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Da5vi
"the internet word made flesh"
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Respect Miley Cyrus
Not only has Miley worked too many hours above average for an adult person when she was a child, she devoted herself to an industry that, in the long run, never treated her respectfully. Regardless of timely controversies, Bangerz has a number of things that should have been properly recognized – yet, even some of people most supportive of women like Cyndi Lauper, who I adore and whose song Miley re-recorded on her sophomore album, added negative commentary to what was already a nasty situation.
While everyone theorized Miley was partying wildly and doing drugs (while I am not fond of this, it’s one’s choice and we must respect their freedom), she was at home watching cartoons while doing handicrafts in between shows. She’s been through bus accidents, flight accidents and a permanent vocal condition that likely won’t allow her to perform on the schedules she put up with as a young adult.
However, why should we expect that from her? Why should we demand from a thirty-something woman who’s earned the right of comfort living more and more exhaustive work just for the sake of pleasing others? Why must Miley Cyrus never have a break?
As a celebrity, the thing Miley Cyrus valued most was her fanbase. Very few people recognize fan efforts like Miley did when hiring Olivia Rudensky, and fewer people do what she’s been doing by getting in touch with random fans who couldn’t get concert tickets and offering them a chance to see Miley live, free of charge. I was one of these people.
Switching labels was met positively by mostly everyone until an album that had virtually no promotion after its release did not match Taylor Swift numbers. Suddenly, record labels and Miley’s team and even Miley herself are to blame for not living up to someone else’s unrealistic expectations because GOD FORBID this random twitter user from listening to a record that did not sell a million.
Not every album has to sell a million. Not every song has to be number one. Not every great release will be a cultural phenomenon. Miley will be remembered for the bikini visuals from Endless Summer Vacation regardless. It will be someone’s Miley Cyrus drag for years to come, just like the Jumpsuits are used by many to impersonate Elvis (mind you, the jumpsuit era was not as successful as some of the early Elvis hits too).
As much as I love Miley Cyrus, I wish her nothing but respect. I felt bad about her Vanity Fair article for wanting to meet her, because I thought my viewing of her as an idol made her feel bad. Looking at current events, however, I must say I know that the height fame puts on Miley is not from my parasocial (and rather quiet) relationship.
Early this week, a random user/”fan” wrote about Miley allegedly joining a cult. Not only it provided false information about one of her dogs, Emu, it also vomited prejudices against Miley’s alleged “toxic” interactions with past lovers. Yesterday, Miley was seen at someone’s gathering with her boyfriend Max and one of her brothers. What a nice cult, allowing its members to get out of the bunker for house parties!
As unrealistic as it sounds, multiple tabloids reproduced said tweets. “Dedicated” fans quickly jumped to (apparently) one of Miley's personal friend's Instagram demanding her freedom. Hate was so big she was forced to take a break from social media. Two friends who are not from Miley’s fandom, although are fond of her music, came asking my opinion on the matter. They’ve heard it elsewhere, from gossip pages to “noble” journalistic websites.
While fan work has a very important place in an artist’s life, I beg of record executives to PLEASE take back full responsibility for an artist’s perception online. Not all fan accounts deserve recognition, and should not be treated as official sources about Miley to many outlets around the globe. It’s not healthy, both mentally AND financially, for those running the page and for the artist they support.
I would also like to request fellow fans to respect Miley’s right to individuality. She does not own us updates on her life. She is not my friend. She is not your friend. She is just this woman we happen to like because of a Disney show and her music – which, by the way, we all should be enjoying. Endless Summer Vacation is a great album that, at least for me, resonates a lot with where I’m at in life. She’s compensated for her absence by sending postcards to so many people… which artist actually did that, ever? And I wish we could happily enjoy the music without demanding more and more from someone who has already given us a lot.
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Lawyers in Love — Jackson Browne
Not only one of the most beautiful album arts of all time, Lawyers in Love is a well thought political commentary about what was going on in the 80s. It sorta predicted the victory of consumer society (here represented by “lawyers in love”, their aspirations and lifestyle) over USSR. Soon the world, including “the socialists”, would be taken over by television and designer jeans.
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Other tracks have him reflecting on his world and people around him — “On The Day” talks about someone who thinks they have it all figured out and isn’t quite opened to criticism, but is bound to be surprised with what happens to us when we fall in love with someone else. Whereas Knock on Any Door suggests accepting the world as it is — not the fairytale we envisioned as kids — and asks us to stay open to new opportunities.
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I didn’t know Jackson Browne before stumbling upon this record (shoutout to Miley who was ahead of my Browne obsession and sang his song “These Days” on her Plastic Hearts Backyard Session), but I am so glad to have come across this record last year. Playing it is as refreshing as drinking Coca Cola on a very hot day. Perhaps that analogy is a sign that I too became a lawyer in love.
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Anyway, great records like these are the reason why I can’t stop loving the eighties. Or why I get more convinced every day that we are living dull artistic times with a breathe of air every now and then. Will the music we hear today become as timeless as this forgotten gem?
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It’s me again, this time with a Brazilian soccer rant thing
The Brazilian soccer players of today are utterly arrogant. They are full of themselves — I hated people condemning them for dancing, that is not what this is about. It’s the fact they think they are better citizens for being the Brazilian soccer players.
The fact they deliberately chose to eat golden foiled meat publicly while a third of our country’s going through hunger and unemployment, and Ronaldo had the audacity to say this was inspiring to so many people. Brazil being the “soccer nation” or whatever makes them believe they are the next best thing to Jesus, but they are just little people who failed to understand how important winning this shit could be for a country whose people have experienced so much shit in the past years.
And then they come back… and Neymar is voting Bolsonaro and throwing hedonistic parties during a pandemic that killed 0.7 million of us.
