The X Files: I Want To Believe Trailer

Ok, I was an X Files fan when it was on TV, but I was not crazy. I probably haven't ever seen a whole season straight through, probably haven't even seen a third of all the episodes. BUT, I still really like it and the first movie. Great premise. You can't really go wrong. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are one of those great pairings that seem inseparable.

I am really looking forward to the new movie. This is a great trailer that really gets me amped for it, too. Epic music, quick cuts, and hardly any information is revealed. All of those guys standing in a line in the middle of that snow field is awesome. And Gillian Anderson is still hot.

War, Inc Trailer

The trailer for the new John Cusack movie War, Inc is now available online for your viewing pleasure. It sports a nice cast with Joan Cusack (obviously), Marisa Tomei, Dan Aykroyd, and Ben Kingsley. The trailer is a bit long but I don't think it gives anything away. And it has a nice soundtrack with some Hendrix and Bowie's Rebel Rebel. On the whole, it looks quite palatable.

Movie Quickies 5/12

Quickies is a post I do every now and then to briefly talk about some movies or CDs I've experienced lately that I don't think I'd be able to come up with enough words for a full review.


Iron Man
It was fun and worth seeing. It didn't really break any new ground, even in the superhero genre. Surprisingly, there wasn't as much action as I expected there to be. But then again, there was no real villain to fight. They did a great job making you like Tony Stark. He's a self absorbed womanizing prick but he's just so damn charming. And there was some cool moments...I guess. I just can't remember any of them. That's pretty telling. I know it's a summer popcorn movie but I only saw it a week ago. Easily forgettable. If you want a better experience, go see Speed Racer.


Forgetting Sarah Marshall
I wasn't paying any attention to this movie before it came out. Then I heard someone mention Judd Apatow's name in relation to it and my ears perked. After hearing that, I became slightly interested in it. But only slightly. I still didn't think it looked all that funny. It looked too much like a generic rom-com. And it was. As expected. there were moments that are hilarious (like the idea of Peter's Dracula puppet musical) but for the most part, this is definitely a movie you can skip.


For All Mankind
Apparently this movie is a big deal because Criterion put it out on DVD but I'd never heard of it until Netflix recommended it to me. It's a documentary composed almost entirely of actual footage of the first US manned mission to the moon. It was interesting but the best part is that Brian Eno scored the whole thing (the main reason I even bothered with it). And I discovered that one of the most recognizable tracks from 28 Days Later, Eno's An Ending (Ascent), was taken from For All Mankind. In addition to being in the movie, it plays over the DVD menu. That was a very pleasant surprise.

Matmos - Supreme Balloon

Drew Daniel and Martin Schmidt, the duo that form Matmos, have always taken their ideas to the extreme end of experimental electronic music. Be it the sounds of liposuction on A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure, screaming rats on Rat Relocation Program, or a cow's uterus on The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth Of A Beast, they always push the constraints of traditional music making. However, on their newest album, Supreme Balloon, they take their experiences gained using organic materials to create music and apply it to synthesizers. In the first page of the liner notes, it says "No microphones were used on this album." Clearly, this is a big step for them.

Matmos are obviously using different media, but somehow they still manage to create music that isn't very different from what they've made in the past. It just sounds a little like old Matmos run through a dance filter. Lots of poppy sounds and dancey beats that make you question, if only momentarily, who you're listening to. But fear not, Supreme Balloon is undeniably Matmos.

And while the first few tracks are really fun (Les Folies Francaises sounds dramatic and cheesy enough to be straight from A Clockwork Orange's soundtrack), the centerpiece is certainly the 24 minute title track. It starts out sounding like Matmos took a few too many hits and turned prog. But then it turns into something that would be played during a dream montage in a John Hughes movie. Then it goes all spacey for a little bit before toning it down for some cool mellow beats mixed with bizarre sounds that could be aliens talking in their native language (maybe they can only talk using synths?). And in the last 4 or 5 minutes, it sounds like the duo are trying to fake sample Van Halen's Jump (I just keep picturing David Lee Roth doing that ridiculously impressive mid air split).

The album closes with Cloudhoppers which follows the title track with a soothing finish. But wait! There's more! There's an untitled hidden track that starts in after 10 minutes of silence. It's pretty weird and upbeat, just like the beginning of the record.

All in all, it's great to hear a new Matmos record, especially one where they're yet again limiting their means but crafting wonderful ends. Definitely recommended.

Christopher Willits - Plants & Hearts EP

One of the things I love about seeing bands live is the opportunity to buy records that are difficult to find elsewhere. I'm a somewhat impulsive music buyer, so when I go to a concert, it's very hard for me to say no (particularly limited edition and/or hand numbered stuff), especially when I know if I don't buy it then, I probably won't get it at all. Or in special cases, can't buy it at all, like tour only EPs (The Advantage, The Album Leaf, and most recently, Stars Of The Lid).

