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Air

What: The French lounge pop maestros bring their too smooth synth sounds to the E. Factory. The duo is touring in support of their new album Love 2 and love is exactly what they will be spreading. Make it happen.

Where: The Electric Factory, 7th and Willow Streets

Cost: $40, $43 day of show

2012

If it weren't for Roland Emmerich's stunning use of computer generated special effects and a scarily believable explanation for the end of the world, there is little doubt the film would have headed straight to DVD. Which is not to say it doesn't come close: While Emmerich brings together an otherwise impressive cast, not even the most seasoned of actors could have worked with this script. With lines such as a husband telling his wife “I feel like something is pulling us apart” just before a giant fissure forms between them in a grocery aisle, you get the sense it wouldn't have been totally inappropriate for the husband to give us a wink just before the quake rips between them.

In general, the cast seems to suffer from Emmerich's guidance. Aside from a gripping performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor, as a chief geologist, the cast simply looks bewildered much of the time. As these things go, the plot, while convoluted and fragmented, is admirable for two things: First, the film presents an accurate prediction of the public's reaction to the apocalypse; arguably more folks die in due to panic and selfishness than the onslaught of fireballs and tsunamis; second, Emmerich does an impressive job portraying what the governments of the world would do to handle the crisis. Giant, futuristic ships, essentially, but only available to world's richest citizens.

For all its special effects -- and there are many of Emmerich's trademark scenes of massive destruction at work here, including giant waves, rippling earthquakes and thunderous lava explosions -- if the film works at all, it's in smaller, slightly more emotionally engaging moments. The scene that ultimately sells the film has nothing to do with tumbling skyscrapers and Tibetan mountain ranges filling with ocean water, but a character's anger when he discovers his good-sized, private room on the ship when the entire contraption could have easily fit thousands of other people.

Notable special features include an even happier alternate ending, a featurette deeming Roland Emmerich the “Master of the Modern Epic” (bit of hyperbole there?) and various deleted scenes.

Ran: Blu-ray Edition

Bob Dylan once famously remarked that Jimi Hendrix’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” was an improvement over his own. If William Shakespeare had the pleasure of viewing this Akira Kurosawa adaptation of King Lear, he might express similar sentiments.

Yes, it may be unfair to compare apples to oranges, theater to cinema, and the 20th century to the 16th; but there are several aspects of the samurai era in Japan that lend themselves nicely to this quintessential tragedy. First, the bonds of honor between samurai and lords, subjects and samurai, raise the stakes for everyone involved—what better setting for a tragedy than a time and place where suicide was the expectation for any transgression of honor? Also, the samurai had a fine-tuned aesthetic sensibility never been matched in the Western world -- I defy anyone to find a production of King Lear with costumes that compare to the dazzling, meticulously crafted attire in Ran (for which it deservedly won an Oscar). Finally, the setting of the strife-ridden Sengoku period in Japan allowed for an already very violent play to become an epic, thrilling orgy of conquest and slaughter. Muskets, katanas, spears, arrows and cavalry all mingle in a storm of destruction that Kurosawa sets to an unsettling classical score.

The changes Kurosawa incorporated are subtle, the most obvious being that the aging Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai), caught in a succession battle between his three sons, whereas King Lear dealt with his three daughters. I’m not quite sure which villain in Lear Lady Kaede (Mieko Harada) corresponds to, but she must be one of the scariest femme fatales in history. Harada shifts gears from a demure, tea-serving Geisha robot to a bloodthirsty maniac bitch in the course of one bow. Nakadai’s portrayal of Hidetora is wild and bizarre, injecting a little bit of Kabuki into old Lear. Kurosawa’s use of color, landscape and architecture to magnify the emotions of his characters and drive the pulse of the story may be the greatest of many achievements in this film, creating images with depth that linger long after the credits roll.

This Blu-Ray edition contains a horde of supplementary documentaries: two on Kurasawa (I recommend the one by Chris Marker), and one on samurai art and another on the art of war (a distinction that may have been lost on the samurai themselves).

The Pleasure of Being Robbed

In the unlikely event that you were looking for one more reason to hate hipsters, here’s, like, twenty. Josh Safdie’s incomprehensible, inane and pretentious directorial debut is like an ironic mustache on the face of American cinema, just begging to get ripped off and washed down the drain.

The pseudo-storyline follows a despicable anti-hero: the pockmarked, greasy-haired Eleonore (Eleonore Hendricks) -- a kleptomaniac whose brazen thievery is so ridiculously unsmooth that her victims must either be on sedatives or missing their frontal lobes to allow her to walk off with their stuff. Precious few clues are offered as to Eleanor’s motivations and background. She is probably meant to be an enigma, a mysterious rebel looking for meaning at the bottom of suckers’ purses. In practice, however, Eleanor seems pointless at best and absolutely irritating all the time. Hendricks’ performance is uninspired and dull, as is the acting of the director Josh Safdie himself, who plays a character named (surprise, surprise), Josh.

