Making a short-film, or anything for that matter, under a school deadline drastically effects how I make something. It's programmed in my mind to say "fuck school" and not want to work on anything related to it. But when you are weeks from getting your degree you should probably abandon that mentality, or not. My final project was due yesterday and thankfully I finished it just enough to hand it in.
I decided to make a short film. It originally started as a four or five part story that went back and forth, looking at the real world and this character that represented any one person. I was going to shoot footage of the public. I quickly learned that it is quite nerve-wracking to point a camera at someone in public. I gave up pretty quick. I just shot all the stuff of that one character and re-wrote the script, cutting it in half. Taking the assumed project running time of 10 minutes down to 3-5mins.
Four weeks and one deadline later, I have an 11 minute short film called End//Beginning. I can never explain how something like this occurs, but I can try. The teacher calls for storyboards. I hate storyboards. First, I can't draw, and second, the nature of THIS project required a lot of randomness that would take place in the editing room. I understand the purpose of storyboards, and they can definitely are useful in a multitude of films. Just not THIS specific one.
What exactly separates this film? I concluded that this was one of those things that just came straight from my subconscious. I watch the film and I see me, and my thoughts of the world around me. It's a collection of alike thoughts and I'm amazed by it. Not in a selfish, or cocky way. Just amazed of the process that led to what I was editing, and how I edited it. This film is a culmination of my development, thoughts, and dreams related to one subject over the past 3-5 years. I think I could only make one of these very sparingly: a product straight from the mind. When my thoughts on something hit a peak. That's where this has come from.
I have another blog that I write on about my experience in making movies. Aptly named, "I Wanna Make Movies". Since I want THIS blog to be a mix of everything I do, along with personal stories I will post some entries on both blogs. Maybe I should stop being so anal/ass/hole about separating each facet of my life into another blog. TOO LATE!
<p>ALRIGHT! PART UN!</p>
<p> I guess I could tell you all what has happened between now and my initial post. NOT a whole lot, and that's a lie by the way. It just seemed like the right thing to say in the natural progression of my writing. A LOT has happened. </p>
<p> When I was first going to update this back in mid-august or september, I was working on a Movie Trailer Project for school. At the time where I would have started writing about it I had gotten a little discouraged. I had written these elaborate stories and back stories to a family of characters. I thought I was going to have the coolest movie trailer project ever. This story about "greed" and "violence" and "bitches" and other fancy words. </p> <object height="300" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7136736&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7136736&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="300" width="400"></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7136736">Little Sister (Fake Movie Trailer)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user857408">Ryan </a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p> <p></p>
<p> Well, the <em>story</em> still rocks, but I couldn't leave my own head long enough to realize that the script for the trailer I wrote hardly illustrated what happens in the story. I certainly love certain elements in their isolation: The sunset shots, the voice-over provided by my lovely woman, the shots in the abandoned graffiti-ridden stables, and the shot in the kitchen with the checkered counter-top (of course I fucked <em>that</em> one up because I couldn't lay off the focus ring).</p>
<p> I was actually thrilled more with the way we shot it than the final project. My school has a shorter schedule than most: 10 weeks per quarter. That means we get the assignment on week 5, write something good enough and finish the script by week 6 1/2, and now we have to figure out people's schedules. By the time all that was done we ended up shooting 95% of the trailer in one day. NOT the best idea all the time, but in our case we got everything needed. It was just that everything needed wasn't the greatest end product. </p>
<p> I'm still happy about the experience. I used lighting in ways I never did before, but I can't tell if it shows. And...I'm sure I learned other stuff planted into my subconscious. </p>
<p> PART DOUX!</p>
<p> I have acquired, through means of sexual favors, a brand new Panasonic DVX100B! "Is that the best camera on the market?" you say!? Nope, but it is LEAGUES better than any piece of shit camera you can get at Best Buy. </p>
<p>Let me follow up that statement with this: if you are not as lucky as me to get an expensive prosumer camera, then get one of those shitty Best Buy cameras and MAKE. YOUR. MOVIE. You can shoot film on cell phones and <em>still </em>make an incredible film if done right. And "right" is gauged by your opinion on how you think you can affect people with your film. Case in point, this short film shot on a cell phone camera beat "professionally" shot films in a film festival for a win:</p> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZrDxe9gK8Gk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZrDxe9gK8Gk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <p> So I got a brand new camera and IMMEDIATELY took it out the next day. My little brother is a working/learning comedian and put together a local show. I brought the camera just to test it out. I managed to edit together a rather good piece of work. If I don't say so myself! The only thing I wish is I had a microphone other than the on-board mic. Some sound is a little rough, but it's definitely listenable. </p>
<p>I will leave you with my latest finished piece of work:</p> <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cwyMzAuLYRU&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cwyMzAuLYRU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></object>
As I walked out the door on a rainy Sunday afternoon, my older brother commented:
"Dude, you won't go see movies with me where people shoot each other, but you're going to see a movie where girls play roller derby?"
