songs or themes on the album, so...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.</span>: Tell me about the Warner Brothers' fiascor.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh</span>: After it was recorded, Warner Brothers didn't feel like it would sell 50,000 or 100,00 copies, so they didn't want to go ahead with it. We asked them to drop us, and let us keep the album rights, but they wouldn't. Instead, they liscenced us out to an indie label. World's Fair / TSM... Most of the time, bands get dropped and these reccords get shelved all-together. Especially with today's economy, bands need to sell a million coppies... They were scared to let us go, scared to go ahead with the reccord. So doing it this way, they sorta did us a big favor.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.</span>: How do you feel about the album over all? It sounds like it very well could be your guys' best work...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh</span>: Well, I'll tell you what, I'm glad you said it before me... It feels sorta [awkward] to come right out and say it, but it's just a really excellent rock reccord. Also, we did all this stuff with live tapes, no computers, it's serious rock and roll.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.</span>: Do you feel pressure from fans--now that you're developing a serious fan base-to play certain 'hits' during your live set? Are you going to be focusing mostly on the new material during shows?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh:</span> We're just doing what we love to do... entertain people.. have fun... We're going to be shying away from "Now You're Gone" and "Last Believer, Drop Dead" which are two tracks in particular that we haven't really worked out a transisiton from the studio piece to a live performance yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.</span>: What have you been listening to lately?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh</span>: Uh... Grindermen... The new Nick Cave is great! I like the new T.K. Webb. I like full reccords, can't just get into single songs...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.</span>: Who did you listen to growing up?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh</span>: I grew up with 3 brothers, they played full reccords, and I got to listen to bands that have a lot of personalities in the sound. The Who, Stones, Zep, all unique personalities. And my brothers pushed me into the drums. Listening to these reccords, we'd play air-instruments a lot, and the drums were the only air-instrument left for me to pick! But the personalitiy in the music always meant a lot... U2, Joshua Tree, Actung Baby, Unforgetable Fire, they all have great songs but I didn't like the production. I didn't care about Brian Eno's drum machine, I always preferred guys banging away on stuff...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.:</span> Who do you like to read?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh</span>: Kurt Vonnegut... ...he's really a funny writer!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">M.M.</span>: Any sweeping generalities about the current political climate?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josh</span>: You know.. it's like watching the game. People have turned politics into a sporting event. I'm not a huge fan of either party, but people don't really care any more, they don't really listen, they just root for their fuckin' team.<br /><br /><br />Check out the new Secret Machines album, and here's a youtube of Josh wailing on skins:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TnngLSYYfCY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TnngLSYYfCY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-6878624988583714222009-01-06T23:14:00.007-05:002009-01-09T15:15:17.611-05:00Philly Local: Inis Nua Theatre<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA-oMQh419e-0IexurtjUo6r3zCcMUP70gAKQRHhdgKk8DqNF2fvb_RrwfVQH5_bBSFnrn1Dg4k6hFD69Pmnlbni6np1c4j4o_fVcbpEoZ-cBf6iFoOA5NRMUqWIKq67vbbpbgQvs4tVp/s1600-h/inis+nua.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA-oMQh419e-0IexurtjUo6r3zCcMUP70gAKQRHhdgKk8DqNF2fvb_RrwfVQH5_bBSFnrn1Dg4k6hFD69Pmnlbni6np1c4j4o_fVcbpEoZ-cBf6iFoOA5NRMUqWIKq67vbbpbgQvs4tVp/s320/inis+nua.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288405541498171746" border="0" /></a>When artistic director Tom Reing conceived Philly-based <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u><a href="http://www.inisnuatheatre.org/">Inis Nua Theatre</a></u></span> five years ago, Paul Meade’s play <i>Skin Deep</i> served as a basis for what he wanted the company to emulate: contemporary work from Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland that told a good story, asked probing questions and allowed for actors to command attention. <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">Since Reing first saw <i>Skin Deep</i> in Dublin in 2003, he’s wanted to bring it to Philadelphia. The desire was fulfilled Wednesday as <i>Skin Deep </i>opened before a sold-out show at the Adrienne Theatre on 20th and Sansom streets for its American debut.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">“The show didn’t do Broadway and then regional theater like other Irish shows; so I decided to bypass all that and went down the route of self-producing,” he said. To Reing, <i>Skin Deep</i> is “really great. … [It’s] smaller, less technical to produce. After five years... this is great!”</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">Written by Irish playwright Paul Meade, <i>Skin Deep</i> depicts the entangling lives of four Dubliners who let their creative ambitions impair their ethical judgments in a thriller of a play. The quartet employed by Reign provides compelling and realistic characters, who have you rooting them on while simultaneously despising them.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">Charlie DelMarcelle plays Karl, a starving artist so desperate for a bankable idea, he convinces a young medical student, Susan (Melissa Lynch), to steal a human foot from a research facility. Karl’s art begins to center around the foot: drawings of, reactions to and the foot itself. He shows it to his friend Dan (Jared Michael Delaney – also assistant artistic director), an aspiring photographer himself, and Dan’s new girlfriend, journalist Ruth (Corinna Burns) to capture natural reactions to the foot’s mortality and obscurity. But when his show featuring the foot becomes successful, people–-including Ruth--start asking questions about the foot, compromising Karl, Susan and Dan’s futures.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">Although all actors excel, Burns stands out as Ruth. Coming off a stint as Antigone at the Fringe’s <i>Oedipus at FDR</i> (you know, the skate park), Burns really sells the Irish accent and serves as the reality check to the idealist Karl, the lustful Dan and the desperate Susan. Her character struggles to maintain a relationship with Dan and write an incredibly personal article, in addition to battling a brain tumor. That seems like a lot to handle, but Burns manages it all well and effectively creates a dynamic character. Her internal struggle of wanting to protect Dan verses exposing the truth is apparent. </p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">Loosely based on English artist Damien Hurst, Karl goes beyond the ethical norm in art. Hurst’s work features animals–-tiger shark, cow, sheep-–preserved in formaldehyde. Karl takes that a step further with the foot. DelMarcelle displays a cold, indifferent opinion towards humanity and often manipulates the other characters.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">For Reing, the ethical questions posed by Meade’s work drew his attention, among other aspects:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVLQcFWmqx3BASPD5bqGhMvbVY8h-G-UcOw7zhvW3sz7dGVmodv9fz_-rpWiMMA_BTk13tOQjS5BzHL5VFZ7i640l9kLTiPHYfhyphenhyphen_R573e7G6cmIqDSebcpaIh9IxK2kgIUcFJtBE048Z/s1600-h/tom+reing.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVLQcFWmqx3BASPD5bqGhMvbVY8h-G-UcOw7zhvW3sz7dGVmodv9fz_-rpWiMMA_BTk13tOQjS5BzHL5VFZ7i640l9kLTiPHYfhyphenhyphen_R573e7G6cmIqDSebcpaIh9IxK2kgIUcFJtBE048Z/s320/tom+reing.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289387336877374754" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">“Ethics are important. It’s all about choices and consequences. I find that interesting. I want to show characters that aren’t evil villains with dark mustaches or total good guys,” Reign says. “We’re all complex. [I want to do] plays that speak to me and ask, ‘what would I do?’”</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">A low-budget production, Reign’s version of <i>Skin Deep</i> nevertheless works well with the limited means it possesses. A fifth character nearly exists in the form of a video screen down stage right. Relevant backgrounds, character photographs and intense live video add another dimension to the production. Set designer Tim Gallagher used his space and tools appropriately. DelMarcelle’s monologues which pervade the show allow the audience a more intimate look at an actor then normally possible in a production. When his character Karl discusses mortality, fame and 'who owns the body', you are drawn to listen. Although some topics may seem redundantly repeated, each presentation remains fresh.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">Reing enjoyed the video because it advances Meade’s theme of a society existing with a deluge of cameras. In addition, the idea that you don’t own your body pervades the work.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">“Who owns your body? There’s cameras everywhere. The foot being on display. Susan’s image on the billboard. Ruth gets the bad part of her brain taking out, but she still looses something,” Reing says.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">Elsewhere on the technical aspect, transitions between scenes (despite that actors had to do the legwork) were quick and nearly unnoticeable. Proper reflection could be given to the previous episodes because of the appropriate music, projected images and otherwise dark landscape. Also, a functional four-in-one set piece eased many transition burdens.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><i>Skin Deep</i> opens Inis Nua’s two-show season and runs Jan 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and is only <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u><a href="https://inisnua.ticketleap.com/">$15 for students at the door ($20 for old fogies)</a></u></span>. Another Irish play, Mark O’Rowe’s <i>Made in China</i> is to follow in May. In between, Inis Nua runs a monthly reading series with respective selections from Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the coming months.</p> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">by <a href="http://lemondisco.blogspot.com/">Sam Fran Scavuzzo</a><br /></p><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-34349210453267017762008-12-09T16:52:00.008-05:002008-12-09T17:29:45.126-05:00Todd SolondzDuring the first part of the 1990's, lots of indie directors rose to fame. Propelled by independent but driven producers like the Weinsteins, growing festivals, and more options in video rental and purchase, these artistic, edgy filmmakers started to make a name for themselves. Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith, and Richard Linklater are a few of the people who turned their success with small projects into major movies. <div> </div> <div>One man came along at the end of this period who never <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsYEtoUKRk1aWjuSpb27knfjhqqFOsmf0OzhxG82CCRhT7dU6p1bkECjSQUPs5ailywIYSL1LvnsPn2U-wwGfQ1kCD92slhyphenhyphenNRsxALJ7SEE2NcFHQiFrBGXbOq5SrC5eChZ2K_V2gmC0N/s1600-h/solondz1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsYEtoUKRk1aWjuSpb27knfjhqqFOsmf0OzhxG82CCRhT7dU6p1bkECjSQUPs5ailywIYSL1LvnsPn2U-wwGfQ1kCD92slhyphenhyphenNRsxALJ7SEE2NcFHQiFrBGXbOq5SrC5eChZ2K_V2gmC0N/s320/solondz1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277913230754518018" border="0" /></a>really reached the mainstream like those now-famous filmmakers. His name is Todd Solondz, and while other people who started out as the "hot new filmmaker" like him went on to big things, he has staunchly remained in art house circuits. In fact, you could argue that he has only gotten more extreme and less commercial with each film. How often does that happen?<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Solondz, who grew up in a dysfunctional North Jersey home, made a big splash at Sundance in 1995 with <em>Welcome to the Dollhouse</em>. This black comedy featured all unknowns and a tiny budget, but managed to capture the awkward side of high school like never before. Bullies, incompetent parents, and the tough part of growing up were all explored. The main character, superbly named Dawn Weiner, is a dorky girl trying to fit in as her parents ignore her for her cute little sister. Critics loved it, and were amazed at the blackness of the comedy, as Solondz made his heroine's life miserable but touching. It was the toast of Sundance, and like many of those others who gained famed there, people expected big things from Solondz.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>For his next project, Solondz got to work with bigger name actors, but still kept to those in the indie ranks. To much surprise, he didn't use his festival success to catapult to a <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYh7HfUl-T5Lr5_xrWuolZwQEnWyQiOqJ5GL0EIGLRAYdopeyIueSizJdwqhz47olpZ1OTuvG87CWIkcnLHWg8Q7eO7H2ee0r4FTFVvLtWMX_owxUC8BD2g4SeuM2Hti84zvVH47wq0fB/s1600-h/solondz2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYh7HfUl-T5Lr5_xrWuolZwQEnWyQiOqJ5GL0EIGLRAYdopeyIueSizJdwqhz47olpZ1OTuvG87CWIkcnLHWg8Q7eO7H2ee0r4FTFVvLtWMX_owxUC8BD2g4SeuM2Hti84zvVH47wq0fB/s320/solondz2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277914670877691570" border="0" /></a>commercial project, instead going for an even riskier story. This time, he would feature even darker aspects of life for his black comedy, including pedophilia, perversion, suicide, and rape. His ambitious ensemble piece created more buzz in the indie world and appalled many family oriented movie watchers. This film, he ironically dubbed, is <em>Happiness</em>.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>The film is an ensemble piece, tied together by a somewhat dysfunctional Jersey family. Three sisters (Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Cynthia Stevenson) all have different issues. Adams is a neurotic but optimistic girl who believes in goodness and wants to help save the world. Boyle is a selfish, insecure but successful writer who makes up stories of sexual abuse. Stevenson has a seemingly happy life with her psychologist husband (Dylan Baker), but there are undertones of sexual problems. Their parents (veterans Louise Lasser and Ben Gazzara) live in Florida, retired but not happily. The other person who has a storyline is Boyle's perverted neighbor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, brilliant as ever. Then there's random great appearances from Jon Lovitz, Molly Shannon, Camryn Manheim, Jared Harris, and even Marla Maples (Donald Trump's ex-wife, who's made a career out of trashing him... and men in general).<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Some people couldn't believe how he centered an emotional plot around a child molester, but he does, and it works. Baker's troubled doctor is an amazingly complex character. He's a shrink who has to see his own shrink. He has the ideal family life in the suburbs - a big house, a loving wife, and two sons. He just has one problem - he loves little boys. Solondz doesn't hold back in showing how much Baker desires children. Despite this, he is a solid father and devoted husband, trying to overcome his secret. Instead of just labeling him as a pedophile and a monster, Solondz shows him as a mostly good guy with a devastating problem. He's even very touching in his talks with his eldest son, who is hitting puberty. He gives him sound advice on girls and not worrying about his bodily changes. These talks might sound creepy in the context of Baker's secret desire, but they're not. He really cares. But he is a pedophile, and when his son brings a friend over, Baker can't help but seduce him in a scene that is alternating disturbing, sad, suspenseful, and weirdly funny. His son unknowingly tips him off to another vulnerable child. In the end, Baker ruins his ideal life by submitting to these desires, and in a wrenching admission, tells his son, "I just couldn't help myself."