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COACHELLA
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the black keys
santigold
jimmy cliff
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A SINGLE NIGHT.
A MILLION POSSIBILITIES.
ONE CONNECTION.
IN THEATRES
IN NEW YORK
and LOS ANGELES
MAY 11
www.tonightyouremine.com
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© Sigma Films Limited/ BBC 2011
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CSS
(BRAZIL) CULTURE COLLIDE 2011
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AT THE STANDS
Publishers
Alan Miller & Alan Sartirana
Out now: FILTER Issue 47
“The Simpsons: And It Was All Yellow”
Editor-in-Chief
Pat McGuire
Starting out as a series of shorts, Matt Groening’s yellow creation is now America’s longest-running
sitcom. After 23 seasons and countless gags, jokes and characters, The Simpsons finally reaches the
Managing Editor
Breanna Murphy
landmark achievement of 500 episodes and we are here to celebrate it. In this issue, FILTER speaks
Art Director
Melissa Simonian
to Simpsons creator Matt Groening, among others involved in the animated series, on everything
from the show’s musical guests, original compositions and his own personal music tastes. Also: We talk with Wet Hot American
Editorial Interns
Bailey Pennick, Alejandro Rubio
Summer director David Wain about his new camp comedy Wanderlust; get thrown into the DIY destruction of FIDLAR; and catch
Nothings, Sugar’s Copper Blue and an EndNote featuring the Simpsons-inspired art of Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward.
IN THE GUIDE
You can download the FILTER Good Music Guide at FILTERmagazine.com. While you’re there, be
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sure to check out our back issues, the latest of which features Miike Snow, Strange Boys, Doug Martsch
DES NEW IS
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Design Intern
Rachael Morello
Scribes
A.D. Amorosi, Jeffrey Brown, Kendah El-Ali, Jon Falcone,
Marty Sartini Garner, Mike Hilleary, Daniel Kohn, Kyle Lemmon,
Clare R. Lopez, Kyle MacKinnel, Marissa R. Moss, Kurt Orzeck,
Bailey Pennick, Loren Poin, Ryan Reed, Zach Rosenberg,
Alejandro Rubio, Ken Scrudato, Laura Studarus
Marketing
Corey Anderson, Samantha Barnes, Mike Bell, Sarah Chavey,
Andrew Courtien, Tim Dove, Paul Familetti,
Samantha Feld Samuelson, Monique Gilbert, Ian Hendrickson,
Alyssa Jones, Wes Martin, Andrea Narvaez, William Overby,
Kyle Rogers, Connie Tsang, Jose Vargas, Daniel Wheatley
of Built to Spill, The Big Pink, and more. And if you happen to be feeling a triple-digit heat wave while
AUSTIN
#38 • MARCH-APRIL ’12
Built To Spill
The Big Pink•Strange Boys
2/28/12 4:06 PM
hearing awesome live music, you’re probably suffering from a heatstroke…and at Coachella. Make sure
to keep your eye out for us, we’ll be there to cool you down.
ON THE WEB
Visit FILTERmagazine.com for music news, MP3s, magazine features, extended interviews, contests, staff picks
and album reviews. To stay abreast of news and events in your town, sign up for the FILTER Newsletter, delivered
weekly to your email inbox. Cities served: Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, San
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THE FILTER MAILBAG
We get a lot of mail here at the FILTER offices—some good, some bad, some…well, completely
unclassifiable. Send us something strange and you might see it here.
We know what you’re thinking: “FILTER, how can I bring the warmth of vinyl with me on those long,
boring car rides?” Until now, we would’ve told you to put a gasoline generator in your trunk, plug in
your turntable and flip the album side at red lights. But that was before Behringer mailed us their new
U-PHONO UFO202, a USB/audio interface that allows you to transfer vinyl and even cassettes onto iPad 2’s GarageBand app. So
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Filter Good Music Guide is published by Filter Magazine LLC
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Vol. 1, No. 39, April-May-June 2012.
Filter Good Music Guide is not responsible for anything,
including the return or loss of submissions, or for any damage or
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© 2012 by Filter Magazine LLC.
all rights reserved
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McGuire family, Bagavagabonds, Bonnie Pietila, Wendy, Sebastian and Lucia Sartirana,
Momma Sartirana, the Ragsdales, SC/PR Sartiranas, the Masons, Pete-O, Rey, the Paikos
family, Chelsea & the Rifkins, Shaynee, Wig/Tamo and the SF crew, Shappsy, Pipe,
Dana Dynamite, Lisa O’Hara, Susana Loy Rodriguez, Shari Doherty, Robb Nansel,
Pam Ribbeck, Asher Miller, Autumn Rose Miller, Rachel Weissman, The Simonians,
the Murphy and Stafford families
instead of worrying about whether or not that cop saw you flipping discs in your backseat, go out and get the U-PHONO UFO202 and
start deciding which records to digitize first. “F— tha Police,” anyone?
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marr
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Thank You
Photo: Carl Lyttle
in Mexico City, Sharon Van Etten, Jason Sudeikis, a tribute to John Cale, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Yuna, Electric Guest, Cloud
COVER Photo by Martin Klimek
up with James Mercer about the rocky past and hopeful future of The Shins. Plus: the art of Dirty Three’s Mick Turner, Morrissey
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10 years of
THURSDAY 4/16 8PM-1AM
DJ set by Flosstradamus &
Special guest Dj’s and performances
21+ RSVP to coachellaVIP@filter-mag.com
Gifting Suite with Products from Lucky Brand,
Ernie Ball, Jansport, Brixton, and more
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SXSW 2012 is in the books and FILTER represented with talent-packed stages at five—count ‘em,
five!—different Austin venues. From Grimes to Dinosaur Jr., Miike Snow to Built To Spill, Keane to
FIDLAR and many, many more, this year’s SX was our best ever. Here are some visual highlights.
ABOVE: KAISER CHIEFS; OPPOSITE: GRIMES. PHOTOS BY MARC LEMOINE.
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ABOVE: KEANE BY JULIE HOVSEPIAN. OPPOSITE: YACHT BY MARC LEMOINE.
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n February 13, 2011, Akron, Ohio’s The Black Keys were not in a basement recording fuzzed-out blues
riffs, or in a beat-up van swerving across the countryside on tour. Rather, they were onstage, presumably
in suits and ties, at the 53rd Grammy Awards, collecting two gramophones (out of four nominations), for Best
Rock Performance and Best Alternative Music Album. The accolades were won for their sixth album, 2010’s
Brothers. (The duo’s Attack and Release producer, Danger Mouse [Brian Burton], also accepted a trophy that
night for Producer of Year, in part for his work on Brothers’ “Tighten Up.”)
