Month: June 2009

Bob Mould is a man always on the lookout for a new challenge. After Hüsker Dü (one of the most celebrated rock bands ever) folded in 1988, Mould would helm another powerful trio, Sugar, before beginning a fascinating, ongoing series of solo releases that have ranged from introspective to danceable, from melodic to nearly chaotic. The enigmatic guitar (and cultural) hero is finishing up what promises to be a fascinating memoir to be published next year and has just released a rock-solid solo disc, Life And Times. Read our new Q&A with him and earlier ones from 2008 and 2002. Mould will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week.

Mould: Phantom Of The Paradise is a Brian DePalma spectacle that combines The Phantom Of The Opera, Faust and glam rock. The film was released on Oct. 31, 1974. Paul Williams is cast in the role of Swan, the svengali of Death Records, who is auditioning musicians for the opening of a revolutionary new club called The Paradise. Winslow Leach, a nerdy songwriter (played by Gerrit Graham), manages to get his song heard (and then stolen) by Swan. Classic rock ‘n’ roll insanity ensues. There is a brilliant scene that depicts Leach in a recording-studio control room, seated at the keyboard, working feverishly to complete his cantata for the opening night of The Paradise. Leach is wearing his owl-like Phantom helmet/mask, speaking through a vocoder/oscillator, surrounded by pills and sheet music. For some reason it reminds me of—or maybe foreshadows—Daft Punk. It is also surely a coincide that the cantata is written for, and about to be sung, by Leach’s love interest, whose name is Phoenix (played by Jessica Harper). Hmm.

The original title of the film was to be Phantom, but it was changed at the last-minute, to avoid potential legal conflict with the copyright holders of The Phantom comic strip. In addition, almost all references to Swan Song Enterprises, the ubiquitous media concern that was headed by Swan, were removed from the film. The instigator of said removal was Peter Grant, manager of Led Zeppelin, who had created Swansong Records (an actual label) just prior to the release of the film. Grant was a major thorn in the side of 20th Century Fox, and his threats to block the release of the film forced DePalma and 20th Century Fox to mask or recut major portions of the film. The original theatrical release was met with the sound of no hands clapping, except for, inexplicably, the city of Winnipeg, where the movie and soundtrack were enormous successes. In the intervening years, two Phantompalooza events have taken place in Winnipeg. I love showing this movie to bands on the eve of recording sessions. It’s a great way to get everyone, including myself, to unwind a bit before the big day.

Bob Mould is a man always on the lookout for a new challenge. After Hüsker Dü (one of the most celebrated rock bands ever) folded in 1988, Mould would helm another powerful trio, Sugar, before beginning a fascinating, ongoing series of solo releases that have ranged from introspective to danceable, from melodic to nearly chaotic. The enigmatic guitar (and cultural) hero is finishing up what promises to be a fascinating memoir to be published next year and has just released a rock-solid solo disc, Life And Times. Read our new Q&A with him and earlier ones from 2008 and 2002. Mould will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week.

Mould: The past few years have been heavy travel years for me. The combination of traditional touring and BLOWOFF DJ events means I am spending more time in the air. The airline industry has been under a lot of pressure, both due to the price of fuel and occasional safety issues. I am sympathetic to the difficulties of running an airline, but sometimes I wonder if certain airlines are listening to their customers. Occasionally, a company sets out to change the average customer experience, and in the case of Virgin America, they may well have succeeded. Virgin America is one of the newer domestic airlines, with service to limited destinations. I remember how revolutionary Virgin Atlantic seemed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and Virgin America has captured that same magic.

On every trip I have taken through VA, I was met by a friendly counter staff who truly seem to enjoy their work. Transactions at the counter have been painless, and they are not as heavy-handed on checked-bag weight overages as some airlines. (I have had terrible experiences with Northwest.) At the boarding gate, the staff are both professional and light-hearted, making pleasantries with the passengers while covering all the necessary FAA guidelines for passenger safety information. Once inside the plane, it is as if you have entered a swank lounge. Yes, it’s still coach, but the modern lighting and seat designs are a welcome change from some airlines who rely on an older fleet of planes.

The in-seat entertainment component includes a good selection of television and movies, plus a relatively deep audio library, from which you can create your own in-flight playlist. If you somehow end up seated away from your traveling party, you can keep in touch via seat-to-seat chat. (Other creative uses come to mind.) Many of the flights offer Wi-Fi; I am torn on this, only for the possibility of someone viewing something that might be inappropriate for the eyes of young children. To me, the crowning achievement is the food and drink service. Once the plane reaches a comfortable cruising altitude, the flight attendants make their initial run through the plane with the beverage cart. After that first run, you order food and drink through the on-screen menu, run a credit card through the screen or handset, and within seconds, your order is delivered. No more carts in the aisles!

There are a few drawbacks, however. What you gain with the on-screen service, which is embedded in the seat in front of you, you might lose your patience if a younger traveler is seated behind you, constantly punching the screen and disturbing your quiet time. I have also had problems with the self check-in kiosks at the terminal. There seems to be a recurring glitch that happens when attempting to pay for extra checked bags with a credit card. But all in all, Virgin America has reinvented several aspects of air travel, and I heartily recommend using them if your travel takes you anywhere along their service routes. Try not to punch the seat in front of you, though—on any flight.