They spent our lives saying sports unify and lead people away from drugs, demonize rock music in favor of great man legs kicking balls or whatever, but so many players are cocaine addicts and so many players do endorse the consumption of “white” drugs such as alcohol in their daily lives as means to achieve ephemeral happiness it’s disgusting.
We are made to think they are superior and better than people who are out there making a difference in our country, like teachers and nurses, because they touch a ball with their legs and arms a special way. They get millions whereas nurses are constantly putting their lives at risk and won’t even have a decent wage nor public respect. Same goes for teachers. Capitalism tricks people into valuing the wrong people. And these “valued people” can’t even do their job properly because they are egocentric sobs.
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The Try Guys after the scandal
It’s been two months now since the Try Guys Reddit went crazy over Ned’s relationship on the side, and a lot has happened to people at 2nd Try LLC since then.
Personally, I’ve been a follower of their channel since 2020 when, during the pandemic, I would watch most of their videos due to recommendations (thank you, algorithm) on Aria and Merle stuff. Eventually I got sick and thought I’d die, and all I did in order to clear my mind from my “inevitable end” was watch Try Guys stuff… I cannot tell you why exactly but their content did make me feel warm.
Like with many stuff I like, I hold them at a special place in my heart but will be vocal when I see something I disagree with — the video where Ned and Ariel fix Zach’s workplace at home is still my least favorite video they ever did, for example. And if I’m being honest, this past year had me watching their videos and feeling like every reaction was forced, as they were just playing these characters that hype out for the sake of likes. I was really, REALLY tired of their “try series” and ultimately decided to avoid these in favor of other stuff like “Keith eats everything”.
Everyone felt like faking it but Eugene. However, Ned was the worst. I did like that he took cooking more seriously than the others but raised an eyebrow once he put out that book? Like, you’re no chef. It just felt opportunistic. But I didn’t care, rolled my eyes and moved along like I did whenever I didn’t really like a certain content.
(They are not there to please me and I am oh so aware of that)
Had nothing to do, so at one beautiful September day I started catching up to their try series and saw that video where they learn how to jump like professional swimmers? Then opened social media and hell broke loose.
My opinion regarding media coverage mirrors this guy right here:
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And I’d just like to add that as a millennial I am really tired of media covering our entertainment as if “our lives” depended on it. Like, the fact everyone showed empathy towards Ariel, Ned’s kids and the other guys does not mean our lives were about to end because he put his sausage where he should not have after seeing Harry Styles? Just like as a Taylor Swift fan with a job my life would follow just fine without a concert ticket. Of course I get sad and disappointed when I want to see concerts but can’t get tickets, but I hate when they write stuff like getting concert tickets is “the battle of our lives”.
Bitch, the battle of OUR lives is making it and having a somewhat comfortable living in the middle of an economic disaster created by the Boomers way before we were even born. The fact we have a special relationship with culture stuff doesn’t mean what you all make it out to be. I don’t know why millennials are the butt of everyone’s generational jokes but it’s just pathetic how people think they know us but proceed to mock us as if we were in the early days of internet and nobody knew what that was yet.
Back to the Try Guys, what I’ve observed upon watching the Ned-less videos is that… it feels like a CURSE was lifted? Keith and Zach are simply going CRAZY and doing really weird things and consistently saying how they are finally doing this and that… feels like they had to make content and SEEM content with shit they didn’t fully want to make just because of Ned, and now that he is out of the picture… the try guys went full on looney tunes mode. I also LOVE that other people like Kwesi are getting more screen time than before? Including different people trying stuff with them made the content more interesting.
Of course, at the end of the day 2nd Try LLC is a company and I don’t really want to be *that* person, but I truly believe Eugene, Zach and Keith try to create this really cool working environment and do prioritize their workers in a way most companies do not. Therefore, I don’t think I would like to be in a position to jeopardize my working relationship with them (if I had one) like the employee kind of did. I hope the new content continues to be chaotic and can’t WAIT to see more of Eugene because I truly miss him!
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Blonde
It all starts with Joyce Carol Oates’ unnecessarily long novel, which many believe to be a Marilyn Monroe biography. Her writing is too descriptive, in a way that does not help the narrative move forward. At all times she want us to see what her Marilyn was thinking of a random lamp or “Our Heavenly Father”, even if they are not that important to the story overall.
But Netflix’s horrendous adaptation turns the book AND Marilyn’s life into a very weird sad sex show while allegedly promising to “do justice” or show “how cruel the entertainment industry is”… by relying on fiction over facts.
Never was Miss Monroe involved in a threesome with Charlie Chaplin’s son. She dated the two men at different times. That is just an example. Wasn’t this motion picture set to do her justice instead of exploiting her like the film industry of yore did? Well, well, well…
Cinematography is also bland and ugly. Even when it tries really hard to mimic film stock it looks pretty much digital. Most times colorless. And when it does have color, tinting tones are very exaggerated. Or dead. Weird angle choices such as one or two vertical scenes leave this movie (so far framed in 4:3, likely as a way of matching part of Marilyn’s pictures) feeling like a very depressing TikTok at times. The black and white segments (and there are quite a few), likely for drama effect, are the least ugly ones. The lack of constancy or ease on image transitions leaves a visual mess that not only is difficult to untangle, but why bother?
As for Ana De Armas’ portrayal, I’m not shocked many people are actually applauding her for it. First, because many people don’t know Miss Monroe and have never even bothered to watch one of the motion pictures that made her who she is. It is a performance that suits everyone’s imagination of who Marilyn was, as De Armas plays Marilyn like Marilyn played her characters, down to her tone of voice — which was not prominent early in her career, yet is there when she is first seen auditioning for a part. Marilyn was coached by the studio to speak that way in real life, and that took time.
Her dialogue either feels too modern or something Marilyn would say at a press conference or interview and not on casting calls. It feels like this “Marilyn in character” has just left one 20th Century Fox’s romcoms and is lost in a Kimmy Schmidt world where she must be sexually assaulted every now and then.
