Morrissey is coming to Portland on Friday. One hopes. He still has two days. The dude is cagey.
Morrissey's every effort these days is always to be met with cautious enthusiasm. I've seen shows where he's been amazing, I've seen others where he's really stiffed it and looks like he couldn't be bothered. I try not to pay attention to the talking head version of the man anymore. His views are far too calcified, and he plays the bully when faced with opposition. His latest antics with Jimmy Kimmel are all you need to to know to see he has pretty much lost all sense of humor and isn't even on point enough to realize that of course Kimmel wasn't going to be pushed around by him and of course he'd make fun of Moz for it the next day. The Morrissey of my youth would have gone on the show, performed "Meat is Murder," and rewritten the lyrics to apply to ducks.
That said...I am still pretty stoked for the concert. It was supposed to happen last fall, and we've literally been waiting months now.
Way back when, Ned Lannamann at the Portland Mercury suggested I write their preview for the show, but only if I could give him something about the singer he'd never read before. I thought he was nuts, but I decided to try.
I think I have come to the tail end of what turned out to be more labor-intensive for an obsessive-minded music nerd such as myself than even I anticipated.
For instance, if I had a Cut My Hair mix, it was on cassette. There was no such thing as iTunes or Spotify back then. So, for that book, I just pulled out a copy and flipped through the pages, building a rather long playlist based on chapter titles and significant songs. You can access the results through this link if you have Spotify.
It's not as complete as I'd like. A couple of songs are missing. In fact, a lot of the playlists I have built are incomplete. Some of the more obscure Britpop that makes up a lot of The Everlasting's original list is just not available in the States. Neither is the Faye Wong track that should be on the Have You Seen the Horizon Lately? list, not to mention the Geneva title track. Same goes for My Life Story's "12 Reasons Why I Love Her"--in fact, 12 Reasons has such a bad batting average, I was forced to actually label the list as "incomplete."
On the other hand, almost all the songs from Love the Way You Love are there, and you can hear tracks from all three Spell Checkers books, including the one that isn't out yet.
The Spotify interface is a little weird for getting the urls for individual lists, but essentially, if you got to the Cut My Hair list or Bobby Pins and Mary Janes version, and then click on my profile name, you can see all of my public lists. The books covered are:
* 5 1/2 - the book in progress
* 12 Reasons Why I Love Her
* Cut My Hair * The Everlasting * Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?
* Love the Way You Love
* Spell Checkers
It should be noted that I don't actually like all the songs in Spell Checkers. I picked that Lady Gaga one for the party scene in volume 1 because the lyrics are so bad!
Just received my copies of Unite and Take Over, vol. 2, the comic book anthology featuring stories inspired by Smiths songs.
Christopher Mitten and I adapted "Well I Wonder" from Meat Is Murder into a dark tale of crime and romance. Chris and I have been wanting to work together for a long time, so I am really glad he was able to do this.
The folks at SpazDog did an awesome job of bringing the book together. Chris' art printed really nice.
The comic also contains stories by my friends Jennifer de Guzman and Eric M. Esquivel. Ask your local comic shop to order it, or get it from Amazon by pressing the button below.
The folks over at SpazDog Press are doing a second Unite and Take Over anthology, collecting comic book stories inspired by Smiths lyrics.
For this volume, I have written a script suggested by the song "Well I Wonder," and the amazingly talented Christopher Mitten has drawn it.
Here is a sample page:
The publisher has a Kickstarter campaign going to help support the book. Here is the page. Please look it over and, if any of the rewards offered strike your fancy, consider donating to get this comic off the ground. There is also a full list of contributors and the songs they are tackling, and plenty of good people are involved.
Current Soundtrack: Teenage Fanclub, Shadows
Saturday, May 22, 2010
51, CLUMSY & SHY
Happy birthday to Morrissey!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
JOY KICKS DARKNESS
Comics writer and one of the main dudes at the Portland Mercury, Erik Henriksen, gives Spell Checkers another great plug in his Stumptown rundown over at his blog.