My response was a crude masturbation joke, and when I saw the first site of Roller Derby girls on the screen there was no doubt in my mind I made the right choice ( I didn't masturbate...Just to clear that up). Sure, Whip It is all about "One girl's dream", but it's not just any dream. And this isn't just any way to tell it. It's a young girl who lives in a boring town and is forced to do beauty pageants, and the escape she finds is fricking Roller Derby! Tattooed chicks on skates who punch each other!
This isn't a movie for just the ladies. If you're a dude and you say this movie is for girls only, then you are a homosexual. And that is a very very rude and ignorant statement. But the kind of dude who would say "That movie's for chicks" is the kind of dude who would reply to my previous statement with "Yo I'm not gay!" and go see it just to settle the insecurity in himself. Mission complete.
Whip It is the Directorial debut of Drew Barrymore, and from what I can tell she did a phenomenal job. Movies are never just one person working on a film, but I'm sure she put her all into it. And it shows.
Whip It is set in Texas, between a boring life in Bodeen, and the Derby in Austin. Bliss Cavender (Ellen Page) works at a boring restaurant and is forced to take place in local Beauty Pageants by her mother. When Bliss is buying some boots in a shop in Austin, a pack of tattooed girls skate in and drop off fliers for the local Derby. Bliss and her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat, Arrested Development) head out to Austin for the Derby. There, Bliss is encouraged by Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig, SNL), from the Hurl Scouts team, to bring skates to the try-outs. Bliss proves to be fast on the track, and is given her new name: Babe Ruthless.
Whip It has a phenomenal line-up of females donning the skates and the track:
Juliette Lewis as Iron Maven.
I think she is a must-have in a movie like this. She's got the look and attitude of a tough Roller Derby girl down to a T. And she pulls off her character's hardcore bitch persona very well.
Drew Barrymore as Smashley Simpson. She is phenomenal as the nasty-fighter type girl. Smashley is a flake, but will throw a mean punch if pushed the wrong way. She is also a constant rival to Maven.
Zoe Bell as Bloody Holly. (Pause for a sexual moan). An actual stunt-girl, I've loved Zoe Bell from the second she appeared in her debut acting role in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. Also a must-have in a movies where you need hot girls and stunts. Zoe got her start as a stunt-girl for Xena: Warrior Princess, and also doubled Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.
Whip It also stars Eve as Rosa Sparks. And Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem. The character of Maggie Mayhem was an important one. At one point her child is introduced in the film which represents the dual lives that these girls have. She also hands Bliss some helpful advice: how to find that thing that angers you, and use it to be ruthless on the track. For Maggie Mayhem, it was the crabs she got from her cheating ex-boyfriend.
Andrew Wilson played the coach of the Hurl Scouts, Razor. I didn't know whether to be surprised or not that they had men as the coaches. On one side, you could say that the men as the coaches could hold their heads together better than the girls, and perhaps not get over emotional. Not saying it's a weakness, or being sexist...well it probably is sexist. But the girls use their emotions very well on the track, and the guys as coaches try to guide them the right direction: the other player's face(yeah that was entirely sexist). On the other side...it might me common for men to coach female roller derby teams.
Jimmy Fallon also made an appearance as "Hot Tub" Johnny Rocket. His role was as the announcer standing in the middle of the track. His character was the guy trying to hook up with all the hot chicks at the track, and at the after party. He provided some great comedy in the midst of female bodies hitting the floor.
Ellen Page was phenomenal as Bliss Cavender. Bliss is a very honest character, she knows exactly who she is. When she stumbles upon this Roller Derby, she knows she wants it and she goes for it. When Bliss's mother finds out what Bliss has been up to, she breaks down in anger. She wants her daughter to be a beauty pageant starlet, go to an Ivy League school, and get married; be a 50's housewife. Bliss is a nice girl, and yet totally believable as a roller derby girl. Ellen Page pulls off this duality amazingly and convincingly.
