Being Renewed Day by Day

Listening to the radio one afternoon on my way home from church, I cranked the volume when a mystery song caught my ear. Philip, my brother, was in the car with me that day in 2005 and we were listening to my favorite St. Louis station – 89.1 FM The Wood. On the weekends, the music flows with little interruption and without any sort of description of the songs. It’s also non-commercial which means they play songs that don’t hit the Top 40 and verge on the obscure. So there we were, cranking this song – full of harmony but sounding like a single voice, void of accompanying instruments yet not lacking in texture. It rang in our ears and resonated in our souls and once it ended we NEEDED to hear it again. But how? Who was it? Where would we find it? Ah yes, the wonders of Google and iTunes. I’m not sure where we went first, but Philip brilliantly thought it could fit the electronic genre since the vocals clearly had been electronically manipulated. So we went to the top downloads in the Electronic genre and BINGO! There it was: Imogen Heap “Hide and Seek.”

Confession time: until then, I had little to no respect for electronica. Okay so maybe that’s not a surprising confession. However, in the past several years my ears have adjusted to the digital age of sampling, electronic manipulation, and recorded music’s electronic additions thanks to computer-produced sound. This steadily brought a producer’s job to the forefront and challenged his or her work with the newest technology. All recorded music has become “electronic.”

An attractive feature of electronic music and what keeps me coming back for more is the empowering tools that allow a solo or duo to have a full sound – all woven together in an electronic tapestry. Take Andrew Bird for example – his live music takes on much the same electronic elements as do others who use samples. Imogen Heap weaves her songs live on stage, piling loop after loop and fits them in just the right rhythm and place.

Along with the new introductions to electronic artists, one of my old favorites put out a surprise electronic album: Derek Webb. Today, Thursday February 25, 2010 ONLY you can get a FREE download at NoiseTrade.com/ of his new album Stockholm Syndrome. Check it out, seriously. A lot of hype that gradually produced doubt accompanied it’s release. The relevance of its release is doubtless for me and I listen to it more than any of his past work. Going back to his previous record The Ringing Bell I can continue to understand Webb’s growth and musical trajectory. With the release of Stockholm Syndrome, Webb also released the song stems for fans and musicians to remix and mashup on a site called SoundCloud- a hosting site for remixes, electronic sample sharing, and a place for artists of all professions to communicate and critique. girltalk is the best example I can give for an artist/producer who takes dozens of song – new and old and mashes them together in insanely imaginative ways. [note: It would be another entry to discuss the role of a dj vs. producer. I'm purposely leaving out the dj/MC which uses sampling and mashing by definition] I believe that more self-produced artists like Webb & Heap are using the ease of file sharing and inexpensive mixing software to encourage creativity among fans, allowing an almost conversational give and take of music. During SILVERDOCS 2009, I saw the documentary RIP: A Remix Manifesto which furthered my education of the issues behind mashups, music downloads and the question of freedom in media exchange and copyrights. The film goes beyond music and encouraged viewer participation through video remixing. In the end, there can be collaborative, mutually-supportive peace between artist and downloader or an intense – often money-driven – power war.

Back to the music… one critical turning point in my music listening was when I started subscribing to the KEXP Song of the Day Podcast. This (FREE!) daily bit of current and sometimes pre-released music accompanied by ablog gives context and information. Bell’s song “Housefire” was one of those tunes that eased my ears into more electronic music. Instead of hearing meaningless beeps & taps, I began to hear layers of complex rhythms and harmonies. Passion Pit was the next group to REALLY catch my attention. Let me tell you, I fell head over heels and was fully convinced that if their song “Sleepyhead” could be a person – a man – I would marry him. Ironically, or not, Passion Pit became one of Paste Magazine’s “Best of What’s Next” bands and caught the attention of NPR’s All Songs Considered as well as festivals & listeners around the country in 2008. They have a pop-driven sound. Similarly, Bon Iver gave me a taste of simpler self-produced music that verges on electronic with a few affected tracks such as “Woods” which is reminiscent of Imogen Heaps’ “Hide and Seek”… and we’ve come full circle. Before I let you go, just wanted to share a list of songs in my iTunes library & final thoughts.

25 Top picks for KEXP’s Song of the Day electronic songs:

• Dan Deacon “Paddling Ghost” (5/19/09)
• Bon Iver “Skinny Love” (3/31/09)
• The Arch Cupcake “Rubix Dude” (5/11/08 )
• Booka Shade “Charlotte” (7/15/08)
• The Dodos “Fools” (7/21/08 )
• El Ten Eleven “Jumping Frenchmen of Maine” (4/14/09)
• Faunts “Alarmed/Lights” (4/1/09)
• High Places “Head Spins” (10/9/08)
• High Places “From Stardust to Sentience” (11/20/08)
• Le Loup “Beach Town” (10/19/09)
• Kinky “Fuego En La Fabrica” (3/3/09)
• Lusine “Two Dots” (9/2/09)
• Man Plus “A Ghost is a Ghost is a Ghost is a Ghost” Remix (12/19/08)
• Miike Snow “Animal” (6/8/09)
• Miike Snow “Burial (DJ Mehdi Remix)” (3/11/09)
• Moby “Pale Horses” ( 7/23/09)
• Peter Bjorn & John “Nothing to Worry About” (2/25/09)
• The Pinker Tones “Fugaz” (6/3/08)
• School of Seven Bells “Iamundernodisguise” ( 11/19/08)
• Zion I “Caged Bird Part 1 (feat. Brother Ali) (4/16/09)
• Telepathe “So Fine” (2/30/09)
• Stellastarr* “Freak Out” (7/21/09)
• Nino Moschella “Continue to Call” ( 6/23/09)
• Passion Pit “I’ve Got Your Number” (11/3/08)

Click, read, download & enjoy! If you want more reading, there are several other blogs like SoftSynth Blog who shares their 25 top electronic albums of the Decade. Many other songs and artists are worth exploring in this discussion and as I barely scratch the surface, I’m finding more. Have you heard a song that inspires you to dance or mix it up? Leave a comment and pass it on!

