Relapse...

Speaking of Spaced, my good friend Ads let me know about Hot Fuzz, the new film by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. They have video blogs here, filmed during production which has now finished, I believe. Can't wait.

Went to see Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog's latest at the MAC last night. It has such a deep impact on you. I don't whether it's the intimacy that Timothy Treadwell (the documentary's protagonist) achieves with his filming or the drama that Herzog creates (and doesn't have to work to hard to attain). Treadwell's lunacy is as disturbing as the violence of the animals. The highs and (considerable) lows for Treadwell create an uneasiness but its hard to not be touched by the scenes with the fox (who befriend and accompany Treadwell's (nearly) solitary spells in the wilderness). The music is written by Richard Thompson and on guitar and piano is Jim O'Rourke. That wasn't the only reason I loved the film though...

I went back on my pledge to not buy cds for a while and bought the new Thom Yorke, Guillemots, Tapes n' Tapes, Midlake and Lambchop albums.

Going to see Volver at the Electric tomorrow night. Looks amazing.

UPDATE (30 August 2006):

As Ads says:
Spaced is now my favourite sitcom ever. It's got everything. Directorially it's stunning for a sitcom and because it's not filmed in a studio and there's no laughter track it makes it more personal. It's clearly well written and superbly thought out and you can tell that making the move into films was the right idea, can't wait for hot fuzz!

I loves you, Porgy

Having exhausted my Larry Sanders and Saxondale and Anually Retentive videos and Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm DVDs I'm now moving on to my Spaced DVDs. Its below the aforementioned works of art but it's up there. Some really clever stuff going on there....Do you like?

Nearly finished my Murakami book. It's of another world which I don't usually dig and don't usually want to go anywhere near.....but I just let Murakami take me there and I'm always glad for it....

I watched Carlito's Way the other day. Much much better than Scarface which i thought was poor in many many ways...dated....sloppily cut...stilted dialogue.... Brian De Palma has a new film out which looks okay. Adaptation of James Ellroy novel.

Went to see A Scanner Darkly last night (hence late night at studio). Was ace if a little confusing and hard to get involved with on an emotional level. I love Winona Ryder.
Saw a trailer for a film about the world coming to an end due to women not being able to have babies anymore. Got Michael Caine and Clive Owen in it. Sounds terrible but looked really good...

Apart from that the only thing I've been doing is getting overwhelmed by YouTube. It can only get better (and more overwhelming). Go to Moistworks and look at this post. As Rusted Willy says, the jazz alphabet runs right from A to U.

Love and other planets...

I went to see Animal Collective at Academy 2 in Birmingham the other week with Kieran. They were supported by Kristin from Mum who was playing as we walked in. She was awfully quiet. We got a drink and made our way closer to the stage. She was somewhat shambolic, stopping songs, forgetting words, and slurring them in between songs as she supped her red wine. She sang in what appeared to be a deliberately babyish voice. It all seemed all too cute and I was tired so I stepped back and switched off. She wasn't deserving of anyone's attention to be brutally honest.

Animal Collective came on and the guitarist slated everyone for not paying enough attention to Kristin. He seemed a little pissed, in the American sense...Anyway they played a mostly great set that flowed from song to song. They are truly like no other band out there. In fact, that's exactly what they are: out there. I went home pleased that I had seen a great gig (though not as great as when I saw them supporting Four Tet at the Medicine Bar a few years back).

T told me he was to see them a few days after in London, supported by Battles (in addition to Kristin). Wow. What a show. I had a look on the net and found out that Adem had also been announced! I gleefully informed him and his glee, as a consequence, soon exceeded mine. Boy, was he gleeful.

I'll let Adem take the story on from here ( go read but here's a snippet: AC were insisting that Kria Brekkan (the new addition) go on second, and me first. I totally understand this - of course the Animal Collective dudes want to give priority to the project that is one of their number and his girlfriend).

Dave from Animal Collective responds here (go read comment #14: I or anyone else in AC honestly would never have someone open for us just cause they were somones girlfriend and we were treating kristin as a musician we respected and whos music we really like)

Adem then responds here (go read comment #15: This was never intended to be an issue, and I certainly don't feel that you need to apologise, although I very much appreciate that you recognise that the confusion made it very difficult. Pulling out of a show sucks. I've never done it before and hope to never do it again...I know that you are all friendly, generous guys and I would tell the world the same. Whenever we've met it's been a pleasure, and am sure it will continue to be. I wasn't meaning to lay blame and hope you understand (along with all others reading) that my post is not intended as a vindictive one against you, but a fairly straight account of my reasoning at the time. That said, I sincerely apologise for writing 'someone's girlfriend' etc. looking back it reads very harshly. Having toured with Kristin in the past, I know how fantastic a musician and performer she is and was overjoyed when I saw that she was on the bill with us: I did not mean to infer otherwise and regret prompting any misunderstanding. I'm very upset that I may have offended either of you. I'm gutted and am deeply sorry).

Wow. What an episode. I love the fact that (despite the extraordinarily laborious explanations about nothing much, not too dissimilar to this post actually, come to think about it...) these two artists conversed this way via the net. It astonishes me. Adem, former member of Fridge with Kieran Hebden! Animal Collecitve! It does come accross as really petty. I think Adem did the right thing, for what it's worth...what do you reckon??

Repressing Colloquial Barbarisms #6

From the Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell 1791

Boswell: 'Have they not vexed yourself a little, Sir? Have you not been vexed by all the turbulence of this reign, and by that absurd vote of the House Of Commons, "That the influence of the Crown has increased, is increasing, and ought to be diminished?"'
Johnson: 'Sir, I have never slept an hour less, nor eat an ounce less meat. I would have knocked the factious dogs on the head, to be sure; but I was not vexed.'
Boswell: 'I declare, Sir, upon my honour, I did imagine I was vexed, and took a pride in it; but it was, perhaps, cant; for I own I neither ate less, nor slept less.'
Johnson: 'My dear friend, clear your mind of cant. You may talk as other people do: you may say to a man, "Sir, I am your most humble servant." You are not his most humble servant. You may say, "These are sad times; it is a melancholy thing to be reserved at such times." You don't mind the times. You tell a man, "I am sorry you had such bad weather the last day of your journey, and were so much wet." You don't care six-pence whether he was wet or dry. You may talk in this manner; it is a mode of talking in Society: but don't think foolishly.'