Monday, October 29, 2007

Review: Babyshambles: Shotter's Nation

My Babyshambles review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com



Babyshambles
Shotter's Nation
Astralwerks
2007

It's been a long time; it's been a long, lonely time in the life of Mr. Peter Doherty. The man has been through heartache courtesy of a dame named Moss, he was kicked out of his first band The Libertines and suffered through much publicized trials and tribulations of his never ending never ending drug habit. Throughout these troubled times, the main ingredients to Doherty's magical muse has been missing. What happened to the poetic brilliance in his music that I have loved since his good old days as a Libertine?

Doherty's output since his oust of The Libs has been good, bad and everything in between. Peter seems to create three minute pop gems like "Killamangiro," "For Lovers" and "Beg Steal and Borrow" but when it comes to full-length albums with Babyshambles like Down in Albion, the results are frustratingly lacking. And this is from someone has dubbed Peter Doherty the savior of modern rock and roll. What we have heard from this reluctant liberator of rock is shades of greatness but leaves me waiting for the potential greatness he has harnessing inside of his tortured soul.

I have to admit for a while there I gave up on Pete Doherty. I have serious problems about rock stars that make the news for anything but the music they create. But it's not just his live fast, get high and arrested reputation, but for me there were also personal reasons, from a former flame that shall remain nameless, that was keeping me from listening to musical output of his addictive soul.

I had heard that Pete was in the process of cleaning up his act again and had hired former Smiths and Blur producer Stephen Street to helm the sessions for his latest album. Nothing heals like the time and rhythms of music. So after hearing the news, I decided if I can forgive Morrissey for standing me up me and a legion of fans at a show, once upon long ago, in Austin, Texas that I know I can give Peter a second chance.

Just like old times, I actually went out to an indie record store in Pasadena to purchase Babyshambles' Shotter's Nation. Any fear or doubts I had about the abilities of Peter Doherty have temporary ceased for Shotter's is 44 minutes of righteous rhythms and memorable muse. It's not perfect but you can hear how the work of Ex-Clash member Mick Jones failed miserably on Down in Albion. Street did Pete right by capturing the true artful soul of Doherty his band.

Things start off slow—"Carry Up the Morning" is probably the weakest track on the record. One of the problems that I have found with the `Shambles is that Doherty's words are perfectly stripped down only with his acoustic guitar. That's essentially what was wrong with just about all the music on Down in Albion save for "Fuck Forever" and "Albion." The band sounded flat.

Nevertheless, things pick up with the first single "Delivery." Now this is the song that actually should have started off the album. It has the spirit of The Libs with a new found spark that Doherty has encountered on his days and nights of excess. Most of the songs deal with turmoil, abuse or lovesick woes.

Think of Shotter's as Albion blues with pop purity courtesy of Babyshambles' brawn and Doherty's unique view on life. He may be down and out but there's hope in his voice and lyrics. He's the anti-hero who never gives up. Listen for the guitar riffs and mighty beats on "You Talk" and especially on "Deft Left Hand." The mixture of those stellar sounds with Doherty's melancholy musing, "Destined to drone in a monotone on your radio is a dream of mine," is the perfect blend of post modern pop that I have been longing to here from this poet. Some songs like "French Dog Blues" have been available for a while as demos but the finished versions bring out a new light on the group's sound. On songs like "Baddie's Boogie" they sound tighter, more refined, classic and nouveau in the same beat.

Two songs personify the greatness of Pete and Babyshambles, namely "There She Goes" and "The Lost Art of Murder." The later is an acoustic classic with Bert Jansch trading licks with Pete, as Doherty lays down his aching vocal "You call yourself a killer but you're only killing time." These words reflect the truth behind the last few years of this troubled troubadour. "There She Goes" has a "What Katie Did" like backbeat with Doherty's soulful vocal. Make no mistake, this lover and fighter is back from the ropes with an album worthy of his name and his legacy.

Does anything on Shotter's best anything from Up the Bracket or The Libertines? Close, but that's not the point. It's like asking of any album from Harrison, Lennon or McCartney topped any work that the Beatles did during their lifetime—of course not. Unfortunately when you become an artist like Doherty has, everything you do will be compared to the outstanding output of your past glories.