They wanted us to buy the narrative of this being some sort of biopic — it isn’t. If Ana De Armas wanted the right approval to play the part, she should have sought Miss Oates instead of taking a trip down Westwood Village Memorial Cemetery, because that movie does NOT represent Marilyn Monroe at all, nor does it do her justice. Marilyn’s biggest discontentment with the industry was that she was never seen as a professional, a “serious actress”, no matter how hard she worked. And we are talking about a woman who danced, sang AND acted in some of her most popular pictures. Either as a dumb blonde or as a femme fatale, Marilyn could do it all, and my time would have been more well invested if I had chosen to watch The Misfits for the very first time instead of this overlong, ugly, disrespectful and badly acted motion picture featuring a talking fetus. But coming from a director that said Monroe and Jane Russell in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” are “well-dressed whores”, could anyone in their right mind think this was going to be remotely good?
I couldn’t even bring myself to finish it, but I’ll try and do it in the near future.
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Don’t Worry, Darling
Upon arriving at the movie theater, not even their staff is exactly aware of what “Don’t Worry, Darling” is about. Sold by Harry Styles’ and Florence Pugh’s pictures as a couple, every detail lead us to envision it as some sort of romance/drama in the likes of classic Hollywood pictures.
The film then takes us back to the fifties under such a well-curated soundtrack (filled with classics like “Life Could Be a Dream” and “Poor Little Fool”), along with happy couples in the molds of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson seemingly everywhere. It is such a perfect and happy life that for a while we’re left wondering “where have those happy days gone to?”
But something feels off at all times, especially at Florence’s characterization — her hair lights simply does not fit in the ‘50s —, to a point where said character gets invested in finding out what is going on, but everyone plays along and make her seem to be having an episode. Is she going crazy or is there something evil going on behind the curtains?
Harry Styles deliver a decent performance — it feels a bit off when he needs to be evil, I must say, but nothing drastic. It is Florence Pugh, however, that carries out this motion picture with such impeccable performance.
Don’t Worry, Darling is well executed, although some key moments did deserve better development. For example, there is this very important scene that is over-extended by Harry Styles’ dancing per Chris Pine’s request. It just feels like Pinocchio being tortured at one of the Shrek movies.
Also, the climax is too fast paced, leaving some very important questions regarding that plot development unanswered.
Still, Don’t Worry, Darling plays out like an extended Twilight Zone episode, with Florence Pugh being sort of a 1984’s Winston Smith to the whole thing. It touches familiar debates while also bringing something new to the table narrative-wise, and I believe many will leave theaters mind-blown by the story’s development. It certainly is one of the most interesting films I’ve seen this year.
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Bella
Hello internet, it is I once again.
This month has been intense, to say the least. One of my cats has fallen sick, and so far I’ve spent more than half of my monthly income on two veterinarian stays and she’s still not on stable condition.
My pet’s name is Bella and I’m guessing she is seven years old. She was little when I brought her home, and that’s kind of a funny story — I passed by her twice before, always having the intention of bringing her home but never on my way home. Until the day I was coming home from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and me and my friends decided to stop by the bakery to grab some Brazilian snacks before heading home.
Although reluctant on being in a box, Bella could be heard purring moments later. I think she was scared of humans but somehow understood she was finally going home. So she calmed down.
She was so hungry upon our arrival it was the first (and last time) she ate rice, ever. She’d sleep so close to me I’d be scared of squishing her… but I guess she needed a warm body to rely on still.
Bella is special not just because she’s proven me I’m worthy of raising cats, but also because she’s been there for me so many times. She loves listening to music — and her favorite activity is observing spinning records of her favorite musicians. Bangerz and Like a Prayer are among her favorites, because girl power is strong even among felines. She is sometimes playful, but she’s also calm. And she likes company, a lot. Have I told you she’s also a great hugger?
Nobody hugs like Bella. It’s kinda special, because she tries to use her entire body to wrap around my neck like a human arm. And she purrs and stays there the longest time, longing to be closer. I know it was difficult for her when I opened our apartment to other strays, but nevertheless, despite all stress she’s been nothing but a lady.
I’m well aware that cats don’t live by human years. I’m aware that she will leave me sooner than I want to, and that I will be a complete and utter mess once that dreadful day comes. But does it have to be now? I hope not.
“The gods may throw a dice
Their minds as cold as ice
And someone way down here
Loses someone dear”
Right now, I’m praying the dices will be in our favor.
While nobody answers, I wish I could say I’m getting used to her absence — I’m not. I’m glad there are more capable people handling her current situation, but I miss her presence. I miss her interrupting my readings by sitting on books. I miss having her support on days where working was not as nice. I miss the way she’d run for her plate once my feet hit the floor every morning…
Please come home, Bella. I love you.
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Great Artists, thoughts on the late ONJ
Not everyone is able to place their marks in history, and speaking of music, it’s getting harder by the minute to make a statement. There’s barely artists “everyone” listen to nowadays, and we as an audience are segmented by our preferences, unconsciously banning genres and their variations from our lives. I could go full on Trevor Horn and reminisce about how technology kills the enjoyment of music with its new things, but that’s not my intention here.
Indeed, it is hard to make a statement, so when you DO make one… it must be celebrated. But statements come as a blessing and a curse: sometimes what you did at a specific time is just so big and iconic it becomes you. Had this Elvis biopic never seen the light of day, I suspect many youngsters would know him only as a novelty cartoon from Las Vegas impersonators — you know, jumpsuit and exaggerated mannerisms. Miley can’t escape her wrecking ball and twerking to this day. To many people, miss Monroe is a picture of a character she portrayed in one of her most popular films…
And Olivia Newton John “forever will be Sandy”.
I love Grease. I remember when I first read about it at a magazine article on High School Musical back in 2006. I loved it when my mom’s friend, impressed by my liking of this motion picture, gave me a DVD. Grease is like a good wine — it gets better with age, and I love watching it every year, even if it’s just to sing along to my favorite scenes.
