Roger Ebert, you're a hero of mine

(This book cover never fails to make me giggle.)

If you read anything today, please read Esquire’s amazing feature on Roger Ebert, now online. More later on Ebert and other film writers of note, off the top of my head: Kim Morgan, Lisa Rosman, and Andi Teran. What do they have in common? They all should be writing every day because I’d read it.

Inspired by Fluxtumblr’s post, I want to share: Love this official video for Cat Power’s “Nude as the News.” She’s a lost 60s new wave heroine, right? Godard would’ve dated the heck out of her.

I listened to Cat Power this weekend and did have the awful-feeling thought that man, I liked her music more when she had more…personal troubles? The Greatest is such a boring album, I think. But getting over alcoholism and craziness does, generally, make for less immediately compelling art, if you want to generalize.

(Wrote about that video - and some other great work by the awesome Brett Vapnek - last year for Tribeca.)

Cosigned

Kathleen Hanna on marriage, from Eau D'Bedroom Dancing:

LG: I read that you got married a while back. Was it difficult negotiating your strong feminist beliefs with the patriarchal structure of marriage? (This is a bit personal, and I understand if you don’t want to answer it).

KH: Sure. I think marriage is pretty retrogressive in a lot of ways but when my health insurance ran out and getting hitched was the only way to have it again, I bit the bullet. I think the biggest compromise for me was less that it’s a patriarchal institution (isn’t everything?) and more that I wanted to hold out till it was a right for everyone. But health insurance is pretty important and it just made sense for me to have it. I also happen to be completely in love with Adam and can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with. He really is the absolute love of my life.

“I used to walk down the street like I was a fucking star… I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be - and then to fight so hard for it every day that the lie becomes the truth.”

— Lady Gaga (via fuckyeahladygaga)

Writing elsewhere

Ye Olde Sex Scandals: Grover Cleveland’s Love Child, for The Awl



Testimony on why you should watch Whip It right now on your snow day, for 90swoman



Films You Should See: Paris, Texas, for TribecaFilm



And Free Flick Fridays, for Tribeca Film. Personal preference? The Night of the Hunter.

Say hello to the inside of my head: Lady Gaga, Christopher Walken, and Cartman.

I think Wild Beasts are kind of ridiculous and kind of wonderful, and this is their best song/best video by a long shot. What’s funny is that youtube shows their evolution - they were a terrible skiffle band, too verbal and pleased with themselves on their debut, but now they have a good thing going with the push pull of songs that need 1) the guy that sings like Antony/Jeff Buckley/yelping and 2) the “heroic” guy, to quote Matthew Fluxblog. They could still use someone to read their lyrics and say “no,” however.

Other bands that I alternately swoon over/get embarrassed by and who had a similar trajectory in some ways (but more from folk to proggy): Shearwater. (Or as my boyfriend calls them, “PURE RAIN.”) But bands like these two need a song like “All the Kings Men,” a song both pathetic and lusty.

(When I saw them live, I was surprised that “Watch me! Watch me!” was also sung by Guy #2. I had totally thought it was the eunuch.)

What’s funny about Shearwater, and why I don’t always adore them, is that the sheer, over-the-top, etherealness of Jonathan Meiburg’s voice, in my opinion, was absolutely vital to the charms of Okkervil River, since he’d balance out Will Sheff’s evocative yet bruised and way less pretty croak.

tylercoates:

The Afghan Whigs - “Lost in the Supermarket” (Clash cover)

OMG WHUT.

Manifesting my destiny: this should play in the movie version of my book. (You know, when it happens.) Also, it’s from an atrocious compilation that has Third Eye Blind, No Doubt, and Ice Cube trying their hands at The Clash. Plus Moby featuring some chick. 90s!