At least Doherty is on his way back on the road to immortality. On "The Lost Art of Murder" Pete sings, "Do you think they'll change their minds?" You changed mine. All I ask is to lay off the excess and continue down your path of greatness with that timeless voice as heard on the beautiful "The Lost Art" that I know and have adored for so long. I missed you mate, it's good to have you back.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.29.2007

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Review: Truly Great Album Series: Radiohead: Amnesiac

My Amnesiac review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com



Radiohead
Amnesiac
Capitol
2001

"After years of waiting/ nothing came..."

These are the first confusing words I heard by Thom Yorke circa 2001 from "Packt Like Sardines in a Tin Box" on the follow-up to my favorite Radiohead album, 2000's Kid A. I loved that album; it came out during my first year living in New Orleans, and my neighbors, friends and I would sit up all night long listening to it, discussing it and analyzing it while drinking and getting high. Kid A always equates to a year of happiness and freedom.

In contrast, Amnesiac reflects a numbed feeling, expressing emotions of confusion, anger and doubt while questioning our lives, our future and present unwrapped in a state of fear and uncertainty, which would come to a climax months later on September 11. Just listen to the lyrics from "Packt": "As your life flashed before your eyes, you realize/ I'm a reasonable man/get off my case, get off my case."

Yorke spoke of the recording sessions for Kid A that ultimately became Amnesiac: "It goes off in two ways. One is like very broken machinery (Kid A). The other is really fat and dark (Amnesiac). I played one of the songs to Björk and she said it sounded like I'd just seen something really frightening, then gone and written about it. It's sort of bearing witness to things."

This is not an uplifting album at all, not that Radiohead ever wrote shiny happy lyrics. But to hear Amnesiac is to hear the soundtrack to a lost generation living in 2001. Thom Yorke has described Amnesiac as being "the sound of what it feels like to be standing in the fire." Just listen to lyrics like "Jumped in the river, what did I see?" on "Pyramid Song" which, to me, has the vibe of a funeral procession. Listen to the piano keys that Thom plays like a loop over and over again as he sings, "All my lovers were there with me/ all my past and futures/ and we all went to heaven in a little row boat."

The next song, "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors" sounds like what Radiohead imagines what life in a coffin would be like: "There are doors that let you in and out but never exit..." It's as if Yorke is singing a warning to those deeply lost and thinking of breaking through this mortal coil. The sound of the afterlife brought to life by Radiohead as Thom sings, "...there are trap doors that you can't come back from." The drums and beats actually sound like they are beating down on a sardine can, very metallic and cold mirroring the coldness of Thom's lyrics.

"You and Whose Army?" is one of the finest songs that Radiohead played live when I saw them in New Orleans. I could tell that Thom loves playing that song, as he sat at the piano singing the songs, twirling his fingers in the air, inspiring us to get up and stand up for our rights. This is a call to arms song. It's the same song that Thom loves to dedicate to George Bush. One of the best songs of the album, it's one of my favorite from the Radiohead canon and reflects the turning point of Amnesiac. You could say that this is where the band wakes up, lights the spark for the revolutionary promises that they continued in the songs and sounds of Hail to the Thief.

"I Might be Wrong" is next and the song closest to the Kid A vibe that I loved so much, reminding me of the funky beats of "Idioteque." "There was no future left at all/ I used to think/ Start again, begin, again." The lyrics tie in the emotions that Thom sang about at the beginning of the record with the positive spark from "You and Who's Army." The death theme comes back stronger than ever in "Knives Out." I do love the first line, "He's not coming back." But then it turns into a cannibalistic paradise of murder and loss that only Thom and Radiohead can bring to life. This disturbing yet catchy song is the most traditional sounding of all on Amnesiac and is also a live favorite.

"Morning Bell" is the only song that truly links Kid A to Amnesiac. I imagine that if Thom and the band had followed their original plan by releasing both records together as one double album, a-la The Beatles' White Album, this song would be Radiohead's reprise or slight return, if you will. Speaking of The Fab Four, Thom name-checks The Beatles song "Yer Blues" on "Dollars and Cents," the song's themes dealing with the effect that currency has on our lives. Money is as a weapon used to "crack (y)our little souls." As you may recall, after 9/11 Bush told us to go spend money. In other words, get yourself into debt and become slave to credit companies.

