10 Great Indie Rock Songs for Kids Under 10 [Exclusive]

Being a parent is a tough job at times.  Of course it is rewarding at least half the time though.  A parent, especially young parents, should always live in a constant fear of raising their kids to be upstanding citizens by the time they are able to take care of themselves.  That is our goal, our job, and should be the hope that we create decent and mature people.  It is our duty (ha, dootie) to develop the best kind of people we can, and maybe with just enough dysfunction to make them hilarious, as the old meme/saying goes.  And folks, this twenty something blogger and father of three is absolutely convinced that this can simply NOT happen whilst letting your kids listen to terrible music.

Let’s face it, when you are a kid you don’t know crap about music.  The sounds blaring from your parent’s car radio or from that secret room you aren’t suppose to go in that is used for “mommy and daddy time” is about all you know when it comes to music.  A child’s parental influence on what we listen to is obviously a big one.  That is if we take the time to teach our children what the hell good music truly is.  Sadly the days of turning on the radio to learn about good music is over.  Old tyrants of days past (yes, I am talking to you Dad!) like to give us a mountain of shit for “our music” today being so terrible.  But we are domineering culture of the now.  We know great music is out there.  Just as my father taught me about Pink Floyd when I was 10 years old and laughing at Dark Side of the Moon because it was “just a bunch of noises” and he told that I would one day “get it”, I shall do the same for my children.  Or when my mom desperately wanted me to enjoy country music, and I let it go at an early age, but eventually found my way in to respecting old school country, pre-dating 1980, I will teach my kids that not all forms of music can be generalized.  And just as my dearly departed grandmother used to have me tag along on trips to the grocery store listening to cassette tapes of Nirvana, Meat Loaf, and Whitesnake, I will teach my kids that is perfectly acceptable to rock!

Now, I am not going to debate the term “indie rock” any longer.  I guess I have accepted its death as we had to do with “alternative”.  I have put out a book on the digital and actual shelves on the subject, written with some very great minds in tact, so I have made my piece/peace.  This awesome playlist below is simply some of the tracks that my three beautiful daughters have come to know and love.  As some of you know, I recently returned from a year long stint in South Korea, and my lovely wife has done a wonderful job taking care of them back in our old Northwest hometown.  And while her mothering and nurturing has been phenomenal, the music snob in me is mostly impressed with the great work she has done in having our kids miss out on the One Directions and Rihannas of the world, and have “chosen” to be subdued by the music culture of their parents.  They are some very “hip” 8, 6, and 4 year old kids.  Of course, it might be inevitable that they run down a path just as I did around ages 10-13 where they go off course just as I did when I discovered 90’s R&B with the likes of Boyz II Men and All-4-One, which some how led me to some junior high years of desiring gangster rap, all of which I will never be ashamed for.  But for now, I think we are doing pretty damn good.

So folks I would like to present to you: 10 Great Indie Rock Songs for Kids Under 10, as hand picked by Ava, Sophia, and Lelaina Trembath.  Enjoy!  And always remember, it is a scientific fact that listening to bad music will equate to living a bad life*.  Also be sure to check out the video at the end of my beautiful Sophia doing her own rendition of “Your Bones”.

[Update:  Check out 10 (more) Great Indie Rock Songs for Kids Under 10, for more wonderful songs for your kids]

*(not a scientific fact)

Of Monsters and Men – Your Bones

Tegan and Sara – Closer

The Head and the Heart – Rivers and Roads

There Is No Mountain – Blowing Away (CLICK HERE TO HEAR TRACK)

Stars – Dead Hearts

Avalanche City – Love Love Love

Good Old War – Better Weather

Blitzen Trapper – The Tree

The Sea The Sea – Love We Are Love We

Twin Forks – Can’t Be Broken

And of course, Sophia Trembath doing her rendition of Of Monsters and Men’s “Your Bones”

Thanks for reading folks!

Two Years of Trainwreck’d [Exclusive!]

It has been two years.  Two strange, trying, yet overall, pretty good years.  Awakening to say the least.  It was Independence Day 2011 in a hotel room just outside of Biloxi, Mississippi where I found myself surrounded empty bottles of cheap vodka and cartons of take out Buffalo wings and a feeling of longing and a great deal of loneliness.  I was once again displaced from my loving family, albeit on two months this time around.  I was fresh of the release of the collective works book for charity that I had been pouring my every waking moment in to for the the better part of 7 months.  In fact, I had just completed one of these “questionnaire based interviews” with College Magazine about the book, and something struck me: I’ve got nothing else to do.  Well, nothing is a bit of a stretch as I always had the wonderful man known as Andy Fenstermaker and his blog Fensepost in which I had been a minor character at for around 3 years.  I loved Fensepost, and I still consider it to be the finest music blog on the interwebs.  But, I was longing for something more.  Maybe it was some sort of control factor I was searching for.  In fact, I’m pretty sure that is what it was.  Almost certain.

And somewhere between e-mail conversations with dear friends Tyler Averett and Chris Eaves, and the loss of a very dear friend, It was decided that I should venture out on my own.  So, I stole the title of one of my favorite indie folk songs that never was, and made it happen.  I stuck to my known format with a review for The Coffin Collectors, and we were off and running.  And since then, we have managed to produce countless interviews, features, and album reviews that we couldn’t be more proud of.

And now we are here, two years in to the game.  And though we have had the consistency of Harry Caray on the WGN actually reporting what is happening during a Cubs game, I think we have had some great things happen over the years.  And one of the things we have developed as  a key point of TWS is finding out what makes people smile (all credit due to one singular interview I read that was conducted by author/musician Jess Gulbransson at another former stomping ground known as Crappy Indie Music The Blog! who asked this question once, and has stuck with me since.)  And with that in mind, I decided it would be fun to invite back a few friends of ours that have been featured on this site over the past two years.  Some old, some new.  Hell, even some brand new folks who will surely be around for the long haul.  I asked each of them one simple question:  What was the last thing that made you smile?  I know for me it has been the last two years spent behind laptops in various cities hammering away at this little web site.  Thank you all for joining in the madness and continuing to rubber neck at the wreckage.  I can’t wait to see what we have in store for the coming year, and maybe the formable years to come.  Hell, I don’t know if this trip will last that long, but isn’t it pretty to think so?  Enjoy!

(P.S.  there are various links throughout the following content that will send you along a journey back in time over the last two years to various relevant stories and features related to the contributor at hand.  Enjoy!)

Brin Addison (musician, Guilt Monkey)

“I used my wife’s vagina as a hand-puppet to sing a song this morning.”

Vanessa Angel (actress/fashion designer, Weird Science)

“Watching my beautiful daughter singing at the graduation ceremony from her elementary school.”

Andy Botterill (musician/poet)

“A photo my wife Harriet took of our daughter Daisy lying on her bed last night in her pink pajamas with a big cheesy grin on her face…”

John Bukowski (musician, Ebony Sorrow)

“Seeing Mouth of the Architect last night, playing 4 songs from their amazing new record.”

Catherine Capozzi (musician, Darling Pet Munkee)

“Finally repairing my Fuzz Factory after 8 years and using it to record and play! It sounds amazing!”

Jeremiah Chechik (filmmaker, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)

” Jenny Slate’s comedy and both my dogs, pickle and scooter.”

Lindsay Cope (blogger, Love Lindz)

“A 1 a.m. phone call from a good friend with a crazy-awesome story about an acquaintances drunk, inept, split personalities. There’s nothing like late night phone calls that make me laugh until I cry!”

Dan Dobi (filmmaker, Please Subscribe)

“My dog at the beach!”

Caitlin Doyle (musician, Smooth Hound Smith)

“Being on tour for two months and coming home and seeing our dog. Damn I missed the crazy ball of fur!”

Cameron Dye (actor, Helliversity)

“My son Mason dancing in his wheelchair to my playing and singing our own bastardized version of John Lee Hooker’s ‘San Francisco’.”

Chris Eaves (writer/director, Sound Skript Entertainment)

“[My girlfriend] Jill and my week ago trip to Stevenson, Washington in the Gorge along the Columbia River. It’s a small town, with nothing going on but a lovely charm. It was a beautiful day. Jill got a small swirl ice cream cone from a roadside vendor. The small was still bigger then any one person could handle. It melted all over the place. It was the first real day that felt like summer and I was happy to have shared it with Jill.”

Michael J. Epstein (musician/filmmaker, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling)

“A picture of a grumpy turtle.”

Elsa Faith (musician, Madame Torrent)

“Receiving a text message from a loved one whom is 17,000 miles away but that message erased the distance.”

Ryan Feigh (writer/blogger, The Portland Mercury)

“I was checking my instagram feed, and saw that my little sister Alison had took a picture of my sixty-something-year old parents in MN. The photo wasn’t anything special aesthetically, no filters were used, and it wasn’t necessarily a very flattering picture, considering they were both squinting into the sun. But it was good to see my parents happy and together, thousands of miles away from me. So I smiled.”

Jim Geoghan (writer/producer, Family Matters)

“I was having lunch today when three dolphins swam by.”

Kali Giaratta (musician, There Is No Mountain)

“Trying a bite of [my husband] Matt’s homemade salsa.”

Robin Grey (musician/poet)

“Teaching a uke student how to play a song from The Jungle Book.”

Doug Haley (actor, Hot Bot)

“Today was Fathers Day…and I was left with a huge smile on my face thanks to a friend of mine who I’m not even very close with.  My friend Christie Burson-who is also an actor, asked me what I was doing after the BBQ or where my Dad is today and I said I don’t know…he has never been in my life but I know he lives in San Diego somewhere.  And she said well have you ever wanted to find him?  And now that I am old enough to take care of myself….and I feel solid and comfortable with who I am…I thought sure…now that I’m responsible for my life and I’m on a path that I love…maybe I’ll make an effort in the near future.  And she left…and then she texted me a few min later saying that she knows we don’t know each other very well but if I was to find him she would be happy to go with me and be at my side because that must be scary and intense and if I needed someone with me…it could be her.  And I was so touched by her honesty and her sensitivity…it made me smile the entire remainder of my day…when people are that kind, and that gracious…how can I not smile?”

Alexander Hallet (musician, Bodi)

“Seeing the kids at the Faraja orphanage in Kenya smile.”

Vince Kramer (Bizarro fiction author, Gigantic Death Worm)

“Getting Anakin Skywalker to fuck Obi-Wan in the ass so well during their lightsaber battle.”

Lelah Maupin (musician, Tacocat)

“This message! Does that count?”

David Minne (musician/blogger)

“My daughter Sayla tickling my feet.”

Haviland Morris (actress, Sixteen Candles)

“This question.”

Ola Nyberg (musician)

“When I saw my son.”

Katie O’Grady (actress/producer, Rid Of Me)

“It’s not usual for an adult to be tickled, but this morning my fiancé got me in a tickle attack that got me giggling so hard! Everyone should be tickled…no matter how old!”

Mark Palumbo (musician, Tenderkill)

“I was caught day dreaming at work and told “wake up! shift’s not over yet!” the long arm of reality made me smile.”

VJ Preziosi (comedian)

“Making jokes with friends at work. If I make other people laugh, I make myself smile. Simple as that.”

Jon Ragel (musician, Boy Eats Drum Machine

“This….

