The Countdown to True/False Begins

I've already previewed the films on our docket for the upcoming True/False Film Festival, but I thought I'd build up some hype throughout the week. Since buying a pass and reserving some tickets, this was the first day I thought of the festival.


We were in KC this weekend. Before heading home, R and I did some shopping in the Plaza. I wandered through stores, eventually landing in American Apparel. Say what you want about AA (I have.), but they make some good products. As I contemplated a purchase, I remembered that I love to buy AA t-shirts and sweatshirts from T/F every year. Besides using my favorite casual wear for their paraphernalia, T/F usually has some cool graphic design silk-screened onto the fabric. This year's design of a rowboat being lifted by a bunch of balloons is inspiring and aesthetically pleasing. Remembering this helped me not to make an ill-conceived purchase at the sweatshop-free, hipster boutique.

Also reminding me of the events to come, we have been making arrangements with friends from Nebraska who come in every year for the fest. For the purpose of anonymity, I will refer to them as "the children of the corn" from here on out. The children of the corn will arrive promptly on Thursday night so that no doc is missed and will head directly from our house to Osaka's for sushi. You know the sushi situation in Lincoln, NE must be bad if folks gotta drive five hours to COMO for some raw fish.


Anyway, the children of the corn will see almost every film we won't making it possible for all of us to rehash every film at T/F over beers each night. So, you should look forward for the children of the corn report on the docs I don't see.

In case you're wondering, the children of the corn will sleep on the futon. My mom is coming into town to watch Lucia. It will be a full house this weekend for sheezee.

Oh, and one last thing that's getting me pumped for True/False...Man On Wire just won the Oscar for best doc. This was the closing film of last year's festival. I didn't see it. I had to see the one about the deadbeats who stalked Tiffany instead. Maybe I'll choose better this year.

The Hipsters Have It

The hipsters have spoken. They want Obama, and Obama they shall have...

Well, actually, the last time I checked, Clinton and Obama were splitting delegates like Chuck Norris splits heads (when he's not stumping for Huckabee, that is). But, if anyone has the hipster vote, it's Obama.

Look at all the indie rockers backing the Senator from Illinois. Conor Oberst put on an impromptu concert in Iowa the night before Obama's caucus win. Win Butler writes in Obama cheers to Arcade Fire set lists between "Neighborhoods #1 and 3". M Ward has recently joined Oberst on the Obama campaign trail. People are reading Pitchfork for political updates instead of the Times.

Then, there's American Apparel. My friend, Kristen, tipped me off on the new AA ad on their homepage. Apparently, the ultra-hipster-outfitting, no-sweatshop-employing clothier has returned to its political roots and come out in support of Obama (and McCain) due to his take on immigration.

Go to any Obama rally or watch the stump speeches on CNN. You could play Hipster Bingo all night long. I always knew that hipsters were loaded with white guilt, but geesh. (Of course, this could be my problem. I would be the "over 30 hipster" on your bingo boards.)

Whatever it is, I still hope Barack can pull this thing out. Clinton may get the NASCAR dads and security moms, but Obama owns the white guilt hipsters. Now that's a demographic to contend with.

Where Do Hipsters Go to Die?

After my night of rockin' with the COMO Hipsterocracy and reading this article about indie rockers populating Hipster-mecca Portland, I have been contemplating where hipsters go to retire, or, more likely to die.

In the early aughts, many hipsters descended upon once-ignored Brooklyn due to its "affordable" rent and cool music scene. Those who did not leave their liberal arts colleges for NYC made treks to Seattle (post-grunge), Chicago, and San Francisco. Some have stayed in their college towns. Wherever they have landed, hipsters have inadvertently caused great gentrification by flipping ghettos into the affordable, artsy, indie rock centers of the urban universe. They have made it possible for gay men to gut and reconstruct dilapidated Victorian homes without fearing that poor people will dirty them or gay bash.

Now, hipsters everywhere are aging. Not since the Boomers' threat of mass retirement has this country had to deal with such a retirement crisis. Where will these hipsters go? Will there be art house theaters, indie rock clubs, and soy chai lattes? Can they supplement their income as greeters for your local art gallery or record store?