"While you make pretty speeches/ I'm being cut to shreds" is a reference to all the words spoken by both Bush and Tony Blair. "And this just feels like spinning plates/ I'm living in cloud cuckoo land." Like Dylan, Morrison, Lennon and McCartney before him, Yorke captures our life in chaos perfectly. When someone plays Amnesiac in the future and hears those lyrics, they will realize that Radiohead perfectly bring to life the experience of being alive during one of the most turbulent times in our world's existence.

Amnesiac doesn't end with a bang but more with simply vivid song evocating the sound of a New Orleans funeral song. Whenever I hear "Life in a Glasshouse" it always brings me back to the 504. It sounds like a Deep Southern procession but listen closely as Yorke foreshadows the loss of our freedoms and rights when he sings, "Well of course I'd like to sit around and chat, only, there's someone listening." I hear this song as a death to our personal liberties. Thom brilliantly uses images of a friend being blinded by lies as she puts on a smile, life in a glasshouse. Thom wants us to shatter the glasshouse with truth, but with fear of retribution, his friend is afraid of speaking up because she fears that someone is listening. This is a beautiful yet haunting song that leaves us pondering not only the future of our favorite band, but also the current state of our very own lives.

For these reasons, to me, Amnesiac remains the most underrated album in Radiohead's history. It was the one album that I had the hardest time listening to. I now realize that Thom was speaking the truth about the beginning of a new world of mistrust, deceit, apprehension and disillusionment with the world we were living in at that confusing time. This is a brilliant album and with the release of In Rainbows, besides Hail to the Thief, Amnesiac is the one that I keep coming back to. There's beauty here, loss also lives within the scared sounds of Amnesiac. Don't be afraid, this album is like looking in the mirror and getting lost in the sound and reflections of a misplaced treasure filled with songs from a time of chaos, uncertainty and doubt.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda

10.25.2007

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Review: Various Artists: About A Son: Music from the Picture Soundtrack

My About a Son review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com



Various Artists
About a Son: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack
Barsuk
2007

In Everett True's incredible book called simply Nirvana: The Biography, he writes about how The Ramones have been co-opted by the mainstream. And he's right, everyone wears a Ramones shirt now a days. I, myself, saw this past weekend an affluent, Beverly Hills divorcee sporting a Ramones t-shirt the other day, and I would bet she couldn't even name a member of the band. True's point is that no one in the rock establishment wears a Nirvana shirt. They have been dismissed and overlooked by everyone except by the kids. The teenagers are the only ones who sport Nirvana shirts because in True's words, "the kids understand."

Unfortunately, the movie About A Son and its soundtrack may not be for the kids. They may not get it. The sad thing is that many might not see this amazing film that only shows one picture of Cobain at the end. This movie and this soundtrack is not an MTV rockumentary about the rise and fall of Nirvana. All you have to do is click on YouTube or watch classic VH-1 or MTV to watch Cobain smash guitars on stage and see clips from all of their videos. About A Son is not that sort of film.

Think of About A Son as Imagine: John Lennon meets Koyaanisqatsi. The Imagine movie had John Lennon narration throughout. But unlike Lennon's docu-film which shows performance footage throughout his life, Son is has more a Koyaanisqatsi picturesque feel. Koyaanisqatsi means life out of balance and the film showed images of cities and natural landscapes of America. Cobain's narration and the beautiful shots of every day American life makes this film more than a visual tone poem, and while listening to the soundtrack you will hear that About A Son, is a discovery inside the mindset and life of a creative artist who was a working class hero, just like you and I.

The soundtrack CD mixes Cobain's narration with bands that Kurt admired and original music composed by Death Cab for Cutie singer/lyricist Benjamin Gibbard. Listening to this CD, one gets the feeling this is the type of soundtrack that Cobain would have loved. He probably wouldn't have enjoyed listening to voice in between most of the tracks but the selection for the bands would have been to his liking. Everyone from The Melvins, The Butthole Surfers, Iggy Pop, R.E.M. and Bowie are included on this soundtrack. This is the perfect Under The Influence-like mix CD that speaks the all of the artists whose words and music inspired the voice of our generation.

