Silverdocs - More films

 So I just wrapped up a week of seeing TONS of awesome films at the Silverdocs Film Festival. Here are the rest of the films that I saw while I was there:

The Price of Sex is a documentary about sex trafficking, particularly in Eastern Europe. While I did learn some, and it certainly is a sad story that needs to be told, I found the film frankly just too depressing. Filmmaker Mimi Chakarova takes her documentary to the next level by going undercover in some dangerous situations, but the thing that she's missing is what many doc filmmakers miss when they make issue films and that is a solution to the problem. Obviously, this is a complex problem but the film left me feeling like there was just no hope for shutting down or even really reducing sex trafficking and offered me no way to try to get involved in being part of the solution (except a little "donate to this organization" card at the end).

The Loving Story was a very nicely told story about the aptly-named Mildred and Richard Loving, a white man and black woman who were exiled from the state of Virginia in 1967 just for, well, loving each other (sorry, I couldn't resist) and getting married. In an uplifting story told through a large collection of archival footage, the courageous but private couple goes on to win their Supreme Court case (Loving v. Virginia) and end anti-miscegenation across the country.

Better This World is a documentary about two boys, David McKay and Bradley Crowder, who were arrested at the 2008 Republican National Convention and charged with domestic terrorism for making Molotov cocktails. The twist of the story, though, is the FBI informant who recruited these boys and encouraged them to use violence. The film shows the true impact the war on terror has had on civil liberties and political activism in the US since 9/11. Everybody who is politically active should watch this film.

Where Soldiers Come From is the story of a group of friends from small-town Michigan who join the National Guard and end up getting sent to Afghanistan. It follows them as they make the decision to join, as they get their orders, while they're in Afghanistan and then back to the US to try to readjust to civilian life. Filmmaker Heather Courtney does a good job of portraying the boys as well-rounded characters and highlighting the struggles of both the boys and their families when the guys return. The film is very informative about the lifelong after effects of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), which is a problem that many soldiers come home with and which has only really been discovered in recent years. She also did a nice job of highlighting the boys' families and their anxiety as their boys are in combat.

Our School is a documentary about Roma ("gypsy") children in Romania as Romania struggles to integrate them into their school system. I had no idea that Roma were so discriminated against in much of Europe and we learn that prior to trying to integrate the kids into the regular schools, the Roma children had been taught in separate "schools" that had very little resources and really couldn't be considered schools at all. The film follows school officials, teachers and the kids as each struggle to adjust to each other, sometimes successfully and sometimes not so successfully. My favorite part of the film is the children. The kids are adorable and often hilarious. They are what really make this film a joy to watch.

The Learning follows four Philippino women as they come to the US to teach. It's a classic fish-out-of-water story as these teachers fly half way across the world to teach at inner-city schools in Baltimore, Maryland. The film follows them as they wrestle with being away from their families and everything they've known, and as they deal with problem kids in one of the most under-funded school districts in the country. However, the overall tone of the film is uplifting, as the teachers find home away from home, make a difference in kids' lives and send money back to their financially-struggling families back in the Philippines. 

Silverdocs - Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles

One of my other favorites at Silverdocs was Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles. The film follows three guys as they try to solve the mystery of bizarre linoleum tiles that were appearing in the middle of the road (they were actually embedded in the street - not just sitting on the road). Tiles with “Toynbee Idea in Movie 2001. Resurrect Dead on Planet Jupiter,” or some variation of this strange saying, have been appearing for almost 30 years in DC, Philadelphia, New York, St. Louis, Boston and even as far away as Brazil.

Told as a gripping mystery, the film follows the three amateur detectives on their journey as they try to figure out how these tiles get embedded in the street (sometimes they're even on highways), who is putting them there and what they mean. The "detectives" themselves are pretty interesting guys, each having their own reasons to be almost obsessed with these tiles and finding out who is behind them. Needless to say, a very interesting story that will keep you thinking throughout the whole film.

