Austin Daze

Balcones Burner Bash pics by Kyle Woods

Music Monday: Bill Withers Documentary

Who’s the best singer-songwriter from the early 70s? You know the genre: one man, his guitar, and songs with a focus on thoughtful lyrics. In this town full of acoustic guitar slingers, lots will chime in and say Townes Van Zandt or Guy Clark. No one can argue Townes or Guy shouldn’t be mentioned, but lots will overlook Bill Withers. You may ask, Bill Withers the soul guy was a singer-songwriter? Heck yeah he was! The man got his start writing songs on his acoustic guitar. When he played live, it was just Bill sitting still, singing and strumming guitar. Listen to “Ain’t No Sunshine”, it starts with acoustic string picking and tapping foot. His songs are great character stories, it can be the story of his “Grandma’s Hands”, or a neighborhood like “Harlem”. Want a folky anti-war song? Listen to “I Can’t Write Left Handed”. Granted, by his second album, Bill was touring with one of the most energetic backing bands in the business, complete with funky bass and clavinet, and making hits with danceable music like “Use Me”. Underneath all that production and instrumentation still lies a well written song.

Buried in SxSW 2010 stuff

Will begin making the pile more manageable tomorrow……
Bree Christene Eric Dony Hux Bill Kyle &John will be out there WITH ME.
THANK GOD

Preview: George Porter Jr. and the Runnin Pardners at Momo’s

New Orleans royalty George Porter Jr. brings his Runnin Pardners to Momo’s tonight. Expect two sets of funk n’ soul that wear a hole in your dancin shoes. Porter laid down bass lines in memorable sessions for Dr John (“Right Place, Wrong Time”), Robert Palmer (“Sneakin Sally Thru the Alley”) and dozens of hits for Lee Dorsey. Porter’s work in the Meters defined the funk genre, creating a standard that still inspires new musicians today. Typical Runnin Pardner sets include Meters songs, cover songs from George’s session work, and Runnin Pardner orignals. The Runnin Pardner band includes Brint Anderson on guitar, a former Austinite and leader of Austin band Coupe De Ville, known for their gigs with Stevie Ray and Dr. John back in the day.

Hatch Show Print at AMOA

Bill Monroe Monoprint

Thank you Austin Museum of Art for being an enabler to my addiction of collecting music posters. Years ago I realized the only way to find room for all my posters was to use them like wallpaper – side by side covering the walls and ceiling – so I kicked the poster habit. Two favorites were framed and hung on the wall, the rest were put in storage, where they sit tempting me to sell them on eBay. Now the Austin Museum of Art has gone and made poster art legitimate by hanging a hundred years of it in their gallery. Hear that sound? That’s me falling off the poster abstinence wagon.

Read more on Hatch Show Print at AMOA…

Shutter Island Still Going Strong

Shutter Island has taken the top spot at the box office for two weeks in a row now, racking up over $110 million. The film has even topped all other opening weekend records for Mr. Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese. This success is a little surprising, because mass audiences can stay away from stories that aren’t “happily ever after” stories. After the obligatory post-screening “what did you think of the movie” talks, I knew I loved it, but predicted most audiences would be creeped out by it, killing the word of mouth buzz. To be fair, I guess people know up front that a story set in an insane asylum will be grim. The poster for Shutter Island gives fair warning too. When else have you seen Leo DiCaprio reduced to a grimacing face clouded in shadows?

uncle bruno in pictures by bill baker

COURTNEY LOVE IS COMING TO SXSW 2010 AND I GOTTA TELL YA, I DON’T REALLY CARE.

WHY? SHE JUST HOLDS NO INTEREST FOR ME, NEVER HAS. IN COLLEGE, I PARTIED WITH HER BROTHER A FEW TIMES. WOW! THAT IS THE EXTENT OF MY CONVERSATIONAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT C.LOVE. THEN, AS NOW, I HAD AND HAVE NO INTEREST IN HER EXPLOITS. THE ONLY REASON I EVEN KNOW HER NAME IS BECAUSE SHE WAS MARRIED TO KURT.
HER LAST APPEARENCE AT SXSW WAS, WELL, NOT WELL RECIEVED. SHE SAID SOME BAD THINGS AND DID A FEW DISRESPECTFUL ACTIONS. I HAVE GOTTEN A FEW EMAILS ON THE SUBJECT. MOST EXPRESSED “OUTRAGE” AND “EXTREME CONCERN.”
TO ME, THIS IS THE GREATEST TOWN ON THE PLANET. THERE IS A REASON WHY I STAY HERE. I AM NOT BOTHERED BY OTHERS THAT DON’T DIG IT. I AM GONNA STAY. IN FACT, I KINDA WISH MORE FOLKS WOULDN’T LIKE IT HERE. I DECIDED TO ASK WHAT A CO-CREATOR OF SXSW THOUGHT ABOUT HER RETURN. TAKE IT AWAY LOUIS:

