Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 6


For the most part, film stars that try to become lead singers just don't work. You have the earnest if misguided types, like Bruce Willis and Scarlett Johansen. Then you have the train wrecks, like Eddie Murphy, Don Johnson, and Jared Leto. So, we come to Juliette Lewis. Not only is her bands track our GTA IV track of the day, she's also the DJ of Radio Broker.

Not too long back, I remember seeing a reply on another blog regarding Juliette Lewis, and I wish I could remember where I saw this said, so I could link it. But here's the basic gist of what this commenter said: "Sometimes I think, 'damn, she's kinda hot' and then I'm ashamed for wanting to fuck a retarded girl." I laughed my ass off when I read that. It summed up so much about what I've heard a lot of people say about her.

I can't say I'm a huge of Juliette Lewis the actress. Her bread and butter seems to be slightly off balance trailer trash girls. I honestly think that's most of her range. The great exception being her turn in Christmas Vacation.

Anyway, all of this is a set-up to say that I think that Juliette and the Licks is the exception to the rule. I like her better as a lead singer than I ever did as an actress. She seems to like herself better in that role as well. There's something visceral, maybe even guttural in her singing on "Inside the Cage", the track that appears on GTA. Her voice is at once brazen and inviting. She sounds like a rock star instead of an actress pretending to be one. The Licks seem like mud-flinging, dirty, nasty, rock n' rollers, giving all the attempts at genre categorizing them both the middle finger and a lick on the cheek, simultaneously.

This particular version is the 'David Gilmour Girls' remix and it lends itself well to the song, stripping it down to its bare essentials and giving it just enough of an electro beat to make it dance floor worthy. It's in and out in under 4 minutes.

It's not my favorite track on Radio Broker. Not by a long shot. It has however peaked my curiosity enough to go back and listen to some more of the Licks material. I have to say, I'd even like to see a show.

As to her DJ'ing on Radio Broker - priceless. Her rant about being an individual because she bought a messenger bag always makes me laugh.

Oh, and on the off chance that Juliette Lewis ever reads this: I totally take back every bad thing I've ever said about you, and sincerely apologize. You rock.

MP3: Juliette and the Licks - Inside the Cage(David Gilmour Girls' Mix)

Purchase through Amazon - Inside the Cage

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