<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>This plot is underscored by the subplot with Hoffman, the acting genius. He's a pervert, but unlike Baker, he doesn't have an ideal life. He has an annoying office job and a crappy apartment in Jersey. He's relegated to making dirty phone calls to random women and spying on Boyle, who lives in his complex. He wants to be a stud, but the only person who shows any interest in him is Manheim, sweet but overweight, and he feels miserable. He's aware, though, of the irony of life, that he is seen as a freak and made fun of, while people with worse problems than him (like Baker) get by. He also knows that Boyle is a fraud, and wants to teach her reality. But when he confronts her, he realizes that he can't be who he imagines to be.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>This film had mixed reactions, as parents and conservatives hated it while critics and festivals ate it up. It ended up being one of the best-reviewed films of 1998 (even Roger Ebert loved it), but a lot of people haven't watched or even heard of it because of its dark subject matter. Still, it confirmed Solondz as a powerful filmmaker, and not just a one hit wonder. He had the chance to do something big after two impressive indie hits.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>But again, he didn't want to do anything big. For his next film, he kept pushing the envelope. He came up with an elaborate idea for a film with three stories, each adding to the idea of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwGbnbiasii5hwcqh3SqcmoXpTWDJk-etMLsBBsVWiNpm48VziIgYJK4odZsza1aq7Fiz1QNBgi9jaS8i7rLEGD1P4sizcEBn9HzuT8OCCBvD736zSsiZm36LTH8qaEP9_jxSyWmXttiq/s1600-h/solondz3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwGbnbiasii5hwcqh3SqcmoXpTWDJk-etMLsBBsVWiNpm48VziIgYJK4odZsza1aq7Fiz1QNBgi9jaS8i7rLEGD1P4sizcEBn9HzuT8OCCBvD736zSsiZm36LTH8qaEP9_jxSyWmXttiq/s320/solondz3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277916960484847666" border="0" /></a>storytelling. He simply named this project <em>Storytelling</em> to emphasize that. He managed to get a few name actors, but still ignored a chance to go Hollywood.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>He ran into problems, however, when one of his stories included a risque gay sex scene, and the actor involved was James Van Der Beek. Remember, this was right after Varsity Blues, and VDB was hoping he could jump from Dawson's Creek to stardom. Some execs didn't want it tarnishing his image, and the whole segment was never finished. Thus, Solondz had only two segments left. He named them "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction," and they mirrored each other.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>In the first part, a girl struggles to write anything decent in her college fiction writing class. One night, she meets up with her gruff professor at a bar and ends up sleeping with him. He's black and admits to loving little white girls. She uses this as her next story in class, to try and embarrass him. But the students don't really care and reject it anyway. As he tells her, "It doesn't matter if it really happened. It has to be a good, realistic story."<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>In the second story, Paul Giamatti plays a struggling documentary filmmaker. He's a bit of a loser, trying to find a good subject for his next film. He interviews a slightly dysfunctional Jewish family living in New Jersey (sounds familiar, right?). The parents (John Goodman and Julie Hagerty) are nice but completely stupid suburbanites who are just trying to live out the perfect American dream. They don't connect with their three sons: the eldest one is a jock, the middle is a slacker, and the youngest is an overlooked nerd dying for attention.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Giamatti begins focusing on the middle one, a dreamer without any motivation (Mark Webber). He wants to be a comedian or a writer, but doesn't have the skills or knowledge. Giamatti ignores the youngest son as he tries to get attention, and when the eldest son hurts himself playing football, the parents ignore him too. The snubbed kid then makes plans to hypnotize his dad, fire the maid, and take over the house. This starts an interesting path that many people questioned, but it mirrors the first story in its practice.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>After the very mixed reviews for <em>Storytelling</em>, Solondz took a break. He had lost a lot of the momentum that his first two films had built up. When he announced plans to make a movie about a teenage girl dealing with abortion, he had a tough time finding producers. It's funny to think about this in light of <em>Juno</em>'s success. These are two very different approaches to a similar topic, despite them both being labeled as offbeat indies. Besides using a controversial subject, Solondz furthered scared potential investors by taking sides on the issue, calling abortion doctors "brave." He also announced a daring casting move - the main character would be played by several people. As you might guess, no one was eager to sign up. So with no help, Solondz invested much of his own money into the project and basically made it by himself.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>The result is <em>Palindromes</em>, released to very few theaters in 2004. Once again, he did not pull any punches. The film follows Aviva, a suburban New Jersey (again) teenage girl who gets pregnant. Her parents (including mother Ellen Barkin) suggest getting an abortion, and she does, but she feels guilty about it. She runs away and ends up at a foster home for disabled children. It seems like a great place, but the right-<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCwSauHRy9OejgSgk1YUEhA_YDRD5QVfen_StNoiGpgevW345b9mxe4OuQaZJGH_8udC6IPw7UAfgeLibAVKcyfnlQUXZOG-WmZiBLMKK_sx78m8qam_VLQ733C62V9MVBLVkUGxDMdVm/s1600-h/solondz4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCwSauHRy9OejgSgk1YUEhA_YDRD5QVfen_StNoiGpgevW345b9mxe4OuQaZJGH_8udC6IPw7UAfgeLibAVKcyfnlQUXZOG-WmZiBLMKK_sx78m8qam_VLQ733C62V9MVBLVkUGxDMdVm/s320/solondz4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277919222190271762" border="0" /></a>wing Christians who run it are also big abortion haters. She realizes that their doctor pal can tell she's had one, so she aspires to get out of there. She hitches a ride with a disturbed child molester whom the Christians have hired to kill prominent abortion doctors. After an affair, she leads him back to the doctor in the fancy neighborhood who performed her abortion. He kills the doctor, a daughter, and himself. Aviva is reunited with her family, but it's clear she will never be the same.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>The film ignited ciriticism not just for its controversial topic, but its daring approach. Solondz insisted that the actress playing the main character would change in each chapter of the film. Eight different actresses were used for Aviva, and not just girls who looked like each other. Several were white girls who looked about 13, which is how the character is most likely supposed to be. But there was also an 8 year old black girl, a 30 year old heavy-set black woman, a 12 year old boy in girls' clothes (though he didn't speak), and 40-something star Jennifer Jason Leigh. This mixture was supposed to show how Aviva could be any girl, but many critics were confused by the move. Some complained that the right-wing Christians were stereotypical, but their foster family is arguably the happiest one Solondz has ever shown. Solondz shows a lot of sides to the argument: Aviva is wrecked with guilt after the abortion; her parents are sensible and caring but maybe too forceful is deciding her fate; the molester is obviously mentally challenged and manipulated by the Christian activists - not just a typical redneck; and the abortion doctor is pushy, but is also revealed as a father and loving family man just before he dies. Aviva's strange conversations with the boy who impregnated her, her cousin (who may be a sex offender), and the molester show her unease with life. It's an odd mix, but certainly daring and artistic.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>After sinking much of his life savings into that project, it's hard to believe that Solondz made out well. Rentals have probably helped, but some wondered if it was his last film. As of now, he is trying to put together a new project. Rumors suggest it may be a follow-up to <em>Happiness</em>, or at least be about misfits in New Jersey, like always. Solondz did make a quick tie-in to <em>Welcome to the Dollhouse</em> at the beginning of <span style="font-style: italic;">Palindromes</span>, where he hinted that Aviva is a cousin of Dawn Weiner, and that the old protagonist killed herself (making her one of the most tortured characters in any film series). Casting rumors have swirled from Paul Ruebens (likely) to Paris Hilton (possibly a joke but don't rule it out), but whatever happens, it's clear Solondz is up for anything.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div>Todd Solondz is truly an original mutant having never been intended for mass production. This daring filmmaker has taken the less popular road time and time again in his career, and made some of the most interesting films of the past decade. I urge all film fanatics to search him out if they haven't yet.<br /><br />by <a href="http://jleohalleyscomet.blogspot.com/">Justin Leo</a><br /><br />Todd Solondz on<br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001754/">IMDB</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Solondz">Wikipedia</a><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><br /></div>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-12133135129691240132008-10-15T16:42:00.015-04:002008-10-16T17:11:10.974-04:00Brandon Curtis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMVsmrH386bSPUArU5VV2fi4rEcp-5DHalQg4cjLCJ_hNPFI7a68UTOpFmvIbykYa8ICkmKfKwQJFBiki0wXxmy6DpJ0bhL08YoRX9r5MvRrQBDmf-8kd4KhXj8l2H47We-1N-r71TpGP/s1600-h/secret+machines.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMVsmrH386bSPUArU5VV2fi4rEcp-5DHalQg4cjLCJ_hNPFI7a68UTOpFmvIbykYa8ICkmKfKwQJFBiki0wXxmy6DpJ0bhL08YoRX9r5MvRrQBDmf-8kd4KhXj8l2H47We-1N-r71TpGP/s320/secret+machines.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257485889271189186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Secret Machines Live w/ TK Webb</span><br /><br />The new self-titled Secret Machines album is an absolute bombshell. Any hub-bub and mish-maw that was going around your friendly hipster wire about Benjamin Curtis' departure from the band is now clearly a 'we had nothing better to gossip about' scenario. Ben's interesting new outfit, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/schoolofsevenbells">School of Seven Bells</a>, is definitely cool; we, the listeners, harbor no ill-feelings about the split up, especially considering what a knockout the new Secret Machines is. I had a chance to speak very briefly with Brandon Curtis the last time they were in Philly (seemingly, smack in the middle of working on the new disc). He said with confidence that even though prior Secret Machines efforts have indeed been collaborative in nature, Benjamin's flight has stylistically had no impact on the new music.<br /><br />Listening to the final product, I have to agree. Which is why I love that they named it <span style="font-style: italic;">Secret Machines</span>, because this disc has the quintessential Secret Machines sound. Which is to say that all of the elements we love about the best moments of their catalog (which is currently only two albums and two EPs deep) have been unified for a cohesive mission statment that definitely represents what they're all about. In case you haven't heard them yet, what they're all about is sweeping, grand mood-rock with a psychadelic edge--and definitely the hookiest prog sound in the business today. Masters of atmosphere, The Secret Machines do accessible, dynamic compositions incorporating lots of roaring symbols, mellow vocals, chunky electric bass riffs and space-rock guitar flourishes--all the while using their electronic goodies always to add and never to distract. If you like Porcupine Tree and Black Mountain, well then you're probably already well familiar with The Secret Machines... but if you aren't yet, holy shit these are exciting times...<br /><br />The new album is a tiny bit darker and less poppy than <span style="font-style: italic;">Ten Silver Drops</span>. A wee-bit heavier than the sonic peaks and valleys of <span style="font-style: italic;">Now Here is Nowhere</span>. It has the same old fasts-and-slows of their previous work, but the slows are loud slows (i.e. the groovy Have I Run Out and the obvious new encore-closer, The Fire is Waiting--maybe the two best tracks on this space-rocker). Several tunes still demonstrate their pop senseability, like the lead single "Atomic Heels" as well as "Now Your Gone". Proggy goodness for you King Crimson fans is present in strength, especially on "The Walls are Starting to Crack". Anthem power aint lost either as demonstrated by "Last Believer, Drop Dead"--which starts with a drum beat very similar to their previous reigning star-spangled-banner "First Wave Intact" (which created a brief moment of confusion for a bunch of us at their last show, but the new arena-friendly gem quickly distinguishes itself as less shoegaze and more songwriting than it's predecessor).<br /><br />The show is going to be stellar, it always is. Also, Marginal Minds icon troubador, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/tkwebbandthevisions">TK Webb</a>, who will be supporting The Secret Machines this Friday and in New York on Sat 10/18, Boston on Mon 10/20, Montreal on Tue 10/21, and Toronto Wed 10/22--has formed a band called TK Webb and the Visions. New band, new sound and quite frankly, it's really something to get excited about. Webb's caskett-aged accoustic grit-blues are (at least temporarily) on the kybosh in lieu of amplifiers and a Cracker, Brother Cane, Kenny Wayne Sheppard style take on loud classic rock--guitar solos and all! So if you're in Philly, NY, Montreal or Toronto, get those tickets because you're going to be in for a momentous night.<br /><br />These are very exciting times!<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.worlds-fair.net/media/secret_machines/Atomic_Heels.mp3">Secret_Machines-Atomic_Heels.<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">mp3</span></a><br /><br />Secret Machines on:<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/secretmachines"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Machines">Wikipedia</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/secretmachines">Myspace</a><br /><a href="http://www.worlds-fair.net/secret_machines/">World's Fair</a><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-86962046753479650072008-09-28T02:09:00.002-04:002008-09-28T02:26:21.333-04:00Heath Ledger VS Oneida<a href="http://marginalminds.googlepages.com/HeathLedgerVSOneida.mp3">Heath Ledger VS Oneida - Crazier than Usual.<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">mp3</span></a><br /><br />A tribute to what may--when the dust settles--stand out as the greatest villain performance..... (ever?).. Complimented well by one of our favorite New York bands, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/oneidarocks" target="main">Oneida</a>.<br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-24714616217510148602008-09-23T17:07:00.008-04:002008-10-11T17:31:45.317-04:00Guy Garvey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25EL_0X057GX30kC_5I0Oc91F2xr4b6shmSnA57lPKBYq5XxQPDxy9DF7ZvZhPl8fF2LGkQ4VIJw92Buj6ro3J0y5-lBIP5ijWDlaKqbT-QzPPjjw68_3CX87_aidDHzd0QL3OKfXkz1d/s1600-h/elbow.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25EL_0X057GX30kC_5I0Oc91F2xr4b6shmSnA57lPKBYq5XxQPDxy9DF7ZvZhPl8fF2LGkQ4VIJw92Buj6ro3J0y5-lBIP5ijWDlaKqbT-QzPPjjw68_3CX87_aidDHzd0QL3OKfXkz1d/s320/elbow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249326948689976018" border="0" /></a>The music of Elbow, certainly massive in the UK, is still managing to fly somewhat below the radar here in the states, despite endorsements from Radiohead and their latest disc, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Seldom Seen Kid</span>, winning the 2008 Nationwide Mercury Award--an honor akin to to the U.S.'s Shortlist Music Prize.<br /><br />To compare Elbow's music to that of Radiohead's would be a cheap, lazy, over-simplified under-classification. So.. that's what we'll go with.<br /><br />In all seriousness, one needn't wrack brains hard to hear some <span style="font-style: italic;">Bends</span>-era influence (or even <span style="font-style: italic;">Ok Computer</span>-esque originality) in <span style="font-style: italic;">Seldom Seen Kid</span> (especially on tracks like The Bones of You, one of <span style="font-style: italic;">Kid</span>'s singles). Garvey has had no trouble being open and verbal about the influence that Radiohead has had on him and on Elbow as a band creatively. But enough about bands that DIDN'T win the Merc. <span style="font-style: italic;">Seldom Seen Kid</span>, quite simply, is a must-hear.