Check out Thrill, dancing roadie with the awesome Still Flyin have his mullet shaved off on this Jimmy Fallon show this week. So many questions and so little answers, hella funny though, and pretty cool to see an Excalibrah shirt on TV,
Still Flyin are just about to embark on a European tour, come join the party... 9/23: Hamburg- Instore show at Freiheit and Roosen @ 5 pm 9/24: Hamburg - Reeperbahn Festival @ Prinzenbar 9/25: Berlin - Uncle Sallys Clubnacht @ Comet 9/27: Brighton, UK - Jam 9/28: Glasgow, UK - Captain's Rest 9/29: Sheffield, UK - Plug @ The Forum 9/30: London, UK - Hoxton Bar & Kitchen 10/1: Schaffhausen, Switzerland - TapTab 10/2: Genova, Italy - Museo Luzzati 10/3: Ferrara, Italy - Zuni 10/4: Treviso, Italy - Club Macaco 10/5: Munich, Germany - Atomic Cafe 10/6: Dresden, Germany - Ostpol (Wimp Club) 10/7: Vienna, Austria - Arena 10/8: Innsbruck, Austria - Bierstindl 10/9: Weyer, Austria - Bertholdsaal
Check out what you'll miss out on....
I think they have a new record out soon, too which you should really buy, more info here when it's all ready.
Yes appologies for the awful pun but this is one of those rare occasions where some of the worst type of television (the Cops reality TV show, bleugh!) collides with our little indie word. OK, so not Beat Happening but The Halo Benders one of Calvin Johnson's many other awesome bands. Watch as they get stopped and man handled by the 'Real Stories of the Highway Patrol' Rather unsavoury viewing, my favourite bit is when Calvin talks back at the self important cops, go him!
And yes welcome back, sorry there hasn't been an update in like forever, I myself have been travelling all around the USA which was as you imagine pretty awesome! And lucky me I got to see The Hive Dwellers, Calvin's new band twice, they're awesome, I can't wait for their record to come out. Here's a video of them performing one of my favourites.
It's been ages hasn't it? Sorry indiekids, been swamped with University work, sorting out stuff for the Indietracks Festival (please come!) I also went to ATP which was one awesome party. Yes yes, I know all excuses!
So yeah last night reading my Bust magazine as any indie girl should, the Riot Grrrl article mentioned in passing that there was an episode of Roseanne where she picks up a riot grrrl hitch hiker who gives them a Bikini Kill tape. So yeah, here is it, god the riot girl is bad! But yeah Roseanne is awesome and says some cool stuff, isn't her baby freaky looking though?
And also, USA go and check out Cyrus at the cinema, featuring music from everyone's favourite party band Still Flyin'! Apparently John C. Reilley dances to their track "The Hott Chord is Struck". Check out the trailer and spot Jonah Hill playing an omnichord!
So yeah, finally after months of waiting (I still can't believe I didn't cave and download this movie, we've had to wait so long for it to come out in the UK) I got to see Whip It this evening. And yeah, pretty good hur, ok a bit predictable but the lovely Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat and Kristen Wiig stole the show for me. For the record this is the first film in ages that almost made me cry, I'm not much of a softie honest.
So yeah, we now know I'm a wimp and that the film rocks, but what we really want to know is how indie it is, right?
1. Dialogue Um yeah, no real name dropping there apart from a Stryper tee shirt mentioned a bit in conversation, Stryper were of course an 80's christian glam metal band, I have only heard of them because I've just finished reading a book about Christian Rock written by Andrew Beaujon who was in that band Eggs, they were good aye, better than Stryper for sure, I think Stryper had better hair and pyrotechnics though.
Oh yeah, and Bliss and Oliver have their first conversations talking about Little Joy who oh yeah feature Fabrizio Moretti. Oh wow Drew, that's subtle, get yr exboyfs band name dropped in yr movie to show yr just good friends. They interrupt a Jens Lekman track to put the record on too, that's so uncool.
Yeah so no real indie dialogue and they lose points for cutting the Jens track short, only 1 cardigan point.
