Phosphate on Film

Live Blogging from the Academy Awards

2012-02-26T17:21:00.000-06:00

6:52: The anticipation is killing me.

This kept me entertained during the Grammy's so let's do it again. I will be updating during commercial breaks through out the ceremony with my thoughts on the winners, losers and tackily dressed. So in preparation here are my Oscar predictions...

Live Blogging from The Dumbass Grammys

2012-02-12T19:27:00.003-06:00

This will be the first time I have ever watched the Grammy's because really who gives a shit. I am pretty bored though so I am going to watch it and tell you what I think of what's going on.

10:20 - Can't believe this isn't over yet.

9:52 - Surprise Lil Wayne during horrible Chris Brown performance. Now Foo Fighters are playing. This is supposed to be a tribute to current dance music? I am so confused and annoyed. I wonder how many lattes Dave has had tonight. I thought this was an awards ceremony? There have been like five awards handed out. I can't believe I am missing Walking Dead for this.

9:35 - Bon Iver what about thanking GOD? He wanted you to win best new artist buddy give him his props. Not a big fan of Iver but glad for the win over Scrillex. Real best new artist...

9:16 - Oh man I love Glenn Campbell. There is some weird hipster country pop band performing Gentle on My Mind. These people are really weird looking. I am so sick of watching this show but I am going to keep going because I love communicating with you.

9:10 - Just got done watching Adele perform and it was pretty good. I like her voice more than Amy Winehouse's. So what will it take to hook Adele up with Mark Ronson. That would be pretty tight. Something else that I learned from the 60 Minutes piece is that her new love is 13 years her senior. He also doesn't feel the need to tuck his shirt in at the Grammys.

8:59 - But I would take Taylor Swift over Carrie which I feel even worst about. Modern country is so terrible and all the men have open chested shirts which is grossing me out. Need another beer.

8:56 - I feel guilty for finding Katy Perry so sexually attractive. I would take Carrie Brownstein over her any day though.

8:52 - Adele takes Best Song of the year. Mom's across the world rejoice. What should have won...

8:43 - Taylor Swift evidently just now jumping on the "O Brother Where Out There?" bandwagon. She seems like a positive influence for little girls now that Miley Cyrus has revealed herself as a heathen.

8:33 - Paul McCartney going the Bruce Springsteen route and singing a new song no one cares about. Sounds nice I guess.

8:21 - Maroon 5 and Foster the People. TERRIBLE. Beach Boys songs. GREAT. Mike Love is such a piece of shit but it sure is nice to Brian looking so healthy. RIP Dennis.

8:15 - Foo Fighters win best Rock Performance which is fine I guess. They were up against other rock powerhouses like Mumford & Sons and Coldplay. Oh boy Beach Boys are up next this might be sad.

8:10 - Well this Chipolte commercial is probably way better than anything else that will be on the show.

8:02 - Rhianna and Coldplay performing now. It was tolerable when it was just Rhianna but then Chris Martin ruined it. What do you think Brian Eno does with all his money?

7:56 - Whitney Houston name check count - 3

7:47 - Jack Black just went on about how Foo Fighters still have indie cred. OK. This is the best thing that Foo Fighters have done in the past ten years.

7:37 - Best rap award went to Jay Jizzy and Kanye West, don't like either of them! Should have one: It's a tie! Shabazz Pallaces - Swerve...The Reaping of all that is Worthwhile and Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci.

Kelly Clarkson and some dumb cowboy sang, it was terrible.

7:32 - Applebee's commercial making me hungry.

7:24 - Adele just won an award. I am pretty cool with that after watching her interview on 60 Minutes, she seems like a pretty cool chick. It was revealed that she worked at Rough Trade Records after winning the Grammy last year to help her music or whatever. Pretty cool.

Chris Brown is performing right now. A great moment for women abusers everywhere. Alright I'll check in at the next commercial break.

Last Minute Golden Globe Predections

2012-01-15T17:46:00.000-06:00

Awards about to start, let's see how I do. Red indicates a winner and green indicates who I think should win. If there is only a red it means I think it should/will win or I don't give a shit. I am working on a 2011 movie wrap up post to let you know the great stuff that didn't get any recognition tonight.

MOVIES BEST PICTURE: DRAMA (horrible selection this year)
“The Descendants”

“The Help”

“Hugo”
“The Ides of March”
“Moneyball”
“War Horse”

BEST PICTURE: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
“50/50”

“The Artist”

“Bridesmaids”

“Midnight in Paris”

“My Week With Marilyn”

BEST DIRECTOR

Woody Allen (“Midnight in Paris”)

George Clooney (“The Ides of March”)
Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”)
Alexander Payne (“The Descendants”)
Martin Scorsese (“Hugo”)

BEST ACTOR: DRAMA
George Clooney (“The Descendants”)
Leonardo Dicaprio (“J. Edgar”)

Michael Fassbender (“Shame”)

Ryan Gosling (“The Ides of March”)

Brad Pitt (“Moneyball”)

BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA
Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs”)
Viola Davis (“The Help”)
Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”)

Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”)

Tilda Swinton (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”)

BEST ACTRESS: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jodie Foster (“Carnage”)
Charlize Theron (“Young Adult”)
Kristen Wiig (“Bridesmaids”)

Michelle Williams (“My Week With Marilyn”)

Kate Winslet (“Carnage”)

BEST ACTOR: COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”)

Brendan Gleeson (“The Guard”)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“50/50”)
Ryan Gosling (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”)
Owen Wilson (“Midnight in Paris”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo (“The Artist”)
Jessica Chastain (“The Help”)
Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”)

Octavia Spencer (“The Help”)

Shailene Woodley (“The Descendants”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh (“My Week With Marilyn”)

Albert Brooks (“Drive”)

Jonah Hill (“Moneyball”)
Viggo Mortensen (“A Dangerous Method”)

Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”)

BEST ANIMATED FILM

“The Adventures of Tintin”

“Arthur Christmas”
“Cars 2”
“Puss in Boots”

“Rango”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“The Flowers Of War” (China)
“In The Land of Blood and Honey” (USA)
“The Kid With a Bike” (Belgium)

”A Separation” (Iran)

“The Skin I Live In” (Spain)

BEST SCREENPLAY
”The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Ides of March”

“Midnight in Paris”

“Moneyball”

TELEVISION
BEST ACTRESS, TV COMEDY
Laura Dern (“Enlightened”)

Zooey Deschanel (“New Girl”)

Tina Fey (“30 Rock”)
Laura Linney (“The Big C”)

Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”)

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA

Claire Danes (“Homeland”)

Mireille Enos (“The Killing”)

Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”)

Madeleine Stowe (“Revenge”)
Callie Thorne (“Necessary Roughness”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, TV SERIES, MINI-SERIES or MOVIE
Peter Dinklange (“Game of Thrones”)
Paul Giamatti (“Too Big to Fail”)

Guy Pearce (“Mildred Pierce”)

Tim Robbins (“Cinema Verite”)
Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, TV SERIES, MINI-SERIES or MOVIE
Jessica Lange (“American Horror Story”)
Kelly Macdonald (“Boardwalk Empire”)
Maggie Smith (“Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)")

SofiaVegara (“Modern Family”)

Evan Rachel Wood (“Mildred Pierce”)

BEST ACTOR, TV COMEDY

Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”)

David Duchovny (“Californication”)

Johnny Galecki (“The Big Bang Theory”)

Thomas Jane (“Hung”)
Matt LeBlanc (“Episodes”)

BEST COMEDY SERIES, TV
“Enlightened”
“Episodes”
“Glee”

“Modern Family”

“New Girl”

BEST DRAMA SERIES, TV
“American Horror Story”

“Boardwalk Empire”

“Boss”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”

BEST MINI-SERIES OR TV MOVIE
“Cinema Verite”

“Downton Abbey”

“The Hour”

“Mildred Pierce”

“Too Big to Fail”

Frank's Favorite Albums 2011: Girly Indie Electro-Dance Pop Edition

2011-12-31T18:16:00.000-06:00

Yeah you heard me, girly indie electro-dance pop. A genre I am embarrassingly well versed in. In my pop music fantasy land these two artist are on the radio 24/7 instead of Ke$ha, Lady GaGa and Nicki Minaj. full disclosure I did enjoy that Super Bass song I never ever listen to any radio other than NPR so I get to be a little pickier about how I get my pop fix. Like most other fields this year, not many standouts, but these two are more than enough for me.

Class Actress - Reapprocher
October 18 Carpark Records

This album is cool as ice. Heavy on the synths and sultry vocals the debut from the Brooklyn duet have released one of the best synth-pop albums in a good while. Each song is clean and efficient, with front woman Elizabeth Harper's confident and crisp delivery doing what good dance music does, creating an emotional as well as physical connection with the listener. Nothing on Rapprocher steers outside the lines of traditional dance pop, but this can be excused when the music is as as good as it is here. Despite the hero worship the whole album manages to feel contemporary.

Hopefully their sophmore release will lead them to a more unique product, building on the many strengths of Rapprocher. Kind of like what happened with the following artist.

LIGHTS - Siberia
Last Gang Records

This is the second album for Canadian lap-top pop ingenue LIGHTS following up her debut The Listening. The Listening had strengths such as the songwriting (for the medium) and her voice, but was marred with production vying for a commercial sound via auto-tune and such.

Siberia tones back and dirties up the production letting the vocals do most of the work while providing a dark counter point to her youthful delivery. I recommend purchasing the vinyl because staring at the cover while listening greatly enhances the experience.

Frank's Favorite Albums 2011: Nice Singing/Songwriting Brah Edition

2011-12-24T11:51:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple albums by dudes that write and perform their own work. I bet there are some good chick albums too if you check back later.

Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
May 3 Wichitia Recordings

This is the third album from longtime Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys and trumps anything he has done solo or with SFA. My Welsh fixation in the 90's was focused mainly on Gorky's Zygotic Mynci who were artier and more pop oriented than the hard rocking Furies. Still I have always held a little place for SFA and there fusion of hard psychedelia pop and tongue in cheek sense of humor.

From the start Gruff has been an amazing songwriter which was often overshadow by the big production of early SFA albums along with his tendency to sing in his native Welsh. Hotel Shampoo is very reminiscent to a Beetles' album incorporating a variety of avant-pop styles rooted in syrupy hooks and unique instrumentation. And like most Beetles' albums there is not a clunker on here.

Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself
September 20 Secretly Canadian

Jens Lekman, you never let me down my man. One of the greatest songwriters working today released this five song EP of tracks that he felt wouldn't fit on his upcoming album. Each one of these tracks is vastly different from the other and filled with Jen's deadpan black humor and meticulous observations on the heart. The title track is one of the wittiest, charming and beguiling of recent memory and so obviously it is my favorite track of year. I don't know what Pitchfork was thinking leaving it off their top 100 tracks of the year but including anything with a little Drake stank on it.

This release continues the tradition of Jens topping himself with each sparingly delivered album. The reason for this is his brilliant combination of modern Bacharach music that serves as perfect backdrop for his masterful storytelling. A perfect example, "Waiting for Kristen" tells the story of a night spent searching for Kirsten Dunst through the streets of Sweden. Upon arriving at a club he hears she might be at the following lyrics (turning at the space to the chorus) follows,

"What she's doing here, you think?"
"I heard she's filming with von Trier."
"Hey Klara, how's your night?
Did you know about Kirsten? Have you seen her?"
She says:"Yeah she was here,
But she was turned away at the door."
I know, I know, I can't believe no one told her before

That in Gothenburg we don't have VIP lines
In Gothenburg, we don't make a fuss about who you are
In Gothenburg, we don't have VIP lines
But then I bit my tongue, and the taste of blood was so strong

BRILLIANT!

