She and Him

She and Him is a new indie-folk band comprised of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. When on my last conference, one of the attendees in the session in which I presented asked me a question regarding Deschanel's musical style and how I thought it went with her overall acting and screen presence. I answered saying that there seems to be a good measure of congruity between the majority of the roles she has taken this past decade and some of her musical projects I have had a chance to check out. Also, unlike other performers, Deschanel seems happy occupying and owning an indie place in entertainment. She does not seem to starve for that one role that will propel her away from the indie margin and into mega stardon and big mass appeal. And, perhaps that is the secret to her success with art lovers. She seems to effortlessly perform and enjoy the art form she is in for what and how it is. And much of art has to do with authenticity of expression and sheer enjoyment.

I will be reviewing the new album by She and Him soon. In the meantime, check out a new track from them called "In the Sun."
Also, the Rolling Stone reviewed the new album briefly and also included a sampler of all of their tracks. You may read their review and listen to their tracks here.

She and Him - New Music - More Music Videos

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Equality Shoes?

These shoes are courtesy of Berlin-based artist Hans Hemmert who threw a party where guests wore shoe-extenders to make them all the same height of 2 meters. Height equality is going a bit lost on me as I tend to enjoy height hierarchy but here is more about the reasoning behind this art choice.

Personally, I don't think all closets are made equal. Some people just can't match a blue heel.





Via MR.

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Chloe: A Review

I had an opportunity to see the new film Chloe after returning from my travels in the Southwest. Visually, this is a stunning film.

Stunning.

The way director Atom Egoyan captured the color red particularly is simply breath-taking. Egoyan managed to translate eroticism and the text of misunderstood sociality well largely due to his expert use of the color palate. Economizing on language makes sense especially if other paralinguistic things do the talking such as color or the act of gazing through windows, or the text of clothing. The first thing I noticed while watching this film was the almost perfect way the color of the house matched Julianne Moore's red dress in the beginning of the film as well as Amanda Seyfried's character's red fingernails. Homework well done, indeed!

As we were in the theater I kept thinking of how much I had missed seeing Liam Neeson in a truly substantial role. Neeson doesn't just play the professor role well; he exudes it most effortlessly. There is much to say about talent shining through as a result of smart pairing and true professionalism. Few male characters play the 'good guy' characters as convincingly as Neeson.

Enter Julianne Moore.

Moore is the kind of actor who facilitates. One of the films in which I truly enjoyed her performance is a little indie title called Trust the Man. In it, she plays a well-known actress who struggles with the daily burden of quotidianity, family responsibilities, and female insecurity. It's in this little film that I remember feeling justified in my usual enjoyment of her work. Moore is a pro and it shoes in the kind of work that her co-stars manage to produce. More recently, refer to Colin Firth's own Oscar-nominated performance in A Single Man which I reviewed here.
Chloe takes place in Toronto. The vibrant downtown is beautifully captured by Egoyan's lens. The area of Yorkville comes to life beautifully and the pace of daily life seems to match the pace of the narration quite well.

Another thing that struck me while watching the film is how much range Amanda Seyfried is showing. As a friend of mine noted to me about Seyfried's work in this film, "it breaks her out of a mold she might otherwise be stuck in." Her work in Big Love is worthy of attention and I have long thought that she has the potential to be very, very good. And that she is in this film.

This is a beautiful, sad, visually rich, and narration-mature film. The performances by Moore and Neeson stand out. But what perhaps is the making of the film is Amanda Seyfried's convincing portrayal of delusion and disassociation from reality. Ah, and the way the director captured the color red. It made me think of Pedro Almodovar for a bit. Maybe I'll revisit an Almodovar title or two in the near future.

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graph per wikipedia

San Antonio

This week I was in San Antonio presenting at the College English Association annual conference. This time around I presented on my recently developed analysis of the 2009 film (500) Days of Summer. The title of the recent version of the presentation/article is (500) Days of Summer: A Story of Minimalism and Curbed Punk. You may see the full program of the conference here.

In addition to meeting some very interesting presenters, going to sessions full of new research, and participating in my own session, I got to do what I try to do every time I travel: check out the places the locals recommend best. This is where I praise the iPhone again. While I now seem to be more of a reticent fan of this life-facilitating gadget, it's only apropos that I tip the hat to it every now and again. Traveling is much more enjoyable and much less stressful when one relies on it. Without a doubt. The many apps allow one to make the most of the experience and it is nigh impossible to get lost when relying on it.

Naturally, I made it a point to check out the Alamo and the River Walk. If you're ever visiting in Texas, do check out San Antonio. The people are friendly, the weather is spectacular, the food lives up to the reputation, and the River Walk begs for attention.


The following pictures were taken on the Alamo grounds and the River Walk. All photos @ BR

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Nature Exploring and New Spring

Happy Spring Season!
We did some nature-exploring this weekend. First, since the weather was most docile, I decided to spend a part of the weekend biking, about 15 miles or so, on the Olentangy trail. A note about the trail. There is some construction on some of the trail and it is perhaps best to go North rather than South. Detours aside, the trail looked especially nice and, for the most part, quiet. The next day went to some farm- and nature-exploring and the weather was most congruent with the nature of the activity.

Personally, I cannot think of anything better to use to recharge the batteries and get new visual input than nature. Being in the company of fresh air, high trees, the right company, and a good trail is something that language cannot really justly capture. There's something to be said about being around the elements of nature and taking a cue from them. And since the temperature in this neck of the woods was in the mid- to upper 60's, it made perferct sense to spend the whole time outside.