The reason I wonder about this is that I am somewhat of an aging hipster. I frequent the same clubs as the Hipsterocracy. I was at the last US Pavement show and the first Village Voice Siren Festival (Can you see my sister and me in the picture?). I've built my own Readymade meat cart bed. I own an American Apparel hoody and retro Pumas. Now, I am over 30, and that's over-the-hill in hipster years. Retirement and death are real concerns for me.

The next step is probably parenthood which will cause me change my lifestyle drastically. If we lived in Brooklyn (which we obviously do not), we'd prepare to move to...I don't know...a quaint, Midwestern college town, ideal for raising families. I'll have to navigate one of those SUV-size strollers through a crowd of younger hipsters in clubs and at festivals. I'll read blogs like Zooglobble for all the latest in indie kid pop. My hipster years are numbered.

So, when I go out to a rock show or check out the latest Jim Jarmusch flick, I'll look at that hipster girl pouring my beer and think, "I bet she'll retire to Portland once her bar tending days are over and hang out with her neighbor, Stephen Malkmus." Or that hipster guy looking all aloof and wonder, "Does he have a 401k plan?"

Like everyone, hipsters will grow old. Instead of our kids complaining about old, burnt-out hippies (well, that will never go out of style), they will go on and on about the old fart at the record store with the really tight black jeans and ironic t-shirt.

So, maybe it's time to consider the end of the hipster era. I mean, irony is dead. Why not prepare for the next sub-culture. Maybe b-boys will make the comeback they have been threatening for the last decade. Whatever group takes the place of today's hipsters, let's just hope that there is a nice place for them (me) to retire...or die.

The Best of 2007...so far

With the half-way point of 2007 quickly approaching, I felt it necessary to declare the year's best...so far. Now I've done this already but will begin this post by rehashing and possibly revising some of my original thoughts.

The Shins' Wincing the Night Away is still easily in the year's top ten despite it not being in the same league as their two previous releases. It's a little on the boring, we're trying too hard end. However, it will take some really good albums to knock it off my list.

One tends to be way more critical of one's favorite bands with every release. I call this the Pavement Factor™. Pavement's earliest recordings were considered seminal works that eventually propelled indie rock to its current status. However, with each release, critics and fans (especially) would hate it and would unfavorably compare to their previous efforts - all classics. The funny thing is that all their long-players went through this process. Slanted and Enchanted was an obvious attempt to sell out after several low-fi gems released on 7" and tape in the late 80's/early 90's...That is until Crooked Rain Crooked Rain was released. That album sucked! Or at least through 1995 when Pavement came out with Wowee Zowee...You get the picture. Each album sucks until it is deemed "classic" mostly because the next album either stinks or is an effort to sell out. Pointless, really.

Some Loud Thunder by Clap your Hands Say Yeah is easily my favorite of 2007, well, until something better comes along. The overblown bass on the first track is annoying, and it did ruin a perfectly good song. However, the track does set a tone for the rest of the record's sound. The songs are nearly perfect in that Pavement sort of way of being perfectly imperfect. Since this album's release, I have barely spent any time listening to their self-titled debut, which I absolutely love. I can't wait until this band reschedules their COMO date (an issue that I will deal with later in this post).

Releases by Bright Eyes and Modest Mouse are as solid as any in their respective catalogs. Both of these albums did not disappoint. I fully expect to include both bands on my end-of-year list.

Many feel that the Arcade Fire's Neon Bible was a letdown. I disagree. Sure, it doesn't contain the same urgency or dramatics of the first album, but it is easily better than 99.9% of this year's releases. NB is dominated by an earnestness that made Funeral such a hit. The songs are in heavy rotation on my iTunes and CD player, because the songwriting and execution are so far beyond the majority of pop music. Again, here's another case of a great band suffering some bad reviews primarily due to solid early work.

I listen to Beirut's EP all the time, and I can't wait until they release their next long-player. My only hope is that they don't go the way of (French popsters) Air with crappy Euro-pop. (Although, I did like the Virgin Suicides soundtrack.) I'm expecting big things from Beirut based on Lon Gisland.




Feist has put out what may turn out to be everyone's album of the year with The Reminder. These songs have way more soul and depth than her previous releases. In addition, there's this dance-ability I didn't really catch in the last proper album. Highlights have included her first two singles (and videos), "My Moon My Man" and "1 2 3 4".

