scene but not herd

Last night I watched a film called SWIMMING POOL and it reminded me of how much I like seeing something completely cold. I thought I knew about the director, but I had him confused with the director of IRMA VEP. So it turns out that SWIMMING POOL is the first movie I have ever seen by Francois Ozon. I really want to see it again now because it really has had me thinking for the last twenty-four hours and how often does a movie do that to you? The film is quite slow, but in a good way because that pace really builds a tension that you can "cut with a knife." There is tension based upon what is going to happen as well as a sexual tension between some of the characters. Charlotte Rampling stars in the film and her character is wound up very tight and it is interesting to watch her loosen up and even unravel a little bit as the film progresses. As I watched the film I kept thinking of Patricia Highsmith for some reason. She was the author of Strangers On A Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley and this film has a certain perverse thriller aspect to it which reminds me of her work. The ending of the film made me question everything I had seen prior though. I guess I'm being really vague here, but I really don't want to give anything away on the slight chance that someone will read this and be interested in seeing the film. All I will say is that it ended up making me think of how film conveys meaning. The way a film is shot and how that can make you assume things that aren't necessarily true. The Charlotte Rampling character is an author who is trying to write a novel and in the film you see her creative process at work. If you neglect the narrative completely, the film, I think, can also be seen as being about Francois Ozon's creative process. How he manipulates the tools of cinema to manipulate an audience.

A while back I saw a Japanese film called CURE and once again I knew nothing about it before I started watching it. I guess that is part of the attraction; I know nothing about it as it starts, but I'm immediately sucked in because I then do want to know what it is all about. The story is about a man who compels others to kill and the policeman who is trying to make sense of it all. This is a truly creepy movie. It is slowly paced and quiet, but it can really make your skin crawl. It is an interesting variation of a serial killer movie and I highly recommend it.

I'm pretty bummed out right now. I set my video recorder to tape the Charlie Rose show last night because the Brazilian musician, Caetano Veloso, was going to make an appearance. I get home today expecting to see that and instead I see Senator John McCain being interviewed. I guess there was a change in plans. I was hoping to incorporate the interview with Caetano Veloso into this, but I guess I will have to change things a little bit. I suppose that not everyone will identify with the following analogy, but here it goes. Caetano Veloso's voice is like a beautiful woman wearing a silk skirt. I slide my hand slowly up her leg until I feel the silk against the back of my hand while my fingertips feel the warmth of her skin. I then lift her top slightly and brush my cheek against her soft belly. I close my eyes and let out a sigh of amazement. Yes, his voice is that good. I don't remember when or why I became interested in Brazilian music, but I'm so thankful that I did. There are so many amazing artists that have come from this country, but I'm only going to focus on Mr. Veloso. His concert at the John Anson Ford Theater on July 3, 1999 was one of the greatest concerts I have ever experienced. Part of the reason was the venue. An open air theater in July equals natural beauty. He was touring for the album Livro and I remember the core of the backing band was a small string section and about five kids playing percussion. I can't even remember if there was an actual drummer because these kids were amazing. Beck came out at one point and he and Caetano did a duet on the song "Baby." Towards the end of the show during one song each member of the band came out to the front of the stage and did a little dance. Beck even participated showing off some Prince-like dance moves. Veloso's work has been an influence on Beck especially the album Mutations. One of my top ten albums of all time is Veloso's self-titled album from, I believe, 1968. This is simply great pop music. Amazing arrangements by Rogerio Duprat. Don't be put off by the foreign language because this ranks right up there with the best work of American and English artists of the time. Veloso is also one of the few artists who is, after more than thirty years, still making music that is relevant and of quality. Do yourself a favor and pick up any compilation which mentions the word "Tropicalia" and features artists like Veloso, Gal Costa, Tom Ze, Gilberto Gil, and Os Mutantes.

