…I must see this film.
This was apparently filmed sporadically over 13 years and includes Vaginal Davis, Jena Von Brucker, and Calvin Johnson. It looks fantastic. If you have a copy or know how to get one you’re my new best friend.
Archive for the 'indie' Category
17
Jun
09
Paul: The Lollipop Generation…
Another great instant viewing documentary on Netflix: Michael Apsted’s “Up Series”.
In 1964, British filmmaker, Michael Apted, began a project entitled Seven Up. He began to interview seven year old British kids who came from different social backgrounds. Some were apart of the privileged upper class, some were living in foster care, some were in between their parent’s divorce and others were beginning to be placed in intellectual society through intense boarding schools and education systems. Apsted hoped these initial interviews would provide insight on the different parts of British society from each child’s pure perspective rather than relying on media or news sources. In these early interviews he would ask the children various questions about their current state of living, what they hoped and dreamed for and where they see themselves in the future.
The project would revisit each individual every seven years to follow up on their lives, personal reflections and goals for the future. It was very interesting to see how each child has grown and physically changed in each 7 year interval. In fact, every seven years, the cells of the human body completely transform into a new state of being. The documentary was also interesting because it shows how people’s mindsets and views on life change with life experience – and how many ideals and personality traits remain the same.
This astounding, long term project also provides insight on how different social class and changing cultural norms effect each person. As the participants get older (35, 42 and 49) we see how marriage, family, career choices, adultery and the dreams they let go – or developed – effect each individual and the people that are around them.
As a social documentary, Michael Apted’s Up Series has inspired other nations including post-USSR and the USA to begin to create their own version. Inevitably, these two documentaries will be very interesting as it will be hard to avoid discussing the radical political changes in each nation during the filming process. Unfortunately, at this time, I have not been able to find full length versions of these documentaries online.
*DISCLAIMER: Indeed, I am the last person in gaycondo to see Juno
Juno Vs. Ghost World
Mmkay, I realize I am 6 months too late but I just watched the movie, Juno, for the first time.
I’m always skeptical of extreme hype: Critics glowed about Juno, Diablo Cody revealed her past as a stripper, young girls need a light hearted spotlight on teenage pregnancy to encourage reproductive awareness, Oscar Nite, yadda yadda, etc.
I unintentionally strayed from Juno for a loooong time. After noticing that Juno was playing at the same second run local theater for what felt like months, I didn’t feel a big rush to see it right away. It’s overbearing presence made me think I could see it any time so I continued to put it off. Months later, after Juno had won an Oscar and I was beginning to digest the force fed hype, I felt the cultural pressure to finally sit down and watch Juno. After all, I couldn’t miss out on the “heart warming, hilarious indie gem” of the year. Plus there would be indie music in it!
The whole time I was watching Juno, all I could think was that I didn’t get it. I guess the hype had gone over my head. I found the writing to be trite and annoying and with the exception of Jennifer Garner’s mediocre performance, the acting was haaarrible. I found Juno’s character to be especially irritating. I realize that in reality, many teenagers are annoying. Especially teenagers like Juno who think they are mature, witty and have an insatiable urge to “one up” someone. If only Juno would have realized that the erratic overuse of stale one liners just made her come off as an immature adult whose jokes warrant a courtesy laugh and causes everyone else inwardly rolls their eyes.
Even though Juno’s soundtrack featured cutesy folk-pop throughout the entirety of the film, I thought the musical connection between Juno and the future practical father of her child, Mark Loring, would save the movie for me. I did also find it impressive how at the age of 16, Juno knew and apprectiated Dario Argento as the gore master. However, once Mark’s true colors shown red hott for Juno, I knew it would go downhill from there. I must say, I did anticipate that moment after reading one reviewer compare Juno to Ghost World (2001), a movie I loved when I was a teenager.
Speaking of Ghost World….That’s a great movie based upon “adult” teenagers! It explores some of the same principles of Juno, an outcast alternative teenager who is trying to grow up too fast and meets an older man who introduces her into the realms of music. Except Ghost World’s soundtrack isn’t full of indie-pop sing-a-longs suitable for “progressive indie 5 year olds”. Instead, it has kitschy Americana blues and retro Bollywood jangles. There is also an element of inappropriate relations between teenager Enid (Thora Birch) and forty-something, bug eyed Seymour (Steve Bucemi) but I think we have all grown to expect that from the characters Becemi plays (hello, Tree’s Lounge?)
What truly makes Ghost World‘s Enid differ from Juno is that she is actually funny and doesn’t act like a a teenager who is trying too hard to be cool around adults. Enid’s dry sarcasm is believable and serious even if the audience’s reaction is light hearted.
While Ghost World was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay Based Upon Previously Published Material, (although, to my understanding, the plot radically differs from the comic book it is based on) the award was won by another. boo.
Here are a few of my favorite scene from Ghost World:
Years later, how Juno‘s watered down portrayal of a girl coming of age managed to win an Oscar for “Best Original Screenplay” is still beyond me. What made this movie deserve such hype? A friend offered up the explanation of how Juno would have made an excellent book for teen girls and simply wasn’t fit the screen…or theater for that matter. This idea banishes Juno’s cheesy one-liners to the discreet corners of the reader’s mind and excuses the actor’s embarrassing execution of their lines. Another friend was certain the movie did so well because Diablo Cody exploited her past career as a stripper, creating a whirlwind of hot topics to surround her first movie. If such a conspiracy theory could be the case, how come Juno’s storyline wasn’t centered around a teenage stripper rather than a pregnant girl who gets freaked out at the abortion clinic and decides to donate her baby to a hetero, upper middle class, white family? A family involving a deadbeat husband and a woman whose life goal is to raise a baby. Typical. How about an interracial lesbian couple who BOTH want to be mothers?