<br /><br />Two of <span style="font-style: italic;">Seldom</span>'s best tracks are on YouTube. Enjoy, and then grab the disc and hope for some U.S. dates (of which there are none to speak, at the moment).<br /><br />Elbow - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Grounds for Divorce</span><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NwQdpod9BFw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NwQdpod9BFw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Elbow - <span style="font-weight: bold;">One Day Like This</span><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SQIdXKz4sE8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SQIdXKz4sE8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-69900759126057647252008-08-06T12:57:00.007-04:002008-12-11T19:13:41.024-05:00Christopher Nolan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-9-aRvakoxK3ZYwznHF_9dZ-if5B1o0Q8Kx8YmBUQz_QDZO2SqR-3o13z_KXfSE0mgyFomoqV3NCP8n6iKQXAtABj5VBMwaaBgYowMiObS5PNEPyIVquz9B_sLyu6Eu9WRY2pL1kcj9G/s1600-h/batman.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231464642784133826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-9-aRvakoxK3ZYwznHF_9dZ-if5B1o0Q8Kx8YmBUQz_QDZO2SqR-3o13z_KXfSE0mgyFomoqV3NCP8n6iKQXAtABj5VBMwaaBgYowMiObS5PNEPyIVquz9B_sLyu6Eu9WRY2pL1kcj9G/s320/batman.JPG" border="0" /></a>(Syndicated from <a href="http://cropulis.blogspot.com/">In the Wake of Poseidon) </a><br /><div> </div><div>It takes the right team to make an action film. Action movies are churned out left and right every Friday. Movies like <em>Crank</em> or <em>Transformers</em> come along and they are fine as slices of entertainment. Then every once in a rare while an "Action Film" comes along. The kind of movie that goes beyond the explosions and digs deep into the heart of the psyche. Christopher Nolan, the director of <em>The Dark Knight</em>, gets this. He has made a truly fantastic Action Film. While <em>The Dark Knight</em> doesn't dig ultra-deep philosophically or morally, it offers enough social commentary to raise its intense action scenes well above that of a standard summer blockbuster. It gives meaning to the chaos, as much as anarchy can have meaning. I'm not going to go into storyline here. It's nothing new story wise. The true genius behind this movie is the combination of the acting and the directing that made it a dance of visual brilliance and subtlety. The way Nolan was able to get the performances he did from a stellar cast of leads and supporting is a true triumph. The four major leads--Bale, Ledger, Eckhart & Oldman--take talent to the next level.<br /></div><br /><div>Christian Bale's triumph of playing a "freak...like me!" is wholly invigorating. He is a hero who knows his limits and his flaws and realizes exactly what he has brought upon Gotham. Heath <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RTE1pvafRQEtUH36LoTBvTE-0HGQEvXF7zv50JSmRYBcxfKtMhSmou9OzPnXugv87y2I0ov07N3HdtqCnsOTZmmgXuIlM-W2aUd3bji-K_Li2X37thmcRUSTcx1eJmRsiFHUZjTnVKI/s1600-h/darkknight2.jpg"></a>Ledger is so outstandingly creepy that when people laughed in the cinema at his part, I almost cringed. There wasn't a single thing funny about his joker. Yes he had some genius one-liners, but even those were calculated and malicious enough to make your skin crawl in fear and horror. A scene where the Joker is being interrogated is such filthy brilliance on Ledger's part that you can't help but wonder how taxing it must have been to emerse yourself into that psychopathic mind. Aaron Eckhart plays Harvey Dent, the white knight of Gotham City, and although his part is understated at first, you see the mind of a man on the edge brewing behind his eyes. He may have been the shining light in Gotham's most tumoltuos time, but as in many of Nolan's films, even the good have a touch of evil somewhere tucked away that can come forth if pushed to the limits. Lastly, Gary Oldman, an actor who can never go wrong, also understates and slow plays his Detective turned Commisioner role. He's a true police officer, not entirely liked by all, but he wants one thing and that's the peace that Gotham City deserves. </div><div><br />The reason I still call this an "Action Film" is because beyond all the psychology is a truly riveting stunt filled spectacle. Unlike past Batman films, <em>The Dark Knight</em> is almost 100% location filming. A scene where a policemen's parade for slain officers erupts into chaos thanks to the Joker is utterly breathtaking. The main chase sequence through Gotham's underground, ending in the most glorious truck stunt you will ever see on film, just explodes with brilliance. And the reason why? Very minimal CGI and real stunts. When you see the Joker's Truck do a front flip, that's not a computer altered truck. That's an 18-wheeler hurtling through the air. It's something you don't see very often anymore. Another mind boggling thing of chaotic beauty is when the Joker walks non-chalantly out of a hospital as it slowly explodes. This wasn't shot in Chicago like most of the film, but it was a set piece built for the sole purpose of succumbing to the Joker's crazy rampage. </div><div><br />The film may be a tad bit long in the tooth, but it's a tooth that sinks right into your neck and feels good. It's the kind of two and a half hours that you never want to end. A lot of it is intense and in your face; it gets your adreneline pumping and your suspense sensors flairing on overdrive. It offers commentary on terrorism and "heroes vs. villains" as a topic so rich in grey area that you'll question both sides of the arguement for Homeland Security. It doesn't shove anything down you're throat, but it's all there and really works. This is a must see film on the big screen and probably will be one of the best films you will see all year. </div><br /><br />by Paul Tsikitas<br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img height="16" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img height="16" alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-32080780349303143402008-06-03T10:12:00.015-04:002008-12-11T19:13:45.192-05:00Film MiniViews w/ Justin Leo(syndicated from <a href="http://jleohalleyscomet.blogspot.com/">I Like To Watch</a>)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARbemoOpslDCnlkImGtKSJQE-5PtWAdkg16LAvxJNRFeHn2kf6KPjjv8uL0PFKi1gSsdyy8S1bHByezeZLc81sSCcFteymWklBh_hEYCF6-4oB43iDKJTnJSNQT2j1Qpd-_sP78rFXXkq/s1600-h/fsm.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207659873347334818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="177" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARbemoOpslDCnlkImGtKSJQE-5PtWAdkg16LAvxJNRFeHn2kf6KPjjv8uL0PFKi1gSsdyy8S1bHByezeZLc81sSCcFteymWklBh_hEYCF6-4oB43iDKJTnJSNQT2j1Qpd-_sP78rFXXkq/s320/fsm.JPG" width="113" border="0" /></a><em><strong>FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL</strong></em> - 2008 (in theaters) -Just like most Apatow projects, this is a relaxed comedy with romantic tinges; a relationship story with some great gags. Jason Segal is a lovable lunk, and Mila Kunis steps it up as his new love interest. The comedy comes in moments here and there, and it's good but not overwhelming. I just love Segel, Kristen Bell, Jack McBrayer, and Paul Rudd too much to give it a bad name. It's decent comedy without much fanfare.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnLf0Wk7XT06nRe5Loj2Qzk30gmGbCmbYDU1KId9sZrLde331MVSFihqNKNZGoj6N3xudoLiAH4bZEaNcYSUvCPx68jKuLWGfHD9_PZmm8qOA4wYV3lDZgSlicS9UGooZH_hJX3naLe5b/s1600-h/nbyw.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207661255395901074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnLf0Wk7XT06nRe5Loj2Qzk30gmGbCmbYDU1KId9sZrLde331MVSFihqNKNZGoj6N3xudoLiAH4bZEaNcYSUvCPx68jKuLWGfHD9_PZmm8qOA4wYV3lDZgSlicS9UGooZH_hJX3naLe5b/s320/nbyw.JPG" border="0" /></a><em><strong>I COULD NEVER BE YOUR WOMAN</strong></em> - 2007? (just out on DVD) -Speaking of Paul Rudd, he carries this film to a sweet level. You might have loved him before, but in the rare case you didn't, you will now. He's a struggling actor and the love interest of TV producer Michelle Pfeiffer, who is in charge of a Degrassi- type teen show. She leans on him as her new star (yes, he's playing an actor, who is playing a high schooler, when he's almost 40 in real life, which is part of the fun). She also leans on her daughter, Saoirse Ronan, better known as the young girl in Atonement, for hip new ideas and high school slang. This is a pretty funny satire of Hollywood, a charming rom com, and a warm family story all at once. Amy Heckerling, who directed Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, scores again with a fun look at life in SoCal that has heart. In fact, I'd say it's a lot like Clueless: cute, but also much funnier and more interesting than you expected. So why, you may be wondering, haven't you heard of it? Well, basically, Heckerling got the shaft from studios. They bounced it around and never gave it a theatrical release, even though it's very deserving of one. Unbelievable. The only thing I can find wrong with it is a strange character played by Tracey Ullman, who acts like Pfeiffer's conscience. She's annoying, but that's about it. This is a really likable film, and you'd think they capitalize on Rudd's growing popularity. See it for him (and sweet cameos from Jon Lovitz, Fred Willard, Wallace Shawn, and the Fonz) and love the Rudd like never before.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VcT4sfLBcdS-weNvSH9Q0Q3Ectw_yoJyhBtj7QuQG-u9317RNH4kPxyqJON4-W4WEa_SvAwGsf67wQTvwe4HCBRFTdAjqAcMi9fxP8VOdXkDoqzUHEFMtNi0ZWbfE2ffzhnLPfFhsaYp/s1600-h/dogville.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207666310461612066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="140" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VcT4sfLBcdS-weNvSH9Q0Q3Ectw_yoJyhBtj7QuQG-u9317RNH4kPxyqJON4-W4WEa_SvAwGsf67wQTvwe4HCBRFTdAjqAcMi9fxP8VOdXkDoqzUHEFMtNi0ZWbfE2ffzhnLPfFhsaYp/s320/dogville.JPG" width="189" border="0" /></a><em><strong>DOGVILLE</strong></em> - 2003 -I'll be honest. I have no idea what to make of it. I wanted to see this for years and I finally got around to it and, well, let's just say that Lars von Trier is an intriguing director. This looks like a play, but it's a film: an original concept, shot on a stage, but with no audience, and with some of the set fixtures missing.... like, I don't know, WALLS! Yeah.... very strange way of filming, mixing theater standards with film and leaving that out. I think it could be comparable to dark stage plays like Ibsen. I also thought of William Faulkner, not that this is the same class as those great writers, but that's kind of the dark tone. It goes in weird directions, but the cast is amazing. Lauren Bacall jumped in and Nicole Kidman had just won an Oscar when she did this. I'm torn because I think he could've done well if he shot it normally, but of course he won't, because he started that whole Dogma 95 movement and he has to be different. I found that a lot of people think it's anti-American, but it seems more to me like a dark examination of human nature, especially regarding the myth of small towns making good people. If you like indie or foreign pieces, it's def worth a look, but know that it's three hours long and a trip.<br /><em><strong></strong></em><br /><em><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6dElBcxw_-dNt7CGa8IPICPj1DKhR86xl0sc9NGncVjKnLoZAlLT5xJN_jL8td1aDg9ZGyb4O5FejawTN9W44c9MlIu8na1gNAbLmJI8uqiqkF02OQmlyZi9V6Qr6UsDG4Ycyyb7toO6/s1600-h/lc.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207668203442061874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 148px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 183px" height="213" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6dElBcxw_-dNt7CGa8IPICPj1DKhR86xl0sc9NGncVjKnLoZAlLT5xJN_jL8td1aDg9ZGyb4O5FejawTN9W44c9MlIu8na1gNAbLmJI8uqiqkF02OQmlyZi9V6Qr6UsDG4Ycyyb7toO6/s320/lc.JPG" width="126" border="0" /></a>LUST, CAUTION</strong></em> - 2007 (just out on DVD) -Ang Lee's erotic thriller is a strong period piece. In 1930's China, a woman caught up in rebellion tries to get close to a powerful government man. This starts a little slow, but picks up dramatically towards the end. Beautiful, intense, and emotional, this might have lost audiences because of its rough sexual scenes, but it's a very good drama.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3mndUZNxgaQPm9hUz547N7yqlhHq5ImWiV0WNgR_xlesQvL7sZFIvXAe0myKZvl3ynFKuLbThqfPtE-JiOieZlyOjW6O0-k5Bfaoc439kLPlzK_Gz99fmRUstdyPtD_qizpwPWLEvOK3/s1600-h/tbo.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207670142115336626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3mndUZNxgaQPm9hUz547N7yqlhHq5ImWiV0WNgR_xlesQvL7sZFIvXAe0myKZvl3ynFKuLbThqfPtE-JiOieZlyOjW6O0-k5Bfaoc439kLPlzK_Gz99fmRUstdyPtD_qizpwPWLEvOK3/s320/tbo.JPG" border="0" /></a><em><strong>THE BRAVE ONE</strong></em> - 2007 (just out on DVD) -I skipped this Jodie Foster drama last year, skeptical of vigilante films, and it most certainly is that. But then I saw that it's also directed by Neil Jordan, who does a lot of sensitive and gender-confusing fare (The Crying Game, Breakfast on Pluto), so it shouldn't be totally macho. Foster, a popular NPR-type radio host in New York, goes into full revenge mode when some thugs kill her husband (Sayid from Lost). She also befriends a detective, Terence Howard, who starts to wonder about her intentions, while unknowingly steering her towards a crime boss he can't convict. This is emotional and pretty dark, and I'm not sure if the message is deeper than I want it to be. I can't imagine Jordan ever wanting to remake Death Wish with a female lead, but I get that feeling here. Maybe there's more than I see, and I suggest taking a look. It's gripping, but does it take sides too easily?<br /><br /><em><strong>"RECOUNT"</strong></em> - 2008 - on HBO now -HBO couldn't resist, in this election year, to make a definitive film about the 2000 election nuttiness. Even though it might not be fairly balanced, it's really good. They skip over most of the election to just what happened after Election Day, and though it is a great ensemble cast, the protagonist is clearly Kevin Spacey. Ah, I missed the Spaceman. Really bad. He's excellent as Ron Klain, a guy who helped Gore through the recount even as he was having issues with the VP. On his side are Dennis Leary, John Hurt, and Ed Begley Jr. (natch). The opposing side comes with Tom Wilkinson, who plays James Baker a little<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207673084548864594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPhvWedqNwdHrzNhnU9KXhbSm_VwyuwMtfVJOttVzgk_dmQ85btXxSokP5_jy3_g2cscf3I48s8F97DRX1UNjYnl6ogcZ0f109ZgJDCusegQbpfbjYBAtkkwI996uu-v1wgWLYu4vrn3I/s320/recount.JPG" border="0" />bit too boss-villain-y, and Laura Dern, who makes Katherine Harris look overwhelmed. Bob Balaban is the only nice guy on the GOP side. I mean, I felt it could be real, but I'm biased.Like I said, it's not exactly a balanced story, but they are trying to paint the Dems as underdogs rising up in adversity. They had to push through public outrage and lots of legal difficulties, and they never had the "lead" as reported by media, which hurt. The film touches on the voter discrimination problems, but doesn't accuse too much. The worst facet probably is that the Republicans basically paid for their protesters and then encouraged them to riot in the local voting offices. This claim has been made before, so who knows. It brought back some bad memories for me, and of course, the last 8 years kinda... well, you know.It may not be fair, but it's really good, and it's a great return for Spacey.<br /><br />by <a href="http://jleohalleyscomet.blogspot.com/">Justin Leo</a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-82645017864126355652008-04-22T12:37:00.006-04:002008-12-11T19:13:45.383-05:00McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRVcxd863raJsXfBdxiryBbQ2c_bHCIiXLKvlo5pxDcygKwjp6pjsMRg-Bg8De2q894JlSmzKMQ4jSr98dfk125cjE8zFG6V5si1iZSCHdKfICaJ0WvhtxqfDMfYkKZKDJvejXP95qR-n/s1600-h/thrilltales.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192113433625208482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRVcxd863raJsXfBdxiryBbQ2c_bHCIiXLKvlo5pxDcygKwjp6pjsMRg-Bg8De2q894JlSmzKMQ4jSr98dfk125cjE8zFG6V5si1iZSCHdKfICaJ0WvhtxqfDMfYkKZKDJvejXP95qR-n/s320/thrilltales.JPG" border="0" /></a>Michael Chabon, ed.<br /><p>From Book IT! GremLindz Style (<a href="http://gremlindz.blogspot.com/2008/03/freedom-for-adventures.html">http://gremlindz.blogspot.com/2008/03/freedom-for-adventures.html</a>)</p><em>Thrilling Tales</em> promised to bring me all new, never before seen, original stories. And that, by god, it did. All of my favorite subjects were covered: time travel, the end of the world, cats, revenge, true love… wait a minute.. Seriously though, the stories were delightfully strange and adventurous. “Catskin” was about a boy whose mother turned into a cat after she died, and then she burned down a house with cats in it, and sewed him what was essentially a cat-skin hoodie. Every now and then he decided to put the hoodie on and walk around on all fours like a cat. I’m still trying to figure out any metaphors or ssssssymbolism, although it may have just been a really weird story. And I’m all for that! Because I am weird. Although I don’t think I would ever sew cat hides together to make myself a little cat jacket. That seems a bit too far.