On an ordinary night last year in the middle of a freezing Twin Cities winter, I had the pleasure of being unexpectedly blown away by an amazing live performance from Reckless Ones. Hailing from “right down the block” as the singer put it, the group proceeded to play on of the most solid and entertaining sets I’d seen all year, complete with upright bass twirls, behind the back guitar solos and an avalanche of stand-up drum-kit heroics. Embracing both the stylish look and down-and-dirty work ethic of the classic 50’s Rock’n’Roll icons, Reckless Ones met up with The Wake at (where else?) a biker coffee bar to talk about their records, the European festival circuit and defying expectations.

The Wake: You guys have a bit of history in the local rock scene, could you talk a bit about the origins of Reckless Ones?
Dylan Patterson (Drums): It started with my previous band, Corpse Show Creeps, back in 2004. We were a psychobilly band in Minneapolis who did some touring and stuff. I met Adam because we needed him to take over for a previous bass player and he ended up living with me. We became friends and played together in Corpse Show Creeps before that came to an end, but we still lived together so we wanted to find another guitarist. As we continued our musical journey we were friends with Kevin who was kicking ass in his band Treehouse Bordello.
Kevin O’Leary (Guitar/Vocals): We all knew of each other but we didn’t travel in the same circles even though we knew we would all get along based on how we looked and everything. 2008 rolled around and these guys had a CD from one of my other bands, they wrote me up on Myspace back when that was still viable and asked if I wanted to start a band. I guess it was just the right timing because we got to work right away, brought in songs from all the projects we had done, anything that applied. Got to work and rather than do things the slow way by taking time to write songs together, we wanted to record right away so we just got busy.

W: Who are some non-rockabilly bands that have had the strongest influences on your music?
K: The main stuff that seems to filter itself into what I write besides all the rockabilly artists is like…The Beatles are huge for me. I’m a total sucker for pop; I love The Beatles, I love Depeche Mode, especially earlier on in the band. Lately it’s been a lot of like Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen. It’s been a lot of The Boss.

W: You seem to turn out albums relatively quickly, how does your band’s songwriting process work?
D: For the first album we really all brought in whatever songs we had, but Kevin’s always been the majority songwriter.
K: I’m like slightly ahead in terms of who writes the most, and then it’s Adam, and there’s a lot of stuff that me and Adam wrote together. When the band started the three of us lived together in like a two bedroom apartment, I slept in the living room in my bed in a corner and we wrote everything there. But by the time a song’s done, it doesn’t matter where it started, in the end it’s all ours.
Adam Boatright (Upright Bass): Who ever has an idea brings it to the table, but then we dissect the HELL out of it. It doesn’t matter whose idea it is, it gets dissected by the band and we end up making it our own, putting our own individual flair in it and we’ll play a song I don’t know how many times before it’s done. Hell, we’re still fixing songs we’ve already recorded!
K: It’s pretty democratic.
D: We all seem to think along the same lines, there’s never been a big argument as to how the songs should go.

W: Set the World on Fire sounds great for an unsigned band, how did you guys go about recording that record? Was it a basement operation or did you go the professional route?
D: The first album Make Your Move was done at Humans Win studios up in NE, engineered by JB, he’s just a good player and really understands the music. He really helped us make this record before we had ever played a show. I thought it was a good way to start off a band, with an album so we knew how it was supposed to sound.
A: We did the same thing for the second album too.
K: Same place, same guy…
A: We liked him, trusted him, he worked well with us and it felt right.
K: We also recorded it within a year of our first album, and we didn’t want to waste time finding new people to help us out. We knew that we got good sounds out of this studio and we knew that the dudes that own it are super cool about letting us…pay when we can (laughs). JB is our buddy and when we recorded the second album we really geeked out about guitars and took our time. The first one we made really quick because we were so excited to get something out there and make this statement, you know, Make Your Move.

W: The album contains a lot of sounds that people might not expect. There’s a bit of 50’s style pop and even some country, was the goal to challenge expectations?
A: Musically, for sure.
D: There’s already enough bands out there that sing about the same old shit, you know, we just want to have fun and play rock’n’roll. We know don’t want to sing about cars and girls and all that shit that somebody might think just by staring at us.
A: We sing about real life, I mean, Kevin’s lyrics are real life stuff, it’s not make-believe. There’s plenty of love songs in there, but it’s all real stuff.
K: It’s because I do love.
A: I mean, there’s no “Drivin’ down the road in my hot rod, I’m gonna…”
K: “…bang a Zombie girl.” (laughs)
D: It’s funny, but there’s a lot of bands where that’s all they want to sing about.
K: We say what we mean and mean what we say. I love walking in to venues in all of the places we’ve played around the world and I can tell there’s places where people look at us and think “Aww…a fuckin’ rockabilly band? Oh great, 12 bar blues for two hours”. We get a lot of backhanded compliments like “You know, I came in and I really thought I was going to hate you but you were actually pretty awesome! Can I buy a CD?”
A: Maybe we should change our image if that’s the reaction we’re getting.
K: It’s not like hip-hop guys get kids walking up to them and asking “Do you like…dress like that every day? Are you in a play? Is this what you do all the time?” and shit, I swear to god it’s only us. And granted, there’s something very theatric and intentionally out-of-place about the look but this just happens to be the skin we’re comfortable in.

