ArtsEtc.
ArtsEtc. Editor:
ANN RIVALL, ARTS@BADGERHERALD.COM 257.4712 EXT. 141
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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2011
THE BADGER HERALD
Fleet Foxes’ sounds astound its listeners Seattle-based band climbs to pinnacle of sonic greatness through impressive sophomore effort ‘Helplessness Blues’ Daniel Niepow ArtsEtc. Writer
Photo courtesy of Collective Eye
Although no definitive solution is proposed, Taggart Siegel’s unique film exposes real-world issues regarding unsustainable food processes.
Documentary hopes to ‘rays’ awareness ‘Queen of the Sun’ film uses current plight of honey bees as microcosm for insight into global environmental state Stephen Dixon ArtsEtc. Staff Writer The last time a bee was the focus of a major motion picture, audiences narrowly avoided disaster in Jerry Seinfeld’s “Bee Movie.” This time, human civilization might not be so lucky, or so would argue the environmental documentary “Queen of the Sun,” from director Taggart Siegel, screening this weekend at Sundance Cinemas. “Queen of the Sun” is the latest in a growing line of environmental/ sustainability docs (“Food, Inc.,” “Mondovino,” etc.) that focus on the negative externalities of the corporatization of food production, using the honey bee as humanity’s most recent blunder. The documentary’s basic arc goes something like this: Honey bees are immensely underrated in their importance to agriculture, pollinating 40 percent of harvested edible crops and therefore a major force of sustainability. But as a result of various “big food” initiatives, like relocating different species to one location or the mass use of pesticides, bee populations across the world — though mostly in western nations where pesticide use has become de rigueur — are declining
at a rate so alarming the term “colony collapse disorder” has been coined to describe the phenomenon. Thus without bees, there can be no crops; without crops there can be no food, and so on until man starves itself because of its own profiteering and interference with nature. One of the film’s interviewees goes so far as to consider the bee crisis on an equal plane as climate change. “What are the bees telling us?” asks the film’s subtitle, hinting at the concern of human-bee symbiosis that underscores much of the film. The implied goal of “Queen of the Sun,” therefore, is to show the importance of bees, frame the scope of colony collapse disorder and propose areas of likely improvement. It succeeds with the first two, but stumbles on the third, making a convincing argument for the necessity of bees in sustainable agriculture but lacking any market-based ammunition to fire away at the corporations that are ostensibly to blame. Along the way we are introduced to various bee advocates, ranging from a shirtless yogi in France who screams tree-hugger to a Bronx-based rooftop beekeeper. Lending a
bit more talking-head credibility are Michael Pollan of “In Defense of Food” fame and Vandana Shiva, an Indian physicist. The story of a man whose biodynamic farm — a pesticide-free operation where varied plants benefit each other’s growth — gets dusted by a neighboring field’s pesticides is central to Siegel’s argument. It’s a global problem, the film argues, requiring a massive cooperative effort not unlike the coordination it takes for a colony of bees to maintain its hive. The dominant lesson throughout is that man’s interference with natural rhythms comes at a cost, and that going au naturel is more of a path to prosperity than trusting food production entirely to the magic hand of the market. Cooperation should be valued over competition and, like the bees, the group is of higher concern than the individual. But “Queen of the Sun,” for all its quirks, lacks the practical exclamation point required in a documentary that really seeks to effect change. The problem might be real, and nature’s patience for the human profit motive is likely waning, but the documentary brings little to market. Foodie favorite
“Food, Inc.” demonstrated in 2008 how organic foods can even be sold by a corporate behemoth like Wal-Mart; “Queen of the Sun,” meanwhile, offers little more in the way of sustainability than the suggestion for individuals to maintain hives in their backyards as they would a garden or chicken coop. It’s unclear if the average consumer has a socially-conscious way for voting with his or her dollar, a way to contribute to the cause on a small scale. The only equivalent for organic milk or local farm-stand produce seems to be the knowledge that bees are in danger and the pursuit of growth needs to be curbed. For better or worse, if it don’t make dollars it don’t make sense, so don’t expect Monsanto to be closing up shop any time soon.