“

Frederic Raphael (author/screenwriter/filmmaker, Eyes Wide Shut)

“Every morning when I wake up, in whatever glum or torpid mood, I look at my wife and she is smiling at me, because she is someone who has always known how to be happy (which does not entaill that she always has been) and I smile back, in admiration and gratitude. So there, as they used to say.”

Corbett Redford (musician, Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children Macnuggits)

 “My cat Alice discovering, and subsequently disapproving of, a new toy.”

Bob Rice (DJ, 88.1 KYRS in Spokane, WA)

“Locking eyes with a friend that I had not seen for many years, and then sharing a long energy exchanging embrace!”

Richard Riehle (actor, Office Space)

“I’m still fortunate enough to wake up smiling at the possibilities of a new day. And the possibilities have been turning into wonderful experiences, the rewards of saying ‘yes’.”

Robert Romanos (actor/musician, Fast Times At Ridgemont High)

“Watching a jazz jam with awesome musicians at my coffee shop.”

Roze (actor/writer/director, Dead In 5 Heartbeats)

“The last thing that made me smile was my wife, Candace. She is my one true love, my teacher and partner.”

Steve Sessions (writer/director/composer, Torment)

“Whenever my dog works hard with paws and teeth and nose to arrange the bedcovers in a little nest before snuggling into it, I smile. I don’t want to laugh out loud because it snaps him out of his ritual – he looks at me like, ‘what?” – so I grin quietly the whole three minutes of tugging and pulling and pushing, and through him circling and settling down, followed by his long sigh before he closes his eyes to sleep. Why this produces a smile, I’m not sure. It could be tragic – he’s running a program in his brain written long ago for tall grass, and is helpless to it. But it’s so damn cute.”

Phil The Tremolo King (musician/composer)

“Your message asking me what made me smile.”

Samantha Victoria (writer/director, Summer O’Horror)

“Hearing my favorite song on the radio, “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” by Fall Out Boy, because it reminded me of seeing them perform live.”

Jess Walter (author, The Financial Lives of the Poet)

“For Father’s Day my kids made archery targets with things I (jokingly) hate on them, including our cat.”

Anna-Lynne Williams (musician, Lotte Kestner)

“I recently resuscitated an old b-side and starting playing it again. It’s called Bee, because after I’d spent the whole afternoon recording the song, I discovered a bee had been sleeping on my sweater. I was just running through it with my boyfriend to play at a show tomorrow night, and when he started singing along with me on it for the first time I couldn’t stop smiling. Harmonies make me smile.”

Timmy Williams (comedian, Whitest Kids U Know)

“On the last day of the 2013 Whitest Kids tour, Darren and I decided to fake a fight in front of the other members of the group as a prank.  Since we’re the only two parents in the group we decided to make it about parenting  The fight went well and after dragging it out just long enough (the other guys thought Darren and I were about to throw punches) we started cracking up and let them know that we had just fucking owned them.  It was a great fun moment with four of my best friends in the world and made me smile ear to ear!”

29 (More) Great Love/Missing You Songs [Exclusive]

I have to say that I am extremely surprised by the amount of attention our first installment of 29 Great Love/Missing You Songs (which you can check out HERE).  The amount of Google searches for things like “miss you songs” or “missing you songs” is almost astonishing!  We have even made the 1st page for searches, which as we all know, is the only ones we really look at.  This sort of makes me sad.  But it also makes me happy.  It is a juxtaposition between wondering if the hundreds of people looking something like this are either missing somebody they love and are currently associated with, or if they lost somebody special that they can never get back.  And in all actuality, both are fine reasons to find solace in music to sooth one’s soul.  Therefore, I am overall a very happy man to know that so many people are sharing and enjoying my wife and my opinions on great songs about love and longing.  So with that being said……

Today, as this post goes live, my wife and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary as a married couple.  That’s right, an entire decade of togetherness.  And if you remember the prouess of the last list of great tracks to miss some one to, it was for my wife’s 29th birthday (so systematically disregarded, but ultimately obvious).  And it doesn’t take a algerbra fanatic to understand that this means that my wife and I have been married since we were teenagers.  Well, you can know that of her, and assume the same for me.  Actually, I am 10 months younger than my wife (and yes, I rub it in her face every day we get closer to 30!), meaning I was 18 years old.  In fact, I was married to my wonderful wife exactly one week after I graduated from Kelso High School in 2003.  So yes, it has been a long time, and through thick and thin, we have prevailed as lovers and friends.

And so celebrate our love, and to share it with all of you, we have both conjoined thoughts and created another list of great songs to miss the one you love, or simply love the one you love.  I also obviously want to extend a warm and loving Anniversary announcement to my beautiful wife Melissa Trembath.  You are the countess of my heart, and my reason to intake oxygen and exude energy in any manner.  I am shit without you.  I hope you know this day in and day out.  I love you.

And the rest of you…….Enjoy!

Also be sure to check out our original 29 Great Love/Missing You Songs from last April.

*as always, this is not all inclusive, and in no apparent order.  i also realize that some of these choices might be a bit too “obvious” to the hipster crowd out there.  that being said, feel free to leave a comment or two with your own choices and maybe they could make the next round, should we have another round.  so again, enjoy!*

A Band Of Horses – “No Ones Going To Love You”

Andrew W.K. – “She Is Beautiful”

Avalanche City – “Love, Love, Love”

Banana and Louie – “Come Home Baby”

The Beach Boys – “God Only Knows”

Blitzen Trapper – “The Tree”

Cake – “I Want To Love You Madly”

The Cerny Brothers – “Don’t You Run Away From Me”

Death Cab For Cutie – “I Will Follow You In To the Dark”

The Decemberists – “I 4 U & U 4 Me”

Eagle Eye Cherry – “Save Tonight”

Elliott Smith – “Say Yes”

Everclear – “I Will Buy You A New Life”

Good Old War – “Loud Love”

The Head and the Heart – “Honey Come Home”

Iron & Wine – “Love and Some Versus”

Lotte Kestner – “Halo”

MGMT – “Electric Eel”

Motley Crue – “Without You”

Pete Droge – “If I Don’t Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself)”

Pete Droge – “Beautiful Girls”

Pete Townsend – “Let My Love Open the Door”

Ray LaMontage – “You Are the Best Thing”

Ryan Adams – “Wish You Were Here”

Tonic – “Sugar”

Trespassers William – “Different Stars”

The Velvet Underground – “I’m Sticking With You”

Ween – “I’ll Miss You”

The Young Immortals – “Photograph”

29 Great Love/Missing You Songs [Exclusive]

As many of you fine readers may know, I am currently dislocated from the woman I love, and the children we created together.  And to put it frankly….it sucks.  Throughout our almost ten years of marriage, I have had to run off all over the world for stints of time ranging from two weeks to six months.  But this time is a doozy.  If you have read the Travelogue section, you will know that I am in South Korea for the remainder of 2013.  An entire year away (although there will be a couple of reunions in the near future).  And dammit do I miss her, and she the same.

Technology these days makes it far more easier to stay in contact than ever.  When I left on my first trip to the desert way back in 2006, I was allotted a daily phone call and a couple of minutes on Myspace (Remember that thing?) on a public computer.  Now whether you are in Afghanistan or South Korea, there are things like Skype and Magic Jack, as well as WiFi fucking everywhere!  So, it is not so bad.  But still, it sucks.  We miss each other dearly, even though we see each other almost every day in a digital manner.  There are two other things you need to know about myself and my beautiful wife though:

1.  We love music!  And for the most part, we agree on almost every genre of music.  Or she at least deals with my choosing all the music, and then complaining about some of her choices.  What can I say, I’m a critic.  Critics are assholes.  But really we do both love a grand selection of modern indie rock, and 90’s alternative that makes up probably 75 percent of our catalog.  We differ when it comes to what is “real classic rock”, but that is an entire argument in itself.  Also our general music choices don’t match our moods.  I dig happy go lucky folk songs by the likes of Golden Bloom, and she is into some dark twisted shit like Civil Twlight.  Pretty weird.

2.  We are corny as fuck.  Sometimes, that is.

We are so corny in fact, we have made it a regular thing to research pretty little love songs to post on each other’s Facebook pages, and then Melissa makes them into a mix tape and sends them to me in care packages alongside Tim’s Cascade chips and pajama pants.  Yes, I know, it is corny.  But I will be damned if I didn’t say how great it is to see these videos on my Facebook page, and how much I enjoy looking up something for her.  It is just another way we manage to kill this disgusting thing called time that we must spend apart.  Some of them are obvious.  Especially the 80’s Monster Ballads.  But, how can you not love those, right?  You’d have to be a soulless bastard to not feel moved by “More Than Words”.  But, we manage to pick out some pretty good stuff.  And just like anything that is personal between Melissa and me, I want to share it to the world for my own exploitation!  And by no coincidence at all, today is my lovely wife Melissa Trembath’s Birthday!!  Now, I know she wouldn’t want me to throw out her age for the world to know, so I won’t do that.  But, I will say………..

Here are 29 Great “Love/Missing You” Songs you absolutely must hear!!  (I love you baby!)

***Disclaimer:  This is obviously not a definitive list.  And there is no real order.  Just like what you see, folks.***

(6/22/13) Additional note:  A brand new list of 29 (More Great Love?Missing You Songs is up and available now, HERE.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Into My Arms

Dispatch – If You Call My Name Out Loud

Fun. – The Gambler

Stevie Nicks & Don Henley – Leather & Lace

Buddy Holly – True Love Ways

Sophie Madeline – You Make Me Happy

The Moldy Peaches – Anyone Else But You

Matthew Sweat & Susannah Hoffs – Sweet Melissa

Better Than Ezra – Desperately Wanting

Belle & Sebastian – I Didn’t See It Coming

Extreme – More Than Words

Gin Blossoms – Hey Jealousy

Counting Crows – Colorblind

David Bowie – Let’s Dance

Boyz II Men – I’ll Make Love 2 U

The Weepies – I Gotta Have You

Peter, Bjorn, and John – Far Away, By My Side

Neutral Uke Hotel – King of Carrot Flowers

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home

Neil Nathan – Do Ya

Meat Loaf – I’d Lie For You (And That’s the Truth)

Mark Geary – You’re the Only Girl

The Lumineers – Flowers In Your Hair

Loretta Lynn & Jack White – Portland, Oregon

Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love

Justin Nozuka – Be Back Soon

John C. Reilly & Jenna Fischer – Let’s Duet

Hootie & The Blowfish – Hold My Hand

That will do it folks.  Now obviously, there are so many other great tracks to choose from, and we might even do a sequel to this someday.  Melissa and I have shared several more videos already.  We shall see how it goes and maybe we return with another addition.  Get your YouTubing on folks!!

Trainwreck’d Society’s Oscar Preview with Chris and Ron [Exclusive]

Ron and Chris circa 2011, signing copies of Children of Mercy. Photo by the great Jill Keller.

The Academy Awards are upon us.  This is the event I’ve always considered the Super Bowl of the film industry.  As pretentious as it might sound, the truly great films of the previous year will be awarded at Cannes, Sundance, and the Independent Spirit Awards.  But it can’t be denied, that the Oscars is the biggest show of the year, and there are usually a few great films to choose from.  And this year is no exception.

