Several years back, I received an email out of the blue from a guy named Danny that read:

“Hello,I’m in Seattle for a conference, was at a bar and some woman came up and introduced herself…’Hi, Daniel, I’m….?’ I gave her a warm but confused look as I was pretty certain I’d never met her before.  She said…’Daniel I’m on your Facebook page I can’t believe you don’t remember me…you are Daniel House?’

So I checked you out today on your various online pages…Definitely a resemblance and looks like we both have August ’61 B-days…and of course have the same first name.”

A little more than a simple resemblance. I wrote back immediately:

“I looked at your pic, and the resemblance is really quite remarkable. Different mouth, but I swear our eyes and nose are almost exact. Do you remember who it was…The woman? If so, I’d love to drop her a note on FB…so strange – and awesome. What is your actual birthday? Wondering how many days apart we are.”

And he responded back (certain parts have been removed in the respect of privacy):

I can’t remember her name. Looked like she was in her late 20′s or early 30′s. No features that I can recall. The club is at Pine and Broadway and the band was Voyager 1…if you need/wanna do a brief life-role switch…I suppose we could trade some wardrobe…I make it to LA occasionally. Lived there from about ’88-91 and keep in touch with a couple of friends, x-fiancé and a couple of family members.”

So not only were we born in the same month in the same year, have (almost) the same first name, but he was seeing a band that I do in fact own at least one CD by, but he’s even lived in L.A. for a brief stint. It’s really the photo that got me. I felt that I was looking at a picture of me in some alternate universe…except that it was in Seattle, a city that I had lived in for over twenty years. Perhaps this is of interest to me and me alone, but the resemblance is more than a little striking. I do not think this sort of thing happens to everybody. Did I have a fraternal twin that nobody ever told me about?

Mark Alan is an L.A. based musician who is getting ready to release is second record by his band Alphanaut entitled, “Little Sun.” This post however, is not so much a review of the band or of the record, but rather a post regarding the concept of this album and the accompanying video.

It’s no secret that I am a little over the top when it comes to my love for dogs, so when I received an email from a publicist about this new record that was written as a remembrance and memoriam to Alan’s dog Dingo who died of doggy lymphoma, it was pretty much a done deal.

Each song on the album is a chapter in the story of Dingo’s life, with many of them told from Dingo’s perspective.  The lead single “Back to the Stars,” is an  animated video in which we join Dingo as he dons a space helmet and leaves Earth to explore space, visiting other doggy friends is space (also wearing their space helmets), ultimately transcending into another universe.

Clearly I never met Dingo, but the video conveys the deep love that Mark must have felt for his canine friend; there is a bittersweet sadness to the song, but I imagine that the process of writing the album was cathartic. I can think of no better way to say goodbye to someone you love. See you in the stars.

The “Back to the Stars” video was directed by Tonda Ros of Dogubomb Productions

I am the oldest of three grandsons on my mother’s side. Of the four of us, I was the one who was most interested in, and knowledgeable about art and art history at a fairly young age. By seven or eight, I was familiar with dozens of artists. Among my favorites were (and still are) Van Gogh, Klimt, Monet, Escher, Saul Steinberg, Rembrandt, Albrecht Durer, Renoir, and Henri Rousseau. I bring this up to provide context for the photo below and for the story about it.

I don’t know if I was eight or nine when this picture taken, but it was taken by my friend Chuck Gould, a contemporary of my father, and somebody I have known for the bulk of my life.

On this particular day, for reasons unknown, I decided that I was going to dress up as Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec. His art utterly fascinated me, as did the fact that his path as an artist started at about the same age that I was then. I started with grabbing an oversized jacket worn by one of the adults, something that would dwarf me, or at the very least come down to my knees. Next, I grabbed a fat black El Marko pen and proceeded to draw a beard, moustache and glasses. I was ready to present myself. The resultant conversation went something along the lines of this:

Ivory (my father’s girlfriend:)  “Oh my god, what did you do to yourself?”

