Sunday, July 24th, 2005
Honestly, I don’t remember if I’ve ever seen Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. I know I’ve seen parts of it as an adult – and found it pretty damn creepy, for the record – but if I ever saw it as a kid, it’s either lost in the distant mists of memory or buried under some manner of juvenile trauma. The only reason I bring this up is to point out that I have/had no benchmark by which to compare Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation of the Roal Dahl classic (which I do remember reading dozens of times as a wee bairn).
I’m a fan of Tim Burton as a director as far as his ability to bring fantastical ideas to the big screen goes, but am somewhat less enthusiastic about his storytelling abilities go. I find that he can often get so caught up in making his films look spectacular that the narrative component doesn’t get the attention it deserves, leaving the final product somehwat less than it could have been. So after seeing Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, I think maybe Burton has found the (golden) ticket – adapting well-loved works with so rigid a story that he can’t really stray from it, but leaves him plenty of room to interpret visually. Essentially, coulouring within the lines but using whatever whacked-out crayons he wants to.
Not surprisingly, Charlie looks magnificent. Dahl’s Wonka-fied world is tailor-made for someone like Burton to bring to the screen, and he does it with great aplomb. Everything from the Chocolate Factory and the Oompa Loompas to the creepy contest winner kids have the right balance of whimsy and weird, either delightful or disturbing depending on how you look at them. The make-up, in particular, does a fine job of giving the characters a disturbing pallor. Deep Roy deserves some sort of award for his performance as an infinite number of Oompa Loompas with their various “hits of the 70s”-inspired song and dance numbers.
After seeing the trailers, I’d had some concerns about Johnny Depp’s performance as Willy Wonka – I had no doubt about his suitability for the part, I just wasn’t sure if I agreed with HOW he was going to portray the eccentric chocolateer. Thankfully, the mildly autistic man-child portrayed in the previews wasn’t accurate. While there is a bit of Rain Man present (as well as Michael Jackson), Depp plays Wonka more as the mischevious eccentric that one would hope for. My one complaint about the film, and I don’t doubt that it’s a common one, is Burton’s decision to stray from canon to add in a subplot about Wonka’s relationship with his estranged father, Count Dooku. It’s wholly unnecessary – in worlds as inherently bent as Dahl’s, there’s no need to ask “how’d this guy get this way”? No one cares, it simply is. The sequences add nothing but superfluous treacle-content and end things on a weaker note than it should have. But despite this, it doesn’t negate the fun and whimsy of the rest of the film which I enjoyed considerably more than I’d really expected. But for some reason, I have no appetite for chocolate.
Well the organizers at Ear To The Ground were not kidding when they promised more to come for their music schedule the weekend of September 16 to 18… Now closing out the festival on the Sunday night? Sleater-Kinney. In fact, seeing the whole lineup in one place, I’m a little awestruck. And, as I repeat for the umpteenth time, I am missing it all. Goddamn, Europe better kick my ass to make up for all the music I’m missing those two weeks…
Lou Barlow just can’t stay away. He’s back in town for a show at the Horseshoe on October 2.
Here’s a blast from the past – whilst housecleaning, Five Seventeen unearthed some soundboard recordings of a Sufjan Stevens show in Toronto waaaay back in December of 2001. He’s graciously mp3-ified the batch and put them online – head on over and start devouring my bandwidth like so many ravenous guppies.
The Star-Tribune lays odds against further 80s/90s rock band reunions. 55% for The Smiths seems pretty damn generous, if you ask me. But even if it does happen, The Boston Globe will be having none of it.
Elvis Costello talks to The New Haven Advocate about touring The Delivery Man and working with Emmylou Harris. This link (and the last ones) courtesy of Largehearted Boy.
np – Portastatic / Bright Ideas
Saturday, July 23rd, 2005
I begin to understand how The Wrens managed to get so old while only releasing three albums in ten years. Yeah, their label problems are well-documented, but I think that’s a smokescreen – fact is, they’re just SLOW. Pitchfork talked to Charles Bissell, who revealed that the plans to re-release the Abbott 1135 EP continue slowly and steadily, but may be put on the back burner in favour of recording a new album – which they haven’t started writing yet. Egads. Meanwhile, work continues on the Wrens documentary from Kathryn Yu and company. They released a trailer for the film a little while back and their media page has a bunch of MP3s, including live tracks and rarities.
SubPop is streaming Spelled In Bones, the new album from The Fruit Bats in its entirety. You can also download an mp3 of one of the tracks, “Lives Of Crime”. Go listen. They’re also looking for a new drummer. Isn’t everyone?
