Switchblade Comb

“I’ll still be here when you’re gone.”

I’ve noticed recently that very few filmmakers understand what experimental film is. Works usually tend to consist of (albeit great) found footage, or else they’re not actually experimental in the least. If you happen to shoot your film in 8mm or animate it, guess what? That’s not experimental by default. That’s just a different looking short film.

So hooray for Dan Schneidkraut, one of best experimental filmmakers we currently have in the Twin Cities. His new work (which I’m actually unsure of the title of) is online now and is awesome. And actually experimental.

Check it out over HERE.

So I suppose I’ll bring these Sunday specials back whenever I come across something new and exciting and whatnot.

Hatsune Miku is not actually a person, but a singing synthesizer application software that enables users to synthesize singing by typing in lyrics and melody. She was created as part of Vocaloid 2 with a name meaning ‘first sound future,’ and her voice actually samples voice actress Saki Fujita.

What makes Miku special is that she’s a virtual idol who performs ‘live’ concerts. Watch that video – it’s kind of insane. To add to that, her fanbase created a petition to get her name put on the Japanese Venus spacecraft explorer Akatsuki which will be launched in summer 2010. A petition, I might add, that greatly exceeded the 10,000 signatures needed to go through successfully. Oh, Japan . . .

Shinya Tsukamoto’s third and final Tetsuo film hits Japan this summer.

In case you missed it, this probably wouldn’t have fit very well into the actual film, but is pretty neat on its own.

“Terrible Love” sounds great! I’m so excited for the new record!

From High Violet, due out May 11 via 4AD.

From Composite Vol. 1.

Small Brown Bike is back and I’m fucking stoked. This band is one of many underrated late nineties / early two thousands emo bands that never really seemed to get their due aside from a small group of dedicated followers. Let’s hope for a Minneapolis show at some point.

Easter Egg: If you’re Facebook friends with me you can see a few pictures I took in 2001 of a rad shirtless boys party in Philadelphia during the Small Brown Bike and Cadillac Blindside tour. If not, you’re shit out of luck, son!

There are a number of reasons that I’m posting this video. Let me count the ways…

1. The Dakota Fanning version of this song was released as a video today to promote The Runaways movie.

2. Said video and song is so fucking bad that I couldn’t bring myself to post it. Fanning doesn’t even sound like Cherie Curry.

3. Lita Ford didn’t give the filmmakers permission to use her name or likeness in the movie so her side of the story is completely absent. As much as I love Joan Jett if Lita Ford won’t support it, neither will I.

4. The movie looks to be worse than The Germs biopic We Live In Secret which is tough since that was one of the worst movies I ever saw.

Notice the Ivan Drago portrait in Dolph’s own living room.

Bring It Back is a new feature here on Switchblade Comb where we remind you of awesome music you forgot about.

You forgot how awesome Aaliyah was, didn’t you? Yeah, you’re welcome.

By Britanick.

Newest single from last year’s awesome Poetry of the Deed album.

Goddamn Frank Turner is good. I’m kinda pissed at myself for just finding out about him last year.

Here’s a video of our friends Motion City Soundtrack performing their hit song “Everything is Alright” live in Osaka Japan with members of Oreska Band and Riddim Saunter. I’ve never heard of either of those bands either but maybe our resident J-Pop expert, The Joe, will fill us in.