Monthly Archives: November 2008

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Song of the Day #117: ‘After You’ve Gone’ – Fiona Apple

fionaI could go on forever about Fiona Apple, one of my very favorite artists. She’s released only three albums in 12 years but still ranks at the very top of a very long list. Hell, she’s even one of the inspirations for my youngest daughter’s name (it’s Fiona… we didn’t pull a Gwyneth Paltrow).

Apple has done a lot of these record store appearances, many of which are available on YouTube. This one if a cover of ‘After You’ve Gone,’ a tune from the early 20th century. I believe that is producer extraordinaire Jon Brion playing the guitar beside her.

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Synecdoche, New York

synecdocheI’m really not sure how to review this film. I definitely know I’m not yet ready to rank it. I feel like I need to see it at least one more time before really grasping it, but the prospect of seeing it again kind of scares me. I’m only halfway kidding when I say this is either the best film of the year or the worst.

One thing is certain. Charlie Kaufman has created a work of ferociously imaginative art — one that makes his previous flights of fancy seem almost conventional. I consider Kaufman one of the few true geniuses working in film today, and by far the best screenwriter in the business, so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and work with him on this one. This is a dense and layered text that demands examination, not the sort of thing you watch once and file between Quantum of Solace and Kung-Fu Panda.

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Song of the Day #116: ‘When Your Mind’s Made Up’ – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

irglovahansInspired by last week’s Tift Merritt Song of the Day, which featured her playing a live set at a record shop, I’ve decided to dedicate an extended theme week to such live performances.

Today through Sunday, each of my selections will be a live performance in front of a small record store audience. The great thing about the next batch of songs is that each of these artists is unpopular enough to warrant such a small venue but each has a rabid enough fan base that you can be sure every single person in these shops knows what a special experience they’re having.

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Quantum of Solace

quantumPut me down as a major fan of the James Bond reboot that started with 2006’s Casino Royale — the Bourne-ification of the series, if you will. The new film, Quantum of Solace, owes even more to the Jason Bourne series than the previous one, and you’ll get no complaints from me.

Gone are the invisible cars, jet packs and watches that double as machine guns. Gone, too, are villains with dastardly plans to cut the world in half from outer space with a laser or wipe out the planet’s human population with a virus. The new villains are in it simply for the money, and Bond battles them using simply his brawn and his wits.

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Song of the Day #115: ‘Stratford-On-Guy’ – Liz Phair

phairLiz Phair went from the ultimate indie rock goddess to the ultimate sell-out in the course of ten years.

Her debut album, 1993’s Exile in Guyville, was a barrier-smashing success that shook up the all-male independent music scene with its fresh sound and frank sexuality. Songs such as ‘Fuck and Run’ and ‘Flower’ were shocking both for their explicit lyrics and the deadpan manner in which Phair sang them. The album (which received a 15th anniversary reissue just this year) is deservedly considered by critics as one of the best albums of the past few decades.

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