Fun.'s Some Nights

This article also appears on Ground Control.

If there’s any song that feels poised for “Pumped Up Kicks”-style ubiquity, that song would be Fun.’s “We Are Young.” The first single from the band’s new Some Nights album has already topped the Billboard charts, as a Glee cover, months before the album’s release, and has been inescapable thanks to its commercial use (in a Chevy Sonic ad). And, just like that aforementioned Foster The People track, it is impossibly, and somewhat maddeningly, catchy.

Some Nights as a whole is a bit difficult to categorize – the collection of songs includes upbeat harpsichord-backed tracks about loneliness and encouraging chants that have been excessively autotuned. However, the album may be a less diverse collection of songs than Fun.’s previous 2010 effort Aim and Ignite. Where that album felt like it might belong to the canon of emo bands like Panic! At The Disco (with whom Fun. toured in 2011), Some Nights seems like something that could more aptly be described as post-emo.

Of course Fun. doesn’t shed its emo aesthetic completely. The song “All Alright,” with its prominent drums and hyperbolic lamentation “I’ve got nothing left inside of my chest,” could belong in the My Chemical Romance catalogue. But most notably, the release of Some Nights has brought on Queen comparisons, largely due to Fun.’s operatic “Bohemian Rhapsody”-inspired intro track, and the chanted opening on track two, “Some Nights.” At the top of the titular song singer Nate Ruess adopts a vocal style reminiscent of Freddy Mercury on “Fat Bottomed Girls”—but if Ruess begins with deep, commanding vocals, he neglects to sustain them throughout the song and he finishes in autotune territory.

In general throughout the album, the heavy autotuning and vocoder-ed falsetto feel like unnecessary constructs, especially on songs like “It Gets Better,” where Ruess might as well be T-Pain. Autotuning can eliminate all of a singer’s personality, and in this case it seems to shortchange Ruess, who, as Fun.’s appearance on Conan can prove, does have a powerful voice. If anything, the autotuning only succeeds on the album’s final track, where there’s a Wallpaper-esque R&B vibe and the computerized vocals seem to be pushed into outer space.

Ruess (who bears a passing resemblance to the comedian John Mulaney), along with Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff make up the New York band, and Fun. certainly seems to be on the verge of… something. In an age where Glee can make your song a hit before you have the chance to, who knows exactly what that something will be.

SXSW 2012 Dispatches: Sleigh Bells And Sunburns

Before noon on the streets surrounding West Sixth, eager St. Patrick’s Day partiers, in green and white knee socks, leprechaun hats, and green tutus paraded in and out of bars, fresh faced and full of the sort of enthusiasm for drinking that can never lead to anything bad, right? The crowd in the parking lot outside Waterloo was wearing about 50% less green and 100% less gold coin necklaces. We were waiting for Nada Surf, who, joined on guitar by Doug Gillard, played punchy new songs from their latest album, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy. They played “Jules and Jim” and “Waiting For Something,” and the drummer was clearly having a great time, making faces and ultimately launching his drumsticks into the crowd.

Nada Surf - Waiting For Something by cityslang

A few blocks from Waterloo, in another parking lot, free margaritas were being handed out and hula hoops were passed around. And who can say no to a parking lot hula hoop party with a soundtrack provided by a band playing electronica covers of The Smiths? (Rhetorical device usage.)

Two miles away, on the other side of I-35, J. Roddy Walston was demolishing a piano, leaving the crowd worked up for Lucero. The combination of Ben Nichols’s beautifully gravelly voice, along with trumpet and piano made songs like “On My Way Downtown” and the melodic “Darken My Door” especially pop – even if Nichols claimed to have just woken up. For the record, it’s quite possible to get caught up watching a band and neglect to realize when one is getting terribly sunburned.

Lucero - On My Way Downtown by MMMusic

When the last night of South By happens to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day, it only makes sense to try to go to a place removed from the heart of Sixth Street where you have the best chance of sitting down. At ACL Live Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells was backed by a wall of amps, sending the sound of their blaring guitars into the upper balconies and issuing pounding electronic pulses. It seemed that singer Alexis Krauss, clad in shorts, tennis shoes, and a ripped t-shirt, wanted nothing more than to get both in the crowd’s face and in the crowd. She prowled around the stage, issuing screams, reaching out for audience members, standing on the guardrails, and ultimately crowd-surfing atop the first couple of rows.

While her sojourns didn’t stop her from singing, including “Riot Rhythm,” “Infinity Guitars,” “Born To Lose,” and “Tell ‘Em,” the microphone cord constantly threatened to get hung up on something and nearly caught guitarist Derek Miller. The combination of intense lights, violent guitar, and aggressive vocals made the Sleigh Bells show feel like a full sensory assault – it seemed a bit like South By itself – engulfing and exhausting.

Now to treat this sunburn.

Born To Lose by Sleigh Bells

SXSW 2012 Dispatches: Kimbra, Magnetic Fields, And When To Go Home

When the breeze passed through the outdoor covered stage at the W Hotel yesterday afternoon it felt pretty idyllic. Despite the fact that there hadn’t been any set times announced for Nylon Magazine’s party, it was rumored that Kimbra would be playing at 2:30. The New Zealand pixie, who guests on Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” quickly confirmed the rumor, taking the stage in a puffy pink and lace Disney princess-style dress. More than once during the set the dress threatened to fall off, as Kimbra shook her tambourine and danced enthusiastically. The drummer, with his awesome Kid ‘N Play-style flattop, pounded away and Kimbra smiled widely through “Cameo Lover” and “Two Way Street.” She was such an emotive and inventive singer, it was a shame it had to end.
Cameo Lover by Kimbra

Hours later, inside the W, at ACL Live, Philadelphia’s The War On Drugs unleashed their noisy guitars. While the vocals seemed muffled by choice, there’s something in the lead singer’s style that seems to want to echo Bob Dylan. Or perhaps it was the harmonica he pulled out during the closing number. Throughout the show I did not notice anyone using drugs, so I can only assume their message must be working.