W: You guys wrapped up a pretty grueling tour schedule at the end of the summer, where did y’all end up?
A: France!
K: We were touring on and off all summer, it started off in May to the end of June, just touring all over the US, heading south and then west, which is a really neat route because it takes us through Texas and the Southwest and into California. We took a break for the second half of June and then we went over to Europe.
D: 26 days, we played 10 shows. I think 4 of those were festivals, it was pretty amazing.
K: It wasn’t really grueling. I mean, it was a long time but it was actually the best tour we’ve ever been on. It was the true tour experience of having a dedicated road manager and people taking care of you.
A: The US tours are grueling but you go over to Europe and it’s a walk in the park, they just treat you like kings.

W: Is the attitude towards “Vintage American” sounding bands like yours any different in Europe than in the U.S.?
A: They really love Western culture over there, but a lot of their rockabilly bands are singing about high schools and Cadillacs but they don’t really know what they’re singing about, so anything that’s Western culture that’s the real deal, they cling on to. So a lot of people love you that much but they’re not necessarily on the same page, and other people don’t like you because you’re American and they think “screw you.” But they loved us!
K: Over here we are the road crew, we are the driver, we are the road manager, we are the merch guy but over there it was like we were the musicians. We played some of the best shows we’ve ever done. I mean, we played on top the Alps at a biker rally! It was awesome. It’s so much better when you get to concentrate on your show and your instrument and rockin’ out.
D: Definitely better than playing one-nighters at the sleazy clubs across America, although there’s something to be said for that too, I think.

W: You got a taste of the festival circuit too this summer, do you prefer playing club dates or the big festival shows?
A: Clubs are still fun, they always will be, but festivals are amazing because you hit your target market in one show. We’ll do a month on the road in the US and you play some big shows but you’re also playing Sunday nights for 20 people, and then you got to drive 8 hours to get to the next city. For a festival you play 1,000 people that are already somewhat interested in the style of music, otherwise they wouldn’t be there.
D: It’s the next step, I think. It’s less work. You can play for two weeks with 100 people at each show and still struggle to raise a following in each city.

W: You guys have a really tight live set, do you have to hold down day jobs or is this group a full-time gig?
A: We still got jobs.
K: Nothing will make me happier than when I collect checks from this shit, that’ll be rad, but right now we still got to do stuff outside.
D: We’ve been working hard and hammering away until we slowly reach that point.
K: We’re super lucky to be in this band together and to all want the same thing and still get along. Everyone wants to play music but we want to play music for a living and we want everybody to hear what we do.

W: You call yourselves “Modern Rockabilly.” Why the “modern” distinction, what does that mean to you?
D: We’re not trying to create a genre, it’s just because Rockabilly is so wide it’s easy to get pigeonholed, so we almost have to pigeonhole ourselves. If you’re trying to book a 50’s style Rockabilly festival they got to know in a few words what we do, and we’re not “traditional” and we’re not Psychobilly.
A: We’re not “throwback,” you know like “Hey Daddy-o!”, so what’s not throwback? Modern.
D: Rockabilly has been around since the beginning of rock’n’roll, so when you span that many years it helps to give people a better idea of what you play.
K: It helps let people know that they’re not going to get a set of Chuck Berry covers, just one. (laughs)

W: During your tours have there been any places where you’ve thought “This town’s going to suck” and the reception surprised you?
A: Oh man, all the fuckin’ time!
K: San Antonio on this past May tour was great. Not that San Antonio’s a bad town and they’ve got a cool little scene there, but it was not a huge show and the crowd was all these people that loved the band, so it was way cooler than playing for two hundred people that couldn’t give a fuck.
A: Flagstaff, Arizona. We showed up and we thought the show was going to blow, but we played for 15 or 20 kids right up front who knew every single syllable to every single lyric, man I had shivers down my arms. I mean, they were singing louder than Kevin was sometimes.
K: Just shows you don’t need 1000 fans, just 15 really great ones to make you feel good.