Silverdocs - Donor Unknown

My favorite film from Silverdocs this year was definitely Donor Unknown. It's a heartwarming, funny documentary that challenges common perceptions of what family means as it follows 22-year old JoEllen on a journey to find her sperm donor family. She registers on the Donor Sibling Registry and slowly but surely she finds one sibling, then another, then another, until she has at least 14 half-siblings that she knows of. Then of course the film spends time following the sperm donor himself, Jeffrey, a hippie beach bum living in a trailer on Venice Beach in California. As crazy as he seems sometimes, he's a really loveable character.

The story travels with JoEllen as she meets some of her siblings in person, bonds with them, discovers all the similarities between them and then travels to California with a few of her donor-siblings to meet Jeffrey. The film is very entertaining in its portrayal of this unorthodox, large and seemingly-ever-growing family. I also learned a lot about the sperm donor industry/process and got a feel of what the kids of donors go through. For example, one of the siblings talks about her fear that whenever she meets a guy, he could (unknowingly) be her half brother. And with 14 siblings coming out of the woodwork all over the country, I can understand why. It also does a good job of giving the parents' perspective: how some parents struggle with the idea of their child meeting their donor father and donor siblings and how it ends up changing (or not) their family dynamic.

I really enjoyed this film. I'd even go so far as to say that it's one of my favorite docs period. To be honest, it was really nice to see a documentary that wasn't depressing and heavy. It deals with real issues and great characters while keeping the tone fun. You'll laugh, you'll cry (heartwarming tears, not sad tears) and you'll leave wishing you had 14 secret siblings you could discover, particularly if you're an only child like me.

Silverdocs - The Swell Season

The Silverdocs Film Festival opening night featured a documentary about one of my favorite bands, The Swell Season. The black and white film followed Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova on tour, with the primary storyline being their romantic relationship: how they met, how they got together after Once, and the trials and tribulations of being in a relationship with your business partner, especially if you and your business partner are famous.

Normally I would say that to do a documentary in black and white in this day and age is pretentious, but it really fit the tone of the film, the tone of their music, and the tone of Glen and Marketa as characters. They're both really sort of quiet and contemplative and the black and white gives the film a sort of muted, hushed feeling. It's a sad film, or bittersweet at the very least because (SPOILER ALERT) they don't end up together in the end. Well, that's not really a spoiler because if you're fans of them, you probably already knew that. I knew it going into the film but I definitely still cried when they split up. A lot. But the film gives a lovely inside look at this very talented duo and their lives on the road. The film also uses their beautiful music to augment the story very well in the film. A must-see for any Swell Season fan, and for any music lover in general.

Silverdocs - Miss Representation

Miss Representation is another incredibly important documentary I've seen at Silverdocs that I think everyone needs to see, both women and men. It's about gender inequality with, specifically focused on how women are portrayed in the media and how that effects our participation in society (often negatively). I thought it was well done because I think that men can watch it and hopefully see things from our perspective, without feeling like the film is hating on men, which I know is one thing that can turn guys away from feminist messaging.

They interview an impressive list of female role models in the film, and provide interesting statistics and examples. Some of the statistics are actually sort of staggering - I knew it was bad but I didn't realize it was that bad, or I especially didn't realize that in many arenas, women's participation is declining nowadays when it should be going up. All-in-all I'd say it was a very well-done film, and really its message is just such an important message for men and women, girls and boys to hear.

Hot Coffee - a documentary film

This past week I was at the Silverdocs film festival seeing some good and some great documentaries that I want to share with you, but I will get to that later. For today I wanted to write about the film Hot Coffee, specifically because it is playing on HBO tomorrow night (Monday) and it is absolutely a must-see.

Hot Coffee is about that lawsuit you have most likely heard of in which a woman spilled hot coffee on herself and was awarded $2.9 million from McDonalds. Now, if you're like me you are probably thinking "ugh, some woman sued because she spilled coffee on herself... Ridiculous!" But what you don't know is that she wasn't driving when it happened, she didn't actually sue for $2.9 million (she just sued to cover her medical bills - the $2.9 million was awarded as punitive damages to punish McDonalds for their gross negligence by ignoring 700 other coffee burn claims before hers), she wasn't actually awarded $2.9 million (the judge reduced it to something like $400,000), and - most importantly - that she had worse than 3rd degree burns - burns so severe she had to get skin grafts and there was a point that they weren't sure she was going to live through it.