Less than a month later, Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney were back in the studio with Danger Mouse—
“Obviously our only choice was Brian”—now in their new home base of Nashville, preparing for their next
album, which would materialize at the end of the year as El Camino. That record debuted at Number Two on
the Billboard 200 and, at the time of this writing, has been certified Gold. The guys sold out Madison Square
Garden in 15 minutes. Now, in 2012, they’re headlining North America’s largest, hottest and most extravagant
music festival. Across a decade, the band has transitioned from have-nots to haves, from home recordings to
high-quality production, from grunge to Grammy.
As David Byrne once eloquently mused, “Well, how did I get here?” The Keys, who ambitiously titled
their 2002 debut “The Big Come Up,” might respond in kind: “Same as it ever was.”
SAME AS IT EVER WAS
BY BREANNA MURPHY
PHOTO BY DANNY CLINCH
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Some people probably raised their eyebrows
at the length of time between Brothers and El
Camino. A lot has happened in a short amount
of time.
Dan Auerbach: I don’t know what I like better,
playing shows or making records. If we had more free
time, we’d probably make two records a year. The
Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater… Fuck, you
know…The Stooges. They’d make two records a year
and have, like, classic songs on every record. I don’t
know when it got shifted into making a record every
three or four years. It’s stupid, to me.
How have you incorporated studio-polish
recording into The Black Keys’ trademark
grunge-reverb-blues stew?
Auerbach: We are who we are. That’s going to come
out no matter what format or how we record it. We’ve
come to the conclusion that when Pat and I play
together, we have a certain sound—and that’s what
we sound like.
The Black Keys have made seven records in 10
years, and there’s been a dramatic transition
in your recording methods during that time—
you began in DIY spaces (basements, a rubber
factory) and now you have your own studios.
Pat Carney: The evolution of the band, I guess, is
that I had been acquiring recording equipment
with each record, like slightly better stuff. I just had
mass destruction of crap, basically. None of it really
worked, it was frustrating. We went to a real studio
to do [2008’s] Attack & Release because we were
excited to work with Brian, and excited to get out of
our comfort zone and go somewhere where we could
focus on performing, rather than worrying about
whether something was working or not.
Dan started acquiring really nice recording
equipment that I just don’t have the balls to because
it’s so expensive. He built a studio down here [in
Nashville] and we recorded El Camino there. It’s
What is the band’s working style in the studio?
How complete or bare bones are your songs and
ideas?
Carney: Truthfully, 90 percent of the time when we
make music, there’s no structure. There’s nothing.
Auerbach: With Brothers, I had pretty much every
song written. I had all the chords, we just had to work
it out into a groove for each song. With this record,
we did it completely differently. We started every day
from scratch.
Carney: I think it benefited [El Camino] because we
made a lot more interesting melodies. It feels a little
bit different. But, the basis of all the songs started
with Dan playing guitar and me playing drums, and
just coming up with the bare essentials and working
forwards from there, building a foundation.
Auerbach: It’s just a different process. It took a lot
longer. It took three times as long to make this record
than it did to make our last record.
like the first time we’ve recorded in a studio that
had instruments and functioning microphones and
everything works.
Carney: We spent 38 days in the studio. That said, this
is the first time that we made a record at a studio that
wasn’t “out of town” or in a basement. When you’re
working in a basement, you want to get the fuck out of
the basement as soon as possible, so I think you tend
to get more done quickly. There was more comfort
here because it’s down the street from our houses,
and it’s Dan’s place. There were a lot more breaks
involved, I guess. More hanging out than we usually
do during recording.
Recording at “home” sounds so much better.
Carney: It was needed because we were traveling
so much the previous year. I prefer to work fast.
I’m the opposite of a procrastinator; I’d rather have
something done right, know it’s finished and not
worry about it, than to have something looming. It
was a little bit difficult for me because the pace was
so relaxed, but that resulted in the songs having a
quicker pace. There’s a quicker feel to the album.
Auerbach: We were influenced by what we were
listening to at the time, which just happened to be
The Cramps, The Clash and rockabilly. More of that
up-tempo thing happening.
Expanding on that, were there any specific
aims to separate the sound of El Camino from
Brothers?
Auerbach: No, we didn’t think about it too much. We
never do. We never rehearse, we never practice. We
make a record, and it’ll be what it’s going to be. We’ve
always done that. We feel that it’s really important to
get the first or second take, and not try to perfect it,
which can ruin the soul of the song or the original
intent. You can beat a horse to death when you’re
in the studio. We try to avoid that. When you’re too
comfortable with a song, it’s going to feel like that on
the record. Like you’re not taking your risks and flying
by the seat of your pants. [In writing,] sometimes
the feeling of a song will dictate where the lyrics
go. Somehow, instinctually, your brain will blurt out
words on top of music. It’s almost like the music can
direct you.
I think I like the idea of the music dictating the
story more than the story dictating the music.
Auerbach: Yeah. I like it all. F
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STAND
DELIVER
Long before there was Santigold, Santogold, and the prickly roar of cluster-fuck funk that fills her longawaited new album, Master of My Make-Believe, there was Santi White, a nice girl from the Philadelphia
suburbs of Mount Airy who made ska-punk pop that would turn No Doubt green with envy.
That wide-eyed woman from the band Stiffed is still present in Santigold’s music today. There is an
innocent, soulful awe that fills Master, her first album to be released Stateside for Atlantic (though still
listed as Downtown Records, Master is an Atlantic recording). Yet there’s some cranky cynicism to be
found in the face of faux celebrity and the ferocity of Earth’s foibles that riddles Master along with its lyrical
overlay of positivism. “It’s rough out there,” Santigold laughs.
While several of her old producing pals—Switch, Diplo—are as much a part of this noisy new project
as they were 2008’s Santogold, those cats (like Santi) have become part of dance pop’s bigger machine,
working as they have with the likes of Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, and Usher. (Santigold has had an entire
career of songwriting credits since her start.) Keeping things weird and fresh was as crucial an aspect of
Master of My Make-Believe as was recruiting new friends from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio.
That said, with all its collaborators, Master is a cohesive, fleshy, genre-jumping hip-pop album that
stirs the loins and the cerebral cortex. It had to be: Santigold was on her own as its executive producer and
central overseer. Here, we see how she held up during the process.
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You’ve come so far from Stiffed and the Sex Sells EP. Is there
anything left in you of the young woman from Mount Airy now?
Of course. It’s however many years later, but it’s however many years more
experience behind me. I wouldn’t distance myself from that, ever.