W: You’re doing a few Midwest tour dates in the fall, what else is in store for Reckless Ones?
D: We’re trying to do some more dates here before the snow flies and it gets hard to travel. We’re flying out to California shortly here to play a one off show with Tiger Army. It’s going to take a lot of wrangling to get all the gear over there.
K: But it’s pretty badass, we’re playing with Tiger Army, which for all three of us is huge, back in high school they were in my CD player for months at a time. And now they asked us to come out play their one gig of the year, two nights at this stadium in Anaheim. We super jazzed, and every day it starts to feel a little more real.

Next local show: October 15 at Memory Lanes

Reckless Ones sure know how to kick off a record right. They’re letting us give you wonderful Wake readers a taste of their album Set the World on Fire by offering up a free download of their lead-off track “Summer Streets”. With a searing lead guitar line that’d make Chuck Berry jealous, and the kind of thumping drum and bass interplay that makes this group cook on the dance floor, “Summer Streets” is pure rock’n’roll, no gimmicks needed. THE SONG WILL BE POSTED SOON. CHECK BACK.

There’s the pretty young thing that trips on absolutely nothing in the woods; dead. There’s the moron who decides an elevator is the ideal escape; strangled. There is foreboding music, apparitions in mirrors and, my personal favorite, demon-possessed children. Personally, I am sick of checking off plot-line clichés in my head while I’m in the theater. Original thriller movies are a dying breed and any particular movie that can truly put a lump in my throat will generally get a thumbs up from me. Contagion did that and then some.

You know when you’re watching previews in the theater and you and your friends jab each other when a movie looks worthwhile? Contagion’s trailer was on my list. An array of familiar faces appeared and I was instantly engrossed. There have been plenty of movies spun from big name stars, but we all know that isn’t always successful (Valentine’s Day, anyone?). Still, the idea of a movie centered on a world-wide pandemic seemed intriguing, albeit ubiquitous. The ones I had read about or watched usually missed the mark. Zombies, zombies, and more zombies are not enough to carry a movie. I honestly just hoped that Contagion would give us a break from the fantastical.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I discovered the movie hit closer to home (well, dorm) than I thought. I learned that Scott Z. Burns, Contagion’s screenwriter, graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1985. The Golden Valley native also wrote the screenplays for The Bourne Ultimatum and The Informant! I may not parade my school spirit around at sports games, but I instantly felt a sense of Gopher pride when I realized an alumnus wrote the screenplay of a movie I’d been dying to see.

Apparently Burns has some Minnesota pride as well, because a large portion of the movie takes place in the U of M Medical Center and Fairview Southdale Hospital. Here’s the catch, though: like many other films (Juno, New in Town, etc) the movie was not actually filmed in Minnesota. The former films were both filmed in Canada, and Contagion’s team utilized an empty hospital in Illinois. Either way, the references to familiar landmarks and cities were pretty exciting. It’s nice to be known for more than the Mall of America and things in our state collapsing from too much snow.

When I first entered the theater to see Contagion, the ambiance was already set in stone. Something was wrong with the projector and the screen was pitch black, nobody was moving, and the people would only whisper to one another in very hushed tones. It felt like I was paying $10.50 to attend someone’s funeral. Fortunately, this movie was much more enthralling than a funeral procession. We first meet Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, Beth, a Minnesota native who has recently traveled to Hong Kong and falls gravely ill during a layover in Chicago. The audience is drawn into a montage of people from major cities around the globe falling victim to the very same virus. The symptoms made my skin crawl: a sudden ghostlike complexion, dry cough, seizures, double vision, dry mouth and, in its worst stages, a cloud of foam erupting from the victim’s mouth. Once a person is exposed or touches an affected area, they are essentially a goner. I instantly had a flashback to the H1N1 outbreak a few years ago, but this was like H1N1 on acid: all the hand sanitizer in the world couldn’t keep this from spreading.

The acting in the film was superb, although I’m not too surprised. Paltrow played the helpless victim perfectly and Damon (depicting Beth’s husband) managed to display the stages of grief in a very non-caricature like way, which is all I really hoped for in his character. I must say my absolute two favorite characters were Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) and Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law). Mears is part of the team trying to keep tabs on the disease and find out where it began. The doctor is exactly the kind of person you’d love to work for you: so dedicated to her career that sleep becomes secondary. She will stop at nothing to keep this horror from spreading and is essentially the Sherlock Holmes of Contagion.

The real showstopper is Krumwiede. He is a blogger who’s all about conspiracy theories and cynicism. He eventually gets sick and convinces millions that a homeopathic drug has saved him from death. People ransack his house and every store possible to get their hands on the drug, and Krumwiede ends up a millionaire. When government officials find out he had the flu, not the actual pandemic disease, they are outraged. One of them actually states, “If I could throw your computer in jail, I would.” This was my favorite line in the movie; it really shows how the internet and technology hold a fierce power over humans. Back in the old days, people were surely paranoid when polio and smallpox showed up, but they never had the internet and communication outlets that we have today. There’s a world of difference between pandemics then and now, and Contagion really demonstrates that.

