GSOTD: Sugarcube

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By YO LA TENGO

whatever you want from me
whatever you want I'll do
try to squeeze a drop of blood
from a sugarcube

try to be more assured
try to be more right there
try to be less uptight
try to be more aware
whatever you want from me
is what I want to do for you
sweeter than a drop of blood
from a sugarcube

and though I like to act the part of being tough
I crumble like a sugarcube
for you

whatever you want from me
whatever you want I'll do
and I will try

whatever you want from me
whatever you want I'll do
try to squeeze a drop of blood
squeeze a drop of blood from a sugarcube

Yo La Tengo Posters

Yo La Tengo Cover Art

GSOTD: Yo La Tengo

YO LA TENGO

Ride the Tiger (Coyote / Twin\Tone) 1986 (Matador) 1996
New Wave Hot Dogs (Coyote / Twin\Tone) 1987 (Matador) 1996
President Yo La Tengo (Coyote) 1989 (Matador) 1996
Fakebook (Bar/None / Restless) 1990
That Is Yo La Tengo (Ger. City Slang) 1991
May I Sing With Me (Alias) 1992
Upside-Down EP (Alias) 1992
Painful (Matador/Atlantic) 1993
Electr-o-Pura (Matador) 1995
Tom Courtenay EP (Matador) 1995
Camp Yo La Tengo EP (Matador) 1995
Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (Matador) 1996
I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (Matador) 1997
Little Honda EP (UK Matador) 1997 (Matador) 1998
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out (Matador) 2000
The Sounds of the Sounds of Science (Egon) 2002
Nuclear War EP (Matador) 2002
Merry Christmas From Yo La Tengo EP (Egon) 2002
Summer Sun (Matador) 2003
Today Is the Day EP (Matador) 2003
Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs (Matador) 2004
Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics (Egon) 2006
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador) 2006

YO LA TENGO AND JAD FAIR

Strange but TRUE (Matador) 1998

DUMP

Superpowerless (Hol. Brinkman) 1993
Dump EP7 (18 Wheeler) 1995
International Airport EP10 (Smells Like) 1995
I Can Hear Music (Hol. Brinkman) 1995
A Plea for Tenderness (Brinkman) 1997
That Skinny Motherfucker With the High Voice? (Shrimper) 1998 + 2001
Women in Rock (Shrimper) 1999
A Grown-Ass Man (Shrimper) 2003

The progress of Hoboken's Yo La Tengo from one end of the Velvet Underground (preternaturally calm pop) to the other (guitar-noise world domination) is a curvy creative arc that goes off in various digressive directions and defies connect-the-dots simplicity. Beginning in earnest with the group's third album, onetime rock critic Ira Kaplan's introverted singing and demonstrative guitar work, held in gravitational orbit by Georgia Hubley's straightforward drumming and the married couple's fannish enthusiasms, have led Yo La Tengo (named for the cry of the Spanish-speaking outfielder) to nose around many fascinating corners of the noise-pop universe. Keeping cool heads even when rising distortion levels threaten the established order of things, Kaplan and Hubley (joined by a series of friends over the years until settling on James McNew as the crucial third member of the ensemble) make increasingly ambitious records that invariably deliver textural thrills, entertaining reference points and occasional blasts of wholly original invention.

Ride the Tiger, produced by ex-Mission of Burma bassist Clint Conley, benefits from Dave Schramm's sterling guitarings which, like Kaplan's reedy (as in Lou) vocals, underline Yo La Tengo's early vintage-Velvets connection. The band also covers Ray Davies' "Big Sky," but it's originals like "The Cone of Silence" and "The Forest Green" that make Ride the Tiger such a pleasure.

Schramm's absence costs the self-produced New Wave Hot Dogs some of its instrumental flair, but smart, effective songwriting makes up the difference; Kaplan plugs tentatively into roiling vats of skronk chaos for "Let's Compromise" (with help from then-Bongwater guitarist Dave Rick), "House Fall Down" and "The Story of Jazz," but the album mostly relaxes around the Feelies' neighborhood, acting shy and fidgety but finding a seductive melodic groove. (There's a dead-ringer cover of Lou Reed's "It's Alright (The Way That You Live).") Typical of the band's real-life sensibilities, "Lewis" ends by listing oldies titles in the hopes of someday forgetting "every hit song America ever had."

Gene Holder produced and plays bass on President Yo La Tengo (later repackaged on one CD with New Wave Hot Dogs and "The Asparagus Song" from a 1987 single). The seven-song mixture of studio efforts and two concert items ranges far and wide, starting with the droney tug of "Barnaby, Hardly Working" and ending with a serious, spare rendition (with accordion by John Baumgartner of Speed the Plough) of Bob Dylan's "I Threw It All Away." As if to underscore Yo La's multi-faceted personality, Kaplan's "The Evil That Men Do" appears twice: as a concise '60s guitar and organ instrumental and as ten mind- bending minutes of onstage feedback fury.

Schramm returned to join Hubley and Kaplan (bringing along standup bassist Al Greller from his own group, the Schramms) for Fakebook, a delightful, low-key covers collection. Besides an eclectic stack of tuneful arcanities from the Kinks, Flying Burrito Brothers, John Cale, NRBQ, Cat Stevens and the Flamin Groovies, the group also lends an interpretive ear to The Scene Is Now and (were they the first?) Daniel Johnston. In a conceptual coup, Yo La even covers itself, re-recording a song each from the prior two albums. The simple arrangements are ideal for Kaplan's genial singing; Hubley's harmonies contribute to the friendly folks-at-home ambience.

Coincident with the arrival of permanent bassist James McNew (ex-Christmas) and Hubley's emergence as a lead vocalist, May I Sing With Me finds the trio splashing around the noisy end of rock's pool. On the album's pièce de resistance, "Mushroom Cloud of Hiss," Kaplan spews feedback and guitar noise like he's losing his grip on a steaming runaway firehose; powered along by Hubley's newly insistent drumming, he affects an aggressive singing style that undercuts the song's shock wave frenzy by failing to contrast with it. That lack of dynamic variation is the album's problem — several songs in need of gentle succoring are rattled off the tracks by clamorous arrangements, while others designed to withstand heat treatment (like "Out the Window") don't have much else to recommend them. Segments of the record balance the band's divergent impulses to good effect (the feedback- laced instrumental "Sleeping Pill" and the Hubley- sung "Satellite," for instance. But Kaplan's inability to keep his hands off his instrument cocks up the mild- mannered appeal of "Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)," needlessly threatens the tranquility of "Always Something" and disperses the airy cloud of Hubley's vocals on "Detouring America With Horns."

Upside-Down footnotes May I Sing With Me with a substantial remix and a complete rerecording of its comely lead-off track — thereby making "Upside-Down" available in distinct loud and soft variations rather than any blend of the two. The EP's three other tracks are covers (wan pop and fierce punk) and "Sunsquashed," 24 minutes of dark, stormy, string-bending improvisation that introduces organ into the band's regular bag o' tricks. That Is Yo La Tengo, released overseas prior to the album, previews three songs from it and adds two outtakes from the same January 1991 sessions for which producer Gene Holder served as the band's pre-McNew bassist.

Having been left to its own idiosyncratic creative devices for so long, Yo La Tengo suddenly sounds supremely confident, stylistically settled and — dare it be said? — trendy on Painful, a serenely atmospheric album most British shoegazer stars would kill to have in their catalogue. Using simply held organ chords as a basic structural element, keeping vocals right in the breezeway and filtering dramatic, moany waves of barbed guitar extrusion over placid songs in no hurry to reveal themselves, the trio invents an exquisite world of decorum and revelation, a cool sonic oasis that occasionally catches fire. Hardly a collection of singalongs, Painful does drift somewhat more than it probably ought to, but it does contain such sturdy compositions as "From a Motel 6" (cute Dylan road pun, that), Hubley's "Nowhere Near" and the shapely instrumental "I Heard You Looking." Finessing harmonic layers of melodic noise that put Sonic Youth's strenuous exertions to shame, Kaplan ambles right into the advanced placement pantheon of guitar mistreaters and is the main reason Painful is such a joy.

With some exceptions, Electr-o-Pura undoes that progress, redividing the band into loud/soft alternation with a looser, edgier feel in tracks that aren't nearly as worked over or carefully thought out. Hubley sings more than usual, holding down the folky fort in songs like "Pablo and Andrea" (a lovely breeze carried on Kaplan's most graceful guitar picking) and the fuzzier "(Straight Down to the) Bitter End." Kaplan does a great job singing "Tom Courtenay," a euphoric harmony pop tribute to '60s Britville that is by far the band's catchiest-ever composition, and brings Tom Verlaine-y aplomb to "Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1)," "Paul Is Dead," "The Ballad of Red Buckets" and the tenderly romantic "My Heart's Reflection." But he devotes greater creative energy to shaping songs like "Decora" and "Blue Line Swinger" with tremolo, feedback and experimental forays into "patterns of sound." Tom Courtenay the EP adds two non-LP originals and a Dead C cover; Camp Yo La Tengo presents a remix of "Blue Line Swinger," a Hubley-sung acoustic remake of "Tom Courtenay," a tremolo- timed garage cover of the Seeds' "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" and a long, somber jam (with found-sound samples) entitled "Mr. Ameche Plays the Stranger."

Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo is a thoroughly fine two-CD (one vocal, one instrumental) compendium of rare and unreleased tracks.

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One replaces most of the noise freak-outs with happiness in a groove. Mature and polished, it turns tentativeness into sweeping grandeur. Kaplan's singing is fragile ("August Sweater"); Hubley's drumming is a smorgasbord of directions and styles. Individual compositions emerge in distinct styles: McNew's "Stockholm Syndrome" is as immediate as a favorite beer mug, while Georgia's "Shadows" likewise stands out. "Sugarcube" is a warm buzz (its spoof/homage video, by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, is classic). "Center of Gravity" betrays a Bacharach fetish ("It's a familial song we've known so long"), and the band veers both surly (the steel guitar "One PM Again") and confident (the groove-based "Moby Octopad"). "My Little Corner of the World" was originally a hit for Anita Bryant. The CD booklet is an amusing send-up of imaginary label mates.

The US Little Honda EP expands that song (which is on I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One) into a mini-LP of covers. While the title track (also in a live version) is a Beach Boys-penned Hondells song, the EP includes covers of William DeVaughn (without much soul), the Kinks (a Yo La Tengo favorite), Urinals, Gram Parsons, Sandy Denny ("By the Time It Gets Dark," a good choice) and Queen (sort of). (Yo La subsequently covered The Simpsons' theme song for inclusion on the show.)

While much of YLT's music can seem mellow at first brush, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out drops down to a sleepy vibe, with jazzy brushed drums and liberal organ. Not a complaint, they've simply learned how to let an album breathe by holding back. Though the first half slips by in a pleasant dream, it's hard to picture any other band pulling off "You Can Have It All." The non-playboy lament "Cherry Chapstick" is the album's first rock outcropping, and it appears at the three-quarter mark. The mood and atmosphere makes Hubley's "Madeline" comparable to, say, Astrud Gilberto. While her (Hubley, not Gilberto) lyrics tend to be humorous observations, Kaplan's center on relationship pain. A calm triumph.

The Sounds of the Sounds of Science is ambient music written to accompany a nature-film project. Yo La Tengo meets the challenge with intricate and thoughtfully arranged and visually evocative instrumentals. The Nuclear War EP offers four long versions of the Sun Ra song. Merry Christmas From Yo La Tengo contains three sincerely presented "modern" Christmas songs.

Summer Sun continues the softness with arrangements that are even less dense than those on And Then Nothing. The hooks are subtle; the vocals breathed as much as sung. The theme of bouncy, '60's summer fun weaves its way through the compositions from a distance (and not always favorably: "Summer stinks and summer stays too long," from "Tiny Birds"). "Little Eyes" is one of the band's best ever, while "How to Make a Baby Elephant Float," which Bacharach could have penned, completes the full-circle connection in the Tin Pan Gutter branch of the indie world. "Let's Be Still" is chamber-drone; "Take Care" is a Big Star cover. Today Is the Day contains an improved version of the album track, a Bert Jansch cover ("Needle of Death"), an acoustic version of "Cherry Chapstick" and three new tracks.

An annual tradition in which the trio aids the fundraising efforts of a New Jersey college radio station by taking listener requests for covers which it then attempts to perform in the studio is the source for Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics. Admittedly (and promoted as) a project just for fans, the entertaining album demonstrates the band's breadth as it includes swipes at everyone from Archie Bell to the Bonzo Dog Band to X-Ray Spex. Prisoners of Love is a career-spanning compilation with a limited-edition third disc (A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities) of mostly album-worthy cuts. Strange but TRUE is a Jad Fair project in which Yo La Tengo provides the backing for tracks whose titles (and verses) were snatched from odd newspaper headlines.

I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (the title comes from an NBA player's comment) is another inspired project. The noisy opening track "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" may be a trying welcome for neophytes but will put old fans at ease within seconds. The topical, falsetto-sung "Mr. Tough" features horns and a piano solo, like much of the album, brilliantly borrowing from multiple genres across decades. McNew's "Black Flowers" wouldn't be out of place on a Dump album but in this context receives a plump arrangement. The partial riffs and signature textures in "The Race Is on Again" make it succeed. "Sometimes I Don't Get You" dips into white soul and '60s riffs; "I Should Have Known Better" and "Point and Shoot" similarly represent a Nuggets polarity. Though the rave-up "Watch Out for Me Ronnie" may reference Spector, it's of no particular time or place. By the end of the final noise-jam track (purposely misspelled "Story of Yo La Tango") it's hard to imagine any other band with as much indie cred that could succeed with this material; it would be too audacious.

Dump is bassist James McNew's sweet-as-kittens solo side project. Working at home on what he pointedly refers to as a "weary" 4-track cassette machine, he displays proficiency on a multitude of instruments (mainly guitar, bass, drums and Acetone organ) and a wavery tenor voice that wouldn't hurt a fly, assembling pop tunes (original and covers) and sound collages to a please-yourself-first aesthetic. Superpowerless is simply wonderful, a soothing and minimally produced nineteen-track collection of delightfully forlorn originals (the brisk "Secret Blood," "Good Medicine" and the escalating title track are easy highlights) and covers as far-reaching as the Shaggs, Sun Ra, Wreckless Eric, NRBQ and Henry Mancini. McNew gets a bit of assistance from his Yo La bandmates and Dave Ramirez of Hypnolovewheel, but Dump's charm is all his fault.

Following a 7-inch quartet of covers (songs by Silver Apples, Barbara Manning, Jandek and Hypnolovewheel), the International Airport 10-inch eschews even the modest ambitions of Superpowerless, using bits of droney organ and noise guitar, plus occasional drums and vocals, to bring rudimentary life to four originals, a Versus number and the Kinks' obscure "The Way Love Used to Be." The title track, a twelve-and-a-half minute extravaganza, builds handsomely to an invigorating weave of instrumental layers and begins to wind down before McNew begins singing, turning what could have been a minor outing into a compelling epic.

While fleshier arrangements return the gentle-cycle I Can Hear Music album (initially fortified with a second CD of bonus tunes) to the easy access of Superpowerless, McNew's wan singing isn't quite as assured or engaging as before. Still, his private world here is riddled with impressive powderpuff songwriting ("Don't Let On," "Slow Down," "Curl") and fine ideas: a gorgeous Fugs cover ("Morning Morning"), the Moody Blues citation of "Hope, Joe," the grubby synth pulse of "It's Not Alright" and the country bounce given Bob Dylan's "Wanted Man." And don't miss the unlisted version of Ultravox's "Vienna."

A Plea for Tenderness is a mixed affair that drags more than it shuffles, although "Clarity" is McNew's best original yet. Covers often provide the highlights of Dump LPs, and the selections here are Jacques Dutronc's "Et Moi Et Moi Et Moi" and Roky Erickson's "On the Right Track Now."

That Skinny Motherfucker With the High Voice? is an album of Prince covers. Not a tongue-in-cheek dash-off, the selections ("1999," "Raspberry Beret," "Pop Life," etc.) are lovingly presented and offer proof not only of McNew's laptop-interpretational skill but to the songwriting skills of The Artist. The CD has five more tracks than the cassette.

Women in Rock is more 4-track bedroom pop, except for the opening noise track, "Horrible." The instrumental "Loved" echoes the haunting beauty of YLT but, like the other selections, is much more up front. "The Words Get Stuck in My Throat" transforms the theme from "War of the Gargantuas" (previously covered by Devo) into a great pop song. "A Plea for Dump" begins with a nod to The Simpsons' comic-book guy (perhaps how McNew sees himself ) and, though slight, is the best track here. It's unclear what any of this has to do with women in rock.

A Grown-Ass Man finds Dump still mellow but more consistent. Rather than simply airing out the demon bag, McNew has crafted several songs that stand on their own. Recorded in a real studio with fuzzy guitar and some live drums, the album boasts sonic variety that makes this the best Dump release yet. "I'm on Your Side" offers more than most Dump compositions and wears its Brian Wilson influence openly. "I Wish/You Wish" chews exactly what it bites off, and is both relaxing and absorbing. "Sisters" flows with a wave-washing sound in the back. And dig the delightful cover of Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song."

[Scott Schinder / Ira Robbins / Jay Pattyn]

ATM: School of Rock

Wow, that was a harsh review? What was this asshole expecting - Fucking Amadeus? I saw School of Rock when it first came out at the theatres...on second viewing, it's not nearly as entertaining likely due to the oversaturation of Jack Black (when will he start w/ AT&T commercials?). The movie is still pretty good though!

We don't need no education.