McRiprock’s Lonestar Six Pack Project

Explosives-Three Ring Circus: Power pop before power pop was cool. Wandering onto the Austin scene in 1979 at the legendary Raul’s Club. Freddie Steady Krc, Cam King, and Waller Collie all wrote and all played with a tight urgency that lacked the rage of the musical contemporaries but maintained the gloriously jangly garage rhythm and melody inspired by Beatles, Stones and other musical heroes. Their new album includes the entirety of their 1982, Restless Natives, along with all other official Explosives studio releases, plus two live bonus tracks and a bonus DVD capturing the band in its garage rock jungle glory. 4.5 McRipock’s.

sxsw film passes available for locals.

See as many movies as you can with the SXSW Film Pass. Available to the locals for just $70, the Film Pass grants unlimited access to movies. It is available for purchase at ALL Original Alamo Drafthouse locations in Austin and Waterloo Records. Missed the first screening? Don’t worry. Many films at SXSW have multiple screenings and the screenings run through March 20th. Check out SXSW.com for the official line up along with movie times and locations.

Shutter Island

Intense. Marty did it again. Closing in on the big 70 and he is making films that are awesome. And this was that. A mindfuck to say the least. I saw this on Wednesday and have been thnking about it ever since. It rather disturbed me. Even upset me. I was not sure I liked it, but I couldn’t shake it. You know what that is? That is mastery. Scorcese has been creating amazing and affecting films for 40 plus years. He just hits his prime again. I feel with this one he is paying homage to Polanski’s “Chinatown.” Maybe some Kubrick tossed in for good measure. The film is set for a journey down a famliar road but takes a detour. To say anymore would be criminal.I do wish to see this a 2nd time. This film was set for release in November but was pushed back. The performances are all top notch. I recommend this. Sure it’s not gonna be for everyone. The way this film resonated in my mind pushed me. This is the magic of film making and to be able to do this still and be in big budgets is incredible.

Wolfman

I so wanted this to be awesome. Unfortunately it was undercooked and underdeveloped. The characters had no substance, the story was full of holes and the cgi and scare tactics were just annoying. By now, everyone knows that this flick was in development hell for a long time. The original director walked right before the first day of shooting. Never a good sign. Rick Baker’s effects were turned down for cgi (computer graphics something). Ultimately, giving this classic tale a “Music Video” feel. This film did not end up the classic that I was hoping for and became merely watchable.

Saint John of Las Vegas

The movie is full of kookiness like a dwarf for a boss, a maverick insurance fraud investigator, a stripper in a wheelchair, a carnival sideshow act always engulfed in flames, gun-toting male nudists, mobsters running a junk yard, and a creepy girlfriend with a yellow smiley-face fetish. Steve Buscemi stars, Sara Silverman gives comedic relief, and Spike Lee executive produces. The pitch for this movie must have practically sold itself because it sounds amazing. But is it?

Galactic Ya-Ka-May

Food tells a lot about a local culture. When making gumbo, don’t “ask what goes in it?” Ask “what do you have?”, cause anything and everything goes in gumbo. Gumbo explains New Orleans, it’s a mix of different influences and traditions, everything truly goes in New Orleans. Ya-Ka-May, also called Ya Ka Mein, is a similar multi-ethnic dish. A noodle soup invented in the cultural stew of New Orleans, Ya-Ka-May has unclear origins. Possibly brought back to New Orleans by black veterans of the Korean War, it’s been jokingly called Seoul Food. Ya-Ka-May is a fitting title for Galactic’s new album – it’s a musical mix of influences. Ya-Ka-May is Galactic with guests from a wide range of New Orleans styles: a brass band, a soul queen, a Mardi Gras Indian, a funky piano professor, a tailgate trombonist, a fiesty Creole singer, a traditional jazz band, a bluesy Wolfman guitarist, hip-hop booty bouncers, sleep deprived garage rockers, and a trumpet player with the word “Trombone” in his nickname. Yet the album has a cohesive sound, each song sounds distinctly like a Ya-Ka-May song. This is Galactic’s drums and brass album, everything not a beat or a horn is down in the mix or used minimally to great effect.

