Where The Wild Things Are, a modern day adult fairy tale

You know the New England winter has fully kicked in when you get the first day of snow.  Winter, the uninvited guest, officially started today.  I know, in theory, it's still Fall, but it doesn't feel like it at all.  I feel the time has come where it is socially acceptable to be woeful.  Yes, everybody! May the Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD] begin!


While it would be easy to fall into the stereotypical self-deprecating mood, I would very much rather make the best out of it, or at least I'll try; I mean, this is just the beginning of the eight wonderful, bitter-cold months to come.


I was gonna restrict myself from writing about Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are, considering it has generated enough buzz on its own. But, it is definitely worth a word or two.  I realized that the adaptation of this children's book may have unexpected outcomes on the older ones: it succeeds at bringing out the wildest feelings within you, if you will excuse my redundancy.

At the risk of sounding tragic, it is not surprising to find yourself revolving in an emotional whirlwind - at least I found myself digging into my darker side and fully relating to the protagonist.  But it is also fair to say that Jonze' take on the story makes you realize there is still an insecure melodramatic nine-year old child within you.  So comforting! (no sarcasm).  Not all of us have been fully corrupted.


Of course, it was hard not to notice Karen O's participation in the movie.  The music has the YYY's written all over it.  And though the music is great, would anyone agree that Mew would have been a great addition to the soundtrack?  Think of their album No More Stories [...], especially tracks like New Terrain or Introducing Palace Players. *sigh


So, dear people, it is ok to feel lonesome, misunderstood, bitter and angry... sometimes!  Quoting the trailer:  "there's one in all of us".  And for you, dear winter: bring-it-on! I will not lay in fetal position.  Instead, I'll bundle up, have a daily chocolate fix, listen to desolate tunes and enjoy the muted colors - may they become your faithful friends, just as they'll surely become mine.

KIA Soul Collective Rolls Into Boston: of cars, art and music

I noticed that the Kia Soul Collective Tour will be hitting Boston this weekend.  Yes, three days of complementary beverages and cars, free test-drives included.

Never been that impressed by motorized vehicles, but this event has a catch: an awesome line-up, music and design.

I'm personally thrilled to see Jonas & Francois, the parisian team of filmmakers, probably best known for being the masterminds behind Justice' "D.A.N.C.E." video.  The young directors will be featuring a shortfilm they have created solely for the Tour titled "Soul Streets"  - Back to the Future's DeLorean meets A-Ha's Take On Me?

The line-up, yes...

          Thu    Oct 15th   Cymbals Eat Guitars & DJ Redfoxx

          Fri     Oct 16th    Here We Go Magic, White Rabbits & DJ's Frank White, Mistaker, Ghostdad

          Sat    Oct 17th   Boy Crisis & DJ's The Bladerunners, Knife, and Harmeet

AND.... should you  test drive the new KIA models, of course, you get the opportunity to see the Pains of Being Pure At Heart at a private bash on Sunday. 

Where is this being held?    Artists For Humanity  -  100 W 2nd St, South Boston

Passion Pit, a commentary

Guilty pleasures. We all have them.
They're the type of habits we like to keep in secrecy to avoid public scrutiny, but also to keep its sanctity - it is yours and only yours.  No explanations asked, allowing you to fall back on them when in need of comfort.  Yet, it's important to realize that the operative word here is guilty.  They're usually mind-numbing, lo-fi, pleasure generating rituals... we fall like flies hypnotized by the light.


My guilty pleasure? Well... I have several, but for practical purposes I'll admit that I follow Gossip Girl (I know I'll regret admitting it, more so having a written proof).  Now, a week ago I was filling my heart with hollow joy, when I was shocked, more like perplexed by the sound of a familiar tune.  Yes, the featured song of the week that gave closure to the addictive sitcom was "Moth's Wings".   Passion Pit on Gossip Girl.  I felt mildly betrayed/disappointed... like something had been stolen from me.

