Guy Walks Across America

From the Brooklyn Bridge to the Golden Gate in 2 minutes!...the only way is to walk...

This is pretty amazing!

2770 still photos...

Here's the route they took

We Are All Workers

Braddock, Pennsylvania is a town that went kaput. The steel mills closed and all the people who made money from working in such places fled Braddock and it slowly began to resemble a derelict ghost town.

However, the people that stayed are seeing new opportunities in their town. Levi's are helping to fund a regeneration project and have made documentary about whats happened and what is going on and where it is going. It has started now at VBS.TV

Here is a great promo video for the series and project directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road)...beautifully shot, just try and get past the creepy child's voice over!

Go watch the full story now....then go and buy some jeans and feel even better about yourself!

www.vbs.tv/watch/we-are-all-workers--3/levis-we-are-all-workers-episode-1-seed-of-change

Rian Johnson's Tumblr.!

Rian Johnson is a film maker and photographer. He made the amazing Brick, a film noir inspired and homage, set in a contemporary American high school...cool as fuck and perfectly shot, filmed, and conceived.

He then made a movie about con men, called The Brothers Bloom that came out this year, but I missed it and apparently it wasn't that great.

I just came across what claims to be his tumblr blog....whether it's actually his or not I do not know for sure, but I sure do like the photos on here....

See lots more..... rcjohnso.tumblr.com/

Dear God 2.0 (The Roots & Monsters of Folk)

Awesome collaboration...Hip-Hop's finest The Roots have sampled a track from American 'indie' super group Monsters Of Folk....blends pretty damn well....

As good as this is...there is better stuff on the new Roots album How I Got Over and on the eponymous Monster of Folk records....go listen to them...

The Dirty South

Rich Hall is an American comedian whom I think has spent most his career doing stuff in the UK. He has a really funny joke about a place in America thats so flat you can see your dog running away for four days!....(it may be funnier when he says it!)....

He just made this really interesting documentary for the BBC called The Dirty South, chronicling what he sees (and makes great points to prove this) as Hollywoods incapability to accurately portray the southern United States as anything more than a grim stereotype of it's people and history.

Hall, along with his great sarcastic and cynical sense of humor, gives a great history lesson of the south and it's relationship with (and perception from) the rest of America whilst explaining how these perceptions came to be. By mostly focusing on Hollywood movies from all era's, the great southern writers and play writes and the rise of Rock n Roll. Showing how all these artistic projections have simultaneously painted a picture of entire region, people and history by actively reinforcing certain stereotypes (whether deliberately or not)...whilst also bringing new levels and ranges to their own respective mediums and pushing the boundaries in what can be done with film, writing and music.

That my sound a bit heavy, but luckily Rich Hall is much better at making his point than me, and also he is way funnier...his rant about how and why Hollywood biopics of musicians are so awful is absolutely hilarious, yet will also make you feel like a proper mug...but at least glad that your are not as cynical as this guy!...

If you have the slightest interest in either movies, literature, popular music or the human condition then check out Rich Hall's The Dirty South on BBC iplayer NOW!

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00t26zf/Rich_Halls_The_Dirty_South/

This is from something else...still pretty funny though...

INCEPTION

Aallllllllriiiiiiiite!...I just watched Inception...Christopher Nolan has once again proved that it is possible to make an action suspense thriller with ridiculous and spectacular special effects, yet still convey a story that will challenge the audience on several levels...both in merely trying to keep up with a complicated plot but also question aspects of everyday humanity and universal themes of love, dreams and the perception of reality and oneself.

What is also so satisfying about Inception is that it demonstrates film at its best, in terms of acting, directing, writing, special effects, photography, narrative flow and place....it is (hopefully) a trailblazer into a new style of big budget filmmaking while also clearly displaying and respecting ideas that came before it.

To say the film works on many levels is kind of a pun....(given the concept of the film) but it really does.....to explain it here would not do it justice...but Robert Beames wrote a great review...READ IT HERE

You can see INCEPTION at The Duke of York's and probably most other cinemas in the world from 16th July (thats today!).....and you really should...this ain't one for downloadin' on the sly....it's needs to BIG and LOUD!

Getlemen! You can't fight in here...this is the War Room!

Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb is without a doubt one the greatest films ever made!

Here's a few reasons why...Stanley Kubrick, Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickins, Vera Lynn, Terry Southern....and these are a few of many great moments...

'We'll meet again...'

Dr. Strangelove is playing at the Duke of York's on 24th and 25th July....

read more here at...DON'T PANIC!

Double Down

From the people who liberated food from plates and put it in buckets, comes another revolution in the ever progressing world of fast food.....KFC has surly this time surpassed itself....with...THE DOUBLE DOWN!

I heard of this on The Daily Show a few weeks ago and have been meaning to look into it....now I have and it really is true....I guess it could be a hit.....these are the guys who had the 'bucket' idea after all....