This movie not only put a lump in my throat, but thoughts in my head. My eyes weren’t bugged out because of explosions or car chases, they were so wide because this could—and in many ways has—already occurred. I was choked up at various points throughout the film, particularly during a burial scene. It’s crazy that people instantly become statistics or science projects when disease spreads, and the movie really made that aspect feel real.

There was a romance between two teenagers that was sweet, but not entirely necessary to the plot in my opinion. I know it’s difficult to have a film without characters making googly eyes at one another, but this was definitely one that could have done without it. While my pursuit of a Journalism degree doesn’t allow me to be picky, there were a few unrealistic medical aspects sprinkled in that could have used more attention. All in all, Contagion is a fantastic movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat…partially because you realize just how many germs are on that thing in the first place.

‘Distraction Pieces,’ Scroobius Pip’s second solo album, starts off stronger than any hip hop release I’ve heard in the past few years. This is partly due to his punk-rock roots and partly to his background as a spoken word artist.

When I first thought about the combination of hip-hop and rock back in middle school, I thought it was the best idea ever. But then I sadly discovered that the genre “rap-rock” was led by bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, and Kottonmouth Kings, all of which I have little to no interest in. Even after years of broadening musical horizons, I haven’t found any artist that has lived up to my expectations of this infusing of genres—until I heard Pip’s second track “Let Em Come.” The backing drums and guitar during the chorus is what you would expect to find in a hardcore song and Pip goes just as hard, with solid verses by local P.O.S. and Sage Francis.

The transition from spoken word to hip hop is awkward and unsuccessful for many, but not Pip. He harnesses clever, poetic lyrics that keeps the music interesting, but the problem with this album is the production value, which is, unfortunately, noticeably low. The powerful lyrics in the politically charged “Soldier Boy Kill Em,” a spoof of “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” and the intense “Domestic Silence” would have a greater effect if the music didn’t sound so disjointed from his voice. Hopefully this album will get the attention of the right people who will give him the proper facilities to record while also letting him keep his unique style.

In a city where the music scene is lacking, Rainbow Danger Club is filling a much needed void. Shanghai, where the group is based, is filled with materialism and modernity. This band is made up of ex-patriots that have created an album seemingly contrasting the environment it grew out of. The album as whole is reminiscent of a movie soundtrack being played from a phonograph. Where the Map Ends quickly changes gears from a playful yet eerie silent movie to the pulse pounding excitement of a magical thriller.

Plinking pianos and eerie sounds await you on your trip to the ends of the Earth. WME is a fairytale from a parallel universe that has many twists and turns. Being released shortly after their well received EP The New Atlantis, WME is an hour long trip filled with entrancing guitar, ghostly vocals, and trumpet capable of playing a variety of roles. Bouncing back and forth between light hearted romps to haunting lo-fi ballads, every song on the album has its own character. The pacing of WME is fantastic, switching between engaging instrumentals and surreal lyricism. Songs such as “Enduring Love” provide an experience that seems surreal and desolate yet at the same time fill with a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity, while other songs fulfill the roles of rocking anthems for the album. On songs such as the intro tune “Live on in Photographs” the lead vocals border on whiney, yet most of the time this is countered by the ominous background vocals. Overall Where the Map Ends is strong debut album that delivered, after an EP that had us all hoping.

I’m always on the lookout for unique, diverse and progressive artists, which can massage my selective auricles and provide me with a brief escape from the force-fed victuals of mainstream music. Free from the restraints of the music industry, singer/songwriter Kayte Grace is that refreshing breath of fresh air. Grace’s latest album, Written On, is a follow-up to her indie released first album, Soaked You In. Produced by Grace herself (a guitarist and pianist), Written On continues to showcase her unique style that she’s known for from her previous album and shares with the listener a musical gumbo of joyful, energetic and eclectic sound that’s heavily infused with blues, rock, pop and folk. Written On embraces Grace’s journey of life. She pulls us in with one of my personal favorites, Great Big life, which is a relaxing, mellow, top down in the summer, fancy free, catchy song, there to remind us to slow down sometimes and enjoy this great big life. The first single, Just Right, is another song where it pulls us into Grace’s daydream, where she thinks that she has found “Mr. just right” out of a group of guys that are not. The catchy rhythmic beat and Grace’s angelic voice make this song very vibrant.

Overall, the album is well thought out and put together. Grace’s harmonious vibe and heartfelt songs will be more than enough to wet the musical appétit for her fans and music connoisseurs alike. If Written On gives us any glimpse of what we can expect from Grace’s future projects, then fans need not fret because this is only the beginning.