Just saw this on AICN (AINTITCOOLNEWS.COM) THAT BILL MURRAY WILL BE IN GHOSTBUSTERS 3 AS

A GHOST…
Cool.
2 years ago, backstage for Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, I bumped into Bill Murray. I was armed with a recorder because I just had words with an unnamed musician. Must have spoken with 30 or 40 in those 3 days. He agreed because he liked our mascot on my t-shirt. We did a short and sweet, on the fly interview. We discussed his new film “CITY OF EMBER,” Fantastic Fest, Austin & Jim Jarmush while the tape rolled. At the time, rumors were around about a third Ghostbusters film… He told me about his 1st visit to Austin with “Danny Ackroid” way back when. I dropped the question and he told me that he was in for the ride but that no script had been finalized. I let it go and we then talked about my favorite film of his “RAZORS EDGE.”
A very cool guy. Really awesome that he made time for me. Things just seem to work out in this town.
I am excited that a script has been made. Ramis is in, Ackroid and Murray are in. Moranis? Anyone heard of Rick Moranis in awhile?

“Retrospectacle” slideshow by Rockslide

Cactus Cafe Closing

"Cactus - My Home Club" Townes Van Zandt

Cactus Cafe Waiting Around to Die

The bureaucracy and decision making at UT can be a funny thing. When UT hired a new general manager and a program director for music radio station KUT, they chose people without experience in running a music-centric radio station like KUT, instead choosing people with backgrounds in news radio. The result? Local music programming severely axed at KUT, sparking public outcry.

KELLER WILLIAMS AT Antone’s THIS Saturday, February 6th

KELLER WILLIAMS IS ON TOUR THIS WINTER IN SUPPORT OF HIS NEW ALBUM ODD
Saturday, February 6th @ 9:00 PM (Doors @ 8:00 PM)
Antone’s — 213 West 5th Street, Austin

bluegrassy fix at One world theatre with the traveling mccourys

Just about now, every year, when we are amidst of our 2nd or 3rd cold blast, I start to get the itch. Got my early bitd tickets to Old Settlers Music Festival. But that doesn’t suffice. I need that “Old-Timey Sound.” Bluegrass and nothing else will do. Essentially this is the DEL MCCOURY BAND WITHOUT DEL. On stage are: Ron McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle, and Alan Bartram on bass , with featured guests on guitar and vocals, is the latest incarnation of the most awarded band in the history of bluegrass -The Del McCoury Band. “Known for their individual prowess on their instruments and their rapidly expanding reputation as collaborators with the members of numerous musical icons from Vince Gill to the Allman Brothers, The Lee Boys and Phish, this touring unit blends the best of the Appalachian tradition with the improvisational magic of jazz. Unique live collaborations are the hallmark of their performances, and demonstrates why people across the country hail them as the best bluegrass band in the world.” I have seen these boys play many times with and without Del and am always blown away by the McCourys generational representation on stage.The McCourys name will surely live on in music for years. Seeing this gig at One World was awesome, up close and intimate.. Only problem; nobody was dancing until I closed my eyes.
(THANK YOU K.F. FOR THE PICTURES.)

