Kevin Renick

Top 10... Movies With Title Songs
This week's movie of the week over at the Film Vituperatum is Cabaret. Now, I didn't submit a review for this because I watched and reviewed it during the period of my blog that I call 'Reviewing for the Sake of It' in which it was more important to me to watch, or at least sit through, a playing of the film, and record the briefest of comments upon it, as then I could get to the part I was most looking forward to, crossing it from the 1001 List (or whichever list it came from). a little while ago I decided this was ridiculous and wasn't benefiting anyone, at which point I decided to try and expand upon my reviews. I've made the intention to go back and re-review some of the films I'd not given enough respect to in the past, but there are some films I'd really not rather watch again, and amongst those is Cabaret. If you really want to, you can read my 130-word review here, but personally I wouldn't recommend it. Anyway, I wanted to do a list that somehow ties in with the movie of the month (this won't always be the case, but it seems to be working so far). My initial idea was to do my list of Top 10 Worst Movies I've Ever Seen, in honour of Liza Minnelli's cameo in Sex and the City 2 (second place, after Home Alone 4), but instead I opted for movies with songs in them of the same name as the film, as of course the film features Minnelli belting out the titular Cabaret.


This list could have very easily been entirely dominated by Bond films, but I suppressed that urge, which I'll get to in the list. Some of the films had songs written specifically for them, and by the star of the movie no less, some re-purposed older songs to fit, at least one used a blatantly obvious tie-in song for the closing credits, and one is a biography about the singer of the song they used for the film's title. And as always, this is by no means a definitive list, and I look forward to hearing your feedback on what I missed out. Just don't bring up Pretty Woman, that is a godawful film only worthy of existence for Larry Miller and Jason Alexander.

Honourable Mention: Wild Wild West
That's right, I'm a Wild Wild West apologist. Now, I'm not saying it should be highly regarded as a pinnacle of movie making, or even that it's a terribly good film, it just isn't as horrible as everyone seems to remember. Hell, I think it's downright enjoyable. Yes, there are several scenes where Captain James West (Will Smith) and the wheelchair-bound but brilliantly named Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh) trade insults aimed squarely at race and disability, but there is also Salma Hayek, looking gorgeous, Kevin Kline being hysterical in a duel role (and frequently dressed as a woman), and of course a giant mechanical spider, in one of the most what-the-fuck-is-that moments I've ever seen. And it's got both M. Emmet Walsh and Ted Levine in supporting roles. And Bai Ling, but we don't talk about that. The theme song, sung of course by Smith, is annoyingly catchy but also, unfortunately, pretty damn dreadful, featuring lyrics from misogynistic: "Any damsel that's in distress be out of that dress when she meet Jim West" to borderline homosexual: "Loveless, givin' up a dime, nothin' less, now I must put his behind to the test."

10. Demolition Man
Sylvester Stallone versus Wesley Snipes... in the future! And Wesley Snipes is blonde! Like Wild Wild West, this is one of those films that is more ridiculous than it is actually good, and it fits neatly amongst my DVD collection as such, with the likes of Godzilla and Twister as something I can put on to just switch off to. I'm a fan of most films that feature either time travel or prison escapes and this one just happens to feature both, and it features Sandra Bullock at the closest I've ever come to finding her attractive. Unfortunately there's Rob Schneider in there too, spouting some crap about seashells, and one of the worst wrap-up speeches in any film, let alone a Stallone piece "I'll tell you what to do: why don't you get a little dirty, you a lot clean, and somewhere in the middle... I don't know, you'll figure it out." Sting's title song is pretty forgettable, as proven by my having forgotten it even existed, but it does, so this counts.

9. Walk the Line
Telling the story of Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), from cotton farm to international star, this is one of the few films that, upon first seeing, I went out the very next day to get not the soundtrack, but the greatest hits album of it's star, someone whose music I'd never been very familiar with beforehand, but who has it has since become an album I'll gladly listen to in any situation. The film itself is pretty good, especially the performances of Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon as June Carter, but unfortunately it was so ripe for parody that I find it difficult to distinguish in my memory just what scenes were from Walk the Line, and which came from Walk Hard.

8. Weird Science
It may well be the fourth best film I've seen that's directed by John Hughes (after Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club), but that's only because I haven't seen any of the other ones. Wait, that sounded bad. Yes, this is a worse film than those other ones (and Home Alone if you're counting Hughes scripted films) but this is still a brilliant film, with a title song by Oingo Boingo of which I can only remember the title being yelled a few times. As a film, this falls into my pet peeve of the outcast, ill-fitting kids (Anthony Michael Hall and, er, the other one, umm... Ilan Mitchell-Smith?) magically finding exactly what they needed in life, but this dodges that bullet by having them able to create life in the form of Kelly LeBrock's lightning-struck Barbie doll Lisa, thereby setting the whole thing in some ridiculous fantasy land where putting a bra on your head gives you magical powers.

7. Men in Black
Will Smith makes another appearance, rapping it up on the soundtrack to Men in Black as one of the eponymous galaxy defenders, in case he didn't let you remember. I recently watched part three in this series, and other than a couple of decent cameos - Bill Hader as a bitter Andy Warhol, the always brilliant Michael Stuhlbarg as a being able to see every possible parallel universe simultaneously - this would have worked far better had it just remained as a standalone single film. The original had the perfect balance of science fiction and comedy - a combination that will appear later in this list - and grounded it all around the odd couple pairings of Will Smith's wise-cracking youngster Agent Jay and Tommy Lee Jones' crusty old hand Agent Kay. The CGI is also impressive for 1997 - how is this film 16 years old? - and Vincent D'Onofrio is awesome once he gets taken over by a giant cockroach living in his body. Plus, Tony Shalhoub and David Cross!
6. Skyfall/Goldeneye
I couldn't let Bond dominate this list, but he definitely needs to be represented, so I picked two of the best, with not necessarily those with the best songs. Goldeneye, whose nasally title track by Tina Turner can be described as lacklustre at best, is otherwise tremendous fun, as Pierce Brosnan freed Bond from Timothy Dalton's debatably over serious take to be more quip-happy, smooth and downright cool as he takes on the Russians over the codes to a devastating weapon. This was Brosnan's first Bond outing, and remains easily one of the best in the series' entire 23-year run, with enough action, glamour (Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp? Go on then) and badassery to keep anyone happy. And Sean Bean! And Robbie Coltrane! And Alan Cumming! Skyfall, on the other hand, played out as more of a Bond's greatest hits, nodding references left, right and centre to everything that came before. Daniel Craig's Bond even escapes a pit by jumping from a komodo dragon, for M's sake! Adele's song was not, in my opinion, deserving of an Oscar, as I've never been much of a fan of hers, though I can't really say who I'd have given the award to in her place. And I've said it before, but Skyfall does not, I repeat not, rhyme with crumble.

5. Up in the Air

Kevin Renick's melancholic titular track for Jason Reitman's downsizing drama-comedy fits the tone of this film perfectly. It's a well balanced, poignant piece following George Clooney's Ryan Bingham as he jets around America, assisting in company's dismissals of their employees, only to find his fleet-footed lifestyle may be under threat from Anna Kendrick's plans to do it all digitally, via webcams and Skype, all from one central office. I really like this film, which isn't as popular an opinion as I once thought, and I really don't know why. It also makes a great pairing with Reitman's debut, Thank You For Smoking, another tale following a hugely successful business man (Aaron Eckhart's tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor) over a few days, as his world begins to fall apart when a woman enters it (Katie Holmes' reporter, in place of Vera Farmiga's female Bingham).

4. Iron Man
There is no correlation between the Black Sabbath song and the Marvel superhero (the song is in fact about a man travelling in time and seeing an apocalypse he will eventually bring about), but the film-makers would have been inexcusably silly not to have included it. Plus, it kicks in perfectly into the closing credits, after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) proclaims to the media "I am Iron Man," just like in the song. The film itself kick-started Marvel's avengers initiative in the greatest possible way, with a little-known superhero, an actor on a cataclysmic rise after Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, and a director more known for being Monica' boyfriend in Friends than for handling giant blockbusters. It's gone on to become a behemoth of a franchise, with this summer's Iron Man 3, directed by Kiss Kiss' Shane Black, one of my most anticipated films of the year, and judging by the trailers it has the potential to become possibly this series' best. Fingers crossed.

3. Ghostbusters
Duh-nuh-nerner-nerrnerr, duhnuh-nuhna-nuh-nerr-nerr, it's the quintessential classic 80s theme tune, to the quintessential 80s sci-fi-comedy. Ray Parker Jr. crafted arguably the most iconic film of the decade, with one of the greatest videos to boot as he finally admitted to an increasingly demanding world that bustin' did indeed make him feel good. As for the film, well I'd like to think I didn't have to explain what it is about Ghostbusters that makes it so incredible, but for me it isn't necessarily Bill Murray's sarcastic yet horny Peter Venkman, or Harold Ramis' Spock-lite Egon Spengler, or even Rick Moranis' nerd-king Louis Tully. No, it's Dan Aykroyd and his boyish sense of wonder at everything as Raymond Stantz. The scene when they first look at the fire station as a possible base for their paranormal investigations and he discovers the pole makes me smile so much, every time. Whilst the song was deservedly nominated for an Oscar, it was criminally beat out by Stevie Wonder's I Just Called To Say I Love You. Did he have Chevy Chase, John Candy, George Wendt, Jeffrey Tambor and Peter Falk in his video? I think not.

2. Beauty and the Beast
The second greatest non-Pixar animated Disney film (after The Lion King, which had it been named The Circle of Life would easily be my number one), Beauty and The Beast is a film that I have no shame in admitting I love, despite it not only being for kids, but predominantly female ones at that. Unfortunately, the title song (sung by Angela Lansbury's teapot, Mrs. Potts) takes place at one of the most soppy and sentimental moments of the film, but almost everything up to that point, from the marvellously chauvinistic Gaston ("As a specimen, yes, I'm intiiiiiimidaaaaaaating") to the antics of the anthropomorphised inhabitants of the Beast's mansion, this is a film it's hard not to love. Plus the animation is belle - sorry, beautiful - and there's actually a strong female character at the centre who steadfastly doesn't want to give it all up and marry the town hunk. Granted, by the end she has suffered from Stockholm's Syndrome and fallen for the hideous creature keeping her captive in exchange for her father's freedom, but y'know, people can go crazy when they're incarcerated.

1. Goldfinger
Well I never said that Bond wasn't going to reappear on the list, did I? What did you think was going to be number one? Bad Boys? The Sweetest Thing? Convoy? No, of course it's Goldfinger, as bellowed by Dame Shirley Bassey in a window-shaking song that, if played loud enough, would probably be able to radiate Fort Knox's gold on it's own, without the need for any atomic devices. As for the film, well it's obviously my favourite Bond picture, with the greatest henchman in Harold Sakata's Oddjob, the barmiest villain's plan, the most ridiculous Bond girl name (Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore) and a woman being killed by being sprayed in gold. Plus, there's the iconic, oft-quoted moment with the laser, and Sean Connery on top form. Perfection. - Life vs. Film blogspot

Homey and nostalgic—that’s how one might describe Kevin Renick’s newest album, Under the Wishing Tree. The album’s opening, instrumental track, “Out of the Cage (Part One),” is like a prelude to the experience you’re about to have. Its whimsical and freeing nature conjures up feelings of optimism, tranquility, and spiritual peace; it definitely lives up to its name. After hearing it, I wondered how Renick would fare having set the bar so high straight out of the gate. Luckily, that wasn’t even an issue.

There’s an air of serenity that surrounds the entire album. Every track fills you with tranquility, solace, or lightheartedness—a laidback and serene sound. It’s one of those albums you throw in on a Sunday morning while enjoying a nice, calming moment and a cup of coffee. With all of life’s stressful elements, I found the album to have a soothing and sedative effect. One of the great things about it is the numerous genres it hits upon and unpredictable path. Even though the majority of Wishing Tree lies in the realm of folk and acoustic rock, at times there is a hint of everything, and even a spot of what sounds like country.

One of the most whimsical of tracks on the album, “Goodbye, Typewriter,” is a fond and fanciful farewell to many of technology’s now misplaced ancestors. From the phone booth to the VCR, Renick’s proclamation reminds us of the ever revolving door of gadgets that have bombarded our lives throughout recent history. Renick’s vocals lend a lightheartedness to the song that conveys the humor intended given the song’s lyrics and upbeat tempo.

Then, at the other end of the spectrum, lie songs like “Feeling My Way” and “Black on Blue,” both extremely personal tracks. The former is a very intimate look at one’s personal journey through relationships and all the intricacies that come with it; the latter, however, is a much more devious track. With the sound of the ocean brooding in the background, it is rich with symbolism and open to interpretation. One thing is for sure: Something is brewing up ahead.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. From beginning to end, it was consistently optimistic and uplifting, yet each song was extremely different from the next; you never knew in exactly what direction the next track was going to take you. | Jennifer Manjarez

The album is available online. Learn more about Kevin Renick via his Facebook page.
- Playback: STL

It’s become the stuff of local legend. Kevin Renick, a struggling songwriter who’d been recently released from a proof-reading job, passes a simply recorded, old-school cassette tape to director Jason Reitman. Months after the impromptu introduction to the filmmaker, Renick hears back from Reitman, the two coming into conversation over a song Renick wrote, “Up in the Air,” which matched mood and title to a film Reitman was completing, also “Up in the Air.”
Kevin Renick promotes 'Up in the Air'.
Provided
Kevin Renick promotes 'Up in the Air'.

Within a week of them actually talking, the song would be selected to punctuate the work, the unlikely closing-credits track to a film that received widespread critical acclaim.

As national media began to pick up on the musical side-story, Renick’s personal history began to change in real time. Even while struggling through a recession-era layoff, Renick’s music career was born -- all done through what’s (understated as) as an unlikely series of circumstances.