As a feminist, it is important to note that it is AWESOME to see more women behind the scenes in film making and I think it is great that they are recognized on Oscar night. It is also great to see women speaking openly about their experiences (ie. stripping) they have been shunned for in society. Awareness and acceptance is key to bridging the gaps society has opposed upon each other. However, it is also important to note, like everyone else, women don’t always make good artistic choices and shouldn’t be rewarded just because they are women. Similarly, just because the media hypes up a product while desperately trying to sell it to me doesn’t necessarily mean that I will agree with it…even if I am down with the greater cause of women making art, becoming recognized for their creations, or stripping.
Freedom of choice!
21
May
08
SWALLOWS: ATTN: Portland People
ATTENTION PORTLAND PEOPLE…and those of the greater NW who wouldn’t mind driving to Portland:
Swallows (Jon/Em) would LOVE to invite our loyal gaycondo readers to our big show this weekend. We are playing with some incredible acts including Agent Ribbons, Cat Fancy! and DJ Nate C. There will even be two burlesque performers, Moxie Stunner and Starla Silverstein, doing some sexy dances during a Swallows song and an Agent Ribbons song. Best of all? The next day is Memorial Day, therefore, those of you who have regular, non-service industry jobbi-jobs can stay out late and party!
FEATURING…..
AGENT RIBBONS
This Sacramento duo churns out a sassy and sultry blend of 50s pop, cabaret and even a little Patsy Cline country through a garage rock sound that gets a crowd going. -Ian Schuler, MINI LIFE
LISTEN to “Obituary”:
SWALLOWS
Swallows is one of those cute-as-a-button indie bands with which the Northwest is so abundantly blessed. Describing and labeling a band’s music is like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall, but Swallows is roughly branded as experimental indie-pop with a post-riot grrrl vibe. – Just Out Magazine
LISTEN to “Wait Until Dark” :
CAT FANCY!
Portland local, Cat Fancy!, makes lo-fi feminist space trash channeling British riot grrrl legend, Huggy Bear.
LISTEN to “One Lump Or Two”:
DJ NATE C:
Spinning an eclectic mix of indie, rock, pop, experimental and metal with an emphasis on female artists.
Featuring 2 Burlesque performers doing live choreography!!!:
STARLA SILVERSTEIN:
Ms. Silverstein is fortunate to have her performances choreographed posthumously by the great Agnes DeMille, channeled through a talented local medium. Tonight, she will be doing a live performance while Agent Ribbon plays their lonesome prostitute waltz, “La Noche”.
MOXIE STUNNER:
Fluent in many styles including ballet, jazz, modern, & lyrical, Ms. Stunner will heat up the room with a live dance to Swallows’ queer anthem, “I’d Like To Be Your Man”.
THE KILLS AND MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE MIDNIGHT BOOM
For an xx/xy band that is allegedly platonic, The Kills certainly had a romantic formation. Almost a decade ago, Florida native, Alison Mosshart, was on a UK tour with her late 90’s power-pop band, Discount. The night before she was to return to the States, she felt the hotel floorboards shake to the death rattle of Jamie Hince’s guitar. The vibrations lured her downstairs where she would meet the man who would become her musical soul mate. Together they bonded over their similar tastes in art, music and literature. Both of them ditched their typical power punk bands to create something worth living for. Together, they were born again as The Kills. The next day, Alison returned to the States, only to pack up her belongings, and create a eulogy for her past life. Aftering crossing the Atlantic for a third time, she and Jamie moved into a dank, South London flat to live, breathe and create two critically acclaimed garage rock albums, Keep On Your Mean Side (2003) and No Wow (2005).
After a three year hiatus, the Kills challenged themselves to create a hybrid of artpunk-noir that is less reliant on their mutual appreciation of the Velvet Underground and more committed to redefining their own music. The result is Midnight Boom, a polished collection of songs for the night train featuring a brigade of disjointed drum programming, violent guitar grit and provocative vocal melodies. Midnight Boom was conceived in a nocturnal state and encloses us in an after hours affair. In this darkness, The Kills provoke us to trade love for lust, dance as if we don’t notice that our own hearts are raw and bleeding until we wake up feeling ill yet hopeful. Known for their explosive, sexed-up live performances, The Kills are sure to turn you on to their forward-thinking sound of 2008.
Seeing someone you only see on YouTube or in magazines and whose art you completely adore is quite surreal… It’s like a photograph that has come to life and you’re the photographer, capturing memories of what you are apart of. I try not to have expectations but my anticipation suggested the show would be nothing less than incredible…and it was. We were so close…Beth almost got hit in the head with Allison’s microphone. It was also the hottest day of Portland (90+) and everyone was swimming in each other’s perspiration. Despite the heat, the Kills pulled off a rapturous performance catering to their followers whom were uninhibited, unleashing passionate screams and singing along to the music…and dancing! In Portland’s typical “stand-and-nod” mark of approval, the audience’s reaction was quite a success.
WATCH A LIVE VIDEO (KISSY KISSY)
Watch More Live Video…
After the show, I went to check out The Kills’ afterparty at Dunes, where I heard they would be spinning records. I’m always interested in what my favorite artists are into and I had a feeling their music selection would be top shelf. The show was such a vampy energy suck. I didn’t leave the house until 1AM. Luckily, the weather was still warm and the scooter ride across town was reviving. Once I arrived at Dune’s discreet location, I finally realized what “Midnight Boom” was all about… It’s about being nocturnal and getting the party started after everyone else has retired for the evening. The bar’s atmosphere was dense with purple smoke from cigarettes and a smoke machine. Fancy, young hipsters were dancing to some incredible underground vibes I hadn’t heard before. The Kills were spinning records in the back, facing a mirror and dancing as they were filmed. I arrived alone, danced a bit and stood by the bar for the most part, just people watching. I did end up meeting Allison Mosshart at the bar but found myself extremely starstruck and couldn’t really translate the complete admiration and borderline obsession I have for her band into words. In such moments, when all else fails: talk about the weather.