It was far too comfortable in the padded seats at ACL Live to want to leave, and besides, who would want to miss The Magnetic Fields’ deadpan stage banter? With a piano, two guitars, a violin, and Stephin Merritt’s distinctive voice, the Magnetic Fields played a mix of old (“Come Back From San Francisco,” “The Book Of Love”) and brand new (“Your Girlfriend’s Face,” “Andrew In Drag”) songs, Merritt occasionally offering an insight like, “This is a song about a very famous hole in the ground,” before playing “Grand Canyon.” Like the Decembrists and Broken Social Scene, The Magnetic Fields have the great ability to tell whimsical stories through their songs, and having just released their 10th album, their stories are in no short supply.
The Magnetic Fields - Andrew in Drag by MergeRecords

Torn between setting up a permanent residence at ACL Live or venturing out, I chose to head to Easy Tiger. Here’s where I made a mistake – when I got to Easy Tiger, they were largely selling tickets for entry. The patio beneath their glorious bake shop was packed with folks who’d paid to get in, meaning they wouldn’t likely be leaving and weren’t here because they were fans of a particular band. The patio was packed with middle-aged women and flamboyant men bent on dancing now that they’d been filled with drinks and baked goods.

While Mexico’s Ximena Sarinana cranked out some great jazzy pop occasionally backed by computerized sounds, multiple women’s oversized purses locked me in place. When I finally got free, I made a break for it; the want to see Alabama Shakes eclipsed by the want to breathe freely. On the way out I passed the throng of badge-holders waiting to get in, including the comedians the Sklar brothers. Yep, I gave up my spot at a hot ticket show – you’re welcome Sklar brothers.

SXSW 2012 Dispatches: Worlds Of Synth

If there’s a secret place to enjoy day parties, it may be Red Eyed Fly. Two covered stages mean you don’t have to be out in the sun, and alternating set times let the music flow nearly continuously. Plus, it’s cool inside and not impossible to sit down. It’s the little things that count.

Yesterday on the back patio at Red Eyed Fly Brooklyn’s Savoir Adore moved from a cool dreampop opening to a snap-happy rhythm, topped with guy/girl vocals. They sounded a bit reminiscent of the San Francisco band Minipop, especially on “Loveliest Creature,” which found the crowd waving their arms from side to side and singing along.

Inside, the buzz-garnering Charli XCX was waiting for her keyboardist’s board to be fixed. If it’s easy to forget that the British singer is only 19, the two huge black Xs on her hands were a big reminder. That and the fact that it looked like she’d been styled by Ke$ha – wearing ripped black stockings and a mauve nylon and velour dress. She worked through a super-short set, including “Stay Away,” and “Nuclear Seasons,” ‘80s-inspired pop tracks with vocals that sometimes drifted into Shakira-sounding territory. It felt like a rare instance where the space was too intimate – there has to be some distance between the performer and the audience to really sell a sexy pop song.

CharliXCX - Nuclear Seasons by charlixcx

There’s nothing better to see than a band that’s enjoying getting to play together, and St. Lucia looked like they were having a great time. Playing synth-heavy tunes filled with themes of nostalgia and missed opportunities, St. Lucia sound something like the Naked and Famous by way of Yeasayer. They played “Closer Than This” and “Before The Dive,” but when they got around to closing with “The Old House Is Gone,” I couldn’t help but think they might switch it up half-way through and play Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax.” All that synth-y orchestration.

Closer Than This by St. Lucia

Not only are the four Canadian girls that make up Chic Gamine adorable, it’s hard to imagine an instrument that one of them doesn’t play. Throughout their set they punctuated four-part harmonies with drums, triangles, tambourines, cowbells, cabasas, and cymbals. A little gospel, a little soul, a little French, and a lot of percussion.

If the backyard at Beauty Bar had filled up for Com Truise, it filtered out a bit for Teengirl Fantasy, the remaining patrons likely staying to see Dan Deacon. Teengirl’s electronic stylings left something to be desired – I’d never seen someone actually yawn at an electronica show before. Of course that attitude did a 180 after Dan Deacon arrived, planting his characteristic green glowing skull in front of the stage and projecting flashing colors and images onto the side of the venue. The backyard became a jumping dance party, with Deacon clearing space for a rotating dance-off to occur, which happened nicely until someone mooned the crowd and it went back to being a jumbled mass of dancers. There’s one in every crowd.

SXSW 2012 Dispatches: Unexpected Soul

It sort of felt like kicking off the day by going back in time.

The lead singer, clad in a leather jacket, despite the near-80 degree heat, deepened his voice as he took the mic, almost like he was intentionally trying to sound like Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode. This was the Chain Gang Of 1974, who neither employs the musical styles of 1974 nor (to my knowledge) is a chain gang. At 2:30 on the Stage On Sixth, the band repeated the lyric, "can you feel it?" and the bass pounded in my chest. Yeah, I could feel it. Ripping through "Tell Me" and the '80s industrial-sounding "Undercover," the Chain Gang also took time out to dedicate a song to Molly Ringwald, saying, "if you're out there Molly Ringwald, this one's for you." The lead singer finally ditched his jacket and came out into the audience, working up the crowd on the Hot Chip-tinged electrodance track "Hold On."

Inside Hospitality was playing that sort of happy female-led rock reminiscent of Tennis, who'd be taking the stage just after them.

An hour and a half later, the inside of Mellow Johnny's bike shop was all set up for KEXP's radio broadcast of Allen Stone. By the looks of Stone -- shoulder-length blondish hair, big glasses, and earthy style of dress -- you'd almost expect him to play a set of folk-inspired indie rock. But don't judge a book by its cover, friends. Kicking off the set with "Sleep," the singer harnessed his soulful voice, launching into a terrific falsetto on "Contact High." If Stone's brand of soul belongs somewhere in the mix with Jamie Lidell and Aloe Blacc, he reserved the real funk (and a bit of whistling) for the closer, "Satisfaction."

