Monday Morning Pick-U-Up

I may be the last person on the net to have seen these things, but I’m posting them anyway. Already made my Monday.

“State Trooper”

“Keep the Car Runnin’”

“Across the Universe”

The first half, about up to the “Mr. Kite” sequence, is great because of the Beatles songs, the novelty, and the production values. The second half blows because of the Beatles songs and the slippage into the most abyssmal sixties cliches. The plot sinks into sub-TV-mini-series-type material, and eventually all of the entertaining dialectics between sound and image evaporate. It’s obvious early-on that the producers could have chosen any music to accompany the image and narrative, and by the end, it’s offensive that they chose the Beatles (if you’re a Beatles fan). Still, the first half impressed me, especially the “I’ve Just Seen a Face” sequence (great tune that I’d forgotten about!) and I actually hope that Julie Tamor continues to do work in this vein. She should just find her own songwriter.

Very Excited about Everything about the New Radiohead Album

Not to be a dick, but I called pop albums as fine art even before filesharing. Imagine walking into an art gallery, putting on a pair of headphones, listening to the most heartwrenching pop song you’ve ever heard and never hearing it again. Or being the guy that bought the Velvet Underground acetates on EBay a year or so ago. I support everything about the new Radiohead album and I might even shell out the $80 or the boxset after I donate for the internet release next week. Our Sgt. Pepper’s? More details here.

Up there with Damian Hirst’s “For the Love of God” as the artwork of the millenium.