“Sarah Palin’s Alaska” (Season 1, episode 1: “Mama Grizzly,” TLC)

These days TLC is overrun with obscenely large families, bizarre cakes, and police women battling odd criminals.  Now TLC is adding an equally as absurd eight week special about a maverick, grizzly ma from Alaska to their lineup. The ex-vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, already has her own book and correspondence gig with Fox but is now adding a TV show to her resume. Whether Palin got the show to get more political support or to denounce rumors about her family is unclear, but either way the show fails to keep the viewer interested.

The overplayed commercials promised a look into the everyday life of the Palin family who in reality barely spend time with one another. Palin graciously invites the viewer into her bear skin rugged, moose head filled home in Wasilla, Alaska but her family isn’t anywhere to be found. The first half of the hour long episode showed Palin, her husband, Todd, and youngest daughter, Piper, going on a salmon fishing trip. While on the plane ride into “Bear Country,” Plain spends more time interacting with her phone than her family. Piper even mentions how Palin is “addicted to her blackberry.” No familial bonding occurred on the plane ride and once the family got out onto the lake things didn’t change. As expected, a few bears showed up while the family tried to enjoy fishing. Afterwards, Piper expressed her enthusiasm for the bears but never thanked or said I love you to her family. {{Huddling in fear must count as familial bonding in the Palin household because Sarah couldn’t stop talking about it.}}

The second half of the episode the Palin family was going to climb a small part of Mt. McKinely together but Palin’s teenage daughter, Willow, decided not to go, Piper was too young, and Bristol was nowhere to be found. Only Palin and her eerily silent husband scaled the mountain. Palin mentions several times before getting to the mountain that she’s afraid of heights. Predictably, Palin begins complaining about her phobia while climbing. Her whining gets a full fifteen minutes of air time but the poor guide had to put up with it for forty five.

As the commercials foretold, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” is meant to be about family but Palin also incorporates her politics into the show. One of the first issues mentioned was the Palin’s new neighbor, who is writing a book about the family. The Palin’s built a fifteen foot fence so their neighbor couldn’t spy on them but Plain inserts her politics into the situation by saying, “This what we should be doing to our borders.” Throughout the program Palin can’t seem to separate political life from her family life.

Even if the viewer enjoys hearing Palin babble on about her political standpoint and how great her family is, besides seeing some bears fight nothing really happens.  The show fills the hour with aerial landscape shots that would have more meaning if shown on the Discovery channel. All the while, uplifting music fools the viewer into thinking something is going to happen, but besides Palin whining nothing ever does.

The Palin’s make for dull tour guides through the state that Palin “loves like she loves her family,” but she claims, “I’d rather be doing this than be in some stuffy political office. I’d rather be out here being free.” Well if you insist Mrs. Palin, just don’t bring the camera crew with you.

De Colores by Juan Pacheco, 2007, Labamba Print

Ten pairs of eyes stare across the white room of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, capturing the interest of any passersby. The eyes are a part of a series of photographs entitled De Colores by Juan Pacheco. Though it is the only piece this photographer had in the show, it was by far the most emotive.

The entire museum features photographs documenting the Hispanic community. Entire rooms are dedicated to chronicling Pilsen, border crossing, and Mexican nightlife. Though all of the pieces were meaningful most were meant to document rather than emote.  De Colores stood out from the other pieces featured at the museum because it emitted a sense of personal interaction. The viewer can feel the artist putting himself into the work.

            De Colores is a collection of ten pictures arranged in 2 vertical columns. When stacked on top of one other they easily reach over 6 feet tall. If the height alone wasn’t intimidating enough, the ten gleaming sets of men’s eyes set a tone of uneasiness with the audience. All the men in the photographs are of different ages and races. Since the photos were taken at such close range, the texture and tone of each man’s skin is emphasized.  Each wrinkle and crevice gives the viewer a sense of what each man has been through.

            De Colores examines the severity of racial profiling. Pacheco is Hispanic and has been wrongfully judged many times in his life because of his race. As the saying goes, eyes are the window into the soul and Pacheco has chosen to leave the men's other facial features out of his photographs. Though this choice was meant to be symbolic it also intensifies the men’s emotions. The passion that each man stares at the viewer with is so strong it makes the audience feel uncomfortable. A blued eyed man’s watery gaze begs the audience ‘why?’ while a set of dark brown eyes confronts the audience with a piercing stare. The audience interacts with all ten pairs of eyes. The viewer may avert their gaze but the men in De Colores stare back.

After studying each face and taking in every small detail, the audience begins to break through to each man’s true feelings. Each set of eyes, behind the initial emotion, has an intense sense of hurt.  The feelings of being watched wash away and the viewer can begin to feel empathy for these men.