Some of Cobain's favorite songs are on here, including "Man Who Sold The World" by David Bowie and "Son of a Gun" by The Vaselines in their original incarnations before Kurt and Nirvana famously covered them during their magnificent career. After listening to the final strands of Gibbard's hauntingly beautiful cover of Beat Happening's "Indian Summer," you will be compelled to see this amazing film. I know I will be there. This soundtrack is more than homage to Kurt Cobain. Listening to the disc makes me want to go unfold and put on my Nirvana t-shirt, proudly, as a tribute to the one we knew and loved and the unfinished legacy he left behind.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.15.2007

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Review: Múm: Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy

My Múm review can be found (click here) on treblezine.com



Múm
Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
Fat Cat Records
2007

When one thinks of the ever eclectic Icelandic music scene three artists come to mind: Bjork and her original band The Sugarcubes and of course, the band that makes grown men weep because of their eccentric beauty, Sigur Rós. Yet one of the most underrated bands from Iceland that you may have heard, though not necessarily by name, is Múm. Honestly, before a few years ago I didn't know who the hell Múm were either. But this all changed when I saw the movie Wicker Park. There's a particular scene in the movie when Matthew, Josh Hartnett's character, follows Lisa, the girl of his dreams, to her dance recital. During this recital, we see her dancing to the elegant splendor of "We Have a Map of the Piano" by Múm. Hartnett watches Lisa as Kristín Anna Valtysdottir sings, "please don't float so far." The vocal echoes the yearning inside of Matthew and how he feels from a distance; it's the perfect blend of music and film. It was as if "We Have a Map of the Piano" was written for that scene. It wasn't but watching Lisa dance in front of you, you'd think otherwise.

Múm is more than a soundtrack band, a-la The Fray, however, having recorded a plethora of albums, including 2002's magnificent Finally We are No One. For those of you familiar with Múm's trademark minimalist electronic sound, you will notice a change from 2004's Summer Makes Good. Now with Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy, there's a shift to a greater use of live instrumentals and less of a focus on electronics. No worries, the trademark tenderness of Múm is still there, they just have expanded their pallet with new shades to color their soundscapes with more infinite beauty.

I love the addition of horns in the opening number over the toy piano keys in "Blessed Brambles." The little organic sounds that Múm is infamous for are still prominent throughout that keeps the trademark vibe, but now with the live instruments we get a little bit of powerful substance over their stylistic overtones as you will hear throughout Poison Ivy. It's fantastic how they start off a song with one sound like the accordion on track two, " A Little Bit Sometimes," and grow from there, but bit by bit as they slowly add drums, keyboards and vocals in layers, the song is like a painting coming to life. Múm didn't give up the electronics altogether, they just aren't as reliant on the sequences as they were in the past. Listen to "They Made Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded" and your worries will be at ease. The song starts off with some childlike sampling and electronic resonance and builds with exploding percussion that will grab you and have you dancing in an instant.

If something seems missing, well, it is—founding member Kristín Valtysdóttir is no longer with the band on this album. She was one of my favorite members of the band, but not to fret, Múm is a collective who's not defined by one member. Poison Ivy is my favorite album of Múm's, as they have evolved into a proper band who doesn't need electronics to create their unique sounds, and sound livelier than ever. Just listen to my favorite track, the jazzy flavored "I Was Her Horse." They add a new level of humanistic intimacy that lifts their trademark sound into deeper substance to be felt by all who enter inside their world of music and wonder.

That's what I adore about Múm; to me, they are the soundtrack to our hopes, dreams and imagination. What sets them apart from fellow country mates Sigur Rós is that Múm actually sing in English, rather than the fictional "Hopelandic." You can understand what they are saying and their amazing rhythms take you to a place beyond consciousness. Múm's Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy lifts the listener up, inside and all around, with trippy rhythms worth revisiting over and over again.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.08.2007

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Column: Good Fortune: An Interview with Kyle Keyser

My Good Fortune interview can be found (click here) on treblezine.com


Good Fortune: an interview with Kyle Keyser

by Adrian Ernesto Cepeda

10.03.2007

While doing research on Polly Jean Harvey, I discovered this little film that could, made in 2001 by diehard fan, Kyle Keyser. During 2001, Kyle Keyser just wanted to follow his favorite singer Polly Jean Harvey on tour in Europe. What he didn't know was that this one idea would change his life. I watched, in a span of over an hour of Kyle's documentary, Stories from the Road: A Film About Following PJ, how he transforms from a fan into a filmmaker. Of course, it sounds more complicated than it sounds and it was.