McRiprock’s Lonestar Six Pack

Flatcar Rattlers–Which side Are You On?: A rowdy bluegrass band with a touch of Grime mixes up rootsy, backwoods Appalachia with fast punk rock to create a sound all their own. With six members form six states, they eventually made the journey to Austin and became ranked as one of the top ten Best New Bands and Best Bluegrass Banks per the Austin Chronicle’s 2008-2009 Music Poll. They released their first studio album on 11/28 at the Scoot Inn with appearances including the Lonesome Heroes, American Graveyard and The Bread. The Rattlers take hold of the listener and stick them on a ride that blows right off the tracks. 6.0 McRiprock’s. www.myspace.com/FlatCarRattlers.
Dertybird--Pure Analog: Cultivating thier mix of Muscle Shoals Soul and Hill Country/Swamp Blues into a new blend of Southern Vinyl Rock. The release of this album is a fresh starting point for the band, after releasing a self-titled EP and a regional tour. The album allows for a stronger foothold and step forward to building thier fan base. Dertybird is Clayton Colvin and JT Holt. They fuse Clayton’s soulful, honest MuscleShoals influence with JT’s raw, gut-bucket guitar riffs. Trademarked by solid, gutsy vocals with tight arrangments and a tasteful Southern Rock sound with searing slide guitar they began to march their way to branding themselves in markets throughout the South. The alubm was recorded to a 2″ tape and mixed live at NestRecording in South Austin. They hoped to give the listener an “in the room” sound and experience so the bass, drums and rhythm guitar were cut live in one session. The most radio-friendly tune on the album is “People Change,” however other tracks have impressive hooks and arrangements. 4.5 McRiprock’s www.dertybird.com Social Hero–The Famous: The band pays homage to the heyday of Arena Rock with their locked guitar solos and straightforward driving drums. They infuse their sound with undertones of today’s indie music. A musical assault, “Evening Gown,” begins the album and is radio-friendly, but recounts primal nature’s sexual lust. ”Mosquito Attack” and “Gone” are full-on anthems devoted to their Arena Rock forte. The band, however, is capable of pulling of darker tracks (“Recognized”) all the while squeezing in some uptempo bits of punk and squealing guitars. 4.0 McRiprock’s www.socialhero.com Josh Grider–Sweet Road to Ride: Singer/songwriter Grider releases his new album that explores the ups and downs that accompany the life of a musician. These themes recur throughout the record relatively seamlessly, delivered in a voice that can carry the weight of desolate and poignant with innocence and optimism. With a new lyrical outlook and support in the form of the Josh Grider Trio, this album follows 2007’s crtically acclaimed Million Miles to Go. The Josh Grider Trio is comprised of Austin musicians Chris Grady (upright bass) and Jeff Botta (drums/percussion). Musically, the Trio provides the freedom to explore ample sounds and ideas from Latin and funk to jazz and bluesy improvasation with powerful harmonies. The album’s first song, “Here With Me, ” co-written with Walt Wilkins illustrates the theme of the bittersweet road. Grider says, “My heart is for two things, my family and my music. The road divides it.” 5.0 McRiprock’s www.joshgrider.com Adrian and the Sickness–B.F.D.: This is where the boys of AC/DC meet up with the girls of the Go-Go’s and you have Adrian and the Sickness–Adrian Conner (vocals, guitar), Heather Webb (bass) and Melodie Zapata (drums). In their new album BFD the combine hard-driving, straight-up rock and roll with and edge of punk melodies and powerful vocals. “Modern Freedom” starts the album off running with its relentless rhythm and for there it never really lets up. Conner and Zapata might be familar as they are both core members of the AC/DC tribute group Hell’s Belles. 5.2 McRiprock’s www.adrianrocks.com Distant Lights–Simulacrum: Austin’s Distant Lights combine complex instrumentation and lyricism in a powerful, progressive sound. They showcase, Jon Dexter, a featured soloist from A Scanner Darkly, that plays electrified, antique cello which combines for an unusual arrangement when meshed with piercing vocals. The group walks the line between pop, metal, rock and performance art. During select performances, projections of artwork and video accompany each track which creates a visual manifestaion of each song. Simulacrum, is a muscial story of a fictional society hypnotized by the propaganda of a political and socioeconomic machine with a visercal sound differentiating the five-piece from others in Austin. 4.0 McRiprock’s www.myspace.com/distantlightsmusic Asylum Street Spankers–God’s Favorite Band: They are at it again. Austin’s postmodern jug band have taken some recent detours as they circumnavigate the vast expanse of American roots music, from a award-winning kids alubm in 2007, to a double-disc live cast recording from their Off-Broadway show a year later. God’s Favorite Band is an all-acoustic, spiritual themed album. They dub the recording as “the world’s first agnostic gospel album,” which became the centerpiece of their current “Salvation and Sin: tour: a heavenly set of rousing gospel music follwed by a set of songs celebrating the joys of sinning. 5.0 McRiprock’s www.asylumstreetspankers.com The Dry Season–Larry EP: Begining in Austin in 2008 as a neo-psychedelic, post rock group combining an atomosphere of trip hop, drenched guitar and hauting vocals with a tight dynamic arrangement. They gained interest by staging overwhelming and emotion-driving performcences. In January 2009, they released Larry, a 5-song EP which received media attention nationally. They have since, delicately glided from hypnotic arrangments and ambient textures to soically destructive chaose with overwhelming emotion. With textures that are dreamy and the rage of distortion and bombardment of feedback they swing the listener back and forth rom such opposition emotioanl extremes that creates and area worth listening. 4.0 McRiprock’s www.thedryseason.com Sideways Reign–Scale Mt. Epic: Based in Union, Washington, Sideways Reign is representative of the artistic sensibilities of the masses. They are your local barkeep, ya know, the hard-hat wearing construction worker or the ice cream maker on the corner– on and off stage they remain the approachable, everyday guys that you’d hang out with after work. In the same sense, their album (the band’s six track debut EP) offers something for the broadest of audiences with a genre defynig blend of rock, blues, folk and reggae. The band’s name serves as a nod to their Pacific Northwest roots and a reference to the poitical tyrannies that they stand firmly against. Many of the songs were first geared to be acustically driven, but the full band setting offered an eriched sound that the band was searching for. The album is aptlly named after the band’s pursuit of “epic jams,” during their long practice sesssions. Released in the Summer of 2007, it was recorded in a live, full band setting–often in only a few takes to avoid overproduction and to add continutity between their live and recorded sound. 4.5 McRicprock’s www.myspace.com/sidewaysreign Dickie Lee Erwin–Swan: Dickie Lee Erwin’s musical history spans as far back as the 1970’s palying with an electic assortment of musicians and playng a vareity of music. After touring with Killbilly, Erwin released CDs There’s a Movie Going On, Texas Midnight Highway and Poppin’ Johnny. He continues on to be an original country-outlaw with this new relase, Swan on High Plains Records. 5.0 McRiprock’s www.myspace.com/dickieleeerwin Please Do Not Fight–Move: Based in Rewood City, CA this Bay Area audience favorite is an indie/rock group best known for their exciting and engaging live shows. Songwriter Zen Zenith pours heartfelt lyrics which reflect intelligence and introspection woven into a muli-demensional melody. Classically trained, Erin Keely is featured on violin, keyboard and piano and along with her instrumental contributions, her sweet and soulful vocals marry well to Zenith and adds rich sound to the band. Lead guitarist, Geoff McCann and Kubes, an accompished drummer round out the band bringing a improvisational feel to the band’s signature string and synt- heavy rock songs using intricate groove based riffs and arrangments. 5.0 McRiprock’s www.pleasedonotfight.com The Farmers--Fulmination: “We are a ‘67 GTO in a 4-cylinder world. An American msucle care in a junk yard full of Hyundai’s.” San Diego based roots-rock pioneers are celebrating the release of their latest full-length album. Formed from members of The Beat Farmers, they continue to keep the name and music growing, delivering beer-soaked, heartland rock while staying true to the intregity of The Beat Farmers. The album was nomiated for best Americana album in 2009 at The San Diego Music Awards and was a top selling record in the nation from their distrubutor, Burnside Distrubution. The record is equal parts melody, rock and country giving the listener moments of pure rock goodness and lyrics that are raw and witty. Self-described as “Bo Diddley, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Joe South, and The Yardbirds ham-fisted into a food processor, stuffed into a shotgun shell and blasted into a beer keg at three in the morning in Faron Young’s rumpus room, is the clearest description you’ll get of the band’s inspiration and a trickle of the music you’ll hear on the album. 5.0 McRiprock’s www.myspace.com/thefarmersmusic

