This website is the home of Day For Night, a Brooklyn-based music collaboration. Here are our thoughts, our songs and other things that inspire us.
Spike Jonze & Ty Evan’s created an explosive titled open for the Lakai - Fully Flared skate film. Brilliant slow motion footage is seen as skaters perform in an urban environment that is literally blowing up around them. This footage was reworked into a music-like piece for the UNKLE track heaven.
David Lynch and Moby while they jam in a studio together, oh and meditate.
Justice Alito is a bloviating conservative windbag of questionable morality who has made a career out of marginalizing the rights of a staggering number of Americans.* We all already know that; there’s no story there. But what is noteworthy is the fact that, in a recent opinion, Judge Alito made several allusions to John Lennon’s Imagine, and at one point, even went so far as to quote all the lyrics of the song. This is funny because John Lennon would definitely have found Alito to be a horrible person and would probably have loudly contested his use of his lyrics, since he’s pretty much dedicated his life to everything John Lennon was against.
Brian E. Gray, a law professor at U.C. Hastings, also noticed the…um—let’s call it the “incongruity”—that exists between Alito’s decisions and his choice of Lennon’s words to describe them, and he has expressed his observations in a hilarious Morning News piece called, appropriately, You Are Not Cool. A quote from the article:
At this point, I began to imagine how John Lennon would have reacted both to Alito’s cooptation of his lyrics and the justice’s decision in [another] case to deny monetary compensation to Diana Levine, a professional musician. Levine’s right arm had to be amputated after she developed gangrene because of faulty labeling of the pharmaceutical company’s anti-nausea drug Phenergan, which she received by inadvertent intra-arterial injection. “[T]ragic facts make bad law,” was Alito’s only lament. It is a far cry from a world in which there is “no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man.”
Justice Alito is a conservative whose views on government promotion of religion and corporate evasion of responsibility for violations of state health and safety laws may or may not comport with the intentions of the framers of the Constitution. But whatever Justice Alito’s legal philosophy, one thing he isn’t is cool.
Pretty awesome and very funny. To read the whole thing, go here.
* So is Scalia, but I don’t have all day here.
Shows may come and go, but the perennial Coolest Show of All Time—and I mean this—has got to be Sesame Street. Whenever I hear that a musician has made an appearance on the block, I can’t help but think higher of that person. I guess spending your time with muppets, for me, just adds a certain amount of cachet. Anyway, MusicRadar compiled the 11 Greatest Sesame Street Guest Songs and they are all pretty amazing—and that includes those selections from musicians who may not be your favorites. Watching Johnny Cash strum a tune about a grouch he knows as Oscar shows his support (for the aforementioned grouch, of course), or Stevie Wonder play Superstition while a nearby kid headbangs (!), or Feist count to four surrounded by gleeful monsters, or R.E.M. jump up and down with a gaggle of furry creatures makes you feel good and chases your cynicism away. There are lots more big names mingling with the locals on what’s arguably the world’s most famous street. To see them all—and I cannot stress how much you should—go here. [Music Radar]
I recently wrote about Trent Reznor’s summer plans with Jane’s Addition. Tom Morello’s newest project, Street Sweeper has been added to the tour. Additionally, a website has been launched in which you can download a free EP with recordings from each band.
Laugh if you want, but without VH1’s Behind the Music, I never would’ve known that Def Leppard used to go underneath the stage in the middle of huge stadium concerts to get blowjobs from mother-daughter duos or that Rick Allen’s first words upon being discovered by a farmer after losing his arm in a car crash was, “Help me. I’m a rock star.” I wouldn’t have known those things—or a million other incredibly useless rocktoids that take up space in my brain that might otherwise be used by rocket science and various other subjects that can actually get you a job. Anyway, the point is, VH1 is bringing back Behind the Music (!), and finally doing right by me and so many other people who have been lost—adrift in a sea of tabloid media that pale in comparison to the mother of all scientific studies of The Rise and Fall of the Rock Star—since the show ended in 2006. Now if only those witholding VH1 execs would bring back Pop-Up Video!
Reuters has the whole beautiful story.
Annie Kevans is a woman after my own heart. While Portraits of Our Presidents proliferate, there are few artists creating homages to their recreational pursuits. Kevans has created a series as cheeky as it is brilliant: Portraits of Our Presidents’ Mistresses. To look over these tastefully rendered oil paintings, visit Kevans’s site, where they’re displayed. Below is a Kevans painting of Sally Hemmings, Thomas Jefferson’s intimate “friend” and confidante.