If you have ever flipped through a Portland weekly music section this past year, it ain’t no surprise that The Builders and the Butchers won the “Best New Band” poll ran by the Willamette Week. We all saw it coming…and I’m sure recent recording sessions with members of The Decemberists didn’t hurt much. I really should have put my money where my mouth was and bet on TBATB’s inevitable success. Not to say they don’t write good songs and put on a fun, interactive live show… In fact, I’m actually listening to them right now.
But…
I tend to root for the little guys/gals, anyways.
Here is how I voted:
(ps. read how the WWeek Best New Band poll works)
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Chores
Listen to “Wine Buzz (live at Holocene)”:
https://gaycondo.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/14-wine-buzz-live.mp3″
I was flabbergasted that Chores didn’t get an honorable mention in the polling. WTF? They have been pretty hot this past year and always put on a high energy live performance. They are also really smart as they proved in the Tragically UnHeard Of spot I did with them a few weeks ago.
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Slutty Hearts
Listen to “Beep”:
https://gaycondo.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/beep.mp3″
Discovering Slutty Hearts is the best local music find this year! They are only two people but manage to play like a 3-4 piece band! Get this: live, they have two minimalist drum sets…one is just a kick drum and the other is a floor tom, crash and snare and they both play them together making the sound of a full kit WHILE they play guitar and keyboards and sing. With a platonic pairing of one guy and girl singing sweet melodies over anti-folk ballads, it is hard not to fall in love with them….and get an urge to do something slutty.
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Autopilot is for Lovers
Listen to “No One Will Know”:
https://gaycondo.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/07-track-071.mp3″
Featuring past/present members of The Builders and the Butchers and receiving a lot of attention from the WWeek over the past 6 months, I was shocked that Autopilot is for Lovers didn’t make the Top 10. Too bad, because this band is effing amazing and deserves all the admiral ears they can get! They play sullen, back woods folk music that is reminiscent of early, still drinking and agitated Cat Power. Guess what? Autopilot is for Lovers has a brilliant new album on Stereotype. NOW GIT AND GO GET IT!
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John Sutherland
https://gaycondo.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/02-track-02-3.mp3″
Unfortunately, John Sutherland didn’t have a chance at winning WWeek’s “Best New Band” because well, he’s not a band. He’s just one guy that is severely talented at finger picking guitar. He makes insanely beautiful compositions that often span over 10 minutes. His style is perfect for a rainy day sitting on the porch drinking wine or used as a soundtrack while driving through the country with someone you love.
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Sick Sick Sister
Listen: “Devilfruit”
Sick Sick Sister has come a long way over the years and the current lineup is hot. Gnarly, girl-grunge-grit that flashes me back to the days when I LIVED for Hole’s “Live Through This”.
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The WWeek only lets you vote for 5 bands tops but here are some others I would have voted for if I had more options and if I had known they existed at the time
1. Purple Rhinestone Eagle – Purple Rhinestone Eagle just moved to Portland not too long ago so they need to do more time before they get crowed “Best New Band”….but after that time is spent y’all better lay some money down!
2. Grandpa’s Ghost Stories – featuring an all star queer lineup, GGS, just played it’s first secret show…watch part of it here. They blend metal with catchy vocal melodies….think Pat Benetar meets Black Sabbath.
3. Porches – I so would have voted for this band if I had known they existed at the time! Porches makes covered-wagon pioneer music that will make young men cry into their beards:
A Tragically Un Heard Of
Band O The Week
Team Gina
Seattle’s hotties, Team Gina, come at ya with a fresh electro sound that is queer positive and dance worthy! They were also just featured in The Advocate as one of the top 5 queer groups to look out for! WOO!.
TRAGICALLY UNHEARD OF
BAND O THE WEEK
(Portland, OR)
The first time I saw Purple Rhinestone Eagle they were signaling the cold spirits of Halloween in a very crowded humid basement…each member dressed as characters from Lord of the Rings. I went as a “gay-fetish” which of course meant handle bar mustache and extremely short shorts. Lucky for my bare legs, Purple Rhinestone Eagle filled the basement with their hot riffs and percussive thunderstorms. The trio moved from Philadelphia to Portland and have been heating up cold basements and venues ever since. PRE stir a black cauldron, mixing obscure psych bands from the 60’s with sexed up punk rock call and response vocals similar to The Third Sex or “The Woods” era of Sleater Kiney. Summer 2008 looks hot n heavy for the gals as they will embark on a bi-coastal tour and will release an album of hard hitting music.
How long have each of you been playing music? What inspired you to play music in the first place? How did the band form? When?
Andrea: I have been playing guitar for about 11 years. Before that it was a little piano and some woodwind. Mainly the music that was coming out of the Northwest (Bikini Kill, Heavens to Betsy, Sleater-Kinney, etc.) in the early to mid 90s is what inspired me the most to play guitar, those bands and Jimi Hendrix. The band formed in West Philly summer 2005. We were a lot different then. It’s taken us a couple of years to cultivate our sound and we’re pretty darn proud of it.
Morgan: Purple Rhinestone Eagle is my first band. I really only started playing bass when Andrea and Ashley and I started playing together. I started getting into punk when I was about 12, and it was the first thing I ever felt passionate about. I guess I wanted to be a part of whatever it was that inspired me so much as a kid, and continues to be one of the most important things in my life.
