New Short Film: Wrecked by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead

By Less Lee Moore

Image courtesy of Twitchfilm

If you recall my raves about Resolution from Toronto After Dark Film Festival last year, then you’re already familiar with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. And if you’ve seen Resolution, you know that theire defining style is “expect the unexpected.”

But first, let’s provide some context. Tribeca Enterprises has announced a collaboration with Maker Studios, a media company formed in 2009 to “to provide the best environment for artists to create, distribute, and monetize their original content on YouTube.” The two groups have recently launched Picture Show, a YouTube channel which will host short films for “comedy nerds and movie lovers.”

Benson and Moorhead’s Wrecked is the first film from Picture Show and you can watch it online. Like Resolution, the less said about the plot or genre of the film, the better. Just enjoy the ride.

For more on Picture Show, check out the YouTube channel.

Assemblog: April 19, 2013

New this week on Popshifter: Jeff describes how Cliff Richard is wired for sound and explains the pros the cons of hitch hiking; Julie saw The Hives and has photos to prove that they’re a “fantastic rock & roll band in the purest sense”; I praise the exquisite songwriting on IO Echo’s debut album Ministry of Love; and Chelsea mourns the loss of Scott Miller (Game Theory, Loud Family).

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Assemblog: April 12, 2013

The Assemblog is on a three-week hiatus. It will be back on April 19.

New this week on Popshifter: Jeff finds Todd Rundgren’s new album State frustrating, but recovers nicely with two new Waxing Nostalgic entries on The Pretenders and Devo; and Hanna knows that both fans and not-yet-fans will appreciate the new Lynsey de Paul anthologies from Cherry Red Records.

Assemblog: April 5, 2013

The Assemblog is on a three-week hiatus. It will be back on April 19.

New this week on Popshifter: Paul thinks Bioshock Infinite “has a good shot at defining an entire generation”; LabSplice is disappointed in the “utterly forgettable” G.I. Joe: Retaliation; Cait feels that Johnny Marr’s The Messenger will “add to his considerable legend” and that we’re “very blessed” to have Here Tonight: The White Light Demos from Gene Clark; Lisa has ten ideas on how NBC’s Grimm could improve; Maureen visits the Game of Thrones exhibit in New York; and Jeffery ponders Alice Cooper’s take on New Wave in a new installment of “Waxing Nostalgic.”

Assemblog: March 29, 2013

The Assemblog is on a three-week hiatus. It will be back on April 19.

New this week on Popshifter: My final Canadian Music Week Film Fest 13 reviews for Bad Brains: A Band in DC and Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me; LabSplice explains The Only Hope We’ve Got movies in his Olympus Has Fallen review; Paul praises the underrated poppy funk of Wendy and Lisa‘s reissued, self-titled debut album; Jeffery brings the “Waxing Nostalgic” column back from the cut-out bins with “Escalator of Life”; and J Howell calls the new Atoms For Peace album Amok, “brilliant.”

Canadian Music Week Film Fest Review: Bad Brains: A Band In DC

By Less Lee Moore

When it comes to bands like Bad Brains, genre becomes meaningless. Influenced by such disparate artists as Chick Corea, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Ramones, and Bob Marley, they combined a variety of musical styles into their own unique sound, going on to influence dozens of other musicians (Dave Grohl, The Beastie Boys, Cro-Mags, Red Hot Chili Peppers, to name but a few) in the process.

Bad Brains: A Band in DC, directed by Ben Logan and Mandy Stein, is not an exhaustive account of the history of Bad Brains; that would be impossible, although it would make for an extremely entertaining TV series. When watching the film, you’re not only left with the distinct impression that there are many more stories to be told, but also that you can’t wait to dig into the band’s discography, which includes nine studio albums, a couple dozen singles, a handful of live albums, and appearances on various compilations.

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Assemblog: March 22, 2013

Under The Bed

New this week on Popshifter: LabSplice says Brad Anderson’s new movie The Call is “guided by a very sure hand”; Emily thinks Shooter Jennings is worthy of his dad’s crown on The Other Life; Paul recommends Old Man Markley’s Down Side Up; I unabashedly gush about Suede’s Bloodsports, categorize the movie Deadfall as a “gritty, rewarding genre exercise,” admire the fashion sensibilities of Redd Kross in their new video for “Uglier,” and review four films from Canadian Music Week Film Fest 13: Ain’t In It For My Health, The History of Future Folk, The Last Pogo Jumps Again, and Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film.

Please note: there will be no Assemblogs for the next three weeks. I’ll just be providing round ups of that week’s articles. The Assemblog will be back in full effect on April 19.

I’m sad to report that our ongoing column “TV Is Dead, Long Live TV” is on hiatus. If you’re interested in picking up the coverage of the transformation of television from linear to its currently shifting model, please drop me a line at editor@popshifter.com.

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Canadian Music Week Film Fest Review: Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film

By Less Lee Moore

I started watching Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film knowing nothing of Bill Callahan. Callahan has been writing, performing, and recording music for almost 25 years, originally under the name Smog, and then with the release of 2007’s Woke on a Whaleheart, under his own name. Apocalypse chronicles Callahan’s US tour in 2011 to support the album of the same name.

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Canadian Music Week Film Fest Review: The Last Pogo Jumps Again

By Less Lee Moore

Photo © Gail Byrek

For documentaries that chronicle a certain scene, be it music, theater, film, or another art form, the question many might ask is why? Is the documentary supposed to shed light on a misunderstood or little-known series of events? Is the documentary trying to cast the people and events in a flattering or unflattering light? Or, as some might speculate, is the documentary just a forum for those involved to pat themselves on the back and say, “I was there”? For The Last Pogo Jumps Again, the answer to all of these questions is yes, but it’s a qualified assent.

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New Video: Redd Kross, “Uglier”

By Less Lee Moore

Photo © Arlie Carstens/Incase

Redd Kross has never followed fashion (that’d be a joke). Instead, they’ve always existed in some parallel, alternate universe, doing their own thang.

For proof of this phenomenon, check out this new video of them looking natty and rocking in Room 205, performing “Uglier” from their incandescent 2012 release, Researching The Blues (review).

For more Redd Kross, check out their website and go see them on tour! If you missed out on your chance to get Researching The Blues on vinyl, it’s back for a limited time from Merge Records.

Tour Dates:
Apr 3: The Earl; Atlanta GA
Apr 4: Kings Barcade; Raleigh NC
Apr 5: Black Cat; Washington DC
Apr 6: Santo’s Party House (early show) ; New York NY
Apr 7: Kung Fu Necktie; Philadelphia PA
Apr 10: Il Motore; Montreal QC
Apr 11: Horseshoe Tavern; Toronto ON
Apr 12: Lager House; Detroit, MI on sale March 20
Apr 13: Empty Bottle; Chicago IL
Apr 14: Cactus Club; Milwaukee WI