Hospitality - The Right Profession

The self-titled debut of indie-rock trio Hospitality dropped today.  An eclectic collection of songs ranging from twee-pop bliss to garage-y guitar rockers, the tracks will be put on display at BAR New Haven come March 7th as part of Manic Productions' free Wednesday concert series.  Until then, here's the all-too-brief cut, "The Right Profession", and look forward to more as the show approaches.

Riz Ortolani - Theme from Cannibal Holocaust

The archetypical horror film score is one that sets out to scare, heightening the tension felt by those on-screen as well as in the theatre. John Carpenter’s piano-centric score for Halloween comes to mind, with the quirky 5/4 time signature of the main motif and the incidental music contributing to a slow sense of dread that pays off in a big way at the film’s climax. Other soundtracks, such as Goblin’s work on Dario Argento’s Suspiria (featured here: http://bit.ly/wPkSBb), beat you over the head to a degree, reflecting the action and increasing madness of the film.

Cannibal Holocaust, Ruggero Deodato’s classic of mondo cinema, has a score that bucks the trend. Riz Ortolani (recently featured on the Drive soundtrack), contributes music that instills neither dread nor outright terror, but disquiet instead. The film itself is horrific. Featuring realistic amputations, outstanding gore and make-up direction, and actual animal deaths (a major point of contention for the film’s detractors), the horror is laid out right on the screen. The disquiet comes from the music, featuring heavy-handed synth motifs when things are about to get particularly gruesome. Juxtaposed against that, however, is the main theme, a blend of synthesizers and acoustic guitars seemingly out of place in such a film.

We are introduced to the theme during the film’s opening credits. Consisting of aerial shots of the Amazon River, the scene is one of tranquil greenery, nothing indicative of the “Holocaust” to come. The music seems more befitting a David Attenborough documentary than a noted gore-fest. That’s where the disquiet comes in.

The theme is used, to great effect, several times throughout Cannibal Holocaust. A scene where a group of natives are burned alive by documentarians builds to an intense sonic peak, which then abruptly switches to the main theme. The screams of a tribe being immolated are nearly drowned out by the unsettling beauty of the soundtrack. As the fires choke out signs of life, a cameraman cries with unfettered glee, “It’s BEAUTIFUL” as dozens of so-called “savages” are burned for this so-called documentary. In this moment you forget you’re watching a film, and for a split second, you realize the scene truly is beautiful. The film questions, somewhat heavy handedly, “who the real cannibals are”, but it’s moments like these that make the viewer the savage, at best a morally suspect observer to the slaughter if not outright sharing the jubilance of the main characters.

The film’s notoriety has only grown with time, as has its fan base.  The staged “deaths” of the four leads were deemed to be so life-like that director Deodato was brought to Italian court with his actors to prove that they were not actually murdered for the film.  Having lurked in the shadows for decades, one had to turn to Google Video or find a particularly well-stocked video store to acquire a copy of the film. Recent years have seen high quality DVD and CD releases for the movie and its soundtrack, making it easier than ever to become a Cannibal Holocaust devotee. In any case, give Ortolani’s classic theme a listen (we’ll feature more of Riz’s work in the near future) and for the less squeamish among us, give the flick a try too. I can assure it will stick with you, for better or for worse.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Little Birds

And now, my four-word review of last night's Jeff Mangum show.

HE PLAYED "LITTLE BIRDS".
Thank you.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Engine

The night is upon us! Mr. Mangum plays the Shubert in a few short hours.  We'll be hearing this one during the encore (we hope), so get ready and give "Engine" a listen now.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Oh Sister

Our excitement for Jeff Mangum’s upcoming tour has reached a fever pitch as of late. The formerly reclusive Neutral Milk Hotel frontman opens his 2012 schedule with a stop at New Haven’s Shubert Theatre. Like kids on Christmas, we’ve been wearing out our copy of their seminal record In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. Other standouts, such as Mangum’s Live at Jittery Joe’s LP have gotten us through the last few weeks, but it’s the newly collected EP Ferris Wheel on Fire that has been the biggest and most welcome surprise. The sole complaint about Jeff Mangum and Neutral Milk Hotel would be a comparable lack of material when looking at other beloved acts, being that there are only two full-length NMH albums. Ferris Wheel on Fire immensely adds to their fairly short discography, collecting 8 excellent rarities and b-sides, all of which would feel right at home on Aeroplane. The EP’s leadoff track, “Oh Sister” features the impassioned vocals and allegorical lyrics that have enamored listeners over the years, and is the perfect compliment for an album that so many know so well. We’ll continue our Mangum coverage over the next couple days, so give “Oh Sister” a listen and don’t miss the show tomorrow night (1/18).