Mastodon have a new album releasing this month. What I’ve heard is AMAZING!!! Watch the band take on the Abominable Snowman in the video for the first single, Divinations.
Here’s what I like about Surf City: Their jangly guitars, lo-fi echoing vocals, yelping background chants, charming organ tinklings, and staggeringly well-formed pop sensibilities. Sure, there are elements of their songs that might be considered surf-y (hence the name), but don’t assume they’re Beach Boys or Jan and Dean or Dick Dale disciples. Mostly, these enthusiastic New Zealanders create noisy pop a la their fellow countrymen (and one of my absolute all-time favorite bands) The Clean. It’s ramshackle fun (which is surprising coming from a band formerly named for the Jesus and Mary Chain song Kill Surf City) and, frankly, you should have a listen for yourself. Spend a little time with Records of a Flagpole Skater, off their six song debut EP, at bottom.
You need Flash to listen to this track.
The idea of doing cover songs has rarely seemed interesting to me. Playing someone else’s music only feels special when the artist paying homage does something truly unique to make it their own. The Sex Pistols’ rendition of My Way, the classic Sinatra croon, is a great example. The irony of young anarchists singing one of their parents’ most cherished songs - and the relevance of the expressed sentiment in its reapplication - made the cover a perfect anthem for the punk generation. Conversely, Johnny Cash paid tribute to latter day songwriters by offering his take on songs orginally recorded by Sound Garden, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails. Below, just a few other covers that I truly do adore.
You need Flash to listen to this track.
One of the UK’s top music video directors is a fellow who goes by the moniker WIZ. His visual signature is rather cinematic and often he manages to elevate the video format to something more important, a stage for social commentary. A common theme in his work of the last few years is British classicism. Here are four examples:
Dizzee Rascal / Rascal Sirens
Kasabian / Empire
Kaiser Chiefs / Angry Mob
Oasis / Falling Down
Supercar was a Japanese rock band who were actively making music from 1995-2005. The band’s sound combined digital loops with shoegaze inspired melodies and drones to create a unique brand of pop. I discovered their music when I saw the incredibly weird video for their infectious single White Surf Style 5. Since their music is pretty hard to come by in the US, I thought I’d share some of their bizarre music videos.
David Lynch is on twitter and indeed it really is him. Apparently he likes to update with weather reports for LA. I found two gems linked off his page. Here is a clip of David Lynch, the cowboy singing in a studio. And here, he talks about making art. Only Lynch would think to title a painting, Woman with Broken Neck and Electric Knife Speaks to Her Husband.
A dome is such a great shape to project a movie on. I think one day people will have domes in their homes. They’re magical. - David Lynch
A few weeks ago, I posted the video for the first Fever Ray single. The clip was directed by Andreas Nilsson. He has also recently created a trio of videos for the freshman release of NME darlings White Lies. Check out their collaborations on the following videos:
Despite plummeting budgets and TV no longer being a good outlet, I still find music videos to be one of the best ways to discover music. Martin De Thurah is one of the most gifted directors working in the business. He brings a unique vision to everything he shoots and ultimately creates visual poetry for each song that he couples with imagery. Here are two of his most recent videos. Both are extraordinary.
Glasvegas / Flowers and Football Tops
Fever Ray / When I Grow Up
Look at what was hiding in Elliot Smith’s leaky basement.
The Jesus and Mary Chain plus Hope Sandoval equals Sometimes Always (performed live in MTV studio).
Eeek what a horrible title for a post. My new favorite music video is from Southern Records act Mouth to Anus.
I’ve always had a strong place in my heart for photography with a darker experimental quality. Growing up, I was attracted to the work of Man Ray, and later Joel Peter Witkin and Matt Mahurin. I just discovered and adore the photographic work of Scott Irvine whose work seems to be in a similar tradition to the afore mentioned photographers. Inky black lines bleed throughout his frames blurring edges. The photos are riddled with texture and often glow like an old daguerreotype. As an image taker, Irvine snaps up shots of both people and places. He has collaborated on striking shoots with a long list of bands including: Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kasabien, and James Chance.
Mexican Breakfast is the brainchild of legendary choreographer Bob Fosse; it’s also the dance that Beyonce used as the basis for the endlessly copied Single Ladies choreography. Some genius (thank GOD for the Internets) paired original footage of the dance with Walk It Out and it makes my eyeballs scream, the result is so amazingly good. Seriously, have a look. The mating of these two artistic triumphs is like a little slice of heaven here on Earth (aka YouTube). Go here.