Starring: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Joey Gaydos Jr., Miranda Cosgrove, Kevin Clark, Robert Tsai, Maryam Hassam, Rebecca Brown, Caitlin Hale, Aleisha Allen, Brian Falduto, Zachary Infante, James Hosey

Director: Richard Linklater

Running Time: 109 minutes

Richard Linklater is the independent director from Houston whose innovative films have included the brilliantly laidback ensemble desultoriness of 'Slacker', the seventies highschool nostalgia of 'Dazed and Confused', the cartoon philosophy of 'Waking Life' and the intense one-set drama of 'Tape'. Mike White is the oddball writer/actor whose screenplay for the dark stalker comedy 'Chuck & Buck' was quickly followed by the excellent working-class morality piece The Good Girl. Jack Black is the impishly energetic successor to the spirit of John Belushi, and his manic supporting rôles in films like 'High Fidelity' and 'Jesus' Son' have threatened to eclipse everything else sharing the screen with him. Bring these three amazing talents together, and you would expect something stupendously quirky, inventive and unhinged. Instead, however, the result of their collaboration is 'School of Rock', a shamelessly derivative musical comedy for morons.

Kicked out of his own rock band and desperate for rent money, Dewey Finn (Jack Black) impersonates his friend Ned Schneebly (Mike White) in order to take a high-paying 'gig' as a substitute teacher at a private preparatory school under uptight headmistress Rosalie Mullins (Joan Cusack, reunited with Black from 'High Fidelity') . Realising that his class is a hotbed of musical talent, he sets about secretly transforming the pupils into a rockgroup and preparing them for the Battle of the Bands, while teaching them to challenge the rigidity of their school and their parents.

'School of Rock' is essentially 'Dead Poets' Society' with all the intelligence sucked out of it, leaving an embarrassing mess of poor jokes and mixed messages. Black does his usual over-the-top performance, but with nothing and no-one substantial to play against, looks as though he is nattering madly to himself. Black sings with a fantastic Beefheart snarl, but the songs with his all- kiddy band sound just as you would imagine, and are interminably long.

Full of saccharine sentiments about self-expression and self-esteem, the central point of 'School of Rock' purports to be political, involving rock's power to 'stick it to the Man' - but the film undermines its own would-be rebelliousness by failing to specify precisely who 'the Man' is. The teachers and parents are the most obvious candidates, but they all turn out to be closet rebels themselves. The root of all evils turns out not to be commercialism, nor the establishment, nor the forces of conservatism, but rather Ned's vaguely interfering girlfriend Patty (Sarah Silverman). 'Dude, I've been mooching off you for years, and it was never a problem till she came along', as Dewey complains to his old buddy Ben early in the piece. All along, the Man has really been a woman, and it is to her and to all she represents that Dewey's rebel without a cause has been opposed. So in the end, in the absence of any real political targets, the film's anti-authoritarian posturing can be reduced to a more basic misogyny, making its supposed rock-and-roll spirit at best spineless and at worst hateful and reactionary.

Ostensibly 'School of Rock' follows Dewey's comic rise from irresponsible musician to responsible music teacher, but in reality it documents the tragic decline of its director, screenwriter and lead actor from independent rock-and-rollers to Hollywood sell-outs.

It's Got: Wasted talent.

It Needs: Originality, laughs, and some kind of integrity to its politics.

Alternatives: 'Dead Poets' Society', 'Kindergarten Cop', 'The Commitments', 'Footloose'

Summary: More 'The Great Rock and Roll Swindle' than 'Rock and Roll Highschool', this shameless, laugh-free Jack Black vehicle reveals that it really is a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll.

http://www.movie-gazette.com/cinereviews/615

GSOTD: Love Shack

By X

i was with you when you wrote it, and i liked it better then. back when i thought you were mine, and sang all your songs for me. i liked this song when you were mine, and i liked it better then. the people in hear, they don't know that tonight i'm one of them. here's to you, and your voice on the juke box! here's to you! i'm dancin' at the love shack. shakin' it down at the love shack. payin' for being a fool like that. at this run down place they call the love shack. now the damn country loves you. your voice belongs to them. they bought it for a quarter, and they sing along for a beer. so just one more boys, whaddya say? one more if you please... and i might find a reason why you don't belong to me. you can sing your song, boy, cause you sing it good. raise your glass to me, when you're out on the road. cause tonight i paid my quarter, and that still makes you mine. once i said that, but now i'm shakin' at the love shack. here's to you, and your voice on the juke box! here's to you! i'm dancin' at the love shack. shakin' it down at the love shack. payin' for being a fool like that. at this run down place they call the love shack.

JOTD: Buried Lawyers

Q: What do you have when 100 lawyers are buried up to their neck in sand?

A: Not enough sand.

Kings of Leon Work on New Release

Published: 2006-12-28

After touring with U2 throughout 2005, Kings of Leon earned a spot opening for Bob Dylan and as of now are just wrapping up those dates. After their schedule clears up they will be getting ready to drop their third release.

Hailing from Tennessee the boys find themselves most successful across the ocean in Europe. But in the past two years the band has had their opportunity to introduce themselves to North America. Hype travels with this band like no other; they can count Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde and Jimmy Page as fans.

With their third release due out this Fall the band understand that with all this acclaimed success it is their turn to prove themselves worthy of it. Lead singer, Caleb Followill understands that now is their time to break big in America. He tries to put everything into perspective by "not thinking about it."

The majority of the album was recorded in Nashville and will be released this March carrying the title Because of the Times.

Writer: Lindsey Peterson

James' Top of '06

Okay, I know you've all been waiting for this (well, okay, you haven't, but never mind, you're go8ing to get it anyway).

Top of '06

1. To All New Arrivals - Faithless

Strong, subtle hip-hop with a social conscience, London's Faithless first made an impression on me with their single "Mass destruction" a couple of years back, and this album ups the ante. One of the group's members has clearly just become a parent, and these wise words to this and other new arrivals are by turn chilling and positive, and always catchy.

2. Warm hand - Don McGlashan

Back with more of the unnerving edgy Kiwiana which made the Mutton Birds such a delight, this album shows yet again that while Neil Finn may get the internaional plaudits and Dave Dobbyn may be more widely recognised at home, McGlashan deserves his place alongside these two in the pantheon of kiwi music.

3. Surprise - Paul Simon

Lived up to its name. The combination of Simon and Brian Eno sounded strange from the outset, but Eno's gentle guiding hand managed to coax out the best set of new songs from the old folk-poet-rocker since "Graceland".

4. The corner of Miles & Gil - Shack

Dredging their influences from British folk-rock psychedelia of the late 60s, this is another slow-grower. Emphasis on acoustic instruments, and with unexpected brass band accompaniment in places. Pleasant.

5. Last Days of Wonder - Handsome Family

Seriously warped country and western - lyrically, closer to the Flaming Lips than Dwight Yoakam (I'm very glad to say), and both catchy and bewildering. Anyone who can write a C7W song about Nikolai Tesla or about vandalising a golf course when drunk is OK by me ("Like jewels on your green dress, my lady of the golf course, running in your underwear to greet the cops who'd just driven up").

6. Gang of Losers - The Dears

Seemingly straight-ahead pop-rock from Canada with a grungy edge and some decidedly odd arrangements. A slow burner, this has grown on me over the last couple of months.

7. Isolation Loops - Bachelorette

Though not as strangely attractive as the mini-album that she put out in 2005, NZ's Bachelorette delivered a fine set of twisted electronic ditties with "Isolation Loops"

8. Flat-pack Philosophy - Buzzcocks

Sometimes, old bands refuse to die, much to their detriment and that of their fans. sometimes, though, once in a hundred albums, a band will reform and rock like they never went away. So it is with ageing punk rockers the Buzzcocks - always one of the most musically and lyrically intelligent bands of the punk rock era, here with an album which seems to defy the passage of the decades.

9. In time for spring, on came the snow - Subaudible Hum

Owing much of their inspiration to Radiohead, but also very varied in their sound, Subaudible Hum have produced an intriguing and highly listenable-to album of instrumentals and multi-layered hook-laden songs.

10. I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass - Yo La Tengo

It's almost impossble to describe Yo La Tengo's music, other than to say that their albums tend to contain a couple of dozen songs, song fragments and half formed ideas, almost all of which are usually immensely appealing. Though American, this band could easily fit in with the Dunedin Sound of music, and there is indeed some cross
influence (David Kilgour has frequently performed with YLT over the years). Wildly eclectic and loads of fun as always, this album is definitely one of their best.

Bubbling under...

*Comfort of Strangers - Beth Orton
*Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not - Arctic Monkeys
*Joyride:Remixes - Mirah
*Up from the catacombs (Best of) - Jane's Addiction
*Chris Knox and the Nothing - Chris Knox and the Nothing
*Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
*Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia

WTF...?

Beatles Classics by Wing - Wing

No doubt an acquired taste, or at the very least frightening to those not in the know, Wing is a Hong Kong-born New Zealander who has become famous for her destruction of classic songs in much the same way as Clive James's long-time TV guest Margarita Pracatan. Here, Wing manages to machete her way through some Beatles favourites and (incomprehensibly) also Maori folk song "Hine e hine", with great
gusto but with no hint of any reliance on melody, tempo or taste, and only passing indication of any knowledge of the English language. Her version of "I want to hold your hand" has to be heard to be disbelieved.

Me First & the Gimme Gimmes Love their Country - Me First & the Gimme Gimmes

Great band name, wondrously tacky concept: MF&TGGs perform skater-punk versions of country and western and country-rock standards. You haven't lived until you've heard them ripping into "Desperado" or "Annie's song" at 150 mph.