Funny story. I saw Jens back in 2004 in support of "When I Said I Wanted to be Your Dog" at Emo's in Austin. After the show I bought my girlfriend at the time a tshirt and asked him to sign and inscribe something along the lines of how he thought she was beautiful and he would love to have sex with her. He said that made him feel uncomfortable and just signed Love, Jens. Good guy.

Destroyer - Kaputt
January 25 Merge

I am a big fan of Ban Bejar's work with Canadian super group The New Pornographers and an on again/off again fan of his work with Destroyer. He is with out a doubt an amazing songwriter but sometimes his dense lyrics come off as rambling to me. With most Destroyer songs tending to be 5+ minutes long he does not leave much breathing room for the listener.

Now this album is totally different! Dan pulled a little 180 on us and released a surprisingly unpretentious and sophisticated album of a genre I just came up with, indie-adult contemporary. The album floats along with breezy female backup vocals, sultry saxophone and an uptown laid back vibe through out. Recommended for fans of Avalon era Roxy Music and other classy blue eyed soul albums of the early to mid-eighties.

Frank's Favorite Albums 2011: Vacation Away Edition

2011-12-16T09:16:00.002-06:00

It's that time of the year again where critics line up to show you how much more they know about art than you and then end up picking Arcade Fire as their #1 album. This was a pretty shitty year for music but there were a few bright shiny parts as well. I will be making these post periodically without rhyme or reason (well maybe some rhyme) until the end of the year or until I have ran out of stuff I liked. Each post will be grouped together by some sort of banal theme.

This first post's theme is...Time for a Vacation! All three of these albums I put on frequently when I needed to escape into their musical getaways as the pressure of non-vacation world became too much. So allow me to be your guide through a tropical retro paradise, a fictional California town suspended in the 80's and finally a peaceful resort of indie soft pop delight.

Kid Creole and the Coconuts
September 27 Strut Records

Even though this album's release landed at the begging of an already nasty winter season, this disc will instantly transport you poolside at some 80's rooftop coke party in New York. After a ten year absence, and a closer to twenty year quality absence, the Kid comes back hard with a hip and talented producer (Andrew Butler of Hercules and the Love Affair) to help smooth out those wrinkles time has left.

While it may be more subdued than his previous work, none of the fun or rhythm has escaped. Butler's work is more prevalent on some tracks than others like on the stand out track "I Do Believe" which would have fit perfectly on the last Hercules' release. August Darnell's equally humorous and lecherous song-writing remains in tact and shines most on the tracks like I Wake Up Screaming (In the Tropics), the story of a man who takes a young lady to the tropics only to have her brush off his advances. "Why you don't want to suck my toe?" Darnell ask the free loading temptress with all the conviction of a Zoot-suited man done wrong.

Summer Camp - Welcome to Condale
November 8 Moshi Moshi Records

The fictional California town of Condale is the setting for this magnum homage to the excess of 80's pop music. Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley serve as counselors for this retreat filled with big meaty synths, love lorn lyrics and a grab bag of hooks that wouldn't sound out of place on a Go-Go's or Human League album. I'll admit this album isn't re-inventing the wheel, but the solid song writing, great voices and unabashed fun this album exudes makes up for the lack of imagination.

Along with Kid Creole, one of the albums I had the most fun with this year, just wish they both would have come in the summer time instead of dreary autumn when I busy listening to sweater pop. This album got flak for not being as "weird" the debut E.P. I can understand this criticism but I say bravo to Summer Camp for taking the risk and creating an album that progress the musical vision as opposed to most current buzz bands that regurgitate the same safe sound over and over. Production by Pulp guitarist Steve Mackey certainly didn't hurt either. I think these guys are making it in their homeland of the UK, don't know why that isn't translating over here.

The High Llamas - Talahomi Way
April 19 Drag City

Godbless you Sean O'Hagan and your beautiful consistency. I gave props to Summer Camp for changing up the formula between releases and I will give High Llamas props for doing the exact opposite. O'Hagan and company have cornered a very specific musical niche, easily described as Beach Boys by way of Stereolab, which was flirted with by many during the nineties. Fortunately O'Hagen's love of baroque pop escapism was not a fashionable one and he has been churning out quality work every 3 to 4 years for the past couple decades.

Last Ten Movies I Watched 12/3

2011-12-03T12:42:00.001-06:00

They do this in the fancy movie magazines I read.

Stardust Memories - Woody Allen - 1980

Potiche - Fracois Ozon - 2010

Cave of Forgotten Dreams - Werner Herzog - 2010
Our Idiot Brother - Jesse Peretz - 2011
Director Jesse Peretz was the original bassist for The Lemonheads. WTF?
The Lady Vanishes - Alfred Hitchcock - 1938
Woody Allen: A Documentary - Robert Weide - 2011
The Exterminator - James Glickenhaus - 1980

Lolita - Stanley Kubrick - 1962
Paths of Glory - Stanley Kubrick - 1957
Page One: Inside the New York Times - Andrew Rossi - 2011

Frank's Five Favorite Horror Films

2011-10-31T12:24:00.003-05:00

October. As the leaves begin to turn so do Americans stomachs as they plow through the back catalog of go to horror standards. As with most of my other personal preferences, these films I have chosen to share with you are not ones you will find on most lame critic's list. Don't get me wrong I do love some of the standards (Rosemary's Baby, Suspiria) but I thought you might be looking for something different to throw in between Paranormal Activity viewings. The six films included here are some my favorite horror films, ones that I come back to every year at this time, and Christmas as well.

Possession - 1981 - Andrzej Zulawski

Driven by a scenery chewing performance by Sam Neil as a family man whose wife, played impeccably by Isabelle Adjani, may or may not be having an affair with an other worldy demon. The story plays out like a traditional infidelity drama until Adjani's character begins a sexually charged epileptic fit amid daytime traffic. As her finger nails begin to bleed and the milk like vomit propels from her mouth you know the "other man" might be working with a little something extra. Great physcological drama with some old fashioned monster movie scares as well. The creature in the film was designed by the same team that created E.T. Go figure.

Black Roses - 1988 - John Fasano

Satan and Rock n Roll. A devilish duo continually preying on the the impressionable young minds in middle America towns. Why Satan chose the town of Mill Basin is beyond me, but I am glad he did because it is great fun watching these ignaramious teenagers turn on each other and their parents in fits of Satan induced rage. Cheesy to the max, silly and totally propestious, Black Roses is great trashy rock and roll fun for Halloween.

Repulsion - 1964 - Roman Polanski

As if us guys needed another reason not to talk to quiet pretty girls, Polanski's most frightening film is a grave reminder that just because someone is beautiful and innocent looking doesn't mean they won't beat you over the head with a candlestick if given the oppertunity. A horror movie about a true pyschotic person. As Deneuve's character literally watches the walls around her crack, so do we see the through her subtle performance that her male suitors might not make it past first base, and if they do it might be sans a limb or two.

Hour of the Wolf - 1968 - Ingmar Bergman

What pretentious film list would be complete without an Ingmar Bergman film. Before I discuss the pyscological mind fuck that is Hour of the Wolf, I would like to call your attention to the recent additions from Bergman's back cataloge currently available on Hulu. The Criterion releases on Hulu are all around fanatic, especially the focus on lesser known titles. Anyways check it out the Hulu+ membership is less than ten bucks and the selection is amazing. Ok back to mind fuck.

There are numerous films in Bergman's career where horror themes creep in, generally stemming from sort of manifestation of a character's mental anguish. Hour of the Wolf is unique in that follows a fairly standard horror plot involving a young couple, buried secrets and a haunted dinner party. As I am sure you know, Bergman is a fucking genius filmaker and single handedly one ups most other horror movies with similar themes. It might be too pyschologicaly dense for your less inspired friends, but for the rest of us Hour of the Wolf is an unique horror experince.

Return of the Living Dead -1985 - Dan O'Bannon

The believable dialogue and competent directing makes this film a standout in the Zombie pantheon. Much like the new AMC show Walking Dead, the story focuses on the personality and back stories of the survivors. We get to know these characters not just as prey on the run, but also as characters. The New Wave motley crue at the center of the story show suprising dimension in their characters, proped up by the tight screenplay and excellent direction. Also includes one of the most legendary topless graveyard dances performed by the amazing Linnea Quigley. Hands down my favorite zombie movie, sorry Fulci fans! Return of... was written by Dan O'Brian who also wrote Alien and Aliens.

My application for the open position at The Observer

2011-10-27T17:31:00.000-05:00

Dear Village Voice Media
cc: Dallas Observer

I am inquiring about the position currently open at your paper in the Music section. I believe I would be an ideal candidate for the position because I am all about house shows and keeping it real. I have included a review which I believe makes my case.

There seems to be a sense around town that Sarah Jaffe's latest release Suburban Nature just might be the thing to send her beyond the DFW scene. Following in the footsteps of Norah Jonesand St. Vincent, two artists who I think anyone could confidently say have "made it." After spending some time with Nature, I have some reservations about Jaffe being the chosen one to close the commercial trifecta some are hoping for.

My critique of this album is almost purely based on the merits of it's songwriting. The music is all very boring, predictable and very polished. This isn't great, but it doesn't have to be a deal-breaker for me, especially when it comes from an artist whose centerpiece is the lyrical content. I am a big believer in the idea of the songwriter being our modern day poets. While this is hard to say in public without coming off as overly pretentious, the security of the blog-o-sphere offers me the freedom to say so. Of course there are the great songwriters that are known world over, but I also believe that nearly every town, especially those with colleges in them, potentially breed singer/songwriters of great worth that don't see the light of day outside the city limits. I am sure that your impatient ass already looked down to see the rating and know that I do not hold Jaffe in this category.

My overarching argument would have to be that the album is damn boring. There is no point on this recording where Jaffe does anything that makes her stand out from the previously mentioned troubadours playing coffee shops across America. If the album's production wasn't so pristine, maybe the music wouldn't sound so distant. Having some grime around edges can help us believe you aren't just a contempo-folk bot. The illusion of intimacy can be pretty easily attained. Instead, every song sounds like it was written for one of those mix CDs that you buy along side a double latte at Starbucks.

Each song on Suburban Nature is a mini-ode to heartache with Jaffe (or her characters) as the protagonist. Music of this nature lends itself to an intimate relationship with the listener. I have to say that I'm not too comfortable in the part that Jaffe wants me to play. You know those friends that are ALWAYS getting fucked over by their significant others; always ready to play the part of the lovelorn ingenue done wrong by some beautiful apparition? I know that when your heart is broken, it is hard to see past the immediacy of those feelings, but must you always be the protagonist? Ms. Jaffe, were younever the one to fuck up? She is asking the listener to be a sympathetic friend to unload her problems on, but I felt more like the jilted ex-lover wishing she would stop complaining and accept the finality of our failed romance.

There are parts of the album that I did enjoy. "Vulnerable" works, because she tries to tell a story and doesn't rely on abstract "woe is me" songwriting. "Summer Begs" is another highlight where Jaffe does show that she can at least begin to paint a scene. This is achieved by giving us the details and nuance of a love gone wrong. Instead of just myopic self-reference, we get some semblance of characters the listener might care about.