Katrina on Film and Canvas

David Bates - The Deluge II

David Bates since 1982: From the Everyday to the Epic

David Bates, a Texan by birth and still a Texan by choice, makes art. In a way, Bates’ art is like the city of New Orleans: both can mean different things to different people. You may find it modern, yet others like the folksy charm, some enjoy its natural beauty, while others are drawn to its human emotions. Bates’ art is shown in New Orleans a lot, so much that I assumed he was from Louisiana at first. For New Orleans, a place rich in local culture, to welcome a foreigner like Bates into their museums and galleries speaks highly of the man’s work. Accolades also come from his home state, as seen in the Austin Museum of Art’s exhibition David Bates Since 1982: From the Everyday to the Epic. AMOA’s downtown gallery is filled with the different sides of Bates: folk art renderings of musicians, landscapes of nature preserves, still life magnolia blossoms, and cubist forms of cigarettes and Corona bottles. Bates’ brushstrokes have a signature style, and the same unique angular lines he puts down on canvas show up in his sculptures. In The Woodsman, Bates paints a life-size five-foot tall woodpile, no two logs alike, each one painted with subtle differences in color and pattern. The relationship between Bates and New Orleans comes as no surprise; the city is a famous haven for roots music, and Bates exalts this music on canvas via the imagery of musicians Clifton Chenier and Lightning Hopkins. People are the soul of any city, and Bates’ work shows a connection with the people of New Orleans. In the Katrina aftermath, Bates painted flooded landscapes and the faces of the citizens deluged by the federal levee failure. This recent Katrina series is worth seeking out. The AMOA exhibition is a sure bet, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans has Bates on view in their permanent collection. The Ogden features The Storm, a series of three large panels, each one filled with a dozen life-size faces of flood survivors.

