The Cure-Bananafishbones

Posted on November 10, 2005
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I don’t think/I don’t think/I make use of all this time…

Broadcast-Illumination

Posted on November 9, 2005
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Broadcast

Posted on November 9, 2005
Filed Under Blather, music, photography | Leave a Comment

Last night, despite my back troubles (ugh–don’t ask), Ezra and I made our way over to the Paradise to see Broadcast and Gravenhurst. I wasn’t familiar with Gravenhurst, but I enjoyed their set. I have to admit, their singer/guitarist reminded me of a younger Andy Partridge (see photo evidence).

Gravenhurst

Ezra was skeptical when he saw the guitarist’s huge array of effects pedals. As it turned out, several of their songs started off rather quietly, without a lot of embellishment, but then shifted into noise–almost like the first part of the song described a melancholy and the second part represented the therapy. I thought some of the effects were sort of cute–aw, look, they go for psychedelia a bit, don’t they? They had some British charm about them as well. All in all, I liked them.

Gravenhurst

Ez and I were also impressed with the guitarist’s strap, which featured what I can only describe as a pick dispenser. Maybe I’m just not up on the latest guitar gadgetry–probably not.

I’ve been a Broadcast fan for a while, but this was my first time seeing them live. I don’t have the new album yet, so a lot of the songs were new to me. It didn’t matter, though. I like their overall sound, and the whole mood of their live show was just about what I expected. They started with “Pendulum” and played a bunch of other songs–I noted “Ominous Cloud” and “Illumination” in particular. The latter was the last song of their main set and might have been the musical highlight of the evening for me. Trish plays a funky little orange guitar. I loved her dress. It was such a Terri dress.

Broadcast

I was psyched to discover that, as I’d suspected, the Paradise doesn’t seem to care about cameras. I was able to snap away with my big DSLR with no trouble from anybody. Broadcast projected abstract art films across the stage during their set, which was very cool and atmospheric, but which made for very dark picture-taking conditions.

Broadcast

They closed their set with a cover of a Nico tune. How appropriate!

Broadcast

The Misfits

Posted on November 1, 2005
Filed Under Blather, films | Leave a Comment

I’m watching the Misfits on Turner Classic Movies and it’s a bit of a revelation. I always liked Marilyn Monroe, but often felt like I wasn’t seeing her really acting–wasn’t seeing her talents being used. I don’t know if it was her fault, or the fault of people she was working with, but something just wasn’t right. (Some Like It Hot is an obvious exception–it’s a pretty stereotypical Marilyn role, but it’s well written and directed and she’s great in it.) In some ways, she’s much more beautiful in the Misfits, though. Her frailty is revealed–she’s a real person. Her role has complexity, and however much of the expressions on her face are acting and however much is how she was really feeling during the filming… it works. It’s nice to see her in something so real… It’s gritty and anxious. Supposedly she was very self-conscious about how she looked at the time of the filming. It knocks me out, because I think she’s probably at her most beautiful. I guess frailty is beautiful to me.

In a book I’m reading, there’s a quote that anyone can act, as long as they’re just being themselves. If this is Marilyn not-acting acting, well… I wish she’d been not-acting more often.

Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay. Maybe this shows some of the Marilyn he knew.

Thelma Ritter is great, as always, as Isabelle Steers. Just saw her in Rear Window the other night. I always think of her in Miracle on 34th Street saying, “I’ve never been much of a Macy customer.”

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