Could you have been happy as primarily a songwriter who
occasionally performs, like a Linda Perry? At your career’s start,
you mentioned not being comfortable onstage…
I don’t think so. I don’t stick around when I’m not happy. I thought I would
be uncomfortable on stage until I got there. Then I realized there’s a whole
separate way of communicating an idea.
Going into the second album, do you feel that your label, Atlantic,
underestimated you in any way? I know that at first they sought to
top-load you with hit-making collaborators and writers.
yourself.” I experiment a lot. You can’t know what’s going to happen.
The faith becomes blind. It’s cool. The downside is, it’s lonely and there
is that room for doubt. Having somebody there means sharing vision,
ideas, banter. I didn’t have that this time out—challenging, yes. I had to
shoulder all the responsibility…but all the worry, eh. I had to navigate all
the different producers and all their languages. Logix. Pro Tools. It was a
lot of work. I didn’t even have an A&R person around, because they were
in London. I really was left to my own devices.
I know you’d been best friends with Diplo and Switch since before
the last album. They’ve both blown up considerably. Was there a
challenge to get them to focus on you for this next album?
The more intimately you know somebody, the more you can get in on every
aspect of their lives. You get the unfiltered version of their lives rather than
working with a producer who clocks in and clocks out. I think the same
thing is true of the art. I get the best of those guys. Everybody’s lives have
changed since that last record. There are real growing pains to be had.
“I’m imploring people to talk their own talk and walk
their own walk—i made the world i want to live in. ”
Well, that was during the transition between when I was on Downtown
and the time when Atlantic was considering up-streaming me. They were
wondering about how they would market me. I can’t be easy to market
[laughs]. That was before anybody at Atlantic sat with me or my first
record. They hadn’t yet thought of what they could do with what they
had in front of them. Now that they got me, they have been great. I think
they’re looking at the unique ways they can market me rather than fit me
into a marketing idea. No one can or should try to sweep me into some box.
But we hung out and the communication between us as people is what
we brought to the new thing. Diplo and Switch really had to figure how to
balance being in such demand with being themselves. On another level,
yeah, it was hard to get them into the studio [laughs]. They have to learn
how to manage that.
On the last album, you had John Hill, your partner/collaborator, as
a sounding board. On this new one, you are pushing all your own
buttons. What’s the upside and downside of your new situation?
Certainly not, because of the bar set by the last album. I wanted to raise
that bar for myself, but it wasn’t something where I had to top it for public
consumption. The pressure was to better it for myself. As soon as I’ve done
something, it’s never good enough. To tell you the truth, I had been on the
road for two years before leaping into the new album; I think there should be
some time to process what you’ve done and what you’ve learned. I could’ve
used more time to internalize. That said, I did get to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
Well, on the upside, it forced me to build up my own levels of confidence
as a producer, to have a trust in my own self that I didn’t need to have
before. “Is this gonna work?” “Ah, just do it—[laughs]—stop questioning
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Did you go through a writer’s block going into work on Master of
My Make-Believe?
after the tour but flew straight from Africa to L.A. to start the album.
The melodies came fast. The lyrics took a minute. They needed to
stew. I got frustrated, but realizing immediately that frustration would
only make things worse, I started to meditate. Suddenly, the words just
started to flow.
There is a spiritual center to “This Isn’t Our Parade” and
“God from the Machine.” Beyond the meditation, is there a
god for you?
You can call it what you like. I’m not a religious person per se, but
there is something, a spirit within myself, a higher being. You know,
I went to a Quaker high school in Philly. There wasn’t much religion
going on in there except for once a week, rather than worship, you’d
sit in silence and think. If you were moved to say something you’d
stand up, say your peace, and sit back down. It was about reflection. If
there was anything to be taught, it was that there is God in everyone,
that everyone has potential.
For all the meditation and light, there are some real stormyweather blue moments going on here—“The Keepers” talks
about a house burning down, “Disparate Youth” starts off
in a rage of people coming apart. What was the mindset?
I’m living in the world. It’s rough out there no matter how much
meditation there was. There’s some deep rumbling going on—look
at the weather. Oil spills, nuclear proliferation. Then you’ve got the
silliness of reality shows and singing shows. Things are a wreck. I was
trying to put a period on all that at once.
You’re still a kid at 35, but on “Disparate Youth” you’re talking
about teens creating their own universe without relying on
what’s come before them. In “Big Mouth” you’re telling kids
to forge their own esthetic values. Don’t you want them on
your side?
I do, but kids coming up have to make their own way, bring about
their own changes. They have to not follow in anyone’s shadow. In “Big
Mouth” I’m imploring people to talk their own talk and walk their own
walk. In both cases, that’s what I did—made the world I want to live
in. Back yourself up, don’t worry about the false reality you can make
through Facebook and Twitter. Be able to deliver on what you claim. F
good music guide filter 21
By Daniel Kohn
Photo by Martin Klimek
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When you recorded Lungs, did you ever expect it to
become as successful as it has?
How has working with producer Paul Epworth helped you
shape your sound?
Florence Welch: No, not at all! It’s a strange record since it’s
sort of like a diary of a teenager. There are so many different parts
of my life that are reflected there that it felt like a scrapbook, and
that so many people could relate to it was incredible. I never
expected it to become very well known and as widely received
as it was.
He really pushes you in the studio with what to do and where to
go. I have a tendency to throw everything at it and am spent, but
he says to keep at it and not to just rest on a phrase or word. He’ll
constantly have beats or chord sequences. He’s very prolific and
tenacious as well because I can be quite dreamy and unfocused.
With that album enjoying such widespread success, did
you have a harder time on Ceremonials, writing material
you hadn’t worked on for as long?
Having attended art college before you became a
musician, do you draw on that experience to help shape
some of your lyrics?
I wasn’t clear what album I wanted to make, but I was looking
forward to it being a complete, linear body of work. Recording
at the same place [Abbey Road Studios in London] gave us
a cohesive sound that we didn’t quite get to do with the first
record. In that sense, it made it easier.
Definitely. I get that a lot from my mother as well. She’s an art
historian and her work comes with describing things. Music
to me is a very visual thing and it’s like creating a portrait in
someone’s head. I like to think I’m a better singer than I was
a painter.
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TOM BEARD
The past three years have been a whirlwind ride for Florence + The Machine. Over that time, Florence Welch and her band’s
infectious brand of indie pop has spread like wildfire. She has released two records that have conquered multiple album charts; she
has toured across the globe; she has won the coveted BRIT Award for Best Album and NME’s Best Solo Artist award. Not a bad start
for the red-maned gal from South London.
