Albums Revisited
Admittedly, I wasn't exposed to Tex-Mex alt. country folksters Calexico until I heard their collaborative EP with Iron & Wine entitled In The Reins. Make note of the absurd genre-categorization because the band is almost impossible to label. The Tucson band's primary members are vocalist/guitarist Joey Burns and percussionist John Convertino, yet they employ a large ensemble of musicians. On their 2003 release Feast Of Wire, Calexico uses a wide variety of instruments, mixing conventionally Latin-tinged sounds such as trumpets and vibraphones with traditional country-folk acoustic and pedal-steel guitars to form their own unique blend of Southwestern music. It may not seem overwhelmingly appealing on paper, but Calexico is somehow able to wrangle this hodgepodge of instrumentation into a diverse yet cohesive sound. While the album does seem to be overly long at times, mostly due to mariachi-fueled instrumental tracks, it plays quite well when consumed in its entirety. One of the album's strongpoints is its lyrical content, with vocalist Joey Burns pulling no punches in the storytelling department. The opening track, "Sunken Waltz" begins, " Washed my face in the rivers of empire/ Made my bed from a cardboard crate/ Down in the city of quartz/ No news, no new regrets/ Tossed a susan b. over my shoulder and prayed it would rain." Burns' hard-luck imagery is uncanny and apparent throughout Feast Of Wire. Ironically, while the album explores a variety of musical styles, one of its most minimalistic songs may be its strongest. "Not Even Stevie Nicks" is an engaging tale of suicide laid over simple acoustic guitar strumming and straightforward drums. Feast Of Wire ultimately plays out to be Calexico's strongest album to date, and it feels like a drunken stroll through the desert in a beat-up convertible without gas in the tank or a dime to your name. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Calexico - Not Even Stevie Nicks
8.31.2007
Calexico: Feast Of Wire (2003)
8.30.2007
Minus The Bear: Planet Of Ice (2007)
New Wax
I've always enjoyed the mathy catchiness of Minus The Bear's music, and it's always bittersweet to see one of your favorite obscure bands gain the acceptance of the hipster masses, but these guys deserve whatever success they attain. Consisting of former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving, Minus The Bear has cultivated a substantial following. Their recent release Planet Of Ice sees the departure of longtime keyboardist Matt Bayles, with former sound engineer Alex Rose taking his place. Not only has the band's lineup shifted, their new album is a musical departure as well. Planet isn't as upbeat or dancy as previous efforts, and those infectious Minus The Bear vocal hooks aren't as prevelant either. In a technical sense, the instrumentation is flawless, with each member playing their instrument with the utmost skill. The production-value is top-shelf and lead singer Jake Snider's voice sounds great. That being said, Planet Of Ice seems to be missing a certain "je ne sais quoi" (I mispelled this originally and was persecuted) that was evident on their previous releases. With astronomically high hopes, I've spun the album repeatedly, and it's failed to capture my undivided attention. I wouldn't go to the extent of calling Planet Of Ice unlistenable, as it has it's definite share of bright moments, I just don't find the band's more subdued and serious approach to be as effective. I can admire artists for stretching themselves artistically or trying something new, but I'd have a hard time labeling Planet Of Ice as a memorable affair. I still maintain an infinite amount of respect for the band, but this release isn't on par with their better material. Not even close. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Minus The Bear - Throwin' Shapes
8.29.2007
Roddy Woomble: My Secret Is My Silence (2007)
New Wax
Roddy Woomble is the longtime frontman of the underappreciated Scottish folk-rock outfit Idlewild. Idlewild co-songwriter and guitarist Rod Jones lends his help on 5 of the 11 tracks on My Secret Is My Silence. While two of Idlewild's principal songwriters are involved in the project, the album is a departure from Woomble's Idlewild past and finds itself grounded in traditional Scottish folk. Lyrically, Woomble channels the likes of his favorite poets Robert Frost and George MacKay Brown, and musically the songs come to life with the help of Woomble's friends. Secret's lush tracks were produced by John McCusker, who also undertook violin duties, and there are musical contributions from an endless list of talented musicians, including folk singers Karine Polwart, Kate Rusby, and Dave Burland. From the album's opener "I Came From The Mountain" to the closer "Play Me Something," Woomble takes us on a lyrical journey across the highlands and islands of Scotland, offering musings on love, searching, and basking in nature's moments of quiet seclusion. The album's instrumentation is eloquent, with McCusker's astonishing violin adding an element which is most apparent on the title track, which is one of the record's many highlights. Polwart and Rusby's sorrowful vocals take songs like "Act IV" and "Waverly Steps" to soaring heights. "If I Could Name Any Name" might stand above the rest of the album, as it combines honest words, simple chords, and perfectly blended harmonizing vocals into a perfect pop-folk ballad. Secret plays gracefully from start to finish, instilling in the listener a longing to explore the lush green hills of the highlands. It's evident throughout this album that the gifted singer/songwriter has brought himself into the light. Here's to hoping he stays. I'll drink to that. -- D. Foxtrot
Listen:
MP3: Roddy Woomble - My Secret Is My Silence
8.28.2007
Interview: J. Tillman
Conducted by Capt. Obvious
Obvious: Congratulations on the release of "Cancer And Delirium", it's one of my favorite albums of the year. How did you hook up with Yer Bird Records?