The most fun thing about the Oscars may be the unpredictable calls, but even the predictable calls are fun.  I’ve been watching and following the Oscars since I was 13 years old, and it starts to feel pretty great when you call things that are going to happen.  Small victories, but it’s something.  But, again, it is always great to see an upset.  Like watching the guys who became famous for songs like “Ass & Titties” or “Chicken Head”, take home the esteemed statue.  Or watching Robert Benigini walk atop of everyone’s seat to receive his trophy.  Moments like these are what makes this event so much fun.

The debates and conversations are always wonderful as well.  And there is no one I enjoy discussing film, Oscar worthy or not, with than one of our very own TWS family members, Chris Eaves.  Chris was kind enough to help us out in conducting an interview with Academy Award nominated cinematographer Adam Kimmel last year.  Chris is a filmmaker based in Portland Oregon who works with the talented group of folks known as SoundSkript Entertainment (Feature coming soon!), And he has returned with his expert opinion to help us decide what the films shall reign supreme during Sunday’s show.  I chime in with my opinions as well, and it turns out that we are almost split half and half.  Which will surely make Sunday night that much more interesting!  So check this out before the show, and be sure to come back and see how well (or badly) either one of us did in making our picks.  Enjoy!

Best Motion Picture of the Year

…And the nominees are:

Amour

Argo

Beast of the Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Les Miserables

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Django Unchained.  A given really, as a Tarantino nerd.  This was by far one of Quentin’s finest works.  But, odds are in a favor of a traditional masterpiece film winning big this year.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Django Unchained – A bias exists for me in regards to the works of Tarantino; I freely admit this. A bias will exist throughout this piece – context is important. With that said Django Unchained is the only film on this list which addresses a subject in need of being talked about. Film is not solely about addressing issues. Story is the way we connect, the way we’ve always connected to each other as groupings of people. Film is the story medium of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.  Story needs to be also entertaining. Django Unchained balances issue and entertainment and more importantly it starts a dialogue from those ideas. Wheatear that conversation is around racism or entertainment doesn’t entirely matter. What matters is Django Unchained leaves an impact on the person watching which makes it the best picture of the year.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Lincoln.  Despite additions like Argo & Zero Dark Thirty, a film like Lincoln is going to rule this year, in my opinion.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Beast of the Southern Wild – Zero Dark Thirty reminds us of a time we care to forget as a society. Spielberg, Weinstein, Lee, and Bigelow have won too many awards while Affleck is still too young. The academy loves addressing social issues as long as those issues remain mid road. Django and Tarantino address a social issue but are much too loud in doing so. This leaves Beast of the Southern Wild as the upset. Nobody knew what this film was six months ago. For the academy, the story behind the story of how this film came about is enough to give the voters a reason to choose this film. Even though I haven’t addressed this film yet, the academy wouldn’t have either.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

…And the nominees are:

Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln

Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables

Joaquin Phoenix for The Master

Denzel Washington for Flight

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln.  Honestly, I don’t have a real opinion for this one.  Bradley Cooper was great, but easily replaceable.  I was actually pretty impressed with Denzel, but I think Daniel Day-Lewis deserves this the most.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Joaquin Phoenix for The Master – The Master received very mixed reviews with some calling it a masterpiece and others declaring it slow with lost plotting. Following a mixed understanding of the I’m Still Here debacle, an award for the Phoenix would represent a needed comeback for a legitimately great actor. Phoenix received the bulk of the praise for this film, and rightfully so, showing he’s just as good as and better than his award winning performance for Walk the Line.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln.  Not to disrespect the other nominees, but they all seem sort of like filler.  I can agree with the absence of Jamie Foxx for Django Unchained, as his role wasn’t exactly leading, but I still think he was amazing.  Maybe not smugged, but definitely not respected.  I do have hopes that Denzel will continue to pick better roles like this and stop with the melodramatic action crap he has been doing.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Bradley Cooper for Silver Lining Playbook – Daniel Day-Lewis has already won so many accolades; he will win more later on. There is no standout reason to give the award to one of the best actors in cinema history this time around. Bradley Cooper on the other hand, well, this is his only shot, ever, and honestly deserving for his performance. Bradley Cooper has a great charisma and is a good actor. The Weinstein’s have enough clout to grab a few awards from the Oscar process – they are very good at gaining awards for their films. Although they don’t have enough clout this time around to make Silver Lining Playbook a best picture but they can definitely pull off a best actor for Bradley cooper who does a good job, just not best actor job. It sure will look good on the Blu-ray cover though.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

…And the nominees are:

Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook

Emmanuelle Riva for Amour

Naomi Watts – Impossible

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty.  I enjoyed Jennifer Lawrence’s performance, but just like her counterpart Cooper, anyone could have taken her place and I think any actor on that panel will see the same thing.  Or they at least should.  I think this will be one of those moments where the Academy is simply going to follow suite with the Hollywood Foreign Press.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty. Zero Dark Thirty could represent a closure to an era as understood through film progression. Jessica Chastain performance is remarkable.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty.   I think this will be one of those moments where the Academy is simply going to follow suite with the Hollywood Foreign Press.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty. There wasn’t a better performance in the nominated actresses.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

…And the nominees are:

Alan Arkin for Argo

Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook

Phillip Seymour Hoffman for The Master

Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln

Christopher Waltz for Django Unchained

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  Christopher Waltz for Django Unchained.  Absolutely no questions asked.  Although this is one of the most star studded categories of the event.  And even with that being said, as great as Waltz’s performance was, I would have liked to see Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance nominated instead.  It was by far his greatest work to date.  De Niro would be the closest runner up, and I wouldn’t be too upset if he did win.  We need some more powerful performances from this legend.  Like Denzel, he has been wasting his potential over the last few years.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Christopher Waltz for Django Unchained – Christopher Waltz was born to star in Tarantino films. Waltz will grab you by the soul, shake you around, and leave you feeling something completely honest when he delivers his final line of the film. The man is a gift that I wish would have been discovered much sooner in the states but am glad we have him now. The man raises the quality level of everyone around him. Phillip Seymour Hoffman performance came in as a close second, although Waltz did win for Inglorious Bastards, his performance just can’t be denied of needing to win this award again.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Christopher Waltz for Django Unchained.  I had actually watched Jones and Arkin do their thing, but neither of them had the charisma of Waltz.  And unless the Academy wants De Niro to push towards not making bullshit cop movies anymore, they probably won’t give it to him.  And Tarantino has become well known in the last twenty years for creating excellent supporting roles.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Robert De Niro for Silver Lining Playbook –De Niro hasn’t obtained this level of acting in some time. Having been a lead for so many years, this is the opportunity for the academy to give De Niro a supporting achievement. This will be the first Oscar De Niro will be recognized for in acting talents since his 1991 award for Cape Fear. I’m okay with De Niro’s victory; he did bring his acting ability this time, the only thing is the statue needs to be made from bronze.

Best Performance by and Actress in a Supporting Role:

…And the nominees are:

Amy Adams for The Master

Sally Field for Lincoln

Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables

Helen Hunt for The Sessions

Jackie Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  Sally Field for Lincoln.  I think Field only stands a chance to win if Lincoln needs a few more wins to advertise on the DVD version of the film.  But, odds are they will go with……

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Helen Hunt for The Sessions – Having been away from mainstream for some time, Helen Hunt returns with a marvelous performance, perhaps her best performance I’ve seen from her. Hunt is able to create a character which will need to be understood from many different perspectives. This is the reason why Hunt deserves this award. She created a character both memorable and humanistic.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables.  The hype behind this film is too high to not give one award that doesn’t involve music.  Plus Hathaway is basically a young Sally Field, so the judges win either way.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Helen Hunt for The Sessions – Having been around for so long, she’s liked and deserving of a life time achievement award or rather a Best Actress in a Supporting Role award. That works too. She really does deserve this award though.

Best Achievement in Directing

…And the nominees are:

Michael Haneke for Amour

Ang Lee for Life of Pi

David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook

Stephen Spielberg for Lincoln

Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook.  It’s not that the film was really that spectacular, but that’s not really the point, O. Russell just needs to be officially recognized.  No matter, this one seems clear cut to me…

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Ang Lee for Life of Pi – Ang Lee has worked in such a variety of different genera. He’s not tide down to any particular theme but his films are still recognized as feeling very Ang Lee. He’s a talented director who carries a soft touch trusting his audiences to be able to play in his sandboxes with subtext and feeling rather than direct direction. Maybe not Hulk. Life of Pie though, it’s good. Well directed.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Steven Speilberg for Lincoln.  Spielberg is getting old, and about to join the ranks as Hollywood’s retired elite, and before he receives full- fledged lifetime achievement awards, he needs one more win.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook – The film is not his best work but still an example of phenomenal directing. Silver Linings Playbook is a good movie but this is more about giving recognition for making The Fighter and Three Kings. I’m still happy with this win. Three Kings and The Fighter are examples of great works and David O Russell should be recognized.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

…And the nominees are:

Michael Haneke for Amour

Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained

John Gatins for Flight

Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola for Moonrise Kingdom

WHO WANTS TO WIN:  Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained.  Although I would love to see Wes Anderson finally get his moment to shine, Moonrise Kingdom could not hold a candle to Django Unchained.  What is simply another Anderson story of quirkiness and silly heart felt nonsense is going up against a dynamite of a film.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained – This is some of Tarantino’s best writing since Pulp Fiction. This is also Tarantino’s first time after so many flirtations with the western genre to actually make a spaghetti western. Although Tarantino is his own worst enemy when it comes to the academy’s vote. He’s too loud!

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained.  I believe the Academy wants to symbolize that Tarantino is a master storyteller, not a master filmmaker.  This is why they will give him two awards in 18 years.  And it was a terrific story!

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola for Moonrise Kingdom – Wes has earned his award, having won just about everything else other than an Oscar. It’s just sad Wes Anderson’s win will be in the same year as Django Unchained. Moonrise Kingdom is the current apex of Anderson’s career and deserving of being recognized.

Best Writing, Screenplay based on Material Previously Produced or Published

…And the nominees are:

Chris Terrio for Argo

Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild

David Magee for Life of Pi

Tony Kushner for Lincoln

David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook.  Honestly, I don’t see this happening, but again, I think David O. Russell deserves a prize for his stellar career.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook – From my options in this category, David O. Russell stands out. He’s a great writer in both original and previously published material.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Chris Terrio for Argo.  Again, it’s all about hype.  This film really has no reason to be nominated so much, it’s just hype.  But, since this is such a beloved story of American triumph, though one could say the same for Lincoln obviously, and it was so well received, I think this one just might edge past Lincoln.  Maybe, especially since Argo has been one of the most winningest films in all other arenas, and they failed to even nominate Ben Affleck for his work, or Argo for enough awards altogether.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Chris Terrio for Argo – Argo needs to win something… Damn you Zero Dark Thirty. This is 1998 Armageddon meets Deep Impact all over again.

