Danielson: a Familie Movie

DANIELSON is someone who I'd seen at shows and festivals like almost 10 years ago. Friends had their records. Yesterday, Jill and I watched a doc about them called Danielson: a Familie Movie. Great film.

You know... He's an artistic genius, much like Daniel Johnston, who I've posted about here (and who also appears on this film). He's crazy and savantish. Eccentric. Odd. A true artist. Danielson is this weird kind of christian commune-type kid who made all his redheaded siblings be in his band where he shouts and squeals about schitzophrenically Jesus-related things. And he made them dress up in nurses outfits!

Christians should watch this because there are some really interesting spiritual issues brought up.

Artists should watch this because there is great visual and audible art. Plus a lot of points about where spirituality and art should/shouldn't separate.

Sufjan Stevens fans (still don't know how to pronounce) should watch this film. People think "Soof" is the genius of the world. In this film, you get to see him being taught how to hit a tomtom drum by a 12 year old. Sufjan Stevens got his musical start in the Danielson Familie. And I think Sufjan fans will get gain some perspective on his origins through this film. I just think a lot of hip musical trends right now should be researched and what might seem totally original, like the Arcade Fire's shouting and "family" image or Sufjan Stevens' current bands' costumes (pictured at the right) can be traced to influences like Danielson.

WATCH THE TRAILER!!!!!!!


Watch a Music Video!!!!!!

You can't win?

OK. Arright, here's some CDs I've gotten recently. My reactions as well.
(by the way, the new gmail/google version or interface of Blogger really sucks.)

Dolorean "You Can't Win"
This is a band that Keith turned me on to. Countryish. Slowcore-ish. Layed back. Kinda like if John Denver was singing while Neil Young was pickin'. This disc starts of with a really droney piano song that has frontman, Al James singing, "You can't win." ad nausium. This has a uniquely coincidental parrallel to the new Son Volt album, which starts with a droney piano number with Jay Farrar (swooon!) singing, "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse" over and over and over. They just pummel you with a bummer. Really an interesting way to start off an album. He continues on in a similar tone.
I drink one bottle of wine each night. *****OR***** I feel myself descending
To help me get over you.**************************Like I often do.
I've become quite fond of what ********************I get the feeling there's no winning
One bottle can do. ********************************When I can't Afford to lose.
Pretty good, really. But not really good. Know what I mean, Vern?

Neil Young "Live at Massey Hall 1971"
I turned on KFOG while driving my dad's truck late at night a while ago and they were playing this entire album/show. I had to pull the truck over at one point, I was so moved. This is just a flawless performance. Every note just has magic in it. You know when you're doing something really well, like REALLY well, and you think, "Well, it's any second now that I'm gonna screw this up!" and you usually do. Like a tight rope. Running on a ballance beam. Frogger. But Neil never does throughout this entire Live show. Just him and a guitar. Or him and a piano.
"Afray-yay-yay-yaid! A man feels afraid!"
Bone chilling.......

Son Volt "The Search"
Fantastic. You know it. Love it more with each listen. Not really any mixtape-worthy tracks here. Just a fan pleaser. I'm not gonna bore you, faithful readership, with any more Son Volt loverants. It's just back to what I said in a previous post about what makes a truly great album: "If what you hated on the initial listen becomes what you love after some educated listens, it's just great." Or something like that. And lyrically, he captures the essence of dissolusion with a post 911, post Hussein, post VT America.

Wayne Everett "Kingsqueens"
Crap. This is crap. Man, I had high hopes. This is a rare disc from the frontman of a great band called the Lassie Foundation (one of my longtime favorites). He did a solo record a few years back and I have one track on a compilation and now I finally get the record and it's total poo. Maybe Dolorean's right....... ..............You can't win.

Marlon Brando, Pochahontas, and Me (SON VOLT show review)

What do you do when your favorite band plays your favorite Neil Young song?
a. Try not to pee yourself
b. Hoot and hollar
c. Sing along unabashedly
d. All of the above

Ever happen to you? OK, just me. Arright, so I thought I'd sit down and blog about the show the other night.

So I went to see Son Volt and Magnolia Electric Co. in Petaluma with my friend Peter Stanley and a friend of his on Saturday (the friend hated Son Volt! OMG!). Magnolia's set was forgetable- the band was missing members and lacked the energy of their shows (of course, the friend loved it).

When Son Volt came on, they crunched through almost their entire new album straight away, which was energetic and full and fresh. By the way, I've come to love the new album.

Their reworkings of old songs fell a little flat. You see, Son Volt's original members (the guys that did the first three albums) were multi-instrumentalists and there was lap steel, pedal steel, banjo, and violin when they played. This version of Son Volt is totally rocking and electric and they even turn the slow violin/acoustic songs into elaborate rockers with big flashy guitar solos and the like. I'm not so much into that.

But when they played "Drown", the song that made me fall in love with son Volt back in like 96, it was pretty dope! Then their encore was ah'ight, and I thought I might leave semi-disappointed, but then they started playing "Pochahontas" (by Neil Young- and that's the song that made me fall in love with Neil). I was floored and I probably embarassed myself with my behavior (ever see that footage of the crowd at the Ed Sullivan show where the Beatles played and the girls are like screaming and pulling their hair out and crying?)

So, not as good as when Jill and I saw 'em last year. But I've said this before: Even Jay Farrar's worst is still better than most peoples' best. And it wasn't his worst, it was just ah'ight.

Listening to: Mates of State "Bring it Back", Paul Simon "Surprise", This American Life, and a couple CDs that a co-worker lent me that I don't like so much.