Suburbia Collector’s Edition

By Less Lee Moore

One weekend in 1986, a friend of mine invited me and a bunch of other freak friends over to watch Suburbia, Penelope Spheeris’ quasi-documentary look at the early ’80s punk scene. My memory is fuzzy on the details of the plot; I mostly remember being disturbed by the other movie we watched, Faces of Death. I do remember that everyone else in the group, some of whom looked somewhat similar to the punk teens examined in Suburbia, were merciless in mocking it; to this day, I still recall the particular scorn they heaped upon the T.R. “gang” depicted in the film, T.R. standing, of course, for “The Rejected.”

I had not seen Suburbia again until this latest Collector’s Edition DVD, so like with Rock ‘n’ Roll High School‘s reissue, I was curious to see if the movie was actually good (or what actually took place in the movie). I think it’s actually worse than I remembered.
(more…)

I Need That Record! The Death (Or Possible Survival) Of The Independent Record Store

By Less Lee Moore

I Need That Record! purports to be a “documentary feature examining why over 3,000 independent record stores have closed across the US in the past decade.” But it’s much more than that. In truth, the film does a splendid job of not only showing the causal links that led to this somewhat alarming situation, but also asking, answering, and ultimately, allowing its viewers to weigh in on what this really means.
(more…)

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School 30th Anniversary Special Edition

By Less Lee Moore

Although for many, The Ramones represent the birth of the US punk scene in the ’70s, I was only about three years old when the band first formed in 1974. For me, The Ramones were the four weird-looking, tall dudes who kept popping up in promos for MTV in 1981. Most of the videos in the early days of MTV were fairly bizarre; at that point the channel would show any videos they could and the shift to glamorous, new wave pretty boys had not yet occurred. However, even amongst Loverboy, Meatloaf, Split Enz, and The Tubes, The Ramones looked pretty damn strange.

I didn’t see Rock ‘n’ Roll High School until a few years later, when I’d officially hit my own teenage years. I remember feeling confused and vaguely uncomfortable, not totally grasping why it was supposed to be so great. The news of the upcoming release of a 30th Anniversary Special Edition made me curious to see how the film as aged. Would it be funny? Would it be relevant?

Thankfully, the answer to both questions is, “YES.”
(more…)

New Single from Reflection Eternal

By Less Lee Moore

From Sneak Attack Media:

It might not be news to you that Reflection Eternal (rapper Talib Kweli + producer Hi-Tek) are about to release a new album—Revolutions Per Minute—their follow-up to Train of Thought, out in 2000. Revolutions per Minute comes out May 18 via Blacksmith/Warner Bros, and the duo is also on tour through the spring. . . remaining dates are below.

Here’s a track off the album for you, featuring Estelle, called “Midnight Hour.”
(more…)

1991: The Year Punk Broke Screens At Hot Docs

By Less Lee Moore

The title of this film—which documented the 1991 European club festival tour of Sonic Youth, a pre-world-famous Nirvana, and other bands—was intended as an ironic comment on the music industry. Although the film came out in 1992 and it was released on VHS shortly thereafter, it is still not available on DVD. How is this possible?

“It’s not on DVD because the rock & roll industry is full of shit,” quips filmmaker David Markey. “There I said it. Also, I totally blame Lady Gaga and her fans,” he adds sarcastically. In fact, Markey prepared a “deluxe” DVD package in 2004, including bonus live performances by Sonic Youth and Nirvana, audio commentary by Markey and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, and a 2003 panel discussion of the film at the Arclight in Hollywood with Markey, Moore, and others.
(more…)

We Are Going To Eat You, Too

By Less Lee Moore

Click the image for
a larger version.

If you live in the Atlanta, GA area, do not miss “We Are Going To Eat You, Too,” a sequel to the 2009 show at MINT Gallery, which opens on Saturday, April 17. (Hell, even if you don’t live in the Atlanta area, it will be worth the trip.) And unlike many horror movie sequels, this one promises to be just as amazing (if not more so) than the original.

Eric Weber is once again curating this artistic tribute to underground and cult movies. Eric writes for Popshifter, and is also an artist, photographer, and sometimes-draftsman of floor plans for the layout of the Golden Girls house. (For serious.)

Check out the MINT Gallery site for details and read more about Eric’s motivation for putting these shows together in the preview feature about the exhibit on Creative Loafing.

You can also read a great interview with Eric about his art from Popshifter‘s September/October 2009 issue. Don’t forget to check out his other Popshifter articles while you’re at it!

“We Are Going To Eat You, Too” runs from April 17 through April 25 at the MINT Gallery, a non-profit community oriented art gallery located at 684 B John Wesley Dobbs Avenue in Atlanta, GA.

What Are YOU Doing On Record Store Day 2010?

April 17, 2010 marks the third year of Record Store Day (they grow up so fast). According to the event’s website, it was founded as:

“. . . a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally. . . [t]his the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music.”
—Record Store Day.com/About Us

The first official Record Store Day was held at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008, christened by none other than Metallica. It is now celebrated on the third Saturday of every April. This year it will be held on Saturday, April 17.

This year, Sonic Boom in Toronto, ON will be hosting various in-store performances by Sloan, Adam Green, The Meligrove Band, Metz, Buck 65, and Valery Gore, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Admission is free, but they encourage everyone to bring non-perishable food donations for the Daily Bread Food Bank, which is running low on inventory at this time.

Here are some shout-outs to favorite record stores from Popshifter readers and writers. Next time you’re in that town, be sure to check them out!
—Less Lee Moore

(more…)

Eight Bits To Hold You: Oxvylu’s Chiptunes

By Less Lee Moore

If you haven’t yet heard Oxvylu, here is the latest press release which should explain exactly WHY you SHOULD hear Oxvylu!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Oxvylu Recess EP – Free Music Download – April 9, 2010
Oxvylu invites you out to play with an all new RECESS EP release. Remember when RECESS was your favorite time of day, relive that bliss for 16 minutes while listening to “8-bit chiptunes” goodness. Every tune is short, bursting with playful melodies and retro videogaming nostalgia that will keep you listening every day. RECESS can also stand for ‘RECESSION’, but never fear! Download the entire RECESS album in mp3 format at absolutely no charge. Don’t keep this a secret and invite your friends out to play too. Take a break and enjoy your RECESS.

To download the free music, please visit http://www.oxvylu.com/recess
(more…)

The Producers vs. The Product

Adding his voice to the multitudes of musicians clamoring to be heard, Duran Duran’s John Taylor proposed that the Internet is stifling creativity during a speech he gave at UCLA’s 40th Anniversary Of The Internet Symposium.
(more…)

Five Faves: Female Movie Characters

By Less Lee Moore

Not the Ultimate Top Five perhaps, but the five I return to over and over.
(more…)