Billboard reports that my #1 musician crush Gemma Hayes has completed work on her sophomore album and will be releasing it this Fall.
The Stranger, Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan Stevens, The Stranger. Via LHB.
Grandaddy’s Excerpts From the Diary of Todd Zilla EP will be in stores September 27.
M.I.A. returns to Toronto for a show at the Phoenix on September 26. And while unconfirmed, it looks like Ireland’s Frames will be in town on October 20. Update: The Frames will be playing at the Phoenix with Josh Ritter. Tickets $15.
Attempts to make it to the Maria Taylor show at the ElMo last night were foiled as the concert was cancelled on account of bad traffic. Apparently traffic between Boston and Toronto was severely fouled up somewhere and they couldn’t make it into town. Alas. The show will be rescheduled.
The first trailer for V For Vendetta is now up. It’s been so long since I read the original graphic novel that I am completely incapable of judging it – all I can say is I didn’t expect it to look quite so contemporary… Comic Book Resources has a brief interview with star Natalie Portman about the film.
Also now up – Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk The Line.
np – Spiritualized / The Complete Works Volume 1
Friday, July 22nd, 2005
I had no idea when I made my quickie Spiritualized post back on Sunday that a) Jason Pierce was critically ill at the Royal London Hospital or b) I’d be making a second Spaceman post just five days later. According to the news update on Spiritualized.com, Pierce contracted advanced periorbital cellulitis with bilateral pnuemonia with rapid deterioration and required intensive care and c-pap for type 1 respiratory failure. I don’t know what any of that means, but it sounds like an awful time.
Billboard reports that Pierce’s partner, Juliette, posted on the Spiritualized.com message board saying that after “nearly dying twice in the last 2 and half weeks jason has now and fantastically made an alarming and brilliant recovery” and while he is “still fragile and really weak weighing in at maybe 8 stone (112 lbs)” and is now recovering at home. Needless to say, I’m enormously glad to hear that Pierce will be alright and best wishes for his quick return to good health. And I promise not to gripe for a new album for a while (even though it’s already written…). But in the meantime, the website has been updated with all sorts of goodies (for registered members).
One more Maria Taylor piece, this one from Chart. Still spots available on the guest list for tonight’s show at the ElMo! Email me if you want on – hell, never mind the skill-testing question. The answer was Little Red Rocket, for the record.
Somewhere Cold takes a few minutes with Explosions In The Sky to find out what they’ve been up to in 2005 so far and what’s to come. They’re re-releasing their debut How Strange, Innocence on October 11.
Paste talks to John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats about… stuff.
PopMatters talks to Laura Cantrell, whom they call “one of indie’s premiere country singers”. Note to self – buy Humming By The Flowered Vine ASAP.
The Onion AV Club has an expansive interview with Dinosaur Jr gets some dirt about the breakup many moons ago and the reunion. I love how J’s responses are maybe two lines long while Lou and Murph go on for paragraphs. Lou Barlow has always struck me as the kind of guy who doesn’t shut up.
It’s nice to see Neil Young still knows how to taunt his fans. Check out the scrolling message from the man at the bottom of his webpage – first he says the new album, Prairie Wind, will be a CD/DVD set out September 20. That’s not the taunt. THEN he says Archives, Volume 1 to follow. Actually, there have been enough signs of the Apocalypse lately that could mean that hell is indeed freezing over – the Archives could well be on thier way. It’s the end days, folks. Kali Yuga. Smoke ’em if you got ’em.
np – Bloc Party / Silent Alarm
Thursday, July 21st, 2005
Today’s post is all bits and pieces, so instead of trying to elevate one of those to the coveted “lead story” slot, I’m just going to go with this Mr T video. Treat your mother right! Full story on the origins of this masterpiece here. Yeah, Stereogum posted this a few months ago but I didn’t see it, so maybe you haven’t either. And really, you should. I called my Mom on Monday, so I’m all good.
Maria Taylor talks to NOW about growing up in the South and going solo. I still have passes for her show tomorrow night, just email me! Please? I get so lonely sometimes.
Arcade Fire, you’ve got the biggest-selling record in the history of Merge Records, you’ve toured all around the world and are the darlings of the indie rock set. What are you going to do next? Buy a church. Oh. Okay. MTV.com has a more expansive interview with the band.
Coolfer wonders out loud just what it means to be indie in this day and age and if the term is obsolete. Death Cab plays case study.
