ART*HEAD MAGAZINE

I Think I've Heard This One Before...

2006-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here's what I don't get, how is it that one can get an article rejected by a college newspaper when the writer is not only friends with the editors, but happens to be the best Goddamn writer in the school? I can't seem to figure it out myself.

About two weeks ago, the San Francisco Foghorn (USF's prestigious student paper) ran an article titled "Best Bands You've Never Heard Of." This list contained the following bands: The Pipettes (heard of them, they're harrible), Peter Bjorn and John (heard of them, they're okay), Air Traffic (haven't heard of them, but their name is too similar to Air Supply, therefore they are shite), Albert Hammond Jr. (not a "band" per se, and who the fuck hasn't heard of the Strokes?), Cansei De Ser Sexy (from Brazil, and I prefer the movie Brazil to the actual country), and the Noisettes (harrible). I suppose the writer of this article (Amanda Van West) succeeded in listing two bands that I'd never heard of, but I doubt anyone would consider anything she listed to be the best of 2006.

After reading the article, I felt compelled to write a response. After all, who the hell is this girl to say what's good? In case you all didn't realize, she's a girl. If anything, these are bands her boyfriend likes and she's just along for the ride. So anyone, I wrote up a little something something, a piece that I thought was pretty good. Of course, you drop a few STDs in your articles and everyone's getting offended, or something like that. Didn't these Foghorn JAs already see this movie? You can't hold me bitch, I'll start my own damn paper. Could this be the begining to the rumoured Lost Entertainment Sequal? I guess you'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, here's the article that was just too edgy for the Foghorn. Enjoy.

"Even Better Bands You've Never Heard Of"

Last week, the San Francisco Foghorn published a list of the supposed “best bands you’ve never heard of.” Well friends, if you’re anything like me, you’ve both heard of and heard the musicians that made up said list, which included some chicks, a few Swedes, and a real Stroke. I have nothing against the groups mentioned last week (with the exception of the Pipettes, they’re terrible), but I would never go so far as to call any of them the best anything I’ve never anything. I’ll take Jens Lekman over Peter Bjorn and John any day of the Swedish week. Lekman not obscure enough for you? How about Suburban Kids with Biblical Names? I doubt you could even identify what their name is in reference to, so don’t bother claiming that you’ve heard of them. Anyway, here’s a list of even better bands of 2006 that you’ve definitely never heard of.

The B.U.S. Bandits: These guys are incredible! The B.U.S. Bandits must ride the bus a lot. These Canadian indie-rockers spin their tales of bus terror over music reminiscent of pretty much every other band out of Canada right now, but so much better. Sometimes when I listen to them, I swear singer Marshal McDowry is sitting in the piss soaked seat across from me. This one time I was riding down Geary Blvd while listening to the Bandits’ most recent single, “Riding Down Geary On The #38,” wherein McDowry sings “that Chinese guy next to you is fallin’ asleep/ you better bump him with your elbow/ or else he’s gonna drool all over you.” I looked to my right, and sure enough, there was a Chinese guy falling asleep next to me. Needless to say, I didn’t have the guts to bump him with my elbow and he drooled on me. Now I have Hepatitis.

Skull Crushing Blood Blood Blood: These guys are amazing! After listening to this Norwegian death metal trio, you’ll need to stuff cotton balls in your ears, because they’ll be gushing blood (and that’s if you’re i-Pod volume is on low). Their music is so loud, my deaf roommate tells me to turn down my stereo whenever I listen to them. Skull Crushing Blood Blood Blood are so crazy, they don’t wear black leather pants, they wear beige khakis. How insane is that? Their latest album “I Was Going To Kill You Tomorrow, But Apparently I Killed You Last Week Already (rough translation)” is currently illegal in this country, but I checked Orbitz and flights to Norway are only $700. Well worth it.

SheMania: Here’s one for the ladies. SheMania is an all female dance pop outfit featuring some of the most attractive women I’ve seen since last watching the “Girls Gone Wild” college edition video ($9.99, you can’t beat that price). Not only do they look great, their singing is pretty decent as well. What sets them apart from the Madonnas and the Paris Hiltons of the world are their lyrics. SheMania don’t write songs about having crushes on sk8ter boyz and wanting to be a slave for you, they address issues that real women face everyday, such as HPV (did you know that you can get cancer from a virus? I sure didn’t). Did I mention that four of the five members are post-op M2F transsexuals (the fifth guy just likes to dress in women’s clothing)? Regardless, these girls are super neat-o!

The Fray: These guys are alright, I guess. I just can’t believe no one has heard of them. “How To Save A Life” Would sound just beautiful at the end of “Gray’s Anatomy” when the doctor in unable to save the dying patient from cancer (possibly cervical cancer). I’ve been a fan of the Fray for about five years now, and the thought of them blowing up like Fall Out Boy is utterly heartbreaking. I don’t know what I would do if the video for “Over My Head (Cable Car)” ever got aired on VH1. It’s okay with me if you check these guys out, but don’t go telling your friends about them. Keep the Fray where they belong: underground.

BANG

2006-10-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Drawings by Tom Randall are coming soon to ART*HEAD. So keep an eye out!

Sexy Candy: Marie-Antoinette Mania

2006-10-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sofia Coppola's third film, Marie-Antoinette, opens at the cinemas tomorrow (Friday, October 20, 2006), and we here at ART*HEAD have to gauge our excitement level at 11 (out of a possible 10). With a cast of players that includes Kirsten Dunst (her + Ms. Coppola = probably the best looking director/star tandem in film history, no?), Jason Schwartzman (can the guy handle a semi-dramatic role? I'm looking forward to finding out), Steve Coogan (a humorous chap), and Judy Davis (I approve of anyone who's appeared in multiple Woody Allen films), as well as highly-stylized color palette, sets, and costumes that could add up to one of the most visually interesting films in years, along with a soundtrack (released on two discs; a bold move) that can only be described as "Sick!, Sick," Sofia Coppola might just maintain her stellar cinematic record with three modern classics in three outings. So, I'll see you tomorrow at the cinny. For now, eat this cake:

The trailer:

A behind-the-scenes featurette:

A podcast from the film's LA premiere:

Coppola and cast at the 44th New York Film Festival:

Coppola and Dunst on Entertainment tonight:

Kirsten Dunst: "If people don't like the movie, then I don't like them."

I can respect that. That's how I feel about people who don't like The Royal Tenenbaums. More on Marie-Anoinette:

Sofia interviewed by her mother, Eleanor Coppola.

Sofia interview on chud.com.

Sofia interview on about.com.

Read the reviews via MetaCritic.

And the totally, uh, SWEET official site.

Rock over London, Rock on Chicago.
your friend, Beck DeRobertis

We Departed From Our Bodies

2006-10-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

EZRA delivers the play-by-play on another masterpiece by Mr. Martin Scorsese.

The Departed is just one of those movies you're gonna hear a lot about, so if you haven't already, just go see it already.

Scorsese is in top form as always; in fact, I read a review today (filmthreat.com) that says it's his best film since Goodfellas. Personally, I would have to disagree; I like Cape Fear better, not to mention the always underrated Bringing Out the Dead. But it is quite possibly the most entertaining film I've seen in theatres all year, with Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio gleefully sinking their teeth into surprisingly believable genre roles. I might even go so far as to say that Nicholson, as Frank Costello, portrays the most convincing mob boss ever seen onscreen, and DiCaprio finally pulls off the toughness he needed in Scorsese's Gangs of New York. But this is definitely Nicholson's movie whenever he's onscreen; even in soft focus, he steals attention away from the other actors, all of whom are pretty formidable, including Matt Damon, Ray Winstone, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg.

Baldwin, in my opinion, outshines all the other supporting players with his hot-tempered, fast-talking police chief; the part is basically comic relief, but he gamely attacks it with his best, and it shows.

The cinematography is very classical, while at the same time full of somewhat unconventional movement. A friend of mine observed that it is largely composed of faces throughout, with only very few establishing shots and, of course, a few good action set pieces, and this is very true. For a gangster-ass thriller, this is a very artistic and character-driven film. My personal favorite scene involves Nicholson, a couple of his hoes and a metric fuckload of cocaine. Watch for it.

My only beef with the film, which is a somewhat loose remake of the also excellent Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, is its ending, which is just not quite as dark or ambiguous as I would have liked. But that is what is known as a spoiler, so I'll leave that for personal discussions for those of you who have seen the film and are unfortunate enough to know me personally.

-EZRA

Review: THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP

2006-10-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

EZRA reviews Gondry's latest opus.

Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Human Nature) latest feature, The Science of Sleep, is a sumptuous amalgamation of dream images, blurring the lines of reality in the life of its protagonist, a childlike inventor named Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal).

A new resident of Paris, Stephane takes a supposedly “creative” job set up for him by his mother. As it turns out, he is more of a typesetter for lame calendars than a graphic designer/illustrator, which is where his interests actually lie, but he keeps the job out of necessity and forms a friendship with a lecherous co-worker named Guy (Alain Chabat), who complements Stephane’s innocence with nearly constant sexual jokes and innuendo. Upon moving into his Parisian apartment, Stephane meets Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), his female counterpart in more than just name. Together, they form an uneasy friendship always bordering on something more, but they are each too timid and lost in their own dream-life to move the relationship further. When they are alone, they work on strange inventions culled from the dreams that inhabit their lives, often encroaching on their waking lives to the point where it is difficult to tell where the borders lie.