Tillman: Thanks, I'm glad you like the record, Captain. Morgan King had asked me to contribute a song for a compilation he was putting together {There is something scrolling on the left side of my screen that defies description and is jeopardizing my attention completely. Pulsing, vibrant colors and sparkling icons, one of which is a handgun, hidden among wizard hats and teddy bears.}
Obvious: You released some very limited albums, "I Will Return" and "Long May You Run", under Keep Recordings that are out of print, is there any way fans can get a hold of these songs?
Tillman: You can order the double-disc, non-limited, manufactured-in-France reissue of my first two albums at sonicboomrecords.com. The people at Sonic Boom are kind enough to let me consign my records there and then handle the mail order for me. If you wanted to hunt down one of the original versions of 100 you might have to look on eBay or something.
Obvious: Richard Buckner is one of my favorite artists, and you got to tour with him, what was that experience like?
Tillman: Well, I was a hired gun on that tour, playing drums for Damien Jurado and bass for a Portland band named Dolorean, and Damien would give me a chance to play a song of my own during his set. He and Buckner were trading headlining slots. That tour was just a lot of fun, and gave me some of my first exposure on a national level. Buckner is great, and never made fun of me for throwing up that one time in Birmingham, Alabama.
Obvious: When I try to desribe your sound to friends, "Nick Drake high on Alt. Country" is the best I can come up with. Is Drake one of your influences? Any other key influences?
Tillman: Yeah, people always throw the Nick Drake influence in there, but I see that mostly as an umbrella term now for sad, Anglo-male, acoustic music. I'm not an accomplished enough guitar player to really cite him as an influence. Joe Boyd has a pretty entertaining level of disdain for all subsequent male singer-songwriters in "White Bicycles", after having worked with Nick Drake. I guess Neil Young is probably the closest thing to a true north for me artistically and in principle.
Obvious: I covet your singing voice. I'll trade you a grape soda and some barbecued ribs for it. Deal?
Tillman: Everytime I want to sing? Or is this a one time deal? I would have to run a cost-benefit analysis and try to figure out the odds that playing music will ever afford me the opportunity to eat very well. The Little Mermaid did alright without her voice, and ribs are way better than legs. What the hell.
Obvious: Aside from your musical talent, you have very admirable beard-growing skills. Has anybody ever mistaken you for Jesus?
Tillman: Yes, but that had more to do with my miraculous healing powers and the prostitutes I hang out with.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jtillman
Listen:
MP3: J. Tillman - Ribbons Of Glass
The Bridge (2007)
Celluloid
Eric Steel's documentary film The Bridge opens with majestic shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, which appears mystical under a thick blanket of fog. The beautiful cinematography continues for a few minutes until the camera cuts to a man at the railing of the bridge. He nonchalantly climbs over the railing, swinging one leg over the other, and then jumps, the camera following his descent as he plummets to a certain death. It's an unsettling combination, the beautiful scenery interspersed with the reality of a man taking his own life. The Golden Gate Bridge has had more suicides than any other place in the world, and Steel and his crew captured more than 20 of them, all of which occurred in 2004. The filmmakers lied to authorities in order to obtain filming permits, and they staked out the bridge with their cameras running, scanning its length waiting for signs of a suicide attempt. The controversial film has been accused of exploiting the jumpers, although the crew did notify authorities when they felt certain that a suicide was about to occur. The film also interviews family members of some of the victims, attempting to uncover possible warning signs and trying to understand mental illness and depression. It's a morbid yet affecting look into the mind of those who feel that death is their only escape. One particularly moving portion of the film deals with Kevin Hines, a Golden Gate bridge jumper who actually survived his suicide attempt. Hines, who struggles with bipolar disorder, speaks candidly about battling his inner demons as well as his hard road to recovery. Another tense moment involves a girl who climbs over the railing, but is ultimately grabbed and pulled back up by a photographer. There are similar instances of uneasiness in the film, and The Bridge is certainly a difficult watch, but it tackles subject matter that people are too uncomfortable to acknowledge. If it raises any sort of awareness, then it's had a positive effect in a world where far too many of us are indifferent to suffering. -- Capt. Obvious
Verdict:
Smog: A River Ain't Too Much To Love (2005)
Albums Revisited