Seeing the terrifying photos of the burns will be what really changes your mind. After leaving the movie, never again will I accuse someone of a "frivolous" lawsuit before I investigate the facts for myself.

The reason this film is so important is because it will really open your mind to how easily manipulated we are by special interests (via the media) and how irresponsible the media often is. Not to mention how little rights we currently have in many states to challenge a corporation who wrongs us. All your perceptions of how the civil justice system works will be challenged and you will never again fall for the idea that a company paying when they harm someone is bad for the people or bad for the country.

You will also learn a little about every contract you ever sign (for your cell phone, your car, your credit cards, and often even for your employment). It really paints a bleak picture but it's so important to see the film so that we can fight back. There are politicians who are making a difference and fighting for the people (Al Franken is featured in the film for legislation he got passed that presents companies from mandating arbitration for things like rape, assault and discrimination), so it's not a totally bleak picture. But really, I can't stress enough how important it is to see this film. If you don't have HBO, it should be doing a theatrical run in the fall, but go on the website and learn what you can until you get a chance to see it.

Governor's Ball 2011

This Saturday, I trekked up to New York City for the Governor's Ball Music Festival. I came home exhausted from dancing and singing, and sunburned. It was an amazing festival.

The vibe of the festival was youthful. A majority of the crowd seemed to be in their 20's and just looking for a good time. Beer pong, sand volleyball and Frisbee were some of the music alternatives to entertain the masses.

The Passion Pit (minus three) DJ set was the first full set I saw. They mostly played mash-ups and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. However if you gave me a choice between seeing their DJ set and seeing a live performance with their full band, I would choose the latter. But I'm sure I'll have my chance to see the full group at some point.

The Neon Indian performance was one of the highlights of the day. They have a fun and unique sound. It's not quite as poppy as say Passion Pit or Empire of the Sun. It has a bit more of an edge but it still puts you in a good mood. They seem to have fun and experiment with sound.

The Empire of the Sun performance was ridiculous. The show they put on is half the fun. Their costumes are over the top with painted faces and backup dancers. It only adds to the music.

And of course, Girl Talk was a blast. This was the second time I've seen Girl Talk and both times have been at an outdoor festival setting. It's great to be dancing among the crowd. Very, very freeing.

Here are some other photos from the show:

Fredrik updates and mp3s!

Ny new favorite song at the moment is "White on White" by Fredrik, from their EP that they released in November - I know it's not all that new but I guess I'm just in the mood for chill, beautiful music with a little dramatic flare lately. Granted, I've always loved Fredrik and they create such amazingly rich, layered songs. But this one is at least tied with Na Na Ni, which is on my top songs of all time list, and it grows on me with every listen. It's really very calming and I find myself being completely absorbed in the song and zoning out everything else - listening to it is almost like a meditation.

Also playing on repeat is their newest single ("Rites of Spring," which is more dramatic than "White on White") from their recent album, Flora, which came out in May and I meant to post this earlier because they played a rare show in NYC last night in support of the album (one of the many things that makes me so wish I still lived in NYC...), but lo and behold I was busy driving home from Bonnaroo (woo!) and then recovering from Bonnaroo (oy). You can actually listen to/watch the whole album on YouTube. Anyway, if you caught the show last night, I'm jealous. Really really jealous. I need to find a way to get them to DC.

White on White [mp3] - ( Amazon / iTunes )

Rites of Spring [mp3] - ( Amazon / iTunes )

Other Lives Show

Other Lives stunned and amazed the crowd at the Red Palace Friday night. I know I, for one, was very blown-away by their performance. I have a soft spot for bands with a piano and an even softer spot for bands with orchestral instruments (I played the violin for nine years).

Other Lives does a good job of transitioning between moods in their songs. The violin or cello (whichever is used, depending on the song) can provide for a nice, finished sound or something a bit more edgy. They have a soulful feel with folky vocals, creating a very, very enjoyable sound.

Deleted Scenes opened up the show for them. Their music can be heard here: http://www.myspace.com/deletedscenes.