Ashley: I also started on piano, but I got sad and quit when my instructor gave me a hard time for not being able to read music. I started playing the drums when I was 18. I did not take it seriously for another few years when i got my first drum kit for my 20th birthday. Even then, I was moving around the county and didn’t really have a steady band until Purple Rhinestone Eagle started. I met Morgan at a potluck. She was wearing an All Girl Summer Fun Band Shirt. We decided it would probably make sense if we started a band together.
Watch PRE live:
Purple Rhinestone Eagle moved to Portland not so long ago yet seem to have dived right into a nicely knit scene. That is awesome you moved here together. Why did you all decide to move to Portland? What was your first impressions of Portland? How does the Northwest compare to the Northeast?. How does Purple Rhinestone Eagle experience the house show mecca of Portland and the queer scene?
Andrea: We went on an east coast tour with New Bloods. Adee was a friend of mine from before that tour. Ashely, Morgan and I were all suffering from varying degrees of stress and anxiety living in Philadelphia (for a multitude of reasons). New Bloods came down from above like angels, stroked our heads and beckoned us to the land of chill out. I personally like Portland a lot. It’s not as ethnically diverse as I would like it to be but outside my band I have really strong friendships with other people of color here, a lot of whom are in bands as well (which rules). The Northwest is a completely different culture than back east. As far as the show scene, it’s really friendly here and people are willing to help you out more. As far as queer issues go, I’m the only gay person in the band. We try to make our music accessible to people of all identities. We all come from very different backgrounds (race, class, sexuality, geographical locations, etc.) and we want to be as inclusive as possible to honor all of those varying identities. We don’t want to portray ourselves as anything but.
Has being a woman affected your music experience? Why or why not? Who are some of your lady heroes?
Andrea: Most definitely it has affected my music experience. When I was younger I was denied being able to play guitar in this one band I was in. It was a band of all dudes besides me. They were just intimidated that I was a better musician than them. Then I quit that crappy band and made a conscious decision that if I was going to be in any more serious music projects, it was only going to be with other ladies. My lady music heroes include: Carrie Brownstein, Etta James, Nina Simone, Odetta, Alice Coltrane, Grace Slick, Yoko Ono, and Kate Bush among many others.
Morgan: It’s strange to me that so many people still see it as a novelty of some kind for women to play music. I like playing in Portland because it’s less of an issue here than it was in Philly. Personally, I love Kim Shattuck, she is definitely one of my musical lady heroes. She has a great, not at all pretty voice and completely holds her own in a male dominated genre. And Joan Jett. She’s pretty great.
Ashley: Being a woman has had an affect on my musical experience for sure. People have some dumb, macho things to say sometimes when they see an all female band, but for the most part people are pumped to see our band because they are into the music. Right now, living in Portland and being able to play shows with so many great female (as well as male) musicians is wonderful. Some of my personal favorite female musicians include: Moe Tucker, Janet Wiess, Palmolive, Yoko, Slant 6, Kim Gordon, Amy Farina, Satomi Matsuzaki, Mary Timony, Tina Turner.
While your music is very heavy, I can’t help thinking you have a bit of a sense of humor! What is the story behind the name Purple Rhinestone Eagle?
Andrea: I’ll let someone else answer our name question.
Morgan: I think it’s important to maintain a sense of humor, about yourself and the world, but at the same time we are generally pretty sincere. Everyone always asks about the band name… sometimes certain images or phrases need to be recaptured and owned anew, casting aside preconceptions and arbitrary values… why should the eagle be resigned to a cartoonish emblem for capitalism, or rhinestones seen as worthless? The eagle is majestic and fierce, and I’ll take a rhinestone over a diamond any day.
What inspires your music and lyrics?
Andrea: As the main lyric writer, a lot of things inspire my writing. Lately my lyrics have been getting more witchy (e.g. casting circles, calling upon natural forces, prophetic dreaming). I like writing/singing about mental health as it’s related to the health of the planet, friendships, fun times, shitty times, political/social struggle, and of course sex. Musically we are inspired a lot by the music that came out of the 60s and 70s, especially music that came out of what can be labeled the more “obscure” scenes and bands.
How would you describe your own music?
Andrea: Our music is rock-n-roll-pyschedelic-garage-stoner fury.
What else is coming up for Purple Rhinestone Eagle?. What do you hope to be your legacy?
Andrea: We want to put out our recording on vinyl so we’re doing a little record label shopping right now. After our two summer tours we want to follow it up with one in the fall. Other than that we’re trying to do a lot of song writing. Legacy? Hmm. One day when I’m old and gray, I’d love to pass the torch on to some young girls who want to make rock n roll (or whatever kind of music) too. I want to be as inspiring to young kids as my music heroes have been to me.
While Paul is on gaycation, I thought I’d post a video for Music Video Monday.
Our friends from Eugene/Portland, OR play in a band called The Ovulators… They make power pop, glam rock which kind of reminds me of Elastica.
The girls get saucy in their video, “Troubadour from Another Time”:
Our pseudo-famous band, Swallows, just got a little love from Portland’s popular music blog, LocalCut. They were interested in the back story to our favorite recorded work, “Twilight’s Last Hour” for their Cut Of The Day column. Feel free to go there, download the track and then write a really nice comment about the song on their blog. Thanks toots!
You can also support our awesome record label, Church Of Girl, by purchasing a copy of our Ep, Cloud Machines.
We also joined forces with MINI LIFE so you can download + keep selected songs, remixes and live video!
