Friday Night Lights "After the Fall": Swing Your Sword

If the season premiere of Friday Night Lights was about orienting us to the new digs, then last night's "After the Fall" set fire to all the furniture to start things from scratch.

The theme of starting over was kind of thrown at us from every angle, with the best coming last in the form of the Lions coming back together. Ceremoniously burning their game film and old jerseys to a battle cry of "Let's finish this!" induced a few goosebumps here and there. Elsewhere there were students starting over at a new school (Julie, Luke*, etc.); Matt's portfolio (and approach to art); and Tim changing addresses. Heck, even the Dillon Panthers were going to have to start over thanks to their first game retroactive forfeit.

*One of the casualties of a shortened 13 episode season is we're missing all the back-and-forth that likely went on with Luke and his parents in getting him transferred to East Dillon. Same goes for Julie, as I can't imagine she had the last word on the transfer in last week's episode.

Coach was spurred into action through two unexpected sources. First, oddly enough, featured a cameo from then Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach (since fired and currently locked in a legal battle with the school), who played the random guy at the gas station telling Eric to find his "inner pirate," an approach that Leach had preached to his kids many times before. His kitchen sink approach to the philosophy of coaching is likely at odds with Coach Taylor's no-nonsense approach, but all the talk of swinging his sword seemed to sink in.

The second surprise visit for Coach was Tim Riggins, which put a smile on both faces (note the swelling of Explosions in the Sky's "Inside It All Feels The Same," making for a nice callback to the first couple seasons when the Texas instrumental band was relied upon a lot). Upon hearing that Tim had dropped out of school, Coach barely batted an eyelash. There's lots of work to be done and it's not exactly an unexpected outcome for #33. Let's just hope the coaching gig works out better with Tim than it did with Jason.

If there was a complaint to the episode it's that it wavered a bit from the weight of all the heavy lifting it had to do juggling multiple storylines and introducing more characters into the mix. Like last year with Smash and Jason, in order to get a proper send off we're going to have to just tag along with Matt's journey, even though it feels like another series. Meanwhile, we get brief introductions to Jess Merriwether (M-E-R-R-I-W-E-T-H-E-R, played by the dimply Jurnee Smollett) and daddy Vernon (The Practice's Steve Harris), who both figure to play in racial tension in the series, as "Red" Landry appears to have a weakness for dimples.

Speaking of race relations, there's always a danger when Hollywood tries to tackle the issue by depicting a white knight, like the Taylors, coming in and "fixing" things. The scene with Vince and the $20 bill he throws back at Coach was a great way of telling us that there won't be that kind of story on FNL. If East Dillon and the poorer neighborhoods are going to come out for the better this season, it's going to involve work from all sides, not just Coach Taylor (and Buddy Garrity).

Everybody duck -- here come the bullet points:

• The title, "After the Fall," is probably a reference to the deeply personal Arthur Miller play, which in turn references the biblical story of Adam and Eve's exit from Eden -- both of which have a theme of starting over. Would that make another Dillon as Eden metaphor? And Elia Kazan directed the play, as well as last week's reference in film adaptation form, East of Eden.
• Love that Tami was worried that her actions involving Luke might look like a "Mrs. Coach move." Mrs. Coach struck again this week, though, getting one over on the villainous Joe McCoy.
• The Riggins Brothers get the laughs this week, especially Tim taunting his brother after his complaints about his wife's pregnancy: "Would you pass me that violin please? You're HOGGING it!"
• For reasons both comedic and foreshadow-y, you gotta love the last line of the episode, from Coach: "I just gotta find out a way to get us new uniforms."

Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.02 ("After The Fall")
1. "Freeze Frame" - Northern League [download]: East Dillon High, Vince greeted by white flag on locker
2. "Radio Milk How Can You Stand It" - White Denim [download]: Tim in tow truck
3. "Horizons" - An Horse [download]: Matt drives with Julie
4. "Everybody Plays The Fool" - The Main Ingredient [download]: Landry visits Jess while she's at work
5. "Inside It All Feels The Same" - Explosions In The Sky: Coach Taylor lays out the plan for the team, then looks over the field; Tim stops by to talk with him
6. "Walkin' Blue" - Sonic Youth [download]: Cheryl offers trailer for rent to Tim
7. "What You Hide" - AM [download]: Tim moves in, Eric & Tami talk

Previously: East of Dillon (Episode 4.01)

CHBP: Main Stage Parkin'

The Capitol Hill Block Party starts Friday, and this year's lineup is obviously a reaction to last year's frat-friendly line-up. The last couple years for CHBP have been trying. Not only has the fest been overcrowded and congested, but the audience themselves were problematic. I even swore I wouldn't come back, but three things have changed this year that has me thinking that it will work.

