Gorman Bechard's Blog, page 11
April 22, 2012
Inked Magazine
To say that I love both the article and the photo in the May 2012 issue of Inked Magazine is a complete understatement. Thank you!
Profile in Inked Magazine
April 21, 2012
Record Store Day
When Kristine and I moved to New Haven in 1989 so she could run the about-to-open Sam Goodys on Chapel Street (whose 20% off Saturdays are still legendary), we were on the verge of having seven record shops in a town of roughly 120,000 people. Think about that. We have one now. Most towns this size have none.
But on this national day of celebration (I’m sure many would think of it as a national day of mourning), I prefer to talk about the great majestic record shop of my impressionable years. Of a store that started in a second floor apartment on Bank Street in Waterbury, Connecticut. I’m guessing on the year here, but thinking 1978, give or take. It lasted there for only a year or so, then moved up the block into another second floor apartment over the Thom McCan shoe store on that same street, then after a few years in that location, moved into a sprawling space on the third floor of another Bank Street building that housed a jewelry store on its first floor, and an Arthur Murray dance studio on it’s second. Its original name was Cheapskate Records, and sometime during its run at its third location (yes, there would be a fourth, and now a fifth) became Phoenix Records. But it always remained Cheapskate Records to me.
Cheapskate was started and run by a silver-haired gentleman (gray way before his time), with crazed and brilliant eyes, and the ability to print in 6-point type. He was one of the funniest, most sarcastic people I’ve ever met. The missing Monty Python. His name was Professor Morono. Or simply The Professor to those who knew.
If anyone in my life has deserved the title of “professor” it was this man. He influenced my career, my art, as much as Holy Cross’ Sister Noreen who handed me Vonegut’s “Breakfast of Champions” and Brautigan’s “In Watermelon Sugar” during my Junior year of High School. As much as Donald Spotto who made me marvel at the wonders of Alfred Hitchcock during his course at the New School for Social Research. This Professor would on a weekly basis hand me the vinyl eucharist that would make me believe, make me see, make me into who I was destined to become.
Where should I begin? (Where could I begin!) The “I Will Dare” 12-inch from The Replacements, and later “Let It Be,” all the early Elvis Costello, it was where I bought “London Calling” for Christ’s sake. The first R.E.M. EP, Nick Lowe’s “Jesus of Cool,” The Sex Pistols, the Dead Kennedys, Pere Ubu, Devo, Siouxsie, Tom Waits, countless picture sleeved import singles, live recordings (that amazing Springsteen boot from the Bottom Line). At one point before moving to New Haven, I had a wall of vinyl that measured about 15 feet wide and 6 feet high, with another few dozen crates in my grandfather’s basement. Don’t know how many albums that is exactly. But it’s a lot. And a good part of them came from Cheapskate.
But it was more than just about vinyl. It was about the friendship. The never-ending dialog. The Professor and his cohort, the lovely Diane. Music was our politics, our religion. And no one was a republican or a democrat. We were Clash fans or Pistol fans. Punks or lovers or modern rock, or even hard core. Hell, even heavy metal, or old time country. We were old school, new school, any school. It was about the music. The music was all that mattered once you walked through that door into the collection of crates packed so tight you had to remove a dozen albums just to be able to flip through. The walls lined with those breathtaking 4×4 posters. Could I possibly fit another on my apartment walls? But how could I resist Paul Simonon smashing that bass in 4-foot-square glory? (Quick answer: I couldn’t. And damn I wish I still owned that now.)
When time came to write my first novel, “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told,” I made The Professor a fictional character (as I did The Replacements), one who would have a profound effect on the Daughter of God during her teen years. Turning her on to what was truly important on this planet: Patti Smith (that opening line to “Gloria” so made her laugh), the aforementioned Costello or The Replacements, and of course Husker Du, and with a song called “Green Eyes” how could they not appeal to our lovely green-eyed savior? The Professor was her John the Baptist. Perhaps he was mine as well.