To wit:
"A special shout-out regarding Spell Checkers, the latest project from my pals Jamie S. Rich and Joëlle Jones, created with artist Nicolas Hitori de. I read it last night in a single sitting and had an absolute blast doing so—it’s funny and clever and gorgeous and (if there is such a thing) charmingly mean-spirited. The book follows a trio of teenage witches, but instead of washing down chocolate frogs with Felix Felicis at Hogwarts, they spend their days cheating on tests, seducing boys, and making life a living hell for all of the non-magical kids in their school. It’s definitely recommended, and you should go out right now and buy several copies—or at least head over to Oni Press for more info, including a 22-page preview. Also, Jamie, Joëlle, and Nicolas will have a table at Stumptown this weekend, which conveniently brings this whole post (sort of) full circle."
His reference to this Felix person makes me feel like one of the girls. "I don't know what that is. Are you speaking Na'vi again?"
Erik is the scribe behind The Warriors: Jalibreak, which he blabs about here. The first issue came out from the Dabel Bros., and hopefully Dynamite is getting it back on track. I enjoyed it, and I have actually never seen the original The Warriors movie, so he must have done something right.
And since I am listening to Morrissey at the moment, might as well post the song that gave Spell Checkers its first chapter title, and which is the unofficial subtitle of the volume: "Because of My Poor Education."
Saturday, December 05, 2009
A FEW HOURS BEFORE THIS...
Thanks to the folks who came out tonight to hear me program an evening of music and dancing. They know who they are. We had fun, yes?
For those who didn't come to the second official DJ Icky Animal excursion, here is the set you missed:
Mareva Galanter, "7h du matin" The Monkees - "Can You Dig It?" The Jam - "In the City" Wire - "Three Girl Rhumba" Elastica - "Waking Up" Cornershop - "Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III" Janelle Monae - "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!!" Irma Thomas - "Break-A-Way" Marvin Gaye - "You're a Wonderful One" Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - "Take Me With U" Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (single edit)" The Horrors - "Who Can Say" The Cure - "A Few Hours After This..." Bloc Party - "Ares" Jarvis Cocker - "Fuckingsong" Ride - "Twisterella" The Dandy Warhols - "Welcome to the Third World" Prince - "No More Candy 4 U" Alicia Keys - "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" Space - "Female of the Species" Blur - "Popscene" Nancy Boy - "Johnny Chrome & Silver" The Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Servo" The Olivia Tremor Control - "I'm Not Feeling Human" The Jesus & Mary Chain - "Far Gone & Out" Muse - "I Belong to You (New Moon Remix)" Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me" Suede - "Metal Mickey" Adam & the Ants - "Physical (You're So)" Duffy - "Rain on Your Parade" Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames - "Yeh Yeh" Baby Washington - "Hey Lonely" France Gall - "Poupee de cire, poupee de son" Lily Allen - "Not Fair" Dizzee Rascal w/ Lily Allen - "Wanna Be" Estelle - "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)" Saint Etienne - "Boy is Crying" Suede - "Love the Way You Love" Newcomers - "Martian Hop" New Order - "Regret" Mystery Jets & Laura Marling - "Young Love" The Pipettes - "It Hurts to See You Dance So Well" P.M. Dawn - "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" Rihanna & Justin Timberlake - "Hole in My Head" Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem - "Tenderly" + Animal Sings Gershwin
In keeping with songs that area also titles of my books, I think next time we'll start with some My Life Story....
Current Soundtrack: The Slickers, "Johnny Too Bad;" Johnny Hartman, "Charade;" Elvis Costello & the Attractions, "Really Mystified;" Johnny Boy, Johnny Boy
Thursday, December 03, 2009
SENDING OUT AN S.O.S.
NEW IN THEATRES...
* The Messenger, the hard-hitting drama with Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, and Samantha Morton. Portlanders, it's finally here.
A photo from last June, featuring the Walter Chiari backdrop for the current tour
What? Morrissey, how could you come to Portland and not play You Have Killed Me? You know Joëlle and I live here, right?!