As I said before, I have been known to be won over by singer/songwriters that share similarities with Jaffe. The first thing that pops into my mind is an artist with local ties: Ladel. The two artists share many similarities as gloomy female singer/songwriters. Ladel's songwriting, while a bit more dramatic than Jaffe's, still has an earnest quality to it that the songs on Suburban are missing, that being wit or self-reflection. Always the martyr in the ways of the heart, Jaffe's musings might be comforting to those who always find themselves on the sharp end of the blade, but for the rest of us bloodied-hand individuals, there isn't much to relate to.

This might work as a cathartic experience, much in the way it does with Mark Kozelek's work, but I had trouble sympathizing with Jaffe. The songs never do anything beyond the "boo-hoo my heart is broken" schtick. Of course there are other more recognizable artists (Julie Doiron, Cat Power, Shannon Wright, Mirah) that I found myself longing to listen to while trudging through this album.

Is it unfair for me to assume that this is the market that Jaffe is attempting to break through to here? I think that anyone who has followed her the past couple years (which, if you follow the local music scene, it would have been hard not to) can see that it would be a fair assumption that she has those particular stars in her eyes. I wish that more acts in the area had the dedication and career-minded focus that Jaffe has, and you can't say it hasn't worked for her. I just have a hard time believing that this is going to the album to take her from selling out coffee shops to the Granada theaters of Anywhere, USA.

1 1/2 of 5

Peace,

Frank Phosphate

Cuckoo Retrospective

2011-07-12T17:24:00.000-05:00

Tonight we bid a fond farewell to one of the most dynamic acts in the area along with two of the nicest people around. Cuckoo Byrds aka Time Bandits aka David & Lisa have been a positive life force in the Denton community since they opened up business on the square in 2007. Even though their time to depart has come, their spirits will be with the town for years to come. Be sure to check out Cuckoo Byrds final performance in Denton tonight at Rubber Gloves along with Violent Squid and Slackbeat.

Here I have compiled some of my favorite videos captured by our own VJNODAD.

Live Feed 5/1/11 - Crocodiles/Sleepy Sun/White Hill/Tang Lung (Rubber Gloves)

2011-05-02T21:23:00.001-05:00

Frank Politics - Interview with Sloan Callen, District 3 Denton City Council Campaign Volunteer Sloan Callen

2011-05-01T13:34:00.006-05:00

One of the great things about being C.E.O. of your own blog is that you are not restricted in the range of content you wish to cover. Politics is something I am interested in, at a local and national level, so it is something that I would like to cover here.

This may manifest itself in a blow hard opinion piece or an interview like the one you are about to read. Denton City Council elections are coming up with early voting set to begin Monday. There are numerous issues facing the Denton area that has some younger citizens up in arms. Luckily there seem to be at least a couple of candidates who are representing those positions.

To find out what exactly those positions are I spoke with Sloan Callen, a volunteer for District 3 candidate Mike Sutton. I wanted to find out not only what issues he felt affected Denton County most but also why he decided to play a roll in the candidates bid for local office.

Have an issue you want to talk about? Send me an email frankphosphate@gmail.com

FP: What roll have you played in the campaign to elect Mike for District 3 council?
SC: The first thing I did in my capacity as a campaign worker for Mike Sutton's city council bid was becoming a Deputy Voter Registrar. Mike felt that if got more students to the polls that would form his base. Typically few people in Denton at large vote in municipal elections and students in particular shy away from the polls. Many students are transplants from other areas and still list their parents' addresses as their residence. I think a lot of people feel they are only passing through Denton. The reality is many of them stay in this town longer than they expect to. So a lot of my work is the same even if it is different capacities. I inform people of the upcoming election. I offered people the opportunity to register to vote before the April 14th deadline. I point people in the direction of election resources such as the Denton League of Women Voters voters guide. I talk to people. Other acts of participation include writing positions, placing signs, making literature, and researching issues in the election, or rather how we can make them relevant in the election. During the election we plan to organize actually driving people to the polls.

How did you become involved in the campaign?

I was a walk on recruit. My friend Chad was helping him initially just from his ability and willingness to help in the campaign. Also he typically spends his business day in Big Mike’s Coffee Shop so again it was a natural fit. Basically I just started doing the things you should do when you run for office.

Did you have any prior experience working in politics?

I did some marginal work on the Obama campaign. However I live in Texas so it was really just a grab for primary points against Hillary since we split them up here which I am all for. But that is just the way the Democratic Party is organized. I’m okay with Hillary as well I just preferred Barrack. Aside from that I organized anti-war student groups in the wake of 9/11. I don’t know if I would consider that participating within politics but there was certainly some political organizing going on.

Additionally I have a bachelor's degree in political science but again I don’t consider that working in politics either. Political science is a discipline founded upon the analysis of statistical data. My passions, and certainly at the time I started my undergraduate, are more oriented toward political philosophy. I don’t think political philosophy empowers you to run a campaign either. However, in political science classes you will learn certain things about how campaigns and elections run.
You hear about trends in election cycles and the history of elections in America. So on the margins I think there are some valuable insights in those degree programs and experience that you follow but eventually it becomes common sense and not the application of a technique for campaigning. Communications studies also concerns itself with elections.

I think I absorbed some wisdom there as extra-curricular debate participation is based out of communications departments. This particular election I think is unique and certainly different than a typical national election.

What made you get involved?

I have lived in Denton for the most part since 1998. I travel quite a bit but really feel at home in Denton. When I started helping Mike I had a sense of how important a city council seat is. Since I started I’ve learned how much more important it is and I think my next phase would be more about learning limitations of local procedural power.

It is natural for me to want representation I feel is representative of me, myself. I will support a representative that is an outgrowth of myself. If not I will settle on the representative in the race that I prefer. Sometimes you have a douche bag and a turd sandwich, and I could see some people seeing the district 3 election in those terms. I do not look at it that way. The more I learn about the candidates running, the more I put a human face on Jim Engelbrecht, Mike’s incumbent opponent, the more I appreciate a situation where you may have several well qualified candidates.

I think that is going to be the reality of local politics. The candidates are more humble than national figures. In the end I think I got involved because I love politics. I don’t paint, I don’t sculpt, I don’t spend a lot of time making music for performances, but rhetoric is an art as well.

What is it that you like about Denton? How does your candidate reflect those ideals?

Denton is small scale. When I moved to the North Texas Metroplex as a senior in high school I encountered many indistinguishable suburban towns. I came from Tulsa which is more or less one city. It has suburban outgrowth as well, but nothing near the scope of the metroplex. When I started college and came to Denton I found a single city again rather than uncultured sprawl. Since then I have learned a lot about Texas and have been all over the country and still prefer Denton. I know more people here than anywhere else. I feel like I am aware of more possibilities in Denton and would be limited anywhere else. I think sometimes it is hard to be productive in this town, but right now I could not see being productive anywhere else.

Mike is emblematic of Fry St., he sponsors the type of grass roots associations for community goals I expect, he really sees himself as unconnected from larger interests. Lowell Brown, the politics writer for the Denton Record Chronicle described the District 3 race and the District 2 race as an only in Denton phenomenon. I think that is true. Those two races are wide open. I’d see the guy when he had Voyager’s Dream opened and didn’t feel a large affinity for those counter-culture trinkets but like that they were there. I know he has provided food donation boxes for giving and taking. That is very practical.

As a fixture on Fry St. Mike represents the small businesses that I take for genuine Denton life, but I may be just a vocal minority in this City’s center. I could live in an apartment right off the highway, commute to Dallas for work, and eat at Red Lobster. I bet some people do use it as a predictable automotive based town. Denton city planning will need to preserve low impact pedestrian interaction while accommodating more impersonal, more routinized ways of living. The city is a business.

What difference will Mike make if elected?

Mike will repeal City Ordinance 2010-292 and attack fracture drilling with every weapon in the arsenal. He will be approachable to the population. Code Enforcement will see a complete overhaul in this city. Consultants and developers in Denton will get the first crack at every city project. There will be a better relationship with UNT and TWU. Eminent Domain will not be used again.

Although Mike is just one vote on a seven member council at least having a dissenting voice on a typically lockstep unanimous body will do some good. Perhaps if other races do well then we can form a new coalition and even a majority. You got to remember, even though council members in the district races are only elected by their district, there votes affect the entire city.

Your future in local politics?

If Mike wins then I think I will have a lot of work to do. There are things a city council member needs to know and understand. I think Mike is capable of that. I think incumbents like Dalton Gregory, Jim Engelbrect, and Chris Watts are more or less capable. I don’t think they have any sort of specialization that is out of Mikes capacity.

As we started to realize we are probably going to win a fear started to creep in. I never thought I would be studying tax law and corporate policy. I always saw myself dealing with crime and civil rights torts like First Amendment violations at best when it comes to civil conflicts. So learning about tax incentive financing and the Texas tax code is a new experience. In the future I think I will be more dedicated to local politics.

I am 31 years old. My whole life I have been absorbed with national and geopolitical issues that really don’t effect me. I just don’t take advantage of government services enough for that to matter. I don’t participate in business that thrive or die according to acts of congress.

Months before I started on this campaign I became completely disillusioned with our national legislature. I used to think the President was an overvalued position in public opinion, but I got to the point where I would rather have an executive doing whatever he could then a gridlocked legislature that could do nothing but produce asinine rhetoric. The courts pretty much embody what I would like to representative democracy to be. Even if I hate the logic in decisions that err on the side of law and order, at least there is well articulated reason and a background.

The double think that goes on in congress is irritating. That being said, this campaign has made me realize how much more important politics at the local level is. Yeah, there aren’t jokes about code enforcement in Denton on the Daily Show. And we will never show up of Fox News or MSNBC’s radar, but the issues involved affect my daily life far more than what Michelle is saying with a fist bump, or the new buzz words the Republicans agreed they would be using this week.

Getting upset about wars and human rights atrocities around the world can exhaust you. You can scream about the war until you are blue in the face. The electric company asking for a deposit proportional to your credit rating, that is really important. I’m not saying we should ignore the world until it affects us, I’m just saying my focus has been inverted from what it should have been. Now I’m always going to look to local politics first and let everything else become part of the background.

What have you learned about politics?

I think I covered that supra.

What have you learned about the voting Denton population's relation to politics? Apathy? Excitement? Confusion?

There is a lot of apathy. I feel like this election should be a referendum on fracture drilling at Rayzor Ranch. If you are against gas drilling and didn’t register to vote, don’t vote for Mike Sutton, or don’t talk to your city council about it then I have no sympathy for your position.

I am not the most hardcore environmentalist out there but I can understand the issues. I actually find more people passionate about the electric company and raising fees and charging people with bad credit higher deposits that make bills unreasonable than I do about fracture drilling. I really don’t get it.

Like it says on P Diddy’s tee-shirt: VOTE OR DIE. I don’t see any other solution to this problem then electing a sympathetic city council.