Breaking through with the smash “Dog Days Are Over” from its debut, Lungs, the band has become a staple on alt-rock
radio. When that song broke on airwaves and became featured on mainstream TV shows like Glee, Gossip Girl, Community, Grey’s
Anatomy and a host of others, Welch was introduced to a larger-scale audience, resulting in huge expectations for the sophomore
release. Last fall’s Ceremonials has proven that the group is far from a flash in the pan and here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Recording the album at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London, Ceremonials is a more cohesive studio effort, at least in
Welch’s opinion. “At first, I wasn’t clear what album I wanted to make, but I was looking forward to it being a complete, linear body
of work,” she explains over the phone from Newcastle just before her final UK show of a recent tour.
Parlaying the success of her recorded music to the stage, Florence + The Machine’s mesmerizing live performances have
become some of the industry’s most talked about shows. Welch’s intensity and legendary energy level have wowed audiences and
successfully catapulted the band in all spheres. Furthering her growing live legacy, Florence + The Machine recently performed for
an episode of MTV Unplugged, which featured Welch and three band members along with a 10-piece gospel choir. Recorded late
last year, the Unplugged session features stripped-down version of her well-known songs, along with covers of Otis Redding’s “Try a
Little Tenderness” and a duet with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme on the Johnny Cash classic “Jackson.”
Before she headed to North America for a string of tour dates and a huge Coachella performance, the Guide spoke to Welch
about how she approaches playing to the ever-propagating number of people at her shows and whether or not the former art student
has time to sketch more than just songs these days.
Are you able to find time to draw or paint anymore?
Yes. I keep sketchbooks with me and other things like that. I like to
doodle now and again. It’s funny; I tend to [sketch] when I have really
bad jetlag. I took this book of 15th-century paintings with me on tour
and I’ve been making really bad copies of them every morning when
I’m not able to sleep [laughs]. At least I turn that time into something
productive.
Fighting jetlag is a good problem to have because it means you’re
working.
Yes, it’s a high-class problem [laughs].
How’s the tour been so far?
It’s gone well. The crowds have been really amazing, especially since British
crowds can be quite reserved. There’s been a festival-type atmosphere at the
gigs. I’ve noticed how festive and how into the performance people are. You
want people to lose themselves in what you’re doing.
What is it about Coachella that brings you back?
Coachella is really beautiful. I remember performing and looking out and
seeing palm trees and blue skies. It felt so far removed from the English
experience of festivals, which is like the apocalypse. They’re really fun, but
they’re an endurance test as well.
Have you started writing any new material for a future album?
I haven’t managed to get into the studio yet, but I would like to. We like to
bring a traveling studio, so hopefully we’ll get to do something while we’re
on the road, like lay down some early demos. That’s how “No Light, No
Light” got written—it was a demo we did on the road.
it being iconic. I was just trying to perform for the people there. It was a
beautiful space and that made it exciting.
What made you decide to cover “Jackson” with Josh Homme singing
Johnny Cash’s parts?
It may sound funny, but it was one of the first songs I ever recorded, years,
years back in South London in a tiny studio when I was just knocking around
school. I was going out with a guy in a band and wasn’t doing anything music-y
at the time, and I walked into his studio and covered a few Johnny Cash songs.
I’ve always been a huge Cash fan. We did this really random cover of “Folsom
Prison Blues” that’s floating around somewhere. But I’m also a big Queens
of the Stone Age fan as well. We wanted something that would suit both of
our voices and we’re both huge Cash fans and we both knew the song well. It
seemed like something that would fit. We both have really [distinct] individual
voices but since they ended up working with each other, it made it such a
pleasure to do it. That, and the fact that Josh is such a great guy. He’s really
lovely. He took us out to dinner in New York the night before. He’s exactly how
you’d expect him to be: a big character who is warm and friendly.
What is your favorite Unplugged performance of all time?
Nirvana. For me, that’s pretty much the most iconic. I’m really looking
forward to seeing Kanye’s. He came to my show and was talking about his
Unplugged and said, “Nah, I have to change it, mine’s gonna be Plugged!” So,
whatever he does, I’m sure it’s going to be exciting.
A few other musicians were also in the audience that night.
What does it mean to you to have the respect of so many of your
contemporaries?
Insane! Walking out and seeing Kanye in the front row and being so involved
in it, really moving throughout the whole show—it was a real honor for me to
have him there. He’s one of my heroes and he’s so genius.
Can we expect to see a potential collaboration between the two of
you in the future?
You try to not think about it and make yourself crazy by worrying about
I would love to. He’s a busy guy, so we’ll have to see. F
TOM BEARD
Taking into account the incredible artists who have played MTV
Unplugged, what was it like going onstage that night for that show?
good music guide filter 27
LENAY DUNN
is American Rag’s
girl on the scene
FIND HER
RAGGEDMAG.COM
FOLLOW HER
FACEBOOK.COM/AMERICANRAG
TWITTER.COM/RAGGEDMAG
AVAILABLE ONLY AT MACY’S
AND MACYS.COM
By Ken Scrudato
30 filter good music guide
GREG WATERMANN
When the film The Harder They Come was released in 1972, Jamaica was but a decade removed from
its reality as a colony of the crumbling British Empire. The film catapulted its star, a 24-year-old musical
phenomenon named Jimmy Cliff, to international recognition. Cliff had been signed to Chris Blackwell’s
Island Records and arrived on English soil in 1964. A generation of postwar kids there, electrified by rock
and roll and keen to shake off the prim and ossifying culture (not to mention lingering racism) of the old
guard, took to the new reggae sounds with an unbridled fervor.
Forty years later, Cliff is a legend the world over, and one of the few reggae artists in the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. His influence pervades an incalculable swath of modern music, politics and spirituality,
while his songs have been covered by the likes of Keith Richards, Paul Simon, New Order, Madness, Bruce
Springsteen and Rancid. The latter’s Tim Armstrong has just brought Cliff out of recording hibernation
after seven years, and the result is the exuberant, edifyingly titled new album Re.Birth.
With Armstrong as producer, Re.Birth is a veritable document of Cliff’s long musical journey, a
retro-modern meta creation on which he covers The Clash’s “The Guns of Brixton,” a song which he
surely inspired, while also proffering a version of Rancid’s “Ruby Soho,” which, in a sense, brings Cliff
and his influence full circle, returning the tribute to his acolytes. Elsewhere, his poignant observations on
this world of crooked justice (“Children’s Bread” castigates Wall Street greed) are balanced with joyous
messages of hope, like the magnificently uplifting “Blessed Love.” Armstrong’s crisp production brilliantly
harkens back to Cliff’s earliest work, without ever coming off as cloyingly retro.