Probably the best thing about the Double Down though is the joke that it itself is.....this is great...

'IT'S A PUSSY SANDWICH!'

'MAYONNAISE, TARTATRE SAUCE...AND GRAVY?!!'

I really want one now!

If you aren't already stateside then the double Down is (hopefully?) coming to a KFC near you soon...

http://www.kfc.com/doubledown/ .... for more info

Henry Diltz - Photographer (in conversation)

Henry Diltz is one of the photographers who's work is featured in the new exhibition - The Doors: When You're Strange.

Here, Henry talks about his first meeting with The Doors in early 60s LA and tells anecdotes about his time working with the band and studies some of his work...he also has some good stories about how he started a 'love bead' trend and the alternative history to the 'Hard Rock Cafe' empire!

A cool guy with some cool stories...

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The Doors: When You're Strange is on at the Idea Generation Gallery in London RIGHT NOW!...so go have a look!

Who says you need to buy a guitar?

I know there's been a lot on Jack White up here recently...but it's his birthday today!

...and this is really cool....

clip from It Might Get Loud!

Happy 35th Jack!

Sons Of Cuba

Boxing is massive in Cuba and they are pretty good at it. They tend to dominate the amateur game by regular winning heavily at World Championships and the Olympic Games. Sons of Cuba is a new documentary following a group of nine-year-old boys in a Havana boxing academy as they train to compete for Cuba’s National Boxing Championship for under 12’s. The film offers a unique and rare insight into Cuba, the world of boxing and it’s importance to the country and the people.

There are several aspects to this film. As it take place in 2008 when Fidel Castro was taken ill and disappeared from public appearances and later resigned as president, we get an insight into how big a figure he remains in the eye of the Cuban people. The boys in the academy appear to be genuinely saddened by the news and their concern and admiration for the man are clear to see. In this respect the film offers a unique look into a country, a system of government and way of living that is rapidly disappearing and in the case of Cuba may soon be gone altogether. The film also does not shy away from displaying how underfunded and poor the country is. This can be seen by where the boys live (both in the academy and their family homes) and in the limited resources they have to train with (they literally use car tires for punch bags!). In this respect the film stands out as almost a historical document chronicling the end a significant chapter of Cuban and world history.

But what is more effecting and moving in Sons Of Cuba is the personal stories of the boys in the academy, their relationships with their coach, their parents and each other. The film honestly portrays the huge amounts of pressure and sacrifice these boys have to make; yet also it shows their determinedness to succeed and their willingness to achieve their goals displaying all the tears and laughter along the way. Through this honest approach the power of these emotions (and perhaps more significantly the intensity of the relationships) resonates through the screen. The coach’s love (and tough training) for his pupils, the concern and worry of the boys mothers and the former boxing champion father who attends his son’s championship fight, are all stories that take the film to another emotional level and therefore make it more a than just historical document of a country and time.

The fact that these events and emotions are so similar and relatable to stories from a more ‘westernized’ culture, yet they are from a country that is so often perceived as somewhat of an enigma in the sense of the world is perhaps what hits hard the most.

Sons Of Cuba is showing ONLY TWICE at the Duke of York’s

Tues 13^th July – 1:30pm

Thurs 15^th July – 6:15pm

To book tickets and for more info go HERE

http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Duke_Of_Yorks/

Why The Blues is awesome...(part 1)

Son House originally recorded this track in the 1930s (I don't think they had many movie cameras in the deep south back then)..this performace is from the 60s though....

Death Letter Blues

The Dead Weather recorded this about a year ago...

Will There Be Enough Water?

Damn!.......'nuff said!

PHOTO EXHIBITION - The Doors - When You're Strange

Not only is there a new documentary about The Doors coming up, there is also a new photo exhibition happening at the Idea Generation Gallery in Shorditch.

In it's own words -

The exhibition will offer an intimate account of The Doors from their rise to fame to their breakthrough on the music scene in 1965. The exhibition will reveal intimate portraits of Jim Morrison and how he became one of the most charismatic lead singers with The Doors becoming one of the most controversial rock bands to exist.

In conjunction with Morrison Hotel Gallery, Idea Generation Gallery will showcase the photography of Henry Diltz, Joel Brodsky, Bobby Klein and Ken Regan, who all documented the bands time together. Alongside their most celebrated works, When You're Strange brings together the lesser known archives and previously unseen contact sheets of photography taken over the decade the band were together.

Sounds pretty cool, im sure you'll agree! Here's just a taste of what to expect...

The Doors When You're Strange - is on at Idea Generation Gallery, 11 Chance Street, London, E2 7JB

It runs from 9th July -  27th August

For more info go here...www.facebook.com/IdeaGenerationGallery?v=info#!/IdeaGenerationGallery .... or here... www.ideageneration.co.uk/generationgallery.php

Go check it out...