Me: “I’m Toulouse-Lautrec! Whaddaya think?”

Ivory: “what did you use to draw on your face?”

Me (proudly): “I used this El Marko pen!”

“…But…isn’t that indelible?”

“‘Indelible’? What’s that?”

“It means that it won’t wash off your face!”

That was the day I learned what the word “indelible” meant.  I have never forgotten it, and indeed the mighty El Marko was just that. We spent a while trying to scrub what we could off, but for all intents and purposes, I got to be Toulouse-Lautrec for the better part of a week.

* * *

This image is included in a fantastic collection of photographs by Chuck from the Digger Archives. These photos are of particular excitement to me because they chronicle a world that my father was part of in the late sixties and into the early seventies….and by extension me.  I know or knew most of the people in these photos, so it’s really great seeing these photos all pulled together like this. From an historical perspective, this collection is perhaps one of the better visual records of activist hippy life in and around the scene that surrounded the Height back then….and of many of the Diggers.

We’ve lost another one of the greats. I am not referring to Dick Clark who died this last Wednesday, but rather the late Levon Helm, drummer and singer for The Band.

I have always hated that desert island question where you’re asked what 10 records you’d bring to your island, mostly because I would need at least 100, and probably more. This is my pat answer when asked to proceed with this asinine task, however I also invariably include the caveat that while I would never be able to effectively narrow it down to ten records, I do know that two of them would be the first two records by The Band. Those two records – Music from Big Pink and the self-titled The Band–are in my estimation among the finest and most timeless releases of the last 50 years. When they were released, I was just a small kid, but they lived on my mom’s turntable and became part of my consciousness at a molecular level. They still are. Unfortunately subsequent records by The Band were never up to the same caliber as those first two releases, though Stage Fright did still have some good moments.

Fast-forward to La Conner, WA. I am twelve years old, profoundly unhappy in life, flirting with inappropriate behavior involving shoplifting and general rebellion against the unfairness of the world. My father is at the peak of his (then) alcoholism and I am watching his relationship with girlfriend-partner Ivory spin vitriolically out of control. This was the backdrop to the official beginning of my record collection. One of the women in our semi-communal household – Marion— had the room next to mine and she had a record player and would play records, my only emotional solace during these chaotic times. And The Band was the record that got the majority of play, some sort of touchstone to a younger time (like four or five years previous) that I believed were happier days. Illusions are great things. At some point, she gave me her copy of the record. I was elated. Even though I had nothing to play it on, I kept the record with me until I finally did. I no longer have a working turntable, but I am still in posession of that particular piece of vinyl.

When my son was born at home on March 20, 1989, I had the first record picked out to play upon his entry into the world. He had heard loads of music in-utero (extra loud to ensure that the sound made it through all that tissue and amniotic fluid), but I considered that first record to be a critical decision. I chose Music from Big Pink.

I never got to see The Band live. By the time I was old enough to start seeing concerts on my own, they were well passed the days that I consider their prime, but more than any other band that began in the late ’60s, The Band was always the band that wished I could go back in time and see “back in the day.” In 1986, when I heard the tragic news of Richard Manuel‘s suicide in Florida after a gig, I was completely distraught. His voice, more than any other in the band, was the most bone-chilling and sorrowful. His plaintiff wails on “I Shall be Released,” “Tears of Rage,” “Lonesome Susie,” and “In a Station” can still give me shivers.

Several years ago, I picked up a copy of “This Wheel’s on Fire,” the Band autobiography written by Levon. A fantastic read, the book gives an unabashed account of many years on and off the road, and even for those who do not consider themselves fans, it’s an essential rock and roll autobiography. Levon Helm’s rural southern charm and easy manner permeate the pages. As much as it is a history of the band, it could –to varying degrees –be the history of any band who had spend over two decades on the road together.