Seattle Weekly asks Joe Pernice what it’s like living in Toronto.
“Toronto—Canada—is so different in so many little ways. It freaks me out a little. It’s like, ‘Is the blue money a five? Is the pink money a 10?’ And all their Kit-Kats are in red wrappers, not orange. It’s not right. I’m very much in a period of adjustment. But I love it. Toronto is a beautiful city; I don’t even drive there because I don’t have to. I walk everywhere.”
We love you too, Joe. From Coolfer.
Billboard talks to Sufjan Stevens about how the Superman imbroglio may or may not have a deliberate PR stunt. Or at least that’s my take on it.
My Morning Jacket’s Jim Jones talks to Pitchfork about forthcoming album Z, out October 4. Stereogum has one of the new tracks available to download – it’s… very very different.
Hello, Newman wonders if Broken Social Scene is the new Grateful Dead. You know, having witnessed the single-minded rabidness of some of their fans, I think I may have to get behind Evan on this one.
Michael Penn is doing two nights at the Rivoli, September 28 and 29. His latest, Mr Hollywood Jr, 1947, is out August 2.
It appears my post singing the praises of The National has fallen off the front page so I will give them more props with this link to Welcome To The Midwest, who has mp3s from their radio session for KEXP.
Jeff Tweedy tells JAM! he’s feeling pretty good.
Torontoist week in shows here. Teenage Fanclub on Monday! Woot! The Toronto Star (Bugmenot) is similarly excited.
20 things that only happen in movies (via Goldenfiddle).
HotOrNot.com + Google Maps = A whole new world of stalking possibilities. This just doesn’t seem right.
Server hiccup this morning. Sorry.
np – Sianspheric / RGB
Wednesday, July 20th, 2005
Hot on the heels of my Jason Lowenstein contest (good show last night? Everyone enjoy themselves? Good), here’s another – I’ve got five pairs of passes to see Maria Taylor, touring in support of her first solo album, 11:11, and Statistics at the El Mocambo this Friday night, July 22. As always, first five emails get on the guest list – BUT, this time, there’s a skill-testing question. To win, you have to name the band Ms Taylor was in before striking out solo that’s NOT Orenda Fink, but couldn’t really get into the super-hushed style they pursued with Azure Ray. It was all quite lovely – their voices are gorgeous both separate and together – but it was just a little too insubstantial to really get my attention. From the sounds of it, 11:11 is an natural evolution from Azure Ray – light electronic flourishes and languidly pretty, but not quite so whispery. The mp3s I’ve linked below actually sound quite good. Orenda Fink’s own solo debut, Invisible Ones, will be out on August 23 and it will be interesting to see if she mixes things up a bit or if you could shuffle play her record with Maria’s and essentially get the third Azure Ray album.
MP3: Maria Taylor – “Song Beneath The Song”
MP3: Maria Taylor – “Speak Easy”
Pitchfork has the straight-from-the-assaultee’s mouth story of Broken Social Scene producer Dave Newfeld’s run in with the New York City Police Department last weekend. He didn’t do anything, he swears.
The Fall concert season continues to fill up. Dirty old men Louis XIV are at the Mod Club on September 2 and Portastatic tours in support of their new album Bright Ideas, out August 23, with a stop at Lee’s Palace on September 12. Labelmates Tenement Halls support. Finally, Son Volt v2.0 rolls into the Opera House on October 17.
And speaking of Mr Farrar, he gives Amazon.com a list of recommended listening. Via LHB. I haven’t heard Okemah & The Melody Of Riot yet. Does it have riotous melody or is that just false advertising? Reviews have been kind of lukewarm, but when you’re talking about Jay, you have to take it with a grain of salt. He’s never going to change or surprise you – he’s just going to keep doing what he’s doing and if you like it, you like it. After all, as the New York Times eloquently puts it, “the band’s underlying, stubborn seriousness, and nearly Amish unwillingness to change, creates its appeal”. Amen.
Season two of Arrested Development is out on DVD October 11 and season three debuts September 14! A Wednesday? I think I will be in Stockholm that night. Don’t think I’ll be catching it.
And finally, big congratulations to Vic and Liz on the birth of their first child, Rosie. Vic is the guy who introduced me to the world of blogging, and for that he will have my eternal thanks/scorn.
That PayPal class action lawsuit has just netted me a cool $8 USD for doing nothing. This litigation thing is a gold mine!
This daylight savings time extension thing is nuts. What are you guys south of the border smoking?
np – Drive-By Truckers / Decoration Day
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