Smog is an alias for Maryland-born singer/songwriter Bill Callahan, who has been very productive since 1990, releasing 12 albums since he debuted with Sewn To The Sky. Callahan has shifted in style from the noise-based experimentation of earlier works to a simpler, more lyrically and instrumentally focused style. In 2005, Callahan released A River Ain't Too Much To Love, an astonishingly scant album immersed in self-conscious sentiments. Callahan's baritone voice is laid on top of repetitive instruments, and he employs a stream of consciousness approach that disregards any standard verse/chorus structure. It feels as if Callahan is allowing the listener to voyeuristically observe his existential struggle, with songs like "I Feel Like The Mother Of The World" serving as evidence. The song unfolds, "Whether or not there is any type of God you're not supposed to say/ And today I don't really care/ God is a word and the argument ends there/ Oh do I feel like the mother of the world/ With two children fighting." The opening track "Palimpset,' which is built on a single acoustic guitar, shows Callahan exposing his paranoia: "Why's everybody looking at me/ Like there's something fundamentally wrong/ Like I'm a Southern bird who stayed North too long." A River Ain't Too Much To Love is filled with familiar awkard self examination, and while the album is undoubtedly downbeat, its melancholic fare makes it a perfect companion to a slow mountain drive or a rainy Sunday. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Smog - Rock Bottom Riser
8.27.2007
Manchester Orchestra: I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child (2007)
New Wax
Since I caught their impressive live act here on the Florida gulf coast last year, Manchester Orchestra, who is neither from Manchester nor very orchestral for that matter, has blossomed into one of indie rock's most buzzworthy bands. They've garnered quite a following, catering to growing crowds on the festival circuit and winning over new fans while touring in support of Brand New. The budding Atlanta quintet's average age is only 19, and besides their energetic live-shows, you'd never know it based on their music. The band is fronted by singer/guitarist Andy Hull, a songwriter mature beyond his years. Hull's lyrics are full of the insight and depth reserved for only the most experienced musicians. "Now That You're Home" is built on delicate finger-picked verses that shift tempo into high energy choruses, later breaking into a loud yet melodic bridge. Hull has an assured voice, utilizing clever word-plays and metaphors along with descriptive, detail-oriented lyrics. At the end of the album, on "Colly Strings," Hull's hushed voice intimately overlaps low sustained keyboard, singing "Take a leaf of paper and draw your mind/ Your bourbon brown that can burn my eyes/ I lost your presence underneath the bridge." It's quite apparent that Manchester Orchestra is anything but cookie-cutter indie-rock, with Hull's poetic words providing the build up for songs that explode into soaring walls of sound. With all the shows they've been playing, they're only getting better at their craft, and they've gained enough recognition to book a slot on the Late Show with the painfully unfunny David Letterman on September 6th as well as a spot on an upcoming Kings of Leon tour. Let's hope that this promising young band can weather all this attention without having to compromise their art. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Manchester Orchestra - Colly Strings
August Mixtape
SIDE A
1. The National - Slow Show
2. Colour Revolt - Mattresses Underwater
3. Rocky Votolato - Postcard From Kentucky
4. The Snake, The Cross, The Crown - Great American Smokeout
5. Travel By Sea - I Won't Let You Down
6. Jose Gonzalez - Crosses
7. Avett Brothers - Will You Return?
8. New Ruins - Book Lung
1. The Winter Sounds - Windy City Nights
2. Owen - Bad News
3. Iron & Wine - The Boy With The Coin
4. Damien Jurado - White Center
5. Pela - Lost To The Lonesome
6. Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine
7. Sun Kil Moon - The Ocean Breathes Salty
8.26.2007
Interview: Elzie Sexton of New Ruins
Conducted by Capt. Obvious
Photo by Dave Cubberly
Obvious: From what I've read, a lot of "The Sound They Make" was written while you and J. Caleb were 600 miles apart. Was it difficult developing ideas in this manner?
Elzie: The long distance stuff was pre-The Sound They Make when we were at college. After graduation I moved to Champaign where Caleb was living and we both had stuff that we were separately working on and shared some ideas and put some things that were in pieces together and recorded it.
Obvious: I love the lo-fi sound on the album, where did you guys record it and what sort of set up did you use?
Elzie: We recorded/mixed it all (minus drum set) in the back room of our house on a Mac G5 with a protools demo and a couple Shure Sm 57's. We recorded the drums at our buddy Jason's studio, Midget Pistol.
Obvious: On "Flowers" one of the lines is "I've been around this town now for so long." Do you ever feel compelled to leave your small-town surroundings? How is the music scene where you are now?
Elzie: We have since left that town and now we are in a bigger small town. The music scene in Champaign-Urbana is a bit weird. There are a lot of good bands and venues, but there aren't a ton of folks coming out. We do get a lot of touring bands coming through. We also have the Pygmalion Festival, which is kinda like a smaller SXSW.
Obvious: I'm a big Braid fan, how did you guys hook up with their former drummer Roy Ewing?
Elzie: I emailed Todd Bell desperate for a drummer and he pointed me to Roy. I guess Roy had some of our demos and he liked the stuff. I emailed him and we met with Roy and he brought Paul Chastain (who just happens to be an awesome bassist, keyboardist, producer, engineer, and can fix all our rough shit) and we decided to try it out. It is working really well.
Obvious: Your band has been described as alt. goth-country. Do you have any idea what the hell that even means?
Elzie: Bad poetry? I think it is supposed to mean very American music, like the American gothic painting... country, I guess because of the acoustic guitars. I would say that we are a rock band. The new album will definitely bury that weird description.
Obvious: You have two distinct vocalists which is a nice juxtaposition. If you could pick any two of your favorite singers and put them in one band, who would they be?