I miss those days. When traveling around with my Replacements documentary “Color Me Obsessed,” the one stop I always make in any strange town is at a record shop, if one even exists. A couple of them, if I’m lucky. I’ll buy something from a local band. And I’ll think back to the days when I’d walk in to one of those less-than-glorious locations — okay, they were glorious to me, Cheapskate Records was a cathedral. My church of rock ‘n’ roll. I’d be handed a stack of vinyl. It was what The Professor had for me that day. A respite from life. Or perhaps the gift of life. A little salvation. And a whole lot of inspiration.
Thank you, Professor. For everything.
March 15, 2012
Every Everything, the music, life & times of Grant Hart
Very proud to announce the KickStarter campaign for our next documentary: EVERY EVERYTHING, the music, life & times of Grant Hart.
There are a few truly mind-blowing rewards. Check it out. Pass the link on to every Husker Du fan you know. Every indie rock fan you know. Thanks!
The direct URL is: www.EveryEverything.com
February 29, 2012
What Did You Expect?
I finished editing my Archers of Loaf concert documentary WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? yesterday. I love this film. I love this band. I actually feel as if I somehow managed to capture their raw energy as well as their personalities in the film. And a lot of credit goes to my amazing crew: Jan Radder, Sarah Hajtol, Adrian Correia, Andrew Ross and Cory Maffucci.
It still needs color correction, a sound mix on the interview sections, and probably a little tweaking of a shot here and there. But it's basically finished and I'm really happy with it. And also sad, that I won't be blasting those amazing songs every day in my editing room.
January 5, 2012
Thoughts from Ilona…
Seeing as how Ilona is needed more now than ever (just listen to any interview with the horrifying Rick Santorum), she will begin tweeting her thoughts on daily events. You can follow her here.
January 4, 2012
A “second coming” we could all use right about now! (I mean “we” as in “liberals”)
For everyone who owns a Kindle or a Nook (or any eReader), my first novel THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD is now (and finally) available! And I have to believe after what I’ve witnessed in Iowa these past few weeks, this is a book we really NEED right now. Just click the links below and you could be reading in moments…
From book jacket:
The world has problems! And no one knows that better than God. (He sees everything, remember?) He decides it’s time for that ultimate wake-up call. Only this go-round, the Big Man is giving his Daughter a shot. Her name is Ilona. She’s 18, lives in the East Village, listens to alternative music, dates, drinks, and has no problem telling the Pope and the President that they better get their act together…pronto! But like every Savior, Ilona has a deadline. She needs to get her message (the 11th commandment: “Be Kind”) across now. And what better way than through the media. She becomes a sensation, promoting her word on various talk shows, and from her vantage point on the cover of every magazine. Ilona is the new “It” girl, the messiah for the X-Generation: cool, quirky, and sexy. And as Jesus Christ’s kid sister, she’s not about to take any crap from the men who’ve been running the show. As with her Brother before her, there are the doubters amongst us. People who feel that God has no right rewriting the Bible and that Ilona is the black sheep of the Holy Family. But God is not about to stand by and watch as his little girl is “crucified.” He’s had enough of the hypocrisy, and takes out a little revenge on those who refuse to believe…opening the door for Ilona to work her divine magic.
THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD is a comic gem of a tale, reminiscent of the work of Nick Hornby, Tom Perrotta, and Kurt Vonnegut, which the New York Times called “an irreverent look at the Second Coming” while the Los Angeles Times said it was “a very very funny book.” Hip, enchanting and life affirming, like a female “The Catcher in the Rye,” THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD tackles all the big issues: Good, Evil, and Rock ‘n’ Roll.
