Dennis Hall41 said:While we wait for the next masterpiece from Bejarov—here you go! Man, you wouldn't believe how much blood was actually spilled in Hollywood back in the day—it’s wild to think about!
It’s been great—this track has actually become part of my morning walk commute over the last week. I was a dreamer, watch me leave tururu! Tintoretto It’s pretty cool, I guess—but it just didn't really stick in my head like the last one did.
Polvo's been spinning around my place for a while now—I wouldn't say I'm totally obsessed, but I definitely catch some gems every once in a while. Honestly, in Prism sounded pretty smooth to me. Does anyone have any good recommendations?
Vibracobra
I actually love how muffled the vocals feel—it gives this sense of distance while the bass just rattles my head in my headphones. It’s honestly pretty cozy, even if it feels a little unsettling at the same time.
Seriously, can we talk about this? I almost skipped over the track, but then I hit that gorgeous part at the 4:40 mark 😍
unnamed We'll watch the sky fall into pieces And for a moment imagine strings Holding the trees from falling down You know I would not be afraid With your head against my shoulder And even though all hearts are strange We're all strung with everything
I thought the film was... lovely, honestly—really good. Everything eventually clicks into place and makes sense by the end, but I totally agree that it definitely could have been a bit shorter! I honestly thought the second half was way better—once all the characters finally start clicking together, it really hits. I especially loved those table read scenes; seeing the behind-the-scenes process of putting a play together was so cool, especially since I used to do a bit of theater myself back in the day! I honestly felt like the whole film was just—in the simplest terms possible—a celebration of storytelling itself. 😁Oto uses storytelling to process deep loss—it’s pretty moving. Even though these theater folks speak different languages, they all rely on this shared script as their main way to connect and express themselves. The lead character basically lives by interpreting everyone else's stories. There’s this incredibly powerful scene where a young actor tells the woman's story while they're in the car, and then—get this—he absolutely nails his rehearsal the next day. It’s like that storytelling actually cleared his head and helped him find himself within her words again. Then you have this reserved driver roll in, someone who isn't even part of the art world at all, only to share a life story that's more intense than anything he could have ever made up.
Dennis Martin6 said:I think they gave a pretty mundane reason for why he hired the driver, and honestly, I bought it—given that whole mess with the other director earlier. But purely through association, I can’t stop linking it to the story his wife is writing—that bit about the girl walking into her friend's room—and how surveillance cameras show up in the final version of that tale. I don't have some logical, airtight explanation for why those two things connect, aside from the obvious visual symbolism. Maybe it's just a continuation of that tension between subjective belief—what you personally perceive—and objective truth—the automated way the world sees us. It feels like an extension of his wife Oto's and Kafuku's obsession with reconciling those two planes of reality... basically, trying to accept what's actually there. (By the way, Oto literally means "sound.")😁So she loved him AND was cheating at the same time? Real smooth.
Look, this is totally subjective and I get where you're coming from, but I actually loved that idea of handling dialogue through monologue. There are probably a million ways to read into it, but here’s what jumped out at me: there’s this specific thing about the Japanese language where the verb always lands at the end of the sentence. Practically speaking, if you want to know exactly what someone is trying to say, you're basically forced to let them finish their thought. That’s how these characters talk—it’s actually what makes it feel realistic—but then it gets stylized into these occasionally massive, extreme soliloquies. It's the total opposite of how American or European films handle "realistic" dialogue, where "realism" usually just means people constantly cutting each other off and overlapping. This feels more like an Altman extreme—taking that concept and turning it into a legit signature style.
Plus, I’m a huge fan of that relentless, obsessive style of storytelling—you know, where the monologue just swallows everything else whole. Characters, plot, psychology... it all gets devoured. Take Thomas Bernhard, for example; his stuff is basically one massive, crushing monologue. I haven't picked up Rachel Cusk yet, but apparently she does a milder version of that same thing—she recently put out that "Outline" trilogy.
I find this stuff really fascinating—honestly, I could get lost in it for hours!
electriccanyon26 said:Monologues take the place of dialogue. Instead of objective storytelling, everything is filtered through the protagonist's perspective, which eventually extends to how the actor experiences the script itself.
