Film Threat: Vinyl
Vinyl is a very realistic film in its simplicity; a relaxed “fly on the wall” tale of a visitor dropped in the middle of a cracked relationship. Sure, it’s got its dramatic moments, but they’re more of how drama happens in real life; life-changing moments and revelations can occur, but usually not with the bombast Hollywood employs.
Luis (Luis Echegaray) and Marta (Gillian Visco) are interrupted in their day-to-day relationship squabbles when Luis’s friend Tom (Tom Sawyer) arrives in town. While Luis and Tom resume their old friendship, Marta finds herself annoyed with the new distraction, especially when Luis leaves town for the weekend. Distraught and lonely after a friend cancels their evening’s plans, Marta begrudgingly asks Tom if he’d like to join her instead. The two then embark on an adventure in New York City, discussing their lives and outlooks on the future, becoming closer friends as the time passes.
Shot on a Flip Ultra HD cam over 5 days, Vinyl is hardly as amateur-looking as you can imagine it could’ve been. The intimacy such a small camera allows, both between the performers and when out shooting in New York City, truly comes across and sets a nice tone for the film. The film has that quick edit look that so many indie digital features have nowadays, and that does play Hell from time to time with the dreaded “crossing the line” issue in some edit sequences, but at the same time, if you’re not looking for it, you probably won’t notice it that much.
The one area where the film does suffer a bit, however, is the audio. There are more than a few moments in the film where the person closest to the camera is perfectly audible and clear, but the person slightly farther away is a strain to follow. Most often that person is Tom, who is soft-spoken in the film to begin with, and that much more subtle when filming moves outdoors. Some more massaging in the sound mix would hopefully help this issue out.
Overall, Vinyl is a straightforward affair that doesn’t overly complicate itself. It’s a nice groove that you can follow, and it leaves the histrionics to the Hollywood melodramas. This is the type of story that could actually happen, and maybe you know somebody who went through something similar. That said, it’s about as truthful and pleasant as going through the experience of a strained relationship with that urge to connect with anyone who will listen, so if it hits a little too painfully close to home, you may want to give yourself a bigger break from reality than this film allows.
Luis (Luis Echegaray) and Marta (Gillian Visco) are interrupted in their day-to-day relationship squabbles when Luis’s friend Tom (Tom Sawyer) arrives in town. While Luis and Tom resume their old friendship, Marta finds herself annoyed with the new distraction, especially when Luis leaves town for the weekend. Distraught and lonely after a friend cancels their evening’s plans, Marta begrudgingly asks Tom if he’d like to join her instead. The two then embark on an adventure in New York City, discussing their lives and outlooks on the future, becoming closer friends as the time passes.
Shot on a Flip Ultra HD cam over 5 days, Vinyl is hardly as amateur-looking as you can imagine it could’ve been. The intimacy such a small camera allows, both between the performers and when out shooting in New York City, truly comes across and sets a nice tone for the film. The film has that quick edit look that so many indie digital features have nowadays, and that does play Hell from time to time with the dreaded “crossing the line” issue in some edit sequences, but at the same time, if you’re not looking for it, you probably won’t notice it that much.
The one area where the film does suffer a bit, however, is the audio. There are more than a few moments in the film where the person closest to the camera is perfectly audible and clear, but the person slightly farther away is a strain to follow. Most often that person is Tom, who is soft-spoken in the film to begin with, and that much more subtle when filming moves outdoors. Some more massaging in the sound mix would hopefully help this issue out.
Overall, Vinyl is a straightforward affair that doesn’t overly complicate itself. It’s a nice groove that you can follow, and it leaves the histrionics to the Hollywood melodramas. This is the type of story that could actually happen, and maybe you know somebody who went through something similar. That said, it’s about as truthful and pleasant as going through the experience of a strained relationship with that urge to connect with anyone who will listen, so if it hits a little too painfully close to home, you may want to give yourself a bigger break from reality than this film allows.
Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces Find Themselves “Curiously in the Middle”
Everything about this band bleeds hipster. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Look, a lot of this anti-”hipster” rantin’ and fussin’ translates into this: people are annoyed by people having more fun than them. Perhaps that’s contrary to a lot of current rantin’ and fussin’, but I like foolz with crazy hair, silly vintage ironic T-shirts and neato bands that do weird fun romantic sh!t like this. I’m a fan. Maybe I’m a hipster? This is Indie Rock with a capital I and E. And they look really cool.
by superfan2011.com
Oct 2011
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by superfan2011.com
Oct 2011
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The Mystery Surrounding Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces
This is the story of a baby monster’s love for a human girl. This little girl had super speed vision. She could see individual photons in real time as they were propelled from the sun into the Earth’s atmosphere.
It is not clear whether the little girl ever reciprocated the baby monster’s love. Their relationship was dynamic, the legend says, but little is known of its foundation.
The tale of Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces is intentionally opaque. Who exactly are the Shiny Pieces? How did they form? And how did they become this dynamic?
We are gathered around a table in Goodbye Blue Monday’s recently renovated backyard in Bushwick. Night has fallen and the air begins to cool quickly. Gillian can’t decide if she is cold or not. I watch her remove and replace her hat for the fifth time.
It’s a curious picture: three cosmically charged pieces at a round table, workshopping each other’s raw material. They feed off each other’s energy, but rather than being destructive, they grow stronger as a unit. The results can be found in their third album, At The Fort Brooklyn, launched just last week in collaboration with Skips Records.
Frank has a theory. “Individually, we are all shiny pieces,” he says, nodding at Gillian and John. “When we combine our powers, we come together. We become Photon Dynamo.”
There is a hum of silence as the group takes this in. This sounds plausible. They nod in agreement.
Each of the shiny pieces can act as a one-man band. “We’re all songwriters. We all put our two cents in,” says Gillian.
While John sticks to drums, Gillian to bass and Frank to guitar, they can all play one another’s instruments and sing. This is uncommon in most bands, they tell me. This way they are less selfish in their songwriting.
A solo artist has just themselves and their guitar to accommodate. A band is comprised of two or more units that must work as one brain. This can become problematic when parts of the band are not considerate of the others.
“I do my best to half-write songs,” says Frank. I don’t question his choice not to one-third-write his songs. A degree of overlap appears necessary, as well as some indulgence.
John tries his best to put every song on the chopping block. He describes himself as a minimalist, which is reflected in his introspective presence at the table.
“I always need to make songs shorter,” he says. “I’m always cutting parts out.”
Gillian pouts. Her songs are usually the longest.
“I bring in a song and he cuts a whole part out,” she laments. “And I’m like, ‘But that’s the part that ties it all together!’”
Although there is occasional head butting, John tells me that the word ‘no’ is a rare utterance at rehearsals. There is no tension between the band mates and they laugh easily at each other and themselves.
“There’s not a lot of ego involved,” Frank says about their process.
I extrapolated the data and made a couple of “scientific” guesses. Perhaps the little girl reciprocated the baby monster’s love. But as luck would have it, such a union was never meant to be. When their dynamic love reached its peak, it exploded into trillions of tiny little light particles. Some became stars. Most blew away. Three little shiny particles, by fate or coincidence, landed in New York City.
The speculation ends there. You know the rest of the story.
by bushwickdaily.com
Oct 2011
.
It is not clear whether the little girl ever reciprocated the baby monster’s love. Their relationship was dynamic, the legend says, but little is known of its foundation.
The tale of Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces is intentionally opaque. Who exactly are the Shiny Pieces? How did they form? And how did they become this dynamic?
We are gathered around a table in Goodbye Blue Monday’s recently renovated backyard in Bushwick. Night has fallen and the air begins to cool quickly. Gillian can’t decide if she is cold or not. I watch her remove and replace her hat for the fifth time.
It’s a curious picture: three cosmically charged pieces at a round table, workshopping each other’s raw material. They feed off each other’s energy, but rather than being destructive, they grow stronger as a unit. The results can be found in their third album, At The Fort Brooklyn, launched just last week in collaboration with Skips Records.
Frank has a theory. “Individually, we are all shiny pieces,” he says, nodding at Gillian and John. “When we combine our powers, we come together. We become Photon Dynamo.”
There is a hum of silence as the group takes this in. This sounds plausible. They nod in agreement.
Each of the shiny pieces can act as a one-man band. “We’re all songwriters. We all put our two cents in,” says Gillian.