I’m that kind of person who even cherishes Grease 2, for that matter. Both are just iconic.
https://youtu.be/c5wGYw-Dgmk
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Grease wouldn’t be what it is without their actors, and Olivia did such a great job that many changes made for the film adaptation ended up becoming part of the Broadway play. Songs like “You’re the One that I want” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You” were film-exclusive, and Summer Nights had a rather distinct delivering on the original version. All this changed to accommodate what Olivia and John made a part of history.
https://youtu.be/4IFQZyxxyyM
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But that’s remotely not all miss Newton John had to offer us in terms of art. With her passing, I invite you to visit some of her other movies like Xanadu, and hear her albums… I love her country pop sound. The Taylor Swift of the ‘70s.
https://youtu.be/GvYl_omr9Zg
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Have You Never Been Mellow is such a beautiful song to play on calm Sunday mornings… and her very own TV special featuring ABBA and some Bee Gees members is truly a capsule of the best the pop of the seventies have to offer.
https://youtu.be/D8mQ9nt5WAY
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Artists don’t deserve to become a shadow to their creation, and I wish many more people could nurture a relationship with ONJ’s music & acting. I’m not asking people to become die hard fans — I don’t even consider myself one. I’m just inviting you to go beyond Grease.
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Marilyn
There is a new documentary set to come out about Marilyn Monroe’s death, and while we may never know what is actually truthful in this entire story, I do not think it reviving it is helping make a difference.
Marilyn Monroe is imprinted in our memories for the image studios often sold as publicity. The first photograph I ever saw of Marilyn, in my childhood, was that of “The Seven Year Itch” (arguably MY favorite Marilyn picture, along with “Don’t Bother to Knock”), and whenever WE think of Marilyn, WE think of an act, maybe that picture, but not a person. And once WE acknowledge the failure of looking at Marilyn as Marilyn Monroe and not as a human being, it is easy to understand how much is left out of view.
Marilyn Monroe was a great actress. She often sang and danced musical numbers in her most popular pictures, even when they didn’t necessarily needed to be musical. She could do comedy and drama and she would perform with a hint of sexual mystery that would elevate her characters and leave us craving for more every single time.
Yet, was she ever recognized in life? No.
She fought for better treatment when production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes paid her less than a quarter of what her co-star was getting because “she was not the star”. As she said at the time, “she was the blonde”. She did movies such as “Don’t Bother to Knock” just to prove she COULD act, because doing comedies meant she wasn’t a “serious actress”. Sometimes during production of her films, even though SHE was driving the audiences, she didn’t even receive star treatment.
When we think of Marilyn, we think of a very glamorous life. And while she was wealthy indeed, Hollywood made sure she was constantly reminded of how unworthy she was of everything she gained.
And so NO MATTER what she did, no matter how many acting classes, or different roles… there was no respect for her in this industry. Journalism was also very unkind, reaffirming this horrendous prejudice with a very stupid agenda — why on EARTH would people with an opportunity to sit down and talk to such an INCREDIBLE celebrity ask questions such as “have you gained weight? Have you lost weight?”
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What were these people expecting? An accidental pregnancy announcement? Notice how all questions were based on twisted gossip.
I believe when she said “fame is fickle”, she meant that no MATTER how much effort and no matter how many pictures she’s done portraying all these different people with remarkable performances, she would never live in a world where people would praise her for anything other than looks. And even now, years after her death, we still cannot get past that.
When we talk about Marilyn’s passing, we are either flabbergasted about a woman as livid as she was in pictures taking her own life or contemplating her as this sad little girl who had it all. All these years and we collectively failed to ask the right questions here. Why did we never hold 20th Century Studios accountable for all the years they diminished her worth to profit over her image? To this day, even movies such as Monkey Business, in which she briefly appeared, are sold under her image on boxed sets (funny enough, despite her portraying a secretary, the picture used to promote this film is one of her in bathing suits). Would her later pictures be marked by her “diva behavior” on set, had she not been hurt by that industry to a point where she felt unwell?
So, I guess what I’m trying to say is although I’m open to whatever new evidence there is on her death, all that’s been done here is NOT because we want to “help her” have afterlife peace. We want to help ourselves. We want to be right. We want to be sold a narrative, an imagery of her that perpetuated for years and that clearly caused harm, because she was reduced to that. Instead, we should celebrate her works and ask why was she mistreated her entire career? who is it to blame? Has the industry changed afterwards? Will it ever? And why are we still supporting that notion by blindly giving money to the people who made her life miserable without contesting a few things?
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Joshua Bassett
Fanbases are always trending tags saying how great their idols are. Doesn’t matter if they’re big or small… it’s just a part of “stan internet” or whatever kids call it nowadays…
However, I don’t see much from Josh B’s fans. I do listen to his music and follow his career to an extent, but if you’ve been here often you know I don’t even have enough energy to deal with myself, let alone somebody I unfortunately don’t know.
HOWEVER, I’ve already seen two interviews in less than a month in which he is definitely holding back tears or something. There is just an aura of sadness around his body at times. That is simply not good. I know he recently spoke about being abused as a kid — I went through sexual abuse as a kid too — but specifically at that interview he seemed to be in a better place with the things that happened in his life. And I don’t think that is true at all.
So if you are a fan of Joshua Bassett and I don’t know, maybe own a well followed fan account… maybe you should try to do something? I know it is a lot to put on a fan’s plate, but I think that getting love from strangers would be a good thing right now.
It’s just weird and I wish I could do more than “””alert””” people, but I hope it’s just something that my mind created.
For reference: one of the interviews I talked about here is one promoting Better Nate, a snippet of it is available on his Instagram.