Here are a few pictures taken from the Slate Park Historical Farm and Chestnut Ridge Metro Park. The highlight of the day had to be being around the big horses, the newly born twin lambs, and the breathtaking trees of Chestnut Ridge. The tip of the hat this time around goes to nature and, of course, the most indulging Spring weather.

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New Videocast: (500) Days of Summer

I am about to present my newly finished article on (500) Days of Summer at a conference and in this videocast I talk briefly about its premise. The main question I ask is: what is it about 'punk' that makes it so accepting by the mainstream?

This episode is available on my iTunes series Gendering the Media with Brikena Ribaj as well as here on HetPer.

You may view me discuss this film here.

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Warren Buffett Channels Axl Rose in New Geico Ad

I was just made aware of this new Geico ad. In it, billionaire Warren Buffett channels a kilt-wearing Axl Rose. Headband, black leather jacket, tatted arms, you know, the works. The first two minutes are fastforward-able but the last 30 seconds are a little slice of pleasure.

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Lady Gaga Makes Me Appreciate My Playlists Even More

I was talking to a relatively new friend the other day. Lady Gaga came up in conversation. I didn't do the bringing up, by the way. My answer, and granted, I had not had breakfast yet, was, "yeah, I don't do Lady Gaga, so I don't know. Here, look at my playlists."

I do not care for Lady Gaga's kind of music. In all candor, I find it unfocused, simplistic, and, all in all, a good example of a one trick pony. Her sound is not the kind that oozes inspiration to me. I very much doubt I'll have a great writing idea by listening to "Poker Face". However, play some Doors or Led Zeppelin and, voila, heavens' choirs descend upon the living room and I can write. Rock n' roll can and does inspire. When done right and when relying mostly on music itself rather than odd stage shenanigans and bizarre costumes.

But I can appreciate that many like Gaga's music and as the high-frequency adage points out, de gustibus non est disputandum. And what about those outfits? Could someone explain to me why her getups qualify as art? I've followed the aesthetics of high fashion for years. I read up on it daily for a few minutes. I read as much as I can on the academic text of fashion but nowhere do I find any trace of Gaga that makes sense. Some call it high art. Hmm. Maybe there is something about high art that I am completely missing. I very much doubt it but it could be true.

But I don't think I can be serious about music without researching the über-popular music of the time. And that I did. I have looked at Gaga's album Fame. I've looked at the music videos. And, nope, I still don't get it. I played her album at the gym and while her "Bad Romance" track helped me keep my pace as I was running 7.0 on the treadmill. After a few minutes I felt my face twitching which apparently happens when something either vexes or annoys me. I slowed down and picked Postal Service to finish my run. It worked better that way.

The thing is, if one is truly interested in music, one is bound to have some element of Gaga penetrate one's area of music focus. My Rolling Stone magazine came in the mail this week and I actually thought to myself, 'I bet there's more stuff in there praising the talent that is Gaga.' I want artists to do well as I was born a lover of art. However, I just don't see the point of overexposing a performer to the point of saturation. Or, more importantly, to the point of ignoring other solid artists. I understand how supply and demand works and that if the people want Gaga, then Gaga shall they have. But, how can we know what other music is out there if it does not get any attention?

Music awareness has much to do with visibility and the less visible an artist, the harder it is for music lovers to know about him/her. Granted, not all are lucky to have the kind of sociality that allows them to get informed re: new music. I am very lucky in this regard. My musician friends play a huge role in my music education as I get countless texts, emails, conversations informing me of new music. However, I also do much research on new music. I read all the relevant music publications, read the twitter feeds, and discuss new music with my in-the-know friends. I have to do my homework, too. Music, to me, is no laughing matter. It's not a hobby or a luxury but rather a necessity. Music informs all I do in life as only a small number of hours a week are spent sans music.

But back to the premise of this post. Aesthetics may exacerbate one's talent but it's not a substitute for talent. I somehow doubt Beethoven lost any sleep over his wardrobe the night before a show. I am not saying Gaga is devoid of talent. She writes music and she certainly knows how to be relevant or rather how to sell relevance. But to me she makes sense in an off-Broadway type of production where Burlesque is the theme du jour. Some like burlesque but if you don't, you won't have to face it every time you want to read up on new art and performances.

And what's with the overuse of the term 'genius.' Surely, not everyone can be a genius. Genius is another word that gets misused in the vernacular. A good, albeit general text to consult re: the concept of 'genius' might be the following book, The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything We've Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong by David Shenk.

So, as I enjoy the new Spring sun while leafing through the new Rolling Stone magazine that has Shaun White on it, I think of our collective, shifting values in music. What's hot in music is transient and perhaps that's a good thing. It keeps all artists on their toes. It forces them to check their own cultural relevance constantly. And human genius rarely moves faster than the collective tastes of music lovers. Well, unless it's Beethoven or Verdi and it's been a while since we had artists like that.

And, in conclusion, do read the new Rolling Stone cover article on Shaun White, the über-talented snowboarder and skater. Among other things, he is a lover of old G'nR, Led Zeppelin, and good ol' rock. Another reason to like well well, I suppose.

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graph per rolling stone magazine

Punk Rock Norwegian Style: Ida Maria

I've been listening to Ida Maria the past few months and, for the most part, her sound doesn't disappoint.

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New Videocast: Big Love, an Analysis

In this new episode I discuss the new season of the HBO show Big Love.

You may see me discuss this videocast here.

You may also view the episode on iTunes under the podcast series that bears my name.

Feedback welcome.

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