In the bleak tundra where China and North Korea meet, refugees pour over the border daily. If caught by the government, either Chinese or North Korean, they face immediate deportation back to the isolated Communist country. Officials in China are searching for a way to ebb the flow of refugees from North Korea, though they fight not only sympathizers but human traffickers as well. The problem of North Korean refugees is further complicated by China’s tenuous friendship with North Korea, a friendship that China is struggling to hold on to, while faced with mounting global pressure to drop the devastated country and join with other world imperialist powers to remove the regime.

Dooman River depicts life in a bordertown in Jilin province, China, near what is commonly known as the Tumen River. Though set entirely in China, the film’s dialogue is almost entirely in Korean, with snippets of Mandarin from the Chinese border guards. Though slow-paced and ultimately anti-climactic, the film follows Chang-ho, a young Chinese boy who lives with his ever-smoking grandfather and mute sister. He befriends a North Korean child who has fled from his country, bonding with him over soccer. Soon after, however, his sister is assaulted by a North Korean refugee, and views toward the refugees soon turn from humanitarian to suspicious. A friend of Chang-ho’s uncle is arrested for helping refugees cross the border into China; meanwhile, the mayor’s mother, who suffers from dementia, is determined to recross the Tumen river and return to North Korea.

Static cameras, framed shots, and haunting scenery make Dooman River worth seeing. The imposing mountains, bleak snowscape, and frozen Tumen river add striking definition to the many wide contextual shots. The bleakness of the landscape is familiar to those who have spent the whole winter in Minneapolis, though it remains a striking image that would likely be amplified when viewed in a warmer climate. Life in rural China is already fraught with difficulties, but adding refugees and border patrol brings it to a new level that makes Dooman River an incredibly effective film.

 

MaLLy’s the kind of guy you can’t help but like right off the bat. He’s a charismatic, loquacious young dude that’s just as comfortable shooting the shit about the trials of having a day job as he is at talking about his music and message. We got into contact with the up and coming Southside rapper after seeing his name on the bill for Soundset 2011, and over a slice and a brownie at Reds Savoy we talked about the festival, his recent string of singles, and the politics of the rap game.

The Wake: How long have you been making music and what got you started?

MaLLy: I started making music and writing around 2000. It came about because I was a big fan of music and loved the creation process and also saw a lot of people perform. I started by just kidding around, seeing a lot of people’s freestyles or different rap songs, and back in 2000 Eyedea, bless his soul, was one of the first people I saw rap battle. Seeing him trading wits with another MC made me wonder how someone could do something that impressive and that intricate while still making sense. I got inspired by watching other people and listening to my influences.

W: Did you get into hip-hop via emceeing or did you start as a DJ, B-Boy, or Writer?

M: I mostly started by writing, doing poetry or, in the beginning, journal entries. I’d just try to write the thoughts in my head, whether they were personal or creative, and it let me have this open playing field to write whatever I felt comfortable with.
W: What would you say are your strongest musical influences?

M: Going back to when I first picked up a record I’d have to say Michael Jackson; a lot of people mention him because he made timeless music that connects with people. As much as we like to talk bad about him, and whether or not he got help writing songs, he sang on a ton of music. Donny Hathaway is another and so is Stevie Wonder. A lot of my influences aren’t really even rap, which is crazy because…I make rap music! There are a lot of people from the soul era that I’m really into, but if you want to keep it connected to who I am as an artist I’d have to say Tupac and Ice Cube were both big influences growing up. Currently, I’d have to say artists like Brother Ali, he’s a good man and a good friend of mine, and Toki Wright. So, a lot of influence from both a local standpoint and a national standpoint.

W: Who are some producers you work with? How did you connect with them?

M: I’m working with a producer who goes by The Sundance Kid currently and we’re coming up with a lot of cool stuff. Sundance is one hell of a producer that’s like no one else, he’s really not afraid to be different. He really manages to bring different emotions out with his production too, some stuff that I want to go hard on and some songs I want to give a more laid-back feel. I’ve worked with Mydus from Miami, Florida [on his debut album, The Passion-ed.], Astronote who’s from France, Zilla Rock from Philadelphia, and a group of producers/MC’s who used to go by Check and Balance but is now known as Nine to Five. Honestly, the Internet has done wonders in that sense, as you’re able to be in hundreds of places at one time with a just a click of a button. I think that’s been a gift and a curse. The accessibility has been a gift in the sense that you can reach more people at one time, but the curse is that there’s been a flood of less talented people who can’t use proper Internet etiquette and spam the shit out of you.

W: What’s your writing process like? What motivates you to write?