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Attention: Miley Live
A couple of years ago, Miley released one of my favorite records from her: Younger Now celebrated changing and the understanding that nobody would stay the same forever. We evolve as human beings and that is alright. It could have been a beautiful statement, had she not dissed her most impactful album while doing interviews at the time.
Whenever there is change, Miley seemed to neglect more and more of her body of work. Nothing else seemed to fit in with whatever she was doing at the moment, and she always had something (oftentimes awful) to say about a record or a song many people grew fond of.
I don't blame her for this, though. As a Disney alumni, there is just a lot of negative expectations thrown at her, to a point in which everything she's done in the past feels not like an achievement, but rather things served in golden platter by The Mouse. When the world is that negative towards you and what you've done, it is difficult not to absorb at least some of it.
At last, however, Miley has made peace with her past. With more than a decade of albums and songs as herself, numerous sales certifications and millions of social media followers, Miley Cyrus is a household name and she deserves to be recognized as such. And by embracing fan favorite songs instead of relying too much on covers on her live record, Attention does that beautifully.
Her live performances have always been better than studio versions, mostly due to new arrangements provided by her band. To top it all off, some of her best live vocal deliveries are there. For longtime fans like I am, Attention is a trip through not only Miley`s career, but also our own history with these songs and eras. It is impossible not to listen to that record and reflect on how much has changed in our own lives.
While we patiently wait for her new record, Attention is the best way to close the Plastic Hearts chapter and start a new one -- and I cannot wait to see what she is coming up with next.
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Unearthing Todd Graff
If you are like me, then you're likely one of the few people who still own (and treasure) their home video copy of a 2009 movie called "Bandslam". Starring Gaelan Draper, Aly Michalka and Vanessa Hudgens, it is mostly notable for being David Bowie's last film credit before his passing in January 2016.
As a teenager raised by television, the media often felt like escapism from a reality I longed to put behind. I would sit down and either spend hours reading about bands, movies and tv shows I liked, or consuming them, wishing life would cross over the line of fiction, finally allowing me to live adventures in the likes of Ferris Bueller or that kid from Almost Famous.
Needless to say, Bandslam was a piece of media I often clung to. It introduced me to The Velvet Underground & Nico, made me a Bowie fan and, through Will Burton and Sa5m, it got me. Just like them, I had difficulties fitting and felt alienated from my peers. I tried my best, and sometimes it just wasn't enough. As a child of divorce, living with my mother meant she'd get overprotective at all my attempts at having a social life -- way more than Karen.
My father never Drove Under Influence, but he made me put up with a lot of verbal abuse. I felt so detached from him, and simultaneously so attached to John Hughes movies that, like Will, I felt the need to pretend my dad was someone else. Around that time, you'd see me on social media as "Davi Hughes", a homage to the man who I felt sent me (much needed) messages through film dialogue.
Some would say I spoke passionately about the music I love, and I would feel just like Will Burton on a random afternoon talking about The Velvet Underground. I could also relate to his anxiety on “important” social interactions, and would often envision my first kiss happening just like that scene at 49 minutes 07 seconds. I often spent countless hours reading books instead of interacting with fellow humans, like Sa5m.
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Hours went by as I read every article on Bandslam. Watching deleted scenes and listening (more) Aly & AJ became sort of a habit. It really bothered me that the movie wasn’t big despite having a post-High School Musical Vanessa Hudgens, and news outlets would say that Summit Entertainment did a really poor job promoting it. Upon reading this, my passionate teen self felt the need to “spread the word”. Davi Hughes became Da5vi (the 5 is silent), a very weird Graff disciple.
I wrote about it for my town’s newspaper. There were multiple articles on personal blogs, national music publications and even teen websites. Once the DVD came out, I brought it to an English class in my school, along with the worksheet my fellow classmates were meant to do on it, just to make sure the (new, fresh meat) teacher would watch it with us. My classmates found out about the activity and weren’t very pleased, as they had issues with English as a second language. That’s how, for the first time in my academic life, I went straight to the principal’s office.
Years went by and eventually I became an English Teacher myself, so either through film or literature -- the original script was adapted as a book at some point -- I often include Bandslam as an extracurricular activity each semester. I long for students' reactions on specific scenes, and wonder if the music would change their lives just like it changed mine.
And I also wondered if someone out there felt as passionate about Bandslam. Or if Todd himself was aware that there was a person (maybe people) that loved his motion picture so much. I really wanted to tell him that. In my mind, it would make up for it not being the next “Juno”.
But he was not on social media. I only saw him through DVD extras and the commentaries he wrote on each song in the Bandslam soundtrack -- those prompted me to envision him as a Will Burton of sorts. He just seemed very, intensely passionate about music in general, regardless of it coming from huge bands or not. “Did he have the same backstory as Will?” and “How much of it was personal?” were questions that often ran through my mind.
Very little was available on-line about him. Only film credits, photos from the Bandslam premiere.... I'd often try to contact Gaelan and Aly about it. Sometimes I would just go around tweeting Elvy, Scott and Charlie whenever I was watching the movie... And of course, every now and then I would once again search for Todd's social network profiles -- only to find nothing.
Nada.
Zero.
Was he dead? I hoped not.
2020 came and so did the coronavirus. I was in lockdown and, like everyone else, not feeling my best. I longed for a sign that better days would come, and just like in my teens, the media gave me that. Bandslam gave me that. So there I was, once again embarking on the years-old quest of finding Todd Graff and telling him "I really like your movie".
I might have sent a Cincinatti Todd Graff "hi" on Facebook because his profile picture was sort of mysterious. I searched Instagram and Twitter. Delved deep on multiple Google results… still nothing. Once I got a temporary IMDb pro account, which allows people to get professional contact information on everyone in Hollywood, I thought my search would come to an end.
Todd Graff’s contact info wasn’t listed. Why was this man so difficult to find?
