“As a human being the artist may have many moods and a will and personal aims, but as an artist he is ‘man’ in a higher sense -- he is ‘collective man’ -- one who carries and shapes the unconscious, psychic life of mankind.” - Carl Jung
We’ve known YVETTE for a while, and dudes have been grinding harrrrrd, playing DIY shows galore throughout Brooklyn and New York like they don’t need to sleep or eat. The duo — consisting of Noah Kardos-Fein and Rick Daniel — make noise rock with mad percussive chops. This new track, “Cold Sweat,” is definitely the most acessible material from them so far, and the decision certainly bodes well for their future. For starters — love from Pitchfork and Stereogum, which seems a bit unlikely — but really what’s important here is that this new track has a bit more polish on it and a better recording job, giving those who wouldn’t normally be into this type of dirtiness something to actually “get.” Below, “Cold Sweat” from their upcoming Erosion/Cold Sweat 7″ (out physically March 27th on God Mode and digitaly February 14th) along with the older “With Fangs,” from their self-titled EP from way back in 2009.
Extra Life are like the scab you hate to have but can’t stop picking at, and kind of miss once you’ve picked it completely away. They’re the type of band Karla Hernandez describes as
“like an abstract painting where a viewer’s eyes have a hard time focusing on one point,” and John Gillanders describes as “a downright batshit-insane and utterly creepy vibe.” This new track, “Righteous Seed,” is a preview from their upcoming album, Dream Seeds.
Dream Seeds will be the band’s third full-length album, and will be a concept album — seven songs on the a series of nightmares which involved little children. The goal, according to the press release, is to “look to the subconscious and to the young, in search of innocence, morality and even prophecy.” Evidently, frontman Charlie Looker is a elementary school teacher, which seems to parallel the themes in the song themselves, in some strange way…
If ever there was a gallery that were my soulmate — or that I would want to be my soulmate, anyway — it would be San Francisco’s Gallery Hijinks. Their opening this Saturday, February 4th, features the works of New York artist Matthew Craven, who painstakingly inks and collages geometric black and white images onto aged paper. His source imagery reads vaguely familiar, perhaps reminiscent of old Roman or Greek ruins paired alongside patterns from the Peruvian Andes or West African baskets? It’s anyone’s guess after Craven’s done synthesizing together historical and cultural elements from across the globe to create his own minimalistic mythologies. CLICK TO SEE ENTIRE FRGMNTS PREVIEW.
Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) is upon us again, and we have whittled down their list of 100+ international shorts and full-length films to pick what we have determined to be the best and most interesting of the bunch.
Portland International Film Festival 2012 runs from February 9th through the 25th, with more than one screening for most movies (exceptions generally being shorts and midnight film series).
This particular list below focuses on some opening week films that are really worth watching!
Directed by Salim Ahmed
Struggling to meet the financial needs for his much-desired life-long journey to Mecca, a religious man must decide how to make his important religious pilgrimage happen without sacrificing his own dignity or steering away his own moral compass. 02/12 – 3:00pm – Cinemagic
02/14 – 8:45pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/16 – 8:45pm – Pioneer Place 5
ALMANYA — WELCOME TO GERMANY
Germany
Directed by Yasemin Samdereli
A cultural comedy about the history of Turkish immigrants in Germany, Almanya flows back and forth between Turkish and German customs and language while remaining highly respectful to both cultures. It treads equally in laugh-out-loud and tear-jerking territory that is suitable for all ages and interests. Winner the Audience Award at Chicago Film Festival. 02/10 – 6:00pm – Whitsell Auditorium
02/11 – 3:15pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/12 – 8:00pm – Lake Twin Cinema
AMADOR
Spain
Directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa
In this dark comedy, a pregnant Bolivian immigrant who has just moved to Spain becomes a caretaker for an elderly man; when he suddenly passes away, she must decide how to cover up his death to keep her financial stability. 02/10 – 8:30pm – Twin Lake Cinema
02/12 – 5:00pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/14 – 8:45pm – Lloyd Mall 5
BREATHING
Austria
Directed by Karl Markovics
A jailed teenager finds a renewed sense of purpose after parole officer gives him a new job and new responsibilities. A film lauded for its day-to-day quality and appropriately posited scenes and shots, Breathing is less mind-blowing than it is simply a solid tale of what happens when life exerts pressure on an individual. 02/10 – 6:15pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/12 – 8:00pm – Cinemagic