Best Achievement in Cinematography

…And the nominees are:

Seamus McGarvey for Anna Karenina

Robert Richardson for Django Unchained

Claudio Miranda for Life of Pi

Janusz Kaminski for Lincoln

Roger Deakins for Skyfall

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  Robert Richardson for Django Unchained.  Second only to Inglorious Basterds, this was one of the best looking films Tarantino has ever made.  And obviously I am going to go for anything this film is nominated for.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Roger Deakins for Skyfall – The film is beautifull with countless memorable compositions; the film is art in motion. Django Unchanged has many great compositions as well but the one aspect I think Unchanged missed was the grand epic shot. Tarantino holds Sergio Leone as one of the greatest directors. In thinking about Once Upon A Time in the West, Django Unchanged missed on creating some of those grand open spaces which westerns require. Skyfall feels large and still would if the dialogue was removed.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Janusz Kaminski for Lincoln.  I’m saddened to think that this might be a throw away award.  But, I think that is exactly what it will be.  Unless they want to give it to Ang Lee and all the computers he used.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Roger Deakins for Skyfall – Skyfall was snubbed out of a few categories which it should have at least been nominated in. This win will be the academy honoring the film. How is it in the year you celebrate 50 years of Bond and only have nine films nominated for best picture Skyfall doesn’t make the cut? Even numbers! Skyfall should have been number ten, but it will still win most pretty!

Best Achievement in Costume Design

…And the nominees are:

Jacqueline Durran for Anna Karenina

Paco Delgado for Les Miserables

Joanna Johnston for Lincoln

Eiko Ishioka for Mirror Mirror

Colleen Atwood for Snow White and the Huntsman

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  Joanna Johnston for Lincoln.  There was some pretty fancy attire in this damn movie.  I really couldn’t call it, but why not go with it.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Joanna Johnston for Lincoln – Those politicians looked good in their tall hats. It will be tough fight. Paco Delgado for Les Miserables too. This was a tough one.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Joanna Johnston for Lincoln.  Like I said, throw aways.  They need to add to Lincoln’s resume, hence, awesome costumes!

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Paco Delgado for Les Miserables – Musicals haven’t done well in a long time. Here’s some love.

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

…And the nominees are:

John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, & Jose Antonio Garcia for Argo

Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, & Simon Hayes for Les Miserables

Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, & Drew Kunin for Life of Pi

Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, & Ron Judkins for Lincoln

Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, & Stuart Wilson for Skyfall

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Scott Milan, Greg P. Russell, & Stuart Wilson for Skyfall.  I don’t know too much about Sound Mixing, but dammit this is James Bond!  That has to be a tough one to mix and jingle, right?

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, & Stuart Wilson for Skyfall – The action sequences are well balanced; never feeling over powering in any single layer of sound. More importantly the quiet moments have a sense about them of intimacy that few quiet moments are allow to have. There is still mixing in the quiet moments and those moments can be the hardest to create nuance.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom & Ron Judkins for Lincoln.  Everyone loves a big film with big awards.  This will be another easy victory if Lincoln takes it all home.  Unless the Academy wants to honor the 50th Anniversary of Bond, then I will completely wrong a few more times as well.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, & Simon Hayes for Les Miserables – The actors sang on stage. They didn’t prerecord their lines. This is an accomplishment and very unique in musicals. I’m just not the biggest musical fan. That damn bias again. I’m sorry. I respect the genera, most of it. Not Mamma Mia. Never. Les Miserables should win though.

Best Achievement in Editing

…And the nominees are:

William Goldenberg for Argo

Tim Squyres for Life of Pi

Michael Kahn for Lincoln

Jay Cassidy & Crispin Struthers for Silver Linings Playbook

William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor for Zero Dark Thirty

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor for Zero Dark Thirty.  I don’t know why I would really go for this one.  I just think that the grittiness and torture related sequences might be most attractive to anyone judging this category.  Yeah, let’s go with that.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor for Zero Dark Thirty – The movie is really tight. There hardly is a moment for an audience to become distracted with shiny things. This is pretty amazing since everyone knows how the film ends. Argo would have won if not for Zero Dark Thirty. Damn you again Deep Impact.

Who Ron thinks will win:  Michael Kahn for Lincoln.  Again, I’m shooting for Lincoln.  Not that I want to, but it’s just some thoughts.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor for Zero Dark Thirty – The film is really deserving of the win.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

…And the nominees are:

Erik Aadahl & Ethan Van der Ryn for Argo

Wylie Stateman for Django Unchained

Eugene Gearty & Philip Stockton

Per Hallberg & Karen M. Baker for Skyfall

Paul N.J. Ottosson for Zero Dark Thirty

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Wylie Stateman for Django Unchained.  Yes,yes, yes.  Another vote for Django.  Sue me, it’s my damn blog!  But also, the sound of this film was a great blend of Spaghetti Western vibes and the new age of cinema.  And yes, if you figured it out by now, I am hoping Django wins every damn award possible!

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom & Ron Judkins for Lincoln – They recoded the sound of a carriage door closing that Lincoln actually road in. How do you top this? Not even nominated. What the hell!

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Per Hallberg & Karen M. Baker for Skyfall.  I seriously think Bond is going to take the technical field.  I was rooting for The Dark Knight Rises to show up, but with no Bruce Wayne, I’m going for Bond.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Eugene Gearty & Philip Stockton – Life of Pi – For a film taking place on a dinghy with a tiger – great sound effects.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

…And the nominees are:

Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, & Daniel Sudick for The Avengers

Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, & R. Christopher White for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, & Donald Elliott for Life of Pi

Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley, Martin Hill for Prometheus

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Phil Brennan, Neil Corbould, & Michael Dawson for Snow White and the Huntsman

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton & R. Christopher White for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  The Hobbit is a perfect way to combine literature with a technical award.  So there you go.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley, Martin Hill for Prometheus – Prometheus was beautiful. The real and the created blended together nearly seamless. This isn’t about story, the film looked good. 48 FPS for The Hobbit off and the Huntsman, well no, they can’t win.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, & R. Christopher White for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  Only because I think Life of Pi is going to be left high and dry.  And that the Academy is going to conjur up the horrors of the past when the gave that stupid ass third installment of Lord of the Rings an Oscar for Best Picture.  The biggest screw up in history since Marisa Tomei.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, & Donald Elliott for Life of Pi – That Tiger looked really good.

Best Achievement in Make Up and Hairstyling

…And the nominees are:

Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, & Martin Samuel for Hitchcock

Peter King, Rick Findlater, & Tami Lane for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lisa Westcott & Julie Darnell for Les Miserables

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, & Martin Samuel for Hitchcock.  I just really liked this film.  I felt as though I was living in 1959 the whole time!

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Peter King, Rick Findlater, & Tami Lane for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Fantasy and science fiction is the hardest make up to create. Actors may be seated for hours each day to simply perform a single line of dialog. As Peter Jackson is known for his practical effects mixed with his CGI world, there was much work to be done in Middle Earth.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Peter King, Rick Findlater, & Tami Lane for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  Yeah, I’m pretty certain this is the shoe-in.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Peter King, Rick Findlater, & Tami Lane for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – This would be the only category The Hobbit could win in as the film itself came and went. The original trilogy having already won so many accolades, this would be a token gift although still deserving. Les Miserables could upset though.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

…And the nominees are:

J. Ralph for Chasing Ice, “Before My Time”

Alain Boublil, Claude-Michael Schonberg, & Herbert Kretzmer for Les Miserables, “Suddenly”

Mychael Danna & Bombay Jashree for Life of Pi, “Pi’s Lullaby”

Adele & Paul Epworth for Skyfall, “Skyfall”

Walter Murphy & Seth MacFarlane for Ted, “Everybody Needs a Best Friend”

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  Walter Murphy & Seth MacFarlane for Ted, “Everybody Needs a Best Friend”.  Why the hell not?  The Family guy dude, and the host, winning an Oscar?  Stranger things have happened than a film about a pot smoking teddy bear winning a statue.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Adele & Paul Epworth for Skyfall – It’s one of the better Bond songs in a long tradition – a Bond song never having actually won an Oscar. This would have been the year with how good Skyfall was and how well the song played into the tone. Also, 50 years of Bond being celebrated and people vote on these things.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Alain Boublil, Claude-Michael Schonberg, & Herbert Kretzmer for Les Miserables, “Suddenly”.  Les Miz is one of biggest musicals to come out recently.  There is no way this one can lose.  And if Adele does win, I might just rip my own heart out.  That is Golden Globe shit, Yo.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Adele & Paul Epworth for Skyfall – Les Miserables is a musical, it should win best song. Again, 50 years of Bond and Adel is hip with the young people who they need to watch for ratings. Sorry Miserables.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

…And the nominees are:

Dario Marianelli for Anna Karenina

Alexandre Desplat for Argo

Mychael Danna for Life of Pi

John Williams for Lincoln

Thomas Newman for Skyfall

WHO RON THINKS SHOULD WIN:  John Williams for Lincoln.  John Williams is a beast.  Everyone knows this.  And his association with Speilberg is impeccable.  His legendary status is obvious, and on par with Speilberg himself.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: John Williams for Lincoln – There’s not a lot to say. John Williams.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  John Williams for Lincoln.  I’m going with the “no, duh” logic here.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Dario Marianelli for Anna Karenina – Anna Karenina can’t get shut out. This is a nice win.

(Omit the Best Short Film, Animated, Best Short Film, Live Action, Best Documentary, Short Subjects categories.  We honestly are not knowledgable enough to even try to figure these ones out.)

Best Documentary, Feature

…And the nominees are:

5 Broken Cameras

The Gatekeepers

How to Survive a Plague

The Invisible War

Searching for Sugar Man

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN: Searching for Sugar Man.  I actually saw this one, and I thought it was great, as a music nerd.  But, I don’t think it will stand a chance against secrets and war and rape and such.  Too bad.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Haven’t seen yet.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi for 5 Broken Cameras.  This one and The Invisible War probably had the biggest hype.  Basically a coin flip.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Did not see. Most known social issue of last three months while remaining mid road for ratings.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

…And the nominess are:

Amour

War Witch

No

A Royal Affair

Kon-Tiki

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Amour.  I would have gone with Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love, since it was mostly Italian.  But, Amour seemed pretty interesting as well.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Haven’t seen yet.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Amour.  There is no real debate here.  It’s been nominated too many times.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Amour – Nominated all over the place. Most of the academy probably haven’t seen these films but they have seen the name Amour a few times, so why not.

Best Animate Feature Film of the Year

…And the nominees are:

Brave

Frankenweenie

ParaNorman

The Pirates!  Band of Misfits

Wreck-It Ralph

WHO RON THINKS SHOULD WIN:  Frankenweenie.  I just think Tim Burton is owed.  I haven’t really enjoyed much of what he has done lately, even if he always features my favorite A-list actor.  P.S.  Stay tuned for my Travelogue post about my visit to the Tim Burton Exhibit at the Seoul Museam of Arts and Culture.  That’s write, a shameless plug.  Always.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Brave – I’m okay with Pixar owning the animation realm. They deserve it. They always put story first (Cars does not count, they need money to make these things, I understand). Brave represents a continuation of the Juggernaut that is Pixar. The academy does like to give out its dues though.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Brave.  Yeah, it’s another year for the folks at Disney.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Frankenweenie – Tim Burrton is owed. Why not give it to him for a remake of his original work. Again, more of lifetime achievement award. Not for Planet of the Apes though. No.