BREAK ON THRU TO THE OTHERSIDE!!!

NOW IS THE TIME TO AGITATE!!!

I think I fIrst came across Derek from The Agitator some years ago at a lock-in in a Brighton pub. I remember there was lots of people and alcohol and a guitar. After some appalling renditions of some typical karaoke type songs, someone handed the guitar to Derek (I don't think I had even noticed him there yet)...after re-tuning the guitar in some strange way he started playing...he was really good...but then he started singing and then it was something else together. The bold, soulful, angry and passionate voice left most of the drunken reprobates (myself included) stunned and massively impressed.

Now though Derek has lost the guitar and is taking a minimalist approach in a huge way with The Agitator!

The Agitator are a remarkable band (act/duo...) utilizing Derek's remarkable voice with Robert's impeccable beats and a passion for music that needs no other instrumentation. The blend of old school Soul, Be-Bop and Rock mixed the 'beat' styles of Tom Waits and a nod to the annals of Hip-Hop gives The Agitator one of its many edges. Fusing old sounds and new, with songs that resonate with the contemporary world we live in is another.

The Agitator are bold in their music and in their message...both are things that so often are lacking in music and art today, so it's great to have it here so close at hand.

To celebrate the launch of their new single 'Get Ready'/'Lets Start Marching' they played a great set at Rounder Records in Brighton.

(Photo & Video by Toby King)

The Agitator have a lot to say and a lot to sing about, and they're doing it in a way that you should pay attention to...because it is happening RIGHT NOW!

Here is the awesome video for 'Get Ready'

Also have a look at the great video of the track 'Howling and Bawling' by Akin at GurnGurnGurn...HERE

NOW-IS-THE-TIME-TO-AGITATE! - www.myspace.com/theagitatormusic

Independence Day

A few minutes late...but I just realized what day it is (was)!!!....

Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. “Mankind.” That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom… Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: “We will not go quietly into the night!” We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

That's a fuckin' movie right there!

The Doors - 'When You're Strange' - told by Johnny Depp

When I was writing my last post (on Bruce Springsteen) I was listening to The Doors....I guess that's neither here nor there...but what is nearly here and is definitely there somewhere is this new documentary about the great band The Doors....When Your Strange

For me, a fond memory of The Doors is from working at a pub on Brighton seafront one summer a few years ago and their records seemed to be played on an almost daily basis....it was a good time!.....I probably first heard them (like many great bands from the same era) from the soundtrack to Forrest Gump!....(the soundtrack being probably the best bit about the film...apart from maybe the Vitenam bit?)...I also re-watched Wayne's World 2 the other day...in which Jim Morrison himself (played by this guy!), in the desert, tells Wayne to put on the mighty rock festival, 'Wayne Stock'!...but anyway I digress....

So....anyway....the new documentary When You're Strange is directed by Tom DiCillo who did some half decent indie films in 90s....and is narrated by the only man for the job..Johnny Depp!

This is a documentary about a great band and a fascinating time; musically, socially and politically.

All the above is reason to go see it.....here's the trailer if you still need a little more convincing.

When You're Strange will be arriving at the Duke's soon...will let you know when we know!

Why Bruce Springsteen is awesome...(part 3)

...by someone else who is pretty awesome!

'There's an epic vision at the heart of Bruce Springsteen's music. It's evident in the breadth of American experience he covers in his songs, in the rich and colorful landscape of his music, in the unadorned beauty of his words...And that epic vision is there in the amazing range of emotions in his songs - exhilaration, tragedy, desire, sorrow, hope, resignation, anger, betrayal, longing.

(on Born To Run) There was a time in 1975 when you could hear those songs blaring from car radios and apartment windows, and no matter how many times you listened to them, they never lost their edge; the moment in the title song when the band seems to push through to a new place, and Springsteen screams, "The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive",...it still has the same grandeur it had when first hit the airwaves (and the turntables) over thirty years ago.'

...Martin Scorsese

Vincent Gallo, Maribel Verdu,Francis Ford Coppola, lush Black+White photogrpahy, special sound effects and Alden Ehrenreich - Tetro!

Tetro is the new film from Francis Ford Coppola - It's great in many many many ways and Alden Ehrenreich is an actor who no doubt is heading for great things!....this was his first feature role after being discovered by Steven Spielberg from a video Ehrenreich and his friends made and put out on youtube!....true story apparently!

Read a review I wrote right here......at Don't Panic

Broken Bells

Is the new collaboration between James Mercer from The Shins and super star Producer/DJ Danger Mouse.

They played at Digital in Brighton last week and they personified a perfect summer sound!...i liked it....read more at Don't Panic....HERE!

Photo By Sam Hiscox

samhiscox.blogspot.com/