This was my KILL BILL weekend. Friday night I ordered a pizza and sat down and watched volume one of this movie in preparation of my Saturday afternoon viewing of volume two. I'm not going to bother doing a review of the first film other than to say that I really enjoyed it and that it is fast paced, loud and action packed. Volume two is a much different movie. The pace is much slower and most of the action has been replaced with talking. I guess I was expecting a movie similar to volume one so it took me a little while to forget about that and simply accept volume two as it is. In the end I found it to be a satisfying conclusion to the story. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that the the last third of the movie was particularly pleasing to me. Quentin Tarantino has a way with words. In watching his films I've noticed that the dialogue he writes often has the same impact as an action sequence because it is often exciting, interesting, and witty on top of all that. In volume two the dialogue comes before the action and in the end the action doesn't have the impact that it normally would have in a different movie by a different director. Here the action is like "icing on the cake," which allow these action sequences to go in not quite expected directions. In particular the scene involving the Michael Madsen, Darryl Hannah, and Uma Thurman characters comes to mind. Tarantino is also the saviour of the forgotten actor. Hollywood really seems to have a short attention span. There are so many actors who do quality work, but are forgotten because they are no longer or never were a box-office draw. Tarantino made people remember John Travolta after he was considered somewhat of a has been and he has featured people like Lawrence Tierney, Robert Forster, Pam Grier, David Carradine, and Asian and European actors that American studios would never give the time of day to. David Carradine is great in volume two, but I'm quite sure that no one had considered him for any substantial roles in recent years. My final comment on the movie leads to my continued recent fixation with Serge Gainsbourg. I don't think I'm giving anything away by stating that the Uma Thurman character has a daughter. I'm not sure how they spell her name in the movie, but it is pronounced BB. I like to think that that is the correct spelling because it would reference Brigitte Bardot who did some albums with Mr. Gainsbourg. They sang a duet on an incredible song called "Bonnie and Clyde." I know it is a stretch, but like I said, I'm a little obsessed right now.

The other night I saw a band called TV On The Radio play live on the Carson Daly show. I really like their EP and album, but seeing them live on the show has really made me look forward to seeing them at the Echo next week. Musically they have a simplicity of sound that kind of reminds me of Suicide, but they also remind me of an English band from the late eighties/early nineties called AR Kane. Maybe it is partly because both bands feature(d) two people of African descent in a somewhat noisy/indie rock setting. TV On The Radio bring a certain level of "soul" into that Suicide sound. I use the word "soul" only in the sense of the vocal sound. If you want to know what I mean specifically listen to their doo-wop cover of the Pixies' "Mr. Grieves" which is a bonus track on their EP. I guess it is similar to what Mick Collins brings to all the bands he has been in. Would the Gories, Blacktop, or Dirtbombs be quite the same without his great voice on top of that garage-rock sound?

Friday I'm going to see All Night Radio at Spaceland. They have a somewhat psychedelic, fuzzed-out Byrds sound with great melodies. Their album is good, but it really doesn't do them justice because their live sound is so much better.

I met a girl recently and she told me that she was interning at POWER 106, the "hip hop" station here in Los Angeles, and she also mentioned that sometimes she was on the air as well, so I decided to give it a listen. Mind you I only listened very briefly (never heard her by the way) but that station really is bad. I'm going to sound old once again, but is this what hip hop has come to? I remember the days of Run DMC, Public Enemy, Eric B and Rakim, and De La Soul and recent stuff like Outkast and the Roots are interesting, but the stuff I heard was mostly crap. No flow, lyrics about nothing other than girls and conspicuous consumption, banal music. I'm basing my opinions on a commercial radio station so I'm sure that I'm incorrect in stating that hip hop basically sucks now, but I sure haven't heard too much truly mind blowing stuff lately. I guess most genres of music reach a point where good and original ideas seem to have been exhausted so I shouldn't single out hip hop, but I was really quite startled at the bad quality of most of the songs that I heard.

On the other hand, I've been listening to a relatively new station called Indie 103.1 and it is like a breath of fresh air. Sure it's nothing ground breaking; anyone who's heard good college radio like KLXU and KSPC know that good radio already exists. It is pretty amazing that a station owned by a huge conglomerate has this playlist though. It is a little reminiscent of the old KROQ and KNAC before it went metal. The other day I heard The Dils' "I Hate The Rich" and I don't think those stations ever played this song even when they were good. They play some current songs to death (I never want to hear that Tears For Fears cover ever again) but it is worthwhile to listen because you never know when a gem is going to pop up. Steve Jones of Sex Pistols fame has a pretty good show that runs Tuesday through Friday at noon until 1:00. How can you not like hearing Roxy Music, Sparks, Sweet, Generation X, and David Bowie during lunch time?