1) The main entrance and main stage are no longer right next together (FINALLY).
2) They've beefed up the perimeter to keep folks from sneaking in, thus reducing the overcrowding factor.
3) The acts booked are not the kind that will attract that crowd. You know, the ones that came for just Vampire Weekend and/or Girl Talk (The Gossip probably come the closest of this year's lineup).

Related to #3, this year's lineup has some serious plums that I'm excited for. Also, for the first time in any festival going experience, I find myself parked at the main stage on my sked breakdown. There are a couple of notable exceptions, of course, namely THE BAND I MOST WANT TO SEE: The Future of the Left (playing at Neumo's, Saturday @9PM).

Then of course, there's the chance to see legends Sonic Youth and The Jesus Lizard, along with Built to Spill, Black Lips, Deerhunter, Micachu & the Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

Playlist: Capitol Hill Block Party 2009

Photos to come in the next week... hopefully I'll get a few like this one of Tim Harrington (Les Savy Fav) from last year's festival:

Ear on TV: Week of 06.22.09 - The BPA with Iggy Pop

It's an embarrassment of riches this week as far as musical guests on the talkies, with Sonic Youth, Phoenix, Dinosaur Jr., Grizzly Bear, Wilco, Regina Spektor, St. Vincent and Brighton Port Authority & Iggy Pop appearing -- just to name a few.

The B.P.A., which is Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) working with musicians like David Byrne and Dizee Rascal, is making a big push this week, hitting both Letterman (Monday) and Fallon (Tuesday) to perform the song "He's Frank" with Iggy Pop. It's a cover song (of The Monochrome Set) that some may remembered first premiered in a Heroes episode back in November of 2007, and later appeared on the Heroes Original Soundtrack.

Nineties slacker sludge purveyors Dinosaur Jr. remain together, three years now since the original lineup of J. Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph gave us alt-warm fuzzies with their reunion. When they play Fallon on Thursday night, they'll be promoting the newly released Farm, which marks the second great album in a row since their reunion, proving the reunion isn't a fluke. Where's your Pixies now?

Meanwhile, Wilco has their seventh proper full length (self-titled - Wilco) coming out next week, but have a bigger challeng in trying to tame the new Tonight Show stage with their sound problems. Conan is still enjoying a honeymoon period, but rest assured, if the sound isn't fixed, don't be surprised if bands start to hit Letterman and Fallon instead first to guarantee a certain quality of sound.

And finally, The Roots may be the house band for Fallon, but don't be confused by their inclusion in the calendar here on Thursday night, as they're scheduled to be the musical guest as well. They have a new album, How I Got Over, and are responsible for booking the musical guests, so why wouldn't they book themselves?

More: I've recently profiled Sonic Youth (Monday on Fallon,) Phoenix (Friday on Kimmel) and Grizzly Bear (Friday on Fallon) but we also need to give some love to the doe-eyed indie queens St. Vincent and Regina Spektor, who appear on Letterman Wednesday and Friday, respectively. Just about any other week, I'd have them in the lede (just to get them purty eyes in the photo).

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, June 22
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Iggy Pop & The Brighton Port Authority
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Juan Maclean
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Pete Yorn
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Sonic Youth, The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Black Kids (REPEAT)
Tuesday, June 23
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: MSTRKRFT w/ John Legend
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Presets
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Elvis Costello
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Iggy Pop & The Brighton Port Authority, The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Crocodiles
Wednesday, June 24
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: St. Vincent
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Bettye LaVette
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Duane Peters Gunfight
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Wilco
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ida Maria
Thursday, June 25
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Dinosaur Jr., The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Bat for Lashes
Friday, June 26
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Phoenix
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Regina Spektor
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Chairlift
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Adele
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Grizzly Bear, The Roots
SUNDANCE: The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico (2005): Kris Kristofferson, Levon Helm, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Hawkins
Saturday, June 27
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Kings of Leon (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Crowded House (REPEAT)

Now Downloading: New Releases 06.09.09

What a great year for music this has been... and even with all that's come prior, the latest from Dirty Projectors might just be the best of the year. Meanwhile, Sonic Youth's The Eternal is also a welcome return to rock and roll for the legendary band. Other new releases of note are an EP from Deerhunter, and the latest from Rhett Miller, Kasbian, Elizabeth & the Catapult, Joan of Arc, Cosmos, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, Los Amigos Invisibles, Little Boots, Busdriver and an interesting soundtrack from British Sea Power.