No no no, I'm not being ridiculous, do allow me to expand.  I saw Passion Pit at the Great Scott on May 15th, a secret show before they embarked on their national tour.  They emanated energy and love and dance and music... they were at home!  Hate to use cliche analogies, but it was a true diamond in the raw.  Now, everywhere you click you see Passion Pit.  "The Reeling" was nominated for Breakthrough Video for the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards, not to mention they were also featured on the front cover of last week's Improper Bostonian.

Where am I trying to go?  No.  Sell-outs is not the word I'm looking for.  They are being exposed to the public and their PR staff is doing a great job.  They are making it big and I am ecstatic for them.  But, even they can be overplayed.  THIS is the upsetting part, to see how artists are idolized and then destroyed by "the machine".  I came across this video the other day...  MGMT making a fool out of themselves.  

I enjoy dancing to MGMT, I do!  But, really? Passion Pit is usually compared to MGMT because I guess both can be catalogued as separate strands of dream/dance pop.  I hope it is just a comparison.  I know it is.  I trust Passion Pit will know better.


And in the mean I must say... Quality TV or not, Gossip Girl can be considered a measure of success.  It's 'hip' and it's streamed across borders.  So, I vow to thee and say, Dear Passion Pit:  Congrats, guys!  You made it. Be careful not to go through the roof, and remember your peoples, who saw you roaming around Allston Village.  Oh, and do come back. Please do.

Musical Demagogy: Future of Music Policy Summit 2009...

Part of my morning routine involves reading the international news section in several online publications.  So, like many avid readers, I'm used to hearing about world conferences, protests and gatherings about world peace, animal preservation and global warming, not to mention the endless meetings to make the underdeveloped more developed brought by the G-7, G-5 and so forth.  They are all good causes.  The bottom line is that, like Michael Jackson once said, we are trying to make this world a better place.

To my delight I came across a rather interesting set of panels revolving around MUSIC.  Hosted by Georgetown University, the Future of Music Policy Summit '09 hosted several speakers involved in the music industry - radio hosts, producers, managers, executive directors, and music curators.

I did not personally attend the event, but listened to several panels via live-webcast thanks to web.illish.us, and found one particularly interesting.  NPR Music: Making music Matter on-Air and Online, was particularly relevant to today's stance.  The main focus? The media as an effective vehicle to reach those unreachable through the radio tower.  Many people can agree with me that internet has revolutionized the music industry, to the point where the MySpace revolution and file sharing has forced record labels to find alternatives to get revenues (cause clearly record sales are no longer profit generating).  In fact, artists do not necessarily seek record deals, hence the "indie" revolution - indie = independent, get it? haha (you'd be surprised as to how many people don't know this etymology).  Bob Bailen, Host and Creator of NPR's All Songs Considered, delivered what to me is the biggest dilemma of many online listeners:  The amount of music on the web is overwhelming.  The problem is not how to expose listeners to new music, but get them to care for music - how to become tastemakers, gatekeepers, music curators!  and... being highly democratic/realistic, the need for radio stations to serve their right niches.

The summit also considered the importance of websites -like CONSPICUOUSLY- that feature music, just for love of music, not seeking revenues.  The bloggers of the world are now considered main drivers of the music industry and bridges between the three main components of the music industry:  artists, fans and investors.

It's always fulfilling to see that the leaders of the world and people up their in the hierarchy are actually considering what people want and need, and, especially, begin to evolve with the industry.  Change is good, and in this technological era, it's kinda hard not to go 2.0.

Grizzly Bear @ the Orpheum

To me, Veckatimest best translates as "Summer oh-nine".  It is the soundtrack of the social experiment I like to call my post-grad career, simply because it became the aural analogy to my everyday.


I've lost many hours of sleep to Veckatimest and I guess I owe this to a friend of mine.  You know how friends always say "You should listen to this band, they're awesome"?  Well, this is a friend whom I trust blindly - his music taste is pretty much implacable and very in tune with mine.  Came May and all he would talk about was how he could not wait to get Grizzly Bear's new vinyl; halfway down going to the record store, his bike got a flat tire.  This little monster was not capable of stopping him from his endeavor.  He was on a mission.  I was intrigued.  I had to listen to the quadrupeds.