Show Alert/Interview - Crocodiles/Sleepy Sun/White Hills/Tang Lung - Rubber Gloves Sunday

2011-04-30T21:24:00.002-05:00

There was a time not so long ago when Denton was the place for up and coming bands to stop through instead of DFW. Any given week if you checked Rubber Gloves or Hailey's websites you would find an often healthy selection of "hip" bands whom were obviously on the rise. I think I saw Of Montreal at Gloves three or four times? But those times seem a distant memory. All of that business has moved to our big sisters to the south, where I don't believe they receive the attention/attendance that the bands need as up and coming acts. Yes, we may not have as much money as Dallas or Fort Worth, but we are much hipper, which is what really gets people out to the shows.

I was speaking last week with Rubber Gloves owner Josh Baish about this topic, which obviously affects him. I am not saying that Gloves still doesn't have great shows on a constant basis because they do. Local bookers do you a good job of getting local acts in and the occasional bigger name touring band. Most of those touring bands tend to be ones that already have a history with the club, which is great, but what about those bands of tomorrow today?

Perfect example of the type of show I would like to see more of is happening this Sunday night at Rubber Gloves. This show was booked by Natalie Dávila whom you may know from her time booking at the now defunct Majestic Dwelling of Doom and more recently one of the forces behind 35 Conferette. The show is a little bit pricier at $10, but well worth it. I am hoping that the tide can start turning back in Denton's favor and away from places I can't walk to. I asked Natalie about the future of her booking and this show inpaticular, here is what she had to say.

FP: Why have you decided to stick with the booking gigs post DOOM?
ND: Well, booking opportunities just kept falling in my lap… Baish opened up Gloves to me and has subsequently taught me a great deal about this business, as far as venue specific booking is considered. I was also approached by the NX35 beast and spent the last 8 months getting my life turned upside down. At the end of the day, it was worth it. I have been fortunate enough to get to view the world of booking from a few different angles… DIY booking, venue booking, and festival booking. All of which are so completely different from each other and all of which have their own unique problems. The business itself is rather fascinating… getting to peek behind the curtain and see how tours come together operationally. Suffice it to say my experience in this business has all been rather serendipitous. I’m just along for the ride.

Is this booking venture official? You have a catchy title yet?
I will probably focus more on making it “official” after summer when I have the time to do so. I don’t have a name yet… Spune was already taken… so I was thinking about Spluge instead…

Most of our readers are probably familiar with Crocodiles, can you tell us a little about the other acts on the bill.
Sleepy Sun is a big ole band from San Fran… with six members or so. I think compared to most psych rock outfits they show more restraint in their performance. Now that isn’t a bad thing… I just think they will prove to be well-crafted stoner rock. White Hills is a loud ass band hailing from New York. My friend Dustin Anderson caught this band live at SXSW and said it was a really powerful show, so I decided to check them out and see about bringing them to Denton. Their label, Thrill Jockey, has quite a few solid acts- stuff like Fiery Furnaces, OOIOO, Future Islands, etc. etc. Their sound is very space-y, atmospheric, definitely psychedelic and heavy. This is the band on the bill I am personally most excited about seeing, except for maybe Tang Lung… haven’t caught them live yet but I know they are going to kick ass. The DFW area lacks bands like Tang Lung… their myspace boasts some really interesting and promising recordings… their sound is reminiscent of Sonic Youth and Slowdive, but ultimately with a really fresh take on dreamy-psych rock. And I can already tell they are going to be really loud live… and that’s always a plus.

How did the show come about?
Well I was too broke to go to Psych Fest so I decided to bring some of Psych Fest to me. I just started hitting up some bands (actually, their agents) that I knew were going to be routed this way for that event and thus this power bill was born! Denton will be the last stop for Crocodiles’ tour.

What kind of acts would you like to see booked more in the area?
I just want to see more range and diversity. This town is in a bit of a slump, but things are looking up. Bands are eager to play Denton; I just don’t think they are being sought out. This town has a good reputation on the national scale… people know there is a strong music community here. The //Tense// show that was at Gloves the other night is a perfect example of a strong, eclectic Denton bill. Brought to you by the tastemakers behind Discipline, that bill was solid gold and Denton needs more of that.

Rubber Gloves Site

Insane Criterion Blu-Ray Sale at Amazon

2011-04-27T09:43:00.001-05:00

If you are like me you are nuts for the Criterion Collection. My relationship with Janus/Criterion goes way back to the Laserdisc...good times. These are the lowest prices I have seen on some of these. It looks like most of them are out of stock with a 7-10 day wait time for mailing. Who knows how long this will last, all I know is I am going to be broke as fuck the rest of this pay period. An [x] indicates a title I am picking up, a couple of them I already own. Please feel free to share your purchases. Movie watching party?

$13.99
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

$17.49
8 1/2
Breathless
Wings of Desire

$17.99
[x]Amarcord
[x]Army of Shadows
M
The Naked Kiss
Paths of Glory
Senso
The Seventh Seal
Shock Corridor
Still Walking

$18.49
Broadcast News
Fish Tank
Modern Times
[x]The Red Shoes
Sweet Smell of Success

$18.99
[x]Blow Out
The Double Life of Veronique
Kes
[x]Le Cercle Rouge
The Mikado
Topsy-Turvy
White Material

$19.99
Au revoir les enfants
Yi Yi

$21.49
The Leopard

$28.99
Yojimbo & Sanjuro

[x]$52.99
America Lost and Found: The BBS Story

Frank Reviews - Somewhere - 2010 - Sofia Coppola

2011-04-26T12:30:00.006-05:00

Why are you such an asshole?

Throughout Sofia Coppola's latest mini masterpiece Somewhere our protagonist Johhny Marco (what a name) receives that cryptic question via text message. The sender's blocked phone number leaves the audience and Johhny guessing who(m) and what he did wrong. We soon finds out that Marco is more than deserving of those blunt words for being a lazy, idle and filthy stinking rich celebrity. But he's not all that bad.

Somewhere could be consider a quasi-sequel to Lost in Translation. Both films center around a male movie starlet as they grapple with the hollowness of stardom and finding comfort in a non romantic relationship with the opposite sex.

If you found Translation to be a boring exercise in the excess of modern neo-realism, substituting plot for pretty pictures and elitist pop culture, you aren't going to like this one either.

When the film begins you might question how and why you should empathize and not loathe Johhny Marco. The guy drives a loud car with a trunk in the front, has nubile twin blond strippers on call and one of the guys from Jackass is his best friend. Just as we begin to sympathize with Hitler (as a tragically flawed character) towards the end of Downfall, so do we understand the plight of Johhny Marco. Now, Marco is not a fascist dictator but he does embody the idle celebrity who we love to despise, envy and keep employed.

Much in the same way Nicole Hollofocner uses the struggles of the middle-upper class to show the universality of human doubt and sorrow, so does Sofia with celebrity. At the core of the film we have a character who is ultimately unhappy even though he can buy anything he wants. While the whole "money can't buy happiness" line is nothing new, never before (outside of Antonioni films) has there been a cinematic representation of the banality that wealth and questionably gained status can bring.

I appreciate relationships that are not normally seen in film, especially in American cinema. The father-daughter bond that is formed over the course of the film is the most satisfying one since Paper Moon and alot less creepy. It is through this unique bond between disconnected, unfit father and daughter that Marco discovers that he needs to make some changes in his life. Where Marco's eventual back turning on all that he is amassed could have been a cliche easy answer to the audience expectations, the relationship between the two is so honest and un-sentimental that the end comes from a place of discovery and not hackneyed expectation fulfillment.

Sofia wields a very heavy hand when it comes to the symbolism in Somewhere. Every shot, even those that seem to linger past their time, is meticulously constructed to chart the emotional/spiritual growth of our protagonist. I have seen the film three times so far and each time there are little nuances that creep up out of nowhere.

"let them eat cake"

The cast all turn in subdued and memorable performances, bringing the story of the characters full circle with out the aide of an over wrought plot or dialogue. Stephen Dorf's real life status as an almost A list actor helps on a meta-level with our connection to his character. Ella Fanning does a fantastic job as the daughter that helps Marco find his heart or whatever. Better performance than anything her sister has turned out, even though I am a big fan of her narration of the Henery Darger bio-doc In The Realms of the Unreal.

The person who really surprised was Jackass cohort Chris Pontious who plays Marco's friend from back in the day who helps bring the flamboyant decadence down to Earth. Pontious is a natural in front of the camera and totally believable as the kind-hearted eternal house guest. There is a scene in particular with Fanning where Pontious finds out more about Marco's daughter in 5 minutes than Marco knows after eleven years of her being around. This could have easily been a stiff and/or vaguely creepy scene, but the earnestness that Pontious brings to the scene is almost heartbreaking. He should have won a best supporting award somewhere.

As to be expected pop music plays a large role in setting the tone of the film. Unlike Marie Antoinette where the other timely musics was omnipresent to underscore the decadent youthfulness of the titular character, the music here is all incidental. There are moments like the above pictured stripping scenes where we hear the girls glide up and down the pole(s) in unison to Foo Fighters "Hero". Or there is T-Rex's "20 Century Boy" which we hear as Johhny fails miserably during a solo session of Guitar Hero. See what I'm saying with the symbolism? While I did not feel the connection to the music in this film like I have with Coppola's other work (meaning I won't be jamming to the soundtrack day and night) I was very impressed the use of music and it's important roll in the storytelling process.

So is Johhny Marco an asshole? I think it would be hard not to be if found in the position that Marco finds himself in. While Coppola never passes judgment over her characters, by the end of the film Marco does find some sort of clarity and hopefully redemption. That clarity is not achieved by any cliche self epiphany or forced plot device but instead by watching and being apart of Marco's life and walking by his side as he leaves his piece of shit car in the dust.

Frank Final Verdict: A

Not New Music - Poly Styrene - Translucenece (RIP 1957-2011)

2011-04-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

Sad new to wake up today that X-Ray Spex front woman Polystyrene passed away after a long bout with cancer. Today also marks the release of her first solo album since the one you are about to download here. Oh cancer, up yours! This was posted by myself about a year ago over on the other site and figured now was as good a time as any to recycle it.

Poly Styrene
Translucence
1981 Receiver Records

Like most of the new wave and punk bands of the late seventies and early 80's, X-Ray Spex burned brightly but briefly. In their short time together the band embodied the independent punk spirit, much more than some of the more marketable figureheads of the time. The bands brace faced lead singer Poly Styrene also released a record in 1981 that is worth checking out for those of you hungry for more from this enigmatic performer.

Unlike the sneering proto-riot girl she played during her time with X-ray, Poly Styrene's fist solo album Translucence shows a much softer side to the unlikely chanteuse. Surprisingly the album has more in common with Astrud Gilberto than Johnny Rotten. While the arrangements and sounds are often light as air, Styrene's unique songwriting and undeniable voice make this a thoroughly solid record. Translucence is currently out of print, and in fact I'm not sure if it was ever even released domestically. So I would recommend you grab this and chill the fuck out to it, some of you guys seem to be a little high strung lately.

Poly Styrene - Translucence

Live Feed 4/16 - Daniel Francis Doyle/Capillary Action/Terminator 2 (Rubber Gloves)

2011-04-17T13:09:00.000-05:00

Not New Music - The Smiths Unreleased Demos & Instrumentals

2011-04-12T22:33:00.002-05:00

Oh yeah remember this feature from back in the day? Thought it was about time to bring it on back. As before, any album posted is currently out of print and/or unavailable for commercial purchase. Downloads will be up for one week and then taken down forever, how sad. For this grand return let's start big shall we?

