ekphrastic

"Waltz with Bashir", an animated documentary film on the conflict in Israel and Palestine, is out in L.A.  I am hoping to catch it this week and post a review sometime soon!

A great interview in L.A. Weekly with the filmmaker, Ari Folman and the trailer posted below:

Elvis Costello has a new show out and about on Sundance, Spectacle, which features his take on interviews with rock legends Elton John and The Police, Bill Clinton and his sax,

presumably, and contemporary artists Rufus Wainwright and Jenny Lewis.

"Spectacle" is similar to Ian Svenonius's web series, Soft Focus, on VBS TV.  However, Svenonius, a rock critic and sometime band member, has a much different take than Costello as an interviewer.  His guests include musicians from a different realm of media spotlight, like Andrew WK, Henry Rollins and Will Oldham.  Svenonius borderlines on irreverent, but Oldham, an avant-garde blues grass musician, and his forages to Cuba have a different relevance than The Police's favorite tunes amongst rock lexicon.  Clips from both shows posted below: 

 

This website features renditions of both literary characters and their creators alike by comic artists. 

A great Cubist portrait of Hunter Thompson, by Scott Morse:

I just saw some friends of mine's band, Tremblexy play at Spaceland in L.A. and it was totally awesome!  Before they were bringing out the techno-electronic pop beats.  However, properly synthesized keyboard riffs and hypnotized drums have lent them an Air-meets-Classic Rock aura.  Definitely groovy: 

Here's a video clip from the show:

Yet another proof of the inevitable demarcation between journalism's concept of "objectivity" and an interview subject.  Especially while interviewing Lou Reed:

Pitchfork TV is screening a video on "The Gits", a music documentary film, for one week only.  "The Gits" is about a popular punk band in Seattle during the early '80s, whose lead singer, Mia Zapata, was brutally raped and murdered.   The music is amazing, and Zapata had incomparable promise.  Both sad and riveting.

A writer for the online version of the National Review, David Freddoso, has a new book out, "The Case Against Barack Obama", which stakes a conservative claim on Obamamania.  Partisan opposition nonwithstanding, it is noticeable that the Democratic presidential candidate has much splendid rhetoric, without quite the track record to back him up, as of yet.  Regardless of whether or not he wins the November election, this campaign has probably been an experience in itself for the Illinois Senator.  Although probably more so for Sarah Palin. 

Apparently, the Dept. of Homeland Security has paired up with the long-adored children's show Sesame Street to bring reassurance to younger children as far as feeling safe in this world and help their parents prepare in case of emergencies. 

In a statement by Grover in this article from a pamphlet titled, "Let's Get Ready", Grover says, “I, your furry, blue friend Grover, have a story to share.  Are you wondering what it is about?  I will give you an itty-bitty hint: It is about getting ready for emergencies!  Oh boy, that was a big hint.  Do you want to get ready, too?  You do?  Oh, I am so pleased.  Then read this story with me, and let us get ready together!”

Well, at least Grover knows what's going on. 

This album is so great when you just want to drive around and sing along to the lyrics!:

It's a shame that David Foster Wallace hit a plateau after his second novel, even more so book sales of "Infinite Jest" will probably increase as a result of his death.