<br /><br /><em>Thrilling Tales</em> marked the first works I have read by Michael Crichton and Stephen King. I know, very hard to believe that I’ve never read Stephen King, but there it is. And they were back-to-back. The rate at which Stephen King pushes out stuff is amazing to me. It makes me wonder if he actually still enjoys writing, or if it has become so commonplace to him that he doesn’t really even have to try anymore. Because that would be sad. But at the same time, should he really have to try anymore? He’s built up such a substantial platform that I think people will buy his books even if they are crap. Does Michael Crichton still write books? To be honest, I was (obviously) never too interested in either, and I’m not really any more interested now. I have to say that my favorite story in the whole collection was Nick Hornby’s “Otherwise Pandemonium.” What is it with me and apocalyptic scenarios? I do enjoy them, although I can’t recall reading a book with such a premise. But “Pandemonium” took apocalypse to a different level by adding in a time-travel-y aspect that is really fun and had me frantically turning the pages so I could find out what happens. Not since High Fidelity have I been that engrossed in Hornby’s stuff, and it was refreshing to experience it again. Please don’t disappoint me with another book like <em>A Long Way Down</em>. Seriously, man. Don’t.<br /><br />And there are still so many other great stories! One about a detective investigating the death/murder of Hitler’s neice/lover. A stream-of-thought-ish recount of a drug epidemic in NYC that included conspiracy theories and apocalyptic scenarios (this was a jackpot despite the somewhat annoying stream-of-thought-ishness which made me feel like I was on drugs). One weird one about a husband and wife who collected salt and pepper shakers and (spoiler:) ended up killing each other (I’m still not sure why). A tale about a circus elephant that gets hanged (this had some great twists in it that I can’t give away but gave the story have an amazing structure). One war story about a general who escapes and seeks refuge with a girl and her grandmother that I didn’t think I’d enjoy, but did, because it was not only touching but really pissed me off at the end. (Isn’t it great when a book/story really gets an emotion out of you?!) A story about a guy who is working at an archeological dig and the mischief a writer stirs up when she comes to do some research. I could go on and on! They were all great, which I find rare in a short story collection.<br /><br />by Lindsay Snieder<br /><br /><em>McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales</em> on:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/McSweeneys-Mammoth-Treasury-Thrilling-Tales/dp/140003339X">Amazon</a><br /><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400033393">Random House</a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-86183295246083560362008-03-04T09:34:00.010-05:002008-12-11T19:13:45.683-05:00Andrew Dominik<strong><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5EEHPxbt7qpFokr70-aRR5kTchcAzzOdY1DpOGmMDV6zcS3y42_72Tym_Y_pw2uC6fZ6-Kyxq5XxfVhuvUxA1PDTK09QBeQf7-Q__pYAICyVdcR_guCRWRQB_T54ee2C393J4emwrrfK/s1600-h/jesse+james.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173900846605587538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5EEHPxbt7qpFokr70-aRR5kTchcAzzOdY1DpOGmMDV6zcS3y42_72Tym_Y_pw2uC6fZ6-Kyxq5XxfVhuvUxA1PDTK09QBeQf7-Q__pYAICyVdcR_guCRWRQB_T54ee2C393J4emwrrfK/s320/jesse+james.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</em></strong><br /><br />“You ever count the stars?” Jesse James, played here by Brad Pitt, poses this question to a slow-witted member of his outlaw gang before admitting that he has tried but never comes up with the same number twice. The stars are always changing.<br /><br />Such an introspective exchange would have no place in a typical Hollywood Western, but in <em>The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</em>, it sums up the very existence of the titular character. By existence, I don’t mean how he lived in the West, but how he lives on today through legend and folklore. Director and screenwriter Andrew Dominik has presented us with a cinematic poem that introduces us to Jesse James for all that he was: man, myth, and legend. The fact is you can’t assign a fixed number to the infinite any more than you can pin down exactly who Jesse James was. The stories are always changing.<br /><br />The narration itself is unreliable, at turns contradicting onscreen images and then reinforcing what we already know. Ambiguities aside, the film is laden with enough rich detail to validate the film’s 160 minute running time. Instead of focusing on the James Gang’s bloody and lucrative years of famous robberies, Dominik trains his eye on James’s fall from public grace and descent into paranoid hibernation.<br /><br />It’s easy to get caught up in the star-power of Brad Pitt and his deft portrayal of James as a broken, haunted man. Lurking in the shadows of Jesse James’s falling star, however, is what truly cements the film as a modern classic: the multi-layered performance of Casey Affleck as the runt (or “coward,” as it were) Robert Ford, a man forever relegated to the sidelines. Subversively powerful in the role, Affleck imbues Ford with enough insecure ambition to evoke immediate empathy from the audience. We may identify with Ford but we never really trust him, a result of either the information laid out in the title, or Affleck’s shifty performance. Jesse’s older brother, Frank (played by Sam Shepard) speaks for the audience when he bluntly tells Ford, “I don’t know what it is about you, but the more you talk, the more you give me the willies.”<br /><br />Ford’s tragedy lies in his insatiable ambition which, as a child obsessed with Jesse James, drove him to eventually become a member of the outlaw gang. The closer he got to James, the more he actually wanted to be the man. Of course, finding this impossible, he reverts to the next step: outsmarting the man and proving himself the superior. In effect, <em>Assassination</em> plays out as a Greek tragedy set on the high plains of America’s yesteryear.<br /><br />If this movie passed you by in the theaters, be sure to rent the DVD and watch it on the biggest screen at your disposal. Roger Deakins, the film’s cinematographer, has offered us a truly breathtaking view. This year is something of a high water mark for Deakins, who received an Oscar nomination for <em>Assassination</em> as well as for <em>No Country for Old Men</em>. Working with a muted palette, he paints a world as wild, wide, lean, and lonesome as the Wintry West itself. Much of the film’s beauty lies in its sprawling, elegiac panorama of an 1881 America, which for all its staggering immensity, still seems claustrophobic and oppressive to the characters. This is a film of tone, matched in its commanding visuals by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s subtly haunting score which enhances but never distracts from the experience of the film.<br /><br />With just two features under his belt, New Zealand-born Andrew Dominik is shaping up to be one of the next great filmmakers. In his auspicious directorial debut, Chopper, Dominik showed he had a great eye for latent talent when he cast then-comedian Eric Bana as the brutal lead, effectively launching his acting career. In Assassination, Dominik rolled the dice on Casey Affleck, who earned an Oscar nod as Best Supporting Actor. In both films, Dominik has created unique and grisly visions, told with both the brash experimentation of an emerging artist and the assured confidence of an established filmmaker. If he continues crafting deeply personal and rewarding films such as these, we’ll be following his career for years to come.<br /><br />Jesse James is a man who has lived and died innumerable times, through the retellings and reenactments of his actual earth-bound existence. At one point in the film, James tells a story about himself in the third person. It would seem that even Jesse James can’t resist the urge to tell his tale and propagate the myth.<br /><br />We are left to make up our own minds about Jesse James, Robert Ford, and what truly defines a coward. In one corner we have Jesse James, legendary criminal and beloved family-man, who viciously beats a child, shoots members of his own gang in the back, and kills a defenseless man in cold blood. In the other corner we have Robert Ford, the social pariah who stood toe-to-toe with a towering legend of the West and emerged the victor, the man forever branded as “Coward” for assassinating his mentor, oppressor, and would-be killer. To which of these men does the label of “Coward” truly apply? There’s no answer, or at least none that matters.<br /><br />We each have our own number affixed to the stars above. Mine doesn’t make yours wrong. It’s our instinct to remember history as we see it; from the only angle we are afforded. It’s our duty to tell it anyway. To quote <em>The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance</em>, a seminal Western from 1962: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”<br /><br />By Neal Tyler<br /><br />Andrew Dominik on:<br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443680/">IMDB</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Dominik">Wikipedia</a><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img height="16" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img height="16" alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-89047967449026767162008-02-17T07:38:00.010-05:002008-12-11T19:13:46.325-05:00Monade<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTmHLOIQ9B_mGgde9MK5RY5yp0EPJi79sTatjGTYRibOhtAdfYTjqM14Efk_xjmQzPqTKn4J93k-ihm-wamRtdl7E-rjPyQ3msSZU9sOWMZfNjSLdxwguySVTDbeRgrZoaesQy_YHUIFZ/s1600-h/monade.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTmHLOIQ9B_mGgde9MK5RY5yp0EPJi79sTatjGTYRibOhtAdfYTjqM14Efk_xjmQzPqTKn4J93k-ihm-wamRtdl7E-rjPyQ3msSZU9sOWMZfNjSLdxwguySVTDbeRgrZoaesQy_YHUIFZ/s320/monade.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167952009123847330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lætitia Sadier's Monade Knocks it out of the Park...</span><br /><br />Monade's new album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Monstre Cosmic</span>, comes out on Feb 19th, and I would be remiss not to rush you out to pick it up. Lætitia Sadier, of Stereolab fame, has a just as soothing a chirp as ever, and the fact that I don't know four words of French means less than ever as I enjoy this well imagined-out and thoroughly loungeadelic disc. <span style="font-style: italic;">Monstre Cosmic</span>, Monade's second release for Too Pure, is put-your-feet-up and sip a Bombay Saphire martini with the Superbowl on mute goodness.<br /><br />What makes this disc so nice? The rhythm section. Xavier Chabellard and Marie Merlet play such a spirited drum and bass, respectively, that I could see listening to just their master tracks while I exorcise my morning sudoku frustration. Add Nicolas Etienne's keys, and that innocent French purr we fell in love with during the 90s and you have a wonderful post-rock turnout.<br /><br />The disc 'opens' (after a thirty second piano intro) with "Étoile", which is actually one of the longer tracks on the disk, clocking in at five minis (minis is what we call minutes when they seem really short). "Étoile" establishes a cozy fireplace and favorite-internet-chat-room mood with midtempy piano and high-hat charm.<br /><br />"Lost Language" kicks it into a faster gear, and plays out a bit like a dreamy remix of The Tragically Hip's "Springtime in Vienna", except with foreign female vocals, and--at this point, I am actually reminded that I still haven't a clue what she's singing about. No matter, I'm definitely along for the ride, especially with that exciting rhythm section.<br /><br />"Elle Topo" starts out slow, like one of the cut Pink Floyd tracks from the Zabriskie Point session, but then rocks into one of the closest Stereolab remeniscents on the album. A dynamic track, "Elle Topo" has interesting breakdowns and one of the more exciting vocal performances on the disc.<br /><br />"Regarde" is that savy, sexy, car commercial, with a groovy bottom and reserved, modest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo2xhdK4WCxtkoSHV3JmgjmaSzwUdJq7wPJZ3U4spIaHennq19iaiXVwH_ONz3RTxCCLiEiPqhwxGNb2ssID2HTRpC3K87EMuhUidmr7OiIM3IDvCGrLc6DpAsjz41HwIIYDUcr9K3-9U/s1600-h/monade+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo2xhdK4WCxtkoSHV3JmgjmaSzwUdJq7wPJZ3U4spIaHennq19iaiXVwH_ONz3RTxCCLiEiPqhwxGNb2ssID2HTRpC3K87EMuhUidmr7OiIM3IDvCGrLc6DpAsjz41HwIIYDUcr9K3-9U/s320/monade+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167952133677898930" border="0" /></a> horn-lines. I think this track is where Sadier most gives away here inner Van Morrison fan. At around mid-point the song breaks for a little voice-as-instrument time, but for someone with such a seductive croon, she sings so modestly. Maybe that's her charm?<br /><br />"Invitation" starts out as a slow piano-and-strings piece, and develops with descending chord structures and--of course, varying tempos--designed to be that last demand for me to grab the 'How to Speak French' tapes and go for a 10-week stroll. Towards the end of the tune, "Invitation" has what's got to be one of the most interesting (in it's simplicity) drum-lines I've ever heard. But that seems to be the theme with this disk. Interesting despite its simplicity. It's only complicated for the musicians who have to remember the tempo changes, but it doesn't challenge the listener at all. Honestly, if there were ever an album of lollypop bubblegum jazzy post-rock, this is certainly it.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Monstre Cosmic</span> closes with the indie-rockesque "Change of Destination". Light and fluffy as ever, "Change of Destination" is easy on the ears and easy on the synapses. The song is done at two and a half minutes. Was this whole album really short? For--at times, classical sounding--jazz pop, the track lengths are almost painfully succinct. This album moves along too fast, and the only thing I could ask for on their next release is a tad more self-indulgence.<br /><br />Check out Regarde and grab this album when you can. Classical fuse-pop has never been this easy to listen to.<br /><a href="http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/monade_regarde.mp3"><br />Monade - Regarde<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">.mp3</span></a><br /><br />Monade on:<br /><a href="http://www.toopure.com/monade/" target="main">Too Pure</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monade" target="main">Wikipedia</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/monade" target="main">Myspace</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-88566597192525796232008-01-20T19:07:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:13:46.787-05:00Devastations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9vvRaQ7jndg6QkW-a6-NrzAuJYFvcPc5enlK7eCmMnGBfkwQfNio3dgzhPn0mpgTjezdb4s_HCiyKiCZJt-R26Mr28WxZVoWCDqrE3LiJOCe-sHRYdCoRZYicxSu-OFTbgMx1ezN-QvL/s1600-h/devastations1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159179374800567346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9vvRaQ7jndg6QkW-a6-NrzAuJYFvcPc5enlK7eCmMnGBfkwQfNio3dgzhPn0mpgTjezdb4s_HCiyKiCZJt-R26Mr28WxZVoWCDqrE3LiJOCe-sHRYdCoRZYicxSu-OFTbgMx1ezN-QvL/s320/devastations1.JPG" border="0" /></a>There's a world below the ground--or, down under, shall we say--where cinematic encounters in dark lounges lead to pensive cigarette flicks and phones dangling from their chords in dreary wet phone booths. And these guys are the soundtrack. I promise, Devastations is not nearly as corny a name down in their native Austrailia as it may be here. And I'm happy to report that while their songwriting on their latest <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Yes, U</span> is just about what you've come to expect given their previous endeavors, their attention to production and self-awareness on vocals seems to have improved enough to make this a standout noir-rock achievement.<br /><br />Devastations' variety of dark, atmospheric, mid-tempo mood-rock could very well have been all over the soundtrack of the televised series <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">La Femme Nikita</span>. Keyboard swells, minor notes and muted percussion abound. Right off the bat, "Black Ice" sounds like Peter Gabriel walking along a cloudy beachfront looking for just the right rip-tide to carry away a best friend's cremains. "Oh Me, Oh My" is a downtempo anthem which explores the hollow spaces just as thoroughly as the peaks. "Rosa" is a percussive, haunting church hymn at the alter of the damned.