Throughout the film, Stephane introduces each new story development on an imaginary talk show in which he performs before cardboard cameras and is sometimes interrupted by the voice of his mother. At one point, he dreams of a message made entirely of gibberish that he wants to get to Stephanie, only to wake and find that he actually has written and delivered the message in his sleep. These uncertainties about the distinction between dreams and the “real” world pervade the film, drawing the viewer into a surrealistic dream-state that few other films have accomplished. Two that most readily come to mind are Richard Linklater’s Waking Life and David Lynch’s Mullholland Dr., but Science has its own unique take on the nature of dream that actually goes deeper into the subconscious than either of these films. Stylistically, it is similar to Sunshine, though Science is much more chaotic, utilizing techniques and images Gondry has perfected in his music videos over the years. His visual effects are entirely made of real costumes, props and sets, rather than CG, which gives the film a handmade feel and perfectly illustrates Stephane’s childlike mindscape, taking the viewer on a journey through his head.

Because the film is extremely funny at times, many viewers will likely overlook its overall sadness, similar to the mass audience reaction to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love. In that case, it was the presence of a well-known comic actor that made many people respond to heart-wrenching emotion with laughter; in Science’s case, it may be difficult for some to look past the sex jokes and “big hands” to see the quiet despair of Stephane’s world, where nothing in reality can match the endless possibilities of his imagination.

-EZRA

2006-09-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

We sat down with Adam Green before his show at 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis.

Me: How do you feel about Lindsay Lohan?

ADAM GREEN: (brief pause) Indifferent.

BD: I have sort of a Lohan fixation.

AG: She’s very freckled.

BD: She’s squandering the firecrotch, though. There’s been a bunch of pictures leaked on the internet lately where she’s not wearing underwear.

KRON: Is it hard to find those pictures?

BD: No, there’s a website called lohangroupie.com that you can go to, and they pretty much keep you updated.

AG: There’s something magical about girls with red hair, but often times they don’t age very well.

BD: They seem to have soft skin.

AG: They do. It’s so fair that it doesn’t age well.

BD: So how did you first get into music and what kind of stuff did you like early on?

AG: My first concert was the Grateful Dead at Giant Stadium.

BD: Were you a big Grateful Dead fan?

AG: Not extensively, but I mean, I knew their greatest hits. I remember Jerry Garcia came onstage in a big purple shirt. I knew that he was a big deal, you know, it was clear.

BD: It’s fun going to shows with that big deal element. Like on their last tour, the Strokes had the drum kit elevated like ten feet in the air.

AG: Oh yeah, [the Moldy Peaches] played with them here [7th St. Entry], two shows in one night.

BD: My friend Cole Larsen went to one of those shows. And he said that the Strokes were great, but that the Moldy Peaches really blew him away. He talked about your performance for months, and he wore the tee shirt, and that kid doesn’t even like baseball style tee shirts.

AG: That’s terrific. I remember it was a fun and exciting show here. There’s something about this place, with all the tiers and different levels. Everyone gets a good view, which is rare in a small room.

BD: Yeah, I saw Wesley Willis here.

AG: Oh yeah, I liked him when I was a kid. I headbutted him.

BD: Yeah I heard he headbutted people.

AG: Yeah, he’s got a bruise on his head where he always does it. What were we just talking about?

BD: Early music.

AG: Oh yeah. Nirvana, for sure, Mississippi John Hurt, traditional American folk music. I lived right next to a record store that was really good, and I got a lot of knowledge passed on to me from the people that worked there. It closed in 2000, and it won’t be replaced, because a Borders books moved across the street and drove it out of business. It’s a bummer, because you can’t go into a chain music store and ask an employee if this is a good record, or something that they’d recommend, you know, they’re just not that knowledgeable. That’s not what they’re there for. But with a small place, the people are almost like librarians that work in used record stores, they have a vast scope of knowledge about the history of music.

BD: Have you been to the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis?

AG: Maybe, is it the place by the comic book shop? That place was pretty good.

BD: No, that’s Let It Be, that place closed down. It was a bummer. And the comic store moved.

AG: I was planning on going there later. That’s the thing about these places, when they close them, they don’t bring them back. They’re an anachronism now. They won’t be replaced by anything, they’ll just cease to exist anymore, you know, for our children.

BD: I guess that’s the give and take of the internet generation, where everything’s so accessible to the point where it chokes out some of the smaller outlets.

AG: It’ll be a surprise to meet people who are completely informed by the internet. For me growing up in a small town, it made all the difference to have that [independent record store], whereas a town two towns-away might not have that, so I would never have known anything, you know, cause it wasn’t available online then. So yeah, record stores were helpful. I’d ask a lot of questions and such, spend all day shuffling through the bins. But also, I went to a lot of shows when I was younger, I used to have older friends that would take me into the city and I’d see, who knows, a million bands, like at that time it was the Make-Up, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Beck, Cibo Matto, Dub Narcotic Sound System, Elliott Smith, Mary Lou Lord, I don’t know, lots of weird shows I went to when I was younger, probably around 13, 12.

BD: Sounds like a good period.

AG: Yeah, it was really good. I came in right after the whole death of Nirvana, you know, that’s when I started looking around. I remember seeing videos like that on MTV, like the Lithium video, and I identified with it, even though I didn’t know a lot about what was going on in the Northwest. And I remember going to listening stations in the blues sections at record stores, and hearing these Mississippi John Hurt records. That kind of sparked an interest for me in traditional American folk music. That led me to purchase things by Hank Williams, Skip James, Leadbelly, and from there, all kinds of obscure, banjo-playing hillbilly musicians. Also, I was in a noise band, too, as a teenager. I was really into trying to play eastern sounding things, kinda like Jewish melodies, I can’t tell what they are. They’d sort of get in my head, and I’d get together with some friends and take a lot of drugs, and we’d record stuff in the closet. We’d wire up all kinds of recording gear and go in the coat closet at my house and smoke a bowl in there, and then try to exercise some sort of demons. Actually I’m really proud of some of the noise stuff we did. I think a lot of people don’t realize that I did stuff like that, cause my music sounds really neat. But everything I did before my 20s was really sloppy. I just kind of threw it together at the time, without really thinking about it a lot.

BD: Did you purposely moved toward the more polished sound, or did it happen naturally?

AG: It’s happened naturally. Something exciting fell into my lap to move towards music and romantic songs. I worked with a string section to create some of the sounds that I’ve heard in my head since I was really young, but I never knew how to build them, cause I just didn’t have that kind of discipline. So it was funny feeling more comfortable and growing into my own skin, and being able to concentrate more, having a longer attention span. I always look for something that’s exciting to do and sounds good, and just trust my instincts about music. That’s kind of the job description, you have to trust your own discretion and taste, or else you’re not really worth anything.

BD: Do you think you’ll ever release any of those noise recordings?

AG: I’ve put out some of the demos I did on the 4-track. Some of it’s even on the Moldy Peaches record. Like that song “On Top,” I was maybe 13 or 14 when I did that. There’s a demo song “Bleeding Heart,” that’s on my new single, that I recorded when I was 15. So I’ve been trying to let it go gradually. I have a whole collection of recordings, 4-track things, that I’ve never shown anybody. And a lot of it’s because it’s not that good. I was trying to figure out why songs aren’t that good when you start writing when you’re young, and I think it’s just because the standard is low, and it’s really easy to impress yourself with something that’s maybe not that dynamic, because it’s new and you’ve never done it before, so it’s exciting. But I don’t think it was necessarily high quality what I was doing at that time. Some of it was.

BD: I like “No Smoking at the Bronx Zoo.”

AG: Yeah, that’s one of those things. I found a tape of when I was 8 years old, me walking around my house, making up a song about a field trip to the zoo (laughs). It seemed good, so I put it out. It’s good to do that stuff on a B-side, that’s what they’re for. I always fight with that, though, cause I never wanna write a song and just commit it to being a B-side. It seems like I oughtta regard it more highly. I spend so much time to write it, and then just throw it on as a bonus. Anything I write, I like to think has a place somewhere on an album. But now that I’m getting older, I start to realize that it’s just not possible. I write too many songs, I can’t put ‘em all on an album.

BD: What’s you’re recording process like? What’s the time frame from when you start writing a batch of songs to when you record the new album? It seems like people have different approaches, like every time Ryan Adams has ten new songs, he records a album.

AG: That’s one way to do it. I pretty much do that, just maybe a little slower. I try to put out an album every year. There’s a few songs always that don’t make it. Most the time, I spend two weeks on each song. And by the time I’m done with a song, I feel like recording it, so I make an album. But there’s always a few [songs] that just don’t work.

BD: So you tend to write on a song by song basis?

AG: Yeah, absolutely. I never write thinking of an album. It just ends up becoming an album because the songs were written in a certain time period, so they’re a reflection of what’s going on in my real life during that time. And they relate to each other in certain ways. And also, an album becomes an album by the nature of how it’s recorded and who played on it. I try to keep it all in a frame of time, so that it’s not a collage, you know, it has a story.