Christopher Willits is one of those guys that puts out a great deal of his work on self-released CD-Rs, and that makes it very difficult to acquire. So when I saw Mr. Willits at his merch table with a dozen things I didn't have, I got a little excited. Among other things, I picked up Pollen, his Japanese tour CD with Taylor Deupree, and his newest EP, Plants & Hearts.

This new EP is a gorgeous 21 minute piece of drone that is unlike most of Willits' other works. It's still guitar based, but gone are his signature clicks and ticks. This is smooth going all the way and he went about creating it in a very scientific way. According to his website, "Incorporating 4hz isochronic pulses and panning at the same frequency, this work encourages the formation of 4hz brainwave patterns associated with states of meditation, deep relaxation, enhanced creativity, light sleep and lucid dreaming." He warns that this record may cause dizziness or vertigo and that you shouldn't drive while listening to it. And of course, just saying it makes me want to go out and do just that.

If you like Willits' other work but are looking for something a little different or if you're into the Windy & Carlish hypnotic sounds, then I'd recommend giving this a listen.

Koyaanisqatsi Streaming Online In Full

Koyaanisqatsi, the first part in Godfrey Reggio's Qatsi trilogy (all with music composed by Philip Glass), is available on Google video in it's entirety. I remember seeing a movie poster in a video store for the third one, Naqoyqatsi, and being so interested in it that I ended up buying it before I had seen any of them. I wasn't disappointed. They are fantastic movies that may drag at times but are still endlessly intriguing. If you haven't seen any of them, now's the time. It's free and you only need an hour and a half's worth of free time. And as much as this movie should be viewed on a big screen with much higher quality, you can watch it right below this post or check it out here in a larger version (but not higher resolution). You won't be sorry.

Speed Racer

I swore off the cartoon after seeing it only a couple of times when I was a kid. I didn't like the animation style, it wasn't funny, and I just thought it was stupid. And before you go all "omgzwtf iz wrong wit u" I was like 7 years old and pretty much only liked the Ninja Turtles (proof). Going on that, I watched the new Speed Racer movie from the Wachowski brothers with virgin eyes. I have no idea if they screwed up any characters, relationships, names, or major storylines. But if the Wachowskis wanted to make a successful movie, they would have to be able to please both newbies like me and the rabid fanboys. I'm not so sure how the fanboys took it, but in my book, Andy and Larry Wachowski certainly wound up with an enjoyable movie.

Side note: IMAX to me is like Wal-Mart. I only go when I absolutely need to. I don't need to see Harry Potter, I Am Legend, or Charlie And The Chocolate Factory on the biggest screen in town. I have only wanted to see two movies thus far in IMAX, including this one (the last one was Transformers, which is the reason IMAX was made, in my opinion).

I wanted to see Speed Racer for nothing more than the visuals. The story didn't really interest me and I knew it was going to be cheesy. I wanted my head to explode with fantastic eye candy. I wanted fast cuts, bright colors, speeding cars, and crazy digital effects only accomplished by filming in front of a green screen. And that's exactly what I got. The previews for Speed Racer don't lie. It's an almost non-stop roller coaster. But one of it's downfalls was it's length. Going on for over 2 hours, it couldn't be a completely constant barrage of headache inducing visuals, otherwise people would, well, get really bad headaches. So while there was plenty of action, there was a lull here and there where I got a little bored. Not much, but enough for me to notice.

Speed Racer is great, and I love it (more than Iron Man, the only other summer movie to compare it to at the moment). Only in this day and age can a movie like Speed Racer be successful. The pre-ADD generation wouldn't stand for such relentless visual bombardment. Speed Racer is a Saturday morning cartoon on speed, or more specifically, a show that could easily be found on Adult Swim.

There were a few times where I actually laughed out loud, but not very many. Spritle and Chim Chim were less annoying than expected and seeing Hiroyuki Sanada was a pleasant surprise. And thankfully, this isn't a kids movie with adult/pop reference jokes in it like every digitally animated Dreamworks movie to date. It's just a straight up kids movie that adults can enjoy either due to nostalgia or the dazzle factor. There was one joke, however, that strayed from the norm. After the Racer family is attacked by ninjas, Trixie sees Pops throw one of them out a window and says, "Was that a ninja?" Pops replies, "Ninja? More like a nunja. It's amazing what passes for a ninja these days." I died laughing. Hearing that come from John Goodman was priceless.