Once I did, only two songs grasped my attention.  But I have learned my lesson in terms of new bands, you actually have to listen to the albums.  After a couple of nights I was swearing my undying love.  It only snowballed after that.  I acquired Yellow House and Horn of Plenty, too and it was a matter of time before I became acquainted with Department of Eagles, GB's singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Rossen side project [note: Listen to No One Does It Like You].  


Ultimately, I found myself not only liking GB, but talking about them non-stop and longing to have a sidekick with whom to share this musical masterpiece.


I guess it's not hard to see that I have a deep emotional connection associated with this band.  Knowing they had scheduled two shows in Boston was just mind blowing... I had to be there.   The first one kicked in early in the summer at the Berklee Performance Center, a place that has limited seating and was bound to sell out immediately.  The second one happened this Thursday.

The Orpheum was packed by folk lovers, indie aficionados, and hipsters... Yes! haha  But it wasn't the crowd what made it so special.  It was the over all environment, the feeling... ya know? It was like going to an underground show in an Allston basement with your friend's band playing - it was familiar, cozy and face-melting - not to mention that Ed Droste, being from Boston, gave it a local twist by dedicating each song to a Massachusett's related element, from the infamous Red Line to Arsenal Mall and, of course, the Red Sox.

Don't get me started on the visuals... Ah! The lighting...  The most important element in the stage set up were the dangling jars that eventually became like giant christmas lights twinkling according to the tracks.  I'm telling you, it was a basement gig... just slightly upgraded.
...and the music, of course.  


The surround sound given by the Orpheum was perfect for their music, which I like to say is orchestral indie pop.  Its all about instrumentality, plus, their theatricality was accentuated by the live versions of their heavy layered songs.  Droste's voice was melodic and vibrated with great strength and confidence... he's just a great singer.  Chris Taylor, the one-man band, is fascinating.  He moves from the bass, to the clarinet, to the flute, to the saxophone and back to the bass, while playing with audio gimmicks at all times.  Amazing.  And Christopher Bear, the drummer... wow.  I believe he is the largest reason I say orchestral is the operative word in their music.  His drums can be deep and harmonizing or quite the opposite, enticing and aggressive.  I'd dare to say that few drummers have been able to guide through a song from beginning to end without losing me, somewhat a hypnotic situation.  And, of course, Dan Rossen.  He is just the master of the guitar, and probably the main reason my all time favorite GB song is "Ready, Able".

I read an article a few days ago about Grizzly Bear... It read something like this: "It is feasible that, since the release of their deservedly beloved Veckatimest, no one does not like Grizzly Bear.  You could play them for your smelly calculus professor who only listens to Brahms..."  It made me laugh, but I can't say I couldn't agree more.


I really just hope this band doesn't fall in the category of one hit wonders that fade once this "indie fad" is over, cause, their honestly great... and live, even better.  Jaw-dropping, forgot I had to breath, can't stop staring kinda great.

ADDENDUM: Damian Ortega | DIY "Mexican Style"

One of the beauties of navigating the cyberspace is having the capacity to attain the unattainable... haha
Yes! In a way you are able to defeat the system from within.  Now, what do I mean by this?


Well... as is the case of many museums, the ICA has a strict no-camera policy for rotating exhibitions.  Only the fortunate ones with press passes can filter in, unlike the rest of us, simple mortals.  


I mentioned Damian's exhibition here, but still felt I was laking the appropriate visuals to get my point across, so... here is a free pass to Damian Ortega's Do It Yourself.


WARNING:  The video is noteworthy because of the sneak peak it gives to most pieces in the exhition, but when it comes to the anchorwoman and the reporter... well... uptight and ineffective, to say the least.  I wasn't quite satisfied with the coverage and interpretation they gave to Damian's work.  He says you have to do your research for this exhibition... Did he?