Netflix debuts the latest adaptation of Marvel Comics' "Daredevil" (pictured); women singers are not allowed to perform solo in Iran, which is partly why Delaram Kamareh came to the U.S.; the audience for electronic dance music is widely diverse, but that's not the case for the genre's DJs and producers.
'Daredevil': New Netflix show makes Marvel darker and bloodier
At 12:01 this morning, Netflix released the entire first season of “Daredevil" — all 13 episodes ready for one big binge.
It’s a bold move not only for the streaming service, but also Marvel Studios, which is making a big bet on Matt Murdock. He’s the hero, played by Charlie Cox, a blind lawyer in Hell's Kitchen by day, and the Daredevil vigilante by night.
If you’re used to taking the kids to Marvel’s family-friendly superheroes at the multiplex, or watching ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Agent Carter," you might want to exercise a little parental guidance with “Daredevil” — it’s a dark and violent series. But critics are almost universally praising its storytelling.
"Daredevil" executive producer Steven DeKnight joined the Frame to talk about why this series is so violent, how the design of the suit was fraught with peril and why it was crucial to shoot the series in New York.
Interview Highlights:
On the dark and violent nature of the "Daredevil" series:
It comes down to the source material. Early versions of "Daredevil," created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, had a bit of a lighter, more swashbuckley tone. Then Frank Miller arrived on the scene and really changed everything. He did his work on Daredevil before he went on to work on Batman, for "The Dark Knight Returns." That's really what spoke to us. ... Props to Marvel, they wanted to explore a darker corner of the Marvel universe. I don't think anyone outside of the bubble understands what a risk that is, because they have a formula that works.
On one instance where Marvel said he had gone too far with the depiction of violence:
Conversations did start, because immediately what I started doing is, 'OK, how far can we push this?' We'll push the language a little far. Without giving anything away, it got to episode 4 and I knew there was something in there that was questionable, and sure enough, they came back and said 'OK, this is too far.' I absolutely agree with their assessment.
A character gets threatened with a baseball bat, and there was a version where the character is threatened in such a way that is particularly unsavory. That just ultimately didn't feel right, and again, there are things that happen that are violent that I really fought for, but that one, when they came back and said that was a little too far, I looked at it and said 'yeah, you're absolutely right.'
On depicting the blindness of main character Matt Murdock (Daredevil) in the series:
It was very important to us. We had a consultant that Charlie (Cox) worked with extensively. Charlie just absorbed everything like a sponge. He blindfolded himself and went down the street with a cane to really get as accurate as possible, the cane work. ... We didn't want just, oh, here's a writer's version of someone that is sight-impaired.
On choosing not to show the classic red Daredevil suit until later in the series:
Daredevil suit video from Marvel
First, it was thematic for the story, just to star Matt at ground zero and let him grow into being a hero. The other reason was purely practical, and the fact that to design one of these suits and built it and test it takes a lot of time. We were 10 weeks away from shooting, and one of the first things I said when I came in was we've got to start this suit, because it's going to take a lot of time and we need to have elbow room in case something goes horribly awry, which it did. It always does.
One of the technical problems we ran into ... was because of the fine pattern in the suit, we ended up building the first prototype and putting it on camera and discovered that it moiréd like crazy, it strobed on camera. The first build of the suit, it was very psychedelic. ... It finally all worked out and you should all be very thankful that it doesn't strobe like crazy, because the original strobing effect on this suit would have caused you to have a seizure.
(Just be glad the show didn't turn out like the Ben Affleck movie. Also, warning: The trailer includes that "Bodies" song by Drowning Pool. Seriously.)
Watch the new show's opening titles here:
Opera singer Delaram Kamareh on what she faced growing up as a female vocalist in Iran
Iranian-American opera singer Delaram Kamareh came to the U.S. when she was just 18 years old. Her mother lived here — she married an Irish-American, which allowed Delaram to obtain her citizenship.
But she also chose to come to the States in order to pursue a career in the arts, specifically as a female classical vocalist.
She’s come pretty far, pretty fast. In 2013, Kamareh took part in the Industry's critically acclaimed production of "Invisible Cities" inside L.A.'s Union Station.
Now 25, Kamareh is a soloist this weekend in the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s performance of the “Water Passion After St. Matthew” by composer Tan Dun. The Frame producer Michelle Lanz caught up with Kamareh during a rehearsal earlier this week.
Interview highlights
On struggles early in her career:
I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. Growing up, my father really liked me to, you know, pursue a career in the arts. But my mother wasn’t very eager... And it’s very common in the area of the world where I come from... It’s kind of like a grey area. It’s great to be a doctor and an engineer. But for your daughter to be an artist, it’s like, what are you gonna do? How are you gonna make a living there? Obviously, you can’t.