A couple of years back Levon Helm announced a date at the Greek here in L.A. I jumped on those tickets as I knew this was likely the closest I’d ever come to seeing The Band and likely the last opportunity I’d ever have to see him for that matter. I had tried to contact his management to secure an interview for RocknRollDating, but his cancer had already been diagnosed, and he was doing very few interviews with sites that offered limited exposure. The show was great. Levon was incredibly vibrant and full of life. Knowing that he was battling cancer and could still put so much out made me think that it was perhaps the music that kept him going for as long as he did.

Thanks for leaving me with such meaningful musical memories. The lives you and The Band touched are innumerable.  You are missed, but the music will be here forever.

By now, most of you know that I am one of those awful Radiohead fanatics, one of those snotty indie pricks who believe wholeheartedly, that they are perhaps the most innovative band in the world today. While I was sadly not able to get any tickets to either weekend of Coachella this year (or Santa Barbara or San Francisco or Seattle), I was rather delighted to discover that much of this years Coachella was being streamed live, but more importantly that the entirety of the Radionhead set is (now) available as an on-demand video on YouTube. Here it is.

The entire setlist is also included. Enjoy.

With the 2012 Academy Awards airing tomorrow, I’ve decided to compile a top ten list of my favorite movies of 2011, not necessarily who I think should win (HUGO), just the movies that I felt were the best in show and why. Before proceeding however, a few comments that I feel I need to state, since this is my soapbox and mine alone:

The Descendants was…ok. It was a *good* piece of movie-making but not worthy of being considered for the top honor of the year. Clooney did not deliver the performance of his career, and Payne did not come anywhere close to the work he did in say Sideways.
Ides of March was a much better film as well as a superior vehicle for Clooney.

Midnight in Paris was sweet and charming, but was not even close to Woody Allen’s best work, and as much as I love seeing him up for an Oscar or two, I do not feel that this film is deserving. Vicky Cristina Barcelona was a much better pieces of recent work, a film that was essentially overlooked by the Academy. I liked it; don’t get me wrong, but it is not on my top ten for the year.

Extremely Loud… Nominated for best picture? It should not be on any list for any award in any category. It’s amazing what tens of millions of dollars in billboard advertising will get you in Hollywood. It was a polished turd and nothing more. And that kid…I wanted to punch him in his celluloid face. I hated this movie…and the horse it rode in on.

Ok, so now on to the movies that I want all to see. Leave comments below if you disagree…or for that matter if you feel similarly.

#1 – Hugo

I feel that this is the film that was by far and away the best picture of 2011. Due to some of the most misguided marketing missteps in advance of the film’s release, I barely had any interest in seeing it, and I expect that due to that particular fumble, it will end up not winning the top prize at the Oscars this year…when I finally succumbed to see it, within the first few minutes I was completely engrossed. It was pure magic – on every level. Hugo is charming, whimsical, engaging, is perfectly cast and is, without question one of the most inspired films I’ve seen in a long time. The art direction and visual style is otherworldly and the world it portrays is a delight. It is not often that I will describe any movie as “perfect,” but this one nails it. Scorsese has managed to create another film for the ages, one that again will cement hims as one of the great cinematic geniuses of our time. He was clearly inspired making this film and his inspiration permeates every frame.

#2 – The Help

The best ensemble cast of the year is also one of the most heartbreaking and empowering films I’ve seen in a good while. There is an authenticity to The Help that makes the viewer feel like they’re watching a microcosm of history unfold, and it’s not a pretty history to watch. It’s easy to forget the level of prejudice and racism that was so deeply steeped in our culture only a half century ago, but The Help set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s helps to remind us that while we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

#3 – The Artist

The film that has completely won over the hearts and minds of the world this year is another delightful and charming piece of work so completely out of left field that it stands alone in its particular vision. While it is a black and white (almost) silent film, it does not really try to be a film anachronistically out of time. The cinematography and editing are basically modern and beautiful to watch, the characters completely engaging, and the film comes front-loaded with the cutest dog of this year’s batch of films. The music is perfectly set to the film (I expect The Artist will also win for best Original Score), but in the end, I felt that the story was still a little two-dimensional and simplistic. I will watch it again several times I am sure, but I imagine that it’s a film whose story will not hold up over time, thus not making it a timeless classic the way that I believe Hugo will be. I still think it’s one of the best movies of the year: It’s precious.

