CATCHING UP

So I've been gone for a while so here's what's been happening.

First of all, The Manitoban did a profile for my show on umfm today. It's okay. I'm certain that I never said a couple of those quotes, and they make it seem like I don't like doing the Alberta Report with Kristen Epp WHICH ISN'T THE CASE. All in all I appreciate the enthusiasm they had about the show, and their willingness to profile it.

A couple of weeks ago I went to see Akron/Family which I have been anticipating for months. The show was really good. The bassist had severe broncitus and couldn't scream like he apparently usually does (this resulted in a somewhat uninspired acoustic version of "Raise the Sparks"). The show started with the bass player explaining how the show was going to consist of 'loud parts and quiet parts.' Which it did. The whole evening was a counterplay between quiet four part harmonies and full out noise and was really enjoyable. They seemed to hit their peak during the first few songs and then just played on cruise control after that which was a bit dissapointing. It seems like the individuals in the band have really taken their project to heart as, just like their songs, they themselves seemed on the verge of utter collapse. All in all the show was good, not as good as I had anticipated, but still good.

The Gunshy play the Pyramid on Saturday for a whopping $4.99. Fans of Tom Waits and Nick Cave Rejoice!

Destroyer, Band of Horses and Devendra Banhart have been added to the already kickin' Pitchfork Music Festival lineup. Now the festival just needs a few artists not so 'indie' friendly to add to the bill (some Ariel Pink or Kate Bush would be nice, but doubtful). I got my ticket yesterday, and you should get yours.

Anywho, that's all for me know.

YET AGAIN ANOTHER UNWORTHY WINNER!


Fortunately I was out yesterday evening so I didn't have the time to watch the Oscars, but from what I heard it was not worth the time (with the exception of John Stewert and 3-6 Mafia). FRICK, CRASH? Why on earth would that horrible movie win. Crash is nothing more than a over-produced pro-american movie trying to mask itself as some remarkable revolutionary 'alternative' film. Sure the movie is right to say 'I'm sorry Michael Jackson, it DOES matter if you're black and white.' But didn't we already know this? Also, how could a movie that is so blatantly laking of any subtlety win best picture? 'Crash' is far too obvious, far too predictable to every be considered worthy of the praise it has received. Where is the mystery? Where are the hidden layers? Unfortunately they have been placed by a series of cliched characters and moments. Racists cops ... who would have thought? Racism in Los Angeles ... No way? Racist cop ends up saving a black women from a scary fire ... I can't believe it. If 'Crash' would of carried with it an ounce of the creativity and subtlety of both 'Brokeback Mountain' and 'Captote' it would have been at least a decent movie. Maybe this shouldn't come as a surprised since Haggis' only other directing claim to fame is the equally annoying television show 'Due South'.

Movies are good only is so far as they are able to point to new possibilities of which we are not yet capable of grasping. Movies like 'Brokeback Mountain', 'Capote', 'Downfall' and especially 'A History of Violence' do just this for a variety of reasons. 'Crash', eventhough at first glance appears to, doesn't. Rather than asking the more difficult question 'has racism become a necessity in our society' or look at how tolerance in effect perpetuates racism (racism isn't stopped simply by ignoring our differences and pretending to get along) it says 'look, racism is still out there. Let's become more tolerant of each other and stop it.' This is why Haggis could say in is victory speech yesterday 'thank you for embracing our film about love, tolerance and truth.' As a result 'Crash' does nothing more than justify the American Psychi.

I know this sounds harsh, and if you happened to like 'Crash' all the power to you. I'm just getting worried about how the Oscars are slowly becoming less about awarding good cinema and more about awarding those directors who make it easier for us to live out the 'American Dream.'