There have been various version of this floating around for a few months but I figured most you don't hang out in Suede chat rooms so you might not have heard about it. These are ripped with care from a vinyl and sound great for demos, suitable for everyday use and not just a one time curiosity listen through. If you are anything like me you exhausted the entire Smiths catalog somewhere around the age of 14 so it's nice to hear these songs (which I still listen to on a regular basis) in a slightly different form.

Highlights include the way stripped down version of my favorite tune "Ask", the slight reggae groove of "Girlfriend in a Coma" demo, Mozz's warble in "Is it Really So Strange?" and the surprise trumpet in "Frankly, Mr. Shankly". But It's Marr on these recordings who really stands out with his three unreleased instrumental tracks including an ominous "Shoplifters of the World". Dude was brilliant, too bad he went on to do things like produce that terrible Modest Mouse record.

Keep an eye out for more Not New Music post in the future. I'll be digging deep into the vault most of the time but every once and awhile I'll through out stadium filler like this.

I've got the 21st century breathing down my neck...

Frank's Television Set - Superjail

2011-04-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

This is a new segment where I tell you about shows I am watching. I watch alot of TV, all of it stellar. These posting will give you the courage to skip that fourth viewing of Arrested Development and catch up with the rest of us devoted boob tube heads. Some of these shows might be on pay-cable which I understand makes life hard but just find a friend who lives in a hotel or visit your parents. On an unrelated note I have a bunch of guest writers who I have solicited to write for me, we'll see if any of them put out.

       SuperJail Season 2
        Cartoon Network
          Sundays 11pm

The first season of Superjail stands along side Tim & Eric Awesome Show and Xavier Renegade Angel as some of the best and weirdest animated comedy to appear on television in quite awhile. I had never been a big fan of Adult Swim programming previously because it was all a little too "stoner" for my taste. Yet these show are able to create surreal other worlds that are both funny and disturbing and not just "weird" like Aqua Teen or Sealab. It's been awhile since the first season of Superjail and I know many, myself included didn't think we would see it again.

Season 2 began this Sunday and was a bit of a let down. In the two years between the seasons the show seems to have picked up a new animation studio, leaving behind the grotesquely detailed art with a new,slicker style more accustomed to traditional half hour comedy animation. One of the thing that made the first season great was the amount of detail in every little scene. While the animation itself was stilted it didn't matter because you could take a freeze shot at any point in each episode and have at least 20 uniquely morbid things to point and laugh at.

The eleven minute running time of Superjail is perfectly orchestrated to stuff in as many disgustingly witty puns and sight gags as possible all concluding in the massive orgy of blood and gore that the inevitable prisoner vs Jail-bot showdown has in store. If you only see one episode of Superjail there is plenty to enjoy, but watching the full season you see just how well conceived and executed the show is. The writing was still on in this debut episode including some clever twist and the typical character dynamics, but not once did I wince and yell at the screen in horror as I used to. I just hope that with this slicker animation the show doesn't loose the twisted surreal violence that made the show must see TV. I'll do a check back mid season and let you know what I think.

Frank Review - Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong

2011-03-30T18:41:00.004-05:00

Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Album - Belong

Release - March 29 2011 Slumberland/Collective Sounds

Band Page | Amazon | Itunes | Social

Yesterday a study was released that stated what most of us already knew, there is a correlation between the effects of physical pain and social rejection. Is it a coincidence that this interesting, if not painfully evident, information was released on the same day as Pains of Being Pure at Heart's highly anticipated Belong? Yes, but what a fun coincidence.

Unfortunately I have recently felt the pain these doctors speak of. No, I did not have my heart broken by a woman - Frank has built up a heart of stone, tempered with glass that is capable of withstanding any mortal females unpredictable whims- but it was instead Pains of Being Pure at Heart themselves. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I am in fact outgrowing the primal emotional that noise pop speaks too. Or maybe they have put out a disjointed, confused recording that is trying too hard to emulate heroes instead of further carving their own sound. Of course the right answer is the latter.

My main problem with the album is the production by one of those old "alternative" work horses Flood. Through out the 80s and 90s Flood's production on titles, especially one's from emerging artist like PJ Harvey and Nick Cave helped artist on the rise gain a larger audience by producing material that made the work more accessible without compromising the vision or talent. I think that the production on To Bring You My Love forced her to tone back as a performer but not as a artist which lead to some fucking powerful music. But with the type of music Pains are making, the production causes the ideas to sound forced. PJ Harvey's songwriting lends itself to the shine and grandness of Flood's productions. The bands rough yet character filled craftsmanship has given way to the whims of sophisticated production.

The album feels very disjointed due to the many things that it attempts to accomplish. A common theme when reading any kind of criticism of Pains is their strict focus on Slumberland inspired noise pop. It is through this focus and admiration that the band began to form their own voice. While the remenants of early 90's indie music can be heard loud and clear on the self titled and Higher Than the Stars EP, the songs still bore the stamp of a band honing in on their sweet spot as a collective.

On Belong there is point where the music almost borders on plagiarism. At least for you and I, the discerning college rock listener. Example: Take the opening track Belong and now listen to My Bloody Valentines's Soon. You can do this with pretty much every song on the album and a song from Jesus and Mary Chain, Stones Roses, Smashing Pumpkins (cringe) and Goo Good Dolls (super cringe). Not City of Angels Goo Goo Dolls mind you but some of the tracks could be mistaken for Superstar Car Wash outtakes. The songs all really do sound nice, but listening to most of the tracks I find myself longing for the original. Except with the Goo Goo Dolls of course.

Let's see what else... Oh yes. Kip's voice should not be so up front or undistorted. The nasal quality works great when it's sung into a pawn shop microphone, but the clarity in this recording is a bit too much. I love Heart in Your Heartbreak, but we have been listening that song, the lead single for a couple of months now so I was already looking forward to it.

Obviously I would not be as disappointed in this album if I did not have such a fond admiration for the band's precious work. While not wholly original, their previous two releases felt more like a love letter to a very specific music lover. I give this review such a low score with a very heavy heart. Kip was the first interview I did over at weshotjr and I have to say that he was one of the coolest dudes I have ever met. A total spazz music nerd with a focus on noisy pop saccharine. It was like looking in the mirror. I know in my heart that the band's intention on this release were 100% pure. And FUCKING BRAVO for staying with Slumberland. You can read my interview to see how that is a classy move on so many levels.

This is by no means a sell out record or the nail in the coffin that some revivalist hating reviewers have been waiting for. I just believe it is a bit of a miss step. Although I do agree with the general consensus that this album is going to shoot them into the big leagues, which I hope to the non-existent god happens. I am still excited to see what is in store for these guys. For my money, Let England Shake is the best album of PJ's career.

Frank's Final Verdict = C+

Frank Review: Acid House Kings - Music Sounds Better With You

2011-03-22T22:20:00.002-05:00

I am going to start posting reviews when I feel like it. More than likely the review will be over something I really love or really hate. Regardless there will be a grading system of A to F. Here is the first...

Artist - Acid House Kings

Album - Music Sounds Better With You

Release - March 22 2011 Labrador Sweden

Band Page | Amazon | Itunes | Facebook

Acid House Kings have a lengthy but sparse career as one of the many Swedish twee/indie/ironically sensitive pop bands of the last twenty years. While their sound has always been great, I have never held in the same esteem as I do other contemporary pop out fits like Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura or Jens Lekman. With Music Sounds Better with You their first album since 2006's Sing Along With the Acid House Kings, the band have hit the other world popedelic atmosphere.

The band's previous releases found the trio consistently honing in on that perfect pop sound. While this sound tickles the ears and the heart, their interpretation lacked the character which really make the aforementioned groups stand out. This releases breaks that trend by picking up the tempo early on and never letting go. There is not one shoe-gazey foot dragger on here. Through out the album is a certain joyous air that strings together the ten songs. The album is a consistent, captivating listen by never second guessing the delivery of that joy, indulging in the graces of vocal harmonies and syncopated hand claps.

While the back beat stays thumping, the heart does skip a beat here and there. It is hard to convey melancholy and or romantic dread through the lens of shiny pop music with out coming off as hokey or over indulgent. AHK pull it off brilliantly here, offering the world another avenue to smile through the ache. While the song writing remains fairly obtuse, this is music inspired by and written for those who have had, or hope to one day have, their heart broken.

FRANK'S FINAL JUDGEMENT: A-

hey guys I'm still here

2011-03-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

new content coming soon

35 Conferette : EXPOSED Live Feed Special Report - Paperstain Day Show #1

2011-03-12T13:33:00.001-06:00

Some videos from the Paperstain Show yesterday. I only have video for this show because it is the only one I went to. Never got around to picking up my Conferette wristband, which sucks because I was looking forward to some of the stuff later in the evening but I was too exhausted to party past the break of midnight. That will not be the case tonight. I'll be doing a 35 round up commentary next week but there is no time now.

One media outlet that has had the time to offer some criticism. dfw.com's Preston Jones posted an article today addressing some of issues that the festival faced on Thursday, summing up the misteps he writes "it's the details that need to be addressed in order to make this an event to anticipate, rather than dread." I just wanted to address a couple of the points because I think the author blew the situation out of proportion.

Issue #1 - time delays

Yes this sucks but was totally expected so I guess I wasn't too shocked when it happened. In fact I was relieved because time shake ups were going to allow me to catch both Violent Squid and Pains of Being Heart. In the end sadly this was not the case but that would have been the same situation if the acts played at their scheduled times. Plus it was the first day and there was tons of staff on hand to help out and answer questions about delays. Jones says, "I managed to see 16 bands altogether, but it was far more frustrating than it should've been." Sorry seeing 16 bands in one night is not as easy as listening to a Ipod playlist. I'm not saying that this isn't a issue which I hope is fixed for the rest of the fest, but it's not a deal breaker.

Issue #2 - cloth wristbands were not available yet

Seriously, Who gives a fuck? The thing I was worried about was waiting in an obscenely long line and/or my ticket not being available, neither of which happened. I was disgusted by the use of Ipads by the people working the wristband booth. This all could have been done on netbooks which cost $300 less than an Ipad and don't look so ridiculous. I saw people at the Paperstain show Friday with wristbands so I guess they are available now.

Issue #3 - "Some sort of system needs to be in place to let those of us attempting to see more than a single venue's showcasing artists if there are delays or other hiccups at the other venues" (sorry couldn't think of a way to summarize this #notarealjournalist)

The main stages and clubs are ridiculously close to one another. It takes less than two minutes to walk between them. The walk between the main and free stage is a bit of a further walk, like 4 minutes or something. I think that the stage placement was very smart. People from the festival traveling to the free stage are greeted by many of the local eateries and drinkeries between the two. Maybe Flemmons does have a little business sense in him after all...

OK enough of the brown nosing here are some issues I have...

Issue #1 - COPS FUCKING EVERYWHERE

And I mean everywhere. Of all shapes and sizes and various styles of dress. It has not boaded well with my Tumblr series "Best Places to Sneak a Doob at 35c" But the good news is I have not heard any stories of out of line rookie cops or unjust man handling of suspicious characters. And trust me the people I roll with would be the first one's to relay those stories.

Issue #2 - I smell terrible

I am sick of typing, time to watch Bill Maher while showering and getting in the zone for todays events. See you on the flip side. I have videos from more of Thursday's shows (I even got Sarah Jaffe!) but I have my priorities so without further ado here are the videos.