M: To be honest, personal experience is the biggest thing. I think writing from the experiences of the person you is key if you want to succeed in this industry. Toki talked to me the other day about being “standard” versus being yourself. “Standard” is what you hear on the radio, but people want to know who you are, and that’s why I write a lot from personal experiences. They may not have a blatant twist like “oh, it sounds like he went through this,” I try to make things as universal as possible. I want to be that face that people can identify with and make a connection with people. I like to be alone when I write, and I sort of have a ritual. I rarely sit and write in restaurants or other places with a lot of people because I tend to get too distracted. I like to be in my element and get a chance to put together my thoughts.

W: You’ve been steadily releasing a new free track to your fans just about every month, is it ever tough to record on that schedule?

M: You know, not really. Free on the 15th is a feature that came up randomly one night when I was working on a press release for the song “Airtime.” I decided to start putting out a song every month with The Sundance Kid to help get something built for our project that’s coming out in the summer of 2011. We noticed that no one else really had a creative theme for releasing free music at the time so we started releasing a free song on the 15th of the month.

W: Is releasing free music important to you?

M: These days a lot of people don’t want to pay for music, which is kind of unfortunate, but people are cheap and none of us have much money these days. But for me free music is a good thing because it gives people a chance to preview you with a whole song before they go buy your album. It’s another one of those gifts with a curse though, because free music is always being released by so many artists, regardless of their talent. When the album comes out, people can pay for it, but I think it’s good to release a free track from time to time.

W: Has the Twin Cities hip-hop scene been good for you or have you had to look elsewhere for exposure?

M: The Twin Cities for me has been good, in the sense that it’s good in a small way. If you’re putting out good music and doing good shows I think word spreads faster here. The hip-hop community is so small and everybody has so many connections, so it’s been good to me. I feel as if I’m still a new face but have made strides in two years that may have taken others 15-20.

W: Congrats on getting added to the bill for Soundset. How did that come about?

M: Last year when I was promoting The Passion I asked one of the DJs at the 5th Element store about how to get on the bill for the 2010 Soundset and he told me to put together an email with some tracks and accolades from critics. The interesting thing about Soundset is that Rhymesayers really knows who’s who and who’s doing what in the hip-hop scene, so even if you’re having an explosive year maybe they don’t want to jump on you too fast because they figure you might be a flash in the pan. In about the second week of March I woke up in the middle of the night and saw the email from Soundset and the first thing I did was send an email in all caps saying “YES YES YES I ACCEPT I ACCEPT, I WON’T SAY ANYTHING” because I had to keep the line-up quiet until they announced things officially.

W: I’m curious, would you go to Soundset if you weren’t performing?”

M: I did last year, it was my first time going and honestly, I loved that shit. I thought it was fun, you get to see people from out of town, and when I say “out of town” I mean from other states. You see people from places like Milwaukee, Chicago, Ohio, West Coast, East Coast, it’s a pretty serious event. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who’s an artist that wants to learn how to meet different people and talk to them, it’s the way to go.

W: Do you like collaborating with other rappers? It looks like you’re a bit of a lone wolf in the studio.

M: Honestly, I mean, collaborating with people is cool, but I tell people all the time that I’m pretty selfish and pretty stingy when it comes to songs. I don’t know why, I guess I feel like if there’s a certain beat that I really love, I feel as if I can do a really good job. For most people that I have collaborated with, I’ve listened to their music before and really like their stuff but for the most part if it’s meant to happen it’s gonna happen. I’m not gonna say “Hey Brother Ali!” or “Hey Toki! Let’s jump on a song together,” I like to keep things as natural and organic as possible as opposed to just picking people out to. I really just don’t reach out for features, because if I feel like if I let somebody else get on, I’m gonna outshine the fuck outta ‘em. I’m being blunt and honest, so no offense to anyone I’ve done a collaboration with, but you know, you gotta bring it every time. Go hard or go home.

W: On your album The Passion you say that hip-hop saved you. How?

M: The album came out a few years or so after the The Passion of the Christ came out so, it was a bit of a reference to that, but in a sense I feel like rap has kept me circulating. It’s been able to preserve me as a person, whereas when you’re working a job you’re not encouraged to speak out about issues you think about or problems you might have. You leave your personality at the door, sit down, and do what you have to do. But rap has definitely allowed me to preserve Malik, who I am. MaLLy is a stage name but rap has allowed me to preserve my individuality and even learn something about myself.

W: What frustrates you about the rap game these days?

M: I don’t like it. And when I say I don’t like it, I don’t mean that I don’t like being in the industry or involved with music. I love hip-hop, I love seeing shows, I love the whole scene, but I don’t like the politics that come with it, you know? Like “you gotta be down with this crew to get seen” or “you gotta dress like this person” or “you gotta do a song with person.” Even blogs are so political to the point where you have do a song with this individual, certain blogs won’t even take a look at you. Even if you’re good, they won’t take notice unless it’s like “MaLLy featuring This Bigger Name.” Your song with the bigger name could be horrible, and they’d still probably post it just because you’re with that bigger name. But if you take your time and post some nice shit and really show who you are, they might not pay attention to you.

