music
The Thin Man: Mingus
A mini tribute to Jon and Tim (aka Shank and Bludgeon)
When I was in college I had the good fortune of knowing two people with the most excellent music collection: roommates Jon and Tim. I spent loads of time at their place — eating their food, watching their movies, using Jon’s computer so I could write my papers in an environment more comfortable than the computer lab. And in all the times I was over, there was always — no exaggeration — always music playing. These guys woke up to music and fell asleep to music. Their individual collections covered an impressive range of genres; combined, it was just amazing.
The first time I heard The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady was at their place. Tim was rifling through his stuff when he decided on this album. “Trish, you’ll love this,” he predicted. The music played and immediately I pictured car headlights, shadows in alleyways, near empty diners, tough men in trench coats, and mysterious women with wavy hair that seductively draped over their eyes.
After listening to that album, I acquired my own Mingus collection. Whenever I hear his music, I don’t always imagine a detective story, but there’s definitely a narrative running through my brain. I like to to think the album covers function in a similar way.
Into the West: The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was definitely a West Coast crew — from the Sands to the Hills. Their brand of style, glamour, and cool distinctly tilts left and is evident in photos of the men suited up for their late night romps and album covers that reflect their playful banter and laid back swing.
Into the Sunset: The Dragon’s Claw
A timely tangent on my Spaghetti Western tangent!
Like the lone heroes of the spaghetti westerns, the protagonist in friend and animator Robert Bruce’s recently released and lauded video for Justice of the Unicorns‘ The Dragon’s Claw lives in solitude… until, of course, he sees reason for action. Check out this modern day Man with No Name, sporting a monster costume instead of a poncho.
“The Dragon’s Claw” by Justice of the Unicorns from Robert Bruce on Vimeo.
Tangent from: Kid (by The Pretenders)
I’m currently on a Pretenders kick. Oh, heck, I’m on a Chrissie Hynde kick. Not sure what inspired this. (Could it be the near daily visual assault of these street ads penetrating my design/music psyche? I hope not…) But here she is, with her killer boots, dark wild hair, and black eyeliner, kicking at my shins like an angry kid that needs to be mollified.
The first time I heard this song, it was stuck in my head for days. And now, despite multiple listens, it’s still happily lodged in my brain. Maybe it’s the holiday-esque opening. Maybe it’s Chrissie’s soothing voice singing ‘Kid…’ Maybe it’s all the fun flourish within the song. Maybe it’s the Fellini scene I imagine of a pouty child and an apologetic and hopeless parent. Or maybe it’s because I could sing this to some adults and it would still apply. Whatever it’s got, I like.
The Third Man: The Waltz
” By Jove, by Jing, by Strauss is the thing…”
Or so the Gershwin tune goes. What else is just as delightful as “the free-’n'-easy waltz that is Vienneasy?” Why, the lovely lettering on ye olde sheet music!
The Third Man: Zither
The zither looks like an overwhelmingly complicated instrument to play and I’m amazed at people who can master it. Apparently, in the late 1800s, there were zither clubs — full of people who could play this crazy-stringed instrument (some have more than 40 strings)! Members of German communities in America would gather to play music and drink beer. While these socials ended because of Prohibition and the anti-German sentiment that developed during World War I, they have since seen a revival at cultural centers and within the music community.
. . .
Just as impressive as the number of strings are the ornate features and the craftsmanship that goes into creating this instrument.
Tangent from: The Third Man
I’d forgotten all about the excellent opening credits to The Third Man until I borrowed the DVD from a friend and watched it again this week.
It’s the perfect introduction to the film. The zither score contributes so much to the tone of this movie and is far more versatile than I ever imagined. The Third Man is about an American writer who travels to Vienna to visit his old friend, but ends up investigating this friend’s death instead — all this to the sweet playfully melancholic sound of the zither. Like I said — versatile.
Other reasons why I enjoy this movie:
1) My infatuation with Joseph Cotten. We also share the same birthday, so I’m pretty sure that if fate did a better job of coordinating the year of our births we would have been an awesome match.
2) The sinister brilliance of Orson Welles.
3) The sharp and clever dialogue of Graham Greene.
4) The subtle and beautiful imagery of Carol Reed, reinforcing the emotion and mood at the core of the scene (a swinging door and a coat on the floor; fingers through a sewer grate; the twisted body of a teddy bear). I would frame the final scene if I could.
If you’ve seen this film, then you know that these are fairly obvious reasons and you understand why ‘The Third Man’ is now stuck in my one-track mind.
Third Man Theme by The Band
The Wife: Architecture In Helsinki
Joan Castleman’s thoughts on Nordic building designs are evident when she describes an acquaintance’s features: “…I was formally introduced to the president, a man of my age named Mr. Timo Kristian with a stern face not unlike Finnish architecture.”
She is clearly not thinking of the upbeat playful pop that is Architecture in Helsinki. One can see how the bright cartoon charm of their packaging, video, and photos is an accurate representation of their sound.
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The Wife: Two’s a Party
Stored in a basement somewhere are my old high school notebooks — full of doodles, magazine cut-outs, and MASH results. One of those magazine images was a montage of famous couples. Not only did it cover a range of pop culture references — for example, comic strips (Blondie and Dagwood), cinema (Hepburn and Tracy), and literature (Romeo and Juliet) — but it also included pairings whose share of conflicts made them just as memorable as their ardor (Burton and Taylor). My favorites of these are the ones who work in the same industry; better yet, the ones who share projects. The potential for something productive, constructive, or destructive (usually all three) is great, exposing the complexity of human relationships.
In an attempt to recreate a page from my teenage-decorated notebooks, I offer a collection of photographs of some of my favorite collaborators: Burton & Taylor; Bergman & Rossellini; Fellini & Masina; De Beauvoir & Sartre; Lennon & Ono; Carter & Cash; Hepburn & Tracy. These pairs are far from perfect, but their energy and intensity make even their moments of scandal and dysfunction just as captivating as their displays of tenderness and devotion.