Last month I went to see Scout Niblett live and she played a song that erected ….the hair on my neck. I had never heard it before but it was very distraught with the passion and heart heaviness I fell in love with during her Kidnapped by Neptune era. I have also been interested in band website design to juxtapose the cookie cutter Myspace generation of music so I decided to see what Ms. Niblett’s featured.
Lucky for me it featured TWO versions of that nameless song I was destroyed by last month; (which I now know is called “Nevada”). I was happy to see that the song was represented in two very simple concepts.
The first video was part of the Black Cab Sessions. The idea is simple: the artist gets into a cab in London and they are filmed playing their song in the back seat while the camera films what is going on outside the window…providing a soundtrack to what we view of the city.
I think this video is interesting because it uses spontaneity as it’s set and finds emotions and camera angles that can only be achieved in one take. It is more real as a result. My favorite part of the Scout Niblett take is when she says “Put on your suit / get in my car” and miraculously the camera closes in on a man walking down the street in a suit.
Scout Niblett : “Nevada” : Black Cab Sessions
This one follows Scout Niblett as she walks around the streets of Paris playing “Nevada” through a tiny Marshall amp she has strapped onto herself. It is part of a collection called Take Away Shows which documents artists improvising their own work in a public place. Primarily based in Paris, Take Away Shows also shoots in NYC, SF, Athens and features artists such as Castanets, REM, Stephen Malkmus.
TRAGICALLY UNHEARD OF
SHOW OF THE WEEK
Grandpa’s Ghost Stories
Last weekend was awesome! For weeks I had anticipated to see this hot queer mess emerge from their dark lair. Grandpa’s Ghost Stories features Kayla (the Ovulators), Radio Sloan, Jen Agosta, Bob (Swan Island) and Metal Nikki. Needless to say, I was blown away. Grandpa’s Ghost Stories played their first show ever to a (intimate invite only) crowd in their own living room…or rather, the foyer of a fortress complete with a disco ball and mechanical singing skeleton heads. I was lucky enough to get close enough to film part of it:
…on The Penny Jam!
One of my favorite queer Portland bands, Magic Johnson, was recently featured on this new video art project called The Penny Jam.
The genious premise of these projects is really inspiring:
The Penny Jam finds a great Portland band and a quintessential (non-venue) Portland location. They then do really high quality, well edited live videos of the band playing there.
That’s it!
This simple idea is so well executed and so, well, Portland. It makes me feel really proud of my city and my music community here.
Check out this awesome video of Magic Johnson playing at everyone in Portland’s favorite “on the cheap” store, The Dollar Scholar. I know, if you aren’t from Portland it is kind of hard to understand how a dollar store could be a Portland hot spot. But if you lived here, it would truelly take you only moments to recognize it in this video.
And then you would smile.
Tragically UnHeard Of
Band O’ The Week
SICK SICK SISTER
Listen: “OCTOBER” [Sick Sick Sister: My Friend My Enemy :: BUY]
Back in the early 90’s, the Northwest region of the States was booming with music that defied the mainstream. Perhaps you have heard of a teeny band who spawned out of Seattle creating revolution on the radio, rebelling against hair metal glamour and soft rock ballads with a fierce sound later deemed grunge. Nearby in Olympia, women and queers were developing their own scene with the Riot Grrrl Movement. This sound had forward thinking punk rock influence and challenged racism, homophobia and sexism while empowering themselves through community and radical politics.
Now, one decade later mainstream music has reverted back into oppressive, image based sonic mediocrity. In spite of being “Tragically UnHeard Of”, the Northwest underground music scene continues to harbor some of the best music in the country.
One of these bands include Sick Sick Sister, a three piece “menace to society”, hailing from the City Of Roses (Portland, OR). The trio is fronted by Ruth Yoder who has performed under the name, Sick Sick Sister, for years with various lineups. Their fierce sound is fuzz soaked with angst that has been tainted with an intuitive pop structure. They just released a new record, My Friend My Enemy, and you should BUY IT. The initial tracks burn through a catalog of music Ruth Yoder has carried with her throughout the years. Diving right into a heavy crashing fury, “The Deader The Better”, recounting past friends turning sour, following up with a grunge-pop tantrum, “I Hate It”. As the album develops it is clear her collaboration with current members, Melissa and Adrianne, has developed her songwriting and matured her temper. “Devilfruit” features some incomprehensible vocal chantings reminding me of a more accessible Scout Niblett followed by emotional yelps in “October” which are chilling with a profound sincerity.
My Friend My Enemy is a strong first release and I am excited to have them untampered with by the Hot Topic generation so I could interview them for Tragically UnHeard Of.
Sick Sick Sister has undergone several lineup changes the past couple of years. This new one seems to click pretty well and has good chemistry together. From the band’s perspective, what makes this lineup so awesome? How did y’all hook up?
Ruthie: I met Melissa at a show. It was mutual admiration of each other’s Hello Kitty accessories. When we exchanged email addresses, hers was a Babes in Toyland song. So basically, love at first sight. After we’d jammed a few times Melissa said she knew the perfect drummer for us. Then the stork brought Adrianne.
Melissa: It was definitely mutual admiration of each other’s hello kitty accessories…I mean Ruthie had a HELLO KITTY GUITAR GIGBAG!!! It was just great to meet another person who likes playing heavy, angry music and also happens to like great toys from the 80s. Fate, a.k.a. craigslist’s musician listings brought Adrianne and I together ^_^
Adrianne: I had just moved to Portland that summer and was finding life without a band to be pretty bleak. I put a pretty specific ad on craig’s list and got the phone call from heaven…we were instant friends. That night I passed out on their couch.
How does the writing process work with the new lineup?
Melissa: The old songs were already written by Ruthie but I added my own bass lines to them…and now that we’re working on a new set we just jam at practice and make stuff up on the spot.
