Switchblade Comb

Below are two videos of Kerry Riley for Voltage ‘08. The first is a hilarious video of her interviewing herself and the second is footage uploaded to YouTube of her runway set with Minneapolis band MC/VL playing live in the background.

Kerry Riley Voltage Interview

“Do you ghostride the whip?”

“I have no interests in ghosts, no, but the whips, yes yes, I like the whips.”

Red Shoe Clothing Co. (Kerry Riley) Voltage ‘08 with MC/VL

Red Shoe Clothing Co. was established in 2002 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Head designer Kerry Riley studied in London under Zandra Rhodes, worked as an assistant designer/patternmaker at a leading dancewear company, and moonlights as a professional photographer. the Red Shoe label has earned a reputable following by creating well-fit, professionally constructed ready-to-wear, custom clothing and leather harnesses for both men and women. Sold at Cliché on 24th and Lyndale in Minneapolis.

Rhymesayers has revealed that former Atmosphere touring DJ Mr. Dibbs has been added to the Sound Set ‘08 lineup. In addition to Dibbs, there will also be a Fifth Element second stage featuring the best in local Minneapolis hip hop. Doomtree, Muja Messiah, King Otto, Maria Isa, Kanser, DJ Stage One, Trama, Kill The Vultures, DJ Mike the 2600 King, M.anifest, Big Quarters, DJ J Love the Soundsmith, St. Paul Slim, Carnage, DJ Buck KAC, Illuminous 3 and The Usual Suspects will all be rockin’ the second stage.

All that plus a skate demo and custom car show are sure to make this a pretty fuckin’ sweet day. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot about the afterparty at First Ave. Take it away Rhymesayers press release:

“On Sunday, May 25, 2008, after the sound sets at the Metrodome parking lot, we will bring it back to the original Sound Set days with an official after party at First Ave. The party will feature DJ Z-Trip, Hip Hop Karaoke- YOUR chance to rhyme, Plain Ole’ Bill, DJ Nikoless and some VERY special surprise performances.

support independent hip hop.”

Live on Jay Leno 4.25.08

Thanks to /Film for posting the press release:

International Touring Exhibit to Debut in 2009
(Baltimore – April 25, 2008) Becker Group, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, today announced it will bring worldwide audiences “Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” a state-of-the-art exhibition highlighting artifacts from the Warner Bros. films based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series. The 10,000 square foot experience will premiere in Spring 2009 in a major market, and will appear in ten or more cities around the world throughout a five-year span.

“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” will include elaborate displays of authentic costumes, props and artifacts from popular environments featured in the films such as those from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the Gryffindor common room and Hagrid’s hut. During its run, the exhibit will also be updated to include artifacts from the final installments of the Harry Potter film series. The exhibition will be displayed in major cultural and entertainment venues, museums and institutions, and will be supported by a multimedia promotional effort and advance ticket sales worldwide. Tour information, updates and ticket availability will be posted at www.harrypotterexhibition.com as details become available, or for more information, call 866-231-8328.

All of us at Switchblade have heard this song a hundred times between us, but somehow Tegan and Sara still make “The Con” sound fresh and new live at Coachella 2008 this weekend. (Thanks to Idolator for posting.)

This is the saddest music news I’ve read all year. Her Bootleg of the Bootleg EP is one of my favorite all-time records.

HipHopDX is reporting, it looks like Jean Grae is bidding adieu to the record industry. In a new blog on her MySpace page, the Brooklyn emcee thanks all of her fans for their support and gives salutations to hip-hop, with a finalizing tone.

“Everyone who has been on this ride with me since the beginning and continues to be a supporter of music that makes you feel something true and vulnerable and honest by being just that.

peaces..”

Jean Grae joined Blacksmith Music, Talib Kweli’s label imprint under Warner Bros, in September 2005. She was set to formally release Jeanius, the heavily-bootlegged and delayed album produced entirely by 9th Wonder, later this year.

Jean Grae - “My Crew”

Talib Kweli + Jean Grae - “Black Girl Pain”

In addition to the first confirmed act, Built to Spill, the rest of the line-up for the ShamROCK Fest at Minneapolis-venue The Cabooze goes as follows:

Joshua Radin
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
A Night in the Box
Romantica

Get ready to drink some Finnegans and listen to some kick ass music on June 7. Tickets are $20 ($25 day of the show) and can be picked up at The Cabooze or Ticketmaster. The festival starts at 2pm and is 18+.