Kill Rock Stars released a collection of rare Elliott Smith tracks on New Moon. Sometimes these collections are all filler, but this double-disc release is worth the extra cash. The album is a testament to Smith's genius. It's too bad that he had to die so brutally and too soon.

The online media onslaught put on by Duluth, Minnesota's own Low convinced me to buy their latest, Drums and Guns. It seemed like Pitchfork was posting a new Low video every other day. Plus, front man Alan Sparhawk's Take Away Show was so honest - Midwestern honest in fact. I'm always slow to buying music by the originators of the so-called slow-core movement. Their collection of Christmas songs was what originally got me hooked on their sound. This new album does not disappoint with it's use of hand-claps and organ drones throughout.

I did pick up the White Stripes' Icky Thump (almost typed Icky Mettle there) and have only listened once through. It's okay. The record does seem to return to their original sound, but it lacks some of the great singles their albums have been known for. The jury's still out on this one. I'll wait to declare this verdict.

Other half-year mentions...

• Feist's video for "1 2 3 4" is absolutely my favorite video in a long, long time. It effortlessly combines the cheekiness of those dancing Gap ads with the uncomfortable, hipster eroticism of American Apparel ads. That and it's fun.
• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah provided me with the biggest disappointment of the year...so far. They canceled their jaunt through Misery...maybe they've been reading my blog. (A close second in this category was Wilco's lame-ass party album, but I saw this coming. Just go to a Wilco show...damn Phish fans with nothing better to do than to follow alt-country's best answer to Sonic Youth around until they turn into the new Dead.)
  
• Still looking forward to some possible releases from Stephen Malkmus, Times New Viking (on Matador!), Tokyo Police Club (on Saddle Creek!), and Iron & Wine.
• I've recently seen two great rockumentaries, Danielson: A Family Movie or Make a Joyful Noise Here and LoudQUIETLOUD: A Film About the Pixies. Danielson documents the off-beat rise to "fame" of indie Christian troubadour, Danielson and his many friends and family (including Sufjan Stevens). The Pixies flick follows the band during their (first) reunion tour while briefly telling each band member's story since the death of the Pixies. You'll wonder, "Man, are they fat and bald or what!"
  
• Matador still has not announced the ultimate reunion tour...Pavement and Guided By Voices will put on a show you won't want to miss! Until then, I look for Matador to re-issue Brighten the Corners and to stick another GBV record on their bargain list.
• Camera Obscura surprised me this past winter with the best show I've seen in '07.
  

That's all I've got for now.

O - H

While R discovers the wonders of Chile and Argentina, I have returned to Ohio for an overdue visit.

Of course, no trip to the Buckeye state would be complete without an Ohio team losing a championship game. LeBron forgot to board the plane to San Antonio as the Spurs put a whooping on the Cavaliers. It's okay, because I suspect that King James will adjust in time for his return to Cleveland...or not.

My sister took me to the (in)famous Surly Girl my first night in town. It's a bar/restaurant run by the same folks that brought you Betty's. This place had opened shortly after we left Columbus. All that I had heard was how hard it was to get in...this was two years ago. We walked right in Thursday evening and downed several pints of Oberon (with the required orange slice) and the same nachos served down the street at Betty's. Our friend J stopped by despite his dissertation defense scheduled for the following day.

(Most of our conversation revolved around the transgendered community and their use of "T" to enhance the transformation, oddly enough. I'm sure we were not sober enough to make any arguments for or against this practice, but I'm sure it entertained those around us.)

The next morning came too soon as my sister had to send me out while she went to work. So, I decided to eat at the best breakfast place in town, North Star. The only difference was that I checked out the new Clintonville location, instead of the Short North original. I had forgotten how good their coffee and breakfast burrito were. All the coffee is fair trade and rich in flavor, oh, and the cups are bottomless. The burrito provided my breakfast for two days. The combination of organic/free-range eggs, salsa, and sausage fills you up for the day. If only there were a North Star in COMO...

I made my way to some old haunts, particularly Used Kids to pick up the latest release by Columbus-ites and new Matador signees, Times New Viking. I described their previous effort to my sister as sounding like Bob Pollard farting through a pillow into a tape recorder while screaming. But trust me, the songs are good once you get past the production. (It's that whole Siltbreeze thang.) The recording of their current release, The Paisley Reich, is another great collection of shrieks and hollers from the attached two-car garage at your favorite split-level arthouse. I really can't wait until Matador shells out the big bucks for a decent recording studio and big-name producer. (I'm hoping for Steve Albini.) Until then, I'll suffer through their first two crap-fests.