The film begins with Kyle convincing Polly Jean's label, Island, that he and his two friends Amanda and Bill were filmmakers. Kyle sends them a proposal and they buy it. The first half of Kyle's road movie shows is shot with a shaky handheld camcorder shots a-la MTV's Real World. The first half of the movie reminded me of the behind-the-scenes fan exploits that I remember seeing in D.A. Pennebaker's film Depeche Mode 101. That same film chronicled the exploits of a handful of friends following their favorite band on tour down Route 66.

Stories from the Road's opening footage documents the troubles these amateur film sleuths find in making a full-length documentary. These scenes, which have the feel of three friends on a Euro-trip, are actually Kyle and his buddies learning how to be filmmakers. They are quick studies and by the last stop of Polly Jean's date in Lisbon, they've learned the ropes and are ready to get the ultimate footage, but she unfortunately cancels the rest of the tour due to illness.

Film over right? Wrong. It turns out that Polly has scheduled some American tour dates, so after his troubles in Europe, Kyle gets organized. He takes the footage that he and his two friends shot in Europe, creates a two-minute trailer, and sends it to Polly Jean's label for permission to shoot footage on her American tour. This time he contacts Polly Jean's tour manager and the movie begins to take focus. It less backstage, behind the scenes tomfoolery and more focused dedication on filming PJ Harvey.

By this time in the film, there is a major change in Kyle. He was no longer the naïve fan shooting for fun, though I love the live footage that he shot in the States. In America, Kyle and Amanda got unprecedented access to Polly Jean's soundchecks. The movie caught fire with Kyle's goal of meeting and interviewing PJ Harvey. A few things get in the way, even though, fate tries desperately to help Kyle complete his quest of meeting his heroine and idol, though you have to watch Stories from the Road to find out exactly what happens.

Alas, the movie is less about Polly Jean Harvey and more about the rebirth of an up and coming creative artist, Kyle Keyser. By coming up with this amazing and clever plan of getting a record label to allow him to film his favorite artist, Kyle has become a full-fledged filmmaker. The ultimate theme of Stories from the Road is dreams do come true. You can find your true calling in life by taking a risk, a chance it could change your destiny forever, just ask Kyle Keyser.

There's a backstory to this amazing adventure. One of the things that I found missing in Kyle's film is that I never got a sense of why he was following Polly Jean Harvey. For this and other stories on his incredible journey, I asked filmmaker Kyle Keyser on his experiences on the road, following Polly Jean Harvey.

Treble: One question you never addressed in the film was why Polly Jean Harvey? What is it about her music that drew you to create this movie?

Keyser: I've always been a passionate music fan. I just connected to Polly right off the bat. I was living in England and I remember seeing her face splattered on magazines over the newsstands at the time Rid of Me came out. I loved that album. It was dark, bold, and powerful. She was a badass with a guitar and an Indie diva in her own right. So of course, I was hooked.

Treble: Through out the first half of the film, after the debacle of the canceled tour dates did you ever consider giving up finishing the film?

Keyser: Yes, in fact I thought the film was over. I actually came back and got super depressed about the whole thing. I was wallowing in cosmic confusion. It was only when she announced new tour dates for the US did I know I had a chance to finish it. So I contacted her manager again and asked to finish it in the US. She agreed. So we were off.

Treble: I really enjoyed the live footage were those shots the hardest to shoot?

Keyser: These shots were definitely the shots that had the most pressure, so yes. Especially with me not knowing what I was doing they were exceptionally difficult. I got it in the end though. And a better editor helped.

Treble: I noticed a change in you, during the course of the film, going from fan to actual filmmaker? Did you yourself feel this change while making the film?

Keyser: It's funny you say that because others do as well. It's certainly not something I knew at the time. If anything I was becoming antsy because I felt this increasing pressure to meet Polly with decreasing opportunity. So no, I didn't really have the mind space at the time to think about being a filmmaker. I seriously just wanted to meet PJ Harvey.

Treble
: Any regrets on not meeting Polly Jean during the filming process?

Keyser: When I got back from the whole trip I felt another huge sense of disappointment much like after we first got back from the first tour in Europe. I didn't really know what I was going to do with the film. I thought, "How am I going to make a movie about NOT meeting PJ Harvey?" But then it struck me... that's the story.