At some point about a year ago, I heard a My Teenage Stride song—Theme From Teenage Suicide—and pretty much ignored it. Somehow, it didn’t quite pique my interest enough to goad me into hearing more, and I left it in my iTunes library, but decided it didn’t actually deserve to be included on my actual iPod. A move which puzzles me now because, I heard this same song again just about a month ago, and I was immediately quite taken by how very nearly perfect it is. My Teenage Stride wears their power pop heart prominently on their sleeve, granted, but can you really go wrong when you sound like a pastiche of The Boys (The ‘70s UK outfit, not the ‘80s R&B group of little kids), The Nerves and The Go-Betweens? I don’t think so. Jangling guitars; giddy rhythms; vocals that sometimes rise to a deliciously sweet croon. It’s all as catchy as a disease you inexplicably want. Check the song below. Then go and check out more.
You need Flash to listen to this track.
When I was in art school, one of the most creative people that I knew was a guy named Michael Sanchez. He wasn’t a student; rather he was a childhood friend of another exceptionally talented student that I knew. Michael and my friend DW epitomized young indie-rock. If I enjoyed the The Pixies, they adored them. And it wasn’t just their love of music that said so. The songs that they were writing at 19 or 20 years old were really something special. Recently, I got back in touch with Michael only to find out that he is living in Chicago, is a pretty hilarious stand up comedian with a great Joy Division joke, and is still playing music with his group The Way It Is. Go to their site and check out their video for You Chose Heads; it’s a perfect little tune, clocking in at under a minute and a half.
Many of Frank Juery’s photos have a dreamy quality that resonate with me in a way that feels akin to our music. This series particularly seems like a set of images that could be screen captures from a DFN video.
I really love the strange harmony of the Lykke Li song Breaking It Up. But I love her odd style of dancing seen in the moody video even more. The fashion sense and overall mood of this promo is a perfect pairing to her music as well. Previous to seeing the video, I had images in my head of poorly behaved British prep-schoolers singing in a choral group and making a ruckus as the instructor struggles to maintain order.
I just screened Sergio Leone’s classic western Once Upon A Time In the West. The film’s music which was composed and conducted by Ennio Morricone is simply brilliant. I really love how there is a unique piece of instrumentation scored for each of the major characters which is weaved throughout the film to subtly let the viewer know who will lead the scene. I am feeling completely inspired to take a crack at scoring a piece of film. Watch the scoreless ten minute opening title sequence here. This quiet scene creates an unsettling drama that paves the way for Morricone’s iconic theme refrain to enter the film.
We enjoy and admire the breathy music of Beach House. Here is a perfectly little dreamy video that they commissioned to accompany the track Used to Be.
My friend Ben is a genius songwriter from France with a very compelling voice. His project Løzninger reminds me of David Bowie’s acoustic side with a hint of the urgency found in Elliot Smith’s music. I wanted to share this video of him performing Nobody Knows solo. I know one day he and I will collaborate on something.
Peter Saville is certainly one of the most iconic designers of the last thirty years. The stylish designer who is probably best known for his collaborations with Factory Records speaks about his process and the creation of the Joy Division Unknown Pleasures sleave.
Last year Siouxsie Sioux resurfaced with a new album and a video for the track Into a Swan. Now in her 50s, Siouxsie still has more style and attitude than pretty much any female rock crooner to follow her lead.
Leslie Hall is a comedian, musician and artist, but her greatest achievement may be her ability to turn bedazzled sweaters into striking—and somewhat disturbing—pieces of art. If Cindy Sherman knew what was good for her, she’d take a page out of Hall’s book: Her bedazzled series—featuring sweaters she’s gathered in thrift stores in states across the country—are brilliant in their faux-serious, repetitive, dazzling beauty. For more, visit Hall’s Gallery of Glamore on her website.
Maybe it is because the sky is grey and the rain keeps coming that I’ve been listening to sullen songs. The frail quality of desperation in the singer’s voices in all of these songs is painfully honest.
Imagine that Super Mario was all about hope and change. Got the picture? Good. Now go here.