I could have dealt with a little less story (the Racer X bit at the end was totally unnecessary, borderline unbearable) and maybe a little more cheese. At times, I was surprised to see it taking itself too seriously. Not enough lines like Christina Ricci doing her best soap opera impression with "Move it, Speed, it's getting ugly out there" and too many Kodak moments. But when you see race track wall panels with "running" zebras that look like they're straight out of a William Horner Zoetrope, you kind of stop caring. And the last race? The Grand Prix? Oh man. I haven't seen such an acid trip climax like that in a mainstream movie since....well, maybe never.

So clearly Speed Racer is meant to be a popcorn flick. Nothing more than a summer blockbuster with little substance. If you like the idea of mixing rainbows and race cars, then you've just found your movie.

Perfect Songs

If you're a reader of Pitchfork, then you know they have regular feature articles, some of them being interviews, others being about a particular genre of music, but there's only one that I ever read on a somewhat regular basis and it's called Resonant Frequency. It's usually a nice read but to tell you the truth, sometimes the articles for that column seem so random, I've never really been able to put together what it's focus is supposed to be.

Anyway, the most recent Resonant Frequency article is about perfect songs. Not the writer's favorite songs, but the ones he thinks are perfectly crafted and formed, from a technical standpoint. For the most part, I don't know many of the songs on his list (Dwight Twilley's Looking For The Magic? Jürgen Paape's So Weit Wie Noch Nie?) and the ones I do know, I probably wouldn't agree with (Fleetwood Mac's Never Going Back Again ).

But there is one song on his list that I certainly agree that might be the most perfectly crafted song ever. Tommy James & The Shondells doing Crimson & Clover. That song is so great in every way. I remember having a best of on cassette when I was like 7 years old. I wore that tape out. Great stuff. Thanks Tommy.


A terribly synched and probably fan created video of official footage, it was the best I could find. At least there's funny ruffly shirts. And stupid hair.

Dót

Sigur Rós just unveiled their new audio/video hosting website, called Dót. Right now, they have a total of 6 videos up. They have the winner of the Minn Heima Contest, the 3 runner ups, and some footage of them in a New York studio.

They also have a Quicktime video that you can download (after signing up, of course) of them performing Ny Batteri from the Olafsvik concert on July 24, 2006. The show at Olafsvik was one that was filmed for their Heima movie, but this is a song that didn't make it into the final cut of the film. So, now we can all enjoy some new live material from one of the greatest bands ever and look forward to seeing more stuff on a regular basis.

New Philip Jeck Song

Philip Jeck has a new album, Sands, coming out on May 18th on Touch. Pitchfork has Fanfares, a track from that album, available for all of you to give it a listen. The song has it's roots in Aaron Copland's Fanfare For The Common Man written during WWII.

Jeck uses multiple records on turntables to create his signature sound and this track is no different. For the warbly washed out goodness that is Fanfares, click here.

Btw, that image of Philip Jeck was found on the blog Radio Free Chicago and is from a show he did at 60dum last May.

Parts & Labor

I'm a little late in posting this stuff. I didn't realize until just now (when I'm extremely bored) that these things might even be remotely relevant to my blog.

First of all, Brooklyn based Parts & Labor, one of my favorite in the loud + pop sound, have recruited their fans (and anyone else who wants to join in too, for that matter) to submit any sound clip of their own creation, as long as it's 10 seconds or less. they plan on using some of the submissions for their next album. And if it's anything like their last two, Mapmaker and Stay Afraid, it's gonna be fuckin' awesome. Anyway, if you're interested in submitting some field recordings, click here for more info.

And even though their last full length was released almost a year ago, this video for The Gold We're Digging is still great. It's full of color and stop-motion goodness and it's probably the last video to be made while Christopher Weingarten was still the drummer. I'm posting it now because Pitchfork.TV just added it to their ever increasing collection of stuff. So now it's nice and high-res for you folks.


And while we're on the topic, you should check out their new EP, Escapers Two, because I haven't. It came out last month and I have yet to pick it up. So if any of you already have, let me know how cool it is. And if you haven't, well then you can pick it up right here.

Brainwaves Festival 2008

Hey, hey. Brainwashed is putting on the Brainwaves Festival again this year with an already incredible lineup. They've got Matmos, Meat Beat Manifesto, A Place To Bury Strangers, Stars Of The Lid, Rivulets, Strategy, Nudge, To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie, Lichens, Charalambides, His Name Is Alive, and a ton more (check out the website for the current lineup). And AND! they're doing "a special day honoring Kranky's 15 years." Damn. That's some hot shit right there. Best part about this (for me anyways) is that I won't have to spend any money on a hotel or anything because it's in Boston at the Regent Theater. Only $75 for all 3 days, too. It doesn't get much better than this. It goes down November 21-23. Can't wait.

Temporary Residence YouTube Channel

Temporary Residence just announced that they opened their own YouTube channel. According to them, "it's true that you'll find loads of music videos and live performances from the likes of Explosions In The Sky, Envy, Rob Crow, Grails, Maserati and more, you'll also find a fair amount of office favorites that have nothing to do with TRL other than the fact that they fascinate us and make us laugh." Right now, they only have 7 videos up, totaling 5 different bands. I picked out a couple of the better ones.