Playlist: New Releases 06.09.09

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Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

When the year opened with Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion, you just knew it was going to be a special year for music, and now the latest from Dirty Projectors solidifies 2009 as a one of the best years in recent memory. Bitte Orca is by far the most accessible release from Dave Longstreth and co. while yet remaining to be complicated enough to no doubt fluster more than a few ears. Previous releases from Longstreth suffered from an almost obsessive need to complicate, and while there's still obsession here throughout, it's far more an enjoyable listen. Just listen to the middle three songs, from the afro-pop bounce of first single "Stillness Is The Move" (featuring Mariah Carey vocal references from Amber Coffman,) to the ballad "Two Doves" (sung angelically by Angel Deradoorian*) to the kitchen sink brilliance of "Useful Chamber." It's the best three song ride in any album in some time, and really, the whole album is full of unbelievable joys for the mind+ear combo. Just be careful if you're walking and listening to "Temecula Sunrise" at the same time... add in some chewing gum and you're liable to trip and fall.

*Just to illustrate that this album is a bit more accessible, I caught my 4-year old singing this song (nearly brought a tear to my eye).

Free AOL Album Stream

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Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Back on an independent label (Matador, this time out) for the first time in nearly three decades, the legendary no wave'rs let loose from the start with the rocker "Sacred Trickster" and bob and weave throughout the album with varied success. The album on the whole is uneven, but still welcome in it's return to the kind of revved up rockers we haven't heard from the band since Goo.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Sacred Trickster" [mp3]

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Rhett Miller - Rhett Miller / Free AOL Album Stream
Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP
British Sea Power - Man of Aran
Kasbian - The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum / Free AOL Album Stream
Elizabeth & the Catapult - Taller Children / "Taller Children" [mp3]
Cosmos (feat. ROBERT POLLARD) - Jar of Jam Ton of Bricks
Joan Of Arc - Flowers / "Explain Yourselves #2" [mp3]
Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey - Here and Now
Los Amigos Invisibles - Commercial
Little Boots - Hands / Free AOL Album Stream
Busdriver - Jhelli Beam / Free AOL Album Stream
Illinois - The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe
Mos Def - The Ecstatic / Free AOL Album Stream
The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin / "Charlie Darwin", "To Ohio" [mp3]
The Aggrolites - IV
Hermit Thrushes - Slight Fountain
Placebo - Battle For The Sun
Nosaj Thing - Drift
Rubies - Explode From the Center
Anti-Flag - People or the Gun
Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.
REISSUES
The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue
The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
The Rolling Stones - Undercover

tags: music, album review, dirty projectors, sonic youth, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Ear on TV: Week of June 8: Sonic Youth

For the first time in nearly two decades, Sonic Youth is an indie rock band. The band recently parted ways with Geffen, a label that once championed them, but towards the end of their relationship, wouldn't even call them back. Now free of the pressure to break into the *mainstream, Thurston Moore and crew are channeling the raw and discordant sound of their earlier days with their latest release, The Eternal, which is out this week.

*Remember when they appeared on Gilmore Girls? While it's entirely possible that it was of their own volition, I'm thinking an appearance on a Warner-owned primetime drama is a lot less likely to happen with their new label, Matador.

It will be interesting to compare and contrast their appearance on Letterman Wednesday night with their previous appearance three years ago, as I'm willing to bet there's going to be a lot more jumping around and/or tearing sh*t up this time out. The atonal beginning to "Sacred Trickster" alone sends a message that things are going to be different.

Meanwhile, West Africa's Amadou & Mariam are finally breaking through in the U.S. after nearly 30 years of playing together, thanks to the inspired Afro-pop of their latest album Welcome to Mali, which was produced by Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz). The self-dubbed "blind couple from Mali," Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia, will be making their network television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday, more than likely performing the song "Sabali," after which, we'll have another reason to give thanks for having The Roots on Late Night. (They're responsible for booking most the music acts.)

