This week we’ve pulled together our picks for some of the best music DVDs that have come out this year, along with a list of local shopping spots to get that last minute gift and maybe a few for yourself.

Local Shopping Spots

Online

Asizetoosmall.com – cool T-shirts and art from Jonathan Allen Till (his shirts are also being carried at Chielle. See below.)

Andenken – Art Gallery & Merch
www.andenken.com

Swamp/Conspiracy – Skateboards, Silkscreened Skate and Rock Posters by Lindsey Kuhn
www.conspiracyboards.com
www.swampco.com

Suburban Home Records – Record Label and Distributor
www.suburbanhomerecords.com

Yummies – Local Art Collective
www.theyummies.com

Shops

Divino Wine and Spirits
www.divinowine.com

TS – Skate, Snowboard, Streetwear
32 S. Broadway, Denver
2390 S chambers Rd, Aurora
5498 S. Parker Rd, Centennial
www.thriftystick.com

Imi Jimi – Boutique, Streetwear
13th & Pennsylvania St., Denver

Chielle – Boutique, Local Designers
26 Broadway, Denver

DC Gallery – Lowbrow Art, Books, Collectables
125 Broadway, Denver
www.dc-gallery.com

Macy Macy - Best Dog Boutique & Funky Stuff
1612 E 17th Ave, Denver

MUSIC DVDS

This week in Film Buzz our own Sarah Jaffe interviews Aaron Goldman, director of the new Lucero film, Dreaming in America, which is now available on DVD. Click here to check it out.

Against Me! – We’re Never Going Home

This DVD follows one of our favorite raw, punk bands here at Kaffeine Buzz, Against Me!, during their 2004 tour with our guys from Denver, Planes Mistaken For Stars, and from the other side of the pond, No Choice. I know that this in fact an Against Me! DVD, but it would have been cool to see a bit more of Planes other than the hotel scene where bass player Chuck French lost this shirtless arm wrestling match. That is my only complaint, which is a pretty weak one.

While at the mega show at Asbury Park, the guys stood out from the other 40 or so “bigger” bands like Taking Back Sunday with their tour buses, not vans, and stocks of beverages. Making the best of the situation, Against Me! did partake in some of Taking Back Sunday’s beer, and then padlocked the band into their dressing room. Hopping onto Story of the Year’s tour bus for a drink and ice, they were about to get kicked out by some guy UNTIL they mentioned that they were a BAND on Fat Wreck. Then they were golden.

One of the more interesting aspects was the discussion about the band’s future, which could result in leaving Fat Wreck to go to a major label, including Universal Records. On film all sides have a chance to speak their mind, from the fans to the Universal reps and the band. Contemplating the reality of their situation, Tom Gabel (vocalist/guitarist) expresses how surreal the world of a major label is, “We’re literally in a position where we’ve had someone say I’ll give you a million dollars to make a record. It’s fucking crazy. It’s insane. And it’s so far…so far from where anything we wanted to be as a band or anything we wanted to stand for.”

Then it was Virgin Records’ turn. The A&R rep took the band to see the Mets game in Chicago and proceeded to talk Tom’s ear off the whole time so he couldn’t enjoy the game. Yea, you don’t get something for nothing. But it’s still funny to see many more labels go through the biz talk turnstile with the guys, buying drinks and making promises…and drawing in little dollar signs on the eyes of one such A&R bloke on the footage was just priceless. To find out what their final decision was, go buy the DVD and keep the band going…then play the Drinking Game.

Check out this week's interview as our writer Jef Hoskins spends two sessions with the band, one with Tom Gabel and the other with Andrew Seward - click here.

Side note: Planes Mistaken For Stars began demoing new songs for their forthcoming LP in 2006, which is the "The Most Anticipated Releases of 2006" feature of Alternative Press in January. They have two shows coming up January 6 at the Hi-Dive, which will also be a fund raiser for Chuck French’s legal bills. To read more about this go to www.pmfs.net.

The Hives – Tussles in Brussels

For the avid Hives fan, this DVD has it all. We’re talking over an hour of concert footage with you in a front seat positions from all angles as the band rips out performances of “Abra Cadaver,” “Antidote,” “Missing Link,” “Main Offender,” “Statecontrol,” Walk Idiot Walk,” “Outsmarted,” “A Little More For A Little You,” and more.

Then there’s the 30 minute filmThe Hives, Hinduism and Me, which is an account of “one reporter’s search for truth and greater meaning of a rock’n’roll band.” Led by D.W. Johnson, an investigator reporter and other sorted resume listings, he narrates in a very ‘40s, man on the beat kinda way, complete with a hilarious storyline and comedic visuals ala Monty Python. This movie alone is worth the price of the DVD.

A music DVD has to obviously include their music videos. You know, those are those 3 minute movies that you used to see on television before the Internet. And ironically, you can’t see most videos without the Internet except on DVDs like this.

www.hivesmusic.com

Armor For Sleep – A Comprehensive Guide To Touring

If you’ve ever thought being in a band is glamorous, you’re about half right. The stuff you see – the playing, the drinking, the laughing and accolades with fans – is that one half. And then there are the realities of life on the road and in a van packed with people and boxes of food, day in and day out. In support of What To Do When You Are Dead, which includes a fabulous guide booklet, they hit numerous gigs.

You get to see more personal sides of each band member after they get off stage, and even their tour manager and his string of bad luck. In order to practice their acoustic sets they invade the weight room at the hotel, surrounded by exercise machines and singing while burning some carbs on the Stairmaster. The highs and the lows raise their head, from drunken after parties to hassles with security guards in New Orleans, who threaten to keep their gear locked up.

From the arduous process of seven people ordering food through a drive thru to hearing their songs coming from a car driving next to them on the highway, lead singer Ben Jorgensen sums it up this way, “I guess the best part of being in a band is to travel around and meet so many people from across the country…and now the world.”

Make sure to check out the Extra Features, which include music videos, bonus footage, a slideshow (that’s way better than your parent’s summer vacation of ’72), and even a pseudo MTV Cribs sequence with tours of each of their rooms, which pretty much look like what you would expect of band members who live on the road, except for P.J.’s room which has wall to wall bulletin board material. Go figure.

www.armorforsleep.com
www.equalvision.com

Pixies – Sell Out 2004 Reunion Tour

If you didn’t get a chance to see Pixies the first time around or during their reunion tour, you can do what movie goers do and just stay at home on the couch. There’s nothing like the real thing, but this is also way to remind yourself of what you missed during a the show or if you didn’t fly out to the Fuji, Voodoo, or Coachella festivals.

You have the option of seeing interviews between the concert footage, which do add a bit of background on why the Pixies decided to get back together. But some of what comes up in conversation doesn’t make sense.

Myles Mangino was the Production Manager/Lighting Director during their early years, counting 567 shows over a four year period. He states that before it was all guys going to the shows. Returning in 2005 it was mostly women. I didn’t see that on either end, having been there during both eras. It wasn’t a “guy” or “girl” kinda band then or now, they’ve just always been everyone’s band.

The Tour Manager for their reunion tour was Richard Jones, and his belief was that the Pixies were always perceived to be a European band. Maybe in Europe, but I don’t know anyone who thought they were from anywhere other than Boston.

When it comes down to it, it’s all about the concert footage, which will fill out an entire evening. The 15 bonus songs alone will take you around the world, front and center. Check out the special camera angle feature where you can view a performance of “Monkey Gone To Heaven” from six different camera shots.

www.pixiesmusic.com

-Kim Owens, December 16, 2005