Eleanore runs into Josh, an old friend, as she is searching for the car to match a key she has pilfered from a purse. Josh, obviously enamored with the hapless klepto, joins her little game. The two find the car and Josh asks for a ride home -- the whole way to Boston from NYC. At no point during this exchange does Josh exhibit any reservations about hopping into a stolen car and riding shotgun for over a hundred miles with someone who has never been behind the wheel in her entire life. Why? Because Josh is just that cool, with his bushy beard, stupid hat with pinned-up earflaps and single-gear bike. Eleanore returns from Boston after a less than meaningful sleepover with Josh and resumes stealing things. At this point I was just hoping against hope that someone would catch her in the act and throttle the grimy little waif until her thrift store get-up was smeared with her own blood. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed, as you will be if you invest 70 minutes of your life in this lamer-than-hell hipster fantasy that was probably hashed out on cocktail napkins at a really cool bar in New York City that people down in Philly ain’t even heard of yet.

This DVD contains commentary and a couple of short films, but I honestly refused to subject myself to anything else even remotely associated with the makers of this film.

Style Soundtrack: 60s Art-Pop

Andy Warhol is not only famous for his soup cans and Marilyn pop-arts, but also for his many muses, such as factory girl Edie Sedgwick and German-crooner Nico. The '60s pop-art phenomenon heavily influenced fashion, illustrated through heavy graphics, Day-Glo tights and stark black and white themes. Think beatnik meets The New York Dolls. Bands like The Velvet Underground and Yellow Tango provided the soundtrack for the blooming new wave era.

Skinny Necktie (www.sourcingmap.com)
Corpus Taper Pant (www.80spurple.com)
Sun Stitiching Men's Ankle Boots (www.lavintage.com)
Jimmy Sunglasses (www.fredflare.com)
Classic Woven Dress Shirt (www.heritage1981.com)

Structured Sleeve Top (www.asos.com)
Pencey Prep Thigh Highs (www.modcloth.com)
Mod Art Skirt (www.forever21.com)
Color Block Flats (www.shopsmv.com)
Time Out Watch (www.modcloth.com)

Oliver Peoples Glasses (www.glassesetc.com)
Levi Skinny Jeans (www.levis.com)
Sailor Stripe Long Sleeve Pullover (shop.americanapparel.net)
Get Outta My Dreams Shoe (www.modcloth.com)
Han Cholo Tie Ring (www.urbanoutfitters.com)
Mossimo Velvet Blazer (www.target.com)

Pyramid Ring (www.forever21.com)
Memphis Boots (www.lavintage.com)
BDG Raglan Sleeve Tee (www.urbanoutfitters.com)
Oasis Geo Monochrome Leggings (www.asos.com)

Wool Beret (www.buy.com)
Spin Art T-shirt (shop.americanapparel.net)
Cotton-Nylon Blend Travel Pant (shop.americanapparel.net)
Midnight Hour Watch (www.modcloth.com)
Hartwick Skimmer Shoe (shop.americanapparel.net)

Good Golly Miss Molly Blazer (www.modcloth.com)
Brown Vintage Bag (www.vintagebag.com)
Necklace (www.forever21.com)
Lace Tank (www.lna.com)
Red Shorts (www.forever21.com)
Arbor Boots (www.modcloth.com)

Speak Easy: Kyra Caruso

Kyra Caruso currently works for Universal Motown Republic Group as the Coordinator of International Marketing and Promotions. Originally from Austria, Caruso got her start right here in Philly, in offices above the Electric Factory.

What is it that you do, exactly?
I work in the International Department of Universal Motown Republic Group where I market and promote artists internationally. In a nutshell, I coordinate promotion and publicity plans with Universal affiliates; maintain all artists' calendars, travel itineraries and budgets. Basically, if a U.S. artist gets signed here, I have to promote and market him/her/them outside of the U.S.

How did you get started with this particular gig?
I got started in the music business after I finished high school in Austria. I promoted parties booking underground hip hop artists, graffiti artists, and break dancers from all over the world. I booked Hieroglyphics, Brand Nubian, Mr. Liv, Wild Child, Peanut Butter Wolf, and artists from Stones Throw Records, The Beat Junkies, and King Britt, to name a few.

How did you end up coming to Philly?
After interning for Loud and Epic Records in NYC in ’99 I decided I didn’t like learning from major labels because they were too big and scattered and one ends up not learning a lot. Through consistently reading album liner notes, I kept finding a Philadelphia based label/management/production company named Axis Music Group, which was affiliated with all the artists I liked and had been listening to in the past. Some of which were Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, D' Angelo, The Roots, etc. I found Tayyib, who was part of Axis, and told him I wanted to intern for him. Tayyib, being open to diversity, was fine with me coming from abroad to intern for Axis. So, I made my way from Austria in the summer of 2001 and started my internship at Axis Music Group. I was extremely excited being able to work at Axis because of the music scene that flourished in Philly at that time.

What do you remember from your Axis days?
At Axis my work always varied. I worked on many different albums and projects that helped to expand my resume and knowledge in my field. While living and working in Philly, I would use the city as my point of origin but would go to New York, especially Wednesday nights to go to Rich Medina’s party at APT and I would have to get up early the next morning to travel back.