Finally, remember more than a month ago when it was announced that Green Day were going to be playing three nights in a row on Last Call with Carson Daly? Since that announcement they've made appearances on SNL, Letterman and The Tonight Show, not to mention the massive promo buys on ESPN. With all that exposure, the only thing Carson Daly has going is that the band has so far has played "Know Your Enemy" so many times that hearing the band play at least two other songs is all that Daly can lay network TV claim to.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, June 8
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Airborne Toxic Event (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Mos Def
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Amadou & Mariam, The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Ting Tings (REPEAT)
Tuesday, June 9
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: No Doubt
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Black Eyed Peas
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Sounds
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Bonnie Raitt
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Mos Def, The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Green Day
Wednesday, June 10
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Sonic Youth
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Theresa Andersson
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Timmy Curran
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Rancid
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Manchester Orchestra, The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Green Day
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elvis Costello, Lou Reed & Julian Schnabel (REPEAT)
Thursday, June 11
ABC: The View: Kanye West
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Neko Case
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Green Day
Friday, June 12
ABC: The View: Black Eyed Peas
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: P.J. Harvey w/ John Parrish
SUNDANCE: Derailroaded: Wild Man Fischer
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: Black Eyed Peas (REPEAT)
Saturday, June 13
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Green Day (REPEAT)

Celebrate Sub Pop's Anniversary on the small screen

Twenty years ago in Seattle, the flannel was plentiful and the music was loud, and at the center of it all was the record label Sub Pop. This weekend, the label celebrates its 20th anniversary and so the story of the Seattle music scene is being retold all over again in the media. Probably the best and surprisingly accurate description of what happened is the Doug Pray documentary Hype!, which was five years in the making.

Hype! is told from the perspective of the people swept up in the middle of the grunge scene, with Sub Pop at the epicenter of both the scene and the film's voice. Not only are there amazing live performances captured, but the film is pretty hilarious, poking many holes in the mythology of the so-called genre. Sub Pop employee Megan Jasper famously sold The New York Times on bogus grunge slang, making up phrases like 'swingin' on the flippity-flop' (hanging out) and harsh realm (a bummer) which the Times printed verbatim ("Grunge: A Success Story," November 15, 1992). Between that and seeing models on the runway wearing flannel at Fashion Week it was inevitable that the anti-market scene was being over-marketed and would phase out soon enough (and in its wake, a chorus of "good riddance"). The film also features footage of the first time Nirvana played "Smells Like Teen Spirit," which has a special place in my heart -- because I was there!

Another great film that indirectly documents Sub Pop's historical rise is the Sonic Youth concert film 1991: The Year Punk Broke. The NY band was one of the first to appear on a Sub Pop imprint (the compilation Sub Pop 100), and befriended several bands on the label, including Nirvana, who they took under their wing on tour in Europe just prior to their (and, in turn, Sub Pop's) breakthrough. Full of great concert footage and oddball humor (see Kurt Cobain mock Kevin Costner from Madonna's Truth or Dare concert film) it captures a moment in time before everything would change, for good and for bad.

Other DVD's that share a part of Sub Pop's history:
Acquired Taste - A collection of videos from more recent Sub Pop artists including The Shins, Iron & Wine, The Postal Service, Sleater-Kinney and Hot Hot Heat
The Murder City Devils: Rock & Roll Won't Wait - An all access, warts and all look at the once popular Seattle punk rock act. Full of drinking, punching, bleeding and of course rocking.
Mudhoney: Live at El Sol - Recent (2007) performance of the legendary Seattle rockers, which beautifully captures singer Mark Arm's lovably ornery humor.
David Cross: Let America Laugh - At the turn of the century, Sub Pop started branching out into comedy, starting with funnyman David Cross, who's albums on the label are a throwback to George Carlin's classics from the 1970's.
Garden State - The Zach Braff curated soundtrack promised to change your life, but it mostly changed Sub Pop's. It was nearly Nevermind: The Sequel as The Shins became huge, and allowed the label to expand it's stable of artists once again.
Flight of the Conchords: Season 1 - Considering they were doing both music and comedy, the label is the perfect fit for this comedic duo to release their music. The series is already a cult hit, and the music's not bad either.