Live Feed - Violent Squid @ 35c

2011-03-11T10:01:00.000-06:00

Damn dawg what a performance this was. More videos to come once I have the time/sobriety to process the video.

35 Conferette : EXPOSED - What Frank's Checking out Thursday...

2011-03-10T14:04:00.002-06:00

And so it begins. Here is my schedule if you wanted to stalk me... or just see some good shows...

6:30 - 7:15

Secret Sisters

The Secret Sisters are one of the few contemporary country artist doing anything worth a damn. Stuck somewhere between throwback and contemporary style, these "sisters" utilize the intimacy of country music to create a beautiful, warm sound that should appeal to anyone with a heart and penchant for solid singer songwriters. I especially appreciate this video of the duo performing inside of a Wal Mart.

7:15pm
Free: Violent Squid
Wristband: Pains of Being Pure at Heart

There is no telling how many times I have seen Violent Squid perform over the years, 10? maybe more. Squid's ever revolving line-up is helmed by Ty Stamp who does what he can to keep the improvisation focused with out loosing spontaneity the experience is based around. Most times I have caught Violent Squid it is playing to smaller audiences which is understandable but it will be nice to see the band playing to a large, wristband-less audience.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart are one of my favorite indie pop bands around, keeping alive a long tradition of sensitive fuzz pop. One of my first assignments at weshotjr was interviewing lead singer/songwriter Kip before their performance last year. Some times in life there are moments when you feel like you are the only person in the world who feels the way you do, and sometimes you meet people that make you feel a little less alone in the world. That was the was I felt shooting the breeze with Kip. Check back here later this afternoon because I plan on posting the audio from this interview so you can hear what I mean. Oh yeah and they put on a killer live show.

10pm - Hydrant Cafe
Heartstring Stranglers

A few hundred miles of land and ocean couldn't keep former Dentonite and current Budhapest resident Frederick Shulze and his long term musical project Heartstring Stranglers from missing out on the Conferette action. This is going to be a streaming performance live from Budhapest, you can consider this the techno portion of the festival.

11pm - J&J's

Geistheistler

Pizza, Schlitz and dissonant noise rock is how I will be closing out the first day of activities. Why the early night? Hey some of us have to work in the morning...

35 Conferette : EXPOSED - Interview with Paperstain Day Show host Nick Foreman

2011-03-09T20:51:00.002-06:00

A highlight from last year's North by Conferette was the two day Paperstain Day Show which took place just a couple of blocks away from any wristband inspectors. The shows were hosted by Dust Congress front-man and pretty good basketball player Nick Foreman. Even though the event is in no way connected to the 35c, it does work as the perfect companion piece to the larger scale festivities.

If you are too poor to afford a wristband (if you live in Denton this is probablly the case) these shows will give you the opportunity to check out some of the better local acts playing 35c along with some acts exclusive to the showcase.

Most notable from that later category is the debut performance of Most Efficient Woman playing early on Saturday. MEW features Britt Robisheaux formely of Nouns Group and one of the higlights from last year's Paperstain show, Drug Mountain. Accompanying Britt on stage (or area carpet as the case may be) are members of Drink to Victory, Zanzibar Snails and other Drug Mountain buddies. It's going to get loud in there.

The Paperstain Showcase will be held Friday and Saturday with the line ups listed below. I'll quit my jabbering, here is the interview with Nick. Check back here later for thoughts, predictions and places to sneak an in-between show doob for Day One of 35c. Get live updates via tumblr.

Frank Phosphate - How much do you hate 35C?
Nick Foreman - not as much as daybow bow hates us on the internet

Why don't you have a catchy name for your festival?
we do. paperstain.

Complete the following analogy..
35c is to Paperstain Showcase as Justin Bieber is to _______
jonathon taylor thomas

What has been up with Paperstain since last year's showcase?
Justin and David are the ones who run it. They have put out a few records, like the new Shiny and Dust Congress records, which we both toured in support of back in the fall. Drink to Victory's record Health came out, and is great. Kampfgrounds's record is in the mastering stage and should come out soon, and Dust Congress just recorded tracks for a 7" split with Mariachi Quetzal to be released sometime this year.

How many people plus amps can you fit in your living room?
more people more amps.

How much money are you planning on making? Are you going to have enough left over to pay security?
well to tell you the truth, i leave all that up to our accountants and sponsors, like bud light, chester's chicken, and preparation h. If pressed for a ballpark figure I'd say less than one dollar. secret service will be on hand to protect a certain congressional nominee.

How much are wristbands to the Paperstain Showcase?
$85 in advance, $0 at the door.

If I buy a ticket for one band will that gain me access to others as well?8.
no way.

Is there any onsite daycare?
A: no, but there is a street they can play in.

How serious of a hangover would you suspect the average Paperstain attendee will have Monday morning?
A: nothing some el taco naco won't cure. oh, wait it closed down because everyone is too stupid to support local businesses outside of one weekend in march.

friday, march 11
2:30- richard the lionhearted (Columbia, MO)
3:15- tex winters (Portland, OR)
4:00- old warhorse
4:45- angelus
5:30- more states (Austin, TX)
6:15- burnt sienna
7:00- dear human
7:45- shiny around the edges
8:30- kampfgrounds
9:15- kaboom (last show ever)

saturday, march 12
2:00- uptown bums
2:45- most efficient women
3:15- penny hill (oklahoma city, OK)
4:00- old snack
4:45- adventures in magnetism
5:30- brother gruesome (oklahoma city, OK)
6:15- dust congress
7:00- cuckoo byrds
7:45- drink to victory
8:30- record hop

And yes those rad posters are by none other than Nevada Hill who was also commissioned to create the official 35c mural. Way to go!

35 Conferette : EXPOSED - Interview with 35c Top Cock Jaime-Paul Falcon

2011-03-08T18:44:00.002-06:00

It was this gentleman reporter's pleasure to conduct a discourse with Denton's Top Cock, Jaime-Paul Falcon, over a generous serving of tapioca pudding with crisped mint spears. He demonstrated his rare mastery of the English language, as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of internet videos. "JPF", as he is sometimes known, was quite patient with the under-aged and under-skilled waitstaff. Our discussion unfolded thusly:

HB: You were a controversial topic amongst the internet users of 2010. Do you plan on keeping a lower profile this year?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxxPLDZnqwA

HB: Is it pronounced "Falcon" like the bird, or "Falcone" like the murdered Italian judge?

It's pronounced "Smith", I think....not to sure, it really depends on if I'm in Mexico or the US....in Canada it's "Robertson".

HB: What is an El Kabong?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49lFPyzTfjw

HB: Is it better to be loved or feared?

I like to cuddle, so I'm gonna go with feared.

HB: Hypothetical: You rejected my band's application to play the 35 Conferette. I confront you in an alley. What do you do?

Would you like a beer?

HB: Was Mister Heavenly booked because of their quality music or because they will bring Michael Cera to town, and Michael Cera sells wristbands?

Who is Micheal Cera, why the hell do people keep mentioning this guy to me? All these Cera questions have been keeping me from devoting my full attention to Astros spring training updates (we might not suck this year!)

HB: What kind of police presence can the well-intentioned people of Denton expect to see at the festival?

Ever seen the Battle of Seattle, it'll be the complete opposite of that.

HB: How many Paperstain day shows will you be attending this year?

Honestly, it depends on the times, we have bands playing outside during those shows and it's gonna be hard to pick between someone like G Side on our stage and whatever act will be there, so all of them.

HB: I see that bands won't be playing at Boiler Room/Abbey Underground this year. Is that because everybody hated it?

We regrettably didn't book Oso Closo or Snarky Puppy, so Boiler Underground decided they didn't want to be apart of this. Preferably in the port'o'pottys, but if someone is busy fucking in one, mosey over to Abby Underground

HB: If I attend the 35 Conferette, where will I use the bathroom?

Preferably in the port'o'pottys, but if someone is busy fucking in one, mosey over to Abby Underground.

35 Conferette : EXPOSED - Interview with 35c Den Mother Natalie Davila

2011-03-08T17:05:00.008-06:00

As you may or may not know I am in love with Denton and have been for the past ten years of my residency here. It is the quiet, small town vibe that permeates throughout the Golden Triangle's northern corridor along with the dynamic musical landscape of Denton Rock City that keeps my heart locked tight as I brush off advances from other hip and more metropolitan cities.

I hate music festivals, especially when they are hosting artist that I want to see. While the commercialization aspect certainly plays a part, the main reason is because I hate being around large groups of people. I like seeing music in intimate clubs or venues where fans are gathered to dedicate their attention to a musical performance. Festivals tend to have that cattle call feel, bands go on in their alloted time and place for an audience that may or may not know who they are. Most festival goers are either enjoying music or meander about drunkenly weighing attendance options.

So how do I feel about 35 Conferette, the local music festival with a big heart and Camel sponsorship? Over the next couple of days leading up to the festival and including the festival itself I will be doing some hard hitting investigative reporting and Nobel worthy commentary. The whole team will be here to provide you with ground floor coverage without the crutch of a press pass.

We are going to start this thing at the top with festival co-organizer Natalie V Dávila. Check back the rest of the week for more interviews with elite people, movers and shakers. You will also be hearing from some of the new staff here at Phosphate on Film. STAY TUNED!

Also you can be-friend us on Facebook and Tumblr. Joy.

FP: How does 35c compare to the Warp tour?

ND: 35c is pretty tight and all… but I feel like Warp Tour is just… legendary. You can’t compete with that.

How much does everyone love the new festival name?

Well you want something short and sweet… that isn’t easily misspelled or pronounced incorrectly… so I really feel like we hit the nail on the head with that one.

Do you think next year you will be able to afford all of Outkast?

Next year I plan to reunite Naughty By Nature…

How do you feel the the festival will affect the local music scene once the festival is over?

It will probably collapse in on itself like a dying star..

Do you know which hotel Ramona Gonzalez is staying at?

Her room is right next to Michael Cera’s…

Do you think she needs a place to stay?

Please see answer to previous question.

Is she dating that guy from Wavves?

I heard he cries a lot… on stage.

If you could invite any dead president to appear as a MC who would it be?

Calvin Coolidge. I bet he’d be pretty chill.

Why are there no other music festivals in Texas other than NXNW which is really just a week long industry event?

Mafia ties.

What frightens you most about this weekend?

Chupacabras and/or drunken idiots.

Arthur Russell / Gary Wilson Free Screening Tonight! Totally Worth It.

2011-02-24T13:05:00.004-06:00

Here is a little information about the screenings tonight. This will be the first night for the beer tap to be open at The Hydrant so bring some money and your ID for some booze.

9:00 pm

7:30pm

Tonight we have a very special screening for you at the Hydrant as a part of the ongoing ultra chic film series collaboration with the 'folk's over at www.wedentondoit.com. I am proud to present a documentary double feature over two not so well known, but very important musicians of the late 20th century. Gary Wilson and Arthur Russell.

You Think You Really Know Me and Wild Combination are conventional documentaries over very unconventional subjects. During their time both artist received little acclaim outside of weirdo music fans and sold very few records except to the aforementioned group. In the case of Gary Wilson he is still releasing (albeit sporadically) music miles ahead of his contemporaries.