2. Music Paraphernalia Well yes apart from the aforementioned Stryper tee shirt, the puppy dog eyed indie boy that Bliss falls for is seen sporting a Daniel Johnston teeshirt. Though I knew he wasn't one to be trusted, when it came to swapping teeshirts and he wouldn't swap his DJ tee, but instead gave here some lame khaki shirt. If a boy wont lend you his Daniel Johnston tee, he can't be trusted - fact. I think they must have got the rights to that "Hi, How are you?" artwork as it was bleeding everywhere too!
I'm sorry to digress again, but yeah I had the good fortune to go see Daniel Johnston a week or so ago, sadly the freakbeat orchestra made it a pretty hard going, this was awesome though...
Well it's not every day that a Daniel Johnston tee is on yr cinema screen, has to be 4 cardigan points.
3. Band Cameos a few here... Har Mar Superstar plays a coach, Juliette Lewis (well she claims to be a musician now, I remain sceptical) and Eve are all in the film. Oh yeah and Andrew Wilson, the older and lesser known Wilson brother is also in that, it's not a Texan movie without a Wilson bro, fact! yeah, I guess that's 3 cardigan points
4. Soundtrack Jens (three songs! indie!), Tilly and The Wall, American Analog Set, The Go! Team, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Raveonettes though they must lose points for playing Radiohead and Kids by MGMT, I must admit I love that song, but it always accompanies the most cheesiest cinematography, oh look the tune kicks back in and they have a big hug, it's almost like MGMT wrote it in mind that it was going to be played bloody everywhere! So yeah, 4 cardigan points
5. General Indieness Hella indie, but not cutesy, badass, indie kids don't normally punch other girls in the face and this could be the first ever indie sports movie (tho roller derby is probably the most indie sport right?). I guess 3 cardigan points
So yeah, that's 15 cardigan points out of a possible 25, so yeah not that indie, hella good though, do go see it!
Before I go, check out this, indiepop darls Allo Darlin' being played on Beverly Hills 90210, awesome stuff!
If yr free this thursday (and you live in London of course) come see them supporting Hefner singer Darren Hayman at The Borderline, see you down the front! Until then, hope you're having fun enjoying the spring sun! Alicexx
Last night I left the safety of north London to go see new(ish) British Indie flick 1234. Based around the lifespan of the fictional London based indiepop band 1234, not a great deal happens in it, but I think that helps to capture the mundanity of small band existance, working in crappy call centres and unrequited love with pretty girls in pretty dresses. OK let the indie review commence, you know the score, now how well will this one score in cardigan points?
1. Dialogue I jotted down a few good quotes in the cinema, I got a bit tipsy in the pub round the corner from the cinema before the screening tho so I could've got some a bit wrong... "You've got an unsual bass sound, it sounds like The Yummy Fur, Nation of Ulysses, The Pastels..."(and prob some other bands probably but I write slow) Stevie trying win over Billy the guitarist. Stevie goes on to describe the future band as sounding "a bit Postcard, Jeepster, Chemikal Underground" and also uses the choice line "if I wasn't in this band, they'd be my favourite band", we've all said that once, normally when we're very drunk. "I remember the car I was driving when I first heard Her Jazz by Huggy Bear" Stevie again in one of his overly indie and emotional speeches, he also remembers where he first heard Tigermilk (don't we all?) The one piece of good luck for the band was that Kill Rock Stars wanted to hear a second demo, Hella indie, 5 cardigan points!
2. Music Parapanalia The film starts well with a close of shot of Plan B magazine (RIP) but after that the film lacks the indie product placement that other films excel at, a lot of the posters were for made up bands and the band members stuck to wearing those Canadian vintage tee shirts you can get from Rocket instead of a suitably cool band tee. Though I'm pretty sure I spotted an Evens poster in Stevie's bedroom and Giles Borg (Director innit) wearing a Urusei Yatsura teeshirt. Only 3 cardigan points, could try better.