BD: You mentioned the importance of who plays on a record, and it seems like your collaborations have been good for you. I read an interview today where you said that being in Moldy Peaches is really what taught you how to write and perform songs.

AG: Yeah, I needed to do the Moldy Peaches to get out and feel comfortable. I had to. And it was great, because I got to see the world and put my head together with somebody to create something that’s more than the sum of its parts. The Moldy Peaches was a true collaboration, like a band in the real sense of the word. And if I had another band, I could only hope that it was as much of a band as that one.

BD: I also read one where you said your new touring band had really helped you discover rhythm.

AG: Oh yeah, when I started with these guys, I started thinking all different about music, because they’re musicians of a really high caliber, and they excel in many different aspects of music, not just with technical proficiency, but also in terms of feel and intuition, even improvisation. I really couldn’t wrap my head around what they could do at first. I had to start writing for them. Even things that I could never pull off if I was playing all the instruments, for them it was really easy. There’s nothing I wrote that I couldn’t teach them in a day.

BD: So you write the instrumental parts on your albums, for the most part?

AG: I wouldn’t say that, I mean, I write the melody, the words, the groove, the rhythm, and the chords and stuff. I write the song. But with the arrangement, I leave some stuff up to them—as long as it doesn’t rub me the wrong way, then I’ll say something. Especially with something like the bass, I don’t really play the bass, so I’m not gonna enforce some bassline or beat if I don’t even have it in my head. I never even thought about the bass at all, I’m not just gonna all the sudden try to become a bass player. But about the rhythm, I’m very picky. It needs to stay in that groove, I’m kind of a Nazi about that. But with the guitar, there are so many subtleties to a guitar part, I just write the chords, I don’t really expand on it. There’s so many grace notes or augmentations of a chord that make the song more expressive. I don’t know all those little passing chords and things.

KRON: Do you know music theory at all?

AG: No, I gotta say I don’t. I think that so much of it is intuitive. It’s like something I once read, an interview with the director Robert Rodriguez. He said that the average person knows all that they ever need to know about editing, because they watch so much TV. And I think that’s true; you know, you hear so much music in your life, you don’t need to know exactly what you’re hearing, you just hear it. And if you work with good musicians and you spend the time with the guitar and piano to figure out notes, who cares what it’s called? It just goes like that. Music is sort of a universal language in that way. But I’m always impressed with people that know [music theory]. I guess it saves time if you want to describe something to somebody. And I’m always surprised how many stupid people know that stuff. I don’t know, maybe they learned it at a young age when it seemed like less daunting of a task. Sometimes really stupid people know really complicated shit. Like I used to eat at this pizzeria by my house, and it was so good, but the guys who worked behind the counter were so dumb, and it was like “How do these fucking guys know how to make such good sauce?”

BD: We talked about collaborations. Is there anybody specific you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

AG: Sure, all kinds of people. I want to do more Moldy Peaches. Also, I want to do a remix of “Novotel,” the single off my new album. I wanna remix it into something more electronic. Who else do I wanna collaborate with? Oh, Andre from Outkast. I wrote this song that I want him to work on with me, I think it would be really good. I don’t think he’s ever heard my music, I don’t know for sure. And I wanna do a collaboration with, ah… she’s kinda like a porn star, Jenna Haze. I wanna have her sing something. I found her on the internet.

BD: Does she have one of those nice porn voices?

AG: Yeah, It’s really unsettling. I think she’d be a good singer.

BD: I like the sound of that. I liked it when you did the duet with the robot on “Apples, I’m Home”

AG: Yeah, I could see doing a lot of things like that, duets and things, I just need to think of it. It’s been a really weird few years for me. I got kinda lost in the world, touring so much. I’ve been meaning to go back to New York for awhile. I think I’m gonna get the chance after this tour, to just go back to New York and live there, cause I really miss living there.

BD: What are your favorite parts of the city?

AG: I suppose midtown. It’s where my parents live. I just really like the big buildings. I like how crowded it is, and nobody knows each other. I want to go to a place like Starbucks, a stupid place like that. I think I like Starbucks cause I’m the coolest guy there. I like being in a place where I’m the coolest guy. (laughs)

BD: There was a show of your drawings in Stockholm, how’d that go?

AG: It was good. It was really crowded, felt like a real art show. It felt like an event. There’s something going on in Sweden, and I know very little about it.

BD: I heard the women there are nice.

AG: There’s no other place with such a high concentration of bikini babes. It’s like an untapped reservoir, like visiting a virgin kingdom.

BD: Sounds incredible. Do you still draw regularly?

AG: Yeah, but I haven’t so much in the last year. I just haven’t done it. But I think if I started again, I could pick up where I left off. Right now I’m just reading books and writing songs. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist, I don’t really anymore.

BD: It’s gotta be a lot of work.

AG: Yeah, there’s something about a line, the way to draw a line. I think some people draw lines too fast, and other people draw lines too slow, you know, and I think there’s a perfect way to do it. And it makes me feel kinda uncomfortable, finding the best way to draw lines. It’s not too fast and not too slow. There’s a lot of expressive potential in the wrist, if you spend long enough. The wrist is like a seismograph. I think there’s a storm lurking underneath the skin of every artist. And if you just draw slow enough, there’s all these vibrations in the wrist that inform a line and make it into what, I think, is really artwork.

BD: So you’ve traveled all over the world on tour?

AG: Well, not everywhere, but there’s probably about 100 different cities around the world that I play, and I’ve cycled them now, a bunch of times.

BD: What are some of your favorite cities?

AG: Uh, let’s see, I don’t wanna knock somebody’s town. Whenever we go to Paris, I’m excited. When we go to Sweden, it’s great. Switzerland can be nice, but I can’t say it’s that thrilling, it’s just beautiful. Also, Rome, in Italy.

BD: I went there once. Skittles come in a box there.

AG: Yeah, Skittles come in a box. I wanna go to Florence. We’ve gone to Japan a couple times. It kinda puts me out of my element, and I like that. But sometimes you go to a place like Montreal, and for whatever reason, it’ll be a thrill. You drive a few hours and you’re in a French-speaking country. Montreal is a surprisingly vibrant city. Maybe not even surprisingly, I just didn’t know. And you know, we go to Los Angeles, and I’m always like “Something crazy’s gonna happen, we’re in Los Angeles.” Travel’s great, though, you never go anywhere that’s just like New York.

BD: I wanted to ask about the jump in sound from your first record, which was pretty lo-fi, to your second record, which was done with a string quartet.

AG: That was sort of a crossroads for me, where I had this opportunity to make a different type of record, and I took it and made this strings record. And it’s been really great for me, because I got to do my own thing and kinda break away from the pack, I guess.

BD: Do you think you’ll set out to make a certain kind of record again, like an Adam Green rock record, or a country record?

AG: I always entertain those ideas. But most of the time, instead of becoming records, they become one song. And, you know, I think about that, like “I’ve gotta start making R&B music, like Destiny’s Child.” And that’ll turn into one song, rather than an album.

BD: That reminds me of something Kurt Vonnegut wrote, about serious writers versus comedic writers. He said that with comedic writing, you can hit one idea, joke about it, and then move on to the next one, whereas with serious writing, you write much longer about each idea. He said that if he’d been a serious writer, he’d have had to write much longer books.

AG: Right, that’s true. It’s fun when you’re not taking it too seriously, to sort of mix the elements together. The attempt is just to come up with something of a certain level of quality, and move on. Most of the songs that I’ve written in my life, I never really stay up at night because of them. I write them as a hobby. Well, I shouldn’t say that about not staying up at night, because I do write down stuff in the middle of the night. I just never look at a particular song as an opus or something. I was just always thinking along the lines of making it feel pretty good.

BD: “Bluebirds” is kind of an opus, in my opinion.

AG: (laughs) But you can’t think of it like that, you know, I think a lot of people in the world are maybe better off not really going for masterpieces. And I’m probably in that camp, where I’m just better off working song to song, and not trying to make these grandiose concept albums or songs with really pointed intentions to change the world. I think most of the time, when I come up with an idea for a song, and it’s really defined, I lose interest in writing the song, because I feel trapped by the authority of the idea. I feel like there’s nothing left to be excited about, because the idea’s already in place. So my favorite is to work on a song semi-blind to what I’m doing. So at least then, I’m excited when I finish it, to sort of decide what it’s about. I think a lot of songs that change the world weren’t conceived with that intention. In a world-changing song, I think the majority of communication is just inferred, just types of things that make people catch on to a certain vibe. And that’s what triggers the change. It’s not like some sorta lyrics that tell you how to live your life. It’s everything behind the lyrics, it’s everything that you can see the person doing by example, and not some actual phrase or commandment. I don’t really write music with commandments, I never have. There’s other people like Woody Guthrie or people that are very square-one and just tell you the idea. And I’m not knocking it, I think that’s important. It’s just not my style. It’s not how I feel comfortable living. I’m just not that confrontational.

BD: This is an unrelated question: did you draw the cartoons on your album cover?

AG: No, my friend Galen did that. That’s his artwork. He also directed the videos for “Baby’s Gonna Die Tonight,” and “Dance With Me” and “Friends of Mine” and “Novotel.” A bunch of my videos. He’s a really good artist. Actually, it’s a shame about this "Novotel" video, I’m not really happy with it. It’s the last video I did, and it’s the worst one. I think it just wasn’t very well planned.