Okay, okay...so a minor complaint for an otherwise stellar night. Of my top-three-hoped-for songs, you only played one ("Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice"), but surprising me with "Death at One's Elbow" and "The Loop" went a long way to making me forget. And you got to play "First of the Gang to Die" in the one town in America where it actually sounds tough, so kudos to you. The fact that you layered in "Swing on a Star" was also brilliant. On-stage mash-up!
Yes, folks, last night I got to see Morrissey for the first time in, I think, 7 years, when I saw him on the "Oye Esteban" tour. Funny thing is, I am pretty sure I was sitting in just about the same seat this time as last time. I pulled out my concert ninja skills and went down to the Roseland early and sat outside and read so we could be the first into the bar area and sit at the very front of the balcony. No squishing against saddoes for me. Gimme a chair, I'm old!
Waiting outside, I actually got to listen in on the soundcheck, hearing a few instrumental versions of songs, as well as a couple with vocals. The band did a run-through of Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" on their own, which was pretty cool and made me hopeful a full cover might emerge that evening. It was not to materialize, alas.
The show was opened by Doll & the Kicks, who I had heard good things about. They are like Siouxsie by way of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs by way of Blood Red Shoes. In our group, the opinions were split, with the boys seeming to like them more than the girls, which was interesting. The musicians in the band were good and clearly have skills, but right now, I think Doll is a little more advanced than the guys, and when they catch up to her, that's when the band will take off. Though, that's also when I am sure we can expect some No Doubt-style infighting. Do bass players still get upset when the pretty girl out front gets all the attention?
Here is the band covering the headliner:
Morrissey and the lads took the stage not long after, following a compilation of clips by the likes of Sparks, the New York Dolls, and Nico. The lead song was "This Charming Man," and it was pretty obvious from the start that the Mozfather was rarin' to go. The set was built with faster, rockier numbers, and so it was a noisy, energetic night. "Ganglord" was a pretty hefty standout for me, and the ramped-up version of "Ask" came off really well. Morrissey was joking a lot between songs, and seemed to be enjoying himself. There was a roughness to the performance that gave it an edge that I recall lacking on some late '90s tours. Thankfully, there was also an absence of stage invasions, which meant no interruptions or interference. I know we fans like to think it's all about us, but I had about enough of "us" in line and I paid to see the show, not you tackling the singer.
In the "We're All Human" Department, it was amusing to see that not even Morrissey's quiff can survive a night onstage, and Morrissey ripping his shirt off at the end of "How Soon is Now," followed by a quickly timed exit, was pretty funny. The man has a fairly solid barrel chest for being 50 years old, but it was probably for the best for him not to stand around preening. Plus, very happy to see him back to being fit and decked out in dapper dress after the chubby T-shirt tours of the early '00s.
I've no greater insight to offer. I sang along and sang loud and hopefully did not annoy those around me, and I had a blast. It's always a nervous proposition seeing someone you so admire in the flesh, and with so many cancellations and odd goings on with his tours over the last several years, I was fully prepared for Morrissey to bag out or disappoint. He did neither. There is nothing quite like the charge you feel when a performer of his type steps out on the stage. It's electric and chemical, the sense that you're seeing someone who has been anointed, who is different. There are tons of singers putting on shows all around the world every night, but not many who are this special.
Here is one tiny clip from last night's performance that has surfaced on YouTube:
Full Set List This Charming Man Irish Blood, English Heart Black Cloud Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice Death At One's Elbow When Last I Spoke To Carol One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell Is It Really So Strange? I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris Cemetry Gates Ganglord Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look At Me Ask The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores Teenage Dad On His Estate The Loop How Soon Is Now I'm Ok By Myself
Encore: First Of The Gang To Die / Swinging On A Star
I was glad we got a less hits and more odd tracks. "Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself" is always a favorite, and given how long it has been since last I saw him, I loved that I got to hear so many b-sides like "Teenage Dad" and strong album cuts like "One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell" and "I'm OK By Myself," which was a brilliant way to shut things down. You ended on a bass solo? Nice!