“Jim Axelrod of CBS News was the first to come to my house, one of two media members who came over,” he remembers. “He was the first to grasp that there were so many ironies about the whole thing. My getting laid off as the movie was being filmed. I had been so influenced by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and my first national release is on an album with them; they’re on the soundtrack, too. The song had been titled ‘Up in the Air’ well before I knew of the movie, but the song even paralleled what they were saying thematically. The deeper you wanted to dig, the more interesting it got.”


Kevin Renick performs 'Up in the Air' at the Tivoli in 2009.

Meeting at the comfortable Kaldi’s Coffee in his longtime home of Kirkwood, Renick’s quick to note that his life hasn’t changed in some respects, as “I’m not rolling in money.” But there have been perks in the past couple years, instances that remind him of his persistence-meets-good-fortune moment of February 2009.

There was his signing with local entertainment lawyer Robynn Ragland, a notable, mid-’90s, St. Louis songwriter herself; she’s now his manager, as well as attorney. There was a March 2010 trip to Japan in which “I was treated like a star in a way that was ridiculous. I flew first-class, for the first time in my life. I stayed at a posh hotel, with a spending stipend for every day. I had a translator, a driver. It was absolute bliss.”

During that stay, he enjoyed another unexpected perk. “I met with the cream of the crop of Japanese journalists, every day,” he says. Which, of course, is interesting in its own way.
The 'Noisy' years

Before last week, Kevin Renick and I crossed paths twice before. In 1996, he signed on at the "Riverfront Times," primarily working with the advertising department. A few years later, with a sizable number of the company’s workforce departing under the post-Ray Hartmann ownership, he and I met again, invited to a meeting by Carris Lindsey, a print designer and RFT alum, herself. The three of us sat down at her house in Webster Groves a few times, with Renick easily and enthusiastically sliding into an editing role with the new publication that was being born, a black-and-white zine called "NoisyPaper."

The publication had existed once before, as a mimeographed-and-stapled affair in the 1980s. Reborn at the start of the 2000s, the new zine was a larger format than the original, and came with a small ad base, Lindsey’s solid art direction and a heavy emphasis on local music and art. The publication was run on a shoestring, and hours were spent poring over mock-ups, stressing on all the finer points of getting a publication out the door in the last golden days of the classic, indie, print zine.

“'NoisyPaper,' God how often do I think about it,” says Renick, the publication’s managing editor. “I’m really proud of the fact that anybody who looks up Carrie Lindsey or NoisyPaper first comes to the most prominent piece of writing about them, by myself on playbackstl.com.

"I tried to tell the story, respectfully and honestly, of everything she went through, the meltdowns in the face of naysayers in the blogosphere, who were telling her what to do. I told a story of her vision and her ambition. Carrie had style and a visual imagination. I don’t think she particularly wanted to write, but to design and be a catalyst for the communal arts scene here. She invited a lot of bands to her house, to talk about ideas.

"'NoisyPaper' was not a real, professional paper, but it had great ideas. I view it as a groundbreaking thing, for others to see that ‘we can start a paper, we can invite people from the community to take part.’”

My role, beyond being the second-tier factchecker for the publication was to write an every-issue column and to generally be out advocating for the publication. After a few issues, it was obvious that Renick, who was also writing large amounts of each issue’s content, was in possession of the editorial vision of the zine.

Attempting to find paying work and burning out first, I split from the operations and was replaced in the triangular editorial meetings by Bryan A. Hollerbach. But I kept reading it, hoping it would establish a foothold, with a run at the RFT the ultimate goal. As it turned out, a second wave of contributors led by Laura Hamlett and James Dunn would form "Playback St. Louis," a colorful print zine about local music. It eventually morphed into an online entity, but the line between its current cyber-version and the original "NoisyPaper" birth is clear and clean.

After "NoisyPaper" cycled out of print, Lindsey, her energetic daughter Emily and husband Mike Shelton were killed, in a car accident on Aug. 22, 2004. The family was heading back from a musically themed mini-holiday in Chicago, when a vehicle crossed lanes and changed many lives in a moment.

“I still feel very bad about what happened to Carrie,” Renick says. “And you know the irony of my being behind them, caught in the hours-long traffic jam that day. I wrote a longer short-story about it, in diary form, called ‘Eight Days This Week.’ There were friendships affected by it. A wake held at a little club, the service. It was really intense and hard to fathom something like that happening to someone you know. You try to carry on and do things that the person would’ve been proud of. I’m appreciative of the things that’ve happened to me since, for those reasons.”

Through two work experiences and hours spent in editing sessions together, I wouldn’t have guessed at Renick’s hidden passion for music creation and performance. For appreciation of music, yes, he was always an avid fan. But I can’t remember him mentioning songwriting, the guitar, writing lyrics ... none of it, not once.
The perspective of perspective

These days, Renick has a handful of steady, musical collaborators, starting with Ted Moniak, a friend who moved from Seattle to St. Louis in 2010, to help arrange, write and play Renick’s music live. Ned Watson was added to some live events, while classically trained multi-instrumentalist Gretchen Hewitt’s been a live-playing ally, too.
Hear Renick

When: 6:30 July 7

Where: Sky Music Lounge in Ballwin, opening for Plastic

When: 7 p.m. July 13

Where: Grove Deli in Webster Groves

Grammy-nominated producer Adam Long is working with Renick now, on two separate CD projects, while Jacob Detering’s slated for yet another project next year. Canadian electronic musician John Sobocan’s also on-board for work in 2013. And, with the Renick’s noted streak of coincidence intact, he’s even written lyrics with Christa Juergens, his first crush, of all people; they became reacquainted after Renick’s story began to break.

“We corresponded on Facebook, and I thought she had a lyrical way with her language,” Renick says, aware of the irony of their relationship, then and now. “I asked if we could put some words and phrases down, see what works. It’s nice not to have all the responsibility there.”

Of course, there is responsibility where Renick’s at now. The rare person who experiences and enjoys a soul-renewing lightning strike, he’s busy keeping the good will flowing. Even as his lyrics often reflect a somber, or sobering, perspective on the human experience.

“Part of the poignancy of this was that the impact wasn’t experienced by my parents,” Renick says. “My mom died by the time it actually happened. My dad was in a nursing home, limited in what he could say, or do, but he did tell me he was proud.

"Generally, I’ve gotten nothing but good support and positive energy from anyone who’s known me. It’s interesting how people from different points in my life came forward. The first guy I tried to play guitar with, when I was 10, was Rich Haegg. I lost track of him for over 10 years. He was living in Springfield, Mo., teaching guitar for 20 years. "One day, not so long ago, I called him to see about a gig. And at the school where he teaches, at that time, they were learning ‘Up in the Air.’ I gave a presentation to his class and spoke about my experiences. So I’m most grateful for the people who were gone, were unreachable, and who’ve found me through Facebook or my website.”

Renick’s refreshing in his honesty. About being discovered in middle age, for example.

“I’ve been fortunate to have the privilege of setting an example,” he says. “Of taking the road less traveled. It’s surprising, as an older person, to get email from a lot of people, saying your story is inspiring to them, that they’re following a dream that may never come true. You stand as an example of the ordinary person, the down-to-Earth guy who takes a risk. I still get emails from people who feel like it’s a soundtrack to their life, like one from a guy in Iran who says his friends love the song and I’m some sort of star there. I couldn’t have ever imagined stuff like that, to inspire people who are lost, or wandering, or trying to figure stuff out. The openness I express about my life is part of the story.”