Highlighting next week:
On the Big Screen – Oscar Predictions! I’ll be giving my predictions for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards which happen Sunday March 7th, so read ahead & tune in!

With a stack of magazines and a dozen open tabs in Firefox I’m sitting down to tell you about the film, Rachel Getting Married. I finally saw it last weekend at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, MD with friends Michelle & Aaron. Since I work at AFI-Silver several days a week as an unpaid intern, my perks include free passes to movies at the theater, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see this highly regarded film. It came out in limited release on October 3, 2008 and blew away most reviewers who saw it. You’re sure to have heard about this film if a) you’re a fan of Anne Hathaway b) you listen to NPR’s Movie Podcast or c) you like “artsy” films, otherwise because of its limited release, you may not have heard about it.

The IMDB rundown:
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Written by: Jenny Lumet
Featuring:
Anne Hathaway … Kym
Rosemarie DeWitt … Rachel
Mather Zickel … Kieran
Bill Irwin … Paul
Anna Deavere Smith … Carol
Anisa George … Emma
Tunde Adebimpe … Sidney
Debra Winger … Abby

At first I was surprised by the documentary style of the film. I hadn’t read many reviews concerning the style, but rather concerning the actors and artists involved. Then again, Jonathan Demme at the time he read the screenplay, considered himself “deeply in the world of documentaries.” So, it was a surprise that turned into understanding just how the raw camera work best displayed the raw emotions and constantly moving action – literally moving with the characters from room to room and house to car, place to place. The story centers around Kym who comes out of drug rehab to join family and friends for her older sister, Rachel’s preparations for the wedding and the spectacular event. Emotions run high during most family events, but weddings symbolize a giving and taking of new members and new love which, in this case especially, causes each person to examine themselves in the light of love. Kym believes she can’t love (forgive) herself because of her role in the family and has a hard time accepting the concern of her family (ie. her father’s watchful eye) as love. Rachel is in love and wants to celebrate for one day without the antics of her dysfunctional family – who she truly loves.

You’ll see all the dynamics of family, but also the dynamics of culture. The wedding party is a mix of ethnicities, personalities, and stories. One stand-out scene is the rehearsal dinner when friends and family tell stories and toast the love and admiration they have for the couple. It is also in that scene that Kym gives a toast/speech which brings tension to the evening of laughter. However, it leads into a pivotal revelation back home after the party. Things spiral seemingly out of control from there and you simply must watch the movie to see the ending, cause I’m NOT giving it away.

Related News:
The Golden Globes results came Sunday night and answered the question about who would be the winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama. Kate Winslet took the stage leaving four talented performers in their seats, including Anne Hathaway. While Hathaway didn’t go home a winner, it was her first nomination and she has much to look forward to in her somewhat young career. Her brilliant performance in Rachel Getting Married also nominated her for Film Independent’s 2009 Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead.

If you love lists, like I do, you can check out these top 10 lists of movies for 2008 and see that Rachel Getting Married hit #9, #8, #7 all the way to #1 on approximately 24 critics lists. – Oh and as I was writing my last post I considered prematurely sticking it somewhere in my top 10 just based on what I heard.

Paste Magazine gave it a #14 spot in its top 20 films of 2008 and calls Anne Hathaway’s performance “fierce” and “quivering.” Early on in the hype, PasteMagazine.com also recognizes the diverse cultures represented in this film and in response to critique says, “The interracial nature of [Rachel & Sidney's] relationship goes unremarked upon throughout the entire film, and [that fact is] vexing several film critics, who dismiss such a notion as a fantasy.” My comments about this supposed “elephant in the room” topic are influenced by the conversation I had after the movie with my two friends (I didn’t ask their permission to mention this, but it might be “ironic” to note that I am white, Michelle is African-American, and Aaron is Asian…) We discussed the reality of the diversity in that wedding situation, and in life (um, us?). However I also noticed that the music business seemed to be the common thread in many of the on-screen relationships. Clearly America is a diverse nation and how dare we call such films “a fantasy” which broach that diversity in a positive light.

Hathaway also posed for the cover of Vogue’s January issue. Inside, her story was titled “The Awakening” and the stunning photography displays a “solid, Golden Girl.” While the article talked about her break-up with her boyfriend of four years, it included a quote from Director, Jonathan Demme: “She’s like a human lava lamp. She makes you stay in touch with what’s in her mind by what’s on her face.”
(Find out more at Vogue Diaries)

Rosemarie DeWitt is another notable talent in the film. She brings an attractive familial and familiar presence to the screen with her bright smile and eyes comparable to Jennifer Garner’s.

Her character – older sis, Rachel – brings balance to the off-tempo Kym and DeWitt does a fabulous job. You may recognize her for her roles on TV series – “Mad Men,” “Standoff” or the new “The United States of Tara.” Hopefully after this performance, we’ll see more of Rosemarie DeWitt on the big screen.

Watch the Movie Trailer

Once again, my goal for this blog is to cover media in a 3 week cycle – Movies, TV, Music. That means, next week, you should let me help you indulge in the show that’s on “The Search for a Superstar” – that’s right, American Idol! In my 5th year as a constant viewer and in its 8th Season as a top reality show on FOX, AI has a new judge – hit songwriter Kara DioGuardi- and has made several other changes that prove the producers will do what it takes to keep ratings up and America watching!

Thanks for reading my first official review/report and I hope you’ll be back next week for more!
Peace_Sarah_