Hi Red Center’s “Chicken Gorlet”
Brooklyn’s Hi Red Center will release “Assemble” on Nov. 24. Karl from Joyful Noise sent along the first single, “Chicken Gorlet,” which sounds pretty good. Hear for yourself.
Why is Massive Attack aping UNKLE?
The cover of the new Massive Attack album, “Splitting the Atom,” bears an uncanny resemblance to UNKLE’s “War Stories” from 2007. Both use smudgy, sketchy and shadowy images of skeletal, haloed figures. What’s going on here? If Massive Attack chose to use the same artist, this seems like bad form. Is Massive Attack intentionally drawing a connection to UNKLE as a sort of homage, or, conversely, mocking James Lavelle? Perhaps a we have a British electronica feud on our hands.
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- Massive Attack’s “Splitting the Atom” from 2009
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- Insert art from UNKLE’s “War Stories”
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- UNKLE’s “War Stories,” released in 2007
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- Another image from Massive Attacks “Splitting the Atom”
A post-’Watchmen’ world: 7 comic movies worth trying
Too bad Dave Sim appears to have gone crazy during the last 100 issues of 'Cerebus,' adopting a religion of his own made from a blend of Islam and 'misogyny.' Still, could be a good movie.
My comic curiosity led me into a comic shop the other day.
I picked up a copy of Wizard, hoping to get a grip on what was happening in the industry. Surprisingly little has changed since the mid-1990s when my comic book phase burned short, but bright. “Batman” and “X-Men” still dominate the market ; Marvel, DC and scores of independents are constantly launching and re-launching various franchises in hopes of hooking new readers. The ratio of No. 1s to No. 100-pluses listed in this month’s Previews is about 40:1. Snake Eyes from the upcoming “G.I. Joe” movie was on the Wizard cover. This is where the industry has changed dramatically, at least a part of it.
Comic properties have become hot business in Hollywood. If you had told me 15 years ago that “Sin City,” “Hellboy,” “Hellblazer,” “V For Vendetta” and “Watchmen” would be made into big-time Hollywood movies I would have laughed in your fanboy face. But the fact that those movies has been made tells me that nothing is impossible. With that said, I present seven comic book franchises that should become big-time Hollywood movies.
1. Sandman—Horror seems to have undergone a renaissance at the box office. Not since the 1980’s can I remember so many gruesome thrillers getting top billing at your local cinema. Where better to find a hit then with the “Endless Family?” The first family of DC’s Vertigo line was the muse of comic kids who hated superheroes all throughout the 90s. Want to keep it simple? Make “Death: The High Cost of Living” using the graphic novel as a script. Target mall-emo goth kids and you’ve got a hit. Why hasn’t this been done?
2. Cerebus—OK, so this will never happen, but Dave Sim’s anamorphic Aardvark brought some serious social commentary to independent comics. Too bad Sim appears to have gone insane over the past 100 issues or so, adopting his own blend of Islam and something close to “misogyny” and abandoning his family for his comic. Sim has declared his intent to make “Cerebus” public domain after his death, so someone will get their hands on this material. Let’s just hope it’s done right. The more I think about it, the more I think this could work as a telling of the Cerebus tale intertwined with Sim’s own tale of madness and genius. Now I want to do this myself.
3. Madman—Mike Allred’s colorful character has all the flair of a big-top harlequin and an art-deco style to keep the book’s look refreshing. I can totally see this as an “Incredibles”-styled Pixar-animated feature or even a computer-graphically illustrated action pic ala “Sky Captain.” Look how close “The Iron Giant” came to “Rusty and the Boy Robot?”
4. Grendel—OK, seriously, why hasn’t this been done? Maybe Matt Wagner has strong feelings about the corruption of independent art by the mainstream entertainment industry, but can you think of a more cinematic character than “Grendel?” That awesome mask, the bladed staff and gentlemanly style. This is begging to be done. Plus there’s the “Beowulf” reference to capitalize on. Think Grendel lacks commercial potential? Back in the mid-1990s Grendel appeared in a two-issue crossover series with Batman, with painted panels by Wagner. It was one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever seen. Let’s work on this.