Re.Birth? As Cliff himself would surely say, you can get it if you really want.
good music guide filter 31
When you first moved to London, were you aware
that the British kids were embracing reggae?
Reggae was often about pointing out injustice
but also spreading positivity.
So it was like putting an imperative piece in the
Jimmy Cliff puzzle?
Jimmy Cliff: When I went to England I was playing
a lot of clubs, and I discovered that there were a lot
of people who were into reggae, yes.
Absolutely. If you’re pointing a finger at something
that is not just, you have to have something to
replace it. You have to point the way to something
positive, to put a positive message across.
There we are! Yeah, yeah, just that. And at the same
time introducing something that will be new to
another generation.
Oh yes! It influenced a lot of punk bands like The
Clash. One of the last songs that Joe Strummer
recorded was with me, on my last album.
You were the last person to work with Joe, yes.
Was he a real kindred spirit?
Well, we had not really had the opportunity to sit and
talk before. We were just crossing each other’s paths.
How did you come to hook up with Tim
Armstrong?
He first came to my attention via Joe Strummer. And
somebody from my management suggested him. We
spoke on the phone and it was good energy. We went
into the studio and it just flowed.
The riots in London last year happened
around the time you were recording this
record. You wrote “World Upside Down” as a
reaction to that?
Of course it was something that touched me a lot,
having lived there. I’m very sensitive to those kinds of
things. But it wasn’t just that particular incident that
inspired the song. I write with myself in the center,
and echo the echoes of the people, what’s happening
globally. So that was just one of the incidents.
Your cover of The Clash’s “The Guns of
Brixton,” a song about the 1981 race riots,
also seems very timely. Do you see parallels
between then and now?
“Our Ship Is Sailing” is about your artistic
revitalization?
What was it like working with Tim Armstrong
as producer?
Absolutely, yes. And the album is about my
rebirth as an artist and as a man, and also about
the rebirth of the world—because I see that
we are coming into a new era of energy. There
was a song [from the 1967 musical Hair] called
“Aquarius,” and that was the dawning. Now we’re
actually coming to the living of it. I don’t go by
the Mayan calendar; I go by the calendar of the
Ancient Egyptians, who gave it to the Mayans.
But we’re going to come into a new time now, a
new energy.
It was inspiring working with Tim, because even
the sound of the album feels like we went back to
the ’60s and ’70s. I had forgotten about a lot of the
sounds and the instruments we used then, and we
brought that all back.
How do you feel about the idea of Zion now?
It seemed like a real hue and cry at one
time in reggae, but now you don’t hear it so
much, specifically. What does that mean to
you now?
Yeah, there seems to be a sort of “classic Jimmy
Cliff” sound on this record. You shunned using
a lot of the modern technology?
Well, Zion is a place of peace and tranquility. I
don’t know if we’ve ever really experienced that in
this life. But peace and tranquility is a place that
we can go to in our minds, it’s something we can
achieve. And when we spoke about Zion in those
songs, it was about Africa, which is the birthplace
of humanity. Yes, there was a time of peace and
tranquility that existed, and we do think that it’s
coming again. So even if we don’t use the word
“Zion,” we imply it with the positive feeling and
the positive message. F
Yeah, even what we were just talking about, the
riots and all. And not only in London…you know,
“Guns of Brixton” could be “Guns of Miami” now.
So, yeah, that’s the reason for re-recording these
kinds of songs.
Right. When I made my mark on the international
scene, there were many expectations placed on me,
especially in England. I kind of just left and went
to Muscle Shoals to record a completely different
kind of album. So there was a chapter of my career
that was incomplete. This album represents the
completion of that chapter. That’s why I went back.
BONITA PIETILA
And, later, the punk bands enthusiastically
cited you as an influence.
TIM ARMSTRONG WITH JIMMY CLIFF DURING THE RECORDING OF RE.BIRTH
32 filter good music guide
good music guide filter 33
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One-Liners:
a miniature take on selected Filter Magazine reviews
........................................................................................................................................
(Go to FILTERmagazine.com or pick up Filter Magazine’s Winter Issue for full reviews of these albums)
MARK LANEGAN BAND
Blues Funeral
4AD
92%
85%
BAHAMAS
Barchords
BRUSHFIRE
79%
To call The Wall a brilliant record is an
understatement so large that it dwarfs even
Roger Waters’ massive ego.
Lanegan’s graveled bellows, along with Gun
Club–esque self-deprecating rock and roll,
fill this album with every awful memory that
nostalgia seems to forget.
Its jangly chords and hushed vocals make this
album the musical equivalent to that arcade
game with the moving wall and teetering
quarters—it always comes this close.
ANDREW BIRD
Break It Yourself
MOM + POP
SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
Ghostory
VAGRANT
LA SERA
Sees the Light
HARDLY ART
90%
On first listen, there’s a thematic consistency—
water and death—but the album isn’t macabre
or melancholic, it’s actually rather joyful, and
that’s exactly where the beauty is.
SLEIGH BELLS
Reign of Terror
MOM + POP
87%
MIIKE SNOW
Happy To You
DOWNTOWN/UNIVERSAL
86%
36 filter good music guide
An album that’s self-assured, stunningly
produced and loaded with hooks, like
the blistering first track that sounds like a
more pop-oriented, melodically focused
Ladytron.
Katy Goodman makes music that plays like
punk’s answer to Beach Blanket Bingo: sundrunk melodies, easily sing-able choruses and
limited replayability.
NITE JEWEL
One Second of Love
SECRETLY CANADIAN
BOWERBIRDS
The Clearing
DEAD OCEANS
82%
76%
The album’s lazy disco backbeat and
Gonzalez’s immense vocals take the
insomniatic electro-pop out of the bedroom
and stick it on the corner of Sunset and Vine.
The most emotionally invested and musically
satisfying tracks aren’t about love and loss, but
rather, nature and animals—double rainbow,
anyone?
PLANTS AND ANIMALS
The End of That
SECRET CITY
LINDSTRØM
Six Cups of Rebel
SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND
80%
It’s a punchier and less cocaine-driven (bad
thing?) approach to the maple-flavored
country rock that made The Band and Neil
Young so good.
FILTER
ALBUM
RATINGS
The beautifully textured harmonies and
aquatic aura guide you across a melodic
landscape that distracts you from the sudden
drop into synthetic psychedelic bliss.