A "second coming" we could all use right about now! (I mean "we" as in "liberals")
For everyone who owns a Kindle or a Nook (or any eReader), my first novel THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD is now (and finally) available! And I have to believe after what I've witnessed in Iowa these past few weeks, this is a book we really NEED right now. Just click the links below and you could be reading in moments…
From book jacket:
The world has problems! And no one knows that better than God. (He sees everything, remember?) He decides it's time for that ultimate wake-up call. Only this go-round, the Big Man is giving his Daughter a shot. Her name is Ilona. She's 18, lives in the East Village, listens to alternative music, dates, drinks, and has no problem telling the Pope and the President that they better get their act together…pronto! But like every Savior, Ilona has a deadline. She needs to get her message (the 11th commandment: "Be Kind") across now. And what better way than through the media. She becomes a sensation, promoting her word on various talk shows, and from her vantage point on the cover of every magazine. Ilona is the new "It" girl, the messiah for the X-Generation: cool, quirky, and sexy. And as Jesus Christ's kid sister, she's not about to take any crap from the men who've been running the show. As with her Brother before her, there are the doubters amongst us. People who feel that God has no right rewriting the Bible and that Ilona is the black sheep of the Holy Family. But God is not about to stand by and watch as his little girl is "crucified." He's had enough of the hypocrisy, and takes out a little revenge on those who refuse to believe…opening the door for Ilona to work her divine magic.
THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD is a comic gem of a tale, reminiscent of the work of Nick Hornby, Tom Perrotta, and Kurt Vonnegut, which the New York Times called "an irreverent look at the Second Coming" while the Los Angeles Times said it was "a very very funny book." Hip, enchanting and life affirming, like a female "The Catcher in the Rye," THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD tackles all the big issues: Good, Evil, and Rock 'n' Roll.
January 1, 2012
The Best Music of 2011
This was a horrible year in music. As in 1992 and 1993 when every other band sounded exactly like Nirvana, this year brought upon us bands who felt that Vampire Weekend sound was the zenith for which to strive. And no band did VW better than Foster The People. I say it here, now, with utmost conviction, their SNL performance this fall was the most embarrassing musical event of the year. They make VW look like, well, almost a rock band by comparison. So freakin' lame.
And of course they weren't the only ones. Lame is the new creed for rock bands. Wimpy is the new balls.
But instead of focusing on the pathetic, let's look at the few great albums released this year:
The best record of 2011, hands down, nothing came close, was "Past Lives, Martyred Saints" by EMA. It was raw, damaged, out of tune. The songs could rock you one minute, then haunt you for the rest of your life the next. Layers of vocals, upon almost Archers Of Loaf-like guitars. Lyrically you were left to wonder how she made it through recording the album alive. And if when she sings "I wished that every time you touched me left a mark" doesn't send shivers down your spine, then check the old pulse. This album certainly left a mark on me. (In this iTunes generation, I'm going to list the one song for each record. This is where you should start. A song that will tell you all you need to know. With EMA, start with "Marked.")
Speaking of Archers. The masterful reissue of their brilliant debut "Icky Mettle" was another highlight (and I know it doesn't count as a new album, but I don't care). Quite simply, it's the best album of the 90s (with "Versus the Greatest of All Time," the best rock EP of all time on the second disc). And "Web In Front" is probably the greatest song ever written. Yes, I love this band. And yes, if you don't know them, you're life is empty and meaningless. (There isn't a bad track, and "Web" is too obvious, so start with "Bacteria," which is so mind-numbingly brilliant, it might make your head explode, especially if you like shit like Foster the People.)
You've got to love the original Web video:
Then came Wilco's "The Whole Love." Their best since "Yankee," an amazing collection of songs from one of the best songwriters of our time. Some of it was sprawling, much of it was poppy and beautiful, and then there was the fuzz bass, and that noise guitar at the end of "Art of Almost"— I get chills thinking about it! A great record! (Speaking of sprawling, start with "One Sunday Morning.")
Crooked Fingers' "Breaks In The Armor" was Eric Bachmann's best songwriting since this band's eponymously titled debut. He sounds energized, his word-play as sharp as ever, and the album's sparse production makes every note ring true. (Pop on "Bad Blood," and let it sink its teeth into you.)