5. Lobo—So Sacha Baron-Cohen can make fun of gays, Christians, eastern Europe, the Middle East and the fashion industry but Lobo, DC’s first-amendment crusading patron of bad taste, can’t get a movie? Come on. Like Grendel, Lobo has miles of style: the pale skin with dark facial markings, wild mane of black hair, leather biker gear and a taste for violence. You could almost insert Lobo as the porn-star president character in Mike Judge’s “Idiocracy.” Picture it people.
6. Cable—Not sure what has become of Cable’s story in the Marvel continuity, but back in my heyday, the bionic mercenary was one of my favorite characters. He toted huge, futuristic weapons, seemed capable of time travel, had a flashing eye that had something to do with Longshot and Shatterstar and carried a certain kind of Nick Fury credibility with his shock of gray hair. So why is Cable getting passed by while his New Mutants brethren gain exposure? Ryan Reynolds appeared as Deadpool in the “Wolverine” movie and has signed on to reprise the role. Keira Knightly played an adaptation of Domino (which I haven’t seen, does Cable make a cameo?). Last I heard, Cable was known to crossover into X-Men territory. This, at the very least, should get the big man onscreen.
7. Flaming Carrot—Maybe even less likely than Cerebus. I own an issue of “Flaming Carrot” and I still have no idea what this book is all about. I can tell that the main character is, indeed, a flaming carrot, with a carrot (sprouting two arms and two legs) for a head and torso and a lick of flame instead of a green stem. But what does he do? I don’t know, but someone with an eye for satire can do something with this.
It occurs to me while writing this that more than a few comic properties deserve another go-’round. I was always a big fan of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” but the black-and-white grit, the shadowy underworld the renaissance four seemed to occupy was scrubbed clean by a couple of kiddy movies. Yeah, maybe that’s the only way four humanoid turtles works, but I would buy a ticket for Turtles done “Dark Knight” style. How about the “Return to New York” storyline that ended its initial black-and-white run? I see Turtles has been revived as an animated series. The media coverage would be substantial for the mere fact that a new, grittier turtles would shatter the mold. Worth considering.
“Judge Dredd” became a favorite character after Simon Bisley’s psychedelic run on “Dredd Rules.” Then some guy named Stallone mucked it up with a slick action-movie take on the character. Seriously, that movie and “Demolition Man” blend together in my memory. Someone save the judge.
‘Dark Night of the Soul’
“Dark Night of the Soul” sounds trapped under glass, ambered by a thick layer of dust. And the project will remain mothballed as long as EMI holds a grudge.
The collaboration between DJ Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse appears to be shelved indefinitely on account of "The Grey Album," Danger Mouse's illegal mashup of The Beatles' "White Album" (property of EMI) and Jay-Z's "Black Album."
The songs here were written not by Lennon and McCartney, but by Linkous, produced by Danger Mouse and each showcases a different guest vocalist. Opener “Revenge” features Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, delivering a tale of retribution and remorse over bubbling keyboards, woozy piano and a ticking synthetic beat. Gruff Rhys delivers the kind of buzzy, eccentric pop his band, Super Furry Animals, is known for, replete with whimpering strings, accordion and whistling. Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Frank Black of the Pixies, Iggy Pop and Suzanne Vega, contribute vocals. James Mercer of the Shins delvers one of the best performances on “Insane Lullaby” and Vic Chesnutt’s “Grim Augury” is unsettling with dissonant guitar, organ and lyrics such as: “Catfish were wriggling in blood and gore in the kitchen sink.” The project has gained a glimmer of commercial viability with the addition of director David Lynch, who has assembled an accompanying book of 100 photographs, limited to 5,000 copies and available for $50. (Lynch also lends vocals to two tracks, pitched-up and distorted for a nightmarish 50’s feel). For now, the accompanying CD, will remain blank. Listeners must stream “Dark Night of the Soul” online (it’s available on National Public Radio’s site) or scrounge downloads in shadowy corners of the Web.
Hip-Hop and The Supreme Court
What rhymes with "Sotomayer"?
Hip? Yeah, you could call we.