Elzie: It has already been done for me, Ugly Casanova. Isaac Brock, Tim Rutili and John Orth.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/newruins
Listen:
MP3: New Ruins - Ships
Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger (2007)
New Wax
Let me start off by saying that Ryan Adams' new album Easy Tiger has garnered overblown acclaim from critics, and this is coming from a true Ryan Adams devotee with the ticket stubs and hard-to-find bootleg collection to prove it. The former Whiskeytown singer is prolific to say the least, yet his output has always been criticized for being wildly uneven, mixing moments of greatness with questionable artistic decisions. I find it laughable that the critically lambasted Adams is enjoying such widespread acceptance with Easy Tiger, which plays more like a collection of lazy b-sides than the masterwork it's been built up to be. Despite a money guitar riff, "Everybody Knows" sounds like an outtake from Cold Roses, and "Tears Of Gold" would have been better suited on Jacksonville City Nights. The reworking of "Off Broadway" is inferior to the original version, which was on the unreleased album Suicide Handbook. "Halloweenhead," an unnecessary mixture of cheesy metaphors and obscenities, is in the running for dumbest song of the year. Obviously Ryan never got the rockstar memo informing him that yelling "Guitar solo!" in a song is just unacceptable, even if you're trying to be ironic. All of that being said, Easy Tiger definitely has its share of quality moments. "Two" is a pleasant, if not derivative duet with Sheryl Crow. "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc." and "The Sun Also Sets" are highlights, while "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old" may very well be the best song on the album. When put together, the tracks combine to form a collectively listenable yet mediocre effort. It falls well short of underappreciated gems like Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, or the somber Love Is Hell. And if it's Adams' masterpiece you're looking for, you'd be better suited polishing off your old copy of Heartbreaker. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Ryan Adams - Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
10 MPH (2007)
Celluloid
10 MPH is a road-trip film from budding documentary filmmakers Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell, who quit their cushy corporate jobs in order to film this documentary about a cross-country trek from Seattle to Boston. Here's the catch: the journey would take place on a segway, a vertical scooter whose maximum speeds hover around the 10-12 mph range. Caldwell weathered the cold and rain, riding the scooter for the entire 4300 miles, while Weeks and a small crew undertook filming duties. The group encounters many obstacles during their 100-day journey, ultimately finding themselves in a bind when their financial backer fails to provide the proper funding. Months behind on bills and with group morale dwindling, Weeks is forced to cash in his retirement savings in order to complete the film. The journey is a true lesson in perserverence with its share of comical moments, which include a tractor mishap, a motorcycle gang, and a perturbed police officer. The varying landscapes of the United States provide a breathtaking backdrop, and while the premise is interesting, it's the individuals the group meets along the way that save the film from becoming too gimmicky. To hear different people from different places speaking passionately about "doing the thing you are meant to do" is inspiring. It makes you want to go out and quit your job so you can pursue the idealitic dreams you've learned to suppress. -- Capt. Obvious
Verdict:
8.25.2007
Sun Kil Moon: Ghosts Of The Great Highway (2003)
Albums Revisited
Sun Kil Moon is the current project from former Red House Painters singer Mark Kozelek. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more overlooked and underappreciated songwriter out there. When Paste released their list of the 100 best living songwriters, I rifled through the magazine's pages, incensed at Kozelek's absence from the list. While Kozelek has somehow managed to fly under the radar, those who have delved into his impressive and extensive catalog are privy to his genius. In 2003, Kozelek released his first album under the Sun Kil Moon moniker. Clocking in at an impactful 58 minutes, Ghosts Of The Great Highway feels like a nostalgic visit to an old childhood home where family pictures hide under decade-old films of dust. Kozelek's haunting voice adds emotional heft to tracks that vary in style from country folk to Neil Young-ish rock. The album's uncontested diamond is the longingly beautiful "Carry Me Ohio." The vocals enter the mix with "Sorry that I could never love you back/ I could never care enough in these last days." There is such brutal honesty and regret in Kozelek's voice that even the most emotionally devoid creature couldn't make it through the song unscathed by it's disarming sorrow. On Ghosts Of The Great Highway Kozelek is in true form lyrically, tying his own memories to references of dead boxers such as Duk Koo Kim, Pancho Villa, and Salvador Sanchez. This obsession with deceased fighters plays like a metaphor for our brittle existence, calling life a big fight where one powerful blow can leave us down for the count. It's a brilliant theme, and Kozelek should be commended for crafting such a memorable album.
The original pressing of Ghosts Of The Great Highway is no longer available, but luckily Kozelek has re-issued the album on his own label, Caldo Verde Records. The new pressing contains 6 bonus songs, including a tasty acoustic version of "Carry Me Ohio." Also, for a great introduction to Mark's old band The Red House Painters, check out Songs For A Blue Guitar. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio
Interview: Gavin Gardiner of The Wooden Sky
Conducted by Capt. Obvious
Obvious: What prompted you to change your name from Friday Morning's Regret to The Wooden Sky?
Gavin: We started to feel that "Friday Morning’s Regret" didn’t reflect our music anymore and so when we parted ways with our original drummer we decided to let the name go with him. That and there is a pop punk band called "Friday Morning Regrets."
Obvious: The lyrical content on When Lost At Sea is top-notch, it has a very literary feel to it. Are you guys influenced by any particular books or authors?
Gavin: Growing up I have vivid memories of long car rides listening to Harry Chapin’s The Greatest Stories Told Live. He’s one of my favorite songwriters and had such a gift in weaving together a story in song that I suppose it probably has rubbed off on me in some way shape or form.
Obvious: There's a lot of different instruments on the album. Did you have any guest performers in the studio with you?