<br /><br />I'm not exactly sure why Beggars Banquet chose "Mistakes" as the song that we're allowed to release... Perhaps it is the closest thing to pop music you're going to find on the album, but it isn't exactly their quintessence. Hard to argue, though, with a baseline that reminds me of SpyHunter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUutRIFoGhLLrvP4yTQMxmOWKvyhyphenhyphent28rcSEY8WimHudIfSjH-wKImH8dWggfwJKdIaoWYUI2UpeetdCi1rayJyFYmZOg3jHmC5aUMI2E112SFh6iZmjdQljVwNDcFmVP_O1-2rprQM1Pc/s1600-h/devastations2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159179937441283138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUutRIFoGhLLrvP4yTQMxmOWKvyhyphenhyphent28rcSEY8WimHudIfSjH-wKImH8dWggfwJKdIaoWYUI2UpeetdCi1rayJyFYmZOg3jHmC5aUMI2E112SFh6iZmjdQljVwNDcFmVP_O1-2rprQM1Pc/s320/devastations2.JPG" border="0" /></a> and the most discordant piano flourishes this side of Cold War Kids.<br /><br />"The Saddest Sound" pretty much delivers what it promises, and, "Misericordia" closes out the album on an appropriate note, considering the mood of the album.<br /><br />Honestly, Devastations is a tad one-dimensional. But for a dreary-doldrum sad-core trio, it's ambient enough that it manages to be a fresh approach. Not music you'll be pumping at your buddy's bachelor party (unless of course you're trying to make a subtle statement). If you're an Aussie, you have plenty of opportunities to see them live. If you live here in the states, a Beggars Banquet rep has informed us that plans are underway for a U.S. tour. Keep an eye on that, because I'm excited to see who they might do shows with, or at what awesome venues they might appear. But if they come to your town, make sure to bring some tissues.<br /><a style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" href="http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/Devastations_Mistakes.mp3"><br />Devastations -<span style="COLOR: rgb(0,153,0)">Mistakes.</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(0,153,0)">mp3</a></span><br /><br />Devastations live on YouTube:<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MN-6oTy-T-U&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MN-6oTy-T-U&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Devastations on:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devastations">Wikipedia</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/devastations">Myspace</a><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img height="16" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><br /><br /><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img height="16" alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-87644888649718669692008-01-14T21:29:00.001-05:002008-12-11T19:13:48.498-05:00Best Films of 2007An opinionated listing by Colin Emch-Wei<br /><br />2007 came and went, bringing with it a brand new movie season that dared to challenge some of the excellent achievements of 2006 (Crash, Once, The Science of Sleep). Thankfully, the powers that be managed to deliver this year… So, without any further ado, I bring the Best Films of 2007, in no particular order:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wlpzYnZJI/AAAAAAAAAXc/aiwXfcTlOmk/s1600-h/2007+film+zodiac.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wlpzYnZJI/AAAAAAAAAXc/aiwXfcTlOmk/s320/2007+film+zodiac.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155537073530692754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Zodiac </span>(David Fincher)<br /><br />Widely heralded as the “first great movie of 2007”, and I have to agree. An extremely good mix that featured a great cast playing an equally great script that had just the right amount of horror, suspense, and thrills. While its long run time turned off some, one felt compelled to stick through it all just to see who the Zodiac killer was, and where they might strike next.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ratatouille </span>(Brad Bird/Jan Pinkava)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjuVFyTP5_9Vj8GlP-7FFs67KvoWEUiDuQGgpWSXP6mzMuFguJqgDOW0y7Q0KAs6Az5144nnuYG5rbfLWkJdEMZc-WffzyRn5fN9wqr26FX84Kd_PuTIAwtWNvzHH0wCflNFJbDe76KG8/s1600-h/2007+film+rat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjuVFyTP5_9Vj8GlP-7FFs67KvoWEUiDuQGgpWSXP6mzMuFguJqgDOW0y7Q0KAs6Az5144nnuYG5rbfLWkJdEMZc-WffzyRn5fN9wqr26FX84Kd_PuTIAwtWNvzHH0wCflNFJbDe76KG8/s200/2007+film+rat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155540299051132162" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If anyone attempts to tell me that this was just a stupid kids’ movie, I’ll slit their throat. Pixar really nailed it with this one, and they knew it…what could have been a cheesy little flick grew into something truly great. What left me in awe was that more adults than children liked Ratatouille, and that during certain scenes audiences couldn’t do anything more than sit their with agape at how much was happening on the screen. There were honest laughs, honest moments of sadness, but altogether Ratatouille was one film I hope you didn’t miss.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wl8TYnZLI/AAAAAAAAAXs/GhS3TdkFYtM/s1600-h/2007+film+superbad.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wl8TYnZLI/AAAAAAAAAXs/GhS3TdkFYtM/s320/2007+film+superbad.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155537391358272690" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Superbad </span>(Greg Mottola)<br /><br />No doubt you’ve heard the neighborhood adolescents greet each other with, “I am McLovin.” And you loved it. You know it. In what was arguably the most ribald and honestly hilarious (I and the rest of the audience, were continuously laughing) comedy of the year, Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen finally got the mix of gross-out jokes to heartfelt emotion just right. Filled to the brim with delicious quotability, Superbad captured everything that was awkward about our years in high school and distilled it in such a fashion that you can’t help but laugh at it. Sure, the movie is for a specific demographic, but that demographic is large and in charge.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Juno </span>(Jason Reitman)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza80157gY5T5QqKJihUAtBwcLHIet9TwUSlkRJ9zHjM6VkbC-cCo3FeuNlZCFmyi1XLqjaqOSfLzCgubozZVstIolsAHPDjHvoJAI8vddhMKLI-QV5GnRLqIBHzsiVVBpg1aVnYQ5EnkC/s1600-h/2007+film+juno.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza80157gY5T5QqKJihUAtBwcLHIet9TwUSlkRJ9zHjM6VkbC-cCo3FeuNlZCFmyi1XLqjaqOSfLzCgubozZVstIolsAHPDjHvoJAI8vddhMKLI-QV5GnRLqIBHzsiVVBpg1aVnYQ5EnkC/s200/2007+film+juno.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155539998403421426" border="0" /></a><br />Juno stole this reviewer’s heart. What first comes off as a smarmy, coming-of-age awkward comedy somehow turns into something decidedly serious and beautiful. Teenage pregnancy is never a good thing, but Juno deals with it in such an elegant manner that you’ll be cheering for the title character. Bolstering this film’s power is a stunning cast and an excellent soundtrack.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wmUDYnZNI/AAAAAAAAAX8/rj5r65X1QuM/s1600-h/2007+film+gangster.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wmUDYnZNI/AAAAAAAAAX8/rj5r65X1QuM/s200/2007+film+gangster.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155537799380165842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">American Gangster</span> - Ridley Scot<br /><br />American Gangster reminded us of why we go to the movies: to be entertained and moved. Denzel Washington gave an amazing performance in this true story about a drug lord that you just don’t want to cross.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie Wilson’s War</span> - <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wmcjYnZOI/AAAAAAAAAYE/dFPwdNy1qno/s1600-h/2007+film+wilson.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo0swHbgGUw/R4wmcjYnZOI/AAAAAAAAAYE/dFPwdNy1qno/s200/2007+film+wilson.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155537945409053922" border="0" /></a>Mike Nichols<br /><br />This latecomer to 2007 deserves a great mention. Ever since the cancellation of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, fans of Aaron Sorkin have been waiting for more of his work. They won’t be disappointed, as Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman nail this wonderful and powerful script.<br /><br />Runners-Up:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sunshine </span>(Danny Boyle)<br /><br />It’s been awhile since a solid sci-fi flick came out, and Sunshine delivered all that and more in a thrilling package. Meticulously researched, it will appeal to anyone who hates Star Trek but love science. Besides, how can you hate indie sci-fi? That’s right, you can’t.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">28 Weeks Later</span> (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo)<br /><br />Whoever said horror was dead apparently never saw 28 Weeks Later. It was a smart, freaky, and most definitely original zombie movie, and fans of the genre won’t be disappointed. In fact, the intelligence with which the movie was dealt with probably brought in audiences who otherwise wouldn’t have been interested in it. Only issue: it’s readily apparent by the end of the film that those involved want more money. (Three-quel…)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Across the Universe</span> (Julie Taymor)<br /><br />Sweeney Todd, eat your heart out. What was billed as “The most original motion picture of the year” split audiences down the middle, but you only need to witness the power of “Let It Be” sung by a child during the Detroit Riots to understand why this series of Beatles covers deserves a long hard look.Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-77424222059963711292008-01-12T16:13:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:13:49.055-05:00Black Mountain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdEpeT04NaqvkECAsaxa1ta-q_THCbAWdWKeklg0UdeIPWQBqGW57_uVV406fsc6t6LVsNXwSfFVRFHiw3vbrRiz2qlda_uhd3ZCvHoOc2yyEV1UxEp3Co7dmH3-Uz6_a1hNL7TJoA8hA/s1600-h/black+mountain.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdEpeT04NaqvkECAsaxa1ta-q_THCbAWdWKeklg0UdeIPWQBqGW57_uVV406fsc6t6LVsNXwSfFVRFHiw3vbrRiz2qlda_uhd3ZCvHoOc2yyEV1UxEp3Co7dmH3-Uz6_a1hNL7TJoA8hA/s320/black+mountain.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154729121462838402" border="0" /></a>The dreaded sophomore slump is something many new bands face. The idea that every new, great band has to be “the next best thing” is a lot of pressure. Some of these high expectations can destroy a band or make their second release turn into something it isn’t. 2008 poses a lot of new indie rock bands with their second effort. One of these bands, Black Mountain, has released their follow-up this January and has put to the test their well played formula of epic rock.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In the Future</span>, the second full-length recording from Vancouver’s Black Mountain, follows perfect suit to its self-titled predecessor. Trying to formally describe Black Mountain always ends in either a rambling roster of 60’s and 70’s rock bands or a laundry list of genres smashed in a super-collider. With this fact, a slew of mixed reviews abound. Kicked into Black Mountain’s court have been nods to the prolific recreation of classic sounds with a fresh twist as well as accusations of re-used riffs and old, stale formulas. Regardless of the nay-sayers, one thing is clear--Black Mountain knows how to write a damn good rock song.<br /><br />Black Mountain’s self-titled debut was a daunting listen. With influences ranging from Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd to Captain Beefheart, you are bound to get a varied climate. Songs like “Modern Music” and “Druganaut” showed a twinge of funk psychedelia while “Don’t Run Your Hearts Around” and “Set Us Free” had a more standard progressive rock structure (if such a thing exists). Then there's the epic “Heart of Snow” and the borderline techno track “No Hits” which jostled the listener out of their security with sounds unlike the others and structures so varied they are intimidating. This can come off as either pretentious or schizophrenic to the average listener. All in all, <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Mountain </span>was a solid selection of great songs that varied, stood alone and worked to show just what the band can do. <span style="font-style: italic;">In the Future</span> solidifies these ideas into a more coherent mission.<br /><br />The new album kicks of with the maelstrom of “Stormy High.” Amber Webber’s vocals mimic a howling north wind as the guitars show the onslaught of catchy and crunchy riffs that will stick with the listener long after the finale of the track. The track launches the listener into the climate of the heavy rockers of the album and then lulls back for the track “Angels” which still has its fair share of guitars and a surging synth bridge, but the overall demeanor is much more laid back.<br /><br />Swiftly kicking into high gear is the 8-minute epic “Tyrants,” also the first release off of the new album. The song goes through its impassioned tale of taking down a tyrant with grandiose sections that ebb and flow as any prog rock anthem should. The build up of tension throughout the song is released through the violent thrashing of guitars and drums at the songs finale with a cathartic acoustic outro to reel listeners back in. To date, “Tyrants” is Black Mountain’s most impressive, coherent track.<br /><br />More standard rockers are laced throughout the rest of the album. “Wucan” howls with a guitar riff that beams in from outer space and Webber belts over the closest companion piece to Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” on the haunting “Queens Will Play.” These standards lead to the ambitious 16-minute “Bright Lights.” Echoing such classics like King Crimson’s “Starless” or Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, Black Mountain adds itself to the lexicon of uncompromising, engaging epics. Not many bands go for the grandiose 70’s prog-rock sprawls anymore, but Black Mountain pays them tribute and embellishes them with their own signature sound. Rather then being one repetitive long track, it’s split up into noticeable fragments envelope all the themes necessary in any epic track.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrSlLPtNRkQb7uEDuht_8ni2Tw8-zhLi0aaqz5bWUZytQ92nGI-QjOGHO_hFTwBaGWKCptuB7azz8ihyphenhyphenV6SKVmu0rh7vODdyWJBhFNZeiGhGEBruPrKqZv8wNc_1a7CbgkE61Bp0mLTa5/s1600-h/black+mountain+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrSlLPtNRkQb7uEDuht_8ni2Tw8-zhLi0aaqz5bWUZytQ92nGI-QjOGHO_hFTwBaGWKCptuB7azz8ihyphenhyphenV6SKVmu0rh7vODdyWJBhFNZeiGhGEBruPrKqZv8wNc_1a7CbgkE61Bp0mLTa5/s320/black+mountain+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154728786455389282" border="0" /></a><br />Overall, what really shines through on <span style="font-style: italic;">In The Future </span>is the amount of sheer talent all members of the group have. Stephen McBeam’s guitar work never overshadows what else is going on and the vocal exchange between himself and Webber works well to make the group even more dynamic than they already are. The album works together as a more cohesive statement than their self titled debut and brings every member of the Black Mountain Army together working to create a single dynamic sound. If anything proves this point, it’s Black Mountain’s live show. Their live act this past fall here in Philadelphia at Johnny Brenda’s showcased what they can do onstage. They played new and old and it all flowed together in a psychedelic haze. The show is what I imagine seeing such classic acts of the early psychedelic movement must have been like.<br /><br />Reimagining older styles is what Black Mountain does best. <span style="font-style: italic;">In The Future </span>takes this to a new level of excitement. They overcame the sophomore slump, perhaps ten fold. An upcoming tour will accompany the January 22nd official release of the album, although if you order through their website, you can get a digital download for instant gratification. Black Mountain is one of the most exciting bands out today bringing no holds barred rock and roll back to its roots. Whether you find this a rehashing of old used styles and sounds isn’t the issue. It’s whether or not you are ready for a sonic adventure of epic proportions. If that’s your bag, Black Mountain’s <span style="font-style: italic;">In The Future</span> is for you.