"Wait", I remembered. "He's married to a Latino man". I saw them together in a picture of the Bandslam premiere once, and his name was listed in an article that went with the photo. With that information in hand, once again I went on social networks in search of Bandslam’s Todd Graff. But this time, much to my surprise, the first result seemed promising, as this Jhon Lafaurie, a Spanish-speaking man who looked just like that decade-old photo, actually showed up on Facebook search. "Must be him", I thought. So I used my Spanish degree provided by years of listening to RBD music and pieced together a message that conveyed my intentions -- or so I hoped.
I honestly thought he'd block me, but days later I received a notification that left my inner Will on the floor of a McCallum High School hall, static, wearing a t-shirt that says “I can’t go on”.
A message.
In English.
From Todd Graff himself.
He's as music nerdy as you would expect. I can't match his knowledge on music even if I tried -- unless we are talking “obscure bubblegum pop groups of the naughties” lingo. I always thought I knew obscure bands of the 20th century, because I liked Photomaker, The Restless Virgins and so on. His current obsession at the time said otherwise: he was revisiting a band called Mission of Burma. Reading that was like reading the name of a very intense board game -- their debut album, Vs, is really good though.
I like to think that if the CBGBs were still open, he would definitely be there digging the bands. Holding Jhon’s hand and telling friends how amazing his abs (and academic curriculum) were.
However, Todd’s life had nothing to do with Will Burton's, like I used to picture, and his 2003 movie Camp is likely a more accurate depiction of his experiences, as it was based on his experiences at Stagedoor Manor, a performing arts camp -- likely the same camp that inspired the silent 5 in Sa5m, and the reason why he's a huge Broadway nerd.
Truth be told, singing on the first Sesame Street record, being part of the Short Circus, writing a Fran Drescher movie and being nominated for a Tony Award was much better than being called Dewey.
His favorite game, of course, is music-related. And he invited me to play with him on Zoom. Multiple times. I would teach a class on a Saturday morning and then at night I’d be playing BEAT THE INTRO with actual Hollywood people. Bandslam people. There was even a 10 year anniversary reunion. That I was part of. Would my inner Will Burton ever be able to recover?
Months have passed since our last email exchange. Since then, I discovered that Bandslam couldn’t go on, but it went on: there is a teen band in the Philippines that did this killer Amphetamine cover on YouTube. And I got in touch with quite a few people who also list Bandslam as one of their comfort movies -- one of them said it was one of those pictures that “felt like home”. I even found a dude from Thailand whose social network handles are also inspired by Sa5m!
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Just like that, the world felt right again.
So this decade's most decadent year (as of today) gave me a very peculiar joy: I finally got to know Todd Graff. And although he wasn’t exactly the person I pictured for over a decade, I assure you he is definitely the coolest person in California — and the person my inner Will needed at that time.
(And yes, in case you ever wondered, Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell does calm children down and help them focus. A true godsend.)
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Working Class Dog, Rick Springfield.
When an album is born to be iconic, it just is.
Rick Springfield built a very lucrative career as one of those music artists who sometimes do television. His looks, of course, helped a lot: he is one of the eighties hunks who still makes the heart of those who cut classes to see him in General Hospital skip a few beats.
But beyond that, which some might use to diminish the consistency of his work, Rick has the ability to deliver songs that are melodically beautiful and energetic, and looking at Working Class Dog as a whole, Jessie's Girl – the album's most successful single – seems like its "least powerful” track.
It's impossible listening to Hole in My Heart without letting your body feel the guitars. It's a solid song about breaking up that brings out "good" angry energy: you feel vindicated even if you've never been heartbroken. Love is Alright Tonight and The Light of Love, contrasting love songs, can make anyone jump as if they were in a stadium audience.
There's also a beauty in Rick's songwriting that is quite evident in my favorite song on the record: Inside Sylvia. The tender way he approaches the sexual relationship with this woman and how he finds in her his safe haven, combined with his soft and caring vocals, make your ears melt as if they were pieces of chocolate under a gently fire.
Working Class Dog is, without a doubt, bigger than its most famous single. One of the most fun and sensitive albums of the eighties and, for me, the vinyl proof that a good rock album is like a good wine: gets better with each passing year.
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Future Nostalgia is one of my favorite 2020 records
Back when Dua Lipa released her debut album, I didn't connect with her music and thought I'd never engage with it. Then Don't Start Now kind of blew up everywhere and I was "hooked by osmosis" -- my friends sang along to it everywhere and the lyrics got stuck. It happens.
However, what really sold me her record was her Tiny Desk performance. It was energetic, it was funky and I wished I was there the entire 12 minutes of it.
Future Nostalgia does a great job with mixing old influences with the new electronic-influenced sound, hence the name of the record (and its clever title track -- a perfect introduction of who she is and what she wants to be in the industry btw), delivering an amazing feel-good set of songs that are guaranteed to make your life suck a little less. Levitating and Physical are bold highlights and wise single choices that unfortunately didn't make as much noise as Don't Start Now.
Break My Heart, Love Again and Hallucinate are also strong dance floor bangers. One simply cannot listen to those without getting hooked by the funky beats. And the bass... oh my!!! My ears always have an orgasm with it.
I must also compliment her vocal delivery. Her voice is sexy and hypnotic, and when you see her performing live she simply delivers vocals as great as those from the finalized records. It's something very few artists nowadays do, and it must be praised.
Definitely one of last year's best, Future Nostalgia is a must for those who, like me, are suckers for funky, danceable tunes.
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Meet Goodie Bag
One of the bands I had the privilege to stumble upon during social isolation was Goodie Bag. This dream-pop act from Nashville has Connor Teske and Riley Yeatts on guitars, Graham Breidenbach on bass, Charlie Daniels on drums and Linsey Urrea as the frontwoman and lead singer. “Goodie Bag started in 2018”, says Linsey. “Connor and Charlie were friends in high school and once they moved to Nashville, they knew that they wanted to start a band with a female singer. Connor and I met in a dorm room through a mutual friend our freshman year of college”.
