No. 13: Tosh Recommends...

Stephanie LaCava, the film "Bronco Bullfrog," and Arctic Monkeys' "There’d Better Be A Mirrorball."

I discovered Stephanie LaCava when I found out my friend, the filmmaker and author Anna Biller, will be interviewing LaCava at Skylight Books. I couldn’t make it to the event, but I was intrigued by the author because she had published two books, one by Semiotext(e) and the other, most recent, by Verso. Two of my favorite presses meant that LaCava must be a writer of some worth or talent. The Superrationals (Semiotext<e>) takes place in the cold art world of New York, with a touch of Paris. The emotionally distant narrative brings a certain amount of emotion out of me, which made me desire her work. The same goes for her third book; I Fear My Pain Interests You (Verso), which deals with a daughter of a legendary rock n’ roll couple and how life is lived in such a manner of emotional relationships but still a distanced amount of feeling. Disconnection is very much the norm in the 21st century, and LaCava is the grand poet of that landscape.

A stunning no-budget British (or I should say ‘London) film made in 1969 by Barney Platts-Mills is like going into a record store and hanging out in the Mod section. Or, more likely, Skinheads than Mods. A great film about London life for the young and dis-spirited. The cast of non-actors is excellent, and this romantic story is about finding a space for oneself and others in a very tight and hostile landscape. Gritty to the acting and the black-and-white cinematography, Bronco Bullfrog somehow fell through the cracks of film distribution. This should be a landmark of New Wave British Cinema instead of an obscure work. Lucky us, the film is streaming on the Criterion Channel: https://www.criterionchannel.com/bronco-bullfrog

It’s hard to believe that somehow in my cultured daze, I missed the presence of the band Arctic Monkeys. They have done something like seven albums, and I must have been asleep at the wheel, and luckily, I didn’t crash (well, emotionally, yes). There’d Better Be A Mirrorball is perfect. The minimal electronics, the haunting piano riff, and the voice and words by Alex Turner. There’s a hint of Scott Walker in style or substance, but I think Edwyn Collins (of Orange Juice fame) is a near cousin, music-wise, especially in his lyric-writing skills. …Mirrorball is from their new album, The Car, which I will write about shortly. Nevertheless, take four minutes or so and watch the video down below. It’s from Later with Jools Holland.