BD: How many videos do you usually do per album?

AG: I usually do as many as my label wants me to, cause videos are largely a promotional tool. I don’t think it’s necessarily intuitive when you write music, to conceive a video. It’s the kind of thing you do when you’re asked to. In my case, I don’t really feel comfortable using someone else’s idea for the video. I feel like that would be similar to letting someone else write one of my songs. If there’s going to be images associated with a song, it should be my own. But I’ve sort of given up on that. It’s just simply that people want to do their own ideas when they direct a video. And you have to fight really hard for the original idea. I sort of directed about five of my videos. The last one I did like that was “Nat King Cole.” I always had it be my own idea, but now I’m starting to think differently about it.

KRON: Does the label demand a lot of control with regards to the videos?

AG: No, that’s the funny thing about me. The record label doesn’t control anything I do. I have this relationship with Rough Trade where they’re completely hands-off. The only squabble we ever get into is over money. I haven’t not been able to do anything that I’ve really wanted to do. Except, I really would like to bring string sections out on these tours, but it’s too expensive. I found myself in a position in Germany last year, where I could pay for the string quartet and it was feasible. And I did about ten shows like that. I did one in Paris and in London. And you just lose tons of money. It was worth it, but it’s just about getting down to the line, man. Seriously, I’m not making any money, so I can’t do it. I can’t just throw out two thousand dollars to do a show. So I think I’m not gonna tour for awhile after this tour. I love touring, but I think I’m just gonna stop for awhile; just work on music and not be a road warrior. It’s just not very much fun when you do it for seven years in a row. I’m just kind of at the end of my--what do you call it?—at the end of my rope. So when I go back to New York, I’m gonna stay there, I think. I’m just gonna get into some shit, I don’t even know what. Something gruesome, I don’t know (laughs). A bloodbath. I’ve just gotta figure out what I’ve seen in the world, cause I’ve been traveling for a while, and I just need to put it together. I’ve been in hundreds of different cities, over and over again, and I’ve played so many different concerts and they’ve all gone pretty well. But I’ve just been lost. I have people pretty much throw me out on stage, and I don’t even know what I’m doing. I hire people to throw me out on stage. I hired people to tell me that I wanted to go on another tour. Like when I would say that I wanted to go home, they would tell me that I had to keep on going. (laughs) It’s just really funny, you know? I just get very disoriented. It makes it easier when the audience comes with something. That’s kind of the mentality I’ve had on this tour; I like to hear requests.

BD: I’ve got one: “What A Waster.”

AG: Yell it out, I’ll play it.

BD: Nice. You’re gonna be honoring yell-outs? Cause I’ve got some more.

AG: Yeah, I’ll do the whole thing requests, I don’t care.

BD: I’ve got one more series of quick questions. Just say whatever comes to your mind, you won’t be held to it.

AG: Okay.

BD: Favorite record?

AG: See, that’s tough. (Long Pause) I’m trying to think of one that’s good from start to finish, cause a lot of them have holes in ‘em. Maybe T-Rex: Electric Warrior.

BD: Favorite movie?

AG: I love The Holy Mountain by Alexander Jodorowsky.

BD: What’s that about?

AG: What’s it not about?

BD: Okay, I’ll rent it. Favorite book?

AG: There’s a comic book called Hate, have you read that?

BD: No, I’ve seen it on the shelf.

AG: People should read from the first issue to the last issue of Hate. They come in these volumes. That’s the best book.

BD: So you’re a big comics fan?

AG: That one. If you want a novel, I don’t know, The Old Man And The Sea. (Laughs) That’s always a good quick read.

BD: Yeah, that’s the one that you wait until the night before the test to read it, but it’s okay, cause it’s like 70 pages long.

AG: It’s great.

BD: Since you like comics, I’ll throw in this question, it’s a corny one: If there was an Adam Green cartoon, who would you want to draw you?

AG: (After long pause) I got it, Rob Liefeld.

BD: The guy who did the Image comics? So you’d be all muscled-out?

AG: Yeah, I think I wanna be muscle-y.

BD: Do you like watching sports on TV?

AG: No.

BD: Favorite snack food?

AG: Cold Fritos.

BD: Last question: What are your thoughts on TomKat?

AG: I don’t know. I think Tom Cruise is sorta doing what Hitler did, but he’s doing it for good.

BD: You think Cruise is promoting good?

AG: You know, I think ultimately, he’s a good guy, a natural leader. Sort of like a little Gandhi for a perverse Space.

It turned out Green wasn't putting us on when he said he'd play all requests, which resulted in an incredible concert. He split things up evenly between solo acoustic songs (highlights included "My Shadow Tags On Behind," which should be featured in a Woody Allen film, the old-sounding new song "Jolly Good," and an especially great rendition of the Velvets' "I'll Be Your Mirror.") and more rocking numbers supported by his backing band (highlighted by "Novotel" and the psycho Jagger-channeling "Baby's Gonna Die Tonight"). The show basically spanned the greatest moments from Green's four solo records, including almost every track off his debut Garfield. It was one for the books. I think great things are going to happen the next time Adam Green visits the recording studio, and I can only hope that it involves robots, adult film stars, and some mandolins.

You should visit Adam Green's website and buy his records. And download this song:

ADAM GREEN - I'll Be Your Mirror (Velvet Underground Cover, Live, Paris Black Session) MP3

your friend, Beck DeRobertis

You're Not Invited to My Birthday Party

2006-09-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

(Ever Again)

That's it. I've had it. I've had it with this whole thing, and I've had it with you. I warned you before. I warned that if you kept going on and on and on that there would be dire consequences. But you wouldn't listen. You just wouldn't listen. And now you leave me no choice. I'm never going to invite you to my birthday party ever again.

That's right. You heard me. I'm never going to invite you to my birthday party ever again. Ever. Never ever again. Ever.

Oh, and it's going to be something, too. You're going to regret making me mad and missing out on this extravaganza. It'll be a sight to behold, believe me. They'll be talking about it in Wayzata, Eden Prairie, probably even as far as St. Louis Park. There are going to be clowns; a moon jump, a sun-jump (which is actually just a really hot sandbox); two- count them, TWO- cakes (one chocolate, one vanilla, THREE LAYERS EACH); a variety of ice cream and toppings for the ice cream (like whip cream, chocolate chips, and jimmies); eight different kinds of pop (if you drink diet, get out of my house); a petting zoo (complete with such exotic creatures as ostriches, emus, and very very small monkeys); barbecue chicken and hamburgers (veggie burgers will be available upon request); fireworks; and three of the biggest pinatas filled with only the most delicious assortment of chocolate and non-chocolate candies.

How long is this party that you're NOT INVITED TO, you might be wondering? It will last from twelve o'clock in the afternoon to whenever. Yeah. You heard me right. WHENEVER. Which means this party could last for weeks! I don't know! Nobody knows!

A large selection of activities and games will also be provided for my guests, which you are most CERTAINLY NOT one of. Bobbing for apples will be held in the front yard (to the nay-sayers who claim this is but a Halloween pastime, I spit on your grandmothers). Next to that will be an archery tournament, and next to that a potato sack race, followed by a three-legged race. The trampoline trick contest will be from 2:30 to 3:00. And did I mention that I have a pool? That's right. A pool! And we'll all go swimming in it! Everyone except you! And we'll all have a wonderful time! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

There will also be pin the tail on the donkey.

Ooh, but after the games have been won and lost, after the food has been eaten, after the sun has set and the parents have gone to bed, that is when the real fun will begin. The fun one could only have with a large circle of people and a bottle. Let me tell you.

Did I mention there will be GIRLS at my party? Twelve of them, at least, there might be more. I'm assuming I'll have more people than those that RSVP'd. I don't know why people don't just RSVP, it's not like it's hard or anything. And then I can make sure I have enough cake and party whistles and potato sacks. However, it IS possible for RSVPing to blow up in your face.

For instance, for my birthday party last year, I sent out 57 invitations. Forty-eight of them RSVP'd. So, of course, I went out and bought 24 potato sacks (one for each pair, so they could decorate their own). Guess how many people showed up? Eleven. What in God's name am I going to do with 19 potato sacks?! Luckily my neighbors needed some of their excess cats drowned, so it wasn't much of a problem.

But I digress. The subject on which I meant to speak was Spin-the-Bottle. That's when you sit in a group- with foxy, foxy honeys - and spin a bottle. Whomever the bottle lands on- a possible honey- you have to kiss right on the face. I won't say lips, because some of my guests are uncomfortable with the fact that the bottle might land on a member of the same sex. Lousy Republicans. We're mostly a bunch of free-loving hepcats. We don't care if a guy has to peck a guy's cheek, or a girl has to peck a girl!

Oh. But wait. I guess you don't care where my guests kiss each other, seeing as how you're NOT GOING. I know what you're going to do. You're going to stay home, in your room, and cry. You're going to cry for hours and hours, because all the deck hipsters will be living it up at my house. Well, most of them, I think. I'm still waiting for some RSVPs. Why don't people RSVP? Can you tell me why people just don't RSVP? It makes me so mad. I told you the story about the potato sacks, right? You know I still have some left?

