Film School >> You're the only one that I have seen so clear

California Month, tremor #13:

Film School - "Time To Listen"

(Hi-Speed Soul Records, 2010)

Funk sista Lorelei takes the mic by storm on this truly stunning song, likely the best song of 2010.  Seeing them perform it live last September in a half-full Spanish Moon was one of the highlights of my concert-going life (which reached 20 years this month, I just realized).

"You're the only one that I have taken here / You're the only one that I have seen so clear / You're the only one who knows I'm here." = Such a brilliant way of singing about love without resorting to actually using the l-word... except that when I examined the lyrics more closely, I found out it's actually a breakup song.  Maybe this explains the album title?  I think the protagonist is not sure about whether the breakup should occur.  See the full lyrics here and decide for yourself.  This song really encapsulates everything that Blowtorch Baby stands for.  Its near-feline feminine grace opens up a whole new career vista for what was already one of the best bands in America, though they had made inroads to this style with the songs "Florida" and "Lectric" on their previous album.  It's warm and romantic enough that it would've been a perfect song to play over the closing credits of a John Hughes movie, yet it's icy and moody enough to use during the chase scene of a film noir from the '50s.  Even if it didn't erupt into that elegantly massive chorus at the 1:40 mark, it'd still be one of my favorite songs, just based on the tension in the verses.

According to the band's Facebook page, "The four designs we've chosen are Jellyfission, Zebra, TigerFish and
 Monkeyshine, starting with Jellyfission by Stella Lee (jstellalee.com), which we'll be selling on tour."

Two members of the band sporting a winning design

Cover of LP (all copies on clear vinyl), basically a solarized version of the CD cover shown above

After apparently being dropped by indie heavyweight Beggars Banquet (who are squarely to blame for never releasing "Two Kinds" as a single from their previous album... see my next post), Film School signed to a new label called Hi-Speed Soul.  HSS are mainly known for reissuing some classic Swervedriver recordings; the Swervies are one of Film School's biggest influences, and the two bands toured together in '08.  F.S. arrived at a poppier sound by adding more synths and female vocals (including lots of co-ed harmonizing) to their sound, which upset some of their post-punk-leaning fanbase.  The poppier new songs have more bite in concert than on record, one of the reasons why I hope Film School will release a live album someday.

Some pics taken in White Sands, New Mexico, in 2008; photographer unknown:

This is probably the best photo ever taken of a person.

If I had to spend the rest of my life doing nothing but listening to this song and gazing at that photo, I would die happy.  It reminds me a bit of the iconic film still of Jenny Agutter that I used in this blog's second post.

Planets with similar climates: Bleach - "Seeing" (1991), Lush - "Sweetness And Light" (1990), The Church - "Shadow Cabinet" (1984), Slowdive - "Sing" (1993), Band Of Susans - "Estranged Labor" (1990), Sonic Youth - "Becuz" (1995) & "I Dreamed I Dream" (1982), The Stone Roses - "I Wanna Be Adored" (1985/89), Puro Instinct - "Stilyagi" (2010).