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Indie Ear is written by Brandon Kim. Drop him a line at indieear (at) ifc dot com

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"You're So Vain," Carly Simon finally reveals who!

By Brandon Kim on 11/06/2009

Sort of. One of the greatest mystery's in American music has been the identity of the man in the hit song "You're So Vain" since it's debut in 1972. Who is Carly singing about? People have speculated on which celebrity ex-boyfriend it is for decades. Mick Jagger, Cat Stevens, Kris Kristofferson? Warren Beatty always got my vote. Well on November 4th Carly went into the WNYC Soundcheck studio and told host John Schaefer that the name was embedded in her new recording of the song... backwards. It's like the good old Beatles LP days! Of course, Schaefer and his crew... MORE »

"V" and the genuis 80's theme song that was

By Brandon Kim on 11/05/2009
Filed under: The refrain

I remember well the epic original alien invasion series "V," clad in pajamas, armed with a plastic lazer gun and a bucket of popcorn before people only made popcorn in a suspicious device called the microwave - I would stay up whenever it aired sporting a Fruit Roll-up lizard tongue. It was the best thing ever, with the nice guy 80's hero from "The Beastmaster" (Marc Singer obvs) an angry typecast sensation, Michael Ironside, and hot aliens chicks who peeled their faces off to reveal their true reptilian nature. It also had one of the best theme songs for the... MORE »

Devendra Banhart

By Brandon Kim on 11/04/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute

I have mostly ignored Devendra Banhart, somewhat regrettably. I think it started with some phishhead wearing filthy Teva's talking about him in '02 and I just made a shallow association that stuck. The super strange name and Banhart's excessive beardy look didn't help dispel these notions and it was not until about 2 years ago I caught on to his genius. This guy Daniel Arnold, who's opinion I generally trust went crazy talking about him one night at Lil' Frankies in Manhattan while I was totally distracted by Elijah Wood. I didn't listen to a lick of the first half... MORE »

Interview: The Clientele's Alasdair Maclean

By Brandon Kim on 11/03/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute

I discovered the clientele in a record store in Toronto almost a decade ago. It was Fall and I was feeling very I droll, yet nostalgic. I bought the 12" they were playing, called "Lost Weekend," took it home with me and it didn't leave that record player until Spring. Admittedly, I had three turntables, but I've rarely found a seasonal match so perfect coupled with a sound so immediately pleasing since I picked up the 4 LP tome, The Kink Kronikles. The Clientele's new record, Bonfires on the Heath is out on Merge records and I highly recommend it.... MORE »

Intersection: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Beck

By Brandon Kim on 11/02/2009
Filed under: The Intersection

Man those Scientologists have it all. First Beck got to date Winona Ryder adding his name to a list that has more prestige than a list of Nobel laureates in this country (Johnny Depp, Christian Slater, Daniel Day Lewis, Matt Damon, David Duchovny). Beck then got down for a duet with the illustrious Jane Birkin, cover girl, singer, actress, hot moaner, and one of the most incredible women in the world. Now he's hooked up with her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who is all of the above and more, to produce her new record "IRM." I recently had to undergo an... MORE »

This is it, Michael Jackson

By Brandon Kim on 10/30/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute

My dream for this weekend is that I run into some player in a first rate Thriller costume and I, in "Beverly Hills Cop" guise, will give him my best Eddie Murphy chuckle, wherein everyone nearby experiences a brilliant shared cultural moment that kicks off the best time of their lives. Barring that, I may just freakishly go see "Michael Jackson's This is It," which has no shortage of good reviews (from the likes of mighty Manohla Dargis to the extremely tired Roger Ebert). I may stop myself if I think too much about director Kenny Ortega ("Highschool Musical" 1,... MORE »

Broken Embraces: Almodovar, Cruz, Cat Power

By Brandon Kim on 10/29/2009
Filed under: Reel to Reel

I had a Spanish roommate around the turn of the century when Penelope Cruz was blossoming into a huge star who could not believe what a sucker I was for her. He would stand shirtless in the kitchen over a pungent pot of puttanesca and tell me that she was a terrible actor, that she was like a whore. Whenever we would see a cute brunette with big brown eyes out at the bars (with which we were hopelessly distracted) he would inevitably launch into a rant against Penelope. "If you could only hear her as I do in Spanish,... MORE »

Bob Dylan Christmas

By Brandon Kim on 10/28/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute

The sound of Bobby D's Christmas might be a bit off at times, like a town drunk nasally caroling down the street. It might be outlandishly kitsch. It certainly has it's precious warm moments. Most of all, "Christmas In The Heart" is a hilarious good time. I'm not a surefire Dylan fan as I made clear in a list of my favorite things about Dylan, and his voice continues at a deliberate speed into the great blown. That's hardly the same man who sang "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" for Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid." A long way from... MORE »

Fix, Olivia Wilde, Tao Ruspoli

By Brandon Kim on 10/27/2009
Filed under: Reel to Reel

You may be aware by now of actress Olivia Wilde. I guess she's been in every glossy guy spread from Maxim to GQ in a bathing suit. She's also made her mark on TV in House M.D., and unfortunately the show beloved by the Bush twins, The OC. But she's not all vapid teen drama, in fact she came to my attention with "Tron Legacy" where we she will play a "loyal confidant to Kevin Flynn." Tron 2.0, as it was formerly called, will be first rate cinema spectacle when it's released in 2010 and should cement Wilde as a... MORE »

Scientology whack job: Paul Haggis' scathing resignation

By Brandon Kim on 10/26/2009
Filed under: Here comes the gravy!

It's hard enough to wrap my head around the complexities of Earth based religions - and I studied theology for four years in a Jesuit high school. Sometimes Space based religions seem simpler by comparison. Mormons take their guidance from the writings of extra-terrestrial beings and wear sacred underwear. So what? Many Jews wear fur donuts on their heads and Christians think it Holy to drink the blood and eat the body of their savior. But the Church of Scientology takes the far out prize (even if it was founded on this planet in New Jersey). Over the weekend, Writer/director... MORE »

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Recent Comments

“Hi there - nice interview! I got into these guys listening to "(I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine", bu...”
Music Under Fire on Interview: The Clientele's Alasdair Maclean - 11/03/2009
“I also thought it was about Warren. Is she releasing a new album and wanted publicity? I for one pre...”
dar on "You're So Vain," Carly Simon finally reveals who! - 11/06/2009
“David Geffen dated Cher...Did Cher turn him gay??? ha! . Anyway, Carly Simon wrote this song way be...”
William on "You're So Vain," Carly Simon finally reveals who! - 11/06/2009
“David Geffen is gay. Has been out of the closet for years. Surely it isn't him. ”
Sergei on "You're So Vain," Carly Simon finally reveals who! - 11/06/2009
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c.lorraine on "You're So Vain," Carly Simon finally reveals who! - 11/06/2009