Over the years both have claimed their places in the underground music pantheon by the gradual release of their music to a wider audience and more marketable contemporary artist singing their praises. Wilson received a flaccid shout out on Beck's hit song Where It's At ("let the man Gary Wilson rock the most") and Rough Trade recently release an EP of Russell covers including Jens Lekman and Joel Gibb.

Gary Wilson and Arthur Russell's music share very little similarities except that they both disregard any notion of what contemporary pop music can be. Both approach their music not as music made for the masses but music as a cathartic extension of their own psyches. It would be easy to classify both as "weirdo" musicians who use the only way they know to express their demented or shattered personalities, but neither artist music is that simple. I imagine both as birds with clipped wings and songs to sing. Russell's spirit bird hidden in a bush attempting to get the crickets to dance. Meanwhile Wilson's bird is in full makeup making it's nest in the rafters of a smoky night club searching for the chick that broke his heart before they even hatched.

Arthur Russell is best known for his work in the realm of dance music, creating groundbreaking singles (under numerous monikers) around the same time as Larry Levan and other underground NY dance artist of the late 70's. If all we had were those few singles that would be swell, luckily in his brief time as a musician Russell recorded a treasure trove of elegant, sparse and forward thinking music, some of which has still yet to be revealed.

Gary Wilson's latest release Electric Endicott, his third official album and the first since 2005's stunning Mary Had Brown Hair, solidifies Wilson's place as an artist who like Russell lives outside the main stream of contemporary artist. Gary Wilson the performer is a cross between the Fugs, Frank Sinatra and Charlie Brown. Endicott stands as his most accessible release, which I admit isn't saying much. You might find out for yourself if you win the record tonight.

Would have liked to write more over this but I don't have the time, in fact this was written entirely on my lunch break! Russell and Wilson are two of my all time favorite musicians and look forward to sharing their stories and music with others. Two stories you do not want to miss, especially in the presence of others. I will be discussing recent releases by both artist in an upcoming feature 'Overlooked Albums of the 2000's' so keep an eye out for that. See you there and check back later tonight to see what is in store next week.

Hydrant Series February 17th - Blow Up

2011-02-10T23:20:00.002-06:00

After some wicked winter weather the Thursday night screenings are back on track. Check back every Thursday to see what next week's movie will be. Screenings are always free and beautiful gatherings to behold.

Carlos @ The Texas Theatre (best way to spend 5 1/2 hours this weekend)

2011-01-07T18:05:00.009-06:00

You could do many things in the time required to enjoy the French TV mini-series Carlos in it's director intended 313 minute run time. Whatever other 'important things' you have to do, they can all wait till next weekend. This is the only weekend to catch one of the best (albeit it long) films of 2010 on the big screen. I caught the first two installments of the three part series on IFC during it's brief On Demand run , then the cable company cut me off due to non-payment. The four hours I spent with Carlos flew by faster than a misguided scud rocket. I am looking forward to re-visiting those two episodes and finally seeing the tail end of this flamboyant character's absurd life in terrorism.

With Carlos's mix of slick action, acting, politics and copious nudity; it will no doubt stand the test of time alongside the other great epic crime biopics. This is only the second time for the film to be shown in Texas, the other being at the Alamo Draft House of course. I doubt you will be seeing this again in theaters for a long time. I'll have a full review some point in the future.

Poster of the year as well.

Saturday and Sunday at 4:30pm

The Texas Theatre

TICKETS

Frank's Top Ten of Everything 2010 : Day Three

2011-01-07T17:26:00.005-06:00

Hey keep checking back here all month long for new best of everything top 10s. Also other stuff maybe, really kicking this shit into gear in February.

FILM

Toy Story 3 - USA - Lee Unkrich

Toy Story 3 is an animated family movie in the same way that Hour of the Wolf is a horror movie or Dead Man is a western. This thing is meta as fuck with out feeling too preachy or forceful. The film has tons of well timed humor and lovable characters for the kids so the parents don't have to explain what is REALLY going in order for them to enjoy it. The story is engrossing, logical and a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Topics central to the plot include social constructs, dismemberment fetishism, gender roles and facing mortality. I am a big fan of animation of any kind and while I have always enjoyed Pixar films, this is the first one I think should be nominated for best picture.

POPULAR MUSIC

jj - jj nº 3 - Secretly Canadian

Like last year's release, the aptly titled jj nº 2, the experimental Swedish pop duo once again fell underneath the radar of most major hype blogs, which is the only way music like this can stand a chance these days. Why didn't it catch on? I think many people dismissed the album even before it's release due to the short span between this and their last release. The short incubation time does show on the album, but it makes the album sound fresher than most indie pop released this year. A very unique record in a sea of boring derision.

LOCAL MUSIC

Dharma

I love all the darker, electronic based music coming out of the area recently. Dharma is the brainchild of Kevyn Green who pushes the theatrics up to 11 in her live performance and on record. She brings a heaping helping of energy to the stage but that energy is focused and almost always menacing. The sound could be best described as the bastard love child between Crystal Castles and Lady GaGa that was born addicted to cough syrup. It's dark stuff alright, but you can dance to it too.

Frank's Top Ten of Everything 2010 : Day Two

2010-12-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

FILM

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia - USA - Julien Nitberg

I can tell you I never expected a documentary from Jackass production company Dickhouse to be one of my favorite movies of the year. The idea of following around a family of backward hillbillies (self confessed) sounds like a subject ripe for exploitation. Surprisingly the film does it's best to showcase the eccentricities of this very large family with out glorifying their self destructive lifestyle. With out getting too sanctimonious here, these people are scum. While I would never want to hang out and pop prescription drugs with these folks, it is fascinating to be a fly on the wall at a family dinner. I never got a sense that the White's were playing to the camera, the kind of trashy they embody can not faked.

POPULAR MUSIC

Nite Jewel - Am I Real?

Fantastic little E.P. that sees Ramona Gonzalez beefing up the Nite Jewel line-up by adding two additional band members. The inclusion of new blood really helps to flesh out Nite Jewel's output which in the past had me banging my hear against the wall in my bedroom just as mush as it had me dancing. The songs retain the hazy navel gazing vibe heard before but have been beefed up courtesy of clean production and funky bass lines. Can't wait to see them at Nx35 this year.

Frank's Top Ten of Everything 2010 : Day One

2010-12-23T15:23:00.007-06:00

So the idea of trying to stay on top of movie releases in Dallas didn't work out. It was a pretty dumb idea to begin with. Fear not! I have decided to move on with the site, but now it will be a general purpose blog about my favorite things happening in movies and music and shit. This new format will not be ready until February due to my time restraints but I whipped together this best of everything list for 2010. Everyday until January 1st I will be posting a new batch of my favorite things from the year, in no particular order. Hope you get turned on to something you weren't cool enough to know about yet. Please endure any and all typos (the nog is flowing free in the Phosphate house!) and thanks for reading!

FILM

The American - USA - Anton Corbijn

This the first film for director Anton Corbijn since his acclaimed Joy Division bio-pic Control. In place of the once thought un-filmable Ian Curtis, the French director takes on the not so difficult roll of filming George Clooney as the titular death dealing international Playboy. Audience members expecting another Bourne like high octane romp will be very disappointed by The American's slow, methodical pace and deliberate with holding of exposition. Unlike the herky-jerky Greengrass cam that has permeated the international intrigue genre, The American is composed of beautiful, fixed shots across the high definition worthy Swedish and Italian country sides. The events play out like a Mellivile or Antonioni film, very slow but with an attention to detail that drives the plot instead of ham fisted story telling. Even though I am making it sound like the film consist of Clooney reading Proust under a Spruce tree, there is still a healthy amount of gun play and nudity to be found. You can sell it to your Dad by referring to it as a "thinking man's" action movie. This is one of the few films recently to actually live up to the often thrown about label.

POPULAR MUSIC

Mark Ronson and the Business International - Record Collection

Mark Ronson has gained a reputation in Europe as a snide bastard and a ruthless Playboy, which is totally understandable after listening to his second solo release. The dude's got it going on. Through out the course of the album, Ronson and crew make their way through nearly every pop music genre and sub genre of the past 30 years. Some how in this mish mash of retro styles, Ronson created an album that sounds totally contemporary at the same time. Having read more about his exploits in Rolling Stone than actually hearing his music, I expected the album to be more of a megalomaniacal outing than it is. Yes, Ronson does sing on a few tracks and the production can be more than a little showy, but it is the strength and variety of guest artist such as Q-Tip, Ghostface Killah, Simon LeBon, Boy George, ex-Pipette Rose Dougall and Spank Rock among others that elevates this album from ego-trip to party record of the year. I think the scatter shot nature of the album threw some reviewers off leading to a lackluster release when the album hit stateside. It's a shame smart and fun pop music like this will never stand a chance on the U.S. pop charts.

LOCAL

Cuckoo Byrds

For the past couple of years Time Bandits owners and all round Denton power couple David and Lisa have been soaking in the sights and sounds of the local music scene while quietly banging away at their instruments in the back of their vintage clothing/record shop which also doubles as their home. What the duo have created in that time is some of the freshest and genre defying music the scene has seen in awhile. Of the many Cuckoo Byrds' performances I had the pleasure of attending, my favorite would have to be the infamous Mabel Peabdodys performance which literally brought the show to a stop. The music may be difficult, but it is just what the music scene needs right now. The recent addition of Christian Teenage Runaway/Orange Coax vocalist Sashenka Lopez with her kinetic stage presence and anarchist pen, will without a doubt lead to great things for the Byrds in 2011.

TELEVISION

Bored to Death Season Two - HBO

The first season of this half hour detective comedy series never really grabbed me. I appreciated the dark humor and perfectly cast ensemble, but something about the underlying premises fell flat for me. Series creator really stepped it up this season by focusing more on the 'side-kick' characters played by Ted Danson and Zach Galifinakis. The wacky trio, rounded out by Jason Shwartzman, find themselves getting into all kind of adult themed situations centered around solving mysteries for celebrity guest stars. The surprise plot turn that Ted Danson's character took this season was a great touch and helped to level the show which frequently becomes too wrapped up in the absurd.

REISSUE

(any format)

The Larry Sanders Show: The Complete Series

The funniest show ever created finally on DVD. Wish the transfer on this release wasn't so poorly done, but they still look much better than my worn out VHS copies.

Thursday Movie Night @ The Hydrant

2010-11-11T18:07:00.002-06:00

At the Movies Friday Nov. 5

2010-11-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

On Wednesdays I will be posting films that will be opening the upcoming weekend that I feel are worthy of note. The films will be listed by my interest in seeing the films in descending order. Meaning the movie at the top of the post is the one to see if you are making plans and the one at the bottom is worth noting but more than likely is lame. If anyone is looking at this and has any feedback to offer please do so in the comments section. Still trying to think of a clever name for this feature, please help.

Opening Friday

Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
2009 - Michèle Hozer & Peter Raymont
Angelika Dallas

I wasn't too familiar with the titular composer before seeing the amazingly well crafted film Thirty-Two Short Films about Glenn Gould. Gould is an interesting subject because even though he had all the trappings of a tortured artist, in reality the guy was pretty down to Earth, if not with out his quirks. The aforementioned film while informative was no where near a complete picture of the man as a person so I hope this documentary will fill in some of the gaps that us classic music nativities might have about the man and his work.

