Egypped

Silly Fox News. Egypt is in Africa.

The Next Cassavetes?

A few months back I remember watching John Cassavetes' 1971 classic Minnie and Moskowitz, and I suppose just out of curiosity I flipped on my IMDB application on my iPhone to peruse his extensive film library, when I came across a new project entitled The Next Cassavetes. There wasn't much detail to the story behind this new film, other than it's being directed by a virtual unknown and that veteran Cassavetes actor Seymour Cassel will be playing himself. Cassavetes' has been responsible for some of the most heart-wrenching styles of cinema verite, and among some of my favorite films, Husbands, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and of course Minnie and Moskowitz. Apparently this new movie is not only loosely based on a remake of Moskowitz, but will also incorporate some of the director's own personal life story. It certainly sounds interesting, and Seymour Cassel's return somewhat legitimizes this intriguing homage to the original DIY director.

This, my favorite scene from Minnie and Moskowitz, is probably one of cinema's greatest confessions of love. Not even Seymour's amazing 'stache will distract you...well, not entirely.



And I can't leave out the always enjoyable Ben Gazzera....the opening scene from The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.

Yawn...

I feel as though I haven't slept much lately, and as this lazy Saturday morning comes to a close, I must bring an end to my tired state. And in conjunction bring closure to the song that's been getting multiple plays as of late. Sun Araw, or otherwise known as Cameron Stallone, creates hazy lo-fi sounds that don't mix well with already laid-back personality types such as mine. I don't know why I've been enjoying this lately, as it's not really my taste per se. Psychedelic is one of the few adjectives I can barely stomach in musical terms. I don't abuse hallucinogenic drugs, nor do I smoke pot, and I barely have the tolerance for over-the-counter drugs. So why is this so appealing to me? Intermittent insomnia and Saturday morning coziness brought me to this...

Warms the Heart

Which House?

So a friend of mine played me a few tracks from electro-drag band Salem the other day, just released last year. I guess I never paid much attention to this growing phenomenon (if you could call it that) of new stylistic electronic music. It's a sub-genre of a sub-genre dubbed witch house. Witch house? Really? Okay, the music itself, somewhat shoegazey, droney, dark electro-pop, isn't really that bad. It is technically new ground being explored, but, sigh, witch house? This may be the silliest labeling of a genre since math-metal. I love the good sound of synths floating over an upbeat tempo, don't get me wrong, but this is getting a little ridiculous. In the world of indie music, the revolutionary thing to do may someday actually be just a simple musician playing music through...um, hm, let's just say the guitar for example, to maybe break up the monotony of electronic hullabaloo.

John Fahey, a master of acoustic, finger-picking minimalism, is a breath of fresh air today. I'm very grateful for being exposed to the creative experimental world that is today's modern music. But sometimes I just want to hear someone play six strings for Pete's sake.

Saturday Randomness

I stumbled across these very fluid paintings by Brazzillian artist, Rimon Guimaraes. I don't have anything to say about them, as they speak quite well for themselves....What's the saying? A painting is worth a thousand bucks? No, words, a painting is worth a thousand words. Ouch. These are beautiful.

I do, however, have something to say about the following musical accompaniment. I don't have the luxury of artists sending me their new material, so I must resort to the relentless searching (and the inevitable deleting) of endless waves of new music material that I come across. So far, every time I discover a new possible musical endeavor, it's almost always the only decent track in the artists' repertoir, which then renders said track only mediocre. I hate to sound negative, as I am quite a responsible appreciator; I welcome new music with open arms and ears. Discovering a new group of talented musicians is like seeing a really good film that sticks with you for days and days. Anyhow, Tony Bonanza has a new E.P. available for download (for free) via Bandcamp. Baby B is decent enough, and shows promise. It's nothing new mind you, nor ground-breaking, but still quite enjoyable.

Tony Bonanza - Baby B. EP - 04 yssup by Mexisota Kid

And I can't help myself....Just to sort of round out this cocktail of random thoughts today, Elli et Jacno.

Orange Juice

It's Friday, and I'm feeling very under the weather. And besides the copious amounts of tea and soup I'll be consuming, I'm also in need of some orange juice. Not only for it's natural source of vitamin C, but (yea, I'm going to say it) for it's unintentional correlation to perhaps one of my top 5 favorite bands of all time. Orange Juice represents the fundamental sound of young Scotland in the early 80's, and this sound still maintains a timeless quality that many bands from that era could not achieve.Coals to Newcastle, the quintessential box set OJ released just a few months ago, is still getting frequent play in my daily rotation, almost to the point of annoying of any innocent bystanders. Lead vocalist and songwriter Edwyn Collins is still playing these days, despite a near fatal stroke that rendered half of his body almost inoperative, and a struggle to regain control of his ability to read and write, much less play a song. Everyone has some version of their "Beatles", and I suppose for me, my Beatles would have to be Orange Juice, the band that I'll probably cherish for a very long time to come. Of course there are others bands that I would list as such, and when I'm feeling better I'll share their praise, but as of today, my feverish state of mind has spoken. Also, I just need to go back to bed.





And from the Edwyn Collins documentary, Home Again.....