Tunes

collage by me (jESiO)

I've been writing a local music column called "Groove Advisory" for the past few weeks. I think it's starting to find it's legs. If you care to check it out, click here. 

Asa Adore

I went to a pop up gallery show at a sweet pad overlooking downtown Norfolk last weekend featuring the four artists chosen for the innagural building in the Hampton Roads: The Canvas project (which AltDaily helped start and my superstar friend Elyse Lovelace spearheads.) A portion of the proceeds of art purchased went to benefit the project and I'm told several pieces sold. While there, I sort of fell in love with the work of Asa Jackson.

Lucky for me, my favorite piece (above) is still available. Now as soon as someone wants to give me $1,000 (I'll work for it, believe me) I promise I will spend it on enjoying the lovely blues and disjointed shapes for a long, long time.

  (It's not the best picture and the reds in the left corners are the wall it was hanging on and not part of the piece.)

Jackson is young (22 or 23) and lives in Newport News, VA. He's the driving force behind a movement known as True Face, which has artwork and clothing, as well as a large helping of community involvement. 

The work reminds me of Basquiat in its delivery and use of sketch and vibrant tone. But it's got its own voice too. There's something very shantytown about it, with warm island or African (or a mix) vibes that shine out thoughts of hope and strength beyond the relative simplicity of primary color and shape.

Up to ten more buildings around town will be uplifted by local artists in the coming months, as this project continues. I'm so stoked Jackson was part of the first batch, as the press and precedent will fall more to this group than later ones. Hopefully this allows more people to see his work and him to keep pushing his technique and mindset further towards the ideal he seeks.

To see what I mean about Basquiat, click here and peruse the art within.

Sea In You

I just found some pictures I took last summer. My super Jess Pleasant was visiting from Brisbane and we walked around our alma mater, Christopher Newport University for the afternoon. Then onto Va Beach for toes in sand, et cetera. What a nice surprise old hard drive!

BadLove

So, a few weeks ago I promised my Tainted Love playlist. No joke, it's literally taken me this long to figure out how to move something from iTunes to Blogspot. The idea was songs about the dark side of love. Disfunction, obsession, swoonkings like Morrissey or The Cure. Raunch like "Drain You" or cries of desperation over synthpop. It was varied but mainly upbeat. Hope you dig.

Collage-a-Dodge

Just finished this collage. I started making it about a month ago and then completely forgot about it. Only needed about thirty minutes work today. So glad it's off my agenda now...only 2,345 things left to do!

SPINning

I can't believe I've waited an entire week to share this, but hey, better late than never, right? Last week, the Sunday paper featured the SPIN project I've been working on since May. 

Here's the article.  To sum up: "Because there is no law, Owens said, some officials and performers are confused about whether entertaining on sidewalks is legal, and people who might otherwise perform outdoors may not because they fear repercussions."

The weather's been picking up nicely around here and a busker (and often more) have been out every single weekend for months, and now I'm seeing them several times per week. There's a major opportunity coming up next month, with the second annual Art|Everywhere art exhibit/street festival. I'm so excited to watch this grow from something amazing last year to something much more.

Here are some more of my SPIN pictures from the last year or so.

Cliches

Cliche: North American Indian

This is the first part of a new series on the blog. My (dumdumdum) day job owns a pretty fantastic art collection that I get to peruse every single day. This is awesome in many ways (until that whole "lost in focus in color" thing rears its head.) Anyway, here's the first of many examples of the best part of the cubicle.

I just got out of a meeting where the walls are covered in the original works of John Baldessari, whose work uses "found photographs of people are amended with colorful dots that blot out the heads of the subjects, redirecting the viewer's attention towards marginal detail. (Amazon)" Above is a digital copy of his "Cliche: North American Indian" which looks way better in person (less intense--more subtelties in color differentiation.)

It's part of the "Cliche" series my company owns. "Cliche" is a set of three lithographs (I believe 50 were made in 1995) that, when viewed together distract me from everything else going on in the room.

Cliche: Japanese

Cliche: Eskimo

Looking at them on a screen diminishes how vibrant and varied the rectangled sections of the series are. In "Cliche: Japanese" (in person) the circles over select faces are faded enough to see the person underneath, but not for everybody. You can't tell this is occurring online.

Also in "Cliche: Eskimo," the pallette is gentle in its transition from pale blue to periwinkle. And the bear's case is much more yellow-orangey than appears here.

Seeing these works on such a regular basis has encouraged me to explore his work further, and I find I absolutely love it. He's really rivalling Maggie Taylor as my favorite living artist now. I just wishlisted his book "John Baldessari: A Print Retrospective from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation" which has over 140 color plates spanning forty years of his work. I'll do a book review later in the year on it, so stay tuned.