<br /><br />by <a href="http://cropulis.blogspot.com/" target="main">Paul Tsikitas</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/tyrants.mp3">Black Mountain - Tyrants<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">.mp3</span></a><br /><br />Druganaut on Youtube<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VElg2CNpJSY&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VElg2CNpJSY&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Black Mountain on:<br /><a href="http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain" target="main">Jagjaguwar</a><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/blackmountain" target="main">Myspace</a><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-25839154221486582332007-12-31T03:22:00.001-05:002008-12-11T19:13:51.405-05:00Best Albums of 2007<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHL1bqeKpV0SfzrmoZ1sXTzD9hVFSwSseliyQrgtr_qiPKh95I0DywNHZT7GolymzKNgJioXL7U32puCuzhBXIK0nf2e7kPQBTuORBS6bfM98P5petPvzNdzOlXBV1XslPHlHxOxSQMVB/s1600-h/feist.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150274089325650770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHL1bqeKpV0SfzrmoZ1sXTzD9hVFSwSseliyQrgtr_qiPKh95I0DywNHZT7GolymzKNgJioXL7U32puCuzhBXIK0nf2e7kPQBTuORBS6bfM98P5petPvzNdzOlXBV1XslPHlHxOxSQMVB/s200/feist.JPG" border="0" /></a>10)Feist - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Reminder</span><br /><br />Here's hoping that staring in an iPod commercial is not akin to an NFL star appearing on the cover of Madden. Feist's<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> The Re</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">minder</span> slightly edges out Cat Power's <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Greatest</span> as the best female solo masterpiece of the year. A pretty huge honor for her to receive from us! (cue eye-roll). But don't write off this Broken Social Scene alum as a coat-tail-rider who surfs a fluffy wave of hype to the top. This album has amazing replay value.<br /><br />9) Bishop Allen - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Broken String</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqm8oHX83g_TD6II13YC6_6qzLZLBABZtgEvRw-L2ka6HWJPt3UYx9eBwow6accPUYFt5SsomHl6tyafS4s9zZKYVLee2nKd-6fEHFYQCUco14zz4OS5yx06yC7Bu5fBSqnRilsqKQG15/s1600-h/bishop+allen.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150281717187568642" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqm8oHX83g_TD6II13YC6_6qzLZLBABZtgEvRw-L2ka6HWJPt3UYx9eBwow6accPUYFt5SsomHl6tyafS4s9zZKYVLee2nKd-6fEHFYQCUco14zz4OS5yx06yC7Bu5fBSqnRilsqKQG15/s200/bishop+allen.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />If there were a version of Hey There Delilah made for adults with educations and jobs, it would have certainly been done by Bishop Allen. The prodigious Rice and Rudder released a dream-pop epic, and now they deserve some time off. But lord knows they won't be taking it. When they get back from their European tour, keep an eye out for this hard working indie outfit at a small club near you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp06UUgoFOH1z1ksuhL9xlaLFDjfMJ3c16WeWGMgOrLBiUbeHH9GwwjDZWFHcmxR7qGBKajACGv4JZsEWKyuXmglezfS2JgQtUDAJCNv5jNhVZmvuDK58j5N_y3CuIBgw9NKRYFr1GIXhN/s1600-h/band+of+horses+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150274643376431986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 137px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 137px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp06UUgoFOH1z1ksuhL9xlaLFDjfMJ3c16WeWGMgOrLBiUbeHH9GwwjDZWFHcmxR7qGBKajACGv4JZsEWKyuXmglezfS2JgQtUDAJCNv5jNhVZmvuDK58j5N_y3CuIBgw9NKRYFr1GIXhN/s200/band+of+horses+1.JPG" border="0" /></a>8) Band of Horses - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Cease to Begin</span><br /><br />Surprisingly on par with its predecessor, but not surprisingly one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Cease to Begin </span>sounds remarkably fresh for an over-worked genre (which we call post-Neil Young). It brings amped-up catchiness to alt-country. It just sounds right.<br /><br />7) Joel Plasket Emergency - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Ashtray Rock </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCYem3mszHhHKPNXCZpMNSqLGvLrvMFXWCeyBYz0M8ynCs7HvrZFq4Ydv8ZuJlcBHFcizhrOxmIj1QUgrCdA606NCm_omdHGm641GtKXnSHCcRGKvjFJ-tU6h6pglsUnJJMN3sOEaMMCH/s320/plaskett1.JPG"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCYem3mszHhHKPNXCZpMNSqLGvLrvMFXWCeyBYz0M8ynCs7HvrZFq4Ydv8ZuJlcBHFcizhrOxmIj1QUgrCdA606NCm_omdHGm641GtKXnSHCcRGKvjFJ-tU6h6pglsUnJJMN3sOEaMMCH/s320/plaskett1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An emerging hero out of Canada's rock-clubs, this latest effort, a semi-autobiographical nostalgia-fest, is almost as thoughtful as it is groovy. With a side of fun and a "let's get tanked!" attitude, this album takes major-chord Canadian feel-goodness to a cool new place.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9Cns8OFeltlgQ7unnwrWPFI3CA0bJVhdQ187hnxZPQdbIFLqAjiLjnAmpxEYo7fG77PWeM7Ds0r_F8slxiCacq93-aCcVw-7locg7SJoBfLonWQdLNJAci8zCZdLkO3RcxVi5nuAV0-M/s1600-h/National+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150277881781773186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 138px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 138px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9Cns8OFeltlgQ7unnwrWPFI3CA0bJVhdQ187hnxZPQdbIFLqAjiLjnAmpxEYo7fG77PWeM7Ds0r_F8slxiCacq93-aCcVw-7locg7SJoBfLonWQdLNJAci8zCZdLkO3RcxVi5nuAV0-M/s200/National+1.JPG" border="0" /></a>6) The National - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Boxer</span><br /><br />It takes more than a bourbon-smooth croon to rank on just about every top ten list this side of the printed word. How about hypnotic drumming and a Crash Test Dummies-gone-serious sound? You've probably read this all before, so moving on...<br /><br />5) John Vanderslice - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Emerald City</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZr-bA3LVtmqlVbqbT_c13uInYMcstgjCsJjHfQCXYy2e4BU1X6xf0dbMn8a_LpkZn798rNA-67Mjb7KTJQAzq93kZy0wNWE5YMfu1h1Y_vEGKhphJj2yY1XyYcf460iOO2_TKmiPpEwc/s1600-h/john+vanderslice.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150278212494254994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZr-bA3LVtmqlVbqbT_c13uInYMcstgjCsJjHfQCXYy2e4BU1X6xf0dbMn8a_LpkZn798rNA-67Mjb7KTJQAzq93kZy0wNWE5YMfu1h1Y_vEGKhphJj2yY1XyYcf460iOO2_TKmiPpEwc/s200/john+vanderslice.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This former Spoon producer may have recorded the most interesting album of the year. Vanderslice continues to combine masterful execution with a kind of playfulness, giving the impression of that one professor who you really connected with. Combining the creativity of Andrew Bird, and the hold-nothing-backness of Stephen Malkmus (that wasn't supposed to rhyme), John Vanderslice's Emerald City is definitely a head-turner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ys5GShibVUjza9TIAD0DME1GpWCrBQZRU_jxsy7Zd63o9c5ndGoUVEUPkqr-mrI256va6lIk__F8PoH8xybLnPQACMDOQKx8MSks7FiZ8UFX1ZmulcO2oS-XKdEIn4dQtZTKq6t69nTV/s1600-h/in+rainbows.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150278745070199714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ys5GShibVUjza9TIAD0DME1GpWCrBQZRU_jxsy7Zd63o9c5ndGoUVEUPkqr-mrI256va6lIk__F8PoH8xybLnPQACMDOQKx8MSks7FiZ8UFX1ZmulcO2oS-XKdEIn4dQtZTKq6t69nTV/s200/in+rainbows.JPG" border="0" /></a>4)Radiohead - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">In Rainbows</span><br /><br />We didn't know if it was going to be critic-proof or impossible to live up to the expectations. Doesn't matter, it's awesome.<br /><br />3)Dr. Dog - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">We All Belong<br /><br /></span>This tome of psychedelic retro-pop is the sound of happy go luckiness personified. Here's a tip: if you're a fan of The Flaming Lips, this could be<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6WjXexM2ce4yQC15DkxlDLTvfo7D1_p7QNuAw9GBtaQsaZ_uCbptghaUDhPK1OrdPH9cJ6JX_-cpNLUbyEAvRLwEmehbjAoT_1QhtGA2j-_bPn8k5BfjYATDiXYnvkc339_6Xk6yp5bx/s1600-h/we+all+belong.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150280261193655266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6WjXexM2ce4yQC15DkxlDLTvfo7D1_p7QNuAw9GBtaQsaZ_uCbptghaUDhPK1OrdPH9cJ6JX_-cpNLUbyEAvRLwEmehbjAoT_1QhtGA2j-_bPn8k5BfjYATDiXYnvkc339_6Xk6yp5bx/s200/we+all+belong.JPG" border="0" /></a> your favorite album of the year. If you're a fan of The Beatles, this could be your favorite album of the year. And most importantly, if you're a fan of original songwriting, this could be your favorite album of the year. Lots of good stuff...<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCWyeI1GELN9kgZ_g3B8-d8RQZJkTBjVc9begxbWOyQV8P52-Noz3Ct1cVLHb_-4WPnlT8W1NS3ZyVSQwEQNMB7KL70cvS19M36Vbdq4HxunibqyJmgValbqTwjnu5xy38dXL9xTOs3B2/s1600-h/!!!+myth+takes.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150273908937024322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCWyeI1GELN9kgZ_g3B8-d8RQZJkTBjVc9begxbWOyQV8P52-Noz3Ct1cVLHb_-4WPnlT8W1NS3ZyVSQwEQNMB7KL70cvS19M36Vbdq4HxunibqyJmgValbqTwjnu5xy38dXL9xTOs3B2/s200/!!!+myth+takes.JPG" border="0" /></a>2)!!! - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Myth Takes</span><br /></div><br />This album is what house music wishes it could be. It takes that genre's bossy, rhythmic pump-you-up beats and builds upon it with lavish tripped-out jazz-funk and tribal percussion. This album could be the soundtrack to your driving, exercising, video game playing, blog-reading, coitus, or just about any other activity where nobody could get hurt from letting your mind wander.<br /><br />1) The Shins - <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Wincing the Night Away</span><br /><br />I was so thrilled to realize that this album was released during 20<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqjocLtQzirkhi7WbUXPlcxc-tOEXj9-Q7x1BEks0i4q7yiKO4VxNZSZZgbY8dX9ZXldUiQ7FyQ12QkkzsVflgmS7rrp7ARgspmDcV6pVxfjWsynbqW8kdzEJk0BSe95g4e5pLF4I-Eav/s1600-h/wincing+night+away.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150280467352085490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqjocLtQzirkhi7WbUXPlcxc-tOEXj9-Q7x1BEks0i4q7yiKO4VxNZSZZgbY8dX9ZXldUiQ7FyQ12QkkzsVflgmS7rrp7ARgspmDcV6pVxfjWsynbqW8kdzEJk0BSe95g4e5pLF4I-Eav/s200/wincing+night+away.JPG" border="0" /></a>07, because it feels like it's been with me my whole life. This album is gorgeous. It's pretty and mysterious and stuffed to the brim with near-perfect songs. It's extremely cinematic, yet brings content to spare. Its hooks transcend catchiness like watching an actor who's so good that you forget they're acting. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Wincing the Night Away</span> is probably up there with the best albums of the decade thus far. Or better.Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-85483742603769724442007-12-27T11:36:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:13:52.939-05:00Spoon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFK4udFZypup-VpdoWdZJ57-xORZ6-YEGUGNaDS-epX8jugFK1UFo7vQ0LKaSzsrOws35NFCU4GSB6LPfTMeVs-9R0srs6EitVW_rpa1uJq7pwUDqifT3fbq8ffVwGimHH1g7j5_kC9wt/s1600-h/spoon+7.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFK4udFZypup-VpdoWdZJ57-xORZ6-YEGUGNaDS-epX8jugFK1UFo7vQ0LKaSzsrOws35NFCU4GSB6LPfTMeVs-9R0srs6EitVW_rpa1uJq7pwUDqifT3fbq8ffVwGimHH1g7j5_kC9wt/s320/spoon+7.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148707336795677378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Retrospective.</span><br /><br />The most eternally frustrating thing for any elitist music snob is to try to rank albums of a band like Spoon. With such a consistent collection of solid albums, creating some sort of list becomes a painstaking process. Is the breakthrough <span style="font-style: italic;">Kill the Moonlight</span> their best? Is the follow-up <span style="font-style: italic;">Gimme Fiction</span> underrated? Was <span style="font-style: italic;">Girls Can</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Tell</span> never matched? Whichever album you<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7mngmPz-CvwssLpyXj8k8xk_w_mAm0R2szAu6lAX_9gc7KEZzHff0slgZs7KSlzwyWNK9y8elGWV9t0Y-dZdNJxP_3__kCXvfQuiLNKasx0C6LOItDoWFMYWIbwFn4bgIhIVn80w0noy/s1600-h/spoon+6.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7mngmPz-CvwssLpyXj8k8xk_w_mAm0R2szAu6lAX_9gc7KEZzHff0slgZs7KSlzwyWNK9y8elGWV9t0Y-dZdNJxP_3__kCXvfQuiLNKasx0C6LOItDoWFMYWIbwFn4bgIhIVn80w0noy/s200/spoon+6.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148709651783049970" border="0" /></a> prefer, the task continues to grow more vexing with each release. Add <span style="font-style: italic;">Ga Ga Ga</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Ga Ga</span> to the list and chalk it up on the Spoon blackboard as another essential album from the Austin based band.<br /><br />Spoon’s recently reissued early albums, like <span style="font-style: italic;">Telephono</span>, weren’t particularly defining, as Spoon was simply another alternative rock band out of the thousands that popped up in the mid to late 90’s. In 2001 <span style="font-style: italic;">Girls Can Tell</span> became the band’s first release to garner recognition. The album could still be dismissed as a fun power-pop fluke, but it set the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhaLKeiJUUuPR3OCYIFT6nS9dt-XrXL8jH6d3PfFRZ3gg3IUoD8t80jAVrVsmAL4suqm-lcGjkMVlP2rFkQbd28nbOh3iSHfgH8L-BEV8YNyeaG9ysOpaYbIzMrGCrIsXcoltqHAN0YfN/s1600-h/spoon+4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhaLKeiJUUuPR3OCYIFT6nS9dt-XrXL8jH6d3PfFRZ3gg3IUoD8t80jAVrVsmAL4suqm-lcGjkMVlP2rFkQbd28nbOh3iSHfgH8L-BEV8YNyeaG9ysOpaYbIzMrGCrIsXcoltqHAN0YfN/s200/spoon+4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148709819286774530" border="0" /></a> foundation of sounds that would soon be expanded upon and mastered.<br /><br />Since then, Spoon’s growth has been unswerving and has lead quite logically to their more recent output. The seeds were set on 2002’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Kill the Moonlight</span>. Largely experimental, genre-leaping and surprisingly sparse, Spoon began working with different textures and a “less is more” approach to recording. Songs like “Small Stakes” confound at first because they never quite develop into what you’d expect, but instead focus around a solitary piano or guitar body. The same goes for the song that allowed the album to become so revered. If at this point you think you haven’t heard “The Way We Get<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK0XVedB1cR9TRTCAq5saU3Slee-tHKCk-Z9y8f1WrORPztT1w6SMF00Vof3cnZWVOUyJBKU5IvHQCJxHxy6m55jtPRWWQ35nZ28BUmCq2y3iPRYUME0TsCkCHbqVYt015IziRp3P9ax1/s1600-h/spoon+5.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK0XVedB1cR9TRTCAq5saU3Slee-tHKCk-Z9y8f1WrORPztT1w6SMF00Vof3cnZWVOUyJBKU5IvHQCJxHxy6m55jtPRWWQ35nZ28BUmCq2y3iPRYUME0TsCkCHbqVYt015IziRp3P9ax1/s200/spoon+5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148709479984358114" border="0" /></a> By,” you’re wrong. It’s been featured in nearly every trailer, commercial and TV spot over the last few years. After just a few bars of the instantly recognizable piano run you’ll say, “Oh, I know this.” <span style="font-style: italic;">Kill the Moonlight</span> reached in many directions, but had familiarity and coolness to spare. The chances of Spoon producing a worthy follow-up seemed slim.<br /><br />Now admittedly, <span style="font-style: italic;">Moonlight</span>’s great, but a tad over-hyped. The extreme coolness sometimes translates to coldness, and the general attitude of the album feels like a bit snide. Maybe I just find it to be a bit too hip for me. So it was a pleasant surprise when the 2005 follow-up <span style="font-style: italic;">Gimme Fiction</span> spread things out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiteCgVqp-Bo7INLTp6GM1EvLUQfmEV2z-7vgXlLWObrYxBVqA99z_NItoyGQaIfNzl2g3-dWz8eNNMDfEIOeuZ3ljE3094S04pvqZen4F8T9DtH8uYRkEw7sg34T0cOVhxnPriM0IeP9i/s1600-h/spoon+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiteCgVqp-Bo7INLTp6GM1EvLUQfmEV2z-7vgXlLWObrYxBVqA99z_NItoyGQaIfNzl2g3-dWz8eNNMDfEIOeuZ3ljE3094S04pvqZen4F8T9DtH8uYRkEw7sg34T0cOVhxnPriM0IeP9i/s200/spoon+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148709986790499090" border="0" /></a> substantially in terms of song structure, instrumentation and production. Fiction emphasized Spoon’s ability to capture their natural essence on tape. Tracks like The “Two Sides of Misour Valentine” incorporate strings, denser textures and allow Spoon to expand naturally.