AND NO REASON TO TALK ABOUT THE BOOKS I READ, BUT STILL I DO...
Today is Morrissey day here in Portland. The man plays the Roseland tonight. It's been, what? Seven years since his last stop in our rainy city? Bastard.
To commemorate, I took part in the regular blog feature run by the Portland Mercury and Floating World Comics recommending comics a visiting band might consider buying were they to stop in the store. (It's two blocks from the Roseland, so it's been known to happen.) My recommendations for Moz were:
He should, of course, buy a copy of You Have Killed Me, too. If I were there, I'd sign it for him!
Current Soundtrack: I am also currently listening to Morrissey on BBC's Desert Island Discs, and you can too.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
You've compared your songwriting process to automatic writing. How integral is the synchronictous accident to songwritng?
It's a clear reflection of what's inside of you. This is why songwriting for the sake of writing is just feeble drivel. For me, it's just one great big internal traffic-jam. It's a conflict. I'm not remotely trying to make myself interesting to anyone...which is just as well...
Does dissection of one's own process kill the golden goose?
Yes. A lot of writers struggle to explain, and the ultimate truth is often hard to hear your own voice say. We're all convinced that no one struggles as much as we do ourselves. When you write a song and someone listens to it and says "what's it about?" it's very much like giving birth to a child and someone says to you "what IS it?" Everything must be clarified. It can't be allowed to just go one spinning along, and we always assume there's a bit left unexplained. And then you try to sound intelligent...and that's when the trouble starts....
You Have Killed Me gets its first outright negative review. Steve Duin at The Oregonian has posted his thoughts here, lumping us in with his impressions of Gran Torino, and ending with this quote:
"At this stage in his storied career, Clint Eastwood is delighted to exploit the familiar so that he can engage and entertain us in ways we might not expect. Rich is not similarly inspired. Almost everything in You Have Killed Me has been done before and done better, including the title shtick, and I'm not convinced Rich cares. He seems content to prove he and Jones could deliver a graphic novel that fit the superficial requirements of the genre, then move on to their next challenge. I think they're better than that."
There you go. As always, fair enough. Negative reviews run with the territory (hell, I write them, too). Though, personally, I find the closing disingenuous in that Steve's review of 12 Reasons Why I Love Her ran along similar territory, and I don't believe he actually believes I can do better. :) <--- emoticon added in order to make sure the internet knows I type this all with a laugh. Hell, even Darwyn Cooke is taking his lumps today.
And for the record, I thought Gran Torino wasn't all that hot. My biggest gripes with the movie are that, despite a powerful ending, the build-up is banal, the acting consistently poor, and I think Eastwood preached to the converted to such a degree that segments of the audience accepted Walt's racism as justified. So, to each our own.
On a different note, Taklin Bout Comics has a nice blurb about one of my favorite things, "The Jailhouse Swing," the story Joëlle Jones and I did for Popgun, Volume 3
"'The Jailhouse Swing' - Jamie S. Rich, Joelle Jones - I particularly like the style of this 8 page narrated piece about a down on his luck palooka and the Angel that loves him regardless. The art goes heavy on the lines in some places, and uses a very sketchy style when showing bits of his fights. His girl seems always drawn with a bit of delicacy. It has a little bit of the feel of something you might see related in Ed Brubaker's Criminal (not the only piece in this review that made me think of that)."