Work also owns this one, "Exterior Views, 1986"

In the meantime, enjoy a few more of my other favorites:

Drivelisten.

Last week I was getting up and heading to Charlottesville, full of expectation for a good time, good drive, good friends, good music. Anticipation of small, solo roadtrips to wanted destinations always bring me to a very specific and active place.

Woke up and went straight to the iPod to play "Lucky" by Radiohead. Because, if I'm feeling it, I can have Thom Yorke reinforce "it's gonna be a glorious day." And, their new album The King of Limbs had just debuted a couple of days prior and that was most definitely gonna be on the day's playlist.

I put the mp3's to random for a while after that, and then relistened to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs (top winner at both the recent Grammy's and NME's.) I like this album a lot.

As soon as it ended, Jeff Buckley's "Parchman Farm Blues" came on. Heck yes.

Hit the road, radio was on. Pink Floyd-into-Florence & the Machine-into-Springsteen. (Tramps like us!) I think that's one of the best rock songs ever written.

Put on Monster by REM. It's the 1994 CD I've had for sixteen years, and its lived in my rarely used CD changer for about two. I like it there, a familiar, grungey surprise when I need to change things up. (Other CD's who live in that purgatory include The Moon and Antarctica (can you believe it's eleven years old ?!?), a Grateful Dead greatest hits compilation, and Tom Petty's greatest.)

Monster, though, lives with me like a cousin. I know a lot about it, remember a lot about it, visit it a couple times a year, and either reminisce or learn something new (good if both). I know, for instance, that the first track, "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" skips if I just play the CD. Instead I have to push play, skip forward about fifteen seconds, and hit play. It works fine that way. If I just let it skip through the first fifteen seconds, though, it continues to skip through the whole song. There's a weird intimacy in that. I never bought a new CD. Never burned it, put it on iTunes, nothing. Just leave it in the charger in my trunk for years at a time and finangle when the need hits me.

It's a damn good album. "I don't sleep, I dream." True.

And don't even get me started on "Strange Currencies." One of the most beautiful, anthemic songs ever.

Speaking of Radiohead & REM, here's a copy of them duetting on "Lucky," which makes me feel like I'm on a cloud.

Coulda Been

I took this randomly a couple of weeks ago when our gas went out and we were reduced to living off of our circa 1918 fireplace.  What I like about it: you can't really tell when it was taken. Certain subjects and certain shades of sepia are timeless, just like fire will always keep you warm and cook your food.

Adonis Foo

pic: MTV

Godlike Genius Award: Dave Grohl

The best mainstream music source for as long as I can remember held its awards show last night. The complete list of winners is that the bottom. 

Um, yessssss. Foo's walk an interesting line. Maybe too mainstream for all the hip#*$'s out there. Maybe to hardcore for our parents. I like a lot of their stuff, but not all. But Grohl's so much more than a Foo. He's been in more than 30 bands! And not garage bands. Bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Nirvana. When Tom Petty's longtime drummer quit in the mid-nineties, The Heartbreakers tried to woo the Foo, to no avail (though he did briefly tour with them.)

In 2002, he set a world record for having been on 10 top recordings in a single year (I forget if this was Billboard or something else) due to Foo Fighters, QOTSA, and the newly released "I Know You're Right" from Nirvana's box set. 

Here's some of what I've said about him lately.

Punk, Grunge, Pop, Ballad, Metal, Goof. 

Genius.

Godlike Genius: Dave Grohl

Philip Hall Radar Award: The Naked And Famous

Teenage Cancer Trust Outstanding Contribution To Music: PJ Harvey

John Peel award for Innovation: Crystal Castles

Best British Band: Muse

Best International Band: My Chemical Romance

Best Solo Artist: Laura Marling

Best New Band: Hurts

Best Live Band: Biffy Clyro

Best Album: Arcade Fire, ‘The Suburbs’

Best Track: Foals, ‘Spanish Sahara’

Best Video: My Chemical Romance, ‘Na Na Na’

Best Festival: Glastonbury

Best Dancefloor Filler: Professor Green, 'Jungle'

Best TV Show: Skins

Best Film: Inception

Hero Of The Year: Lady Gaga

Villain Of The Year: David Cameron

Most Stylish: Brandon Flowers

Least Stylish: Justin Bieber

Worst Album: Justin Bieber, 'My World'

Worst Band: Jonas Brothers

Best Band Blog or Twitter: Hayley Williams

Best Book: John Lydon – 'Mr Rotten’s Scrapbook'

Best Small Festival (50,000 capacity or lower): RockNess

Best Album Artwork: Klaxons – 'Surfing The Void'

Hottest Woman: Alison Mosshart

Hottest Man: Matt Bellamy

Nomi-kneed

I few weeks ago, I wrote a review/commentary on Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop. It's up for an Academy Award. Here's an addition: Banksy asked the organizers of the Oscars if he could go in disguise and they turned him down.