Vallejo@ Saxon Pub in pics by kyle woods

EDGE OF DARKNESS HAS NO EDGE

Jesus, what a waste of time. I was actually giving the bird to the screen, midway through. It started off pretty cool but it soon became a rehash of revenge pictures. Where are the original ideas? Along the same lines and well done was a film called “TAKEN.” Save your money and time and skip this. Mel was sleepwalking through this. Some folks actually applauded when the credits rolled. I was grateful also. The talent and money wasted could have done better. Maybe I’m harsh, my friend that was there didn’t feel negative about it. Maybe I missed something? Ray Winstone was awesome and saves what he can of the film. As it stands, the story was a rehash and poorly executed. I just did not give a toss……………………. I’m owed a few hours of my life back.

HECTOR WARD & THE BiG TIME IN PICS BY KYLE WOODS

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done

Imagine, if you will, my sheer unbridled glee at being handed this assignment, to catch a new Werner Herzog movie! Me and Werner go way back, beginning with Fitzcarraldo. Here is a man who picks highly explosive, Quixotic characters who put themselves and everyone around them through mind bending hell on their quest for their own personal holy grail, and Werner gives them free rein to eviscerate themselves for our entertainment. Werner is not everyone’s cup o‘ tea, mind you, but I dig his aesthetic largely.
Now, imagine, if you will, how dumbfounded I became when I’m walking into the theater and the greeter tells me this is a David Lynch production! I could barely contain my enthusiasm… Finally, I am going to be challenged by the celluloid, rather than being slapped in the face with a dead rotting fish and insulted, like I was by the last attempts of both Eastwood and Jackson, of which I covered both for the Daze. After those two miserable excuses for film making I needed this like a junkie with a pocketful of money knocking on the door of his reputable and reliable dealer.
This film, a crime drama, stars Willem Dafoe, Chloe Sevigny, Michael Shannon, Grace Zabriskie and Udo Keir (with a great cameo by Brad Dourif), and is based on a true story, but between the capable folk in charge here we get something quite surreal in the process that never sacrifices or sullies the ongoing narrative. A brilliant mix of style and composition, the marriage of these two auteurs is awesome to behold. I was transfixed from start to finish, wondering just what in the hell was gonna happen next, satisfied as well as bewildered at every crook and turn.
The musical score, by Ernst Reijseger, is not to be believed. It seemingly never stops the entire film, lending an already phantasmagorical set of scenes a twist of nonsense and raw emotion that keeps the deadpan delivery of this movie percolating right along. Brilliant choice, this.
Warning: THIS MOVIE ISN’T FOR EVERYONE!!!
Art lovers, however, will rejoice!
Finally, a movie that is well worthy of an investment in time. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, and I’m sure will continue to do so for the next few days, too; a true mark of a movie well done.
What can I say, but by all means…
Thank you Herr Lynch and Herzog. A collaboration that lives up to your hype.

TOPAZ & MUDPHONIC AND THEN SOULHAT IN PICS BY ROCKSLIDE

THIS WAS SUCH A COLD NIGHT OUTSIDE. ROCKSLIDE AND I BRAVED THE ELEMENTS FOR THE AUSTIN DAZE. ON THE WAY HOME THAT NIGHT, I SAW 2 POLAR BEARS ON THE SOUTH CONGRESS BRIDGE! REALLY!

The Lovely Bones

The movie began well enough, a seemingly complimentary pairing of the suspense thriller genre with a fantasy backdrop. I was pulled deeper and deeper into the story, enjoying myself, along for the ride….
Then suddenly, without warning, or buildup, or anything resembling plausibility, the movie takes a horrible turn where the characters come unhinged and commit acts totally out of character, and the film never recovers, only gets worse and worse.
Because of some CGI enhanced transmuted feeling, admittedly vague at best, one character literally stalks another with a baseball bat down the middle class streets, at night!!, pursing the other character into a cornfield where all goes bad to worse in a most unbelievable way????!!!!! BS! The mother flies the coop, leaving family behind to go work with itinerant strawberry pickers somewhere far far away. ????!!!!! BS!! We are given no buildup of how or why for these sudden twists of character, who until now, were distraught, but normal, together, middle class folks.
One of the family does keep it together and she manages to uncover the source of the families woes, duly reports it to her family… and nothing happens… Nothing.
Some more inane story crap ensues, enhanced by CGI that is a horrible device for storytelling.
Then, apparently after much time passes, the bad character is still up to his nastiness, but lures his bait to another person in the most unbelievable of settings and circumstances, and then courtesy of CGI magic, something resembling justice occurs. … Gimme a break.
Then, it ends. Mercifully.
Susan Sarandon is the only believable character here. But her role doesn’t a movie make.
Yet another note to Hollywood… Take the money you guys are spending on CGI and HIRE A DECENT WRITER!!! Don’t try and lull us and dazzle us with your dream worlds when you haven’t a clue how to move us with a believable and compelling story.
Don’t bother with this one, readers. A total mess. A waste of two hours of your life. Yuck!
Yo Pete, gain back the weight you lost, maybe that will bring you back to form…
Cruel I know, but I don’t particularly like my time wasted, regardless of whom is the perpetrator. Pete let the bar be lowered, and the buck ultimately stops with him, and for that he should pay. And I guarantee you he will come 2nd week box office receipts. I’m not a betting man, but any takers?