Weirdly, putting the two together, I think we get this:
Current Soundtrack: Muse, Haarp CD/DVD Set; Jack White, "Fly Farm Blues;" the Jesus and Mary Chain
I wanna start from Before the beginning Loot wine, "Be mine, and Then let's stay out for the night" Ride via Parkside Semi-perilous lives Jeer the lights in the windows Of all safe and stable homes (But wondering then, well what Could peace of mind be like ?) Anyway do you want to hear Our story, or not ? As the Fulham Road lights Stretch and invite into the night From a Stevenage overspill We'd kill to live around SW6 - with someone like you Keep thieves' hours With someone like you ...As long as it slides You stalk the house In a low-cut blouse : "Oh Christ, another stifled Friday night !" And the Fulham Road lights Stretch and invite into the night Well, I was fifteen What could I know ? When the gulf between All the things I need And the things I receive Is an ancient ocean Wide, wild, lost, uncrossed Still I maintain there's nothing Wrong with you You do all that you do Because it's all you can do Well, I was fifteen Where could I go ? With a soul full of loathing For stinging bureaucracy Making it anything Other than easy For working girls like me With my hands on my head I flop on your bed With a head full of dread For all I've ever said Maladjusted, maladjusted Maladjusted maladjusted Never to be trusted Oh, never to be trusted There's nothing wrong with you, oh There's nothing wrong with you, oh There's nothing wrong with you, oh There's nothing wrong with you
Oh, did you hear? You Have Killed Me is done. Joëlle turned in the final pages last night. Hurrah! At long last, and well worth the wait. I'd show you a page from her final batch, but it would spoil the climax. Trust me, though, you've never seen Ms. Jones drawing so well.
Oni should be resoliciting this for May. This video remix should tide you over until then...
Oh, and a reminder that Madman Atomic Comics #13 will go on sale for real this Wednesday.
* Let the Right One In, a Swedish vampire film that really gives the genre a whole new lease on its undead life.
UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...
I fulfilled my goal of one horror movie through October, leading up to Halloween.
* The Blob, a dull teensploitation flick from the 1950s featuring Jell-O as a monster.
* Carnival of Souls, Herk Harvey's moody indie ghost story from 1962.
THIS WEEK IN DVD REVIEWS...
* Six in Paris, an anthology of French New Wave directors tackling different neighborhoods in the City of Light. Produced by Barbet Schroeder, and featuring segments by Rohmer, Chabrol, and Godard.
* The Air I Breathe, which I recommend with reservations. The movie works 3/4 of the time, using the "everything is connected" technique to create a neat crime film before tumbling over the pretentious ledge.
* Taxi to the Dark Side, a must-see documentary that brings home the torture scandals in Iraq with chilling results.
THIS WEEK IN DVD REVIEWS...
* 2 Days in Paris, Julie Delpy's writing and directing debut. Good in spite of itself. The main characters are both interesting and annoying.
* Inside the Smiths, an amateurish documentary about the rhythm section of the Smiths. Interesting for fans, maybe, but not much of a film.
In reflection, particularly thinking about that extra segment with Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke together, Rourke seems a little uncomfortable in the situation, probably because he laments the loss of his long friendship with Johnny Marr more than he cares about recognition or money. On the other hand, Joyce is clearly getting off on being in the spotlight, and I'd daresay craves it. His "aw, shucks, I just love the band" demeanor brings to mind Pelle Carlberg's song "I Touched You at the Soundcheck"--the title a reference to the Smiths song "Paint a Vulgar Picture," Morrissey's withering portrait of rock 'n' roll has-beens. "You told me you weren't the kind of dude/ telling people 'I was in the Smiths all the time"/ later I heard you for the third time/ repeating the same phrase" [forgive transcription errors]. Ouch.
If this works, you should be able to listen to Carlberg's song:
Not long ago, I marked my worry that Morrissey's new material was rushing back into already worn grooves, and that we could already see the reinvigorated crooner settling back into blase habits. This was based on his performance of "That's How People Grow Up" on Letterman, a strange appearance that, at the time, wasn't really promoting much of anything.
With the release of "Grow Up" as a single imminent, and the Greatest Hits that will carry it and other newbie "All You Need is Me" following shortly after, it's time to reassess. Of course, these tracks have already leaked all over the internet, and I have placed my ear to the railroad tracks to hear these early rumblings.