Unaware by allenstone

The thing I actually was not expecting to see at the Last Call with Carson Daly-sponsored showcase at Red 7 Patio was Carson Daly. But after a schedule mishap, SF rockers Thee Oh Sees took the stage, and in their final song Daly joined them on drums. Well, he joined them as an additional drummer, trying to match the exhaustive energy of the band's regular drummer. Thee Oh Sees' energy throughout the set was powerful, eclipsing the fact that you couldn't understand the lyrics to any of their songs.

Some time after 11PM a trumpet and a saxophone were brought out, followed by backing band The Expressions, and finally Lee Fields. The Brooklyn soul singer, with his occasionally deep and guttural vocal phrasing can sound like James Brown, though he didn't fully demonstrate this until the closer "Faithful Man." What Fields has in vocal strength unfortunately isn't matched by songwriting. Songs like "I Still Got It" and "Ladies" just don't seem sophisticated enough for such a soulful voice. In the song "Ladies," Fields takes time to call out all the types of ladies he loves, "Short ones! Tall ones! Big ones! Small ones!" Lyrically, "Ladies" might as well be "Mambo Number 5."

Lee Fields & The Expressions - Ladies by sylvanscott

It was well after midnight and Colombia's Bomba Estereo was shaking up the place. Singer Liliana Saumet, in a shiny gold jacket, paced rapidly across the stage, repeating lyrics with a speed normally reserved for details at the end of cell phone service commercials. Once the band started a song it seemed impossible for them to stop, getting so caught up in their cumbia rhythms topped with CSS-style intensity. They only made it through three songs.

Sometimes you just can't stop.

50 Million Views And Counting

I reviewed Gotye's new Making Mirrors album for Ground Control.

Also, there are some especially nice sentences in Rob Harvilla's SPIN piece about Lana Del Rey.

The Big Picture: why it doesn’t matter that the Golden Globes don’t matter

If there’s any reason to talk about the Golden Globes it would be only to jump-start a larger conversation about the worthy pictures and performances of 2011. What’s always curious about the Golden Globes’ nominee list is that it seems to so easily confuse celebrity with acclaim (where else would Ryan Gosling’s Crazy Stupid Love performance be nominated alongside Jean Dujardin in The Artist? Or Angelina Jolie’s In The Land Of Blood And Honey be nominated as best foreign film? Or The Ides Of March be nominated for anything).

More generally speaking, and the Golden Globes aside, it seems like throughout 2011 we saw some great performances in mediocre movies, and some good films that somehow fell off the radar. While Michelle Williams and Meryl Streep have both garnered a tremendous amount of praise for their performances in My Week With Marilyn and The Iron Lady, respectively, the films themselves haven’t lived up to their leading ladies. My Week With Marilyn suffers largely because it lacks any real depth. Because our narrator is a dopey rich kid who lucks into a film job, he’s really not got too much at stake. And the portrait we get of Marilyn is too erratic to be satisfying – her only moments of confidence and competence come at the very beginning of the film when we see her singing “Heat Wave.”

While there were high hopes too for Young Adult, which reunited Juno director Jason Reitman with that film’s writer, Diablo Cody, the film had neither the heart nor wit of Reitman and Cody’s previous work. While Charlize Theron does an admirable job of playing our intentionally unlikable main character, one wonders if her demeanor, especially at the end, could have been softened – and certainly one wishes that she could have been redeemed. It’s hard to spend two hours watching someone despicable refuse to change. (Truthfully, Young Adult felt more like an Alexander Payne film than The Descendants.)

Despite its divisive status, Tree Of Life did give us an excellent performance from Brad Pitt as a stern, withholding father. (Tree Of Life, Cave Of Forgotten Dreams, and Margin Call all made my “Movies I Fell Asleep During” list in 2011.) Will this best his Moneyball performance in the eyes of critics? With that film’s tight, sparse script that makes a tricky subject matter seem elegant, my money’s on “no.”

Certainly 50/50 got a fair amount of attention at the Golden Globes, but it really was a very satisfying, funny film with a worthy performance from Anna Kendrick that’s often been overlooked. Kendrick plays a very green therapist who thinks she can give textbook answers to cancer-stricken patients. The character Kendrick develops is layered – insecure, but not over-the-top, caring, but not motherly, naïve, but not dumb. Nobody is playing that 20-something/new-to-the-workforce young woman like Anna Kendrick.

The Delightful and The Forgotten

Is anyone still thinking about Win, Win, Cedar Rapids, or Super 8? They should be. Other delights: Bridesmaids (ladies! friendship! hilarity!), Midnight In Paris (Owen Wilson gives a fresh twist to Woody Allen’s insecurities), The Artist (magical filmmaking and sound gags). Definitely keep talking about these.

Best of 2011: Songs & Albums

If 2011 left something to be desired in terms of the number of solid album releases, there were some bright spots (notably The Weeknd doing double duty with House of Balloons as well as their Thursday mixtape).

Here’s a rundown of the albums that stood out, as well as a “Best of 2011” playlist.

Best Albums:

Nine Types Of Light – TV On The Radio
After Dear Science and Return To Cookie Mountain, you’d think TVOTR would take a break and phone this one in, but no. They continue to deliver well-orchestrated songs with haunting hooks.

Cults – Cults
For fans of indie boy/girl groups like The XX and Beach House, Cults do male/female harmonies and serve up stylistic variety with a polished finish.

House Of Balloons – The Weeknd
This album captures a perfect lazy-sexy sound, with vocals that borrow heavily from R&B. It’s sensual and a little disorienting – like the way you feel during the last hour of a very late night party.