Not yet heard, but the signs are good

Ole Tarantula - Robyn Hitchcock

I've heard several tracks off this, and I'm itching to get my hands on a copy. This is seriously good - much harder rocking than most of RH's recent works and ably backed by a powerful band.

New Who album (title unknown)

Yes, there may be only a couple of them left now, but by all accounts this is, against all odds, a major return to form.

Modern Times - Bob Dylan

The old master, according to reports received, has produced his finest set for over a decade. Sounds distinctly worth a listen.

Still listening to/growing on me from 2005

Another day on Earth - Brian Eno
Get behind me Satan - The White Stripes
Oceans Apart - Go-Betweens (RIP G.W. McLennan, one 2006's biggest musical losses)
I'm Wide Awake, it's morning/Digital Ash in a digital urn - Bright Eyes
Cherry Pie - Leila Adu
Prairie Wind - Neil Young
The Campfire Headphase - Boards of Canada
In Your Honor - Foo Fighters
Twin Cinema - New Pornographers
Witching Hour - Ladytron.

~ James

JOTD: Booty Casll

Yo mama's so dumb, she stuck the phone up her ass and thought she was makin' a booty call.

ATM: Lucky Break

Good, but not great little movie. I did enjoy this a hell of a lot more than Annie Fucking Hall!

Lucky Break (2001)
Reviewed by Neil Smith
Updated 23 August 2001

It can't be easy following an international success story like "The Full Monty", but director Peter Cattaneo almost pulls it off with this light-hearted prison caper in which a group of mismatched convicts use amateur dramatics to conceal an audacious jail break.

After an ill-conceived hold-up goes disastrously awry, small-time criminals Jimmy (James Nesbitt) and Rudy (Lennie James) find themselves reunited inside HMP Long Rudford. It doesn't take long for Jimmy to fall foul of sadistic head of security Perry (Ron Cook), but freedom beckons when the Governor (Christopher Plummer) decides to mount an amateur staging of his self-penned masterpiece "Nelson - The Musical" - providing the perfect cover for a daring escape bid.

Anyone who has seen a single episode of Porridge will recognise the collection of thugs, losers, and oddballs roped into Jimmy's hair-brained scheme, while Olivia Williams supplies the obligatory love interest as a pretty social worker. Broad comic relief comes from Timothy Spall and Bill Nighy, and screenwriter Ronan Bennett steers the action towards a tense, if predictable climax.

Where the film falters is in its tone. Having set the scene for an ensemble working-class feel-gooder in "The Full Monty" mode, Cattaneo introduces a heavy-handed tragic twist midway through that casts a deathly pall over all that follows. Moreover, where the likes of Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy delivered restrained, naturalistic performances, Nighy, James, et al opt for hammy turns that border on the camp. Still, what do you expect from a movie with a song called "Kiss Me Hardy"?

"Lucky Break" is released in UK cinemas on Friday 24th August 2001.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films

GSOTD: Devil Doll

By X

she wont get out of bed & shake her snakey hair grabe her throw her in the tub she says "coffe & a piece of pie" she never wears a dress on sunday or any monday afternoon the this is no goddamn country to wander alone devil doll devil doll rags and bones and battered shoes devil doll devil doll people turn their heads she scares little kids eyes narrow jaw is set shell fix you with a stare she keeps her body hidden lets her eyes make her bid id wrap her up in a bullet and shoot her round the world devil doll devil doll rags ans bones and battered shoes devil doll devil doll devil doll devil doll

JOTD: Panda Bear

A panda bear walks into a restaurant and orders a sandwich.

When he receives the sandwich he eats it and then shoots the waiter and leaves the restaurant.

A policeman sees the panda and tells him he just broke the law. The panda bear tells the policeman that he's innocent and, if he didn't believe him, to look in the dictionary. The policeman gets a dictionary and looks up "panda bear."

It says, ''Panda Bear: eats shoots and leaves.''

GSOTD: My Goodness

By X

my goodness... just left to make room for you. oh, my goodness... sure knows what it wants to do. my goodness...i go bad at the drop of a heart. my goodness always stops when my trouble starts. ain't nothing bad about me... i got all my feeling tamed. i've been a faithful, honest woman, and he knows my love won't change. but none of you have seen my as this past of mine stops by, in the form of a handsome stranger i've loved since '75. my goodness... just left to make room for you. oh, my goodness... sure knows what it wants to do. my goodness...i go bad at the drop of a heart. my goodness always stops when my trouble starts. my goodness is strong, and it's stronger laying down. he's only here to love me and he'll leave this town. very bad thoughts i'm thinkin' today, i can't keep my mind out of the gutter, not even to save my soul. i take a drink and lose control. you buy a bottle 'round my door, she goes out the window. my goodness...

ATM: Annie Hall

I get Woody Allen but don't see the appeal. I fell asleep three times trying to watch this.

I'm not much of a fan of Woody Allen, and I always assumed that's because he's been fading recently in terms of talent -- even many of his staunchest supporters couldn't bring themselves to endorse HOLLYWOOD ENDING (He makes a bad movie...and they love it in FRANCE! Stop, yer killing me! Those French sure do love stuff that sucks!). I think his stand-up is funny, in fact the scene in ANNIE HALL where he does stand-up is the funniest scene to me. As for the rest of the film, I imagine it was probably more ground-breaking when it came out. I appreciate the self-reflexive style, the way Woody inserts himself into flashbacks, gets random people to back-up the case he's making to us (the audience), and so forth, but I can't say it really makes me laugh.

Fundamentally, my problem is this: why should I care about a whiny nerd who doesn't have the balls to take any chances, yet somehow manages to date women way out of his league, only to totally screw up his relationships with them? And why is it funny when he digs up hoary old jokes like the Groucho Marx one about joining a club? Nowadays we call that "re-gifting." Or "postmodernism." I want to slap the guy and take the chicks he's driving away with his B.S.

It is fun to spot the brief early appearances by John Glover, Jeff Goldblum, and (in a slightly less brief role) Christopher Walken. Any movie with those three in should be gold, if only Woody weren't in it as well.

http://www.lytrules.com/

RIP: Gerald Ford

Former President Gerald Ford Dies at 93

Wednesday, Dec 27, 2006 - 07:20 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - While funeral arrangements for former President Gerald Ford have not been announced, they are expected to reflect his collegial character and unassuming style in the White House.

Planners will be guided by the wishes of the family and any instructions from the president himself on how elaborate the events will be. As a former president, Ford is entitled to a state funeral.

Ford died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. His funeral plans are expected to include a small private ceremony in Palm Desert, California, and an opportunity for the public to pay respects there before the body is flown to Washington for a period of public mourning in the capital.

Ford is expected to be laid to rest on the grounds of his presidential museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The museum has announced that its lobby will be open 24 hours a day starting today and until further notice, while the rest of the museum will be closed during this period.

President Bush, former first lady Nancy Reagan and Ford's former chief of staff Alexander Haig have all expressed their condolences and praised the former leader.

A statement from first lady Betty Ford says the late president was a "beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather."

He was the longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93.

RIP: James Brown

James Brown, the ‘Godfather of Soul,’ Dies at 73

By JON PARELES

Correction Appended

James Brown, the singer, songwriter, bandleader and dancer who indelibly transformed 20th-century music, died early yesterday in Atlanta. He was 73 and lived in Beech Island, S.C., across the Savannah River from Augusta, Ga.

Mr. Brown died of congestive heart failure after being hospitalized for pneumonia, said his agent, Frank Copsidas.

Mr. Brown sold millions of records in a career that lasted half a century. In the 1960s and 1970s he regularly topped the rhythm-and-blues charts, although he never had a No. 1 pop hit. Yet his music proved far more durable and influential than countless chart-toppers. His funk provides the sophisticated rhythms that are the basis of hip-hop and a wide swath of current pop.

Mr. Copsidas said that Mr. Brown had participated in an annual Christmas toy giveaway in Augusta on Friday but had been hospitalized on Saturday. After canceling performances planned for midweek, Mr. Brown on Sunday night got his doctor’s approval to perform on Saturday in New Jersey and on New Year’s Eve at B.B. King’s nightclub in New York.

Mr. Copsidas said Mr. Brown used one of his best-known slogans to convey his dedication to his fans: “I’m the hardest working man in show business, and I’m not going to let them down.”

Through the years, Mr. Brown did not only call himself “the hardest working man in show business.” He also went by “Mr. Dynamite,” “Soul Brother No. 1,” “the Minister of Super Heavy Funk” and “the Godfather of Soul,” and he was all of those and more.

His music was sweaty and complex, disciplined and wild, lusty and socially conscious. Beyond his dozens of hits, Mr. Brown forged an entire musical idiom that is now a foundation of pop worldwide.

“I taught them everything they know, but not everything I know,” he wrote in an autobiography.

The funk Mr. Brown introduced in his 1965 hit “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” was both deeply rooted in Africa and thoroughly American. Songs like “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “Cold Sweat,” “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” and “Hot Pants” found the percussive side of every instrument and meshed sharply syncopated patterns into kinetic polyrhythms that made people dance.