W: Mind talking about that new album you mentioned earlier?

M: The new record that I’m putting together with The Sundance Kid is still in the brewing process right now. I got introduced to him by the guys in The Tribe & Big Cats, another hip-hop group outta the Twin Cities, and I remember them saying “you should check out this guy who makes beats, he’s really quiet, doesn’t say much and he’s a white guy.” Most people think that being a producer means you’ll always be out, dress in really nice hip-hop clothes, but Sundance is a really nice, laid back inconspicuous kind of guy. We sat down and talked about how we wanted to do a full album, alright, cool, but before that let’s try to release a couple of songs and build up some name recognition. So we started releasing the Free on the 15th songs, and this year we went down to SXSW and did a lot of networking, performing, and generally getting our name out there. Tentatively we’re going to call the new album “The Last Great,” but we don’t know yet, we’re still teetering around titles. But I’m really looking forward to it, and the musics’ dope, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

FREE SONG:
“Cloud Culture” is one of my personal favorites from MaLLy and The Sundance Kid’s “Free on the 15th” series, and luckily they’ve been kind enough to let us share it with you, dear readers, free online at Wakemag.org. Sundance drops a sweet, laid back beat with plenty of old-school string flourishes that fans of 9th Wonder or Sabzi should have no problem bobbing to. Mr. MaLLy shows us a taste of his effortlessly cool flow on the verses, delivering a feel-good hook that you’ll have trouble getting out of your head. I guarantee this tune’s gonna be a breakout summer jam after he rocks Soundset, so you might as well get on the MaLLy train early. You’re welcome.

Chris Kraus, the director of the pre-WWI drama, The Poll Diaries, knows how to use film to create powerful scenes, but falls short when it comes to pulling it all together.

Paula Beer plays 14-year-old Oda von Siering, a quick-witted girl who, after her mother’s death, moves into her father’s grand estate on the Estonian coast. In this decaying mansion live her stepmother, stepbrother, and an assortment of German and Russian aristocrats.

Oda quickly discovers that the father she has missed all these years is not the esteemed doctor she remembered, but a power-hungry surgeon obsessed with medical oddities and death. Upon meeting an injured Estonian anarchist on the property, she must decide who she should listen to—her father or herself.

This film takes place on the cusp of World War I, in a setting that combines people of German, Estonian, and Russian descent, and the tension is palpable from the second the film begins. The addition of familial and sexual strain brings moviegoers to the edge of their seats. Unfortunately, Kraus chose to draw out the scenes that the film could have done without and shorten the scenes that were the most compelling. As the film built up to its climax, I started to truly feel the characters and their emotions. But the next thing I knew it was over, and it ended in a way that can simply be described as slow and unsatisfying. The acting, the setting, the cinematography, the music—all of it was more than I could have hoped for. I just wish Kraus had a better eye for editing.

At MSPIFF, nestled between the serious documentaries and world cinema dramas is Canadian filmmaker Jody Shapiro’s How to Start Your Own Country, a comical documentary that examines what exactly it is to be a country. While Shaprio spends some time at the U.N. trying to get an official explanation from bureaucrats, most of the film focuses on small micro-nations, often no bigger than a farm, and their eccentric leaders. They include the Republic of Molossia, a small speck of land in Nevada with a population of six, the Hutt River Principality, whose leader, Prince Leonard, claims it is the second largest country on the Australian continent, and Sealand, a country formed on an abandoned WWII-era artillery tower in the North Sea.

Although many of these world leaders are goofy enough to make Mike Gould blush, Shapiro does treat them and their independence with respect. Why are these nations any less legitimate than major nations? Is it because they are not widely recognized? Yet there are plenty of nations around the world not recognized by others (Israel and Taiwan to name a few; the movie pints out that the Czech Republic does not recognize Liechtenstein). In the end, the title question remains unanswered, but that doesn’t mean How to Start Your Own Country is a failure. Shapiro plays to the film’s strengths (depictions of the wild and funny characters that decided to secede from their respective nations) and though the film isn’t as successful at going serious, its length (only 70 or so minutes) means it doesn’t spend a great deal of time on parts it doesn’t do well. All MSPIFF films are at St. Anthony and Main and the second showing is on May 2 at 9:30.

It’s getting closer to finals, and you know what that means. Time to get creative with your procrastination! Fortunately the Twin Cities art scene has just the event for this: the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.

This celebration of movies, held exclusively at the St. Anthony Main Theatre, started April 14 and runs all the way until May 5. New movies will be screened every day during this three week span.