There was a small sub-plot I really thought was amazing involving Bliss's father (Daniel Stern). There is a part where Bliss gets dropped off at her Dad's workplace parking lot. Her dad was in the van watching a football game. He was hiding his football-watching from his wife, just like Bliss was hiding her Roller Derby activities. A father-daughter-bonding-moment like none other then takes place. There is also a couple great subtle moments scattered in the film in which Bliss's father exchanges glances with the neighbor and his son playing catch with a football, or as the neighbor posts wooden signs with his sons' football jersey numbers and teams on the front lawn. It's a fantastic and subtle sub-plot on a father with no sons, but who finds just as equal pride in his daughters. Perhaps an issue in the life of Shauna Cross, who wrote the novel Derby Girl and the screenplay based off the same book.
I was surprised to see in the credits that Landon Pigg played the character of Oliver. In the film, Oliver meets Bliss at a party, and they start a relationship. Landon Pigg is a real life musician who got famous when his song "Falling In Love In a Coffee Shop" was featured in some TV shows, namely Greys Anatomy, and most recently an AT&T Commercial.
Another musician received at least three plugs: the album cover for Daniel Johnston's 1983 album, Hi, How Are You appeared at least three times.
It takes up the whole frame in a scene where Bliss and Oliver walk by a giant picture of it drawn on the side of a building. Later on in the film, Oliver is seen wearing the shirt with this image. And then in the end credits, it appears for a third time.
Whip It is a ridiculously fun film. It is also inspiring, and may push you to tears at times. I walked away entertained and blown away, but also thinking about my own life. That's an amazing thing for any film to do. Drew Barrymore has a lot to be proud of for her first Directed film.
The Avett Brothers, hailing from North Carolina, have spent the better part of the last decade creating this dynamic of punk, bluegrass, and folk/country. Possibly known otherwise as pure energy, a banjo, and just the right pinch of southern twang in the voice. After extensive touring of the country they've gained quite the following, and the attention of a certain producer.
If every band HAS to have a record in which they "grow up", then for
The Avett Brothers it might be their previous full length Emotionalism, releasedin 2007. Which would put their new album I and Love and You as
their "now that we've grown up" album. This album also marks their
major label debut on Columbia/American Records. Not like anyone needs a
major label these days. But this particular record shows that, for The
Avett Brothers, it didn't hurt. In I and Love and You, The Avett Brothers rip apart the concept.
From the Mission Statement written by Seth Avett, contained in the Deluxe Box Set:
The words "I" and "Love" and "You" are the watermark of humanity. Strung together, they convey our deepest sense of humility, of power, of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is so infinitely uncommon; each to proclaim these three words with his or her very own heart and mindset of reason (or lack thereof); a proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered. Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an unending array of circumstances: whispered to the newborn in a new mother's arms; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of sympathy-said by a girl to a boy, as the respect continues but the relationship does not...The words are thought in the company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It is how we end our phone calls and our letters... the words at the bottom of the page that trump all those above it, a way to gracefully finish a message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gift of all: the communication of love.
The title track opens the record on a soft piano, and Scott Avett announces where we're headed.
Load the car and write the note Grab your bag and grab your coat Tell the ones that need to know We are headed North
Immediately absent is Scott pounding on the banjo with frantic energy, and that punk/bluegrass feeling. In it's place is a soft piano and the slow build of the drum-kit, Joe Kwon's cello, Bob Crawford's stand-up bass, and Seth Avett's harmonizing.
Three words that became hard to say
I and Love and You
And with those three words, we know what this journey is about.
January Wedding opens up next. This is the bluegrass/folk sound that we can expect from the Avetts. The back and forth between Scott's banjo and Seth's guitar is a great familiar sound. Seth Avett's singing is softer than his brother's and makes this a sweet song about the surest of love.
No longer do we wonder
If we're together
We're way past that
And I've already asked her
And in January We're getting married
All around, January Wedding is the simplest on the entire album, and appropriately so. It has the beauty Seth has demonstrated in past songs like The Ballad of Love and Hate from 2007's Emotionalism.