On first blush, Christopher (who seemingly ceased functioning last September) asked me what I thought, and I said I was nonplussed. Since then, I have had my quality headphone time, and I will say now that I am at least sonically impressed. There is some great noise going on in both tracks. That big chunky bass in "All You Need is Me" in particular will rattle your skull, and both songs carry frontal-assault guitar riffs that suggest that even if Moz were to fall back on a pillow and massage his derriere, his band is going to keep the hammer down. Likewise, semi-protege Kristeen Young's industrial drill warbling at the start of "Grow Up" is like a clarion call, or perhaps a gauntlet being thrown down to the BBC, whom Moz has criticized for not playing previous singles. Some fans have complained, but I say this is the banshee from "November Spawned a Monster" returning for vengeance. "Do you have the guts to give me a spin?"
There is no way around how similar these two tracks sound to one another. They also have share lyrical concerns, focusing on the nostalgia of youth and the selfishness of oncoming death, which seems to be Morrissey's primary concern since the last album. "All You Need is Me" has the added social commentary on the current celebrity obsessed culture, our man amusingly declaring his own importance while smacking us across the face for going along with it when there is so much more going on around us.
In rethinking these songs today, I realized that I must contextualize them as part of a greater tradition in the Smiths/Morrissey legacy. Both in his old band and throughout his solo career, he has always released one-off singles as vinyl save-the-date cards for whatever more realized work was around the corner. Granted, most of those 45s have gone on to become classics, but let's not forget that "Shakespeare's Sister" was much maligned on its release, causing the Smiths to think the record buying public had lost all sense of taste in much the same way Pete Townshend felt they had when they failed to properly celebrate "I Can See For Miles." History may prove me wrong.
Then again, I still fear the Morrissey curse of threes: good album followed by better album followed by mediocre. Viva Hate begat Bona Drag begat Kill Uncle, Your Arsenal begat Vauxhall and I begat Southpaw Grammar, You are the Quarry begat Ringleader of the Tormentors begat...???
Current Soundtrack: the songs in question; Strangeways, Here We Come
Last Friday on Letterman, he performed his new song "That's How People Grow Up," an intended number for his upcoming 800th Greatest Hits package. Naturally, this puts a lot of pressure on the poor little pop jangle, as it has to stand on its own two legs next to the tried and true singles that were just written to be songs in the catalogue, not for something grander than that.
I hate to point out that "People Grow Up" has ankles the size of toothpicks and they threaten to snap.
Have you watched/listened? It's not a bad song by any means. A tad musically flaccid, and the yowling Kristeen Young trying to be Morrissey's new Ludus while pretending she's Björk really needs to go. But it's all right.
The problem is it sounds like a song left on the floor when they were done cutting Ringleader of the Tormentors. Its lyrics evoke new love coming late in life, death, being tired, etc. It's the themes he was working on that most excellent album, and there is a feeling of been there, done that hanging around "That's How People Grow Up." The needle has gotten stuck in the groove yet again.
Not that we haven't seen this before. Even back in the Smiths, Morrissey's inbetweener stuff often felt like self-cannibalizing. We also could have probably predicted that the car was stalling when the final singles off of Ringleader showed up with so many live tracks as B-sides. That happened once before, for the second single of Southpaw Grammar, signaling that the fount of creativity was drying up. Is it too early to start fearing the next album, or are we perhaps at the edge of another wilderness period?
Current Soundtrack: various Colourfield tracks ("Windmills of Your Mind," "Sorry," "Yours Sincerely," "Hammond Song," "Take")
Author of prose novels and comic books like Cut My Hair, It Girl & the Atomics, You Have Killed Me, and 12 Reasons Why I Love Her. Jamie's most recent novel is the serialized book Bobby Pins and Mary Janes, and his most recent graphic novels are the sci-fi romance A Boy and a Girl with Natalie Nourigat; Madame Frankenstein with Megan Levens; and the weird crime comic Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks with Dan Christensen.
into a dark tale of crime and romance. Chris and I have been wanting to work together for a long time, so I am really glad he was able to do this.
wasn't all that hot. My biggest gripes with the movie are that, despite a powerful ending, the build-up is banal, the acting consistently poor, and I think Eastwood preached to the converted to such a degree that segments of the audience accepted Walt's racism as justified. So, to each our own.
; Jack White, "Fly Farm Blues;" the Jesus and Mary Chain
