Bergman

I read that Ingmar Bergman passed today. And while I was not aware that he was alive, the news still saddened me. Bergman made some of my favorite movies: The Seventh Seal, Persona, Cries and Whispers, Fanny and Alexander. In the last few years several of these have been released or re-released on DVD. I hope that his death will at least renew interest in his work.


On a lighter note, I can't help but think of The Seventh Seal and Max Von Sydow playing chess with Death. Near the end of their match, Death accidentally knocks over the pieces. Von Sydow's character is furious. "You cheated," says the knight in a thick Swedish baritone.

Additional content: nytimes.com, allmovie.com

Tapes N' Tapes - The Loon

Great album. The Pixies/Pavement/Modest Mouse comparisons are deserved but a little shallow. (I love those bands, but am sick of the pigeon-holing). The lyrics are cryptic, weird, and passionate. The production is low-fi, but works well with the general aesthetic of the recording. Nice mixture of sounds--a twinkling keyboard here, a few chimes there--to balance out the garage tones. The best part of the album is the composition of the songs--great melodies and enough left-turns to keep things interesting.

I'm not sure why some reviewers say that this recording is rough around the edges; the band is incredibly tight. I think a lot of them have confused the musicianship of the band with production values. The songs could hardly be played better.