Head Full Of Doubt, Road Full Of Promise takes us back to the piano accompanied with cello and drums. It's got a slight folk feel, but, like most of the album, is stripped down to it's essentials.
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right... And I'm frightened by those who don't see it
Scott Avett has the more abrasive voice of the two brothers, which adds his own signature to the songs he sings. The two brothers do sound very alike at different times, but they contrast just enough to have a great effect in the duets.
Seth Avett carries the next track, And It Spread, on lead vocals. Again, not a prominently bluegrassy sound, and a little more straightforward. At this point in the album it becomes apparent just how much a full drum-kit is a part of this record. For the most part all previous releases had few songs with a full kit, some songs with a partial kit: as evident in their live performance in which Scott will be stomping on a bass pedal as he plays the banjo, and the rest of the time there was no kit.
Perfect Space is a sure highlight of this album, and most likely a highlight of the live shows. When I saw The Avett Brothers perform at The Newport Folk Festival this past August, they played Perfect Space for an unplanned encore. It was a fantastic demonstration of the dynamic that is The Avett Brothers. The song started with Scott singing and playing on the piano, and Kwon complimenting on cello.
I wanna have friends That I can trust That love me For the man I've become Not the man that I was
After they moved into the chorus, Kwon held the last note and Scott leapt from the piano bench to the drumkit and immediately went pounding into the second verse. Next, Seth Avett stepped out and was playing a Gibson SG that was absent for the entire show preceding it. The second verse was almost entirely a different song, much faster tempo, and even some screaming. It's an incredible changeup to see on the stage and just as good a song on the record.
Ten Thousand Words shifts us back to a song with a nice country/acoustic-rock feel with Scott and Seth's accents showing a little more, and two acoustic guitars working together with a subtle organ.
Ain't it like most people? I'm no different
We love to talk on things we don't know about
Kick Drum Heart bursts open with incredibly joyful piano and Seth singing in pure glee of the exciting love found in this song.
We're holding hands in the rain Saying words like 'I Love Ya' Do you love me? Yeah My heart like a kickdrum
Itis bound to be one of the most popular songs at the live shows. It's another fantastic song, and it has a gimmick that begs for audience participation.
Laundry Room is a song that carries on the Avett Brothers dynamic with fantastic performances by all, including a guest fiddle. It takes off in the end with a great bluegrassy conclusion. They played this song on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Series back in June, and this performance just captures everything they do so well. The partial drum-kit, stompy feet, and just unbelievable energy.
The album cut is a little less exciting in comparison. But it holds it's own in context.
Ill With Want keeps with previous trends in the album, and speaks of the great imperfection of greed. It is followed by Tin Man which is a fresh sound all around on this album, and maybe their career, due to the pop sound and, in part, the album debut of a tuba. Slight Figure of Speech keeps up these fresh sounds by adding electric guitar and bass, and an intricately constructed breakdown reminiscent of Talk On Indolence from 2006's Four Thieves Gone. It Goes On and On tops off this trio of songs with great energy and fresh vibrations.
The closing track, Incomplete and Insecure, is kind of off-putting at first.
I haven't finished A thing Since I started my life I don't feel much like starting now
We just had all this fun and then this insecurity comes out in the end.
Walking out lonely Has worked like a charm I'm the only one I have to let down
It is a very stripped down and somber song, but it serves as a great reflection on the entire album; on "I" and "Love" and "You".
From the Mission Statement by Seth Avett:
And yet the words themselves have been the victims of triviality, a ready replacement for lesser salutations among near strangers, burst forth casually as "love ya." Truly? To what degree? Why, how much, and for how long? These are questions befitting the stature of love, though not the everyday banter of vague acquaintance. The words have also been twisted by the dark nature of deceit; to say "I love you" with a dramatic measure of synthetic emotion; a snare set by those who prey upon fellow humanity, driven to whatever selfish end, to gain access to another's body or their money, or their opportunity. In this realm the proclamation is disgraced by one seeking to gain rather than to give.
The album I and Love and You is unashamedly defined by such a dynamic of duality...This is a piece which shows us as we are: products of love surrounded by struggle.
The Avett Brothers' I and Love and You is a massive sounding album in comparison to their previous work. Every song is amazing on it's own, and in context with eachother a heartfelt journey. If the past albums feel like intimate and energetic performances in back yards, then I and Love and You is like bringing a stadium crowd to that back yard.