<br /><br />The trend continues on <span style="font-style: italic;">Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga</span>. The production is precise and detailed, with every instrument sounding ridiculously clear. Many of Spoon's contemporaries choose to muddle instruments under layers of overdubs and claustrophobic production techniques. On this release, and all Spoon albums there is no confusion as leader Brit Daniel’s gravelly voice along with every<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscmFymR0QjPGXy4BYwD3CjDs6FG-RIquFC0KfF2BBQXjjQJEc8dpC8gVdTv0jGaFOoOGElEHM9wEGpDYjjAyN-cjeCWDoSL5unFopJP6r2g3JwGt0xig-nWAuoY0Et9lvAp0-SF46acex/s1600-h/spoon+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscmFymR0QjPGXy4BYwD3CjDs6FG-RIquFC0KfF2BBQXjjQJEc8dpC8gVdTv0jGaFOoOGElEHM9wEGpDYjjAyN-cjeCWDoSL5unFopJP6r2g3JwGt0xig-nWAuoY0Et9lvAp0-SF46acex/s200/spoon+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148710244488536866" border="0" /></a> instrument are front and center all at once. Tracks like “Don’t Make Me a Target” and “My Little Japanese Cigarette Case” are the straightforward rock songs we expect, but Spoon still finds room to experiment. On “The Ghost of You Lingers” the band conjures spooky, ethereal images with Daniel’s vocals sneakily sliding from left to right and reverberating back.<br /><br />Some of the band’s best songs to date are contained on <span style="font-style: italic;">Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga</span>. “The Underdog” manages to be a sprawling epic of a rock song at only three minutes with brass sections that weave in and out of the acoustic skeleton of the track. Interestingly, Spoon continually chooses acoustic guitar sounds rather<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEc9cV3_L9EB-XlXJp1v83_gl04SXUNSHJA3Gy33EqT5JJRif4Z0Oagp09JZIRVN0oW1FDwFXCZ5DxCMc35Tf8g7F_jOu9cdcXqjJXQDaoHegnw2XS4JSDrPKxDLT3Lx2x4un4_lECzOy/s1600-h/spoon+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEc9cV3_L9EB-XlXJp1v83_gl04SXUNSHJA3Gy33EqT5JJRif4Z0Oagp09JZIRVN0oW1FDwFXCZ5DxCMc35Tf8g7F_jOu9cdcXqjJXQDaoHegnw2XS4JSDrPKxDLT3Lx2x4un4_lECzOy/s200/spoon+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148710476416770866" border="0" /></a> than electric on most of their songs. This is strange for a rock band because they still play their guitars as if they were in fact electric, yet another way Spoon stays ahead of the legions of forks (bands who wish they were Spoon). When rock n’ roll music can become so easily watered down or so laughably over done there's a lot to be said for a band that still makes it sound fresh.<br /><br />by Brett Oronzio<br /><br />Spoon on:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_%28band%29">Wikipedia</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/spoon">Myspace</a><br /><br />The Underdog on YouTube:<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LenPKPqvdJA&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LenPKPqvdJA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-82756981397188124032007-12-17T16:48:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:13:53.330-05:00Band Of Horses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJDPIDCFUHjSdP_qC3d7uVXD7L9xlBo3q9-vRAvRFRmjPtevtJGbbgHNNzPueWCzW1fZnSUUFeMYnCbGJF2peRsnQHrx0ivUy6p7jUR383as1ul69r9E1YRonEVd0InBMkkyWtEYiA9Fl/s1600-h/band+of+horses+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145062563123782306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJDPIDCFUHjSdP_qC3d7uVXD7L9xlBo3q9-vRAvRFRmjPtevtJGbbgHNNzPueWCzW1fZnSUUFeMYnCbGJF2peRsnQHrx0ivUy6p7jUR383as1ul69r9E1YRonEVd0InBMkkyWtEYiA9Fl/s320/band+of+horses+1.JPG" border="0" /></a>There is some music in this life that is so comforting, so relatable, that you just want to crawl inside it to be reassured all is right with the world. The music on Band of Horses' <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Cease to Begin</span> has quickly fallen into this category.<br /><br />While the band has maintained some of the forlorn sound from their debut album <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Everything All The Time</span>, there are a few less songs on <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Cease to Begin</span> that make you want to sit in a darkened room with candles as you casually tear at your wrist with a razorblade. The album has a buoyant tone, forshadowed by the liner notes (for those of you who don't buy your music off of iTunes), which do not contain lyrics, but a series of postcardesque photos taken of still and animal life from San Diego and Mount Pleasant.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Cease to Begin</span> contains far more stand out tracks than its predecessor, with particular regard to<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> Is There A Ghost</span>, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Ode to LRC</span>, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">No One's Gonna Love You</span>, and <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Islands on the Coast</span>.<br /><br />The first single, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Is There A Ghost</span>, lulls its listener in with the endearingly whiny twang of Ben Bridwell's vocals. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Ode to LRC</span> also captures the characteristic languor of Bridwell as he croons, "The world is such a wonderful place." A few la-di-das inserted at the end give the song a lively air (well, lively by Band of Horses' standards).<br /><br />The opening chords of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">No One's Gonna Love You</span> are a throwback to the despondency of tracks like <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Funeral</span> and <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The First Song</span>. Despite of the pace and sound of the song, the lyrics indicate a sense of bliss and contentment, promising its listener, "<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">No one's gonna love you more than I do</span>."<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Detlef Schrempf</span>, one of the most tranquil songs on <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Cease To Begin</span>, is also the most lyrically variant. Other songs on the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQdKrsq5SuUaYDRD7XQyosP3Dl3iWqGPqvkIwt_EDAqYhEZg-et1PsOa-Mq2jtnoucTGbNGay5vOOmxKkGYLuqmw902VXCuG5cIsQpmCoNrHt-1w-7fg7-D0s1bDB8FxssoV3uZdUSD_R/s1600-h/band+of+horses+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145062644728160946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQdKrsq5SuUaYDRD7XQyosP3Dl3iWqGPqvkIwt_EDAqYhEZg-et1PsOa-Mq2jtnoucTGbNGay5vOOmxKkGYLuqmw902VXCuG5cIsQpmCoNrHt-1w-7fg7-D0s1bDB8FxssoV3uZdUSD_R/s320/band+of+horses+2.JPG" border="0" /></a> album rely on the chorus to bolster the content, but with <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Detlef Schremf</span>, the chorus, "<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">If we see you like I hoped we never would/Eyes can't look at you any other way/Any other way</span>," is repeated with caution.<br /><br />The most upbeat song on the album, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The General Specific</span>, is a folksy, rhythmic tune, with all the makings for radio airplay. This track transitions nicely into an instrumental interlude with the peculiar title <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Lamb on the Lam (In the City)</span>.<br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Islands on the Coast</span> is a subconscious nod to The Shins, where BoH mélanges pleasantly melancholic lyrics with tongue in cheek up tempo music on what is their best song on the album.<br /><br />It is safe to say without equivocation, Band of Horses has succeeded in creating a sophomore effort worthy of its predecessor, possibly even one that has surpassed it.<br /><br />by Genna Rivieccio<br /><br />Is There a Ghost on YouTube<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JK716RqoUms&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JK716RqoUms&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Band Of Horses on:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_of_horses">Wikipedia</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/bandofhorses">Myspace</a><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img height="16" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><br /><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img height="16" alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-38660601186337542972007-12-08T13:54:00.001-05:002008-12-11T19:13:55.243-05:00Bon Iver<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrbKZPR3Zq7BikGP4zZ-JppzwZerNyd_CtKgF49ObMXCuj0V27QOxt4kW5yVHKF0QSIeL-wIx2KSUYRDKry4A0Otp4pp7C8z4WXqnNq1pHPNqIKmz3jpzuZBgJIHz-HhSyvfyCRB-9nPL/s1600-h/bon+iver+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrbKZPR3Zq7BikGP4zZ-JppzwZerNyd_CtKgF49ObMXCuj0V27QOxt4kW5yVHKF0QSIeL-wIx2KSUYRDKry4A0Otp4pp7C8z4WXqnNq1pHPNqIKmz3jpzuZBgJIHz-HhSyvfyCRB-9nPL/s320/bon+iver+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141724787057121714" border="0" /></a>Justin Vernon is ready. He departed for the forest of Northwest Wisconsin last winter, and emerged with magic. But it clearly didn't come without a price. <span style="font-style: italic;">For Emma, Forever Ago</span> is a penance, a crucible, a sacrificial offering... and I say 'sacrificial' because it doesn't take long to hear Vernon's giving of himself on this record. And if you see him perform the songs from <span style="font-style: italic;">For Emma</span> live, you can see this offering repeat itself. A sacrament raised up on high to the pieces of us that may have been ripped away--casualties from having loved with all our hearts and lived through the glory and devastation. I'm hoping Vernon is feeling better than he did before last winter, and I imagine he is, given that the name of this new project, Bon Iver (pronounced bohn eevair), is based on the french greeting "Good Winter".<br /><br />For those of you who are feeling suspicious about Bon Iver, let me put my reputation on the line. He's the real deal.<br /><br />Despite being somewhat minimalist, Bon Iver sounds decades ahead of its time, combining emotional post-folk and stripped-down acoustic neo-soul. Vernon sings with a falsetto croon, sometimes sounding like hollow metal. That may not sound appealing, but believe me, it works... If there's one man that can make hollow metal sound vulnerable and human, it's Justin Vernon.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For Emma, Forever Ago</span> listens like an EP, in that it leaves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLmKihD9rHZ0c3Sb-MGfctDl0BZEP8ha1AkVKl1pnGgYrKGp2HMd5HuxUecMK5Q72KiBbEUYENYpm7CMT_tajEsecRhizD_9F7ZnqKMsUJffdQcPDcMPaUVSWI8Gj1g3ce8OSz8rSl9-9/s1600-h/bon+iver+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLmKihD9rHZ0c3Sb-MGfctDl0BZEP8ha1AkVKl1pnGgYrKGp2HMd5HuxUecMK5Q72KiBbEUYENYpm7CMT_tajEsecRhizD_9F7ZnqKMsUJffdQcPDcMPaUVSWI8Gj1g3ce8OSz8rSl9-9/s320/bon+iver+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141724868661500354" border="0" /></a> you quite unfulfilled with the little time you've spent with the artist. I've probably listened to it a half dozen times in two days, and at the end each time I feel angry and slightly betrayed that it's over.<br /><br />It opens with <span style="font-style: italic;">Flume</span>, which may be the closest thing to old-fashioned folk you're going to find. Right off the bat, Vernon serves up generous portions of that falsetto (which can sound akin to TV on the Radio). This wail of his helps establish the record's character early on. <span style="font-style: italic;">Lump Sum,</span> the record's second track, is indie gospel music for a new era, driven by a single base-drum and repeating acoustic strum.<br /><br />Track 3 is <span style="font-style: italic;">Skinny Love</span>, which is the flagship song responsible for all of the ridiculous blog hype Bon Iver's been getting. Even in a small venue in Philly, his announcement of "This song is called Skinny Love", elicited cheers of glee throughout the crowd. Honestly, this track speaks for itself. It's a gift from Vernon to the world--one that I almost wish he didn't have to give, but ignoring his pain, I selfishly horde it under my pillow.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Blindsided</span> is the perfect centerpiece, and awakens one of the most lively moments on the album. The repeated line, "Would you really<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_k7wR0QUGpsrhqEwx1bRvWsYa8sDRrATQH4sweLEmVRUvMzrCrzusNggLn7pOFYegdspfbJbC61tJyknr2SsBIG37efy1hBpX9OiOGNkrsJv9budxkPnYFj11qRAYEaS93ph5YkXz8JV/s1600-h/bon+iver+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_k7wR0QUGpsrhqEwx1bRvWsYa8sDRrATQH4sweLEmVRUvMzrCrzusNggLn7pOFYegdspfbJbC61tJyknr2SsBIG37efy1hBpX9OiOGNkrsJv9budxkPnYFj11qRAYEaS93ph5YkXz8JV/s320/bon+iver+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141724954560846290" border="0" /></a> rush out? (for me now)" is a chant that drives the spirit of the music. The major-scale notes he choses to hit really give the record a feel-good core. <span style="font-style: italic;">Creature Fear</span> teases us with a repeated pseudo-crescendo of a chorus, but the tease is bittersweet, and the second time around leads into the instrumental piece <span style="font-style: italic;">Team</span>.<br /><br />Jazz horn-players John Dehaven and Randy Pingrey jump on bord for the titular track, which also features a refreshing lively drum beat. Vernon (triumphantly?) sings, "Go find another another lover to string along!" I divert my eyes away from the speakers... I don't know who this Emma chick is, but she's definitely getting her comeuppance.<br /><br />Don't be skeptical, this is more than just an exercise in exorcism. It's the real deal. I promise.<br /><br />Bon Iver - <a href="http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/skinnylove.mp3">Skinny Love <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">mp3</span></a><br /><br />Bon Iver on:<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/boniver">Myspace</a><br /><a href="http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=boniver">JagJaguwar</a><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sy3lJIxyZ60&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sy3lJIxyZ60&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-73975998167569659092007-12-05T13:29:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:13:55.885-05:00David Lynch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0mWadZmy2zPHdnDF6dBVWCyMusznEs8prwG5y0iVISz9cS94EOCHwab_YcnqL0xDXzGyUvRsRLbkPE_jPMSEmvpQvHlCG_T3ynz_qcPs0A5ScrCw_mpEtg9jic_OeEB88lseMFMa8qBo/s1600-h/Lynch+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0mWadZmy2zPHdnDF6dBVWCyMusznEs8prwG5y0iVISz9cS94EOCHwab_YcnqL0xDXzGyUvRsRLbkPE_jPMSEmvpQvHlCG_T3ynz_qcPs0A5ScrCw_mpEtg9jic_OeEB88lseMFMa8qBo/s320/Lynch+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140919184336378258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Retrospective.</span><br /><br />“It’s a strange world”. This candid statement uttered by Kyle MacLachlan’s character in <em>Blue Velvet</em> effectively conveys the often haunting and surrealist images director David Lynch portrays in his mysterious films. An American film director with a reputation for baffling audiences with confusing and often fragmented plots, bizarre and sadistic characters, and mystical themes; David Lynch has been able to establish a career through displaying eerie images representing the nefarious and often supernatural aspect of existence. A true auteur in every sense of the word, Lynch submerges himself in every aspect of his creations as a director, scriptwriter, producer, editor, actor, cinematographer, and soundtrack coordinator. Equally impressive has been Lynch’s refusal to conform to the Hollywood system and create films which are tailor made for box office success. He has succeeded in creating visually intriguing and thought provoking films in an era of filmmaking characterized by the rigid structure of raunchy comedies and action films. However, Lynch’s greatest triumph as a director has been his ability to tear down the American dream. What I mean by this is that Lynch succeeded in unveiling the dark underworld of society within the prototypical white picket-fenced, peaceful, suburban neighborhood in which every American wants to raise kids. This is prominently shown in the opening scene of Lynch’s 1986 neo-noir classic, <em>Blue Velvet</em>. The scene starts with visual images promoting the American dream: the aforementioned white picket fence, large house, a man watering his lawn, bright red fire engines passing with smiling fireman and Dalmatians, and kids playing in a serene suburban neighborhood. In the blink of an eye Lynch smashes this American ideal by having the man watering his lawn become tangled in the water hose and almost strangles himself to death. As the man lies on the grass struggling for his life, the camera zooms in deep into the grass to show black beetles scurrying around. This disturbing image symbolizes the dark underworld of society hidden from sight that lies underneath the exterior of seemingly perfect suburban neighborhoods.<br /><div> </div><br /><div>This destruction of the American dream can also be seen in a lesser degree in Lynch’s brilliant cult television series <em>Twin Peaks</em>. In Twin Peaks, much like in <em>Blue Velvet</em>, a small, peaceful, rural area far from the supposed dangers of urban life is uprooted as popular high school student Laura Palmer is murdered. This murder ruins the sanctity of the normally peaceful town of <em>Twin Peaks</em> and opens the eyes of its residents to the evil forces that have been there lurking in the shadows all along.