Adrianne: We trust each other to come up with a creative sound, so we all write our own parts. Ruthie will show us something she’s been fiddling with and then we just jam. The new stuff we’re working on sounds much more musically creative I think. We’ve really become comfortable with how the rest play.
What were some of your favorite bands growing up?
Melissa: Bikini Kill, Babes in Toyland, Hole, L7, Nirvana, Mudhoney…
Adrianne: The Smashing Pumpkins. Seriously, I wanted to be Jimmy Chamberlin, but my muscles weren’t big enough. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Rob Zombie, No Doubt, Bush…and Sheryl Crow.
Back in the day, did women in rock or the riot grrrl movement affect you?
Melissa: I found out about riot grrrl a little late in the game…my senior year in highschool. I finally felt I had found something I could truly be a part of. It was sad tho, cos I went around all of my friends and asked if they would want to start a riot grrrl chapter with me (in Beaverton, Oregon) and only one girl thought it was an awesome idea…a lot of other girls said it sounded scary and just didn’t get it. But it was still nice to know I wasn’t alone in my beliefs…i just had to get out of the burbs!
Ruthie: Growing up in the Christian-American Midwest, I was never going to be affected by the riot grrrl movement. Luckily, in eighth grade we got a top of the line, 14.4 kbps dial-up modem and the accompanying 15 free hours of America Online. Through looking up my favorite bands, R.E.M., The Doors, The Chili Peppers, and especially Hole, I found this guy Dangerous Dan’s 7 Year Bitch page. That’s when I discovered that there were rad women out there making technically proficient rock music that was better, or at least meant more to me, than what was made by all-man groups. I didn’t read about the riot grrrl movement itself until I was a senior in high school. I blame slow data transfer.
Adrianne: **see Ruthie’s response** We both grew up in cornfields.
Do you think underground music has changed for women? For yourselves?
Ruthie: It seems more gender-integrated than it did to me when I first started going to shows. There’s less and less bands that are female-fronted for image reasons. I don’t see as many bands where it’s a boyfriend-girlfriend duo. I hope that is because things are getting more gay.
Tell us about this EP, where and how was it recorded? How is it released? Do you choose to be a DIY band or do you seek outside assistance from a label? Why or why not?
Ruthie: Our album was recorded by *winner* of Pom Pom Meltdown at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls’ space. We put it out in a limited run ourselves so we can keep all the money for now. Maybe a label will be interested in it and pick it up.
Melissa: Finding a label that had cool ideals would be nice. I think finding good distribution is more important though.
Adrianne: Having a label would be neat, however, it’s important that they do have good ideas for us.
What is the most important thing you hope Sick Sick Sister will accomplish?
Adrianne: World domination. Seriously, can you imagine it? Only bikes on the streets, plush green forests all over the world, a never ending source of women musicians, and kittens…lots of kittens.
What are some of your accomplishments you’ve already made?.
Melissa: We recorded an album that I’m proud of…We’ve played a lot of great shows with bands that I respect and that totally rock! We’ve helped out friends and parts of our community that I want to support by playing benefit shows.
Adrianne: We’re involved in such an amazing and supportive music scene. We love being a part of that. I think playing the benefit shows are a really important part of being in this community as well. It’s awesome to have so many musicians come together for a cause. We’ve played with musicians who I am constantly inspired by, and we’re recorded an album that I’m still not tired of.
Assuming you have a magic crystal ball, what does the next year hold for the band?.
Adrianne: We’ve got several songs in the works for the next album. Plenty more shows in PDX and hopefully some in the neighboring states.
Melissa: I’d like to also play out of state shows. Hello Washington and California!
Last weekend, I went up to Seattle to learn more about MINI LIFE. MINI LIFE is a new music/video/game website being launched by Carlos Rodela. In a nutshell, MINI LIFE was built to provide a space for independent musicians, game programmers and (soon) filmmakers to release their creations as a free medium while being supported directly by their fans. The idea supports the power of the Internet for artists to support their creations. MINI LIFE also supports the transfer of power from the corporate giants of the entertainment industry and gives it back to the people: those who are passionate about using technology as a vessel to access a wealth of information and entertainment. In the coming months, MINI LIFE will be offering fans of these artists a subscription program where for a low cost they can get up to date and special material from the artists they love.
[for more info on MINI LIFE check out our interview with Carlos Rodela ]
However, after my trip to Seattle, I realized the issue of the digital format being more prevalent is bigger than MINI LIFE itself and has the power to transform society and the ways in which we perceive culture. We are in a social media revolution. Technology is advancing so quickly and becoming more readily available to the common person. Culture is also related to this techno-revolution. People can now access films, music, news, art, and written word all over the world and immerse themselves in information we had previously been denied of or charged for due to mass media oppression of the consumer.
“The mission of the Free Culture movement is to build a bottom-up, participatory structure to society and culture, rather than a top-down, closed, proprietary structure. Through the democratizing power of digital technology and the Internet, we can place the tools of creation and distribution, communication and collaboration, teaching and learning into the hands of the common person — and with a truly active, connected, informed citizenry, injustice and oppression will slowly but surely vanish from the earth” – Free Culture Manifesto
The digital era is the future and we are already on the path NOW. There is no turning back from the technological advancements we have made as a culture. Peer to peer file sharing happens and it is not going to go away. The media conglomerates are freaking out but the overall worry is really is no different than when the printing press liberated the written word or when VCR came along or cassette tapes or when more people began to read their newspapers online. What is the worry? These multi-billion dollar industries are going to lose money. They are so committed to their old business model and they see the Internet’s users as a threat. If they were smart, they would dry their tears and think of a new way to work with the techno-advancements. However, to do this, they would have to abandon their “old way” of thinking and progress with society. This is unknown to them and they are scared.
