The sun fried my body and the “It’s a Small World” song fried my brain at Disneyland today.
So throw away those lamentations
We both know them all too well
If there’s a book of jubilations
We’ll have to write it for ourselves
We both know them all too well
If there’s a book of jubilations
We’ll have to write it for ourselves
“
| — | Josh Ritter in his incredible song “Lantern” |
I once saw a quote from Jud Apatow in which he said he was terrible at naming characters in his scripts. Left on his own, he said, all of them would be named Ron Gardner.
That’s not only hilarious, it’s also a shortcoming I share.
Now, I believe that I may have stumbled across an incredible character-naming tool (as long as your characters are all Americans) It’s the Social Security Administration’s list of baby names from every year. Plus, it’s really fun to search… by year, by gender, whatever.
The New Pornographers… from the waist down.
Throughout 23 years of concert-going, I have always enjoyed the benefits provided by my extreme height. Put me in any seat in any venue and I can always see the band… sometimes to the detriment of those unlucky souls behind me.
That run ended last night.
My friend Kim and I went to Philly’s Trocadero to see the New Pornographers, a band I have been trying to see for at least five years. We arrived late enough that the general admission crowd had filled up every single seat in the balcony (the only place to get beer at the Troc). The angle of the upper balcony is so steep that it creates a very narrow viewing space from the back. At nearly 6’7”, I had a perfect view of AC Newman and Neko Case… if I was interested in watching only their feet. At 5’4”, Kim was able to see them from the knee down. Our only choice was to sit on the floor and crane our necks. It was less than ideal, but I didn’t mind because the New Pornographers are making some of the most original music out there these days. If you combined Big Star with ELO and had lyrics written by Frank Zappa working with an early Bernie Taupin, you’d get something like the New Pornographers. Maybe.
Their ability to wield well-crafted power pop combined with effervescently bizarre lyrics makes their songs unique and yet instantly recognizable. And “well-crafted” may be an understatement: many songs rival Abba for pure pop perfection.
However, part of the perfection is the use of audio production as an instrument. Intricately layered harmonies and lush, full mixes are not easily featured on the sweaty stages of small theaters. The songcraft is still there, but there is something missing… at least until you get used to the lack.
One thing that helps to offset that lack is the secret weapon known as Neko Case. It is a voice unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Whether it’s with the band or on her myriad solo recordings, Case sings a siren’s song that will seduce one and all… A siren that sounds as if she’s enjoyed a lifetime of whiskey.
In this day of AutoTuned talentless stars, Case is the real deal. A post-modern Patsy Cline, she needs no help. Standing in the midst of eight other musicians and eight other instruments, her voice cuts through it all and adds a signature lilt to every song. No mix can contain her.
And for that, I would happily spend many an evening sitting on a night-club carpet, soaked in 20 years worth of beer spills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBAUQaj6EJo
or
This is one of my all-time favorite movies and yet I have never seen it on the big screen… until tonight.
The mood, pacing and tone of this film are absolutely pitch-perfect and it has always felt way ahead of its time. Anyone care to join in? Let me know.
Not sure if any of you remember this, but I have very vivid memories of the commercials on WPIX and WWOR. They were terrifying. I thought that they were long gone (and I could never find anyone to back up my memory), but I managed to find this website today. I have to say that the commercials aren’t nearly as scary as I remember.
A panorama of the medieval town of Mostar, here in Herzegovina. I made this by taking a series of shots from the top of a minaret from a 400-year-old mosque. I then used the app Autostitch to stitch them together. Moments earlier a Norwegian woman fainted right in front of me while climbing the impossibly tight and winding stairs. Her friend and I caught her or things could have gotten very interesting.