While John sticks to drums, Gillian to bass and Frank to guitar, they can all play one another’s instruments and sing. This is uncommon in most bands, they tell me. This way they are less selfish in their songwriting.
A solo artist has just themselves and their guitar to accommodate. A band is comprised of two or more units that must work as one brain. This can become problematic when parts of the band are not considerate of the others.
“I do my best to half-write songs,” says Frank. I don’t question his choice not to one-third-write his songs. A degree of overlap appears necessary, as well as some indulgence.
John tries his best to put every song on the chopping block. He describes himself as a minimalist, which is reflected in his introspective presence at the table.
“I always need to make songs shorter,” he says. “I’m always cutting parts out.”
Gillian pouts. Her songs are usually the longest.
“I bring in a song and he cuts a whole part out,” she laments. “And I’m like, ‘But that’s the part that ties it all together!’”
Although there is occasional head butting, John tells me that the word ‘no’ is a rare utterance at rehearsals. There is no tension between the band mates and they laugh easily at each other and themselves.
“There’s not a lot of ego involved,” Frank says about their process.
I extrapolated the data and made a couple of “scientific” guesses. Perhaps the little girl reciprocated the baby monster’s love. But as luck would have it, such a union was never meant to be. When their dynamic love reached its peak, it exploded into trillions of tiny little light particles. Some became stars. Most blew away. Three little shiny particles, by fate or coincidence, landed in New York City.
The speculation ends there. You know the rest of the story.
by bushwickdaily.com
Oct 2011
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MadeLoud Mix: Folk and Bluegrass
On our Facebook page I asked what kind of mix our readers would like to hear next, and a guy named Sterling made a request for a folk/bluegrass mix. Done and done! It turns out that our bluegrass section is somewhat tiny, so it actually made perfect sense to blend it in with some of our folk favorites. In this section you'll find songs related to Amelia Earhart, parts of a concept record, and other folksy, mostly-acoustic numbers.
6. Gillian Visco – “I'm Sorry I Ignited You”
"I'm Sorry I Ignited You" is a fun track with a slew of electronic sounds that compliment the guitar. Here's what we said about Flotation Device, the album from which this track comes - “Flotation Device is a solid effort - a simple album with just enough complexity to keep it interesting. It will be interesting to see where Visco takes us with subsequent releases.”
By Madeloud.com
May 2011
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6. Gillian Visco – “I'm Sorry I Ignited You”
"I'm Sorry I Ignited You" is a fun track with a slew of electronic sounds that compliment the guitar. Here's what we said about Flotation Device, the album from which this track comes - “Flotation Device is a solid effort - a simple album with just enough complexity to keep it interesting. It will be interesting to see where Visco takes us with subsequent releases.”
By Madeloud.com
May 2011
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Photon Dynamo Spring Into House of Yes
When we were first introduced to Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces last summer, their loosely jazz influenced structures and lightining speed guitar leads made quite an impression. But the band’s releases show that there’s more to them than just fancy fretwork.
Photon Dynamo are very adept at shifting the tones of their songs while keeping their style consistent: Whether the atmosphere of a song is more punk, blues, or has some fanciful air, they never completely abandon their jagged, garagy sound. The same scratchy, blistering leads still dominate, but still allow for different moods to shape them.
by bushwickbk.com
March 2011
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Photon Dynamo are very adept at shifting the tones of their songs while keeping their style consistent: Whether the atmosphere of a song is more punk, blues, or has some fanciful air, they never completely abandon their jagged, garagy sound. The same scratchy, blistering leads still dominate, but still allow for different moods to shape them.
by bushwickbk.com
March 2011
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Bushwick Music: Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces
Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces are a cult Bushwick rock-and-roll trio. They have an amazing chemistry among them. All three of them compose their songs. Somebody has an idea, comes to a practice and they work on it together. “I never finish songs by myself,” says Frank. “I always half finish them and then the whole band works on it.”