The fundamental issue is that there was never any actual dialogue between him and his wife. Their communication—or rather, his version of it—was nothing more than a series of monologues and his own one-sided interpretations. She would try to open up and share her stories after they had sex, but he’d just check out, reacting mechanically because he'd rather just go to sleep. Then, the next day, he recounts those same stories back to her, adding new details she never actually mentioned. He processes her life, reframes it, and hands it back to her; she simply accepts his version as the truth. What she does with the actors is superficial at best—the text is what matters, and in this case, he holds all the cards.
That’s how their relationship functioned, but you can draw a direct parallel to the way he runs his theater productions. As a director, his system is built on stripping actors of their autonomy. They aren't allowed to react instinctively; they have to wait until they know the entire script before they are permitted to shape a response.
It’s the same system he uses to manage his private life. On the cassette, every character in the play is condensed into a single monologue delivered by his wife. He experiences the story through his own lens, inside his car, interpreting the world within a space where he feels in control. (Before the driver arrived, he used to immerse himself in the text; when she first showed up, he recited it mechanically, much like his actors during rehearsals, until he felt he could trust her "objectivity.") His car is quite literally his comfort zone—a sanctuary where he attempts to interpret his marriage and settle his own guilt on his own terms, using a role and a script that he completely dominates.
👍
Btw, the excuse for bringing in a driver is just nonsense—really lazy writing. Especially when you consider how a fancy theater with enough budget to treat its lead actor like a superstar would still hire some controversial guy who... well, you know, does questionable things to minors. I mean, he isn't exactly seen as a risk to the production or the theater's reputation. 😵 And let's not forget that the driver is, of course, unrefined and "tomboyish"—we're supposed to immediately realize she won't clash with the main guy and that she's got some heavy life story to deal with.
Nothing’s perfect about it, but it’s just so goofy, intimate, and soulful... it hits right in the (crazy aching) head.
...
As for Arcade Fire—I used to be obsessed with them back in the day, specifically during that Inmusic era around 2011 (I was still in college then!), and I still think they’re a truly beautiful band. But I just don't listen to them anymore. It feels like something got lost between us forever, like I tucked them away in a safe full of precious college memories that you probably shouldn't go digging through. 😁 It’s hard to explain, but there was a time when I actually *felt* those songs. Now? They don't mean much to me personally. I can look at them objectively and say, "Yeah, these are high-quality, worthwhile pieces of art," but I honestly don't have the heart to listen to them anymore because they feel so detached from my own emotions. Does that make sense? I'm talking about their first two albums mostly. I wasn't quite as sentimental about The Suburbs, though they definitely have some great tracks. As for the newer stuff, I could barely get through it—they just stopped catching my interest. I did absolutely love Neon Bible, especially Antichrist Television blues—the way the madness builds in that track until it just hits a climax, wow.
I’m in one of those moods where I find the Violent Femmes just incredibly sexy—honestly, there's just something about them! 😁 I'm listening to their second one, Hallowed Ground—it's such an interesting, diverse record, even if it doesn't go too far out there. Loved it. It’s pretty uncharacteristic for them—they’ve got all this country, gospel, and blues influence mixed in, but everything is wrapped up in this dark, Southern Gothic vibe... and then there's that seemingly ironic touch of Christian poetry layered on top. never Tell It absolutely crushes it—just pure perfection! 😍 I honestly feel like just flailing around my room like a total teenager—it’s such a mood! It actually reminds me so much of that one song by my sister's favorite band. in Betweens.
And right after that—a super catchy banjo track! Jesus Walking on The Water... It’s honestly such a great one—really hits the spot! Home page..
Robert Palmer once called this album a total goldmine—he said it’s packed with all that dark, gritty stuff like old-school religious fervor, murder, and pure madness that's been hiding just beneath the surface of American blues and folk music since the 1800s.
Actually, feel free to move this over to Album Recommendations or whatever you think works best—I really don't mind either way!