When we are first exposed to a band or a piece of music by a visual representation, we are bound to have impressions shaped by that very image. Often, I find myself off-put by a performer’s sense of self aesthetic; this is of course most disappointing when there is something really good about the music glimmering in the background. There are countless ways to encounter new music and it’s maker; in a movie or perhaps in the aisle of a grocery store. Because of my obsession with music video as a form, I am rather critical of this marriage between sound and vision.
Just this morning, I discovered a band called Dimmer through the promo for their track Degrees of Existence. On frame one - note one I was immediately curious. It became clear very quickly that I was in for a visual feast of photographic portraiture. The sound is something pensive with a washed out wall of guitars and angular bass lines. There is something absolutely familiar about this song and I like it. But more than I am moved by the song, I am reminded by the video that every now and again imagery has the ability to make something good great. In this case, the sound has been heightened and rendered more visceral. I am struck by the notion that a music video is almost always a visual afterthought and thus in a certain way is by it’s very nature at odds with the musical starting point. I believe that it may be this tension itself that makes some videos exceptional and others complete distractions. This video is an example of the former.
The fawning letter I quickly wrote Thomas Frank after reading “Blessed Are the Persecuted: How Joe the Plumber Fits the GOP Narrative,” an opinion piece he wrote for today’s Wall Street Journal.
Dear Thomas,
Just a quick note to say that you hit the nail on the head in your opinion piece. My friends and I often discuss how the right is bound by—far more than any unifying political idea—the notion of being under seige (by blacks, by gays, by Mexicans, by feminists, by intellectual elitists, and so on and so on); they truly envision themselves as the victims of an ever encroaching culture created by those who seek to undermine, and perhaps even destroy, the American way of life itself. In such a brief article you manage to prove both the futility and idiocy of this way of thinking—plus, I love the idea that the need for such victimization to manifest itself in a tangible way results in things like the “B” hoax. Anyway, just dropping a line to applaud your summation of the truly frightening approach to the world that has, unfortunately, come to define the outlook of the Republican party.
Thanks,
Kali Holloway
Hilary Berseth’s sculptures are only partly his doing; most of the heavy lifting and building is completed by his assistants—groups of honeybees specially flown in for the job. Following the patterns Berseth sets for them—he builds a basic template which the bees, notorious for their attention to detail and commitment to organization, then follow—the droning workforce produces mountainous, rippling structures of wax and honey. The finished product is astouding not just because of the uniqueness of the process or the ingenuity of employing hives as helpers, but also because the aesthetics of Berseth’s works are both manufactured and natural. New York magazine has a feature on Berseth’s work in its latest issue, including words from the artist about how his pieces come into being and a slideshow of the construction of a piece from start to very finish.
Escalading aggression is a common theme in the works of music video director Paul Gore. Here is another music video featuring tusseling ballerinas. The song is called “Can You Touch Me” and the band is The Film.
Who could’ve expected that someday, Daft Punk would have their very own dolls? Not I. According to Hypebeast, the “400% Daft Punk 2Pack” won’t be ready to ship until March 2009, but that’s no reason you can’t oooh and ahhh over them now.
Chris Berens’s art goes beyond simply being compelling or engaging, and is worthy of a slew of other words that highlight the fanciful aspects of his work that make it so noteworthy—words like enchanting, fantastic and magical. I’m not sure that there is an exact label for Berens’s style; there are obvious surreal overtones in many of his paintings, but I also see warped versions of the fleshy, perfect faces so omnipresent in Flemish works, mixed with the same oddly playful beauty of an artist like Remedios Varo. Berens, who is Dutch and works from his studio in Amsterdam, is also incredibly prolific: check out his 99 series, which sees the artist producing cameo-like renditions of otherwordly polar bears, bunnies and presumably (though not quite) human faces.
There is a nice Fall chill in the air today that inspired me to spin post-punk music in the apartment. I figured I’d share this block of tracks that were all recorded live on air with the late great John Peel for his BBC Sessions.
You need Flash to listen to this track.
One of my favorite bands of the last few years is Autolux. Live the trio easily measures up to any expectations one may have from their cleverly produced studio recordings. The band’s drummer Carla Azar certainly is one of the most exciting and creative sounding drummers to come along in some time. In fact, she has been tapped to play alongside the likes of John Frusciante and mostly recently on the new PJ Harvey record. Autolux’s sound sits somewhere in a space between My Bloody Valentine and early Smashing Pumpkins which is just blissful to me. I’ll keep preaching their glory. Buy it. Learn it. Love it.
Not much to say; I just saw this picture and found the image quite arresting. It’s by an amateur photographer, residing in France, and calling himself Hippolyte.