Before leaving town, I thought that I'd pick up a hoodie from American Apparel, but hipsters don't shop before eleven, apparently.

I did, however, pick up my two favorite beers in the world before heading home. Bell's Oberon signifies that summer may begin. The previous night's consumption was not enough. I can get Bell's in COMO, but I can't get Columbus Pale Ale. This is by far my favorite brand of my favorite style of beer. It would be a good visit with these beers in my folks' 'fridge.

To be continued...

The Year in Music...So Far

2007 has already been extremely busy with many new releases in the first third of the year. Here's my list of the early highlights...

The Shins released their third proper, Wincing the Night Away. While I wasn't originally thrilled with this album, too somber, seeing them in concert helped me "get" this album. By juxtaposing Wincing's tracks with their previous works, I was able to see where this record fits in the catalog. The songs really translated live. Although this album might only be the third best Shins' album, it's still much better than 99% of the releases put out by the record industry every year.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah released their much anticipated follow up to 2005's self-titled debut, Some Loud Thunder. Although they were a little heavy with the bass (ruining the opening track), the album defies all sophomore jinx theories. The album moves away from sounding too much like the Talking Heads...but not too far away. I am really looking forward to seeing these guys in May for the first time.

Bright Eyes has put out two solid releases so far. The first was the preview EP for the album Cassadaga. Four Winds is highlighted by the great title track and the most haunting BE song ever, a duet with M Ward called "Smoke Without Fire". The LP is no slouch either. Those more accustomed to Conor Oberst tearing himself to shreds will struggle with the outward lens he utilizes in this release. but I believe that is short-sighted. His music is simply maturing. This work is a transition to a more mature, not-so-emo Bright Eyes. I, for one, welcome this change.

One of my all-time favorite bands, Modest Mouse, released their fifth full-length, the classically Isaac Brock titled We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. After losing their way since signing to a major label, it seems that Modest Mouse is moving in the right direction once again. You could feel this transition (much like the Bright Eyes' movement) as their last two releases seemed to stray from what made Brock's early work stick out in the indie world. He is finally finding a way to balance the Modest Mouse sound with the resources a major label offers. I credit this largely to Johnny Marr's influence. The former Smiths' guitarist seems to be the connection Modest Mouse needed between indie rock eccentricities and major label success. The result is the best Modest Mouse record in ten years and a spot atop the Billboard charts.

My new indie darling, Beirut, released an EP this winter. Lon Gisland shows that Beirut is more than a kitschy indie fad. The highpoint of the release is the more organic take on "Scenic World" that puts away the keyboards for a more Beirut-esque sound. This EP - like most EP's - just gets me excited for the next full-length due later this year.

Finally, I am able to listen to all of The Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. I thought that I was smart when I pre-ordered this release on vinyl accompanied by an MP3 code. Well, the label's manufacturing screwed up the pressing, delaying my shipment by two months. Anyway, just last night some friends loaned me their CD which I promptly saved onto my iTunes. In fact, right now is my first listen. It's a pretty amazing album. The first four songs might be the best first four songs I've ever heard on an album! The record levels off in the middle - much like the band's other releases - but these songs are still good songs. I just love the urgency and passion in the Arcade Fire. They have recaptured the idealism of early rock 'n' roll mixed with the importance of a John Hughes' film to a thirteen year old while speaking to issues that are important to thirty-somethings that struggle with the transition from young liberal to adulthood...or something. God, I love this band!

I'm still looking forward to several releases (or possible releases) due out this year. The White Stripes, Stephen Malkmus, Iron & Wine, and Wilco have much-anticipated records coming out later this year. I'm hopeful that Sufjan Stevens will put out at least one more state album. Last word was that he has Oregon and New Jersey in the works. The new Feist album even looks/sounds very enticing. I really like her new American Apparel-meets-The Gap ad video. It also looks like Pavement will re-issue another album...surprise, surprise. I'll still buy even though I have the original. 2007's off to a fine start...musically.