Mr. Brown’s innovations reverberated through the soul and rhythm-and-blues of the 1970s and the hip-hop of the next three decades. The beat of a 1970 instrumental “Funky Drummer” may well be the most widely sampled rhythm in hip-hop.

Mr. Brown’s stage moves — the spins, the quick shuffles, the knee-drops, the splits — were imitated by performers who tried to match his stamina, from Mick Jagger to Michael Jackson, and were admired by the many more who could not. Mr. Brown was a political force, especially during the 1960s; his 1968 song “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud” changed America’s racial vocabulary. He was never politically predictable; in 1972 he endorsed the re-election of Richard M. Nixon.

Mr. Brown led a turbulent life, and served prison time as both a teenager and an adult. He was a stern taskmaster who fined his band members for missed notes or imperfect shoeshines. He was an entrepreneur who, at the end of the 1960s, owned his own publishing company, three radio stations and a Learjet (which he would later sell to pay back taxes). And he performed constantly: as many as 51 weeks a year in his prime.

Mr. Brown was born May 3, 1933, in a one-room shack in Barnwell, S.C. As he would later tell it, midwives thought he was stillborn, but his body stayed warm, and he was revived. When his parents separated four years later, he was left in the care of his aunt Honey, who ran a brothel in Augusta, Ga. As a boy he earned pennies buck-dancing for soldiers; he also picked cotton and shined shoes. He was dismissed from school because his clothes were too ragged.

He was imprisoned for petty theft in 1949 after breaking into a car, and paroled three years later. While in prison he sang in a gospel group. After he was released, he joined a group led by Bobby Byrd, which eventually called itself the Flames. At first, Mr. Brown played drums with the group and traded off lead vocals with other members. But with his powerful voice and frenzied, acrobatic dancing, he soon emerged as the frontman.

In 1955 the Flames recorded “Please Please Please” in the basement studio of a radio station in Macon, Ga. A talent scout heard it on local radio and signed the Flames to a recording contract with King Records. A second version, recorded in Cincinnati in 1956, became a million-selling single.

Nine follow-up singles were flops until, in 1958 a gospel-rooted ballad, “Try Me,” went to No. 1 on the rhythm-and-blues chart. Mr. Brown followed up with more ballads, although the Flames’ stage shows would turn them into long, frenzied crescendos. His trademark routine of collapsing onstage, having a cape thrown over him and tossing it away for one more reprise, again and again, would leave audiences shouting for more.

In 1960 Mr. Brown’s version of “Think” put a choppy, Latin-flavored beat — hinting at the funk to come — behind a sustained vocal and pushed him back into the R&B Top 10 and the pop Top 40.

Mr. Brown had his first Top 20 pop hit in 1963 with “Prisoner of Love,” a ballad backed by an orchestra. But before those sessions he had done a series of shows at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and the one on Oct. 24, 1962, was recorded. His label had not wanted to record the shows; Mr. Brown insisted. Released in 1963, “Live at the Apollo” — with screaming fans and galvanizing crescendos — revealed what the rhythm-and-blues circuit already knew, and became the No. 2 album nationwide.

James Brown and the Famous Flames toured nonstop through the 1960s. They were filmed in California for the “The T.A.M.I. Show,” released in 1965, which shows Mick Jagger trying to pick up Mr. Brown’s dance moves.

By the mid-1960s Mr. Brown was producing his own recording sessions. In February 1965, with “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” he decided to shift the beat of his band: from the one-two-three-four backbeat to one-two-three-four. “I changed from the upbeat to the downbeat,” Mr. Brown said in 1990. “Simple as that, really.”

Actually it wasn’t that simple; drums, rhythm guitar and horns all kicked the beat around from different angles. “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” won a Grammy Award as best rhythm-and-blues song, and it was only the beginning of Mr. Brown’s rhythmic breakthroughs. Through the 1960s and into the ’70s, Mr. Brown would make his funk ever more complex while stripping harmony to a bare minimum in songs like “Cold Sweat.” He didn’t immediately abandon ballads; songs like “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” a No. 1 R&B hit in 1966, mixed aching, bluesy lines with wrenching screams.

Amid the civil rights ferment of the 1960s Mr. Brown used his fame and music for social messages. He released “Don’t Be a Dropout” in 1966 and met with Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey to promote a stay-in-school initiative. Two years later “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud” insisted, “We won’t quit movin’ until we get what we deserve.”

When the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in 1968, Mr. Brown was due to perform in Boston. Instead of canceling his show, he had it televised. Boston was spared the riots that took place in other cities. “Don’t just react in a way that’s going to destroy your community,” he urged.

By the late 1960s Mr. Brown’s funk was part of pop, R&B and jazz: in his own hits, in songs by the Temptations and Sly and the Family Stone, and in the music of Miles Davis. It was also creating a sensation in Africa, where it would shape the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti, the juju of King Sunny Ade and the mbalax of Youssou N’Dour.

Musicians who left Mr. Brown’s bands would also have a direct role in 1970s and 1980s funk; the saxophonist Maceo Parker, the trombonist Fred Wesley and the bassist Bootsy Collins were part of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic, and Mr. Parker also worked with Prince.

Through the early 1970s Mr. Brown’s songs filled dance floors. His self-described “super heavy funk” gave him No. 1 R&B hits and Top 20 pop hits with “Give It Up or Turnit a Loose” and “Mother Popcorn” in 1969, “Super Bad Pts. 1 & 2” in 1970, “Hot Pants” and “Make It Funky” in 1971, “Get on the Good Foot Pt. 1” in 1972 and “The Payback Pt. 1” in 1974. He provided soundtracks for blaxploitation movies like “Black Caesar” and “Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off,” and performed at the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire.

The rise of disco — a much simplified version of Mr. Brown’s funk — knocked him out of the Top 40 in the late 1970s. But an appearance in “The Blues Brothers” in 1980 started a career resurgence, and in 1985 Mr. Brown had a pop hit, peaking at No. 4, with “Living in America,” the song he performed in the movie “Rocky IV.” It won him his second Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. That year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of its first members.

Meanwhile hip-hop had arrived, with Mr. Brown’s music often providing the beat. LL Cool J, Public Enemy, De La Soul and the Beastie Boys are among the more than 100 acts that have sampled Clyde Stubblefield’s drumming on “Funky Drummer” alone. In 1984 Mr. Brown collaborated with the influential rapper Afrika Bambaataa on the single “Unity.” He kept recording into the 21st century, including a 2002 studio album, “The Next Step.”

Mr. Brown maintained a nearly constant touring schedule despite a tumultuous personal life. During the 1970s the Internal Revenue Service demanded $4.5 million in unpaid taxes; the jet and radio stations were sold. His oldest son, Teddy, died in a car accident in 1973.

In 1988, intoxicated on PCP, he burst into an insurance seminar adjoining his own office in Augusta, then led police on a car chase across the South Carolina border. He was sentenced to prison for carrying a deadly weapon at a public gathering, attempting to flee a police officer and driving under the influence of drugs, and was released in 1991.

In 1998 after discharging a rifle and another car chase, he was sentenced to a 90-day drug rehabilitation program. He was officially pardoned by South Carolina in 2003, but arrested again in 2004 on charges of domestic violence against his fourth wife, Tomi Rae Hynie, a former backup singer. “I would never hurt my wife,” he said in a statement at the time. “I love her very much.”

She survives him, along with their son, James Brown II, and at least five other children.

In 1999, Mr. Brown made a deal to receive more than $25 million in bonds against advance publishing royalties. This year, however, he sought to refinance the bonds with a new loan. The banker who had made the original deal, David Pullman, objected to the terms, and Mr. Brown filed a lawsuit against him in July.

But Mr. Brown’s status as an American archetype had long since been assured. A definitive collection, “Star Time” (Universal), was released in 1991. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003, the same year that Michael Jackson presented him with a BET Award for lifetime achievement. In a 1990 interview with The New York Times, he said, “I was always 25 years ahead of my time.”

John O’Neil contributed reporting.

Correction: December 27, 2006

An obituary yesterday about James Brown misidentified the Georgia city where he took part in an annual Christmas toy giveaway on Friday. It was Augusta, not Atlanta. It also misstated the year in which he led the police on a car chase across the Georgia-South Carolina border. It was 1988, not 1987.

ATM: Hustle & Flow

BY ROGER EBERT / July 22, 2005

Cast & Credits

Djay: Terrence Howard
Key: Anthony Anderson
Nola: Taryn Manning
Shug: Taraji P. Henson
Lexus: Paula Jai Parker
Yevette: Elise Neal
Arnel: Isaac Hayes
Shelby: DJ Qualls
Skinny Black: Ludacris

Paramount Classics presents a film written and directed by Craig Brewer. Running time: 114 minutes. Rated R (for sex and drug content, pervasive language and some violence).

Sometimes you never really see an actor until the right roles bring him into focus. Terrence Howard has made 22 movies and a lot of TV (most notably the series "Sparks"), but now in "Crash" and "Hustle & Flow," he creates such clearly-seen characters in such different worlds that his range and depth becomes unmistakable.

In "Crash," he was the successful Hollywood television director, humiliated when his wife is assaulted by a cop. In "Hustle & Flow," he plays a Memphis pimp and drug dealer who yearns to make something of himself -- to become a rap artist. His quest for success is seen so clearly and with such sympathy by writer-director Craig Brewer that the movie transcends the crime genre and becomes powerful drama.

