This is exciting

Ben Russell is on Vimeo.

Daumë from Ben Russell on Vimeo.

(7:00, 16mm, color/B/W, sound, 2000)

“One of the strangest films I have ever seen; its characters come and go as if they’re ‘primitives’ posing for the camera, either obeying or fighting an ethnographer’s controlling eye.” - Fred Camper, Chicago Reader

That's the first film of his I ever saw, back in 2003 in my first 16mm film class with Leslie Thornton.

The Red and the Blue Gods from Ben Russell on Vimeo.

(8:00, 16mm, live sound, 2005)

An ethnographic field report in which the Anthropologist describes the mythic creation of an unnamed ‘sun-scraping structure’ through the ritualized actions of the Red and the Blue Gods.

Performed with live narration and sound effects over a pre-recorded soundscape.

This one, he had in the Movies with Live Soundtracks that played in the very very crowded upstairs of some building at RISD that I forget the name of. That was a great show.

I could embed all of his work here, but that would be annoying. Just go over to his Vimeo page and enjoy.

dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y

My friend Alex Provan has an interview with Johan Grimonprez in the interview issue of Bidoun.



dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y was part of the screening schedule for my senior seminar in documentary production, paired with One Day in September, and I loved it instantly. You should probably read Alex's interview, then watch both films.

Out of the 'Dirge'

Wow! Great interview with Elvis by Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition. From the opening notes of "Doomsday," I was thrilled to get a pause in my morning routine to hear this.

Morning Edition, March 19, 2009 - Based on the catchy arrangements of Elvis Perkins' sophomore release, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, the album seems like a more upbeat, light-hearted affair than its predecessor — that is, until you take a closer look at the lyrics.

"I don't let doomsday bother me — do you let it bother you?" he sings on "Doomsday," chirping over a pleasant blend of brass, tambourine and even a marching drum. Though he originally wrote the song as a waltzy "dirge," he ended up shifting the mood after discussing it with his band mates. The same joyous sound permeates the album, often serving as a hopeful contrast to its troubled origins.

Elvis Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins, the actor most famous for his role in Psycho. Anthony died of complications from AIDS when his son was a teenager. Tragically, Elvis' mother, Berry Berenson-Perkins — a noted photographer — was aboard one of the planes that struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

"The songs are their grandchildren they didn't get to meet," Perkins says. "They strike me as offspring from time to time, and some of them on the new album sort of stare back at me a little funny."

His feelings for his parents also emerge in songs like "123 Goodbye," which includes the line "I love you more in death than I ever could in life," though Perkins prefers to sing about these thoughts rather than talk about them.

"I've never been a good storyteller when it comes to regular conversation," he says, "which I think is in part why I've been driven to write these songs. I get to put as much as I like into it, say my piece and sort of feel more successful [that way]."

Click the link above to listen to the full interview with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep.

Listen!

Mix for Sam Solomon

My friend Sam, who is working on his PhD in Comp Lit at USC, recently had his car broken into and the bastard took all his mix cds.  Irreplaceable, that heartless bastard.  Anyway, in response to a sad Facebook status regarding this matter, I decided to to make Sam a mix. 

I asked him what sort of mood he'd like for the mix. 

mood, i guess, would have to be of the "i'm stuck in traffic but kind
of rocking out" or "it's late at night and i'm cruising and this music
is kind of making me cry in the best way" but i will accept anything.

Here, then, is

Sam's Best Way to Rock Out While Crying in Traffic

1. Drugs and Sunshine -- The Chinese Stars
2. Johnny 99 -- Bruce Springsteen
3. My Girls -- Animal Collective
4. My Big Nurse -- David Byrne & Brian Eno
5. Green Starred Sleeve -- UUVVWWZ
6. Pretty Girl Ffrom Chile -- The Avett Brothers
7. The Healer -- Erykah Badu
8. The Orchard -- Fire On Fire
9. New Star Song -- The Mountain Goats
10. Mercury -- Mahjongg
11. Kid for Today -- Boards of Canada
12. Your Mama -- Kennedy

Proud of Friends Edition

My friend Rob Sand (b. Decorah, Iowa), one of the first people I met in college & also one of very few fellow Brunonians to return to the Midwest (currently in year 2 at University of Iowa Law), has just had his undergraduate thesis written up by Harvard Law scholar Larry Lessig. It's some solidly interesting research into the effects that public financing of campaigns has on political participation. Read it here.

Rob is a super-solid guy (bloke would be apropos if I were more of a Brit), so it's great to see his work garnering some serious respect. Not only is he an academic, but here's a shot of him onstage with our friends Elvis Perkins in Dearland.

Merry Christmas

Andrew Sullivan names Gabe & Max's Internet Thing his favorite YouTube of the year!

Here again, for your viewing pleasure:

New Dearland

Elvis Perkins in Dearland has launched a new website with a few songs from their new album. Particularly happy am I for an album-ready version of "Shampoo" -- it's always been one of my favorites. Hope this will bring them back to the heartland...

Zogby, as read by Alex Provan

My friend Alexander Provan has an interesting analysis of John Zogby's new book on polling in the Sept. 15th issue of The Nation.

Well done, and congratulations, Alex!

GOOD Magazine

GOOD Magazine, for which my good friend Jon Miller is a cameradude contributor, has a series of excellent short film pieces on the 'tube.