Real Estate - Wonder Years

You know when there's a song that grabs you?  It might not be the album's big hit; it might not be everyone's favorite track, but its YOUR favorite track.  "Wonder Years" off Real Estate's newest LP, Days, is one such song.  Ringing guitar gets paired with melancholic lyrics, hearkening back to hot, hazy afternoons and days that blend into each other, with nothing but droning cicadas and fuzzy FM radio breaking the stillness.  That description could apply to much of Real Estate's work, but more than any other track, "Wonder Years" fits that bill, drawing on more than just fond summer memories, but not so fond ones as well.  Nostalgia becomes wistfullness becomes lament on this tune, a requiem for summers long since past and the people and places that reside in those memories.

 But I'm not yours and you're not mine

No, I'm not okay but I guess I'm doing fine

Dexter's Dodge Commercial

It's a new year at Merry Picnic, so let's start it off right, with a half-baked post on a viral video! By now you've likely seen Dodge's recent campaign featuring Dexter star Michael C. Hall, but did you notice the famous narrator?  Hall adopts a deep baritone in the ads making him somewhat difficult to spot, but add a clip from the Dexter score and it's a dead ringer, not to mention hilarious.

Wess Meets West - Tonight (12/21) @ BAR

If we lived in New Haven, we’d be at BAR each and every Wednesday. After all, where else can you have New Haven style pizza, house-made beer, and free music to boot? Manic Production’s ongoing free concert series has made BAR New Haven’s place to be on Wednesday nights, although all too often work and other obligations get in the way. It takes a special lineup to get us out most weeknights, and tonight certainly fits the bill when Connecticut’s own Wess Meets West takes the stage.

Having been a staple of BAR Wednesdays and the entire CT music scene, Wess Meets West headlines tonight, with True Apothecary and A Paper Tugboat supporting. Tonight is also the record release party for Chevaliers, the formal debut from the band. We heard a few tracks from this record at their last BAR appearance when they opened for Fang Island, and the tunes have only gotten better with time. Sleek production, interlacing guitar work, and epic post-rock anthems are all hallmarks of Chevaliers, an album we’re excited to finally get our hands on. So come on down to BAR, tonight at 9. Pizza. Beer. New records (and a future Vintage Vinyl post). What could be better?

 Oh, and happy Hanukkah!

 

The Remnants - Bad Taste

“We’re the Astro Investigation and Defense Service! (AIDS)”
“We’ve got to change that name…”

“It’s like elevator music for head bangers!”

“What are you astro-bastards doing on my planet?”

“Did ya have to drink some chuck?”

Keep in mind all of these lines are much better delivered with a Kiwi accent amid the madness of an invasion of hungry aliens, which was the plot of Peter Jackson’s directorial debut, Bad Taste. The film, a gory splatterfest replete with violence, vomit, brains, and big guns, combines gross-out moments with a darkly comedic tone (An AIDS joke in '87? Bold.) making for an over the top action experience that will have you laughing until it hurts. And as no action flick would be complete without a good tune for the end credits, here’s the catchy-as-hell “Bad Taste” by The Remnants.

The Hempsteadys @ The Outer Space

It's been over a year since we last saw New London reggae-rockers The Hempsteadys.  Complex horn and guitar arrangements played with an undeniable energy is the hallmark of their live experience, and was the perfect mid-afternoon set at 2010's incarnation of I Am Festival. They'll be opening for The Soul Merchants tonight, who are playing their 2nd to last show ever.  Tickets are only $5 at The Outer Space in Hamden, or $10 for a combined ticket which includes the Teles reunion at The Space (see post below).  We've had our combo tickets for weeks and couldn't be more excited.  Hope to see you there, and check out a clip from The Hempsteadys' I Am Fest set.

The Teles Reunion Show 12/17 - Bring on the Nostalgia!

This Saturday (tomorrow), we’re going to party like it’s 2004: Local pop-punk band The Teles are playing a reunion show at The Space. Also in the lineup are the Sex Tigers, Keith Zarriello of The Shivers, and the Caligulists. Show starts at 7. $8 for the all-ages show at The Space alone, $10 for entry to both The Space and the 21+ show at The Outer Space across the parking lot, where there is a bar.

