Welcome back to Pop Loser! This week, it was announced that FKA Twigs will star in an upcoming biopic (guess who!), Debbie Harry treated us to a Mother’s Day miracle, and Mick Jagger came out as a ZLut. And I saw the new Ann Wilson documentary, and I have thoughts. Plus, I’ll share the magical zither album that will remedy any form of writer’s block.
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This Week in Music
This week in Strangerland, I interviewed beloved KEXP DJ Kevin Cole about his early history at Amazon, the importance of human curation, and how it feels to be the subject of the new documentary, RADIOHEART: The Drive & Times of Kevin Cole. Dave Segal wrote about some new music you shouldn’t miss, and the death of Freakout Festival. I also spoke to Rachel Gardner, owner of Edmond’s record store, Musicology, about the lack of women-owned record stores in Washington.
In other local news, Bumbershoot has announced the arts programming for their upcoming Labor Day festival with new editions like a Euro bungee trampoline (which looks like a medieval torture device), geodesic dome experiences (with magic shows and puppets!), a comedy showdown, northwest short films, and UNA The Mermaid. Fan favorites like the fashion district, Gravity Park, Bumbermania!, and more will return.
It actually pains me to write this. I saw Ann Wilson: In My Own Voice on Monday night and was majorly disappointed. Within the first ten minutes, Ann revealed that she had asked her sister and bandmate Nancy to participate in the documentary, but she declined. After that, the topic of Nancy wasn’t only avoided like the plague, but she was cropped out of childhood photos, home movies, band photos, and performance footage. While I can appreciate Ann’s desire to reaffirm her legacy separate from her sister, the absence of Nancy felt distracting and cold. Another telling sign that Nancy was likely opposed to making the film was that they clearly did not have permission to play Heart music in the film. Even the most bland, talking-head-style rock docs can be made enjoyable by the strength of the music, but this didn’t even have that. Instead, the holes were filled with nondescript instrumental rock music and live recordings of Ann performing solo. It lacked essential structure; songs like “Magic Man” and “Crazy On You” would be mentioned, but never played. Albums were referred to, but the covers were never shown. I say this with love: This film should not have been made. Both sisters deserve better!
Un autre! Ever since the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody came out in 2018, it feels like the music biopics just keep on coming. I’m tired. However, this week’s announcement of a Josephine Baker biopic has me feeling optimistic. FKA Twigs will star as the America-born French expat, singer, dancer, and actress. Rising French director Maïmouna Doucouré, who debuted with 2020’s Cuties, will direct.
It’s a Mother’s Day miracle! Debbie Harry and Pamela Anderson will play mother and daughter in the upcoming comedy, Maitreya, directed by Jonathan Krisel (co-creator of Portlandia). The film will follow new age healer Maitreya (played by Anderson) as she brings her estranged family, including her mother (played by Harry), to a new age conference in India to process her father’s illness. There is no general release date yet, but the film will play at this week’s Cannes Film Festival.
Mick Jagger comes out (as a Zara Larson fan). The 82-year-old revealed to the Today Show that he’s a longtime ZLut. “My son said to me, ‘Oh, Zara Larsson is having a big comeback.’ I said, ‘But she never went away for me,’” adding that he’s loved the Swedish pop star since her 2018 hit “Ruin My Life.” “When I’m in that mood,” Jagger concluded, “that’s what I like.”
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Music Events Worth Your Hard-Earned Money This Week: 5/6–5/12
DRIP: Cheetah Girls Rave May 14, Kremwerk, 10 pm, 21+
Robert Lester Folsom with Kassi Valazza May 15, Tractor Tavern, 8:30 pm, 21+
The Music of Jane Austen with the Seattle Symphony May 15, Benaroya Hall, 8 pm, all ages
Ana Roxanne with Patricia Wolf May 15, Triple Door, 7:30 pm all ages
Trans Music Showcase with Fruitless Worship, Laser Beam, Astramori, and PTSD May 16, Chop Suey, 21+
Laraaji: Day of Radiance May 16, Saint Mark’s Cathedral, 8 pm, all ages
Anjimile with Townsend’s Solitaire May 16, Ballard Homestead, 8 pm, all ages
1st Annual Bryce Makela’s Harry Nilsson’s “The Point!” Live Score May 17, The Rabbit Box Theater, 6 pm, 21+
Dry Cleaning May 18, The Showbox, 8 pm, all ages
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The Songs That Keep Me Up at Night
“idea 1” by Kelela
Kelela has released two songs from her upcoming album, new avatar (out July 10), and I’m obsessed. The tracks “idea 1” and “linknb” both contain her signature harmonies and intricate electronics, but this time, with electric guitars. The result is reminiscent of Slowdive or late Cocteau Twins with elements of ’90s R&B and hip-hop (or, as one Redditor called, “Shoegaze Eleganza”). I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album, especially because there will be a collaboration with Pink Panthress (!!).
Ambient 3: Day of Radiance by Laraaji and Brian Eno
Emily Nokes so beautifully described the history and sound of the album in Stranger Suggests this week, writing: “It’s hard to describe the sound of a zither without using the word ‘shimmering’ over and over, but that’s exactly what it’s doing. Shimmering like sun, shimmering like water, slow-motion shimmering; when amplified, it sounds at once devotional and playful, like Laraaji himself.” In honor of Laraaji playing the album in full at Saint Mark’s Cathedral this Saturday, I must rant and rave a little more about the album. During my senior year of college, while I was juggling a full-time job and endless art history essays, I nearly wore out my vinyl copy of Ambient 3. Its moments of fast repetition and slow meditative breaks mimic a perfect workflow, and to this day, I turn to it when I’m feeling stuck, burnt out, or uninspired.
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