Engineer's Daughter

matokie mix 02.23.14

mix

laughing and shining

 

I adore Frances Ha with my whole heart.  I first watched it right after I got back from London last year, whilst the victim of an ornery European cold and tremendous jet lag, and it instantly became my Favorite Film of 2013.  I've seen it many more times in the few months since, including this week when I needed to feel some glimmers of hope.  I have very much enjoyed many of Noah Baumbach's other films, but this one is something special.  I completely attribute its magic to Greta Gerwig: both her star-making turn as the title character in the film itself and the fact that she co-wrote the script with Baumbach.  The film is perfectly shot and edited too, with a joyous energy that carries the viewer along even when the going for Frances gets a little rough.  And last but definitely not least it paints such a wonderfully accurate portrait of the complexity and beauty of modern friendships amongst members of all sexes.  It's sad that it's such a rarity, but I love that the center of the film is not a standard Hollywood romance but rather the relationship between Frances and her best friend Sophie.  Suffice it to say Frances Ha passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors.

longshot

Grace Sings Sludge Longshot (self-released)

Grace Sings Sludge is a project by Grace Cooper of The Sandwitches, and you will be instantly hooked on her dark and intimate vocals.  I got a ton of calls when I played this on my show a couple weeks back and instructed people to run-don't-walk to Aquarius if they wanted a copy as there are only 20 in existence.  For those who appreciate these things like I do: the 7" itself is a piece of clear square vinyl that has been lathe-cut, which makes it really noisy when you play it, which I love.  Cooper also drew and colored each one of the covers individually, so you get original art along with your gorgeous music. 

crural

Emeryville.  September 30, 2007.

flashes of lightning

show 294

playlist

yes, i'm still on hold

 

At a mere hour and a half Punch-Drunk Love is the shortest film Paul Thomas Anderson has made.  I rewatched it this week for the first time since its 2002 release with both Valentine's Day and Philip Seymour Hoffman's recent death on my mind.  Hoffman remains an undeniable highlight of the film for me, and the trailer above includes my favorite scene of his (hint: "Shut up!").  Of course it was Adam Sandler who got all the press back in the day for taking on a role so different than his usual goofball personae, as his character Barry Egan is a very uncomfortable hero indeed.  The love story between Barry and Lena (a spot-on Emily Watson) is an odd one too, though Anderson seems to be saying: it's rather unbelievable that any two people find each other, isn't it, so why not these two?  Punch-Drunk Love is Anderson's fairy tale, albeit one set in the relatively unattractive realm of phone sex lines and Sherman Oaks warehouses, and he throws in everything including lens flares and tricky camera work and Jeremy Blake's luminous interstitial video art pieces to heighten the sense of fantasy.  The film is not a complete success, but it certainly has its share of moments both touching and funny.  And there's really nothing else like it.

karnival

Tellusian Scania (Pillowscars)

Matokie loves the metal, as I am fond of saying on my show, and the sludgier the better.  These guys hail from Sweden, that magical land where awesome metal bands grow on trees, and their sound is pure grind but still with a touch of the melodic.  First-rate 7" cover art too.  Keep a sharp eye out for their first full-length Collision out soon here in early 2014.

waldo

Voodoo Doughnut, Portland.  May 5, 2007.

go see this

Courtesy of Kronos Quartet

Through February 14 - Kronos at 40: Instruments from the Collection at The Thing Quarterly.  They might have a new space in the Tenderloin (right next to Ever Gold!), but I'm happy to report The Thing Quarterly's tradition of displaying collections on Luke Bartels's beautiful shelves continues with this exhibition pulled from the archives of Kronos Quartet.  As one would expect from Kronos their definition of musical instrument is fantastically inclusive: "Spoiler Alert: a stuffed hamster toy sings, 'I want to be a cowboy.'"

 

Terry Berlier

Through February 15 - Terry Berlier: Erased Loop Random Walk at the San Jose Institute for Contemporary Art.  Well worth the drive down to Silicon Valley, Berlier's art melds the analog and the technological in delightful ways.  That contraption pictured above is actually a playable instrument, and also don't miss the piece in the back hallway, I would not change it, that is a heartfelt tribute to her great aunt Ceil.

 

Genevieve Quick

Through February 16 - Genevieve Quick: Vertical Vistas at Royal NoneSuch Gallery.  A fave local artist at a fave Oakland gallery.  Quick does nothing less than completely subvert traditional representations of landscape by rendering them vertical instead of horizontal.  As an added treat the exhibition includes documentation of every aspect of her process, including the "Vertigraphy" apparatus she used to create some of her images.  Her chosen location of Death Valley made the show extra-resonant for me too, as I've spent much quality time there myself.  It's a place that definitely bends space and perspective in magical ways.