The more the possibilities for self-directed musicianship multiply, the more blindingly corporate radio fodder becomes. It’s difficult sometimes to consider mainstream pop as anything other than advertisement, a smorgasbord of easy feelings with which casual listeners saddle themselves. Even bands with the indiest intentions that filter into Clear Channel soon find themselves regurgitating smoothly packaged products. The […]
[Continued from Part 2] IV. Drive As an American, eager to see new talent carve into the meaty flanks of the American Berserk, it certainly seems like Drive is the film that Refn has been working up to; it finally allows him to make a film directly against the black suitcase model. The story – […]
Fascination with a failed love is a surgical experience. Some chemical tide turns and the tedium of pulling the stitches apart is irresistible. That something so ineffable could be made up of the kinds of things one can list and turn over and stack and compare begs vivisection in that state of mind. If the […]
The Human Elephant’s latest effort, “White Thunder” (Umor Rex, 2012), is a basso ode defending the lawful rights of dive-bar ironists and lo-fi aficionados around the world. Despite its imperfections, “White Thunder” is a simple, no-bones singer/songwriter jaunt into the doleful musical wake left by Joy Division and other, less dour navel-gazers. The Human Elephant is […]
It started with a Facebook link; recommendation from a friend for something brilliant and (possibly) disturbing. This was by Mark Jenkins — an artist with a new book (The Urban Theater) highlighting creations from the last nine years. Students at art colleges may be particularly interested in this book. According to the introduction, Mark “began his art […]