Smoke Ring For My Halo – Kurt Vile
A carefully constructed album that’s both odd and pretty. The sound is laid-back and intimate, led by Vile’s unique voice. Maybe don’t listen to this while operating heavy machinery.

Bon Iver – Bon Iver
The songs on this album seem to go on and on, though only two clock in at over five minutes. It’s as if with his peaking vocals and gently beautiful melodies Bon Iver has found a way to stretch out time.

What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? – The Vaccines
Drawing from a canon that includes The Strokes and The Arctic Monkeys, this British band delivers the sort of non-stop guitar-driven rock that makes even break-up songs feel incredibly happy.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost – Girls
Somehow Christopher Owens continues to make melancholy incredibly listenable. While it’s not as strong as the debut “Album,” it’s certainly a good effort.

Songs of 2011:

“Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)” – The Vaccines
“Something to Brag About” – Deer Tick
“Bedroom Eyes” – Dum Dum Girls
“Lonely Boy” – The Black Keys
“Go Outside” – Cults
“Taken For A Fool” – The Strokes
“Shake It Out” – Florence + The Machine
“You” – TV On The Radio
“The Magic” – Joan As Police Woman
“I Stand Alone” – Theophilus London
“East Harlem” – Beirut
“An Argument With Myself” – Jens Lekman
“Lost In My Mind” – The Head And The Heart
“Saying I Love You” – Girls
“Helplessness Blues” – Fleet Foxes
“Love Out Of Lust” – Lykke Li
“Midnight City” – M83
“Circuital” – My Morning Jacket
“Whirring” – The Joy Formidable

Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) by The Vaccines
07 Something To Brag About by ShaynewithMWL
Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes by subpop
The Cults - Go Outside by pcagx
TV On The Radio - You by Interscope Records
Joan As Police Woman - The Magic by PIASBELGIUM
Beirut - East Harlem by artsandcraftsmx
Lost In My Mind by theheadandtheheart
Midnight City by M83

Let's Get Weird

There's something absurdly delightful about watching a grown man in a head-to-toe tiger-striped suit croon a song full of thick innuendoes ("I don't have a library card / but do you mind if I check you out?") to a crowd of uncomfortable ladies. Or at least, it's delightful when that man is Weird Al. A third of the way into his set Saturday night at ACL Live, Weird Al Yankovic finished an interactive rendition of his "Wanna B Ur Lovr" on the ground summoning a high, ridiculous falsetto.

Here, Weird Al was doing what he does best -- exploiting the absurdity of a certain type of performer while singing truly and intentionally silly lyrics. This is a man who has devoted his adult life to co-opting the styles of everyone from Billy Joel to Eminem to sing songs about strange foods, underwear, Spider-Man, and Star Wars. And yet, this mix of the subversive and silly is exactly what makes Weird Al so undeniable.

Raising his accordion, Weird Al and his band opened the show with "Polka Face" -- a goofy polka parody of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" that quickly morphs into a DJ Earworm-worthy mashup of current pop music. Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite," Justin Bieber's "Baby," Britney Spears's "Womanizer," Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl," plus others, all get covered polka band style -- which even includes a yodel during Ke$ha's "Blow." Shifting into another song from Alpocalypse, the band played "TMZ," a send-up of celebrity bad behavior set to Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me," before letting Weird Al do some full body rolls at the keyboard on "You Make Me."

Ushering in an evening that must have had something like a 1:2 ratio of costume changes to songs, Weird Al slipped back stage, only to reappear in a short blonde wig, flanked by cheerleaders for "Smells Like Nirvana." He busted through a couple of newer songs, "Skipper Dan," "Party in the C.I.A." and "CNR," a song about Charles Nelson Reilly of "Match Game" fame that borrows the now-defunct White Stripes' "Icky Thump."

From here the band went into a medley of songs, beginning with UHF's "Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" and working through "eBay," "My Bologna," and "Lasagna." While Weird Al's ability to outlast many of the performers he parodies has been frequently acknowledged, at no time was it more apparent than at the start of "Spam," a riff on "Stand" from the just-broken up R.E.M. Toward the end of this set, on the Billy Joel "Piano Man" parody "Ode to a Superhero," Weird Al had a stage hand assist him by holding a harmonica, which he then played while also playing accordion at the same time. While it may be easy to write off his musical abilities while listening to his recorded work, in person it's hard not to acknowledge his musicianship, however strange it may be.

All the big costumes and props came out in the night's final act, with Weird Al pouncing on the keyboard in a red Thriller jacket for "Eat It," donning a long beard and large hat for "Amish Paradise," riding out on a Segway for "White & Nerdy," wearing a plush peacock mascot suit for "Perform This Way," and finishing in a full fat suit and facial prosthetic for "Fat." The crowd was all on their feet for the encore, which found a cast of Star Wars characters, including storm troopers, Darth Vader, and R2D2, grooving to "The Saga Begins" and ultimately "Yoda."

Throughout the evening, interview clips from the rarely-seen AL TV played, as well as numerous clips from TV shows ("Everybody Loves Raymond," "Friends," "The Simpsons") that referred to Weird Al, often as a punchline. And just as some artists consider it a badge of honor to receive a Weird Al parody, being given punchline status clearly secures Weird Al's place as an oddball cultural icon.

Nine Tonys Can’t Be Wrong: The Book Of Mormon

If the idea behind The Book of Mormon – the creators of Comedy Central’s South Park doing a Broadway musical about Mormon missionaries – sounds inherently ridiculous, it is. But it’s also a sparkling piece of theater.

Working with Robert Lopez, who penned the decidedly adult puppet-driven musical Avenue Q, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park, Team America: World Police) have created a fiendishly fantastic production. The Book of Mormon is chock full of jokes, excellently staged, and brilliantly performed. It is also, as many of Parker and Stone’s other works have been, fairly offensive. These are men who exceed at delivering sharp social commentary using very blunt instruments.