Their album Tamer Animals just came out this past May. The band recorded this album in their hometown of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Their tour dates include shows with the Decemberists and The National. The dates are listed below. Definitely, definitely make plans to see them if they come your way.

6/15 Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall - Asheville, NC w/ The Rosebuds

6/16 The Earl - Atlanta, GA w/ The Rosebuds
6/17 Proud Larry’s - Oxford, MS w/ The Rosebuds
6/18 Bottletree - Birmingham, AL w/ The Rosebuds
6/19 Stickyz Chicken Shack - Little Rock, AR w/ The Rosebuds
6/21 Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge, LA w/ The Rosebuds
6/23 Club DaDa - Dallas, TX w/ The Rosebuds
6/24 The Parish - Austin, TX w/ The Rosebuds
6/25 Fitzgerald’s Downstairs - Houston, TX w/ The Rosebuds
6/28 Santa Fe Brewing Company - Santa Fe, NM w/ The Rosebuds
7/2 Cellar Door - Visalia, CA w/ The Rosebuds
7/9 The Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA w/ The Rosebuds
7/12 Media Club - Vancouver, Canada w/ The Rosebuds
7/14 The Neurolux - Boise, ID w/ The Rosebuds
7/15 Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT w/ The Rosebuds
7/19 7th St. Entry - Minneapolis, MN w/ The Rosebuds
7/22 Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL
7/23 Rozz-Tox - Rock Island, IL

Click Here To Download "For 12" On itunes

Click Here To Pre Order Vinyl Via White Iris

http://otherlives.com/

http://www.myspace.com/otherlives

Flashback Friday: Brand New

It has been brought to my attention recently that I used to be massively emo, even more so when I should have grown out of it. I was old enough to know better. It was probably because I was overweight and used hair straightners and lived in Milton Keynes and hadn't got laid for far to long. There are probably more factors than these, but they're probably the key one's. The moment came a few days back looking at my old FaceBook profile photo's and seeing things which filled me with horror, and shan't be posted here.

Back then, my band of choice for rocking out in my business mobile (I was basically a glorified Rep) was Brand New. From 2005-7 I would flit between 'Deja Entendu' and 'The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me'. To this day I'm pretty sure I could still sing all the words to every song off both albums (alone, in my car).
The thing I am least proud of though is this. I used lines from their songs as status updates which I thought was witty, clever and sometimes, sexy. In reality I was being a pussy. A great big pussy. What self respecting 25 year old would post before or after a night out that he had 'desperate desires and unadmirable plans' or drink gin so that 'my mouth will taste of gin and malicious intent'. Christ, it was a dark time. A dark time.

Still, this week I have revisited both albums whilst working from home (I am now more than a glorified Rep, I am a glorified shelf merchandiser) and found that actually, even with the teen angst aspect no one can really do the whole loud/quiet thing quite like Brand New, and some of the songs still hold up. When I say hold up, you have to give in to the teen inside you, the teen that watches 'The Hard Times of RJ Berger' and thoroughly enjoys it, and when you do, you can press 'play' on the two video's below and revel in the loud quiet menacing awesome of Brand New





Fuck, and i'd be stupid not to put this on, it's a live version, enjoy Jesse in his silly hoodie.

Correatown

Earlier this week, Los Angeles-based indie-pop group Correatown released their new EP titled Etch The Line. Poetic and precise, the EP is a perfect introduction to the band's ethereal style, highlighting front woman Angela Correa's vision of a multi-instrumental blend of shimmering melodies and effervescent harmonies.

In preparation for their forthcoming full length Pleiades, the band has launched a Kickstarter campaign, giving away music, art, recipes, and more in exchange for pledges.

Further [mp3]

Sufjan Stevens @ Royal Festival Hall, London

It’s been three weeks since the gig, and I still can’t get over how great it was. Gig of the year? Yes, I doubt Tom Vek or Death Cab can pull off a show that would come close to rivalling the amazingness that was Sufjan Steven’s at Royal Festival Hall.

