Niki N. Phaser

           For all of you interested in the iconic all-girl punk-glam pioneers, The Runways, you should clear your schedule for next spring. March 2010 will see the premiere of Floria Sigismondi’s biopic about the rise and fall of the short-lived phenomenon which was The Runaways. If you know what I’m talking about, you also probably know that Kristen Stewart will be playing Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning, Cherrie Currie, with Michael Shannon as the controversial manager of the band, Kim Fowley. The film is directed and written by Italian multi-dimensional artist, Floria Sigismondi. She knows her way around the music world, being the author of music videos for acts like The Cure (remember The End of the World), Sigur Ros, Marylin Manson, and plenty of others. She’s also responsible for the cool video for Bowie’s Little Wonder. Here’s a taste of how her unique vision fits a biopic:

RUNAWAY here

           Well, I have to say I stand corrected… After complaining that Placebo have a well-defined singles M.O., I’m pleased to see that the recently EMA Best Alternative winners have decided to take a slightly new direction by choosing Bright Lights as their new single from Battle for the Sun.

            It’s one of Placebo’s more  (if not the most) upbeat and bright-sounding tracks and they haven’t got too many of those, at least, not in such a mainstream sense of the word. Besides being a different sounding Placebo, Bright Lights is also an interesting lyrical work for Brian Molko. Thematically, this is for him what Ashes to Ashes was to Bowie — a cynical and ironic look at his “crazy livin”’. It feels as if, for the first time, he doesn’t hide behind a character anymore and acknowledges his real life persona, expressing regret over the choices he has made (speaking a lot about his life in the early days, thus distracting the attention from the music).

             The Heroes for Zeroes-directed video is also in tune with the song, as it starts with a dark setting only to end with Placebo playing on a background of blue skies — the journey from darkness to light that Battle for the Sun supposedly embodies. The single version of the song is slightly different than the album, as it features backing vocals by Val Etienne & Hazel Fernandes (Kylie Minogue, Jamiroquai).

BRIGHT LIGHTS VIDEO

Chances are that this very moment somewhere in the world two Bowie fans are fighting over which period was better. The work of a man who’s been 50 years in the music world should be divided in periods. For practical purposes, if not because of the sound and image changes. With such a huge catalogue and such a huge talent, there are plenty of non-single masterpieces to choose from, but right now I’ll go for 5.15 The Angels Have Gone from the 2002 classic Heathen, which probably has the most cool cover of all David Bowie albums. You can see from most of the Heathen tracks that the author was in a relaxed zone – there was no pressure, just the joy of making music or of playing it (the album features a few covers, including The Pixies’ Cactus). 5.15 The Angels Have Gone itself has a very chillout vibe, with plenty of seraphic choirs and bells and chime effects. Still, halfway in, you get a drum solo, performed most likely by Bowie himself and, of course, some slap bass (he just couldn’t help it). The airy sound contributes to imagery suggested through lyrics like “5:15 ,Train overdue, Angels have gone, No ticket”, which makes you believe that here Bowie sees limbo as this train station, where you change trains, which will take you either in Heaven or the other place. This is a very luminous piece of music, without it being upbeat. It’s not the kind of song that will cheer you up when you’re feeling down, but it will provide some sort of distance from whatever is happening in your life at that moment.

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE