Brian James's Blog, page 5

The King of Staten Island

 

Last year's The King of Staten Island was a movie that I thought looked promising from previews. When I was at the library last week, they had a copy and I checked it out. Until I saw the DVD case, I hadn't known Judd Apatow was involved as director and co-screenwriter. I don't like all of his movies, but the ones I do like, I really enjoy. I also like Pete Davidson, but admit to being unsure of him as a film guy as it was something unproven...however, both were enough to think it was worth a shot.

It's a semi-autobiographical film based on some elements of Pete Davidson's life. There are some hilarious scenes in this film, up their with the best of Apatow movies I've seen. But beyond that, this is also just a good film. The story touches on deeper issues about the working class, mental health, and the loss of hope in an anxiety generation. It offers a more sympathetic view of a generation that has been mislabeled "entitled" by rejecting the Baby Boomer doctrine that when you grow-up you should accept that life becomes work. The question in this film, and one most people between the ages 25-50 are asking, is why does it have to?

Weekend Music Roundup

 

 

The weekend has arrived, and as I promised last week, I've had more time to digest some '21 releases over the past week and am sharing a few of those with you all. In addition to some new albums, there's a few re-releases and some old discoveries on the list. Mostly rock on here, and fair amount of female artists. Hopefully there's something here you might want to check out. Enjoy.

Elizabeth and the Catapult - Sincerely, E: The first album in four years from the Brooklyn singer songwriter who won me over with her debut Taller Children back in 2009. I've always loved the 70's style of her voice, that blue eyed FM folk sound. This album has that, combined with an Aimee Mann introspective examination of the world. "The Muse," "Sweet Chariot," "The Stranger," and "Hope, My Sometimes Friend" are my personal favorites and this very welcomed record.

The Misunderstood - Children of the Sun: The complete recordings of the Riverside, California band that was meant to be the next "it" thing but then never were. After legendary DJ John Peel convinced the band to relocate to London, things began happening. And then lead singer and songwriter Rick Brown was drafted and fled to India where he'd remain for 12 years. Listening to this, it's clear to see the promise that others saw in them. They were blossoming American answer to The Animals. This is one of those nuggets that was in need of a re-issue.

Rob Zombie - The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy: It's been five years since his last solo album and this is a welcomed continuation of the sound that really came into its own two albums ago. With similar titles and artwork, I can help but look at the last three albums as a trilogy and they are a fantastic one of industrial hedonism. "Ballad of Sleazy Rider," "18th Century Cannibals," and "Boom Boom Boom" are standouts on another fantastic display of insanity.  

 

The Great Society - Conspicuous Only in Its Absence: Before she became the San Fran psychedelic icon from Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick was the front woman of this early psych rock band which recorded the original versions of her classic songs "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit." The band was making a name for themselves in '65, securing a record deal, only to have Grace leave and join Jefferson Airplane who had just released their first record. Their second would be legendary, but this album captures the shadow that came before. This is a live set, that wouldn't be released until '68. Really solid stuff and a must for Airplane fans. 

The Pinkos - The Pinkos: The one and only album from the socialist indie punk band released in 2000 is one of the many little known gems from that explosive era in indie music. This two piece garage punk band out of the North West has roots in the riot grrl scene, which is probably to be expected. While I love bands like Bikini Kill and Babes in Toyland, these guys are much easier to listen to. One of the great things about exploring music is that there are always bands that existed that you missed for whatever reason, and sometimes you find one that just clicks for you. Super solid record.

 

Time is Coming Apart

 Time is Coming Apart

What happens before will happen again

What is to become will come another way.

There is a split in time,

       a tearing of the pages that reconnect in a series of new unexpected events.

The time has come for time to come apart . . 

    for time to become art . .

    for art to be alive in the form of children with insect eyes . .

Seeing multitudes . .

Seeing the future and the past,

    but the present falters in a haze. 

Autonomous Weapons Systems, Determining How we Relate to Other People

 

Autonomous Weapons Systems, Determining How we Relate to Other People

Assemble your doom: Instructions for Cyborg Control Unit

Annihilator cannons to be placed symmetrically,

    hazardous wiring if mis-aligned.

Hive mind to be installed. 

Dismantling of your dreams, comes with assembling your nightmares.

give in . . give up . .

give them all you can.

Let it rain on anything you've begun to love

and never remember what it means to be loved.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

The weekend is here again, and this week I finally had some time to digest a bunch of new releases. It's been mostly indie rock coming through the speakers these days, so that's what this list is mostly about. I've also included two recent vinyl pick-ups, a 70s glam rock album and '60s folk, two favorite genres in my life. Hopefully there's something here that makes you go exploring. Enjoy.

Hello Operator - Hello Operator: Released in November of last year, this is one of those albums that I finally got around to listening to. It's the debut album from a four man rock band out of the UK. These guys remind me a lot Kasabian, Placebo and even early Cooper Temple Clause. It's that kind of British indie rock that's a bit aggressive, a bit noise rocky, but still dance punk at the same time. "Cruel," "I Created a Monster," "I Am Your Bible," "Strangers in the Rain," and "Kings of Ruin" are my personal favorites on this great debut.

Guided by Voices - Surrender Your Poppy Fields: Released just over a year ago, I finally got around to listening this, the first of three albums the band put out last year. Robert Pollard has always been prolific, but with this recent line-up, GBV has gone into overdrive. I'm certainly glad for it, though I do admit, it's hard to keep up with their output, especially when their albums are very indistinguishable from each other. It's almost as if all their albums over the past few years are just one continuation, which also makes it hard to review. They are all consistent, all lo-fi sketches, and all have Bobby Bare Jr's great guitar work. If you're wondering which albums to listen to, I'd simply suggest whichever quirky title grabs you most. 

Billion Dollar Babies - Battle Axe: I found this '77 album while flipping through the stacks at the local shop. I paused at the title, an obvious reference to the my favorite Alice Cooper record. I figured for a few dollars, I'd check out...not knowing that this is Cooper's band. It's not just a reference, they are the Billion Dollar Babies doing glam rock straight from Detroit. This is a quality album with a few standouts, including the title track. 

TV Priest - Uppers: The debut album from the London rock band was released on SubPop this February. I saw it pop up a lot of places and was eager to check it out. This album has style. It's hard to explain what I mean by that, but once your head anything off it, you'll see what I mean. It's like a Irvine Welsh novel if his writing were music. It's a Silver Jews meets Iggy Pop kind of album. It's got style. I don't always love it, but I give them credit for being something that sounds legitimate. 

Dave Van Ronk - Folksinger: In the early 60s, Dave was one of the more prolific and talented Greenwich Village folk artists. Released in '63, at the height of his abilities, this album feels special. Though all of his early records are great, this one seems exceptional. His story was documented in the film Inside Llwyen Davis and it's tragic that he never garnered enough main stream attention. He was a legend.

 

Fiction Friday (127)

 

Having avoided contemporary fiction for most of my life, I've taken a keen interest of late. In the past year, I've read no less than four truly remarkable novels that have been published in the past few years. There seems to finally be a movement back to literary fiction after decades of fluff. There are several more novels on my must-read list, but I'm pretty close to convinced that this movement is true. My latest read was phenomenal. 

 

Piranesi by Susanna Clark(Bloomsbury, 2020)

In the year the Albatross Came to the South-Western Halls, many extraordinary events happen within the labyrinthine halls the House. There are but two occupants of the House, as well as 12 former occupants whose bones are all that remain among the infinite statues and tides that flow through the halls and vestibules. 

Piranesi keeps a record of his days spent collecting fresh water, seaweed to dry, and offerings for the bones. He is the keeper of the labyrinth. He is one blessed by the House with its kindness. He interacts with The Other on two weekly occasions, but The Other is quite different than Piranesi. The Other is search for the Great and Secret Knowledge he believes is contained within the halls of the House. But of the course of the year the Albatross Came to the South-Western Halls, Piranesi discovers The Other is the one truly holding secrets.

There are but a few stories that attempt, and succeed so perfectly, in creating a world completely different than our own. From the opening pages, Susanna Clark fully immerses the reader in a foreign reality. It so carefully constructed that you don't feel yourself being pulled into it, you simply arrive...much like the main character. And that is the true gift of this novel, that the reader shares each discovery with Piranesi without ever knowing more or less than he.

This mesmerizing and unconventional mystery is a true masterpiece.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

 

Welcome to another weekend and another rambling of music reviews. This week I listened to a few new releases that I had been excited about. I've also included some thoughts about a couple of vinyl pick-ups from the past month or so. It's a shorter list, but a good one. Hopefully there is something you feel compelled to check out. Enjoy.

Sivert Hoyem - Roses of Neurosis: Released in February, this EP is the first release from the Norwegian artist (Madrugada) in nearly half a decade. He is one of those artists that has been a house favorite of myself and the Missus for more than two decades and we both listened to this for the first time, at the same time. There's not much better than sharing something great with a music buddy. My opinion might be skewed at this point. I'm not sure he could make anything that I didn't love. Fantastic stuff. 

Mike Heron - Smiling Men with Bad Reputations: Released in '71, this is the founding member of The Incredible String Bands' first solo album. I came across this at the local shop and was pretty thrilled. It's got more of bluesy vibe than the psychedelic folk of ISB. It reminds me a lot of Dave Mason's All Alone Together or really any Traffic album for that matter. "Call me Diamond," "Flowers of the Forest," "Feast of Stephen," are "Warm Heart Pastry" are standouts on this thoroughly enjoyable album.

Karen Elson - Radio Redhead Vol. 1: During the height of the quarantine, Karen was sharing these covers online and they were wonderful. They've been put together and released as an EP back in December. I've been a fan of her music ever since her 2010 debut, The Ghost Who Walks blew me away. There's a quality of her voice that fits into a rare category for me. These beautiful covers capture that quality brilliantly.

Czarface - Czarface Meets Ghostface: Released in 2019, this is the sixth album by Inspectah Deck's post Wu outfit. It was going to be hard to top the previous years collaboration with MF Doom, so it was time to bring in the Ghostface Killah. What I love about Czarface albums is that each one feels like a different volume in a comic. They have similarities, but are subtly different. This one's beats are more "Bobby Digital" style and has a slightly more experimental feel. Another excellent addition. 

Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun: In the early '90s, the Omaha indie singer songwriter had a breakthrough hit with "Girlfriend". Three albums later, his sixth, the landscape had changed and brought him some mainstream attention with this indie jangle pop record in '95. I remember seeing this album everywhere at that time, the time when I found myself moving into Britpop and Hip Hop, away from this American indie sound. Recently, a friend was getting rid of CDs and this was in there. This is a solid album that reminds me of Brendon Benson's early work, and Elliot Smith's more poppy work.

 

 

 

Imagine the Mind of Paper

 

Imagine the Mind of Paper

In the pages of your notebook, 

in the words written is where the tortured find a place to dwell

Where dreams take shape, 

free from the watchful eyes of the cyborg dictators,

free of the judgements of those with small minds.

A place of creative reprise.

But these dreams are built with flimsy trees and washable ink

Paper houses and paper faces are easy to burn,

are easily discerned,

and brought into the harsh existence of days made not of paper

but of dusks and dawns,

of suns and secrets that are not easily kept when the paper is exposed for all.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

The weekend has arrived once again, though in all honesty, it feels as though last weekend simply led into this one, with the holiday and then three snow days, very little happened to give the illusion of time passing on a calendar. Yet, it has. And so, I'm dutifully bound to share with you thoughts on albums that I've listened to recently. This list includes two 2021 releases which I've found to be excellent and a couple of older albums that I recently picked up. Enjoy.

Jen Gloekner - Mouth of Mars: Released in 2010, this is the second album from singer songwriter out of Iowa, who has since released a third one a few years back. There was a used autographed copy at the local shop for only couple of bucks and I decided to give it a chance...and what a beautiful album it is. This reminds me of many things, from Portishead to Ruby Throat to Emma Ruth Rundel. I love taking a chance on something that I don't know and it turns out wonderful. 

Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy: The debut solo album from the Soft Machine's founding bass/guitar player was released in '69. The band is well represented on this album, which, along with their debut, is one of the founding Canterbury Scene psychedelic albums. Being a fan of the Soft Machine's debut album released the year prior, I was excited to see the Music On Vinyl reissue in the local shop. There's a heavy Syd Barrett influence on this and sounds a lot like early Floyd singles. "The Clarietta Rag," "Girl on a Swing," "Song for Insane Times," and "Stop This Train" are my personal favorites.   

Langhorne Slim - Strawberry Mansion: The eighth album from New York, by way of Langhorne, PA, indie artist is perhaps the finest of his impressive career. It's been five years since his last effort, and in that time he has honed his songwriting to reveal a deeper side of himself. This feels to me like the trajectory of other great indie americana artists such as Jason Molina and Jeff Tweedy. Langhorne has always been one of the top tier, but this album ensures that he is worthy of mention in the same breath. "Panic Attack," "High Class," and the title track are among my many favorites. 

This Frontier Needs Heroes - Go With the Flow: For the past decade and more, Brad Lauretti has been playing the world under this moniker. Back in the earliest of the '00s, Brad and I ran with the same crew in NYC and I have many fond memories of shooting the shit with him in any number of bars as we were both trying to find our place in the world of art, he as a singer songwriter and me as writer. Though I haven't seen him in many many years, we're still "Friends" on the FB and I've followed his career. This newest album is pretty much a masterpiece and reminds me a lot of Mark Eitzel. Check out his Bandcamp site linking above. 

Black Sabbath - Walpurgis: This bootleg of the 1970 Peel Session has been around digitally for a long time, and I probably reviewed it here years ago. It was recently pressed on vinyl and I purchased a copy. It was recorded between the band's first and second album and contains early versions of some tracks, most notably the original version of "Warpigs" (the title track) which was about witchcraft instead of war. As with almost all "Peel Sessions" recordings, it's really a must have for fans and functions not so much as radio session but EP in the band's catalog. 

Comet Gain - Holloway Sweethearts EP: Released in the Fall of 1994, this is the second EP from the Oxford garage pop band. Quiet some time back, I found their entire catalog online and had been curious about this band for awhile. One of those late '90s bands that has a small cult following, this is the evolution of jangle pop a decade after it's heyday, a sound that became infused with lo-fi garage, which gives it a great quality. These are top notch tracks, with a kind of honesty that Belle and Sebastian displayed at the same time, but this with a rougher edge. It's just a taste, and I'm excited to explore them a little deeper.

 

 

Fiction Friday (126)

 

After tackling a literary behemoth like Tropic of Cancer, I jumped into a recently published YA fantasy. I'm starting a teen book at my library and decided to choose something new and interesting to start it off. I've also been working on a bit of a fantasy book and figured this would be good research.

Havenfall by Sara Holland(Bloomsbury, 2020)

Maddie Morrow feels uncomfortable in the world. No matter where she is, she is tortured by the memory of the monster that broke into her house and murdered her older brother. She feels the whispers about her mother who is on death row for the crime she didn't commit. The only place she feels at peace is at the Havenfall Inn, a mysterious mountain resort that has been under the control of her family for generations.

Havenfall is not only a quiet Inn where Maddie spends her summers, it also a place where many worlds intercept in the tunnels hidden in the mountains below. It a place where people from three of those worlds meet every summer; delegates who meet under guidance of Maddie's uncle, the Innkeeper. It's a role that Maddie hopes to inherit one day...however, that day comes all too soon when a series of shocking events propel the teenager into the biggest challenge of her life.

In the nicely crafted fantasy, bestselling author Sara Holland creates a rich world of magic, intrigue, and shifting alliances. At times, it telegraphs plot twists a little too much (I had most of it figured out pretty early on), but still manages to hold a few surprises even for careful readers. The "real world" issues it explores, those of love, betrayal, and not fitting in, do fall a little flat which is always an issue when YA fantasy attempts to be contemporary fiction at the same time. All in all, I found this a fun read.