At the outset of Book of Mormon, we see a group of eager young Mormon missionaries waiting to be paired up and assigned their two-year missions. Among them is Elder Price (Andrew Rannells), a polished poster-boy for the faith, who has gotten most everything he wants in life, and now wants to be sent to the promised land – Orlando. However, he soon finds himself paired with the slovenly misfit Elder Cunningham (Josh Gad) waiting to be shipped off to Uganda.

The relationship that develops between Elders Price and Cunningham is delightful to watch, as Elder Price longs for accolades and praise and Elder Cunningham wants friendship and largely, acceptance. The buddy song “You And Me (But Mostly Me)” is superbly staged so Elder Cunningham finds he’s disappearing behind the stage curtain as the song becomes more and more about Elder Price.

Indeed the staging of the musical is quite terrific, from one of the opening numbers, “Hello!”, where we see multiple missionaries ringing doorbells and issuing their elevator pitches, to the infectious clap/tap number “Turn It Off,” a call to bury one’s feelings and thoughts, especially if those thoughts are gay. This may be the most excellent number of the show (not just because it features The Clapper), but to say that would be shortchanging other numbers like “I Am Africa,” a near send-up of “We Are The World,” which literally pokes fun at U2’s Bono, or “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” which includes anthropomorphic cups of coffee.

What Parker, Stone, and Lopez do so successfully is utilize songs to tell jokes. When Elder Price sings “Orlando,” he’s not just singing to express his want to go to his ideal location, he’s also borrowing strains from Annie’s “Tomorrow.” Similarly, much fun is poked at The Lion King, specifically the song “Hakuna Matata” and the idea that a simple melody could help ease some of Africa’s very real problems.

Much of the musical’s story centers around the missionaries’ attempts to teach the villagers about their faith, and the prickly and unsettling comedy comes from the disparity between how the missionaries and how the villagers understand and view the world. Here, both the characters of the missionaries and the villagers are heightened to comedic effect, making their interplay more potent. Despite a certain amount of heightening, the show is laden with real “big ideas,” like strict literal interpretations of religious stories and symbols versus interpreting these things as metaphors. There is some discussion of whether Salt Lake City is a real place or just a fantasy. Of course, one man’s Salt Lake City may be another man’s Orlando.

To be certain, there is some tough stuff in The Book Of Mormon – Africa’s AIDS epidemic, genital mutilation, not to mention the heresy of inserting Star Wars and Star Trek characters into religious histories. These are not usually the touchstones of smash musical comedies. But what really makes the production work is the tremendous performances. Rannells is pitch-perfect (and likely actually pitch-perfect) as Elder Price, and Nikki M. James, playing a daughter in the village, knocks her songs out of the park (and has the Tony to prove it). Gad brings Elder Cunningham to life with the terrific use of his voice, occasionally issuing a girlish squeal, summoning deep manly tones, or utilizing nervous nerdy laughter.

What makes The Book Of Mormon so successful is that it takes typical musical conventions and plies them with jokes. People of most any faith will certainly find some of the content objectionable, but for the most part things are done to serve the story and are not done with malice. The jokes may not be of the most subtle variety, but the show would surely be more offensive if it wasn’t so tremendously well done.

From The Department Of The Completely Unnecessary: Footloose: The Remake

It seems that somebody in Hollywood a little while ago had this thought:

Hey, what if we remade "Footloose" as a street dancing movie! You know, one with very, very little emphasis on good acting! Or a relevant plot!
And decided to give the "classic" Kevin Bacon film the dance flick treatment. (Though it looks as if it may have gotten the Wayans Brothers' Dance Flick treatment.) Thus, in the grand tradition of Step Up, Step Up 2: The Streets, and Step Up in 3D, the new Footloose was born.

From the story given in the new film's trailer, the kids in small-town Bomont have been banned from dancing after some students died in a car accident leaving a dance… Using this logic, if some kids were in a car accident after leaving the grocery store, I'm assuming grocery shopping would also become banned. (Why not cut to the chase and just ban driving cars?) So, now that the kids can't dance in public (even though they can do other things like wear really revealing clothing), they're popping and locking to blaring music in parking lots right outside restaurants. I'm sure no one will find out!

Also, there should be a fist-fight outside a barn! And the hero should rescue the girl from an oncoming train she's standing right in front of! And a school bus blows up! Nevermind that it looks like the bus blows up because the hero and another dude are crashing dueling school buses into each other. Seriously, this town doesn't have a dancing problem, it has a driving problem.

My only hope is that John Lithgow and Diane Weist never have to see this trailer.

Random Thoughts While Watching The Hangover Part II

So this is what we're doing, huh? Using the same shot list from the original film, but moving the setting to Thailand to make it seem different. Oh, and using some of the same dialogue. This might work if it turns out that this film is actually a hilarious send-up of the original, wherein they mock the very thing they created.

• Clearly the filmmakers decided that having an impending wedding is the best way to force a sense of anxiety/importance/deadline. Substitute Ed Helms for Justin Bartha, add in an offensively stereotypical overprotective father, and serve up a cringe-inducing rehearsal dinner toast.

• What happened to Heather Graham?

• The brother of the bride-to-be, Teddy (Mason Lee), seems to have been set up as a foil for Alan (Zach Galifianakis), but it's not clear that the actor playing Teddy got the memo.

• They're referring to themselves as "the wolf pack"? No, that should not be allowed.

• Justin Bartha is, once again, not invited on this crazy merry-go-round.

• Of course Alan (Zach Galifianakis) has become friends with Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong)… wait, what?

• The car chase scene in a Toyota Corolla is probably the film's high point.

• The use of kids in this film -- in the tattoo parlor and in Alan's flashback -- is disturbing and distracting.

