What Are They Making a Documentary About You For?

What are they making a documentary about you for?

Cuz I'm fascinating.  I write wonderful music.

What kind of music do you play?

Popular music.

What's your last name?

Merritt.

Merritt? Never heard of ya.

It's impossible to concentrate on anything today. Tonight is the screening of The Magnetic Fields documentary I mentioned here. We're driving right after work like bats out of hell and then will return home afterwards. 6 hours total just for an 80 minute screening and a Q/A with the director. That's how much I love this man/band.

I met Ferdinand de Saussure

On a night like this

On love he said

"I'm not so sure

I even know what it is

No understanding

No closure

It is a nemesis

You can't use a bulldozer

To study orchids"

He said...

So we don't know anything

You don't know anything

I don't know anything

about love

But we are nothing

You are nothing

I am nothing

Without love

Reno Dakota Gets His Revenge

Hello darlings!  I made it back from my wild woman camping expedition last night and promptly passed out.  It was a lot of fun and I will post some pictures and regale you with stories when things settle down a bit, but promise not to do in the boring Welcome To The Browns Screening Party Where We Will Snore You With The Family's Entire Summer Vacation Slide By Agonizing Slide kind of way.

In other news, this trifle makes coming back to work the grind so much more worthwhile.  This morning I woke up to this de-light-ful little diddy.  By way of explanation, The Magnetic Fields are one of my favorite bands and Stephin Merritt is the ultimate cuddly/prickly grumpy bear.  If you didn't know there's a fantastic documentary made about him/Mag Fields and which is currently being screened around the country [and I think globe too] called Strange Powers, so named after this amazing/adorable/heartbreaking song.  It's screening in a town about 3 hours from mine early next month, and yes I fully intend upon missing sleep and spending whatever I have to in order to get there and see it.

For those super fans of 69 Love Songs, you will well remember this one.

 Reno Dakota there's not an iota of kindness in you
You know you enthrall me and yet you don't call me
It's making me blue, Pantone 292
Reno Dakota I'm reaching my quota of tears for the year
Alas and alack you just don't call me back You have just disappeared
It makes me drink beer
I know you're a recluse, You know that's no excuse. Reno, that's just a ruse
Do not play fast and loose with my heart
Reno Dakota I'm no Nino Rota I don't know the score
Have I annoyed you or is there a boy who Well he's just a whore
I've had him before
It makes me drink more

Turns out, there's an actual Reno Dakota, someone upon which Stephin Merritt had a giganta crush and who, even after repeated persistent attempts [including sending the above song and crediting the poor man in all 3 discs of 69 Love Songs], remained an unrequited love of sorts.  In this clip from the documentary, we not only get to meet the real Reno Dakota, he sings a song/response in return. 

CUTEBUSTER!!!

Dear Stephin Merritt, please stop I can't bear it, Don't call anymore, 

My answering machine will continue to screen though it's tired and sore

But you're not gonna score

Dear Stephin Merritt 

You've dangled your carrot in the form of a song

That eponymous diddy is biting and witty

Your message is strong, but you've got me all wrong

From up in my tower, I watch with a powerful lust 

For brown gold and rust, Boys of color are just what I must

So dear Stephin Merrit

Just dump out that claret, try sleeping at night 

I'm wishing you well but that snowball in hell has the same sorry plight

And though try as we might, you're both hopelessly white.

And not to fret lovey doves, if you miss the screening, the DVD is due out some time next year.  Stay in the loop here.

Walmart Devil Breath

This will be screened at a locally owned coffee shop tomorrow night in a neighborhood near my own known for its independent businesses and eccentricities now threatened by the building of a friendly quaint Walmart Supercenter.  [Could this sentence be any longer?]

Human Heart

I love her music so much. Quirky, murky dreamlands.

Ultimately I feel like I'm an extremely lonely person, I don't really connect with anybody at all. Even my closest friends, I have a huge void between them and myself. Music and art, drawing is the way I mediate this. I'm definitely separate from everyone, and I think I always will be.... I like floating in a void, it's the most terrifying and beautiful thing.



Documentary by Emily Kai Bock

32 Years

It's been 32 years since Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives was first released featuring 26 gay and lesbian persons candidly talking about themselves and that particular time in American history. Quite luckily I caught it tonight on TCM and was fascinated with the clothes and stories. Not only the very personal nature of the film but also how unaffected everyone seemed by the camera. Life before MTV. It's a pretty awesome gem of a film.

This is a trailer for the re-release. You can order it here.