Drawing Restraint 9... Pants Yell!

Matthew Barney - Drawing Restraint 9 [trailer] (2005)

Matthew Barney's intricately constructed worlds of imagery solidify him as one of my favourite artists. His overwhelming works transcend medium (sculpture, video, performance) and any construct of normalcy. The product is something unforgettable that sometimes takes a bit of time to digest (my friend Maren is still horrified from when I unknowingly exposed her to a graphic scene in number four of his first series The Cremaster Cycle). Barney's latest effort, Drawing Restraint 9, features both the soundtrack and acting of Bjork (Barney's wife) on a Japenese wailing ship. I haven't seen the piece yet, but it's supposedly an epic full of characteristic liquid wax and metaphorical developmental proccesses. Bringing together the creativity of two of the leading visionary artists from our generation will not disappoint, and I'm convinced the Barney-Bjork child will one day rule the planet (I hope).

For the music types, the song featured in the trailer is Bjork's "Storm"... one of the eleven songs from the soundtrack that also features Will Oldham (can this get any better?) on the first track "Gratitude". Teasers of the songs are available through the embedded player at Bjork's Drawing Restraint 9 site.

Apparently, the film is being played in theaters in Manhattan starting today and the New York Times just published a review. Checkout an interview with Barney about the film here. [*UPDATE: Drawing Restraint 9 is being played selectively around the country over the next couple months, so checkout the schedule that includes many major cities]

Pants Yell! is a band I picked up through You Aint No Picasso. Their cheery pop fronted by characteristic quirky, male indie vocals pairs a careless mood with a necessary casual self-consiousness. It's perfect for a freshly showered indie kid laying out for a picnic, sipping a wine spritzer out of a brightly colored plastic cup with a curly straw and contemplating the rays of sunshine hitting his teen love's new tattoo. His little white battery-powered radio and overgrown black hair are extremes on an afternoon refreshingly full of color, a color he hopes to absorb after the pale winter by rolling up his cigarette jeans and down his brown argyle socks.

Pants Yell! - Your Feelings Don't Show (mp3)

Packing a picnic? Don't forget the beats. Take a walk to your local record store (Strictly Discs or B-Side in Madison) to pick up Pants Yell!'s new album out April 7th.