Best Achievement in Production Design

…And the nominees are:

Sarah Greenwood, & Katie Spencer for Anna Karenina

Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent, & Simon Bright for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Eve Stewart & Anna Lynch-Robinson for Les Miserables

David Gropman & Anna Pinnock for Life of Pi

Rick Carter & Jim Erickson for Lincoln

WHO RON WANTS TO WIN:  Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent, & Simon Bright for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  These damn movies take forever to make!  Imagine how much damn work has to be put into what is not CGI?  I might be missing out on the impact of Life of Pi, and for that I am sorry.  I’m not even a LOR fan.

WHO CHRIS WANTS TO WIN: Eve Stewart & Anna Lynch-Robinson – I would like to see Les Miserables win for something. I’m not a musical fan. It’s my biases. It’s very hard to keep my attention. I would like to understand musicals more but I’ve yet to ever find one that really brought me in and showed me what this whole thing was about. I do respect the genera and would want to see it win something for the clear quality of work it represents even though I don’t understand it.

WHO RON THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN:  Rick Carter & Jim Erickson for Lincoln.  Again, sticking to my guns here.  It’s a year for Speilberg and Honest Abe.

WHO CHRIS THINKS WILL ACTUALLY WIN: Rick Carter & Jim Erickson for Lincoln – To win you must first be a period piece and two be under the management of Steven Spielberg’s direction. Lincoln won’t win a lot but it will win here.

So there you have it folks!!  Be sure to tune in to the Academy Awards this Sunday, and be sure to check out Trainwreck’d Society on Facebook and Twitter, we might just be there to give our snarky comments as the show progresses, depending on how much wine or corn whiskey Chris and I have consumed.  Be sure to check back here on the big day to see how well/awful we did at our predictions.  Cheers!

Trainwreck’d Society’s Person of 2012: Anna-Lynne Williams [Exclusive]

In 2011, Anna-Lynne Williams started to shake things up a bit in the independent music world, yet again.  Announcing the start up of her very own label, Saint Loup Records, meant a whole new beginning for one of the greatest voices and musicians in the business.  Sadly this would mean the demise of the well received and praised duo of Anna-Lynne and Matt Brown known as Trespassers William.  But where TW left off, Anna-Lynne did not fail to continue on sharing your amazing vocals and guitar playing, and now label running, gifts with the world.  Even before the TW break up, she released two amazing albums on Saint Loup Records, both of which landed in the top ten of our very own Top 37 1/2 Albums of 2011.  2011 say the release of Sergius Gregory’s Sounds Like People, and Lotte Kestner (Anna-Lynne’s solo efforts) collection of incredibly reworked cover songs aptly titled Stolen.  And it was with this intensity, despite the loss of a classic indie duo, that Anna-Lynne Williams would see another year filled with a multitude of success, despite what could have been some serious set backs.

 

 

And now some words from……..

Kevin Long

Anna-Lynne is a great conversationalist, very knowledgable and passionate about music, having been in the industry for quite some time, worked at record stores, etc. She is well-read and well versed in film and art of all sorts. Despite the adoration of fans around the globe she remains a very humble, modest and friendly person in real life. She is rather unassuming in the Seattle music scene despite having been around here for quite some time, but people are getting to know her a lot more recently from what I gather. I’ve had the pleasure of playing an Elliott Smith tribute (we played Pitseleh together), as well as a few house shows in the greater Seattle-ish area, and she is supposed to accompany me for at least one song this friday at my person biggest show ever, opening for Damien Jurado at Cathedral here in Seattle, projected to be sold out with 800 seats. You are probably aware of her many collaborations with various artists (chemical brothers, delirium, the list goes on). All I can say is.. there are more of those kinds of things in the works .. I think I may be privy to tidbits which I cannot share, but indeed people are still reaching out her to lend her talents, which is no surprise!

Sam Watts (Ghost I’ve Met)

Anna-Lynne and I sing in a band together called Ghosts I’ve Met. We recently recorded a new Ep. Together that will be out next month which is called “The Leveling Storm” Anna-Lynne sang multiple vocal tracks on the Ep.I believe Anna-Lynne deserves this honor for numerous reasons but what I admire most about her is her work ethic. I have never met any one who has released so much quality music. I am constantly impressed by her ability to change and grow as a songwriter and as a singer. She has been a serious inspiration to me as an artist and as a friend.

Daniel Blue

Anna Lynne and I worked together for the first time on my first record. she sang harmonies on a track called “Wait For me” by Motopony. from there we began to write songs together and in cahoots, I’ve been on one of her records as well, and she comes out to sing with me now and again when I perform “Wait For Me” live.  She is worthy of the nomination because despite her wrist issues, she remains one of the hardest working self-produced artists that i know in seattle. she is tenacious and dedicated to pure and beautiful expression.

Matthew Brown (The Soft Hills, Trespassers William)

I’ve worked for over 15 years with Anna-Lynne as a founding member of Trespassers William. She is worthy of the nomination for many reasons: she’s a talented songwriter with a one of a kind, gorgeous voice, she’s one of the hardest working musicians I’ve ever known and a generous, humble and thoughtful person on top of all that.

Alexander Hallett (hip hop artist, Bodi)

Anna-Lynne and I are friends, artistic collaborators, and share books and music with one another. We worked together on my upcoming album, The Fall of Atlas. She is on the intro track, “Prologue”, which is one of my favorite tracks I’ve ever made (and also some of my favorite work I’ve heard from her), as well as singing with me on the chorus of “Anagnorisis”, one of the album’s interludes.  She’s most definitely worthy of the nomination, largely due to the fact she is passionate about her work, incredibly talented, caring, giving, professional, prolific, and humble.

Sergius Gregory

I have worked with Anna-Lynne since 2007 when I was living in Alaska and we were mutual fans of one another. She became so convinced that my songs needed to be released that she started a record label (Saint-Loup) to released them. We’ve performed together in Seattle numerous times and she has become a great friend. I am eternally grateful for all of her support and will support her any way I can.  She is absolutely worthy of this nomination. She is a brilliant artist and has a uniquely beautiful voice. She works hard and supports other artists and is a warm, sweet person.

Anomie Belle

Anna-Lynne is a friend, and we have collaborated many times over the past five years. She sang guest vocals on both of my first two LPs and toured my first album with me. I’ve contributed strings and piano to both her solo recordings, and to those of Trespassers William as well.  Anna-Lynne is always busy with new projects and collaborations, to which she brings her beautifully haunting and unique vocal style, and her delicately honed abilities as a songwriter. She is kind, honest, knowledgeable, professional and generous. The number of collaborators she’s had over the past decade speaks to both her talents and to what a pleasure she is to work with.

Minotaur Shock

A few years ago, I contacted Anna-Lynne on Myspace after reading that she was a fan of my music. Coincidentally, I was a fan of Trespassers William, so I just sent a message saying hi. We had an email exchange and ended up collaborating (well, collaborating via the internet!). I remixed a Trespassers William track and she sang on one of my tracks.

Although I’ve never met Anna-Lynne in person, or even spoken to her, she is one of the most inspiring musicians I’m in contact with. Being a musician is tough these days – I have a full time day job, 2 kids and ageing bones, and there never seems to be time for music. Anna-Lynne seems to be constantly creative, taking the bull by the horns and ‘getting on with it’ in a way that just spurs me on. Even with her hand injury, which must be terrible considering her obvious love of playing the guitar, she managed to stay positive and creative. Although she probably doesn’t even realise – I’ve never thought to tell her – her attitude towards creating and performing is a constant inspiration to me (and probably a lot of people who she’s connected with). Whenever I hit a creative block, or feel that there are not enough hours in the day, I will have a look at what Anna-Lynne’s been up to and it forces me to stop moaning about my problems and just get on with it. So I’d like to thank her, and totally think she deserves this award.

Robert Gomez

I met Anna-Lynne during a recording session with John Grant (Bella Union). We hung out briefly. Eventually, I found myself in Seattle a few months later and by that point I had become familiar with her solo work and was really taken with it. Her album, China Mountain, literally brought me to tears. While in Seattle we met up to watch a band I had gone up there to see and she invited me to Portland to see her show. After some road trip bonding I asked her if she might want to make a record with me in the west Texas dessert, she accepted, and we started Ormonde.

Robert Deeble

Anna-Lynne and I shared the same stomping grounds in Southern California, I can’t remember how we were originally introduced but she, TW and I all shared gigs a lot around Long Beach, LA and Orange County in our younger years.

We both eventually moved to the Pacific Northwest and have stayed in touch. Most recently Anna lent her haunting vocals to one of the singles off my latest record. Despite knowing each other for 12 years it was the first time we had worked together on a record .  One of the most frightening things an artist may ever go through is developing a physical limitation that threatens to undermine the sense of who they are. Anna’s struggle with her hands is something I can identify with as I mysteriously lost function in both of mine that forced me to stop playing guitar or even writing letters for over a year. Its times like this that can cause a lot of panic in your own identity. I have appreciated how Anna, the “mop top firl from Trespassers who strums a guitar in her lap, has managed to adjust in order to remain artistically keene to who she is. Adaptation has become an honorable quality in Anna… I hope her hands will heal as mine did but I am impressed at how she has made good use of her talent in the mean time.

Cody Foster (hip hop artist, Sadistik)

Anna-Lynne and I have been good friends for a couple of years now, and we’ve collaborated on a handful of songs. She’s on my upcoming album a few times and we’ve shot some music videos and played shows together. We’ve also collaborated on Mexican food and cocktails on the side.

It’s no secret that Anna-Lynne is one of my favorite singers in the world. I was a fan before I was a friend, and for my two cents, I can’t name a female’s voice that I listen to more often than hers. She has a calming fragility to her music that I love. Besides her talents, I think this year would be especially suiting for her to receive an award since it’s been such a trying year for her. I’ve witnessed some of her struggles with her health first hand and how frustrated it made her, but I also got to see her stay productive and inspired. When she couldn’t physically play guitar anymore, she wrote and released a poetry book instead. Even after a year of health setbacks, the breakup of her band Trespassers William, and other obstacles, she’s stayed very diligent and made an album that I’m in love with (which you’ll hear in a few months). I think that’s really impressive, personally.

She has had a prolific year and indeed has over come so many difficulties, both physically and emotionally. She has undoubtedly shown she can bring the midas touch to anything she does; a cover song or a collaboration or a solo effort or even a book poetry. And she does all this mostly on her own. She is a true independent, tireless and inspired artist of the highest order whom, in 2012, gave us her best work to date.

Top 37 1/2 Albums of 2012 [Exclusive]

2012.  Oh sweet/disgusting 2012.  This year proved to be one of the most confusing yet enlightening years on a personal level.  Filled with anguish turned to love, misery turned to triumph.  But, that’s not what we are here to discuss, so let’s get to the music!  This year was a very musical year for sure!  I personally attended more live performances than any year prior.  I also listened to hundreds of great albums.  This would have been a great year to maybe push towards an even 50 for the list, but for continuity sake, we will stick with the classic.

Although Trainwreck’d Society sort of turned into a modern day MTV for the blogosphere since we began doing so many interviews, mostly in the film world, music is always a priority.  Independent music is still at the heart of everything I do or write.  I  have been doing the music blogging thing for going on 5 years now.  I’ve covered hundreds of albums, as well as hundreds of artists.  So, before you judge, just let me continue to try something new, but know that my heart is always here.  And this is my favorite time of the year!  When I lay out the list for the criticism and enlightenment of whoever may care enough to check it out.  So with all of that nonsense behind, I am pleased to announce, these are Trainwreck’d Society’s Top 37 1/2 Albums of 2012!!