Hey. You don't have any cats, do you?

Most sincerely, Thurston Whaler

Studio 60: Sorkin Strikes Again

2006-09-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Aaron Sorkin stays in top form with his latest TV outing, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

If you tell someone that a utopia exists, you’re usually met with disbelief. We’ve been trained to believe that the utopia of literature cannot exist. But maybe the written word isn’t the best place to create utopias. Maybe it’s television. Maybe Aaron Sorkin knows that.

I had the good fortune of being introduced to Sports Night by my brother when I was about 13. I didn’t get it at the time. But I did know that it was good and a few years later, I rediscovered the show. I watched all 3 seasons in a couple of days. There’s something mystical about the show. It jumps off a cliff, spreads its wings, and flies. Other comedy shows crack jokes about how stupid it would be to jump off the cliff.

Sorkin’s next show The West Wing took what Sorkin had been doing with Sports Night and accelerated it. He left around Season 5 or 6 and the show floundered for about 5 or 6 episodes before finding new footing. The West Wing had the same power as Sports Night but also had a seriousness and gravitas derived from its subject matter. It did more than fly; it redrew the sky and altered the boundaries of what’s considered good television.

Sorkin’s new show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip has the same strengths of his other shows. Another phenomenal cast. The first two episodes have set a pace that Sorkin will match until the studio gets antsy and decides to hack it to bits. It’s probably not as good as West Wing, but certainly is better than any other show on television right now. There’s no high school drama (Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs) or reality show-sensibility (Lost) or gore (CSI). It transcends the simpler genres with a knowledge of human nature.

Anyway, I want to talk about what Sorkin does. His TV shows are powerful because he understands a very important concept: that people certain of their purpose are infinitely more appealing than those cast adrift. All of the characters in Studio 60 are driven by a purpose that they know and comprehend. Matt (Matthew Perry) is asked by Harriet (Sarah Paulson) why her joke about asking for butter worked at the table read, but not at dress rehearsal. Without pausing for thought, he tells her that at the table she asked for butter and at dress she asked for laughs. A place where people are all working towards a goal they believe in is a utopia. Sports Night, The West Wing, and Studio 60 all fit the utopic ideal. That is why they are all so critically successful.

They are not as successful in pulling viewers, and I think the reason is that they tacitly ask for a lot from viewers. You need to pay attention to avoid missing details. 24 and Lost inform you immediately that you need to watch every show because they’re all about secrets and revelations. Studio 60 never tells you to watch all the time just because it’s going to be shocking or surprising or anything superficial like that. It never tells you to keep watching. But it does reward you if you do. Hopefully, it will rapidly develop a strong, consistent fan base who will demand continuation.

Here’s a clip that showcases the strength of the writing:

Studio 60 airs on Monday nights on NBC.

-Steven Petersen

The Quit Your Dead End Job Tour!

2006-09-26T15:35:00.002-07:00

The Sol.Illaquists of Sound live at 7th St. Entry

If you haven't heard of these guys yet, you've officially fallen the fuck off. Allow me to save you from such a cruel fate. Above are the Sol.Illaquists of Sound, a powerhouse of positive energy from Orlando, Florida, where they have all quit their dead-end jobs and now run an organic, vegan co-op out of the house where they all live. In the past, they have applied to be legally recognized as a family and were denied, but this love and communal cooperation shine through in their music and performance.

Last night, I saw them live for the fourth time since meeting them at the 2004 Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop, and they were in top form as always. Solilla played Downtown's 7th Street Entry as part of their Quit Your Dead-End Job tour, also featuring Prolyphic (recently signed to Sage Francis's Strange Famous Records), X:144 and SPS (a badass emcee/deejay team from Orlando) and Glue (a New Hampshire crew featuring emcee Adeem, deejay DQ, and beatman Maker). The tour, which hits South Dakota next, is a celebration of life from artists who have taken control of their own destinies and who practice what they preach.

First up was Prolyphic, who rocked over beats he made himself. He brought passion and energy to his set despite the early show lethargy of the majority of the crowd. However, there was a core audience of about six kids who had driven up from Chicago just to see the Rhode Island artist again. Prolyphic is an up-and-comer that you would do well to keep an eye on. Check him out at Strange Famous Records or on MySpace.

Up next was the formidable X:144 and SPS, who cuts and scratches it up old-school, with no laptop, as does deejay DQ. X:144 is a smooth, quick-tongued emcee who could go toe to toe with Solilla's Swamburger. Here is the breakdown of the crew, in their own words:

Choice of weapons: 2 turntables and breath control. Defense Strategy: To loop revolutions message of peace, love and harmony over tons of vinyl from mom's record collection to whatever else is funky, then call it hip hop.
X:144 and SPS constantly take listeners on journeys of self-discovery and attempt to ignite a true passion for hip hop in the souls of music lovers everywhere in the world. As a child of New York where hip hop was born, X:144 found his roots deeply planted within the art of storytelling at numerous open mic nights and between pages of college-ruled notebook paper. SPS saw tiny reflections of his influences like Jam Master Jay, The Colon Brothers and Grand Master Flash burst through the tips of his 16 year old fingers at a local youth center in Berlin, Germany back in the '90s and now has finely tuned his craft in turntablism where he has created his own special sound. Alone, they are threat but when on stage together they become lethal. In 2005 X:144 and SPS decided to join forces and take the world on in the all Nonsense approach.
Between X:144 and SPS, the two of them have a list of accomplishments such as SPS's win as the 2005 DMC SouthEast Regional Champion. X:144 has been awarded as Orlando Music Awards best hip hop solo and producer of the year in 2003. They have also performed with the masters of the game such as KRS-One, De La Soul, and Sage Francis.
The new generation of hip hop has been waiting for a breathtaking and life altering combination such as this. X:144 and SPS have been ready and holding the match. Now its their time to set the world on fire!

The above is no bullshit, y'all! Together with Solilla, these cats are the future of hip-hop. No disrespect to the other artists, who were dope as well, but these two crews are trailblazers while still staying true to traditional ways. SPS's turntable stylings were a highlight of the show, and X:144 brought the energy level up in the house immediately upon stepping on stage. Check these cats out! at: Their official website or on MySpace.

Glue, who are apparently all staying at the home of local emcee P.O.S., who was in attendance along with his Doomtree cohort Cecil Otter, took the stage next and kept the energy level high. Adeem won me over immediately by performing an a capella "remix" of Tenacious D's "Fuck Her Gently," and his goofy but soulful stage presence, dope rhymes and energy kept me captive. DQ and Maker held it down on the beats, collaborating at one point on a "drum solo" that brought the house down. Check out Glue at their official website or on MySpace.

At the end of Glue's set, Adeem proclaimed that Solilla would melt off the faces of the audience, and they did not dissapoint (they never do). If you're wondering what their name means, peep what they themselves have to say on the matter:
solillaquist of sound (soul il e kwist uv sah oo nd) n. 1 a play on words describing an individual whose efforts in searching for ones self reveal his/her soul to an audience often through some type of art medium. 2 One who recognizes his/her self and the reflection of self in those around them. See also Swamburger, Alexandrah, DiViNCi, Tonya Combs, and Charles Wilson, III...

The only one of the above who does not perform live with the group is Charles Wilson, III (aka CW3), who makes the keyboard melodies mixed and mangled live by DiViNCi, the group's "MPC-jay," who now plays three MPCs (drum machines) live. At various points in a Solilla show, you will see this crazy motherfucker use his entire body on these machines - hands, elbows, feet and even face. He also cuts and scratches, using feedback and static. Dope. As. Fuck. During his extended solos, the rest of the group often kneel before him, creating sacrificial flames with their hands. Observe:

Lead vocalists Swamburger and Alexandrah God (both to the right in the above picture) have an excellent rapport together, as well as with the rest of the group. Part of this comes from the fact that they are married, as are DiViNCi and Tonya Combs (to the left above). Seeing this group perform is almost like being a part of their family, especially for die-hard fans such as myself who experience their art on a daily basis (Swam also does all the artwork and illustrations for the group's albums, T-shirts and promotional materials).

To describe Solilla's music is not easy, so I hope you will all check them out for yourselves at the links below. They have actually coined the name of their own genre: FAHEEM, which stands for Funk Astral Hip-hop Electrically Energized Message. The music is largely electronic, funky and energetic, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that these people are all from another, more beautiful planet. But above all, it is Hip-Hop, as it should be; a bold new direction in Hip-Hop, but undeniably conscious of what has come before and how it has effected what Hip-Hop is today, while simultaneously reaching for and attaining a wildly original new style of their own.

It is this originality, as well as the insanely high energy of their performances, that caught the eyes and ears of independent Hip-Hop guru Sage Francis, with whom Solilla has toured with twice, as Sage's opening act and onstage crew. Now that Solilla is headlining their own tour, and recently signed to Anti- Records with their new album As If We Existed dropping today, there is little doubt in my mind that you will be hearing a lot more about them in the near future.

But you really must see them live to understand the greatness of the group. There are still several dates left on the tour, which you can check out here.

Also, be sure to peep Solilla's music and art on their site or on MySpace.

