The Scenestar Dozen: Alison Rosenfeld

"The Scenestar Dozen" is where we feature fascinating culture cultivators. Meet music supervisor Alison Rosenfeld. She's behind the music in some of your favorite tv shows and films. A consummate music lover, she's also hosted a monthly radio show on KChung Radio for the past 5 years (it’s latest iterations is called "The Chill Zone"). Read more about her below!

What is the best and worst thing about your profession?

The best and worst things are one and the same: being able to make my biggest passion my day-to-day work. I love that I can spend an entire day listening to music and legitimately feel that I’ve been productive that day. The benefits are great—concert tickets, receiving music in advance of the release date and being able to nerd out with fellow music lovers and swap recommendations for most of the day. However, even though the job is a lot of fun, it has its challenges and drawbacks like any other. Music is such a personal thing, that it can be really heartbreaking when producers and directors don’t agree with your choice. I’m a total TV junkie, but it’s easy to get shaken out of the world of the show you’re watching when a song comes on and I reflexively wonder how much it cost, or bitterly remember a time when an artist denied the use of that same song for a show I was working on.

What is something you didn’t know about Los Angeles that you recently found out or realized?

There are a bunch of amazing apple orchards just outside LA county, near San Bernardino! Going to Oak Glen and picking apples/berries/pumpkins is my new favorite fall tradition.

Where is your favorite place to eat in LA?

A couple of years ago on an especially cold night, my boyfriend and I were walking around Atwater Village and realized we were starving. We stopped by the first restaurant we saw, which was a Cuban spot called Baracoa. Their soup of the day was some sort of meatball soup which was just out-of-this-world delicious… perhaps it was a combination of our immense hunger and the cold night that made us think the food was especially great, but I’ve been back a bunch of times and it never disappoints (although I’ve never seen that meatball soup on the menu since). The food is perfect, the vibe is low-key and unpretentious. If you go, try the ropa vieja with a side of plantains.

What was the last good book you read that you recommend?

I recently listened to the book-on-tape of The Disaster Artist and I absolutely devoured it. I’d recommend it (specifically the audiobook) to anyone who’s a fan of The Room. The audiobook is read by the author, The Room star Greg Sestero. He reads Tommy Wiseau’s dialogue in Tommy’s voice, and his impression is hilariously accurate. The book really drives home the idea that reality is stranger than fiction, and paints an intimate portrait of one of the strangest Los Angeles cult heroes.

Have you ever seen a work of art that stopped you in your tracks?

I tend to love art that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Duchamp was an early favorite of mine. In that same vein, there are two pieces by Piero Manzoni that are similar and have always stuck with me. One is called “Magic Base,” which is a pedestal like one would use for a statue, but instead of a statue on top, there are simply two footprints. The idea is that the observer could stand on top of the base and they become the piece. It’s interactive, thought-provoking in a way that basically shits on art snobs (what is art? Is it anything that stands atop a pedestal in a gallery? What are the boundaries of art—can they extend to the frame or base used to display a piece?), and honestly, just hilarious. Sort of a big “lol, screw you” to art collectors everywhere. He also made a similar sculpture called “Base of the World,” which is a pedestal turned upside down and placed on the ground, turning the entire globe into the piece of art on display. Unlike “Magic Base,” which tickles my sense of dark humor, this one feels more uplifting, and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside!

What is the most remarkable movie you’ve ever seen and what was it about the film?

As a total movie nerd, there is no way I could pick a favorite or most remarkable. I won’t say this is the most remarkable I’ve EVER seen, but I recently revisited the ’99 German film "Run Lola Run" (to see if it holds up). It was a million times better than I even remembered it to be. Aesthetically gorgeous and darkly hilarious, I love how the film score is woven throughout the entirety of the film. Franka Potente is an absolute vision in the titular role of Lola.

Name your pop-culture guilty pleasure.

I’m not sure if I have a guilty pleasure—I’m pretty vocal about everything I love. But I am an avid TV-watcher in general, so maybe just… television? I’ll re-watch every episode of Community on repeat until the day I die… does that count? I’m also a big fan of Miley Cyrus, both as an artist and a human being, though I feel no guilt about it! She does whatever she wants unapologetically; she doesn’t feel like your average “manufactured” pop star. The record she made with the Flaming Lips is unauthorized and weird as hell. She’s more feminist than anyone wants to admit; her songs don’t revolve around boys or catty fights with other women (and yet, Taylor Swift is the one touted as a “great role model for young women…”), and neither does her media presence. She’s messy and beautiful and constantly changing, and, I mean… that voice!

What is the most underrated album you’ve heard and what about it is special?

I’ll pick 6 Kiss by Lil B, although I think he as an artist, in general, is underrated. Though he’s a well-known figure, his influence on popular culture is underappreciated and overlooked, and he is often written off as somewhat of a novelty act or a “personality,” more than musical visionary. When he first came on the scene, everything about him was… well, weird. His rapping style was unlike anyone else I’d heard… mumbling, repetitive, and braggadocios on a completely new level. His “based” ethos felt different from the rest of the hip-hop I was listening to at the time and allowed him to put a unique label on his music. He put out music in huge quantities, with much of it feeling improvisational, lo-fi and messy, the antithesis of the immaculate production of the rap music coming from major labels. He utilized social media, mostly Twitter, in a way that was effective and groundbreaking. He was the first rapper I knew of who proudly wore dresses and feminine clothes. He rapped over the ethereal backdrops of producers like Clams Casino (remember the first time you heard “I’m God”?) and even brought us Kreayshawn (who directed some of his early music videos). From my perspective, he was years ahead of his time and completely changed the scene while nobody noticed. I truly believe we wouldn’t have Lil Yachty or Migos without Lil B’s influence. TYBG.

Who do you think is the best rock star who ever lived?

Kathleen Hannah, hands down. Everything about her is the epitome of a rock star. Even though she’s known for being an activist, she doesn’t make music that’s preachy, and her music is more than just a conduit for a message—it is inextricable from the message, and that’s pretty badass. Her performances are theatrical, but not in the over-the-top, detailed way that a Prince or Freddie Mercury (who are also easily in my top 5 rockstars) is theatrical; it’s the difference between putting on a performance, but not putting on an act, if that makes any sense. She vibrates with energy, and all of her expressions feel deeply personal. She’s brave without really acknowledging it, and was eons ahead of her time. A total pioneer, I sense her influence on tons of newer acts of all genres.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever experienced?

Election night, 2016.

Where is one place that someone can visit in LA for free that is a must-experience?

It’s just outside of LA, but the sunken city in San Pedro is a weird and gorgeous experience that I always recommend to visitors.

What is the weirdest thing about LA?

The weirdest thing about LA is that everyone lives here, and yet nobody seems to be *from* here. Around the holidays, everybody “goes home” and the city completely empties out. It seems to defy all logic.

Alison Rosenfeld is a music supervisor for film and television, with a background in college radio and passion for DJing. In her day job, she chooses the songs for films and TV shows. Right now she's supervising four shows: Fresh Off the Boat and Speechless air on Fridays on ABC; Single Parents is on Wednesdays on the same network. Good Girls is on NBC and High Fidelity will air in 2019. Catch her KChung Radio show on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 10-11pm, and stop by her residency "Friends & Friends" at Melody Lounge in Chinatown on the 4th Wednesday of every month! Follow her on Instagram @sweeteagledreams.

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