He’s also aware, hyper-aware, that hundreds, if not thousands of “Kevin Renick’s” are out there. Trapped with an idea or concept, in a town where connections are seldom made.

“I feel very strongly about that,” he says. “I have met people with very good ideas for films, TV shows. But they wonder how they can make it happen. I’ve become a spokesman for the outrageous, lucky-break syndrome. It’s very tough to be a nobody and to get something to a person of importance. For me, it took an extraordinary piece of luck.

"The story’s become cliche, it’s been told so many times, but Jason Reitman said, with some panache when we talked, that 'the more unusual way I get themusic the better.’ That told me he was open to new ways. There are young artists, who appreciate someone coming up to them. But that’s the exception, not the rule. Unless you single-mindedly go after somebody, or unless you get lucky, the odds are tremendously against you.

“But you should still be nervy,” he figures. “Look what happened to me.


- St. Louis Beacon

Kevin Renick
by Larry Crane ©2012
photos by Larry Crane
< Issue 88 >
Articles >> Issue 88
2
Not So Up In the Air

Your career of playing music is kind of more recent to the public eye.

Well, yeah, I was described as going through the looking glass, 'cause for many years, even though I did music as a hobby - I wrote songs and played guitar for my own amusement and for friends - I was a music journalist. I wrote for Sauce for a couple years, a local magazine. I wrote for Playback: stl for many years. I did a little bit for the River Front Times and other publications as well, so that's kind of what I was doing besides my regular proofreading job at an ad agency, but that was the bread and butter.

Yeah, you always have to have something steady.

Yeah, 'cause very few people make a living from writing about music, you know. [laughs]

Dave Marsh maybe...

Yeah, exactly. I was doing that for a long time and I had dreamed about making a record some day. I always felt like I had enough good songs to make a record but had no delusions about actually getting into it seriously until late 2008. I did a Neil Young tribute show and people started telling me I sounded like Neil Young; the guy that owned this little coffee shop was really impressed with this little guest slot I did there, so he asked me if I wanted to do my own show and I said sure. I talked a couple of friends into joining the deal with me, and I just started doing that very casually. But meanwhile I'd written this song called "Up in the Air ." Most of my songs tended to be about uncertainty or not knowing what the heck I was doing with my life or longing for love - all the grandiose things. So I thought it was a pretty decent song, but I wouldn't have done anything with it if a movie hadn't come along called Up in the Air. It was an astonishing bit of serendipity. And still, nothing would have happened if Jason Reitman hadn't come to St. Louis. If he had been shooting it in L.A. or something, and I sent him a tape or CD through the mail, it never would have gotten to him. I know that.

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You gave him a cassette tape, right?

I gave him a cassette tape. I had recorded most of my songs on cassette. I was a lo-fi kind of guy. I didn't have the money to buy digital equipment at that point.

So were you using just a stereo cassette deck to record things to or a 4-track?

It was a little Realistic recorder - an old RadioShack thing. The night before his lecture, here in St. Louis, I just put a couple of takes of the song on there and I even described why I thought it might be appropriate for the movie.

You knew the movie was called Up in the Air but you'd already written the song called "Up in the Air?" That's a weird coincidence.

Yeah, right. And I wasn't sure even what the theme was of the movie. I knew that George Clooney was in it. I thought George Clooney played a pilot who was trying to find the meaning of life or something. So, I just barged up to him - first, I asked if it was okay to give him the song and there was some laughter in the audience cause it was a Q&A. So I put my hand up, but I'll never forget what he said. I said, "Would you be kind enough to listen to this song?" And there was a pause and he said, "Sure." He said, "The more different the way I get the music, the better." I thought that was kind of cool.

Not a music supervisor shoving things under his nose.

Yeah, right. So then he probably didn't think I was going to follow through, but I chased him down after his lecture and handed him this package. He actually felt it and said, "Oh, this is a cassette. I don't even have a cassette recorder. I don't know where I'm going to listen to it." I thought I was doomed; I thought nothing's going to happen with this. But I found out that either that day or the next day he actually went over to a friend's car with a car stereo and played it and liked it. That was just the most wild thing that could have happened to me.

And they used your original cassette version for the movie, right?

They used the same thing I recorded on that little recorder. They even used my voice introduction saying, "Hi, Jason. My name is Kevin and this is a song about uncertainty and trying to find my way." That's in the credits. [laughs]

So that was your demo setup, just catch it on a cassette recorder?

Yeah, I had pretty much been recording everything on cassette; I still have a bunch of cassettes that I've recorded little melodies and fragments on. I just call them Kevin's Tidbits, you know; so whenever I get a melodic idea which I do sometimes in the middle of the night, I just turn on the cassette and sing into it or play some chords and then later on I develop the song out of it.

Have you done anything or bought anything now? You have several CDs out now.

Yeah, I've been able to work with a few engineers. I've reinvested a lot of my Up in the Air money into trying to keep recording stuff, 'cause I do want to get somewhere with this. My notion is that if I just keep putting a lot of effort into recording songs, writing songs - I have another song coming out in a movie next year which is not going to be quite on the level of Up in the Air, but it has been accepted. It's a song called "Ballad of the American Farmer" and it's another acoustic kind of narrative, but in this case it's about the farming crisis and it's for a documentary called In the Interest of National Security. I have two other directors that I've been in loose communication with. I'm just trying to make the connections and see where it goes. It's very cool that I tapped into this angst that I guess a lot of people were feeling - after Up in the Air I got emails from around the world - I'm talking countries like India and Iran and South Africa. People would write to me and say, "You're speaking for me. This is how I felt about my life and my job situation." I could never have imagined that in a million years.

And also, you're not 22... Do you think it's something that could only come out when you've been through part of your life and look at it and go, "Fuck!"

Exactly. That's one of the reasons I think that Jason Reitman was so intrigued, because I was an older guy and he said that. He said he's used to teenagers coming up to him to give him songs, but here comes this old guy with a cassette so that got his attention. It was different. I think my influences are kind of intriguing too. My two biggest influences are Brian Eno and Neil Young. Strangely, in terms of their attitudes, they have a lot in common. They do exactly what they want. They don't care what anybody thinks. They're kind of outsiders, and it's just a coincidence that I sound a little bit like Neil Young. I just did a Neil Young tribute concert last week which was about the 4th or 5th one and now we actually have a side project called Shaky Deal. It's kind of interesting that you can hear the singer-songwriter thing in my music, but if you listen carefully you'll also hear the influence of the ambient stuff. Of course it's overt on The Road To Olandra [an ambient/spoken word collaboration with John Sobocan], but it's there on other stuff, too.

If you get into what Brian Eno's done, there are a lot of things to pull from it.