QUEEN OF THE SUN TAGGART SIEGEL Featuring: MICHAEL POLLAN VANDANA SHIVA
For nearly three years, fans of Fleet Foxes have waited in anxious anticipation for another full-length album. The band’s self-described “baroque harmonic pop jams” instilled a sensational new hunger in many — a desire for more of this refreshingly original and beautifullycrafted music. At last, the wait is over. Helplessness Blues marks the band’s sophomore album, and it has more than lived up to expectations. Despite its seemingly dark title, the album is still replete with the same sense of wonder and joy many fans have come to know so well. There is nostalgia, poignancy, despair and love embedded in deeply harmonic folk tunes. The music has an earthy, homegrown feel characteristic of Fleet Foxes’ style. This “natural” feel permeates every track, giving listeners the impression the music sprang up from the ground and wove its way through dense forests before reaching urban ears. The emotional range is astounding, too. Some tracks are quiet and introspective, while others are full of exuberance and carefree abandon. The opening track, “Montezuma,” is more on the introspective side. In the second verse, lead singer Robin Pecknold quietly observes the power of time and death by singing, “In dearth or in excess both the slave and the empress/ Will return to the dirt, I guess, naked as they came.” The album is full of other pieces of wisdom and simple observation, showcasing Pecknold’s unique songwriting capability. But he is still the common man’s philosopher; he writes without pretense or unnecessary ornamentation. His lyrics encapsulate his understanding of beauty in a simple, awestruck way. “If I know only one thing, it’s that everything I see of the world outside is so inconceivable often I barely can speak/ Yeah
I’m tongue-tied and dizzy and I can’t keep it to myself,” he sings in the title track. Pecknold is also a storyteller. Many songs carry a narrative quality that draws listeners into his dream rich worlds. “Lorelai” and “Battery Kinzie” are both captivating tales of old love. The use of violin adds an interesting new flavor to the band’s style. On the second track, “Bedouin Dress,” there is a snaking violin line after the first verse. Its inclusion seems natural and simple, as if it had always been an unquestionable part of Fleet Foxes’ folk ensemble. In “The Shrine/ An Argument,” the group exposes a raw, chaotic side. Pecknold abandons his usual sweet, refined singing for a grittier sound in the refrain. Toward the end of the song, the boys veer away from the same instrumentation as well. A swirling cacophony of various instruments brings the song to its conclusion. It offers an eerie look into unexplored territory for the group. Helplessness Blues doesn’t really offer anything dramatically different than its predecessor, but that’s part of what makes it so great. Members of Fleet Foxes have perfected such a refreshing new style that they don’t need to redefine themselves from album to album. Yet listeners will still find something satisfying and original in each track. There is probably no better way to usher in the spring than with a brand new set of Fleet Foxes’ beautiful, earthen tunes.
HELPLESSNESS BLUES FLEET FOXES
ARTSETC. FEATURE
City of Madison ‘harbors’ celebrated psych-rock band All Tiny Creatures has enjoyed developing own ‘pseudo-kraut’ sound within hometown border Emily Genco ArtsEtc. Staff Writer With a band name like All Tiny Creatures, it seems fitting to describe its sound as chameleonic. Just as chameleons change their skin according to their body temperature, members Thomas Wincek, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Ben Derickson and Matthew Skemp create their psychedelic and experimental brand of rock by transforming the sound of traditional instruments including guitar, bass and drums. “I like the idea of using the standard instruments that you find in a rock band like guitars and bass but thinking about how you can process them and change them into something that doesn’t necessarily sound like that any more,” Wincek said. All Tiny Creatures began as Wincek’s solo project. “I think we’ve definitely
developed a style and a sound instead of having it be this personal project,” Wincek said. A musical project that began as an exploration of process pieces has been garnering critical acclaim in Madison. The A.V. Club ranked “An Iris” Madison’s top song in 2010. Saturday, All Tiny Creatures played at the Project Lodge alongside Icarus Himself and Stükenberg, two other Madison bands that received high honors on the list. “It’s nice to be in a town where the people writing about music recognize what you’re doing,” Wincek said. “It’s cool that people are open and receptive to the music in your hometown.” All Tiny Creatures released its first EP, Segni, in 2009. Between the EP and Harbors, the fulllength album released in March, All Tiny Creatures created a series of mixtapes designed to introduce singles off the album. “We did the mixtapes
to bridge the gap, and recorded a bunch of new material for them too, just Andy and I,” Wincek said. “The idea was that it would all blend together. I’m actually really happy with the way those turned out.” The group’s sound transcends notes and chords. Instead, it attempts to explore the texture of sound through the music, Wincek said. “We’re doing a lot of micro looping and taking a small snippet of sound and repeating it a lot and then processing acoustic sound with different computer methods,” Wincek said. For All Tiny Creatures guitarist Fitzpatrick, musical interpretation lies in recasting existing sounds and musical techniques. “The process in working inspires me the most actually; just coming up with a problem or a solution to a problem that’s really specific,” Wincek said. “What if I put these constraints on a song or a chord progression?” All Tiny Creatures
Photo courtesy of All Tiny Creatures
Local band All Tiny Creatures has been praised for its latest album release, ‘Harbors,’ a follow up to its first-ever EP, ‘Segni.’ strives to create an alternate reality for listeners, Wincek said. The group prefers to play without illumination from houselights. “We had this idea pretty early on to perform in the dark,” Wincek said. “People try to ratchet up the intensity by jumping around and being really intense on stage. I like doing the opposite and presenting alternate zones where you can listen and still have an immersive experience... I think people appreciate less intense lighting [when] the house
lights are down.” He added it can be difficult to categorically situate the music All Tiny Creatures creates. “We’re coming from a lot of different places as individuals and collectively,” Fitzpatrick agreed. “We’re not really going for a certain style necessarily. I think at first we were trying to do this pseudo-kraut rock, taking music from the ’70s with really repetitive drums and doing a revival of that. I think it’s gone well past that at this point.” All Tiny Creatures
seeks to create moments where its music surpasses everyday emotions, Wincek said. Without a narrative structure, the music this local foursome creates echoes, floats and trills as if listeners are eating pop rocks while watching a flickering stream of conscious movie. Sound explodes in soothing bursts with whimsy for flavor. Catch All Tiny Creatures as they open for the Sea and Cake on May 18 at the Frequency. Doors open at 9 p.m.