Once it was done I realized that it was actually the best thing possible. Every piece that depressed me along the way ended up making the film so much stronger. It's such a true, honest story. I really think all the fuck-ups and missed opportunities along the way are the key to the film's success.

Treble: Why haven't we seen the film in theaters? What happened?

Keyser: I received permission to shoot the shows from Polly's management company and received preliminary permission to license a few tracks from, her record label, Island Records. After finishing the film I approached everyone again, this time with a list of 13 tracks to license, and they balked. I also didn't realize I needed to involve her publisher, EMI. They didn't even know about the project. They rejected me flat out. No one else from Polly's camp came to my aid. So after getting my attorney to fight it and really struggle, they never budged. My response to that was premiering it at the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (LGLFF) anyways (one of the biggest festivals in the UK ). It got great reviews that were great but ultimately just drew attention to what I'd done.

Just after that I also had a big U.S. premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival but things were getting sketchy. Right after London both The LGLFF and I received letters accusing us of copyright infringement. Since I told them my film was legit, the festival deferred to me. It was a risk showing it one more time in Atlanta but I went for it. There was a lot of local buzz. I showed it but it was for the last time

Treble: Have you tried to secure the song rights?

Keyser: I haven't pursued it officially since the first time. I think it might be possible but there would need to be money involved. And I certainly don't have any.


Treble
: Has PJ seen the final cut of the film?

Keyser: I think she has, yes. I sent both her manager and record label copies. Maria Mochnacz, filmmaker who's done PJ's video, heard about it just after the premiere and contacted me for a few copies. I went to her office and dropped a few off. She insisted she'd help me get the rights once she'd shown it to Polly. She was enthusiastic to talk with me until, one day, it was dropped. No more contact. I'd assumed PJ had seen it and didn't like it.

Treble: Any regrets to all that has happened?

Keyser: Not one. It was an amazing experience and it set me on my current path as a filmmaker.

Treble: Have your feelings for Polly Jean changed through the course of filming and your experiences after trying to get the film shown?

Keyser: Yeah, I hated her for a while after all the legal troubles. I really wished she would have just come to my aid but she never did. Since, I've outgrown it. I actually like the cult-ish following about the film. She actually did me a huge favor every step along the way.

Treble: What are you doing now?

Keyser: Right now I continue to make movies. I have a few TV concepts I'm fleshing out and hoping to sign a deal on soon.

Treble: Any chance we will ever get to see, the promise you hint at the end of your film, you following around Rufus Wainwright?

Keyser: I toyed with the idea but decided no. I wasn't going to be "that guy" who followed people around. I actually got to meet Rufus at a show in Athens after coordinating through his management. I was able to give him a copy of the film and told him to look out for his reference in the end. Who knows if he ever saw it?

Treble: Are you looking forward to Polly Jean's new album, White Chalk? Have you heard any new tracks?

Keyser: I like it. It has a very fall sounding vibe. It's not the `in your face' Polly that we all know and love. She doesn't even play guitar on it, just piano but I still really like it. Polly is an artist even more than she's a musician I think. She craves re-definition and challenge. This is her journey, not ours. And White Chalk is one point in that evolution as an artist.

Treble: You capture some amazing footage of 9/11 in D.C. How was that time there? It must have been chaotic. (I love the way you blend "The Mess Were In" with the 9/11 footage, Brilliant and powerful.)

Keyser: Thank you. It's a powerful, surprising moment. I seriously get chills every time I see it again. That was how I experienced 9/11 from that hotel room, listening to that television. Watching the smoke coming from The Pentagon brings back a lot of strong memories and emotions.

Treble: It seems that the film starts off as like a joyride and turns into a serious journey, kind of like life, wouldn't you say?

Keyser: You could say that. It's definitely a journey that evolves organically, running with the twists that get throw to you all along the way. Who would have thought all that would have ever happened? But seriously, who would have ever thought – when I started the whole thing – that I'd be premiering the film in London two years later to a sold out crowd of 450?

There's something to be said for just getting up and just doing it, folks.

Treble: Any chance the Stories from the Road will ever get released on DVD?

Keyser: I guess the answer to that question lies solely with me. I'll just have to continue to work hard and try to make it. But who knows, stranger things have happened, right? One day...

* For More information about the film Stories from the Road: A Film About Following PJ Harvey, please visit www.followingpj.com