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrU05dmrhtjhIg8n3Ni9ioCFHII9g1FxbEsXvA_2hqhDl8OAiSaSEwNNjE8kep1W0lfnnZcNoN67LoxqaS85XdbV0HC_oh-67j9A1DlfZbbghOmzTyNlfdeyH2r8XFqocrysClkDM5mej/s1600-h/lynch+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrU05dmrhtjhIg8n3Ni9ioCFHII9g1FxbEsXvA_2hqhDl8OAiSaSEwNNjE8kep1W0lfnnZcNoN67LoxqaS85XdbV0HC_oh-67j9A1DlfZbbghOmzTyNlfdeyH2r8XFqocrysClkDM5mej/s320/lynch+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140924119253801378" border="0" /></a> <em>Twin Peaks</em> is still considered by some to be the greatest work ever created by David Lynch. The television series, created in 1990 by Lynch and Mark Frost, was a groundbreaking program that paved the way for future unconventional and provocative television. Although it was canceled prematurely after two seasons, largely due to Lynch’s unwillingness to out rightly reveal Laura’s killer earlier on, it remains one of the boldest endeavors in television history. Perhaps the most impressive part of <em>Twin Peaks</em> was that it was ahead of its time in regards to subject matter. The series can take credit for pushing the envelope for a television series by exploring such graphic subject matter as murder, rape, cocaine use, prostitution, adultery, abuse, and incest. Beginning with the discovery of the prom queen Laura Palmer’s body, <em>Twin Peaks</em> impressively shows how even the most remote and quaint areas are subject to evil in the world. Artfully combining humor, mostly through the eccentric FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), quirky townies, and a murder revolving around the supernatural, <em>Twin Peaks</em> fully showcases David Lynch's brilliance.<br /></div><div> </div><br /><div>Although Lynch received his first directorial success on the big screen with the low budget <em>Eraserhead</em> (1977) and critically acclaimed <em>The Elephant Man</em> (1980), his true cinematic style began to prominently shine in his subsequent films; starting with <em>Blue Velvet</em> (1986). This is where Lynch first presented the dark side of human nature as being represented by a true evil embodiment. Dennis Hopper’s chilling portrayal of the sadistic helium inhaling Frank Booth, a figure who is chiefly responsible for corrupting the peaceful suburban town of Lumberton. Operating out of Lincoln, the bad part of town, Frank is responsible for murder, drug dealing, rape, and kidnapping which plague the town of Lumberton. Another example of this evil embodiment is shown through the character Bobby Peru (William Dafoe). In <span style="font-style: italic;">Wild at Heart</span> Peru is the true definition of evil as he physically molests Laura Dern’s character and later tries to kill Sailor (Nicholas Cage) as they rob a bank. The importance of the evil characters in Lynch’s films is that they represent the dark side which is found in human nature and also try to corrupt the more innocent characters into committing evil acts. For example, in Twin Peaks the demonic figure Bob spiritually inhabits Leland Palmer and forces him to murder his own daughter Laura.<br /><br />Lynch is not a complete cynic however, as a lot of his films include some<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamSHAyH5bRt3TI3P6PGyDgcUy6PPKMofrQLNFon9KUlvE_JBsX0xRZFwi_mzAL-bzepKhQRpYNQD6kJ991jDs_kd_C_YeSy1cgYPJDnwHv38hIzmqvA8MYWaK_y8ASy89T_WhBS6bbX8/s1600-h/lynch+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamSHAyH5bRt3TI3P6PGyDgcUy6PPKMofrQLNFon9KUlvE_JBsX0xRZFwi_mzAL-bzepKhQRpYNQD6kJ991jDs_kd_C_YeSy1cgYPJDnwHv38hIzmqvA8MYWaK_y8ASy89T_WhBS6bbX8/s320/lynch+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140954005537545426" border="0" /></a> kind of angelic figure or guardian who counteracts the evil embodiment to try and save the innocent. This concept can be seen in the feature length prequel to the Twin Peaks series; <span style="font-style: italic;">Lynch’s Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me</span>. In this film, the satanic Bob and angelic Federal Agent Dale Cooper face off as Bob attempts to steal Laura Palmer’s soul.<br /><br />The distinct personal style of David Lynch which prevails in his films has lead to viewers dubbing it “Lynchian”. This Lynchian style is characterized by a fascination with the paranormal, dark rooms, the human subconscious and dreams, devilish and angelic figures, the presence of evil in peaceful small town areas, red curtains, the use of blue and red, and the use of dry or often bizarre humor. In many ways Lynch displays a film noir style in most of his movies. One film noir element, the femme fatale, is a woman (usually blonde) who gets the male protagonist to do what she wants through the use of sex and deception. This is shown through Patricia Arquette’s manipulative character in <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost Highway</span> as well as the emotionally frigid and deceptive Laura Palmer in <span style="font-style: italic;">Twin Peaks</span>. The line between reality and dreams is incredibly blurred in Lynch’s movies, leaving the viewer to feel as if he/she is watching characters in some parallel universe which transcends scientific explanation. In order to illustrate this feeling one need not look further than the dreams of Dale Cooper displayed in <span style="font-style: italic;">Twin Peaks</span>. In these haunting dreams Cooper is continually displayed sitting in a room in a parallel universe containing black and white striped floors, red curtains, a woman who looks exactly like the murdered Laura Palmer, and a midget who gives Cooper clues to solving the murder. Although this description of the scene may seem like it is meant to be weird just for the sake of being weird, it does serve a purpose. Much like the rest of Lynch’s films, Cooper’s dreams show Lynch’s utilization of the colors blue and red, as well as the importance he places on the encoded messages that can be found in an individual’s dreams.<br /><br />Another distinct element found in Lynchian film is the fear of the unknown. In <span style="font-style: italic;">Blue Velvet</span> for example, Jeffrey Beaumont discovers a seedy underworld in his town that he has never known existed. Again, the main objective that Lynch accomplishes in <span style="font-style: italic;">Blue Velvet</span>, as well as his other films, is lifting the proverbial rock up to show the dark faction of society which is hidden underneath it. The viewer, as well as the relatively innocent characters in the film, must decide whether they wish to explore this dark underworld being presented to them or decide to flee from it.<br /><br />As a director, David Lynch somewhat resembles another director famous for his unapologetic presentation of often haunting and disturbing images; Alfred Hitchcock. Much like Hitchcock in films such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Vertigo </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Rear Window,</span> Lynchian film also includes the concept of voyeurism (gaining sexual gratification by watching others without being seen). Voyeurism is shown in <span style="font-style: italic;">Blue Velvet</span> as the main character Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) watches Frank rape Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) while hidden inside a closet. This scene bears a strong resemblance to Hitchcock’s Psycho, in which the viewer watches a woman being killed and is made to feel guilty for looking at the woman victim as a sexual object. Another instance of voyeurism is shown in the Lynch’s film <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost Highway</span> when the character Pete (Balthazar Getty) is watching the woman he is having relations with engaging in sexual acts with another man on a television.<br />When thinking about what distances David Lynch from other filmmakers in history, the thing that comes in mind is his uncanny ability and willingness to explore the human subconscious. Lynch explores the human subconscious in one way through placing a heavy importance on dreams in his films. This is shown through <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost Highway</span> when the character Fred has a dream in which he wakes up next to a woman that looks like his wife but is not. Fred describes the dream saying, “You were, lying in bed... but it wasn't you. It looked like you, but it wasn't”. This dream, much like the majority of dreams in Lynch’s films, are clues or passageways to the truth as Fred’s wife indeed turns out to have two separate identities. Another manner in which Lynch examines the subconscious is through his implementation of memory as a vital part of his films. This concept is shown in Mulholand Drive as the character Rita (Laura Harring) is involved in a car crash and suffers amnesia. Rita, not recalling anything previous to the accident, enlists the help of Betty (Naomi Watts) as they try to piece together clues to solve the mystery.<br /><br />Through his cinematic talents and trademark surrealist style, David Lynch has developed a large and devout cult audience. However, his career has not been without the occasional flop. One example is Lynch’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Dune</span>, a science fiction adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel. The film, boasted an ensemble of Lynch regulars such as Kyle MacLachlan, Jack Nance, and Dean Stockwell. Although the film included members of Lynch’s regular ensemble it explored a new genre for Lynch; science fiction. Many devout David Lynch fans accustomed to the director’s surreal thrillers were disenchanted with Lynch’s departure from his usual genre. This disenchantment led to Dune becoming a commercial failure, garnering only 27.4 million dollars while costing 45 million dollars to make. Another commercial failure that Lynch endured was the fragmented <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost Highway</span>. Although the film contained many of the same elements used in Lynch’s more commercially favorable films, the confusing nature of the plot and actors playing more than one characters left audience members scratching their heads. Despite enduring these commercial failures, Lynch has not been discouraged in his mission to create otherworldly films which provoke thought and meaning. With his poignant use of dry humor, surrealist and disturbing images, and cerebral plots Lynch has created a unique cinematic style all his own. Whatever projects Lynch decides to embark on in the future one thing is clear; Lynch will be remembered forever for his uncanny ability to uncover the darkness that hides within the shadows of society.<br /></div><br /><div>by Fiachra Malone<br /><br />David Lynch on:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lynch">Wikipedia</a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000186/">IMDB</a><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" border="0" height="16" width="125" /></a><br /></div>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528723800352450209.post-8475157862826402002007-11-26T19:04:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:13:56.459-05:00Action Set<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ylibshfnOhkMW9Mtc0EBCGWusSRvWOlUbrh3KLYKvFh1osAWm3YGL_jX8DUUlwYCkOecThIYw-poBm5Dd9wiEE3tG_yqKaXnRBq8HxJAlLvtMx5b9qK5v2p-F0mhvkGGsHNXXHkT8wIz/s1600-h/action+set.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137316073860609282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ylibshfnOhkMW9Mtc0EBCGWusSRvWOlUbrh3KLYKvFh1osAWm3YGL_jX8DUUlwYCkOecThIYw-poBm5Dd9wiEE3tG_yqKaXnRBq8HxJAlLvtMx5b9qK5v2p-F0mhvkGGsHNXXHkT8wIz/s320/action+set.JPG" border="0" /></a>"I see no difference in traffic lights and wedding nights that turn into knife-fights!" ring out just one of the melodic hooks that populate Action Set's growing catalogue of rockin' folk-pop gems. The NYC -by -way -of -South -Jersey group only got started in late 2005, but they already have song-writing chops well beyond their years. Seeing them perform live is treating yourself to heartfelt, danceable harmonies and passion for vibrating strings and skins that you're not likely to match these days. One must wonder, are they America's amp'd-up answer to The Kings Of Convenience? Unimportant. Their more crucial role is NYC's answer to those who think that today's best undergound music is sole property of cynical hipsters and ironic bloggers. They may happen to be cool guys with a sense of humor, but Action Set is only concerned with expressing themselves the best way they know how: singing and playing guitars until booties are a-shakin'.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong-- just because they're genuine doesn't mean they don't indulge in clever songwriting. Far from it. Their mix of upbeat and slower acoustic and electric songs may feel comfortable, but they're far from stock. Everything they do has the unique stamp of a band whose influences may be identifiable but whose ambition is to get every last soul at the bar humming, tapping, drinking, drawing, sculpting, dumping their bitchy girlfriend, driving to the shore, starting that business they've been dreaming about, forgiving their tearful ex and taking the opportunity to try those positions she was never willing to do before.<br /><br />Life-affirming music? Just a tad...<br /><br />Their cinematic dance-folk favorite, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Give Up</span> really explores the Belle and Sebastian side of life. It's got an ascending chord progression and wistfully sung vocals painting the scene of a sexy rendezvous with just a hint of scandal. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Arrest</span>, which is named after singer/guitarist Sam Smith's former band, is post-Shins indie paydirt from a world where there's more to mid-tempo catchiness than the OC soundtrack or Greys Anatomy.<br /><br />Set's ballad (one of perhaps a handful), <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">This is Not a Love Song</span>, is exactly what it sounds like it isn't. (I think.) And don't think that just because these South Jersey natives know their way around an acoustic ballad, that you don't need to bother seeing them live if you're looking for high-energy music. In addition to plenty of rockin rythms and some occasional good old-fashioned screams, you might just get treated to <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Weigh In</span>, which, in addition to being lively as the day is loud, is catchier than an advertising exec's wet dream. When AC gets around to recording a studio version, they're going to be beating McDonald's' commercial guys off with spatulas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJxpRb8JPnL6Ki5G2XN0D11jyMjSh1OhQTs53JXD8GmQe7OIEpcXbFdIilMGC6GXeACd5Z4w_wUEOc_qwsAbCDozpJhWFCAoIKGAwLaIrnCty9ImE1OnZGs3Efa1QKcg2zufBYxMyTUoY/s1600-h/action+set+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137357541769852178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJxpRb8JPnL6Ki5G2XN0D11jyMjSh1OhQTs53JXD8GmQe7OIEpcXbFdIilMGC6GXeACd5Z4w_wUEOc_qwsAbCDozpJhWFCAoIKGAwLaIrnCty9ImE1OnZGs3Efa1QKcg2zufBYxMyTUoY/s320/action+set+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Action Set has an EP out, the mp3's of which you're welcomed to download for free at their website. As of right now, I'd say it's simply a race to see what lucky label notices them first. May the best label win. There's a reason we call them hooks, and right now it's 1849 and Action Set is California.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.actionset.net/resource/ep/01-The_Arrest.mp3">The Arrest.mp3</a><br /><a href="http://www.actionset.net/resource/ep/02-Give_Up.mp3">Give Up.mp3</a><br /><br />Action Set on:<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/actionset">Myspace</a><br /><a href="http://www.actionset.net/">The Internet</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onclick="addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; return addthis_click(this);" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" target="_blank"><img height="16" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a><script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub = 'Everyone';</script><br /><br /><script src="http://s9.addthis.com/js/widget.php?v=10" type="text/javascript"></script><a title="Subscribe using any feed reader!" href="http://www.addthis.com/feed.php?pub=Everyone&h1=http%3A%2F%2Fmarginalminds.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault%3Falt%3Drss&t1="><img height="16" alt="AddThis Feed Button" src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-fd.gif" width="125" border="0" /></a>Marginal Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11007682070345606712noreply@blogger.com