Gavin: We played a lot of the instruments ourselves but definitely did have some help from our friends. James Bunton played the trumpet, Sean Corcoran the trombone, Anissa Hart played the cello, Heather Kirby played banjo on a few songs, Nina Nielsen did a lot of singing. I’m sure there’s more that I’m forgetting right now.
Obvious: Do you have any new material in the works, and do you plan on touring the U.S. any time soon?
Gavin: We are working on new songs all the time, you can hear some sketches of them on the CBC at: http://radio3.cbc.ca/play/concert/ where we did some live in-session recordings while we are on tour. We don’t currently have plans to tour the U.S., not that we wouldn’t like to but our record doesn’t have distribution there so it doesn’t make sense for us just yet.
Obvious: Do Canadians make fun of Americans as much as we make fun of Canadians?
Gavin: It does make for an easy target but I don't think I can really speak to that question.
Obvious: Does anybody actually go to Toronto Raptors games, and do you think they will make the playoffs this year?
Gavin: I’ve only been to one game in my life and afterwards I was obsessed with basketball for about a week and then I let it slide back into its lesser role in my life. Will the Raptors make the playoffs? You got me there, most people here are just waiting for the Leafs to stink up another season.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thewoodensky
Listen:
MP3: Friday Morning's Regret - The Wooden Sky
8.24.2007
Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
New Wax
I had always respected Josh Ritter's music, but it wasn't until I actually sat down and listened to his 2006 release The Animal Years that I truly understood why critics collectively swung from his... well, you know what I'm getting at. The Idaho native is one of those freakish talents in the vein of Sufjan Stevens and Andrew Bird, and I truly consider The Animal Years to be a masterpiece. Considering the level of artistry and complexity contained on that album's precise folk songs, I couldn't help but expect a letdown with Ritter's new release The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter. While I wouldn't quite put it on par with The Animal Years, Ritter's latest offering doesn't fall short by much. The opening track "To The Dogs Or Whoever" is a splendid Dylanesque folk-romp packed tight with lyrical references to historical figures like Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale. The song's upbeat feel is a good indicator of how the rest of the album plays out, mostly consisting of faster paced, poppier songs. While poppy isn't necessarily my bag, Ritter so confidently pulls it off that I can't help but find myself grooving along. The album also has it's share of quiet moments, with songs like "The Temptation of Adam" and "Still Beating" catering to fans of Ritter's slower fare. With The Historical Conquests, Ritter crafts a fun album that he obviously had a blast making, while remaining lyrically and musically thoughtful. He's widely considered one of the most intelligent songwriters of our generation, and this release does nothing to hinder those sentiments. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Josh Ritter - To The Dogs Or Whoever
8.23.2007
Sicko (2007)
Celluloid
Admitting to Michael Moore fandom must be like admitting to driving a Kia: you’re bound to be judged. Still, those who claim to despise Moore’s politics are often the same people who bristle with curiosity whenever the Flint, Michigan native offers up a new release. Like him or hate him, we all like to know what the most controversial documentary filmmaker in America is cooking up next. SiCKO, Moore’s latest effort, exposes America’s health care industry to the director’s incisive wit. Many have spurned Moore’s flair for the melodramatic, complaining that his reels are stocked with tearjerker scenes and sentimental drivel arranged to manipulate the viewer’s sympathies unfairly. SiCKO seems to make a slight departure from previous tactics, relying on fewer of Moore’s patented good-guys-meet-bad-guys-and-weep confrontations. The film’s central argument seems to be that America’s health care industry is as crooked as Dick Cheney’s trigger finger (and no, Moore does not refrain from taking a few jabs at Team Bush). According to Moore, health care agencies are encouraged to deny coverage to John Q. Consumer in order to inflate corporate profits—a dandy little scheme left over from the Nixon administration. The documentary includes a series of episodic progressions of down-on-their-luck Americans who are denied healthcare in the US but find unexpected medical hospitality in countries like Canada, Britain, France, and Cuba. Apparently residual fascist propaganda has led us to believe that said countries were worse off than they really are. Moore even scores a few sympathy points by recruiting a few 9/11 crewmen who have contracted serious respiratory diseases (but no health care) for their efforts at Ground Zero. Critics of Moore will scoff at the film’s seemingly bleak subject matter. Keener viewers may note a sense of hopefulness in the director. Moore is highly critical, but it seems like the sort of positive criticism that comes from a man who believes the world can still change. Whether you buy into Moore’s latest effort or you fling it into the nearest chemical toilet, SiCKO is important. Moore recognizes that getting people to think is the most important step in addressing an issue, even if those people ultimately side against him. -- Kilgore Trout
Verdict:
The Wooden Sky: When Lost At Sea (2007)
New Wax
First of all, let me preface this review by saying that you'll find this release under the artist name Friday Morning's Regret. The band has officially changed their name to The Wooden Sky, so look for future releases under their new moniker.