If you’re from the south-central region (or any region, really) of Connecticut and went to high school in the early to mid-2000s like me, the Teles are part of a fond high school memory of spending Friday and Saturday nights rocking out to local bands at area Knights of Columbus and American Legion halls. I remember keeping The Teles’ CD “Trust” in my CD visor in my car and listening to it as I drove to school my junior and senior year (back in the day when I hooked my portable CD player to a cassette tape adapter!). This reunion show is going to be a reunion not only for the bands, but for the fans too. I’m looking forward to this party.

More info on the facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/291921300832208/

-F

John Valby - Toad's Place TONIGHT (Xxxmas Show)

In a last minute decision, myself and the good Dr Bendel will be getting absolutely blotto tonight and singing along with John Valby, also known as Doctor Dirty.  Most famous for his "12 Dirty Days of Christmas", Valby spins classic drinking tunes into topical and disgusting epics.  Known for audience participation and taking the stage to chants of "Valby sucks!" or "Valby fucks sheep", the show will be a must see, especially so close to the holidays.  So bring the kids to Toad's tonight and give a listen to what Valby's true love gets him each Christmas.  Needless to say, NSFW.

Sinn Sisamouth - I'm Still Waiting {House of the Rising Sun}

I've been listening to far too much Sinn Sisamouth to go without posting a track.  His Khmer-language rewrites of Western hits feature distorted guitar work and frenzied, garage-band style playing.  East truly meets west on tracks from seminal acts such as Procol Harum, The Beatles, and The Animals.  More prolific than Elvis, Sisamouth recorded an astounding amount of music in his career, which was cut short in the Killing Fields after the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia.  Give a listen to the 5:13 of overdriven guitar virtuosity that is "I'm Still Waiting" his version "House of the Rising Sun" and give it up for the 'King of Music' and the amazing work he left behind.

Sinn Sisamouth - I'm Still Waiting {House of the Rising Sun}

Vintage Vinyl #8 - Snake Oil (Self-Titled)

What a surprise Snake Oil was. I’d missed their previous set at BAR where they opened for Woodsman, but was glad to see them supporting for Mates of State last September for their fall tour kickoff. I was blown away, tweeting about “spacey psychedelic instrumental ROCK” during their set. Many tracks build upon themselves, a slow crescendo not unlike “The Power and the Glory” off Spiritualized’s Amazing Grace, but with more control to the clamor. Rather than fully descending into dissonance, their self-titled LP remains lush rather than cluttered, making for a melodic journey. The cover art, minimalist depictions of a desert landscape, helps influence the feel of the album, taking the listener floating across that topography, complete with washed out sands and a talking space coyote. Each side of the LP reflects the dual album covers, day and night as you travel that landscape.

Find your soulmate, Homer!

But the beauty of this album, like the bulk of instrumental rock, is that this is just my take on it. Any other listener could be transported to any number of other places, times, or even worlds based on what they hear and where it takes them, but let me assure you, Snake Oil will take you there. I used the hashtag #BuyThatLP while they were playing, which might be among the truer things I’ve ever written. This album is a must have. Here’s a clip of their BAR set, playing “I Was A Total Pyro”, the lead-off track from their debut LP, Snake Oil.

A Look Back @ The Goonies

The Goonies is one of my all-time favorite films.  It is also a film I have railed against for a number of years.  The version shown in the early 90s by a pre-commercial break Disney Channel included several scenes that greatly enhance the film's characters, plot, and narrative cohesion.  The absence of these scenes cause glaring plot holes and gaps in characterization that leave the film disjointed in parts and nonsensical in others.  For clarity and posterity for you fellow Goonies aficionados, enjoy the following scenes including an encounter with Troy at the shop, a pop-loving giant octopus, and an accidental introduction of Data's patented pinchers of peril.  I know.  It turns out it's not pinchers of power, but pinchers of peril.  You can sit down for a minute, I just found out too.  Watch the 'outtakes' below as they are definitely worth a look back.  The Goonies are still good enough.

Joe Hisaishi - Ano hi no Kawa e {Spirited Away Image Album}

The image albums for Hisaishi’s Miyazaki scores are often as entrancing as the scores themselves. Featuring alternate soundtrack arrangements as well as songs inspired by the films, these image albums are perfect companions to the official soundtracks. Take for example, this vocal rendition of “One Summer Day” on the Spirited Away Image Album under its original title “Ano hi no Kawa e”, Japanese for “Day of the River”.  Instant relaxation.