One of his aesthetics - and I think it's even one of the Oblique Strategies - but there was a time when I was feeling really depressed and down about not being more technically proficient. I thought, "Man, I'm never going to be a guitar whiz like some of these guys." I knew I could write songs because I was a writer, but I just didn't feel technically I was ever going to get very skilled. He had a thing where he said, "Obstacles can be tools to one's advantage," which I'm pretty sure is one of the Oblique Strategies. That was a light bulb moment for me. It was, like, "Yeah, I should just do what I can do!" Not try to be like some guy who's been doing it for 40 years, but I can do my style and say what I have to say. That really was like a freeing sort of thing for me.

That's a good thing to take from that.

Not to mention the whole thing of like the studio is where you can make the magic. As he's always said - use the studio as its own art form.

Speaking of studios, after Up in the Air I know you did your first record, Close To Something Beautiful. How did you go about it?

Yeah, the first one was done on a really low budget - about a thousand bucks. I recorded it with a guy named Mike Martin who has been recording St. Louis bands, regional bands, for quite a while. You know, I was stumbling my way through it just learning stuff, but I wanted to do that. I wanted to have the experience of "okay, I'm going in fresh for the first time to try to see how this is." Mike was a big help, and the musicians were all a lot of fun. I worked with some kids on a song called "Read a Book" which was just a children's song. We had fun, but I knew the stakes were going to keep getting higher. So the next time I used a guy named Justin Robinson who was a slightly more sophisticated engineer - had some better stuff, better equipment - and we did some of the songs on the Come On Down EP. But then one of them I worked with a guy named Adam Long and that's where the real turning point came. That's a song called "Call it a Life." Adam Long is actually a Grammy-nominated engineer. He's done a bunch of Broadway cast albums. He's got a home studio and he absolutely gets what I'm trying to do - the sort of introspective, contemplative vibe that I'm trying to capture. He was just magical to work with. I'm going to do most of the next record with him.

He said he's used to teenagers coming up to him to give him songs, but here comes this old guy with a cassette so that got his attention. It was different.

I think that's an interesting point you bring up - find someone that just gels with you.

Yeah, exactly. I think there's always an interesting rapport and communication that you have with people recording you. If you're open with them, they're going to give you their feedback and their take on things and that's going to flavor what comes out - that's kinda cool. But with Adam, he just sees more deeply. He was very proactive. He would make suggestions. He wouldn't just listen to what we were doing. On "Lost Time" there is an instrumental section in the middle where my partner, Ted Moniak, started doing these little ambient reverberations on the guitar and Adam picked up on it and started tweaking some dials, getting some echo in there. It was just an amazing thing 'cause I've always said that I want music that can give you chills. In fact I wrote to Eno about this once - I called it the "shiver factor" - and Eno agreed with that; he said he likes that too. I may not be to the point where everything I do is going to be like that, but I'm striving for that - that kind of emotional impact from something in the song or some little sound you get that just really clicks.

That emotion can come from the voice and lyrics, but it can come from the feel and the sounds.

I find that a lot of music I hear doesn't really do that because they're so wrapped up in the production and everything has to be just perfect. It's just gotta be a well oiled machine - and that's kinda missing. That's one of the things that drew me to Scandinavian music, by the way, which is another side passion I have. There's a lot of stuff that has come out of Scandinavia that is like that. The vocals are very intimate, the music is kinda quirky - the arrangements are a little bit different. I get chills from that stuff a lot, like the Icelandic stuff. Music should have an impact. I mean, there's a kind of music where it's okay if it's disposable. Fun stuff, stuff to make you snap your fingers and drive down the road, and all that. I like that but the stuff that you retain in your memory and your subconscious is the stuff that has an emotional wallop to it.

Neil Young - his work always about searching for that.

He's a master of simplicity. He'll take something that's really elemental - I was so surprised when I found out that most of his songs are three or four chords. The trick is putting some kind of zest or extra passion into it like he does.

When things started taking off, did you already have a website at all, when Up in the Air was coming together?

Not when it first came out. I put one together very quickly. I would love to make a living from this, but I like learning as I go and I like taking steps. It's interesting to me how some gigs hardly anybody shows up then others go really well and people come up and compliment you. I just love the learning of it and I'm enjoying the ride. But yes, I would like to get somewhere with it. I've written 162 songs now and I do want to do something with them and get into more movies and all that. I'm trying to be patient, but at the same time I want to meet the people that can kind of see what I'm doing and find something in the songs that will work for their projects.

As a music journalist you probably saw the same thing from the other side where you'd be like, "This is great. How come no one's at this show?"

Oh absolutely. I used to champion acts, as you have, acts that weren't getting that much attention or were overlooked. There's a lot of beautiful music out there that people just don't know about at all except a handful, and I feel bad for these people. I look up to them and I write to them and they tell me they barely make any money themselves. I guess I'm in good company. [laughter]

At this point, are you still recording demos at home on cassette?

I did buy a tiny little digital recorder not long ago. I'm trying to figure out how it works, but I'm still using cassettes too. I like cassettes. I grew up with them and they're just part of my whole aesthetic. Just the other night - sometimes my songs come from dreams, and if it feels like a big idea, I'll go and do it right away. Studio recording is to me just really fascinating and potentially so magical. I'm excited to get to the point where I have a big budget to work with and I can do stuff that matches what I hear. Sometimes it's frustrating to hear these big soundscapes in my head. I can hear string sections and choral music and stuff but when I go to record, basically it's just me and my other guitarist. I have a band I can work with on some songs, but then I have to try and get my ideas across to them. It's frustrating sometimes. - Tape Op

"Up In The Air" Artist Kevin Renick Debuts New Music
by Don Corrigan
April 25, 2011

Kevin Renick has been landing all over the place since recording his "Up in the Air" song, featured in actor George Clooney's film by the same name. Renick's next big gig is at the Sheldon Concert Hall on May 19.

Much of the highly-acclaimed movie was filmed in St. Louis, and Renick's own music career began catching on in St. Louis right after the movie's release in late 2009. He was invited to play his melancholy movie tune at Vintage Vinyl, the Tivoli in University City and beyond.

Renick could be forgiven for counting his biggest "invite" as the one that took him to Japan in 2010. The University City resident was invited by movie director Jason Reitman to help with the promotion of "Up in the Air" in Japan.

"Japan was a spectacular dream for me," said Renick. "Everything was done for me there as if I were some kind of a rock star. Fans were asking me for signatures and the movie hadn't even opened there yet.

"It was pretty weird having all these people coming up to me, and I am just some dork from St. Louis," laughed Renick. "But when I was in Japan, it was explained to me that they love American movies and they read up on everything about them even before the movies open."

As for Renick's opening at The Sheldon, he said he couldn't be more excited. The Sheldon Concert Hall, located in the heart of Grand Center, is Renick's kind of place. He will perform at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 19, at the Washington Avenue venue.

"When I first started performing and I was thinking about where I would most like to play, The Sheldon was always high at the top of the list," said Renick.

"The Sheldon allows for the kind of intimacy that I always hope to achieve in my music: the ability to tell stories about the songs," he said. "I want a relaxed vibe between performer and audience – and there's just a warmth there."

Two Music Debuts

Renick will simultaneously launch the release of two innovative and contrasting albums at The Sheldon. In a budding music career marked by surprises, the dual release show will mark the realization of yet another dream for the upstart musician.