The movie's first achievement is to immerse us in the daily world of Djay, Howard's character. He is not a "pimp" and a "drug dealer" as those occupations have been simplified and dramatized in pop culture. He is a focused young man, intelligent, who in another world with other opportunities might have, who knows, gone to college and run for Congress. He can improvise at length on philosophical subjects, as he proves in an opening scene about -- well, about no less than the nature of man.

He has a childhood friend named Skinny Black (Ludacris), who has become a millionaire rap star. How close of a childhood friend is a good question; as nearly as I can tell, they went to different schools together. Skinny Black returns to the old neighborhood every Fourth of July for a sentimental reunion at the club where he got his start. The club owner (Isaac Hayes) is a friend of Djay's. The theory is, Djay will give his demo tape to Skinny Black, who will pull strings and make Djay a star.

But that's in the third act of the movie. The long second act, in some ways the heart of the film, involves Djay's attempts to meet his various business responsibilities while recording the demo. We get the ghetto version of renting the old barn and putting on a show. Djay picks up an ancient digital keyboard, and enlists Key (Anthony Anderson), a family man and churchgoer, to work with him on the music. Key knows Shelby (DJ Qualls), a white kid with musical skills. They staple cardboard egg containers to the walls to soundproof a recording studio, enlist a hooker named Shug (Taraji P. Henson) to sing backup, and make the recording.

What Djay cannot be expected to understand is that Skinny Black gets countless demos pressed warmly into his hands every day. He does not have the power in the music industry that Djay imagines. Discovering a talented newcomer might be professional suicide. And beyond that is the whole world-view Skinny Black has bought into: his cars, his bodyguards, his image as a menacing rapper. Djay's first approach to him is miscalculated and all wrong. The way he uses his instincts to try again is smart, and brave.

But "Hustle & Flow" is not limited to Djay's rags-to-riches dream, because it is not a formula film. Much more interesting are his day-to-day relationships. Nola (Taryn Manning), the white woman who gets the benefit of his theory of human life, is his most profitable hooker, even though she tells Djay how much she hates getting into the cars of strange men. Shug, who Djay gradually realizes he loves, is pregnant, probably not with Djay's child. Lexus (Paula Jai Parker) has an income as a stripper, which makes her more outspoken and independent.

Djay plays the pimp role and is effective enough, but his heart isn't in it. The dream of the demo record fills his mind -- and also obsesses Key and Shelby, to the dismay of Key's wife, who sees her churchgoing breadwinner spending his free time with a pimp ("What woman wouldn't be thrilled to have her man in a house full of whores?").

What happens is that Djay's horizon expands as his imagination is challenged. It isn't really the hope of stardom that keeps him going. It isn't the dubious connection with Skinny Black that inspires him. What we see in the "Hustle & Flow" is rarely seen in the movies: the redemptive power of art. Djay is transformed when he finds something he loves doing and is getting better at. To create something out of your own mind and talent and see that it is good: That is a joy that makes the rest of his life seem shabby and transparent.

Terrence Howard modulates Djay with great love and consideration for the character. He never cheapens him, or condescends. He builds him inside-out. He is a pimp and a dealer because he is smart and has ambition, and that is how, in his world, with his background, he can find success. The film accumulates many subtle moments to show how his feelings for Shug develop, how he begins by giving her the kind of "love" pimps use as a control mechanism, and slowly realizes that another kind of love is growing.

Shug is played by Taraji P. Henson as so wounded, so vulnerable, so loyal, that we're astonished at the complex emotions developed by the story. Listen to her: "Letting me sing on the demo made me feel real. I know, moving up, you gonna get real good people, so I want you to know, it meant the world to me." What has transformed him has opened room for her transformation.

"Hustle & Flow" shows, among other things, what a shallow music-video approach many films take to the inner city, and then what complexities and gifts bloom there. Every good actor has a season when he comes into his own, and this is Terrence Howard's time.

SER's Top 10 for 2006

Very hard to select this year. Many near misses. In the end, the thread linking most of my favorite records of the year together were artists playing to their strengths, somehow seeming to have fun while creating works of considerable heft... it was, for me, the year of the Playful But Deep Record.

And as usual I probably won't hear the real best records of this year until 2007.

1) Sonic Youth, "Rather Ripped"
2) Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3, "Ole! Tarantula"
3) Neko Case, "Fox Confessa Bringz tha Flood"
4) Art Brut, "Bang Bang Rock and Roll"
5) Mission of Burma, "The Obliterati"
6) Bob Dylan, "Modern Times"
7) Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twin, "Rabbit Furcoat"
8) Califone, "Roots & Crowns"
9) Glossary, "For What I Don't Become"
10) Tom Verlaine, "Songs & Other Things"

VERY near misses, approximate order:

11) Yo La Tengo, "...Your Ass"
12) Ray Davies, "Other Peoples' Lives"
13) Gram Rabbit, "Cultivation"
14) Cold War Kids, "Robbers & Cowards"
15) The Long Winters, "Putting the Days to Bed"
16) Tanya Donelly, "This Hungry Life"
17) TV on the Radio, "Return to Cookie Mountain"
18) Neil Young, "Living with War" (kept out of Top 10 by inclusion of irritating choir and decision to tour this record with CSNY instead of, like, any other band ever)
19) Band of Horses, "Everything All the Time"
20) The Church, "Uninvited, Like the Clouds"

Probably the best 2005 record I didn't hear last year:
The National, "Alligator"

Probaby the best 2007 record I've already heard this year:
Bloc Party, "A Weekend in the City"

Ten artists whose records I had never heard until this year and may be better than most or all of the above, God bless the Blogosphere:

1) The Slits
2) The Pop Group
3) The Au Pairs
4) A Certain Ratio
5) Comsat Angels
6) Delta 5
7) The Long Ryders
8) Kleenex / Lilliput
9) Wreckless Eric
10) Rip Rig + Panic

Tragic irreplaceable musical loss of the year, James Brown's last minute grab for the spotlight notwithstanding: Grant Mclennan.

-SER

GSOTD: See How We Are

By X

There are men lost in jail
Crowded fifty to a room
There's too many rats in this cage of the world
And the women know their place
They sit home and write letters
And when they visit once a year
Well they both just sit there and stare
See how we are
Gotta keep bars in between us
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Now there are seven kinds of Coke
500 kinds of cigarettes
This freedom of choice in the USA drives everybody crazy
But in Acapulco
Well they don't give a damn
About kids selling Chiclets with no shoes on their feet
See how we are
"Hey man, Whats in it for me?"
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Now that highway's coming through
So you all gotta move
This bottom rung ain't no fun at all
No fires and rockhouses and grape-flavored rat poison
They are the new trinity
For this so-called community
See how we are
Gotta keep bars on all of our windows
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Well this morning the alarm rang at noon
And I'm trying to write this letter to you
About how much I care and why I just can't be there
To draw your bath and comb...and comb your hair
Last night in a nightspot
Where things aren't so hot
My friend said, "I met a boy and I'm in love"
I said, "Oh really... What's this one's name?"
She said, "His first name is Homeboy"
I said "Could his last name be Trouble?"
See how we are
Ah Homeboy... Isn't that a Mexican name?
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Yeah see how we are

JOTD: Helen Keller's Favorite Color

What is Helen Keller's favorite color?

Corduroy

GSOTD: Burning House of Love

Click on the title to view.

By X

drive by my house late at night
you can see from the freeway above
no silhouette, but a light left on
burning there for love

smoke is rising from the fire
coming out my back door
i'm inside, sound asleep
cigarette on the floor
burning there for love

well i can still remember
a couple of years ago
when the smoke and flame called my name
it was a burning house of love

that rusty nail over our front door
is where i hung our tears in the rain
i threw that horseshoe into the weeds
to see what luck can bring

cause you're in your bed, i'm in mine
on either side of town
i think i might take a ride
and burn your love house down
like a burning house of love

GSOTD: Los Angeles

click on title to view

By X

she had to leave
los angeles
all her toys wore out in black
and her boys had too
she started to hate every nigger and jew
every mexican that gave her lotta shit
every homosexual and the idle rich

she had to get out
to get out
to get out
to get out
to get out

she gets confused
flying over the dateline
her hands turn red
cause the days change at night
change in an instant
the days change at night
change in an instant

she had to leave
los angeles
she found it hard to say goodbye to her own best friend
she bought a clock on hollywood blvd the day she left
it felt sad
it felt sad
it felt sad

she had to get out
to get out
to get out
to get out
to get out

JOTD: With Good Claus

Why does Santa Claus go down the chimney on Christmas Eve?

Because it soots him.