Doctor's Orders - Poe Tha Dah

Dr Bendel, I Presume?

Today we feature an international edition of Doctor’s Orders, as the good Dr Bendel is currently abroad, but let’s let him tell it.

“I have been in Southeast Asia for the past few weeks, working at a medical clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand, roughly 3 kilometers from the Burmese border, in a town inhabited by UN & NGO workers, drug & human traffickers, guerilla warlords, mercenaries, missionaries, monks, medics, amputees, and, of course, the people that have drawn them all here - Burmese civil war refugees, thousands of them (and hundreds of thousands in the 2 nearby refugee camps). Mostly belonging to the Karen ethnic group, they have been bravely and fiercely fighting the Burmese for over 60 years. The Karen in Thailand (and in Burma) have no rights, little education, and almost no access to health care, so the Mae Tao clinic at which I’ve been working is a true godsend for the Karen people. Most of their staff - including its Nobel Prize nominated director - are Karen refugees themselves, as is one of my close friends here in town, having spent a good portion of his twenties as a guerilla resistance fighter in the Burmese jungle.

“He's keen on video editing, and has made a variety of music video home movies of his family, complete with Karen pop music. The song featured is a reggae-ish Karen song called “Poe Tha Dah” (Little Child) and will give you a glimpse of my friend's family (he's even instructed his 2 children to call me Didi Kalawa, literally, Uncle White Guy), his single room tenement in which I've shared so many meals, seated on the floor and often eaten with our hands, and a little bit of the outskirts of town and its fields and rice paddies, where the refugees all must live. You will also see the flag of Kawthoolei, literally, "land without evil", the name of the Karen state.”

Fartbarf - Hero of Time

Yes, yes, I know.  Ignore the name.  Today we've got a track from LA's Fartbarf, a largely local act that stands to have a bright future.  Featuring analog synthesizers, adept set playing, cavemen masks, the occasional vocoder, and jumpsuits out of Devo's yard sale, Fartbarf is getting quite the reputation for their overwhelmingly lively and fun performances.  Check out their track "Hero of Time", embedded below, and keep an eye out for their debut album coming soon.

Joe Hisaishi - One Summer Day

A number of director/composer teams have gained great renown throughout film history. The films made by these pairings have become classics, much more enhanced by music that goes beyond being merely incidental and enters the collective consciousness. The collaborations of Steven Spielberg and John Williams (such as E.T. or Jurassic Park) have earned billions of dollars, delighting audiences the world over. Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann made thrilling pictures like Psycho and North by Northwest, still highly regarded ever decades later.

More recently, the team of Hayao Miyazaki and Joe Hisaishi have brought serious attention to their animated films, a genre often considered to be lightweight, a term that the creative output of this duo is anything but. Since 1984’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Hisaishi has provided sweeping, truly epic scores for Miyazaki’s work with Studio Ghibli. From the waltz of Howl’s Moving Castle to the genuinely moving choral theme for Castle in the Sky, Hisaishi’s compositions add both gravitas and joy to Miyazaki’s films, aptly establishing the tone of a given scene. Take for example, the opening scene of Spirited Away, light piano notes with a gentle crescendo accompany a country drive, melancholic beauty to accompany the uncertain feelings of protagonist Chihiro as she moves far away from her hometown. We’ll feature more from Hisaishi in the near future, as all of his film scores are essential listening for soundtrack devotees. Here’s a concert clip of the composer himself, a heartfelt, solo piano rendition of “One Summer Day”, the Spirited Away intro.

Tommy Wiseau's The Room in New Haven

We’ve written about Tommy Wiseau before, and his pseudo-masterpiece The Room, but we still haven’t seen it the way its meant to, in a raucous live audience, complete with short range football and a tall glass of Scotchka. I’m literally far too excited to see one of my favorite films (it really is) along with a group of like-minded rabble-rousers. Call and response, interactive moments, and general MST3K-style riffing will be afoot at New Haven’s Criterion theater tonight and tomorrow at 11:30 PM. We’ll be there 9/23 with the crowd, giving a rousing “Oh hai!” to Wiseau’s Johnny and seeing framed pictures of spoons and shots from Full House everywhere we look. Check out a couple of my favorite The Room centered videos, featuring a call and response portion of the film, and don’t miss this hilarious interactive experience this weekend.