"Come On Down," a 6-song EP that Renick has recorded with local engineer Justin Robinson, is his first new material since his self-released "Close To Something Beautiful" in 2010. All but one song features his core band of Ned Watson, lead guitar; Ted Moniak, bass; and Andrea Spencer, better known from local band Pelvic Girdles, on drums.

Renick's second release is "The Road To Olandra," an ambient/spoken word odyssey recorded over two years ago with Canadian soundscape artist John Sobocan. "Olandra" bears the influence of Renick's ambient guru Brian Eno, as well as experimental artist Laurie Anderson.

Renick called Brian Eno his hero, because he once came out with a rock album and a very weird instrumental ambient album at the same time. Renick said his "Olandra" is a sort of combination of sound, poetry and meditation with the message that friends must treasure each other and not take each other for granted.

Renick's penchant for bringing other local musicians into his shows will be on display at the Sheldon concert, as his band will include renowned performer Gretchen Hewitt on violin and piano. Hewitt appears on Renick's new EP, and is fresh off a recent choral performance in the St. Louis Symphony's "Lord of the Rings" extravaganza.

All tickets for the May 19 concert are $6, and are available only at The Sheldon's box office the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m.; call 533-9900; visit www.kevinrenick.com and www.thesheldon.org for details.

"Up in the Air"

"All of this would not be happening without the success of 'Up in the Air' and that strange turn of events that followed," conceded Renick. "When I wrote that song, I had no idea a movie would be coming out with the same name."

When Jason Reitman, director of "Up in the Air," was billed to speak at Webster University in early 2009, Renick saw it as an opportunity to show his stuff. He had written his song the previous year and thought it was only serendipity that the titles were the same. As Renick researched the film, however, he discovered that the plot was about job loss, uncertainty and loneliness – the same subject matter as the song he had written.

Renick attended Reitman's speech at Webster about the upcoming film. During a Q and A session, Renick asked Reitman about the movie, ending his question by telling Reitman about his song and asking if he would be willing to listen to a demo. Reitman liked it. The rest is history – music and movie history.

"I've been on a pretty strange ride. I was laid off from a job and wrote this song, and along comes this movie where the song is a perfect fit," said Renick. "I think you have to be open to possibilities – and aware of them.

"The movie and my song opened doors for me, but I don't intend to be a one-trick pony," insisted Renick, a 1975 Kirkwood High grad and 1983 Webster University graduate. "I've written lots of songs and stories over the years and I have a lot of material to draw on."

By the way, Renick has another song being considered for another movie in the making. He said it's for a documentary and is a ballad about the plight of the American farmer.

AN EVENING WITH KEVIN RENICK & FRIENDS

Where: Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108

When: Thursday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $6

For Details: Call 533-9900 or visit www.kevinrenick.com or www.thesheldon.org

Read more: http://www.westendword.com/Articles-i-2011-04-25-175081.114137-Up-In-The-Air-Artist-Kevin-Renick-Debuts-New-Music.html#ixzz1YJibgiLg
- West End Word

General Field
53rd Annual GRAMMY
For recordings released during the Eligibility Year
September 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES, INC.
ENTRY LIST
Category 1 - Record Of The Year®Awards
Page 11 of 14 (excerpt from ballot)
617. WINTER BLOSSOM
Raven Quinn
618. STREETLIGHT
Joshua Radin
619. I'D DO IT ALL AGAIN
Corinne Bailey Rae
620. CHRISTMAS WISHES
Shawn Rae
621. TE AME EN MIS SUEÑOS
Rakim & Ken-Y
622. IF I HAD MY WAY
Robert Randolph & The Family Band
623. THE REAL THING
Ras Kronik
624. I NEVER GET HURT (UNLESS SHE'S AROUND)
The Dave Rawlinson Band
625. LOVE LIKE WOE
The Ready Set
626. WHERE YOU WANNA GO
Red Wanting Blue
627. COME AND GET IT
Eli "Paperboy" Reed
628. TONIGHT WE RIDE
Reed And Dickinson Band
629. WELCOME HOME
Rehab
630. I DON'T NEED A SOUL
Relient K
631. UP IN THE AIR
Kevin Renick
632. BREAK ME OUT
The Rescues

- scribd.com

Angelina Jolie's Optional Fidelity
Monday, 28 Dec 2009 11:46 AM
By: James Hirsen

Angelina Jolie has cohabited with Brad Pitt for the past four years.
The Hollywood power couple lives together as a family along with six children. Angelina has let the cat out of the bag about what she thinks of the idea of commitment.

“I doubt that fidelity is absolutely essential for a relationship,” the actress told Germany's Das Neue magazine. “It's worse to leave your partner and talk badly about him afterwards.”

We probably could have guessed that was her philosophy since her relationship with Pitt began while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston.
Thankfully, she's not sporting a vial of Pitt's blood around her neck like she did when she was with Billy Bob Thornton, although it would probably be considered trendy with today’s obsessive vampire theme.

“Neither Brad nor I have ever claimed that living together means to be chained together,” Jolie noted. “We make sure that we never restrict each other.”

Bet if she tried, Angelina could come up with six good reasons to be faithful.

In contrast, being faithful to oneself can have its benefits.

Kevin Renick’s story sounds like it’s from a screenwriter’s imagination.
But the singer-songwriter’s story is for real, and as it would turn out, for reel.

Like so many folks around the country, the St. Louis artist found himself without a job when the marketing firm he worked for was downsized.
But music won’t be denied and Kevin channeled his job stress into a song.

There was a catharsis in the sad cadence of his tune. Who could have known that a whole new world of opportunity was about to open up for him?

The title of Kevin’s song? “Up in the Air.” Kevin got word that director Jason Reitman was shooting a movie in St. Louis. Coincidentally, the film bore the same title as Kevin’s composition.

He recorded the tune on a 30-year-old cassette deck and placed the audiotape in an envelope. When it was publicized that Reitman would appear at a local college, the songwriter was ready on the spot, cassette tape in hand. At the opportune time, he passed it to the director.

“I felt the envelope and I said, 'is this a cassette tape?” the director told CBS News. “And he [Kevin] said ‘yeah’ and I said, ‘I don't even know where to listen to this.’ I had to find a car with a cassette deck."

What are the chances that an established Hollywood filmmaker would take the time to listen to a tune recorded on a dated inaccessible analog device?

Six months went by before Kevin received the amazing e-mail, which informed him that not only did Reitman love the song, the actual cassette recording the songwriter had first handed the director was part of the soundtrack for the film's credits.

“This isn't some kid with a guitar,” Reitman said. “This is a man.”

The anguish Kevin expressed in music is now part of one of the most acclaimed films of the year. “Up in the Air” has six Golden Globe nominations to its credit, including best picture and best director. And it’s a safe bet that Oscar nominations are on their way.

If there was an Oscar for best luck, Kevin would be a shoe-in.