So Nice, So Smart

With all it's critical buzz and an opening weekend per screen average that was through the roof, Juno is already this year's little movie that could -- ala Little Miss Sunshine. One of the reasons that it's such an easy movie to root for is the underdog soundtrack that backs it, revolving around the music of Kimya Dawson, and we have actress Ellen Page to thank for that connection:

(Director) Jason Reitman and I were meeting...and he simply said, "Well, what do you think Juno would listen to?" ...I hopped on his computer and I played the Moldy Peaches for him. The next thing I knew he'd fallen in love.... and was in contact with Kimya Dawson, who is the female in the band, and he added the song ("Anyone Else But You") at the end of the film, which is a Moldy Peaches song. That song's been in my life for years, actually; there's a lot of sentimental value there. And the next thing we know Kimya Dawson is doing the music for the film. It was really incredible how that all worked out because it just feels perfect.
--Ellen Page, interview Pitchfork, 11-21-07

Dawson's quick and clever delivery in her songs are the perfect match for the Juno character, as the songs also evoke a strong feeling of innocence. While screenwriter Diablo Cody has such a strong presence in the film that the characters around Juno start to sound like her, the same could be said of Kimya Dawson and the rest of the music in the movie. As a result, we get "All I Want is You" by children's singer/songwriter Barry Louis Polisar, The Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking with You," a Cat Power cover of "Sea of Love" and even Buddy Holly's "Dearest" -- all sounding like extensions of Dawson's music in the context of their surroundings.

Even Sonic Youth gets pulled into this precious sphere with their smart Carpenters cover of "Superstar," taken from the tribute album If I Were A Carpenter. Mark (Jason Bateman,) the prospective adoptive father, tries to use this song to connect with Juno -- the point where he turns from cool to slightly creepy. It's an interesting parallel having Mark identified with Sonic Youth, and Juno with The Moldy Peaches, as both bands were leaders of NY art-based reactionary movements some 20 years apart -- No Wave and Anti-Folk respectfully.

Besides the artists already mentioned there's The Kinks, Belle & Sebastian and Mott the Hoople to please the ears, but it's what's missing that is surprising. Juno, when asked to name her favorite band, says "a three-way tie between The Stooges, Patti Smith and The Runaways" and none of these appear in the soundtrack -- they're instead accompanied by a flash of black & white photos. It's just as well, because it's a construct of her character that seems too fantastical to believe, even buried under the spitfire of Cody's witty dialogue.

Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - Juno
1. "Tire Swing" - Kimya Dawson
2. "My Rollercoaster (Juno Film Version)" - Kimya Dawson
3. "Once I Loved" - Astrud Gilberto
4. "All I Want Is You" - Barry Louis Polisar
5. "So Nice So Smart" - Kimya Dawson
6. "Besame Mucho" - Trio Los Panchos
7. "I Like Giants" - Kimya Dawson [mp3 - kimyadawson.com]
8. "A Well Respected Man" - The Kinks
9. "Doll Parts" - Hole
10. "I'm Sticking With You" - The Velvet Underground
11. "Dearest" - Buddy Holly
12. "Reminders Of Then" - Kimya Dawson
13. "Why Bother" - The Drop
14. "Sleep (Instrumental)" - Kimya Dawson
15. "Superstar" - Sonic Youth
16. "Up The Spout" - Mateo Messina
17. "12/26" - Kimya Dawson [mp3 - kimyadawson.com]
18. "Piazza, New York Catcher" - Belle and Sebastian
19. "Tree Hugger" - Kimya Dawson
20. "Expectations" - Belle and Sebastian
21. "Loose Lips" - Kimya Dawson [mp3 - kimyadawson.com]
22. "All The Young Dudes" - Mott the Hoople
23. "Anyone Else But You" - The Moldy Peaches [mp3]
24. "Sea Of Love" - Cat Power
25. "Vampire" - Antsy Pants
26. "Anyone Else But You" - Ellen Page, Michael Cera

More: Topless at The Mall - Juno and Iggy Pop

Keep me hanging on

This is one series finale that requires a good night's sleep (or two poor ones like I just had.) The ambiguous ending which has Sopranos fans everywhere tied in knots, needs a tiny bit of distance to be appreciated, and in the rear-view mirror, looking at all the conspiracy theory wreckage from viewers, it's hard not to appreciate just what creator David Chase has done. He's essentially given everyone the ending they want, provided they're willing to look. Everyone's beat me to recapping, and dissecting the use of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" in the final scene. Thankfully, there's a lot more music to discuss (thunder not stolen!) and Vanilla Fudge's classic take on "You Keep Me Hangin' On" is a key thread in the fabric of the finale.