The festival includes over 170 films from 60+ countries and, unlike other instances where this cliché phrase is used, there really is something for everyone. From a Norwegian quasi-documentary about giant trolls to a real documentary about why the hell China still has a presence in Tibet, the festival is a veritable smorgasbord of interesting topics.

The task of deciding which movies to see may seem overwhelming at first, especially to those of you who are new to all this, but don’t fret. I’m here to help. Before we get to the nitty gritty of movie selection though, here are a few need-to-knows:

1) If you REALLY want to see a certain movie, buy your tickets early. You can purchase them online at mspfilmfest.org or at the St. Anthony Main Theatre.

2) Arrive at the theater relatively early. Unless it is opening or closing night, there is no need to get there more than a half hour ahead of time. But don’t walk in as the movie is starting. For one, you probably won’t get a good seat. Secondly, people who attend this festival love movies—ones without distractions.

3) Take a chance! Don’t stick to the big names like Morgan Spurlock and Billy Bob Thornton. People who you don’t know make amazing films too.

This isn’t a “need-to-know” exactly, but you need to see at least one movie. This is the type of event where a lot of people, especially college students, think, “Oh, that’s cool, I’ll totally do that.” But when the weekend rolls around they’re back at the AMC seeing another predictable blockbuster. Don’t let this happen to you!

What’s so special about this film extravaganza? It’s easy to just ambiguously say, “There are over 60 countries represented.” But if you go to the film fest’s website (www.mspfilmfest.org) you can search by country, everything from Croatia to Greece to Uruguay to Kyrgyzstan. Also, there are multiple events still taking place throughout the run, including a free panel called “How To Make My Movie: The MN Flimmaking Scene” and social events at Barbette and the Triple Rock.

Of course there follows the whole problem of sorting through the 170+ choices and choosing the right ones to see. Because, even though I would very much like to, I don’t have the time or the money to see every movie I’m interested in. Luck for you, I watched every single trailer I could find for every single movie that is being shown, and simply read the description for those that don’t have a trailer. After that thrilling but time-consuming task, I’ve come up with a list of 18 movies that I would pay $9 (the price of a student ticket) to see that still have showings before the festival is over. Yes, these are my personal tastes and opinions, but considering three of my favorite films of all time are Brick, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Moulin Rouge, I wouldn’t worry about there not being a range.

Now all you have to do is choose. I know you can do it. And if you’re thinking right now about how you should be doing your final lab report or studying for the final in that class you despise, think about this—even though going to a movie seems like procrastination, you’ll probably learn and be inspired more during these films than most of your classes.

Hesher: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as metal loving anarchist alongside Natalie Portman and Rainn Wilson.

If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle: A Romanian film about a boy who runs into trouble just as he is about to be released after four years in a juvenile penitentiary.

Beginners: Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor explore the relationship between father and son when surrounded by death and life’s unexpected detours.

Better this World: Remember when the Republican National Convention came to St. Paul in 2008 and the two kids who tried to bomb it? This is the real story.

Dumas: A period piece about Alexandre Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, and his ghost writer.

Gigola: A French thriller about the Parisian lesbian underworld of the 1960s.

How to Start Your Own Country: Exactly like it sounds, but funnier.

Lila Lila: A German romantic comedy about a waiter who finds a romantic novel in the trash and passes it off as his own. According to the MSPIFF website, “A very good date movie.”

Madly in Love: Perfect for a “Girl’s Night Out” if you and your friends are looking for a movie that involves four women, the men they can’t help but attract, and isn’t Sex and the City.

Master Class Opera: You’ve always wondered about the mysterious world of opera. Now find out what it takes to become the next diva or divo.

Microphone: You heard about the citizen uprising in Egypt, now take a look at the underground arts and music scene that thrived in Alexandria despite Mubarak.

The Sleeping Beauty: From the director who created last year’s popular twisted fairytale Bluebeard comes another of the sort—this time combining elements of The Snow Queen, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, and more.

Stake Land: Yes, vampires. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it is said to combine the horror diehard fans crave with thoughtful storytelling.

Stuck Between Stations: This closing night film has everything Minnesotans love: a movie set in our city, a non-traditional love story, and local star Josh Hartnett.

Tomorrow Will Be Better: Three young boys begging, stealing, and running away across Ukraine to what they hope is a better life in Poland.

Twisted Roots: A touching and exquisitely shot Finnish film about a father trying to explain his rare genetic disease to his children, and how it will affect them.

Wagner & Me: Starring Stephen Fry, one of my favorite personalities, this documentary tries to answer the question, “Can a work of art ever be separated from its creator?”

Young Goethe in Love: A German costume drama following Johann Goethe, a young man who defies his family’s wishes and pursues his dream of becoming a poet. Goethe is considered one of the greatest figures in German literature.