Perhaps like me, you’ve never heard of Marc Singer’s documentary Dark Days (featuring music by DJ Shadow). Maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising. Spearheaded by an English immigrant with no prior filmmaking experience, shot on a less-than-shoestring budget and barely making a ripple in the American film mainstream, it was easy to miss. But it’s an intimate, emotionally powerful film that deserves wider recognition. Fortunately, the film’s significance is receiving the deluxe treatment to mark its tenth anniversary. When he […]
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Review: Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour
(2011, Oscilloscope) When they released their self-titled debut in 1999, Le Tigre quickly established themselves as one of the most interesting and unapologetically feminist bands of the coming decade. The three piece is comprised of Kathleen Hanna (formerly of Bikini Kill) JD Samson (of New England Roses, as well as Peaches’ touring band) andJohanna Fateman. They’re often referred to as “electropunk,” the I’m not sure how useful that label is. Their music is an amalgam of punk, pop and sample-laden, […]
Family Feud
Just last week, Blerd and I discussed the evolution of “Nothing Compares 2 U” through its various permutations. Although we gave a brief background about The Family there, it’s worth recounting. The Family were one in a string of many 1980s side projects for Prince, providing another outlet for his then-rich font of creativity. In essence, The Family rose from the ashes of the final incarnation of The Time, which had completely disbanded in 1985. For The Family project, Prince recruited ex-Time members Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Benton, and St. Paul Peterson, […]