This is why it is so important for younger generations to embrace the digital era and use it to it’s full potential. By doing this we are not only gaining a wealth of information while supporting and learning about independent media endeavors, we are also rebelling against the capitalistic system that limits us to being dependent consumers.
Besides being a technology or social issue, digital accessibility can be considered an environmental issue. By supporting digital technologies (and accepting that it IS the way of the future and we are NOT going to revert back to outdated models of the past) we are advancing beyond detrimental effects to our great Earth. For example: If standard jewel cased CDs were obsolete we would not need to produce or consume plastic or paper in order to listen to music. Or if the majority newspapers were exclusively available online or phone books weren’t made any more we could save thousands and thousands of acres of trees. Not to mention all of the fuel it takes to transport these products.
(((I feel the need to address that I realize these ideas may come across as a privileged “I have a computer w/ Internet” or “I have an I-Pod”. I know some people do not have as much access to technological advancements in comparison to others. However, I do know that when the companies that supply these machines and materials to access this information accept the future, it will be more affordable to the common person. It also has gone down in cost already. Consider Less than $20 MP3 players or computers on Craig’s List or the public library.)))
Watch one of my references, STEAL THIS FILM: PART II. It is about 45 minutes long but is definitely enlightening.
Wow! 3 whole months of Gaycondo! As always, every month “Keep It On The Brownlowe” will recap the best straight outta gaycondo.
1. JON: A BLOGGING AFFAIR: In response to the most popular blog on Earth (whom, we won’t mention the name of because A. you probably already know the blog we are speaking of and B. we are bitter because they got offered a book deal AND are 2 weeks younger than Gaycondo) Jon started a genius side-blog called STUFF QUEER PEOPLE LIKE which focuses on gay stereotype satire ranging from female fronted music groups to short shorts to having emotionally unstable middle/high school friends whom often result in a young queer’s first sexual experience (even if said emo-unstable friend is straight and is having a bisexual fling).
2. PAUL: Angelina and Brad Pitt are LIARS: For those of you who are new: Paul is the leading man in gay rights + political issues here on gaycondo. In this post, he condemns Brad / Angelina for getting married after they vowed to with-hold from marriage until all people (ie. fags/queer ladies) were allowed to get married universally. This post spawns the first homophobic comment on the gaycondo blog (which doesn’t really make sense due to OBVIOUS REASONS):
“All of Hollywood is full of shit! No I don’t think gays should marry. When I look though history all societies that have fallen lost all morals. Example the Romans went morally bankrupt when homosexually pedophilia ruled the land. Do I believe that all gays are pedophiles. NO!! But I do believe that all morals in this country are gone!!” -cpacek
Luckly, an anonymous gaycondo-er stands up for queer rights:
“cpacek,
A) you’re an idiot
B) why are you reading this blog if you are such a homophobe?”
fer real….admit that you are living vicariously through some awesome fags!
However, the best part of Paul’s post is that the Brad/Angelina marriage rumor was false!!!!!!!!! He removes them from his toxic shit list.
3. JON: Etro’s fall 2008 menswear collection: Really, REALLY, really effin cute fag/ette wear…however, is it worth $2000 per outfit?
4. KEEP IT ON THE BROWNLOWE: Tragically UnHeard Of Music Videos: If you like passionate experimental blues or indie-folk-kitsch you will love our musical friends, Agent Ribbons + Kusikia
5. KEEP IT ON THE BROWNLOWE: Tragically UnHeard Of: MINI LIFE: The TUHO column takes an unexpected twist and examines the musical concept behind MINI LIFE and the digital revolution of music.
6. Guest Blogger NICKEY ROBO: Chunky Pam…not so chunky afterall: Gaycondo is so rad that even our friends who don’t live within the headquarters want to write for us! This post focuses why it is effed up when a pro-fat figure is in reality a creation cultivated by two thin folks!
7. JON: “Sleeve facing” with Gaycondo: We love artistic projects at parties and what better project than the British fad of photographically aligning your body with the cover of a cheesy record?
8. Jon: Apparently you guys really like Joel Mchale without a shirt AS WELL AS trannies It’s true: Most people who randomly stumble upon gaycondo are searching for the Soup’s host, Joel Mchale, bare chested, or a “hot tranny mess”.
9. SWALLOWS: What it is like to be on tour: A split by split moment of what it is like to be on tour with the musicians of Gaycondo!
10. Paul: cheetos make me wanna vomit: terrible food; brilliant commercials.
11. Jon: (WORD OF THE WEEK) How macabre: Jon breaks into the academic world with his post on creepy Victorian brooches (not broaches). This post also includes a hilarious farting video!
12. Paul: Chloe “Don’t Call Me A Model” Sevigny: Besides trans folks, according to Paul, March is definitely the month of Sevigny on gaycondo. Not only does she star in emotionally fucked films and artistic music videos, she also is developing her own fashion line which is influenced by awkward “pattern blocking” and 90’s slacker lifestyles! At least is slapping that tired 80’s nostalgia on the ass!
13. KEEP IT ON THE BROWNLOWE: Dolly Parton Hoot Nite: How I enlightened myself on one woman’s brilliance!
14. KEEP IT ON THE BROWNLOWE: Laughing is the new cardio: This yoga video may make you laugh…or haunt you in your nightmares….
15. PAUL: TICKETY TACK TRANNY HOT MESS: How could you NOT fall in lust with key terms “Tranny Hot Mess”?!
16. Em/JON : We’re in a Glossy Magazine!!!: Did you know that 1/2 of gaycondo are pictured in a national queer magazine?
17. JON: Passive Agressive News Stories: Terrible things that happen in this world… This is why it is refreshing to watch clips of truly hilarious conflicts: One neighbor holds another’s prized Jesus statue for ransom until their neighbor cleans up their dogshit!