There's a childlike excitement in discovering an impressive new band. Part of you wants to hoard your new discovery in a nuclear-proof vault guarded by motion-detectors just so you can maintain a superior level of indie snobbery, but sometimes a band is just too good to keep a secret. Hailing from Toronto, The Wooden Sky is one of those bands. The songs on their album When Lost At Sea are twang-filled tales peppered with harmonica, banjo and slide guitar. Lead singer Gavin Gardiner's scratchy vocals navigate through songs that have a literary, narrative feel to them. And while they never approach the scope of bookishness that a band like the Decemberists may portray, there's definitely a rich sense of storytelling apparent in the folk-rock gems that comprise the album. On the song "The Wooden Sky," Gardiner confesses, "I dreamt last night you were making love to a bird you swore you'd given up/ I woke up shaking/ And the walls kept a watch on the wind outside/ I kept my eyes towards the wooden sky." When Lost At Sea is chalk-full of similar confessionary tales of guilt, loss, and regret, and musically the band builds delicately folksy arrangements that sometimes escalate into full-blown rockouts. It's quite obvious that a lot of thought went into the recording process, and the resulting album is an accomplished piece of work. I almost wish I was Canadian so I could catch a live performance by these guys. Almost. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Friday Morning's Regret - The Wooden Sky
8.22.2007
As Good As It Gets (1997)
1997 Best Picture Nominees Revisited: Part 1 of 5
To lend some sort of order to this five-part blog, I’ve decided to write about each 1997 best picture nominee in reverse order according to my initial (i.e. how I felt ten years ago) impression, excepting Titanic, of course, which I’ll save for last. Worst to best. For contextual purposes, keep in mind that I was a high school junior in the autumn of 1997, 16-years-old and far from cynical. But I wasn’t naïve either. I can safely assume that I was the only kid in my tenth-grade English class who wrote a 10-page research paper on the resurgent mid-nineties independent film movement. Early 1996, after all, did see the likes of The English Patient, Fargo, and Sling Blade storm the Academy Awards and box office. Sure these weren’t the indie films of Jarmusch, 80’s Soderbergh or early John Waters but they were “independent” in spirit, driven more by storytelling than marketing strategies. And they were now garnering critical and bottom-line success! Such success and (in hindsight) luck was, predictably, fleeting. Still, it was an exciting time to get into movies. Back in the fall of ’97, I was genuinely optimistic about each new release. I ear-marked Entertainment Weekly’s seasonal previews; I read and re-read Pierson’s Spike, Mike, Slackers & Dykes. What I lacked in critical skill I tried to make up for in taste: I watched everything in theaters and tried to rent all the classics.
I preface with this brief history because even though I start with James L. Brook’s As Good As It Gets, I remember really liking this movie a decade ago. It’s tough not to like for three reasons: (i) Jack Nicholson brings his A-game; (ii) an in-his-prime Cuba Gooding, Jr. has a supporting role; and (iii) a cute dog plays a noticeable part in the story. With three such powerhouse factors working in a film’s favor, even a by-the-numbers director can make a great movie. And that’s what happens in As Good As It Gets, kind of. Though the film remains enjoyable today, it is by no stretch of the imagination a great movie. Brooks, who won a lot of awards with Terms of Endearment, rarely directs films. Because of this, he suffers from what I call, for lack of a better term, Tarantino-syndrome. Essentially, over-praise. Audiences and critics are so happy that he’s directed again that his film carries a sort of appraisal-handicap. As Spanglish and I’ll Do Anything corroborate, most reviews of Brooks’ directorial efforts still retain starry-eyed visions of Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine.
As Good As It Get tells a typical story of redemption through friendship, understanding, kindness and romance. If that sounds cliché, it is. Melvin Udall (Nicholson) is a racist homophobe who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. He is also a bestselling romance novelist. Where such a textbook character-twist once felt charming, it now feels lazy and overly clever. The film desperately wants the audience to ask, wonder, and marvel: How can Melvin know women so well in his work yet be so brainless when it comes to his waitress love-interest and gay (i.e. feminine) neighbor? This question, while simple, is still an honest one and the film’s most prescient. But rather than taking the time to arrive at an honest answer, Brooks has Melvin blurt out a quick summation in perhaps the film’s most famous exchange: when a star-struck secretary asks Melvin how he writes women so well, he bitingly retorts, “I think of man, then I take away reason and accountability.” It’s a great movie line. And Nicholson nails it. However, the line is empty. It’s just clever writing. If this line really sums up the internal conflict driving the movie, then what’s left? More than his idiosyncrasies and flaws, Melvin is just an asshole. My latest viewing of the film revealed that it’s Nicholson I’ve liked all along, not his character.