James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, commentator, media analyst and law professor. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court and has made several appearances there on various landmark decisions. Hirsen is the co-founder and Chief Legal Counsel for InternationalEsq.com, a legal think tank and educational institute for the study of law in the media.
Visit: Newsmax TV Hollywood: - Newsmax.com

Review
Jason Reitman’s corporate-downsizing dramedy is bolstered by this effective selection of warm folk from the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dan Auerbach and Elliott Smith. Notably, Kevin Renick’s title track provides a perfect tone of wistful melancholy. Rolfe Kent’s score displays its quirky charms on two tracks, but is eclipsed by Charles Atlas’ instrumental Genova, which beautifully evokes the disconnectedness of constant air travel.
Reviewer: Danny Graydon - Empire Magazine

Film, Music, What we're listening to
Air play

Up In The Air
So it didn’t land the haul of Golden Globes it probably deserved last weekend, but Up In The Air remains a great recession-era fable, not least for the depth and repeat-play appeal of its soundtrack, which blends punchy soul-funk covers (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings’ rendition of Woody Guthrie’s patriotic ode, “This Land Is Your Land”) with melancholic blues rock riffs (Dan Auerbach’s haunting “Goin’ Home”), via a real-life tale of triumph over redundancy.

When proofreader Kevin Renick was laid off from his job, he wrote a song about the experience and decided to doorstep director Jason Reitman at a public event, politely informing him “I wrote a song for your movie”. The track, conveniently titled “Up In The Air”, was subsequently used over the film’s closing credits, cementing Renick’s musician status in the process. Aspiring singer-songwriters take note: Reitman’s next film is about a once great ninja now leading a life of mediocrity.

Out now (Rhino)

- Esquire Magazine UK

Best Original Song

The Nominees:

* Joshua Radin ft. Maria Taylor - "When You Find Me" (Adam)
* Ryan Bingham - "The Weary Kind" (Crazy Heart)
* Lykke Li - "Possibility" (New Moon)
* Jack Savoretti - "One Day" (Post Grad)
* Kevin Renick - "Up in the Air" (Up in the Air)
- Showbizmonkeys.com

Music From the Hill: the stylish sounds of Kevin Renick

By Jack Montgomery
Thursday, October 28, 2010 4:08 PM CDT

On October 12th all of us at Java City had the pleasure of listening to singer/songwriter and St. Louis native Kevin Renick. Kevin was accompanied by fellow guitarist Ted Moniak. Some of you movie buffs may know that Kevin is the composer of the title song for the 2009 movie UP IN THE AIR starring George Clooney. We were delighted he could make time in his performing schedule to come by and sing at Java City.

Kevin, can you tell us a bit about your personal and musical history?

Well, I grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri, the youngest in a family of rather intense, artistically inclined people. I always dreamed of being a singer/songwriter—I wrote my first song, rather innocently, at the age of 10, and then started writing more seriously in high school after being influenced by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Beatles, and Simon & Garfunkel. I was especially affected by Neil Young—his singular approach to songwriting and the moody contemplation in so much of his work. Got my first guitar my senior year of high school, and began a pattern of having amazing bursts of songwriting energy and excitement followed by long periods of disillusionment and self-doubt. Stage fright kept me from singing for anyone besides my close friends until a few years ago. By then, I had amassed a large number of original songs. I had a powerful creative breakthrough in Sept. 2008, and I started writing new, stronger songs and really finding my voice. A short time after that, I had my big break with “Up in the Air” and things have been going full steam ahead ever since. It's perhaps worth mentioning that some of my songwriting drive came from a very influential girl in my life, someone I've known since I was a child. Without a doubt, a lot of my early songs were influenced by her, and I still consider her my muse.

Tell us the story of “Up in the Air?” How has its popularity impacted you?

“Up in the Air” was a song that I had just completed some months before the movie came along. It was about my struggle with uncertainty, career limbo, existential angst, etc. I was trying to find myself, wondering what was to become of me. When I heard that a movie was going to film in St. Louis that coincidentally had the same title as the song I wrote, I began pondering the “what ifs” of it all. And when director Jason Reitman came to do a lecture here, I was determined to take a chance. I just HAD to get my song to him, even if it meant recording it on a cheap cassette tape. Astonishingly and ironically, it was that very thing that intrigued him enough to listen to the song, and he liked it. Thematically, it worked for his film, which I'm still shaking my head about. How has it impacted me? Well, I can't begin to describe how humbling and inspiring it is to have people around the world appreciate something you've done. I've gotten emails from India, Iran, Sweden, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Australia and other countries about the song. Dozens of bloggers have posted their feelings about it and how they relate to the theme. I guess I struck a chord with that song, and I'm so grateful. I'm not a big star or anything, but it did get my foot in the door for a music career, and I've been given some unique opportunities to perform. And I recorded my first CD. It's been an amazing, fantastic adventure and it's still going on.

Who influenced you as a musician?

My influences came in three distinct waves. I grew up with The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel (I counted Paul Simon as one of my early songwriting heroes) and The Monkees, so that kind of concise pop song craftsmanship definitely rubbed off on me. Neil Young was my biggest creative influence, however—he came along right when I was thinking about what I wanted to say lyrically, and starting to find my “muse” in high school. I loved his voice, his openly emotional approach to songwriting, and his ability to utilize different genres depending on what he felt like saying. There is definitely a good dose of Neil in many of my songs. The third “wave” was when I got into more esoteric and artsy music in college and beyond, with ambient pioneer Brian Eno being my “guru” of finding alternative ways to say things. I love Cocteau Twins, Nick Drake, R.E.M., Radiohead and a Norwegian group called Ephemera—all these artists found their way into my aesthetic somehow. I simply began to realize that there were no limits; you could write any kind of song and say things in unconventional ways if you simply made it musically interesting. I also learned the crucial lesson that not everyone will like what you do, but if a handful of people do, that might be enough.

What is your favorite sort of gig?

I have to say that my favorite setting for performing is in a quiet venue where people are attentively listening to the songs, and where I can tell the stories behind them. My voice also sounds best with a quiet room and good sound system. Although I adapt easily to different situations and “vibes,” I do function best when people demonstrate that they are paying attention.

Ted, I heard some awesome licks coming out of that beautiful Gretsch guitar. How would you describe your technique?

The Gretsch makes me sound better than I really am. I call that guitar “my wife”. My technique, to the extent that I have any, is a hodge-podge of remembered sounds that knocked me out. The whole thing is still very much evolving, which is fun for me.

How do you define your sound?

I'd describe it overall as “reality-based folk pop with emotional twists here and there and a strong undercurrent of nostalgia and romantic yearning.” How does that sound? :-) For marketing purposes, I'm more apt to say “melodic folk pop in the vein of Neil Young and early Paul Simon.”

I know you write your own music? If so, where do you get the ideas for your songs?

Oh lordy, songs can come from anywhere. The most exciting aspect of this whole thing for me is the challenge of writing interesting original songs. I have endless ideas, and I get new ones all the time. Overall, I stick with the tried and true subjects: romance, the search for meaning, the state of the world, friendship, loss. But I think a hallmark of my subject matter is the passing of time, i.e. the way things keep changing, and the resulting nostalgia for when something might have been better or happier. I've been strongly influenced by growing up in suburbia and having a sort of idyllic childhood. Many of my songs have arisen directly from the connections I have with my oldest friends. I'm also influenced by nature, movies and changing technology.