#4 – The Adventures of Tintin

The single biggest snub of the year continues to get me rankled when I think about it. I was the first person ready to hate this movie. I grew up with the books, and still have all my hardbound copies from when I was a tadpole, so when I first saw that an animated feature was being made, I was hopping mad. I KNEW they would make a travesty of one of my favorite touchstones from my youth. I am very pleased to report that I was wrong. The Adventures of Tintin was executed on every level by people who – it seems – had the same childhood love for the books and really really really wanted to “get it right.” And they did. Between Peter Jackson and Stephen Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin was as true to the books as a mainstream blockbuster animated feature length film could be. I did not feel that their treatment of Tintin (the main character) was how I ever would have imagined him, but remarkably it was perfect for the film. Their treatment of Captain Haddock and Snowy were pitch-perfect, their inside references to other episodes and books were spot-on. The animation and art direction were nothing short of inspired. Thus me being rankled: I would not have only nominated it for best animated feature; I would have nominated it for best film as well.

#5 – Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I watched all three of the original Danish films and consider them just short of brilliant, so when I heard there was going to be a U.S. version (especially so on the heels of the success of the original trilogy), I was dubious. I have not read any of the books, but everybody who I know who have, said that the original moves were great adaptations…so like I said…I was dubious. When I heard that Fincher was going to direct, I began to adopt a different suspicion about the treatment he would deliver. I have loved many of Fincher’s movies (Zodiac, Se7en, The Game, Fight Club, The Social Network), and so I felt like he would undoubtedly be the best American director to pull it off. And pull it off he did.

We’ve come to expect Fincher’s movies to look GOOD. And his version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo does, however there is a richness to the cinematogrpahy that almost feels more of a European treatment thatn your standard American fare. This is a good thing, considering that they wisely kept the film in Denmark as opposed to re-casting in in Pittsburgh or some other American city. The choice to use Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the score was a good call as well. The music is heavy and powerful giving the movie an unnerving and slightly more industrial feel.

Last, Rooney Mara was a fantastic choice to play the Lisbeth character, and what ultimately made it work was the choice to not try to replicate the character as originally delivered by Noomi Rapace, but instead interpret the character as seemed fitting for a new director, a different actress and a different audience.

Whether you’ve seen the original or not, this is a great film full of good tension and release, one that leaves me in eager anticipation for the next two films in the series.

#6 – Rampart

In Rampart, Woody Harrelson pulls off one of the best performances on his career. Co-written by L.A. native son James Elroy, Rampart is – above all else – a dark and complex character study. The film follows a deeply flawed and troubled cop, Dave Brown whose life and career is not-so-gradually unraveling over the course of the film. It’s not until after the midpoint of the film however that we even start to think that Brown may not get through unscathed. There is a certain moral ambiguity to the film as we watch him engage in reprehensible behavior, and yet somehow accept it; His character is at once sordid and strangely charming, so within the context of the character, his actions somehow seem “normal.” I found this fascinating because what I experienced was not so much a moral ambiguity with the character as much as a moral ambiguity in myself. This film will not likely appeal to a mainstream audience, as it is a gritty and unsettling portrayal that only Elroy could fully pull off.

#7 – Hanna

This is one of those films that sadly got lost in the shuffle having been released early in the year, and that’s unfortunate, because I found it to one of the more compelling movies of the year, one that has already been largely forgotten. Saoirse Ronan plays a deadly 16 year old assassin, already a departure for your typical run-of-the-mill central character in a revenge thriller. The film opens in the Arctic where we learn that Hanna has spent her life being trained by her father as a human weapon: Essentially a Femme Nikita sort of character. As the movie kicks into high-gear, Hanna sets out to avenge her father against a CIA operative played by Cate Blanchett. You can figure what happens over the course of the film.