18. JON: recut trailers: Have you ever imagined what Mary Poppins would look like as a horror story?
19. JON: Celebrities: WITHOUT NECKS!!!!!! EWW!
20. BETH/EM: Mullet Troupe Party Theme: What happens beyond the walls of gaycondo.
Tragically Un-Heard Of
Band O’ The Week
AGENT RIBBONS
Listen: “Obituary”
https://gaycondo.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/09-obituary.mp3″
Jon and I often discuss bands that would be in our musical family (where genre/creative postmodern pop music = family blood). In this sort of family dynamic, Agent Ribbons would be our second country cousins once removed but they still come over to family reunions anyways and get drunk off of jug wine and eat cherry pie.
I says it before but I’ll say it again: If you like catchy as all hell, sweet, alto voiced gals singing stories over simply strummed serenades, Agent Ribbons is the band for you. After listening to their debut record, On Time Travel and Romance, my biggest regret in life is that I didn’t go to theater school. If I had, I would’ve adapted the album’s music into a Broadway musical. Take their vagrant Saloon tale found within “Strangers” : ‘When he came to his gun was gone, his shirt was in a twist / Dog tired and hungry with no money the blood boiled in his face / He saw a whore and asked her how he came to have such luck / She said “You don’t look at those hard workin’ women that way when you don’t got a buck” / “I’m sorry miss, I tell ya, but old bastards like me are so hung on living life we don’t meditate on courtesies / So go ahead and shoot me I ain’t got nowhere to go / I’ll have myself a whiskey with the devil down below” / Ain’t it funny how strangers find home in the strangest places’.
Now if that doesn’t scream Broadway musical meets Johnny Cash then I just don’t know what to say to you little reader!
Agent Ribbons have been busy over the past year. They went on a national tour as the opening act for Cake, released a limited edition 7″, the Star Crossed Doppelganger, which features two haunting songs and artwork by Dame Darcy, were photographed for a fashion magazine wearing adorably fancy hats (woven by their friend, Naik Fur), filmed a video at the Dandy Warhol’s Odditorium, went on a mini Bay area tour with Swallows and are already planning their spring outing.
AND NOW… A TRAGICALLY UNHEARD OF LIVE VIDEO…
Filmed By Em Brownlowe
The entire Agent Ribbons live performance at The Know
(Portland, OR, 3.3.08)
PART ONE: “The World is a Cigarette” // “Buried With You” // “That’s Not Edgar’s Heart”
WATCH MORE (PARTS 2-4)
photo by Andi Burke
After several weeks of slacking off summoning Tragically Unheard Of bands, I stumbled upon Portland new wave sensation, Bumtech. The duo formed in 2005 and includes Sharon Schloss (bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) and Jonn Walterscheid (guitar, vocals, programming). Together they create a spacey atmosphere embracing both new wave sonic canopies with intricate guitar centric compositions. Each song’s sonic seriousness is juxtaposed with quirky satirical accounts of the monotony of everyday life.
Bumtech just finished a brand new website, Tofuton, and are about to embark on a Californian tour to support their debut, Beware of D-G. They were kind enough to answer a few questions over coffee and…blowfish?
Listen to “Got Yer Nose”:
1. How did the two of you meet and decide to play music together?
Sharon: We met in the record store where Jonn used to work and bonded over a mutual love of new wave music. I was playing bass in a band at the time which was not really fullfilling me creatively anymore. I was looking for something new where I could get more into the electronic end of music, programming drums and playing keyboards as well as bass. Jonn was recording some cool instrumental music with drum machine and guitar, and I thought he should be performing it out for people.
2. Is there a story behind the name Bumtech?
Jonn: Bumtech is a consulting firm for slacking off. If you’re tired of getting out of bed in the morning, call Bumtech. If you want the bullshit in your life to lose all importance, Bumtech is for you.
3. Who/what are some of your inspirations? How do you incorporate them into your music?
Sharon: The Legendary Pink Dots are our favorite current band. Most of our musical influences are alternative bands from the 80s and 90s, with Cocteau Twins, The Smiths, and Nirvana being some of the biggest influences. I like classical music and jazz too. I grew up playing classical piano and enjoy KBPS radio. The way this works into my playing is that I put good musicianship first and emphasize strong songwriting.
Jonn: I think of my guitar style as a cross between Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins and blues, even though I don’t listen to the blues. I do listen to the Cocteau Twins, and classical radio KBPS.
Bumtech: We’re both influenced by fine arts painting.
4. What do you like about the duo dynamic of your band. Have you considered adding a third member or live drummer? Why or why not?
Bumtech: Practicing and writing together is so much easier when there are fewer people to organize. The drum machine is an artistic choice. Being influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, we thought it would be cool to be in a guitar band with a drum machine. We’re not opposed to adding more members in the future, but it’s not practical right now.
5. You are going out on tour pretty soon! What are some of the things you do whilst on the road?. Any stories from past outings?.
We’re bringing our Sirius radio with us so we can listen to Howard Stern. We’re looking forward to catching up with old friends in other cities. On one tour we almost died when we skidded out on an icy mountain road and bounced off of a railing between the pavement and a cliff. Amazingly, we were able to drive home!
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Tragically UnHeard Of Archives:
Adam Gnade (Portland, OR)
Fast Heart Mart (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Levator (Seattle, WA)
Alina Simone + Yanka (NYC / Carborro, NC / Siberia)
Reporter (Portland, OR)
Podunk Nowhere (San Diego, CA)
gaycondo 