Speaking of Steve Jones, he was in a movie called LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS. He appears in the film with a movie version of the band he was in after the Sex Pistols called the Professionals. It's basically about some teenage girls who start a punk rock band and go on tour with the Professionals and their dealings with fame. It has influenced a lot of people including the Riot Girl movement. I think I first saw it when I was about thirteen or fourteen on ON TV (anyone remember this precursor to HBO, etc. ?) It came out in 1981 I believe so I was pretty interested in anything relating to punk rock, but it was only a few years later that I was really interested in the movie because it starred a young Diane Lane. By the time 1984 rolled around I had a huge crush on her, probably after watching the three films she made with Francis Coppola: THE OUTSIDERS, RUMBLE FISH, and THE COTTON CLUB, but I think I already had a soft spot for her since I had seen her first film, A LITTLE ROMANCE (YOU need to see this). This is when I started wishing I had videotaped that earlier ON TV showing. Wow! Punk rock and Diane Lane! Sign me up! Anyway, I haven't seen the movie in more than twenty years, but I do remember it being quite good. I really want to see it again and I don't think I would be disappointed upon seeing it now. I wish it was available on dvd or videotape, but so far there is nothing available. I think a cult has risen surrounding the film in the last few years so some type of release is probably not out of the question. There was a really good article in Grand Royal magazine a few years ago about the film and all the people it had influenced and it is really worth searching out for. I just bought a dvd which features a documentary about the making of the film and I'm really looking forward to receiving it in the mail. The Nuart had some screenings a few years ago so hopefully some theater will show it again sometime soon.

I became sick last Friday so I didn't make it to Electrelane, but at least I had seen them before at the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival last year. Sunday I had a chance to see Iron and Wine do an in-store at Finger Prints Records in Long Beach. I like his last album so it was nice to have a chance to see him play near my home. I will quote the L.A. Times review and say that it was "hushed and subtle music" and leave it at that succinct description.

I bought a cd yesterday by a girl named Nellie McKay and it was mainly because of five songs. I'm not quite sure if I like the entire album, but I really like the five songs because they are just her nice voice accompanied by piano, bass, and drums. You can't really go wrong with that combination and I kind of wish I had gone to see her live earlier this week because I'm guessing she probably played with this sparse accompaniment which I love. She's only nineteen so I'm curious to hear what she does in the future. She already writes some deceptively sweet songs which go on to reveal some tart lyrics. The reason I even bring this up is to be able to discuss someone I only discovered last year and her name is Blossom Dearie. I guess she's been making records since the fifties and she is still playing to this day. The work that I like the most by her also just involves voice, piano, bass, and drums. She has a very distinctive voice, "girly" you might say. There is something incredibly sexy about that voice as well. Listen to her sing "Tea For Two" or "Someone To Watch Over Me" and I think you can't help but be moved. Let those languid notes hit an icy heart and surely it will melt.

I also bought the Franz Ferdinand record. This was something I wanted to hate based solely on all the hype they've been receiving lately. I was pleasantly surprised to hear some nice, jagged post-punk guitar work which was funky as well. Since the band is Scottish I immediately thought of bands like Orange Juice and Fire Engines and the Postcard record label from the early eighties. The way some critics wrote about Franz Ferdinand you'd think it was music that had never been heard before and this is part of what I hate about a lot of music criticism. Hyperbole is bad enough, but then you top it off with no sense of history. I like to think of it as "the Great Men" theory of criticism. Some critics have this pantheon of musicians which they revere and everything else falls by the wayside. This week, I believe, will be the tenth anniversary of Kurt Cobain committing suicide and I'm sure plenty will be written about it. Maybe it is because I saw Nirvana coming up( I remember their first single coming out, I remember them opening up for Tad at Bogart's in Long Beach) that I don't believe that they changed music. They were a really good band and I enjoyed seeing them live and hearing Nevermind, but I refuse to put them on a pedestal like some choose to do. They were one brick in a long and wide road. They didn't change music, but rather changed what type of music started to sell to the masses. "Punk Rock" became the new commodity. Nirvana deserves praise, but there was a lot of good music coming out in the early nineties and by and large many critics forget that and simply focus on Nirvana as the only thing that mattered.

After what I just wrote above I'm going to be a little bit of a hypocrite here and state that Serge Gainsbourg's "Melody" is the greatest song I've ever heard. What I want to say is that I'm just really digging that song right now. I was driving around in my car last night playing it really loud and it just sounded incredible. You know when it sounds so good that certain notes send chills up and down your spine. I saw the movie THE DREAMERS a few weeks ago and the last few days I've been inspired to make an alternative soundtrack for it. Of course "Melody" makes an appearance on my soundtrack. The movie takes place around some of the events that occurred in Paris in 1968 and I've been trying to use songs from that period give or take a few years, but I'm thinking of dropping that idea and just using any song from any time period that fits the spirit of the film. Forgoing my current criteria for inclusion, Stereolab's song "K-Stars" would be just perfect.

Speaking of Stereolab, my only plans for the week are to go see Electrelane at Spaceland on Friday. They sort of have that Kraut-Rock sound going on which reminds me of early Stereolab amongst other things.