37.5.  The Jesus Rehab – Drunken Hillbilly Fight Club EP

37.  Age/Sex/Occupation  – This Side of The Fence

36. Louden Swain – Eskimo

35. Ember Schrag – The Sewing Room

34. Ronnie Fauss – I Am The Man You Know I Am Not

33. Banana & Louie – Alphabet Soup

32. Cold Specks – I Predict A Graceful Expulsion

31. Electric Needle Room – Presidents of The United States of America Vol. 2

30. Of Monsters & Men – My Head Is An Animal

29. Typhoon – Hunger and Thirst

28. Aesop Rock – Skelethon

27. Mumford & Sons – Babel

26. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

25. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City

24. The Memorials – Delerium

23. Damien Jurado – Maraqopa

22. Grynch – Perspective

21. The Lumineers – The Lumineers

20. Trespassers William – Cast

19. Davi Sings Sinatra – On The Road To Romance

18. Ramona Falls – Prophet

17. Robert Gomez – Severance Songs

16. The Falling Trees – The Memories That Hold Us Together

15. Y La Bamba – Court The Storm

14. Thom Carter – All That You Love Is All That You Are

13. Good Old War – Come Back As Rain

12. Lotte Kestner – All That You Start (B Sides Album)

11. Mark Geary – Songs About Love, Songs About Leaving

10. Her Ghost – Her Ghost

9. Anja McCloskey – An Estimation

8. Bradley Wik and the Charlatans – Burn What You Can, Bury The Rest

7. Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children Macnuggits – Trainwreck To Narnia

6. Fun. – Some Nights

5. Phil The Tremolo King – Tremolo Train Tour Songs

4. Darling Pet Munkee – You Better Believe It

3. The Rest – Seesaw

2. Neil Nathan Inc. – Sweep The Nation

1.  Ormonde – Machine

12 For ’12: Favorite Shows of the Year [Exclusive]

So 2012 was a pretty music heavy, show filled year for me, as well as my wife.  As a tag team, we managed to check out more shows in 2012 than either of us had ever seen, combined.  Most of them occurred because we had the fortune to attend Pickathon, an outdoor music festival just outside of Portland, Oregon that I recommend to everyone!  Performers and listeners alike, you have to see this, it’s incredible.  Check out their website. And do it quick, because this thing is blowing up in a big way.

Most of the shows we did see were either at Pickathon or somewhere in the city we once called our residence, Spokane Washington.  And only one of these shows did I not see with my wife Melissa, because it was hear in shaky old Songtan, South Korea where I currently reside.  We also actually saw our favorite band, Blitzen Trapper, three times.  All the times were fantastic, but I didn’t want to be greedy and give them 3 of the 12 spots.  So I went with two of them.  Screw you, it’s my blog.  The only let down of the year came from Neko Case, who headlined Pickathon, but really didn’t impress me a whole lot.  Also some rapper named Chiddy Bang opened for Fun., and really didn’t impress me much as well, but what the hell, I’m sure somebody out there enjoyed them, so more power to them.

Other honorable mentions would have to go to The Woods Brothers, Laura Gibson, and Bowerbirds at Pickathon.  Emily Wells and Velella Velella at Elkfest in Spokane (which was a fun time, but sadly, a pretty weak line up compared to 2011’s event where Strength headlined).  The Verve Pipe rocked it as they always have for twenty years at Spokane’s Pig Out In The Park.  And Duck Duck Suckerpunch were some fun folks to see when the opened for Tacocat at Mootsy’s in Spokane.

With that being said, let’s take a look at what I believed to be my favorite performances from 2012.  Let’s begin!

12. The Horse Thieves & Jacob Butcher @ Scout (Spokane, Washington)

Photo by Mark Cluney

We had no real intention of catching some great yet subtle live music when my wife and I hit the town on a Tuesday night in the quaint city of Spokane.  But, we sure the hell did.  Just as they always do in Spokane, a bar closed down, and it re-opened a few months later. Scout had only been around a few weeks when we stumbled in to see what seemed like the only good thing to see on a Tuesday night.  Marshall McClean and Jacob Butcher performed their brilliant country based folk songs, with some guest spots from other Horse Thieves, who made up half the audience, that were sitting around clapping their friends on with joy.  It may have been a small show, but all eyes were definitely on the small corner where the man in the tight pants strumming tracks like “Throw The Dice” and “Dakota Wind” with such amazing grace and talent.

11. Two Man Gentlemen Band @ Pickathon Main Stage (Happy Valley, Oregon)

For a guy with “Gentleman” tattooed on his arm, this was a must see show.  And for a fan of old school ragtime and the upright bass in general, this was mind blowing.  I also adore pork chops.  So when I heard this duo break out with “My Girl Smells Like Pork Chops”, I almost lost my mind.  This is a band that is beyond their time, but a perfect representation of the old days mixed converged with the new.  I am certain that many people around were unaware of these two before arriving at Pickathon.  But, I am even more certain that several people fell in love with them after their appearances.

10. Atmosphere @ The Knitting Factory (Spokane, Washington)

I didn’t know what to expect in going to see Atmosphere.  I had been a fan of them for so many years, just like everyone else at the show.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear their old school shit, or something from the new.  But, I was not disappointed in any kind of way.  Their second to last album, When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold, is still my favorite album of all time.  And they did not fail to play several tracks from that.  If I remember correctly, the played more from that album that their 2011 release.  It was pretty amazing to see Slug and Ant live in person, personally.  I’ve always, and always will, considered Slug to be the Bob Dylan of hip hop music, so it was great to see one of my heroes perform live.  And the night couldn’t have been as great without the help of my new found friends David and Sara Smyer (Hey guys!!).  It was a great show shared with great friends.  What more can you ask for?

9. Y La Bamba @ Pickathon Galaxy Barn (Happy Valley, Oregon)

Y La Bamba.  Yes, sweet Y La Bamba.  I have been listening to this amazing band pretty much since their inception.  In fact, their bassist Ben Meyercord could very well be considered the man who introduced me to the music blogging world.  He was close friends and collated with one of my favorite (now extinct) bands known as Westfold.  He also wrote for a little blog known as Fensepost.  I made the connection, and the rest is history (that is if you even know who the hell I am, which is absolutely reasonable if you don’t).  That being said, I saw a man who led me to become who I am play along with lead singer Luz in the sweaty but exciting Galaxy Barn.  Even as Luz rambles off unknown lyrics in Spanish (America’s second language, really), you know that these are some beautiful songs you are listening to.  After several years of appreciating these fine folks, it was absolutely amazing to see the energy right in front of my weary eyes.  My most memorable moment of this show actually came the following day and featured my dear wife.  The day after the Galaxy Barn show, we say Y La Bamba playing the secondary main stage at Pickathon, and my wonderful wife stated, “Oh, this was the song I heard yesterday, I LOVE this song!”.  That song was “Fasting in San Francisco”, which is still one of my favorite tracks of all damn time.  I had never mentioned this, not even during the first appearance.  This is how I knew I found something beautiful.  This track always reminded me of a modern age “Girl From Ipanema”, but I never knew it could be that far loved.  Although every track these tasteful gathering of angels perform to the unworthy, this is what really stuck out in my mind.

8. Blitzen Trapper @ Pickathon Main Stage (Happy Valley, Oregon)

This was actually the second time seeing my favorite band perform.  I really dug this show, but you should probably scan down to the #1 spot.  I also saw them in Spokane opening for The Head and The Heart a few weeks later (keep scrolling).  But, this show was unique for one great reason….the crowd was huge!!  Eric Earley and company were the last act on the main stage before (the pretty unimpressive, but) legendary Neko Case took stage.  Therefore, a crowd had drawn even more so than usual.  Thousands of people were there staring at a band that had become more than a household name to me, but legends in their own right.  It was amazing to see them on a huge lighted stage with the sun going down, as well as a surprise introduction from a couple of members from Kitty, Davis, & Lewis.  This would be the last full show we would see at Pickathon, and a perfect way to go out indeed.

7. Tusi @ Blue Jazz (Songtan, South Korea)

There is something about this cat Tusi.  When I arrived in Songtan, I honestly did not believe I would run across a working musician of any kind.  Although he mostly makes his tips from playing obvious classic rock covers, he still manages to reinvent some great tunes, leaving several drunk foreigners none the wiser when he submits them to some beautiful revamping.  And, of course, he works them over greatly when he creates his own lyrics to classic songs and makes them about things that only those who have been here could ever understand.  I watched him three times in a matter of three weeks, but the night at Blue Jazz has topped it all off thus far.  A young Korean girl was celebrating her birthday with her medium sized family on this night.  And besides myself and my dear friend Whitey, they were basically the whole crowd.  And damn did the enjoy it!  It is already one of my finest memories of my time in Songtan.

6. Good Old War @ The Knitting Factory (Spokane, Washington)

I’m sure I am not the only one to do this, so I will understand if you are neither impressed, nor concerned.  But, this was one of those shows that my wife and I only went to in order to see the opening act.  Need To Breathe were the headliners, and honestly, I really didn’t care for them from the beginning.  But dammit if I don’t love me so Good Old War.  My wife discovered a few of their tracks on Pandora many months before, and their latest album had become a regular played record in my kitchen while preparing the night’s meal.  In that time I managed to catch them on Conan, interviewed their drummer Tim Arnold, and then we finally got to watch them perform live.  And what an amazing threesome.  The have so much energy to throw around at a crowd.  And as much as we didn’t want to disrespect the opening act and the thousand people who probably came to see the opening, when this light hearted threesome left the stage, so did we.  This would also be the last show I saw, and probably will ever see, in Spokane in my three and a half years in the area.  A perfect way to go out if you ask me.

5. The Head and The Heart @ The Knitting Factory (Spokane, Washington)

Again, I admittedly only came to this show to see Blitzen Trapper (previously mentioned).  But, I did appreciate The Head and The Heart.  My former editor Fense always had a love for them, and were a regular mention on his site I contributed to, Fensepost.  But, they held nothing against their Sub Pop label mates in my eyes.  But, dammit if we didn’t stick around, and really love this show.  Part of it could have very well been the ingestion of an ample amount of rum with my wife and previously mentioned homegirl Sara Smyer, and a sort strange dice throwing dance that turned into invisible masturbation.  Either way, between the antics we managed to actually watch them from the balcony level, and really dig them.  In the months post (including to this very day) The Head and The Heart have become an amazing and very important band in my life.  I knew I was a fan boy when I completely lost it when I heard the song at the end of an episode of How I Met Your Mother, and completely lost a caring thought that Ted had just proposed to Robin.  Oh yeah, that’s right, I dig them that much!

4. Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children Macnuggits @ Backspace (Portland, Oregon)

I could write a damn book about the leading up to this show, the brilliant show itself, and even the wonderful night around the City of Roses that followed.  But, for subject matter’s sake (and because I have already written a full fledged live review for Fensepost), I will just recap the event a bit.  Corbett, Dan, and company killed it at Geekfest!  That pretty much sums it up!  The thrill of seeing a band I have loved about as long as I have truly been able to appreciate great music was amazing.  And the drunk fool who spilt beer all over my friend Jill Keller makes for a pretty memorable night as well.  One thing that made this show pretty special was the appreciation from the audience.  I was very excited to see so many folks in the audience singing along to several different tracks.  When you love a band for over this long, it is always great to watch others appreciate their beauty.