Eyes are the window into the soul and Pacheco’s piece, De Colores, brings this saying to life. The intense emotions and play between viewer and the viewed is intimate in way that other pieces in the gallery were not.

Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, “The Dust of Retreat” (Artemis Records, 2006) *REVAMPED*

On its debut album “The Dust of Retreat,” the Indiana octet Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s blend Bright Eyes’ sense of hopelessness with Arcade Fire style upbeat orchestrations. Unlike its many indie rock predecessors, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s bring a refreshing sense of honesty to their music, which is rare in today’s world of pretentious indie rock bands.  

             Richard Edwards, vocalist and guitarist, writes lyrics that read like a diary entry. He cites specific places and events to invite the listener into his life. Instead of complicating his songs with overbearing themes or lyrics with double or even triple meanings like other indie bands, Edwards keeps his lyrics straight forward. For instance, “On a Freezing Chicago Street” combines his simple lyrics with cheerfully cold music, like a sunny January afternoon, biting and sharp. As the guitar happily strums away, Edwards croons, “On a freezing Chicago street we shook/Your hands were trembling from all those pills you took/And we got drunk on cheap red wine in paper cups.” Edwards doesn’t rely on vague name dropping or fictionalized stories to keep his lyrics interesting. The places and people he mentions seem of the utmost importance to him and help the songs come off as honest and heartfelt. The level of intimacy felt between Edwards and his listeners grows stronger as the album continues and the lyrics become more revealing.

Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s has not reached the masses the way other big name indie bands have. The lack of fame and notoriety has allowed the band to take risks that other more pretentious indie rock bands would not. The band ventures away from the complex melodies of previous songs in favor of simple distorted chords on “Barfight Revolution, Power Violence.”The song surprises the listener with its more traditional rock sound. The opening guitar riff is the soundtrack for a night spent crawling through dark city alleyways. Edward’s voice starts as a whisper and quickly crescendos into a yell as the song abruptly hits the chorus. Edward slams on the guitar repeating several chords which all in turn blend together. A second guitar yo-yo’s betweens chords and sounds more like a low hum in the background. Other indie bands wouldn’t want to stray from their characteristic sound but Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s are willing to take risks and expand their musical horizons.

Though “Barfight Revolution, Power Violence” is a unique addition to the album, heartfelt tracks such as, “Jen is Bringing the Drugs” bring the sincerity found throughout the album to the forefront. The sense of honesty not only comes from the lyrics but also from the way Edwards sings them. “Jen is Bringing the Drugs” abandons the regular octet and focuses on Edwards alone. He strums his acoustic guitar, caressing each note. Edward’s lyrics are sung in a gravelly whisper, a perfect mirror for the lyrics of the song, as both are beautiful yet flawed. Instead of intentionally making his voice sound gimmicky and pathetic to fit the song’s theme, Edwards begins the song with a normal tone but breaks down at end. His voice cracks and wavers as the song reaches it emotional climax as he sings, “Love is an inkless pen/It’s a tavern/It’s sin/It’s a horrible way to begin.” Edwards spits the lyrics out passionately as if revealing a long kept secret.  

            Without the publicity of a major label or an all star producer, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s have managed to make an outstanding album with a greater sense of honesty and completeness that other indie bands seem to be too “hip” for. Though worldwide recognition is a goal for many bands, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s is perfect right where they are.

OUTLINE

1. Back story/Sense of genre

2. Thesis

Unlike their many indie rock predecessors, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s bring a refreshing array of honest lyrics that are usually few and far between in today’s world of pretentious indie rock bands. 

3. Examples

                Sense that lyrics are from real life events

                                Freezing Chicago Street

                               

Not afraid to take risks

                                Barfight Revolutions

                                Many other indie rock bands stick to same sound

               

Way they are sung/orchestrated (not rehearsed)

                                Jen is bringing the Drugs

                                Other bands intentionally sound pathetic

5. Summation

                Many bands want fame and fortune but Margot is perfect exactly where they are

“Almost Famous” (Directed By Cameron Crowe, 2000)

Cameron Crowe’s semi-fictional film memoir, “Almost Famous” captures the essence of the early seventies rock scene and uses well crafted dialogue and talented actors to propel its coming of age theme forward.

            “Almost Famous” follows William Miller (Patrick Fugit) as he gets thrown into the world of rock criticism. At only 15, Miller is chosen to tour with the fictional band Stillwater and write an article about them for Rolling Stone. While at a Stillwater concert, Miller meets the mysterious Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) who helps him find his place in the rock world and becomes his love interest. Miller is plagued with meeting deadlines and trying to stay objective as he becomes close friends with Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). Miller is faced with many difficult decisions as he transitions from adolescence to adulthood while on tour with a rock band. 