While his art isn't dependent on his anonymity, it sure as heck doesn't hurt him (them) does it? Would the Oscars be an acceptable place to debut?

Side note: one article I read on this called him the Batman of the art world. Now it finally makes sense why I dig him so much.

Another year's sky

I did this once before with an iPhone camera and more time. Little country house chockfull of tchotchke and dog and music. 

Simple grows.

Royal Flush. Magic Carpet 

ridewalkstumble.

Some tunes we dug: 

Clash

Bauhaus

Roebuck

Velvets

Anais

Us.

Inside.

Outside.

Times.

(all pics taken in Charlottesville, President's Day Weekend 2011)

Take Two

I was just turned onto photographer Irina Werning via my favorite blogger Sandra Beijerland of niotillfem. She does a variety of stuff. Her 2010 Back to the Future project, though, is insane. She takes childhood photos and recreates them with you in the same pose, clothes, etc. decades later. Here are a few of my favorites.

The most amazing details don't hit you until after you've looked a few times. On the surface, yeah, it's a cool idea and neat to look at. Then you think about the sheer amount of attention to specifics needed for this. The lighting has to be exactly the same in the two shots. Finding similar props for shots in places long gone (like the curtains and bed post in the third picture) is part of the job. 

What an awesome gift idea. Alas, I'm sure its expensive to fly her from Buenos Aires.

Not a Genius

A few months ago I was in a junk shop in Berwick, PA. For two dollars, there was a framed, textured painting of the above and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. A little boy has a bird on a leash. Other birds are caged. Three cats want to eat the birds. Will he let them? Is he evil? Is he protective? 

I bought it. I showed it to other art friends. I hung it in my dining room.

The other night I finally got around to researching it. It's a freakin' Goya replica. How did no one know?

Goya (and Dali and Warhol and more) are currently at PFAC through March 27 for all you Norfolk readers. I'm gonna go this weekend at some point. 

Grams

Big Winners.

Uh. Not sure where my brain went. I wrote this a week ago and didn't hit publish. Better late than never?

Everyone knows the awards-specific portion of the Grammy's is sometimes a little off. The judges sometimes don't even have to listen to the songs ahead of time to vote on them. There's a seniority old-boys club type thing.

That said, I'm stoked to hear Arcade Fire took away the top award last night. Especially when it was up against drivel like Katy Perry. I would have been okay with Eminem winning this too.

Speaking of Katy Perry, if any of you were watching the live show, you noticed how unbelievably saccharine her performance was. She was wearing a Candyland-meets-disco outfit, swinging (well, holding on for dear life) from something that looked straight out of Mrs. Havisham' garden, and her backdrop was her own freakin' wedding video. Seriously?

I felt embarassed for everyone who enjoyed it, and when the camera flashed on Nicole Kidman happily singing along like she was in her own "Teenage Dream," I sorta cringed and reconsidered watching her next film. It was kind of like when your mom used to lick her hand and wipe your face with it. Icky.

And what was up with John Mayer? Alcohol, for sure. But he seemed physically slowed down so I'm gonna say something stronger was also at play. How obvious was he when singing the Dolly Parton tribute with Norah Jones (great choice!) and Keith Urban? Dude, you have to use the teleprompter to sing "Jolene"? Why didn't you just turn down the gig? Jack White's already got a killer version, and he does your look better than you, anyway.

I'm lately writing a column called "Groove Advisory" for AltDaily. You can read more of my Grammy thoughts here.


List of Winners:
Record of the Year: "The Suburbs," Arcade Fire
Album of the Year: Need You Now Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year: "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
New Artist: Esperanza Spalding
Pop Vocal Album: The Fame Monster Lady Gaga
Pop Performance by a Duo or Group: "Hey Soul Sister," Train
Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Just The Way You Are," Bruno Mars
Rock Song: "Angry World," Neil Young
Rock Album: The Resistance Muse
R&B Song: "Shine," John Legend & The Roots
R&B Album: Wake up! John Legend & The Roots
Rap Solo Performance: "Not Afraid," Eminem
Rap Song: "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
Rap Album: Recovery Eminem
Female Country Vocal Performance: "The House That Built Me," Miranda Lambert
Male Country Vocal Performance: "'Til Summer Comes Around," Keith Urban
Country Performance by a Duo or Group: "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
Country Album: Need You Now Lady Antebellum
Latin Pop Album: Paraiso Express Alejandro Sanz
Contemporary Jazz Album: The Stanley Clarke Band The Stanley Clarke Band
Classical Album: Verdi: Requiem Riccardo Muti, conductor
Traditional Gospel Album: Downtown Church Patty Griffin
Dance Recording: "Only Girl (In The World)," Rihanna
Electronic Dance Album: La Roux La Roux
Alternative Music Album: Brothers The Black Keys
Spoken Word Album: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Audiobook) Jon Stewart

Stones. Diaries.

