Thursday, May 29th, 2003
The Liz Phair backlash is in full swing. What began as some mumblings when her new record was constantly being reworked and pushed back, and turned into a steady low-range grumbling when it was revealed she was working with Avril Lavigne hit-machine The Matrix has finally become a full-bore torrent of vitriol, incited by her latest round of interviews promoting her new self-titled album, out on June 24. She’s basically disavowed the Chicago indie scene that made Exile In Guyville such a success and is making a full-out reach for the commercial success brass ring, in the mode of Sheryl Crow or, well, Avril Lavigne. Only problem, Liz dear, is that:
a) you’re old. Not that old, sure, but certainly not teen idol material. You’re still a damned attractive woman, but dressing like you’re a teenager ain’t fooling anyone.
b) You can’t sing. I mean, you can sing in your own particular style, but if you think that’s going to crossover to a market that’s conditioned to accept only digitally pitch-perfect, warbling songbirds, uh, no. Unless of course you had that Studio Magic knob on the mixing board turned up to full.
c) You’re a songwriter first and foremost. It’s the strength of your lyrics and wordplay that got everyone’s attention in the first place. You think folks on Top 40 radio will listen to your lyrics? Nuh-uh.
d) Alienating the very fanbase that put you in the position to take this running leap? Not smart. Who’s going to catch you when you fall?
This article sums things up pretty well. Good luck Liz, but my money is on this being one of the most ill-conceived career moves the world has ever seen, and the ensuing train wreck will be a cautionary tale for generations to come. I can only hope that the inevitable next ‘bitter against the world’ record will kickstart your creative process some. Getting screwed over worked wonders for Aimee Mann.
np – Low / Things We Lost In The Fire
Thursday, May 29th, 2003
Pretty boys rule the magazine world this month. Pete Yorn and his hair grace the cover of
Magnet, while Idlewild will be peering out from the cover of The Big Takeover for the next six months. I guess both magazines realized their habit of putting grizzled old indie rock veterans on their covers wasn’t pulling in that teenage girl demographic. Sorry, Bob Pollard, your moment in the sun may be waning.
As part of Vertigo’s 10th anniversary celebration, DC Comics has got interviews with loads of key Vertigo creators, including Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean and Grant Morrison. Even more exciting is the teaser for the Endless Nights project coming out in September, where Gaiman returns to the world of The Sandman accompanied by some top-notch artists. It should be splendid.
np – Steve Earle / Transcendental Blues
Wednesday, May 28th, 2003
Erect your own professional-looking SARS quarantine zone with this handy-dandy warning sign maker. Fun for all ages.
Grandaddy play the Opera House August 6. My memories of the last Grandaddy show consist mostly of trying to get a glimpse of Jason Lyttle from behind his rack of keyboards whilst sitting on the floor on account of my feet hurting like a mofo. Ah, good times.
np – Pernice Brothers / Yours, Mine & Ours
Wednesday, May 28th, 2003
I am biting down on gauze, the right side of my mouth is numb and a little swollen, and overall my teeth ache some and feel all weird. BUT, the damned wisdom tooth is gone. Bloody easy procedure – the dentist went in with the freezing needles, came back in a few minutes. “Can you feel this?” Nope. “How about this?” Nope. “Can you feel this?” Nope. Clink. “There’s your tooth.”. It certainly helped that the offending chomper didn’t seem to have any real roots, it looks more like a piece of candy corn than anything – it just popped out (they let me keep the tooth. It’s oddly fascinating). So one down, three to go. Those ones won’t be nearly as easy, though. I have to go back in in a couple weeks to discuss removing those… I am feeling wussy about the whole thing. They don’t hurt, they’re not bothering me, why not leave well enough alone? Eeeep. Ironic that the one that was causing me the most grief turned out to be the most benign.
I’m glad now that I decided against going to Field Day. They’ve been denied a permit to use the space where they were going to hold it, but organizers insist they can work it out and won’t give refunds until the 9th, in the event that it actually didn’t happen. Yeah, that’s super. So people who would be travelling from far and distant lands should proceed with their travel plans and hope that there’s a show going on when they arrive? Nice. Full story here. I will instead be enjoying NXNE… unless of course it’s cancelled on account of SARS. Fucking SARS.
np – The Flaming Lips / Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Tuesday, May 27th, 2003
Okay, so The Matrix has been Reloaded… Reloaded with crap!
Dear god, what an utter waste. I’m not really sure where to begin. Maybe the point that if you’re going to make a movie predicated on incredible special effects, you better have incredible special effects? Or more accurately, special effects that I didn’t see plenty of in the first movie? Whenever one of the combatants did some slow-motion spin-kick, I could only think of the stick-man fighting Flash movie circulating a couple years ago. And that was more entertaining. Another point about the fight scenes, and it’s not that everyone looked so damned bored participating in them (though I suppose I just made that point), but why didn’t Neo just KILL the other guys who were causing him such irritation? “Here comes a bad guy, and all I have to defend myself IS A BIG FUCKING SWORD. I better just hit him with the hilt so he falls down, but can get back up and come at me again.” What the fuck. And what’s with the martial arts? Big honking guns worked wonders the last time through.
But I was thankful for the action sequences, gratuitous though they may have been, because it STOPPED THEM FROM TALKING. I don’t think there was more than a dozen bits of dialogue in the whole film. Everyone spoke in horribly melodramatic monologues. Laurence Fishburne should win an Oscar for being able to deliver that dreck and keep a straight face. I was truly and seriously bored for far more of the film than I ever thought possible. I won’t even start on Keanu Reeves’ performance. After all, he’s Keanu. Not much else needs to be said. I will refrain from discussing the rave/sex scenes – enough virtual ink has been spilled on the uselessness of those scenes already.
Oh, and you know how everyone says, “stay through the credits!” because there’s a sneak preview of Revolutions there? It’s not worth it. Every scene looks like it could be an outtake from Reloaded, and you have to sit through quite possibly the most annoying end credit music ever conceived. First you get a feccid hunk of shit by Linkin Park, and THEN an even more awful Oakenfold remix of the Dave Matthews Band. Ever wonder how bad Dave Matthews could sound over an absurd electronic/hard rock backing? Now you know.
But credit goes to the freeway sequence, which was pretty impressive, and the Neo vs 100 Smiths though if they’re going to do a slow-motion shot, they should really choose a sequence where Neo isn’t so obviously CGI.
So yeah, a more polarizing film you probably won’t find this year. There’s those who see layers and layers of social commentary, religion and philosophy in ever nuanced shot of the Warchowski brothers’ magnum opus. They will pick apart the hidden meanings and subtexts of these films for years to come. They are the chocolate to the peanut butter of those who see it as a landmark in special effects, CGI and martial arts coreography. These are the people who will be camping out in front of theatres in November so they can be the first to bask in the glory of Revolutions. And then there’s those who just thought it stank the joint up. But that said, I will see the last one, the same way I will see the last Star Wars even though I didn’t have many kind things to say about that one either. Something about closure. If I have one saving grace, it’s that I did not pay full price for this movie. Though considering I walked out wanting very badly to go see another movie to get the foul taste out of my mouth, that probably would have been more expensive in the long run.
So yeah, The Matrix. Blah.
np – Bedhead / WhatFunLifeWas
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