A Film Unfinished
2010 - Germany - Yael Hersonski
Angelika Dallas

Oh great another documentary about Nazis. If you happen to frequent the documentary section of your local library I am sure you are familiar the amount of titles focused on those scum bags. I am a sucker for archival/restored footage, no matter how depressing the subject matter. Did you happen to check out Hidden Fuhrer: Debating the Enigma of Hitler's Sexuality, I really felt like that should be the release to close the book on the Third Reich reflections but the subject seems to be as omni-potent as the natural gas pockets being tapped across central Texas.

Inside Job
2010 - USA - Charles Ferguson
Angelika Dallas, Plano

Oh great another movie about how fucked up our financial infrastructure is. I doubt this will be news to any one who reads the Washington Post on a somewhat regular basis but hopefully the narrative of the film is told with enough style to get some of the less enlightened into the theater seats. I'm sure having Matt Damon do the voice over work doesn't hurt either.

Tamara Drewe
2010 - England - Stephen Frears
Angelika Dallas, Plano

I picked up the collection of Tamara Drewe comics for a buck or so at a Half Priced Books bargain counter after reading some positive press over the English soap-comic. This trailer looks pretty horrific and paints the movie to be a stereotypical cheeky rom-com, but to their credit the English do seem to do them better for us. You can also tell by the American accented voice over that the trailer might be dumbed down for our collective marketing demographic. Another possible saving grace is the director Stephen Frears who also directed High Fidelity. Seems like a great movie to take a date to, but the way things have been going for me recently I will probably be waiting for the DVD release.

At The Movies - Thursday Nov. 4th

2010-11-03T16:20:00.006-05:00

WELCOME! Every Wednesday I will be posting notable movie openings and special screenings that are taking place through out the metro-plex. This week I will be doing a special Thursday only post to highlight one awesome screening in Dallas and another awesome one in Denton, brought to you by yours truly. So here are the two things going on Thursday night, other movies opening this weekend will be posted later. See you at the movies!

Loki - Paulo Henrique Fontenelle - 2008
Texas Theater 7:30pm - free

The Texas Theater will be having a special screening of Loki, the Brazilian made for TV documentary over Os Mutantes member Arnaldo Baptista. I sat down virtually with Texas Theater man behind the scenes Jason Reimer and asked him a couple of questions about the screening which is happening Thursday at 7:30pm.

FP: Will there be subtitles?

Jason Reimer: yes it's got English subtitles.

Is it fair to assume that this screening was planned to coincide with the Os Mutantes show?

Definitely. I've known they were coming for some time but it was very difficult to find a film about them. That's the main reason we haven't been able to promote it as heavily as I would've liked. I actually thought I was going to have to cancel until the DVD arrived yesterday.

I read that this was originally a documentary produced for Brazilian television in 2008, did the film ever have a theatrical run or DVD release stateside? I was hard pressed to find info about either.

To my knowledge it played at a function for David Byrne who's largely responsible for their comeback on his record label - and at a south american festival in California but outside of that it's not around. I read somewhere that Universal may pick it up for US distro but nothing yet.

Can we look forward to more of these one night, left of center screenings? Specifically ones that are tied into local happenings like this presentation.

Sure as much as possible. Kris Youmans is doing lots of good work trying to get cool shows in the Dallas area so anything I can do to help I'd gladly do.

Have you seen the film yet? Do you think it will appeal to those outside of the Os Mutantes fan base?

I watched some of it to make sure the disc worked but honestly i'd like to watch it at the Theatre for the first time. It's mostly about Arnaldo obviously as an artistic force. I would think anyone interested in wildly creative minds would like it.

What is your favorite Os Mutantes song?

oof. that is incredibly hard to answer. When those records came out it was all I listened to for the better part of a year.

I think the question should be the reverse... did they ever record a song you didn't like? ... no.

How much does the event cost? Is there alcohol?

I made the showing Free to help promote the Texas Theatre and the live show without costing fans more money. I'll gladly take a loss to get a few folks in to see what's happening at the theatre and help Kris and Gorilla vs Bear out in some small way.

We are still waiting for our official license so yes there will be "refreshments" on hand for free or people can BYOB if they wanna.

sidenote: our brand new popcorn machine kicks major ass.

Stop Making Sense - Jonathan Demme
The Hydrant Cafe
7:30pm - Brought to you by Phosphate on Film and We Denton Do it

The nice folks at wedentondoit invited me to co-host a new movie night starting up at The Hydrant in Denton and begging this Thursday the 4th. This first week's feature is arguably the greatest live concert film ever made, The Talking Head and Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense. We will be watching the newly released blu-ray version of the film in stunning high definition. It will be like Byrne's sweat is flying right at you. This is a test run so we will see how it goes, if all goes OK you can expect to hear the announcement of next weeks films shortly. The party starts at 7:30 with some cartoons and shorts with the film starting around eight.

Opening this Weekend

2010-08-19T12:12:00.006-05:00

On Thursday I will post all the movies opening over the weekend that I feel like are worthy of mentioning. Still thinking of a clever title for this feature.

Breathless
Jean-luc Godard - Angelika Dallas

If you are visiting this blog I have a feeling you are all ready familiar with this, the poster child for the French New-Wave. This is the fiftith anniversary of the film with an all new restoration. The film will be released on Blu-ray via Criterion later next month. Highly recommended you check this out in the theater, it probably won't be here very long...

Jean Micheal Basquiat: The Radiant Child
Tamra Davis - Angelika Dallas

I'll have a review of this one up by the end of the weekend.

Cairo Time

Rubba Nadda - Angelika Plano and Dallas

Winnebago Man

Ben Steinhauer - Angelika Dallas

The Switch

Josh Gordon and Will Speck - Angelika Dallas and Plano

Now I know that this may seem a little out of place here but I thought I would include it because it has the potential of being a decent movie that is being packaged as a light rom-com to help spur ticket sales. Other than the likeable and taltented B-list cast, the script is based on a short story by Jeffrey Eugenides, author one of the greatest modern novels, Middlesex and one successful film adaptation (Virgin Suicides). This might suck but it might be an under the radar gem.

(L) ost

2010-08-18T23:08:00.005-05:00

This is a feature called (l)ost where I will post out of print soundtracks that you can listen to in the comfort of your own home. Unlike the Tuesday and Thursday new movie post these will be sporadic but hopefully frequent. If you are looking for a soundtrack and want me to put my best men on the team email at frankphosphate@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do.

OST - The Sun of Dracula

1972 - Harry Nilsson/Ringo Starr

The early 70's were a wild and wacky time in cinema as the independent visions of auteurs were defining the standard for independent cinema for years to come. There were also numerous celebrities/musicians begging to burn out from years of drug abuse and made the financial decision to breach into the world of cinema. One of the many gems to come out during this wave was Son Of Dracula starring Nilsson as the young Dracula who longs to be a human capable of love and Ringo Starr as Merlin the Magician. The soundtrack is essentially a rehashing of songs from Harry's albums "Nilsson Schmilsson" and "Son of Schmilsson" with dialog interludes from the movie. There is one original song on the album, Daybreak, which is a typically delightful take on the highs and lows of vampire life. Surprisingly the musical selections and clips flow well into one another making for a fairly cohesive re-telling of the story. The film was directed by respected 60's B-Movie horror director and two time Oscar winning (Glory 89'/Sons and Lovers 60') cinematographer Freddie Francis.

Despite the chops of the personnel and the world's never ending love of vampire movies, this one has remained out of print for the past 25 years. So much like the rest of the world I have not had the chance to see this movie, there is a VHS release out there but is extremely hard to find. If anyone has the hookup let me know. While it's hard not to be interested in a vampire movie starring Harry Nilsson, the dialog from the movie - while fascinating - sounds pretty drug addled and non-nonsensical. Of course this doesn't have to be a bad thing. I'm just not expecting something of the caliber of The Point, Nilsson's more highly regarded foray into film. If you really want to see Ringo Star in a decent movie from this time check out Ken Russell's Lisztomania one of the finest pop art films of the early seventies, and another soundtrack I will be posting in the future.

Team Nilsson

Celluloid at Home

2010-08-17T12:25:00.001-05:00

Tuesday is the great day when new digital video disc and blu-ray disc are released. Sometimes they are good. Sometimes they are terrible. My job is to inform the greater North Texas movie freaks on all the releases YOU should be aware of if you truly want to be a film snob. Now remember truly being a film snob means that you have to know about everything that is going on in alternative cinema, not just what you think is cool. So you might have to open your minds up a bit.The name/format of this and all features in the coming days might change, if you have suggestions please leave a comment. We are in beta max here people. Not a very exciting week this week as far as releases go, hopefully next week will be better. So for August 17th the day of our lord 2010 the following films are not shit and available for consumption. They will be sorted by new, re-issue music and television.

NEW

The City of Your Final Destination

2010 - Director : James Ivory

The Merchant of Merchant and Ivory may have kicked the bucket a couple years ago but that hasn't stopped James Ivory from turning out ultra high brow adult dramas all by himself. The movie features Charollete Gainsbourg fresh off her clitoral mutilating performance in Anti-Christ. Some times these movies can be snooze fest but for the most part James Ivory films have an air of superiority about them that any film lover should appreciate.

Four Seasons Lodge

2008 - Andrew Jacobs

This documentary chronicles a group of wrinkly old holocaust survivors as they have their yearly get away in the cat skills. The cinematographer for this film is no other than Albert Mayles who has become an icon of filmster cool with such cinéma vérité classics as Gimmie Shelter and Grey Gardens.

RE-ISSUE

Orlando

1992 - Dir: Sally Potter

Now you may not win too many cool points with Titanic bad boy Billy Zane in the cast but the presence of a young Tilda Swinton more than makes up for it. Interesting adaptation of a Virgina Woolfe novel with some great visuals. This one has been out of print for awhile with copies going upwards of 100 bones on EBAY. I don't have any idea about the integrity of this release but hopefully it has a nice transfer and some bonus features.

Black Orpheus

1959 - Marcel Camus

Beautiful film both visually and spiritually (in the Atheist sense of course) that just received a remaster and lucky for us a Blu-ray release thanks to the good people at the Criterion Collection. I will be talking alot about Blu-rays on here because they are the only way to REALLY get the true cinematic experience of a film in the comfort of your own home. I'll have a post explaining why sometime.

MUSIC

Slayer - Live Intrusion

1995 - Live

One of the most heralded VHS tapes in many metal circles, this is documentary/behind the scenes journal Live Intrusion featuring Slayer at the tail end of their epic run as kings of extreme metal. The documentary features some great performance footage and some Heavy Metal Parking Lot moments featuring their devoted, flesh mutilating followers. You can watch the full thing here but I am looking forward to checking this out remastered sound on the DVD.Crank it.

TELEVISION

Friday Night Light Season 4

2010 - Peter Weir/NBC

I get shit all thetime for my love of this series but I don't care because it is one of the most satisfying TV dramas ever created, especially for network television. It appears on the surface to be a fluffy teen drama but at FNL's core is a web of dynamic characters struggling against a society that is always working against them. It is The Wire of small town Texas. The show is filmed all around the Austin area so by supporting the show you are not only supporting fine art but local filmmakers as well. The show receives terrible ratings and glowing reviews, much like most of indie cinema. Unfortunately the lack of Emmy nods, horrible promotion, lame time slot and the stupidity of the American Television Viewer all contribute to this show not receiving the credit it deserves. I'll be writing more about this series in the future. I know that TV is not film but fuck you I am going to be writing about it anyways.