I made this the other night. I'm not sure if it's finished yet...I'd like to print it and get 3d with something the texture of berries smeared around a bit.

21 Jump Ship

pic: audiomuffin

Adele 21

I've been reading about this album for over a week and decided to stream it, which you can also do by clicking here. I've read comparisons to everything from Etta James to Amy Winehouse. Didn't remind me of either. Her voice just isn't as good as those ladies. It (sadly) reminded me of the chick from Evanescence. She can sing too, but it's dramatic and adolescent in many ways. Even her cover of The Cure's "Lovesong" is dumbed down. If you want to sing ballads over pianos, you shouldn't remind your listener of a mediocre Fiona Apple. They'll just turn you off and listen to Fiona instead (which is what I contemplated).

I'm going to listen to it a few more times before banning it to the permanent mediocracy pile. Sometimes records grow on me.

REgreSS

ode to beatown

slowey schmoozey 

with that rare red wine friday

slow

but not

lonely

skype (in poetry!)

but those 

berwick accents

bring back memories

young me

headphones 

unplugged in new york

incense

now

still music

still words

less people i love

more people i know though

JKRface

Halloween Idea #12

My February pick in the Halloween game is the Joker in drag from The Dark Knight. Batman is my favorite superhero and one of my favorite characters of all time and I've somehow never incorporated this into a costume.

I love how creepy and sad Heath Ledger played the Joker in this version and especially love some of the kooky stuff that came out of his portrayal. It felt more artistic than a lot of superhero films...more like a character versus a caricature.

Pros: I already own a nurse's costume and clipboard, so it would be inexpensive. I love all things Bat.

Cons: It's been done. A-lot.

Only nine months to go!

It Takes Two To

One of the most controversial films ever made, starring one of the kings of his craft, Marlon Brando, Last Tango in Paris recently took me further into my journey with French filmmaking (I'm a newbie.)

I'd heard of the film before, and vaguely remembered that it was infamous and once had an X rating. Some further research led me to learn that

1. It was banned in certain parts of the world for 30+ years

2. It changed public perception of its cast forever

3. It was considered pornographic at the time

I wasn't sure what to expect upon turning it on. I know, now days later, that I cannot stop mentally going back to that sparse apartment and those graying Parisian streets every few minutes. From an artistic perspective, it gets high marks from me. From the opening scene, with the wide angles of Brando in his brown overcoat stumbling like a zombie behind ingenue Maria Schneider, dressed like she just stepped from the pages of 2009 Modcloth.

Her top hat with flowers, minidress, and leather butterscotched boots are appealing and serve more of a purpose than simply clothing the (often nude) Schneider in her opening scene. They provide information about what her character, Joanne, represents. The hat? Whimsy and willingness to take one step over the line, calling it rebellion, when its really called being twenty. The mini? Sex. Youth. Nubility. The boots? In the immortal words of Nancy Sinatra "Made for walking...all over you." She's heading somewhere with elan, yet practicality (they aren't heels, after all. She can run fast and up stairs in them with great ease.)

The two meet. They barely exchange words, and definitely not names or personal information, before he hoists her against a wall and they knock boots (literally.) As the days go by, we see their respective lives away from the bare apartment they tryst in juxtaposed with their intense, erotic-yet-disturbing-yet-fascinating interactions.

I suppose today, almost forty years later, one could still view Tango without getting all the nuance director Bernardo Bertolucci intended. There's an experimentation his actors allowed him that I've rarely seen elsewhere (Kubrick comes to mind.) Paul, whose loose, erratic behavior holds a power over Jeanne for 3/4 of the film. Then the tables turn. This is more than a Lolita situation, and more than an obsession or a role-play thing.

Paul is American in his interactions with Jeanne--something he couldn't be with his parents (if you believe the story about his childhood he tells Jeanne) or his recently deceased spouse. Jeanne's anonymity, and his, and their age differences allow him to fulfill a need to be some preconceived notion of masculine, macho-Americano--a trait he doesn't come by naturally and doesn't need to keep at after a few days.

Jeanne is twenty and headed for her first marriage. She spends much of the movie referencing her childhood, including trips to her mother's house and experiences in the rooms and gardens she pounced and daydreamed through. She allows everything Paul commands to happen. She doesn't fight. Even in the most infamous and disturbing scene, she cries but she does not protest. In the end, we see her power and her ultimate decision. She isn't helpless, she's saying goodbye to youth through her relationship with Paul.

If you haven't seen this film, I recommend it for a thousand different reasons. Interestingly enough, the one that brought me to it, its infamy, is the last thing I would think of now.