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THE INDIE ROCK BLOG
The Indie Rock Blog is a collection of Sugartune Artist News and entries from our friends at the Rock and Roll Report. If sweet, sugartunes are stirring in your soul, keep your soul stirred with a subscription to our news feed. 
It looks like Johnny Depp has gotten his wish and Keith Richards has signed on to the two upcoming “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequels as his father according to Arrow FM. Now how perfect is that! All they need to add is Hunter Thompson as the lecherous island governor and all will be complete.
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This looks pretty cool. Lee from Dionysus Records posted this to the Club Au GoGo Yahoo group:
Cinespia and Hollywood Forever present:
An Evening of Experimental Film Shorts from the Psychedelic Era
A Benefit for Film Restoration and the Iota Center
Saturday October 9th
Gates at 6:00 Films at Sundown
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Boulevard at Gower
No reservation necessary
$10 Admission Tickets available at gate
Please join us for this special night of visual music, a program of mind-expanding work by 1960sWest Coast experimental film artists. Hand picked by Cinespia¹s David Hollander, these abstract animated films are profound, beautiful and inescapably psychedelic.
Among these rarely screened jewels is James Whitney’s “Lapis,” created entirely with intricate hand-drawn dot patterns intended to activate the psychic forces of the mind, as well as Scott Bartlett¹s “OFFON,” a psychedelic metamorphosis of film and video. Also included is “Cycles” by legendary Bay area filmmakers Jordan Belson and Stephen Beck, as well as hypnotic works by Don Fox, Adam Beckett, Pat O’Neill, and Jean Painleve. Bring cocktails, blankets and picnic dinner for this rare screening beneath the stars.
DJ John Wyatt spins a psychedelic set before and after the screening. Proceeds will benefit film restoration and Iota Ceneter
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I just picked up the classic This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) on DVD for 10 bucks Canadian and reveled once again in the music of the boys from Squatney. The brilliance in this film is that it is played completely seriously as if Spinal Tap was a legitimate rock and roll band. There are legendary tales of people thinking that it was in fact a documentary of an actual band and apparently, Iron Maiden felt that it was a direct attack on them!
After enjoying Spinal Tap I had to get out the only other film that could possibly compete. The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash is a brilliant parody of The Beatles with a soundtrack that is not only brilliant but contains songs that can almost stand up to those of the masters themselves. Even if you are not a Monty Python fan you will no doubt agree that with The Rutles, Eric Idle helped to create a masterpiece of rock and roll parody.
Rock and Roll is as much a farce as it is an art form and these two films are both. Highly recommended.
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I have been searching for a copy of The T.A.M.I. show for years and I have finally found it at 5 Minutes To Live. To say this was a legendary show is to under-estimate the influence the Teen-Age Music International Show. Featuring Chuck Berry, The Supremes, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, The Barbarians and The Rolling Stones with Brian Jones in all his glory, this is rock and roll history and it deserves to be seen again and again. Very cool.
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Check out the schedule for the Sound Unseen Film and Music Festival coming October 1st - 10th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Featuring “rare films about independent music” Sound Unseen is in its 5th year of operation and is getting stronger every year. There are some really cool films to look forward to including “End of the Century: The Ramones,” “Paul Westerberg: Come Feel Me Tremble” and “Edgeplay: A Film About The Runaways” making this a film festival worthy of your time. Check it out if you can and report back on all the fun.
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For all you B-movie buffs today is a sad day indeed as legendary director Russ Meyer has passed away at age 82. R.I.P. Russ. Thanks for the mammaries, I mean memories!
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Sick and tired of the usual music video crap playing on your TV? Looking for something edgier, more interesting and definitely not boring? Then check out the 3rd annual IMVF, the Indie Music Video Festival taking place in New York City September 16 and 17th. Forty plus international videos, special documentary screenings and a bunch of other events make this look like it could be a blast. They are also planning concurrent screenings in Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Toronto, New York and all over North America. Check it out if you can.
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For those of you interested in seeing The Ramones’ documentary “End of the Century” Aversion lists upcoming dates as the following:
Aug. 20 - Angelika Film Center, Manhattan, N.Y.
Aug. 27 - Landmark Act 1 and 2 Cinemas, Berkeley, Calif.
Aug. 27 - Landmark Lumiere 3, San Francisco
Sept. 3 - Landmark Kendall Square, Cambridge, Mass.
Sept. 10 - Landmark Nuart Theater, Los Angeles
Sept. 17 - Landmark E-Street Cinema, Washington, D.C.
Oct. 8 - Starz Film Center, Denver
Oct. 29 - Landmark Varsity Theater, Seattle
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You know I do think that it is cool that Live Aid is coming to DVD. At least now I can fast forward past that God-awful ending with Lionel Ritchie and the “performance” by Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Yeesh! Great cause though.
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The always enjoyable Alexis Petridis of The Guardian ponders this very question in 24 Hour Party People. While a bit too soon to declare “Dig!”, “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” and “Mayor of Sunset Strip” a renaissance, he does make the point that films like “Dig!” are not only great but are less likely to be made in this day and age of record company PR people looking to the art form as merely another promotional puff piece. The list of the great unreleased and rarely seen rock documentaries at the end of the article is worth the read alone.
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After 5 years the excellent Mods & Rockers film festival is taking a one year sabbatical but will be back in 2005 “bigger and better.” While it’s unfortunate that there will be no festival this year it’s nice to know that there will be something to look forward to in 2005. A great event that is not to be missed. In the meantime, browse their site archives for a taste of what they have done in the past. Enjoy.