I and Love and You
September 29, 2009 American Recordings
1. I and Love and You 2. January Wedding 3. Head Full of Doubt, Road full of Promise 4. And It Spread 5. The Perfect Space 6. Ten Thousand Words 7. Kick Drum Heart 8. Laundry Room 9. Ill With Want 10. Tin Man 11.Slight Figure of Speech 12. It Goes On and On 13. Incomplete and Insecure
Ingrid Michaelson IS the albums she makes. You see her happy side, her sad side, her
humorous side, and, probably hidden in a gentle ukelele tune, her angry
side. She also loves food, lazy days, and poop jokes. She DOESN'T like when you call her album "gay". From Ingrid's Twitter:
young people
these days need to not say "gay" to mean something negative. it pisses
me off. if you don't like my record, say it's shit......say it's boring, say i sound like a dying seal...just don't say it's "gay." you just end up sounding like a jack ass.
Her new album, Everybody, starts off with Soldier in which she let's you know "I don't believe in anything but myself". And that belief is what got her to where she is today: releasing her music on her own label, Cabin 24 Records, all under her own terms. It hasn't served Ingrid wrong: "Everyone" hit #1 on iTunes earlier this week, surpassing Imogen Heap and Colbie Caillat, and currently is holding a strong #2 spot. I'm not one to count the charts. They don't validate a musician's music in any way, but considering the small operation she is running she has made an accomplishment. And at $7.99 it's no surprise her fans want to buy it.
The title track, Everybody, is an uplifting song reassuring what everybody needs to hear: "Everybody, everybody wants to love/Everybody, everybody wants to be loved". Her songs are mostly very simplistic, but they don't lose any meaning in that sense. Some musicians might be afraid to try this simplistic writing, feeling it might be cheesy, but she embraces the cheesiness in her music.
She also embraces her everyday thoughts, evident in a song like Men of Snow. I like to think that one day she made a snow man.
Once I made a man all out of snow.He had the darkest eyes and a button nose
I told him all my sadness and my fear
And he just listened with a snowy ear
And then...
But when I came around the next day My friend had gone and melted all away. I saw his eyes lying on the ground
I made a sound that was something like crying
She created this little lullaby of a song about life, because she made a snow man.
Oh, one day you will go away from this
Oh, one day you will know we're men of snow, we melt one day
The first single off of Everybody is Maybe. Definitely not the greatest song off of this album, and probably the most formulaic. But I don't believe for a second it's a meaningless song, and it's not a bad song at all. Just like all her music, she puts her entire personality into singing it.
Speaking of personality, she is the first singer that I associated with putting personality into her singing. I'm not saying she's the first singer I listened to with personality, but she just defined it for me in a clear way. Probably with her "mouth trumpet" in the song Lady In Spain off of Be OK. A truly magical moment in that song when you realize it's not an actual trumpet.
Ingrid Michaelson is up there in the category of musicians who truly appreciate their fans. She knows her audience and treats them well. The idea behind her last album Be OK was for the fans, afterall. From her Youtube Profile:
Be OK, likewise issued on Cabin 24, kicks off the next episode in the
singer-songwriter's saga with typically adventurous attitude and --
even more importantly -- memorable tunes to spare. Michaelson is quick
to point out that the disc, which combines covers, live songs and a
passel of new songs, is something of an appetizer designed to satiate
listeners between meals.
Ingrid Michaelson has a long career ahead of her if she keeps doing things the way she has been. She knows how to keep her fans' attention, she makes fantastic music, and she will knock your socks off live with her charm and wit. And then put them back on. (It makes sense if you try not to think about it.)
Everybody is one proud accomplishment for Ingrid Michaelson, and one delicious treat to all of us who get to listen to it.
Ingrid Michaelson
Everybody
August 25, 2009
Cabin 24 Records
01. Soldier
02. Everybody
03. Are We There Yet
04. Sort Of
05. Incredible Love
06. The Chair
07. Mountain & The Sea
08. Men Of Snow
09. So Long
10. Once Was Love
11. Locked Up
12. Maybe
I am not understanding the praise of District 9 right now. Was everyone not under the impression that this was going to be a Documentary style film? Am I the only one that expected that from watching the trailers? I understand trailers mislead sometimes, but even the first 15 minutes of the film mislead. It's like when Neil Blomkamp wrote it, he started off wanting it to be a Documentary style, then slowly changed his mind to a regular narrative sci-fi action.