I think the measure of a good show of any musical genre is if you can go in in a shitty mood and leave with your faith in life and humanity restored, with a smile on your face (hopefully with a lot of sweaty, wild dancing in the meantime). The Minneapolis Quit Your Dead End Job show delivered on all fronts. It was the best show I've seen since ... well, since the last Sol.Illaquists show. I highly recommend catching this tour, even if it means a long road trip.

-EZRA

Jeffrey Lewis: Best Opening Act Ever

2006-09-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Lewis opened for Adam Green at 7th Street Entry on September 19.

When I walked into this show, Jeffrey Lewis (right) was onstage and had just begun a song about seeing Will Oldham on a train in Williamsburg. This song soon turned out to be incredible. It was like a young Bob Dylan singing a song about Woody Guthrie. "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror" is a stream-of-consciousness folk ramble that captures the extensive range of excitement, curiosity, paranoia, etc. inspired by seeing a glorified idol in your own mundane human world. Lewis, whose band is composed of his brother (who looks like a supporting character in a Wes Anderson film) and their friend, has a mesmerizing stage presence that combines a delivery like John Darnielle meets Adam Green on Aderall, with the accidental-genius of Daniel Johnston and the ambition of Sufjan Stevens. He sang his story steadily for almost six minutes, never pausing for more than a second, and by the end I was like "this guy is the best opening act I've ever seen." And immediately after saying this, I realized it was true.

And the fun didn't stop there. Lewis and friends rocked like Pavement before they gave a fuck, with lots of wierd pedal noises and feet jumbling on piano keys. Lewis even incorporated his other art form, comic book drawing, into the show. Introduced as a "video," Lewis sang about the history of communist China while paging through a giant book of related drawings. He called it the History of Communism Part 5, and I have to say, I learned a lot. Lewis also has a song called "The Complete History of Punk On The Lower East Side," in which he recounts the transformation of NY folk into NY punk complete with musical reenactments. This guy might be some kind of genius.

Lewis' heavily-likely-to-be-awesome record "City & Eastern Songs" comes out in the US on September 26. For now, I'd recommend taking a look at this video for his song "Anxiety Attack," by French company Kidam. Visually, it's like Michel Gondry but darker. Hey, Gondry's French, too. Maybe this is like a New French New Wave. These guys should make an army of Frenchmen and take over the cinema back (that's an 'FDR' reference, for those who got no game). There's also a more light-hearted video for Lewis' song "Posters," by Fort Mark Films. And then, of course, there's the Jeffrey Lewis official site and MySpace page. Now listen to this goddamn song:

Jeffrey Lewis - "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror" (MP3)

And next time on ART*HEAD: an exclusive interview with Adam Green, including photos of his expansive, explosive 7th St. Entry performance.

your friend, Beck DeRobertis

Internet Killed The Radio Star

2006-09-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

The current adventures of Jack White.

As people familiar with the internet probably already know, the White Stripes appeared last nite in an episode of the Simpsons. The bit, a reference to the Stripes' video for "The Hardest Button To Button," was clever and enjoyable, but I think we can all agree that it could've been longer, and that Jack and Meg's acting was much better in Coffee & Cigarettes. Also, is Michel Gondry getting royalties for this? (His new movie looks pretty, pretty, pretty good). You can watch the White Stripes/Simpsons clip on YouTube. Even though it's only a minute long, I guess it's a pretty big honor to be featured on the longest running sitcom in history. YouTube also has clips of other bands/artists who've made stops in Springfield, including Ramones, The Who, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., and even schmucks like U2 and Smashing Pumpkins. As a side note, if anybody hasn't seen the real life Simpsons intro, it's pretty fascinating.

If you're in the mood to see something seriously funny starring Jack and Meg White, you're soon to be heavily titillated. Check out this video short the band shot just before their Australian tour in 2001. The short depicts the Stripes' relationship with their fictional manager/handler, Arthur Dotweiller, and feels like Jack and Meg starring in a Stella Short. It's gold, Jerry, gold. Here's part one:

Click here for part two.
Click here for part three.

In further White Stripes news, rock poster artist Rob Jones has a new exhibition in the UK, which features avant-garde orchestral (a genre even stranger than barbershop quartet-core) versions of Stripes tunes. Visit the minimal but cool official site and stream four songs on MySpace.

J. White's other band is also hitting the scene like there's no tomorrow. As cable television-subscribers may already know, the Raconteurs performed several times at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, including this incredible jam featuring Jim Jarmusch on guitar:

They also played "White Light/White Heat" with Lou Reed and "Cheap Sunglasses" with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Go find the clips yourself, you know how to search YouTube. Also very much worth checking out is the Raconteurs' set from KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. The five songs diverge heavily from the album versions and can be streamed here (with interview) and downloaded here. The Racs' second single "Hands" is now available in three formats (including two 45s) in the United States. You can buy it here. Or download the B sides illegally here.

Stay up late watching cartoons.
your friend, Beck DeRobertis

Sad Facts, the Return

2006-09-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that extended hiatus, I lost the Post-It that had my password on it (it was inside my checkbook).

Did you know that a group of cats is called a clowder? It's true.

A baby cat is called a kitten - so is a baby rat, beaver, skunk, and rabbit.

Cats belong to one of the oldest mammalian families, separating from other mammals about 40,000,000 years ago!

When a cat kneads its paws on a soft surface (called "marching"), it means it's happy. It's imitating the action of poking its mother's belly to produce milk flow during its youth.

Lachele

Paintings By Jennifer Sandquist, Poems By EZRA

2006-09-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

Take a look at a series of paintings by Jennifer Sandquist in the newly-founded museum section.

There are also new poems by EZRA in the poems section.

Enjoy.

ART*HEAD Is Back (Stop Acting Like We Sold You Crack)

2006-09-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

Good news for you and I: ART*HEAD is back from its unannounced summer hiatus. We had to take some time off, because in mid-June, James Isaacs suddenly fell into a life as a scientologist porn actor with some minor cult ties and a rapidly growing meth addiction, so we had to rally for an intervention. The good news is that Isaacs is back on the up and up, and if you'd be interested in learning more about the whole ordeal, there's going to be an episode about it on that intervention show from cable television airing in early spring.

Since we've been gone for so long, we're going to have to travel back in time and talk about what's been going on for the last couple of months. So the next few entries will be dedicated to recent current events, including Woody Allen's 'Scoop," the Matt Friedberger solo records, Radiohead's summer tour, the exploits of Mike Patton, the documentary about The Monks, recent citings of Johnny Love, rumours of an FDR sequel, Wes Anderson's next project, and recent shows by The Flaming Lips, Gnarls Barkley, and The Raconteurs. It's going to be a really fun time for all of us.

For now, here are some quick updates on the important things happening in the world:

Lindsay Lohan appears on the cover of the August issue of British GQ and the magazine contains a plethora of sexy Lohan photos. British GQ can supposedly be bought in the United States, but evidently not at the downtown Minneapolis Shinder's. If you buy a copy and send it to ART*HEAD, we will give you a special prize. An amazing opportunity! For more Lohan news, I'd recommend Lohan Groupie.

The final season of Arrested Development is now on DVD, and like the rest of the series, it's f-ing amazing, especially the Godzilla scene. If I were to tell you that the original episodes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon were now available on DVD, would that be something you'd be interested in? Because it's true. I'd buy them if I were you (I did), it's just like ten dollars per se or something like that. And in even better news, the only season of the Stella TV series comes out on DVD September 12. I think it may be out in some places already. I heard they were selling it at Kim's in New York. The Stella series, while not as good as the original Stella Shorts, was undeniably fantastic, and soon Comedy Central will be writing an email that reads "RE: Stella cancellation. I think I've made a huge mistake." Also, the show Entourage remains incredible, although the season finale was a little weak. I hope Jeremy Piven is in the next Wes Anderson movie.

ART*HEAD has launched a series of amazing one-inch buttons, which will soon be available on this site. We'd like to say a special thanks to TDB for the gift of the button-maker (best gift ever).

We've also added poems and sports sections to the page. Feel free to take a look.

Recently, we entered THE ADVENTURES OF FDR in an open mic at Kieran's in Minneapolis. It came in second place to this JA with an acoustic guitar. It was certified bullshit. Some people would say that the judges had anti-FDR motives. I think they were mad that I threw the mic stand on the floor after answering one of their stupid questions ("I f FDR was paralyzed, how come he put his leg up on the table?"). First is the worst, second is the best, you anti-semitic sons of bitches. Major J/K.

your friend, Beck DeRobertis

Minneapolis in the Dark

2006-08-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Check out the new photo series in ART*HEAD photo.

Enjoy.

I've Got Lots Of Problems: Theme From Female Trouble

2006-07-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get hold of this song for like five years. It's the theme from John Waters' 1974 film Female Trouble, his follow-up to Pink Flamingos. This theme is really great. It's sung by Divine, who stars in the film as Dawn Davenport, a girl who's got lots of problems. There's no Female Trouble soundtrack, and this number is seemingly nowhere to be found on the "internet." I even thought about writing to John Waters and asking him where I could find this song. Unfortunately, laziness prevented me from pulling the trigger on that one. I finally had to use some technological wizardry to take the song right out of the DVD. And now, it's here for your (but mostly my) enjoyment:

The sound is pretty quiet, so you're going to have to pump this jam:
Female Trouble Theme.mp3

The music to this song is a little reminiscent of the soundtracks to those old Dr. Seuss cartoons. Speaking of which, there needs to be a compilation of those cartoons on DVD, preferably in the immediate future. The John Waters-written lyrics to this song are great, too.

