Tell Two Friends, Ya'll

An old friend of mine has achieved something remarkable. He is doing what he loves, i.e., making movies. (Insert awe here) Truly, I admire anyone who's actually pursuing his passion in a real way. And for enduring nearly catastrophic levels of stress as a producer, there has been some reward. The film, Medicine for Melancholy, got in to South by Southwest! The screenings are this Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. . . it's all happening. People will be watching it on a large screen, possibly while eating popcorn. Holy shit.

I couldn't possibly summarize the film any better than their press release:

A love story of bikes and one-night stands told through two African-American twenty-somethings dealing with issues of class, identity, and the evolving conundrum of being a minority in rapidly gentrifying San Francisco—a city with the smallest proportional black population of any other major American city.

Intriguing, yes. Good, also yes! And not just supposed-to-like-it good either. I got to sit down with my very own pre-final copy last night, and I thought it was really great. Starting with the realistic take on the "morning after" sequence (not that I would know...), striking cinematography, smart dialogue, refreshing unknown actors playing characters you totally want to follow, right down to the subtle education on a subject I didn't know much about... hell, it was everything an indie movie should be. A lovely mix of intensity and lightheartedness wrapped in a scenic tour of San Francisco.

Wait, this is a music blog, right? Let's talk indie soundtrack. What a wonderful way to get a crash course in at least 10 new (to me) bands. Like the oh-so British pop-rock trio, The Answering Machine. I'm finding myself digging "Lightbulbs" more with each listen. Bloodcat Love just sounds like L.A., but in a good way. And perhaps my favorite, Au Revoir Simone, who will instantly chill you out with their self-proclaimed "triple keyboard action." For reals, I'm about 17 times calmer since I hit play on "Through the Backyards." Love those sleeeeeepy voices.
Then there's this other up-and-comer, what's his name, Tom Waits? Yes, Mr. Waits kindly permitted use of his song, "Lie to Me." He truly does it all. Musician, actor, source of a mysterious eponymous website(?), and friend of the little man.

Keep checking the website: http://www.strikeanywherefilms.com to find out when the film will be available near you. Then you can go see it and support some folks who are so indie, they make Harmony Korine look like, um, Michael Bay. (Suck it, analogies.) Just go see it.

Look - it's a trailer! (That charming song in the background is "Meet Me By the Water" by Saturday Looks Good to Me.)