Am I that wrong in expecting what I did: A film that was put together from "documentary film crews", "interviews", "news clips" and "surveillance footage"? All fake of course, but made to look as real as ever. All I got was a crazy military action sci-fi that focused on one guy and one alien.
I'll take a step back here and say that the film was made well visually. The aliens created here was a great achievement. And every effect looked real. But the film itself did not feel real. It was not Documentary. Just as predictable as the story itself, they quickly flipped back to "Documentary" mode at the end of the film. As if to say "See? See? Documentary!".
For the last 30 minutes I just wanted this to end. If I wanted crazy military vs. aliens scenes I would have watched....another movie with that description. I expected a different film.
I was duped.
However, I have no issue with people who loved this film and got what they hoped for. I just can't believe the sheer number of people who do NOT feel the same way as me.
The question now is do I recommend it. The answer is NO for those who expected what I expect, and YES if you just wanna see aliens and guns and a predictable story.
MODLIFE is everything music fans dream a band could do using the
internet. Blogs, photos, videos, podcasts, and live webcam chats. Everything controlled by the band themselves and not the record companies. MODLIFE would have been off to a
slow start on their own; They needed a musician on their side. And it was the
poop joke guy from Blink-182.
Back in November 2007 Tom Delonge, with Angels & Airwaves, launched his new venture called MODLIFE. The launch coincided with the release of Angels & Airwaves' second album, I-Empire. It was unlike anything any band had done before: For $6.95 a month you had access to exclusive blogs, videos, "Modcasts"(podcast), live chats and live webcam broadcasts by the band members themselves. Along with those benefits was exclusive meet-&-greets with the band, available to members only. There was a noticeable spike in membership when this was announced publicly.
The period from November 2007 through the summer of 2008, the Angels & Airwaves members were pretty active. They kept up on blogging and chatting live. They each released one of their own MODcasts periodically that were available for download. And if you were lucky enough to be online at the same time, they would surprise you on the live MODcam. They usually had something new to say about the band and what was going on. Or it was Tom Delonge dancing in his hotel room...in his underwear. Either way, it was entertaining and worth the $6.95 a month.
By far the coolest thing Angels & Airwaves achieved on MODLIFE was live streamed performances. They first set up the cameras in their practice room and performed a few songs, not without some technical difficulties, but it was as new to them as it was to anyone watching. A few months later they streamed one of their live shows without a hitch. It was my first experience with a live streamed show, and surprisingly I got a rush out of it like I was actually there (Not saying I'd replace the true live experience with it).
Everyone a part of the Angels & Airwaves MODLIFE watched it develop new features over time. Tom Delonge mentioned that other bands would soon be joining MODLIFE. He said that these won't just be small new bands, but bands you've known for a long time. The first major band to join, and the biggest surprise, was Korn.
This leads me to an e-mail I received from Third Man Records with their Declaration of Principles, which then led to a full explanation of what exactly The Vault is:
I wondered what this new site could possibly look like; full of live
video streams, videos and photos, live chats, and podcasts. So color me fucking flabbergasted when I click the link from Third Man
Records' announcement of The Vault, and it leads me to a Third Man Records MODLIFE page! Complete with a new blog from Jack White himself, which I think MUST be
a first. I can't remember ever reading a blog by the man himself before.
It only
makes perfect sense! Jack
White has taken the original concept of MODLIFE, originally presented by Tom
Delonge, and given it five shots of adrenaline.
What is amazing to me is the setup of the Third Man Records MODLIFE page. On the original MODLIFE network there was a drop-down on the top that says "Select a Site", which dropped down a list of all the MODLIFE bands. If you are on The Vault's MODLIFE page, on the "Select a Site" drop-down is The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, and Third Man Records. If you are on any other MODLIFE site the drop-down lists every band, but not The Vault or any of Jack White's bands. It seems Jack White pulled some strings and has made Third Man Records completely independent of the rest of the MODLIFE network.
When you sign up for The Vault you get not only the content of this MODLIFE page, but there is some merchandise in the package as well. As explained on The Vault announcement:
I immediately signed up for a Platinum membership, because if there's anyone's word you can trust in the music world right now, it's Jack White's. (Not this guy). When Tom Delonge first launched MODLIFE it was full of bugs and issues.