• Is that the dude that worked in the wedding chapel in Vegas in the first film, but now runs a strip club in Thailand and is just disguised in a terrible wig? Yes, I think it is.

• Yeah, I did not need to see that.

• Paul Giamatti is playing such an absurd caricature of a villain -- is that on purpose?

• Oof, this ending is feeling rushed and forced. We really know nothing about the relationship between Stu and Lauren, and we already experienced a very satisfying "Stu standing up for himself against his oppressor" sequence in the first film.

• Part of the beauty of the first Hangover was that it had a lot of heart. We cared about the relationships between the characters. It's hard to feel the same way about caricatures. And seriously, does the bride not care at all about the face tattoo? C'mon.

Concerning possible factual inaccuracies involving Stanford University

• There's not a "pre-med" major at Stanford. You could do the HumBio core, but that's about as close as it gets. Fine, maybe the father is just saying Teddy's pre-med to force his own agenda, but still.

• Okay, first of all, there is not a Bally Total Fitness in Palo Alto. And I seriously doubt this kid is driving to San Jose to work out. Why isn't he just going to Arrillaga Gym? I mean, it's right there.

• Wait, he has a class ring? But he's a freshman, and like, no one buys a class ring. Maybe if you're on the football team. Maybe.

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The Future and Modern Fiction

Can "the present" exist in modern fiction? This is the question that seems to be looming over many current writers and novelists; how to realistically present our modern lives and not write things that seem dated by the time they're released.

In PEN's "A Kind Of Vast Fiction" series, Jonathan Lethem (Chronic City) and David Gates (Preston Falls) tackle this topic through (ahem) email conversations, explaining how their own writing has been affected by trying to keep pace with technology. Lethem inquires as to whether Gates includes images of his characters searching for things on Google or YouTube, and Gates explains, "I probably spend more time e-mailing and reading online than I do having non-virtual human contact—and I bet I’m not that unusual. If my characters were like that, would their lives be eventful enough to write about? On the other hand, if I write about people for whom the internet is—as far as the reader can see—peripheral or nonexistent, am I not essentially writing historical fiction?"

While this concern may seem a bit exaggerated, lest authors run the risk of all fiction becoming historical fiction, is their other alternative to create science fiction? This almost seems to be the route taken by Gary Shteyngart in producing Super Sad True Love Story. Rather than attempting to circumvent "the present" problem, Shteyngart diverts it, creating an adjacent present. Shteyngart's novel is set in a vaguely alternate reality, one where an iPhone is replaced by an "äppärät" (key difference: umlauts), and parts of the story are told through Facebook/LiveJournal-type interchanges, complete with shorthanded text.

Shteyngart is not intentionally writing a work of science fiction, but it's clear he feels hampered by relegation to the true present. And yet, what Shteyngart has to say -- about aging, about our relationships with our parents, about why we think we need love -- these are ideas that have the ability to transcend this alternate reality. When the novel gets too caught up in its own fictitious world, harping on FACing, GlobalTracing, and Media, it loses its true power, which is talking about humanity.

Shteyngart's most powerful passage translucently refers to science fiction, describing his main characters, Lenny and Eunice, visiting the apartment of Joshie, Lenny's boss. (This occurs about 3/5 of the way through the story, and at this point one can only imagine that Joshie likely looks like that creepy old ripped dude from those airline magazine ads.)

"Here were Joshie's beginnings. (...) The twelve-year-old's first cognition of mortality, for the true subject of science fiction is death, not life. It will all end. The totality of it. The self-love. Not wanting to die. Wanting to live, but not sure why. Looking up at the nighttime sky, at the black eternity of outer space, amazed. Hating the parents. Wanting their love. Already an anxious sense of time passing..."

It's these moments conveying the human anxiety about existence that make a real impact. It seems that how characters communicate shouldn't outweigh what they're saying. A device can just be a device -- a phone just a way to show a character getting a message. Alas, perhaps figuring out "the present" problem is missing the point.

SXSW 2011 Dispatches: Rap Acts, Pepsi Max, and Deervana

The last Saturday at South By always has a perplexing feel -- on the one hand, it's the last chance to see some amazing bands, but on the other hand, maybe it's time for this thing to be over already so you can go back to your normal life, you know, the one where you sleep and eat regular meals and stuff.

Saturday afternoon I hid out at the Rolling Stone party at La Zona Rosa. The underutilized annex portion of the venue had been transformed into a lounge complete with ottomans and mood lighting (like a hip Pottery Barn). Tennis played their happy melodies, the petite Alaina Moore tapping her keyboard with husband Patrick Riley on guitar. New song "Robin" echoed strains of the "Love" song (title: "Love") from the animated Robin Hood film. I guess you have to take inspiration from wherever you can.

The young kids from Surfer Blood amped up the energy and the volume with their peppy surf rock. They played a couple of new tunes as well as "Floating Vibes" and "Swim." But the energy of the room got taken to new heights by London's The Joy Formidable. Ritzy Bryan's blonde bob shook while Rhydian Dafydd pounded the guitar with a fervor that made the veins in his forehead stick out. There were moments of total guitar freak-outs, on-the-floor writhing, and drum solos. Formidable? Yes. Joyful? Most certainly.
Joy Formidable - The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade by The Drift Record Shop

Over at the Cedar Street Courtyard the patio was completely packed with people waiting for New Zealand's The Naked and Famous. Playing most of the songs from "Passive Me, Aggressive You," the band hit high points with 80s-influenced "Girls Like You," and the synth-y "Young Blood."

