Fully Flared

Fully Flared looks like a skate video. Or something. From skate shoemakers Lakai. In case you didn't see this on Pitchfork, this video is the opening credits to Fully Flared, with slo-mo skaters set to M83's Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun. I'm really not into skate videos but hey, if they have bitchin soundtracks I just might change my mind.



M83 starts touring North America on May 20 and comes to Boston on June 2 at the Middle East Downstairs.

Romance & Cigarettes

It needs to be known that I am what you could call a musical hater. I thought Sweeney Todd might make me change my mind, but that movie was terrible. One of the reasons I hate musicals is because the music almost always sucks. Also, I feel like they're always suffering from an identity crisis. On the one hand, you have a regular movie that's supposed to be believable and realistic (for the most part) but then all of the characters break out in a song and dance. What that hell is that all about? It's all or nothing. Either follow in Fantasia's footsteps or forget the whole thing. That being said....

Romance & Cigarettes is a musical comedy written, produced, and directed by John Turturro that stars James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, and Kate Winslet with numerous others supporting. I had some reservations about it but come on, what's not to love?

Gandolfini plays Nick Murder, married to Kitty (Sarandon) but having an affair with trashy Irish hussy Tula (a surprisingly believable Winslet). Kitty figures it out when she finds poetry about Tula's vagina on Nicks dresser and then it all comes crumbling down. What follows is how every person involved deals with their own problems. Both Nick and Kitty are tormented, trying to decide if they should stay or go, meanwhile their daughter Baby (Mandy Moore) is having her own pre-marital troubles with Fryburg (Bobby Cannavale).

This movie reminds me of many of Turturro's various characters: silly and fun. It's very clearly a movie that he made. The first 60 to 75 minutes were pure joy; I was laughing constantly. Yes, Turturro took a plot like that, threw in some dance numbers and made it hilarious. Music was an integral part of the movie, though. It wasn't just thrown in for comedy's sake. The lyrics sung in all of the songs were used to further the plot and were descriptive of what was going on in the story. But these songs weren't the only musical part of Romance. If nobody was singing on camera at the moment, they were spouting song titles and lyrics in the middle of their conversations (particularly Christopher Walken). This made for not just a musical but a movie largely influenced by music. I congratulate Turturro on his apparent encyclopedic knowledge of music.

The majority of Romance & Cigarettes was a musical covered in cheese but sadly it suffered it's own type of identity crisis. Most musicals fail because the music is out of place and unintentionally funny. It interrupts the rest of the movie and makes it seem like the director smashed two different movies one grand piece of garbage. Romance overcomes that challenge but comes up short in a similar way. The last half hour almost entirely gets rid of the comedy, cheese, and music and it becomes a depressing drama. There's a specific moment where you realize, "Oh, this is serious now. No more jokes." It felt like the movie completely switched gears. I'm not saying the end was bad, I'm just saying it was out of place and had a different tone than the rest of the movie.

I appreciate John Turturro making a musical that even someone who hates them really enjoyed. It was hilarious, surreal, and cheesy. It had all of the things that make for a good movie: nice cinematography, fine acting, great soundtrack, all that good stuff. If only Turturro stuck with it through the whole movie and kept it consistent, it would have been near flawless. Otherwise, though, this is a great movie and I highly recommend it to my fellow musical haters looking for something to change their minds.

Wristcutters: A Love Story

This is one of those movies that I wanted to see in theaters but couldn't really justify spending the money on. It looked good enough but it wasn't a "must see." And while I still wouldn't consider this a necessity, it was well worth watching.

Wristcutters, directed by Goran Dukic and based upon the short story Kneller's Happy Campers by Etgar Keret, is your traditional love story: boy loves girl, boy kills himself, boy lives out his after-life, finds out his girlfriend killed herself, embarks on a quest to find her. So the entirety of Wristcutters takes place in a world where all of the citizens are suicides. Everybody is left with their resulting scars and nobody can smile. That's about all that's explained in this world, though, and that's something I feel like should have been delved into a bit deeper. Not having read the short story makes me wonder if any of that stuff was omitted from the movie. It would make sense if none of it was ever brought up in the original story, though. There were so many questions that I never had answered and I'm sure everybody in the after-life felt the same way.

This could also be categorized as a road movie as well as a love story. Zia (Patrick Fugit), the main character who is searching for his girlfriend Desiree (Leslie Bibb), is joined by his Russian rock star friend Eugene (Shea Whigham). They pick up a hitchhiker named Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon) who is looking for the People In Charge, and the fun is found in the journey. They drive a car that has no headlights and a black hole under the passenger seat. Everything dropped down there, from multiple pairs of sunglasses to lighters and maps, disappears forever. They meet strange people along the way and that's what drives the movie. The journey seems less about trying to find Desiree and more of just going somewhere, anywhere. When they end up at a camp (where we find Tom Waits running the place and the under-used John Hawkes), they enjoy themselves almost enough to forget about finding Desiree and the People In Charge. But the desire does come back and off they go, to a creepy Jesus camp type place where the Messiah (Will Arnett) is about to perform an epic miracle.