It took nearly a full year until it exploded with new features and new
bands. But in the end the venture was totally worth it all.
I predict it will be a slow start for The Vault. These guys have been playing music all their lives, not tinkering with computers. But if we stick around long enough we will see it develop into something greater than what it already is.
Whether Jack White took a page out of Tom Delonge's book, or they were on the same page already, we can rest assured that there are major talents fighting on our side.
Oh yes, I'll do it. I'll put them together, side by side. Best friends forever. Whether you like it or not.
(To address your issue, sir, this is not just structured daily studio updates. If you do the math: for nearly the same price a week you get SO much more in this deal then some guy flexing his ego at you for 12 weeks. Besides, he said"any band", and Jack White is not "any band".)
Seeing footage of a woman who was just shot in the chest makes your head go silent. Fuck what you know, what you were just doing, thinking. You just saw someone think their last thoughts, and just stop. Then you see themselves disappear from their eyes. This is through a computer monitor, but it speaks the truth just as much as if you were the one holding her.
We don't need to go to the news
organizations anymore for their spun version of the story, I am not the
first to recognize this fact. In the
case of the Iran Elections: I have not seen, nor looked for, one official
news story on this historical event. I became aware of the events in Iran
through Twitter. Trending topics right now are full of "Iran Election"
related topics. I've seen what I need to see coming straight from the
handhelds of Iranian citizens.
Available to us now is complete, unedited, and unfiltered
coverage from the hands of our fellow citizens around the world. Yes, I
am referring to everyone in this world as my fellow citizen. We are all
connected, and it's sad that it took the internet and footage of a
dying woman for me to feel that way.
I listen to a podcast called Common Sense with Dan Carlin. I don't remember which podcast episode it was on, but he was discussing U.S. press policies on the Iraq war. He talked about how the Bush Administration put bans on the press being able to film caskets coming home from the war. He talked about the incredible lack of footage from Iraq, compared to the amount footage from Vietnam that was fed to the tubes of America. One of the Bush Administration's arguments to defend this press ban was one of the smartest things they've ever said: If the American people saw footage of dead Americans, then they wouldn't want to support the war.
No kidding, right?
There is a channel on youtube, Citizen Tube, that is gathering all the videos out of Iran. I am blown away by every second of footage. I don't need some dickhead reporter standing in front of a camera telling me what is happening miles away, or after the fact. Here we have the people who are LIVING through these moments, and giving us firsthand accounts. I feel fucking useless sitting behind this screen watching and listening to these people being abused. I can't imagine being in their place, but now I know.
I know that there are people out there who aren't taking it anymore. They are sick of the injustice of their governments and they are fighting back. I wish no harm on anybody, but I thank them all for standing up for what they believe in. Because they inspire the rest of the world. When our governments finally push us hard enough we will stand against them, and we will know there were others that stood against theirs.
The Dead Weather just played a live streaming show on http://ftblive.com. At the last minute, it hit me that they were playing at 9pm GMT. Which my time is 4pm. I ran to my computer and the website was just frozen. I was getting really pissed off, I walked away from my computer. Then I heard this buzzing noise come from my speakers. As I ran back over to my computer I saw an empty studio.
That opening did just as much for me as the actual show did: The buzzing amplifiers, cuts to close ups of the instruments, and then the band walking on camera. An epic feeling that, for the second time, I'm surprised I can get from a live internet stream.
They started the set off with their first released song, Hang You From The Heavens, and followed it with Treat Me Like Your Mother.
Alison Mosshart gave a kickass performance, and she is clearly no
stranger to the band fronting business. She wraps herself around that
microphone stand and whips her hair around, fully complimenting the
energy of the songs. Jack White on drums is just as vibrant behind the kit as he is up front, and lending his vocals completes that perfect package.
Little Jack is, well, Little Jack. He does his long hair swingy thing and plays some sweet bass. In most of the songs played, he has a thick distortion on his bass which creates this great deep, heavy tone.
Dean Fertita went back and forth from playing the guitar and the keyboards. In a new, previously unheard song the keyboard replaced the guitar entirely.
They played four songs, maybe five. My point is that it was too quick, and they left me wanting way more. Which I think was on purpose since their album hasn't been released yet.
One sure thing I can now say is that The Dead Weather is way heavier than most of the Jack White library of music. It's almost like mixing Queens of the Stone Age with some White Stripes, and maybe some Raconteurs as well.