I’m actually finding it hard to write about the gig, it might be the ridiculous week I’ve had, or just my brain trying to comprehend the gig. I don’t think that this piece of writing will make much sense unless you were there, or maybe it’s best for it not to make sense in the way a gig review normally conforms to. I seem to come up with these words, these paragraphs, comparisons, strings of consciousness which don’t have a point or direction. Maybe that is the point though. Maybe rationalising things, events, music like Sufjan’s isn’t how it should be viewed. Or maybe I’m just being a pretentious twat.

I didn’t expect to feel like this, or have trouble writing, I went in thinking ‘this is just another gig’ but it wasn’t. It just wasn’t. It was an experience (see, pretentiousness). It’s almost a ‘you weren’t there man’ kind of thing, where if you were there, you’d know, you’d just know. There I said it, and I’m not even sorry.

Sufjan came onto the stage with huge angel wings. I’m not sure what could have been a better opening song to contrast the boldness of the wings, or more apt for the occasion other than ‘Seven Swans’. The slow build, the anticipation or the poignant subtly and softness of his voice in contradiction to the magnificence of his winged apparel just worked. Kudos to the venue and audience as well, the sound was absolutely incredible, especially in comparison to places like The Forum or Koko, and the modern grandeur of the Royal Festival Hall a perfect vessel for a modern composer and musician such as Sufjan.

With opener performed, the wings were removed, and UV lights switched on to unveil Sufjan and band in brightly (and I hate to say this) Tron-esq coloured jump suits. Sufjan performed his new album, Age of Adz rather than jumping between albums, which can sometimes be a bit of a self important wanky thing to do for a performer/band/artist. I remember seeing Brand New play ‘Devil and God’ in it’s entireity and not speaking to the audience once. Just played and went off. It was a bit shit, but with Sufjan, the album came to life on stage, it came alive.



To finish 'The Age of Adz' was ‘Impossible Soul’ played in it’s entirety. It was a party. A wonderful party. On record, listening in the car on the M25, it was probably the one song on the album which didn’t seem to hold up, at 25mins long, the repetition of a verse/chorus in varying musical styles seemed akin to every guitar band at Reading 2007 playing unnecessary prolonged solo’s. Live, however, it was a different matter. It was a party, everyone out of their seats dancing, it puts a smile on my face just thinking about it.

If anything, the gig was a piece of performance art, not just an album. I think the album as well has grown on me, from ‘it’s a bit beepy-er than I expected’ or those calling it a ‘concept’ album, it wasn’t, and isn’t. Its something which you can see was built in full mind of the show and performance of which it would be played. I’ve never really thought that music, albums, played in entireity, in a way in which is a band or artists latest inception works, as people want to hear other songs. Even modern albums, such as Foals ‘Total Life Forever’ could never be replicated into a live show as engaging and meaningful as Sufjan to which you have to give him massive credit for.

For the encore, Sufjan returned, green t shirt, jeans, and played Casimir Pulaski Day from Illinois just with himself on the stage. The hushed silence and anticipation as to what would follow was almost electric as the rest of the band and dancers came on stage for the final song, the swan song if you will, it was Chicago, which was met from the opening chord with rapturous applause, followed by massive coloured balls falling from the ceiling bouncing around the crowd. It was a very special gig. My mess of a review doesn’t seem to do it credit. I just hope that we don’t have to wait another 5 years for him to come back to the UK.

Pakistani Surf Rock of the Swinging '70s

I spent a good part of my Memorial Day basking in the sun and doing some light reading on the history of U.S.-Pakistani relations. Among other things, I now better understand the historical context of Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumentals, 1966–1976, a vinyl-only compilation released by Sublime Frequencies earlier this year, and which covers an interesting cultural period in Pakistan that was ended in 1977 by a military coup and the subsequent introduction of Sharia law.

Surf rock seems to be the dominant touchstone, but it's outfitted with sitar, hand percussion and omnipresent punchy organs that I just love, sometimes resulting in a sort of South Asian afrobeat. I discovered the album when it was playing in a Mexican restaurant, which was by no means an inappropriate setting. It could also fittingly soundtrack an oddball western.

The Aay Jays - Mirza Ki Dhun [mp3] (Forced Exposure)
Nisar Bazmi - Pyar Ki Ik Naee [mp3] (Forced Exposure)