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If you like dark, quirky movies about the seamy underbelly of rock and roll, they don’t get much better than Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains(1982). Starring Diane Lane and Laura Dern, and featuring wonderful performances by The Tubes’ Fee Waybill and Vince Welnick as washed up, burned out members of a has-been band called the Metal Corpses (shades of Spinal Tap), Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains chronicles the rise, fall, and ultimate (sort-of) redemption of a group of girl rockers who, with more anger and attitude than musical talent, suddenly become rock and roll sensations. It’s a tale rife with all the betrayal, egos run amok, and commercial selling-out that have unfortunately plagued the rock and roll scene from the beginning. While it’s not a happy movie, it’s smart, entertaining, and full of colorful, believable characters.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains also features members of the Sex Pistols and The Clash in roles as British punk rockers, as well as a brief appearance by Brent Spiner before he found fame as Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The main problem with it is that it’s almost impossible to find at the big commercial DVD/video rental chains and is almost never shown on TV.
For a detailed review and some interesting background info, check out this piece at the Bright Lights Film Journal.
I might have mentioned The Video Beat in a past post but if you didn’t get your chance to check them out do so. They have the greatest selection of Rock and Roll films from the 1950s and ’60s that I have ever seen. Stuff that I have never even heard of! A real “groovy” blast from the past. Fantastic stuff for the fan and collector alike.
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The second annual Don’t Knock the Rock Film Festival is set to take place August 13-15, 2004 in Los Angeles and they are looking for short film submissions. “In 2004, we are accepting films in two genres…. the short rock and roll film (both narrative and documentary) and “lost” footage of garage bands dating back to the ‘60s and ‘70s entitled IN YOUR GARAGE!.” All the details can be found at the above link. If you are a budding film maker looking for some exposure, I can think of no better place to do it than Don’t Knock the Rock. Hollywood, here you come!
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Chad Kempfert over at About.Com has an excellent guide to Punk on Film that will warm the cockles of your body-pierced heart. There is definitely more to punk on film than “The Great Rock and Roll Swindle”! Check it out.
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The latest updates to Making Time have hit the web and they feature a great review of the classic Who film “The Kids Are Alright (Special Edition).” I will never forget the first time I saw this film (on a double-header bill with “Echoes” by Pink Floyd!). Seeing Keith Moon at his maniacal best blew me away and convinced me to take up the drums, and look at me now! (much sarcasm intended). A great rock and roll film by a truly legendary rock and roll band. Gotta get it.
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I’m starting to feel like the Hugh Hefner of rock and roll! Current media darlings Franz Ferdinand will be joining BRMC, Super Furry Animals and The Dandy Warhols in scoring the “porn” flick Nine Songs according to Drowned in Sound. I’m telling ya porn is going mainstream which I kind of wonder about but at least the soundtracks are getting better.
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There is an excellent article over at Salon about the documentary “The Brian Epstein Story” directed by Anthony Wall called The Underground Beatle (you will have to watch an ad before you read the article but it’s worth it) which you should check out, even if you’re not a Beatles fan. I have never seen it but I definitely will be keeping my eye out for it.
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If you are interested in a wild, psychedelic cinematic trip and happen to be in the San Diego Area, you just might be interested in checking out a showing of that ‘60s classic Captain Milkshake. “Love can happen when you’re free” indeed. Fun stuff.
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Read about this on Coolfer. The Gothamist has an interesting post going debating Jeremy Drysdale’s article in The Independent called The Top Ten Films about music. I’m kind of surprised that A Hard Day’s Night is not in there but This is Spinal Tap is so that’s OK but Cabaret? I don’t know, I think The Rose would kick her ass!
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If you are a fan of the good Doctor Hunter S. Thompson who in my opinion is the literary equivalent of Keith Richards, then you might want to order your very own copy of the excellent DVD Breakfast with Hunter. It’s all true ladies and gentlemen. Just remember, “when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” Words to live by.
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That’s right. Dig out the old flannel shirts and Mudhoney albums because grunge will be making a comeback as soon as “Last Days” hits the silver screen. Brad Pitt will be involved in making a film based roughly on the early ‘90s Seattle rock scene. First the fashion, then the reunions will hit. It was great at the time but let’s hope we are not in for another “revival”! If we are then the “post-grunge” revival will follow right after and it was depressing enough the first time around. Please Billy Corgan, don’t get any bright ideas!
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If you’re looking for something rock and roll to watch this weekend on the DVD then any one of the choices featured in Films about rock ‘n roll will strike a chord (or three) over at USA Today will give you a nice rock and roll fix. Rent all three and fire up the popcorn maker!
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Picture a time when radio had personality, when it comprised of DJs who programmed their own music and dared to be different. Who lived and breathed rock and roll and were loved for it. Picture a DJ who introduced the masses of LA to Blondie, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Van Halen, The Go Gos, The Bangles, Joan Jett…ahh the list just goes on and on. Who am I talking about you ask? Well none other than the “Prince of Pop” Rodney Bingenheimer. Rodney is an old school disc jockey which means he actually programs cool music that he likes as opposed to some corporation dictating what he should play. The man is a rock and roll legend and there is a movie coming out March 26 that celebrates all his wonderful rock and roll success and excess. Called “The Mayor of Sunset Strip” it promises to be another excellent example of a great rock and roll documentary, especially since it’s directed by George Hickenlooper who was responsible for the excellent “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmakers Apocalypse” a documentary that threatened to be even better than the film it was supposed to be documenting (Apocalypse Now). Not only does the film look cool but check out the soundtrack! Everybody from Brian Wilson and The Byrds to The Ramones, Alice Cooper and Blur make this one cool soundtrack. I’m looking forward to seing this, especially after checking out the excellent companion website. It’s a shame that mainstream radio is just not this cool anymore.
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Creature
Moonshine Orchestra
The Snitches