Having been raised in relative isolation from the world, Hanna is not normally socialized as you would expect with your typical teenager; as such her character is played with an interesting disassociation that gives an air of mystery, similar in some regards to Lisbeth Salander in either of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo films. This particular character choice makes for an interesting juxtopotion against the backdrop of a razor-sharp action thriller. I thought it was great.

Saoirse Ronan’s performance is solid and commanding, the film is immediately satisfying for revenge/action/thriller fans, but it stands out from many other films of this ilk, just as the Bourne movies have also done. This may not be as strong as the best film in that trilogy, but I have no problem recommending it wholeheartedly.

#8 – Moneyball
Brad Pitt is really good but he doesn’t deserve the win for best actor. Jonah Hill is really good but he doesn’t deserve the win for best supporting actor. I don’t really have any interest into the inner workings of baseball, but it doesn’t really matter. The individual pieces of the film are not what make it great, as the whole seems to add up to more than the sum of its parts. Moneyball is a good story, well told, nicely directed, and well-acted, but again, not because of the individual performances, but because of all the characters collectively. Like the team the film portrays, Moneyball is a small film, but one that explores themes of motivation and determination, and it leaves you feeling that with enough drive and perseverance, any of us could pull off the seemingly impossible. Moneyballdeserves to be nominated for its wonderfully adapted screenplay, and ended up one as of the more pleasant surprises of the year.

#9 – The Tree of Life
A visual masterpiece of cinematography and editing: Exactly what one would expect from Terrence Malick. The Tree of Life however is one of those films that feels almost self-congratulatory, as if it’s winking at you, fully aware of how breathtakingly beautiful it’s stream of consciousness flow and movement is. The story attempts to explore existential themes and is an introspection, seemingly questioning our whole reason for why we are on this earth…and it is interesting, but not compelling enough to stick with you over time or really make you think all too hard about any of these themes. Stylistically it is among the standout films of the year, but substantively, it sadly falls short. I’d still recommend seeing it, just don’t plan on getting an answer to the question “why am I here?”

#10 – Win Win

Tom McCarthy directs his third film, Win Win, and like his first two, The Station Agent and The Visitor, he delivers yet another thoughtful, interesting and entertaining film.

I hardly ever tire of Paul Giamatti whose performance in the under-appreciated Barney’s Version made my top ten list last year as well. In Win Win, Giamatti plays a struggling New Jersey lawyer (Mike) who coaches the high school wrestling team in his spare time, a task that he finds disheartening, considering that his players are generally pathetic.

In an ethically questionable move, but motivated by the monthly stipend that the job ultimately pays, Mike decides to take on the roll as a legal guardian for a teen who – as it turns out – was once a wrestler of formidable talent. While this synopsis sounds trite and predictable on the surface, the film is not: it is earnest, heartfelt and a deeply human portrayal of people doing what they have to do to get by in life, sometimes making decisions that are less than perfect. Giamatti’s character is flawed, and imperfect to say the least, but we feel for him and we root for him, as we do for the other characters as well.

This was another film that I thought for sure would register with the Academy voters, but by the time awards season rolled around, it seems that this little gem had all but disappeared from the collective conscience. Unfortunate since this is a sweet film, one that deserves to be seen if you missed it the first time around.

File under the discovery of cool and interesting cinematic obsucrities well worth passing along to others for their discovery and delight.

Marika Rökk was an Egypt-born Austrian-German singer, dancer and actress of Hungarian descent who became famous in German films most notably in Nazi Germany during World War II. She first gained prominance in Paris in the 1920s starring as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge with the “Hoffmann Girls.” In 1934 she moved to Germany where she became one of the most famous movie stars in Germany working for Universum Film AG (UFA). Her film career spanned from 1930 through to 1962, however she appeared in two subsequent films, one  in 1973 (Der letzte Walzer) and her final appearance in 1988 (Schloß Königswald ). Marika Rökk died in 2004 at the age of 90.