X Photos/Posters

X Covert Art

GAOTW: X

X

Los Angeles (Slash) 1980 (Slash/Rhino) 2001
Wild Gift (Slash) 1981 (Slash/Rhino) 2001
Under the Big Black Sun (Elektra) 1982 (Elektra/Rhino) 2001
More Fun in the New World (Elektra) 1983 (Elektra/Rhino) 2002
Ain't Love Grand (Elektra) 1985 (Elektra/Rhino) 2002
See How We Are (Elektra) 1987 (Elektra/Rhino) 2002
Live at the Whisky A Go-Go on the Fabulous Sunset Strip (Elektra) 1988
Los Angeles/Wild Gift (Slash) 1988
Hey Zeus! (Big Life/Mercury) 1993
Unclogged (Infidelity/Sunset Blvd.) 1995
Beyond & Back: The X Anthology (Elektra) 1997

EXENE CERVENKA + WANDA COLEMAN

Twin Sisters (Freeway) 1985

EXENE CERVENKA

Old Wives' Tales (Rhino) 1989
Running Scared (RNA) 1990
Rage EP7 (Kill Rock Stars) 1994
Surface to Air Serpents (213CD) 1996

EXENE CERVENKOVA

Excerpts From the Unabomber Manifesto (Year One) 1995

LYDIA LUNCH/EXENE CERVENKA

Rude Heiroglyphics (Rykodisc) 1995

AUNTIE CHRIST

Life Could Be a Dream (Lookout!) 1997

ORIGINAL SINNERS

Original Sinners (Nitro) 2002

JOHN DOE

Meet John Doe (DGC) 1990
Dim Stars, Bright Sky (Imusic) 2002

JOHN DOE THING

Kissingsohard (Forward) 1995
For the Rest of Us EP (Kill Rock Stars) 1998
Freedom Is ... (spinART) 2000

KNITTERS

Poor Little Critter on the Road (Slash) 1985

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Live From the Masque Volume 2: WeWeCanCanDoDoWhatWhat WeWe Wanna Do (Year One) 1996

Though X was arguably the most important band to emerge from the Los Angeles punk scene, its members started a long way from easy punk credibility. Too self-conscious, artsy and ambitious to simply spew, Baltimore native John Doe (bass/vocals) and Floridian Exene Cervenka (vocals) had to package their bohemian lifestyle as new wave, delivering desperate meditations on sex and society at high velocity, happy to ride the coattails of more instinctual performers.

Named after the band's hometown, X's overheated debut album is fairly identifiable as a forerunner of hardcore; the simple, unrestrained energy often threatens to crush the "realistic" tunes ("Sex and Dying in High Society," "Nausea," etc.), but never does. Certainly, the elements that give X their majesty on later LPs are already present: the vibrant rockabilly/Chuck Berry guitar licks by Billy Zoom (a rock veteran who was in his early 30s by the time of X's debut), thundering drums by D.J. Bonebrake (ex-Eyes) and the arresting male-female vocal harmonies, reminiscent of early Jefferson Airplane. Produced by Doors organist Ray Manzarek (how new wave was that?), who would do the same honors on the subsequent three albums, Los Angeles finds the gang rushing to dispatch such ambitious yet messy originals as "Sex and Dying in High Society" and "Johny Hit and Run Paulene," plus a high-octane demolition of the Doors "Soul Kitchen," as if they were anxious to catch the next train out of town.

Wild Gift constitutes a great leap forward, bringing Los Angeles' action blur into sharp focus. Zoom's ingeniously simple guitar transcends its influences, and the Doe/Exene harmonies attain a knifelike sharpness. Also, their songs are frequently as incisive as their voices: "We're Desperate," "In This House That I Call Home" and "White Girl," a spooky ballad, ambitiously peer into unglamorous realities without either diminishing or inflating their subjects. Wild Gift was such a success as an independent label release that the band's jump to a big company (where greater success ironically eluded them) was practically inevitable.

Although the first two albums were combined on a single Slash CD in 1988, in 2001 they were reissued separately in expanded form with new liner notes and ample bonus material. Los Angeles has early demos, rehearsals (including a 1977 "Cyrano De Berger's Back," a song which would not appear on an X album until See How We Are a decade later) and recordings for Dangerhouse, the band's first (pre-Slash) label; Wild Gift has seven items, including a live number from the Decline of Western Civilization soundtrack, another vintage concert cut, several single mixes, a rehearsal rendition of "Heater" and a demo of "Blue Spark."

While Under the Big Black Sun displays more polish, it's hardly bland. Doe and Cervenka's best material achieves an arresting cinematic vividness — see the cheesy "Motel Room in My Bed" and "The Have Nots," a poignant lament for the common man highlighted by a surprisingly swingin' groove. And Exene's touching performance of the heartbroken pre-rock chestnut "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" is sentimental in the best possible way. The 2001 reissue has extensive liner notes and five bonus tracks, including two versions of album tracks that were released as singles, two live cuts and a rehearsal number.

The problematic More Fun in the New World is the work of a band filled with energy and ideas, but unsure how to apply them. As a result, this thoroughly respectable LP is too much like Big Black Sun to be fully satisfying. Sizzling tracks such as "Make the Music Go Bang" and "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts" would have worked fine on that previous disc, which is a bad sign for a band accustomed to growing by leaps and bounds. In "True Love Pt. #2," X wonders about its own relationship to American mainstream music without arriving at a clear answer. After the LP, they attempted to make contact with Top 40 by covering "Wild Thing" and fell flat. The Rhino reissue adds previously unreleased Manzarek-produced demos of "Poor Girl," "True Love Pt. #2," "Devil Doll" and "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts."

Reflecting a growing uncertainty about how to proceed, the band got metalmeister Michael Wagener, who doesn't show much of an affinity for X's style, to produce Ain't Love Grand. (Maybe that's why they chose him.) The swan song for the original quartet is a hot (if styleless) rock'n'roll record that cuts the crap to bang out unprepossessing raveups like "Burning House of Love." On most songs, lead vocals are taken by Exene or Doe alone; those not keen on their harmonies may find the reduction a distinct improvement. The biggest boner here, a misbegotten amateurish cover of the Small Faces' "All or Nothing," indicates that X — or at least some portion thereof — has no real clue about rock music's heritage. On the 2002 reissue, that track is shamefacedly moved from its original position on the album to follow three bonus tracks — a long version of "Wild Thing" and demos of "I Will Dare" and "My Goodness."

An album by the Knitters — a part-time, mostly acoustic band consisting of X (minus Billy Zoom), Blaster Dave Alvin and a stand-up bassist — proved to be a glimpse into the future when, in early '86, Zoom left X to form his own band and Alvin gave up the Blasters (temporarily) to replace him. Critter on the Road records a sincere but futile attempt to imitate several varieties of folk and country music, from traditional to swing. The material mixes cleverly cliché-laden originals (and an acoustified version of "The New World" for anyone who didn't realize what a weak song it is) with Merle Haggard and Leadbelly covers; Doe/Exene's wistful "Love Shack" is the record's standout.

See How We Are is a lot better. With Zoom gone, Dave Alvin stands in (although Tony Gilkyson is credited on the cover as the fourth X-er), contributing two of his most heart-rending compositions (the title track and "4th of July," a wide-screen tale of terminal alienation that holds out little hope of redemption) and generally bringing the band back to earth, restoring its confidence. Under the unflashy supervision of producer Alvin Clark, this polished platter cooks on desperate rockers like the lead-off "I'm Lost" then tugs at the heartstrings with "You," an old-fashioned love lament even non-fans should appreciate. The bonus material on the 2002 reissue includes a demo of "I'm Lost" and demo renditions of the title track and Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited."

Too bad Alvin had split by the time X recorded the fine 1988 live album, which features Gilkyson's less distinctive but suitably driving axework. (Live at the Whisky A Go Go is not the soundtrack of X's generally unseen feature film, The Unheard Music. On a related note, the live Masque compilation, recorded in '78 and released by a label in which Cervenka has an interest, has seven X songs amid tracks by F-Word, the Alleycats and Zeroes.)

With that, X went on indefinite hiatus. Exene made a record with Gilkyson, who produced, co-wrote and played guitar and mandolin on Old Wives' Tales. Dominated by her strong vocals (harmonizing in familiar ways with Gilkyson and others), the tasteful and varied mixture of folk, country, recitation and sturdy rock isn't that great a stylistic leap from the essence of X ("He's Got a She" is, in fact, a carbon copy), although the lyrics aren't exactly what the group generally required ("He carved his initials in her uterus"?).

Running Sacred, again imaginatively produced by Gilkyson with much the same support staff, spans a wider range, with more artistic ambition. There's a gentle acoustic guitar lullaby ("Clinic"), straight country-rock ("Will Jesus Wash the Bloodstains from Your Hands") and full-throttle electric rap-rock ("Real Estate," written by bassist Duke McVinnie). Not everything works, but the discovery of new ways to sing and new things to sing about vaults Cervenka into her artistic own, allowing her some distance from the dormant band. Passing the album's acid test, John Doe sings backup on "Missing Nature" without stirring up the faintest memory of their longtime partnership.

But that partnership was not truly over. At the end of 1990, to prove they hadn't actually broken up, X (with Tony Gilkyson on guitar) played four shows in Los Angeles. By 1993, they were back in the racks with a new studio album. On hey Zeus!, the band's first album in five years, X sounds creaky. Sluggish tempos indicate either the both passing years or a desire to reel in new, less adventurous listeners. Still, Doe and Cervenka mesh well, just like the good old days, making at least "Country at War," "Lettuce and Vodka" and "Baby You Lied" worthy additions to the canon.

