art is the new religion

The I Love You

My friends' new band is called The I Love You.  As much as I love more than half of this band very dearly, I can't decide how much I love the name.  Or if I kind of hate it.  Or if I love-hate it.

The I Love You is Duncan Sheik, Matt Johnson, Morgan Taylor, Fil Krohnengold & David Poe.  I spent many a night running around NYC with Morgan, Fil and Poe.  Check out the photos of them recording their album.  I haven't heard any songs yet but I like the music they make individually so I'm banking on also liking the sounds they make collectively.

Their debut performance is tonight in NYC at the South St. Seaport.

2 Days In Paris

I saw "2 Days In Paris" this weekend and it wasn't at all what I expected.

It's written, directed and edited by the multi-talented Julie Delpy who you probably know best from "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset". Her film bears some similarities to the Linklater ones, in that it's conversation-heavy and focuses on a couple, but I was surprised at how funny and bawdy the film is.  The scenes are lively, well-acted, unexpected and kept me intrigued to see what would happen next.  She showed no fear in tackling some touchy subjects, and I was impressed at how she captured the often radically different points of view of both her own character and Adam Goldberg's.  The casting of her real parents as her character's parents in the film added an extra layer of interest.  I kept wondering how many scenes might have held snippets from her real life. 

I told one of my friends about the film and he scoffed with disinterest over seeing a "chick flick".  As much as that term rankles me on many levels, I assure you this is no "chick flick".  The film's not perfect by any means but, just as in life and relationships, even the flaws are worthwhile.

If you need a soundtrack for your day...

Tune into KCRW (I'm listening online) as they celebrate 30 years of Morning Becomes Eclectic all day today.

Hosts: Chris Douridas, Nic Harcourt, Tom Schnabel

All three Morning Becomes Eclectic hosts from the last three decades will produce three-hour specials of live performances and choice master recordings that define their musical journey. The hosts will feature the artists whose lives they changed and the artists whose music changed them including; David Bowie, Little Richard, Willie Nelson, Dido, Burt Bacharach, Fela Kuti, Gillian Welch, and the Flaming Lips.

Those of you not already familiar with KCRW can read more about the station here. Morning Becomes Eclectic, curated by Nic Harcourt, is one of the few remaining radio programs that discovers and supports great music. Check out MBE's archives for streaming audio and video of live performances by some amazing bands.  Just in the last six weeks they've hosted several artists I love including Bat For Lashes, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (aka The Swell Season), Spoon, Crowded House and more.