3. Band Cameos This is where the movie excels in the indie-est of cameo's featuring the lovely Betty and The Werewolves and Comet Gain both playing live. As can sometimes be the case with Comet Gain shows, not all of the members turned up to the gig, this version of 'Comet Gain' features Rachel and Jon from the band joined by Matthew Sawyer (The Ghosts, The TVPs), Steve Dore from The Casual Dots and James Canty (Nation of Ulysses/The Make Up/French Toast). What a line up, why on earth did they play a show to just six people? Sack the promoter, you'd never get that at Basement Scam!
The film also features a live performance from Director Giles Borg's own band, the catchily named Sunnyvale Noise Sub-element, props to him for featuring his own band, if I was making a movie I'd feature my own band in it, you better believe it. Sadly none of the cameos have any lines so the film loses one point.... four cardigan points.
4. Soundtrack Hella indie.... as well as the live performances, the soundtrack included Bikini Kill, Stereolab, Belle and Sebastian, My Sad Captains (the lovely Great Expectations plays during the end credits) and some. 5 cardigan points
5. General indieness Skinny indieboy who looks like a cross between Rob Price (Airport Girl) and Mark Monnone (The Lucksmiths) who doesn't have a girlfriend living in indieboy dreamworld, pained over unrequited love and no one understanding him or his band, a popular narrative for any true indie film. I think the attempt to catch the grim reality of being skint in London stopped it from being hella indie though, there's no real cutesy cinematography or quirkiness that makes a true indiekid film, so yeah sorry, only 2 cardigan points.
So that's a total of 19 out of 25 cardigan points, hella indie but still could do better.
Oh yeah, a props to the film for featuring the Finsbury Park job centre, Finsbury Park reprezent!
The film is on tour the next few weeks, why not see whether it's playing in your town here The Movie Website
And finally, let's end with another video, I don't think the band were named after this song, but it's awesome and doesn't Feist look lovely in her shiny jumpsuit?
So there I was eating my burrito and watching this weeks installment of the University drama/comedy Greek waiting for the next scene with Cappie in (I'm a girl of simple pleasures...). And yeah so anyway there's this scene where Calvin, the jock gay guy is talking about making a "gay list" of his favourite gay music to reconnect with his inner gayness, there's a screenshot of his itunes and yep, see for yourself...
Deerhoof, Belle and Sebastian, Death Cab For Cutie, The Shins, Violent Femmes, Beulah, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Le Tigre, Pin Back all bands I think of when I think of gay music of course. And of course those godfathers of gay The Velvet Underground! Not a Cher or Madonna in sight. Well done to the greek music coordinators for getting this so right!
Props is due to Calvin for putting Two Headed Boy by Jeff Mangum from that live solo thing he did, awesome version.
Now I'm going to return to my burrito but I will leave you with a picture of the lovely Cappie, hope you are all well and have an awesome spring xx
Hope you are well, I'm good, my band did some kick ass recording today and I managed to do a vaguely convincing stab at a mod organ part, fun times!
Here's the first of a series of posts about indie bands on kids TV programs, cause crikey there's tons of them out there. Now in my day, kids TV was Dogtanian, Mysterious Cities of Gold and the closest thing we got to a band on kids telly was the Orange Organics (please don't tell me you don't remember Pugwall) and whatever PJ and Duncan's band on Byker Grove was called. Now it seems that now indiekids are in charge of making TV programs that they want to have their favourite indie bands come on and play songs for children. I guess it makes sense, our parents played us The Beatles and now parents play their children The Shins and Chromeo (very cool parents I must add).
Now, I've never watched an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba, kids TV normally makes my head explode and 5.40am (when it's on telly in England!) is not a time I'm ever awake or in a state to watch kids TV, it's just too confusing! But I spent a whole day watching videos on You Tube of bands playing on the program. Seriously, what band hasn't been on there... Here are some of the best clips I found on the website and t'interweb. I love how the Ladytron one they're like "yeah we'll be on the program but we must just bring our usual boring black stage set up, none of this colourful kids TV program nonsense". The Chromeo video makes me smile too much, I will always remember now to wash my hands before I play my synthesiser!
My sources say that the Geeks from Freaks and Geeks performed at the live Yo Gabba Gabba show, I'd like to have seen that. Anyone have a video of that? for now here's a nice photo of them in their Yo Gabba Gabba get up.