“I came over to listen to Hiatus Kaiyote on vinyl, and he was there with his guitar. We started to write something that would later become The Lonely Postman”, she continues. Although they shared an artistic connection, they didn’t talk again for about a year. “Then, one day I got a random text saying, ‘Hey, remember me? You should come sing for the band I’m starting.’ At that time, I didn’t really see myself being in a band but I thought to myself ‘What the hell, at least go hear them play’. Once I heard them, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity”.
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For weeks, they couldn’t think of the right name for the band. “At the end of the night after rehearsal we’d all sit around in Charlie’s basement trying to think of something”, Linsey reminisces. “We would just yell out random names and eventually someone said ‘Goodie Bag’ -- I think it was Riley. The name worked for us because we are all so different, but somehow we all ended up together”.
Each member brings different music backgrounds for the table: Riley is inspired by Pharrell Williams, Daniel Caesar, and The Internet. Connor’s are Kanye West, Frank Zappa, and King Krule. Charlie’s is mainly Pink Floyd. Linsey’s inspirations are Gwen Stefani, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Amy Winehouse, Selena -- “to name a few. I’ve spent hours watching these women on YouTube studying their confidence. I also love Stevie Wonder and Frank Ocean”.
When it comes to songwriting, Goodie Bag does not have a specific process. “[It] is always changing”, says Linsey. “Connor or Riley usually come up with a lead guitar part. Then, the rest of the guys add their own parts, and we jam on it for a little while. I usually sit in the middle of them while they jam and start throwing out vocal ideas. My best ideas come when I’m not overthinking it. The lyrics can take me anywhere from 10 minutes to a week. When I get stuck on lyrics, the guys help me out. I’m always asking them what they think. We are constantly sending ideas in our group chat. Sometimes Connor writes an entire song and I just cut vocals and it’s done. It just depends”.
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For Blue Girls, their debut EP released last November, all songs came from personal experiences. Linsey recalls that Asking or Telling was about a time in her life where she was frustrated with herself. “I fell for a guy who ended up screwing me over, and he wanted to work through it”, she says. “My mind was telling me to walk away, but my heart was telling me to stay. I kept putting a smile on my face and acting like nothing was wrong so that nobody would ask me about it. I was embarrassed. I used to get so scared of letting people see the messed up parts, and that is something I still struggle with”. Fading with the Flowers, on the other hand, came in one of her favorite nights with the band. “The song was created around the feeling of finding beauty in the changing seasons of life. And how sometimes the silver linings seep through the cracks of the dark.”
During social isolation, the band has stayed very productive: they’re taking online classes, working on music and enjoying their family. “Trying not to get too bored”, says Linsey. They intend to release a new single sometime soon – and Linsey herself is working on solo music that will likely come out late this year too! “We just want to make sure that it’s the best that it can be and that we don’t rush the process”.
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Being in the Nashville scene has blessed them with support from amazing people. “We are in a community of super talented, artistic people, and we all help each other out because we all believe in each other. Sam Soto took us on and believed in our music enough to produce us”, Linsey says. “Incredible photographers like Will Lipchik and Harrison Haake have photographed us just because they love our vibe. It’s a collective effort. We are all like one big family. Even though Nashville is known for country and rock music, there is a cool underground indie scene that is gaining more traction with artists like Dreamer Boy and Bren Joy breaking through the noise”.
When asked about the pros and cons of being independent, having creative control is definitely on top of the benefits of not having a label. While getting a record deal is certainly important, they want to make sure they will make music that lasts. “There has been a shift in the music industry where instead of making music that lasts, there is a lot of music being made with the intention of blowing up for a week or going viral on TikTok and then it’s onto the next catchy snippet of music”, she says. “This only bothers me because I mainly focus on lyrics. However, there are artists who are creating incredible catalogs like H.E.R., Tame Impala, Leon Bridges, Frank Ocean, Billie Eilish, and Tyler the Creator. I think what is most important in the music industry is staying true to yourself. If I were to cross over to mainstream music, I’d keep my value on lyricism and influences with me”.
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There is still an uneven ratio for Linsey when it comes to bands having a frontwoman versus a frontman -- and she’s hoping that other women can look at Goodie Bag and get inspired to pursue music. “I’ve noticed that people get excited to see a frontwomen. It’s something different and there’s something powerful about a woman in front of four men. I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback”, she says. One of the places where she’s getting a lot of feedback is Brazil – Linsey and Goodie Bag have already gained street teams in the country, and they are very dedicated to promote songs, taking part in listening parties and e-mailing big blogs about them. “It is so amazing to see our music thrive in a completely different culture. I cannot express how thankful I am for all your support and love. It is my dream to come perform for you guys in Brazil and meet you all in person. I hope I can make that happen one day”.
While that day doesn’t come, you can catch up to Goodie Bag and Linsey on Twitter and Instagram, and make sure to listen to their songs on your preferred streaming service – mine’s Deezer, so click here to listen to their songs there.
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Autoamerican: Blondie’s avant garde album
Blondie was never one to repeat itself, and their insatiable need to mix in different music genres was something that differed from many acts that came out of CBGB in the 70s. Their constant metamorphosis infuriated many from the punk scene, who deserted the band as soon as Heart of Glass crossed over to mainstream - the song famously combines punk and disco elements (a less deadly, more danceable Romeo and Juliet).
Truth is Blondie never really wanted to sell out, or whatever weird excuse they were throwing to question their roots and art commitment at the time. They were, and still are, adventurous, trailblazers of old and new. They are like Willy Wonka on Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, exploring the music jungle in search of something bold and exciting to blend in their body of work.