3. Tacocat @ Mootsy’s (Spokane, Washington)

Oh, Tacocat.  You vixens!  This was a show that was admittedly going to be a great time whether I cared for the actual performance.  My wife was going to meet up with her beloved cousin, drummer Lelah Maupin, in what felt like a very long time.  I personally I had only seen Lelah since high school one other time….at a funeral.  So it was a much nicer reunion.  But even beyond that, what a fucking show.  The energy!  The magnetism, the electrifying fast paced absurdity of time passage was simply incredible.  Lelah is an incredible impressive drummer with a quickness that is almost unmatched by any one I can think of.  And dammit if Emily Nokes doesn’t have that sort of sweet Northern Belle sort of voice that intrigues you to no end.  The way these band of punk(?) Go-Go like outlaws truly moved the crowd is almost indescribable.  Overall, it was absolutely amazing to watch a group of people that I either knew pretty well, or vaguely remember passing through the halls of high school (Hi Eric!) perform so enthusiastically for a group of strangers.  I left that show feeling that had I not known a single person in the band nor in the audience, I would have been directly fucking impressed.  Therefore, the impression I did have was beyond belief.

2. Fun. @ The Knitting Factory (Spokane, Washington)

Without giving a damn as to so many of the Instagram loving fools out there might say, I absolutely adore Fun.  So much so, that I still enjoy “We Are Young”.  So much so, that I actually bought tickets to see this show many months before they came to Spokane in late August.  And it was a damn good thing I did, because this would be the first, and only, sold out show I would see at The Knitting Factory.  And, as you can tell from this list, the greatest.  Watching these pop music masterminds was absolutely mesmerizing.  I had begun to notice from listening to their first two albums that they knew exactly what it meant to make an absolutely perfect pop song.  But, it never struck me as much as when I watch them perform their songs to such a sold out crowd in a medium sized city.  Their second single, “Some Nights”, had only yet become an extremely popular song (shortly before it appeared on Glee), yet everyone in the damn audience grew extremely excited when the threw it out to them.  In all of my show going experiences, I have never witnessed so excitement in an audience.  It does not behoove me to state honestly that Nate Heuss is without a doubt the brand new charismatic version of Freddy Mercury that the pop music world as been longing for.  This is an amazing band that has made a couple of amazing records.  But even while listening to these records, it should become obvious that this is a band that creates a show in your mind, and should definitely be seen live.  I am thankful that my wife and I were able to see these geniuses in a medium sized venue, up close and personal, before we are only allotted the opportunity to see a modern day “Bohemian Rhapisody” live in person.  When it comes to stage presence and choreographed presentation, this is probably the greatest show I have ever witnessed.

1. Blitzen Trapper @ Pickathon The Woods Stage (Happy Valley, Oregon)

It was Day One at Pickathon when my wife and I saw our heroes grace a small stage made of lumber and electrical wires.  We are right up front, showing up half way through the preceding band, Bowerbirds (also impressive, if we weren’t distracted by the thoughts of seeing Eric & Co.), sitting in the dirt like a couple of mongrels waiting for the fresh gathering of substance.  And when they went on stage, we were not just there, but fucking THERE.  We both stood less than ten feet from the son that Bob Dylan wished he would have had, Eric Earley.  And as he swapped form harmonica, to electric, to acoustic, to keyboard, we were there to examine his every god damned move.  Every genius maneuver the entire band, we were there to notice.  And as strange as it seemed, they played almost every track we were begging to hear them perform.  When then induced hand clapping for “Big Black Bird”, it was incredible.  When they threw around the crowd pleasing tracks like “Black River Killer” or “Furr”, we laughed and danced around.  When they slowed it down with the country-esque tracks like “Girl In A Coat” and “Stranger In A Strange Land”, I embraced my beautiful wife as hard as I could while she cried (for reasons I care not to explain).  It was an emotional roller coaster to watch this band of incredible wordsmiths throw their hearts to the wind, only to entertain the simple minds who cared to watch.  A magical thing happened during this performance as well.  At the risk of sounding like a 70’s teenager at a Shaun Cassidy….it honestly felt that Eric had looked directly at my wife and I as we embraced during his slower acoustic tracks, and was singing directly to us, and feeling our love, pain, and longing.  I know this is a cliché for show going experiences, therefore I had always discarded it as hokey and ridiculous.  Therefore, when I actually let myself feel such corniness, I know I had felt something incredible.  That is why see Blitzen Trapper was not only my favorite performance of 2012, but probably of my life thus far.  Blitzen Trapper had changed my life already.  Their words are imprinted on my soul and in places I dare not mention.  But seeing this show with the woman I love, sharing this experience, had more of an impact on me than I could have ever imagined.

With Friends Like These -or- Our Favorite Albums of 2012 [Exclusive]

We all know what time is.  The year ended, and another started anew.  Now is the time in which we all sit around the theoretical camp fire and discuss what we listened to in 2012.  Artists scour the interwebs to find what lists they made, listeners learn what they missed out on or feel satisfied knowing that they listen to the same music as somebody they admire.  It is also a blogger’s feast to feed the minions!  This is our time to shine!

So with that in mind, I thought I would reach out to a few members of the Trainwreck’d family, and to some new members as well, to see what they were listening to this year.  The results are varied, just like the folks we cover here.  We have musicians, rappers, actors, construction workers, an extremely sexy housewife with a very familiar last name, and more!  And looking at many of the results, I feel safe in saying that this could be a great preview to our Top 37 1/2 Albums of 2012.  So, enjoy!

Brandon Armstrong (producer/DJ, Gasoline Monk)

1. Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes

2.  Shatter Hands – Land Fly

3. Nas – Life Is Good

4. Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio

5. Karriem Riggins – Alone Together

Matt Beat (musician, Electric Needle Room)

1. Passion Pit – Gossamer

2. Jessie Ware – Devotion

3. Animal Collective – Centipede Hz

4. The Shins – Port of Morrow

5. Tanlines- Mixed Emotions

Jared Brannan (musician)

1. Shearwater – Animal Joy

2. P.O.S. – We Don’t Even Live Here

3. Why? – Mumps etc.

4. Forgetters – S/T

5. TW Walsh – Songs of Pain and Leisure

Joseba Britt (musician)

1. Sigor Ros – Valtai

2. Toe – The Future Is Now

3. Mono – For My Parents

4. The Samuel Jackson Five – The Samuel Jackson Five

5. Fanfarlo – Rooms Filled With Light

Alan Cohen (musician, The Alan Cohen Experience)

1. Grizzy Bear – Shields

2. Tame Impala – Lonerism

3. The Shins – Port of Morrow

4. Can – The Lost Tapes

5. The Beach Boys – That’s Why God Made The Radio

Jared Cortese (musician, The Jesus Rehab)

1. The Glass Notes – As The Building Crumbles

2. The Hoot Hoots – Feel The Cosmos

3. Roaming Herds of Buffalo – Roaming Herds of Buffalo

4. The Great Um – What The People Want

5. Campfire OK – When You Have Arrived

Zach Cregger (actor, Guys With Kids, Whites Kids U Know)

1. Matthew Dear – Beams

2. Tame Impala – Lonerism

3. Animal Collective – Centipede Hz

4. Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magelian

5. Eraas – Eraas

Tiffany Daniels (editor/founder, Drunken Werewolf Magazine)

1. Hysterical Injury – Dead Wolf Situation

2. Jesca Hoop – The House That Jack Built

3. Me and My Drummer – The Hawks the Beak the Prey

4. Mary Epworth – Dream Life

5. Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man

Lucien Eisenach (actor, Tormet, Sinister)

1. Diamond Rings – Free Dimensional

2. The Cruxshadows – As the Dark Against My Halo

3. Grimes – Visions

4. Blaqk Audio – Bright Black Heaven

5. Grendel – Timewave Zero

Cody Foster (hip hop artist, Sadistik)

1. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City

2. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure

3. The Weekend – Trilogy

4. Dark Time Sunshine – ANX

5. Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man

Robin Grey (musician)

1. Sam Lee – Ground Of Its Own

2. The Moulettes – The Bear’s Revenge

3. Brooke Sharkey – One Dress

4. The Staves – Dead, Born and Grown

5. Meursault – Something For The Weakened

Alexander Hallett (hip hop artist, Bodi)

1. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid in a M.A.A.D City

2. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas

3. Trespassers William – Cast

4. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – The Heist

5. Sigur Ros – Valtari

Jon Hardy (musician, The Pristines)

1. Gallon Drunk “The Road Gets Darker From Here

2. Crystal Castles – III

3. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafitti – Mature Themes

4. Tindersticks – “The Something Rain

5. Metric – Synthetica

Andre Leo (musician, The Very Wicked)

1. Brian Jonestown Massacre – Aufheben

2. Christian Bland & The Revelators – Pig Boat Blues

3. The Future Primitives – This Here’s The Future Primitives

4. The UFO Club – The UFO Club

5. Wild Easter Arches – Mountain

Adam Mattson (heavy metal expert, TWS contributor)

1. Neurosis – Honor Found in Decay

2. Swallow the Sun – Emerald Forest and the Blackbird

3. Woods Ypres – Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light

4. Nachtmystiym – Silencing Machine

5. Kralic – Years Past Matter

Anja McCloskey (musician)

1. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

2. Yann Tiersen – Skyline

3. Ottersgear – The Quest For Rest

4. Rufus Wainwright – Out of the Game

5. Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself.