Photon frequently performs in Bushwick. You can see them playing at Party Expo, in Little Skips or catch a glimpse of random members rocking at an open mic. It needs to be said that if Photon performs outside of the neighborhood, Bushwick people migrate like birds to Africa all over Brooklyn, even to Greenpoint…;-)
Photon sounds like a bike ride underneath the above the ground subway and like the pure joy of living in Brooklyn. That’s where they get their inspiration: simple earthly Brooklyn pleasures, friends, bikes and roof top parties. You can taste Gilian’s songwriting influence when they sing about the absurdity and pain of love. It’s not an exceptional day when the entire Party Expo is shaking because the audience is singing the name of Frank’s girlfriend (yes, that’s one of their songs).
The Dynamo gang is just recording their second album. To download their first album Go In The World for free, just click here.
Gillian has been truly inspired lately and her distinctive songwriter’s voice called for a separate project. The band is concurrently working on “Gillian and the Shiny Pieces” album, which should definitely not escape your attention. (= secret tip wink wink).
by brooklyn365.com
Nov 2010
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Photon frequently performs in Bushwick. You can see them playing at Party Expo, in Little Skips or catch a glimpse of random members rocking at an open mic. It needs to be said that if Photon performs outside of the neighborhood, Bushwick people migrate like birds to Africa all over Brooklyn, even to Greenpoint…;-)
Photon sounds like a bike ride underneath the above the ground subway and like the pure joy of living in Brooklyn. That’s where they get their inspiration: simple earthly Brooklyn pleasures, friends, bikes and roof top parties. You can taste Gilian’s songwriting influence when they sing about the absurdity and pain of love. It’s not an exceptional day when the entire Party Expo is shaking because the audience is singing the name of Frank’s girlfriend (yes, that’s one of their songs).
The Dynamo gang is just recording their second album. To download their first album Go In The World for free, just click here.
Gillian has been truly inspired lately and her distinctive songwriter’s voice called for a separate project. The band is concurrently working on “Gillian and the Shiny Pieces” album, which should definitely not escape your attention. (= secret tip wink wink).
by brooklyn365.com
Nov 2010
.
BushwickBK's Music Review:Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces
Usually if a band claims to have a jazz background or to be influenced by jazz, it means they own a John Coltrane record. It doesn’t really inspire confidence. But Photon Dynamo frontman Frank Rathbone has instead applied the unconventional chord progressions of his jazz training to the crunch and clang of garage rock. It’s a very post-punk attitude, using musical aptitude in genre that doesn’t require it. But what could be more rock ‘n’ roll than the absence of defined structure? Plus, those “buh ba bas” are dead catchy.
by bushwickbk.com
Sept 2010
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by bushwickbk.com
Sept 2010
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Deli Magazine on the DIY Bushwick Festival
The beat picked up with Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces, an energetic rock trio with strong technique, attractive harmonies and jazz-inspired chords and rhythms.
by nyc.thedelimagazine.com
march 2010
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by nyc.thedelimagazine.com
march 2010
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Gillian Visco: Flotation Device Album Review
It’s hard to write good folk music. Well-done folk embraces simplicity, which to the listener’s ear sounds effortless but is often harder to write than bombastic, layered, fuzzy rock & roll. Poorly-written folk sounds pretty, but lacks the core of meaning and emotion to make the listener care.
Luckily, Flotation Device, by New Yorker Gillian Visco, is not poorly-written folk. It’s simple, all right — a guitar or two, usually acoustic; occasionally a keyboard; and no drums. But it has enough verve and vigor to hold the listener’s attention throughout the album’s thirteen tracks. Visco’s solid voice calls to mind both Jenny Lewis and Regina Spektor without copying either. Visco claims Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Bon Iver and Joni Mitchell as influences, but the music of Flotation Device is more minimalist and airy than any in the bunch. The simple, straightforward instrumentation may be a testament to the vicissitudes of the recording process than anything else: Flotation Device is Visco’s fourth independent release, and the first that, as she put it, doesn’t have the recording quality of a garage band. In fact, the album is well-produced; it’s clean but not squeaky. Her voice is often multi-tracked, allowing her to harmonize with herself. These multi-tracks, which sound more like two actual people harmonizing than one voice aiming for exact unison with itself, have an echoey, ethereal quality to them that adds depth to the simple instrumentation.
