1+1

On repeat.

Thesis

Brrrangdadang! Summer is in full swing. Spent the day reading outside and then by the poolside. Nighttime was nothing but Dairy Queen hardworking, but I'm so chilled out in its wake. Got my Beyoncé and my mixing bowl of Multi-Grain Cheerios. Ready to blog.

Summer Movie Review (02)

RZA gracefully reminded me that June's blogging challenge is to review a movie every Wednesday. Though I loosely adapted her concept into simply enumerating reviews during the summertime, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to review movies on Wednesdays (or the early-morning hours of Thursday).

La Montaña Sagrada [1973]

Written & Directed by

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Promise I'll soon review movies that weren't made by lamestream art directors (well, a Herzog might be up next, but). This one is about a reborn messiah figure who joins a band of planets to overthrow a secret society that runs the world. To provide at least some sort of appeal for this review, I'll mention that this movie was produced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. That get your attention? Above picture should have, anyway.

Anyway. I've previously seen El Topo by Jodorowsky. It was good. Both movies have had the same effect on me, of impressing with visuals and themes, but leaving me clueless emotionally. The movies have been intellectual exercises (in the vein of: what is the significance of the planets? does nakedness make art Great? was that funny?). I was engaged while watching, mostly due to the trippiness of the visuals and the bizareness of the script, but left uncaring at the film's end. It really is a beautiful movie, and packed with religious symbolism or something, but it doesn't move me in the same way Lynch does.

It's obviously cool though. And it's a well-respected film. Or is it just a cult smash? Either way, it's worth seeing once. It's fun! For a movie so saturated with religious overtones and political commentary, it has a sense of humor about the proceedings. The problem is, sometimes the sense of humor just isn't that sharp. Still, you get to watch a Christ-figure turn his poop into gold. Recommended if you're bored with "conventional" films and looking for something out-there.

Summer Music Review (02)

While I'm awake, I might as well review something else. Don't want to get too far ahead with the movie reviews.

Waco Taco Combo [2011]

by Eric Copeland

(Escho)

There's only so much I can say at this point without falling asleep. I posted a song from this record in the last blog post. You may or may not have enjoyed it. "It's music!" some say. "That isn't music!" others say. "Sup fam," I say.

The latest from Black Dice co-founder is nothing surprising, but it's not at all disappointing either. The bass is booming, the highs are wobbling, and the mids are fizzling. Which is to say: this is crunchy sample-based noise music at its finest. It's rhythmic, groovy stuff more often than not. "Beatlemania" sounds like a short-circuiting robot ghost. The short "Warbug" hypnotically commands your attention with its stop-start-slow-down-808-on-the-fritz structure. "Wao Taor Condos" has something destructive and combative at its core. Um. Maybe hyperbole will have to do, because actual descriptions of the music make me read like a total jerk. Waco Taco Combo is amazing and unique and different and you should listen to it because it's so good!

The 36-minute record closes with the 17-minute "Spangled," a musique concréte piece along the lines of last year's Strange Days. It's simply sample after sample lined up one after the other. There's usually some distortion or alteration of the source material, but for the most part, the practical effect of the piece relies on the recontextualization and juxtaposition of disparate musics. Guh, also it sounds cool and stuff. And it's funny sometimes.

Needless to say, this isn't as catchy as Beyoncé's new record. But it's got something else entirely going for it: strangeness and noisiness!

Conclusions

Though I ate a cookie for lunch and McDonald's for dinner, I'm feeling very good. Sweating feels so good. Thank You Based God for summertime. If only formatting on blogger were a little less sketchy. Regardless, B's words are really resonating with me right now: "I was here/I lived/I loved." A good sentiment with which to leave you, faithful reader.

Ps This is finally coming to Indy on Friday. Best trailer?