On coming to the U.S. to pursue a music career:
I came to the U.S. in 2007. I knew in my heart that I really wanted to pursue my music. I didn’t come from a musical background... I just knew nothing about where to start. There is an Abba song. You know that song? ‘I could sing before I could talk’ and ‘I could dance before I could walk.’ It was kind of the case with me as well. My dad would love to show me off to his friends. ‘Look, my daughter sings ‘The Little Mermaid’ in English'... I actually started singing Disney songs because that’s the only thing I was exposed to, musically.
On being a female singer in Iran:
In my country, a woman’s solo voice cannot be heard because it is considered a sexual thing... It’s kind of fascinating to people when they come to Iran and they go to concerts, for instance. It’s really funny actually, when a woman is singing alone and she has a solo line, there always has to be a male voice behind her. Doing something. Just whispering. So her voice purely, as it is, cannot be heard. And so they don’t encourage female soloists basically. They’re limited... They all have to leave like me in order to pursue their careers. And it’s a shame, because I’m really happy to be here and work, but at the same time, I’m really looking forward to the day when I can go back home and sing for people there.
Delaram Kamareh will be a soloist in the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s performance of the “Water Passion After St. Matthew” by composer Tan Dun; this Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. More info at the Los Angeles Master Chorale's website.
Despite diverse audience, EDM's biggest acts are mostly white and male
Electronic Dance Music, or EDM, is the fastest-growing genre in music. It's grown into a $6 billion global industry. Been to Las Vegas lately? Almost every major hotel there has a club dedicated to EDM.
At this year's Coachella Music Festival, more than a third of all the acts are EDM DJs or producers. But a look at Coachella's EDM lineup shows a lack of diversity that's representative of the genre as a whole.
Despite electronic music's hugely diverse audience, the artists tend to be a fairly homogeneous group. Namely, they're mostly straight, white males.
The gender problem is apparent across the dance music industry — from DJs to producers to record company executives. But the problem is not just in the makeup of the talent, but also in how women are depicted in videos.
Zel McCarthy is the Editor-in-Chief of Thump, the electronic music and culture channel from Vice Media. He spoke with The Frame's John Horn about EDM's diversity problem.
Interview Highlights
On the lack of diversity in Electronic Dance Music:
It has been going on for a long time. And, I should also point out that it's not just women who are in the minority, it's also people of color and queer people, and the irony of that is that dance music, house music in particular, was started by a black, gay man in Chicago. And his business partner started the first club of house music, called 'The Warehouse.'
I was in Chicago for the anniversary of this man's death, Frankie Knuckles. He passed away a year ago on March 31st. The room was filled with people who had been there in the early days of Chicago house music, the thing that started this all. And it's a much different group of people than who you see today as the leaders and the celebrities of EDM.
On the sexualization of women on EDM album covers and in music videos:
Calvin [Harris] is a fantastic producer and he's really been a leader in the last few years, because he has changed what the role of the DJ has been. He has had pop hits for himself, he produced hits for Rihanna and he's made people like Ellie Goulding stars.
I'm hesitant to say that Calvin Harris is the problem, but I think that his videos represent a point of view that is dominated exclusively by the straight, white guy.
On the lack of female DJs:
There aren't a lot of people encouraging for there to be more women DJs. It's very difficult.
And I don't think this is an intentional effort on the part of the men who are running dance music. I think it's kind of a bias that is just ingrained in all facets of society. You know, we are very aware of sexism as it appears in the kind of violent and ugly ways.
I think we are less conscious of it when it's just a matter of guys who happened to be running a management company, who happened to be representing their friend, who happens to be a lot like them.
On the trolling female EDM artists experience on social media:
Krewella has been around for about five or six years. They were a three-piece, two sisters, Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf, and Kris Trindl. Kris fell out with the rest of the group and the management team. And in that process, the girls who are still in the group, Yasmine and Jahan, have become targets by Internet haters, being accused of not actually producing, not actually doing the work of the group.
And there's absolutely no evidence of that. I've covered this group for a couple years now, I know them well. I know that the sisters are producers, DJs, songwriters and singers.
[Krewella's 'Somewhere to Run'] is really innovative, and it's catchy, and it has the ability to do something for dance music that no other artist does at this point. And they're being attacked when no other male artist at the same level has been.
On the lack of female EDM acts on Coachella's lineup:
Coachella's done a terrible job of representing female artists in all genres. And I'm not the first to say it. There's been plenty of coverage about how it has consistently been. And Coachella is not alone.