Autoamerican, released in 1980, was born out of this spirit. It gave them their first-ever video aired on MTV. Mixing Punk guitars and New Wave synths with elements from easy listening, surf rock, reggae and (more) disco, while also throwing in one Browadway show tune and what would become the first rap to top the charts in the mix, this album presents a futuristic and apocalyptic take about consequences of consumer culture. Despite it not being a concept embraced by all album tracks (after all, they even had the time to write about Grease), it is deeply emphasized in most of them, as well as in the album's graphic design -- all credits were written as if describing industrial parts.
The album promotes an insightful reflection upon the past and present -- Angels in the Balcony tells a story about two generations collapsing resulting in art transcending times (They can still see him singing on the corner singing songs/ That never fade away, fade into the kids that come along). Rapture raps about consumer culture that makes everything ephemeral (The man from Mars stopped eating cars/ And eating bars and now he only eats guitars) while presenting us a character that both mentions scientific advances and pays tribute to David Bowie.
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Walk Like Me, who's also part of this debate, rather emphasizes on the need for consumption to makes us socially accepted -- the song's main character questions why can't we "walk like her" between mentions to how she is above working class (We don't wear that uniform/ Paper men from pages torn) and possible power strategies made to keep her economic position going strong (Carrying the standard stick/ And marrying the politic/ You won't know tomorrow/ What went down today).
In Faces, we see the story of someone whose life has been negatively affected by a possible economic crisis (Now he's wiping headlights/ Windshields with an old rag/ It isn't nine to five/ Down and dirty, he's an old tramp). There are also songs about romantic relationships (The Tide is High, Here's Looking at You) and Do The Dark, which invites us to dance amid chaos (Do the dark apostle/ Do the sidewalk hustle/ Do the invisible dance/ In the fire, fire, fire, fire).
All songs that contribute directly to Autoamerican's concept share one similarity: the mention of automobiles. The album's opening track, Europa, tells us that cars represent both the search for technological advances (and how it gave us this excess culture) and how automatic and superficial society's views on itself and the world around has become. This choice was certainly motivated by the automobile culture that took over the American market in the post-war world of the 1950s. It not only made them the world's biggest car producers of that time but also expanded Ford's idea that people with a decent job could have their own vehicle -- in other words, acquiring stuff is a direct indication of good life quality.
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While people at the time said the album was pretentious and a "cliché, even when you can't think of anybody else who's done it", Autoamerican is the most avant-garde work of a band that was always ahead of their time. It is also a testament of how punk Blondie is, as it goes against what was cultivated as the "genre's sound" and pissing the movement, the music critics (Rolling Stone's review went as far as questioning Chris Stein's commitment to rock and roll) and the part of the public who was expecting another Parallel Lines. Who else did that with one single album? Nobody. And for artists who really care about doing something new, having an album that predicted social distancing in its artwork and was spot-on about how the world and capitalism would feel like nowadays is much more interesting than riding the mainstream.
#blondie#music#autoamerican#80s#1980#chris stein#new wave#punk#rapture#clem burke#debbie harry#deborah harry#vinyl#record#the tide is high
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Hollywood is this year's best new TV Show so far!
spoiler alert!
I was never a fan of whatever Ryan Murphy did -- watched three of his TV shows and didn't grew fond of them -- and then, to my surprise, the credits of Hollywood episode 01 rolled and his name came in. Wow.
This is a "what if" story like One Upon a Time in Hollywood and Titanic that uses real-life people to support its fictional arcs. It's a reimagining of the past, a wonder of what could have happened to the entertainment industry -- to the world, actually -- if Hollywood started accepting minority groups at its golden days.
I don't really know much about this time, but I do read and watch a lot of things about it, and knowing Hattie McDaniel and Rock Hudson, I honestly felt that somebody understood them. Finally. Queen Latifah's performance made my eyes sweat every single time. And Rock was portrayed as such a gentle and caring man, unlike the womanizer he usually played on screen. The way this story deals with such important pieces in movie history is very delicate and long necessary.
Jim Parsons as Henry Wilson was a big surprise. I only knew him as Sheldon basically (I saw him in The Muppets too but does that even count?), and his performance and characterization were simply amazing. Laura Harrier and Samara Weaving were stellar, and I am glad that their characters acted as friends and did not engage in a diva-like war when they could. David Corenswet could light a room with those blue eyes at the very first scene, and he was great at this role (I honestly think it's difficult to act as an actor acting badly on a scene... and he did great!). Michelle Krusiec was incredible as Anna May Wong and I am really hoping I get to see a picture with May during this isolation time.
I did, however, have some issues with Vivien Leigh's portrayal. At the moment I was unaware if her portrayal as a weird diva living to reenact "fiddle-dee-dee" was based on true events or just something for the story, but it seemed a bit over the top, as if she was a caricature instead of a person (@theshamelesshussy wrote me this: "Vivacious Scarlett O'Hara was a role. Vivien Leigh, the real woman had a reputation for being very difficult. Today it's believed that she was bipolar"). The same goes for the way they portrayed Hollywood newcomers. It felt as if every starting actor had to fuck their way up to the top at times. Even though I'm not naive to think it's impossible for such thing to happen in real life, basically the only person who doesn't get a part in Meg from having sex was the daughter of the studio owner.
All these things won't change the fact that Hollywood is perfect in its own terms. It's beautiful, emotional and it takes the debate over the importance and influence of Hollywood on our society to a new and interesting level. I honestly hope that this story helps us break barriers that should've been broken a long time ago. And I applaud Murphy and Ian Brennan for doing justice to these "forgotten" characters. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
I'd also like to thank the person who wrote that scene where the guy says "I discovered Vivien Leigh. I win", because it was the best fun I had during social distancing. People who know at least something about this time will be pleased with stuff like this, and I honestly hope that people who don't get encouraged to see at least one of Rock Hudson's romcoms.
Those who want to watch Hollywood can catch all of its seven episodes on... NetFlix. I swore I'd never see anything from them since One Day at a Time's cancellation and I am glad to say I broke that promise.
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