This song starts the episode off with Tony waking to it (nice that we're back to Tony waking up to start an episode,) and it appears on the radio two more times: Tony rides out to the spec house where Carmela, Meadow and AJ are holed up, and then again as Phil meets his end (the bouncing twin grandkids bundled in their carseats was genius.) Throughout the episode, Chase is saying his goodbyes, with trips to Satriale's, The Bing, Vesuvio's, Johnny Sack's house and especially the Soprano's McMansion. But the whole time, he's keeping us hanging on, like the lover who enjoys toying with our emotions. Set me free, why don't you Chase?

A master at tension, Chase at times seems like a cat toying with a rat (et tu, Paulie?) and nowhere is it more true then the inclusion of a Twilight Zone episode (again) Tony and the boys are watching at the safehouse. The episode, entitled "The Bard", is the story of a struggling TV writer who conjures up Shakespeare from the past to help him write (yes, that's a young Burt Reynolds portraying a Marlon Brando-like actor.) Is Chase giving himself a pat on the back here? I don't think so... the clip used tells a different story, where a television producer is lecturing the writer:

The television industry today is looking for talent, they're looking for quality. They are preoccupied with talent and quality. And the writer is a major commodity.

One has to think Chase is referencing the looming writer's strike that's casting a dark shadow on the upcoming fall season. The TZ episode, written by Rod Serling himself, was satire aimed at the industry at the time, something Chase I imagine identifies with.

Meanwhile, AJ is busy being a satire in and of himself. As he and Rhiannon listen to Bob Dylan's "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)," his SUV catches on fire. (Tony lectures AJ with "It's an SUV... you gotta watch where you park it offroad!" Ha!) At Bobby's wake, he scoffs at everyone "watching these jack-off fantasies on TV," while the world falls apart around them. But in the end, when Tony offers him a job working on a film with Little Carmine, AJ is quick to dump his principles and drive off in a new BMW to The Noisettes' "Scratch Your Name." There's also the promise that AJ could open a nightclub in the future, so Tony is setting AJ up with the life of his mafia son Christopher, whom Tony had imagined taking over the family once upon a time. Too bad AJ's ceiling appears to be about that of Fredo.

Back to the Paulie-as-rat theory. There's apparently something in Tony Sirico's contract that stipulates he can't play a rat, so we can only infer from Chase's visual and auditory clues as to Paulie's secret, but having "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" play in the background while Paulie inexplicably turns down Tony's rich job offer suggests that he's worried about more then just a curse. Add to that his fear of the rat-catching orange cat (who sits near him following the meeting,) and it seems Chase has worked around the clause beautifully.

Meanwhile, it's the meeting with Junior that tells more about Tony's future then the ending does. First, while talking about Junior's situation with Uncle Pat, Sonic Youth's "I Dreamed a Dream" plays muffled in the background with the conflicting lyrics:

All the money's gone / The days we spend, go on and on
Shift / F*cking youth / Working youth
May all your dreams come true

Uncle June's penniless and lost in his own mind, and Tony's the f*cking youth working for his dreams that will ultimately end up with senility and little or no remembrance the glory. Tony sees his future there in the meeting with Junior, and it's an ending far worse then anything else imagined.

And finally, as the series is 86'd, it's fitting it's in the diner-like atmosphere of Holsten's. As Tony runs through the table-top jukebox, we're presented with three different song possibilities. Tony shuffles between Heart's "Who Will You Run To" and Tony Bennett's "A Lonely Place," which both suggest endings that aren't happy. Instead, though, Tony chooses that Journey song, which understandably had some detractors initially from the Sopranos crew. Says Chase in an interview today:

I did something I'd never done before: in the location van, with the crew, I was saying, 'What do you think?' When I said, 'Don't Stop Believin',' people went, 'What? Oh my god!' I said, 'I know, I know, just give a listen,' and little by little, people started coming around.