We did a study last year that showed, just in dance music, how bad gender diversity is on these lineups. And we're talking less than 10 percent on these lineups have women artists. I think Coachella's percentage this year is something like 15 or 16 percent for women.
There are some really great artists playing at Coachella this weekend and next. Alison Wonderland is a new artist from Australia. She's a producer and a DJ. She's also a classically trained cellist and a she's a singer. She's really a phenomenal talent and it's great that she's on that stage.
There's no reason why there shouldn't be 10 more people like her. They're out there. They're just not given the opportunities they need to succeed. And Coachella, it's a big festival, but it's also incredibly influential. And it means a lot to play on it.
Alison Wonderland: I Want U video
You can livestream Coachella right here, and read more about the schedule here.
Live stream Coachella 2015 right here, catch up on The Frame's coverage
The first weekend of this year's Coachella runs today through Sunday, but if you didn't get tickets or are simply avoiding the sweaty desert temperatures, you can plunk yourself down right here and watch everything live-streamed online. The first sets are set to start at 3:35 p.m. PT.
First though, you should read "The Frame's" breakdown of the lineup, as well as our breakdown of the schedule and the hard choices you need to make about bands playing at the same time. Also, make sure to check out our interview with a Coachella newbie — Night Terrors of 1927, which includes former Rilo Kiley member Blake Sennett. Also, stay tuned for more from The Frame's team on location.
Channel 1:
Coachella livestream channel 1
Channel 2:
Coachella livestream channel 2
Channel 3:
Coachella livestream channel 3
The nice thing about watching at home: Getting from one stage to another is as simple as pressing play on another video or switching tabs.
Here's what's on the schedule for each day (All times are Pacific):
Friday, April 10
Channel 1:
3:35 p.m. – HAERTS
4:10 p.m. – Reverend Horton Heat
4:50 p.m. – George Ezra
5:30 p.m. – Charles Bradley And His Extraordinaires
6:20 p.m. – The War On Drugs
7:10 p.m. – Alabama Shakes
8:20 p.m. – Interpol
9:15 p.m. – Tame Impala
Channel 2:
3:35 p.m. – Eagulls
4:25 p.m. – Brant Bjork And The Low Desert Punk Band
5:20 p.m. – Sylvan Esso
6:10 p.m. – Kimbra
7:10 p.m. – Raekwan & Ghostface Killah
8:05 p.m. – Gorgon City
8:50 p.m. – Azealia Banks
9:35 p.m. – Nero
10:30 p.m. – Lykke Li
11:20 p.m. – Ride
12:05 a.m. – Todd Terje And The Olsens
Channel 3:
3:35 p.m. – Cloud Nothings
4:55 p.m. – Kieza
6:45 p.m. – Hot Natured
7:40 p.m. – Keys N Krates
8:30 p.m. – DJ Snake
9:30 p.m. – R3hab (Part 1)
10:00 p.m. – Porter Robinson
11:00 p.m. – R3hab (Part 2)
11:35 p.m. – Alesso
Saturday, April 11
Channel 1:
3:35 p.m. – Clean Bandit
4:40 p.m. – Milky Chance
5:30 p.m. – St. Paul & The Broken Bones
6:15 p.m. – Hozier
7:05 p.m. – Run The Jewels
8:15 p.m. – Alt-J
9:15 p.m. – Jack White
11:00 p.m. – Flosstradamus
11:55 p.m. – Axwell Λ Ingrosso
Channel 2:
3:35 p.m. – Royal Blood
4:15 p.m. – Benjamin Booker
4:55 p.m. – Toro Y Moi
6:00 p.m. – Yelle
6:45 p.m. – Bad Religion
7:35 p.m. – Glass Animals (partial set)
8:00 p.m. – Father John Misty
8:50 p.m. – Jungle
9:30 p.m. – Tyler, The Creator
10:20 p.m. – FKA twigs
11:25 p.m. – The Weeknd
12:25 a.m. – Antemasque (partial set)
Channel 3:
3:35 p.m. – Parquet Courts
4:15 p.m. – Lights
5:00 p.m. – Perfume Genius
5:40 p.m. – Chet Faker
6:35 p.m. – Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness
7:25 p.m. – Belle & Sebastian
8:20 p.m. – Duke Dumont
9:25 p.m. – Gramatik
10:20 p.m. – Dirty South
11:15 p.m. – Deorro
12:15 a.m. – Ratatat
Sunday, April 12
Channel 1:
3:35 p.m. – Circa Survive
4:30 p.m. – Mac DeMarco
5:35 p.m. – Jenny Lewis
6:35 p.m. – Ryan Adams
7:25 p.m. – Marina & The Diamonds (partial set)
7:55 p.m. – Kaskade
8:45 p.m. – Florence + The Machine
Channel 2:
3:35 p.m. – MØ
4:20 p.m. – Sturgill Simpson
5:10 p.m. – St. Lucia
6:00 p.m. – Tycho
6:50 p.m. – Vance Joy
7:40 p.m. – The Cribs
8:25 p.m. – Stromae
9:15 p.m. – St. Vincent
10:10 p.m. – Fitz & The Tantrums
11:00 p.m. – Odesza
Channel 3:
3:35 PM – The Orwells
4:10 p.m. – RAC
5:00 p.m. – Panda Bear
5:45 p.m. – What So Not
6:45 p.m. – Martin Solveig
7:45 p.m. – Madeon
8:45 p.m. – New World Punx
9:45 p.m. – David Guetta
11:00 p.m. – Kygo (partial set)
11:30 p.m. – Jamie xx (partial set)
DC Comics says 'bye to NYC, hello to Burbank; Marvel responds
After more than 75 years in New York City, Friday is officially DC Comics' last day in its historic homeland, as it's relocating to Burbank to be closer to parent company Warner Brothers — and closer to its bread and butter of movie and TV adaptations.