This clip is from the 1958 German musical film, Buhne Frei Fur Marika. In “Mir ist so langweilig,” Marika is an alien girl who steals a spaceship and heads for earth where she dances with snakes, elephants and African natives. Just another boring day in the life of a German alien girl. The sets and art direction are fantastic.

The Golden Gate Bridge was built between the years of 1933 and 1937 and is considered one of the modern Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Before its construction, there was a ferry service that began as early as 1820. Within a hundred years, the “Golden Gate Ferry Company” had become the largest in the world. Costing more than $35 million, it has become one of the most recognizable symbols of a city in the world. According to Wikipedia, “more people die by suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge than at any other site in the world,” with jumpers hitting the water at 75 miles per hour after a 4 second drop.

This picture was taken from my new favorite photo blog, the Retronaut. Originally this post was going to be about how amazing a destination it is, but perhaps you should just go there now and discover for yourself!

See all the Golden Gate photos at Retronaut

Hello 2012. Your predecessor was not particular easy, so I hope that you are a bit friendlier in the changes and challenges that you present.

I have been thinking about the whole notion of New Year’s resolutions, and what they represent.  The New Year is a symbol of new beginnings; a fresh start with a clean slate. With that in mind it has always baffled me that the time-honored tradition the night before is to “Party like it’s 1999,” eat with gluttonous abandon and see how you trashed you can get on an assortment of various alcoholic beverages. Followed the next morning by…crawling out of bed and stumbling to the medicine cabinet to down 3 Ibuprofen in hopes that the pain will soon subside.

Don’t get me wrong: I love good food, and I enjoy drinking, however I’ve thought for years that the best way to start a new year with a fresh slate is to wake up on January 1st well-slept and refreshed, ready for a year full of new possibilities clear-headed and full of hope. Instead the majority of us start the New Year feeling about as shitty as we’ll feel all year. Honestly, this is not how I want to welcome a new chapter; I do not want to be spending the day nursing a hangover, eating greasy food and feeling like crap. Instead I prefer a quiet morning before anybody else is mulling about, taking in a crisp clear morning (if you live in SoCal anyway), drinking some tea, and spitting out some small creative nugget (like this blog post).

Now, about the resolutions themselves:  Mr. Opinionated Soap-box Guy has also always thought that the tradition of the New Year’s resolution is kind of ridiculous. Resolutions in general are a great thing, but the arbitrary marking of a New Year with the symbolic gesture of “How I am going to be better this year” is invariably doomed to failure. Goals and resolutions should be a constant part of the fabric of our day to day lives. We should always be looking to become better versions of ourselves, take stock in our shortcomings and discover better ways to live more principled lives. I don’t presume to suggest that I know what principles might work for you, but all of us have some internal compass that we live by, a picture of how we would like to engage with the world as we gain more perspective, balance and peace within ourselves.

I have some resolutions –they are the same ones I’ve been working on continuously, and will continue into 2012 (and further) until I feel that I have accomplished them sufficiently, or until they get pushed aside by something bigger. These are some of the ways that I hope to become a better version of myself:

• Leave the past behind and look towards the future
• Be a better listener
• Be less judgmental/be more accepting
• Avoid tension and stress whenever possible
• Avoid anger
• Be meditative
• Disengage when baited
• Stay focused and disciplined
• Smile
• Laugh
• Love

Wow…cool obscure little find: In 1970 Henry Chapier directed “Sex Power,”  a film with Jane Birkin and enlisted the talents of Vangelis to write the score (this was his very first film score after leaving Greece). It played the San Sebastian Film Festival where it won the Silver Shell Award and quickly slipped away into obscurity. The soundtrack however was the only one of Chapier’s films to ever get its score released.

Most of the dialogue is in English, and the feel of the film has a charmingly naive impressionistic, psychedelic bent.