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Everywhere You Go: Black Cats
Lately, there's been a surfeit of black swans in the media, but the black cat is timeless (I have a 16-year-old named Sterling). Here- with, in honor of Halloween, are a few of my favorites. Incidentally, while I realize that they appear in countless books, movies, and the like, I chose examples where the phrase also appears in the title.
Trailer for 1941'sThe Black Cat with Basil Rathbone and Alan Ladd (one among several US films to operate under that title).
Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko plays NYC's Film Forum 10/22-28.
Serbian director Emir Kusturica's 1998 Black Cat, White Cat (clickhere for my review of his Palme d'Or-winning Undergound).
Click here for more movie posters and here for my review of Broad- cast & the Focus Group - Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age.
Endnote: British cover image for Kuroneko, AKA "Black Cat," from Weird Wild Realm. Expect an announcement from the Cri- terion Collection about a domestic DVD release any day now.
1/12 update: Click here for the best photo essay ever.
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Posted on 09:17
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Gentle on My Mind
The retro taster for the upcoming Jennifer Gentle album (due 2011) is a song called "Little Carol," which appears in the Italian film Una Vita Tranquilla starring Toni Servillo (The Girl by the Lake). Check it out here.
Here's an excerpt from my Tablet review of Jennifer Gentle's 2005 release Valende (Sub Pop), "I can't say I've ever heard any- thing likeJennifer Gentle before. On their third full-length, the Italian duo sound like an unholy alliance between T-Rex, Animal Collective, Pianosaurus...and Ornette Coleman. While Marco and Alessio favor offbeat instrumentation, like harmonium, glocken- spiel, and kazoo, they can also crank up the volume, free jazz- style, when the mood hits. Marco's vocals, meanwhile, sound like Marc Bolan on 45 (or Alvin the Chipmunk on acid)."
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Endnote: Click here for my review of Gomorrah and here for Il Divo, both starring Servillo...but not featuring music by Jennifer Gentle (both films made my top 10 for 2009). Image from Ja.La.
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Posted on 08:48
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Everywhere You Go: Black Swans
Books, theories, movies, etc. Here's one song (there may be others).
Click here for clips from Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly. His roto- scope version of Philip K. Dick's book makes brilliant use of the number.
Mike Whybark, Siffblog webmaster, also recommends Bruce Sterling's 2009 story "Black Swan." When I asked him about a possible connec- tion between the story and the song, he pointed me to this link about The Black Swan Theory. That entry, in turn, leads to Nassim Nich- olas Taleb's 2007 book The Black Swan: The Impact of the High- ly Improbable. I tell you: black swans are everywhere these days!
P.S. One more. Click here for Bert Jansch performing "The Black Swan" at Chicago's Empty Bottle in 2006. Thanks to ratzkywatzky for the tip!
Endnote:Black Swan opens in Seattle in December (ven- ue TBA). Poster image from First Showing (click for more).
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Retro Flair
Black Angels, Phosphene Dream, Blue Horizon
Long story short: I love this record. Who could've seen that com- ing? I mean, I fell hard for the Austin outfit's Passover, but follow- up Directions to See a Ghost felt rushed. The group's psych-rock sound was in full effect, but the songs weren't there. I need songs.
So, while I'm sad to see that they've left local label Light in the At- tic, the switch to Blue Horizon, the new imprint from Sire's Sey- mour Stein and ex-Strangelove Richard Gottehrer--and produc- er of the Dum Dum Girls debut--has done them a world of good.
The change may have nothing to do with it, but they appear to have spent more time on Phosphene Dream. The songs are there, and they didn't turn to bubblegum to make it happen-- not that I dislike that genre, but I expect rock fromthe Angels, and their third LP brings all the fuzz and distortion of their first.
That said, those who never found them sufficiently original may persist in that view. Their influences remain transparent, and yet they sound like themselves, a tricky feat to pull off. It helps that Alex Maas is a persuasive singer joined by talented players who all get the chance to shine (there isn't a weak link on this disc).
I hear references to many of my favorite artists, like Syd Bar- rett, the Velvet Underground, Clinic--even the much maligned Doors. The short, sharp "Telephone," in particular, sounds like a long-lost should-have-been-a-hit single from the Zombies.
Since the band hails from Texas, it only makes sense that they'd also throw in a few nods to the 13th Floor Elevators. They've serv- ed as Roky Erickson's backing band, so it's fair to say they've earn- ed the right; much like Posies Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow, who spent quality time with Alex Chilton in the reconstituted Big Star.
In a great year for psych-rock--see Ty Segall, Wooden Shjips, etc.--the Black Angels have still managed to produce one of the finest examples yet. And not just as far as 2010 is concern- ed. This album, for my money, is one for the psychedelic ages.
Jakob Martin, Leave the Light On, self-released[11/16/10]
Folk-rock with soul swing, L.A. singer-songwriter Jakob Martin adds harmonica and piano to this five-track release, which lends the proceedings retro flair. Recommended to fans of Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, and Dave Matthews. Not my thing, but not bad.
Endnote: Trivia: Alex's sister, Wheedle's Groove helmer Jen- nifer Maas, is married to LITA head Matt Sullivan. The Black Angels (and Black Mountain) play Seattle's Showbox on 11/29. For more information about Jakob Martin, please click here.
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Posted on 09:19
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Movie of the Month: Part 21
I recently reviewed the follow- ing film for Video Librarian, and thought the results were worth sharing.
THE WAY WE GET BY[***1/2] (Aron Gaudet, US, 2009, 84 mins.)
It may not have the name recognition of Chicago's O'Hare or New York's JFK, but Maine's Bangor International Airport re- ceives pride of place in Aron Gaudet's film, since troops leav- ing for and returning from Iran and Afghanistan often pass through its doors (the documentary aired as part of P.O.V.).
Since 2003, 87-year-old Navy veteran Bill Knight has made it his life's work to thank over 900,000 men and women for their ser- vice. "Our troops need our support," he explains. His companions include 74-year-old Jerry Mundy, an ex-Marine who lost his only son to illness, and the filmmaker's mother, 75-year-old Joan Gau- det, whose family counts three military members, including her late husband who fought in the Korean War (Aron's wife, pro- ducer Gita Pullapilly, helped to conduct the interviews).
Gaudet films the greeters, all of whom have health problems, at the airport and at home. Knight shares his alarmingly messy farmhouse with a dog and countless cats (Mundy and Gaudet claim canine companions, as well). During filming, he finds out he has prostate cancer, but opts to keep greeting while he can.
In the meantime, he moves into a trailer while preparing to sell his house and pay down his credit card debt. Knight also plans to place his cats with a shelter, since he can no longer afford to feed them. Though Joan would like to see the war come to an end, she admits that she'd be lost if she didn't get to shake hands with the troops each week, no matter how early the call. Her son deserves credit for avoiding pathos, pity, and divisive politics in this exam- ination of dedication and mortality. A strong recommendation.
Click here for Movie of the Month, Part 20: My Year Without Sex
Endnote: Slightly revised from the original text. I didn't pick a DVD for September, but if I had, it would've beenSweet- hearts of the Prison Rodeo (click here for my Siffblog review), which plays the NWFF 1o/8-10. Image from Living in Cinema.
Everywhere You
