Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Reflection Pond #7

jj - jj No. 2 (2009)

What the hell is stoner music? Does it turn into a magical elixir whenever you smoke a bowl, imparting infinite knowledge unknown under the auspices of soberhood? Remember back in the day when you supposedly could listen to a record in reverse and satanic verse would pull you into the darkside? Maybe that's what it is except this is some form of enlightenment Timothy Leary Ram Dass kind of thing. Although, when I happen to be under the roof of smoker's heaven, pretty much all good music is absolutely fantastic. It immerses me into a euphoric bliss that allows me insight into the nature of humanity and our deepening development as a species. This album is no different. Ram Dass says, "Psychedelics helped me to escape...albeit momentarily...from the prison of my mind. It over-rode the habit patterns of thought and I was able to taste innocence again. Looking at sensations freshly without the conceptual overlay was very profound." Perhaps that is the mantra of the band or maybe they just want to make good music. I personally appreciate what they are providing for my listening enjoyment. Light and airy, jj has the voice of heaven and you don't need to be in St. Paul's waiting room for stoners to understand that.


Frozen River - Courtney Hunt (2008)

I love this movie. Here's what I love about it. I love that it was written and directed by a woman. I love that it was a film about women. I love that it was a film about an american native woman. I love that it was made with people that look like real people. I love that it was made in someplace that no one's ever heard of but everyone can relate to. I love the natural and honest aspect of the film. This movie was just down to earth and great. It follows the story of a woman who is trying to make ends meet while she deals with the repercussions of a husband who has ripped her off to support his gambling addiction. In the process of trying to find him she stumbles across a Mohawk woman struggling to support a family of her own. Before long the two of them are smuggling undocumented workers by driving across the frozen river that runs along the border. They toil through a variety of moral issues before eventually getting busted. It's a wonderful and rare occurrence to come across a movie that attempts to look at the true experience of women in our culture. This is Courtney Hunt's first film but I am definitely looking forward to anything that she has to offer in the future.

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