Besides providing the occasional laugh, the humor in the film also breaks up the seemingly endless string of unfortunate events. Whether the band is fighting, Hammond refusing to be interviewed or Miller is being rejected by Penny Lane, the well delivered jokes are there just in time to relieve the monotony. Other witty one liners are dispersed throughout the movie. For instance, when discussing a new batch of groupies, Sapphire (Fairuza Balk) says, “Can you believe these new girls? None of them use birth control and they eat all the steak!”

            The keen, witty dialogue would be nothing without the acting talents of Fugit and Hudson. Fugit fits right in to the role of a lonely yet brilliant adolescent boy.  When Fugit’s voice cracks and wavers while confronting Penny Lane, it’s difficult to discern the actor from his role. Hudson does a magnificent job portraying Penny Lane, Stillwater’s groupie, or “band-aid” as she calls them. Hudson’s wisdom and mystique demand attention every time she is on screen. Even during emotional scenes her tears aren’t over done but come naturally to her. The delivery of her lines is flawless and Hudson makes her character memorable, something many other actors struggle to do.

            Though “Almost Famous” is based on events from Crowe’s life, the film has a Hollywood perfect ending. Despite its somewhat predictable message, the ending of “Almost Famous” is familiar and welcome. Even if this semi accurate portrayal of Crowe’s life has a rose colored tint, there is no denying it is a well crafted film.

Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, “The Dust of Retreat” (Artemis Records, 2006)

The Indiana octet Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s debut album, “The Dust of Retreat,” delivers a delightfully unique take on indie rock. Despite countless comparisons to the Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes, Margot entices the listener with their unique musical compositions and heartfelt lyrics.

Individuality is a key part of “The Dust of Retreat,” and songs like “Dress me like a Clown” epitomize this ideal, both lyrically and musically. Richard Edwards, vocalist and guitarist, sings, “I am alive, I am alive and that is the best that I can do,” with a cool nonchalance that isn’t fake or gimmicky, but truly sincere. Each instrument seems to build a life of its own as the song progresses. One guitar plays a effortless melody one note at time while the other lightly plays chords. The keyboard plinks away at its own vivacious riff. Instead of having the cello simply mimic the guitar the cello, like many other bands tend to do, it is used to add short and sweet melodies throughout the album. In "Dress me like a Clown" the cello fluidly slides from note to note and creates a patter on its own. For most bands having each instrument play its own individual part could turn into a cacophony of noise, but for Margot each part blends into one solidly orchestrated piece.

An album filled with catchy string laden indie pop songs risks sounding monotonous, but Margot breaks up the repetitiveness with tracks such as “Quiet as a Mouse” and “Barfight Revolution, Power Violence.” Margot abandons the complex melodies of previous songs in favor of simple distorted chords.

“Barfight Revolution, Power Violence” surprises the listener with its more traditional rock sound. The opening guitar riff is the soundtrack for a night spent crawling through dark city alleyways. Edward’s voice starts as a whisper and quickly crescendos into a yell as the song abruptly hits the chorus. Edward slams on the guitar repeating several chords which all in turn blend together. A second guitar yo-yo’s betweens chords sounding more like a low hum in the background. Though this song is a departure from the traditional Margot sound it is a welcome inclusion on the album.

Though “Barfight” is a unique addition to the album, heartfelt track such as, “Jen is Bringing the Drugs” bring the honesty found throughout the album to the forefront. The song abandons the regular octet and focuses on Edward alone. He strums his acoustic guitar, carefully making sure each note comes through. Edward’s lyrics are sung barely above a whisper. His voice cracks and wavers as the song reaches it emotional climax. Though all the lyrics on “The Dust of Retreat” are on some level intimate, the lyrics on “Jen is Bringing the Drugs” are especially emotive. Edwards ends the song crooning on ofthe most powerful line of the album, “Love is an inkless pen. It’s a tavern. It’s sin. It’s a horrible way to begin.”   

            Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s have mastered their individual take on indie rock and outdone the bigger names in the genre with their honest lyrics and elaborate musical compositions.

“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (Directed by Stephan Elliott, 1994)

The taboo of men wearing women’s clothing has been around for decades and directors having been making millions off of movies like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”(1975) and “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar” (1995) but the cult classic “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen on the Desert” by far out does the rest.  

The movie follows Mitzi, Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), Felicia, played by Guy Pearce (Memento), and Bernadette, Terrance Stamp (Wanted), as they travel across the Australian outback to perform a drag performance at a hotel on the other side of the continent. They leave Sydney behind and head out into the wilderness in their bus appropriately named Priscilla.