78%
91-100%
81-90%
71-80%
61-70%
below 60%
8
8
8
8
8
a great album
above par, below genius
respectable, but flawed
not in my CD player
please God, tell us why
ing Night
Open
2
Extremely loud, snarling and excited, it takes
the duo’s signature mash-up of ’80s metal
and ’50s girl-group and ’70s arena-rock
sensibilities and cranks it up to Adderalloverdose levels.
83%
L
PINK FLOYD
The Wall [Immersion box set]
EMI
01
2C
ANNE
T
S F ILM F ES
72%
The electro-pop overkill in this album puts it
somewhere between the Hackers soundtrack
and the Mortal Kombat theme song.
Starts Friday, May 25 in Select Theatres
A
IV
Music,
etc.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................
Jack White
Blunderbuss
THIRD MAN/COLUMBIA
90%
There are many schools of thought on this
Jack White person. Some had waited for him
to ditch Meg since day one, some prefer The Raconteurs,
others think he’s better producing and most bemoaned the
death of The White Stripes. Everyone’s going to be happy
with Blunderbuss. For one, it’s extremely personal. “Missing
Pieces,” the album opener, is a melancholy ride about the
dissolution of a relationship, the experience so visceral he
feels like he’s disappearing. It sets the tone for a rumination
on love and loss from all angles of White’s musical deck of
cards: Detroit, Nashville, Memphis, thumping riffs, scorching
fiddles, spiraling guitars. But it’s fun and fast, too: “Sixteen
Saltines” is an acid-laced Stripes recollection; “I’m Shakin’,”
a naughty Rudy Toombs cover. Each song is a surprise, all
stamped with White’s impossibly characteristic fingerprint. So
whatever it was you thought you’d miss, you won’t. Familiar
yet thrilling, Blunderbuss is a masterful introduction to a man
we’ve known all along. MARISSA R. MOSS
Sun Kil Moon
Among The Leaves
CALDO VERDE
87%
On Among The Leaves, Sun Kil Moon’s Mark
Kozelek revels in the succulent melancholy
of sad autumn evenings in the backseat, garlanded with the
shadow words of life’s heaviness, clearly woven by a master
of spiritual spelunking. Listen to the deep, goosebumpinducing desolation of “Elaine,” or the oil-painted generosity
of emotional detail in “Song for Richard Collopy,” and try not
to feel the grit sticking sweetly to your eyelids…or are those
tears? LOREN AUDA POIN
Norah Jones
Little Broken Hearts
BLUE NOTE/EMI
82%
Produced by Danger Mouse following their
collaboration on Rome last year, Norah Jones’
Little Broken Hearts could serve as Pt. 2, as we are treated
38 filter good music guide
to vintage sounds and Jones’ trite, ever pleasant crooning
again. Some songs only contain moments of magic from
the vocals, though (“She’s Only 22”); others are knock-out
wonderful, and untouchable by the lesser likes of Lana Del
Rey, et al. (“Miriam”). With Jones these days, you may not
know exactly what you’re getting, but you know it’s going to
be great. JON FALCONE
OFF!
OFF!
VICE
84%
It seems unfair to expect variance from the
16 minutes of OFF!’s first LP. But former
Black Flagger Keith Morris pushes his L.A. hardcore allstars through tempos that turn on a hairpin and beats his
exclamations into something like melody all over OFF!
(the caps, presumably, are for further emphasis). There
are precisely two guitar solos—one at the beginning, one
at the end—and the whole shebang ends with a cackle, a
feedback squeal and a scream. Old age should be so much
fun. MARTY SARTINI GARNER
Beach House
Bloom
SUB POP
88%
If Beach House’s last record was a teen dream,
this is an adult version: Bloom is a matured,
ethereal journey. It’s full of Victoria Legrand’s echoing
vocals, twinges of The Cure and songs where the mellow
haze never thwarts sophisticated hooks. Somehow, it all
manages to evoke both David Bowie’s Labyrinth soundtrack
and ’80s riffs way prettier than ones actually produced by the
decade (but just as familiar). Legrand and bandmate Alex
Scally have said Bloom was built as a complete album in a
world of singles, and it feels so; the whole thing unfolds like a
continual story, each song playing off the next. At times, a bit
too much—they can bleed into each other indistinctly—but
maybe that’s the point. Stellar tracks like “Lazuli,” “Other
People” and “Myth” will have you both hypnotized and dizzy
while singing along—your poor neighbors: Legrand’s voice is
a one and only. MARISSA R. MOSS
video game
Kinect Star Wars
XBOX 360
MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS
71%
If you’re looking for a hardcore Star Wars
experience, look elsewhere. But if you’re
looking for an intro to Star Wars for
friends, kids or house party-goers, Kinect
Star Wars provides an apt enough experience. Whether
on-rails fighting, having an—ahem—intergalactic
dance-off or pod-racing with motion controls, casual
players have various options for fun. Core fans of the
Star Wars universe should, however, play something
else in a galaxy far, far away. ZACH ROSENBERG
Light Asylum
Light Asylum
MEXICAN SUMMER
84%
In a sea of hipster twee, NYC’s Light Asylum
(along with Toronto’s Trust) seem intent on
bringing the muscle. Their self-titled debut opens with the
steamrolling deesko-industrial of “Hour Fortress” and the
deliciously titled “Pope Will Roll,” recalling both the cold brutality
of Front 242 and the anarchic debauchery of Virgin Prunes.
Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello trade banshee vocals like
mongeese in heat. Occasional sonic-melodic nods to Kraftwerk
and Ultravox provide elegant respite from the relentless stomp.
A masterpiece of feral futurism. KEN SCRUDATO
Nick Waterhouse
Time’s All Gone
INNOVATIVE LEISURE
84%
Outfitted with booming brass, vibrant backing
vocals and more, Nick Waterhouse’s debut
sounds as if it was spinning at 45 revolutions per minute.
While his voice gets overpowered by the sheer energy of
this ’60s soul revival at times, Waterhouse lets loose a heldout note or a fervent wail to let you know he’s got the chops.
Time’s All Gone takes you back in the day and pulls you into
the moment all at once. CLARE R. LOPEZ
39 filter good music guide
Diamond Rugs
Diamond Rugs
PARTISAN
89%
From the first hit of the drum on “Hightail,” it is
instantly clear that John McCauley’s indie-rock
supergroup experiment is a success. Pulling from his own band
Deer Tick as well as Black Lips, Los Lobos, Dead Confederate
and Six Finger Satellite, McCauley’s ragtag sextet strips rock
down to the basics: raw voices, vulgar lyrics, heavy guitars, loud
drums and one essential organ. This ain’t no Chickenfoot; this is
the really really real deal. BAILEY PENNICK
Here We Go Magic
A Different Ship
SECRETLY CANADIAN
83%
Here We Go Magic’s third LP feels like a call
to creative arms, with songwriter Luke Temple
steering by example. As in the case of its predecessors, A
Different Ship is keen to stow multiple genres, ebbing along
with schools of flying Phish (“Make Up Your Mind”) and
flowing over crests smooth enough to make out radio static
(“Over the Ocean”)—everything from turquoise to cadet blue.
