Ancient Autumn in Idaho: Plants Are Cool, Too!

Ancient mud pits, falling leaves, DNA, motocross, banjo, volcanoes & baked potatoes: What do all these have in common? 

Watch.
Guaranteed, you'll learn a few somethings.

PF Productions: the folks behind scenes of Plants Are Cool, Too!
PACT's Halloween Special: spooky, chloroplastic fun!
Chris Martine: the bluegrass-loving man behind the series
Dave Tank: the brotherman with the research in hand
Botanical Society of America: "Dollar, dollar bill, y'all"

Wes Anderson: the Eye & the Ear

To say that Wes Anderson is a bit of a control freak is a grand understatement.  Consider the model of the research vessel Belafonte in The Life Aquatic or almost any moment from the stop-motion masterpiece The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

image hosted by The Director Is In

The Eye: Take a look at this collection of clips put together by one "kogonada". The meticulous detail in every shot is Anderson's trademark.  In context, these frames add the feel of a living diorama to his films.  Plus, they look cool and carry that vibey 70's aesthetic -- although sometimes I gather that it's more fun to remember that decade than to have actually lived through it.

The Ear: NPR's Fresh Air from May 24 featured Anderson's long time music supervisor, Randall Poster.  He's the man behind many of the soundtrack choices, a wiley master of the logistico-legal hassles that go into gaining the copyright permissions from artists and publishers.  The songs become so integral to the tone of every film on which he and Anderson have collaborated.  For example, the use of Brazilian samba artist Seu Jorge to reinvent David Bowie tunes (in Portuguese) for The Life Aquatic added a subdued, drifting feel to the film's scenic interludes.

Here are some of my favorite Poster-facilitated musical moments:

Cat Stevens ~ "Here Comes My Baby" from Rushmore

Erik Satie ~ "Gymnopedie #1" from The Royal Tenenbaums

Lee Perry & Junior Marvin ~ "Police & Thieves" - The Royal Tenenbaums
Mick Jagger & Keith Richards ~ "I Am Waiting" - Rushmore
Cole Porter ~ "Night & Day" ~ The Fantastic Mr. Fox

The latest release from Anderson's Indian Paintbrush (coincidentally my brother's organism in grad school) production team is Moonrise Kingdom.  I've yet to see it beyond the trailer, but it can't be much of a departure from previous adolescent-themed fare.  Nonetheless, with Anderson and his steady stable of just-outside-A-list stars, you can always expect charming dialogue, impeccable set design, and an excellent soundtrack.

Out on the horizon is The Grand Budapest Hotel starring Johnny Depp; as a Franco-dweller, no doubt the director knows a thing or two about movie-making with a Euro backdrop.

Paintings by Alex Gross & Other Images

The artist featured below, Alex Gross, in his own unique way reminded me of a couple of other artists.  He garnered attention some time ago via BoingBoing -- the seal of hipster approval on the absurd, curious, and/or thought-provoking.  Subsequently, I went searching on alexgross.com and found many other works to relish.

The formal family portrait below and its rich decorative textures harken back to a favorite from Flemish master Jan Van Eyck.  While echoing the pose of the Van Eyck and the female's deep green attire, the male figure's right hand-positioning, which resembles the kartari mudra (the "Gesture of Discord"), seems to confirm the possible root his bride's side-ward glance.

Redemption

oil on canvas 65" x 44" © Alex Gross 2007

alexgross.com

The Betrothal of The Arnolfini (1434)
oil on oak panels 32.4" x 23.6" by Jan Van Eyck
desarte.com.br

Gross' use of natural iconography (roses, skull, butterflies) immediately evoked Frida Kahlo's self-portraiture, especially in the following painting with its stone-smooth skin tones and dreamlike background. 


The Mandolin

oil on canvas 50" x 30" © Alex Gross 2008

alexgross.com

Self Portrait as a Tehuana or Diego in My Thoughts, 1943

oil on masonite 30" x 24"

art-glossary.com

In several of his other paintings, some of the formality Gross uses in his composition seems to play a tight counterpoint to his more satirical subject matter. Still others with a more blatant comedic bent conjure up the iconic "loteria" squares of Mexico.