Someday, I'd like to remake Valley Of The Dolls starring Lindsay Lohan, Christina Ricci, and Chloe Sevigny. In that movie, Lohan will sing this song in a nightclub.

your friend, Beck DeRobertis

2006-07-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

Watch THE ADVENTURES OF FDR, the legendary historical drama, in ART*HEAD video.

The Best Store Ever

2006-07-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Wacko: 4633 Hollywood Blvd.

A couple weeks ago, I was stumbling around near where I live in search of a Washington Mutual (Janice from 411 swore that I’d find one on Vermont, just south of Hollywood), when I discovered what is undoubtedly the greatest store in the history of the world (part 1). It’s called Wacko, and they’ve got everything that you’d ever want, other than food and replacement parts for a 1971 Toro Riding Lawnmower. Imagine the bizarre toy selection of (sadly) defunct Minneapolis shop Sister Fun, along with the miniaturized collectibles of Toy Tokyo, in addition to a fantastic selection of books, comics (they’re a little thin on Daniel Clowes titles, but they do have Ghost World toys), postcards, records, posters, and candy! And they even have an art gallery built right into the back of the store!

I was in awe. I felt like I’d died, gone to heaven, been resurrected, embarked on a short-lived (but brilliant) career as a minor league basketball sensation, unsuccessfully campaigned for a spot on the local school board, been acquitted of statutory rape charges, planted a super citrus tree (capable of growing oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes) knowing that it would one day make my descendents outrageously wealthy, and finally, been unexpectedly teleported into the store of my dreams. It was great, let me tell you.

Walking into Wacko is like entering a museum full of “awesome shit “ that can be bought at affordable prices. I’ve just never before seen so many good things in one store. If I were part of an organized crime family, or the winner of American Idol, or something like that, I would no doubt spend hundreds of thousands in Wacko every week. But the way things are, I sold my shoes to a meth head, and this is what I bought:

-A "Psycho" poster in the style of those old concert advertisement posters that you always see at record shops. They also had this type of poster for Pink Flamingos, A Clockwork Orange, Brigitte Bardot, and the Beatles back when they were called the Silver Beatles, which kind of reminds me of the Silver Jews, who are a sensational music playing group.

-A Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! lunchbox. Once, about four years ago, Faster Pussycat was showing for one night at the Oak Street Cinema in Minneapolis, and I'd been looking forward to it for months. Sadly, designated driver Julie Palm was unable to comprehend the MapQuest directions that Mark Larsen had so nicely printed out, and we ended up instead at the Perkins off 394. It was quite the disappointment. A few months later, I rented the movie from the now extinct Discount Video, and unfortunately, it too was sort of a disappointment. Basically, the poster is better than the actual movie. And the lunchbox is incredible, too. I don't know exactly what I'm going to store in it yet, but I'll tell you one thing: It won't be crack-cocaine.

-A book called Desperate Visions: The Films of John Waters & The Kuchar Brothers, which contains a conucopia of interviews with Waters and several members of his classic entourage, like Divine and Mink Stole. There's also a large section about the Kuchar brothers, whose short avant garde pictures were a big influence on the young Waters. The interviews in this book are fun, but the interviewer is a bit of a JA, and seems a little too eager to make his own clever comments, rather than draw them out of his subjects. Waters was prolly fighting off the urge to tell the guy to eat shit the whole time. In any case, an enjoyable read.

-A book called The History of Men's Magazines Vol. 6: 1970's Under The Counter. This book contains some classic pornography as well as some amazing retro art direction. This title will be sure to give you a little arousal as well as some obscure history lessons. Did you know that "Quim" was a slang term for vagina? Neither did I.

-About 10 or 11 fantastic postcards. If You're lucky, one may end up in a mailbox near you.

-Lastly, a Fritz The Cat button/pin/badge. As a little kid, I used to stand in Mr. Movies and marvel that there could be an X-rated cartoon featuring a friendly looking cat. When I finally rented the movie years later, I was a little on the bored side and didn't even get through the whole thing. Maybe I'll give it another go one of these days, the next time I'm in that old Animated-Cats-Fucking mood. Should be any day now.

I highly recommend visiting Wacko (Check out their official website here). Even if you have to fly, I'd recommend making the trip. If you do, we can hane out and have all sorts of misadventures just like in that film "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles." But I'll play the Steve Martin role, you obnoxious fuck.

your friend (4ever), Beck DeRobertis

Whole Lotta Love

2006-07-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

Check out the exclusive new photo series by Kron, featuring beloved drunkard/former professional guitar player Johnny Love.

View the whole set in the ART*HEAD photo section, brother.

New S/L Joint: "Conventional Wisdom"

2006-06-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious morning. We all woke up to find friends-of-ART*HEAD Shafei & Levitz featured in a Pitchfork news story showcasing their latest masterpiece, a clip for Built To Spill's "Conventional Wisdom." Now every hipster across the globe has read the name of that fantastic duo! As was long-ago reported here, the video features American Jousting Alliance president (also a member) James Zoppe teaching BTS the lost art of jousting. It's awesome. Totally awesome. And now you can watch it in all its six-minute docu-epic glory!

WATCH THE DAMN VIDEO

And you can be James Zoppe's friend on MySpace.
You can also be ART*HEAD's friend on MySpace.

And coming soon: a sit down chat with Shafei, Levitz, and Zoppe. Oh, just you wait.

your friend, Beck DeRobertis

ART*HEAD Interview: The Fiery Furnaces

2006-06-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night, high off the Miami Heat’s game 4 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, I had a fantastic idea: I should attempt to interview the Fiery Furnaces after their concert at the Henry Fonda Theatre the following night. I’ve been a gigantic fan of the Furnaces for a couple years now. I think the FF’s (Matt and Eleanor Friedberger) are making the most innovative, outrageous, and spectacular music out there today (I also find Eleanor very fetching) and artist interviews are exactly what this (already amazing) website needs. Now, I have a lot of ideas like this, but most of them I never follow through on. This one I did, and this is what happened:

While waiting for the bus to work the next morning, I stopped into Radio Shack and bought a hand-held cassette tape recorder. That night, I stashed the recorder in my junk drawer as I entered the concert. The security guards would’ve no doubt frowned upon the recorder had they discovered it, because when they found my camera in my pocket, they claimed I would have to take it back to the car. But I instead proceeded to the will call window for my ticket and then dashed inside the venue before those bastards could notice.

The Furnaces played a great show, which I attempted to record by placing the tape recorder on the flat of the stage barricade. A security guard caught wind of the operation about three songs in, but nicely did not take the recorder, and just ordered me to stop. Later, when I reviewed the tape, I was surprised at how good the audio quality was. Not that it’s ready for commercial release, but I think any avid Furnaces fan could take a listen to the tape and get a little Sunday afternoon enjoyment.

For this tour, the Furnaces have laid down their signature piano and synthesizers and arranged all their songs to be played on the standard rock instruments: guitar, bass and drums. This worked well for the material off their latest record, Bitter Tea, which seemed to be the most intricately prepared parts of the set and sounded more dynamic and spectacular than the songs from the Furnaces previous records. While the Bitter Tea songs maintained the schizophrenic sonic shifts of their recorded versions, earlier songs were recast as slashing punk numbers, which tended to mute the technicolor joy of material from Blueberry Boat and Gallowsbird’s Bark. But the band still managed to carve out some intense, precise rhythms in these songs that made the new incarnations worthwhile and fun. The band seems to be challenging itself to reimagine the sonic melee of its recordings with only a stark (by their standards) palette of instruments. They could undoubtedly play a more pleasing show if they mixed in synthesizer and piano among the rock instruments to recreate the feel of their records, but taking the easy way out is not what turns the Fiery Furnaces on.

After the show, I went outside behind the venue and waited, along with two Asian girls, for about 45 minutes before the band came out. When Eleanor finally emerged, a friendly security guard told her that there were some fans waiting, and she walked over.

ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER: I didn’t know anyone was waiting or I would have come out sooner. Thanks for buying that shirt.

[NOTE:I was wearing a FF shirt at the time. Not that I think it’s awesome to buy a band’s shirt at their show and immediately put it on, but their was no room in my pocket.]

Me: It’s a great shirt. Did you design it?

EF: Yeah, that’s my messy handwriting.

BD: Could I ask you a couple questions for ART*HEAD magazine?

EF: Ok, but it has to be really quick, cause these guys are waiting for me.

BD: Do you write music while you’re on tour?

EF: No. Not generally.

BD: What do you do during the long drives?

EF: Listen to music, it’s hard to read cause everybody’s [makes hand gesture to indicate lots of talk], that’s why headphones are good. I watch DVD’s on the computer.

BD: What movies have you watched lately?

EF: I watched a movie today, this really short documentary called Okie Noodling. It was done by this guy we met, he actually did that Flaming Lips documentary that came out last year. But it’s about these guys in Oklahoma who go fishing, but all they use is their hands to catch fish. So they reach into these holes and try to pull out these huge fish. That’s the last movie I watched.

