07 | March | 2010

American: The Bill Hicks Story | SXSW 2010 Accepted Film

Much more than a comedian, Bill Hicks was and still is an inspiration to millions. His timeless comedy tackled the contradictions of America and modern life head on, as he skewered organized religion, railed against the hypocrisies of his government and exposed the collusion of the mainstream media, earning him censorship in the USA, but whose messages continue to resonate with subsequent generations. He also had some excellent dick jokes.

Pushing documentary storytelling in a new direction, AMERICAN uses a stunning new animation technique to bring the tale of one of modern cultures most iconic heroes to the big screen.

via SXSW

American website

Bill Hicks (Wikipedia)

Bill Hicks on YouTube

Bill Hicks.com

Sacred Cow

Hat tip: Justin D. Hilliard

Previous posts about Bill:

It’s Just a Ride

Bill Hicks on the Dennis Miller Show

Patton’s Graduation Speech

The Gates of Paradise are guarded by a pair of peacocks

That one man free, expressing his own thoughts and point of view, might somehow inspire others to think for themselves.

You are worth hundreds of sparrows

R.I.P. Poet and Sparklehorse Mark Linkous

sea of teeth

can you feel the wind of venus on your skin?
can you taste the crush of a sunset’s dying blush?
stars will always hand in summer’s bleeding veils

can you feel the rings of saturn on your finger?
can you taste the ghosts who shed their creaking hosts?
but seas forever boil, trees will turn to soil

stars will always hand in summer’s bleeding veils
but seas forever boil, trees will turn to soil

Hundreds of Sparrows

every hair on your head is counted
you are worth hundreds of sparrows
the tree you planted has become fecund
with kamikaze hummingbirds

wings of hundreds of beats per second
of people whose wings are just a blur
afraid our eyes might become impaled
by their sharp and tiny beaks

I’m so sorry
my spirit’s rarely in my body
it wanders through the dry country
looking for a good place to rest
your head upon my chest
and I can feel the pillow of your breast

you are worth hundreds of sparrows

Saint Mary

It’s a Wonderful Life

Saturday

Go – (Daniel Johnston) Sparklehorse with the Flaming Lips

6 March 2010

Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse has committed suicide, according to a report from Rolling Stone. His family has released a statement reading, “It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and family member, Mark Linkous, took his own life today. We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There’s a heaven and there’s a star for you.”

Linkous made his debut under the Sparklehorse name with the 1995 album vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, which yielded the minor hit “Someday I Will Treat You Good”. He went on to release three more acclaimed records of fractured, experimental alt-blues: 1999’s Good Morning Spider, 2001’s It’s a Wonderful Life, and 2006’s Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain, as well as the Danger Mouse/David Lynch all-star project Dark Night of the Soul and the Fennesz collaboration In the Fishtank. A voracious collaborator, Linkous also worked with PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Tom Waits, and many others.

Last year, Dark Night of the Soul was released as a book and a blank CD and leaked to the internet due to a legal battle between Danger Mouse and EMI. Earlier this week, it was announced that Dark Night of the Soul would finally receive physical release this summer.

via Pitchfork

R.I.P. Mark Linkous | Sparklehorse

He Sparkles: The Sad and Beautiful World of Mark Linkous

More via Rolling Stone