The "Kitchen Tapes" version of Lucinda William's "Blessed." It sounds as if she's singing for you…privately…in your freakin' kitchen. The over-production of the actual album is gone, and we're left with that voice and some off-kilter guitar playing. But really, Lucinda Williams singing to you in your kitchen!!! What the fuck more do you need? (Start with "I Don't Know How You're Livin'." – it will break your heart.)
Sleeper Agent's "Celabrasion" was my guilty pleasure for 2011. Sort of Blondie meets T- Rex, but then there ain't nothing wrong with that. It's about as poppy as I get. A lot of fun! (Start with "Get Burned.")
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Deer Tick's "Divine Providence" is a great record in which they channel the spirit of The Replacements, right down to Bob Stinson's "wrong note at the right time" way of soloing. It's the perfect album for long drives on a summer night. Probably their best. And it makes me can't wait for what's coming next. (Start with "Funny Word.")
Another great rock record from another great under-appreciated rock band is "Unpersons" from Vancouver's The Pack A.D. Even if you're sick of Black Keys/White Stripes schtick, give these gals a shot. To me they play with a genuine love for what they're doing. No pretense. No ego. They're having fun. (Start with "Haunt You.")
Wild Flag's eponymously titled debut like-wise rocked. And I truly loved about half of it. Probably would have made one of the best EPs we've heard in years. (Start with "Romance.")
Ryan Adam's "Ashes and Fire" – I'll admit it took me a while to get into this album, it took me seeing him live at a church in Eugene, Oregon. But then the songs came alive. And it became the CD I'd play in my hotel room when I was along, on the road. It made me think of home. It made me miss my wife and dogs. It just worked…beautifully. (Start with "Dirty Rain.")
Matthew Ryan's "I Recall Standing As Though Nothing Could Fall" is another beautiful collection of song writing. Ryan's voice always kills me. And it was nice to hear him end the album with one of his most rocking tracks in years. (Start with "Summer in the South.")
And lastly Dark Mean's eponymously titled album. Really dig this guy's voice, and the banjo! Another fun record that just keeps growing on you with every spin. The hints of Ryan Bingham popping through in the sound don't hurt. (Start with "Happy Banjo.")
That's it. Hopefully there's something new here you can enjoy. And likewise, hopefully I'll never have to fucking hear "Pumped Up Kicks" again for as long as I live.
I leave you with this gift from Mr. Bachmann…
December 4, 2011
Another rule on how not to be a filmmaking douche bag…
Still talking film festivals here.
I was down in Tampa for the world premiere of Color Me Obsessed at a festival where my own Friends (With Benefits) won best feature the year before. I was waiting in line like everyone else to get into the closing night film, talking to a friend and one of the volunteers. Suddenly the director of another doc that was playing the fest (a doc that also played HBO), interrupts, and rudely announces that she's a filmmaker, and she wasn't about to stand in this line. I'm not joking here, she was really rude.
The volunteer of course brought her into the theater, and as she walked away I said (a lot louder than I thought), "what a fucking cunt." No one in line disagreed.
I hold to that sentiment. And actually wished I had found myself on a filmmaking panel with her, because I would have gladly told her to her face.
There's no reason to behave as she behaved. It certainly won't make anyone in line want to see your film. It certainly won't make the fest organizers want you back. (Or course, she was dealing with a volunteer, whom I'm sure she felt was subhuman.)
There's just no excuse. Treat people that you yourself would want to be treated. Seems like common sense. Doesn't it? (Perhaps they should teach THAT in film schools. And remove "Entitlement 101″ from the curriculum.)
Errol Morris on editing and pets
Reading a collection of interviews with documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, and as you might expect it's riddled with great quotes. My favorites:
"A director who doesn't edit what he shoots isn't really a director."
and
"It's said that people have pets because they can't have effective relationships with other people. I believe it's the other way around: people have relationships with other people because they can't have effective relationships with their pets."