Who have you gotten to work with through Axis?
James (Poyser), Vikter (Duplaix), Vivian Green but also Ahmir (Thompson), Ursula Rucker and Tye Tribbett. Fun revelations I remember were that Musiq Soulchild turned out to be pretty short and when Jennifer Lopez came to record at Larry Gold's (The) Studio we suddenly had "fancy" toilet paper, scented candles and flowers in the bathroom.

What else have you been up to?
I’ve been promoting parties in New York for the past three years. Every Friday night I host and DJ a party at a place called Cantina, a Latin restaurant and bar. It is fun and it helps me keep my sanity. Furthermore, I have been working on other ventures, such as Blend Media Group, a boutique full-service lifestyle firm that offers marketing, promotion, management, and other services essential to artistic success. New projects are always fun.

Play By Ear: This or That with Hot Chip

Let's get to know Owen Clarke; guitarist, percussionist and synth player for the UK's electro-balled band Hot Chip. When you are a member of a grammy-award winning, top-of-the-charts band and people all over the world freak out over you all the time, wouldn't you like to know which Prince song he might prefer? We sure as hell would.

In the studio or on stage?
Owen: For now, on stage I think...not fond of the studio. The answer to that question, in four months, time will be something like that.

Remix or original?
Owen: Generally, original. I like when a remix is just that, a remixing of a track. There's too many versions of things in the world. There's too much stuff in the world anyway.

It's true. And remixes, I mean, the good ones are good, but some just tend to get watered down.
Owen: Yeah. I think in the age before remixing you had to make something good from the outset and that caused you to try. And also, you know, the strong survive. You wouldn't need to beef it up with steroids.

Festival or Packed, maller venue?
Owen: Packed smaller venue. I like going to the festivals, but you don't know what's going to happen. It's a challenge. But going to a club where you don't know what's going to happen is more of a thrill.

Early in the morning or late at night?
Owen: Well, sometimes they overlap and that's the thing. I think, at the minute, late at night for the jet lag.

Ballad or club banger?
Owen: I think "club ballad" is probably appropriate.

Hip hop or dance pop?
Owen: For me, dance pop. I think that's just up my street. I don't look right dancing to hip hop.

You and me both.
Owen: I don't like dance pop, but at least I might get away with it.

The zoo or the circus?
Owen: I think circus. At least at the circus, there are some humans who are captive as well.

Europe or the States?
Owen: Wow. I think the states.

Really?
Owen: Yeah, I mean, technically I'm part of Europe. It doesn't often feel that way. Do I feel more a part of the States, I suppose? Maybe, yes.

"Purple Rain" or "Diamonds and Pearls?"
Owen: Well, "Purple Rain" obviously, but I think that "Diamonds and Pearls" has a place in my heart, but maybe "Diamonds and Pearls" has a place in my head, because I get that song stuck in my head.

Live percussion or drum machine?
Owen: I think live percussion because a drum machine is never going to look funny.

Debbie Harry or Pat Benatar?
Owen: Debbie Harry.

Going for the blonde?
Owen: Well, it's not a hair issue. [Debbie's] got a reggae or disco going on and she doesn't do terrible rapping, so it's got to be Debbie Harry. I like a bit of terrible rapping.

Comic books or tabloids?
Owen: Well, they're both the same. I think comic books, especially on a plane. You know, you don't have things going into your ears and it's like watching a film but pausing it without pushing a button.

Beard or mustache?
Owen: Mustaches are very now, but beards they're-

They're forever.
Owen: They're forever. They run free. They happen by themselves. Mustaches don't happen by themselves.

Collaboration or flying solo?
Owen: No solos. Well, I did a collaborative solo recently; that was pretty good. He played the keys and I turned the knobs.

British fans or U.S. fans?
Owen: That one's trouble. U.S. Fans. While I'm sitting on the fence, I may as well be devious rather than sit on the fence.

Vinyl or digital?
Owen: Vinyl, please. It just hurts my ears. I'd rather it skipping than doing whatever it does when it goes wrong in digital.

Piano or keyboard?
Owen: I've carried my keyboard upstairs; I've never carried a piano upstairs.

It's a portability issue then.
Owen: It's a portability issue and a course of entry issue.

lk

lkhjlkh;lkjhjkn;kjl

just testing to see if this shit still works...

damn what a waste of data/devloping/money

THIS DOES WORK. WOW

now that we found this we can start and new wave of bloggers. Ones that don't suck. the only problem is that we won't be able to link them to our home page. Unless... we can have a scrolling bar for our blogs. i know i know... wow why didn't we think of this before. lets try to understand what we have now and just work on what we have meow. the image below is just a test... i don't know who the fuck it is.

Kucinich to the house: impeach Bush

Rep. (D-Ohio) presents 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush for failing to maintain his constitutional responsibility by creating a secret propeganda campaign to manufacture a false cause for war against Iraq.

Racist Videogame Trailer?

While extreme prejudice (towards flesh-eating monsters) has always been central in previous installments of the Resident Evil game series, the new trailer for Resident Evil 5 has been accused of going overboard. Decide for yourself.

Disgruntled Employee

One can only wonder what sent this ex-employee over the edge, but at least it got caught on film