The acoustic X album, Unclogged, is a triumphant return from the lackluster hey Zeus! These shaggy, stripped-down renditions of such classics as "White Girl," "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts" and "Burning House of Love" are infused with a liberating playfulness never found in the band's more ambitious work. Fifteen years after their debut, X finally learned to enjoy music for its own sake.

Beyond & Back: The X Anthology is an ambitious gift for fans, two discs that tell the band's unreleased history rather than compile the highlights of its catalogue. Although the collection lightly samples the band's albums (for "Los Angeles," "Hungry Wolf," "True Love" and a few more tunes, from the beginning through Unclogged), X's basic repertoire is represented here by demos ("Sex and Dying in High Society," "Johny Hit and Run Paulene," "4th of July"), remixes ("I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts"), live recordings ("Beyond & Back"), singles ("White Girl"), rarities and other alternates to the basic canon.

A published poet, Cervenka has made spoken-word albums in tandem with Wanda Coleman and Lydia Lunch. On her side of Twin Sisters, an excess of pretense and a shortage of wit make the rocker's efforts pretty heavy sledding, with the most notable moments being "Peas and Beans" (which belittles synth bands) and three pieces penned by her late sister Mary. Rage is a solo wordcore single; the 22-track Surface to Air Serpents essays audio collage by combining poetry, sound manipulation, actualities and music into a woozy portfolio of creative observations. Using her new (?) name, Exene entered the current events realm with a limited edition recording of her reading Excerpts From the Unabomber Manifesto. Ain't art grand?

But for all the arty pretense of her spoken word work, Exene wasn't through rocking. In 1996, she picked up a guitar and formed Auntie Christ, a trio with X drummer DJ Bonebrake and Rancid bassist Matt Freeman, replaced for road work by Janis Tanaka of San Francisco's Stone Fox.

For her next trick, Exene assembled the Original Sinners, a younger set of players eagerly willing (and able) to crank out the country-punk roar of her past. While far from a radical leap in style, the quintet doesn't simply ape the sound of vintage X — giving it a fresh coat of paint, they take it out for a raucous joyride. From the opening barn-burning roar of "Birds & Bees" to the country-fried punk of "Woke Up This Morning," the tunes on Original Sinners find Cervenka revisiting the American musical landscape that has informed her entire career. Breathing new life into old ideas and sounding refreshed in the process, she evokes the zeitgeist of an era, even conjuring the spirit of Jeffrey Lee Pierce in the punk blues of "River City." Nor do her lyrics stray off the roadways she has mapped over the last 20 years, through regions drawn out with angry tears ("Bringin' Me Down"), outlined in well-aimed venom (the rollicking kiss-off "One Too Many Lies") and colored by bitter laughter (in "Whiskey for Supper," she sings, "Oh yes, I must confess / I need a little bartenderness"). Throughout, the wordplay is smart, the tone sincere, the playing aces and the end result utterly reinvigorating. The band (which includes ex-Distillers bassist Kim Chi) builds a solid foundation of buzzing guitars and whiplash rhythms that complement Cervenka's ageless howl (augmented on a few songs by John Doe-esque vocal accompaniment from guitarist Jason Edge). A clearly happy marriage for Cervenka and crew.

Before making his solo debut, Doe threw himself into a successful acting career, ably appearing in such films as Slamdance, Salvador, Roadhouse, Border Radio and Great Balls of Fire. That was prudent, considering the abject failure of Meet John Doe. Attempting to make a looselimbed countryish rock record without the off-key camouflage of Exene's voice or roaring punk noise, Doe (with producer Davitt Sigerson — who seems clueless here — and a host of supporters, including guitarist Richard Lloyd) winds up spinning his wheels on a bunch of hangdog songs (mostly originals, but also one by John Hiatt and some old Cervenka lyrics Doe finished off) that don't suit his homely singing and undefined personality enough to be convincing. Doe, who's built himself a solid little acting career in a number of cool films, doesn't fare as well as Cervenka on his first solo album. Produced by Davitt Sigerson and featuring a high-powered support crew that includes guitarist Richard Lloyd, Meet John Doe is a misguided attempt to sell him as a slick album-rock star. Despite passionate singing, originals like "Let's Be Mad" and "A Matter of Degrees" would've sounded much better on an X album than in these overproduced versions.

Credited to the John Doe Thing, the crackling Kissingsohard makes a far stronger case for his solo career. Avoiding the kind of sweeping statements that tend to bring such proceedings to a screeching halt, Doe zeroes in on the details of lives under extreme stress. "Fallen Tears" strikes a twangy country groove, while the punky "Love Knows" and the don't-give-a-damn chaos of "Beer, Gas, Ride Forever" show he hasn't forgotten the thrilling uproar of the old days. The standout track, however, is "Willamette," a heart-rending anthem that peaks with the refrain "Will work for food." It'll leave a tear in your beer.

[Jon Young/Ira Robbins/Matt Yockey]

See also Dave Alvin, Blasters, Divine Horsemen, Lydia Lunch

ATM: The Squid and the Whale

Really good but depressing film. I picked this up at the Scottsdale Libary seeing I have a whole week off work.



BY ROGER EBERT / November 4, 2005

Cast & Credits

Bernard Berkman: Jeff Daniels
Joan Berkman: Laura Linney
Walt Berkman: Jesse Eisenberg
Frank Berkman: Owen Kline
Sophie: Halley Feiffer
Ivan: William Baldwin
Lili: Anna Paquin

Samuel Goldwyn Films presents a film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. Running time: 88 minutes. Rated R (for strong sexual content, graphic dialogue and language).

I don't know what I'm supposed to feel during "The Squid and the Whale." Sympathy, I suppose, for two bright boys whose parents are getting a messy divorce. Both parents are writers and use words as weapons; the boys choose sides and join the war. In theory I observe their errors and sadness and think, there but for the grace of God go I. In practice, I feel envy.

I would have loved to have two writers as parents, and grow up in a bohemian family in Brooklyn, and hear dinner-table conversation about Dickens. These kids have it great. Their traumas will inspire them someday. Hell, the movie was written and directed by Noah Baumbach, whose parents were writers (the novelist Jonathan Baumbach, the film critic Georgia Brown), and look how he turned out. By the time he was 26 he had already directed "Kicking and Screaming" (1995), about sardonic and literate college graduates whose only ambition was to remain on campus. I felt the same way. Left to my own devices, I would still be a student of English literature, entering my 44th year as an undergraduate.

In the movie the parents, Bernard and Joan Berkman, are played by Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, and if that's who it takes to play your parents, what are you complaining about? The movie centers on their troubled sons. Joan has been having an affair for four years, their father is moving out, and in theory their divorcing parents will share custody (there is even a plan for time shares of the cat). In practice, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg), who is 16, moves in with his father, and Frank (Owen Kline), who is about 10, stays in the family home with his mother.

Both kids have issues with their parents' sexuality. Walt thinks his mother is a "whore" for bringing one of her lovers into their home, but then his father begins an affair with one of his students, and what does that make him? Walt falls into true adolescent love, but is compelled to deny it to himself, because his father urges him to play the field, and he values his father's opinions more than is wise. "You have too many freckles," he tells Sophie (Halley Feiffer), the girl he likes. I guess he thinks that shows he has high standards. He's so dumb he doesn't know how wonderful too many freckles are.

Frank, his younger brother, has meanwhile discovered masturbation, and taken to distributing his semen here and there around his school -- on library books, for example. This is an alarming breach of school decorum, and leads to a parent-teacher-student conference, during which I kept hoping someone would quote Rodney Dangerfield: "When I was a kid we were so poor, if I hadn't been a boy I wouldn't have had anything to play with."

Bernard, the father, published a good novel some years earlier and is now in a protracted drought season. It doesn't help when his wife sells a story to The New Yorker. He is played by Daniels as a man with wise-guy literary opinions, which his son remembers and repeats; Bernard says A Tale of Two Cities is "minor Dickens," which is correct, and arms Walt with useful terms such as "Kafkaesque." Walt informs Sophie a book is Kafkaesque and Sophie says, "It's written by Franz Kafka. It has to be." Point, match and game. Walt's performance in the school talent show is a great success. Everyone is impressed by his songwriting ability except for a fellow student familiar with the lyrics of Pink Floyd. Life lesson: Okay to steal from your father to impress people, not okay to steal from Pink Floyd.

"The Squid and the Whale" is essentially about how we grow up by absorbing what is useful in our parents and forgiving what is not. Joan may cheat on her husband, but he deserves to be cheated on, and she demonstrates a faith in romance that is, after all, a lesson in optimism. Bernard may be a gold mine of shorthand literary opinions, but in his case he has actually read the books, and sooner or later his son Walt will probably feel compelled to read minor Dickens for himself -- and major Dickens, which is so good all you can do is just helplessly stare at the book and turn the pages.

These kids will be okay. Someday Bernard and Joan will be old and will delight in their grandchildren, who will no doubt be miserable about the flaws and transgressions of Walt and Frank, and then create great achievements and angry children of their own. All I know is, it is better to be the whale than the squid. Whales inspire major novels.