The thesis rears up on “I Believe in Action,” with its show-don’ttell demand: “Don’t imagine anything at all.” KYLE MacKINNEL
Simian Mobile Disco
Unpatterns
WICHITA
77%
Grand
expectations
often
lead
to
disappointment. But with Simian Mobile
Disco, having high hopes isn’t exactly out of order. As a followup to 2010’s sinister compilation Delicacies, Unpatterns stands
decidedly in a shadow. The repulsive glory that was the video
to “Sweetbread” may never again be attained, but that’s not
an excuse for the pallid “Seraphim” as this album’s single. It
sounds less like an electronic order of angels, and more like
Layo & Bushwacka!, surprisingly. KENDAH EL-ALI
Ramona Falls
Prophet
BARSUK
80%
Brent Knopf is mad as hell and—wait, that’s
not right. On Knopf’s second album as
Ramona Falls, the ex-Menomena member wipes away much
of his previous outfit’s underlying angst for an outing that’s
a surprisingly optimistic take on his trademark jazz-fueled
rock. There are still hints of ennui bubbling to the surface.
“Sqworm” includes one of his most furious guitar pieces to
date, where Knopf proves he doesn’t have to shout to get us
to feel his pain. LAURA STUDARUS
PLIN! PLAN! CLING! You hear that? No,
that’s not your drunk neighbor tumbling
down the staircase−that’s bebop! At least
that’s how Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba imagine it
in their print adaptation of Chico & Rita. I’ve never seen the
film and although I nearly bought the DVD from some guy
in a flower shop, I thought to myself: A, that’s illegal and B,
why not see if this book can hold its own? Unfortunately,
folks, it does not. Without a CD or flexi-disc of bebop
accompaniment, this book is simply a Disney fairytale with
dark nipples and Cuban cigars. ALEJANDRO RUBIO
40 filter good music guide
Bright Eyes
Fevers and Mirrors [reissue]
SADDLE CREEK
85%
Unlike anything else you’ll hear in metal’s
sludge subgenre, Torche songs are
unabashedly merry—and mercifully succinct. Forget
headtrips: With the Miami foursome, it’s all about immediacy
over introspection and boogying over brooding. Fans will
forgive them for taking four years to craft their third stab
of slabs, given its potency. Cheers to Torche for proving a
heavy-rock band can be optimistic and sincere—without
sacrificing any of the edge. KURT ORZECK
video game
graphic novel
Chico & Rita
Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba
73%
SELFMADEHERO
Torche
Harmonicraft
VOLCOM
Diablo III
PC
BLIZZARD
90%
One of the most anticipated PC games
in history, Diablo III differs from its
predecessors in many ways, including a new skill system
and an in-game auction house that operates on realworld cash. The isometric-view hack-n-slash gameplay,
however, is still intact and raging. Developers promise
each run-through will be unique thanks to randomized
dungeons and loot, and more content will be patched on
later to create the most ultimate action-RPG experience.
ZACH ROSENBERG
77%
Hooray to Saddle Creek for re-releasing a series
of early Bright Eyes records this year, with 2000’s
Fevers and Mirrors as its angsty cherry on top. But even though
it’s now in a two-LP package, there aren’t really any extra bells and
whistles to speak of. What it does offer is a chance to listen to a
boy on the verge: well before Conor Oberst became a monster of
folk, he was suffering monster demons that came through in the
quivers and screams of Fevers, particularly on songs like the nowclassic “Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh,” and “Something Vague.”
We bet Oberst doesn’t like reliving his torment, but we sure do
sometimes...although it’d have been nice to get something extra
for our troubles. All this angst ain’t cheap. MARISSA R. MOSS
Father John Misty
Fear Fun
SUB POP
83%
Fear Fun is Josh Tillman’s first record as a
former Fleet Fox, and while the hallmarks of
his old group punctuate some songs (“O I Long to Feel Your
Arms Around Me”), the L.A. transplant is clearly in his own
water. Though his vocal melodies sometimes plod into singsongy melancholia, Tillman breathes into his arrangements,
transforming the terse opening of “Nancy From Now On”
into a neo-soul wonderland, and distinguishing himself as
more than a back-row howler. MARTY SARTINI GARNER
Lower Dens
Nootropics
RIBBON
82%
Jana Hunter’s vocal aura and musical vision
continue to grow before our ears. The icy
majesty of opener “Alphabet Song” delivers an instant
gravitas that brings Victoria Legrand to mind (appropriately,
Teen Dream producer Chris Coady has recorded Hunter
multiple times). Largely favoring grayscale tones and
sedated sentiment, Lower Dens’ highs achieve with an
understated ability to evoke emotion; “Brains” oozes a hook
instead of pushing one, and “Lamb” floats out of the ashes.
All is proof that there’s much to be discovered in darkness.
KYLE MacKINNEL
Marissa Nadler
The Sister
BOX OF CEDAR
78%
The Sister is Marissa Nadler’s sixth fulllength album. It’s the companion to her 2011
eponymous LP, which was funded through Kickstarter. Here,
the Boston songwriter reaches far beyond the precincts
of Americana grassroots. The electronic experiments
introduced on Little Hells continue to bloom and her
character building is peerless. Nadler’s songs don’t just
center on cowed waifs or the paralysis of grief anymore; she
wears her poise like a lustrous badge. KYLE LEMMON
George Sarah
Who Sleep the Sleep of Peace
PUSAN
77%
Blending
together
synthesizers
and
string arrangements is no simple task.
But as an experienced electronic composer and multi-
instrumentalist, George Sarah knows how to pull the
unlikely pairing of these sonic spheres off. Although this
combination is organic on Who Sleep the Sleep of Peace, the
album as a whole is unbalanced. Certain songs are at odds
with the overall tone (“I Know Trees”) and sparse vocal
contributions feel out of place on this largely instrumental
effort. CLARE R. LOPEZ
dvd
Shame
FOX SEARCHLIGHT
85%
Director Steve McQueen’s latest film is
an eye-opening story of addiction and
trauma, plain and simple. While drug
and alcohol addiction films are a dime
a dozen, Shame delves deep into the inner workings
of a full-blown sex addict. Michael Fassbender goes
all out in his brilliant portrayal of Brandon, an addict
trying desperately to hold it together while satisfying
his craving for anything sexual. With the addition
of his uninvited sister (Carey Mulligan), who is as
emotionally damaged as he is, Brandon goes on a
destructive bender that rivals anything from a needle.