If Wristcutters was set in our world as opposed to the Suicide World, it probably wouldn't have been as good. But that's what storytellers try to do: take an old fashioned story and put a cool, interesting twist on it. Rarely do I want to read the book that a movie is based upon after I've already seen the movie, but this Wristcutters was just good enough to make me want to do just that. This is a highly enjoyable movie that is different enough to make it interesting but with a traditional foundation that makes it fun and accessible.

Fuck Buttons and Caribou at The Paradise

Fuck Buttons



Caribou

I know I just posted a review about Fuck Buttons' Street Horrrsing less than 24 hours ago but that's the only reason I found out about this show. By searching the web for an image of their album cover, I discovered they were about to go on stage in Boston in 2 or 3 hours. So I obviously needed to rush down there as soon as possible and secure a ticket and a spot right up front. It was so coincidental the way it happened and I'm really happy it turned out the way it did. Otherwise, if I had known about this show weeks in advance, I wouldn't have gotten any sleep due to my sheer excitement.

I would think that Caribou fans would really enjoy Fuck Buttons. They both are melody driven with occasional bouts of fierce drumming. But apparently that's not the case. I guess Fuck Buttons is just too harsh for the delicate ears of Caribou fans because as far as I could tell, nobody was pleased with what they were hearing. Clearly, these people don't know good music when they hear it. One kid who was standing next to me was explaining to his friend who arrived after Fuck Buttons finished playing that "they didn't even have any real instruments. It was just electronic button mashing noise." Evidently, drums, keyboards, and microphones aren't "real instruments." I assure you, live Fuck Buttons is just as good, if not better than studio recorded Fuck Buttons. It does not sound like "electronic button mashing noise." It sounds (to steal a quote from Pitchfork) "like the sun rising over the ocean... then going supernova." It's having your ear drums explode from beautiful noise.

I need to admit something. I only found out within the past few months that Caribou is actually the new name of the guy previously known as Manitoba. I had been digging Manitoba's Up In Flames forever, not paying any attention to whether or not any of his new material was coming out. Then by some strange accident, I found out that Manitoba changed his name to Caribou. Now it all makes sense! Although, it didn't really change anything because I still haven't heard anything from Caribou proper. That is, until last night. Caribou was pleasant and wonderful, everything I expected them to be. They haven't changed too much of their sound since Up In Flames came out, which I was thankful for. I wasn't expecting was two drum kits, however. That made for some fierce drum-duels. I also didn't expected to hear much from Up In Flames, seeing that it's been out for 4 years, but I was surprised to hear quite a few tracks form that album. Also, they had a projection that was timed perfectly in sync with their music. I'm still not quite how they did it. I think the drummer had an earpiece so he was able to time everything correctly from the start of each song. It made for a great audio-visual experience. Now I think I'll need to go hunt down some real Caribou.

Fuck Buttons and Caribou are still touring so you have a chance to catch them when they come around.

Tetroid 2012

What's this? An indie video game put out by a netlabel? Sounds ideal as a post here on Anti-Gravity Bunny. The game is called Tetroid 2012 and is a psychedelic mix between Tetris and Arkanoid set to 21 experimental electronica artists. I haven't quite figured out who did the game vs who did the music, but netlabels Monotonik and Entity are connected for sure and I believe the music comes from Entity's label. Anyway, here's a video (beware awful quality) of the game play. Check it out and download it from Entity's site.

Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing

Oooooooh wow. This one...this one is special. I still haven't finished listening to the whole thing but...damn. This is everything I want in a band. Buzzing synths, tribal beats, beautiful drone, in-the-red vocals, and loud as fuck. A lot of people have been saying that this record and that record are already contending for their year end Top 10 lists. That usually makes me mad this early in the year. Maybe people still have their Top 10 lists from last year still on their mind, so they're trying to stay focused and remember these early releases when December comes. But you know what? It doesn't matter. I don't even make lists, and this is still at the top of it. Yes, I'm placing Street Horrrsing at the top of my non-existent list. It's that good. I can't say anything else about this record. Except I think Fuck Buttons is a dumb name. That's the least of my worries, though. They could be called Bunny Killers and I wouldn't care (as long as it wasn't true). This is so so so easily the best record of the year. I can't imagine anything else coming out that can top this. And my imagination is pretty good.

Update: I just found out they're playing tonight at The Paradise with Caribou. I'll be leaving shortly to go see them and I shall return with what I'm sure will be an amazing review.