This is an album about the effects and consequences of love — unrequited love, lost love, love that burns brightly but fades to ash, love that makes us yearn and keen and go against logic and reason, love that makes us laugh and cry and scream and need to be held. At her best, Visco’s lyrics are soulful, inventive and poetic. A great example can be found on the song “Luggage Like Confetti,” where Visco sings “If I was an airplane I would open my windows / throw luggage like confetti for your birthday in the woods....And if I was a rocket I would sparkle bright for you / and when I had a day off I’d take you to the moon / but I’m no good at landings and craters make me quiver / and you’ll mistake my shaking for love.” This song reminds one, a little bit, of theMountain Goats’ “International Small Arms Traffic Blues.” Other lines, like “You’ve saturated me with loneliness,” from “I’m Sorry I Ignited You,” are not quite so profound, but even when her lyrics are not fantastic they do an admirable job of avoiding cliché.
Flotation Device is a solid effort - a simple album with just enough complexity to keep it interesting. It will be interesting to see where Visco takes us with subsequent releases.
by madeloud.com
Feb 2010
Luckily, Flotation Device, by New Yorker Gillian Visco, is not poorly-written folk. It’s simple, all right — a guitar or two, usually acoustic; occasionally a keyboard; and no drums. But it has enough verve and vigor to hold the listener’s attention throughout the album’s thirteen tracks. Visco’s solid voice calls to mind both Jenny Lewis and Regina Spektor without copying either. Visco claims Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Bon Iver and Joni Mitchell as influences, but the music of Flotation Device is more minimalist and airy than any in the bunch. The simple, straightforward instrumentation may be a testament to the vicissitudes of the recording process than anything else: Flotation Device is Visco’s fourth independent release, and the first that, as she put it, doesn’t have the recording quality of a garage band. In fact, the album is well-produced; it’s clean but not squeaky. Her voice is often multi-tracked, allowing her to harmonize with herself. These multi-tracks, which sound more like two actual people harmonizing than one voice aiming for exact unison with itself, have an echoey, ethereal quality to them that adds depth to the simple instrumentation.
This is an album about the effects and consequences of love — unrequited love, lost love, love that burns brightly but fades to ash, love that makes us yearn and keen and go against logic and reason, love that makes us laugh and cry and scream and need to be held. At her best, Visco’s lyrics are soulful, inventive and poetic. A great example can be found on the song “Luggage Like Confetti,” where Visco sings “If I was an airplane I would open my windows / throw luggage like confetti for your birthday in the woods....And if I was a rocket I would sparkle bright for you / and when I had a day off I’d take you to the moon / but I’m no good at landings and craters make me quiver / and you’ll mistake my shaking for love.” This song reminds one, a little bit, of theMountain Goats’ “International Small Arms Traffic Blues.” Other lines, like “You’ve saturated me with loneliness,” from “I’m Sorry I Ignited You,” are not quite so profound, but even when her lyrics are not fantastic they do an admirable job of avoiding cliché.
Flotation Device is a solid effort - a simple album with just enough complexity to keep it interesting. It will be interesting to see where Visco takes us with subsequent releases.
by madeloud.com
Feb 2010
LC Feature – January 2010: Gillian Visco
Gillian’s songwriting sneaks up on you quietly, much like her voice. It takes a certain kind of performer to captivate an audience with a delicate, nuanced performance. Too often I see people screaming their heads off, just because they can. No doubt Gillian can do this as well. But while being loud is all well and good, it’s refreshing to hear Gillian’s subtle and exquisite work.
With an energy I can only envy, Gillian also keeps busy playing bass in Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces, and lends her lovely voice and skilled guitar playing to Ten Antenna.
by localcorrespondents.com
Jan 2010
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With an energy I can only envy, Gillian also keeps busy playing bass in Photon Dynamo and the Shiny Pieces, and lends her lovely voice and skilled guitar playing to Ten Antenna.
by localcorrespondents.com
Jan 2010
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Orpheus Descending in The Morning Call Newspaper
Brian Byus as Val, the mysterious stranger, and Gillian Leigh Visco as Lady brought a raw sexuality to Tennessee Williams' provocative play about racial bigotry, repressed sexuality and intolerance in 1940s Mississippi. Director Francine Roussel's extraordinary attention to detail and demanding artistic eye took what could have been a dated morality tale and transformed it into an epic with contemporary relevance and moral insight.
The Morning Call: Lehigh Valley's Newspaper
2008
The Morning Call: Lehigh Valley's Newspaper
2008