Classic, Rewatchable, Lock it in the vault and throw away the key: Rewatchable. -- M. Pemulis
8.20.2007
Twilight Sad: Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (2007)
New Wax
On Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, Scotland's the Twilight Sad mixes tinges of My Bloody Valentine with their own thick and overdriven brand of shoegaze. The songs unfold sparingly with thudding drumlines and reverberated guitar riffs only to build into sonically dense barricades of repetitious distortion and crashing cymbals. Lead singer James Graham's accent is unabashedly Scottish, and his vocals fluctuate from calm and composed to angst-ridden wails. The album content is rooted in painful adolescent experiences and regrets, with Graham's aching words somehow managing to weave into seemingly impenetrable walls of sound. The lyrics lend a strong sense of sorrow and desolation to the songs. On "That Summer At Home I Had Become An Invisible Boy," Graham sarcastically laments, "A strong father figure, and with a heart of gold/ A loving mother, a loving mother/ They're standing outside and they're looking in/ The kids are on fire in the bedroom." This forlorn sense of resentment is ever-present. On "Mapped By What Surrounded Them," Graham sings, "And these walls are filled with blame/ And she's cut herself with stained-glass window/ And she's playing with her toys/ Just another child-like ghost/ The trees and animals cry." The band always remains thematically intriguing, and musically they offer an original spin on old conventions. Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is an impressive full-length debut from a promising young band. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: The Twilight Sad - That Summer At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy
8.16.2007
Mineral: The Power Of Failing (1995)
Albums Revisited
The term "emo" has been bastardized by scenesters with Hot Topic giftcards. There was once a time when emo music was founded on raw emotion rather than fitting into the tightest pair of girl jeans you can find. Emo/screamo bands are a dime a dozen now, with teenage girls and guys with dyed swoop-hair and black fingernail polish flocking towards Warped Tour stages like rabid jackals, singing along to regurgitated lyrics about bleeding hearts and running mascara. It makes me wonder what happened to the real emo bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, The Promise Ring, Texas Is The Reason, and my personal favorite, Mineral. While Mineral only released two albums in the 90's before breaking up, they have become a staple in my music collection. Describing Mineral's sound is a difficult task. Take a blender and throw in some off-key vocals, poor production value, loud churning guitars, vaguely transcendent lyrics, and you might just be on the right track. All these unpolished aspects combine to form a chaotic sort of beauty. On "Take The Picture Now," the lyrics read "My cup is full and my heart spills awkward and embarrasing blood/ onto white golden streets and I am unashamed of the stains my steps leave/ Tears stream down my cheeks only to meet their redeemer and be wiped away/ And there is joy." There is a pervading sense of spiritualism embedded in all of Mineral's disorder, revealing itself limitlessly to those ears that can find the beauty in such unbridled emotion. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Mineral - Gloria
8.14.2007
Rescue Dawn (2007)
Celluloid
Many cinephiles regard German director Werner Herzog as one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. His documentaries and films are aesthetically breathtaking musings on survival and the violent chaotic order of the natural world. His stories are dense with memorable characters, and his epical cinematic visions bring to mind film greats such as Akira Kurosawa and Terrence Malick. While Rescue Dawn is far from Herzog's best work, it's a worthy edition to his resume. The film rehashes the true-life story of a German-born U.S. pilot who is shot down over Laos while running a secret mission in the times preluding the Vietnam war. He is then captured and taken to a Viet Cong prison camp where he toils in starvation and subhuman conditions before devising an escape plan with his fellow prisoners. Christian Bale is strong as Dieter Dengler, a heroic character who displays unfathomable optimism in the face of danger. While Bale meets expectations, it is co-star Steve Zahn who is surprisingly impressive in an Oscar-worthy performance as prisoner Duane Martin. For the most part, the film is well-written and tensely dramatic, although it has its share of shortcomings. The last 15 to 20 minutes seem forced and to a certain extent hokie. Apparently Herzog also took many creative liberties, omitting certain facts and manufacturing plot elements that enhance Dieter's character to superhero proportions. While the film certainly has its flaws, it's still a worthwhile and intriguing tale of survival. -- Capt. Obvious
Verdict:
8.13.2007
Felice Brothers: Tonight At The Arizona (2007)
New Wax
When I sat down to listen to the Felice Brothers' new release Tonight At The Arizona I thought I played the wrong album. I thought to myself, "Shit, this is Dylan." But alas, it was indeed the Felice Brothers, and while it's obvious that this band of three brothers and some friends is influenced by the likes of Dylan and The Band, there's a refreshing originality weaved into their songs. The group was living out of an old shortbus (you know, for special kids) and playing the streets and subways of New York City when they were noticed by a music writer. Their experience as street musicians seems to lend a brand of authenticity to the wealth of hard-luck stories contained in the album's 41 minutes. There's the boxer who gets beaten to death in the ring, a struggling blue-collar worker whose teenage daughter gets pregnant, and the man incarcerated for selling heroin in order to buy medicine for an ailing mother. This is hefty stuff, but the heaviness is diluted by the jangly backyard sing-a-long feel of the songs. With a flair for storytelling that recalls the likes of Woody Guthrie and Townes Van Zandt, Tonight At The Arizona makes the Felice Brothers a centerpoint on the map of exciting new Americana bands. They've crafted what is easily one of my favorite albums of 2007. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: The Felice Brothers - Ballad Of Lou The Welterweight
8.12.2007
Once (2007)
Celluloid
