I was excited to see a poster for the upcoming Coen Brothers’ version of “True Grit,” based on the Charles Portis novel, which many people think of as a John Wayne movie. I was so excited I texted the below typography — the photo-text — to Margrit Eichler who performs under the name True Margrit, and is celebrating the release of her new cd. She in kind sent notice that her picture and info about her video “Opposite Man” were recently seen in Music Connection magazine. Her cd is called “The Juggler’s Progress.” The song will also be in a feature-length indie film by Scott Boswell.

I hope the success of the two movies spur interest generally in True Margrit’s work; she is quite deserving. This is her fourth cd — she also I should note was the headliner the night The Donnas made their professional debut at Earthwise Productions at Cubberley Community Center in January, 1995.

The song in the Coen trailer is the Peasall Sister’s version of Mosie Lister’s “Where No One Stands Alone.”

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/09/28/true-grit-trailer-kills/

Joel and Ethan Coen present subliminal sideways support for True Margrit

Footnotes:

1.

Here is 7,000 words about Charles Portis in The Believer, from Ed Park, from 2003.

2. There are other trailers for “True Grit” besides the one that uses the Peasall Sisters; for reference here is more of them little girls (and not to detract from ME)

I had to suss the song and artist via the search-injuns. Note also that PS were used in previous Coens film.

3. Before being both a participant in my Cubberley Sessions (or Palo Alto Soundcheck), and a client, True Margrit was in my early pantheon of SF indie legends; I recall meeting her one night South of Market when she was taping flyers to poles, and was impressed.

4. edit to add, Jan. 11, 2011:

The Chronicle had two pieces on this topic today:

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/carroll/

and

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/07/MVF31H3SEH.DTL

I spoke to Margrit Eichler, founder and leader of local band True Margrit and, surprisingly, she said that she still prefers the original film (with John Wayne) to the recent one. I hope she takes me up on my suggestion that she write about her insights, either on her own site or as a gust of Plastic Alto. (A true gust, in that case).