This was a fantastic set, and The Dead Weather are definitely a must-see live show this year. I enjoyed them on my computer screen, and still felt a part of it. But nothing will compare to being in the live presence of these guys. And girl.
Spinnerette is the new band fronted by Brody Dalle, previously of The Distillers. As well as Brody, Spinnerette is made up of Alain Johannes (Eleven, QOTSA), Tony Bevilacqua (Distillers), and Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eleven). They've gone through their fair share of record label struggles, and the time between the announcement of Spinnerette and the actual album release has been a long road. But Brody Dalle is officially back, serenading and screaming.
Instantly, the difference between Spinnerette and The Distillers is that Brody takes her time on Spinnerette. This album just flows incredibly well. The Distillers was balls-out rock your ass off every song. Spinnerette takes you somewhere. Every song weaves into the next. Right up through the gap on the last track that leads you to a hidden jam session of sorts, with Brody going from soothing, whispery melodies to screaming her lungs out on the edge of control.
This album is all about the contrast between sweetness and rage. In their own bio, they couldn't have said it better:
Spinnerette is the sound of a sweaty black leather glove holding a lollipop’s stick, shoving it into crushed glass before offering you the first lick. If that made any sense, it might be Spinnerette. There is sweetness and there is menace. You will have the desire in spite of the obvious danger.
I wouldn't say that this is Brody Dalle/The Distillers "all growed up". Sure she has grown, settled down with Josh Homme, and had a little girl. But she's still got the little punk-rock chick inside of her. Evident in punch-out tracks like Sex Bomb and Geeking.
Speaking of Sex Bomb, this is a killer song. It's got this dark playfulness at the beginning, and then Brody Dalle comes in beckoning:
I don't want another man/I cry myself to sleep at night/Thinking of you loving me/ Baby please come back in me...
Oh yes. Soak that one in.The chorus rocks even harder, Brody with all all her voice's sultriness, "I want you to be my daddy".
Baptized By Fire is another song that brings out something new from Brody. With an electronica chorus and a mandolin-y bridge, add in her voice and you've got this really enchanting song. Yes, I felt enchanted. Just look at these enchanting lyrics:
So I'll be sailing on
Out into bermuda blue/Compass needle breaks Like the heart I gave to you/
I've been laying down in the devils lair
Sailing into the sun/ I'll be baptized there
Back in 2008 the Ghetto Love EP was released featuring Ghetto Love, Distorting A Code, and two other songs that didn't make the debut album cut (Valium Knights, Bury My Heart). Also included was a music video for Ghetto Love shot by Liam Lynch(WHATEVER). Ghetto Love is an amazing song, and perfectly fit as the opener for the Spinnerette debut. This song just kicks ass out the door immediately. In fact, I can picture Brody Dalle kicking a door down on the first booming beat; literally interpreting that Ghetto Love is a boombastic opener. Yes, I felt boombast..ed.
For the finale, A Prescription For Mankind is one hell of. (that yoda thing was an accident, I'm keeping it). It's definitely a sexy song. It is sexy. Just take it as it is, you can strip/fuck to this song. It's slow, heavy, and sexy. When the track ends, wait an extra minute. Take that breather. Brody comes back with the band intertwining in this one last charge into your eardrums, and she goes for your balls(females: clitoris) on this one.
If there was only one change I could make, then it would be to include Valium Knights, and maybe even take out Rebellious Palpitations.
Brody Dalle is officially my favorite chick in rock, again. She has brought back that voice from The Distillers we all love, and has added in some extra sweetness. The album as a whole is a huge accomplishment, and the hard work from her and the guys shows.
The Spinnerette debut is a great addition to Brody Dalle's discography, and I hope to suck on many more glass-shard lollipops in the future.
(Seriously, which ever one of them came up with that analogy: their band to a glass-shard lollipop, is the coolest person ever. Oh, the imagery.)
Spinnerette June 2009 Anthem/RED
01. Ghetto Love 02. All Babes Are Wolves 03. Cupid 04. Geeking 05. Baptized By Fire 06. A Spectral Suspension 07. Distorting A Code 08. Sex Bomb 09. Driving Song 10. Rebellious Palpitations 11. The Walking Dead 12. Impaler 13. A Prescription For Mankind
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