02/14 – 6:00pm – Twin Lake Cinema
CLOWN: THE MOVIE
Denmark
Directed by Mikkel Norgaard
Low-budget absurdist humor, about Frank and Casper, who are on a males-only retreat with an 11-year-old boy. Stupid and hilarious, in a raw and vile way, Clown: The Movie was a commercial success in Denmark. 02/16 – 8:45pm – Whitsell Auditorium
02/18 – 5:30pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/20 – 8:00pm – Pioneer Place 5
THE FAIRY
France
Directed by Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
A romantic comedy that has one foot in fantasy and the other in sunshine and rainbows. With physical comedy, dance routines, and implications of magic abound, The Fairy is a real-life cartoon set to a soundtrack of playful jazz! 02/10 – 8;45pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/11 – 3:30pm – Lloyd Mall 5
02/14 – 8:30pm – Lake Twin Cinema
FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD
Albania
Directed by Joshua Marston
Where new and old cultural norms clash comes the dramatic tale of Forgiveness of Blood. An Ancient Balkan code of law forces Mark and his family into hiding, leaving his teenage children – much more interested in modern technologies, significant others, and their future – to decide whether they will adhere to age-old customs or find a new way to survive. 02/10 – 8:30pm – Cinemagic
02/12 – 5:0pm – Lloyd Mall 5
FOUND MEMORIES
Brazil
Directed by Julia Murat
Found Memories is a film that seems completely whimsical, portraying the tale of two women – one a widow and one a young photographer – who meet under ordinary circumstances and form a bond that feels just a touch magical and outside of normal space-time. 02/11 – 6:00pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/13 – 8:45pm – Pioneer Place 5
02/16 – 8:45pm – Cinemagic
GOODBYE FIRST LOVE
France
Directed by Mia Hansen-Love
Falling in love for the first time marks its participants forever, whether for bad or for good. Goodbye First Love explores bittersweet nostalgic memories, and the personal growth that often comes from them. 02/12 – 2:00pm – Lloyd Mall 5
02/17 – 8:45pm – Cinema 21
HABEMUS PAPAM
Italy
Directed by Nanni Moretti
A totally absurd satire that poked fun at Catholic Church, by playing out what might happen should a successor to the papal throne change his mind at the last minute. 02/15 – 6:00pm – Lake Twin Cinema
02/17 – 6:00pm – Cinema 21
IDENTITY CARD
Czech Republic
Directed by Ondrej Trojan
A coming of age story, only it takes place in Czechoslavakia, in the early ‘70s. A tale about youth, Western influence, corrupt law officials, and clashing generations. 02/16 – 6:45pm – Lloyd Mall 5
02/18 – 5:30pm – Cinemagic
KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND
Norway
Directed by Marius Holst
In 1915, an isolated Norwegian reform school attempted to reform wayward teenagers through abuse and manual labor. King Of Devil’s Island tells the true story about one teenager who decided to stand up to authority and find his way out. 02/11 – 8:30pm – World Trade Center Theater
02/13 – 6:00pm – Whitsell Auditorium
MONSIEUR LAZHAR
Canada
Directed by Philipps Falardeau
A group of Montreal students are forced to cope with a teacher’s sudden suicide, and find comfort and sympathy in their replacement teacher, an Algerian refugee who is simultaneously trying to provide comfort and sympathy to his students while dealing with his own problems as one who has fleed his native land. 02/11 – 3:00pm – Lake Twin Cinema
02/13 – 6:15pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/15 – 8:45pm – Pioneer Place 5
MR. TREE
China
Directed by Jie Han
Tales about urbanization in China are certainly nothing new, but taking a look at that historical phenomenon through the study of an individual character – and a particularly eccentric one, at that – creates a cultural comedy with a unique sense of humor that only the Chinese possess. 02/12 – 12:45pm – Cinemagic
02/14 – 6:15pm – Lloyd Mall 5
02/18 – 3:00pm – Cinema 21
TALES OF THE NIGHT
France
Directed by Michel Ocelot
An animated film for those with interests in mystery, lost civilizations, and diverse cultural backgrounds, Tales Of The Night (Les Contes De La Nuit) flies through ancient cultures from Asia, Africa, and South America like shadow puppet-driven patterned prose. 02/12 – 5:30pm – Whitsell Auditorium
02/15 – 6:15pm – Whitsell Auditorium
02/18 – 1:00pm – World Trade Center Theater
TARGET
Russia
Directed by Alexander Zeldovich
A future film, Target is a science fiction adventure written by novelist Vladimir Sorokin, and involves an age-reversal contraption, secret facilities, and cosmic side effects. According to the PIFF festival guide, Target is quite unlike anything you’ve seen before.” 02/10 – 6:30pm – Lloyd Mall 5
02/17 – 8:00pm – Lloyd Mall 6
02/19 – 7:45pm – Cinemagic
TURN ME ON, DAMMIT!