The appointment of Sonia Sotomayer this week by President Barack Obama reminded me of my favorite Supreme Court references in hip-hop and, specifically, Digable Planets’ 1994 album “Reachin’: A New Refutation of Time and Space.” The record includes the abortion-themed song “La Femme Fetal,” on which MC Butterfly tells the tale of a friend struggling with an unplanned pregnancy. “An aborting mission should be your volition,” Butterfly raps. “But if Souter and Thoams have their way, you’ll be standing in line unable to get welfare while they’ll be out hunting and fishing.” My 14-year-old ears may not have recognized the names of justices David Souter and Clarence Thomas, but I understood well enough that there was an element of class warfare in this discussion. But Planets were humorous, too. On another track, female MC Ladybug complains that she “…can’t get comfortable because the Supreme Court is, like, all up in my uterus,” to great comedic effect.
Grampall Jookabox: May 15 at Spin
The night belonged to Grampall Jookabox's David Adamson May 15 at Spin.
Grampall Jookabox played a spirited if short set on Friday at Spin Nightclub in Broadripple. Billed as GJ’s first show since returning from its world tour, the bill featured Joyful Noise labelmates Prizzy Prizzy Please and Marmoset, along with Chicago’s Haymarket Riot and Andy and Annie Skinner spinning tunes in between sets. Austria’s Valina, a recent signee to Joyful Noise, immediately preceded GJ, bringing a dynamic sound that cut through the din. Charming lead singer Anatol Bogendorfer lured the audience close to the stage for the first time and isn’t as English-challenged as he lets on. But the night belonged to Grampall Jookabox, who established its double-drum kit setup and opened up the show with a version of “Ponta” that included some new lyrics. David Adamson coaxed much of the sound from programmed sequencers and not a guitar was strummed during the performance. Still, GJ had no trouble engaging the audience with Adamson bounding through the audience not once, but twice. I’m not sure how GJ’s second album, “Ropechain,” has fared on a national scale, but there is no doubt the band has the full support of it’s home town.
Atmosphere: “When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold”
Atmosphere: Scolding party-poopers?
Minneapolis rapper Sean Daley, known as Slug in the context of Atmosphere, specializes in cautionary tales. His characters on Atmosphere’s 2008 album, “When Life Gives You Lemonade, You Paint That Shit Gold,” are junkies, single mothers and day laborers, struggling to survive in a cruel world and struggling against their own worst impulses. In “Your Glass House,” Slug’s protagonist struggles with a wicked hangover in a strange house before realizing it’s home. “The Skinny” uses fresh electro keyboards to tell the tale of a young woman whose desperation puts her under the thumb of a pimp. The most original of Slug’s picaresque tales is “In Her Music Box,” in which pop music saddles a young girl with her father’s misogyny. The other half of atmosphere is producer Anthony Davis, or Ant. His thumping beat is contagious on “You,” and serves the song even better than Slug’s chanted chorus. Ant’s production shines on “The Skinny” and “Shoulda Known,” two tracks with a glitchy, electro feel, but he also understands when to keep the production somber. “Guarantee” features nothing more than a gently strummed electric guitar and “The Waitress” makes good use of some bittersweet piano lines. And therein lies the problem with “When Life Gives You Lemons…”: there are simply too many hard-luck tales, too many minor-key dirges and too few upbeat moments. Rappers have been drawing on desperate realism at least since “The Message” and Public Enemy’s social consciousness might be the best thing that ever happened to the genre, but it’s too much of a good thing on this record. Slug comes off as a scold, leaving many of Ant’s best productions sounding joyless. Let’s hope Atmosphere bring some joy to the Vogue on May 19.
Interview: Wild Light
Wild Light opened for The Killers on May 1 at the Murat Theatre.
Jordan Alexander of Wild Light talked to Philistine before the band’s May 1 performance at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis. Alexander talked about Wild Light, the band’s debut album, “Adults Nights,” and opening for Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and The Killers.
Philistine: So what’s your problem with California/San Francisco, exactly? Is the song more about change and saying fuck the past or is it really about the place?