Thanks, NYC, for being part of DC Comics' history for so many years. And special thanks to everyone who's worked here over those years.
— DC (@DCComics) April 10, 2015
"DC Comics has been part of New York City — and vice versa — for decades," the company posted on its Facebook page, saying thank you to the people of New York. "It's never easy to say goodbye but we are excited about the future and everything it holds."
Not all of the staff made the move from the offices opposite Dave Letterman and the Ed Sullivan Theater, so DC Comics has been eagerly hiring for its new West Coast offices, including snagging some talent from Marvel and other comic book companies. The changes come at all levels of the company — one of those choosing to stay behind is much-loved senior vice president Bob Wayne, who's been with DC Comics for 28 years.
Batman editor Mark Doyle told Comics Alliance that he didn't think the move would have much of an effect on teamwork in making their books.
"I don’t think moving the offices will stop any collaboration," Doyle said. "We’re not moving to Antarctica. There are a lot of flights to L.A. It should be fine."
Longtime DC creator Paul Levitz, who served as the company's president for seven years in the 2000s, expressed more mixed feelings on the move.
"Has all this connecting been made obsolete in the era of the Internet and global interdependency? Maybe," Levitz wrote on Facebook. "But New York won't be quite the same without a DC Comics, and as a New Yorker whose life was shaped by his city and by the DC offices, I can be sad about that."
"The move west closes a long chapter in DC's history, and opens another one," another longtime creator, Ron Marz, wrote at Comic Book Resources. "DC made some promising editorial hires to staff up, while losing some truly great people who chose not to relocate."
To help give the staff some time to make the transition, DC Comics suspended all its regular titles for two months, putting out a collection of mini-series in the "Convergence" line, largely creators not connected to their regular books. Following this, DC is set to make some changes to its comics, canceling some books while launching a group of new titles.
DC also announced that the company will be less attached to fitting all their comics into a single continuity, letting creators tell good stories without worrying as much about how it ties into everything else. It's apparently a different tack than what Marvel has been doing, using their comics in a more obvious way to connect with their films and TV shows and to set up future projects in those other media.
Marvel tweeted its own response to DC's move west, which you can alternately take as genuine sadness or mean-spirited trolling, depending what you like to think of the hearts of the people behind corporate social media accounts.
@DCComics pic.twitter.com/7oi7MFYWvG
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) April 10, 2015
Another Marvel executive decided on a similarly-themed GIF.
@DCComics pic.twitter.com/4rFEVNY6QU
— Ryan Penagos BLACK LIVES MATTER (@AgentM) April 10, 2015
Marvel could be seen to be similarly commenting on DC Comics next month by releasing alternate covers to 15 of its books celebrating New York City.
A gentle poke at the Distinguished Competition by @Marvel as it unveils more #NYC-themed variant #comics covers? pic.twitter.com/PBng9sBFcg
— The Mattatron (@Guerrillascribe) March 25, 2015
"New York has always been home for the Marvel Universe," Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso told the New York Post. "We were born here 75 years ago. We’re proud to be New Yorkers and we just thought that this was a way to underscore that."
Alonso drew the distinction with DC.
"Superman lives in Metropolis. Batman lives in Gotham," Alonso in the Post. "But Spider-Man is from New York and lives in Queens. Our characters have always had an intimate relationship with the city."
No word yet on whether DC will end up publishing themed comic book covers celebrating that cool Burbank lifestyle next.