ROM CHECK FAIL

This game looks absurd. It's a free downloadable PC game (which means I'm excluded) that combines all of your favorite classic games into one crazy mind fuck. You want to see Mario, Link, and Pac-Man mixed in with Gauntlet, Defender, and Space Invaders? Then go to the Farbs website and download it. Please, let me know how it goes.

Click here for fun.

Frightened Rabbit and Bodies Of Water at The Middle East

Frightened Rabbit photo taken by Jalapeno



Bodies Of Water photo taken by Aaron Miller

Last night Frightened Rabbit and Bodies Of Water played at The Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge. It was a fantastic show. The crowd was a bit thin when FR went on and there didn't seem to be too many people that were really into it. Except for one guy that I think was a friend of the band's or something. He was a bit crazy. But I obviously understand because their music is great. Almost the whole of their set was songs from their new record, The Midnight Organ Fight (due out April 15 on FatCat), with the exception of Be Less Rude and The Greys. They finished with The Greys and it was a really cool extended version. All of the new stuff they played sounded really good and I look forward to MOF. They sold pre-orders at the show. For $12, you received a sealed air mail envelope with a letter inside that gives you an e-mail address and a coupon code. Send them your info and voilà, you get the CD a week early in the mail. Sounds good to me.

Bodies Of Water surprised me. Not really in a good or bad way, more in a neutral way, I guess. Their music is...unique. I can't really describe it. For the most part, it's fun, and a little Westerny, with more "Oooooohs" than actual lyrics, which I like because that means it's easier for me to sing along. They definitely have an original sound and I recommend checking out their MySpace page to give them a listen. They played well and I enjoyed it enough to want to listen to it some more (quite the opposite of how I felt about Howl the other night). Their CD, Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink, was first released on Thousand Tongues but they just signed to Secretly Canadian and it's being reissued by them now. Bodies Of Water has also mostly finished their new record, A Certain Feeling, and they say it should be out in a few months.

Southland Tales

5 years ago, a little movie came out called Donnie Darko. It spread like wild fire and since then, everyone has been waiting to see what Richard Kelly would do next. Well, Southland Tales was released in theaters to awful reviews and it did so poorly, it dropped out before many people could get a chance to see it. I was one of the many. Now the DVD is upon us and everyone can attempt to watch this baffling movie.

I don't think I am properly equipped to critique Southland Tales. I only understood it on a very literal level. And even then just barely. But I will try nonetheless. For the first half of the movie, we are treated to wonderfully random people doing ridiculously random things. It sounds pleasant, and it is for the most part, but the whole time I was thinking to myself, I hope I don't need to understand all of this. A lot of it went right over my head. I mean, I understood the basics: It's set during WWIII in a pre-apocalyptic California, there's an election, Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson) is being hunted by mostly everyone, and there's Neo-Marxists that are against the politicians (which look to be Republicans but that's never explicitly stated).

I know there's plenty of symbolism, undertones, and metaphors that flew right by me but that's not to say I didn't enjoy Southland Tales. From a technical standpoint, it was an artfully crafted film. It was visually beautiful and the soundtrack was impeccable. The Pixies' Wave Of Mutilation was used in a way that will surely be remembered and there was probably the coolest version ever of The Star Spangled Banner performed live by Rebekah del Rio & The Section Quartet.

One of the greatest parts about this movie was seeing the person you'd least expect pop up in the next scene. The cast in Southland Tales was quite possibly the most ambitious and all-encompassing cast I've ever seen. Anybody and everybody is in this: Wallace Shawn, Zelda Rubenstein, Curtis Armstrong, Jon Lovitz, John Larroquette, Christopher Lambert, Abbey McBride (the voice of Ling-Ling on Drawn Together), Beth Grant, Kevin Smith (with a gray beard!), Miranda Richardson, Cheri Oteri, and Amy Poehler. And then there's the famous pop stars: Justin Timberlake, Mandy Moore, Sara Michelle Gellar, Sean William Scott, and Dwayne Johnson. The best part, however, was the half a second shot of Janeane Garofalo in army fatigues, dancing with Justin Timberlake. Don't miss it.

I'm sure there's a lot some people could tell you about Southland Tales and how deep it is. And that may appeal to you, so watch it for that if you choose. But there's plenty more to watch it for. Watch it because it's from Richard Kelly, or because the soundtrack is great, or because you'll never see another movie with this kind of cast, or you could just watch it because it's awesome.

Rock Band On Wii June 22

Harmonix has officially let us all know when we can play drums on the Wii and that glorious day is June 22. Of 2008. YES. I am a very happy man. Although, I could be happier because there are a few downsides to this bit of news.

1. Guitar Hero III controller will not work with Rock Band. Because Activision sucks.
2. No downloadable content. Even though WiiWare is on it's way. I want Siva!
3. It's (unsurprisingly) a PS2 port, meaning no Wii Waggle.