Norway
Directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen
A sex-obsessed fifteen-year-old girl must figure out how to manage the awkward sexual and social circumstances she unwittingly puts herself in. 02/12 – 8:00pm – Lloyd Mall 5
02/15 – 6:15pm – Cinemagic
02/19 – 12:00pm – Cinemagic
WHERE DO WE GO NOW?
Lebanon
Directed by Nadine Labaki
When Lebanon’s Christian and Muslim populations erupt in violent conflict, one small village navigates its way through the conflicts, thanks to a sneaky group of women who interfere in both dramatic and hilarious ways. 02/11 – 8:30pm – Whitsell Auditorium
02/13 – 6:00pm – Lake Twin Cinema
There’s no denying that Pennsylvania rockers Dr. Dog are at an interesting crossroads on their sixth studio album, Be the Void. Their steady, consistent rise in popularity seemed bound to increase almost twofold on their previous album Shame, Shame, but as it was met with average reviews, Dr. Dog continued on their path of predictable success. Their career reminds me a lot of other bands I adore: White Denim, Kurt Vile, Spoon — bands who have put out consistently great albums and maintain a strong and loyal fan base, yet all the while are unable to make the next leap in their career.
And unfortunately, Be the Void does little to advance the band in terms of songwriting and overall aesthetic. Which isn’t to say this is a poor record; it’s actually enjoyable for many reasons, but if Dr. Dog are hoping to gain more listeners or breathe new life into their career, they’re sadly mistaken. As a long-time fan of the group, I’ve always had an easy time turning friends on to their music, but it rarely seems as though laypeople, or even people who actively seek out new music, stumble upon Dr. Dog. without fan intervention. I have a hard time trying to explain this phenomena, as their music is incredibly accessible, yet enough digging into their back catalogue can reward one with a great understanding of the band’s surprisingly intricate body of work. Be the Void fits this pattern all too well.
ARTICLE CONTINUELOW
Tracks like “Do the Trick” and “Lonesome” have their unique hooks, while others like “Get Away” and “Turning the Century” meander through four minutes of folk rock predicability. “Heavy Light” flirts with an almost Vampire Weekend vibe, a blissful, breezy pop song that puts an emphasis on the band’s percussion arrangement in a fun manner. But for the most part, Dr. Dog rely heavily upon their signature play between the guitars and the piano, a trick that has lent the band unmistaken attention since their debut record.
Be the Void‘s first single, “That Old Black Hole,” captures the spirit of a gospel chant in a strange, roundabout way. Completely by mistake, as the track nears its end and the hand claps and tempo double upon themselves, “That Old Black Hole” begins to reach out the listeners and invites them into the band’s place of worship. These moments are littered throughout the album; they seem short and subtle, but on the third, fourth, and fifth listens of the album, they begin to reveal themselves and prove Be the Void to be a spectacularly devised record.
It might might ultimately take some fortitude to figure out what makes Dr. Dog different from any other Americana-drenched band out there, but with just enough attention to detail, Be the Void might get stuck on repeat for months to come. It’s neither groundbreaking or a disappointment, but it can easily be summed up, for better or worse, as good.
Psychedelia
Surrealism
Nature
Animalia
Space
Occultism
There’s no denying that Pennsylvania rockers Dr. Dog are at an interesting crossroads on their sixth studio album, Be the Void. Their steady, consistent rise in popularity seemed bound to increase almost twofold on their previous album Shame, Shame, but as it was met with average reviews, Dr. Dog continued on their path of predictable success. Their career reminds me a lot of other bands I adore: White Denim, Kurt Vile, Spoon — bands who have put out consistently great albums and maintain a strong and loyal fan base, yet all the while are unable to make the next leap in their career.
