Jim James of My Morning Jacket talks about his influences when it comes to vocalizing. He mentions Richard Manuel of the Band, Bob Dylan, Neil Young. But who tops his list? The great green wonder, Kermit the Frog.
"I remember Kermit sing and then finding out that that was actually a real person singing. That kind of blew my mind." - Jim James (A man with two first names - one wonders does his birth certificate read James James?).
Anyway, I was looking for some My Morning Jacket music to post and came across this clip from the Darjeerling Limited.* Great flick. Nice match of music and image for a Monday morning.
*I love Wes Andersen movies. My favorite is Rushmore, about an overactive, underachieving, playwright who falls is love with his teacher. It features one of Bill Murray's finest performances. And really, all of Andersen's movies have something to offer. The Royal Tannebaums, Bottle Rocket, and even the one with Billy Murray in a speedo (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) are all worth seeing. The Darjeerling Limited impressed me when I first saw it, and a second viewing made me love it even more.
UPDATE: I guess it's not enough to say, that I love Wes Andersen movies. I have my reasons. Andersen is a master at setting up beautiful images and matching them with great music which for me leaves indelible impressions on my consciousness. He primarily uses music from British bands from the Sixties. Which is always a little other-worldly, in my book, and kind of hints at a lost idealism. Also, all of his movies deal with ambition and desire, loss, broken dreams, forgiveness and reconciliation. There's the family stuff. Fathers and mothers and all the different paths we must walk. All the most important stuff, dealt with a light knowing hand, always a little whimsical and funny and sad too.