Alex Gross  - Explore the entire catalog

Star Wars Mexican Loteria Cards - just for fun, a series by Austin, TX artist Chepo Peña

Jiro, the Fish, & the Giant Rep

Whether you're a seafood fan or not, this is about the best example of mastery of an artform as I've ever seen -- on film, at least. Like the old grocery shopping edict, don't watch hungry or you may be tempted to book a flight to Tokyo and a reservation at Sukiyabashi Jiro.

The Master, Jiro Ono ~ more about the film from Magnolia Pictures

Charles Bradley's "How Long": Live in Athens, GA

Here's an early attempt at capturing the energy of a live performance. The performance part is definitely Charles Bradley's specialty--along with his amazing, soul-baring voice, of course!  Check out the "bearing the burden" maneuver--classic allusion!

*A wee disclaimer: my proximity to the excellent speaker system at the GA Theatre helped to "c l i p" the sound a little bit, which was a tad disappointing, but lesson learned for next show. Still, Bradley's showmanship and well-honed vocal talents, as well as the extremely tight backing from His Extraordinaires, trumped any technical difficulties.  Check out the inspiring story of his long rise to finally become a recognized R & B / soul star.

The bill that night was shared by The Budos Band, the instrumental group whose name stems from a preference for facial hair -- thus, 'barbudos' . Both acts are on Daptone Records, the stellar outfit from Brooklyn, NY, where else?  Their analog approach to record production has made them a highly respected label in recent years; that crisp but warm Motown / Stax Records sound consistently comes through like it's always existed in the catalog of essential tunes.  I've mentioned Daptone previously around here when Sharon Jones first shook my world , like she always will,  as 'The Hardest Working Woman in Show Business'!

Here Jones sings a tune by a familiar name; the backing rhythm by The Dap Kings is totally infectious, even after the hundredth time!

Breaking the Ice with Mr. Rogers

Oooooh, it's been frigid around here! I'm so long overdue for a much needed "heating element" to get me going again with posts: oddities, observations, new and classic sounds, and so on.

This little ditty has been reverberating around the webs and for good reason; Fred Rogers was a saint who helped raise every kid in my generation, and he deserves every click of "viral" interest this garners. I generally despise AutoTune but I loved this.

Now, I'm going home to change into my house shoes and don my zip-up sweater.

Explore more at FredRogersCenter.org

Academy Awards Contest ~ Take 3!

Competition time is here again, and even though Fassbender (honestly, can't place him) got passed over, a full Academy boycott wouldn't be prudent.

If you're anything like me,

most films you've yet to see.

Nonethless, without duress,

select the winners-to-be.

...........................................................................................................

Directions:
Copy the entire ballot into your comment; then leave only the category and your picks from the following nominees:

...........................................................................................................

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"

Actor
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Actress
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Director
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"

Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Animated Feature
"A Cat In Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

Original Score
"The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams
"The Artist," Ludovic Bource
"Hugo," Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse," John Williams

Original Song
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets; Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," Rio; Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Art Direction
"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"

Cinematography
"The Artist"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Costume Design
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"
"W.E."

Documentary Feature
"Hell and Back Again"
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
"Pina"
"Undefeated"

Documentary Short Subject
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement?"
"God Is the Bigger Elvis"
"Incident in New Baghdad"
"Saving Face"
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"

Film Editing
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"

Makeup
"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"

Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Live Action Short Film
"Pentecost"
"Raju"
"The Shore"
"Time Freak"
"Tuba Atlantic"

Sound Editing
"Drive"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Sound Mixing
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"

Good luck, y'all!

Charles Bradley on WNYC

America still hasn't lost its soul. 
And here's proof.



Find more music from Charles Bradley on Daptone Records.

Check out more videos from WNYC's Soundcheck.