Built to Spill - “Goin’ Against Your Mind”

Hilariously awful.

Speed Racer opens May 9 and will hopefully be way better than this music video.

Opening this week in the Twin Cities, finally, is Wong Kar Wai’s English-language debut, My Blueberry Nights. What we have here is the most frustrating film of the year, a movie so flawed in so many areas that I hadn’t planned on writing something up for it as a Favorite New Film. And yet, I’ve just been unable to get it out of my head.

The biggest downfall of the film is the dialogue, which isn’t too surprising. The best parts of Wai’s past films have been the intricate, detailed language and observations, and with little command of this new language he’s working in, he’s had to resort to more obvious and glossed-over speeches and characterization.

Apart from the stellar New York cafe scenes between Norah Jones and Jude Law, the film lacks the necessary depth to its emotional core. While Jones’ adventures in Memphis with the always-amazing David Straithairn fit right into the feel of the film, Natalie Portman’s father-hating gambler storyline seems completely out-of-place.

Those aforementioned Law/Jones scenes, however, are classic Wong Kar Wai, with the couple talking throughout the night about the meaning of forgotten keys and blueberry pies. Straithairn’s storyline also never stops being engrossing, despite it speeding by a bit too fast (probably due to the 20 minutes cut from its original Cannes debut).

The highest reason for recommendation, with this being a Wong Kar Wai film, is that it’s more beautiful than anything you’ll likely to see for the rest of the year. While the absence of cinematographer Christopher Doyle is sadly noticeable, the film still utilizes strange camera angles, slow-mo, and neon lights to their fullest extent. Wai’s vision of America is uniquely his own, rich with melancholy and nostalgia, and a lot of the style feels like Fallen Angels‘ whimsical segments more than anything else.

My Blueberry Nights is certainly Wai’s fluff film, introducing audiences slowly to his unmistakable style, and that in itself makes it one of the weakest in his filmography. But the film is unforgettable regardless, and is one of the better American romances in recent memory.

My Blueberry Nights - Trailer

From Mamoru Oshii, director of the legendary Ghost in the Shell movies.

The story unfolds in another ‘possible’ modern age. The main characters are youngsters called “Kildren”, who are destined to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious that every day could be the last, because they fight a “war as entertainment” organized and operated by adults. But as they embrace the reality they are faced with, they live their day-to-day lives to the full.

Sky Crawlers will be released in Japan in 2008, with an American release expected soon afterwards.

Two films of note opened this weekend in Minneapolis, the first being Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to the wonderful Station Agent called The Visitor. By all accounts, this movie shouldn’t be half as good as it ends up being. The trailer plays up almost-wacky audience-friendly fare, and the deportation plot screams soapbox politics. But McCarthy being the confident director that he is, he manages to avoid all of the obvious pitfalls and makes one of the most nuanced films of the year. All of the performances are incredibly natural, especially Richard Jenkins in his subtle, award-worthy performance as bored, aimless Walter Vale.

A lot of exposition is left for the audience to decipher, usually with the scene cutting before what would be expected from a narrative film, or with the scene missing entirely. McCarthy doesn’t take his audience for idiots, and proves it also by avoiding (for the most part) heavy-handed preaching in regards to the post-9/11 treatment of immigrants.

The depiction of New York, however, it what sold the film for me. Rarely has the city been portrayed so dynamic and true, in both the beautiful urban settings and the intricate blending of multiculturalism which makes it so special. While the film certainly won’t be remembered first for this reason, dare I say it rivals the best of Woody Allen and Spike Lee in being a love letter to the city.

The Visitor - Trailer

Interview with Tom McCarthy and Richard Jenkins

Update 04.27.08: Solace reminded us that the Sharon Jones and Trampled By Turtles shows are free! Same goes for WAR (Aug. 27 & 28).

I was waiting for RichmanVA to post this, but he’s busy getting ready for his DJ gig with Apocalyptica tonight at the Fine Line.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings will be playing two shows this summer at the Minnesota State Fair. I should also mention Duluth’s Trampled By Turtles are playing two shows as well.

I couldn’t find any ticket info for these shows, but keep checking back on the Minnesota State Fair’s page. Hopefully soon they’ll have something.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
August 21 & 22
Minnesota State Fair
St. Paul, MN
Free

Trampled By Turtles
August 29 & 30
Minnesota State Fair
St. Paul, MN
Free

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - “100 Days, 100 Nights”