The evening was buzzing with rumors, mostly regarding the inevitable Kanye show (overheard: "Kanye is playing Stubb's with Pearl Jam!"). But there were a few other hot ticket shows including Donald Glover's Childish Gambino at Red 7. The Community actor and former 30 Rock writer took the mic, accompanied by two guitarists, a drummer, and percussionist, who also played violin. (Not enough rap shows have violin.) Glover rapped with an intensity that seemed to belie his rather bubbly persona, creating an interesting dichotomy between songs and banter. He worked though "Let Me Dope You" and "My Shine" and showcased a pretty good falsetto, hitting some high notes, on "Be Alone." While it would be easy to write Glover off, he's far too self-aware to let that happen, making note of that in his lyrics and commenting on it on stage, thanking the crowd for letting him be a comedian and a musician ("If Dane Cook was playing piccolo, I wouldn't be at that show."). Of course, it's possible that the two careers - comedian and rapper - fit well together -- where else can you comment on popular culture and make double entendre Alf references?

Sometime near 10pm the warehouse at 3rd and San Jacinto, covered in Pepsi Max branding, was getting ready for Snoop Dogg. The space was coated with signs, banners, lights, all touting Pepsi Max -- it quickly made one wonder if Snoop might be contractually obligated to mention the beverage in his songs -- like "sippin' on gin and Pepsi Max." Or perhaps to say the product name in place of swearing, like, "187 on a Pepsi Max-in' cop." Snoop, along with Warren G, did an RIP Rappers portion of the show, covering songs from Tupac and Nate Dogg, and Biggie's "Hypnotize." After that I got the Pepsi Max out of there.

At midnight at Lustre Pearl Dawes played great set, steadily rocking until they were joined for a high-energy sing along love fest with Deer Tick on closer "When My Time Comes." The aforementioned Deer Tick followed, with a set devoted to Nirvana covers. The band seemed to channel Nirvana's ethos, not simply covering the songs, but knocking them out with real feeling. The crowd was only happy to sing along to "All Apologies," crowd surf, and toss cans in the air. Deer Tick finished out the set in the only fitting way -- completely smashing their instruments. If that's not rock and roll, what is.

Dawes - When My Time Comes by RootMusic

SXSW 2011 Dispatches: All Ages Show

Downtown Austin has been bursting with music, craziness, sundresses, Ray Bans, and, as of this morning, hundreds of people waiting for the Perez Hilton party outside of ACL Live. More than a couple of times I've also overheard the word "Winning!" emerge from people's conversations. (It seems to have it's own key, like when people chant "Air Ball.")

While the festival is in its last full day, here's a recap of some of the acts.

After Royals Baths wrapped up at Club DeVille Thursday evening, London's The Vaccines took over. With their super high-energy and great rock guitar they boasted a hint of Arctic Monkeys with a full dose of Strokes. (Though the lead singer more strongly resembles Daniel Radcliffe than Julian Casablancas.) Their six-song set was short, but packed a punch -- like surf rock on Four Loco.
The Vaccines - Blow It Up by Radar Maker

Nashville's Royal Bangs definitely banged it out royally at Buffalo Billiards. What the band lacks in stylistic consistency, they more than make up for in volume. After they finished, Young the Giant played an energetic set to a crowd who clearly only wanted to hear "My Body."

Friday afternoon at Cedar Street Courtyard Chicago's Maps and Atlases took over after the lovely sounds of Marit Larsen. The texture of their music was an interesting hybrid of rock guitar with folksy vocals. The addition of the xylophone on the song "Pigeon" seemed to add just the right touch.


Over at the Onion AV Club's party at the Mohawk, Nashville's Tristen played a nice upbeat set, bringing to mind Rilo Kiley with their tone and pacing.
Tristen - Eager For Your Love by AmericanMythRecordings

Outside Wye Oak made a heck of a lot of noise for just two people. The Baltimore duo cranked through their sounds with a volume that doesn't quite translate into their recordings. Or perhaps I'm playing their music too quietly.

Working the way through Swan Dive (where it turns out Dolorean, not Delorean had been playing -- big difference, actually) to the back patio of Barbarella, bodies were crammed together awaiting the arrival of Deer Tick. Proof that the band's bourbon-drenched tunes have mass appeal: the very handsy baby being held next to me, who alternately pawed at my arms and rubbed animal crackers on the folks in front of him. The set was fast and fun, and clearly enjoyed by all ages.

Deer Tick - Twenty Miles by Partisan Records

SXSW 2011 Dispatches: Let The Day Parties Begin

The South By rumor mill was definitely churning this morning, and when Jack White's mobile studio cranked out the music at noon outside of Frank, the rumors were confirmed. (Yep, people stood in the back of a tow truck to try to get a glimpse.)


At 12:30 Seattle's The Head and The Heart played KEXP's live broadcast from Mellow Johnny's. Everyone clapped along to "Lost in My Mind," and the band looked like they couldn't be happier.

Down in the Valley by theheadandtheheart

At the Mohawk's outdoor stage at 2:30, the kids from Givers were rocking out with playful abandon. Drummer Tif Lamson also pulled out a ukulele, and at some point one of the members harnessed a flute (marching band-style). The songs had a Vampire Weekend-type vibe to them.
Ceiling Of Plankton by GIVERS

The Big Stereo party is usually worth stopping in for, if for no other reason than to have a quick mid-day dance party. At 3pm inside Barbarella the floor was pretty vacant, save for some DJs spinning the Gossip and Duck Sauce.

When the sun finally seemed to peek through the day's cloudiness, Denver's Tennis lit up Club DeVille with the sailing vocals of Alaina Moore. The band's peppy style is intensified by Moore's strong voice (which bears some passing resemblance to Nicole Atkins). It's no wonder the band's gotten such a steady stream of good press. Nicely done.

Marathon - Tennis by arrhythmiamusic

Already Buzzing: Bands To Catch At SXSW Music

The South By Southwest Film and Interactive festivals are well underway, as evidenced by the pop-up Apple Store at Sixth and Congress and the number of dudes in hoodies carrying backpacks at the Etsy party Saturday night. But before the Music portion of the fest "officially" begins, here are some of the bands riding the buzz into Austin.