Where do you want go with your music?

Why, I want to sing a duet with Katy Perry, of course! Seriously though, I just want to see how far I can go in the industry, which means recording a lot of albums if I get the opportunity, playing to as many people as possible, and writing songs that people respond to emotionally. I hope some of my songs prove good enough for other artists to want to cover, also. And I'd like to write more songs for movies. Right now, I am naïve enough, perhaps, to view the sky as the limit.

I know you have a CD called “Close to Something Beautiful.” Tell us about it.

My first CD is a collection of songs both old and somewhat recent, and it's meant as a kind of introduction to my overall aesthetic. The vibe is contemplative, primarily. I have a song about my favorite teacher in high school, two songs influenced by movies (“Call It, Friend-o” was inspired by my fascination with the villain in the movie “No Country For Old Men”, and “Rachel McAdams” is about my adoration for the actress of the same name), and a song about my love of libraries and books called “Read A Book.” For that one, I recruited some kids from my elementary school to sing with me, and the results were fantastic. There is also a funny song about apologizing called “The Sorry Song”, and of course, a fresh version of “Up in the Air.” It's not a super-polished effort, but we put a lot of heart and soul into the record.

Thanks Kevin and Ted. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Just that we love playing for people, and we intend to keep getting better and better every day. And we promise to always “keep it real.”

About the author: Jack Montgomery is a librarian, author and associate professor at Western Kentucky University where he handles bookings for musical acts in University Libraries, Java City coffeehouse. Jack has also been a professional musician since 1969 and performs with a celtic quartet called Watersprite. Visit him at MySpace/shadowdancerjack or on Facebook. - The Amplifier

One name you probably haven't heard of is Kevin Renick.
The one track on "Up in the Air"'s soundtrack that's inimitable is Renick's, the St. Louis singer/songwriter who was one of the many unemployed who talked to Reitman before production started on the film. During a Q&A at Webster University, Renick handed Reitman a cassette with a song called "Up in the Air," a lilting ballad that shares a passing similarity to the last artist the director championed in "Juno," Kimya Dawson. Reitman joked in Toronto that he had to scramble to find something that would play the tape, settling on the cassette deck in the car of a P.A., but even in cramped quarters, he chose the song to play over the closing credits because he felt it was "authentic." - The Independent Eye

The script is witty and funnier than you would expect, easy to relate to and like the film, touching. And the soundtrack is apt and lovely, specifically the title song, ‘Up in the Air’ by Kevin Renick. When he was sacked, Kevin penned the song and by chance met Reitman, handed him a cassette tape and shared with him the story behind the song and Reitman and his diligence converted the tape and used it on the soundtrack to the film.
This act sums up this film perfectly - Britfilms.tv web site

The Moolah Theater is to your living room what a restaurant is to your dining room. With its symmetrically arranged curve of leather sofas and love seats, placed for optimal observation of the almost intrusively giant screen, this is the place where movie watchers become a family. And when the movie itself complements the comfy environment, it’s akin to folksinger Fred Neil actually achieving his quest to find a place where “the weather suits my clothes.” Do people go to the Moolah for the furniture? Probably not – but they don’t necessarily go there for the movie, either. What’s playing at the Moolah is, no doubt, available at many other theaters; and at most of them, it’s only one entrée on an eclectic multiplex menu.

So, when something like Up in the Air lands at the Moolah, it’s a kind of semi-perfect Missouri storm – a fleeting one, considering our weather -- a feature film partially lensed in St. Louis that’s showing at a uniquely St. Louis theater. Most impressively, our city not only portrays itself in the movie but doubles for other locations – mostly, via interiors -- including Milwaukee, complete with fake snow. While we who live here can spot the landmarks – which are essentially identifying birthmarks -- of our fair city, we’re also the only audience for whom the charade of St. Louis pretending to be other locations doesn’t work. Still, we’re secretly proud that our hometown is such a good geographical impressionist. And there’s another aspect of the perfect storm -- an instance of being struck by lightning. By now, most people are familiar with the plight – and subsequent flight – of local composer Kevin Renick. Having written a song called, quite cannily, “Up in the Air” before he even knew about the movie, Renick seemed to psychically tune into the zeitgeist that made it possible for such a film to thrive in the first place. Not only had Renick recently lost his job, but his mother, too – an ordeal which gave the term “hard times” a painful resonance that entailed a lot more than economic strife. Renick seized the unlikely chance to get a cassette tape of his song into the hands of Up in the Air’s director, Jason Reitman, who ended up using it. Renick’s home recording was a case of something being tailor-made, sight unseen – his was a kind of unconscious, if inevitable, prescience. Renick, who introduces the song on the tape (alluding to its theme of an uncertain future), imbued the track with a sincere blue-collar humbleness. It matters not a bit that he’s a laid-off proofreader as opposed to a brick-layer. Not all jobs may be the same – but unemployment is identical for everybody.

Sitting in the ballroom-sized living room that’s the Moolah Theater, watching a movie that fits the cold economic climate like a hole-filled glove, proudly taking note of St. Louis actors in vital bit parts; and then staying for the credits in order to hear Renick’s signature song, all felt to me like a different kind of being in the right place at the right time. The movie itself was a small balancing act, a kind of down-sized satire. Its easy-going cadence – somehow conveying the stress of the main characters and their victims in relaxed cinematic terminology – evokes another small masterpiece called Lost in Translation. Even though the talented Reitman tends to undermine some surprisingly stark scenes by falling back on familial clichés and sweet sentimentality, he’s about as optimistic as a village doomsayer. While George Clooney is simply made for the lead role, his patented smirk and jazzy nonchalance make him seem (at least to himself) above it all; often literally so, when he’s on a plane – but that also happens to be when he’s in his element. He’s a guiltless yuppie, getting all fired up about firing people. The movie is perfect when it functions as the tip of an iceberg that only hints at the meltdown underneath. It does what very few films manage to do these days: be relevant.

Jordan Oakes is a local journalist who has written for publications such as St. Louis Magazine and the Christian Science Monitor. - St. Louis Magazine

"Up in the Air"
Largely comprising entries from singer-songwriters, this souvenir from Jason Reitman's recession-friendly film breaks its reflective mood with two selections from Rolfe Kent's fine score -- his "Security Ballet" is an intoxicating mix of rhythms. There are more choice finds here, namely a smoldering R&B turn on "This Land Is Your Land" from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Kevin Renick's title cut will melt hearts, and Sad Brad Smith's "Help Yourself" is a winning nod to Simon & Garfunkel.

-- Todd Martens - Los Angeles Times

It’s a delicate balance that Reitman has to maintain and it’s to his credit that he never steps falsely over the course of the film’s one hundred and nine minutes. It’s also a credit to Reitman’s attention to detail that the songs used in the soundtrack are genuinely affecting and not merely stunt casting – something that is especially true of the title song that plays over the closing credits. It was written by the recently downsized Kevin Renick, who wrote it for the film – and it’s played as it was presented to Reitman. - Eclipse Magazine