Covering the crossroads of music and film.
Monsters of Folk: A chat with M. Ward
By Brandon Kim on 11/25/2009
The first ever music video from Monsters of Folk is a pleasantly lit piece by director Lance Acord that everyone says reminds them of Michel Cimino's film "Heaven's Gate." They must be referring to that film's visual style and unbelievably epic cast, not its tremendous box office failure - clearly a collaboration between M.Ward, Conor Oberst, Jim James, and Mike Mogis is destined for some greatness. [M.Ward, Conor Oberst, Jim James, Mike Mogis in "Say Please"] I got to toss some questions out to M. Ward between the release of this video for "Say Please" and the band leaving for... MORE »
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Werner Herzog likens Nick Cage's performace to jazz improv
By Brandon Kim on 11/24/2009
Filed under: Here comes the gravy!
I've been hating on Werner Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" for may months now, but hating something in theory without eventually seeing it for yourself feels cheaper than the ill-conceived title of this film. I finally saw it and there are some things to like. Still, as a huge admirer of Abel Ferrara's 1992 masterwork "Bad Lieutenant," I can't excuse the title. The producers, Alan and Gabe Polsky seem to think it's a great one. "We have a great title," they told IFC's Stephen Saito. Really? I would hate to see this strip mall franchise treatment spread... MORE »
Surfer Blood, "Floating Vibes"
By Brandon Kim on 11/23/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute
When I think of Palm Beach Florida, good bands and the sweet sounds of early 90's pop are the furthest thing from my mind. I think of alternately sweating bullets in the humid air outside and freezing balls inside every hyper cooled, pastel colored establishment. It is a place of foreign extremes for me, and it only starts with the climate. The Palm Beach based band, Surfer Blood, however is entirely familiar - in a good way. There is a lot of talk about their debut album, Astro Coast, and it's early-era Weezer sensibilities. There's no denying that, and I... MORE »
Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, Malakai... Franklyn?
By Brandon Kim on 11/20/2009
Filed under: Reel to Reel
I remember seeing this trailer for a film called "Franklyn," and although it looked a bit like Liam Neeson's masked "Dark Man" tripping balls in a remake of 1998's "Dark City" it also reminded me a bit of the kind of fantasy Terry Gilliam would entertain. Add Eva Green and I'm sold. The UK production also featured Ryan Phillippe, Sam Riley (who played Ian Curtis in "Control") and LOTR's Bernard Hill (King Theoden of course). I just forgot all about it, thinking the requisite marketing barrage would remind me to brave the usual weekend troglodytes for some big screen fun,... MORE »
Charlotte Gainsbourg + Beck: "Heaven Can Wait" video
By Brandon Kim on 11/19/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute
It's a dreary week when I have no excuse to crop photos of Charlotte Gainsbourg, so I'm giddy as a fetishist in a fishnets over this new video for "Heaven Can Wait." The song is a duo with Beck and while I still feel uncomfortable having dear Charlotte so close to Scientology, I think he's a good collaborator for her. He also produced the record IRM from which this new single comes. I could have stood for some Warren Beatty and Charles Grodin cameos (see one of my favorite films from 1978) but director Keith Schofield (also did Supergrass' "Bad... MORE »
Tape Deck Mountain
By Brandon Kim on 11/18/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute
The well endowed eyebrowed,Travis Trevisan, of San Diego's Tape Deck Mountain had his band's first release, their debut EP Sparks, put out on cassette tape. I'm betting not too many outside of San Diego has heard it. A shame really. Their debut full length Ghost came out yesterday, this time on CD and LP (on Lefse). Tape Deck Mountain plays in the style of Mercury Rev (minus all the later ethereal choir stuff) or Spacemen 3 with maybe a little Danzig thrown in. The guitars and drummer handling keyboards with one hand reminds me of the old line up Chicago's,... MORE »
OK GO, the making of "WTF"
By Brandon Kim on 11/17/2009
Filed under: Revolutions Per Minute
You may be just as prone to laugh at OK Go and the video for their latest single "WTF" as with them - either way there's a few laughs coming your way. I'm sure you've seen their now infamous "treadmill" video (which has over 48 million views on youtube alone now). As for the new video in question, if you haven't seen it you can watch it here. The song is a decidedly Prince bitten jam, and on the off chance you have not seen their other videos, or don't know who the hell they are, I bet you'd never... MORE »
Coal Country Music
By Brandon Kim on 11/16/2009
Filed under: Reel to Reel
Here's something to get you environmentalist's (and thinking people) all pissed off. You know the story of Big Coal blasting and bullying it's way to sky high profits at the expense of children. "Coal Country" is a new doc that looks into the truth about modern coal mining in Appalachia. It focuses on the process of mountaintop removal mining, the families it destroys, the rivers it pollutes, even the mountains it levels. The story is told by both working miners and activists, and whatever side you come down on, one point cannot be argued: coal generates half of this country's... MORE »
Paul McCartney Thanksgiving
By Brandon Kim on 11/13/2009
Filed under: Here comes the gravy!
Over the summer, Paul McCartney graced New York's Citi Field stadium for three nights of live music reminding everyone of the night The Beatles played there (technically at Shea Stadium) in 1965 and kicked off Beatlemania. The summer concert, dubbed Good Evening New York City spanned McCartney's career, with solo, Wings and Beatles songs - some 30 of which are on the album/CD/DVD due out on Nov. 17. I'm not that into live concert recordings and I despise stadium shows, but word is it's good as far as these things go. It'll also be out on vinyl. Should be plenty... MORE »
The Beatles On Record
By Brandon Kim on 11/12/2009
Filed under: Music Flicks
I am no scholar of The Beatles, and as I suggested yesterday, I'm more apt to play a Kinks record. Actually, I am more apt to play a Wings record than either - nothing but unbridled genius! Still, any new recordings of The Beatles, even if they are only conversations, hold a great deal of interest. The Beatles On Record is a new documentary that features 60 some songs, rare footage and images from The Beatles' archives along with so called "never-before-heard outtakes" of conversations from the original Abbey Road recording session. I have a friend, an old crusty DJ... MORE »
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Recent Comments
- “Charlotte is quite stunning. What perfect grandchildren she and thee would produce. Get on it....”
- DKR on Charlotte Gainsbourg + Beck: "Heaven Can Wait" video - 11/19/2009
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- Erik on Coal Country Music - 11/16/2009
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