A change of pace

It's Sunday - so I figure I should reserve one day a week for no complaining.

Here's something I don't talk much about on this site.

Probably because it's positive. And oh how I love to complain...

But if there is anything in my life that I love - somewhere above film, but below God and family - it's music.

Music is the most powerful medium. Nothing transports us away from where we are like music. And some of us are fanatics for it. Me for one.

When someone says that they don't really have a favorite band or that they don't really listen to a lot of music - I have no understanding for that person. I personally can never have enough music. And I can't get enough - different kinds, from different countries - anything.

A couple of you out there love it too. David makes soundtrack cd's for each of the scripts he works on. Mr Dixon leaves lyrics at the end of each of his posts. Music is like a heartbeat to some of us.

So being here in LA - I decided to rush over to the Prommenade in Santa Monica yesterday to see the new Bond film. My Hotel isn't far - but getting my car from the valet took a bit longer than I thought - so I was running late.

I parked - ended up on the 9th floor - and was hustling to the theater - when I happened to walk by Tower Music and saw that everything was on sale cause they are going out of business.

That was like a huge rock of crack.

I have been in this story 4-5 times in the last few months looking at a DVD of a live show.

By a band called Calexico.

Last year - I was producing with David a series for Discovery called Psychic Witness. It was just what it sounds like - a group of psychic's helping cops solve murders. And we had a big California trip - like 12 days of shooting - but no directors. I was doing a bit of both. I started out directing on the series - and then was brought in to help David when his new son was born - but was still directing some reinactments - and now - with the directors out on the road - I took off to do the trip.

It was a kind of crazy trip - all over Northern California. We would shoot a day - then drive 4-6 hours - shoot that night - drive some more... That kind of thing. When we first arrived - I went to a Boarders book store and bought two CD's from this band Calexico.

When I buy something - I listen to it over and over - usually till I have it memorized. And I wore out those CD's driving through the dusty wineland. I will forever have the vistas of those places in my head when I hear their music.

By the time the trip was done - I had bought three more cd's from them.

And I continue to be obsessed.

They are incredible. And so it was with great delight that I was able to pick up their only live DVD - where they are playing in London with a full Mariachi band - for only $11.

If you like music with a jazzy - Mexican - southwestern flavor - do yourself a favor and pick up any of Calexico's work. It's great writing music - and it will do your heart good.

See? No complaining.

Needless to say - I missed Bond. Met up with my DP last night for dinner - and all three shows were sold out. We are going to see it today and Mann's. Now - I gotta get my pages for Ryan...

Spring is frozen now i’m stuck in low
wrapped with wire, tapped to the heart
can’t find no poison, now i’ve got no cure

one man’s righteousness is another man’s
long haul, sentence carried out
long haul, counting the miles
to the four corners of the world

hands are scarred, heart is charred
burnt though, and ashen
trip on fence post line
sifting through the remains
one man’s close pursuit is another man’s
last chance, make it through the divide
last chance, suffer the weight or get buried by this
black heart, sweeping over the land
black heart, crawling its way
to the four corners of the world

Calexico - Black Heart - Feast of Wire.