It retails for $170. Also, it comes with "five bonus songs for Wii gamers to enjoy" in addition the the normal 63. Let's hope they don't suck. But you know what? I don't care. I just want to rock.

Pegg, Wright, & Hynes Not Involved In Spaced Remake

Everyone knows Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) had a British show called Spaced a few years back. Well, following in the shoes of The Office, Hollywood is making an American version of Spaced and not letting the creators of the original have anything to do with it. There's an article, which you can find here, that has reactions from Pegg, Wright, and co-creator Jessica Hynes. Keep in mind none of them have any rights to the show anymore, but also remember that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (The Office creators) were very involved in the American version of their show.

Kinematic Typography

This may not be new to some of you (it has about 1300 Diggs) but I just saw it today and was quite impressed. There was an article on a website called Always Watching that featured a bunch of kinematic typography videos. Moving text with audio from popular scenes in movies. It's easier just to watch it. Here's one from Pulp Fiction.



You can check out the article and the rest of the videos on Always Watching right here.

Psyopus at Church

I went to the Church last night in Boston, which is the new name of the restaurant/club previously known as Linwood right by Fenway. It was my first time going there and two things I noticed right off the bat. One, they had an actual stage so it gave gave the feeling of a venue more than I thought it would. And two, the first band wasn't very loud at all. I found out that apparently any time a band plays before 10, they keep the volume a bit lower because the restaurant is still open. Kinda lame. Also lame? The $15 cover. After perusing the Church's website, I found that that was the most expensive show they've had. Or at least are having within the next month or two. It also sucks that there's no parking anywhere because it's all residential. Unless you want to pay to park in a lot.

Anyway, I went with my friend to see Psyopus. It took us forever to find a place to park so by the time we got there, the first band was already playing. Your average local hardcore/metal band. I can't really remember anything about them, actually. Then Psyopus came on and kicked ass. The guitar player is crazy. Most of the time he plays just by tapping. He must have had his whammy bar really souped up or something because he would just tap and use the bar to make these cool noises. For the most part, their on-stage-presence was enthusiastic enough but they weren't going insane or anything. But then during the last song, the singer runs and launches himself into the thin crowd (I'm talking at least 1 to 2 feet between every person thin). I saw my friend Johnny shit his pants as this guy comes flying towards him. It was like he was aiming for right for Johnny, it was hilarious.

We ended up only sticking around to hear a couple of songs by the next band, Howl, which was terribly boring metal (but the girl was actually playing guitar!). I wouldn't really recommend Church unless you need to go. As for Psyopus, though, check them out the next chance you get. It's worth it.

Miranda July Goes To A Button Factory

I am a huge fan of all things Miranda. Elise and I want to be her best friends. Me And You And Everyone We Know is one of my all time favorite movies, her book No One Belongs Here More Than You is fantastic, and I've even contributed to her assignment website Learning To Love You More. She's currently working on her second movie. I think I remember reading somewhere that it would have similar themes as Me And You but whereas that movie focused on 20somethings, her next movie would follow people who are in their 30s. No word on when it would be released, who's in it, or even a title, so needless to say, nothing is written in stone. In her recent newsletter, Miranda July linked this video that she just made with VBS.

Check out How To Make A Button.

Sunken - Eye Electric Organ, Brain Electric Nerve

The opening track is almost 30 minutes, broken into three parts: Sounding, Salt, and Seacow. The first part is a beautiful drone with what sounds like an organ alternating between two chords and electric guitar with high end feedback. But it's soft and warm, not harsh or piercing. Infinitely soaring, like an albatross with the call of an eagle. Salt sheds the feedback and fades the organ into a single chord in the background. Skittery electronics replace the guitar and out comes the more traditional organ playing, louder than any of the other layers below it, dominating your attention. Slowly, the background noises raise their heads, competing with the organ, wanting to be noticed. It all melts together while some low bass rumbling pushes it's way through everything else. It's so hypnotic, one could make the argument that it's closing in on "psychedelic". Almost everything falls away and starts anew with Seacow. It opens with high end organ barely audible in the back, electronic clicks and squeaks, and sparse echoing guitar plucks. The guitar and shrill electronics build, rendering the organ almost nonexistent and some scraping/creaking noises make the foundation that could be made of tapes. Everything fades, leaving you with the guitar and the single relentless organ. Complete and utter beauty.

The other two tracks, Tackle and Staunch, make up the final 15 minutes. Tackle is the most abrasive of the bunch. Staunch's first half is very guitar driven and the second follows similar melodies with an organ. It could probably be called a pop song if run through a different filter.

Obviously, the organ is what drives this album. Throughout it all, the organ is there, mesmerizing you with it's perseverance. Sometimes it's hiding behind the layers, waiting for it's turn and at other times it's in command, weighing down on everything else. This is a fantastic album, though mostly due to the first half hour. But nevertheless, this is highly recommended.