Shame earned its NC-17 rating proudly, by having
none. BAILEY PENNICK
Horse Feathers
Cynic’s New Year
KILL ROCK STARS
82%
The moniker “Horse Feathers” seems to
fit the music of Justin Ringle and Nathan
Crockett’s latest album pretty well: wispy ornamentation
disguising the uneasy power beneath. Lighthearted
melodies and delicate instrumentations mask Cynic’s
New Year’s darker lyrics, adding a layer of complexity that
requires multiple listens. Following the fear that comes
with the realization you are powerless against your own
aging, the album allows us to approach the terrifying ideas
of the uncontrollable with the gentle hand-holding of
Americana. BAILEY PENNICK
Zambri
House of Baasa
KANINE
79%
As Teutonic etherea goes, many have
searched for the elusive midpoint between
the mystical menace of Siouxsie and the recondite romance
of Cocteau Twins. New York’s Zambri do quite well in
this endeavor, their enigmatically titled House of Baasa
coming on like something from the deepest vaults of 4AD.
Gorgeous tracks are as eerie as they are sonically cosseting,
all weirdly effected electronics and gossamer vocals
(“Hundred Hearts,” “From An Angle”). This is music for
staring at Venetian Gothic architecture. KEN SCRUDATO
Teen Daze
All Of Us, Together
LEFSE 82%
The image on the cover of All of Us, Together,
the first full-length from Teen Daze, depicts
two swimsuited young men diving eagerly through the hazy
atmosphere of a purple-blue M-Class planet. The expansive,
electronic tracks here gathered are just such a jump—a
floating-through of glassy, strange-colored airs. This record
is not out to shatter you; its aim, rather, is to fuel your night
drive through the dusky electronic corridors of sun-warmed
youth. LOREN AUDA POIN
ALL WE HAVE
IS NOW
the fling x ezekiel
W W W. E Z E K I E L U S A . C O M / W W W. T H E F L I N G. U S
42 filter good music guide
good music guide filter 43
book
The Littlest Birds Sing the Prettiest Songs
Jennie Smith
84%
CHRONICLE
Every once in a while, we want to
turn the pages of a book just to see
something pleasant to look at. This urge
doesn’t die with the end of childhood; it just gets buried.
Jennie Smith’s illustrations of classic and contemporary
folk music songs are a perfect compromise between
worthwhile content and lovely drawings to please all the
senses. The inclusion of the lyrics with the guitar chords
is a wonderful bonus. BAILEY PENNICK
Young Man
Vol. 1
FRENCHKISS
74%
For reasons only he can explain, singersongwriter Colin Caulfield has fully
embraced the narrative associations of his last name,
going so far as to perform under the moniker Young Man
and devote himself to a trilogy of LPs exploring the last
days of youth and the prospect of oncoming adulthood.
On Vol. 1, part two of the proposed cycle, Caulfield
continues to showcase some seriously well-crafted shifts
between proggy meandering movements and pop hooks.
He’s clearly no phony. MIKE HILLEARY
Like Pioneers
Oh, Magic
ABANDONED LOVE
80%
On their first album, Like Pioneers presented
a decent selection of Chicago indie rock,
despite getting together and recording in just a few days.
On their sophomore effort, that initial chemistry has
evolved into a fuller, more realized sound as well as more
focused songwriting. Hooks abound from start to finish,
and it’s a band whose love of music carries through thusly,
giving Oh, Magic an exuberance that’s pretty infectious.
JEFFREY BROWN
Choir of Young Believers
Rhine Gold
GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
81%
“Melancholy” is a good word to begin a
discussion of Choir of Young Believers’
sophomore album Rhine Gold…but it doesn’t tell the
whole story. Expanding on the theatrical tendencies of
its reverb-drenched debut This Is For the White in Your
Eyes, the darks are darker, but there are also lighter lights.
“Paint New Horrors” breaks from the album’s orchestral
pop tendencies for a swinging 1970s-flavored refrain where
leadman Jannis Noya Makrigiannis’ mournful voice doesn’t
just resonate—it soars. LAURA STUDARUS
CFCF
Exercises
PAPER BAG
76%
CFCF is the stage name for Montreal DJ/
producer Mike Silver. He took his moniker
from the call sign of the city’s CFCF-TV. As such, his
promising debut, 2009’s Continent, resembled a delightful
channel surfing between assorted genres. His latest release,
Exercises, is a downcast and reflective paean for the ’70s
underground. The chamber-piano infused into these eight
experiments is sometimes utterly heartrending—those
pulsating synthesizers sound like they could pump blood
and breathe oxygen. Break glass in case of emergency.
KYLE LEMMON
blu-ray
Being John Malkovich
CRITERION
88%
Malkovich! Malkovich! Malkovich! It’s time
to once again go behind the filing cabinet
and get your own 15 minutes of…well…
Malkovich. The mesmerizing dark fantasycomedy from Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman is finally
where it belongs: in the Criterion Collection. Failed
puppeteer Craig Schwartz (Cusack), stuck in a loveless
marriage to Lotte (Cameron Diaz), develops a crush on a
coworker (Catherine Keener). This seemingly mundane
plot takes a turn when Schwartz uncovers a hidden door
in which he can briefly experience the mind of actor
John Malkovich and subsequently becomes mad with
envy and power. Describing it as sick and brilliant doesn’t
do the film justice enough, but the special features will!
Highlights include a conversation between Malkovich
and John Hodgman, and (most excitingly) from within the
film: “American Arts & Culture Presents: John Horatio
Malkovich, Dance of Dispair and Disillusionment.” You
won’t mind getting dropped onto the New Jersey Turnpike
for this. BAILEY PENNICK
Sarah Jaffe
The Body Wins
KIRTLAND
84%
Who the sweet fuck is Sarah Jaffe? On her
mesmerizing third album, The Body Wins,
she doesn’t seem too concerned with easy answers—only with
dizzying studio finesse and bitch-slapping eclecticism. “Paul”
is a slow-burning quiet storm of orchestral flourishes; the title
track layers fragments of tribal rhythms, jazz piano, funky brass
stabs and gurgling electronics. She outdoes herself with the
spooky, sultry “Hooray for Love,” which sounds like Norah
Jones during a sonic hangover. RYAN REED
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