This cult classic is full of witty humor, not only in the acting but also in the keen writing. The conflict between the older Bernadette and younger Felicia keeps the audience fully entertained. Whether Felicia is laying on the breaks as Bernadette applies lips stick or Bernadette is delivering witty one liners, the audience is sure to laugh. When Felicia describes his dream to climb a rock in the outback in drag Bernadette retorts, “Just what this country needs a cock in a frock on a rock.” Even the ever famous ABBA “turd,” which is in a jar worn around Felicia’s neck, adds touches of unique an undeniable humor.

The writing in “Priscilla” all account for heavy issues primarily the treatment of gay individuals. While on the road, someone scrawls, “Go Home AIDS Fuckers” on the side of Priscilla which devastates the trio. As they travel further into the outback, the more abuse they suffer. Bernadette then delivers one of the most poignant lines of the movie, she says, “I don't know if that ugly wall of suburbia's been put there to stop them getting in, or us getting out.”

Despite the heavy hitting message, the intermittent dance numbers and costumes lighten the mood. The Academy Award winning costumes are showcased in the lively dance performances. Mitzi dons a dress made of orange and pink flip flops as she parades around a suburban town and not only gets looks from the passersby on the street but also from the viewers. During the one of the final performances some the most fantastical outfits are showcased. The dance number allows for numerous outfit changes including feathery dresses and hats with Emu heads on them, shiny yellow jumpsuits with hoods that pop out like a bearded lizard neck, and dresses that when put together make the outline of the Sydney Opera House.

The primarily male cast does a fantastic job of transforming into drag queens. Not only did they have to wear pounds of make up in dance in heels but all three of them had to break from their usually more masculine roles. Bernadette’s cynicism and Felicia’s obnoxiousness are portrayed perfectly as if there were no difference between the actors and the roles they were playing. None of the actors tried to over compensate by making their voices higher or having overly effeminate walks. Little touches and details in the acting made the characters much more believable.

            The blend of humor, drama, and ABBA are a perfect combination for success in this drag queen movie.

The Dresden Dolls, “The Dresden Dolls” (Roadrunner, 2004) *Revised*

Amanda Palmer, vocalist and pianist of the Dresden Dolls, coaxes a lullaby out of the piano in front of her. Palmer fights to keep her voice under a whisper as the opening track, “Good Day,” quickly crescendos into a barrage of Brian Viglione’s erratic drum beats and heavy piano chords.

 The Boston duo’s self-titled debut achieves a consistent sound without becoming monotonous, something many successful bands struggle to perfect. The songs are reminiscent of 1940s German cabaret.  Palmer’s expressive voice comes off as more acting than singing and adds an element of playfulness to the album.

Songs range from the bluesy “Gravity” to the paranoid piano speed anthem “Girl Anachronism” and the haunting “Slide,” but all the songs are consistent in musical style.

Though Palmer claims to have had no classical piano training, her delicate hand is apparent in songs like the staccato and rushed “Bad Habit.” Palmer’s fingers pull away from the keys as quickly as she hits them as if they were a hot stove instead of a piano. Palmer’s voice is as punctuated as the notes she plays. Viglione matches the sharpness of Palmer’s piano, and the two instruments blend into one.  

Songs like “Perfect Fit” value lyrics and emotion over complex music scores. The piano is kept simple and light and nearly fades to the background as Palmer’s sultry whisper details all of her imperfections. The song continues in similar fashion as Viglione’s drums become just a small but necessary murmur in the background. Palmer’s lyrical genius comes to a head when she sings, “I can take a vow and I can wear a ring and I can make you promises but they won’t mean a thing.” The song then speeds up and Viglione’s elaborate drum work is showcased as Palmer slams on the piano with as much intricacy as a toddler.

Though this album is not considered a concept album, there is a common theme carried throughout many of the songs. The third track on the album, “Missed Me,” takes inspiration from a childhood rhyme and transforms it into a darker tale. Palmer delivers the lyrics, “Missed me missed me now you gotta kiss me…” as if she were telling a scary story with a flashlight under her face. The lyrics begin to weave a story of a pedophile placed in prison that is still wanted by his young female victim, portrayed by Palmer.

Similarly, the next track, “Half Jack,” takes the story of Jack and Jill and adds undertones of divorce and the difficulties of being split between parents. “Slide,” one of the last tracks on the album, tells a story of a girl who gets kidnapped at a playground and forced into prostitution. Palmer’s eloquent lyrics relay the stories with astonishing clarity and defined style.

Each individual song on the Dresden Doll’s debut is surprisingly original but the order in which they are put on the album raises a few eyebrows. The album jostles the listener around as if they were on the el. One song will epitomize female aggression and the next will sound submissive and insecure. Though the order is questionable, the range of emotion and quality of the songs overshadow any qualms that the listener might have about the organization of the album.

The debut album from the Dresden Dolls is astonishing. Many upcoming bands risk regurgitating what other bands already have accomplished but the Dolls have a unique sound and even more distinctive lyrics.