He Shoots, He Scores Issue #41

Unlike their predecessors (we're lookin' at you, Keanu), these dudes make slashies look good

By Christine Bejasa
Published: September 1st, 2009 | 12:00am

Adam Goldberg

Actor/Musician

Goldberg might be known for his intense, funny, and often charmingly neurotic roles in Dazed and Confused, The Hebrew Hammer, and A Beautiful Mind, but he’s dabbled in writing, editing, producing, and directing movies as well. His 1998 directorial debut Scotch and Milk was a neo-noir film festival favorite and made the Sundance Channel’s list of the “10 Best Films You May Have Never Seen.” Now, he’s hoping that critics and audiences receive his new music project, LANDy, with as much praise and enthusiasm.

For years, Goldberg had been writing music with no goal in mind — a collection of home and studio recordings he’d been hoarding since 2002 sat idly on his computer’s hard drive. In 2007, after collaborating on some songs with LA’s the Black Pine and Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips, Goldberg got the kick in the ass he needed to get his songs into the hands of the public. He brought in Earlimart’s Aaron Espinoza to bring structure to his archives and to help create a cohesive album, which resulted in the release of LANDy’s debut, Eros and Omissions, a bittersweet and kaleidoscopic collection of songs.

With eight musicians featured on the record (many of whom were borrowed from other bands) and Goldberg’s busy acting schedule, it’s unclear whether LANDy’s act is ready to hit the road. “There’s so many ways to present it, so I’m really in the process of figuring that all out,” Goldberg told us during a recent interview. “I definitely want to get out there and play, although it’s not something I’m that comfortable with — I think it’s important for me to overcome my ambivalence about it.” We’re betting he got some practice while filming his upcoming movie, (Untitled). Goldberg plays a struggling “John Cagean” avant-garde musician in the dark, dry parody of the uber-hip New York art scene.

Having slashie status has been spoiled rather than celebrated, perhaps after the recent music careers of a raccoon-eyed Jared Leto and a confused, rapping Joaquin Phoenix. Yet, it’s clear from the time and toil Goldberg has put into this album that LANDy is not a vanity project. Somewhat uncomfortable with the actor/musician title, he warns, “There’s a sort of skepticism about people who do things other than what they’re paid to do, but I feel that people should be more skeptical of what people are paid to do.”

Ryan Gosling

Actor/Musician

Gosling got his start as one of the fresh, young faces of The Mickey Mouse Club, singing and dancing alongside the now mega-stars Britney, Christina, and Justin. As an adult, he’s stayed away from the super-saccharine — playing gritty and complex roles in The Believer, Half Nelson, and Lars and the Real Girl. Dead Man’s Bones is Gosling’s dark and ghostly lo-fi band with buddy Zach Shields. The duo recently called on the children’s choir of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music (an institution co-founded by Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers) to lay down some tracks for their self-titled debut.

Aaron Rose

Artist/Musician/Filmmaker/Magazine editor

Rose has always been the ultimate “slashie”— he’s curated, performed, and edited his way into becoming a big name in contemporary street art. As curator of New York’s defunct Alleged Gallery from 1992 to 2002, he helped bring attention to artists such as Spike Jonze, Mark Gonzales, Barry McGee, and Phil Frost. Rose directed a documentary about his creative friends called Beautiful Losers, about coming of age in New York City’s underground. He’s also in the Sads, an on-hiatus dreamy art-rock band that features Modest Mouse drummer Joe Plummer. Currently Rose is also co-editor of ANP Quarterly, a free art publication.

Spike Jonze

Filmmaker/Music video producer

Jonze’s work in motion pictures spans mediums — he’s done movies, television, commercials, and skate and music videos, using his signature bold, inventive aesthetic. Jonze is responsible for Weezer’s Happy Days spoof “Buddy Holly” video and the Beastie Boys’ ‘70s cop show parody “Sabatoge” — two unforgettable music videos that brought those then-underground bands into the mainstream. Now, Jonze is taking a stab at children’s movies with a film adaptation of the 1963 Maurice Sendak book Where the Wild Things Are. Directing and co-writing the screenplay with Dave Eggers, he’s also employing the musical stylings of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s frontwoman Karen O to score the film.

Elijah Wood

Actor/Label entrepreneur

First known for his Tiger Beat appeal and haunting blue eyes, Wood has gone on to become a critically acclaimed actor in movies such as The Lord of the Rings, Sin City, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Everything is Illumninated. In 2005, he founded indie record label Simian Records, signing Apples in Stereo and Heloise and the Savoir Faire. Taking what he’s learned in the many years he’s spent working with some of the most acclaimed directors in the business, Wood directed the music video for Apples in Stereo’s “Energy.” This doesn’t mean he’s taken a break from acting — he’s been cast as Iggy Pop in the long-awaited biopic The Passenger.