BD: I put the song "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" on a mix for this girl I like, and she enjoyed it. Before that she didn’t think Franz Ferdinand was a good band. [NOTE: She probably still doesn’t.]

EF: Oh. That’s nice.

BD: Matt’s releasing two solo records this summer. Do you think you’ll incorporate any of that material into Fiery Furnaces shows?

EF: I don’t know, we haven’t really talked about it. Maybe. I’d say as of now, No, but it’s a possibility.

BD: Your music is really cinematic, would you ever be interested in adapting one of your albums into a film?

EF: Well, we probably wouldn’t have the means to do it ourselves, but it’d be great if somebody else did. I guess that’s why it’s good that we’re in Hollywood.

BD: I always imagine a film version of Blueberry Boat, a mix of live action, animation, and some puppetry. It could start out with you guys as kids, and you stumble upon this field with all these blueberries. And you eat them, and it sort of sends you down this rabbit hole of all the stories from the album.

EF: Maybe you could make it.

BD: I’d like to someday.

EF: Well. I should go. Thanks for waiting out here.

BD: Thanks for talking to me.

[She walks away.]

BD: That was awesome.

[A couple minutes later, Matt Friedberger walks over]

BD: Great show.

MATT FRIEDBERGER: Thank you. When we come back in the fall, it’s going to sound totally different. Some acoustic guitar, we’re going to have somebody playing hand drums, Jason [bassist in the current lineup] is going to play guitar. There won’t be any synthesizers. A new sound.

BD: I love the sounds on your records.

MF: Thanks. Me too. That’s what I pay the most attention to.

BD: I heard the next record is going to have an Afrobeat influence?

MF: No. The next tour’s gonna sound like that, but not the record.

BD: Do you know what the next record is going to sound like?

MF: It’s going to be a rock record. 70’s rock sounds. Stuff that’s really going to flatter Eleanor’s voice. Not that it’s in need of flattery.

BD: Wow. I just bought this tape recorder this morning.

MF: Oh yeah? That’s a good one. Radio Shack. I’ve got one like that that’s a Sony.

BD: I was trying to record your show, but a security guard stopped me.

MF: He stopped you? He shouldn’t have done that.

[Eleanor walks back over.]

MF: I’ve gotta go now. We’re going to visit our cousin who lives a few blocks down this way. We haven’t seen him since he got married about four years ago.

[And Matt and Eleanor Friedberger walked down the street into the night, probably to have some kind of fantastic adventure involving candy-makers, lost dogs, and an evil snowman that won't melt.]

Your friend, Beck DeRobertis

ART*HEAD: Your New Favourite Blog

2006-06-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

Bookmark it, Johnny.

I don't want to be your friend, I just want to be your lover

2006-06-20T04:32:00.000-07:00

Last night, Radiohead played their first of two shows at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre (well which is it, an auditorium or a theatre). After their one and only stop in the midwest, the band will head to sunny California for six, that's right six, shows in three different cities. Unfortunately, one of those cities is San Diego.

The purpose of the tour is to show off new material, some of which could make it on the next album, tentively titled LP7. We here at Art*Head have been following the tour very closely, and now bring to you MP3s of all the new Radiohead songs, as well as some opinions on them. This post is all you'll need to get yourself ready for those California shows, so here we go.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=FB48CBD54C384336 <==== New Radiohead Songs.

(Fuck hyperlinks you wanker)

4 Minute Warning - If this shit makes it on the album, I won't be buying it.

15 Step - I got harrassed at a Radiohead message board for saying this song sounds like the Strokes. Aside from the first minute, it's actually a decent song. I'll be damned if that guitar doesn't sound like the Strokes, and I'll be double damned if Yorke isn't trying to emulate Jules when he sings "you used to be alright, what happened? Etc, etc." They've played this song pretty much every night of the tour, so it very well could end up being the first single. Needs work.

Arpeggi - I hated this song when I first heard the original version, which was just Thom backed up by an orchestra of sorts. The line "weird fishes" still bugs the hell out of me, but the drums in this song are so good. One of the better songs out of this batch, could also end up being a single eventually. I know Pitchfork thinks so.

Bangers & Mash - Stupid title, but the song rocks, by which I mean it's loud and features guitars. Not really much else going on sadly. J Greenwood needs to be doing more with his guitar in this song.

Bodysnatchers - Another straight up rock song, but this one has a slightly better chorus. Again, J Greenwood needs to be doing more with his guitar.

Down is the New Up - The most recent new song to debut, and probably my favorite so far. Definately needs work, but the vocal interplay throughout, specifically towards the end, could sound so fucking great on record if they did it right. Apparently the version included in here cuts off. Sorry.

Go Slowly - A good song for sure, but it doesn't really go anywhere, quickly or slowly. The version included here is from one of the European shows. Apparently they've already changed it somewhat, so perhaps it goes somewhere now. I'd like to see it on the album.

House of Cards - "I don't want to be your friend, I just want to be your lover." Possibly the worst lyric Thom E. Yorke has ever written. I can't believe he can sing that line in front of people. The worst of the new songs, but for some reason they play it almost every show. Hopefully it will go the way of Andrew Murphy and we'll end up seeing it at the odd summer music festival every so often.

Nude - Actually an old song that dates back to the OK Computer days. The ending isn't as loud and guitar-y, but it's nice to think that we might finally get a studio version.

Open Pick - The best of the straight up guitar songs. This song is awesome, but they hardly play it now, which is sad. If House of Cards makes it on the album and this doesn't, I'm not buying it.

Spooks - An instrumental that hardly crosses the minute mark, yet is musically superior to many of the new songs. I'd like to see it expanded into a real song ala Permanent Daylight, but I wouldn't be too sad if it was never played after this tour.

Videotape - Scratch that, this one is my favorite. Beautiful song, such a great build up. The lyrics might be based on this one Japanese movie that Ana Staska would always talk about where dead people have to choose which memory they want to relive for the rest of eternity. Would make a great first track on the album.

There you have it. It looks to me like Mr. Yorke kept all of his good songs for himself, as the Eraser really takes most of this stuff to town and fucks it in a handicapped bathroom stall. Several members of the band claim that there are about fifteen new songs total, so there is a possibility that a brand new song might pop up during one of the California shows (hopefully not any of the San Diego ones). If and when new Radiohead songs become available, you can bet your sweet ass we'll have them here at Art*Head. Once the tour officially ends and all of the bootlegs are accounted for, we'll feature a collection of the best recordings of the new songs. So if the quality of these versions don't do anything for you, come back in two weeks or so. Toodles.

Your arch nemesis, James Isaacs

New Kron: Ludwig & The Spiral of Urine

2006-06-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

ART*HEAD Presents this award-winning film about the struggle of a milk factory worker trying to break out of a downward spiral that began in high school, when he was tea-bagged in the weight room. The film was shot on 16mm in Minneapolis and won the Audience Award at the 2006 University of Minnesota Film Festival. From acclaimed director Kron, the man who brought you "Johnny Love," this is LUDWIG & THE SPIRAL OF URINE:

Last Night's Snack Team: Delicious But Uneven

2006-06-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Explosive lineup lacks cohesion

The Spicy Hot V8 was a big mistake, and I'll be the first one to admit it. The beverage should be the glue that holds the snack team together. In this case, it was the element that almost ripped everything apart. The V8 seemed like a good idea when I was in the store. My diet that day had been soft on vegetables, and the V8 can promised a full day's serving. I also thought that the spicy hot nature of the drink would fill the void left by usual snack team-staple Flaming Hot Cheetos, which I had decided not to include in this venture for reasons that I'd prefer not to talk about. Finally, I believed that the V8's high salt content would provide an effectively bitter counterpoint to a lineup that was otherwise unflinchingly sweet.

The snack team (pictured above) consisted of two packs of fruit snacks (one strawberry and one mixed berry), a four-pack of Nutter Butter cookies, a coconut frozen fruit bar, and the aforementioned Spicy Hot V8. I looked for some mini Laffy Taffys to serve as role players, but there were none to be found. Still, I was confident of my picks. The total cost was $4.25. I thought I'd built a championship team at a bargain price.

No.

The spiciness of the V8 nullified the sweetness of the strawberry fruit snacks. Not wanting to waste the fruit snacks' goodness, I decided to finish the whole can of V8 before I continued. This forced me to bring in tap water as beverage for the remainder of the snack, which didn't go well at all with the Nutter Butters, and I ate only three of them. I regained some momentum as I ate the mixed berry fruit snacks, their taste untouched by the scorn of the V8. But afterward I was tired and in no mood to eat that coconut bar. But I woke up in the middle of the night and ate it then, along with the fourth Nutter Butter.

It was a good snack, but not a great one. I don't know that I'd ever buy that V8 again. It's a quality drink, but it works better on its own, not as part of a team. Tonight I'll probably go with some kind of juice. Guava, maybe. I think I'll increase the amount of fruit snacks to three packs instead of two, and prolly balance that out with a chip of some kind, maybe even Flaming Hot Cheetos. There's also been some talk of beef jerky, but I don't know how much stock I'd put into that. I might even consider some sort of Hostess product. It's a whole new night, anything can happen.

your friend, Beck DeRobertis