Jordan Alexander, Wild Light: It’s really about a moment in my life. A moment I was sitting at the top of a hill in San Francisco , in a really beautiful park, overlooking the city and the bay. Another moment I was sitting next to a lake in Oakland . And there was someone I met there who was really there for me, but I wasn’t there for them. I had other things on my mind. It’s not regret, it’s just saying it how it is. It’s not anger, it’s just truth. It’s me realizing things are very far from where they should be. That was where I was supposed to be, but only in order to show me what I had to do different. I just came and went, somewhat destructively, and at another time California and that person would be where I belonged.
P: For a lot of people who don’t know about Wild Light, such as myself, the record is all we have to go on. As the first song “California On My Mind” is kind of a red herring. Was that a conscious decision to either throw people off or grab their attention right away?
JA: I love red herring. Starting a record with a catchy song is a great idea. The curses were just a bonus.
P: On the first listen, I thought the record had a very “clean” sound. All of the elements were pristine, a lot of vibrant piano and keybords. How much is your sound something designed by the band and how much is it just a consequence of the the way the band plays naturally?
JA: We’re a much rawer band than the record. Our sound is the result of a lot of things. As far as the album, there’s Rob Schnapf’s production, which is pretty clean and tight, but there’s the rawer playing under all that. We didn’t set out to sound any specific way, we just wrote what we wanted to play and sing.
P: There are a lot of strong vocal melodies on the record, you seem to have a knack for writing hooks. But I’ve noticed that the clean sound and melodic quality of the songs shrouds dark and sometimes impressionistic lyrics. “ New Hampshire ” with the refrain of ‘My family, one (two/three/four) generation(s)…’ especially seems to make its point sub-consciously and another song that mentions “a hand on my shoulder” that was “dead weight” is a pretty stark image. What makes this kind of contrast so effective? Where does that lead a song?
JA: What better to accompany a dark or impressionistic lyric than a good melody. Melodies and lyrics have always been the most important parts of the songs for us.
P: What does the title “Adult Nights” mean?
JA: It’s more about the darker side of night than the dancey side.
P: A lot of the songs “California ,” “ New Hampshire ,” “ Canyon City ,” “Call Home” seem to have some sense of place. What are the locations that define Wild Light? How can a sense of place drive a song?
JA: New Hampshire has definitely helped define us. It’s where we all grew up. Where we all got in fights and lost friends and loved and lived. But we’ve lived in other parts of the country too, and I’ve written songs with different places in mind, like Oakland and New York City, but in the end we all embrace New Hampshire.
P: Is Wild Light a pop band? Do you feel a musical kinship to bands like XTC or Erasure who pursued unabashed pop? Your sound also reminds of a few contemporary groups, specifically Tally Hall and Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos. Are you familiar with either or am I barking up the wrong tree? Other influences?
JA: We’re a pop band. We’re a rock band too. I think growing up in the 80’s, it’s inevitable some of that electronic pop stuff leaked into us, and unconsciously some of the melodies we like draw from not only 80’s punk and rock, but from songs like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Send Me An Angel.” A great melody is a great melody, and I don’t care who’s singing it. It could be Rod Stewart or Axl Rose, and if it’s catchy I’m all in. I love punk rock, doo-wop, some metal and hard rock, but it’s all stuff that has amazing melodies. We all listen to Dylan, and the Beatles, and Neil Young, so we got a lot of influences. 2Pac is amazing as well. I’ve never really heard Tally Hall or Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos, but I have a friend who likes the latter and really likes Wild Light, so you’re probably not barking up (or peeing on) the wrong tree.
P: I was surprised to see Wild Light has toured with Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Les Savy Fav and Blonde Redhead. Each seems to have something extreme or jagged in their sound that is at odds with Wild Light. Have those tours been a study in contrast?
JA: Nope.
P: How did the invitation to tour with the Killers come about?
JA: They liked the record. And our whole team (manager, booking agents) has been working their ass off. That said, the Killers, as well as their crew, are great. They’ve been so good and generous to us. We’re lucky and extremely thankful to them.
P: Is Wild Light booked pretty solidly after May 10? When was the record recorded and when might the band record again?
JA: We’ll be playing shows throughout the year, just trying to stay busy and promote our album. We recorded it Summer of 2008. No time to record now. Maybe we’ll go into the studio and do a couple songs at some point, but no full-lengths planned. But we have plenty of material, we could easily do another album right now if we had to.