Crazy Heart

Being a huge fan of the film, “Tender Mercies”, I entered the theater with a knot of trepidation firmly lodged in my stomach. The theater darkened, then this sweet music filled the room, and the inner nervousness melted right away.
First off, I’m also a huge fan of Jeff Bridges. Beginning with “Last Picture Show” and moving right along through “Starman”, “The Big Lewbowski” and others, this actor has steadily applied himself into roles that he made entirely believable. This role as Bad, a country singer/songwriter who’s fallen prey to alcohol and shit gigs just to stay alive, may very well be his masterpiece.
Must also give kudos to Maggie Gyllenhaal. Her character’s pitch was spot on.
This story is believable and does not come away without leaving some bumps and bruises, and is real. I only had one slight problem with some dialogue in one scene concerning some music business that I found non-believable, but still, this small film gives the movie goer everything they emotionally need to leave the theater having had a real life experience from a world they can never inhabit.
And must bring up the music again as this was the swan song of the late T. S. Bruton. The work he’s done here with the esteemed T-Bone Burnet brings the film an honesty, a hard won battle over life and all its iniquities, trials and tribulations, the travails that we all face day to day. Beautifully done.
And ironic that Robert Duvall (from “Tender Mercies”) himself championed this film as both producer and actor.
All in all, this is a small indie film that’s gotten all the components right. A cool bunch of folks did something quite unpretentious, and you walk away from the theater feeling you’ve just spent two great hours in a world that gives life meaning.

Red’s Porch

There’s a new joint on South Lamar that deserves a few words in its favor: Red’s Porch
Imagine, if you will, a restaurant that is equal parts Z Tejas, Threadgills, with a bit of Torchy’s Tacos thrown in for good measure. And most everything on the menu for $9.95 or less! A multi-story, extremely spacious joint that overlooks the Barton Springs Greenbelt. Serves a wide selection of beers. Has multiple television for sports viewing. Kitschy 50’s style. Even has a renovated Airstream trailer outside for private parties or alternate seating. All sounds good, right?
Well bottom line for me is the groceries and on this day I was served a smorgasbord of items to get a general feel for taste and vibe. Big thumbs up!! Across the board, the food tastes like you are eating at someone’s home who knows their way around the kitchen.
I can see this place becoming a big hang, both for its atmosphere and for its delicious, very affordable food.
Check out the menu and all the other stuff @ www.redsporch.com. If you want to get there, 3508 South Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX 78704-7934 – (512) 440-7337 (behind Citi Bank, right across from The Broken Spoke)
Nosh away! This joint aims to please…

Nine Wants Laughter!Love!Dreams!

As a film critic, you try and approach each film from an analytical standpoint-finding an angle or thread for which you might build a cohesive (and if lucky, coherent) observation about the content in question. Armed with pen and notebook, it was with this sensibility, that I attended a screening for Nine last week. In the hour and a half that followed, I wrote only this: “I can’t come if you don’t tell me where you are.” It was a line spoken by Guido Contini’s wife, the brilliant Marion Cotillard near the beginning of the film, a line that proves to be particularly poignant for her character’s journey (one of the few full believable ones) back to herself, and she is a stand out, elevating her role with grace and skill. The blank pages that followed my one liner are an admission that this film did my critic sensibilities in and turned any attempt at sophisticated observation into a pile of over-excited, teenage-drooling, mush. Was it lust or love? A week later it’s still hard to tell. So far the signs: the giddy anticipation of its release date; broad tingling smiles every time I see the trailer; singing lines from “Be Italian” and “My Husband Makes Movies” while cooking, cleaning, whatever-ing; swooning parental like-pride for each interview with one of the cast members (Penelope’s on Oprah! Nicole’s on the Today Show! They’re all on Larry King!); cheers when they announced the Golden Globe nominations for best actress, supporting actress, actor, film, and original song.

Waiting for Philip…

Philip Seymour Hoffman, mythical beast, appearing larger than life, to brood, contemplate, reflect, sometimes, if it strikes him, to offer up a deviling bit of comic relief. He roams the screen and the stage, layers of skin peeled back or removed entirely, discarded in a dressing room, relinquished to a trailer, emerging from these tucked away places as inner tissue and arteries whenever duty calls, thinking nothing of giving up the last shocks of his nerves to convey a point, a theme, a message–all in the name of being human.

TIME FOR THE ARMADILLO XMAS BAZAAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

COME ONE COME AL L.

THE MUSIC LINEUP IS ALWAZE STELLAR!

http://www.armadillobazaar.com/

AWESOME TIME FOLKS!

TRULY ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES IN AUSTIN, YEAR AFTER YEAR….

JUST GO………………

Invictus

I normally don’t write about anything that doesn’t set me on fire. Tonight, however, I make an exception, as I’m puzzled by the disconnect I feel.
NOT a Hollywood guy, by nature, but still, a film directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan freeman and Matt Damon based on a true story about Nelson Mandela bringing a nation together via their rugby team’s march to the World Cup? Even if not your cup of tea, there are some redeeming factors at work here, right?…Well, that’s what I thought, too. But somewhere along the way this movie shit in my boot.
Have you heard a critic label a film UNEVEN? At best, that’s what I got here.
I’ve learned over time that rhythm and flow mean everything. And those two elements were distinctly missing in this movie. You get the broad strokes, but you’re not emotionally involved because rhythmically there’s nothing pulling you along to sink your teeth into. Call it bad editing. You’re given bits of scenes that never materialize into anything that pulls the story along. You don’t care about any of the characters, and the pacing seems down right rote. And the rugby action scenes are downright laughable as the powers that be don’t seem to know flip about what’s under the skin of this sport. They even got the Maori War Dance from the All Blacks all wrong.
I guess you can’t bat 1000 all the time.
Here, Clint and company fall miserably short on what could have been a very good film. Color me confused.

I loved the insanity & iguanas of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

DARK DARK DARK. The poster art makes this movie look mainstream. It is not.
This film just grabbed me and shook baby shook!!! It worked. You can really tell that Werner Herzog and cast and crew had a great time putting this together. Cage is in top form here. He goes for broke being bad. The best work he has done in a long time.
And no, not everyone is going to get it. I lucked out and saw this in a full Alamo Drafthouse theater. The crowd was mostly cinephiles and movie geeks. AICN presented this event. So, it is safe to say that we got the gist of what was going on. This film was dark but the humor that flowed was golden. I rented “BAD LIEUTENANT” after the screening. There are many similarities, I wonder why nothing else I have read on this film mentions that.”BL:POCNO” seems to take these similar elements one step further and fleshes them out so to speak. The dialogue here is awesome. I must have said “TIL THE BREAK OF DAWN” a hundred or more times this past week and most folks around me have no idea why. This film walks a tightrope over having no clue. And therein lays the magic. I recommend this full on.
If you love films and can name another Herzog title off the top of your head or enjoy an occasional trip to the darkside, this film is for you. I will see this again. OPENS DEC 11TH.WATCH TRAILER HERE

Pirate Radio writer/director Richard Curtis dares to be optimistic

by Bree Perlman

“Rock and Roll will live forever-but can it float?”

If writer/director Richard Curtis has anything to say about it, the answer is a bursting, “Yes!” evidenced by his latest film, Pirate Radio. It’s an unapologetically uplifting comedy about a group of 1960s rogue deejays determined to deliver forbidden music to 25 million people. Listen to some of the last broadcasts of the ships for which the story was inspired and you might come to a different conclusion. Early critics of the film accuse it of being a “too sugary” and “too sweet” account of an event that in the words of Robert Daltrey of The Who, people were “a lot more pissed off” about. To say that Curtis delivers a staunchly sunnier version of the events than many remember it is an understatement. But sitting down with Curtis last week in New York I came to understand why it couldn’t possibly have been any other way.

Split Lip Rayfield

I am out at Rice Fest in Fischer, TX this week. It’s an annual pilgrimage for me. The event spotlights Americana music with a bent for songwriters and bluegrass–this year’s line up includes Kevin Welch, the Band of Heathens, Darrell Scott, and the Hudsons..

Altercation Punk Rock Comedy/Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009

Altercation Punk Rock Comedy Tour/Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

Fun Fun Fun Fest Video Collage – day 1

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

fun fun fun fest 09 shot by kyle woods

Galactic night at stubbs shot by rockslide