While many think Chase's ending was a cop-out, I can't imagine a more perfect ending... and it's still being discussed and argued about. If you wanted Tony dead, the 'man in the members-only jacket' killed him. All you have to do is look back at what Bobby told Tony earlier "you probably don't hear it when it happens." And earlier in the episode he's eating an orange, a Godfather harbinger of doom. Tony goes to jail? The baseball caps were pulled low over a few shify eyes in the restaurant, looking like agents waiting for the call to bring in Tony. You want him to live? Look no further then the lyrics to the song - Oh, the movie never ends. It goes on and on and on and on ... and in the end we're left with silence, bringing to mind the ending to Hamlet. (Is Chase conjuring up Shakespeare like in the Twilight Zone episode already referenced?)

If you're looking for answers, you won't get them from Chase, who says "I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there. Anybody who wants to watch it, it's all there." I imagine it is... you just have to get past the red (or is it orange?) herrings. Ultimately, though, in AJ's final words "Focus on the good times. Isn't that what you said one time? Try and remember the things that were good."

Playlist: The Sopranos - Episode 621
1. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" - Vanilla Fudge - Tony wakes up; Dante drives Tony to his family; Phil fills up
2. "Denise" - Randy and the Rainbows - Tony and Paulie wait for Agent Harris at the airport
3. "Four Seasons" - Antonio Vivaldi - Bobby's wake at Vesuvio's
4. "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" - Bob Dylan - AJ & Rhiannon listen to the song in the car
5. "I Dreamed I Dream" - Sonic Youth - Tony and Uncle Pat talk in backroom of The Bing
6. "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" - Curtis Lee - Paulie is spooked by a cat at Satriale's
7. "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Tony offers Paulie a promotion
8. "The Jam" - Larry Graham - Neil bears bad news in The Bing backroom
9. "Scratch Your Name" - The Noisettes - AJ leaves work and picks up Rhiannon from school
10. "The Lifeboat Party" - Kid Creole & the Coconuts - AJ and Rhiannon watch TV<
11. "All That You Dream" - Little Feat - Tony arrives at a diner and waits for his family
12. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey - Tony plays Journey on a jukebox

More: The whole episode serves as a reminder for the genius in which The Sopranos has used music in a diegetic manner. By that, I mean, using music purely as it exists in the realm of the characters - songs on the radio, blaring from the Bing or from a restaurant... there have been countless uses of this method. While Chase abhors the use of score, he has never had a whole episode remain diegetic, due (in part) to the fact there's always non-diegetic music playing at the end that rides through the credits. But for the credits here, Chase stays true to the character's world, and since we no longer have a glimpse into the character's world, the music is gone and we're left alone with our thoughts to reflect.

More (last one I promise:) Had to love Paulie's vision of the Virgin Mary, pulling more psychotherapy into the drama with the Madonna/Whore complex. Tony adds to it by suggesting they sell 'jugs' of holy water at The Bing.

Previously: When the Music's Over (Episode 620)

tags: playlist, the sopranos, television, hbo, soundtrack, the noisettes, sonic youth, journey, twilight zone, shakespeare, the godfather, rhapsody

Last night's Gilmorepalooza

Play it: Gilmore Girls - Season 1
Download: Sonic Youth "What a Waste"

Last night was the sixth season finale for The Gilmore Girls, and they ended on a high note for creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who (with her executive producer husband Daniel Palladino,) is saying goodbye to the show. While I can't say I was a fan, their attention to music on the show cannot be denied, and it will be interesting to see if the new braintrust continues their dedication to music. Not only did they have a lot of music on the show, they also casted musicians in recurring roles. Sebastian Bach, Sam Phillips and Grant Lee Phillips all had recurring roles, but it was GL Phillips' role as local troubador that had a lot to do with last night's extravaganza.

Phillips' character gets discovered by Neil Young and is picked up to open on his tour, so all these musical acts flood the fictional town of Stars Hollow, CT, to get discovered next. Appearing last night were Sonic Youth, Joe Pernice, Yo La Tengo, Sparks, and Sam Phillips. Sonic Youth played "Wasted Again" from their new album Rather Ripped (due in June,) and featured Thurston and Kim's daughter Coco on bass. Coco's so cute!



tags: playlist, television, soundtrack, rhapsody, gilmore girls, sonic youth, grant lee phillips, sam phillips, joe pernice, yo la tengo, sparks