Foster the People

With a three-track EP released in mid-January, this Los Angeles band has been gaining a lot of steam on the back of their super-catchy "Pumped Up Kicks."
Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks by MusicForBears

The Head and The Heart
This folk-fueled indie band from Seattle signed to Sub Pop in November, and leaves Austin to start their European tour with The Low Anthem.
Cats and Dogs by theheadandtheheart

The Naked and Famous
Sounding something like New Zealand's answer to The Limosines (with maybe a hint of the MGMT of Oracular Spectacular), they're just readying to drop their first album Passive Me, Aggressive You.
The Naked And Famous - Young Blood (Dave Sitek Remix) by The Naked And Famous

Smith Westerns
If you need evidence that this Chicago four piece are buzzing as indie darlings, they're playing the NPR showcase, the Pitchfork party, and the SPIN party -- the triumvirate of hipster approval.
Smith Westerns - Weekend by Vicente P

Sharon Van Etten
A breakout voice at SXSW 2010, Brooklyn's Van Etten returns with beautiful breathiness to play the Onion AV Club party and the Brooklyn Vegan showcase.
One Day by sharonvanetten

Twin Shadow
The synthy charm of Forget made it one of Pitchfork's best albums of 2010 (at #26), and it doesn't hurt that singer George Lewis Jr.'s voice has drawn comparisons to Morrissey from Rolling Stone.
Twin Shadow - Slow by wereofftherails

Mona
Word is that this Nashville band is big in Britain, and while they have yet to release an album, they're all set to play Rolling Stone's day party at LZR. On "Lines in the Sand" singer Nick Brown sounds like some cross between Jeff Buckley and Rod Stewart.
Mona, 'Lines In The Sand' by nmemagazine

More picks:
Fences

The Joy Formidable

Young the Giant
Royal Bangs
Dolorean
Givers
Wye Oak
The Vaccines
Awolnation
Grouplove

Here's a track to listen to while you're making your list, from another SXSW act to watch, The Chain Gang of 1974.
The Chain Gang of 1974 - Hold On by rayray4290

How To Win Your Oscar Pool

With the big show slated for this Sunday, Oscar season is in full-on statuette speculation mode. Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you win your Oscar pool (even if the endless predictions are enough to make LA Times film critic Kenneth Turan long for simpler times):

Because Everybody Says So:

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The Kings Speech

Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Director: David Fincher, The Social Network

Screenplay (Adapted): The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin

Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Races That Could Go Either Way:

Original Screenplay: Seriously, it’s probably going to The King's Speech, unless people want a way to honor The Kids Are All Right – this would be the category to do that.

Cinematography: It’s either going to be True Grit or Inception. If the Coens take home nothing else, they may take this.

Costumes & Art Direction: One of these categories is going to go to The King's Speech, and the other to Alice in Wonderland. Let’s say Alice for Costumes and King’s Speech for Art.

Score: This may actually be the category where it’s anybody’s game. The only sure thing is that it won’t go to How To Train Your Dragon. Sorry kids. I want to give it to The Social Network for being so subtly eerie, but the smart bet is probably 127 Hours.

Documentary Feature: Sure, this will probably go to Inside Job. And sure, we don’t know if Banksy was pulling one over on us with Exit Through The Gift Shop. But even if he was, doesn’t he deserve something for executing such an elaborate prank?

Best Supporting Actress: Word is this is a contest between Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit). Who knows? Let’s give it to Leo for her character’s incredibly ostentatious hair and outfits.

Original Song: Hmmm... does anyone know what these songs sound like? Let's just give this award to "My Heart Will Go On,” for old time’s sake. Or to Randy Newman.

Categories That Are Kind Of A Mystery:

Sound Editing: Inception

Sound Mixing: The King's Speech

Shorts:

Animated Short: Day and Night

Live Action Short: The Confession

Documentary Short: Strangers No More

Other Stuff That Contributes To The Show Being, Like, Four Hours Long:

Foreign Language: In A Better World

Editing: The Social Network

Makeup: The Wolfman

Visual Effects: Inception

So that leaves us with Best Picture, and if you’re into things like “winning,” then fine, put down The King’s Speech. But, on your Oscar ballot, but some hearts around Toy Story 3.

Robyn at ACL Live

One of the best parts of last Thursday’s Robyn show at ACL Live, apart from the insanely energetic pixie-diva herself, was experiencing the brand new venue. Attached to the newly-opened W Hotel/Condo Building, ACL Live at Moody Theater is exactly the type of state-of-the-art space that Austin’s been long overdue for. Excellent acoustics, a broad open dance floor, multiple bars, and stair-stepped stadium seating – it’s the type of venue that’s been clearly designed for both the artist and the audience. Nicely done.

Of course when the Swedish phenom took the stage nothing else much mattered. Clad in a patchwork of different fabrics and colors, mauve pants beneath denim pockets and a light colored t-shirt, Robyn performed most of the songs from her Body Talk album with an intense and unfailing energy. Flanked by two drummers and two keyboardists, all wearing lab coats, Robyn did the robot during the hypnotic “Fembot,” after opening the show with “Time Machine.”

When the crazy blue strobe lights set in motion during “Dancing On My Own,” it felt like the beginning of a rave – a feeling that only intensified during “We Dance to the Beat.” By the time Robyn worked up to “Indestructible,” there was a full-on dance party going on, the crowded dance floor going nuts. Some time during “Call Your Girlfriend” she peeled a banana, and then returned to eat it during the encore. When Robyn started in on the funky “Dancehall Queen” (after some intense clapping during “Stars Forever”), one couldn’t help but marvel at the depth of her energy.

Opener Diamond Rings earned a recent shout-out in New York Magazine’s “Approval Matrix,” and he decidedly deserved it if for no other reason than his willingness to perform the incredibly catchy “All Yr Songs” in gold spandex pants.

Diamond Rings: All Yr Songs by gaga-digi