David Minne (musician, TWS Contributor)

1. Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Megellan

2. AC Newman – Shut Down The Streets

3. Beach House – Bloom

4. Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams

5. Bahamas – Barchords

Rob Nova (hip hop artist)

1. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City

2. Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes

3. The Weekend – Trilogy

4. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music

5. JJ Doom – Key To The Kuffs

Nate Prudhon (DJ, KEXP in Seattle, Wa)

1. Bear In Heaven – I Love You, It’s Cool

2. Lozen – Para Vida

3. High On Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis

4. Wax Tailor – Dusty Rainbow From the Dark

5. Rush – Clockwork Angels

Jon Ragel (musician, Boy Eats Drum Machine)

1. Kid Koala – 12 Bit Blues

2. Dark Time Sunshine – ANX

3. Mpala Guroo – Ou Du Monde

4. Trust – TRST

5. Xiu Xiu – Always

 Ira Rat (musician, Workerbee Records)

1. Die Antwoord – Ten$ion

2. Hollow Press – Between Us

3. Eraserhead Soundtrack (Sacred Bones Re-Issue)

4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

5. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas

Corbett Redford (musician, Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children Macnuggits)

1. The Coup – Sorry To Bother You

2.) Bryan McPherson – American Boy / American Girl

3.) The Neptune Power Federation – Mano A Satano

4.) Thin Lizzy – S/T Reissue on Light In The Attic Records

5.) Mumford & Sons – Babel

David Redmalm (musician)

1. Animal Collective – Centipede Hz

2. Happy Jawbone Family Band – The Silk Pistol

3. Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan

4. Neneh Cherry & The Thing – The Cherry Thing

5. Skeletons – The Bus

Bob Rice (DJ, KYRS Thin Air Community Radio in Spokane, Wa)

1.  The True Spokes – The True Spokes

2. Terry Radigan – The Break Down of A Break Up

3. Eric Taylor – Live From The Red Shack

4. Michael McDermott – Hit Me Back

5. Craig Elkins – I Love You

Anthony Smith (musician) 

1. Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man

2. Hurrican Horses – Reflections

3. Alessandro Brustenghi – Voice From Assisi

4. Beach Boys – That’s Why God Made The Radio

5. Madness – Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da

Curtis Sutton (blogger, music aficionado)

1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock

2. Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man

3. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

4. Passion Pit – Gossamer

5. Purity Ring – Shrines

Danny Tamberelli (musician/actor, The Adventures of Pete & Pete)

1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock

2. Deftones – Koi No Yokan

3. Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams

4. Nas – Life Is Good

5. Spiritualized – Sweet Home, Sweet Light

Melissa Trembath (TWS Contributor, Smoking Hot Wife)

1. Of Monsters & Men – My Head Is An Animal

2. Mumford & Sons – Babel

3. Good Old War – Come Back As Rain

4. Fun. – Some Nights

5. The Lumineers

Phil The Tremolo King (musician/artist)

1. Jim O and the Swanky Psychos- Jim O and the Swanky Psychos

2. Stealing sheep -Into the Diamond Sun

3. Crash and the Coots -Jon Coles EP

4. The June Brides -Between the Moon and the Clouds

5. The Finest Hour -These Are The Good Old Days

Anna Lynne Williams (musician, Lotte Kestner)

1. Beach House – Bloom

2. Damien Jurado – Maraqopa

3. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

4. Mike Dumovich – Acres

5. Robert Gomez – Severance Songs

Trainwreck’d Society’s Person of 2011: Steve Sessions [Exclusive]

Steve Sessions may very well be the greatest indie horror filmmaker that you have probably never heard of.  Despite having an immense track record including writing and directing  and music work for over a dozen of his own feature films, a plethora of shorts, working with some of today’s hottest horror stars (Jeff Dylan Graham, Suzi Lorraine, Debbie Rochon just to name drop a few), and much more miscellaneous projects with other filmmakers.  Steve’s work is undeniably well crafted, as well as well conceived.  His embodiment of the indie world is absolutely amazing.  His work isn’t even low-budget.  It’s “no budget”.  He makes movies for “less than the cost of an average funeral”, as he has been quoted as saying.  Somehow, through the magic of innovation and raw natural talent, he pulls off brilliant indie masterpieces on less than a shoe string budget.

2011 proved another amazing year for Mr. Sessions.  He shot and released his latest masterpiece, Shriek of the Sasquatch, as well as releasing the quintessential “Sessions-esque” thriller, Sinister.  The man has been at it for quite a while.  And his love for cinema is his one true drive (especially since he makes an average of zero dollars per film).

I have been a fan of this man’s work for a lot of years, and he has been one of the greatest friends you could ask for since we first corresponded via e-mail about 6 years ago. I was on my first tour of Iraq and decided to e-mail Steve to let him know how much I loved his film Malefic, which we found at the PX on our (sort of) desolate FOB in central Iraq. And in his kind manner we all have learned to love, he sent me (and my dear friend Wiggy) even more of his films to enjoy. Since this time, I have had the pleasure of heading down to Biloxi and meeting Steve in person whilst touring the beautiful cemeteries and waxing political America at a Waffle House. Quite an honor to say the least.  But, I have to admit, I don’t know the man like most do.  Therefore I called upon the people who would understand his genius even greater than I.  The actors, actresses, friends of this legendary man.  And I was not surprised by their responses.  Here’s what some of them had to say about Trainwreck’d Society’s Person of 2011:

“Steve and I have grown to know each other to the level where he does not have to “direct” me. I know what he expects of a character and i do my best to meet his expectations before he asks me to do something in particular. Steve is so accommodating and appreciative of his actors that he doesn’t ask as much as he should from them, so working with him is a little confusing until you understand that his role of director surpasses just “directing” an individual, but is more of allowing the actor to express himself or herself in the role he envisioned. Steve is very open to allowing the actor to interpret the role as they see fit and portray the roles in a manner that befits their personality; this type of directing makes the experience much more relaxing and fun and tends to make actors want to return to be a part of multiple Steve Sessions’ productions………Fate led me to my introduction to and interactions with Steve Sessions, beginning with stumbling upon a local news story about his first feature film, “Cremains”, and on to our chance meeting in an online chat room in which he was casting for his second feature, “Malefic”. Without our interactions and creative collaborations, i would never have had the inspiration and confidence to pursue my own goals of writing and directing feature length films. Steve showed me that one can achieve such a goal with perseverance and creativity when financial instability and the instability of unpaid actors can present difficulties and frustrations. If one wants to accomplish their creative goals, that person can definitely do so. That is what i have learned through my interactions with Steve Sessions. I have accomplished many of my dreams in just assisting Steve in his movie projects, and also gained experience that allowed me to venture further out into creating my own movies. Being a part of Steve’s movies has taught me much in the ways of casting, production, and filming with little to no budget for actors, locations, and props. A dream is enough to fuel the fires of film making! ”

– Lucien Eisenach (Torment, Shriek of The Sasquatch, Southern Gothic, At The House of Madness, Malefic)

“Awful. He’s really mean.  Seriously, it was a blast. We were working long hours, but we were having so much fun and laughs, it honestly didn’t feel like work! As a director, he’s really easy going, and open to the actor’s interpretation of the role. He provides great feedback and direction, while still allowing the actor to spread their wings and improv a bit too.  Steve is a prime example of a filmmaker who shows it is possible to make a really fun (and scary) film on a low budget. He’s a really talented writer too, and I think a lot of his strengths lie in this. I would gladly work with him again! You hear that, Steve?”

– Suzi Lorraine (Torment)

“Working with Steve is always great! First of all, he has great stories and great atmosphere, so it’s awesome for an actor to work on his movies. You know they will turn out good! His vision is just terrific.  Steve is always doing great movies and does his 100% to deliver the best!! It’s not only a joy to work with him, it’s a privilege!”

– Luc Bernier (At The House of Madness, H8, Southern Gothic, Torment, Sinister, Dead Ink, Shriek of the Sasquatch, Contagio)

“Weirdly, sometimes “life imitates art” — as soon as I arrived in Biloxi, the weather turned for the worst.  It quickly

became apparent that we couldn’t possibly shoot outdoors on such a stormy day.  Brilliantly, Steve salvaged the script by re-locating my scenes inside my own hotel room…….  I was so impressed by Steve’s incredible “grace under pressure”…  how he make it all work out, in spite of unforeseen obstacles (like a hurricane!).  Later, when I watched “Dead Clowns”, I was stuck by his amazingly artistic vision… he’s so good at capturing beautiful visual images, like a true artist.  And besides all that, Steve is a wonderfully gracious host and a genuinely nice guy.”

– Charlene Brinke Stevens (Dead Clowns)

“Steve is such a genuine sweetheart. When he picked me up at the airport the week of the shoot, we had some extra time, and he showed me around his hometown of Biloxi, MS.  Steve knew I loved cemeteries, so he took me to this really awesome one right off the Gulf of Mexico. It was so serene! We took time and walked through it together, taking pictures, and getting to know each other more, it was a blast! The whole shoot was fun. Steve is all about getting the job done, yet having fun while doing what we needed to do. He’s a very easy going, genuine director who obviously loves what he does or he wouldn’t be here doing it.”

– Sarah French (Shriek Of The Sasquatch)

“[On working on Shriek of The Sasquatch]……It was a fun time and hope to do it again in the future. Steve’s a great guy and fun to work with!”

– Michelle Trasatti (Shriek of The Sasquatch)

“I’ve always had a blast working with Mr. Sessions and hope to return soon.  He’s always treated his cast/crew members with the utmost respect.  There’s something very nice and peaceful about filming in and around Biloxi, MS.  The folks are really welcoming.  Nice weather, too.  I don’t think it ever snows down there……..Steve has been a tremendously great friend for over a decade now.  He’s offered me some great advice and encouragement on my own filmmaking career.  I hope his work gets more recognition in the future.”

– Eric Spudic (Dead Clowns, Psycho Santa, Cache)

“Had a great and easy going shoot with Steve. Will always work for him when he wants me.   Steve is an easy going director and knows what he wants in a scene.”

–Ted Alderman (Torment, Shriek of The Sasquatch, Blood of the Spider)

“Working for Steve was a very fun and memorable experience. I had always wanted to be an actor in a horror film, and Steve gave me my first chance. I shot only a few hours on both films, but it was a very relaxed environment. He allowed me to just go with the flow during my death scenes, and I liked that. Overall, I have only great things to say about acting for Steve……Steve, you are a great director and a true talent. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have been a part of your films.”

– Jade Michael LaFonte (Wolfika, Torment)

“Steve was great, he has a unique way of filming and he always turns out good work, he allows the actors to create and run with each scene which was awesome.  I admire Steve for his persistence and ability to get the job done, he thinks outside of the box and makes films in ways most people would think is not possible but yet he does it time and time again, I’d work with him again in a heartbeat.”

– Deanna Meske (A Night At The House of Madness, Shriek of the Sasquatch)

” I absolutely love working with Steve. He is a mad genius on a shoestring budget and ALWAYS makes it work. I hope to have the pleasure of collaborating with him again in the near future.”

– Laura Aust Danner (Dead Ink, Shriek of the Sasquatch)

“He is a sweetheart, very creative and fun to work with.  He deserves mucho credit for all the heart and soul he puts into his projects.”

– Mona Duvera (Shriek of the Sasquatch)

‘I’ve had very good relations with Steve. I’ve found him to be honest and straight forward, which I also found is not common when it comes to independent films.  I think Steve is a very talented film producer and would love to work with him in the future.”

– Gore De Vol (Horror Host Hall of Fame legend)

“Steve is a wonderful director to work with on projects. He easily leads you as an actor toward the vision he has for the film and still gives you the freedom to expand on the character. There’s no limits to Steve’s creativity whether it involves props or issues with lighting. He always finds a way to bring what he envisions to print. There’s not alot of indie directors who are able to accomplish that…….There’s alot of people you meet in this business that come and go from set to set. Some people you work with and will never see again; they don’t have a lasting impact on your life or career. Steve doesn’t fall into this category or anywhere near it. Not only is he a talented director, producer, actor, as well as composer, he’s a truly great guy. Really genuine….what you see is what you get. In Steve’s case, you get a really good-hearted man who’ll be one of the best friends you could ever get.”

– Lanee Landry (Shriek of the Sasquatch, Luc Bernieer’s H8)
“Steve Sessions is one of the most talented film makers I have ever known. It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to work for him and with him. He has a true vision of horror that is just spine chilling on so many levels. If I had never had the supreme honor to work with him I would have still wanted to buy and watch all of his films!  I did not just think of Steve Sessions as a visionary and a fantastic director I also was proud to call him my friend.  I just want to say THANKS STEVE and many many blessings to you in all that you endeavor to do!”

– Kimberly Lynn Cole (Cremains, Dead Clowns, Deadfall, Have You Seen Me?)

View Steve Session’s complete works at IMDB.