Once stars Glen Hansard, Irish frontman of the criminally overlooked band the Frames, as a struggling Dublin vacuum repairman/street musician who meets a single Czech mother (Marketa Irglova) with whom he makes beautiful music with, and I don't mean that in a metaphorical sense. The story plays as sort of a folk-musical, with its delicate songs providing the film's memorable soundtrack. The two main characters, who are never named and are actually credited as "Guy" and "Girl," are blatantly attracted to each other, yet their circumstances have made it difficult for them to act on those feelings. While their physical relationship is never fully realized, they channel their overwhelming chemistry into their heartfelt songs. Irglova's character acts as a muse for Hansard's character, lighting a fire under him and giving him the confidence to pursue his dreams of being a full-time musician. It's a simplistically touching story with performances that are natural and realistically vulnerable. The rough, documentary-style aesthetic adds to the film's sense of minimalism, which allows the audience to focus on the characters without being distracted by the hollywood gloss we've become so accustomed to. Once not only showcases Hansard's immeasurable talent as a musician, it also proves that sometimes the simplest stories can be the most effective. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly
Verdict:
8.10.2007
Okkervil River: The Stage Names (2007)
New Wax
It's apparent from the onset of Okkervil River's new release The Stage Names that the dark delicateness of the band's 2005 release Black Sheep Boy has given way to a more layered, upbeat sound. While the music may be more majestic in scope, the subject matter remains intelligent and wholly original. Singer Will Sheff shouts and howls with more confidence and recklessness than ever, even to the point of over-indulgence, but it never comes off as contrived or insincere. The band seems to be veering away from the roots-folk sound of previous albums, while cultivating a more accessible persona. Luckily, the transformation has come without compromising the lyrical artistry that Sheff is known for. While The Stage Names may not quite qualify as a concept album, the characters and stories are steeped in the notion of entertainment and the life of the entertainer. The monumental opener "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe," is a proclamation of the dissimilarity between real life and art. The album also has it's share of quietly introspective yet emotionally devastating moments. "Savannah Smiles" speaks of a father who reads his daughter's diary and is overwhelmed by guilt over their strained relationship. "John Allyn Smith Sails" reads like a suicide note from the late poet John Berryman, eventually breaking into a rendition of the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B." (Seriously). Sheff is a truly talented songwriter, and his band seems to be on a creative ascent that is cinematic in scope. Hopefully there is no emotional climax in sight. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe
8.09.2007
J. Tillman: Cancer And Delirium (2007)
New Wax
There's something hauntingly familiar about J. Tillman's songs. His music makes me feel like I'm sitting amidst a swirling cloud of cigarette smoke in some trashy divebar, inching towards a makeshift stage where some scruffy guy in a pearl-button western shirt and torn wranglers is confessing his sins to the strum of a weather-beaten acoustic guitar. On his newest release Cancer And Delirium, Tillman's breathy and whispered delivery demands the listener's full attention, and his arrangements are powerful and rich while maintaining a stripped down and intimate feel. Tillman's hushed yet rugged voice is the kind that can silence a previously uninterested crowd, and his songs flow with such subtle grace that you'll find yourself hitting the repeat button and searching for hidden nuances that went unnoticed during previous listens. On the spellbinding "Evans and Falls," Tillman sings, "Jumped out my first floor window barefoot/ Booked it for Monument Park/ Made it as far as Evans and Falls/ I heard you call 'Joshua, it's not my fault. The Devil took sway of my heart'." Cancer And Delirium is filled with similar prose, and while Tillman's releases aren't easy to get a hold of, the payoff is worth whatever difficulty you may encounter in tracking them down. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: J. Tillman - Evans And Falls
8.08.2007
Rob Sheffield: Love Is A Mixtape (2007)
The Bookshelf
Constructing the perfect mix can be a difficult process. You select each track meticulously, give it a thorough play-through test, and tweak the order of the songs to maximize poignancy and emotional impact. There's nothing like giving someone important a mix of songs that tells a story or says the things you don't have the guts or eloquence to say with mere words. Music can be a powerful thing, and Rob Sheffield's love for music is apparent throughout Love Is A Mixtape. In this biographical story, Sheffield speaks of being a shy 20-something music geek who falls deeply in love with a loud southern punk rocker named Renee. While their personalities seem like night and day, it's their love of music that brings them together, and they eventually get married. Sheffield speaks with honesty and humor of the trials and tribulations of domestic life, the struggles of a young financially unstable couple, and of course, the band Pavement. The two seem to be destined for big things, until Renee unexpectedly dies from a pulmonary embolism. While Sheffield touches on the despair he felt while dealing with Renee's death, he is never melodramatic or self-absorbed. Instead, Love Is A Mixtape reads as a celebration of the unifying power of music and a heartwarming memorial to the woman he loved and ultimately lost. -- Capt. Obvious
Buy It:
Amazon: Rob Sheffield - Love Is A Mixtape
8.07.2007
Richard Buckner: The Hill (2000)
Albums Revisited
Since his initial release of the impressive Bloomed in 1994, alt. country troubadour Richard Buckner has released seven lyrically and thematically dense albums, an EP, and a collaborative effort with John Langford. In 1996, Buckner was picked up by MCA Records, where he would release 1997's Devotion + Doubt and 1998's follow-up Since. Not Surprisingly, Buckner's major-label releases were not commercially viable and he was subsequently released from his contract. Rejoining the indie circuit, Buckner made a bold statement with his masterpiece The Hill in 2000. The album was originally released as a single 35-minute track, and the lyrics consist entirely of poems from Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, which was published in 1915. Somehow Buckner manages to make the words his own, utilizing his uniquely rustic voice to paint the timeless stories of a small town and its dark secrets. With help from Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico, Buckner uses sparse instrumentation and stripped-down production to give the music an authentic and organic feel. Each tale is told as a first-person epitaph, and subject matter ranges from infidelity, murder, betrayal, and love. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Richard Buckner - William + Emily