Dennis Hall41 said:It’s more than just a good song—it's great. I can't tell if the frontman influenced the way Matt Berning sings, but that vocal tone and that slight, intentional drift from the beat really reminds me of him. It's my first time listening, even though someone suggested them to me a while back, so I definitely need to give them a deeper listen. (The verse melody actually feels a bit like "Is There Hope For Us?"😁)
I had a similar experience when I first discovered Low—their album *Hey What* is such a stellar example of how veterans can pull off a total reinvention.
Such a beautiful All Night track.
Hmm, I haven't listened to Low much, but personally, I don't see the connection to Arab Strap—to me, Low sounds almost spiritual or meditative. You could group Arab Strap under slowcore too, but they lean more into spoken word with these super spicy, funny, and ironic lyrics—often pretty vulgar and erotic—all about earthly pleasures and everyday struggles. 😁
For instance, Another Clockwork Day has such solid songwriting—it's this sad, romantic ballad about a guy searching for the perfect adult film. 😁 If you're looking for a starting point, try Philophobiu; we talked about that album here a while ago, and the storytelling is intense. Even this new one—their comeback after 16 years—is a pretty perfect entry point for new listeners.
Pixies - Where Is My Mind? ...such a killer, infectious cover of the Beach Boys—honestly, both the original and this version by Frank Black just stick with you right away, even if you're a little skeptical at first 🙂
+ Arab Strap from the new album, which is seriously, seriously good!
I've stained many books, their stories false and true I cry at rom-coms, dramedies The news and children's films The Muppet Movie, Frozen, Frozen 2
Such a gorgeous cover of one of those special Bowie tracks—Spotify actually served this up to me today. Just remember to believe in yourself Also, my current obsession from GBV; Local mix-up/Murder charge It's dark, but honestly so catchy it'll drive you crazy. I can't stop humming 'dress him dress him dress him dress him' in my head... and that whole album is just fantastic.
Somewhere in Robert Pollard’s basement he found a fly that was smashed against a wall. A few weeks later, he looked again to find a dead spider in the spot, but no fly. The spider was located in the same place the fly got smashed.
Dennis Hall41 said:Let’s take a moment to appreciate one of the most sublime short songs ever written. Seriously—one of the most sublime pieces of music in all of human history.
Awesome 👍 I'll definitely give that compilation a listen.
I really need to put together my own collection of those short, beautiful tracks too. Just thinking off the top of my head—some of my absolute favorites have to be These hands and Bathroom floor. I just love that vibe where things feel unfinished, yet somehow totally perfect at the same time.
Man, they were really leaning into that MGMT sound—it’s almost like they were obsessed with 😁
@ fass: What are your top GBV albums? My husband put on Forever Since Breakfast yesterday and I thought it sounded awesome—so much of that classic college rock vibe 😁 We mostly grew up on 90s stuff, specifically that whole Bee Thousand - alien Lanes - Under The Bushes run.
A bloody movie about female solidarity—though the blood was definitely earned. 😁 I’d say this is Wright's most ambitious project yet when it comes to the visuals and soundscapes, but it’s also his least funny. It feels like he really wanted people to take this one seriously, which is tough because things get pretty campy toward the end. To be honest, it felt like a collection of bits and pieces from movies I've already seen, and the dialogue? A bit flat for my taste. What really saves it is the sheer charisma of the cast—those veteran actors are such a nice touch. It seems like he was trying to walk this tightrope between that nostalgic 60s charm and modern feminist themes. The result is a bit of a mixed bag—pretty to look at, sure, but it didn't exactly blow me away.
I definitely caught vibes of Suspiria and Repulsion throughout—there's probably more where that came from—and it reminded me quite a bit of The Neon Demon, if I recall correctly.
Lana Del Rey is just so good when she leans into that vibe. I gave Angel Olsen - Aisles a listen, along with some 80s covers—honestly, they weren't really my thing, though I've always found her a bit dull personally. Forever Young by Salem was definitely the standout for me—that’s exactly how a track like that should feel, all heavy paranoia and end-of-the-world vibes 😁