How cool were Dolly Mixture? Not only did they get their start singing backing vocals for Captain Sensible (!), but their first single was released on Paul Weller’s label and produced by Sensible and Damned bandmate Paul Gray. And long before everybody and her mother was doing it, they formed their own label, Dead Good Dollys Platters. Everything and More (1982) is my favorite Dolly Mixture song, not solely for the sheer, lofty catchiness of it all, but because they had the good sense to adorn the opening and shout out post-choruses with joyously ringing bells. It’s pretty and poppy and just slightly dreamy—all of my favorite things—all at one time.
You need Flash to listen to this track.
Hyperbolic descriptions of the uniqueness and beauty of pieces of art abound, though few are actually warranted. But in the case of Cal Lane, the critical praise heaped upon her work hardly seems to measure up to the adulation it deserves. Lane takes the everyday—collapsing wheelbarrows, rusted shovels, even dirt—and works them, like an artisan, into beautiful, carefully carved, seemingly delicate sculptures. It can’t be easy to coax lace from steel or doilies from soil, but Lane has a way of making the hard, soft; the average, amazing; the mundane and purely functional, decorative and lovely. Be sure to check out her Dirt Works and Wheelbarrows and Shovels series. They’re particularly captivating, but there’s nothing here not worth a closer look.
There aren’t a lot of Swiss bands who have become internationally known, but there’s an exception to every unwritten rule. For example, Kleenex—hometown Zurich—was a band in the vein of the Slits, Delta 5 and the Au Pairs, who formed in ‘78 and played the sort of wiry, panicky post-punk that Gang of Four is famous for. While they never had any huge hits, Ain’t You is probably their most well known song, and for good reason: it seamlessly combines aggressive guitars; cheerleading, chanty verses; and a sudden, spastic, mid-song singalong. Have a listen.
You need Flash to listen to this track.
Last night Kali and I were talking about this whole neo-soul movement in music. We both find it kind of insulting that the attention is being charged by three different white, British singers. All of the ladies have extraordinary voices without a doubt, and some of the singles are quite catchy. Its just a little upsetting that major labels have chosen to market white women singing historically black music instead of finding another Lauryn Hill (who managed to make the sounds of doo-wop and soul her own). We got to talking about the 80’s and early 90’s soul revival. I brought up the work of Nellee Hooper and Jazzy B.
Anyhow here is one of my favorite Jazzy B tracks with his outfit Soul II Soul. Buy it here.
You need Flash to listen to this track.
Named for a classic 18th century painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump are a London trio—all ladies—who play muscular, brooding post-punk with bits of goth just beneath the surface. Attached is Lights Out (not to be confused with the Santogold track of the same name), a song I like for all the reasons just stated, plus: sinewy guitars, throaty vocals, an unexpectedly catchy ending—AND the fact that it clocks in at just a few seconds over a minute. Enjoy:
You need Flash to listen to this track.
Download mp3 (2mb)
Artist Evan Roth deserves so much applause and so many props for this awesome creation. These metal plates go in your carry-on luggage. When they appear under x-rays, they spell out—in no uncertain terms—your message of choice. They should make one for touring bands that says, “That “bomb” you’re freaking out over? The one you’re about to take apart? That’s my guitar pedal, stupid.” But maybe there’s not enough room for all that…
We were so bummed that we couldn’t get into the Motorhead show at this year’s SXSW Festival. But there is good news; a documentary on Lemmy is in the works.
Despite nearly overheating last night in our windowless rehearsal space that lacks air conditioning, it appears as though things are quickly cooling off in NYC. I’m in complete denial that the summer is over. Today I will only listen to reggae. Check out You & Me On A Jamboree; the site is an amazing blog dedicated to reggae with an extensive collection of free album downloads.
If this turtle could talk, he would probably go on and on about how New York City sucks now because there’s no real junkies in the Lower East Side anymore and how the Bowery is total bullshit these days, especially since CB’s closed, and how he used to have a walkup on Avenue A that cost $100 a month, that he split with three roommates, and one time Johnny Thunders and Stiv Bators got into a fistfight on his fire escape while Billy Murcia shot up in his bathroom and how he introduced Sid Vicious to Nancy Spungen and man, does he ever regret that.
Banner photos courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photos Division, FSA-OWI collection.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content and music is © Day For Night. All rights reserved.
Powered by Expression Engine. Designed by Mandy Brown.
