KCRW & Beyond

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obiwankobe
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KCRW & Beyond

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...keeping you connected to KCRW and beyond...



Hey gang - Eric J. Lawrence here again. As the final days of summer 2006 dwindle into nothing, the mind turns to thoughts of indoor activities. (Who am I kidding? I live in Southern California! Pretend you don’t know that, or just allow me poetic license). And for the discriminating music fan, what better way to pass a chilly autumn evening than to pop in a music-related DVD and excite both the optical and auditory senses!

There are quite a few interesting films out there at the moment. They include I Know I’m Not Alone, Spearhead singer/songwriter Michael Franti’s powerful journey to war-torn Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and his efforts to cross cultural divides with music. Crossing the Bridge documents Einsturzende Neubauten member Alexander Hacke’s search for the various musical sounds of the city of Istanbul (I haven’t actually seen this one yet, but the soundtrack is pretty cool). Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out features drummer Stewart Copeland’s extensive home movies of his time in the band, from poorly-attended record signing parties to headlining the 1982 US Festival. And We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen relates the history of one of Southern California’s best post-punk bands, with some amazing live footage.

There is also a new series of music DVDs titled “Under Review.” Each edition features a full-length documentary about a band or one particular album. Some subjects are big names (Rolling Stones, Queen, the Who), while others are cult favorites (Kate Bush, Small Faces, Sandy Denny). I watched Captain Beefheart: Under Review this week, and it was pretty informative. I’d never seen live footage from him before, and this DVD includes plenty of snippets, as well as interviews with band members and music journalists. It’s a little pretentious (one of the critics is filmed speaking from a church pulpit), unnecessarily stylized and missing any interviews with the man himself (he retired from the music scene decades ago, so it’s not so surprising). But given that there is virtually nothing else available on him, it is essential viewing for fans of this idiosyncratic pioneer. I may have to put the Syd Barrett volume at the top of my Netflix queue.

Including DVD elements to CD releases is becoming de rigueur for many new reissues. The 40th anniversary release of the Beach Boys’ stone-cold classic, Pet Sounds, includes a DVD with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the landmark album, including a 1997 meeting between Brian Wilson and Beatles producer George Martin. A Life Less Lived is a new 4-disc box set from the good folks at Rhino that celebrates the sound of the late-70s/early-80s Goth rock scene, including a discs-worth of shadowy videos from the likes of the Cure, Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees (check out the groovy black packaging at the right!) Post-rock superstars Tortoise are the subject of a new 3-CD, 1-DVD collection called A Lazarus Taxon, featuring rare videos and live footage. And I finally watched the video components of last year’s reissue of Bill Withers 1971 debut album, Just As I Am, which contains some pretty astonishing TV appearances, as well as a fascinating recent interview with Withers conducted by KCRW’s own Elvis Mitchell! Musical couch potatoes rejoice!

EJL’S PICKS - Here’s what I’ve been listening to on my rare trips away from the telly:

PETER BJORN AND JOHN - Writer’s Block (Wichita) This Swedish trio’s 3rd full-length pops with catchy throwback pop grooves, especially on the excellent single, “Young Folks,” featuring former Concretes vocalist Victoria Bergsman.

HEARTLESS BASTARDS - All This Time (Fat Possum) These Ohio rockers return with their sophomore release, filled with languid but driving tunes, like a cherry-red Ford Mustang in a 30-MPH zone. Plus guitarist Erika Wennerstrom is up there with Cat Power and PJ Harvey as a classic female rock singer.

JOBRIATH - Lonely Planet Boy (Sanctuary) This collection features tracks from early 70s glam rocker Jobriath’s hard-to-find albums. Sure he’s an obvious Ziggy Stardust wannabe, but he does it well.

That’s all for now - hope your fall rings in pleasantly tonight (at 9:06 to be precise). As always, please feel free to send your questions, comments & DVD suggestions to librarian@kcrw.com.

ERIC J. LAWRENCE
-tom

~"Let there be no conflict in America, if you bother me, I whup yo' ass."~Charles Barkley
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