Miss Violetta Beauregarde - Flanger When You Die
A hooded Miss Beauregarde with her friends in a red-lit bumper-car ring shot with a fisheye. Fun stuff.




Grails - More Extinction
Old, faded, brings to mind classic Chinese movies. And at the most important point, his concentration is ruined. Damn it!




Maserati - This Is A Sight We Had One Day
Some dude running around, perhaps imagining that infamous race he was supposed to win. Filled with hand drawn elements like a monster peeing in the background and lightning shooting from a guy's hands. Awesome video.

Stars Of The Lid & Christopher Willits At The Museum Of Fine Arts

Stars Of The Lid

Christopher Willits

Stars Of The Lid make some of the most majestic music around. This is their first North American tour in 6 years and they just so happened to grace us in Boston at the Museum Of Fine Arts. Not surprisingly, they played to a sold out crowd, the seats filled with all types of people. Everyone from old fogies to 20-something hipsters to prepubescent youngsters, the entire audience was there to revel in what is the epitome of musical beauty.

San Francisco native Christopher Willits performed before Stars came on, and he did not disappoint. He plays mostly soft mannered music entirely with his guitar. He has hordes of pedals all hooked up to his Apple laptop, allowing himself to create clicky soundscapes that make you wonder if it's really a guitar thats making those noises. His music is a beautiful counterpart to Stars Of The Lid's and he is certainly a worthy tour mate.

Although Stars is traditionally a duo comprised of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie (both of whom have wonderful records apart from Stars, Brian performing under his own name and Adam performing as The Dead Texan with Christina Vantzou), this tour has them sharing the stage with a string trio (whose names I can't seem to find anywhere, although they are most likely the same women who toured with them in Europe). This combination made for a simultaneously serene and epic sound that hardly compares to any of their studio recordings. Instead of listening to their music at home, the experience is completely transformed when heard in a live setting, especially in a place with such wonderful acoustics as the MFA's Remis Auditorium.

The live music was accompanied by video projections from artist and friend Luke Savisky. The images he used were a perfect companion to the sounds of The Lid: soft, smooth, and slowly transforming abstractions. During the last song they performed (I believe it was Even If You're Never Awake), Christopher Willits came out and performed with the rest of the band. At first, his signature sounds weren't very noticeable, but then his contributions became clear and it was a perfect addition to the song. The song was much more immense and epic than Stars Of The Lid have ever recorded before. I have never heard them get so loud. It was a grand and glorious climax that I'm sure many Stars fans have yet to hear from this usually quiet band.

After the song was over, they left for a mere 10 or 15 seconds, only to return and play an alternate version of Tippy's Demise as an encore. Of course, it was well received, as everything they performed was, and afterwards they received a much deserved standing ovation. I'm still in somewhat of a trance from the night before, as I know that was truly a once in a lifetime experience. They're still on tour with a handful of dates left in the US before they head over the the UK where they have a few more shows planned.

The Mausoleums - Blackened Fawns Cleanse The Earth With Fire

Pop metal? Does that even make sense? Well, it'll have to because that's what The Mausoleums sound like on their new album Blackened Fawns. The opening track, Livelihood, sounds like it could be The Mamas & The Papas recorded on a Talk Boy then played on speakers the size of refrigerators cranked up to 11. The following track, though, ups the ante and goes right to kicking your face in. Here we have so much static, you have no idea how many actual instruments are being played. It's just as likely for there to be 2 guitars as there is 8. And the crashing cymbals only add to the noise. The growling vocals start out strong but eventually fade down in the mix. If you didn't hear them in the beginning, it would be easy to miss them entirely later on in the song.

Blackened Fawns is an intense piece of work. Lots and lots of noise. And amidst all of the buzz emerges this crazy catchy riff that stands out from everything else. It doesn't sound out of place but at the same time, you have no idea where it came from. It's a seriously confusing album, with some songs being really up-beat that you'd rather tap your foot to than bang your head, but then there's some others that are crazy and loud as fuck with this echoing growling demon. It's truly bizarre and awesome and I love it whole heartedly.

The packaging on this is truly unique. Released as a CD-R on the Chinese Workers Labor Union label, each one is handmade and it looks like they either rushed right through making them or they just didn't give a shit. I don't think there's a single right angle to be found on this. Everything's cut crooked and nothing really fits. There's a hand stapled booklet that just barely fits inside that has various strange images, particularly the two pages of drawn partridges (like the Family). And the back of the album has some bitchin artwork. It looks like something out of a Bible stories book, with two bears attacking a unicorn. Nature is sad.